Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
“Thanks.” I slept like crap, but I don’t need to be reminded by Cian. My cousin looks fresh as a daisy. Cian looks every bit the young royal. He’s dressed in casual clothes, but there’s no doubt the man is a king. He simply lacks his throne.
Cian forms the intellectual half of the king. He’s one half of symbiotic twins, a rare condition in Fae royals. He shares a soul with his twin, Beck, who forms the warrior half of the duo. Of the two, I always felt closer to Ci. Cian was my playmate when we were young. Many summers were spent at the White Palace playing with Cian and Bronwyn. My heart clenches at the thought of sweet, mischievous Bronwyn. She’s gone forever, killed by her own uncle’s thugs.
“If it’s any consolation, I think you did the right thing,” Ci says in his musical accent. “None of those women were right for you.”
“My father would disagree,” I reply, thinking about the fight last night. It doesn’t seem real, but my father was serious. I have to get married or get out.
Cian shrugs negligently. “I’ve found parents don’t always know their children the way their peers do. I wouldn’t have picked any of those women for you, cos.”
I’m curious. “Who would you pick? What’s my type?”
“Someone like Meggie,” Ci says. There’s nothing about his attitude that makes me think he is anything but serious.
I feel myself flush. I thought I kept my crush secret.
“Meg isn’t anything like the women I date,” I mutter. Meg is far smarter and kinder than the women I date.
Cian laughs. “No, she isn’t. That’s the trouble. Everyone you meet here is going to be influenced by your name. They might hate you or want you, but somewhere in there, they’re reacting to the fact that you’re Dante Dellacourt, heir to Dellacorp.”
I snort at the thought. I don’t mention that I might not be heir to anything at all soon. “So, that’s the way it is. I can’t fix that problem.”
I’m not going to meet anyone who doesn’t know who I am. Even among the Fae, I’m known as the kings’ cousin. There are few places worth visiting where I’m not known for something.
“Meggie didn’t know who you were, and she couldn’t have cared less,” Cian points out. “She likes you for who you are and what the two of you went through together.”
“She told you about that?” I’m surprised.
Meg and I didn’t talk about the day in the forest when we saved Beck and Cian’s lives. I know Meg still has nightmares about how close we came to losing them. I try not to think of it. That day pointed out all the things wrong with my own life. Meg was perfectly prepared to die if it meant saving her husbands. I don’t have anything I’m ready to die for.
“Of course,” Cian replies with a sarcastic lilt. “I know that Meggie nearly died killing the hag, and you took care of the hag’s wee kitty cat.”
I sit up and point a finger. “Hey, that was a damn vicious cat. I had scars for…well, a couple of minutes. I can’t help it if I heal quickly. I still don’t like cats.”
I shudder slightly. Maybe I did have some nightmares about that cat.
“Nonetheless, your relationship with my Meg is based on mutual affection. It has nothing to do with your wealth or the company. It’s why you’ve spent the last six months mooning over her.”
“Am I that obvious?” I ask, conceding the point.
“Not to Beck or Meg,” Cian offers. “But I know you better than they do. I also know that you’re not truly in love with her. She’s just the first woman who you could be sure liked you for you. You need to find someone who has no idea who you are.”
“And that female exists where?” It’s a stretch to think I’ll find such a woman. I won’t be going to any of the far-out planes soon, and it’s a real hassle to get to the Earth plane. It would require a Planeswalker, and they tend to charge. Those demons don’t accept money, only souls.
“You’ll find her,” Cian says with a smooth smile. I’m glad my cousin is so very sure. Cian sets his ridiculously advanced math text aside and looks thoughtful. “We’re leaving for home tomorrow. Do you want to come with us? We have a meeting with the king of the Unseelie in a few weeks. I’d love for you to be there. You won’t even have to sleep in the barn. We added an extra bedroom. One of these days, we’re going to need it.”
Do I want to meet with the Unseelie? Fuck yeah, I want to be there. If Beck and Ci are willing to meet with King Fergus, it means one thing. They’re willing to talk about taking back their throne. Politics. That really interests me. It also wouldn’t hurt to be gone for a while. Maybe my father will cool down…