Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

I woke up stiff, sore, and miserable. I was also exhausted, starving, and irritable. Cross was my complete opposite, beaming down at me while he held a tray burdened with cinnamon rolls, hearty liver stew, and lightly steamed vegetables.

I took one look at that tray and my heart sank. “My mom’s here?”

He settled the tray on my lap and carefully rolled the top of the blankets and sheet. I was wearing his shirt. Did I want to ask him how I’d gotten into his shirt? No. Definitely not.

His smile was still bright and irritatingly beautiful. “You’ve been sleeping for days. You must have a voracious appetite.”

I scowled harder at him. “Days? You drugged me! Admit it!”

He smiled so sweetly as he brushed my nested hair away from my face and then held out a spoonful of liver stew for me. “You’re so intelligent, understanding exactly the lengths I’ll go to in order to keep my heart’s light healthy.”

“Hmph.” I took the bite and almost bit his hand, but that stew was absolutely everything my beast needed. I stole the spoon and proceeded to shovel it into my mouth. Mm. Liver. Also other tender organ meat. My mother was amazing. When I’d cleaned out the bowl, I moved onto the vegetables, until I got to the cinnamon rolls. I sighed almost happily as I bit into that first soft, sweet, delicious bread. Perfection. The swirls of cream on top, the perfect chewiness of the dough’s exterior, and that cinnamon spice that makes everything nice.

Once I’d finished eating, I looked up to see Cross staring at me with a soft smile on his otherwise chiseled face. I pointed at him, remembering what we’d been talking about. “You can’t drug me any time you like.”

“It was your mother’s idea.”

I shook my head. “Don’t try to blame her for your high-handed drugging. What did I miss?” I put the tray on the side table and threw back the blankets. My thigh still had a rather impressive gash across it. I didn’t remember getting that.

He tsked. “And this is why I have to knock you unconscious, because you can’t stay in bed and rest like a proper housekeeper.”

“Why aren’t I completely healed?” I asked, frowning up at him. “I can heal from shattered bones in a day. Was there some kind of weird poison?”

“It’s the binding.”

“But the binding is supposed to give me strength.”

“Yes, but forming the binding takes a great deal of magic. It probably would have killed you if you weren’t enhanced by the serum Forsythia so recklessly bestowed upon you.” His lips tightened for a moment before he resumed his happy smile. “How did you defeat the beast? Forsythia said that you crushed her with an oak tree?”

Ah. His smile was a lie. That made more sense than him actually being so happy after my family crashed his mansion.

“You questioned Forsythia? I hope you were gentle.”

“I didn’t kill her,” he said all creepy-sweet. “That’s more than she deserves after what she did to you and your other friend. Please, expound about the oak tree crushing.”

I studied him and then put a bright smile on my face. Two could play that game. “Oh, you know, I was bleeding out, so I used my blood to grow this adorable little sapling that turned into a sixty-foot monster. Loren was so big, I didn’t think she would fit inside the tree, but I made it work.”

“Mm. That explains why the tree is animate. His name is Fergy, and he’s been stealing people’s phones and snacks, particularly beef jerky. He is good friends with the great ape that lives in the enclosure, at least according to him, but the animal is frankly terrified of Fergy for some reason, perhaps the dark magic.”

“You’ve talked to my tree?” I asked, impressed.

“Your father. He’s the flora empath, like my mother. He could sing a tree to health and vitality. You can sing a tree into a werewolf-eating monster. He’s very proud.”

Mm hm. That sounded about as likely as my mother getting along with Manny. I grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. “What about Lynx? Was Manny able to help her? Is she okay?”

His eyes softened and his smile became real. “Lynx is fully recovered and eating more snacks than is healthy, but Manny and your mother both assure me that since she’s genetically and magically altered, it’s fine.” He raised a skeptical brow. He was worried about the proper nutrition of my kitten-monster. Imagine how he’d be with his kids. My heart melted at the thought of Cross holding a little mini-Cross and plotting out its happiness and well-being. The thought was such a stark difference from the ominous creature hovering over everyone the night before.

I pulled him down on the bed next to me. “Cross, what about your whole glow-up? How is Henrick going to spin it for the Senator? Your eyes are still moons. I always expected to be the one who messed up your image, but instead, it was the Night Lord.”

He studied me expressionlessly. That was a much more natural face for him. “Yes, that. Everything’s up in the air right now. Henrick isn’t spinning anything, not when I’m not sure which direction you’d like to proceed in. You mentioned being the House of Mercy’s housekeeper. You are technically bound to me, and I am bound to the House, so if I am released, you wouldn’t be able to have that dream job. I could keep the position if I put effort into it, but they are nervous after I’ve stepped into my heritage so ostentatiously.”

“Also ominously.”

“What do you want, my love?” The way he looked at me didn’t give away any feelings, but I knew his heart.

My heart beat faster and faster until I reached for him, pulling him close enough that I could kiss him.

Cross froze for a moment before he slowly moved his lips against mine, teeth brushing my bottom lip. He held me like I was precious, perfect, and his. So very his.

Mine. He was mine. His mouth, hands, soul, all of him belonged to me. His blood was mine to spill, his body mine to crush and heal. Mine. Forever.

I slid my hands over his shoulders, into his hair, tugging him closer to me while I devoured my sweet, delicious heart.

A thrum went through me, like a note of music too low to hear with my ears, but it wrapped around us, piercingly, achingly sweet.

I pulled away, breathing hard while the binding flared to life in my skin. He gazed back at me, otherworldly, powerful, a god of night come down to capture my soul. Would I ever get used to that glowing quarter moon in his mysterious violet eyes? Probably since I was already thinking how magically attractive they were.

“Sorry,” I said breathlessly. “I should talk to my mom about breaking the binding.”

His eyes flickered with pain before it vanished beneath a soft smile that was still probably a lie. “Of course. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help us,” he said, slowly raising my hand to kiss the back of it. Um. What? I couldn’t remember what we were talking about, not when my buzzing lips and racing heart were wrapped around my beautiful, mystical mate. Wait, what? Mate? No. My wolf didn’t get a mate, not until she chose someone free to love me. But what if Cross didn’t love me without the binding? I liked him looking at me like I was his whole world. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t a gnome who took whatever she liked. I was an elf too, and that meant that would happily hold on to my misery for the sake of ethics and propriety. Also stake him with a live tree in the library. Very properly.

“Are you all right?” he murmured, kissing my hand again.

“Yes. Break the binding, get a job, get an apartment, and then we can talk about kissing.” I tugged on my hand, but it was a floppy tug, not a real, ‘give me back my hand, you brute.’

“Mm. I should probably inform you in a romantic way that is beyond me that after waking up in bed with you three times, I have no intention of ever waking up any other way again.” His voice rumbled so delicious and low, implacable.

I gasped and shot a look around us to see who had overheard his declaration. We were the only people in his bedroom. My mother was actually giving us privacy? That boded ill if I actually wanted her to break the binding. My skin prickled all the way down my spine as my wolf rolled over and gave Cross her belly. They were in complete agreement, except he would be there when she woke up, too.

I grabbed his chin and turned his face so he was forced to look into my eyes. “You can’t say that.”

He blinked at me, face impassive. “I could pretend that I could sleep without you, but I already tried while you were unconscious. That experiment resulted in my teleporting to you in my sleep. Your father finds the entire situation fascinating. He put me in a lead box with only a few ventilation holes, and I was able to teleport out of that, as well as several other unique variations, completely unaware of myself.”

I gaped at him. “You can teleport in your sleep?”

“Apparently. And your wolf can snore perfectly in key. We are both truly gifted.”

“Absolutely. Anything else I should know about?”

He swooped me into his arms and then his mouth crushed mine, his hands pulled me against his strong body while he devoured me whole. His hands shook as he grasped me, sliding up to tangle in my hair before consuming my mouth deeper, sealing me his.

I melted, arching against him, letting him hold me up entirely, unfurling against his mouth like a night blossom. The music came back with a vengeance, practically keening around us with the force of his passion.

When he pulled away, he smiled slightly. Such a pretty elf with those bright violet eyes. He loved me violently. “Of course. Your mother’s in the kitchen with Manny, trying to take over.”

“Trying? That doesn’t sound like my mother. I’ve never seen Manny in my kitchen. I doubt he’d put up much of a fight.”

“Your kitchen?” Cross asked with a slight tilt of his head.

“I meant as someone who lives here, versus my mother who certainly doesn’t live here. They aren’t staying long, are they?”

He absently stroked my hair, like I was still the wolf who snored so adorably. “No, they’re just staying while we figure out the binding, although your father is helping me adjust to my new…” He trailed off like he didn’t know what to call moons in his eyes and teleporting in his sleep.

“The whole Night Lord package. So you’re telling me that they’ve taken over your house. They’ll never leave until we’ve given my mother grandchildren. It’s all a trap. We’ll have to sneak out the back in the middle of the night.”

He smiled slightly. “I am very good at sneaking around in the middle of the night.”

I brightened up. “Me too! They’ll never see us leaving.”

Sharp rapping on the door had me jumping, clinging to Cross while the scent of his spicy skin rolled through me in a wave.

“Delphinia, are you awake? I have another tray for you, as well as the kitten. Can I come in?”

I pulled away from Cross. “I’m not dressed,” I said and then blushed. “I mean, I’m just in a night shirt.”

She came in, like that had been an invitation. She beamed at us and then placed the tray on my lap. The kitten leapt from her shoulder to my chest, snuggling in while purring loudly.

I cuddled Lynx while I beamed at Cross. He’d kept her safe even while I was out.

My mother shook her finger at me. “Eat. Snuggle the kitten later. As for you, Mr. Night Lord, you can go,” she pointedly told him.

He bowed and then gave me one last, intent look before he left.

She stood over me, plump arms folded, watching me while I slowly ate the repeated breakfast down to the cinnamon rolls and liver stew.

“He’s so handsome,” she said.

“Mm,” I replied, biting into a cinnamon roll. They were so perfect. Maybe she could come and be the House of Mercy’s housekeeper.

“Are you sure you want to break a perfectly good binding?” Of course she’d have to bring that up.

“I’m not okay with forcing someone to love me.”

She hmphed. “Nonsense. Love is a choice. These bindings don’t have anything to do with the way you look at him, like he’s even more delicious than a cinnamon roll.” She grabbed one from my tray and took a bite. She nodded in satisfaction as she chewed. “He did well.”

“He? You mean you let Manny cook?”

She sniffed. “Of course I let him cook. He’s the cook, isn’t he? You don’t think that I’d take over someone else’s business, do you? Hmph.”

I smiled behind my cinnamon roll while my heart warmed. Manny must have put up quite a fight to maintain a toehold in the kitchen. And she’d let him win.

A sharp trumpet pierced the air.

“Was that a trumpet? I suppose this is Singsong City,” my mom said, looking towards the balcony.

“Even in Singsong, we don’t have trumpets and…are those flags?” I pushed back my tray and went out on the deck, snuggling Lynx against my chest.

On the street past the gates, flags in misty purple and coppery orange paraded by. I leaned on the railing to get a better look. Were those horses? It was a large group filled with magic users crowding the street like they owned it, and no cars argued. That meant very obvious magic. They stopped at the gates beyond the courtyard, and a gorgeous white horse with a rider in pale glistening violet reared a few times, magic building with every lunge to the earth. What were they doing? Was this religious? Was it an attack against Cross? Maybe it had to do with his magic show the other night.

Cross walked briskly across the front courtyard, around the enormous fountain, and then with a gesture, the gates flew open and the parade came in.

The violet woman entered on her prancing steed, rode her horse in a circle around Cross, then slid off in front of him. Then she very obviously turned her back to him, looked up at me, and smiled. When she spoke, I could hear her as well as if she was sitting beside me. “You are Angustia Erasmus’s daughter? House Laster gives you greetings.” She curtsied while lowering her head regally.

Oh. She was bowing to me? Wait, House Laster? Wasn’t that the house my dad said that Cross was from?

Cross looked at me over his shoulder, giving me a small shake of his head. No, it wasn’t his house? No, this wasn’t his mother? Or no, I shouldn’t be snuggling a kitten in his shirt when some glorious royalty comes to visit?

I returned her curtsy, bowing until my face almost hit the railing, then I hurried back inside.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” I said, throwing open his large closet. I froze. Countless women’s dresses and suits hung on the opposite side from Cross’s.

“Is it better to keep her waiting and have the appropriate grooming, or is it better to rush down there looking like a cuckoo made a nest in your hair?” my mother asked with an innocent smile.

I groaned and went to the bathroom. She would have to wait, or better yet, have her business with Cross finished by the time I was presentable. Bathing with my injuries was slow. My hair was still damp by the time I was dressed in the unobtrusive black pants suit with a blue silk blouse, looking like I’d never been mauled by a monster. There was jewelry that matched all my favorite colors, so I had simple blue gem earrings in. I smiled at my reflection and then left the bathroom, walking carefully down the hall to the stairs, and then finally out on the porch where my mother and the Lady of Night were having a stand-off.

My mother’s smile was as sharp as a rattlesnake. “You’re here to help break the binding? How kind of you to come all this way, but I’m sure we can manage on our own.”

Lady Violet sniffed disdainfully, like they’d had this conversation several times. Gnome logic was often circular, always stubborn. “I crafted the binding. I hope my knowledge will prove useful.”

“Excuse me, you said you’re here to break the binding?” I asked, feeling like a little dull mouse compared to her gorgeousness.

She fixed me with a blinding smile. “So delicate, yet so vibrantly filled with life. It is such a pleasure to be of service to you in your wise efforts to unbind yourself from my unfortunate family.”

Cross stepped close to me and put his arm around my waist. “You didn’t need to come down. Lady Night was just explaining the basic mechanics of the binding. You’re still weak from its effects.”

“Of course she is,” Lady Night said with an elegant smile down at me. “You will be until the binding is sealed or undone. Such is the way with ancient house bindings.”

That explained why I felt so crappy and why I wasn’t healing quickly. Half-bindings were not the best. “Oh. How long does it take to break the binding?”

She tilted her head as she considered my mother, who stared back, ready to reach an impasse that she’d sooner die than back down from. “Not long at all. A few days, a few potions, a few unravelling soul ceremonies.”

“What?” Cross snapped.

She shrugged and gestured at him. “It will be child’s play for you now that you’ve unlocked your full potential. The binding must be undone quickly so that we can find a suitable match for you before you become unstable.”

My heart fell down to my toes like a rock, chipping off the edges when it hit. “What do you mean, ‘find a suitable match’ for him?”

She gave me a look with wide, innocent eyes. Lies. Those eyes were more lying than Cross’s. “It takes a great deal of scrying. I’m quite embarrassed that the binding reacted to you, someone so clearly unsuitable to bear the burden of his legacy.”

That was an elvish insult, more than insinuating that my family wasn’t good enough for her son.

My mother gave her a hard smile. “That’s right, what would a gnomish girl want with a cold-hearted elf lord, anyway?”

“Indeed,” Lady Violet Night said with a soft smile. She was going to bind Cross to someone else, no matter what he wanted or thought about it. He’d run away from that world, but she was going to bind his soul to someone else? What if Cross was bound to someone who wanted him for his title instead of for him? What if she never gave him hugs or fed him delicious unhealthy cookies? What if she didn’t fill the hollow places inside of him with warmth? Ice in your heart could do terrible things to a person.

Panic swallowed me whole and completely.

“I, Delphinia Erasmus bind Kilmaran Rosanthius Omarsus Silvaniustro to me. I swear my heart and soul to you.” The bindings flared bright in my skin before the dull throbbing entirely disappeared, along with any lingering exhaustion.

Lady Night studied me for a moment and then nodded, all hard ice. “That’s done then.” She turned to Cross. “You will study with Erasmus. Your father will check on your progress from time to time. You did well in finding such a strong wife.” She turned and walked over to her horse, waiting patiently for her, floated up onto his back and then proceeded out of the courtyard along with the rest of her retinue.

I stood there, frozen between Cross and my mother until my father slipped in behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“You had no chance against Violetta,” he murmured. “She can manipulate the Emperor himself. She only had to give you a reason to take what you already wanted.”

I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and slumped against Cross. He held me against him, kissing my hair hard, like he wanted to brand his lips on my crown.

“So she wanted Delphi to accept the binding all along? Hmph. I’ll have to make some pastries to send her. She’s too thin. Come Erasmus. We need to tell everyone that Delphi’s finally married! They’ll have to send presents. Should we have a reception at home for all her friends? What theme would it be? Maybe…”

Finally, they left us alone on the broad porch where I’d come so long ago, begging him for a place to stay. He was still holding me in his arms while I stayed stiff and in shock against his side.

Slowly, I slid my arms around him and breathed in his heady, sweet scent. “Cross, I didn’t mean to do that.”

“I know. I didn’t think she’d actually come to make sure…I didn’t know her intentions. I can’t imagine her ever approving of a gnome-elf-werewolf daughter-in-law, but here we are. She approves of you, which means that I can’t completely discount her judgment. Which means I should attempt to be civil to her and my father…” He groaned and picked me up and carried me away.

“Where are we going?” I asked, held like a wrapped burrito in his strong arms.

“To bed. I’m going to hold you until the world makes sense.”

I giggled and pressed my nose into his neck, breathing him in. “Cross, you married a gnome-elf-werewolf. Sense isn’t ever going to happen after that. The most you can hope for is happiness.”

He paused and looked down at me, still holding me off the ground. “It’s hope and happiness. Faith and determination. I will love you in all the ways that make you feel safe, warm, and comfortable. I will build you a life as cozy as a gnome, as beautiful as an elf, and as fearless as the wolf. Perhaps some day you will learn to love me.”

I grabbed him around the neck and pulled myself up until we were eye to eye. “No chance. I love you with every mismatched piece of myself. That’s why I could learn to be myself, because I had you beside me, accepting me all the steps along the way. I love you now and will fight to love you forever.”

He kissed me, so piercingly sweet, my whole soul sang in response. I kissed him back, clinging to the strong, beautiful creature who saw the beauty in my beast. I wanted to drown in him forever, but we had things to do.

I broke the kiss and poked his chest with my finger. “Cross, I like that you’re out in the world pushing back evil as the Senator and as the Head of the House of Mercy. I can only focus on the good in the world because there are people like you who protect it. You’re a protector, and I’d be an idiot if I asked you to stop being who you are just so I could stare into your lovely eyes for twenty hours a day. I’ll just plant a garden with my favorite purples. Irises, violets, hyacinths…” I sighed heavily. “That sounds beautiful in spring, but what about autumn? It has to be year-round.”

“What has to be year-round?”

“The garden. I’m helping you plan it. I am a flora empath, you know. We still need to catch Zephin Clay in the act of doing something diabolical. He was the original influence behind Loren’s experiments. He’s bound to slip up, eventually.” I squeezed his face so his lips pursed. “I love you. And the odds are that I’m going to do my best to seduce you sometime very soon. It’s so nice that we’re married in case I accidentally get pregnant. Otherwise, think of the scandal.” I smiled brightly and tried not to blush, but I wasn’t entirely a shameless gnome, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Your parents are in the library as we speak, considering logistics. How long do you think they’ll be occupied? I think that I’m in danger of being seduced by you this very second.”

I gasped and then beamed at him while my heart beat faster. “You are, even though there are so many other political machinations to take care of?”

He nodded soberly and then brushed my nose with his. “Your machinations are my priority. You always will be. You’re so beautiful, Delphinia. So good, so light in a world of so much darkness. I have been studying you intently ever since you summoned the magic to save that sapling, like it was nothing. It’s not nothing, Delphinia. If you trained, you could be the next House of Mercy Commander or the Alta.”

I kissed him to stop him from saying such horrible things. Maybe I should get pregnant right away so he wouldn’t dare think of me as the Alta. Shudder. No, Cross would happily add our kids to the army camp he talked me into leading. He was a born manipulator. Which meant that he wanted me in his arms. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened.

Come to think of it, magical training would come in handy while I was his wife, navigating politics, assassinations, and other household issues.

He murmured and sank against my lips, urging me closer, tasting me deeper.

He was so sweet. So good. And he was mine. I could feel the pull of his soul, his heart, his warmth, and it was like having your back to a fireplace, wonderfully comforting on a cold winter’s day. And it was a fire that would never go out.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter and get an extra scene from Cross’s POV, when Delphi shows up on his doorstep the first time. (Also a scene from Michael, and whoever else I get in there by the time you read this. :)

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