“My apologies, Councilor Yenah.” Ever’s arm slid around Bo’s waist. Solid, reassuring, and Bo hadn’t realized how much he needed it until it was there. “I’ve neglected introductions. Allow me to present my bond, Bo.” And thankfuck, there was weight behind Bo’s name. “Bo, Councilor Yenah and the others present are charged with overseeing relations between the fae and humanity.”
Ever, playing politics. Bo, the feral human. He settled against Ever’s side, the bond thrumming between them, and his arm around Ever in kind.
“You had a matter that required immediate attention.” Yenah and the fae nearest to her made no effort to hide their open study. “One that didn’t require further coercion, luckily for us all. Interestingly met, Bo.”
Bo fucking hated how much easier it was to breathe when she said his name, hispropergoddamn name.
“You try coercing Talia to do shit and tell me how it goes,” Bo replied, glancing past her to the group of fae. “And yeah, interestingly met. One way to put it.”
This time, when Yenah smiled, there weredimples. Jesus, she was creepy.
“I’m sure. Shall we? It’s time for introductions.” Yenah turned back to the group, revealing a pair of butterfly wings no larger than Bo’s palms. They fluttered when she walked. “I was elected to lead this meeting, but I’m sure the others will wish their say.”
“It always goes more smoothly when you’re in charge, dear Yenah.” The flirtatious tones came from the lanky fae in the seat beside Yenah’s. Their hair, a stripe of it runningfrom the top of their head to the back of their neck, looked like seaweed, sticking slick to their neck. Long features, long limbs, and Bo bet they had fangs, too. “Aren’t you at least a little pleased to see it’s us, Everil? Human oversight rather than … other possibilities.”
“I’m as pleased to see all of you as you are to see me,” Everil replied, and another time, Bo might’ve smirked.
“You two can catch up after we attend to formalities,” Yenah said, her sweet, twinkling voice firm. The lanky fae made eyes at her. At least they didn’t have fucking dimples. “For record purposes, Councilors, allow me to present Everil and Bo. As said, I am Councilor Yenah, and this is Councilor Charil.”
She looked expectantly at the pair across from her and Charil, a few yards away. The first, a woman with milk-white skin and a small, iridescent horn at the center of her forehead, sniffed. “Councilor Velriks with Councilor Ryka.”
Ryka, with wings of flame and a disapproving sneer, barely bothered to nod.
A unicorn and a phoenix, and neither of them fans.Fantastic.
After that, there was the rustling disapproval of Councilor Saliese, a dryad that looked far too much like the one from the willow tree. Councilor Fiadh, her bond, had a silver-gray fur cloak clasped to her shoulder under a spill of auburn curls and a whisper-soft voice. Rumbling Councilor Teth, a huge fucking mountain of a fae with moss for a beard, polite as rocks could sound when grinding together.
Teth’s bond, still reclining, was the weirdest of the group. Long white ears and features way too finely made to be anything like human, Councilor Wyte wore torn jeans and a t-shirt with the colors–and name–of Robin’s favorite hockey team.
No, not just his favorite team. Wyte leaned to murmur to Teth, his back to Bo, and yeah. Wyte, the rabbit-eared fae, was apparently wearing a Barrai González shirt like twenty years after the dude retired.
Fuck Robin, for making Bo learn way too much about hockey. And for having him staring until Wyte caught him at it and winked.
“Now, then,” said Yenah with a flutter of her little butterfly wings, “What is in question here is Bo. What–”
“Who.”
Yenah paused, blinking once in Bo’s direction. “Who?”
“I’m a person,” Bo said, voice flat. “Bois the person in question. I’m not Everil’s fucking pet. I’m his bond, and I’m right the fuck in front of you.”
“Your alleged bond is the matter under discussion.” Yenah’s voice never lost its light, pleasant music. Bo bristled anyway. “Everil, you must have known your new partnership would face more than censure. You’re claiming a legitimate second bond when the separation from Nimai wasn’t done properly.”
“I’ve not trespassed against Protocol,” Everil answered, his thumb stroking firm and slow over Bo’s back. “Bonding a human isn’t forbidden nor is taking a new bond after the first was dissolved.”
“But it wasn’t dissolved,” Velriks objected, her voice as smooth as her moon-pale skin. She kept her gaze pointedly away from Bo and Ever. Asshole. “You made no formal complaint. You didn’t revoke your oath or wait the appropriate interval. You merely threw a tantrum. Nimai still has pieces of your soul within him.”
“And then there is the matter of Talia. The influence he has on her,” Yenah added, lips pulled into a frown of quiet concern.
Bo fuckingburned. He snapped, “Talia can think for herself.”
“My bond is correct.” The weight on ‘my bond’ was unmistakable. “Talia’s choices are her own. She’s fully aware of her right to swear herself away from me. Protocol–”
“Protocol is built on tradition,” the fucking asshole unicorn said. “Precedent. It cannot, by its very nature, govern the unprecedented. What you’ve done isn’t against Protocol. It is merelywrong.” She wrinkled her nose, delicately, and looked at Yenah. “I maintain that this entire subject is disgusting. Must we really discuss whether a kelpie is permitted to claim that … engaging … with whatever slut catches his eye makes that human our equal? Worthy of guarding a Gate?”
Ever snarled, borderline goddamn feral. Bo wasn’t even surprised this time, when he found himself staring at Ever’s back. Sharp breaths and murmuring from the Council, quieting as the glade took on the distinctive scent of snow, the trees leaning in, their leaves frost nipped.
Apparently branding Bo a slut slammed buttons Bo hadn’t realized Ever had. Like, sure, that was a new one–and fuck the unicorn for slut shaming–but good fucking god.
