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I followed her lead, realizing this whole quest wasn’t about just me and my goals. Starling had a stake in this, and Nancy and poor perished Cecily. And perhaps all the other women—and fae—who’d been caught in this web. I figured I knew what fat spider I’d find perched in the center. I just needed to find ways to untangle her prey without bringing her down upon us.
*
Once I sawthe promised dress, I knew why Rogue was so certain I’d wear it. First of all, it wasn’t black, as I’d been so certain he’d try to pull on me. And second—it was indescribably lovely. It seemed to be made of starlight and moonlight at once, formed of gauzy draping trails of cloth that shimmered and glittered. Starling couldn’t speak for a full five minutes after seeing it. When she poured it over my head—because, duh, of course I wanted to wear it—it clung to my skin with light whispers.
No zippers or ties. Magic. Made especially for me.
Rogue’s signature feral glow ran all through it, sensual and intimate.
Darling, who’d appeared early on in the process to loll on the edge of the sunken tub and sending me alternating thoughts of mermaids in bubble baths and mouse innards—a most disconcerting combination—approved of it, especially the dangly bits.
Starling let me leave my hair down, brushing it into a gleaming straight fall of black, agreeing that the contrast was striking. And that my hair helped cover up what the scandalous dress failed to. I ignored that last comment. The glory of magic made sure the dress clung to all the important bits and made me feel, wow, almost beautiful. It was the polar opposite of how Rogue had made me dress for my first feast and I knew that this, too, held a message.
We played a different game and in a different way now.
He confirmed it, waiting in the main room to escort me for dinner, wearing the same shades. I’d never seen him in anything but black and the contrast, the sheen of sliver threads, brought out the warm gold of his skin and unexpected shimmers of moonlight in his midnight eyes. The shirt he wore was so sheer that his lean chest showed through the cloth nearly as much as where it fell open.
He smiled at my approval and raised an eyebrow when I walked behind him. With one hand, I undid the jeweled clip he’d used to tie back his hair and let it fall free. I might have also indulged myself in stroking the thick silk of it, inhaling the scent of mace and man. I felt in harmony with him in a way we’d never before achieved.
Maybe he really was trying.
Or I was getting soft.
At the moment, I didn’t care.
“I’m tempted to say we should stay in the rooms after all, but I want to show off my pretty dress.”
“Alas, how my plan has backfired.” He touched my cheek, a fleeting caress. “I’m pleased you like it.”
“I do.”
“Will you wear my earrings with it?”
The request did not surprise me. “Do you promise to take them off if I ask you to?”
“I promise,” he returned gravely.
I fetched them from the table, where I’d tucked them in a little box that I’d wished locked to anyone but me. I had the dragon’s blood safely hidden elsewhere. “See? High security measures.”
He didn’t comment, simply lifted the downward-turning lilies to my earlobes, his magic shivering through me as stimulating as his boldest touch. The little claws sank in with a brief flash of pain that settled into a wash of desire that made me gasp aloud. The left side of his mouth curved up in a half smile of satisfied pleasure.
“It makes you happy to see me wearing them.”
His gaze moved from the jewel flowers and caught mine, intent, predatory. He paused so long I thought he wouldn’t answer. “Yes.”
The single word held a wealth of meaning. A meaning that made the cat deep inside stir, an answering wildness. I wanted to dig into him with my claws, nip him with my teeth.
“We’d better go.”
“Indeed.” He said the word in all blandness, but I felt the hum of excitement beneath.
We joined the feast in progress, seated together at the head of the table and feted like visiting royalty. Which I supposed we were. Unlike so many of the other events, this party was actually fun, with delicious food and performing acrobats. The other guests, who I presumed to be vassals of various kinds, lined the table. I still didn’t quite understand the political structure.
I whispered to Rogue that Faerie Government and History 101 should be my next lesson.
“No,” he replied, watching a trio of birdlike boys bend themselves into a complicated pretzel.
“Why not?”
