What did that even matter? Lorcan almost muttered to himself aloud. It wasn’t as though they were actual lovers, he had to remind himself. This was all for show. None of it meant anything real. So, the objections in his mind meant nothing.
So, then why did he feel so...unsteadied by it all?
Her body shifted beneath his. He braced his arms on either side of her head and dropped his mouth onto hers. She felt surprisingly hot to the touch. For some reason, he had expected an ice fae to be cold, as cold as the very snow itself. Instead, the warmth of her burned his skin.
Relaxing just slightly, he gave into the feel of Reyna’s body beneath his. He slid his hand up the curve of her hip, appreciating the way her waist dipped before flaring out toward her breasts. He could remember exactly what she looked like without the constrictions of her gowns, memories of her glistening body in the bathwater pouring through his mind.
Reyna squirmed beneath him, twisting her hands through his hair. Pressing himself harder against her, he let his hand drift up just enough to trace the bottom curve of her left breast. His length went hard, and a need pulsed through him.
This is all pretend, he had to remind himself. As much as she seemed to be enjoying herself, Lorcan had to remember that it was all for show, to convince the incoming assassin that they were distracted, that Lorcan was not a threat, that they were not expecting a knife stab in the back.
As if to echo his thoughts, Reyna suddenly pulled back, cheeks flushed, and whispered, “Now!”
With a grunt, he pushed up from the snow-packed ground and whirled, landing on his feet. Addled, he leaned down to grab his sword, but Reyna was already launching through the air, straight toward the cloaked figure, with her ice glass dagger raised.
The assassin’s hood dropped back. A familiar face peered back at them, shock and fear flickering through her eyes. The petite, grey-haired female stumbled back. For a moment, Lorcan could do little more than stare. The would-be assassin was Ula, Reyna’s grouchy lady’s maid.
But the shock of it all did not seem to register with Reyna. As she leapt, her body slammed hard into Ula. The assassin tumbled to the snow-packed ground. Reyna pinned her easily, her dagger’s blade glinting as she pressed it tightly against her neck. “Who do you work for?”
Ula narrowed her sharp, grey eyes. “I work for you, milady.”
Reyna growled, a sound that sent a thrill through Lorcan.
But he also felt dread. If Reyna’s own lady’s maid had been sent to murder her, then there was only one logical conclusion he could find. Someone inside of the Air Court truly was behind these attacks.
He needed to handle this very carefully.
“Princess,” he said quietly as he rested a hand on her tense shoulder. She flinched beneath his touch but her blade remained steady against the assassin’s neck. “We should deliver Ula to the dungeons where she can be questioned thoroughly. We need to know who is behind this.”
At that, Reyna twisted slightly to scowl up at him. “Or we could simply question her here and now, and then kill her.”
Lorcan understood her anger well. He wished he could give her what she needed, but he could not. “This affects far more than just you, Reyna. I need to take this to Thane.”
“And what if Thane is involved?”
“Thane is not involved. I can promise you that.” He leaned down to whisper into her ear. “If his mother sent the assassins, then he needs to know about it, and he needs the chance to be involved in the questioning. It will affect the future of this kingdom. And it will affect who sits on that throne.”
At that, Reyna sighed and pulled her knife away from the maid’s throat. “You better not be wrong.”
28
Thane
“Lorcan, what is the meaning of this?” Prince Thane stormed into his chambers and slammed the door behind him, glaring at the warrior he thought he knew and trusted. “Why were you traipsing around in the woods with Reyna at dawn? Why does this spy insist you two are lovers? Fae cannot lie, Lorcan, so be careful of your words. I will be listening for the mince in them.”
Thane’s morning had been one bad thing after another. Not only had one of the Air Court’s servants attempted to kill his betrothed but Reyna had also been caught rolling around in the snow with his closest friend and personal guard. To top it all off, Eislyn had been avoiding him. No, he couldn’t think about that right now. There were far more pressing matters.
“Thane,” his uncle said, stepping up beside him and clasping him on the shoulder. “Calm yourself, my boy.”
He met his uncle’s golden eyes. He’d been the one to catch Lorcan and Reyna sneaking in with the bound assassin, and he’d taken charge of the matter instantly. Despite the horror of it all, Lord Bowen had stayed calm, measured, unruffled. Thane truly did not know what he would do without his uncle’s steadying influence.
“Right.” Thane gave a nod and steadied himself. “Lorcan, please explain yourself.”
Lorcan pressed his lips together. He appeared as calm and unruffled as Thane’s uncle, but there was a new glint in his eye. Thane did not wish to know what that meant.
“The princess and I attempted to trap the assassin,” he said calmly. “We embraced, hoping to convince the assassin that we were distracted. It worked.”
Thane shook his head. “When I brought Reyna into this court, I expected there might be shenanigans, though I hardly expected them to come from you, too. Did you not think to run this wild plot by me first? Did you not understand that I would not wish to put my betrothed in harm’s way? There is also the small matter of my mother’s orders. You completely defied them.”
