Page 106 of A Bride for the Winter King
Morrigan sighs, her villainous grin faltering as she tightens her jacket around her frame. “Probably.”
“Don’t you dare try and transform, or I swear I will cut off each and every one of your limbs,” Damian growls, his focus unshaken despite the blood streaming down his front.
Morrigan cowers closer to him like he didn’t just threaten to maim her. “A girl knows when she’s been bested. Take me home, then, my love.”
If my relationship with Iris was toxic, these two are on a whole other level. Still, the way she coos the wordhomesends a sickening jolt of doubt through my stomach. I decide not to let Damian yield to her demand. If she’s so eager to be locked in a dungeon, she’ll have to settle for mine.
"I’ll take her into my custody for now." Acid rises in my throat as I shackle Morrigan with solid ice and search her for more jewels. "Until we find her associate, he might return to finish what he started."
I can’t shake the intuition that, if killing us was plan A, going home with Damian was plan B. I’ll share my suspicions with Lori and Damian when the time is right, but that witch certainly looked too happy to get caught.
Chapter 43
Northern Lights
LORI
“Where do you think they went?” Sara asks as she examines the place where the Gray Man and Seth disappeared.
“I have no idea, but wherever they are, I hope Seth is okay,” I answer.
From the strangled, desperate way Seth called out our enemy’s name, I think he finally found his brother. Only a cocky, immortal Fae prince would say that hisbaby brotherhad been taken by Morrigan, and forgo the oh-so-important detail that he was in fact a grown man, but it’s on brand with Seth’s flippant communication skills.
If Ayaan had shown up to that fight only to flee in a cloud of smoke, I would have chased after him, too.
I walk over to Damian to check on his wound, joining him and Elio on the gazebo. “Are you alright?”
Damian grazes the stab wound near his collarbone. “Don’t worry. This is not the kind of venom meant to strike down a Fae King.” He looks to his prisoner. “But there will be time to discuss everything later. In private.”
“Don’t mind me. I’m enjoying this immensely,” Morrigan cracks.
My fellow hunters—Misha, Cary, and Jo—keep an eye on her while we chat, and Jo growls, “Shut up, witch.”
I offer my friend a warm wave. “Too bad Nell couldn’t come along,” I grunt under my breath, wishing she could have witnessed our victory first-hand.
“She stayed home with Cece, to heal her in case anything happened.”
I arch a brow. “Yet you still took that knife to spare her the trouble.”
“Like you said. I didn’t know what kind of venom was on that blade.”
I offer him a soft smile, thinking back to Nell’s comment about Damian being extra-broody. “You won’t be able to keep her locked away and safe forever, you know.”
“You’re right, of course.” Damian scratches the back of his neck. “I’ll take Morrigan away, now, so you two can have some peace for the next part.”
Elio nods. “Take her to the Ice City. Kiro will know what to do. I wasn’t okay with letting her gohome, as she asked. Seemed too convenient.”
“The furthest away she remains from my Nell, the better.”
“I thought you didn’t trust me, anymore,” Elio says on a sad frown. “So thank you for your help.”
“Lori trusts you, and that’s enough for me, old friend.” Damian extends a hand toward my husband, and the two men exchange a meaningful arm squeeze. “I’ll talk to you both soon.”
My chest constricts as Damian, Sara, and the other hunters escort Morrigan off the ice, leaving us behind to fulfill our duty. I brush my hand over the spot on my side where the spider venom used to fester. “We won, and yet she still came out on top,somehow. Look at her, cooing like she’s happy to see her old pal, Damian. You did well to keep her in Wintermere.”
But Elio’s gaze is focused on the well of tears, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, and I realize Morrigan is now the farthest thing from his mind.
I walk behind him and brush his arm. “A penny for your thoughts?”
