And don’t want to be.
And yet my cousincouldhave had a mother, one that would have loved him as much as his own. If only she hadn’t?—
I curl my fingers around my tea glass so hard it cracks. Trawick glances over and I relax my grip, quickly fixing the cobwebbed splinter with magic.
My nerves are on edge today.
And I know why.
Thatwitch from last night. She made me feel things— things I buried. Every time my eyes close, the swell of her breasts is there, her full lips are there, those deep brown eyes of hers are there. And thoughts of ripping off her clothes and claiming herare there.
It’s excruciatingly annoying.
Trawick’s voice snaps me from my thoughts. “Ryals is nearly at the age where a man’s influence is better.”
“I don’t disagree. But you didn’t come here to talk about him.”
“No, I came for other reasons.” He sips his tea. “Ugh. Well, actually not that bad.”
“Told you.”
“No surprise you’d like human things.”
It’s not meant as an insult. “But you’ve come all the way from the Northern Court.”
“Yes, because—and you’re not going to like this. Feylin?—”
“Do I ever?”
“No. But this is worse.” He unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt and folds them to his elbows. “There’s talk among the lords.”
“What sort of talk?”
Trawick stares at his drink.
“Tell me,” I insist.
“They say you’re weak, that you’ve given in too much to the humans.”
Not this again.I flex my jaw in an attempt to temper my fury. “You know as well as I do that when the veil tore, I had no choice but to position myself closer to the humans so that we could build trust among our peoples. The other courts remain behind the veil, as they should. But how am I supposed to convince humans that we mean them no harm, so that they don’t use their bombs against us, if I’m behind the veil?
“Better to be in sight of them than to live behind a wall that was already torn.” I jerk my head to the grounds. “Besides, the castle was empty, and if I was going to move anywhere, it was here.”
Trawick gives me an understanding nod. “You don’t have to convince me, but you want trade with the humans, and our people want stability. Until your line of succession is shored up, you’re vulnerable.”
I groan. “Spare me.”
But he’s not dropping the subject. “Look, you know how brutal fae can be. Give them any reason to topple you and they will. As it is, your claim to the kingship can be challenged because there’s no heir.” His gold eyes flash soberly. “You need to marry.”
“We’ve gone over this.”
“This isn’t about you anymore. You’ve got a cousin to think about—one who’s human and has no magic to protect himself. If something happens to you and the fae lords fight over who becomes the next king, Ryals will be in danger. He’ll be hurt, or worse if I can’t get him to safety in time.”
He’s right.
“Do it for him, Feylin,” he says quietly. “If the lords believe your line is secure, they’ll stop grumbling, and any thoughts of plotting behind your back”—I flash him a look and he lifts hishands in surrender—“not that there are any, but if there were, they would quickly die if you marry and have an heir.”
Ridiculous.“And who am I supposed to wed? What should I do? Pluck some woman off the street? Get on a dating app?”
