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The others dismounted around us, and immediately caught on to the tension that filled the air. "What's happened?" Bach demanded, looking at me for answers.
Mirri's father tsked and shook his head, as if he was both frustrated and sad. "I'm afraid your mate must have suffered some head trauma during the attack today. She's showing classic signs of delusion and erratic emotional outbursts."
I gaped at the asshole, astounded at how he could sound so genuinely concerned.
Lady Woodspur shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "The poor dear. I've seen it before. My own dear cousin fell from his horse and swore he was being hunted by three-legged pigmy olephants." She glanced between my mates with pity. "We won't take it to heart. But you must allow us to see to our dear steward's treatment. It's the least we can do after the events of the day."
I narrowed my eyes at her. I was pretty sure my "treatment" would involve some miracle cure they came up with. Something from a friend of a friend that left me brain dead so I couldn't say a word against them. How in the world did these cretins ever sire a child as sweet and earnest as Mirri?
Luckily, my mates weren't as easily swept up and manipulated as Mirri's parents had hoped. Bach crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared them down, an intimidating wall of muscle and fury. Adder smoothly inserted himself at my side, a silent menace with flashing serpentine eyes and viper fangs fully on display.
And Fife just laughed.
The cleric's musical laughter was like the peals of the great bell in the center of Mistvale, clear and bright. He clutched his middle and wiped at the corner of his eyes before catching his breath and giving Mirri's parent's a brilliant smile. "You're both such idiots." In the space between one breath and the next, Fife's compact form was wreathed in purple flames, and veins of violet decorated his exposed skin. Four sets of purple eyes watched the Woodspurs as if hoping they'd give him reason to end them. "As if I would ever let my mate come to harm."
I think Mirri's parents might have urinated a little. I squared my shoulders and addressed the Woodspurs. Our little drama had attracted the attention of the royal guards who were loitering by the front gate, and they drifted closer as I spoke. "You have abused and insulted my bonded mate, and your other actions toward him would have you accused of treason. I'm sure you'll go on about how I can't prove any of those accusations. But I don't have to. Because today, an entire street full of people stood witness as Lady Woodspur interrupted the capture of a dangerous criminal and allowed him to escape." I smiled, slow and brittle. "I might not be able to prove that you conspired with fae traffickers or blackmailed your son using death threats against his friends. But I can easily accuse you of participating in an assassination attempt against a royally appointed steward." I smiled sweetly at their dawning horror. “And believe me, the king and queen are far likelier to believe my story than your feeble pleas of innocence.”
I was certain they had no actual connection to what had happened in town today. They had merely been so concerned about Mirri potentially messing up their good thing that they had bumbled into the unknown attacker. However, it would be very easy for me to lie, to manipulate the situation to make it seem like they were guilty. They would know all about how easy that was to do when you had powerful connections. And the punishment for something like an assassination attempt would be death. The Gray King might be friendly and easygoing most of the time these days. But he didn't condone the sort of stupidity that put his people's lives at risk. There was a reason why most citizens of Elfhaven were so well behaved.
"Lord and Lady Woodspur," I said, my voice loud and clear so it could be heard by the guards and the other staff who were gathering around us. "I formally banish you from Larkwood. Should you come within sight of me or my mates again, I hereby authorize the use of any force necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again. You will be sent to the capital with an armed escort." I arched a brow. "By that time, my message will have reached the king and queen, and you may expect full banishment from Elfhaven. If you are lucky."
They gaped at me, frozen like a couple of rabbits under the gaze of a dire panther. "Do I make myself clear?" I demanded. My brownie magic might not be much use in most situations, but I did have a connection to home and hearth, to the caretaking of this estate and those who dwelled here. I could feel the connection to my home as it came alive, a subtle, firm magical push that would make it very uncomfortable for the couple before me to remain on my property.
The bark of my voice made both of them jump. "Yes, lady Bellflower," Lord Woodspur bit out, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as my magic urged him to get the underhill away from my home. "Crystal clear."
Lady Woodspur clutched at her mate's hand as she bemoaned their fate, but he slapped her hand away with an angry retort. I watched them bicker as the guards surrounded them and herded them off to be transported far from my territory. Maybe after their banishment from Elfhaven, they could go live across the sea with the humans they had once planned to sell their son to. It would only serve them right if they ended up in a circus or an oddities brothel.
The rest of us made our way to the house, where we were greeted by a calm and professional Saffron. "Refreshments have been sent to your rooms, my lady. Gentlemen," he said with a bow to me and my mates. "And I've asked Cook to make your favorite shepherd’s pie for dinner."
I grinned at my butler. He was so perfect. "Thank you, Saffron. I will need you to make up a room for our new guest as well," I said, gesturing at Steel, who had shuffled along behind us and was now standing awkwardly in the entryway. "See that he's comfortable, but post a guard at his door." Saffron nodded and gestured for Steel to follow him to one of the lower-level guest rooms, with Adder going along to serve as guard until his replacement arrived.
When we reached the upper level, Bach and Fife moved on toward their rooms, but I snagged Mirri's arm, dragging the winged male into my suite. "I need to talk to you."
Mirri came along without protest, and I closed the door behind us. Turning, I met his eyes. "I am the steward of this territory," I said evenly.
Mirri arched his brows at me, but played along. "I was aware of that fact, yes, my lady."
I nodded to him curtly. "Good, then you understand that what I say goes. Even when I'm speaking to my new co-stewards."
He quirked a wry smile at me, but his eyes were sad. "I await your judgement, lady steward." And that was just it. After the Woodspur's harsh words, I knew my gentle mate would expect me to be angry with him. He was used to people levying blame and judgement his way. And I couldn't let that go unaddressed, couldn't let his parents’ poison fester, and sink its claws into him.
"Thank you for everything you did today," I said firmly. "Mirri, you have no reason to be ashamed of your actions. Do not listen to those assholes who raised you. Clearly, they are useless. I don't care about the damned barn. You acted on the spur of the moment to catch the person who tried to get me killed. You probably prevented him from finding a more successful strategy when I escaped from the hippogriff." I grinned at him. "I'm not angry at you. Or disappointed. Far from it. I felt like you had my back today. Like we were fully bonded, and I could trust you without question. And for that, I'm…so happy I could kiss you!"
The tension had left him and the sadness was gone from his warm gold eyes when he stepped a bit closer. The light red-brown skin over his high cheekbones and the tips of his pointed ears was flushed, but that didn't deter him from speaking. "I wouldn't object to being kissed," he murmured, his voice dropping a register.
I huffed a laugh and closed the distance between us. My arms wrapped around Mirri's neck as his warm hands gripped my hips and pulled me flush against him. Then his soft lips were on mine, filling my senses with cinnamon and spicy heat. I opened to him, our tongues sliding together as we drank each other in.
Mirri's wings buzzed, and I pulled back to glance at the shiny appendages. "Oh! Your wing. Is it hurt?" I had witnessed the would-be assassin folding Mirri's wing in half. But the handsome male before me hadn't shown any signs of injury and the whole thing had slipped my mind after everything else that happened in the course of the day.
He smiled at me and buzzed his wings again. "I'm fine. The major arches should be broken. But thanks to Fife's spell, it's just a bit bruised."
I sighed in relief and collapsed against him, loving the solid feel of his body against my own. "Oh, thank the source."
His lips touched my temple, my cheek, not deterred by how smudged and smoky I was. Then he returned to my mouth once more as he drew me into a slow, lingering kiss. I groaned as I leaned into his embrace and both of his warm hands came to rest on my generous backside, caressing and squeezing, pulling me up onto my tiptoes as he devoured my mouth.
We were sooty, grimy, and sweaty from our adventures, but I wanted nothing more than to feel my mate's skin against my own. I whimpered when he ended the kiss to press his forehead to mine. "I should go. Let you get cleaned up and rest. We have so much to discuss. So many things to figure out. Letters to send to the capital. My parents. The attack…."
I leaned in and bit his cute chin, letting my tongue slide over the slight cleft there, wanting to taste him everywhere. "You shouldn't go anywhere," I argued. "You should come take a bath with me."
