Page 61 of The Lord of Whispers

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“Grey’s fine. He can just get a bit touchy about his… perception,” I explained, entering Alarie’s room later that night.

“So, what’s the next move?” she asked, pulling me by my hand to sit on the side of her bed.

“Well, we need to head off any kind of skirmish with the lesser fae in the north,” I said, gracefully falling onto her bed. I absentmindedly trailed my hand over the area where I knew her flat stomach was hiding underneath the comforter.

“You think it’ll come to that? I told you it wasn’t Cass,” she asked, clearly concerned.

“Even if it is not Cass, it was someone. I’ve been telling the King for quite some time that the magic dying in Valencia has placed a lot of unwanted work on the shoulders of the lesser fae. That, combined with the misconception that King Vandros is some kind of champion of the lesser fae, was bound to stir up some trouble,” I continued.

“But he’s not, is he?” Alarie asked, referring to King Vandros. “He’s not some kind of hero for the lesser fae?”

“The Diamond Court is less divided than the High Court when it comes to the lesser fae, or at least it was before the wall went up. And there are more lesser fae lords and ladies at the Diamond Court than there are at the High Court,” I responded.

“But don’t mistake Rex for a good man. I believe even he would tell you he is not,” I admonished. “He is, by far, the most ruthless man I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. In his world, there is only power. And everything else in life is afardistant second.”

Alarie raised my hand to her mouth. Taking the edge of my hand between her plump lips, she grazed her teeth against my skin, trying to pull me back from my anger.

“So, no,” I said, clipped, “Rex is not any kind of hero. But King Heroux’s relationship with the lesser fae is a far cry from perfect,” I admitted.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Alarie asked.

“Lord Dumont is coming to the High Court for talks,” I said.

Alarie was visibly relieved to hear that things were going in the direction of diplomacy instead of escalation. She leaned into me, landing a playful bite on the side of my neck as she did so.

“I have more good news, love. But you must promise to speak of this to no one,” I cautioned.

“I promise, Jay! What is it?” she asked excitedly.

“Grey told me that he and Gloria will soon be engaged.” Alarie’s eyes went wide in surprise. “There will be a year, or perhaps two, of planning and parties, but eventually we will have a queen again,” I said. “It will be good for the Kingdom. The parties and the unity that having a queen will bring.”

“Oh, wow! That’s great, Jay.” Alarie exclaimed, her beautiful face lighting up with a smile. “A royal wedding. We haven’t had one of those in…”

“A very long time, love.” I finished her sentence, pulling her close to me. “You are, by far, the most singular thing I have ever had the pleasure of calling my own, Alarie,” I whispered into her hair.

30

Alarie

Ireturned to the manor to tell Jay that Lord Dumont’s party had arrived at the Court earlier than we had thought they would. I’d waited in the Courtyard, hoping to see Cass’s large frame pop out of one of the carriages containing Lord Dumont’s contingent, but it seemed that Cass was not going to make an appearance at the High Court after all.

I went to Jay’s study, but he wasn’t there. Miffed, thinking for sure I knew the high lord’s tendencies by this point, I made my way toward the library to see if he was in there. I met him in the hallway outside of a large study adjacent to the library, noticing that he was buttoning his pants.

“Jay,” I began, causing him to look up from his hands on the buttons of his suit pants.

Upon seeing me, a forlorn expression filled his face. I furrowed my brows at him, confused by why he was looking at me in such a manner.

In the next moment, Lady Vitruvian pushed him aside, leaving the study after him. Lady Vitruvian’s face was simple, beautiful,and flushed. It felt like someone had sucker punched me in the gut, knocking the breath from my lungs.

Reacting to the look of surprise that briefly appeared across my face before I could regain my composure, the lady added an unkind swagger to her step to confirmexactlyhow she had been used by Jay in the study.

Jay caught my eye, not showing any emotion but silently indicating for me to join him in the library. I followed him into the room we’d spent so many days in together, maintaining my mask of composure, determined not to let the emotions that raged inside of me show on my face.

He’d never explained that that was part of the arrangement, I screamed in my head for being such a fool, for allowing him to make me his fool.

The look on the high lord’s face was not one I’d seen in some time, and when he spoke to me, his words matched his face—the sound and look of my exacting tutor and stoic high lord from our earlier days in this very library.

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