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“Perhaps.”
“Well, I found it quite satisfying. I’m not sure what those guards were saying, but I’m guessing by both of your reactions it was nothing pleasant.”
“That’s an understatement,” Darla said. It was pretty rare to see her visibly affected by things, especially when she was supposed to be maintaining a relatively diplomatic persona.
“I’ll see what I can do about those guards. They should be taken to task.”
He was being kind, but I was so irritated by everything that’d happened, I couldn’t help feeling suspicious. “We appreciate your support, but we’re not exactly feeling sociable right now. We’re going to wind down in one of the libraries.”
“Oh, a library? Now that you mention it, I do have some reading to put in.”
“That wasn’t an invitation,” Darla said flatly.
“Ah, apologies, not my intention. My TBR pile is safe in my office. You simply reminded me I should visit it.”
“Your TBR?”
“To be read,” he said with a charming smile. “Anyways, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I just wanted to tell you I was quite pleased with the spectacle you put on. Good day, ladies. I hope the rest of your time here improves.”
Great, now I was feeling guilty.
“We don’t own the library,” I said. “You can come if you have business there.”
Why did I say that? I wasn’t quite sure, but the words were out of my mouth as Aodin smiled broadly. “Why, thank you. I wouldn’t mind escorting you there. I promise I won’t get into your hair.”
Darla huffed. I didn’t need her to speak in my mind to know she had doubts. But she didn’t object, so the three of us ended up heading toward the large archive.
Once we were there, I went to the chair from the previous day to settle in. For a few moments, Aodin did indeed fuck off, but before too long, he returned with his own book and settled into another chair close by.
“May I ask you a personal question?”
“I’d prefer you didn’t.”
“That’s not a no,” he said, smiling crookedly at me. I could tell he thought he was charming, and I might have agreed if I wasn’t still pissy.
“Isn’t it?”
“I know it’s none of my business, but I can’t help be curious if you’re... taken?”
“Taken?”
“As in not available. In a relationship.”
Ah. Of course, he would fucking ask. “I am.”
“Deepest apologies for my somewhat flirtatious ways,” he said, leaning back a little. “I didn’t notice a ring on your finger from a human, or a bite on your neck from a shifter, or even a blood gem from a vampire. I know there are thousands of ways to express courtship, but I did make some assumptions when I didn’t notice any signs I knew of… a permanent claim.”
Oh, he’d put much thought into it before approaching me? That was fairly respectful. Or I was just being manipulated by a silver-tongued fae.
“I see. Then, you’ll stop flirting with me now.”
“If you want me to. I’ll respect whatever boundary you set.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling like I was missing something. “Why would you, a diplomat in this fancy city, have any interest in me?”
I was sure he was going to parrot one of the filthy things the guard had said, and I’d have to curse out a fae of high status, but the words out of his mouth were quite the opposite.
“You’re fascinating, frankly. You’re obviously not interested in the social mechanics it takes to fit in here. You buck the conventions I spent so much of my life learning and adapting to for my career.
