Giving away most of your ecos did that to a fae, but that didn’t mean a thing. It was a normal reaction.

“We’ll get you something to eat.”

“It doesn’t want food,” she whispered. “It wants you.”

That stopped my breath, all right. “I want you, too. But we’ve got to be careful.”

I swore, I’d be careful. She could take whatever she wanted, but I would be careful.

Chapter 24

ISAY

BEFORE KARMUTH HELPED ME OUT OF THE CAR, HE CROUCHED ON his hands and knees to comb under the seat with his hands. He did not find the ring, but he didn’t appear terribly disappointed about it. When I staggered and lost balance, still recovering from saving Hiko—and yes, I would call it what it was, not shying out on admitting it—Karmuth picked me up with ease.

Several fae gave us curious looks as I was carried through the courtyard, my arms around Karmuth’s neck and my nose buried in it.

For a death fae, he smelled incredibly fresh. Even after the fight he’d just won, his sandalwood and moss scent had only amplified. He glared at every single fae daring to look at us for longer than a moment as we passed and even growled at one for whispering to his companion.

“Once they find out what I did at the club, no one will dare come near me,” I said softly against his cheek.

He was so close I could lick the sweat dripping down his brow. Did I want to? For heaven’s sake, I wanted to lick at his face. Press my lips against his skin and then trail my tongue up to his ear, maybe bite at his earlobe.

Would he like that? I wasn’t going to find out. That wasn’t… yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

My head swam with the unrealistic ways of how Karmuth would react should I decide to make such a thing happen, after all. I didn’t notice the king until we stood right in front of him.

He held a bottle of wine in one hand and a platter of cheese in the other, likely entertaining similar ideas in the company of my mother tonight.

His face darkened at the sight of us, however. So much so that I was afraid he’d turn me into a pile of ashes just with the intensity of his glare.

“What is the meaning of this?” his voice boomed across the hallway we’d collided with him in. “Did I not explicitly tell you to refrain from entertaining the girl, Karmuth?”

“Yes, my king.” Karmuth’s voice was low and threatening despite his words hinting submission.

He lowered my feet to the ground and pulled away from me despite my efforts to grip at his collar for support. I staggered like a drunk and pointed an angry finger at my stepfather.

“Entertaining me? As if you are the one to make that decision for me should he ever wish to entertain me, as you so subtly put it?” Not able to truly stand my ground, I felt the world tilt before I got caught in Karmuths unwavering embrace again. “Your warrior was showing me to my quarters,” I said, much mellower when it became clear I couldn’t back up my heated outburst with a steadfast stance.

“Father.” Hiko stood between me and whatever response the king thought best to grant me with. “While Karmuth most certainly entertains the idea you’re implying, this is not what it looks like.”

“And what do you suppose it looks like?” King Grath asked, turning his disapproving eyes away from me and to his son.

I sagged against Karmuth’s chest with the weight of those eyes off me and only heard the intake of breath from the king instead of seeing the full reaction.

In mere seconds, Grath had dropped the refreshments he’d been carrying, the bottle splashing both glass and red liquid across the floor and our feet. The king moved to tower in front of Hiko. His hands on his son’s cheeks, he searched for any reasons why his shirt would be painted red with his blood.

“I’m no longer hurt. She offered her ecos to me.”

“It’s the least I could do after I got us all in trouble.”

“Not your doing!” Karmuth growled low.

The king’s eyes left Hiko’s only for a moment to give me an assessing look. “Explain,” he ordered.

For once Hiko obeyed. “Lord Terwyl sent a mob after us when he couldn’t feed on Isay’s emotions in Wicked Angels. We took them down. Well Kar and Sinister did. I was incapacitated at the time. I suspect there’ll be further trouble.”

Nobody asked what Regar had been doing. Nobody also mentioned Ferro, who was still suspiciously missing.

The king rubbed his face. “This had to happen during my honeymoon?” he groaned.

“This conflict with Felroth has been brewing for centuries, Your Highness,” Regar pointed out. “It was inevitable that the tension would eventually amount to war.”

Grath muttered, “King Rothian should keep a better reign on his pawns. I will reprimand him for this.”

“Reprimand?” I stared at the king, aghast. “I was dragged into his booth, and forced to sign a contract to allow him to have his way with me. Naturally, I refused, which the almighty fae lord was obviously displeased with, threatening me with all sorts of nonsense.

“Then, when I managed to break free, he sent his men after us, who shot your son in the neck by the way. He almost died, but that’s fine, since you’re going to reprimand their king.”

Me and my big mouth just couldn’t shut up. This had to stop, but apparently not today.

“Nobody died,” the king snapped.

“Ferro is missing,” I corrected, not that I cared for the warrior. I really didn’t. He gave me more creeps than Sinister did. My voice was hollow when I continued, “Terwyl will be coming for me. He will not let this go. You may scold them all you want, but this is not going to go away.”

“I am on my honeymoon,” King Grath repeated with a warning in his voice, his dark eyes boring into mine.

I still couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “I suppose nobody warned you that being a king came without a sufficient vacation plan when you picked up the role? I’ll tell you now, I am more terrified of what he’ll do to me when he gets to me than I am afraid of death. You better deal with it.”

Who was I to command the king? What in the world had gotten into me to speak to him like that? Emotions were running high, yes, but that did not give me the excuse.

And while I’d been promoted to a princess with my mother married to him, I really wasn’t one. I had no standing in this court whatsoever, as my shaky legs liked to point out. I was under his mercy. I should’ve appreciated what he was willing to do for me more and stop looking at the gifted horse in the mouth.

I expected him to lash out at me for being out of line, but he only gave me a tight smile. “Siya warned me you were nearing your insurrection. I remember the little rebel Hiko was at your age, but he wasn’t half as rational as you. I will take this into consideration, Isay. But tonight, I have a wife to satisfy.”

He looked to the warriors, ending with Karmuth with amusement in his eyes instead of the previous warning he’d had for him.

Grath continued, “I trust you’ll make her feel safe until we can work out better arrangements. One of you will keep guard tonight.”

My heart fluttered in my chest when Karmuth’s grip around my stomach increased. As the king walked away, he shared his own warning looks around the group.

“Relax, Romeo, we all know who’ll stay with her,” Regar laughed heartily, his hands raised up in defence. “It ain’t going to be me.”

“It sure as hell ain’t,” Karmuth agreed.

Holy shit. He wasn’t even going to deny wanting to be in my room for the night. I’d be stuck with him the entire evening. We’d be stuck together. He’d promised me another taste… ‘later’ he’d said.

What if I wanted to taste a lot more than his ecos? Would he be as forthcoming with that request? Did I dare to ask?