Page 39 of Faking with the Fae King

We settle on the couch in front of the TV, and I turn on the latest reality show while we eat. The soup is salty and rich, thick with lentils and hunks of vegetables, the carrots surprisingly sweet.

In between crunching his peanuts, Finn barks snarky comments about the contestants until he makes me laugh. Then he curls up on my lap and demands scratchies, his contended purrs thrumming through me.

It’s nice, having someone else here. It makes me realize ithad been a little lonely before.

You could have invited your fiancé in, a little voice whispers in my head. Then you’dreallynot be alone.

Fake fiancé, I reply. Fake, fake, fake.

Just like my butterflies, the voice totally ignores me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Severin

“Excellent news,” Varyn says the next morning, striding out from behind one of the trees beside me.

Having felt his approach, I don’t startle or take my eyes from Hannah’s cottage, which I’ve watched over all night to ensure she’s safe.

“Did you find a baker?” I ask. There’s only so much lumpy porridge a man can eat before going on a villainous spree, after all.

“No, but it’s almost as good.”

Not fucking likely.Nothingis as good as brownie bread.

“Shadow got the orcs to agree to open a pub in Ferndale Falls.”

“This is good news.” I can’t wait to tell Hannah.

“I also have a couple of cu sith interested in the bodyguard job. Where should I bring them?”

My shadows stir, having sensed movement. I wave him to silence and refocus on the cottage.

The front door opens, and Finn comes racing out, making the thin shadow stretched across the bottom of the doorway twang in alarm. He gives several yips before disappearing into the trees.

Hannah follows, wearing a green top the color of maple leaves in the sun. It looks lovely on her.

My shoulders ease. There’s no way Meloria could have made it through my shadows without me knowing—I wove an extra tight protection around every access point—but that’s not the same as seeing Hannah safe.

Her friend, the short blonde, pulls up in one of the mechanical contraptions humans love and waves from its open window.

“Thanks for this,” Hannah says, getting in on the other side. “I left my car at Town Hall yesterday and forgot until this morning.”

“Please, it’s not a problem. The library’s the next building over.” The vehicle rolls backward.

As soon as it drives off, I pull all of my shadows back to me and form my wings. “Bring the bodyguards to Town Hall as soon as you can.”

Varyn rises beside me. “You’re going to keep watching her?”

“Of course.” As I lift above the trees, I search for the car. “I have to keep Hannah safe. My arrangement with her is still the only reason we’re able to be here on Earth.”

“Is that really the only reason you’re doing it?” he teases.

I scowl at him until he smirks and flies offtoward the waterfall. Then I yell, “Get me a baker!”

An hour later, a pixie finds me where I perch on the outside sill of Hannah’s office window, held in place with shadows. I magicked myself to be invisible, but used a low-effort spell meant only to fool humans. The tiny fae spots me easily. He flies off, only to return a few moments later with the pixie leader and several of the flock, who carry a square paper box only an inch high.

“King Severin,” the head pixie pipes, “we bring you a gift.”

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