Chapter Thirty-Five
It was noon before we successfully summoned the other fae royals to meet with us. Both of the light courts were already preparing to leave following the successful handfasting. Only Bain and his retinue had intended to stay past this evening. After we were through with him, he would probably be the first to go—and likely by force. There had also been extensive debate regarding whether to host the meeting at the Avalon or in the Otherworld, whether or not weapons should be allowed, and if attendees should be limited to heads of court.
In the end, practicality had won out. Since Sirius needed to back up our claim that the Infernal Court had tampered with our clover supply, we’d extended the invite to every royal family member. That had necessitated somewhere larger to gather than Lach’s office. We’d opted for a conference room in the Avalon, since Lach was unlikely to allow Bain to ever step foot into his home court again. I’d lost on the issue of guns, which was why there were twin 9-millimeters holstered under Lach’s Armani suit jacket, but the jade-green Birkin bag he’d presented to carry mine was sitting on the nightstand in my bedroom.
Since I had never attended an official business meeting between courts, Ciara had helped choose my outfit. I had foregone the usual ball gown in favor of a close-fitting, high-neck blouse that might have been modest were it not entirely tailored from forest-green lace. I had paired it with a black pencil skirt that hugged my hips before narrowing to my knees, a pair of sheer black stockings, and Gucci pumps with gold heels so tall and pointed they could double as daggers if I regretted leaving the gun behind. She had glamoured my makeup and hair to save time, taming this morning’s frizzy mess into lush waves before darkening my lashes and shading my lips scarlet.
Ciara had inverted her handfasting look, opting for a tight black jumpsuit that left nothing to the imagination. She’d magicked sharp cat eyes and bloodred lipstick. If anyone doubted where she stood on ending the trial marriage, one look at her would suffice.
Each court took a side of the square conference table, royals and penumbras sitting with their attending guards behind them at a close distance. We waited for the others to sit before Lach and his retinue took the side stationed in front of the entrance. A reminder that he controlled who came and went in this court and this city as well as a quick exit if things went south. The Nether Court royals sat, Roark speaking quietly with the men he’d positioned at the conference-room door. I stayed back, nervously fingering the phone in my skirt pocket.
“I thought we were done with meetings,” Titania complained as soon as Lach had settled into his chair.
Lach ignored her, opting instead to hold up a hand. He nodded to Roark’s empty spot beside him. “We will begin in a moment, when everyone is ready.”
Roark moved to my side, sweeping the room one final time to assess any potential threats, but he didn’t continue to the table.
“I think they’re waiting for you,” I muttered.
Roark flashed me a wicked grin as Lach’s voice rose over the hushed conversations starting around the conference table. “Cate?”
I blinked as Lach extended a tattooed hand to the seat at his side. He couldn’t possibly expect me to join him, to assume the chair meant for his penumbra. The message it sent would be complicated. Worse than complicated. I glanced at the table, looking for another seat as if it was a mistake.
I was still processing Lach’s request when Roark touched my elbow. “Go on. He’s making a statement.”
A statement I wished he had cleared with me, especially since his penumbra appeared to be in on it. I lifted my head, aware that every eye in the room was watching me, but I strode forward to join him. A few members of other courts shared glances as I took the empty seat, their faces a telling mixture of curiosity, amusement, and, in Titania’s case, disdain.
As if to answer the unspoken question hanging in the air, Lach reached over and placed a hand on my knee. A few brows raised, but the statement was now clear to everyone, including me. He slid a quick glance at me, as if assessing how much trouble he’d find himself in over his show of affection. There was a time when I might have cared what the others thought or what they would assume. But right now, there was only one message I wanted to deliver, so I edged closer to Lach and planted my palm high on his strong, muscled thigh. My place might be at his side, but I wasn’t his pawn any more than he was mine. The corner of his mouth twitched, his head inclining ever so slightly.
Message received.
“Exactly why are we here?” Aurora asked, folding her hands on the table. “While we appreciate your hospitality, I confess I’m eager to return home and see to the business of my own court.”
Lach leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand, the other still marking his newly claimed territory. “I will be brief, as I think we’re all through wasting time with this business.”
The others shared concerned looks, but Bain chuckled uneasily. “Is the honeymoon already over?”
Thankfully, the honeymoon hadn’t even gotten started. Ciara had shown the good sense to insist on separate bedrooms until the final details were concluded, telling Bain she wanted to wait until they returned to the Infernal Court.
The flicker of Lach’s eyes—lethal and cold—toward Bain might have been answer enough, but he cleared his throat. “We received disturbing information this morning that forces me to reevaluate my sister’s marriage to Bain.”
“What the hell?” Bain jumped to his feet, knocking his chair over in the process. The other royals began whispering among themselves as he planted his hands on the table. “On what grounds?”
I couldn’t decide if he was overplaying his innocence or genuinely surprised.
“Manipulation, deceit.” Lach spoke so calmly that I knew he was in danger of detonating. I squeezed his thigh gently, a reminder that putting an end to this was the first step in setting things right. “You negotiated a trade agreement—a marriage—to replace a product that you were tampering with.”
Oberon shifted forward, eyes narrowing. “That is a serious allegation.”
“And a fucking lie,” Bain added. “I have absolutely no clue what the hell you think is going on, but your sister is mine by law and custom for the next year.”
Ciara stood, glaring at him. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“You do without proof of this unfounded allegation,” Bain shot back. He looked like he might cross the room, throw her over his shoulder, and drag her to his court. All around the room, hands moved slowly toward jackets in anticipation of what he was going to do next.
I stilled. I’d known allowing guns was a bad idea, but no one would listen.
“Sit the fuck down,” Lach ordered him. “You are in my court, and you will act like it.”
MacAlister placed a hand on his prince’s arm, but Bain shook it off, righted his chair, and sat back down.
“Do you have evidence?” Oberon pressed, and I wondered how often he got stuck with the role of mediator. As the oldest, he was probably tired of it.
Meanwhile, Aurora and Sirius were speaking softly to each other, the crown princess beginning to shake her head as she listened. Finally, she straightened with a sigh. “My brother has something he would like to say.”
The shared surprise of everyone in the room was a testament to how rarely anyone considered the other royals in line to their individual thrones.
Sirius cleared his throat, tugging at his buttoned collar before he flipped open the folder in front of him. “I’ve been analyzing different strains of clover against older ones, as well as ambrosia.”
“You little—” Bain growled.
“Do not finish that sentence,” Aurora warned him, her amethyst eyes flashing. “Or you won’t only be answering to Lach.”
He fell mostly silent, muttering under his breath while he glowered at the rest of us, particularly the young Astral Court prince bringing evidence against him.
Sirius continued, undeterred by Bain’s attempts at intimidation, laying out the science behind his discovery. Glances between the other assembled royals told me that they believed what he was saying, perhaps because he was a light court prince. A fact that shouldn’t matter but one that I knew did. When he finished, rage mottled Bain’s face.
“None of that is true. You’re lying.”
Sirius looked up from the folder, blinking. “Alchemy doesn’t lie. Someone used Infernal Court magic to taint the supply of clover. That’s a fact.”
“I’ve seen the evidence, watched Sirius work. He’s not lying, but a prince with something to hide might,” I added coolly, eyes narrowing on Bain.
He aimed a sneer at me, but I didn’t shrink. “Are you accusing me of not only tampering with another court’s product but also lying about it?”
Lach flourished a hand, sounding a little bored. “Yes, precisely. Try to keep up.”
Bain zeroed in on him, hands curling into fists on the table. We hadn’t just lost an ally today. We had made an enemy. “Regardless, it’s not up to you to end the handfasting. It’s up to your sister.” He finally looked at Ciara, and for a moment, he softened. “You don’t really believe this.”
She glared back at him, her throat sliding a little. “Alchemy doesn’t lie.” She sucked in a breath and held up her hand, which still bore the tattoo from last night’s handfasting ceremony. “Let’s leave it up to the magic. If Infernal Court magic was used to hurt my court, I am well within my rights to call off this trial marriage.”
For a moment, Bain just stared at the ink on her wrist, on her hand. We all did, and as we watched, the mark faded until not a trace remained. Bain snarled, his eyes flashing when he discovered his matching one had gone as well. Ciara sank carefully into her chair, her drooping shoulders the only hint of her relief.
Bain looked around the room, holding the gaze of each of us in turn. His eyes paused on me. “You’re going to regret this.”
Lach’s grip on my knee tightened. “Take care with how you speak to her.”
Bain simply shook his head and buttoned his jacket. “I suppose we’ve dodged a bullet. If the Nether Court is so easily swayed, you would be poor allies.”
I suppressed a laugh. Barely.
“You have until nightfall to get the fuck out of my court.” Lach rose, glaring back at him. “Gather your people and get out, because when the sun sets, you are forbidden to set foot in my city or my court ever again.”
Bain held his gaze, snorting slightly. “You’re going to regret this.” He snapped his fingers and vanished; a moment later, MacAlister and the other Infernal Court retinue followed.
As soon as he was gone, Aurora whirled on her brother. “Can you give me a little warning before you pick a fight with another court?”
He flashed her a sheepish smile, but I found myself jumping in. “He did it because I asked him to. If you want to be mad at anyone, direct it at me.”
Lach remained silent as Aurora surveyed me.
“Fine. But a word of caution,” she said as she looked between him and me. “You just made an enemy. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
So did I.
The Astral Court took their leave, Sirius promising to be in touch with Ciara and me after he spent more time studying the clean sample of clover he had. We promised to visit him in Prague when he was finished. The Hallow Court followed, except for Oberon, who remained.
“Aurora is right,” he warned us. “Bain holds a grudge.”
“I can handle him,” Lach said tightly. “I’m sorry that you wasted your time on this business.” There wasn’t an ounce of sincerity in his tone.
Oberon simply shrugged and smiled warmly. “I rather enjoyed myself.” He beamed at me, letting that smile fill his face. “Until next time. I hope we meet soon.”
A growl slipped from Lach, but I shushed him. “I’ll look into those shirts.”
He chuckled, tipping his head once at Lach, who scowled in response, and disappeared.
“I think I need a drink,” Ciara announced, slumping in her seat.
“Me too.” Shaw nodded, scrubbing his chin. “Care to join us?”
Lach shook his head. “Celebrate after the Infernal Court is gone.” He nodded to Roark. “Have our men do their best to make Bain uncomfortable. The sooner he’s out of here, the better.” Then he looked at Shaw. “Take our sister to get a drink. I don’t trust Bain to behave himself.”
“What about Cate?” Ciara pouted.
Lach’s attention was now aimed at me, something feral prowling in his shadowed green eyes. “Cate is occupied.”
“They’re going to be occupied a lot now, aren’t they?” Shaw muttered.
Before anyone could get another joke in, Lach snapped his fingers, and I found myself standing with him on the stone balcony. It looked different in the day, the Otherworld no longer hidden by shadows. An orchard stretched before us, the trees soaking up the final moments of light as the sun descended on the horizon. Their branches were laden with blood apples, and butterflies, so delicate they were nearly translucent, fluttered from fruit to fruit.
Lach’s arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot.”
I frowned before I realized what he meant. Then I rolled my eyes. “Fae and their pissing contests.” I picked a piece of lint off his shoulder. “I guess this means we’re official.”
“I think that might have been obvious to everyone else for a while.” He smiled, but it faded like the setting sun over his shoulder. “I want you to stay here until nightfall or until it’s confirmed that they’re gone.”
I raised my brows. “Is this because I didn’t take a gun to the meeting?”
“I don’t expect him to go peacefully. I will feel better—”
“If your fragile human girlfriend isn’t around?” I finished.
“If my girlfriend isn’t around. There’s nothing fragile about you, princess,” he corrected me, brushing his lips over mine. Even the soft kiss was searing, and I slipped my hand under his suit jacket.
“And what am I supposed to do while you’re vanquishing our enemy?”
“Our?” Delight danced in his eyes. “I do like the sound of that.” He kissed the hollow beneath my ear, and I shivered. “Make yourself at home? Preferably by getting naked in my bed?”
I reached absently for the pendant, then frowned. “And how will I summon you to said bed? You never returned my necklace.”
“You won’t have to summon me to our bed,” he promised darkly. “My nights belong to you now.”
I swallowed, his words dashing a white-hot line through me. “I guess I could take a bath. I do miss that tub.”
Preferably a very cold one before I burst into flames.
“Use mine.” His eyes drifted lower. “It’s big enough for two.”
“But you have to go play big, bad boss,” I pointed out.
His gaze skimmed lower and lower, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. “I’m sure I can speed things up.”
I drew back so he was forced to look up. “Without getting shot, please.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s so comforting.” I sighed, looking around us. “And which way is your room again? I’m going to need a map for this place.”
He chuckled. “The wraiths will show you. Just ask them.”
I thought of those disembodied howls following me through the halls and cringed. “Do I have to?”
“They answer to you, princess.” His arm tightened around my waist. “There’s no need to fear them.”
“Debatable,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure that being Lach’s girlfriend earned me royalty status, especially where the wraiths were concerned.
His raspy laugh was cut short, fading as his eyes grew distant. A second later, he frowned. “Roark says the fighting has begun.” He gave me a swift kiss. “I’ll be back when I’m done kicking their asses out of New Orleans.”
He released me, and I fought the urge to grab hold of him. “Seriously, don’t get shot.”
His smirk did nothing to reassure me as he nipped to the Avalon to end this once and for all.
After he was gone, I wasted five minutes trying to remember my way around the Nether Court before I gave up. “Can you show me to Lach’s room?”
I felt even sillier than I’d expected, talking to an empty hallway—until a hollow moan answered. Icy dread dashed that feeling, but I paused and waited. Another moan sounded a few steps away as if the wraith was traveling. I turned toward the sound and froze as a shadow moved. The moans shifted and changed as it continued down the corridor.
It was guiding me.
I took a deep breath and followed, trying to ignore the way my hair stood on end at the keening sound. “Thank you,” I said when the shadow finally paused in front of a familiar door.
There was a soft moan, and the wraith splintered, dispersing into curling shadows that melted into the hallway’s black walls.
Lach’s room was more cluttered than I remembered, his crammed bookshelves in utter disarray. If he didn’t hurry, he was going to return to find them alphabetized. I scanned the room, picking up a few abandoned shirts and jackets as I tried to ignore the siren call of his bed. It was unmade like the last time I was in here, even though as far as I knew, he always slept in his quarters at the Avalon. But I suspected the black silk sheets smelled like him. I forced myself to turn away before I peeled my clothes off and dove in to find out. If the bed was giving me dangerous thoughts, I wasn’t certain I should risk looking at the bathtub. Not until he was here to join me. The thought stoked the fire already burning low and deep inside of me.
A bath might not be the answer, but a book might do the trick. I continued to the nearest shelf, bypassing books written in what I now knew was Theban. The door creaked open, and I fought a smile. Wouldn’t have to summon him indeed. I’d just thought about getting naked, and he had shown up. “That was fast.”
I pushed the book I was holding back into place and turned, but it wasn’t Lach.
“Making yourself at home, princess?”