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She was so strong. “She deserves more than me.”
Meg shook her head, her hand back on his knee. “No. She deserves you, but she deserves the best you. Don’t you see, Dante? This is what happens. I’ve been where you are. I fell in love, and it changed me for the better. It forced me to grow up. It made me a better person. This is wonderful, Dante.”
It didn’t feel wonderful. It felt terrifying. He should have found another way. He should have paid some fallen royal to marry him. She would have been reasonable. He wouldn’t have been desperate for some royal’s blood and body. He wouldn’t have formed this weird connection to some sad-sack royal. It would have been a neat exchange of money for a convenient, no-emotions-involved marriage. Dante wouldn’t feel all twisted inside.
“I don’t know how wonderful it’s going to be. I’m worried that she won’t fit in.” It had been the chief thing to recommend her in the beginning. He had wanted to find a consort who would send his father running for the lawyers, but now he couldn’t stand the idea that his father wouldn’t like her.
“I think you’ll be surprised,” Meg said. “I think Kaja is very smart and adaptable. And, if you’re worried about your family accepting her, I wouldn’t. She’s different, but there’s a sweetness to Kaja that I think your family is going to find irresistible.”
The idea played around in his brain. What if it could work? The thought of loving Kaja terrified him, but the idea of not having her around caused his heart to knot. He was a mess. He wanted her. He just needed to accept it.
He couldn’t help the little smile that had his lips curling up. Meg was right. Kaja was sweet, and she tried so hard. Perhaps it would make up for her lack of proper manners. It could work.
His mother would view Kaja as a challenge, a sweet baby bird to take under her wing. Susan had always appreciated the odd creatures of the planes. Despite her ridiculous adherence to parliamentary procedure in the boardroom, his sister was actually quite open-minded.
But the rest of society would be hard on her. The press would freak when they found out Kaja spent time on four legs.
How was he going to protect her?
“Don’t worry,” Meg said. “It really will work out. And it will work out for me and Beck and Ci, too. I just have to have faith.”
Dante hoped faith was all he needed.
* * * *
Kaja came awake slowly, brushing away the small bug that seemed to be intent on biting her. Her nose tickled. She wriggled it, trying to hold on to sleep. She was warm and happy. With Dante wrapped around her body, she’d slept better than she had her whole life. Her dreams had been sweet. She did not wish to leave them.
But the small buzzing creature was insistent, and it seemed to Kaja that it had brought some friends.
Kaja opened her eyes and focused on the small thing that had landed on her nose.
Bright blue wings fluttered, and Kaja was shocked to find it had a face. Her first instinct was to eat the little thing. It wouldn’t be much of a meal, but it might be tasty. And then she remembered Dante’s words. She could not eat things that talked back.
“Hello,” she said, hoping the little bug wouldn’t talk back.
Its tiny hands flew up, and Kaja would have sworn that the thing looked grateful. Its mouth opened and a rush of beeps and light, tinkling words rushed from its mouth.
No meal for Kaja.
She forced herself to sit up. The little creature took flight briefly before landing on Kaja’s knee. The winged insect once again began speaking.
“Slowly, little one,” Kaja said, remembering what Dante had told her about the magic.
The insect shook its head, words spewing from her mouth, but Kaja was beginning to catch pieces of them now. “Save…family…bad fae…eat.”
Kaja looked around. She was alone, but Dante’s shirt was folded beside her on the ground they had slept on. Kaja breathed deeply. She could smell Dante and Meg. She opened her senses. They weren’t far away, and they seemed to be speaking quietly.
“Please to help. My babies. The pixies will be grateful always.”
Kaja couldn’t turn that down. She nodded at the blue creature, the pixie. “Where are your babies?”
The pixie took off, her wings flapping faster than Kaja’s eyes could track. She darted away from the camp. Kaja thought about finding her Dante, but then she would lose the pixie and the pixie babies could be eaten. She raced to follow the flying pixie as she moved through the forest. In and out of trees and bushes, the pixie darted. Kaja leapt and feinted around a bramble brush. She could feel her feet being cut, but she feared the pixie would not allow her to help if Kaja showed her the wolf.
Then she stopped. There it was. It was soft at first. If she hadn’t been listening for it, Kaja would have thought that it was just the play of the wind on the trees. A little mewling cry, so soft. Kaja moved forward, keeping her steps light. She didn’t even think about the fact that she was naked. Clothes were something she’d just been introduced to, and Dante seemed to shed his often enough.
The little pixie landed on her shoulder. “There. There.”
Kaja carefully pushed back a branch and took in the sight in front of her. Strange green men stood around a big, black cooking pot. The water was beginning to boil. There were two men, both with squat bodies covered in corded muscle. Very little hair covered their heads. What they had was black and wiry, and these men did not smell at all good, though they stood downwind. What she could smell was very awful.
