I stared, transfixed, as the pocket and dress grew together in mere minutes. “Is one pocket sufficient?” she asked.
I gave her a hopeful smile. “Two would be better.”
She cut another piece of dark blue fabric, but only made two snips before the door to her shop flew open with so much force that it hit the wall. Everyone turned to face the large, angry fae who glared around the room. His muscles bulged against the thick sleeves of his tailored suit, and his lush white hair contrasted with his dark skin. His bright, white hair didn’t seem to indicate his age—he had no laugh lines, no wrinkles at all, and he looked strong enough to tear down a house. This man—fae—was a beast.
His lip curled in disgust when his dark, angry eyes landed on me, but then they ground together when he settled his expression on Brielle. He marched up to her and practically growled. “What are you doing here?”
I fisted a hand. I might not be ready to trust Brielle with much more than dresses, but I didn’t like seeing this pile of muscles act like she’d done something wrong.
She laughed, her voice as musical as her hair and dress, and waved at me. “I’m shopping with my new friend.” Then she winked at the intruder. Winked! “Did you know she’s Bylur’s new wife.”
“Yes,” the monstrous fae bit out, wrapping his fingers around her bicep. “Let’s go.”
“Noway!” I jumped off my box and ran across the shop to the jewelry counter they stood at. “You can’t just tell her what to do.”
I regretted my impulsive behavior immediately. He let go of her arm, spread his hand on the counter, and leaned over me, looming like I was no bigger than a dog. “And who are you?”
“I am,” I stammered, “Bylur’s wife.”
He snorted, but some of the violent stiffness in his shoulders shook out. I didn’t like his dismissive snort, but I would take the less violent version of Muscles on Legs any time. “Not impressed.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “And who are you?”
“Dedalus, Lord of House Artifex.”
I smirked. “Not impressed.”
“What?” He stood taller, anger rolling off him so thick I was sure I could feel it.
Mocking him had not been a good choice. I just needed him to go away. But what could I say to make him less angry? He gripped my wrist, placing a sparkling cuff link directly in my line of vision. It looked like a diamond. I wanted to look at it closer, curious exactly how valuable these people considered gemstones.
All my anxiety was instantly replaced by years of experience in survival. I made a low “not impressed” whistle, and Rat flew right in front of Dedalus, close enough to brush his feathers against his face.
Dedalus swatted at my cockatoo, but the bird had already flown back behind bolts of fabric.
“What in the Kahunamon—” Dedalus growled, but my voice took over.
“I knew I recognized your name.” My mouth loved this part, where I just made up anything that sounded like a proper distraction while my free hand relieved his cuff of the sparkling link. “Dedalus was one of the people Bylur told me he suspected of betraying him. How could I possibly be impressed by someone my own husband is suspicious of?”
I dropped the cuff link into my new pocket while he still had my hand pinned, but the expression on his face had morphed into much more than annoyance.
His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Your husband… what?”
I lifted my chin, worried that I’d gone too far, but not knowing any other way out than straight ahead. “He doesn’t trust you.”
His eyes narrowed, but he dropped my wrist and turned to Brielle. “Let’s go.”
She shook her head like a queen. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re still shopping.”
One of his hands closed into a fist—a far scarier gesture than when I’d done it. “I’m not leaving you here to be poisoned by a human.”
I stepped backward from him, but raised my voice in an indignant cry. “I’m not poisoning anyone.”
“You’re a human,” he snarled, but before he finished growling out the word, the little bell on the shop door chimed, announcing another newcomer.
It hadn’t rang when Dedalus came in. Or maybe it had, but his door slamming had covered up the friendly little sound.
I shook my head, refocusing on the situation at hand. A tall, slender fae with blue hair and a sword on his hip strolled into the room and set a hand on Dedalus’s shoulder. “Mon praeli. Do not make an enemy of the prince’s wife.”
