A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

“I’ll make you love both of us even more later tonight, don’t worry.”

He fitted a small knife into a holster at his ankle, covered by his tailored slacks. His black shoes had been polished to a mirror shine, and a ribbed dress shirt hugged his fantastic torso. The sleeves were rolled up to expose his scarred and inked forearms, and the top two buttons had been undone, showing a few scars along the side of his neck, disappearing below the fabric. He was putting his suffering on display, and given his infallible confidence, the effect was like a steel mace to the face. Holy fuck, I was suddenly sopping wet between my thighs.

He tensed, probably feeling my rush of desire through the bond, before shaking his head again. “Maybe this afternoon.”

I grinned wickedly as he slipped by Calia, nodding in response to her greeting.

When she looked at me again, her face was flushed.

“You must be used to sexual innuendo at this point, having survived the demons’ castle.” I grabbed a wrap in case it got cold and fitted my dagger into the sheath at my hip. While I now knew how to use a sword, I was still much better with a dagger. It was more comfortable and worked much better as a surprise howdy-do.

“I am, but you guys are…different.”

She pushed to the side of the hall so that I could leave the room. Weston and a few of his wolves waited on one side with Arleth and Delaney, and Tamara and a few of her guard waited on the other. Nyfain would get Micah and some of his dragons, plus a few of the lesser-powered wolves. There wasn’t much trust regarding our safety at present.

“Leala, you coming?” I called behind me.

“Yes, milady. Just finishing up. I’ll meet you there.”

I frowned back at her. “Do you know the way?”

“A servant will show me, milady. I’ll find it.”

Ah. She wanted an excuse to network. Hadriel had had the same idea. He was downstairs somewhere, waiting for me.

Calia fell in step with me as I walked down the hall. Dessia wasn’t with her this time. Arleth and Delaney fell in behind us, my overly large collection of guards organizing themselves after that, no one jostling, no one needing to utter a word. This crew showed very well. Nyfain had been smart to choose them for this journey.

“You guys are just…a lot more intimate,” Calia said as we reached another hallway and she pointed right. “You’re a lot more beautiful in your feelings for each other. I’ve never really cared about marriage and children, but after seeing you two together…it might be nice. If I had someone like him—” She swung her hand to brace against my arm. “Someone like him. Not him. I’m not encroaching on your territory.”

I laughed. “I knew that.”

“You see? I’ve learned something about dragons. Which leads me to an uncomfortable topic.” She cleared her throat, pointing right again at the next hallway. She was taking me out a different way than we’d come in. “I saw you notice Nyfain noticing Eris.”

“His ex.” Swirls of anger filtered through me, but only because of the past claim she’d had. I felt zero jealousy toward her. She and Nyfain would have been a true mismatch. Fate had done that woman a favor. I was actually surprised he’d kept his temper long enough to secure a promise.

“Yes. She’ll be there today. She works the gardens for the healers.”

“That’s fine. If she doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother her.”

“Yes, well, that’s just it.” Calia grimaced as we took a wide stairwell. Crystal chandeliers draped from the ceilings above us. “She had a few things to say about you yesterday and last night. My reports said they were not kind.”

“Your reports?”

“Yes. I told you I’d be monitoring the environment around you.”

“You spy even in your own kingdom?” I asked quietly.

I felt Arleth’s hand on my shoulder. That had been too blunt.

Calia smiled at me appreciatively, her eyes flicking back to Arleth trying to rein me in.

“I enjoy you for being so forthcoming, Finley,” she said. “It’s refreshing. And rare. Please don’t subdue that around me—”

“When you are with your own people or in a mostly private setting,” Arleth added.

Calia’s cheeks turned red. “Yes, sorry. I forget that you are still learning everything, Finley. And…”

She looked away as we finally neared a set of wide double doors leading to a large patio surrounded by lush green plants. All manner of flowers dotted the bushes and grew along the ground, spreading their fragrance within the warm sunshine. Staff in the same uniforms as yesterday, with their white gloves and long, flowing hair, held the doors for us as we passed.

“Yes,” she murmured, now looking straight ahead to a cultivated path through a large expanse of gardens. “I do. The king likes to know what is going on, both abroad and in his backyard.”