Frowning, I entered the shadows and used my magic to jump—hopping from shadow to shadow—until I reached my hidden car.
Rather than leave the mess behind me, I remained disturbed on my drive home.
The unseelie Court’s actions didn’t bother me. Frankly, it was predictable. And while I would inform Chase—Leila’s director of security—I was almost certain the lower Courts would take the hint and leave the Night Court alone. They knew better than to face the consequences I would rain down on them.
But that I moved the second they mentioned killing her…
It’s not like the outcome was any different. I was going to kill him regardless.
It was a very thin line of reasoning, but true.
I entered the sprawling lands the Night Court had bought up on the outskirts of northern Magiford, passing apartment buildings, then houses, which grew into mansions until I reached the largest of them all, which was home to Queen Leila, and now my home as well.
I parked my car and entered the mansion through a second story window—I may have been consort, but I was going to move through the mansion undetected. Even Chase had difficulty tracking me. Only Leila’s pet glooms and shades seemed to be able to spot me no matter how I hid myself.
I swapped out some of my weapons in my bedroom then—feelingly slightly bemused—skulked through the mansion, looking for the queen. My wife.
I found her in a meeting room with Chase.
Every monarch—from the lower seelie rulers to the powerful Midwest Winter Queen—received their security reports in a very formal way which typically involved lots of standing, bowing, a throne, and their ever present crown.
Leila received her report from Chase as she and the werewolf ate their way through what looked like a plate of cinnamon rolls and squares of gelatin.
“Finally, regarding the ongoing investigation of your father, Lord Linus.” Chase ripped a chunk off his cinnamon roll and dunked it in his tea.
Leila made a noise that sounded like a cow in distress. “Okay, hit me with it.” She paused and looked down at her feet where a gloom—a large, cat-like predator capable of killing a fae with ease—was sitting on her feet like a kitten.
The gloom twitched its tail and looked at me, standing in the shadows and undetected by even the werewolf’s keen nose.
Leila turned around and peered at the shadows. “Rigel?”
If I want to move about as freely as I wish, I’m going to have to learn how to fool those glooms—and the shades.
I shook my magic off and drifted out of the shadows.
Leila smiled at me. “Hey there! Want a snack? Chase was just about to tell me what a snake Lord Linus is.”
“I’m not much of a dessert person.” I crossed the room and hesitated for a moment before I sat in the chair next to Leila.
“You sure? The Turkish Delight tastes like bathwater since it’s rose flavored—I’m only eating it out of loyalty to the Chronicles of Narnia. But the sweet rolls are really good—Indigo said she was inspired to make them by a video game she’s crazy about.” Leila popped one of the pink gelatin-like squares in her mouth and made a face as she chewed it.
As I amusedly observed, it occurred to me that perhapsthiswas what had inspired that undesirable twist in my chest—her oddities were strangely charming.
It must be her human blood.
Leila seemed to be expecting a reply.
I shrugged, and Leila let the matter drop. “Go for it, Chase,” she said.
Chase studied me as he rubbed his square jaw.
Werewolves were weak to fae magic, which had made Leila’s decision to hire him as her director of security somewhat of a surprise—though she’d loaded him up with charms and potions to raise his defenses against our magic.
He did cut an imposing figure given the breadth of his chest, and the way his yellow eyes glowed—amplified by his brown skin tone. Meeting his gaze would make any idiot aware of the wolf Chase Washington kept under careful control and channeled for the sake of his job.
I wasn’t stupid. The director of security was reluctant to trust me—an intelligent instinct of his. But he must have judged the risk-factor of the matter as small, because he wiped his hands off on a napkin and continued.
“I have an official report for you to read, but it can easily be summarized,” Chase said. “Regarding Lord Linus and his rumored gambling addiction and severe debts…I can find no proof that such things exist.”
