I nodded once. “I find these terms acceptable.” He didn’t seem to pick up on the fact that I was teasing his formal language, or maybe he just didn’t care. Drew’s hands gently squeezed my thighs.
“So…” I was reluctant to say this, but I had to. “I should probably get back to work.”
Drew nodded. “I shouldn’t keep you, but I want to.”
“That doesn’t sound horrible.” I placed my hands on top of his and squeezed, enjoying the feel of his touch. “But it sounds like you have to start planning fun dates and stuff to properlycourtme.” I smiled at my clever formal terminology, but he didn’t react to it. He just threw me a charming smirk as he stood tall and gave me space to stand as well.
“I look forward to courting you, Vanessa.”
I snorted, blushing from his words, but tried to play it cool by patting his cheek and leading him out of my office. The noise from karaoke night was loud, but instead of joining everyone, Drew ducked out of my shop and into the night as I stepped behind the counter.
“You good?” Emma asked as she glanced toward where Drew had left.
I grinned at her and replied, “Really good.”
There was a presence behind me as I slept in my bed that night, but I was so deep in my slumber that I couldn’t come out of it. I was vaguely aware of movement. Of warmth. I wanted to startle away, but my mind was so heavy with exhaustion that I couldn’t do it. The gummy I took kept me under, just like it was supposed to. It was as if there was a weighted blanket on each one of my limbs, keeping me in place.
The presence shifted, and I sighed in surprised relief when heat coated my back, my butt, and the backs of my thighs.
The presence was safe.
I allowed my mind to drift off into a deeper sleep.
Chapter 12
Audrey had just kicked the shit out of me, leaving me prone on my back as I struggled to catch my breath, when her messy bun came into view.
“Are you done for today?” she asked, all seriousness, barely breaking a sweat.
I choked my reply, “I think so.”
“You’re getting stronger and faster, Van,” Liam gave me his hand as he complimented me, pulling me off the ground as Audrey handed me a water bottle. “Your one-on-one skills are definitely improving.” Most of what they were teaching me was self-defense, since I never pictured myself charging anyone in Hyvenmere.
“You’re helping the human train. This is good,” Hush’s voice echoed in the abandoned warehouse, startling me. “She’ll need to be on guard the next time she sets foot in our realm.”
I exchanged a concerned look with Audrey, who didn’t seem as surprised to see Hush in our secret training spot as I did.
“Why is that?” Audrey asked.
“Ilia is suddenly feeling very confident about closing the Mellhawn Gates soon,” Hush replied, stepping out of the shadows. She approached our little table of weaponry, perusingeverything Audrey and Liam brought for me to test out. “I guess sending his son to the nereid’s birthday ended up being fruitful.”
Liam stiffened. “What do you mean? All he did was harass Van.” He lifted a hand toward me, and I glared at the fae for reminding me of it. Hush lifted a blonde eyebrow at Liam. Again, her face and most of her body were covered, but her eyes carried enough expression in them to let me know she was lowkey disappointed in Liam.
“Do you really think the Mad Siren Prince would bother crashing the Nereid Prince’s birthday celebration—for the first time in over a decade—with no other ulterior motives?” Hush asked. When she said it like that, it felt obvious that Drustan wasn’t there just to fuck around. “Where do you think Caelena was while Drustan kept all the attention on him?—”
“Who the hell is Caelena?” I asked, desperate to keep up.
“His date, Drustan’s cousin,” Audrey answered. I locked that information away and gestured toward Hush.
“Got it, proceed.”
Hush gave me an annoyed look before continuing, “After Drustan and Caelena left, rumor has it that Ilia has been in talks with the nereid and fae governments, who have all suddenly been more open to bringing the issue of the Mellhawn Gates to a vote.”
Liam crossed his arms and said, “Ada hasn’t mentioned any of this to me.”
“Which should concern you,” Hush concluded. “I doubt Fergus is aware of what his parents might have been discussing with Ilia, either. Whatever Drustan and his cousin found that night, it’s starting to sway the nereids’ initial support of having the gates open. Rumors throughout Ilia’s guard on what to do once they have everyone’s vote secure are already being spread to my unit.”
“Shit.” Audrey scraped her hands down her neck as she began to pace. “Shit. Shit. Shit. What could Ilia possibly have on the nereids and fae to feel this confident?”
