“Crows?” My raspy voice goes a little shrill.
“Stop playing dumb!”
I choke on the intensity of his tone and the ensuing rush of heartbeats. Dante has never raised his voice at me before tonight. I understand he’s jittery, but he doesn’t get to speak to me like I’m something stuck to the bottom of his boot.
“Even if she did find them, she can’t unstake them. She’s Fae.” Gabriele finally manages to calm his horse.
“Part Fae.” Dante’s eyes are as cold as ice chips. “Part something else.”
Tavo snorts. “Yeah. Human.”
“No, Tavo,” Dante says somberly. “Not human.”
Tavo’s sneer topples from his lips.
A sprite in full military regalia trundles toward the ring of brawn that prevents me from fleeing. I recognize him from my visit to Dante’s tent—Gaston. “Xema Rossi’s sending her,” he pants, “parrot, Altezza. Doesn’t trust—us.”
“Start talking before the pest arrives, or I’ll have no choice but to report you, Fallon.”
“Everyone has a choice, Dante.”
He dips his chin. “Let me rephrase that. Tell me what you’ve done with the crows, or I’ll let the parrot report back to his mistress that her great-grandchild is shoving her nose in places it doesn’t belong.”
Tavo and Gabriele press their horses so close to me that the animals’ brisk exhales warm the sides of my arms.
“Last I checked I was a Rossi, and this is Rossi land.” I clear my aching throat. “So if anyone’s trespassing, it’s the lot of you.”
Tavo leers down at me. “Spoken like someone with the delusion of a noble birth.”
I will the Fae to fall off his horse and break at least six bones.
“Has the shape of your ears slipped your mind?Again. . .”
“That’s enough, Tavo!” Dante snaps.
You hold the male in too high esteem.
My molars clench.And you hold him innoesteem.I wipe my face clean of any and all emotion, but my heart thuds riotously and floods my mouth with the taste of copper.What should I do? Run?
Do nothing.
Nothing?My heart halts its marathon.Dante just threatened to alert my great-grandmother, who will gladly run me through with a steel blade. Or set me on fire.
Shh, Behach Éan.
Don’t shush me! My life is on the line.
You have such little faith in me.
That startles a bitter laugh from my singed larynx.It’s not a question of faith in you; it’s a question of knowing the loyalty of the males around me. They’ll do anything to protect their prince. Anything.
And I’ll do anything to protect you.
Obviously.I give a slight eye roll.You still need me.
I hear a sigh flutter through the bond at the same time as Tavo quips, “Following in your demented mamma’s footsteps, I see.”
I spin around. “Don’t youdaretalk about my mamma.”
