Page 120 of Blood of the Fairest

"That is Mikkel, the executioner."

"Shut the front door," I gasp. "That's what he looks like under the hood? My god, he's the doppelganger of Jeremy Meeks."

"Who?"

"He's hot," I clarify.

Eris is stern at once. "I already told you, right now I trust no one but Wulf with you."

"For a self-appointed pimp, you're pretty stingy. Why watch me only hump one guy when you could watch me get spit roasted by two instead?"

He starts to argue with my sarcasm before pausing, tilting his head. I realize he's actually considering that mental image.

"Oh my god, that was a joke. Besides, you iridescent menace, Anika has dibs on Mikkel. Look," I add, gesturing toward the two models.

Anika twists the front of Mikkel's dark tunic. Whatever she says next, it makes him lean closer to whisper in her ear.

"They're clearly into each other, and I would never break the girl code. Not to mention, if those two procreate, nothing in this world or mine would stop their gorgeous ankle-biter mini-mes."

"Perhaps if you stay in this world long enough, you can design a gown for her to wear at their wedding," Eris muses.

"How dare you use my love for fashion to fit your agenda?" I joke before narrowing my gaze at him. "But seriously, I'm still not happy about you trying to get me to stay here."

"What if you could be far safer and happier here than you ever were, alone in your world?" he murmurs.

If I had a guarantee that I could actually live freely here, without having to be a vampire or worrying about the queen's terrible fate potentially being forced on me somehow...

Eris tenses, tipping his head. "Your Huntsman calls me elsewhere."

"Elsewhere must be bro code for some very satisfied scullery maid's bed," I grumble.

Eris cracks up. "The scullery maids are twice as terrified of him as anyone else. You must not realize how ludicrous you sound, imagining Wulf to be even remotely pleasant to anyone besides you. Last time he caught another woman eyeing him a few days ago, he made a show of adjusting himself while gazing at your backside when you weren't looking. It sent a very effective message."

I'm too taken aback to respond in time before Eris disappears from the sconce.

At roughly the same moment, I hear footsteps and peek around the doorway into the courtyard again to see that Mikkel just left.

What better way to take my mind off my messy feelings than to pester Anika about hers?

When I step into the courtyard, her dark gaze meets mine, and she struggles to tame her smile.

She doesn't bother bowing or curtsying, which is a relief. I'm still trying to break Ingrid's habit of doing that whenever I'm alone with them.

Not that I've been alone with Anika or Ingrid much lately, since I'm trying not to get closer to anyone else before I leave this world. I still visit Snow White sometimes, but it's getting really hard to look into her smiling face without my heart getting all achy at the thought of us living in different worlds again.

"My uncle told me the meeting will begin soon," Anika says. "I was coming to find you."

I pull back my veil to grin at her, pushing away the thoughts of the metaphorical walls I've been putting up.

"I see you got distracted by your future husband. Looks like you two are pretty cozy."

Anika is unabashed, looking in the direction the hot executioner just stalked off to.

"We're fighting, actually."

"That could mean hot angry sex and hot make-up sex, if you play your cards right."

She laughs, leaving the wall to approach me. "It's fortunate that I'm good at playing cards, then."