"See, I'm good at that. I already know your style." Decker stared at his beer, looking bummed. "I'll fight with you," he added. "I don't care, I just want things to get better.”
The plane started accelerating for takeoff and I clutched Ian’s hand.
"It's worth testing out the spell on him anyway," Flor said. "And maybe...on Darius too."
"So what is the deal with the consorts? I'm still waiting for a real explanation," Darius said.
"Well, Frankie and I grew up together and we were always drawn together. Waylon was around when we were younger too, and when they reunited as adults, I think you guys felt a connection pretty instantly. Then I met Flor, and we had no idea about him, but when he was around Frankie they started to feel something too. Once you start to feel it, it gets stronger and stronger,” Ian said.
"Yes. It's fast and it doesn't feel like you're in control," Flor said. "But...in a good way. Like a rollercoaster.”
“Ahhh…yeah…,” I cried, as the plane was rolling into takeoff in a way that reminded me way too much of that rollercoaster. I waited for Waylon to harass me about pretending to like the rollercoaster but he seemed too busy turning white as a sheet.
Flor gave me the briefest not-quite smile. "And we're in it together. I hope you're a consort, Dar. I think it's gonna be a hell of a ride."
"But...is it like a marriage?" Darius asked. "An arranged marriage you can't escape?"
“Not…unless the sex in your arranged marriage happens to be fucking fantastic," Waylon said, gripping the armrest.
"Are the painkillers ever going to knock you out?" I asked him, cheeks burning.
"And consorts are tasked with saving the world?" Darius had gorgeous brown eyes that I could tell were usually friendly, but now those eyes were demanding an answer from me--the only queen here. "You don't get any choice in the matter?"
"I don't," I said, my mouth twisting slightly. "It's something I have to do. Everyone's counting on me, and all of us."
"This kind of talk is why I've never gotten along with Camille,” Darius said. "Count me out.”
Chapter Thirty
Mina
"I missed you," I said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs as Viktor walked in the door.
I was good at pretending. Oh, yes, I could be whatever I wanted to be. A ballerina, a ditz, the perfect pet...or a queen.
He hung his hat on a peg and gave his hair a little automatic brush of his fingers to put it back in place. As soon as his eyes met mine I started to feel the magic wafting off him and I looked away before his eyes caught me in the low light of the entrance hall. Right now, his eyes were purplish in the low light, muted and dark and his skin lost any pink hue here, seeming statue-gray and too hard and perfect to touch. He was wearing a dark gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, black suspenders and black pants that fit him just a tad loose, so he looked like he could have just been out working on the garden or the vineyard all day instead of off being the president of Istara giving fiery speeches.
"You missed me?" he said, with a hint of skepticism.
"You're so strong that it feels a little empty here without you," I said. "I didn't realize until you were...gone. And...and anyway, if you're a consort, I think we should get that over with. Just do it." I paused. "Plus, Gina told me you were really good in bed," A note of intrigue entered my tone, but I was starting to sweat a little. I felt how hard it was to resist his spell. "So come upstairs in a few minutes, okay?"
He was looking me over, and I had given him plenty to look at, putting on the skimpiest outfit offered to me, a little romper that showed as much as a one-piece swimsuit. My fair hair was spilled over my shoulders, heels on my feet to show off my legs.
Any man was going to look me over right now, and I counted to ten in my brain and then I just ran up the stairs.
I started throwing off my clothes. "He's here."
"Got it." Ansel climbed under the bed. Ansel helped me into my clothes and grabbed the roller skates. "You look nervous. Don't be nervous.”
"I'm not nervous. I'm fabulous and crazy!” I declared, psyching myself up.
He tugged the laces on. "You're a queen."
"I am a queen!" I kicked out my feet and then stood up, skating for the bathroom. I heard footsteps on the stairs. "Hide!"
I went into the bathroom and shut the door. I quickly put on some blue eyeshadow; why not? I had a minute. I definitely looked a little ridiculous, but in dim lighting...
I remembered that Viktor had kind of bad eyes and brightened up even more. Maybe he wouldn't be able to tell I was just wearing a sheet tunic and sheet things on my legs. (What were these, even? Leg warmers? They looked more like leg aprons, honestly.)
I took a deep breath. As silly as I felt, Viktor's magic was no joke and I needed to 100% sell the shit out of this.
"Mina?" Viktor rapped on the door.
"Come in...!" I called out.
The hinges creaked. I hear his footsteps, catlike on the rug.
I had the CD queued up and the volume cranked on the boombox. I turned it on and the music started blasting. I burst out of the door and started shaking my hips and lip-synching to Waterloo.
I hardly dared look at Viktor but I could tell he was stunned into silence. I could imagine how weird this seemed from his perspective.
"Waterloo! I was defeated--"
Ansel emerged from the other side of the bed and grabbed Viktor, wrapping his arms around him.
"What is going on?"
"Couldn't escape if--"
Ansel cinched a belt around Viktor's arms and then yanked his hands behind his back and tied them.
“Whoa whoa whoa whoa Waterl—“
"I got him, Mina." Ansel glowed with triumph.
"Tie his feet too! I don't trust him. He had some ninja moves in Cairo on top of everything else."
Viktor didn't fight Ansel now. He let him bind his feet, looking terrifyingly irritated, which is an unlikely expression that Alistair also happened to be a master of.
"How dare you," he said, his voice a soft growl. "What is this?"
"This is getting some straight answers out of you," I said. "This is messing up your psychic forcefield that makes everyone do what you want. And it's working really well, isn't it? At least I have a few minutes, I guess."
"You found my mother's music," he said. "And you used it against me."
"Yeah, we did. Should I feel sorry for you? I'll decide after I find out what your deal is. Are you really my consort?"
"No." He was defiant. Still, I thought, very dangerous, but for this one moment at least I wasn't seeing an ageless elf, but a relatively young leader of a troubled country.
"I knew it. You thought you could trick me like that? What's it all for?"
"What's that?" Ansel asked, as we all heard a car pulling up outside, crystal clear through the open window. The night sea air here smelled so good that I couldn't resist it; it made me want to fly. "Are you expecting anyone, Vik?"