“Dove.” Daire flutters his eyelashes winningly.
I fight not to laugh.
The roughish charm doesn’t work on Sobek, although it appears to on Horus, who stumbles and almost falls flat on his face.
“Dove,” Sobek starts again, “were you informed that Lanlin would be attacked or assassinated and the terms of the peace treaty breached?”
Daire cocks his head. “Who would tell a courtesan war plans?”
These Bloods don’t know fae well enough. Daire is going to dance around their answers, searching for loopholes, and telling truths while telling lies.
“Fools,” Lanlin mutters.
Sobek’s expression becomes even grimmer. “Are you only a courtesan?”
I press my nails hard into my palm not to show my reaction.
Daire wraps his wings around himself. “Nay, I am also a bandit. A rebel. A soldier in the defeated featherglass army. I was captured and turned into a pet.”
“You can see how cruelly he’s been whipped.” For the first time, Horus sounds sympathetic. “That barbaric Maximinus is renowned as a fae pet-hater. It must have beeninterestingto be owned by him.”
Sobek takes longer to think of his third question. “Do you want to hurt Lan?”
Oh, no.
My gaze shoots to Daire’s.
“Nay,” Daire replies. “Sin is my soulmate’s Alpha. A king. He has saved my life and Freya’s. On the sacred ash, I truly don’t want to hurt him.”
He meant that.
It wasn’t a lie.
But what does it mean for our mission? Only that Daire doesn’twantto hurt Lanlin or that hewon’t?
“Are you now satisfied?” Lanlin demands through clenched teeth.
Sobek shakes his head. “The fae is lying.”
Daire looks offended. “Unseelie tell the truth.”
“They’re tricksters.” Isis points at Daire. “He’s hiding something.”
Daire runs his hand down his robe with a wink. “Not in this outfit.”
“Then tell us about the mask.” Horus reaches for Daire’s silver mask, before pulling his seared fingers away with a hiss.
“Do you like it?” Daire grins. “Cursed silver in dove wings. I think that it brings out the lavender in my eyes. Wait, isn’t that more than three questions? Greedy.”
“I’m using my compulsion on them both.” Horus glances between Daire and me, and suddenly, I am falling into his dark gaze.
All I can see is the gray of his eyes like a tunnel.
My breathing evens.
I’m not in control of my body anymore.
I can’t move.
