Chapter Two #3
I grinned. “Oh, babe, I could kiss you. Thank you. That's exactly how I feel, but everyone keeps telling me I'm overreacting.”
He frowned. “What?”
“I'm telling you what everyone has been telling me.
Not what I think, Kill. I want to cut this motherfucker's balls off, but Raza said that Dagur wasn't doing anything wrong. He said I should consider the benefits of having Rowan foster a friendship that could lead to a deep romantic connection later.”
“Raza's a fucking freak! A sick, motherfucking freak! I'm no longer his beast bro!”
I burst out laughing. “I love you so much, Blair.”
Killian smirked. “I love you too, Twilight. Shall we castrate together? It can be like a date night.”
I laughed again as Dagur whimpered.
After my laughter subsided, I sighed and said, “We can't castrate him. I'm trying to explain that even though we see it as evil, Dagur sees it as normal and even sweet.”
“Sweet?” Killian growled.
“He does care about her.”
“I love her,” Dagur said.
Killian and I slowly turned in unison to face him with wide, horrified eyes.
“Are you fucking stupid?” Conri snorted.
“Say one more word, asshole!” Kill pointed at Dagur. “One more fucking word, and I will rip your throat out.”
Oh, my hero. I smiled at my husband and then gave in to my urges and kissed him. Killian jerked in surprise, but then turned into our kiss, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me back.
Dagur cleared his throat.
“Yup, the guy wants to die,” Gradh said in a tone she reserved for imbeciles . . . and Conri.
Killian eased back and looked at me. He lifted a brow. I grinned. He winked. And then he burst around me, snatched Dagur up from the floor, and held him off his feet.
Dagur yipped.
Killian shook the Elf. “You're not worthy of my little girl. I want a man stronger than me for her. Not some little elf-boy who I can—”
Suddenly, Dagur sliced out with the flat of his hand and hit Kill in the throat. As Killian gasped and grabbed his wounded neck, Dagur fell to his feet and swept Killian's feet out from under him. My husband dropped to the floor, still gasping.
I could have attacked with Light, but I didn't actually want to kill Dagur. So, I flung my mór at him—Firethorns. I hadn't used them in a while. It felt good to give the ol' vines some air time. They manifested at Dagur's feet and shot around him to slice through his clothing and bind him securely.
Wrapped in a thorny vine, Dagur fell to the floor.
He landed beside Killian with a grunt. I didn't set the vines on fire even though I wanted to.
It was enough to see Dagur bleed from the multiple wounds inflicted by the thorns.
Unlike my father's Bloodthorns or Sever's new Bloodburnthorns (we had to come up with that name since his mór was the first of its kind, as mine had been), my thorns didn't leave wounds that wouldn't heal without magic.
Dagur would be fine. But he'd be hurt for a little while.
Killian hissed and surged to his feet.
“You challenged me!” Dagur growled even though he was restrained and bleeding.
“You said you wanted a man as strong as you.
Well, I am. I'm strong enough for her. Maybe I'm not worthy of Rowan, but I don't think any man is or will be.
And I love her. It's not a romantic love yet, but it's real. I would die for your daughter. And I know if I feel like this now, when Rowan comes into her maturity, my love will become something that even Danu cannot break. I will not stay away from her!” He thrashed against the vines, making himself bleed worse.
“Nor will I meekly let you abuse me.” With a burst of dark light, he broke my vines, shook them off, and then stood up, glaring at us as he bled and panted.
I looked at Killian. We had intended to teach Dagur a lesson, but he had turned the tables on us.
“Fuck,” Killian muttered. “What do you think, babe?”
“I don't know. Rowan is at an age where his attention could be taken in the wrong way. By her, I mean.”
Wounds already healing, Dagur lifted his chin.
“I understand that she's becoming a woman and having feelings she's not ready to explore.
I promise you I will not take advantage of that.
That would be reprehensible. I swear, I love her.
I want the best for her. I would never abuse her in any way.
Not even to establish a closer relationship.
And . . . that's just . . . what's the human word?
Gross. It's just gross to lie with a child. I am not that kind of man.”
“He said gross.” Killian lifted an eyebrow.
“Smartest thing he's said yet,” Conri muttered.
“Con, shut up!” Gradh hissed at her lover.
“Whatever you want, love.” Conri grinned at her and then looked at Dagur. “You see? That's how you speak to important people.”
“I'm important, eh?” Gradh smirked.
“You are the most important person in my life.”
“Adorable,” Killian drawled. “Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to get back to dealing with this situation.”
Conri waved his hand as if he were giving us his blessing. Kill snorted and looked at me.
“All right, here's the deal.” I pointed at Dagur. “No inappropriate touching. If Rowan touches you inappropriately, you will kindly and respectfully discourage her. You will not give her adult presents like jewelry.”
“He gave her jewelry?” Killian growled.
“A snake bracelet.”
“Oh, you wanna die.” Kill narrowed his eyes.
“May I give her toys? Girlish things?” Dagur asked.
“Yes, fine. You may give her age-appropriate gifts. But you will stop coming to the castle so often.”
“How often may I visit her?” He crossed his arms.
I sighed and looked at Killian.
Killian grimaced. “Shit. I don't know. Three times a week?”
“Only three times a week?!” Dagur huffed.
“That's more than I see my wife, asshole!” Killian snarled.
“Uh, I spend six days here,” I said.
Kill looked at me. “Only three are technically mine. And then you have twelve with your other husbands. Three out of twelve is less than three out of seven.”
“Shit,” I whispered. “Do we need to rework the schedule again?”
“No, babe. I'm just trying to tell our daughter's suitor that three days is a good deal.”
“Suitor.” I squished up my face.
“I know. I still want to punch him.”
“If you can catch him. He's wriggly.”
Killian snorted. “Yeah, he is. But we've got him in a locked room, and you have those Light lassos you can use, Wonder Woman.”
“Oooh! I am kinda like Wonder Woman!”
“Dear Goddess, these are my future parents,” Dagur muttered.
“Watch it, dickhead!” Killian pointed at Dagur. “It's up to Rowan whether you get married. She might just use you and discard you.”
“Or she may not be attracted to you at all when she gets older,” I added. “When I was her age, my biggest crush was Optimus Prime.”
“Yes!” Killian punched his fist into the air. “That's awesome, babe. I'm going to name my cock Optimus Prime. You know, the main one, not the second.”
Conri rolled his eyes. “Yes, we all know about your two dicks.”
“Shut up.” I pointed at Con. “He's proud of them for good reason.”
“Thanks, babe.” Kill picked up my hand and kissed it.
“Who is Optimus Prime?” Dagur asked.
“You see, I don't like that you don't know that.” Killian pointed at him.
“He's an Elf, babe,” I said.
“Yeah, but he lived on Earth.”
“Yes, in an underground Elven community. It's not the same as like, Dax.”
“Oh. Yeah. All right.”
“Optimus Prime is a robot,” I said. “And a cartoon. As in, a drawing. As in, there was no way I was going to marry him, and even if he were real, I wouldn't be attracted to him as an adult. In other words, you're cute to her now, but when she grows up, she may change her mind.”
Dagur looked at me as if I were being deliberately ignorant. “I will be whatever Rowan needs me to be. But I know she will not discard me. We have built a foundation of trust and affection. She would never be cruel to me.”
I gave Killian a look. “Maybe we should start teaching her to be more like Shahzy.”
Killian snorted. “Impossible. Our girl is more of an Angel than Miri is.” He looked back at Dagur.
“You're right. She won't discard you. But she might kindly break up with you.” Killian grinned when he saw Dagur pale.
“After all, she's part human, and humans are very unpredictable.” He took my hand.
“Come on, babe. I think he knows his place now.”
As we left the room, I tossed over my shoulder, “Three days a week supervised! You are never to be alone with my daughter! If I find you with her alone, I will fucking banish you.”
“Oooh, banishment,” Kill drawled. “I like that. You're so sexy when you get stern. You wanna banish me to our bedroom?”
“Do you need guards for that?” Conri stepped into place behind us. “I'm available.”
Gradh smacked him in the arm.
“Ow! I was joking, my love!” Conri whined. “I can't help it. I'm overcoming years of being a philandering asshole. You have to at least let me flirt a bit.”
“No, I don't.” Gradh inclined her head to me and then headed back to the dining hall at a fast clip.
“Baby!” Conri rushed after her. “I love you! Only you! I swear it on my father's horns.”
“Cu-Sidhe don't have horns!” Gradh shrieked.
“On my mother's hooves, then! Come on, love.”
Kill smirked at me. “It looks like we're alone, Twilight.”
“Sure does.” I smirked back.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction from the dining hall.