“Well, I figure if I’m going to wax poetry about your muscles—in particular, your abs—to the other monarchs, I should probably touch them so my lies can be extra convincing.”
“You mean to imply that’s going to be a repeat performance?” he asked.
“Yeah—it is too funny not to.”
Rigel turned away from me. “You have a death wish.”
“Nah—oh, hey, hop on Fax and you can come back with us,” I called to him as I scrambled up Eclipse’s back.
The mare had a very slight build, and due to her emaciated look, her spine uncomfortably poked my butt; however, instant transportation beat out waiting for what Chase considered a proper number of guards.
When I was situated well enough that I could look for Rigel, he was already also mounted, riding Fax without a saddle or bridle.
“Ready?” I asked.
Rigel nodded, and our mounts turned toward the gate.
I glanced back to make sure Kevin and Whiskers were okay—they were, Kevin had joined the other shades in their hunt while Whiskers was licking the rather startled dryad.
Chase waved to me, but continued to chat with his men. Most surprisingly, though, was Lady Chrysanthe. She was still standing at the parking lot entrance.
Yeah,I thought as Eclipse stepped up to the gate.Definitely weird.
* * *
The next day—or,as I should admit to, at roughly five AM—I put my life on the line and tried twisting the doorknob of the door between my master suite, and Rigel’s.
The door had a lock on it, and I’d always assumed that Rigel kept his side locked, but when the knob turned, I pushed it in and gaped into the dark, unlit shadows of Rigel’s room.
“Huh. I didn’t think that would work,” I said.
“If you say it’s fine, I’m going to impale you.” Rigel’s voice was rough with sleep.
I peered around the darkened depths of his room before realizing he was actuallyinbed! “What are you doing?” I asked, shocked.
Chapter Nine
Leila
Rigel lifted his head off his pillow long enough to stare at me. “You break intomyroom and then demand to know what I’m doing?”
“The door was unlocked.” I wandered a few steps in, and was nearly knocked on my butt when Whiskers and Muffin—who’d been stretched out on my enormous bed less than two seconds ago—pushed past me to explore Rigel’s room.
Steve and Kevin came in as well, but they sat on either side of me, their tails wagging when I glanced down at them.
I set my hands on Steve and Kevin. “But that’s not important. You’re actuallyin bed?”
“As most people are at five in the morning,” Rigel said.
He sat up and pushed his sheet off, shocking me farther.
He slept shirtless—which gave me enough of a show to see that I hadn’t completely fibbed to the other monarchs because Rigel most assuredly had muscles worthy of recording—but I’d also assumed he’d sleep with…I don’t know…knives strapped to his pecs or something.
But he looked shockingly casual with black lounge pants and his hair devilishly mussed.
It shocks me that he doesn’t have every fae girl after him—though maybe it’s that dangerous aura of his.
“If you’re trying to catch me with my wings out, it’s not going to work,” Rigel said. “I woke up before I heard you stomp up to the door.”
