“Irin is her maid of honour,” I remind him.
Heholdsup his hands.“Trust me.This is not a hill you want to die on.”
His lack of faith in meisirritating.“Get Irin in here and take this one back.”
“This onehas a name,” Fabia snarls.“And I’m her maid of honour.We swore it to each other years ago.”
“I don’t care what you pinkie swore to each other when you were children.A fairy maid of honour’s duties are too important for you to fuck up.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”She crossesher arms.“I didn’t realiseIrinknowsArienna enough to know how to calm her down when she starts panicking and second guessing herself.”
“Why would she second guess herself?It’s between me or death.”
“Well, if it was me, I would’ve chosen death.”
My jaw tics.I glance at Nicholas, but all hedoesisgrin.The bastard.
“Enjoy.”With a short wave, hestepsinto the hall and closesthe door behind him.Theclickisannoyingly final.
Looking at Jace, I give a sharp nod.
Shooting to his feet, he wrapshis arms around Fabia’s waist and hoistsher into the air.Shifting with the fluidity of water itself, he grabsher throat with one hand and slamsher towards the ground.
Her body bucks.Her legs curl up between them andwraparoundhisneck.As he leansforward, his momentum unstoppable, she grabsthe back of his head with both hands and pulls.
They slam into the ground.Jace grabsone of her legs, twistsfree, and then rollsher onto her stomach.As soon as hedoes, he jumpsto his feet and stepsback.“Gods, you have to marry me.”
Following him, she aimsa kick at his balls.Grabbing herankle, hespinsher around and pinsher against the wall.“Easy,” he murmurs.“It was just a test.”
“What the fuck?”she seethes.
“You have quite the mouth for a brownie.”Studying her, I walk forward and lean against the wall beside her.Jace nodsat me, letting me know hehasher, not that I doubted him for a second.I’vebeen locked in his grip enough times to know there’sno way she’sgetting free.
Her lips purse.Jace cupsher mouth with his hand before shecancarry through.“I would be honoured if you spit in my palm, my goddess.”
Fabia rollsher eyes.And the way he said “my goddess”bringsout a dry glare from me.When he winks, I know he’staking the piss about how I called Arienna my queen.
Iamnever going to live that down.
And a part of medoesn’twant to.
Clamping that dangerous thought down, I look into Fabia’s eyes.“A fairy maid of honour needs to be able to protect the groom from being kidnapped.Stay behind Jace and don’t get in his way.”
“What happens if I don’t?”she mumblesagainst Jace’s palm.
“Arienna dies.”A bit of an exaggeration but not much of one.The tradition of kidnapping the groomwillinvite every idiot inKholar, Raza,to tryto grab megiven my bridewillhave to pay to get me back.And if shecan’t, the date of her executionwillcome well before our weddingbecause if a woman isn’t strong enough to protect her man, then no priest will marry them.
“Your culture is messed up,”she mutters.
“At least it’s not a cult.”
Her eyes soften the tiniest bit,and I stare at her in surprise.No brownie I’ve ever met has realised their entire kingdom is a cult.
When she pushesagainst the wall, I nod at Jace to let her go.Stepping back, he pullsout a knife as big as his forearm and offersit to her hilt first.“Don’t do anything stupid,” hesays.“I’dhate to have to bury my goddess.”
Her lips move wordlessly before she chokesout, “How serious is this kidnapping business?”
“Normally, not much.Those doing the kidnapping are often friends and family having fun, and if they manage to kidnap the groom, they only ever ask for token payments.”Jacegrins.“But Richard has pissed off a lot of people, and weapons aren’t explicitly banned.”
