Chapter 36 Sealing the Bargain #2
I shook my head, chasing away those sensations. I needed to move. To do something to distract myself and ease the trembling tightness I was feeling.
“Talon and his crew shouldn’t be far,” I said. “I’ll just find them again.” And hopefully avoid Octavian in the process, if luck was on my side. I just couldn’t face him when I felt…like this.
Alastor scoffed. “If Talon is anything like I remember, he can hardly be trusted in this situation. He’s probably so drunk he can hardly stand.”
Talon had definitely done a lot of drinking this evening, but last I’d seen him, he’d been holding his liquor just fine. “Octavian trusted him with me.”
“And where is my brother, exactly?” Alastor asked. “I was under the impression that he was the one who’d come looking for you.”
“He’s…up on the Hill, I think.” I was realizing now that I shouldn’t have brought up his name at all.
And the look Alastor gave me confirmed that he probably had some idea about why I’d suddenly gone as twitchy as a hairless chihuahua.
He gave another sigh. “I know it’s none of my business—”
“You’re right. So let’s just leave it at that.”
“—but I think it would be easier for all of us right now if there wasn’t any unnecessary drama.”
I felt a prickle of irritation. “Who said there was drama?” Okay—maybe there was a little drama, but he didn’t know that.
“My brothers can be very…free with their attention,” Alastor continued.
No kidding. “I’m not trying to start anything, okay? I don’t want any drama either.” And after tonight, I wasn’t going to try anything with Octavian again, so at least my fears of finding myself in the middle of an awkward love triangle would no longer be an issue.
Alastor’s eyebrow twitched. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. We’ve known you a matter of days and already you’ve gotten yourself entangled with both of my brothers.”
“Not intentionally,” I responded, with more attitude than I intended.
Okay, maybe that Nectar had finally hit my bloodstream, because I was having a little trouble self-regulating my volume right now.
“It’s not like I planned to meet three cursed brothers, accidentally transport myself to their world, and make out with all of them.
I’m supposed to be home writing fanfic and talking to my succulents right now. ”
Alastor stepped closer—probably, in retrospect, because I was talking pretty loud and he didn’t want others to overhear—but I misinterpreted the disapproval in his eyes.
“I misspoke,” I said, raising my hands in front of me in a placating gesture.
“Obviously I haven’t made out with all of you.
Believe me, Your Highness, you have nothing to worry about from me.
I have no interest in you at all.” I mean, he did smell very, very nice—something I was very aware of right now, with him only a couple of steps away—and he had been very tender towards me just before and just after going through the portal.
But those things hardly outweighed all the rest.
He stopped, his frown deepening. “You seem very determined to believe I dislike you.”
“Don’t you? You’ve made it pretty clear you primarily see me as a nuisance. Or, considering this conversation, some sort of succubus sent here to seduce your brothers or something.” Tipsy me was actually pretty good about calling people on their bullshit.
Alastor was very still, his face impassable as he considered my words.
Finally, he said, stiffly, “My first duty is and will always be to Therador. And where duty is concerned, I cannot bear distractions. I don’t think anyone—including my brothers, and including you—would dispute the fact that your presence here…
complicates our situation. And things are tenuous enough without added complications.
” His dark eyes met mine, hard but not necessarily unkind.
“I don’t dislike you, Marigold. In fact, I owe you a great debt.
You brought us home. I will not forget that for the rest of my life.
” His eyes didn’t quite soften, but I sensed something beneath their steady surface—one of those rare glimpses of something more complex under his steely, arrogant exterior.
If he was honestly trying to convince me that he liked me, then his little speech could have used some work. But it was a start, I supposed. As was the surprising offer of his arm.
“I don’t believe either of us has any interest in spending the rest of the night in this alleyway,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re not planning on dragging me back beneath the Hill, are you?”
“I’m not heartless, Marigold. I do know how to have fun when required. I thought we might go enjoy the Festival.”
“The fact that you only have fun when required is exactly the problem.”
His exasperation was plain in his eyes. “Do you want to go back to the Festival or not?”
He still didn’t look exactly pleased to be acting as my escort this evening, but he was clearly making an effort, because he didn’t look resentful, either. Just…resigned. And perhaps a little stubborn, like he wanted to prove that he wasn’t some boorish grump who had a problem with me.
And I was amused enough by his efforts to smile as I took his arm.
Maybe it was because my head was slightly fuzzy from the Nectar, or maybe I was just high off whatever hormones Radven’s tongue had activated in me, but a wicked little voice inside me pointed out that I could definitely, definitely have some fun with this.
Alastor certainly deserves it.