Page 142 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“Are you able to lie to her if I tell you?”

He scowled. “Why would I need to lie to her?”

“Because you wouldn’t want her to know this.”

He took a moment. “Tell me.”

And I did tell him. From the start of it all. How and why Memphis trusted me. How she had trusted me long before becoming Snow’s bonded. How she had obeyed my order and remained beside Snow, protecting her.

And he stood there. Taking it all in silence. Though the man had an expression of stone, his shadows were all over the place.

Commotion sounded in the clouded air above us and not long after, a pack of the winged men landed on the terrace floor. The general, Lazarus, among them. And when he spotted me, his expression turned sour and his mouth twisted to a snarl. “Seems like she chose to go back to her father’s lair than be here where she has to see your face every second of the blessed day and cursed night.”

“Shut up, Lazarus,” Caiden said, annoyed.

The man growled. “Easy for you to speak. He is not forcing your woman to do gods know what.”

That made me bristle. And there was no jealousy I felt. It was rageful jealousy. “How is she your woman?”

“She and I have history.”

“And that entitled you to her? History?”

“Listen,” he growled, coming chest to chest with me.

“Listening,” I said calmly, reaching closer to him. “It seems like you’ve lost that ability, however. You are more man than you are bird, yet you seem to share the same brains with your counterpart. Do you know who you speak to? The things I can do to you without even lifting a finger or batting a lash? There is one thing you owe me if respect for your king is not something you can comprehend, you owe me fear. Don’t provoke me with unnecessary courage. You will not only find it a futile effort, but a very costly one.”

“This is not a debate I need to have with you.” He pushed away from me and made to leave, stopped by my extended hand.

“She bears my last name, swore the same oath as I. She is mine in more ways that you can ever imagine. Now, any man might not have an issue with you staking claim on their wives, but I do take great offence. And believe me, Lazarus, you don’t wish for me to take said great concern.”

The rest of his men left first, and he followed suit, throwing a glance or two behind his shoulder at me.

Caiden cocked his head to the side in amusement. “Snow would have had a laugh with all that alpha arsehole energy.”

I cracked my neck back and forth in an attempt to free some tension. “Don’t worry, I will certainly give her something to laugh about once she is back.”

“I think I understand now,” he said, tilting his head back to fully examine me. “Why you seem to charm everyone. I think I’m charmed.”

“Flattered. Hope you haven’t formed this new opinion because of the kiss we shared.”

He laughed, he threw his head back and fully laughed. “You’re not that charming, Night King.”

“It’s alright, General,” I said, brushing off white fluff Lazarus had left on my uniform, “not all of us have taste.”

Nia jogged to us and took position between Cai and I, looking panicked and then stunned. “Oh.”

I raised a brow. “Oh what?”

“Thought you two would be strangling one another.”

Cai blinked at his friend before looking up at me. “I suppose she knows all of it.”

“She does.”

The Zephyr general nodded, planted a kiss on Nia’s cheek and disappeared inside a portal.

Nia’s eyes were all hazel and round and happy. “You told him.”