“You liiike her,” Dayton sings again. “I saw the way you looked at her. You like her—”
I slam Dayton against the stone wall. “I likeyou,” I snarl. “And if you pull that shit again, Keldarion will rip your throat out—”
Dayton snags a handful of my hair and pulls, so I’m looking straight up at him. Damn, for being so drunk, his reflexes are still fast. Breath comes ragged out of my throat. Our chests touch, and his pecs glisten with sweat. “You chased away my fuck, Farron.”
“You don’t need her.” My voice is a raspy growl.
“I don’t know about that,” he says. “My cock is desperate for something tight and warm.”
“You’re too drunk,” I counter.
He grabs my hand and forces it onto his girdle. His bulging hardness is evident even through the thick leather. “Fucking try me, Farron.”
25
Rosalina
I’mthefirstonein the dining hall when Astrid brings me down after my afternoon walk around the grounds. I’d felt strange after Farron left with Dayton. Something about the whole situation annoyed me. I couldn’t stop picturing the fae girl sucking on Dayton’s neck like a vampire.
But a few laps around the grounds and tearing leaves into tiny pieces made me feel slightly better. It wasn’t like I was jealous. How could I be jealous when I was literally trying to find the princes’ mates? But I knew that Dayton’s mate wasn’t that blond fae.
Thank goodness Farron got rid of her. I’d felt better the moment he’d shoved her through the mirror. It always seemed odd placement for décor, but now I understand what it actually is. An enchanted transportation mirror… The fae woman only had to picture where she wanted to go, and it had carried her there. Unfortunately, it had needed Farron’s magic to work, otherwise I could use it to go back home.
The staff spread dinner across the table as I take my seat. Today there’s baked squash topped with nuts, a side of roasted vegetables, and more of that fluffy bread.
Where is everyone?
I pull out the book I’d taken from the library to continue my research, more motivated than ever to prove that the fae woman wasnotDayton’s mate.
“It’s rude to read at the table.” A rough voice jolts me from my book, and I look up to see Keldarion standing at his usual seat across from me.
His pure white hair is wet, dampening the fabric of his shirt. It seems almost a size too small, clinging to all the right places. His scent fills me with a strange thrill, a combination of pine and something more primal—a salty sea musk.
“You were in Dayton’s hot springs.”
“I do bathe,” Keldarion says, loading his plate with food, “occasionally.”
I can’t help but laugh at that, and when I look up at him, he’s stilled, and giving me a bemused expression. Flushing, I look away. The rest of the table is still empty.
“Dayton drank a little too much,” I say, careful not to mention the guest he brought in. “Farron went to help him.”
“Farron makes a show of trying to untangle the curse.” Keldarion utters a sound of displeasure from the back of his throat. “You’ll soon find that he’s his own worst enemy.”
“Where’s Ezryn?” I notice his empty seat.
Keldarion puts an especially hard slam of roasted squash on his plate. “Hunting.”
“Hunting? Like for food?”
“Goblins,” Keldarion says. “His efforts are a waste, though. For every one he kills, the Below creates two more.”
“Why does Ezryn go if it makes no difference?”
Keldarion inclines his head. A water droplet slides down the strong curve of his jaw. “Ezryn has a great hatred for all creatures of the Below. Hunting is how he controls that rage.”
I guess it’s just going to be me and Keldarion for dinner tonight. Nope, not awkward at all…
Keldarion runs his hand through his hair before returning to serving his dinner, but his scent wafts toward me again.