Page 23 of Protect Your Queen

It was the first time I had seen him smile. Maybe he had smiled at Callum as they had their small talk in the office. But the genuine, wrinkling in the corner of the eyes smile? This was the first one I’d seen.

“I did okay?” she asked, and I couldn’t tell if she was fishing for a compliment or not. Did she genuinely worry that she had done badly?

“You were brilliant.” Jareth flagged down a passing waiter as she lowered herself into her chair. I tucked the seat under her legs as she sat, and the action took her by surprise because her eyes flared, staring up at me. I sat down beside her as Jareth continued, “It was like watching you play Annie in Manila again, do you remember?”

She laughed a little, “God, that was such a terrible wig.”

“That was the first time we realized that you were a star.”

It dawned on me that these two did not have a relationship like me and Elyse. We had a relationship that was forged by fighting over the piano or camping in the living room. It came from birthday parties and shared family holidays.

Jareth and Jestiny had something else entirely. It was almost hierarchical. Like a distant father and daughter, where the kids were raised by nannies or something like that. They longed to be close but weren’t.

After the moment passed, Jareth looked at his watch, then took a final gulp of his drink.

“I have to go,” he announced. “Jorik is fighting in two hours.”

“Can I come?” Her eyes were wide and hopeful.

He tapped her on the forehead with his long index finger.

“No, little one,” he almost laughed. “You can’t be seen in an underground fight.”

Jareth suddenly looked at me, as if he had forgotten I was there. Was his involvement in the dubiously legal, but highly profitable Underground MMA ring a secret? Sure, no one could everproveit. No one could ever prove anything with the Underground, even though it was an open secret. How involved were they? I wasn’t sure.

Jareth must have decided to ignore me. He shook his head and looked back at his sister. I wondered how he wasn’t able to see how she brought her shoulders back and blinked, hiding her disappointment behind high, impenetrable walls.

“Enjoy the rest of the show,” Jareth said, patting her shoulder. “I’m so proud of you.”

I think that if he had said that first, she would have glowed at his compliment. But he had tainted it, by being halfway out the door.

He was oblivious, as he smiled down at her and patted her back. Then his face changed, becoming serious and threatening as he looked at me. “Don’t let her stay out too late.”

“He’s not my babysitter.” Jestiny clutched the hem of her skirt, testing the tinsel strength of the threads as she pulled it apart.

She couldn't be mad at who shewantedto be angry with, so she’d turn all that laser hatred on me. I was the whipping boy; a verywell-paid,whipping boy.

Jareth turned away right as she reached out her hand, tugging at his sleeve.

“I want to do my concert here!” Her eyes were frantic. “Dryden wants to do it at the Hollywood Bowl, but I want to do it here.”

Her eyes were wide as Jareth stared at her, his brows furrowing.

“Please?” she added.

That must have been a word so far out of her vocabulary that it made Jareth pause. He leaned down and kissed the very top of her head. “I’ll get it handled.”

He turned towards the exit again, but she didn’t let go of his arm.

“Will you be here?” She was braced for disappointment. Her shoulders were high, her face turned down staring at the table in front of her. It was like she was waiting for someone to dump a cold bucket of water over her head.

“Me, and Jazz,” Jareth said, looking impatiently at his watch. He was going to leave it at that, but took one look at her face, and added, “Jomari and Jorik too. You want anyone else? Tell me, and I’ll get them here.”

I wondered who else she might want outside of her family. Was there a boyfriend? A best friend? A fifth-grade music teacher?

Her fingers loosened on his sleeve, leaving wrinkles behind. Her lips spread slowly into a smile that she tried to hold back. She coughed the smile away like she was afraid to be happy.

“That’s more than enough.” She looked up at her brother and nodded. “Salamat po.”

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