I turned to Sophierial and Lark. Partly because I could feel the goddess’ disapproving glare on me from the moment I entered. But also because I was being burned from the inside out by the penetrating gaze of the Fae beside her. He took his time, starting with my face, the darkened eyes, the red lips, then sliding down to my exposed shoulders, my generous cleavage, the cinched waist of the gown, and down my thigh to my stiletto heels. His jaw clenched, his dark eyes flaring silver for the briefest second. I blinked at him, chest heaving.
“Sit, sit,” Sophierial was instructing us, having gathered enough grace to look past my rebellious appearance. “Before it all grows too cold, now.”
Lark crossed the room in a few long strides, pulling out my chair for me. I nodded graciously and gathered my dress to sit myself. When I bent forward, Lark’s gaze found my open back and I heard the intake of breath as he stiffened beside me. Heart hammering in my chest, I kept my eyes away from his, worried I might melt to the core if I looked at him one more time.
But then he moved away to pull Cass’ chair out for her and I could breathe again. Cass muttered a thanks to her brother as he stepped away.
“Refuge,” Sophierial began speaking as Lark took the seat between myself and our esteemed hostess, “is not a status given to just anyone.”
Her gaze drifted to me before returning to Lark.
“We are aware that the rules of our city hold certain advantages for those who would wish to do us, or any on the Immortal Plane, harm,” she continued, her tone firm, formal. “Those who wish to pursue Refuge within our gates must prove that they are fleeing imminent danger, that they cannot resolve their issues peacefully without our interference, and that they will abide by our rules while they remain within the city walls.”
Her gaze flicked to me again and I bristled.
“Furthermore,” she continued, “you must convince our council to approve such Refuge.”
“Or the Queen,” Lark corrected her as he reached for his wine. “You can supersede your council’s decision when the decision is one concerning a royal member of another court.”
“For you and your sister, yes. But your friend—”
“There is nothing you can say that will convince me that a mortal is not always in imminent danger simply for their presence in our realm.”
“Even so.”
“My father told me centuries ago that you sought an alliance between our people.”
The Queen’s elegant smile faltered then. I tried not to gape at the word centuries.
“Is that something you still seek?” Lark asked, swirling the deep mahogany liquid in his glass, sniffing it, as if he were discussing something no more important than the weather or the latest fashions.
“I have been advised,” Sophierial replied, slowly, choosing her words carefully, “that an alliance with your people would be unwise.”
“Because we are evil. Because we delight in spirits and shadows and carnal pleasures of the flesh, yes?”
I froze at the last, lowering my head so that I might not blush myself to death right here in front of a Fae Queen.
“Because you cannot be trusted,” she argued, narrowing her gaze, offended.
“Oh, I agree,” Lark replied, finally raising his gaze to her. “But neither can you.”
The air felt more charged somehow. Cass was eating politely, staring down at her plate and hardly moving. Sophierial and Lark were locked in a silent staring contest. Nobody moved, hardly at all, and yet I felt it, the shift. Magic readying to be loosed if necessary. The skin of my arms prickled with goosebumps and I took a deep breath in preparation.
“Which one is it?” Sophierial asked then, breaking the silence and the tension. “Your brother or sister?”
Lark’s jaw tensed but he answered, “Both.”
Sophierial nodded absentmindedly, turning her attention to the food on the table, lost in thought.
“And would this be considered interfering?”
“I came to you myself. This course is my action. You will not be held accountable.”
“The last time you came to me, Canis, you were banished for half a century,” she reminded him and I looked up at him but he seemed unfazed by the remark.
“So how much worse could it get?” he asked.
Sophierial stared at him for a minute and then burst into melodious laughter. She cackled for so long that Cass joined in, although uncomfortably. Tears sprung from the Queen’s eyes and she wiped them away with a pale finger, still smiling as she turned back to him.
