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ChapterThree
“Y-e-s.That’s the word you’re looking for.”Vori had been proposed to by hundreds, but this was the first timeshehad proposed.Why was Perry taking so long to answer?
He’d been a hard man to track.Not surprising given that the Senate had stashed him in this abandoned bunker of graffiti, spider webs, and forgotten things.
“Husband.”He said the word the same way as some might say roach or fungus.So insulting.
“A temporary fake husband.I told you it was a job, not arealproposal.Thank the powers for that.”Or her ego would’ve been smashed worse than the broken glass and busted pipes of this dump.
“You want me to pretend to be your husband?”
“Only for a few days.I’m not asking you to do anything horrible—like trying to kill witches.”As he had done.
“Why do you need a husband?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?”
“I’m a lawyer.It’s what I do.”He stepped back, shuffling with a limp that he hadn’t had the night they’d met.“What I did.”
She’d bet the pain in his voice wasn’t all physical hurt, but she didn’t have time to channel therapist vibes right now.“How about answering my question instead?I need a fake husband, and it’s not as if you’re busy.”She gestured to the rusted steel bars and cringed at the whiff of sewer stink the movement brought.“Look, I’m not asking for some perverted roleplay.I might’ve considered kinky fun before you ghosted me, but not now.Do the job, and you’ll be free.”
“I didn’t—”
She cut him off.“No excuses.”
“Fine.It’s only a matter of time until the Senate returns for me.”White sparks danced along Perry’s skin, revealing a rainbow collection of bruises, the red and silver of scars, the sharp bones of prolonged starvation.“They won’t stop until I’m dead.”
“All the more reason to say yes, and we can be gone before anyone comes to check on you.Or I can leave you here where your hateful hag elders stashed you to rot.It’s not a hard choice.Marriage to a supermodel would be an immediate ‘hell yeah’ for most.”
He held up an arm crossed with a roadmap of needle tracks.“You know about my powers.I’m a freak.”
So was she if they were counting the pointy-eared, rage-machine goblin side of her.“That word—freak.It’s open to so many interpretations.Some sexual.Some supernatural.Some that come with way more good than bad.Stop avoiding my question.”
“You want me to agree right now?”
“I have two impatient trigger-loving cousins waiting for us outside, and neither wanted me to choose you for this job.”
“What could you possibly stand to gain from me pretending to be your anything?”
“I’ll add you to my long lists of problems.”Right after blood vows to Baba Yaga.“Think of our pseudomarriage as a temporary business arrangement.Nothing more.You pretend to be my husband for a few days, and I’ll keep you safe from your witch Senate and the demon Revelare you joined.”
“No one can hide from them.”
“I can.But…” She should keep the truth from him, skip over the unconfirmed gossip, so they could leave.But she couldn’t.If he was going to the goblin court as her consort, she needed him to go into the agreement knowing his options.“Hiding might not be necessary.”
“Sure.”He laughed a dark rumble.“Because mercy and kindness are what both organizations are known for.”
“Rumor is that the Senate and the Revelare clashed in a huge battle a few hours ago.The Revelare’s demon leader got herself banished, and several witch senators died in the fight.”
“No.”The sparks dancing along his skin jumped to dagger-sharp lines.“No way.Empires don’t fall in a night.”
“You could be right.”She’d lived under her father’sslaughter all threats in the name of religionrule long enough to know dynasties were tough to tumble.“The word on the supernatural street also claims a dragon flew above the fight, so that’s weird.”
“Who could take on the mother of all demons?”
“Four Legacy elemental sisters.Senate heirs.”
He looked away.“The Donovan sisters.I tried to kill them.Most of them anyway.”
