Page 74 of The Forever Queen

Lir slowed to a stop but didn’t turn. Not right away. He inclined his head toward her, his shoulders hiking with tension.

“Stay with me,” Aisling said.

You cannot trust him! Anduril hissed loudly, stinging Aisling’s ears. She bit through the pain regardless.

“Stay with me here in my rooms,” she continued when Lir remained silent. “It’s safer that way,” she clarified.

Lir shifted, moving to face her fully. Half cast in shadows, he fixed his eyes on hers. Immediately, her heart took flight and herdraiochtgrowled hungrily. But it was Anduril’s ringing that vibrated through the fabric of the Other with a shudder through her spine. He padded toward her, defeating the distance that once lay between them.

“As you command,” Lir said, bowing his head once more. He, the vision of a noble, humble knight born to serve. And yet, Lir was a king—the high king of all the Sidhe across the mortal plane. He, a legend, a myth, a cruel fairytale nightmare painted in the savage hues of barbaric reds and greens.

Lir reached behind Aisling and grabbed the doorknob gently. The gesture brought their chests flush against one another. He locked eyes with her, tearing himself away the moment the door clicked open and warm light spilled into the corridor.

They both slipped into the room. Lir watched Aisling carefully as she approached the bed, her steps clumsy and ungraceful after too much wine.

“You shouldn’t have drunk so much,” Lir said, standing still at the center of the chamber with his arms crossed. “Especially not now.”

“I’m to celebrate before battle, am I not?” Aisling said, doing her best not to slur her words.

“There are better ways,” Lir said.

“Like being bedded?” Aisling asked, heat creeping behind her cheeks the moment she had. Lir did a double take, ensuring he’d heard her correctly. His expression flashed with confusion, stoically collecting itself once more.

“That’s one way, yes,” Lir admitted.

“Is that what you do?” Aisling asked, Anduril screeching with frustration.

Lir’s eyes widened, his arms falling to his sides.

“I have before,” the fae king confessed. In this light, Aisling couldn’t see his complexion well. But when he stepped to the side, shifting his weight, she saw the crimson tips of his ears.

A strange jealousy burned hot in Aisling’s stomach, crawling up her abdomen and into her mouth till it sat between her teeth bitterly.

“Tell me,” Aisling said. “Tell me what it’s like.”

Lir stilled, his muscles visibly tightening beneath his leathers and armor. His head tilted to the side like a wolf appraising its hunt, but he made not a sound as he considered her. Aisling sat back onto the edge of the fraying mattress and forced herself to keep his gaze.

No, no, no, no!Anduril screamed.You are a weak, pathetic, whore and nothing more but a plaything to him. This is a mistake. A mistake. A mistake. A mistake!

The wine suffocated Anduril’s protests and Aisling’s inhibitions, clouding her mind further. Herdraiochtspun madly inside, propelling her heart as it hammered inside her chest. The room grew several degrees hotter, and the lantern light bled violet.

“I can show you,” Lir said. His voice thick and rough. The fae king moved closer—a tall shadow creeping nearer. A ghost she’d conjured and invited closer. “For the purpose of preparing you for tomorrow of course. Nothing more.”

Aisling stiffened, thedraiochtflaring and biting till its gums bled inside her.

He stood before her. Aisling tilted back her head and stared up at him from where she sat. Nimbly, he grabbed her jaw and got down on his knees so they were face to face.

Their lips were but a breath apart—the smell of him, of alder ciders, of pine needles, of summer breezes, consumed her.

Stop,Anduril pleaded.Please, stop.

Aisling shut out the belt’s words, wrenching her eyes shut and focusing on herdraiochtinstead. The way it moved against Lir’s. The way his magic wanted hers. This was undeniable.

“Please,” Aisling said, barely against his lips. Just out of reach.

Lir’s breath stuttered before he stilled entirely.

“As you command,” he said.

---