Page 130

“I chose to offer up my services freely,” he answers smoothly without taking his eyes off me. I feel like I need another shower and four layers less skin just to get the ick-factor off.

“And yet you introduced yourself as an emissary?” I really need to find out what my lawyer’s name is. Maybe put him on speed dial for the shitshow that is my life. “That’s odd. And not very trustworthy.”

“I volunteered as an emissary to deliver a message from the Delegates,” Drasorin doesn’t hesitate after the accusation. Politicians, am I right? Also, did anyone else notice he skipped out on answering?

“I would recommend you do so and leave at once,” the quill blurs across the page as he speaks. “The ambassador has already declined your offer. To press further would be inadvisable.”

“Of course,” he bows his head deeply, white hair covering each side of his face. “I was simply enchanted with the idea of finally laying eyes on a mender of lore. I could not resist thetemptationof offering myself to her.”

Ugh and ew. Is it me, or is his little speech geared towards sex? I feel my lip curl in disgust as I take a few steps back. I feel like he’s gotten way too close.

“Understandable,” my lawyer nods, “But she has declined.”

I give the tiny male a disbelieving look. Understandable? Gross! No, on the speed dial thing, then. I do have some standards. They’re low, but they’re there, damn it!

“Why is everybody a damn perv?” I wonder out loud.

The faery lawyer’s eyes narrow at my defensive stance. “Ambassador mender?”

“Yeah?” I side-eye the pervy lawyer.

“Is this another test?”

“No,” I answer emphatically.

“I see,” he nods, and his tiny book closes with awhumpf.

In a blink, several faeries in armor stand across the entirety of the counter from end to end, fully armored and swords held lightly. The one right next to the lawyer is the guy who called for a ride earlier. I can only tell because he hasn’t washed off any of the blood.

Drasorin’s smile widens. “This is neutral territory, and I haven’t made any untoward advances at your charge. I am aware that she is an ambassador.”

The lawyer takes his thimble in both hands to set it on the counter behind him, straightening his robe and settling with his shoulders thrown back. “The ambassador is not our charge. She is a dear friend to our queen. Perhaps you should think on that before you continue.”

“It was rumored,” his eyes widen as he takes in my form again. “I believed it was a ploy. How could a mender befriend Queen Mab?”

“By not being shady as fuck,” I gesture towards him pointedly with my dagger. “Or a skeezyperv.”

“I did not realize my attitude was so off-putting,” his eyes narrow in speculation like he’s trying to work out a new angle of approach. “I apologize. I will give you the message and leave.”

He walks determinedly forward, drawing his hands from behind his back and reaching towards me. Several things happen simultaneously, the movements so blurred I can hardly follow them.

His hand reaches for me, holding some kind of letter, but my eyes snag on the giant ugly ring that takes up half of a finger. It’s gaudy, gold, blue, and looks familiar.

Ben slides behind me and wraps his arms over mine, around my waist.

A golden tail I’m intimately familiar with wraps twice around the male’s neck from behind.

A berserker punches Drasorin in the jaw and continues forward to break the reaching arm with a crushing grip.

Everything pauses, and I’m pretty sure the guy’s neck didn’t break from the punch due to the support of Kimi’s tail.

A hand with neon pink fingernails reaches around to pluck the letter out of the hand the berserker is currently snarling at like a rabid dog. Once his hand withdraws, Kimi uses his tail to lift Drasorin off the floor, feet kicking in midair.

I was wondering why he wasn’t screaming. It’s kind of hard to do when you’re choking.

His body sways to the side as Kimi moves him like a marionette with one string. The berserker refuses to let go of the forearm he’s pulverizing into dust one-handed.

Kimi looks at the crushed forearm and then eyes the berserker astutely, tilting his head slightly.