I smiled when Blue Moon rested his chin on my shoulder. “Because it goes against tradition?”
“You’re Queen of the Night Court,” he said. “You don’t have to follow tradition.Idon’t think you should even have to get married to be crowned, but does anyone listen to me? No!”
I waited for a deeper explanation, but it seemed he was content to partially sidestep the issue. “Technically I’m not even training them right—I’m supposed to use the words gee and haw for turning, but I couldn’t ever keep those terms straight, and it seems stupid when the night mares can understand most of what I say anyways.”
“So?” Lord Linus frowned a little when Bagel smeared green spit on his shirt, then shrugged. “You could ride your night mares through the mansion hallways and I wouldn’t care. I’m just pleased you’re talking to me without sneering—for once.”
What is up with this guy?I narrowed my eyes and clenched my prism tight.His airheaded ways are too real to be an act—especially because fae don’tact.They veil, cheat, and betray, but they do all of that with stoic expressions. They don’t act stupid for fun. Is he really an idiot?
Lord Linus caught me staring at him. “What?”
“Nothing.”
He grinned. “No, no, don’t retreat now! You felt it, right? Our father-daughter bond! You’re finally willing to accept all my paternal love!”
Yeah, he’s definitely an idiot—or he would know to read me better.
Lord Linus sighed happily. “I’ll have to tell Chase! I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know our relationship is deepening!”
“No, it’s not,” I said.
“It is! It absolutely is! You just went five full minutes without insulting me or scowling! Where’s my cellphone? I should take a picture to commemorate the moment.”
Disgusted, I turned away from him.
That was when I caught sight of the gloom, standing at the base of a tree, flicking its tail.
“Hey there, beautiful. Did you want something?” I held out my hand.
The gloom bounded across the meadow, fearlessly twining itself through the night mares’ legs and rubbing its head against my hand.
Its purr was a deep, rusty sound I could feel in my fingers as it leaned into me.
Lord Linus whistled. “Your mother told me your magic made you good with animals. It was pretty obvious from the way the night mares adore you, but I confess, I didn’t think you were strong enough to bring in the glooms.”
The gloom was desperately leaning into me, as if it wanted to soak up every little bit of contact that it could.
“Good kitty.” I winced when I stroked its back, feeling its bones through its skin on the patches where it was missing hair.
An eerie howl—similar to a wolf’s but more jagged and sharp—sliced through the air.
I had to nudge Nebula aside so I could see the shade standing behind them.
It was a barely decipherable black blob—I could barely make out its outline since the Night Realm didn’t have a full moon tonight, but its head was easy to spot because its orange eyes disturbingly glowed in the dark.
“Perfect timing. Come on, kitty-cat. Guys, could you move?”
The night mares dispersed, letting me walk closer to the shade.
I stopped about halfway to it and crouched down. “Are you here to say hello?” I asked it, even as the gloom leaned into my shoulder and purred.
The shade wagged its tail, then cautiously slunk up to me. I offered it my hand, and it nosed me—its nose unnaturally dry and scratchy.
I need to get a vet out here.
I petted the shade. “You’re a good puppy, aren’t you? Yes you are!”
It sat down like a dog at an obedience class, its ears perked and tail thumping on the ground.
