Page 44 of A Hint of Delirium

I shook my head. “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” I admonished with a smirk. “No longer doing the Queen’s bidding, eh? What couldpossiblyhave made my little brother so defiant?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Alec,” Ansel gritted between his teeth, trying to look past me and avoid eye contact. But I knew his tricks all too well. “I don’t have the orb. If I did, I would’ve taken it to the Seelie Queen immediately. You know that!”

“Do I?” I raised a questioning brow. “It seems I don’t know who you are anymore.” I eyed him up and down, taking a good look. He looked the same, yet … something was off. “What would make you turn on your own people … your own family?” I muttered mainly to myself as I observed him.

“I’m not turning on my peopleormy family,” he growled in frustration.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “You’ve been hanging around Vi a lot lately. Growing attached and …”

He tensed but didn’t say a word.

I smirked. “I never thought the love of a woman – ahumanone, at that – could make one turn like this unless …” My eyes widened at the realization, and they darted in Ansel’s direction. “Unless she’s carrying the orb!”

“You’re delusional.” Ansel rolled his eyes and looked away, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

“You’re so obvious, it’s pathetic,” I snorted. “Thisis how you plan to keep her safe? You can’t even lie to your brother!” Not that hecouldlie to me. Seelies couldn’t lie. Neither could the Unseelie. He could deflect, but he was never good at that, either. At least not with me. “So the orb just fell into your lap … just like that, huh?”

“You don’t know anything,” Ansel snarled as he pushed off the wall and stalked toward me. “Stay away from her.”

“Are you kidding?” I chuckled. “Vi is now my new best friend. Why don’t we go say hi?” I extended a hand and opened a portal, grabbing my brother’s arm. I tossed him inside and jumped after him, emerging inside the piano bar. Fortunately I’d had the foresight to glamour us so no one would be startled by two people suddenly appearing in the middle of the room.

I scanned the restaurant until I saw Vi in the far corner, her eyes wide as she witnessed our entrance. I smirked at her and placed a finger over my lips, telling her to be quiet. She snapped out of her shock and continued to take the order at the table where she stood.

I knew there was something different about her the moment we met. So she wasn’t a halfling after all – she was carrying the orb. But was an iron anklet really necessary? It seemed a little like overkill. She was merely a vessel for the orb, and a human vessel, at that. The orb wouldn’t work on her. She wouldn’t be able to absorb any of the elemental powers.

“What are we doing here?” Ansel gritted through his teeth, grabbing my arm.

“We’re here to see our little host. Isn’t she adorable?” My gaze tracked her around the restaurant.

“I won’t let you take her,” he growled. “You’ll do that over my dead body.”

I looked over at Ansel and saw the barely restrained fight in his eyes. He would go down swinging for this human girl. Why? What was it about her that made him go against everything he had ever represented? I turned back to Vi.

The longer I stared, the more I saw the allure. The full bow lips, the amber flecks in her brown eyes, the regal cheek bones with which most fae were blessed. Long, firm legs that any ballerina would envy. A firm, full ass and breasts …

She was actually much more attractive than a typical human.

Could it be?

23

ANSEL

Iwatched Alec carefully as he observed Vi’s every move. Since the moment he met her back at my apartment that first night, he’d been fascinated by her, though it wasn’t for the right reasons. He was curious about her because of me.

I’d never gotten involved with a human before. We learned from a very young age to keep ourselves separated from them. Relationships with humans were strictly prohibited to limit the amount of halflings. I’d never been one to break the rules, so this infatuation … intrigued my brother.

“I’m warning you, Alec,” I said once again. “Don’t you—”

“You know I have to take her,” he interrupted, swiveling his attention back to me. “The Unseelie King wants the orb.”

How much could I trust Alec? Could I tell him the truth and trust he would help me? There was a time when I wouldn’t think twice about it. But now? I wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t care what the Unseelie King wants,” I said adamantly. “She’s not leaving the human realm.”

“Did you forget, brother?” Alec raised a brow. “Vi and I have a bargain. She owes me her time.”

Damnit. I’d forgotten all about it.

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