No help there. I’ll have to get us out of this on my own.
“You have such splendid timing. My name is Lord Argyos, and I was just discussing with my fellows how I should introduce you to my son. I’m sure you’d find him delightful.” He took a step nearer, making him uncomfortably close. “He’d be a perfect marriage candidate.”
I blinked three times as I reviewed what he had said in my brain just to double check I wasn’t completely off base.
“Oh dear,” he sneered. “I seem to have confused Queen Leila. Or were you merely surprised my noble house would deign to align itself with you?”
Because Lord Argyos was recommending his son, I was almost positive his family wasnotgreat or noble, but I smiled anyway as the handful of nobles at his back twittered with laughter.
“No, not at all,” I said when they quieted. “I was merely marveling at your parenting instincts. I was unaware it was a fae custom to go around offering your children in marriage. But it doesn’t matter, because now isn’t the best time for me.”
I moved to step around him, but Lord Argyos managed to move with me, blocking me from passing as his smile grew an angry twitch to it.
“Really, I must insist. You have failed to socialize with anyone since your arrival several days ago. It might be good for you to meet someone close to your age—it would be good for the future of the Night Court as well,” he said.
I eyed the fae noble, unimpressed.
If life were fair, Mr. Pushy here would look like a woodchuck that fell in a grease vat, but no. He was fae—which meant he had flawless skin, long, flowing hair with not a strand out of place, and the long, lean body models would kill for.
“As I said, now isn’t the best time,” I repeated, my voice hardening. “I haven’t even attended a formal social event yet. I’m not thinking about who I’m going to marry.”
“You just need to meet him. He ischarming,” Lord Argyos said in a way that made me certain his son was probably really skilled at love potions—or something similar.
Mental note: stay way far away from this basket case and his kid.
“No thanks. I’m busy—step aside,” I said.
Anger burned in Lord Argyos’s eyes. “But I insist.”
I heard footsteps somewhere behind me, and I moved, intending to put my back at a wall. “I said no.”
“You ought—”
“What’s this, pressuringmydarling daughter? I’ll not have that.”
Chapter Ten
Leila
Both Lord Argyos and I turned to face the intruder on our confrontation, who had come up behind me.
A fae noble who appeared to be maybe in his mid-thirties grinned invitingly at both of us. He had the fashionable long hair of the fae, but his was such a dark black color it almost had a hint of blue to it, and he had it pulled back in a ponytail.
His clothes were more of a fashionable human style than the classy, stuffy theme the fae adopted with his black slacks, dress shoes, and light blue dress shirt. He’d casually rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and a pair of aviator sunglasses perched on top of his head.
All in all he was your typical handsome fae, but there was something about him I just didn’t like on sight.
“What’s this you’re saying, Lord Linus?” Lord Argyos asked.
The new arrival—Lord Linus—slapped Argyos on the shoulder, making the other fae stagger slightly. “I’m saying I’ll meet your strapping young lad first, to see if he’s worthy!”
“And who are you?” I asked as dread made my stomach flop in my gut.
No, it couldn’t be.
Lord Linus grinned broadly at me. “Why, I’m your father, my sweet daughter!”
Unfathomable anger ripped through me, and I struggled for a moment, trying to keep a roar of rage in.
