Sweat drips into my eyes. Ash tumbles from my wings.
It’s a struggle to work out my thoughts. “I can’t make a Blood Oath. I made one to my brother to take revenge on the vampires.”
“Haven’t you done that already?” Daire arches his brow. “You forced their king to prostrate himself in front of you. You rule over their kingdom. You burned one of them at your fucking feast in honor of your brother’s deathday. Isn’t that enough?”
“I can’t accept Lan as part of my pack.” I clench my jaw. “But I do promise not to kill or hurt him.”
I can’t stop anyone else in my court hurting him, of course.
Wraith, as well as Vicious’ Guild of Assassins, have been planning a lot of fun games for weeks now for Lanlin.
War has a whole welcome speech worked out that involves her fists as well.
I give a sharp smile and hope that I don’t give myself away.
Daire eyes me, suspicious.
Freya launches herself, however, into my arms with sparkling joy. “Thank you.”
When she kisses me, I fight not to drag her even more deeply into it. Our tongues entwine. I breathe in her pheromones, kissing down her neck to lick at her scent gland.
I shudder.
“You’re hot,” Freya points out, concerned.
I pull back as quickly as I can. “I always am when I’m around you. Now, I have made you a promise. Be honest with me.” I glance at Daire. “Are you both going to continue to be difficult? Or are we truly on the same side?”
Daire wraps his wings around himself. “Hey, slander. Give me one instance of me being difficult…?”
“When you tried to assassinate me.”
Daire smiles, proudly. “Aye, fair enough.”
“Thirteen times.”
“I’m persistent.”
“But not very good.”
“Really?” Daire cocks his head. “How do you know Imeantto kill you?”
My chest tightens. I stare at him in surprise.
I have beaten the fae every time that I have fought him on and off the battlefield. I thought that he was simply a disgruntled pet who I could easily control.
It amused me.
But what if he was the one who was amused, playing with me?
I flush, meeting his dancing gaze. “Were you working against me?”
“We were enemies,” Daire replies. “You captured and caged me. Locked me in a dungeon. Turned me into a pet. Just because you gave me a blanket, warmer clothes, and made sure that I didn’t starve, it doesn’t make up for the fact that you turned my world to ash. Because of you, my friends are dead. My crown has been melted. My kingdom has fallen. But you say that you can’t acceptLanlininto your pack…?”
Daire’s voice has gradually risen, and I stumble back at the force of his words that break through my muddled mind. I fall back onto the skeleton wings of the long dead dragon.
I am breathing too hard.
He’s right.
