Chapter Seven

 

I woke to soft lips on mine, hands stroking me gently. I was lying on my side, cuddled down on the soft bedding. The night’s drama had exhausted me, and I’d fallen asleep shortly after the healer had left. Dev and Daniel had been talking about the implications of my pregnancy and I’d done what I always did when they started in on politics and crap. I drifted off.

But they also knew how to wake me up. I shivered as someone drew the covers off me. I wasn’t cold for long. The blanket was quickly replaced with the heat of a hard body cuddling up to mine.

“Good morning, Devinshea.” I let my head drift back to nestle against his chest as his arms came around me.

“Good morning, my gorgeous goddess.” He kissed the shell of my ear, a soft touch, but I already could feel his magic warming up my skin.

The curtains were drawn but light still filtered in, a soft glow that made our little world gauzy and dreamlike. It was easy to pretend this was a vacation and we were just a normal everyday threesome having some intimate time together.

I reached out for Daniel, running my hand along the slightly cool skin of his chest. His hand came up and covered mine, letting me know he was awake.

Dev gently turned my head toward his, his lips soft against mine, his tongue begging entry. I moaned a little and let his tongue slip into my mouth. Dev held my head still as he explored, letting our tongues play against each other with velvety languor.

“This is how every morning should begin,” he said with a slow smile as he flipped me onto my back. “Unfortunately, we have a problem.”

I didn’t see the problem. We could stay right there in bed for all I cared. Dev’s hands found my breasts, plucking at my nipples.

“Hey, don’t take forever, man,” Daniel warned.

Dev sighed, his mouth turning down. He rolled a nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “That would be our problem, lover. Our vampire is weak and surly this morning. It’s troublesome because he has some torturing to do and I fear if we don’t feed him properly, he’ll be unable to perform.”

“I need sex,” Daniel said with a self-deprecating grin as he leaned over to kiss me. He was heart-stoppingly beautiful in the soft light. His sandy blond hair needed a cut, but I wouldn’t say a damn thing because I loved the way it had started to curl over the tops of his ears.

“You need sex.” I pushed my fingers through that thick hair, brushing it back.

His dimples were on display, and I got the sexiest hint of fangs as he smiled. “We’ve been busy. I haven’t fed off the magic in a couple of days, and I’m feeling weak, baby. All that sunlight yesterday nearly did me in.”

One of the ways our threesome worked was the fact that Daniel, like most vampires, could feed off of sexual energy. It was why the feeding process was almost always followed by a good long session in bed. Dev, being the fertility god he was, had a sort of supercharged sexual energy that when Daniel fed off of it, allowed Daniel to handle sunlight. He still didn’t like direct sunlight and he’d been exposed to plenty of it yesterday. He was probably feeling weak.

“So Dev offered to make the sacrifice?” I asked sarcastically.

“You know I will do anything to keep the three of us strong.” Dev gave me a lecherous grin. He bent down and licked my nipple before sucking it into his mouth. I let my eyes close and my hand find his hair. I had a hand on both my men. I was a happy girl.

Dev sat up all of a sudden. “Seriously? I don’t know that he’s going to go for that. You can do that?”

I stared at my faery prince.

Daniel shook his head. “That freaks me out a little. He’s started having these whole conversations with himself in the middle of talking to me.”

Bris. He was talking to Bris.

Dev rolled his eyes. “We’ll get better at it, Dan. Eventually I’ll remember I don’t have to talk out loud.”

“Yeah, so you’ll just zone on me. That’s going to be so much better,” Daniel complained.

They were ruining my perfectly happy morning. “Dev, what is Bris saying? Or better yet, why doesn’t he just say it himself?”

“He isn’t sure he should come out during intimate situations.” Dev frowned.

Daniel huffed. “Uhm, he’s a little late for that. Pregnant wife, anyone?”

“That was a ritual,” Dev pointed out. “Obviously we need him for those. He’s not nervous about Zoey. He’s nervous about you, Dan. He doesn’t want to offend you with his presence, but he has a solution to our problem.”

“I thought sex was the solution.” I kind of liked that solution.

A slow, sexy smile crossed Dev’s face. “Sex is always the solution, my goddess.”

Daniel sat up, moving much more slowly than usual. He settled his back against the headboard of the bed. Now that I looked at him, it was easy to see how tired he looked. I’d done that to him. My heart ached. “If he can help out, then please bring it on.”

Dev’s eyes changed in a heartbeat, his body relaxing, becoming more languid, his features softening slightly. I’d begun to see that there were subtle differences between Dev and the Irish fertility god who had taken up residence in his body. There were not so subtle differences as well, and that included his eyes becoming fully green without a hint of white.

“Hello, Daniel.” He turned to me, his expression infinitely warm. “Hello, my goddess. You are happy about the pregnancy?”

“Have you known about it?” He was a fertility god. He might just know when he’d done his duty and aided in population growth.

He frowned. “Yes, but I thought it best to allow you to discover the truth on your own. I understand now I made a mistake. You did not want children. I apologize.”

Daniel held up a hand. “Stop. No apologies. We weren’t ready for kids. No one ever is. We’ll welcome this child with open arms, all three of us.”

“You aren’t angry with me?” The ancient god turned his eyes on Daniel.

“It’s your nature, but we have to talk about what happens after this one. She can’t stay pregnant all the time, man.”

That was a horrifying thought. “What?”

Bris’s laugh was as rich as the darkest chocolate. “I can protect her. The small devices humans use are remarkably helpful.”

“Are you talking about rubbers?” Daniel asked, his lips quirking up. “That’s kind of low tech compared to other methods of birth control.”

“Ah, but those methods manipulate a woman’s hormones. Believe me, I can manipulate those far better and more accurately than any chemical. I can have a woman ovulating in no time at all. Trust me, those rubber things are your best bet against my magic.” He turned serious. “I don’t want to give you more children than you want, Daniel. But I can help you with your current problem.”

I leaned forward because our current problem included Daniel’s inevitable death. “You can fix the problem with the transference?”

Bris shook his head. “Oh, my goddess, he doesn’t want that fixed.”

“I don’t.” Daniel put a hand on my shoulder. “We went over this, Z.”

“I don’t have to be inside Daniel’s body to see through to his soul. He’s happy about the transference, though he has to know to protect you all the same. It won’t work if someone uses one of those guns on you. Barbaric weapons. So put it out of your head. No, I was talking about our vampire’s weakness. Even if she eats, the pregnancy will be hard on her. And by hard on her, I mean hard on you, Daniel. Her weaknesses will affect your ability to daywalk.”

“So even if I feed properly I’ll struggle?” Daniel asked with a long sigh. “I’m not used to being weak. It’s been a long time since I felt so human.”

“Like Devinshea said, sex is the solution.” He held his hands out, showing off Dev’s body. “I am sex, Daniel.”

My ears perked up. Well, my whole body perked up because I would pay so much to see that show.

Bris chuckled. “That wasn’t what I meant, my curious goddess.” He turned, his right palm facing us. “I can channel the energy through Devinshea’s hands. I can give you a boost that should last several days.”

That was disappointing, but it could be helpful all the same.

“I’m up for that, man. I hate feeling like this. I’ve gotten used to seeing the sun. It was hard to wake up this afternoon.” Daniel struggled to get to his knees.

“I’ll have you waking with the dawn if you like, Your Highness.” Bris got to his knees as well.

And I just kind of watched because they were both naked. Pretty, pretty naked men. My men.

“What should I do?” Daniel asked, sounding uncertain for the first time.

Bris closed his eyes, taking a long breath. It filled Dev’s chest, accentuating his every muscle. “You just get ready, Your Highness.”

He touched Daniel, his big palm going right over Danny’s heart.

“I thought we agreed you would call me Daniel. God, is that supposed to happen? I don’t think that’s supposed to happen.” Daniel started to move away.

I got up on my knees behind him after seeing exactly what was freaking my vampire hubby out. He had a hard-on to end all hard-ons. His cock was standing straight up, reaching almost to his navel.

Bris stared at him, his face slightly flushed with embarrassment. “Again, I apologize. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Daniel stilled once I put my arms around him. “It’s just…it’s not that way between me and Dev.”

His slight hesitation gave me hope for a kinky future. “He’s not trying to have sex with you, Danny. He’s just going to touch you.”

“I wasn’t mad, Z. I’m just adjusting again.” Because it was pretty inevitable. He’d said it to me himself. You could only have a fertility god in your bed for so long without dealing with the consequences. In my case, that was getting pregnant. In Danny’s, I was pretty sure it meant exploring his sexuality in a way he hadn’t planned on before. I, for one, would buy pom-poms and cheer on the day. His hand came around, his fingers threading with mine even as he gave his attention to Bris.

“Forgive me, Bris. No matter how much power I claim, I seem to still be just a man, and I fear change sometimes. Even when I know there’s nothing to be afraid of. Please touch me. I won’t cringe. Believe me, cringing ain’t what I’m afraid of. I’m going to like this, aren’t I?”

For once Bris looked almost human. His grin was so sweet. “I’m afraid so, Daniel.” He touched Danny again, but this time they made a connection.

I watched as a visible pulse of energy went from Dev’s body to Daniel’s. His hand tightened around mine and he groaned, long and hard. His whole body shook, but it was easy to see it wasn’t from pain. I let my free hand wind around Danny’s waist to touch his cock. He came instantly, coming in my hand in long jets.

“Fuck. Yep, that’s what I was afraid of.” He couldn’t help himself. He laughed as he kept pulsing in my hand.

Bris finally broke the connection and Daniel dropped over, his body hitting the bed. Bris reached out to touch my face, his fingers brushing my skin. “He should be fine for several days, perhaps as long as a week, and I’ll check in on the babe. Take care of yourself, my goddess.”

Suddenly Dev was back, his eyes normal again. There was a devilish grin on his face. “That was awesome. Dan, you okay?”

Daniel didn’t move, simply gave Dev a thumbs-up. “Yep. I’m good.”

Dev growled and I was suddenly in his arms. He pulled me close, our chests coming together. His cock rubbed against my belly. “I’m good, too. I’m fucking fantastic. And Daniel still needs a bit of blood. You know what that means.”

Daniel pushed himself up. His face was still pale because he hadn’t had enough blood, but it was obvious he was feeling better from the smile on his face. “Only if you’re feeling up to it, Z.”

“I don’t know,” I said with a laugh. I put my arms on Dev’s shoulders and spread my knees wide. “Do I seem like I’m feeling up to it?”

He knew what I wanted and slid his hand down my body. His fingers gently opened the soft flesh of my pussy and rubbed. It didn’t take long before his fingers were soaking wet. He held them up for Daniel’s inspection. “She seems to be feeling up to it.”

Daniel’s fangs were fully out and despite what had just happened, his cock seemed ready to play again. “I should take a shower.”

He did have stuff all over him.

Dev didn’t give a flying shit. He just rubbed himself on me, completely uncaring that I had Danny’s come on my hand. “You know what they say, Dan. Get dirty before you get clean. No one is bothered here. I swear, I’ll get you to toss out that unneeded self-consciousness if it’s the last thing I do. There’s no place for embarrassment in our bed.”

Daniel moved in, reaching for me, his eyes darkening. “Well, you know I try to follow your lead when it comes to this.” Daniel pulled me down to the bed, settling in beside me.

Dev parted my knees, making a place for himself between my legs. “Why don’t you work on those luscious tits everyone in my family seems to love so much and I’ll pay particular attention to this sweet little pussy.”

Daniel kissed me before dropping his head to my breasts and brushing them with his tongue. His fangs scraped along my skin, drawing just the tiniest bit of blood that he licked up with a grateful moan before suckling my nipples one after the other.

My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head as Dev laved my flesh with affection. His tongue slid over and over, licking every part of my pussy. He spread my labia and sucked on each petal while his fingers worked into my channel, rubbing deep inside. He licked and sucked, his tongue darting here and there.

Daniel plucked at my nipples, rolling them between his fingers. He licked at my neck, his fangs scraping again in little bites that made me jump. It was just the right side of pain, just enough to get my heart racing, and then Danny’s tongue would come out to soothe the ache.

He finally moved up, bringing himself level with me. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down. “Open up, Z.”

“You should feed first.” He was still too pale for my liking.

Dev pinched my clit, nearly making me scream. Yeah, that was still the right side of pain, but just barely. “He gave you an order. He wants to feed you. Bris just pumped a ton of sexual energy through his system. If he wants you to drink, you drink or I’ll stop what I’m doing and we’ll talk about discipline.”

I can’t lie. When Dev got that dark voice, I softened and my whole system heated up. I let Daniel place his wrist over my mouth and I drank.

Warmth filled me. Daniel’s power flowed through me.

I gave myself over as Dev fucked me with his tongue, his clever fingers finding a rhythm on my clitoris as his tongue plunged in and out and his magic started to hum across my skin. I felt Daniel sigh against my breast as the magic hit him again. I’d felt Bris’s magic up close and personal. It was addictive. This magic was filtered through Dev and therefore a bit gentler. It still felt like heaven. It rolled over my skin, warming me everywhere.

Daniel finally pulled his wrist away, his smile telling me how much he’d enjoyed sharing blood with me. “I’ll make us strong, Z. You’ll see. Dev and I will take good care of you.”

“Goddess, you taste so good.” Dev moaned against me and I could feel he was getting restless. He pushed my legs farther apart, giving him full access and leaving me completely bare to him. He switched now, working two fingers into me as his tongue tormented my throbbing clit.

Daniel moved up and kissed me, our tongues playing around his fangs. He took over the kiss, his tongue matching the rhythm of Dev’s plunging fingers, and I came apart. My arms wound around Danny’s neck as I held onto him while the orgasm rolled over me.

Before the first one had fully registered, Dev was up on his knees, working his erection into me.

“It feels so good,” he moaned. “I’m going to like not wearing a condom, lover. You’re so fucking tight and hot around me.”

Daniel moved in behind me so my back was against his chest. I could feel his cock hard against my back but he did nothing about it. He pushed me up and wrapped his arms around me. “I love you, Z,” he whispered in my ear as he reached around and gently played with my nipples.

I let my head fall back against him because I was already building toward release again. Dev worked his thick cock into me, handling me with care. He pushed in and out with such a soft, sweet rhythm, I thought I would go crazy.

“Fuck me harder,” I demanded because I was oh so close.

“I don’t want to hurt the baby,” Dev insisted, keeping up his torture. “I like this, Zoey. I can keep this up all day. I want to do it. I’ll just fuck you all day, just like this. We never have to leave this bed.”

“Don’t you dare.” I wanted that heaven that Dev kept just out of reach. I shoved against him, and the pressure sent me blissfully over the edge. I held him close and cried out because it felt so good.

“Well, if you’re going to be that way,” Dev said above me with a disapproving frown. He picked up his pace and adjusted the angle. His head fell forward and he let himself go.

Daniel groaned and I felt his fangs tease my neck as the magic hit him full force. He bit down and I nearly screamed. Pure pleasure coursed through my veins. Daniel sucked and Dev’s cock hit that perfect place again and I couldn’t stop the wave. I felt the hot wash of Dev’s orgasm as he flooded me with his come. He was breathless above me as he finished with a groan but tried to keep his weight off me.

Daniel took one last swallow and licked my neck, helping to close the little wounds though I didn’t need it. I’d had his blood. I could heal just about anything.

I reached up and kissed him. “The two of you are going to treat me like a china doll, aren’t you?”

“We want to take care of you and the baby.” Dev panted as he let himself fall to the side. “I have no intention of being celibate, though. Dan and I will just have to take turns for a while. I think that was satisfactory for all concerned. When it’s Daniel’s turn, he can bite me and I’ll be perfectly happy. We’re going to rotate days.”

“We have a system worked out,” Daniel acknowledged.

I leaned back against him, loving how safe I felt in his arms. “You’re really all right with the whole baby thing, Danny?”

I was worried. He wasn’t the biological father and could never be one. I didn’t want this to make him feel like an outsider.

He measured his words and that was for Dev as much as me. “I worry about it. What’s my place, guys? Am I the uncle?”

“No.” Dev sat up, looking at Daniel seriously. “We’re the fathers. You can be papa and I’ll be daddy or the other way around. I don’t see what the problem is. It happens all the time.”

“Here it does,” Daniel argued. “I know our relationship is perfectly normal in Faery, but we don’t live in Faery. In Dallas, we’re kind of freaky. I think we need to talk about it. How is the kid going to feel when he goes to school and talks about his two dads?”

Dev laughed. “Our son will have much bigger problems than having two fathers. What happens when all the teachers at the school find themselves pregnant? Including the ones who have gone through menopause? That might cause a bit of concern. Or when he plays with the plants and they overrun the gymnasium?”

“Oh, I can see the parent teacher conference now.” I swallowed because I didn’t know if I was ready for a regular baby much less a magical one.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he assured me with a laugh. “He won’t be going to public schools. There are enough strange creatures on our plane that we have schools to handle the more magically inclined children.”

“Nice,” Daniel said, his dimples making an appearance. “Our kid’s going to Hogwarts.”

“Something like that. Rest assured he won’t be made fun of for having two dads. The other children will be far too afraid that his vampire dad will defend his son,” Dev stated.

“And I will,” Daniel said with a nod. “And if it is a girl, I will make sure my beast is there to greet anyone brave enough to date her.”

“Oh, god, if it’s a girl, will she be a companion?” I had a new biggest fear. Some vampire was going to come after my daughter. They would try to sell her. They would put her up for auction and she would go to the highest bidder. I would die before that happened to my daughter.

Dev cuddled me close, his voice turning serious. “Zoey, we don’t know for sure that she would be a companion. We do know that she would be the daughter of the Nex Apparatus, and when we’re done she will be the daughter of the acknowledged King of all Vampire. I doubt they’ll be stealing her off the street.”

“I’ll take apart the first one who looks at her and then the others might learn something.” Daniel’s voice had gone guttural.

Dev leaned in and kissed me. “I love you, sweetheart. It’s going to be fine. Like I said, Daniel and I will take such sweet care of you and our children. Now, I have some fields to make green and lush. I see our vampire is back to his strength, so I leave you in his capable hands. Perhaps tonight we can go to the temple. It’s where our child will be born.”

Daniel laid back in bed. “God, Z, please eat soon. I don’t want to lose this energy. It feels too fucking good.”

Dev laughed as he pulled back the bed curtains. “I’ll have Albert bring the tea in if he hasn’t already. Oh, hello, Bibi. Good morning to you.” His voice was amused as he glanced back through the curtains. “Sweetheart, your secretary has taken up residence on the chest at the end of our bed. I hope she doesn’t mind nudity.”

She didn’t. Bibi smiled shyly and toted her notebook that was far too large for her small hands. I poked my head out of the curtains and greeted my assistant.

“Good morning, mistress,” she said. “You seemed to be involved with your husbands. I did not want to interrupt you so I waited. Mara tried to dismiss me this morning, but I told her you wanted me and she should train me or you might be angry and take your vengeance out on her. She was scared. I have notes.”

“Excellent,” I said, happy that the troll was taking charge of her life. I just kind of wished she hadn’t been listening in to mine. “How about finding me a robe?”

“Of course,” she agreed. “And the large red person has drawn you a bath, though he says you will have to be satisfied with merely warm instead of scalding. I don’t know what that means but he said he didn’t want the baby to boil. I’m very excited about the baby.”

“So everyone knows?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about my private news being made so public. I wished I’d had some time to process it before everyone started planning the birth. It was inevitable. There wasn’t a lot of privacy in a court like this. It ran on rumors and innuendo. With the fertility problems of the Fae, my pregnancy was going to be big news.

Bibi nodded. “Prince Declan made an announcement last night at the banquet. All of Faery is excited. They believe it bodes well for Prince Dev’s fertility powers. Queen Miria cried. She wanted to see you, but Prince Declan said you needed time alone. There is a tray of tea and toast when you are ready.”

I stretched and decided to enjoy my role as a royal for once. “I’ll take my breakfast in the tub.”

I kissed Daniel, slipped on my robe and began the day.

 

* * * *

 

“Daniel is obviously feeling better, Z,” Sarah said, walking into the opulent bathroom after going to check on her patient. “What’s this I hear about Bris helping out?”

I grinned up at her. “He can funnel his magic directly into Daniel’s body.”

Her eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

“Yep. That was a good couple of minutes.” I let the warm water heat up my skin. I was feeling damn good. Danny seemed to be all right with the fact that we were having a baby, so I was settling my mind around it. It also made me think about the fact that I was having a faery child. I should try to fit in. I made a vow to myself to attempt to get along with the court. No more hauling naked noblewomen around by their hair, I promised myself. I would try to be a lady.

“I’m just wondering how Z is going to make it through nine months without a martini,” Neil mused with a devilish grin from the other side of my overly large tub. It was more like a small pool complete with steps to get in. Neil grabbed the soap. He gestured for me to turn around and started soaping my back. “It could affect the entire Dallas bar scene. I wonder how many bars will go under without their best customer.”

“It’s more than nine months, buddy.” Sarah sat on the ledge, letting her bare feet dangle in the water. “How about breast feeding? Although with Dev’s DNA, the baby might actually come out of the womb with a discernible blood alcohol level.”

I decided to switch the topic. Maybe I wasn’t ready to confront the whole baby thing. “Where are the other wolves today?”

“Zack is going to some farm with Dev and Lee refuses to come into the apartments until he’s sure you’re clothed,” Sarah explained with a smile. “He said he was going to the dungeons to check on our would-be assassin. He seems eager to start the ‘questioning.’ Maybe I should go down there and make sure they observe the Geneva Convention.”

Neil snorted as he sank back in the warm water. “Honey, Switzerland doesn’t exist on this plane. I assure you what Daniel is going to do to that faery will make Guantanamo look like Disney World.”

Sarah sighed. “I don’t want to know. After all that time on the Hell plane, I come down firmly on the side of no torture.”

“You’re in luck then, Ms. Day,” Padric said darkly from the doorway.

I ducked down and hid my boobs under the ledge of the tub. “Hello, naked here.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Padric said. “People usually bathe nude. It’s nothing I haven’t seen.” It wasn’t. He’d seen all of me and from various angles because Dev liked to switch positions. Faery marriage ceremonies came complete with witnesses to the consummation. Padric and Declan had been mine. He did, however, look surprised that I had a guest. “Is the boy your maid?”

Neil shook his head. Unlike me, he couldn’t care less that he wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing. “Nope, I’m the bodyguard. I’m patrolling these dangerous waters. Can’t let sharks get Her Grace.”

Padric was not impressed with sarcasm. “I wouldn’t worry about sharks, young man. You have far more to think about. The prisoner was found dead.”

Daniel was in the room almost instantly. He’d gotten out of bed damn fast. “What do you mean, he’s dead? He was fine last night. When we left him he was moaning about his headache but otherwise he was fine in his cell. The healers said he would be all right and ready for questioning today.”

“Did he kill himself?” Neil asked, getting out of the tub and drying himself off. He was perfectly professional now and ready to be serious.

“No,” Padric replied. “The healers believe someone poisoned the archer’s breakfast. We’re questioning the staff, but no one seems to know anything. The boy who delivered the food this morning is missing.”

“Lee can track a man for miles.” Daniel’s color was back to his normal pale and he seemed much stronger from his morning feeding. “Do you have anything that belonged to the boy?”

“I will check but it will have to wait.” Padric’s face went dark, his eyes trailing to the large window on the opposite wall. “We have bigger problems. The Unseelie are here.”

“With an army?” Daniel asked.

Padric shook his head. “No, they sent an envoy. The messenger said they merely wanted to visit in an attempt to restore our previously good relations. They wish to celebrate the marriage of the prince. Prince Dev was well liked by the Unseelie. If we refuse them, it will be a grave insult.”

“But you don’t think that is the real reason they are here?” I asked as Daniel held my robe up. He made certain I was covered as I walked up the steps of the bath. He wrapped it around me.

“I think the timing is interesting,” Padric admitted. “They come just as someone is attempting to kill Her Grace. There is nothing we can do but welcome the envoy and watch him like a hawk. Please get Her Grace properly dressed as well as yourself, Daniel. The queen wants all of you at her side when we greet the envoy. Zoey, please wear the dress Declan left for you. We retrieved it from Mara’s room a few minutes ago. She will not be working at the palace any longer.”

“I will make sure Her Grace is prepared for the meeting,” Bibi said with enthusiastic confidence. “And I will make sure Master Daniel is in proper costume as well.”

Padric stared down at the troll with surprise. “See that you do.” He turned back to me. “Your husband is already in conference with the queen and his brother. They will defer to him when dealing with the Unseelie. It is important that you and Daniel support him.”

I nodded. We had just been told to behave. I would object but I had come to the same conclusion myself just a few minutes before. This was Dev’s world. He understood it better than we did.

“We’ll be what Devinshea needs us to be,” Daniel promised. He owed Dev. Dev had played whatever role Daniel needed while he was trying to secure his own crown, so backing up Dev was no big deal.

Padric was almost out the door when he turned back. “And Your Grace, keep your wolves close. The Unseelie are not to be trusted. You should never be alone with them.”

With those ominous words, the head of the royal guard left us to prepare. As Sarah and Bibi went to get our clothes ready, Daniel and I moved to the window. In the distance we could see a small party making their way from the mountains. I looked out, trying to get a glimpse of the man at the head of the group.

Daniel hugged me from behind, his hand going protectively over my belly. He was quiet as we watched the Unseelie move ever closer. “It’s going to be okay, Z. You stay close to me. Dev has to do his thing, so it’s my turn to protect you.”

On our plane, Daniel trusted my protection to Dev, freeing him to do what he needed to do. It was obvious Danny intended to give Dev the same treatment in Faery. I leaned on Daniel, enjoying having him to myself for once, even if our time was going to be limited because that procession was getting closer and closer.

My eyes were probably playing tricks on me but I would have sworn the man leading the party had enormous antlers.

It was going to be an interesting day.