Page 80 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

Azulin’s silence worried me. He held me all night with a desperate urgency that made me wonder what he feared. Throughout the next morning as we prepared to leave, he kept me close by his side. Any time I moved away to speak with Avril or anyone else, he followed, dragging whomever he was speaking with behind him.

Only when Illeron called him aside did he leave me. Avril smiled. “It’s sweet to see how attentive he is to you. Az has needed an ally for so long. I’m delighted to see that he found one.”

I frowned after my husband. “I’m not sure how much his behavior is driven by affection as opposed to worry. For all of his warnings, he seems more shaken by his mother’s attack than I am.”

“Intriguing.” Avril studied him for a moment before turning back to me. “Perhaps it made him realize how important you are to him.”

I almost rolled my eyes but stopped myself. “He promised to protect me.”

“In that case, no one can accuse him of not taking his vow seriously.”

Azulin returned to my side, trailing Illeron, who was still talking. “It was the best I could get at such short notice,” Illeron said. “The craftsman promised an even stronger protection spell on the next one.”

Azulin nodded as he examined the silver cuff in his hands. Delicate lacing that matched the design on my wedding ring wound around the cuff. The intricate metalwork caught the light while the air practically tingled with the spell that had been worked into the piece of jewelry.

“May I?” Azulin asked, arching a brow at me.

I reluctantly extended my right arm. “It’s far too fancy for me.”

The annoyed glance Azulin gave me clearly communicated that he disagreed. “It will have to do for now.” He spoke a few words in a different language, and the metal warmed beneath his touch. I flinched as the tingle of magic spread over me like a blanket of prickles before the sensation disappeared and melted into my skin.

“Comfortable?” Azulin asked.

I nodded, studying the band of intricately coiled metal that now seamlessly enclosed my whole forearm. “What if I need to remove it?”

“I can do it,” Azulin assured me.

“It’s better that you don’t know the release words,” Illeron explained. “Then you can’t be compelled to remove it.”

Azulin’s response burned in my chest. Glancing up at my husband, I caught no sign of the intense anxiety coming from him, but I reached out and tugged at his sleeve all the same. “I will be safe,” I assured him.

He nodded curtly.

“It will guard you from most magical forms of harm and even some physical ones.” Illeron continued listing the dangersthat the magical cuff would protect me from, but only one caught my attention.

“Poison?” I asked.

“Yes.” Illeron looked puzzled by my question.

“I wonder what Ghost will think of not having to taste test my food.”

“He will still be doing that.” Azulin frowned. “No magic is foolproof.”

“Speaking of the dragon,” Avril said. “Any word from him?”

“No.” Azulin turned to Illeron. “Any news from your elves?”

The spymaster frowned and shook his head. “Only the news I shared this morning.” He turned to me and explained, “Word is that the Unseelie king is leaving his lands with a party of armed thugs and planning on visiting your husband’s castle.”

I straightened. “Then why are we still here?” I turned to Azulin. “You need to be home to greet him.”

“With Ghost gone and the traitor somewhere in my staff’s midst, I dare not take you back,” Azulin protested.

“I’m no longer unprotected.” I lifted my newly bedecked arm. “According to Illeron, this spell can do everything Ghost can short of breathing fire. I am protected, and you are needed by your court.”

Azulin didn’t smile as I’d hoped. Instead, he studied me grimly, as though bracing himself for something unpleasant. “I should leave you here.”

“You should not.” I glared up at him. “I am not a wilting flower. I can handle a bit of conflict.”

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