The woman staggered, wincing as one of her hands clamped over the other’s bleeding palm. Folge motioned the guardsholding her forward. The other four guards fell in behind them, ready to act if needed.
Her eyes lifted…and my world stilled. Her irises were hazel and flecked with gold, and her defiance shone through them despite the bruising on the left side of her face. My entire body drew tighter than a bowstring.
Shit.
By Fate, this could not be.
Centuries of being alone, and my mate shows upnow? Why? And why was she dressed so peculiarly?
I hated Fate.
The last thing I needed was a distraction. The current situation demanded all my focus to protect my people from the Night Court, Bram, and his treachery.
“What are you?” I hardened my voice. It took all my strength to thrust down the urges that choked me. I tried to study her in a detached manner, but I wasn’t sure I was pulling it off.
Her hair and eyes suggested her parents might be of the Aurora or Day Courts. More than a few survivors had found their way to Dusk cities and towns, though there were far fewer Aurora Fae refugees than Day, because the Night King kept abducting them.
Her jaw tightened. “Cold. Bleeding. Confused. And not answering your stupid questions.”
Ashren’s mouth twitched. “I like her.”
I shot him a silencing glare, then turned back to her. She wore an eye-burning, annoying pink shirt and blue trousers made of some coarse material. The shirt fascinated me most, as it stated she was with someone. “Where is her ally?” I demanded, looking around the courtyard. “Did she enter through the portal? Did others accompany her?”
“What?” She scowled and pushed her hair out of her face. The wind picked up again, and she shivered. “I didn’t come with anyone. I fell through a damn mirror.”
“So who is this Stupid who accompanied you and to whom your shirt confesses?” I hated that Ihadto know the answer. Was it a suitor? No, she wouldn’t refer to a suitor or lover as stupid. But still—I wanted to know. She was a striking woman, and it would be strange if she had no suitors at all. My blood burned at the mere thought, and my fists clenched. I braced my hands against my belt to keep from showing any further signs of agitation.
“Huh?” Her nose wrinkled. She looked down at her shirt, then huffed. “It’s just a funny shirt. Not a confession.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So you wear clothing to insult strangers, friends, and passersby? Then this is a slight. Are you implying that my men and I are stupid?”
She lifted her chin and folded her arms over her breasts. “If the shoe fits.”
I stepped closer. “The way my boots fit has absolutelynothingto do with this conversation. Now answer me plainly, woman.”
A smile curled her lips. “You’re about as sharp as a bowl of mashed potatoes. Maybe this is why Aunt Maureen told me to stay away from that iron box. My mind has snapped.” She frowned and looked down at her hand. The bleeding had stopped, and that seemed to surprise her.
The cut itself hadn’t looked too bad, from the brief glimpse I’d gotten of it.
“Anyway, the shirt is just meant to be funny and poke fun at someone who deserves it. No one takes it seriously. If I were going to insult you, I’d call you stupid to your face.”
My eyebrows arched, and Ashren bit back a chuckle.
Damn this wretched wench. She smelled like apricots and magnolias, and I wanted to smash her against me. “What is your name?”
“Hannah.” She tilted her head and stared at me with unabashed defiance. “And who are you?”
My heart pulsed as if yanking at me to get closer to her, and annoyance flashed through me. Murmurs of surprise rippled among the guards behind her. Folge scowled, deep lines forming in his brow.
Ashren stepped forward, canting his head. “You don’t know the Dusk King when you see him? Where exactly did you come from that you do not know King Kairos?”
“Tennessee. And no, I don’t know who he is. For that matter, I don’t know who any of you are. But if you open that mirror back up, I’d be more than happy to fall back through it, or however the hell it works.” She huffed and muttered to herself, “That dagger must have had some drugs on it, or I’m asleep or something.”
She scanned the guards, the walls, and then the sky above while pinching herself. “Ouch!” She dropped her hand back to her side, then inhaled and wrinkled her nose. “Not a dream. Got it. Aunt Maureen clearly knew how to pick some drugs then.”
My stomach twisted, and my head spun as I breathed in more of her scent. The edges of my mind were fraying. Clenching my jaw, I braced myself. There were dozens of other questions I needed answered, but I could hand her over to Folge or Bren, and they would find out the basics. Yet the thought of any man other than me having any contact with her made my blood boil.
“Are you all right?” Her voice cut into me like a hot blade. Despite the sharpness of her tone, she sounded almost concerned.
