Page 76 of Blood on the Ice

Damn, that crafty royal shit—riding back with them definitely gave him the edge.

Scales ripple over the bodyguard, and he looks as if he’s truly struggling not to shift. Once they fade, he gives the Prince a dark glare. “Your father will know. This is a disaster.”

Morgana finally moves, stepping into the middle of the fray with her eyes flashing. “I’m not used to people discussing things that impact me as if I’m not present. I don’t care who the fuck you work for, dragon. You wouldn’t be the first one I’ve slayed, nor am I worried about the punishment.”

“Wait, wait,” Slade says as he sneaks past me. “This is all getting out of control. Morgana’s choice in mates or mating is hers and the recipient’s. Well, and maybe Lucas, too. But… that doesn’t mean there are no consequences for free will. I think Kaspar is failing to communicate that this decision may have some we are not aware of.”

“That was pretty good, dude.” I grin at Slade, and he ducks his head, looking oddly pleased at the praise. I never can figure out his reactions and it’s gotten worse since Morgana came along. “But he’s right. The dragon is fucking this up epically, but I assume he’s worried about the evil Fae Daddy smiting someone. That about it, dickface?”

Kaspar huffs smoke rings and I watch him closely. I’ll need a water enchantment and possibly Slade’s help if he unleashes dragon fire. That stuff is hard as hell to put out and resistant to normal water. “The siren is correct. Liam has been promised to many women as a possible betrothal by the King; who knows what political alliances this will disintegrate? Not to mention, mating with Fae will leave obvious marks, unlike the simple bites of the bear. There are mating tattoos that will eventually show and likely follow to the bear.”

“That’s kind of cool,” Morgana mutters and I grin at her. She has no idea, but she will.

Lucas frowns, thinking about it for a moment, then shrugs. “I like ink and Li’s hot. I’m good with it.”

“Odin’s rusty codpiece, you’re all dense,” the dragon grumbles. “Do you realize that if both you and Morgana show up around town with Fae markings—particularly royal ones—anyone who knows what they mean will not only realize you’re connected tothe Prince but also to one another? Fuck, it’s like explaining shit to a troll.”

Ouch. Trolls are pretty thick as a species.

“Maybe it will require a glamor to cover them?” I offer. Morgana gives me a grateful look, and I shrug. “I’m quite skilled at them, you know.”

“Fae mating marks can’t be covered with other magic. It is our inability to lie—you can’t cover up that you belong to someone else because it might trick them about your status,” Liam says softly.

Slade tilts his head. “So Fae can’t cheat on their mates?”

“Uh, yes, they can,” Kaspar grunts. “They just can’t lie about it.”

Interesting. I’m not sure I’d survive in Faerie—deception was ground into my bones from the time I could talk.

“That’s why you’re yelling? Some tattoos? Seems like an overreaction,” the bear says as he stretches again. “But what do I know? I’m a murder suspect.”

“I’m an actual murderer,” Morgana adds with an impish grin. “Guess it can’t be that scandalous for me.”

“Not even when you’re the Dean?” the dragon asks with a cocked brow.

“Especially not then given our previous Dean, moron,” I shoot back as I walk into the room to find a place to sit on the window seat.

How is this guy an actual bodyguard when he’s this dumb?

Lucas smothers a guffaw, grinning. “Good one, Prof.”

Even the Prince cracks a smile as he walks over to stand behind our girl. “Kaspar, I’m well aware of all the implications. We’ll have to deal with them one by one, as they come up. My father is fairly distracted by all his mistresses and the Hand at the moment. We both know he’s not exactly tuned into the goings on of his children, even on a boring day. The mercenaries and preventing war should keep him busy enough.”

“And your mother?” The dragon gives his friend a pointed look, and that drains the color from his face.

“Uh… well…”

As quickly as she allowed him close, Morgana gives Liam a big shove. “You idiot. Yourmotheris going to get involved? I’ll kill you myself.”

Slade clears his throat, his expression thoughtful. “Does everyone in this room have living parents?”

I heave a sigh, nodding. “I do and it will not be a treat to have either interested in my life.”

“Second that,” my roommate says as he turns to the others. “Morgana’s folks are in Greece, right? Retired?”

“Yes, but I’d like to keep them out of anything for as long as possible because the trial was really hard on them,” she murmurs softly. “They didn’t deserve all that flack just for raising a hybrid they adopted.”

Lucas leaps up from the bed, glaring as he walks over to take her hands. “Babe, my parents gave birth to me and they could give a fuck less what I do. I wouldn’t torture anyone with their presence for all the money in the Wolfenberg vaults. But Nana is going to want to meet you, eventually.”

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