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“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said. “The fairies will not like that.”

I spit, trying to remove as much of the sour taste from my mouth as possible, and wiped my mouth with the back of my head, glaring at the selkie.

“Why?”

“They are not fond of anyone who mucks up their space.”

“What was I supposed to do? Swallow it?”

“That would have been better than what they will likely plan for you.”

My stomach churned with dread at his words, but I turned and left the pond.

Chapter Nine

A Good Bargain

I had seethed all night, my body simmering with rage and lust, both warring for a foothold inside me as I replayed my time with my creature. She had rejected my compliment and insulted my hospitality. All of that I might have punished had she not flinched when I stood.

It took the anger out of me as fast as it had swallowed my eyes.

“She expected me to hurt her,” I said.

“You did hurt her,” said the mirror. “You held her down with your thorns, and you let the red caps throw stones, and last night you let the fae dance with her until her feet bled.”

I rose into a sitting position where I sprawled on my bed. “She fled,” I said about the first. “As for the second, I gave her a choice, and the third…that was a mercy. She said she would visit the selkie again.”

“Did you try talking to her about the selkie?” asked the mirror.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Youtry talking to her. She’s impossible!”

“She cannot be any worse than you.”

“When I told her she was beautiful, she threw wine in my face,” I said.

A garbled sound escaped the mirror.

I glared, and it turned into a choke, as if he were swallowing the laugh.

“How did you tell her?” he asked.

“What do you mean, how did I tell her? I said, ‘You are beautiful.’”

“And…?” he prompted.

“She was confused,” I admitted. “And then I told her she should be grateful for my compliment, and she was not.”

There was tension in the silence that followed, and then the mirror said, “You are an idiot.”

I slid off the bed and stalked toward him. “Careful, you glorified piece of rock.”

“Do you think the creature is beautiful?” he asked.

“Of course I think she’s beautiful,” I snapped. “As if my raging erection wasn’t evidence enough!”

“Then why don’t you tell her again,” he suggested. “And this time, mean it.”

“I did mean it!”