Page 13 of Cathmoir's Sons

Sulking, I follow them back to the Holly King’s table.

We’re not the Holly King’s only guests. Three other fae lords and their significant others, knights, and squires came with him. Two are very much in the high fae mold: haughty and disapproving of Teddy Nowak’s relaxed ball. The other one, a female fae that the Holly King introduced only as Rae, and who is wearing a white, hook-nosed mask that reminds me of a human plague doctor, hasn’t spoken but there hasn’t been any disdain in her black eyes as she’s watched the party go on around her.

Rae is the only one still at the table when we return. She’s talking to the hostess herself, who is sitting in a chair next to Rae while one of her husbands, tall, dark-haired, and wearing a kilt under his tuxedo jacket, stands behind the chair gently massaging her shoulders.

As the Holly King seats himself on Teddy’s far side and her husband moves out of the way for Aehelwen to hold the Holly King’s chair, I get a good sniff of him. There’s a powdery, baby smell to him. Under the scent of their baby, I smell cloves, the brine of seawater, and the faintest whiff of brimstone. Ah, this is the husband with demon blood. Gabriel Tate-Wilson. Luca’s mentioned him. And Luca believes the demon he’s related to was the one who ended the battle of Jedburgh Abbey: Jouvart D’Asmodei, Baron Ash. Luca’s beyond desperate for an introduction to the Baroness, although I’m not sure why.

Teddy watches Caileán seat herself beside the Holly King. “Feeling okay, Kells?” she asks.

Caileán doesn’t correct Teddy the way she did the Holly King. “Tired. You’ll forgive me if I make it an early night?”

Teddy nods. “No worries, mate.”

Her British accent is strong and unusual. It’s not Cockney. This accent’s brash, almost harsh. Certainly not the soft, local Scottish accent. I wonder where Teddy is from and how she ended up a princess of Thistlemist. She doesn’t fit my expectations for high fae royalty, except that she’s wearing a sleeveless, empire-waist ball gown of deep aquamarine that shows off shoulders even stronger than my mate’s.

I’d very much like to introduce myself to Teddy and spend some time getting to know one of my mate’s best friends, but tonight is not the night for that, when Luca and I aren’t supposed to be here. I sit next to Caileán before Aehelwen has a chance to and Luca seats himself next to me, across from Rae. With no good seating options, Aehelwen remains standing behind the Holly King’s chair much like Teddy’s husband.

“Teddy, have you met Aranthann and Aehelwen?” Caileán asks.

Teddy’s brown eyes flick from her friend to the Holly King. If she’s surprised at being introduced so informally to the Holly King, she doesn’t let it show. “I have. Have you been introduced to Rae?”

Caileán shakes her head and turns her burning-bright eyes on the fae in the plague doctor mask. She stiffens like she’s had an electric shock. I put my hand on the back of her chair, so she knows I’m ready to protect her in whatever way she needs.

“Rae?” Caileán says, a question in her voice.

“Braelin Greenlaw of Ashegold,” Teddy says.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Caileán responds. Then she says a word that sounds like Rae but not. More like Reina.

The fae lady bows her head. “Caileán.”

She rolls my mate’s name. Her accent’s sea mist and heather compared to Teddy’s yellow fog and concrete. It could be her accent, but I think she says Caileán instead of Kellan.

“Rae was just offering to take us on a pub tour of Dingle,” Teddy tells Caileán. “I think we know where our next Girls’ Night is taking place.”

Caileán grins. “I’m up for that.”

She slides one of her hands off the table and pats her thigh. She continues talking to Teddy and Rae while she pats her thigh again.

I let my arm slip down from the back of her chair and put my hand on her thigh.

She strokes the back of my hand with her fingertips, then begins tracing something on my knuckles with her claw. I shift a little closer to her to conceal the motion and tip my face close to her neck to enjoy her scent.

“Is it girls only on these nights out?” The Holly King asks.

Beside me, Luca scoffs quietly, probably too quietly for anyone but me to hear. I share his sentiment. Girls’ nights are clearly sacred to our mate.

“Afraid so,” Teddy says. “But my boys usually follow a bar behind us when we’re out. You’re welcome to tag along. All of you.” She nods at me and Luca.

“Human bars?” Luca asks. “No thanks. They stink like piss and weak beer.”

“Not bars in Ireland,” Rae says. “They stink like piss and strong beer.”

Everyone around the table laughs.

“Please let me know when the next of these nights out is arranged,” the Holly King says, sounding older than my grandfather and twice as stiff. Maybe he needs to loosen his briefs under those robes.

“Sure, mate,” Teddy says. “Gabe, can you add Aehelwen to our party chat?”

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