But I was still stuck on the fact that he’d compensated his local farmers for a crop loss. He didn’t need to do that.
Stryker waved his hand again and the messenger put that letter into the fire too, pulling the final one up to read.
“It’s from your brother. Lord Roan. Again,” the messenger said and Lord Stryker froze, his body going stiff.
I sat up straighter, sure that he wouldn’t allow the private message to be read in front of me but Stryker nodded, indicating that the messenger go on.
“His people are still sick. It’s getting worse, they are overwhelmed and out of supplies. There is a list of what he desperately needs. He’s …” His gaze flicked to me. “Asking for any information on where the next princess of Faerie might be. It looks like this went out to all of your brothers.”
My heart knocked against my chest. They were looking for me? What sickness was over his people?
Stryker sharpened his gaze. “Tell him nothing of Aribella.”
The messenger nodded. “Of course, my lord. And the sickness?”
Stryker stared at his hands as if they might make the decision for him. “Send the supplies he needs anonymously, in unmarked boxes.”
The messenger dipped his chin in agreement, pulling out the list of supplies and tucking it into his pocket, then he burned the letter before leaving the tent.
I frowned. Why would Stryker not want credit for helping his own brother?
“What sickness?” I asked, unable to help myself.
Stryker was looking over some papers and signing things on his desk. “Some plague that your predecessor caused. It’s my understanding that it began on their wedding night. I don’t really care.”
My brows bunched together in the center of my forehead. “Dawn?” A plague began affecting the people of the north on the night Dawn married? Was it just a coincidence, or something more?
Stryker glanced over at me. “I assume she used her little witch magic to influence my brother to fall in love with her and marry him. The plague is probably her spell backfiring.”
“Dawn doesn’t have magic to influence like mine: it’s unique.She manipulates sunlight and she’s incredible at it but she certainly can’t control your feelingsorstart plagues.” I was desperate to stick up for my fellow princess of Faerie.
He said nothing and I was tired of talking so I leaned back against the support pole and dreamed up ways to escape. All of which ended with me just roaming the realm alone forever, without the faestone dagger, as my people back in Faerie died.
I thought of fleeing and trying to find Dawn but, as unbelievable as it was, it sounded like her loyalty to our people was dead and her devotion now lay with her new husband. I was on my own in this; I needed to gain Lord Stryker’s trust and get the dagger back, and I could only come up with one way to do that.
Despite his protests, I saw the spark in the Ethereum lord’s eyes whenever he looked at me. And he repeatedly accused me of using my magic on him when I hadn’t. There was something there, I was sure of it.
Forgive me, Mother.
Operation seduce the meanest fae alive was now in full effect.
* * *
After grumbling about how hungry I was for the fourteenth time, I was finally untied and Stryker brought me outside to eat. Probably just to shut me up, but I was okay with that to get a small amount of relief from these chains. We all ate by the fire and then turned in to our tents for the night. The cotton dress that I was wearing wouldn’t be terribly uncomfortable to sleep in, but since I was now shamelessly going forward with “operation seduce Lord Stryker” I turned to him as we stepped into our tent.
Gathering my courage, I gave him my back. “Can you unlace me?”
“What?” His voice dropped an octave.
I peered over my shoulder at him, doing my best to give him my imitation of a sultry glance. “You have deprived me of a dressing attendant and I can’t sleep in this giant, heavy thing.”
I felt a little silly but then I watched his Adam’s apple bob right before he strode over and began to yank at the laces quickly.
“Careful there, big boy, you’re going to tear it,” I scolded him.
His fingers stilled, and he began to gently unlace the thicker corset portion of my dress, revealing the thin white cotton chemise I would sleep in. I couldn’t see him, but I could hear his breathing and it had definitely gotten heavier.
Once he was done, I let the heavy dress fall to the floor and stepped out of it. Turning, I faced him and even though I had intended to ignite his interest, I was still surprised to see him starting at me with hunger in his gaze.
