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“I’ve been told I have the cutthroat attitude of a queen,” I replied.
“Yes. You do. ”
“Which leads me to my second request. ”
“I’m all ears. ” His face changed again, this time literally covering over with a hundred ears in all shapes and sizes, before changing back.
“That’s got to be a fun trick at parties. ”
“It loses its impact when everyone around you can do the same thing. ”
My palms were so sweaty from fear I worried I’d damage Brigit’s dress by wiping them on the material. Here went nothing. “I want you to give me the fairy who has been killing people in my realm. They’ve broken laws in my territory, and they will be made to suffer at my hand. I think that’s only fair since it’s an insult to me they were allowed to hurt those under my protection in the first place. ”
“You honestly believe everyone in your city is under your protection?”
In vampire logic, saying this would mean almost eight million people now belonged to me. I had enough trouble keeping three humans safe, so I was thankful fairy logic didn’t have the same rule. At least as far as I knew.
“I believe anyone I didn’t protect is someone I failed. I can’t stop humans from killing each other, but I thought I’d protected them from one of your people, and I didn’t. I failed the girl who died. And for that, I want the one who killed her. ”
“You have a cunning mind, my dear. ”
“With due respect, every time you compliment me it makes me want to change whatever it is about me you approve of. ”
Aubrey smiled and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I admire your honesty, you know. ”
“Because I’m not constantly kissing your ass like everyone else?”
“Yes. ” He dropped his hands, and a shudder rocked me. The feeling of a thousand tiny hands caressing every inch of my exposed skin made me want to recoil from him, but he was only an image. He was on the other side of the mirror, and what was touching me wasn’t real.
I gritted my teeth together and forced myself to ignore the sensations.
“Do you usually molest the people you admire?”
“Depends on how much they test me. One must be on the lookout for weaknesses in those who might challenge me. ”
I wiped my hands on my legs, trying to bat away the invisible fingers touching me. “I don’t want to challenge you. I have no aspirations for another throne. ”
“Oh no? Is there not always a need for more power when you’ve had a taste?”
“The only power I want is my own. You have it, and I’m willing to make a fair trade to get it back. ”
“Ah, well, there’s the problem. If I give you your powers and my errant fae…what do I get?”
I didn’t like where he was angling this conversation. One of my biggest fears in this plan had been what would happen if Aubrey decided he was getting the short end of the stick. Sure, technically he owed me because of the broken promise, but a fairy was a fairy. If they could find a way to stay within the boundaries of their rules and still come out on top, they’d do it. Right now Aubrey was trying to determine how he was going to manage it, and I didn’t see an easy way to win this.
“You broke a promise. ”
“Let’s be clear, I will give you the fae. I have no interest in protecting someone who would willfully disobey me. It’s whether or not I will restore your powers that is the question. ”
“I gave you my power in exchange for Kellen. I’m giving her back. ”
“Direct exchanges are so…”
“Boring?”
He snapped his fingers, and instantly the phantom hands vanished. “Yes. Boring. ”
“Doesn’t fairness factor in at all?”
