He draws me to a stop beside the band, then turns to face me. “I swear to be the best brother-in-law in the history of brothers-in-law. I will deliver anything you need or want to your doorstep. Save for sexual favors…I will leave those to Kostya.” He ferries a wicked grin his brother’s way.
One which goes unnoticed by the recipient, who is deeply concentrated on my father. Thank the Cauldron.
Ilya threads his arm through mine once more. “Gods, I cannot wait for the two of you to consummate your relationship. Two plus decades of abstinence has made my brother so fucking tetchy.”
I choke on my swallow, then cough, which only intensifies Ilya’s glee. No wonder the Ice King so easily agreed not to engage in any flirtations.Andinsisted Mestyla wasn’t his daughter.
“…just cannot wait,” Ilya repeats while I tap my chest, trying to quiet my hacking. “How crazy these magical connections are.” He leans over to whisper, “In all my years, I’ve never seen him so intent on spooning out eyeballs and shoving them up his constituents’ asses.”
That rids me of my cough. “What imagery.”
“Poetic, isn’t it? Do you think I could find success as a bard?”
My smile returns.
“I’ll compose an ode for your nuptials.”
How easily he’s accepted me into his family. Izolda as well. Guilt froths in my belly anew.
Ilya nods to the palm I’ve parked over my stomach. “Butterflies?”
“More like wasps. Or tiny, iron-taloned Crows.”
He chuckles just as we round the glass podium upon which stand the musicians. “That’s going straight into my wedding ode.”
“A wedding ode?” Ksenia is suddenly standing right there, stroking the pointed shell of her bejeweled ear. “Who’s getting married?”
My gaze trails the slow roll of the ivory bangles on her arm, the ones I’ve no doubt she wore as a display of odium for shifters. I bet that if iron weren’t so noxious to her, she’d fashion a choker out of Crow talons.
“Our brother.”
Ksenia’s fingers freeze. “Konstantin?”
“Aodhan’s taken.”
“Aodhan isn’t our brother.” Her answer claws the delight right off Ilya’s face.
How deep does her hatred for my kind run? Deeper than her affection for Konstantin? Deep enough to conspire against his regime? To lead the antimorphs?
“I’m getting really tired of your bigotry, Ksen.” Ilya’s arm feels like pure bone beneath mine.
“To each their own, right?” she says in a tone that’s so mocking, I want to do terrible things to her with my talons.Terrible.
The blistering tension must reach Konstantin because he’s suddenly clipping through the crowd, shouldering past onlookers who hiss at him, before realizing who they’re heckling.
Everything all right, mo khráach?
I meet my father’s stare, then flick my gaze toward Ksenia.
Ah, yes… Ithasdawned on you that you’ll be in her company if you stay here?
This time, I roll my eyes.
I’m serious. Lucins may have passably accepted us, but the majority of Glacins haven’t even started trying.
Instead of deterring me, it only strengthens my desire to stay, if for no other reason than to bring about this vital change.
As Konstantin nears, Jaytair edges closer to my father, wearing the expression of a man mentally drafting a list of people in need of iron-culling. I have a feeling Ksenia made his list. Did I? Did Konstantin?
