“You say amazing, the rest of creation says annoying. It’s semantics really.” Alina tossed back.
Peri tapped her chin with a long, thin finger. “I want to be annoyed with you, but any time someone insults me with something I deem worthy of the breath it took to say it, it’s hard to hold a grudge.”
Cyn grinned. “Your reasoning never ceases to amaze me.”
“See.” Peri looked at Alina while pointing at Cyn. “Amaze. I amaze her.”
Cyn shook her head at the Alpha female. “Just let her have this one.”
Alina chuckled. “Good idea.”
“Back to the five decades-long sulking,” Peri prompted. “What made you decide it was time to come out of retirement?”
Cyn narrowed her eyes at Peri. “You don’t remember?”
“Since then I’ve saved the world, dealt with a bat-shit-crazy witch, and endured the company of wolves and teenage girls,at the same time. I’ve also discovered that I am mated to one of those annoying wolves. Cut me some slack if I don’t remember the time when you were sulking in the forest and talking to the dandelions about your confused emotions.” Peri practically growled.
“Fine.” Cyn relented. “I won’t hold it against you. Although I don’t know how you could forget dragging me by my ankles across said dandelion field all the while griping about not having to do everything yourself.”
Peri’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s right! Good times, Cyn, good times.”
“Where did she drag you?” Alina asked.
“Would you like to tell her?” Cyn asked her comrade.
Peri cackled. “Now that I know the story behind it, it’s so freaking funny.”
“Not funny, Perizada. Not funny at all.” Cyn deadpanned.
“I literally dropped her off at the front door of the one place that she was trying to avoid—the palace that housed her man. Of course I didn’t know he was her man at the time,” Peri said, waving her hand absently. “I told her she needed to get in there and change the prince’s mind by any means necessary.”
“Why?” Alina asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.
“I had a little birdy tell me that difficult times were coming. I knew we were going to need all the supernaturals we could get to be a united front. The prince was being a pompous ass and, at the time, I thought my stoic little warrior would be able to beat some sense into him. Apparently it was a totally different kind of beating she had in mind.” Peri cracked herself up, practically falling over in laughter.
Cyn cut Alina a sharp look when the female Alpha began to laugh. Alina quickly covered her mouth and attempted to turn it into a cough. “You have to admit that was pretty funny,” Alina said, her eyes twinkling with humor.
“I refuse to encourage her idiocy with compliments of her humor.”
“That’s the Cyn we know and love.” Peri hooted.
“So what happened after she dropped you off?” Alina asked.
Cyn cleared her throat as she brushed her hair back away from her face. “Well, I’ll have to set the scene for you to fully appreciate it. You see, it was a dark and stor—”
“No.” Peri cut her off, holding up her hand. “Just. No.”
Cyn laughed. “Okay, fine. It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. It was late in the evening though, so it was almost dark. I stood at the door to the palace, cursing a certain high fae, when suddenly the small door to the right of the large gate opened. I was truly hoping it would be a butler or something. But no. My life couldn’t be that easy. There he stood, in all his glory, looking as angry as a wet hen.”
“Look who decided to show up.” Thalion’s voice filled her mind as the memory took shape and reality slipped away.
“Thalion,” Cyn said, hoping she sounded cordial rather than breathless. The smug look on his face, however, led her to believe it was the latter that he heard.
“Please.” He motioned for her to enter. “Come in. To what do I owe the honor of your company?”
Cyn took several tentative steps forward, attempting to skirt past him into the palace. Her goal had been to keep from touching him, but the prince had other plans. He moved closer to her just as she passed him, causing her shoulder to rub against his firm chest.Stupid prince, she mentally grumbled.
“Perizada sent me,” Cyn told him.
