Page 39 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

“Merow?”

“Ah, I will inform the household that the king has acquired a gray female cat.”

The sensation of magic changed, tingling with a mischievous anticipation that made my hair stand on end. Dropping the cloth in my hand, I bolted out of the water, reaching for the towels on the nearby chair.

“Ghost, visitor incoming,” I announced. “Cal—Lady Anon—”

A loud screeching sound grew in volume until it cut off with an abrupt pop and a heavy thump.

“Too late,” Ghost commented.

Someone hissed. Another made apst,pstsound. I dragged my clean shirt over my head just as a minor uproar began behind the screen. By the time I had pulled up my leggings, a tense stillness had fallen.

“Now see here, Herman.” I came around the screen to the surprising sight of Calypso on her hands and knees in the center of my bed. Her hair tumbled about her shoulders in a disarmingcascade, but her attention was fixed warily on the black form of my sithcat. “Leave her alone.”

Eleven

Calypso

Azulin had come barging around the screen sparking with magic and intense fury, which he directed at the massive black cat that now sat demurely across from me on the king’s bed grooming the white blaze on its chest. I sat back on the bed and eyed the pair of them.

“I mean it, Herman.” Azulin jabbed a finger at the cat. “Leave her alone.”

“As though he’s ever listened to you,” Ghost scoffed.

In the depths of the labyrinth, I had been aware Azulin was handsome. He was fae after all—a species known for their physical appeal—and not just any fae, he was the Seelie king, a high fae. Generally, they tended to appear humanlike enough they could pass for us humbler sorts—well, almost. The intense handsomeness, strength, charm, and magically enhanced charisma made them clearly superior when placed next to even the most appealing human.

However, the sight of Azulin in only a muted gray linen shirt, the wide neckline gaping open, and leggings gave him an air of disheveled vulnerability that did strange things to my senses. His hair, normally perfectly behaved and brushed back, hung over his forehead in a mess of damp tangles as he agitatedly tucked his shirt into the waistband of his pants.

“I don’t care if he—” Azulin broke off with a groan. “Herman.”

The cat coiled his black tail around his sooty paws and regarded Azulin with an air of mischievous innocence. His startling green eyes widened. Then he started producing the most extraordinary sound, almost like—I couldn’t place it—a metal chain being dragged across wooden floorboards, perhaps.

“Don’t you start purring at me, you troublemaker,” Azulin hissed. “I know you too well to fall for that. No magical hijinks, no harassing her—in either form—and under no circumstances are you to lead her on a merry chase anywhere.” He narrowed his eyes at the cat. “And no kidnapping.”

The rusty-chain-on-wood sound stopped abruptly, and the cat turned his back to Azulin and began washing his face.

“He does magic?” I asked. Herman appeared to be a normal cat—well, a very large normal cat. True, there appeared to be an extra layer to him, a frizzle of magic perhaps, but otherwise—

“The creature is pure magic.”

I reached out and offered my hand to the cat. Anything to avoid noticing the way Azulin stalked barefoot across the room toward us.

Losing interest in washing, Herman sniffed my hand.

“Don’t be fooled. He’s a menace.”

The cat lowered his head and shoved his forehead under my fingertips in a clear demand for a rub. I caressed the top of his head, and instantly the clanging sound of his purr started back up again.

“Traitor,” Azulin muttered.

“I thought you wanted him to like her,” Ghost said.

“Not too much.” The king narrowed his gaze on the cat as he continued to pace. “Protecting her from the court was going to be hard enough, but him—”

Herman approved of my caresses and began working his way into my lap, clearly intent on gaining my full attention. He radiated warmth, soft, and familiar. I willingly allowed the intrusion and Herman settled in the curve of my crossed legs, overflowing it with his size, while I resumed stroking his silky fur.

“So, what makes him special?” I asked, my attention completely on the cat. “I mean, other than the dramatic, magical arrival.”

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