Volst turns his head, looking at each of them. The lykin gasp and shrink back. I think it because of the weight of a spirit staring upon them…until I see the shadow rising behind me.
Daring a glance over my shoulder, I see that the water has vanished from around my still icy ankles and now stands suspended, like a frozen wave. It looms ominously over the shore. Quivering as Volst’s eyes land on Conri.
The threat is palpable even to me. This is a warning. A display of power with the whisper of who this power might be used against.
But the threat doesn’t snap the tension. Volst retreats into my palms, the water calmly shrinking back to its original place and settling. I feel it subside to my ankles and, when I return the water from my palms to the lake by kneeling down, Volst is no longer there.
“Thank you,” I whisper, collecting the blue thread and looping it around my wrist. With any luck, it will make it easier to call upon him in a moment of need. We are connected now.
As I straighten, my eyes meet Conri’s. He is staring at me with a mix of wonder…and horror. There is no doubt, he truly sees me now as the threat I am. I need to leave as soon as I’m able.
CHAPTER 38
“DidI not tell you all that she was truly the epitome of might and magnificence?” Conri wraps his arm around my waist, beginning to lead me back up the shore. He speaks as if they all hadn’t just heard him literally saying the opposite not moments ago. But the truth of the lykin is shaped by their king, not by objective fact. “Her power is breathtaking, is it not?”
Whispers and murmurs accompany the polite nods. The lykin clearly don’t know what to make of me. And Conri notices as well.
“Bewulf, our great uniter, gained his might by entering into a union with a spirit. The lykin’s history is made mightier when our kings marry those with power to make it our own. Which is why, in just three weeks, we shall be married beneath the full moon!”
Some nods of approval. Polite cheers. They’re still not won over to me. Not that I care. The only person whose perception actually matters is Conri.
“Truly, in three weeks?” I ask him.
“Does this upset you?”
“I only wish it could be sooner!” I laugh and lean into him with a forced smile. “I am glad that I could show you the might that I am bringing to you.”
“The might that killed Bardulf.” Conri chuckles darkly. “No wonder he was tempted by that power. Were I not the one marrying you, I would be tempted by you, too.” His eyes turn to Evander. “Should I be worried about you next?”
The question is asked in jest. But there is a moment where both Evander and I fight a flinch. Luckily, I don’t think Conri sees it, because Evander recovers instantly.
“I would never dream of betraying my king.” Evander dips into a low bow. “And besides, the mere scent of a human is mildly repulsive to me after all this time in Midscape. I do not think I could ever bed one.” He then adds hastily, “No offense to you and your bride, of course.”
Conri laughs again and pats his shoulder. “Part of me thinks I should punish you for saying such things about my mate. But I am too reassured by your loyalty to do so.” He glances at me. “Assuming you do not feel slighted?”
“Evander has been a loyal soldier to you, my king. It is a relief to know that you have such good men in your care after what happened with Bardulf.”
“I would hate for you to have to kill another of my knights,” he agrees. “I do not know if bringing me a powerful spirit could make up for it a second time.” The warning is clear.
But my focus is on Aurora, who sways slightly at Evander’s side. “My king, might I spend this night in Aurora’s tent?”
Conri chuckles. “We are in Den, we shall not stay in tents.”
“No?”
“You’ll see.” Conri leans forward to kiss me gently and I expend a monumental effort not to shrink away in disgust.
There isn’t the warm feeling of Conri’s charm, not even the slimy feeling that Bardulf created when he tried to leverage themagic. There’s no haziness to my thoughts. No urges to give in. In fact, I work to return the kiss. When he pulls away, I lean forward slightly, as if I wanted more. But it is all a conscious choice. And a disgusting one at that.
The charm doesn’t seem to be having the same effect on me as it once did.
“It is good to see you eager.” He chuckles. “But save it for the night and I will keep you up past the dawn.”
I smile, looking up at him through my lashes. “I would be so honored.”
Aurora is back on Conri and I am on Evander for the short return into the heart of Den. I run my fingers through Evander’s fur, pressing and squeezing—like a massage. Anything that could show him that he still has my heart. That there is nothing to worry about despite how I must act with Conri. I wish we had figured out some kind of communication system for when no words could be spared.
The lykin disperse as we trot through tent and building. Conri takes us farther through the trees, to a slope that an earth-bermed structure has been constructed into. Its doors and windows are nestled between the roots of the mighty trees that cascade down the slope. Wildflowers, lupines, lichen, and moss trellis down around it.
