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“What was all that about?” I asked.
“No one really knows. She’s never caused problems though, so I assume her intentions with the blood are harmless. Frankly, I think she feeds on it.”
I shivered. “Nasty.”
“Even I, who would eat anything, agree with you. But this”—he dug the spoon deep into the pudding—“this is scrumptious.”
I eyed the pudding, eerily similar in color to blood. “Is there anything bad she can do with it?”
He shrugged. “If there is, I don’t know it, and she hasn’t done it yet.”
He wasn’t bothered, and when I stole a glance back at the shop, Thorn nudged me. “She doesn’t have your blood. You’re safe.”
I turned back to the pudding. “Let’s see if this is as good as you claim.”
“It’s better,” he promised.
We tried a bite at the same time, and all my tastebuds melted at the rich flavor. Before I swallowed, I went for a second spoonful, and then a third. He was right, this was good. As I ate, I let myself sit close to him, sending flickers of touch between us. My foot swayed, rubbing against his, and I allowed my elbow to graze his arm. I sent him little smiles between bites.
If he was falling for the charm, he didn’t show it. Perhaps I wasn’t as good at flirting as I’d hoped.
His attention was frustratingly everywhere but on me. Thorn surveyed the courtyard as if someone might be lurking there, taking his time with his own dessert while I swiftly devoured mine.
Then he paused, staring through trees. Intricate candles rested on the branches with flames reaching to lick the leaves and curl over the bark, never burning anything. If someone stood within their shadows, my eyes weren’t skilled enough to see through this blasted eternal night.
Thorn at last began to eat again, giving one more glance to our surroundings. An odd smile came to his lips.
“Four months in this realm, three alliances made, one king fooled, one king who bested you, and one king who took you on the chariot ride of a lifetime.” He took another bite. “Quite the adventure.”
I set my empty dish aside. “It’s certainly been something.” Five kings left to get favors from, one mystery person leaving messages, and my life on the line.
“Your alliance with Bastian interests me most.”
I knew little of trying to charm gentlemen, but I knew speaking of other men wasn’t the way to do it. Even in the fae realm. “It was made impulsively,” I said quickly. “But I don’t want to talk about him. Tell me more about you.”
“I am a man looking for an alliance myself. My kingdom has been stagnant for a while. It could use change.”
I leaned an elbow against the back of the bench, tilting my head while hoping my hair fell over my shoulder in an alluring way. “An alliance?”
He set his half-eaten pudding aside. His eyes rose to meet mine, and I could feel him reeling in. One more smile, perhaps a kiss, and I’d convince a second king to owe me a favor. Odette had been right. King Thorn gave his heart away too easily. It almost pained me to play with it this way. Almost. His wounded pride would be worth my life. But then he spoke.
“Knowing Bastian, he made you promise not to make any further alliances, didn’t he?”
My plan unraveled. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
“That’s fine, I don’t need that from you. But you need something from me, don’t you? What do you need?”
I let my elbow drop and contemplated him for a while before replying. “One favor. That’s all I ask.”
“For what?”
Again, I met him with silence. He sat back and watched me as if he had forever to wait. He had ages. I did not.
“I want to unite the fae kings to undo the command of their ancestors to bring Mortal Queens here, and free us from the death that awaits.” Almost the full truth.
His eyebrows shot up. “All of the kings working together? That’s never happened since I’ve been alive.”
“It can happen if you all owe me a favor.”
