Three Courts. I can be made representative with that. It’ll be a start.
“Do you promise?” Birch asked.
I blinked, unwilling to willy nilly offer a promise—that was a dangerous thing to dole out to the fae, who took their promises seriously. “Promise what?”
“That you’ll work to protect Flora?”
For a moment, my heart melted for Birch.
Even though he was a jerk, and I’d let him fly out of the back end of my truck a dozen times without feeling bad, he loved his wife—I could only imagine how terrified he was for her to ask me that in public.
“I swear I’ll do everything in my power to protect our Courts—including Consort Flora,” I said.
Birch spoke almost before I finished saying Flora’s name. “The Summer Court approves the nomination.”
I smiled.
“I won’t.” Fell pointed to me, an ugly look of hatred flickering across his face. “I see the truth, unlike the lot of you. She just wants power!”
“Actually, I would most love to be left alone in my big mansion with my handsome—and charming, smart, and witty—husband,” I said, adding a few descriptions when Rigel glanced in my direction.
Fell shook his head. “I don’t believe it!”
Don’t, or can’t?
I briefly closed my eyes and wondered if I should end it here, or keep trying to reach him.
Something in my gut said I almost had him, if I pushed just a little more.
Rigel shifted his chair closer to mine. “Yes,” he said.
I gaped at him. “How do you even know what I’m thinking?” I whispered. “Is that another one of your natural magics?”
“No. I just know you. Keep pushing,” he advised.
I squared my shoulders and glanced back at Skye and Indigo, standing together. They nodded encouragingly.
“Fell, if I can have a moment with you?” I beckoned for him to join me in a corner of the room.
He sauntered over to me, his chin held high—though he did step aside for Rigel when Rigel stood up.
“I will reaffirm the information Leila has presented on the unknown organization,” Rigel said. I didn’t think he was planning on saying anything important—knowing him he was just covering up my conversation with Fell in hopes that the Autumn King would be upfront for the first time in his annoying life.
I rested my hands on my hips and waited for Fell to reach me before I asked him. “Fell, why did you bring the monster to the Night Realm?”
“Because I don’t care what happens to your Court,” he said.
Wow. This guy has zero charisma to go with his punchable face. He’s lucky he didn’t go to public school in the human world.
“That wasn’t the only reason,” I said.
“Because it occurred to me it might successfullykillyou,” he added.
No wonder he’s still single.
“And?” I asked.
“There is no other—” He was cut off, unable to utter the lie.
