Page 36 of Obsidian Prince

"I wasn't going to just let Aurore's lapdogs kill him and do nothing," he almost growled. Most of his expressions were subtle, but he seemed to be very expressive when it came to anger. He glanced at the spider seer. "You told Pete how to thwart William's spell on Giovanni."

"Yes." This could be a dangerous turn of conversation.

"Thank you for that. Did you tell Pete who sent him?" Alexander asked the question in the same bored voice he used when she held a sword tip over his heart. She wasn't fooled. The question was a trap.

"No." Liliana sighed. She could see how her life may have just become far more complicated. "I do not tell Pete your secrets, nor will I tell you his. So, do not ask."

The prince did her the honor of considering things from her side. "You're in a delicate position."

"You should tell Pete who you are."

"I plan to. When the time is right."

"Your sister wants the sword. She will not give up."

"Why? What's so special about that sword?"

"The sword is special in many ways. For one thing, it can pierce all protective magics, even those created by your mother, Queen Titania, or your sister."

"That takes some serious power."

Even with only her human eyes open, Liliana could almost see the calculations happening in his thoughts. "Tell the red wolf who you are," she told him. "Let him know that you have been protecting him. Once he knows you are his ally, the sword will be used in his hands to protect you and yours. Its power will be yours by extension. Neither you, nor any other royal Sidhe must ever possess it. That would be catastrophic."

Every trace of smile disappeared from the prince's face as she spoke. "I don't appreciate being told what to do." His voice had an edge of warning.

She was treading in dangerous territory. Liliana sighed, almost too tired to care. "I make my living giving people advice. Sometimes, I give advice for free. Some people take my advice and prosper from it. Some choose not to, even those who paid me for it." She shrugged with just one shoulder. The other one hurt too much to move. "You can take my advice, or don't."

They drove in silence while the prince thought about that for a while.

Liliana fell asleep.

She woke up when Alexander unbuckled her seatbelt. She opened several eyes to look around. The back of her own house is what she saw. They were in her driveway. When she started to get up, an involuntary moan of pain escaped her. Deep bruises covered more than half her body in addition to the broken arm. Also, she must have twisted her ankle. She didn't even feel it at the time, but now it was swollen and hot.

The prince lifted her out of his car as if she were a small child. "Are you sure you don't need to go to a hospital?"

"Nothing they could do would help. Tell Doctor Nudd about my injuries. He will know what to do."

The door to Liliana's home was only locked at times when she foresaw a reason to lock it.

Alexander opened the door with one arm while holding her full hundred-ten-pound weight in the other. And that was in his human form. In demi-stone form, his strength must rival Pete's in his demi-wolf form.

With some directions, he carried her straight to her bedroom to lay her in bed. He knelt beside the bed to unwrap the satin ribbons around her ankles with nimble hands. His big hands were warm and gentle when they slipped her bloody shoes off. She pulled her legs under the covers as he tucked her in.

"Thank you." For a man she’d never seen bend for anyone, it was far more tender care than she expected. She placed her hand in the center of his chest. Perhaps his heart wasn't as cold as she thought. Or, perhaps his tenderness was a calculated move to win her loyalty. He’d seduced the wizard into his service. She didn’t want to fall for that sort of manipulation, but she did want him to kiss her again. The more he did it, the more kisses she craved.

"Does Pete take your advice?" he asked her. He must have been giving her words deep consideration, even while she slept.

"Pete is alive tonight and the assassins your sister sent are dead because he listened to my advice. Sergeant Giovanni is unspelled because Pete trusted me. Eliot planned to kill her, you know, even after he got the sword."

His jaws tightened. A muscle jumped on the side. "I found that out after the fact. I would never intentionally give orders that would get my sergeant killed." His teeth showed in an angry grimace that was neither pain nor a smile. Liliana had a feeling the wizard got off lightly with mere rejection. "I could never trust him." His face turned thoughtful. He brushed her hair back from her face. "Can I trust you?"

"I make mistakes, but I would never give you advice if I didn't think it would benefit you. I will never give you advice that would hurt Pete, though, even if it would benefit you."

"Your loyalty is to Pete first?"

That was a difficult question to answer. Her pull toward this prince of shadows and Green earth seemed to grow stronger every time she spoke with him.

Pete was her best friend. Beyond that, he was a good man. Pete did what he believed was in the best interest of everyone.

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