Page 49

MARLOWE

The door slammed shut with Ezra’s exit, and I took Alaroth’s hands in mine. “I’d really like to go check on Wasabi.”

“Hm?”

he moaned, his lips traveling along my collarbone.

“Wasabi, my vryscral?”

“But my beloved, we’re just getting started.”

I gave him my girliest giggle. “Patience, remember? Trust?”

He grumbled as he leaned back, his expression souring. “Patience? I’ve never had to wait to fuck someone in my life.”

I wanted to roll my eyes so hard I practically strained my muscles keeping them in place. Instead I smiled, nipping him gently on the nose. “And how many of those someones have been your queen?”

At that he perked up, positioning me so I straddled his lap. “Say that again.”

“Say what again?”

I asked innocently, running my fingers along his jaw.

“That you’re my queen,”

he replied, his voice low and husky.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned forward, whispering in his ear. “I will be your queen.”

He closed his eyes and bit his lip, then grabbed my hips roughly. “Enough of your teasing. I will not have you making a mess of these pants, too.”

“Why Alaroth, wasn’t it you who made a mess of your pants?”

“Ooh, you wicked little thing,”

he replied. Finally his hold on me slackened. “Fine, be gone with you. I’ll expect you back for lunch, though.”

I gave him a peck on the cheek and scampered out the door before he could change his mind.

My guard was waiting outside, and stepped up as soon as I entered the hallway, bowing his head and waiting for my orders.

“Do you know where they’re keeping my vryscral?”

I asked. “In the stables or something like that?”

“It would be with the beastmaster, follow me.”

He set off at a brisk pace and I skipped along to keep up, half expecting for Alaroth to appear at any moment and make me go back to him.

The hallways were a labyrinth, full of so many twists, turns, and stairs I couldn’t memorize the path. What was even behind all those doors?

“So, what’s your name?” I asked.

“Nantier.”

“I’m Marlowe, it’s nice to meet you.”

He nodded and kept his eyes straight ahead, but his posture belied what looked like a desire for further conversation, if the slight tinge to his cheeks was any indication.

He also seemed remarkably unaffected by my scent, which was comforting. Compared to Alaroth, or even Ezra, I think I’d much rather this guy show me around. “The King said only a select group of guards were allowed around me?”

“Yes,”

he replied. “I’m one of your queensguard.”

Huh, I might have liked the sound of that if I was at all interested in becoming a queen here. “And… I’m also your cousin.”

It was like a record scratched in my head. I stopped dead in my tracks, looking at the hulking frame of the fae soldier in front of me. “I’m sorry, did you say cousin?”

Nantier looked back, his cheeks blushing further. “Yes, on your mother’s side.”

Of course, why had I never considered that I might have extended family here? Both my parents were from Vespera, and my mother was a Starborne fae, according to Ezra. Speaking of…

“Wait, does Ezra know?”

I walked around to get a better look at Nantier. My freaking cousin.

He was tall and well built, with dark hair and tanned skin. But his eyes were a similar shade to the color Ezra and I had inherited from our mother—a deep hazel, with hints of gold. The shape of his nose was familiar as well.

Nantier suppressed a smile as he looked at me. “I believe the Commander is aware he has familial relations in Vespera, but he’s never sought us out.”

Well, that made sense. Ezra may have loved me, but he definitely hated our parents, so he must not have been too keen on getting to know the rest of the family, either.

“Okay, I need to know everything,”

I said as I slipped my arm through his. “About you, the whole family tree, if you’re the kind of cousin I can get drunk with during the holidays while we make fun of our racist grandma… come on, lay it on me.”

He looked around cautiously and then started talking, and I ate up every word, utterly fascinated by the fact that I had cousins! I’d always been so jealous of the kids in school who talked about their big families. And while I’d been making one with my pack, it wasn’t quite the same as now knowing I had a living, breathing blood relative in this world besides my brother.

Nantier, it turned out, was around eighty years old, although he looked closer to twenty-two. His dad was my mom’s cousin, which technically made him my second cousin? Or cousin once removed?

Whatever, we were going with the British version of just calling everyone ‘cousin’ who was loosely related to you.

“Did you know my mom, then?”

“Yes, I knew Thistle very well.”

We’d finally made it outside the castle, and Nantier led me towards a large barn. There was a small, thatched roof cottage next to it, and we went there first.

“Matgar?”

Nantier called, knocking on the door. “The king’s betrothed wishes to see to her vryscral.”

There was a small crash inside, followed by a series of colorful swear words. I glanced up at my cousin—I still couldn’t believe I got to say that—and he shrugged.

Whoever was inside crashed around some more and I whispered. “Do you get any time off? Because I really want to hang out.”

He opened his mouth to respond when the door finally swung open. Inside was a short, portly man, with streaks of white through his thinning red hair.

He squinted as the morning light hit his eyes, the stench of body odor and alcohol seeping through his skin.

“Eh? Vryscral?”

I took a small step forward. “Yes, her name’s Wasabi. She should have been brought in last night.”

He looked me up and down, then snorted and spit. “King’s betrothed, huh? Yeah, I think I remember something about that. Come on, she’ll be in the bestiary then.”

He slipped on a pair of grimy looking boots and shoved past us, spitting again.

Matgar was the first fae I’d seen who wasn’t drop dead gorgeous. He looked almost human, even. And to be honest, it was kind of refreshing.

A strange chorus of growls, chirps, roars, and other sounds erupted as Matgar stomped closer to the barn, unlocking the chain around the door and sliding it open.

Light poured in from barred windows near the ceiling, and the whole building reeked of animal smells, but it wasn’t unlike going to the zoo.

A flash of red drew my attention to the covered stall on my right, where a bird-like creature was perched high on a beam. With a beat of its wings I saw feathers glowing like embers, sparks falling towards the ground as it shook them.

Nearby, a hulking creature with horns that curved like a frozen spiral exhaled, the air misting from its breath. Above it, luminous insects drifted, their wings refracting the light and casting rainbows along the walls and ground.

A familiar trill sounded from the back and I ran ahead. “Wasabi?”

The serpent cat came to the bars, mewling and purring as she rubbed her head against them.

“Aww, you remember me.”

I reached in and pet her scaled head, scratching right behind her ears.

“You got a way with beasts, then?”

Matgar said. “Must be the shifter in ya. They don’t like the Starborne so much.”

Nantier shifted uncomfortably behind me, eyeing Wasabi carefully.

“Can I take her out?”

I asked. “Is there a yard or…”

“There you are.”

We turned towards the entrance, where Ezra was now standing.

Still so, so naked.

“I thought you might still be… entertaining his Majesty.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you mean keeping the psychopath you threw me to in a good mood so he doesn’t kill my pack or torture you?”

Matgar whistled. “Would you look at the time, I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

As he left the barn, Nantier bowed his head. “If Commander Ezra is here, I can take my leave.”

I reached and grabbed his arm before he could move. “No, Nantier. Stay. We’re all family, after all.”

Ezra tilted his head, his eyes darting between me and my queensguard. “Mar, what are you talking about?”

I wrapped my arm around Nantier and grinned. “What do you know, I actually have more knowledge about this place than you do. Ezra, this is our cousin.”

“Cousin?”

he snarled. He stepped up closer, glaring down at the guard from his impressive height. “Smells like bullshit to me.”

I growled and stepped between them, but Nantier put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Marlowe.”

He looked up at Ezra and bowed his head again. “You can confirm with His Majesty if you’d like. All of the queensguard are relations of your mother.”

I whipped my head back around. “Wait, the other guards too? How many cousins do we have?”

He stuck out his bottom lip in thought and looked up. “A dozen, at least. They don’t all live here, though.”

Ezra did not look happy. He glared at Nantier, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he thought. “Why exactly did the king assign you to my sister?”

Nantier became somewhat flustered, wringing his hands and looking down at the ground. “Um, well, you see… his Majesty had us test Marlowe’s scent, and while we reacted towards it, it wasn’t, uh…”

Understanding flashed across his face. “Oh, right.”

I still wasn’t getting it.

“It means they didn’t want to fuck ya!”

yelled Matgar from one of the cages. He was shoveling in fresh hay, and very clearly not getting breakfast.

I shuddered. “Okay, first of all, gross. Second of all, how did he test my scent before I got here? It sounded like he already had them picked out.”

“From the sc-”

Ezra growled and snapped at Nantier, who, while not being a shifter, still recognized that he was being ordered to keep his mouth shut.

I jabbed my finger in Ezra’s chest. “From the ‘what?’”

He stared at me, unblinking, until finally he rolled his eyes and shook his head in resignation. “His Majesty requested an item with your scent, so I snuck into dad’s house and took one of your scarves.”

I pushed into his chest as hard as I could, but he still didn’t move. “What the fuck, Ezra? Do you have any idea how disgusting and violating that is? And that was my favorite scarf, damnit!”

Bile rose up my throat but I fought it back down. Behind me, Wasabi hissed.

I started pacing back and forth, my hands flexing and tingling at my side. “You have the audacity to come in here and judge me for flirting with His Majesty in order to save lives, yet you are so willing to whore me out to him just for some fucking ‘atta boys?”

Energy buzzed through my veins, ready to come pouring out when Matgar grabbed me and started pulling me out of the barn. “Take it outside, yer Highness, I won’t have you scarin’ any of my beasts.”

“Would they be scared if I shifted?”

I asked through gritted teeth.

He paused, then let me go. “Nope, suit yer self.”

“Perfect.”