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That didn’t sound good, but my attention went back to Cosette as she wove through the tables with Asheral to sit at an empty one.
I’d been watching the room for a while yesterday and today. I’d studied all the faces, and Ziriel’s son was never at a table alone.
I didn’t know what they were talking about—it could’ve been anything—but something about the way he looked at her, like he owned her, made me want to give my wolf control. Just this one time, I wanted to let him free.
Cosette took a cup of tea that Asheral offered to her. Her fingers brushed his as he passed the cup, and I started to growl.
Rayvien patted my hand. “Down boy. If you start acting out now, you’ll ruin all the fun.”
“What fun? What’s going on?”
Rayvien flicked her dark hair over her shoulder as she leaned closer. “Can’t tell you.”
Fur rippled on my skin and I was seconds away from letting go. “Won’t. You won’t tell me.” The rasp in my voice got thicker, more pronounced.
“No. I won’t.” She looked away from me, busying herself with the plate in front of her. “I have too much riding on this.” She’d muttered that so softly, that my Were hearing barely heard it, but I definitely heard.
At that, both the wolf and I settled down. It was the sincerity in her voice that shocked me the most. “Why did you come sit with me today?”
She smiled, but it was a sad one and had zero flirting in it. “To try and get you to trust me. I’ve been eavesdropping across all the realms.”
“All the realms?”
“Mortal. Fey. Heaven. Hell.”
“You’ve been to Hell?”
She smiled, but didn’t give me an answer. That was probably enough answer for me.
“If you get what you want, it will set off a ripple through the fey. I want that for us. So, if you need help with anything, anything at all, please come find me. What I can do right now is limited because of my husband, but I can do some things.” She gave me a small smile—one that was totally different than the flirty ones she’d tossed my way a few minutes ago. “See you soon.” She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Fuck.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the fey popping in and out, but the way she turned to smoke before going… It was creepy.
There was a lot creeping me out in this court. Something wasn’t right here, and it wasn’t just that Cosette was still talking with Asheral. Sipping her tea. Looking beautiful. Radiant. A few of her guards—including Van—stood behind her, while the rest were standing along the walls. It seemed like they were too far away to do any good, but what did I know.
I leaned forward on the table, trying to tune in and hear what she was saying, but the room was so damned loud.
And then it happened.
A puff of smoke and someone was there. Behind her. Knife raised. Then three more. Another.
This. This was why I was here.
I rose from my seat. My wolf wanted control, but I didn’t trust him. Not around Cosette. Not in a room full of dangerous fey. I grabbed one of the carving knives out of a hunk of sour meat on the table next to mine.
But from one heartbeat to the next, Cosette was out of her chair. Blade in hand. Killing one. Her men had killed the rest. It was over before I’d even moved ten feet.
I stopped, feeling a little unneeded.
My wolf still urged me to fight and kill. To protect our mate.
But she wasn’t our mate. Not really. Not yet. And she was fine. No one to kill.
This couldn’t be why I was here. She was protected, but she didn’t need protecting. She didn’t need my help. So why did Eli drag me here with some nonsense about breaking my lunar tie?
A servant with a tray full of dirty dishes tried to get past me, and I realized I was standing in the way like an idiot. I should just sit back down, and then I could figure out a way to go talk to her without making a huge scene. I just needed to wait.
