Neeve almost dropped the cards. “You’re the girl the queen has been searching for?” She stumbled back. “The one wanted by the Eldur queen?”
“Yeah, didn’t I say that?” She flopped onto her stomach and kicked her legs up behind her. “Listen, I don’t have any plans to leave this room until everyone forgets what an idiot I am. But I’m starving. Who do I call to get some chow around here?”
Neeve set the game on an ornate white table near the hearth. “I’ll fetch you something from the kitchen.” Something in her changed, and Brea couldn’t figure it out. It was like news of her identity shook something within the servant.
After a long stare, she left Brea to her silence.
The Gelsi palace had the best food.
Brea never thought she was the kind of person to like coated duck in some kind of cream sauce she couldn’t pronounce. Or that she’d stuff herself with seven courses of a single meal. At home, they were more the bologna and grilled cheese type of people.
She lay on her bed, her stomach almost bursting in protest. Neeve left after bringing the food, despite Brea begging her to stay and eat with her. Fear had entered her eyes at the proposition, and she went on and on about how servants didn’t eat food fit for nobles. Brea tried to convince her to take a single bite, and she’d run out of there as if her dress was on fire.
The remnants of Brea’s magic trials in the game with Griff were long gone, leaving behind a pristine room once more. She wondered if the people in this palace ever stopped working.
Thoughts of the fire queen entered her mind. She pictured a woman with blazing eyes and a vengeful spirit. As she’d learned from the movies, anything with fire in these fantasy worlds was bad.
That was how she imagined the Eldur queen. Long white hair, a hard expression, and dragons at her disposal. Did this world even have dragons? Griff hadn’t mentioned them. He’d have told her, right? Because, seriously, dragons!
The prospect both scared and intrigued her.
She couldn’t let herself fall into the hands of a dragon queen.
A scraping on her door had her jolting up in bed. She climbed off the heavenly mattress and crept across the floor on bare feet. Raising a hand, she tried to call on her magic, letting it latch on to her fear.
But when the door opened, it clogged in her veins, unable to break free as her mind went blank. Before her stood the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. It wasn’t the first time she’d thought it, but it was the first time since knowing he was evil.
There was a definite family resemblance with Griffin. For one, both he and Lochlan were ridiculously good looking—but she was starting to suspect half of the fae population of the same.
“Brea,” his low growl had her stepping forward not of her own accord.
“What are you doing here?” She had to force the words out.
He shut the door behind him. “We need to talk.”
She only stared at him.
“You’re in danger.”
Chapter Nine
Brea’s breath released in a ragged stream as the angry fae stalked toward her. She backed away until the backs of her thighs hit the bed. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“Neither should my brother.”
“That’s n-none of your business.” Her words shook. “What do you want from me?”
He glanced back at the door as footsteps sounded out in the hall. When they passed, he released a breath. “I left the dinner early to seek my bed.”
“This isn’t your bed.”
His eyes bore into hers like he could see through every one of her defenses. The man before her had none of the lightness of his brother. Instead, he replaced joy with a deep intensity, just as entrancing as every one of Griff’s smiles.
And also terrifying.
She rounded her bed so it stood between them.
“You don’t need to run from me, Brea. I won’t hurt you.”
“But you would abduct me—again—and take me to your queen.”
His silence told her that was exactly what he wanted to do.
“Let me ask again, what the heck do you want from me?”
He studied her for a long moment. “You aren’t safe here.”
“Of course, I am,” she scoffed. “Queen Regan is family.”
“That woman…” he pointed to the door, “…is not your family.”
“You think you know me because you picked me up off the floor of a jail cell. You think I owe you?”
“Brea—”
“No, you can’t pull your intimidating crap on me. I have spent my life in and out of mental institutions for delinquents. You don’t scare me.” Okay, he kind of did. “Don’t barge into my room thinking I’m going to fall at your feet.”
“That’s not why I—”
“Stop lying to me!”
Lochlan crossed the room, stopping in front of her. His jaw tensed as he looked down into her eyes. “I am not your enemy.”
“Any enemy of my aunt’s is an enemy of mine.”
“You barely know your aunt.” He dipped his head to look at her more closely. “My brother is the one you really trust, isn’t he?”
“He has given me no reason not to.”
“He’s lying to you. You’re not safe here, Brea.”
“I don’t believe you.” How could a palace like this be unsafe with all its fortifications and guards? “Are you done?”
“I came to deliver a warning. It is up to you what you do with it.” He tore his eyes from her with a growl and turned on his heel, pausing before he reached the door. “If you need help, trust Neeve. No one else.”
“Neeve?” Was she betraying Brea’s aunt? “How do you know I won’t betray her?”
He was quiet for a long moment. “Because I have been watching you for a long time, Brea Robinson, and that is not who you are.”
“Watching me?” Creepy much? “What does that even mean?”
A knock sounded on the door before Griff’s voice filtered through. “Brea, you in there?”
She considered calling out, telling him to come save her from the man standing with his back to her, his muscles bunched.
Something held her back.
Lochlan glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes finding hers. “There’s one more thing.”
“What is it?” Brea sighed, wanting this night to end. The sooner Lochlan was gone, the better.
“Myles.”
The name on his lips caused her heart to skip a beat. “Wha—”
“He’s alive.”
Without another word, he pulled open the door and found Griff leaning against the wall, waiting.
Griff kicked off the wall, anger overtaking his features. “What are you doing with her?” His face reddened.
Lochlan flashed him a tense smile. “Having a chat.”
“You have no right.”
“And you do?” Lochlan towered over Griff, using his height to intimidate his brother.
Griff didn’t back down. “She belongs here.”
Brea backed away from them but the vitriol poured from the two beautiful boys. Brothers, yet enemies. And they both wanted her for some reason she couldn’t explain.