Heir of the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock 3)

He shrugged. “Better than a full out war, and that’s what would happen if the other factions found out that the Council is meant to be made up of people of all races. I, for one, can’t believe the Fae don’t remember such a thing.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Well, it was over a thousand years ago. Are there Fae from that time still alive?”

Tavlor nodded. “There are... but not many. And we don’t know the circumstances on how or why they were stood down. Perhaps it was all covered up extremely well.”

My heart rate had begun to increase, a sense of impending triumph thumping in my veins.

“So, you think that if we show that I can create a connection to the Fae, to the Shifters, we could use it as leverage to get what we want out of the contract?” I asked, just to make sure I understood him correctly.

It was a long shot. But if we played our cards right, there was a good chance we might actually be able to pull this off. We might be able to get everything we wanted without having to go to war for it.

My father interjected. “You have to understand that would be a big ask, for anyone, including the Council,” he said. “Now, I’m not defending them, but they’ve never had a High Warlock negotiate the contract before and I highly doubt they would be so open as to grant you everything you want.”

“That you know of,” I pointed out. “Maybe a High Warlock had done this before, but you don’t know. Maybe it’s never actually been recorded.”

He inclined his head.

“That’s true,” he said after a moment.

“Because it sounds like they’ve changed a lot of things over the years, including the marriage clause,” I continued. “It simply wasn’t a part of it when the first High Warlock signed up, after all. Maybe the first or second High Warlock had more of a say in who they married based on that, and the Council slowly gained power over time and negotiations diminished.”

A silence fell around us as we all thought about what was said.

“Perhaps,” my father began, “when we visit the shifter realm tomorrow, you can do what you did today.”

“And what’s that?” I asked. “Be totally disgusted by what the Council had done to those people? Be outraged?”

“And ask a Fae woman to cover herself up, of course,” Tavlor said, with a grin. “After a display of intimacy on the throne in the castle.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What was wrong with asking her to do that?” I asked. “They were being rude. I didn’t ask to see her boobs and it wasn’t like he didn’t know we were coming.”

“That’s true,” Tavlor said, the corners of his lips tilting up.

Both men began to laugh.

I blinked. Did Tavlor just make a joke? Stiff, stoic, half-breed Tavlor who barely smiled even when he was happy?

I looked between their shared laughter and rolled my eyes. It broke the tension beautifully and Tavlor actually seemed happy.

“No, seriously,” I said, continuing to look between them. “What was wrong with that?”

Tavlor was struggling to get his smile under control. Which was adorable.

My father said, “Well, Fae women are notorious for being... sensual creatures. She may have been five hundred years old, and had hundreds of lovers in her time. The fact

that you asked her to cover up would seem...”

“Ridiculous to her?” I finished for him, feeling a sting in my heart. I winced inwardly. I hadn’t meant to offend anyone.

I glanced towards Tavlor, wondering if they were the sort of women he would normally have relationships with. I suddenly felt supremely inadequate. I didn’t have the centuries of experience she surely had, and I knew I definitely wouldn’t be comfortable with such a public display of affection. As of right now, I still had a sense of shame and my dignity.

He ran a hand over my thigh. “You know the Fae consider me a half breed abomination, Ava,” he said. “Please don’t even think about me in that situation. I would not agree with their norms.”

Heat spread up my cheeks, embarrassed that he’d read my thoughts so well and vocalized them in front of my father. It was one thing to witness the act in front of him, but to discuss it as though there was a chance I could partake in such a thing wasn’t exactly what I wanted my father to know.

“Yeah... well...” I let my voice trail off, shrugging awkwardly.

My father cleared his throat, bringing our attention back to him.