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Des brushes a strand of my hair away from my face. “My father was going after you because we’re mated.”

I prop myself up, my gaze going to Des’s sinful mouth. My thoughts drift for a moment to all the things I want those lips to do to me. Things besides talking.

Already, the attack seems like a dream. It happened so fast, and then it was over. And now … well, here I am wrapped up in silk sheets and a muscle-y fairy.

The Bargainer’s eyes drop to my neck. He reaches for it with his tatted arm, his fingers trailing over the bruises that are surely there.

It’s not over for him.

His hand moves from my neck, sliding over the curve of my hip. “For most mated pairs, the death of one fairy means the death of both. In some cases, like Mara’s, a fairy can outlive the other, but that’s surprisingly rare. Most of the time if you kill one, you kill both.” The Bargainer’s eyes rise to mine. “Galleghar attacked you because he rightfully believes ending you will end me.”

My heart begins to pound a little faster. “Rightfully?”

Des’s fingers squeeze my hip, his eyes looking feverish for a moment. “No part of me has any intention of outliving you.”

That’s a bucket of ice water to the face.

I don’t want to talk about this. About my death—or his. We’re very much alive at the moment, and I don’t really want to dwell on the alternative.

“He’s going to come after you again,” the Bargainer continues. “The idiot actually believes you’re an easier target.” The thought brings a shadow of a smile to Des’s lips for a moment.

Galleghar is going to come after you again.

Suddenly, every dark corner of the room seems like it hides monsters. What’s to stop Des’s father from intruding on us right here, right now?

The Night King must know where my thoughts are because he says, “You’re protected within the royal grounds—there are enchantments to keep out fairies like him,” Des says. “That’s likely why he ambushed us en route to Barbos.”

Because there weren’t enchantments along our flight path.

“So I’m stuck here.” My stomach sours at the thought.

Des wraps his arm around my back, pulling me in close. “You’re not stuckanywhere, cherub,” he says, deadly serious. “Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there right now.”

My brows furrow. “You’re not going to try to keep me here?”

I don’t touch on the fact that right now I don’t really want to move an inch from this bed, content to spend the rest of my long life wrapped up in the King of the Night’s arms.

“I willneverkeep you captive,” Des vows. “Better you happy and free, than caged and safe. Besides—” he leans his forehead against mine, “Galleghar clearly hasn’t heard the stories about you if he thinks to target you.”

“There are stories about me?” That’s news.

Des’s eyes crinkle, his lips pressing together. “Many. What fae can resist a story about the beautiful human who beguiles fairies and escapes the Thief? They can’t get enough of you. Unfortunately, my father and the Thief seem to share that sentiment.”

I lift a bandaged hand and stare at Des’s work. “I should’ve listened to you,” I say thoughtfully. I drop my hand. “Back when you told me to rest.”

“I happen to have great ideas,” he agrees, his mouth curving fiendishly. His expression sobers. “But you made the decision a queen would, putting the kingdom’s needs before your own.”

“Stop using that word.”Queen.

“It’s going to happen, one day or other, Queen Callypso.”

Okay, I’ll admit, that has a nice ring to it.

“What do you have against queens, anyway?” Des asks.

I sigh. “I just want to be a normal girl with a normal job who lives a normal life.” I don’t want to have to worry about an entire kingdom.

The Bargainer rolls us so that he can stare down at me. “Callie, you’ve never been a normal girl, and you’ve never lived a normal life, so I can see the appeal of wanting that. But normal is overrated. Trust me, it’s overrated. I’ve made deals with thousands of miserable,normalpeople.”