AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zylus bristles, muttering, “He’s spoopy. I am, on occasion, easily spooped.”
Ollie laughs, all dimples and shining, beautiful things. “Willoughby can do the investigation for you if it’s too hard on your nerves.”
Zylus sags, peak distress. “I do wish she would stop visiting him without telling me. I jolt awake every time she comes home smelling like concentrated terror.”
“That should teach you to sleep so soundly in sun spots when she is wont to wander.”
“Says the man whose mate has been accompanying mine on such outlandish jaunts as of late.”
Ollie squeezes my hand. “I don’t have to like it to accept that the last thing I want to be is a controlling—”
“Save the language for your brothers.” Zylus yawns again. “You couldn’t be an—” He swears. “—if you tried.”
“The sentiment is appreciated.”
Zylus dips his chin, sighing as we come upon the crack in the stone that leads to the palace throne room. Pixies dart through the air around us, balls of iridescent light, chirping tiny words and beating singing wings.
I pinch one finger to my ear as the sounds gnaw on the center of my stomach.
“Sorry,” Ollie whispers. “They are a little much when you’re still getting used to the full breadth of your heightened senses.”
I exhale. “I wanted to kill the fridge last night, but this is worse.”
“We won’t have an electric fridge once we figure out where we want to move.”
“Thank goodness.”
“Hey,” Zylus calls, voice as smooth as melted butter. “Calm, please.”
The little creatures settle onto branches like Christmas lights, giving me blessed moments of peace as we enter the cavern passage.
“Do my brothers know about Brittny?” Ollie asks.
Zylus’s blue eye cuts my way. He shrugs. “I’ve not asked Cael if they’ve given any indication during correspondence.”
“If they do know, it’s the difference between all of them showing up or just Markov with Brogan and Wolfgang.”
I choke on a laugh.
The men look at me.
“Sorry. Sorry… Two of your brothers are named Brogan and Wolfgang?”
Ollie blinks. “Suffice to say, our parents were equal parts creative and lousy with names.”
“How fast could information spread to Russia?” I ask.
“Given the fact I made a certain type of name for myself and upon your appearance took to publicly removing my availability in as loud a way as possible…” Ollie runs his thumb against mine. “I have no idea if they care enough to put the pieces together.”
“Word travels well enough,” Zylus says as we reach two guards with gold-lined cheekbones, silver eyes, and plumed helmets stationed before the throne room entrance. “But it is true that I have never known the others in the Talon family to care…”
The guards’ gazes flick over us half a moment before returning to glare ahead, so Zylus pushes open the doors…into the chaos of court.
Chapter 32
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Consider my expectations thoroughly thwarted.
