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Perry offered her his arm, but a guard moved to block him.“You must follow the princess.”The order came out as a nasty snarl, the guard’s awful red uniform stark against the pulsing golden light of the walls.
“No.”Vori rushed between them before Perry’s powers might spark.“Donotpresume to order my consort.I can find the throne room without any help or escort.”
“But your safety.”In an instant, the guard’s expression had switched from menacing to shame.
“Who would dare harm me?A royal?A princess of golden blood?Would you?”Her damning accusation had the guard cowering and Vori’s pulse pounding.She swallowed, pushing down the rage.A momentary threat against her consort, and she’d slipped into a hatred that would’ve made the mad king proud.Not a good omen for the next few days stuck here.
“Shall we?”Perry again offered her his arm.
She took it and walked on shaking legs out of her suite.The queen’s guard kept a noticeable distance, likely assessing her sanity and finding it lacking.Like father, like daughter.All mad.She worked to calm her racing heart and her temper.She’d need to be ready to face the goblin court.
Banners with the new silver-and-crimson royal crest lined the tunnels.The castle’s magical stones lit and dazzled in bold shades of amethyst and gold along the ceiling.Goblins stopped to gawk and bow and clasp their fists over hearts.
Vori wanted to sprint back to the suite and away from the scrutiny, the false reverence, the hope so plainly shining from some of those uplifted gazes.
“Where’s that supermodel strut you’re famous for?”Perry whispered, his warm breath against her ear.
Her death glare seemed to glance off his ego as though it were a shield.“This isn’t the time.”
“Isn’t it?What was that with you and the guard in our suite?”
“Oursuite?”
“Fine,yoursuite whereweare currently staying.It’s charming you want to defend me as your man and all, but I can take care of myself.”
“Without magic?”
“Ouch.Someone’s cranky tonight.It could be they cut off all your oxygen with that dress.It looks…” He paused, and she waited because with Perry, who knew what he’d say?Stunning?Ridiculous?Hot mess horrible?“Tight.”The evening gown’s long sleeves hid the cuff with the amethysts she’d rather her uncle not know about just yet.“I prefer the goblin dresses.”His teasing tone had her risking a quick look at his face, at the slight curve of his lips.
“Are you flirting?”
“If you have to ask, I need to work on my technique.It’s been a while.Demon organization.Prison.I haven’t tried since that Halloween I met you.”
“You should practice more often.”
The hot glance he gave her had her wondering how much of this pseudoseduction was part of thefake marriageact and how much was simply Perry.Warmth having nothing to do with the too-tight gown rushed over her skin.
He brushed a hand against the small of her back.“It took the maids forever to button you into this dress.”
“You were supposed to be figuring out how to catch a killer, not watching me get dressed.”
“I multitask very well.”He tugged on a button.“I wonder how long it would take me to undo all of these.Would I stop to kiss your skin after each one?Or rip them away in an instant?”
She couldnotlet herself be attracted to her temporary husband.“They won’t rip.They’re stitched to keep the dress on if I slip skins.”
“Hmm, that’s too bad.Thanks for saving me from the big bad goblin guard.It was hot.”
Her flush flared to five-alarm fever.
She fought to keep her composure as they stepped into the throne room.Long tables set with gleaming gold china and dishes filled the great hall.Two little girls ran between the guests in full goblin form, playing a game of hide-and-seek behind chairs.
The crowd of adult goblins attempted to hold human form with varying degrees of success.Without the benefit of royal blood, maintaining the slip of skins could be almost impossible.The results ranged from a short, squat block of a man to a bony skeleton with long hair.
Her uncle raised a goblet.“Welcome home, my niece.To Vori.To the future with our true queen.”
All the air had been stolen from the room in a heist even she couldn’t pull off.She couldn’t catch a breath.The tiara on her head suddenly weighed more than all the gaudy excess in this sham of a celebration.
The room spun.
“I can’t do this.”
