Within less than twenty-four hours, I’ve almost died twice. It was pure coincidence that I wasn’t in the carriage when the bomb went off.
Just thinking about the incident causes a wave of anxiety.
“Yeah,” I lie, wishing we could stop to rest.
I want to get out of this tattered gown. It smells like a campfire, which just reminds me of my brush with death. More than anything, I wish I could have a few minutes to myself. I predict a minor—or major—breakdown in my near future, and I’d prefer to do it in private.
It feels like we’ve been traveling for hours and hours. And maybe we have. It’s hard to tell when there’s no sun to give away the time.
I will not ask how much longer it’ll take until we get there. I will not.
“How’s your ass?” Damon asks lightly.
I roll my eyes, but I’m glad for his cheeky attitude. It’s definitely needed right now.
“Don’t talk about her ass,” Kirian snaps. “Don’t even think about her ass.”
“Seriously? I just sacrificed my golden locks for your mate. You’d think you could be a little more grateful.”
“I’ll be grateful when I talk to your witch. She’ll tell me who’s doing this. Whoever’s going after Quinn will pay with their life. I won’t be satisfied until their head is on a pike in my courtyard.” As the morbid promise rolls from him like thunder, the wildflowers on either side of the road flatten to the ground. The wispy trees sway away, and birds scatter.
His bare shoulders ripple in the moonlight as he tenses, strangling the reins in his white-knuckled hands. My nipples pucker, and heat blooms between my thighs.
Why’s he so hot when he’s bloodthirsty?
It doesn’t help that he’s naked from the waist up. He literally gave Gunther the shirt off his back so the driver could maintain some dignity when he flew back to the castle to report the news.
Obviously, Kirian values his workers. Treats them like friends. Family, even. Which is why it’s so puzzling to me that he has a traitor lurking somewhere. Who would go against such a respectable leader?
Just thinking about it gives me the willies. Digging into the pocket of my dress, I find my marbles. At least I still have these. I circle them in my palm, concentrating on the way they clack against each other.
I close my eyes, and for a second, I’m able to clear my mind.
Suddenly, Kirian reaches over and snatches one before pushing it into his own pocket. “That belongs to me, thank you very much.”
My lips twist as I slide a glance his way, but I can’t disagree. I’ve been making do with one marble for years. Honestly, it doesn’t feel right to have them both.
Torius whistles loudly, and my entire body locks up.
“What?” I gasp, my grip tightening on the reins. “What does that mean?”
Kirian reaches over to graze my cheek with his thumb. “Calm, my love, and look ahead.”
I do as he says. Straining to see in the darkness, I perk up when I catch a glimpse of a faint light in the distance.
I never thought I’d be so happy to see a lamppost. “A town?”
“A small village called Ailee,” Kirian confirms. “It’ll do for supplies and a place to sleep.”
“Oh, good.” I release a relieved breath.
As we get closer, I see rows of little houses. They’re adorable, with stone walls and straw roofs. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll fit inside. When we pass them, I realize they didn’t look small because we were far away—they’re actually tiny, not even as tall as my horse.
“Um—” Throwing a questioning glance at the guys, I point at the nearest cottage.
“This is the gnome district,” Kirian informs me. “The farther we get from the castle, the more you’ll see all kinds of citizens, not just fae.”
“Did you say gnomes?” My eyes get wide.
“The king! The king is here!”
I look over just in time to see a stout little man running to each door, knocking as he announces Kirian’s arrival. His voice is higher, like he just sucked in helium from a balloon.
I bite my lip to keep from laughing, because that would be rude.
But he’s just so dang cute. Even with the pointy hat, he’s barely two feet tall. As others join in on the quest to alert the neighborhood, more gnomes start running from door to door. Entire families pour out into the road, and children chase each other around.
It’s wonderful chaos, and for a second, I forget all the bad shit that’s happened.
Torius throws up a hand signal, and I recognize it as the one he uses when we’re stopping. The horses slow, and then we’re just standing in the street among the excitement.
Soon, all the residents are surrounding us as they kneel. They’re fair-skinned and most have light hair. Both males and females wear regular clothes—a variety of pants and button-up shirts—and they all have the same red hats on.
My mom had garden gnome statues. She used to tell me tales about how they tended to her garden at night when no one was looking. I used to think her stories were so silly, but maybe those myths came from something real.
Collectively, all the villagers get to their feet and face the king.
“What do you need, Your Majesty?” a woman asks, tilting her head far back so she can look up at Kirian.
She’s older and plump, and there’s a red apron around her waist.
“Nothing,” Kirian replies kindly, using a warm tone as he smiles. He’s fond of these people. “We’re just passing through, but I want you all to meet my mate, Quinn.”
Oh, here we go again with the mate business. Sometimes I feel like he should just say it like it is—here’s the human I settled for.
At least the gnomes’ reaction is a lot different than the fae nobles. There’s no sneering or whispering about my appearance. None of them look upset. No one even
