So many lies and half-truths. Had we finally reached the end of them? Or was this how it would be for as long as I allowed these males to be in my life?
“How many years were you king, Laurie?” I asked without preamble, turning my head. “And before that, you were a prince, right? That must really fuck with someone.”
Laurie stepped out of the gloom and stopped near the fire, but he left a wide space between us. The dying light moved in his bright eyes. “How so?” he said finally.
I thought of how I felt every time someone gaped at me, or sought my company, knowing it was because of the perfect face they saw. “It makes love impossible. There’s always a part of you, no matter how good they make you feel, that wonders if it’s real. Or if they’re just another person using you, wanting you for all the wrong reasons.”
Laurie’s voice was dry as he said, “I’m hardly lacking in confidence, you adorable creature. But I appreciate the effort to psychoanalyze me.”
He was right. I was trying to understand, but it wasn’t just about him. I wanted to understand Collith, too. To make excuses for why they’d both become like this.
I was looking for reasons to forgive them.
Shying away from the thought, I reached for a blanket draped over a nearby armchair. I wrapped it around myself and cleared my throat. “The bargain you mentioned. What did you have in mind?”
“If you help me get Collith out, I will grant you a boon,” Laurie answered.
He really didn’t know that I’d already decided to help him. He was right about one thing—I might as well get something out of this. A boon from Laurie could come in handy later, and I had a family to protect. “Fine,” I snapped. “You can tell me the plan after I’ve had breakfast. Maybe another bath, too.”
Leave, my tone said. But Laurie fingered the edge of my blanket and didn’t move. I was about to look at him when I remembered that he was naked, so his words fell upon the side of my neck as he said, “I can help you bathe.”
I said nothing. After a moment, I felt a tug at the blanket, and it slipped from my grasp. It fell into a pool of wool at my feet. Still, I didn’t speak. Laurie reached for the bottom of my nightgown. I thought of every reason why I should tell him to go, and it was a long list. He pulled the nightgown over my head. Pressed his wicked mouth against my bare shoulder.
One more time, I told myself, my eyes sliding shut. Just one more.
That turned out to be a lie, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Hours later, Laurie finally left the warm bed we’d been sharing.
I propped my head on my hand and watched him dress. He pulled everything on with swift, careless movements. A few feet away, the bathtub rested in front of a crackling fire. We’d spent so much time in the water that my fingertips had begun to wrinkle. At some point, we ended up back in bed, where we had remained ever since. Now it was early afternoon and I still hadn’t put any clothes on. Secretly, I was concerned I’d lost the ability to walk.
“Loath as I am to leave you, I should sift back to Court and find out Belanor’s next move,” Laurie said, turning to kiss me. “I’ll be back in time for the jailbreak, as you call it.”
My lips tingled from the brief pressure of his, but the mention of tonight’s plan—the details of which Laurie still hadn’t shared with me—made my mood darken. Before I could tell him that I’d changed my mind and Collith could stay in his cell for the rest of eternity, Laurie sifted out of sight.
The moment I realized he was gone, I wiped the scowl from my face and got out of the massive bed. I’d been meaning to summon Lyari all day, and warn her about what was coming. Since I had nothing else to wear, I put the nightgown back on. I still felt exposed, though, and my eyes scanned the floor. Damn it, Laurie, where did you put my underwear?
Someone knocked on the door. Thinking of all the people who wanted me dead, I searched for the sword as I called, “Who is it?”
“Oh, good. You’re awake,” the reply came.
I frowned at the sound of that voice. Forgetting the sword, I hurried toward the door. It swung open at the same moment I reached for the knob, and I stepped back to avoid getting struck. A moment later, the Unseelie Queen swept past me, leaving a trail of frost on the dirt floor. She wore a gown made of thick wool, the sleeves so long they nearly dragged along the floor. A belt accentuated her narrow waist. In one hand, the stems held delicately between her fingers, she carried two wine glasses. In the other, she gripped a bottle of red wine.
I closed the door on her Guardians and spun back around. Viessa stopped in the center of the room and faced me with raised brows. “Goodness, you’ve been busy in here. Prince Laurelis must be as impressive as the rumors claim.”
An automatic denial rose up, but the words wouldn’t come out. Not when I could still feel the imprint of Laurie’s mouth on me. Viessa’s lips curved into a slow smile, and it felt as if she could see the fire, see the way his touch still lingered.
“Why are you here, Your Majesty?” I asked instead. My face was hot.
“Honestly, I had to get away from Nuvian. He likes to cuddle.” The faerie shuddered and turned away.
I was so grateful she’d allowed me to change the subject that it took an extra second for her answer to register. “Wait. Cuddle?” I echoed.
Viessa ignored the presence of the bathtub. As she set the wine glasses down on a small table between the two armchairs, she saw my confusion. Her eyebrows went up again. “You didn’t know he’s my lover?”
“But… isn’t he your…”
She yanked the cork from the wine bottle. Viessa began to pour with one hand while she waved the other in a gesture of dismissal. “Haven’t you read the bible, Fortuna? Siblings and cousins fucked all the time. Or, better yet, read Game of Thrones. That’ll be less painful than the Old Testament. We need some snacks, I think.”
Acting as though she hadn’t just revealed something utterly revolting, Viessa went to the rope in the corner and pulled on its frayed end. She returned to the chairs, and once she’d adjusted her heavy skirts, Viessa sank into one of them. She took a sip of wine. Then, as if the strength had gone out of her, she rested the glass in her lap and closed her eyes. “God, I’m tired,” she muttered.
Wondering if this was a trick, somehow, I lowered myself into the other chair. It creaked beneath my weight. “Being queen not everything you thought it would be?”
She let out a sigh that made her seem far too human. “There’s been more… resistance than I anticipated,” Viessa replied. “Since I didn’t undergo the trials, and there’s still a living Sylvyre, some of the bloodlines aren’t afraid to be vocal about it. No one seems to give a flying fuck that the Folduins were supposed to have the throne years ago.”
“Faeries don’t like being told what to do, and they don’t like change. You did both. Take it from someone who was in your shoes. How many assassination attempts have there been?” I added, finally reaching for the second glass of wine.
Viessa smirked. “Four. I’ve started an ice sculpture garden.”
That was a garden I never wanted to see. Falling silent, I followed the queen’s gaze to the flames in front of us. The blue depths made me think of Collith and his lightning bolts.