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“Sorry…” I shook my head. “I was just so…it felt so good. I didn’t know anything could feel so good—so intense.”
Liath looked thoughtful.
“I’m not sure it does to most people.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“You seem to have an increased capacity for pleasure,” he told me. “Probably because it’s tied to your magic.”
“Oh, my magic.” I shook my head. “I was just thinking—as much as I could think—that I wished we had set up some of the dried roses you use to help train me. I’m sure I could have revived a whole dozen or more with that release you gave me.”
“You did better than a dozen,” Liath said dryly.
“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning up at him.
“Just look around the bedchamber—look at the plants,” he told me.
“What? Help me sit up,” I said.
He did as I asked, lifting me easily into a sitting position so I could survey the bedchamber. I looked around and could scarcely believe what I saw.
All of the plants that were already growing in the room had burst into bloom—even those that weren’t supposed to produce flowers! And the rest of the walls were covered in climbing rose vines. The air was filled with their heavy scent as the velvety blossoms nodded their heads at us.
“You’ve made our bedchamber a fucking jungle,” Liath growled, but there was unmistakable pride in his voice. “Gods, little bird—when your power reaches full strength, no one will be able to stand against you!”
“Not even my brother’s killer,” I whispered, looking around.
Liath frowned.
“No, not even him—whoever he might be,” he said in a low voice.
And I thought for some reason, he seemed troubled.
22
The next day in the Banquet Hall, Liath made certain to put me to his right hand and his Great Aunt Acosta to his left. He wanted to talk to her, he said—to try and explain why the lust potion she had given me was so dangerous.
I bore her no ill will for what she had done—well, not much, anyway. The aftermath of the lust potion seemed to have unlocked a new area of my power—magic came even more easily to me now. It was as Liath had said—the greater and more intense my pleasure, the greater and more powerful my magic.
Our bedchamber did indeed resemble a jungle bower now, which I rather liked. What I liked even more was my husband’s reaction. I kept catching Liath watching me from the corner of his eye with a proud little smile playing around his lips. I loved that he supported me so fully.
But, though the aftermath had been exciting and gratifying, the lust potion had nearly killed me. So it was a good thing that Liath was going to say something to her.
I tried to look like I was concentrating on my meal, but actually I was listening as hard as I could to the conversation going on beside me.
“Aunt Acosta, you cannot offer Alira any more of your potions,” I heard Liath saying in a low voice. “The lust potion you gave her last night was much too strong.”
“What? My boy, I’ll have you know I’ve been making potions since before you were a gleam in your mother’s eye! The potion I gave her was just exactly right—perfect to help her conceive.”
“And we appreciate you wanting to help, but you must not do it anymore.” I could hear the impatient growl in Liath’s voice, but he was clearly struggling to keep his tone civil. I was certain he was aware that all the Court was watching us—the nobles and the notables and of course, the servants, were keeping their eyes on us as we sat at the Royal table on the raised dais.
“Someone must help for it appears you’re doing a poor job of it yourself!” Great Aunt Acosta said rudely. “Why is she not pregnant yet?”
“That is no business of yours.” The growl in Liath’s voice was more pronounced now. “I am asking you—politely—to keep your nose out of our business. Alira and I haven’t been Joined for that long—she will conceive when we are ready and not before.”
“How dare you!” Aunt Acosta exclaimed. “How dare you ask me not to take an interest in who sits the Shadow Throne?”
“I dare because your lust potion nearly fucking killed the woman I love!” Liath’s voice rose to a roar and when I looked up from my plate, I saw that his bronze eyes were blazing.
“And who says that wasn’t my intent in the first place?” Great Aunt Acosta pushed suddenly back from the table. She was moving much more fluidly than I had ever seen her move before, I noted. Her eyes were flashing with anger as she glared at Liath.
“What?” He frowned at her. “What are you saying? Be very careful, Aunt Acosta—it sounds like you just admitted to making an attempt on the life of the Princess of the Unseelie Court.”
