Page 12 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s the weakest. Mark my words, she wouldn’t run her mouth like that if she didn’t have something. I wonder what it is, since she’s from…Earth.” Thalen placed his feet on the table. “But let’s look at the best part of all this. Our little wingless wonder was about to turn into a boneless blot, and then you, you big beautiful bastardly bellend, caught her in your arms and carried her to safety like a future queen. Are you really going to tell us that meant nothing?”

“That Sylvan Fae had already killed one candidate.” My wings twitched, wanting to come out, but that would make this entire thing worse. “I couldn’t let her think she could just assassinate all her competition. She was getting out of hand.”

“Hmmm.” Thalen gave a sage nod, stroking his chin. His eyes brightened, dancing with delight. “So you didn’t save her because you liked her?”

“What possible reason could there be for me to like her?” I demanded. Heat rose within me, and my spine tightened. My wings flexed against my back, threatening even more to emerge.

Both Silus and Thalen burst out laughing.

Silus stilled and schooled his expression back into its familiar stoic mask. “Do you really think there has to be a reason? Is attraction always logical?”

“I’ve never found it to be.” Thalen folded his arms behind his head with a lazy smile.

“I restored order to the proceedings, that’s all.” These idiots needed to drop this now, because I could feel my control slipping away like water through my fingers.

“You also let that white-haired ice-blood murder another helpless female without a word. When the purple and the blonde were fighting, you didn’t intervene either. You said that you don’t care who wins so long as she’s the strongest.” Thalen pursed his lips.

Having intelligent friends certainly came with downsides. I scowled. “I have my reasons, and I don’t recall needing to justify myself to either of you. Now go. There’s an excellent dinner you could be partaking in.”

Silus and Thalen exchanged looks. Thalen hopped up and marched to the door. “Black currant wine or dark spiced mead?”

“Black currant wine for me,” Silus said, tipping his head in Thalen’s direction.

Both looked at me. I glared in response.

“Black currant wine for you too then.” Thalen nodded. He opened the door and called out the order for dinner to be brought to the nearest servants.

Once the door was closed again, I pressed a hand to my temple. They weren’t wrong. I’d broken my own rules. The memory of Briar's face as she fell, the way my body simply acted without thought, jolted through me. “You two should have dinner elsewhere.” Still, I sat on the couch. The soft leather sighed beneath my weight. My insides twisted.

“I suppose we could have dinner in the banquet hall. Silus and I could sit in the vacant seat and rotate through your candidates.” Thalen winked.

Silus scoffed. “I’d rather die by a thousand cuts.”

“Very well. I’ll rotate. We’ll find you one nice cozy seat. I know exactly which oneyou’dprefer.” Thalen waggled his brows.

“I’ve never pretended to enjoy rotations or social events,” Silus said. “Unlike some, I never claimed to trust Fate.”

Thalen placed a hand on his chest with a flourish. “You’re so right. Always the honest one, Silus. Like you, I would never interfere with Fate…unless it was entertaining. Or involved getting even with one of my enemies. Or could spite someone who annoyed me.”

“By your definition, all of that would be entertaining.” Silus rolled his eyes.

“So it would! Really, spite can make anything entertaining. Don't you agree, Vad?”

"Go jump in the void," I growled.

"All right, but answer me this." Thalen placed a hand on my shoulder, his demeanor startlingly serious. "If I do, and I fall…will you catch me?"

“Don’t make me use the same spell I cast on the candidates.” I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in them. “There’ve been so many times that I wanted to, and if you don’t shut up, I’ll actually go through with it.”

"Please do." Silus steepled his hands. "Start with Thalen."

“Feck both of you.” Thalen glowered.

"We should give Vad some grace. He has a bridal competition to manage. Not that he cares about the outcome enough to intervene-—oh…wait…"

For what felt like the next hour, both tormented me ceaselessly. Mostly Thalen. But Silus encouraged him. Few things had delighted them this much since I’d face-planted on the ice when I’d failed to shadow port out of the sliding labyrinth.

At last, the servants brought dinner. Though it was not the full feast that had been prepared for the contestants, it was the best parts: crispy roasted duck with plum sauce, purple carrots glazed with butter and ginger, mashed turnips baked with brown sugar, black sesame tahini, candied orange slices, black cherry pistachio salad, roast trout wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with rosemary and lemons, and blackberry cloud trifle.

---