Page 140 of Married to the Devil

“Three bodyguards are a bit much,” I say. “I’ll already have Andrew and Connors.”

Fiona has let me rest up since getting pregnant but threatens that it’s only a matter of time before we’re back to training in the mornings. I’m positive she’s a sadist.

Stoneheart makes a noncommittal noise, and I roll my eyes.

“I’m sure there’s a better job she could be doing.

“Perhaps, but it’s been too quiet.” He shrugs.

“That’s not a reason to be paranoid,” I say. “We can’t just keep expecting the worst of everyone here.”

I spinmy wedding ring the whole way to the coffee shop Mom and I selected to meet at. The metals hum at me in comfort and loyalty. Stoneheart did select the perfect gift to me. Even the ring he placed on my thumb to protect against long-range attacks hums sweetly in time. That one still gives me hints of obsession and want.

I have to keep from messing with that one too much unless I want to get horny.

We haven’t had sex since Ben left. I’d be worried, but with how awful I feel all the time, it’s hardly a sign of a broken relationship.

We’ll find our way back to each other eventually. I’m planning my own courtship gift.

I’ve slowly been working on a project after finishing with charms each day. I justify the energy expenditure because it’s really not that much to craft a charm in the beginning stages. I’ll wait until after the voting to really layer on some of the intentions I’m wanting.

I feel guilty about breaking apart the labradorite. The least I can do is use one of the pieces to give Stoneheart a replacement for the ring he gave me with some more protections interwovenin. I pass the time thinking about metal mixtures and what would look best with his other rings to distract myself from nerves.

When the car stops, I’m out in a blur and ducking into the building. The café is cozy with plush armchairs and little nooks for privacy.

I see her near the window, and my steps quicken without me meaning to. She stands and hugs me tightly. The doubts and ugly feelings from before wash away under her embrace.

“I’m so sorry,” she says into my hair. “I let my anger and fear run the show.”

My throat swells as I breathe in her green scent. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“You already apologized.” She continues, “I didn’t mean to imply you were a bad leader. You can always do anything you put your mind to.”

I pull back, hesitant to let go.

“Do you mean it?” The question slips out of me no matter that I just assured Stoneheart this morning that I’d quieted those doubts.

Her smile is all wry pride. “You don’t need me to answer that. Your choices aren’t what I would have chosen, but that’s what makes you unstoppable. You’ve already been quite busy from what I hear.”

I blush.

“Here, sit. I got you a chai. The ginger will help your stomach.”

I sit awkwardly, but the spices wafting from the hot cup in front of me are welcome. “It’s not like you didn’t predict that an heir would be an issue.”

“Hush. It was wrong of me to assume so many things about your situation.”

“I understand why you did.”

She swallows and puts a hand to her chest. “Thank you. It did hit a little close to home for me, but I want us to be past that. I don’t want that history to haunt this new future.”

A tightness in my chest releases. I want that too. A lot.

“So…” she starts. “I’ve heard the news.”

“What have you heard?” I ask more to establish what the gossip is saying rather than to hide the truth from her.

Mom laughs. “Well, there are a few rumors going around, but the loudest is that you’re pregnant by someone in your clan and that Stoneheart claims the child as his heir.”

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