Page 56 of Court of Nightmares


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“Hey, what have you two been up—” Her words cut off as she glances around in shock. “Oh my Nox.”

I wince, knowing this is too much, but then she screams happily, and Nathair grins smugly at me.

My jaw drops as she hurries to the racks upon racks of clothes that line the room. There are ten, each with different designers and matching accessories, that hold everything from jeans to leather to formal gowns, as well as her own cloak. All of the offerings are done to the highest degree and in her size—the perks of knowing fey. Nathair watches with glee as she oohs and aahs over everything. When she picks up a tiny leather mini skirt, I almost choke on my own spit.

Thea spots the mountain of boxes filled with hats, shoes, and bags and freezes. “Is that . . . Is that a Birkin bag and a Louis Vuitton?” She spins to us.

I shrug and point at Nathair.

“Of course, only the best for you. There is also FeyLine, the magically infused designer options too. I didn’t know which you would like.”

She just stares before slowly reaching out and stroking one. “Pretty.” She seems enthralled, and it’s odd but ridiculously hot.

“Oh, and there’s this.” I feel kind of dumb now, but I hold out her old, tattered duffle bag the ghosts helped me track down. I wince. It doesn’t compare to designer clothes and lavish gifts, but when she sees it, tears fill her eyes, and it’s all forgotten as she rushes to me and takes it before laying it down gently.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she yells, kissing my face before opening it softly. “This holds the last items I have of Simon and my mum, things I thought I’d never see again.” She delicately unwraps some frames from clothes and bites her lip before moving around the room and setting them in places.

She’s decorating and making it her home.

It has us all swelling with happiness and power.

When she returns to the bag, she freezes with her hand on something. “I had forgotten about this . . . Oh Nox, how did she know I would need it?” She pulls out a box and turns to us.

“Need what?” Nathair asks.

Swallowing, she flips the lid open to show us a mask that matches ours. We just blink. “Your mother?” I query.

“She was a seer. I found this in her rooms before I left. It called it to me,” she admits softly.

“It’s beautiful,” Nathair says. “She knew you would need it. It means your destiny has long since been written, but that is a good thing.”

She doesn’t seem convinced. “You can always choose your own path,” I tell her. “Even now.”

That makes her smile, as if I said the right thing, and she covers the box before placing it on the table and backing away, clearly not ready to don it yet, even as images of her wearing that while she fucks me fill my head.

Giggling like she can hear me, she flops onto the bed, looking around. “You didn’t have to do this. I don’t need it.”

“No, but you deserve it,” Nathair replies without hesitation. “You deserve everything, my queen, and we will always give it to you.”

The smile she aims at him melts my heart. This isn’t about money or gifts; it’s about the fact that we thought of her. It’s because we went the extra mile to try and make her feel at home and give her things before she needs them. It’s the thought, not the expense. He could have got her a flower and she would have loved it.

“Thank you,” she says seriously. “I’ve never . . .” She shakes her head. “I never imagined, in my wildest fantasies, that my life could be like this. I had lots at my old court, and I never wanted for anything, but not like this. It was never a home, does that make sense?”

Nodding, Nathair drops to his knees before her, and I hold back my shock.

A blood king kneels for no one, especially Nathair, but here he is, kneeling before our queen.

“It does. This will always be your home,draya.” He looks at the photos. “And your past is always welcome here. We are not trying to erase it, just give you a better future to make you happy.”

“I am,” she tells him. “I’m happy in a way I never thought I would be. Even when I realised I was finding my mate, it felt more like a pipe dream or a responsibility, something I should be excited over, but this?” She reaches out and strokes his face before looking at me with a grin. “This is real, and I cannot wait to spend every day together.”

“Us too, Althea, us too,” I promise.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

ALTHEA

They leave me to look through my gifts as they head off to work. If I focus, I can feel them through our bonds, and if I want, I can find them. They are right, though. I’m tired. I pushed myself hard today, so it’s nice just to relax. I can’t resist looking through the clothes again and picking something out to change into. There’s a wide selection and a lot of different styles, as if they all picked some things for me to wear to match them.

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