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“Eli?” I whispered.
He turned, and I swear there was a forest lurking in his eyes just then. “Geneviève.”
“I was not being careless.”
“Oh?”
I shoved my own temper back. I would not fight. Not him. Not now. I squared my shoulders. “How many times have I done my job? How manyyearshave I done so? I invited you to my side on hunts or night excursions, but I am still me and this is stillmy fucking job.”
Okay. Maybe my not-fighting decision was failing a bit.
“Do you think I am unaware of that?” Eli sounded near growling, and G-d help me, I liked it. I liked him when he was soft, but I liked his darker streak just as much.
I stared, biting my lip to stop from saying something foolish.
“I know who you are,” Eli continued. “I love you for who you are, Geneviève Crowe.”
“Don’t start the full name thing,” I snapped. “I am not some fae princess that—”
“You are, though. Youarea princess now. My princess. My affianced. My future queen,” Eli grabbed me and pulled me closer. “And I am allowed to be alarmed.”
“Oh.” I met his gaze. “So, you’re not angry?”
Eli pressed his lips to mine. It wasn’t an answer, but desire surged. I felt tears in my eyes, and when he pulled away, a moan of need slipped through my lips. It was altogether possible that my own temper was twisted into fear.
“I don’t want to lose you,” I admitted. “Don’t give up on me.”
After an oddly long moment, Eli said, “That is precisely why I was . . .amangry. I have sought the perfect mate, the woman who would be my equal, for decades. Here you are. And you were in peril.” He made a growling sound again. “I wasn’t here.”
“Thatwillhappen.”
He caught my face in his hands and held my gently. “Do you think I don’t know that? I’ve stitched you and carried you. I’ve watched you get stabbed. You were nearly dead in Autumn. Last month, you were attacked. Honestly, bonbon, you are out fighting creatures who are faster and stronger than you. That is not to count the humans and—”
“I’m sorry,” I interjected before he could continue to list all the dangers. “This is who I am. You know that.”
He sighed, and then in an uncharacteristic move, he laced his fingers with mine. “Come. Show me what you stumbled into this time.”
I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I was careful, you know. These bodies are dead, and really, the only threat was to poor Ally. I dispatched that threat in a blink.”
He squeezed my hand. It was not quite an apology, but I wasn’t sure which of us ought to apologize.
By the time we were done taking my second survey of the corpses, I realized that they were not, in fact, all human. Two likely were, but the others weredraugr.Who left twice-deaddraugrin a house arranged as if they were at a gruesome poker game? Or humans, for that matter?
“I feel like we’re missing something,” I admitted, looking again at the nailed cards. “Why are they in the Hebert house?”
Eli shook his head.
“And the one outside . . .” I looked toward the street. “Itsizzledlike acid on it.”
The police arrived, and I heard the distinct voice of Gary Broussard barking orders at the rest. I stepped onto the porch as Gary and two other people in NOPD uniforms entered the yard.
Gary looked at the woven grasses and at me. “Kid?”
I shrugged. Saying my angry faery fiancé did it seemed pointless—or confessional. Either way, I motioned Gary forward. “Inside. Strong stomach required.”
“No newbs here, kid.” Gary met my gaze. “Official report?”
I squirmed at the implied warning there. He was forewarning me that one of the cops was a by-the-book type. I carefully explained, “I’m looking for Madame Hebert. Her son was . . . missing.”
