Page 164 of Forsaking All Others

“Oh yes?” He raises an eyebrow, his tone sarcastic. “And what strategy did you have to ensure this subterfuge continued to go undiscovered? Did you just think I could go around killing Fondi to silence them and not suffer the consequences? Or are you so fixated on immortality that you couldn’t care less if I was punished after we were married? Tell me, Cat, what exactly was your plan?”

“I’m working on it,” I bite my lip, “and no, I wasn’t planning on sacrificing you.”

“You know that’s exactly what will happen if I marry you,” he snarls, his tone indicating he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. “And yet,” he shakes his head, “you had the opportunity to spare me this, to spare us both what’s to come. You could have taken the token and left The Games. I could have married Thorun.”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why, Cat?”

‘Because that slut Angelina is right. I’m in love with you.’

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

“I,” I take a deep breath and, once more, tell him a half-truth. “I wanted safety, security. I told you that all along. Living a life on the run is what I’ve been doing for years. I didn’t want to continue doing that.”

He stares at me for a long, long time before walking to the door.

“What are you going to do?” I call as he reaches for the handle.

“I’m going to marry you,” he says, his voice resigned, “and then figure out a way to get out of the shitstorm you’ve brought to my house and my hearth.”

I could almost fall over in relief until he spins back, his eyes cold.

“But that is where this ends, Cat.”

I frown, opening my mouth to ask what he means.

But he’s gone.

122

“You can’t be serious?” Falcon groans as I tell him my decision.

“I am,” I shake my head, my actions belying my words. “I’ll marry her and then figure it out.”

“You could have it annulled immediately,” Lynx offers from where he leans against the wall in the corner, a silent witness to my dilemma up until now.

“Yes,” I sigh, “there’s that.”

“We have to think this through,” Falcon shakes his head. “There must be another way.”

“You could tell the Queen you went through with the marriage to spare her the embarrassment of publicly learning her selectors had fucked up,” Lynx adds.

“Yes,” I nod, his idea already one I’d considered.

“I can’t believe you’re even contemplating going through with this!” Falcon shouts. “It’s madness. We have enough shit going on without adding to the pile.”

He runs his hands through his hair in agitation and turns away, but spins back, shaking his head.

“When you chose a wife I thought you’d pick someone who could stand by your side and help us fight our mutual enemies. Instead you pick someone who’ll bring the wrath of Hell down upon us, and then some. For Christ’s sake, couldn’t you have chosen a normal human?”

I grit my teeth.

“Says the man who married a part Fae!”

He raises his eyes to the ceiling before shaking his head and looking back at me, a slow grin spreading across his face.