“Fiadh lovesanythingdripping with cheese,” he says as he brings me one of my energy tonics. “She’s quite fond of bacon and waffles, too.”
Khol taps his fingers against his lips as his eyes dance. “Pig, cheese, carbs, and fairy liquor. Good to know. I’m keeping a list.”
I blink, scowling as I dig into my food. “Don’t be weird. You don’t have to keep a list of shit I like.” The low groan I let out as the flavor bursts over my tongue makes every one of them cough, and once I’m done chewing, I look up again. “What?”
“He’s not keeping a list of things you like—though that’s not a bad idea. He’s keeping a list of things that make you sound likethat,” Revelin smirks as he nods at the basilisk. “And it’s a brilliant plan, even for the scaly gangster.”
Wrinkling my nose, I go back to eating because I don’t have an answer for that. I enjoy eating and I’mnevergoing to be a dieting waif. People can do whatever the hell they want with their bodies, but I’m happy right where I am. Doesn’t mean I don’t have to exercise or whatever, but working at the bar is usually enough to sweat off my indulgences. I haul ass during my shifts and I’m strong and sturdy because of it.
Will that be a problem for any of them? I’ll lose my shit if so.
“So… I’m not normal,” I say before I take a sip of the drink. Khol spits his bite out, laughing, and I roll my eyes. “Ha ha. It’s so funny. But I’m serious… I’m not like the mates people probably pictured for most of you. Fer and I aren’t rich or heirs. I’m foul-mouthed and outspoken. I’m a witch, and a thousand other things that are likely going to cause trouble.”
Dezi shrugs as he leans back in his chair. “My people have given up expecting me to have a companion, much less a mate. Louie will beinsufferable, but that’s who he’s been since I turned him during the Renaissance.”
I tuck that information away, then nod. “Tier’s feline group was okay with me. I guess cat shifters are more mix and match than a lot of species.”
“They are, Knuckles, and so we’re pretty accepting… at least, most of us. Like I said, sometimes, you have trouble if there’s a big lion pride in the same city, but we don’t have that in Briarvale.”
“My uncle is an asshole, and we’ll keep you as far from him as possible. Fluffy, too.” Khol shakes his head as he grabs for the garlic bread. “I don’t know about my end of the business—though I think you’d excel at some of it—until we figure out how to deal with Krystos. But my guys wouldn’t give a shit that you’re a witch or financially challenged.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Tier hisses as he smacks the basilisk in the back of the head.
I smile at the leopard, shrugging a little. “He’s not wrong. Fer and I arenotliving the high life and if it wasn’t for Philly, we would have been freaking homeless. But we’re hardworking and loyal, and I’ll beat someone’s ass for a good reason any day. That should make the slithery fucks happy enough.”
“Here, here.” Revelin raises his glass and everyone stares at him. He’s the only one who hasn’t answered, and now it’s pretty damn obvious. The Fae runs his hand through his hair, sighing as he sits his glass down. “Okay, okay. I get it. My turn.”
My glare stays focused on him and I don’t respond.
“The King’s a royal prick and he’llhateit and you. You know that because you met the jackass when we had tea with my mum.She,however, will be delighted she read the leaves correctly and similarly pleased that I’m not choosing anyone in my entourage or someone in my father’s big book of ‘Politically Advantageous Fae RevelinShould Marry.’ And I don’t give a fuck what anyone but my mother and a few of my siblings think—so that’s your answer.”
“Really?” I ask quietly as I state at the table. “You’re sure going up against the King is what you want to do?”
Revelin grins, holding his hand out until I take. “Fiadh, darling, going up against my father is one of my great joys in life. Why do you think I became a rock star? It makes him absolutely livid, despite all the good PR for Daybreak.”
“I’m not a pawn, Rev,” I warn him as I squeeze his fingers hard. “Don’t make me kick your ass so hardyouspill glitter everywhere.”
His grin only gets wider. “No, you’re my mate, andthatis more important than anything else. Which is why you’ll need to go shopping when we hit Autumn Court.”
“What.”
Tiernan coughs, hiding his face with his hand as I feel the color drain from mine. The other two men are magically looking elsewhere as I wait for the rocker to answer. When he doesn’t, I swing my foot out and kick him in the shin. Rev yelps, then makes a face at me while the rest of the clowns laugh.
“Yikes. You’re saucy after you get over a hangover. Fine.” He stops, thinking about what he’s going to say, then continues. “You’ll need tolooklike my mate, so people take it seriously when we announce, eventually. You don’t have to wear poofy princess dresses—I don’t give a fuck about tradition—but you need to look like you belong with me. So, like… a bit more than your normal fare when we do public events and concerts and shit.”
What the ever-loving hell was Ithinkingcoming on this goddamn tour?
Instead of stabbing him with my fork, I spear a big bite of lasagne, letting the cheesy goodness soothe my anger. There’s not a lot that good food, liquor, or hot sex can’t fix, but at the moment, I’m leaning on cheese pretty hard. Once I swallow, I lace the fingers of my opposite hands with his.
“Okay. I’ll do it as long as someone helps me figure out what the fuck to do. Usually Fer does that, and she’s not here, so…” The pinch of not having my sister close hits me again and I frown. “Any takers? Cause I’m also not here for some pissed off staff chick or dude who thought you were going to notice them taking it out on me while I’m being tortured at a Fae mall.”
This time it’s Dezi who spits his drink, and he grumbles as he dabs at the liquid on the table. “Your assessment of the situation is spot-on, witchling. However, I think we’ll need someone more familiar with the expectations of our hosts along for the ride, regardless. I’ll volunteer to escort you if the Prince assigns a stylist to come along.”
I’ll be damned… though, I guess after his behavior with the ritual cloak, I shouldn’t be surprised.
“So when we hit the first stop in Harvest, what’s the itinerary look like now?” Khol rises, taking his plate to the sink, then pulling a small saucer out of the cabinet. He’s going to feed Fidget, and that he remembered makes my chest tingle a little. “I think Sassy and the old man will have enough to deal with. Does that mean I’m on my own?”
His grin doesn’t fill me with confidence, but Rev ignores it as he nods. “Right. Tier will take his crew to check out the venue, hotel, and the like for security. I’ll have to meet with stupid amounts of people and let them fawn over me… something our sparkly mate will have to do once she’s appropriately outfitted.”
