Page 66 of Luca

I hobbled closer.

“Why now?” Cair’s voice rumbled through the door, slurred as if he was gritting his fangs. “Why after a lifetime of peace is he doing this? Risking everything. HeknowsI’d go to war for my mate. Does he think he can win?”

“I don’t know what your father is planning, but he is not stupid.” Zadok chimed in, his tone slightly more level. “Overly ambitious and arrogant, yes, but not stupid. Back to your first question… we already have an answer to that:Luca. A Fae and human pairing so close to the throne? He won’t tolerate it. My son—a half-breed—being the next king consortandliving proof that he’d overlooked an important detail will be a huge blow to his already inflated ego.”

Ooh, shots fired. Seriously, though, I didn’t even want the dude’s throne, but knowing it pissed him off this much almost had me changing my mind.

Almost.

“I know that, but he let me pass through the Veil,” Cair countered, growing more frustrated. “He knew I would find my mate, that he was human, and what? He just expected me to walk away and pretend he didn’t exist?”

“I think you know the answer to that too,” the older Fae said, and Cair blew out a breath, sounding dejected. I imagined him scrubbing at his face.

“He wanted to teach me a lesson. A way to control me.”

“Yes. He dangled the bond in front of you, no doubt expecting to use it to his advantage, not realizing your mate could walk straight through the Veil.” There was a note of sadness to Zadok’s voice, as if he was recalling a bad memory, intimately familiar with that same scenario. “He thought he’d put you in your place, reminded you how easily he could destroy everything.”

“So now he’s correcting his mistake. Getting rid of?—”

The talking cut off and quicker than I could even frown in confusion at the lull, footsteps advanced. The door swung open, revealing Cair’s concerned face. “Sweetheart, you should be in bed.”

“I want to know what’s going on,” I said in lieu of a greeting as I ducked into the room. Zadok was standing by the fireplace, propped against the mantel. He seemed slightly more laidback than in any of our previous interactions. As if he had grown more comfortable with our presence. “Why did the king do this?”

“Because he can, mostly,” the older Fae said with a kind yet sympathetic smile. He tapped a finger against the empty glass tumbler next to him, and it filled with amber liquid. Or perhapsthatwas the reason for his calmness.

“He’s a fucking asshole,” I scoffed, catching Zadok’s nod of agreement before whirling back around to face Cair—who hadn’t yet moved away from the door. “I thought soulmates were supposed to mean something to the Fae.”

“They do, but he has clearly lost all reason.” He gazed down at me, regret darkening his face. It was the first time I’d truly noticed the shadows under his eyes. My heart ached. “I never expected him to stoop so low.”

“I think the power has gone to his head,” I theorized. Not that it wasn’t already heading in that direction to begin with. “But as Da—Zadok says, he’s clever. He’ll be cooking something up. He knew what your reaction would be, and he wouldn’t have taken that step without thinking he has the upper hand.”

“I agree.”

Despite my attempts to blink it away, my head felt a little woozy, so I took a step toward the empty chair by the fireplace. I wobbled on my feet.

Cair had his arms around my waist instantly. “Bed, sweetling.”

“But I don’t wanna,” I grumbled, digging my heels in when he tried to usher me to the door. “I’m bored, and I want to figure out what’s going on.”

“If I promise we won’t discuss anything further without you, and I make more of an effort to provide entertainment, will that appease you?”

I sulked, but he kissed me on the forehead in a further attempt at placation. It worked. “Fine, but only if I get to have a bath first. I stink.”

He dipped his head, an amused smile playing on his lips. “Of course.”

I let him guide me out, but just as we reached the threshold, Zadok called out. “One moment…” He marched to the other side of the room, boots clicking on the wooden floor. He slid a large black leather-bound tome out from the bookshelf before handing it over to me. “Take this. It’s a grimoire. Perhaps we can test you on one of the spells soon. Something simpler than fireballs.”

There was a hopeful look in his troubled eyes, maybe even a little apprehension. He wanted to mend the natural rift between us caused by the many years we’d spent without knowing one another, but wasn’t yet sure how to proceed. I smiled at him, aiming to ease his worries and show him that now I’d had the chance to process, I wanted the exact same thing.

“I can’t wait.”

* * *

Cair knelt next to the tub, his sleeves rolled up his arms and his hair tied in that messy bun that never failed to stirfeelingsin me. He had deflected my attempts to entice him into the water, saying there wasn’t room, but I’d have sat in his lap if it meant we could be closer, and I could have the skin-to-skin contact I craved.

Ever since I’d come back from the dead—I’d never get used to saying that—it was as if there was a thin sheet of film between us. I could get close, but never close enough, and I wasn’t satisfied with the innocent cuddles and touches. Cair was distancing himself, somewhat, never truly letting his guard down, even when we were alone. On more than one occasion I’d sensed his desire and the flare of his possessive instincts, but each time, despite my eagerness, he’d stifled it, clenching his fists and willing away the hunger. He’d even leave the room whenever I fell asleep, like he couldn’t stand being beside me all night.

At first, it was probably because he didn’t want me wasting my energy on anything other than healing, so he took himself out of the equation to be a gentleman. Which, understandable and appreciated. But it had been overa week, and though I was still a little unsteady on my feet, I felt physically and mentally fine. He’d tried indulging me where he could, with chaste kisses and caresses, words of praise, but those reassurances seemed rehearsed in comparison to what he used to shower me with, and it would never cross the line into sex.

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