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“Geneviève. Trousers, perhaps?” Eli gestured at my nakedness.
“Right.” I tugged on jeans and one of Eli’s shirts. Undergarments could wait. I had a score to settle.
Behind me, Eli made short work of his own dressing. “Could I speak to him before you stab him?”
I sighed. I wasn’treallygoing to stab the king of the fae. Logic would’ve kicked in before I opened the door. I wasalmostcertain of it.
I was also vaguely surprised that Marcus hadn’t said anything else—until I remembered that we were not alone in the house.
“Pus waffles! Beatrice. She’s out there, too.” I waved my hand at the vines, and thankfully, the house agreed to let me out despite the angry faery king in my hallway.
Eli looked unruffled at the thought of thedraugrqueen cornering his uncle. Clearly, he was actuallyangrierthan I was. Any lingering doubts of that I may have had were quashed when he stepped around me and opened the door.
“If I may?” Eli was facing Marcus in front of me but spoke as if he were addressing me: “I thought I should come out first, Geneviève, in case he’s here to try to kill you again.”
“Don’t be absurd,” Marcus said. “I have never tried to kill Geneviève.”
“Outsourcing is still murder,” I pointed out, leaning around my husband. “Just as deceit is still lying.”
Beatrice had a long steel dagger in her hand. She was glaring at the faery standing between us, but she had neither stabbed nor strangled him. I thought it was remarkably patient of her.
“I did not injure him,” she muttered. “I could though . . .”
“Not even a bit injured, grandmother?” Eli asked, sounding far too jovial for the moment. “I am impressed.”
His calm was a mask. I knew that. I still wasn’t sure that teasing Beatrice was a good idea. She was as angry as Eli was about Marcus’ recent actions, and she had fewer reasons to resist violence.
“If it’s on the menu of options for houseguests, I would be grateful . . .” Beatrice said.
When Marcus tried to side-step her, she hissed at him. Her fangs were an impressive display, but she was family, so it also made me want to toss a ball of yarn in her general direction to see if she swatted it.
“I am the offended party here,” I said, drawing all gazes to me. “Shouldn’t I be the one to assign his punishment?”
“Am I not offended that he would kill my wife?” Eli still sounded jovial, and it made me shiver. Maybe I was perverse, but seeing his rage was exciting in a primal way.
“What do you want here?” I asked, ignoring my husband’s rage and my grandmother’s glee. Beatrice was not stabbing Marcus, but she lunged a few times as she casually flashed her fangs. I could see thedraugrvenom on them and knew that was intentional as well.
“War, Eli? For a man who has no desire to be my heir, you would declare war?” Marcus asked.
“You threatened the heirs to the throne, theonlyheirs.” Eli reached out and tapped Beatrice’s arm finally.
I guess we are done with the grandstanding for now.
She lowered her weapon and stepped back. It might be posturing, but she had thrown her lot in with Eli in that moment. She obeyed him and threatened the sitting king ofElphame. Absently, I realized that may have been the entire point in her actions—politics.
I fucking hated politics. I always felt like I was several steps behind, and sure, maybe I would become a manipulation machine in a few centuries if I lived that long, but right now, I was out of my element.
“This ismyheir, Marcus of Stonecroft.” Beatrice straightened, looking every bit the regal warrior she was. “EverydraugrI command will come to her aid, whether Chester is her enemy, oryouare, or any other being is.”
“You stand with us against him, or I stand against you with her,” Eli said. “AndthenI join my people to hers for this fight against Chester. No one will tear asunder the vows that I made before humans, fae, anddraugr.Geneviève is my wife. Eternally. She will be made safe.”
It hit me then that there was a significance to my three weddings beyond the witchy appreciation of that sacred number. I was a lousy heir to any throne, as my political machinations were absentee at every turn, but I had soldiers aplenty.
No wonder Chester hates me!
“We have found a weapon,” I said, drawing all three of their gazes to me.
“If I join this fight, you will rescind your challenge?” Marcus asked.
