Page 22 of A Bargain with the Fae King

Thecircleoffaesurrounding us constricts. Chatter fills the air. Most of it’s a language I’ve never heard and couldn’t repeat if I tried. I’ve never been one to long for attention. That drama class I took one semester? The worst. Now, everyone’s eyes are on me, and all I want to do is sink beneath the ground and pretend none of this exists.

Riven wraps me in his arms. His chest is solid, warm. But I can’t forget the look in his eyes a moment ago or his pronouncement. The safe cage of his arms is tainted, as if thorny vines have wound themselves through my haven.

“Silence.” Riven’s single word carries a resonance the fae are powerless to ignore.

The quiet that slips over is so absolute I can hear my heart pounding. Hesitantly, I glance around at the colorful assortment of fae, who still look at me as if they could peel back my skin and see within my soul.

“Lady Lia is tired. You shall excuse us.”

Lady Lia?My brows wrinkle.

Before I have the chance to question my title, the world around me shifts and warps. My stomach turns itself upside down and inside out. A sharp screech rings in my ears—my own.

All at once, it stops.

But I don’t. My head spins, and the last remnants of dinner crawl up my throat.

Riven holds me upright against him. “I suppose it can be uncomfortable the first time.”

“Wha—” It’s all I can manage.

“Shifting from place to place like that,” he says, as if we were just having one of our chats and that whole mess hadn’t just happened.

I pull away. He lets me go.

The room we’re in now is entirely different than the one moments ago. The other fae are gone, thank God. A few small flames under crystal globes like fancy oil lanterns provide the only light. Oh and, wow, yep that’s moonlight lancing through the lush trees canopied above us. There’s not a roof here either. What’s with the lack of roofs?

Lavish furniture occupies much of the expansive space–a sitting area with chairs and a small table, an elaborate writing desk, and various other pieces for lounging and storage. Rain should be a problem for a room like this. However, the furniture shows no sign of water damage.

“Your room?” My voice is too loud in the quiet space. Which frankly, shouldn’t be so quiet given there’s no ceiling and the far wall is completely open to a large balcony. Probably more magic.

“It is. And yours for the duration of your stay.”

My cheeks heat, and I whirl on him. “What the hell was that a minute ago? Your, your…” I can’t make the word come out.

“A king?” He raises one careful brow.

I roll my eyes. Arrogant bastard.

“No! I mean, yes, there’s that. But, shit, you asked me to be yourconsort?” My whole chest burns.

He nods, a slow grin spreading across his features. “And you agreed.”

It takes everything I have not to slap him.

“You never, not once, all those times we talked… And then you spring this on me? Here? In front of all those people?” I’m pacing, my nails digging into my palms. At least I can speak again. Crowds always steal my words, but one on one? This I can handle.

“I did what had to be done.”

I skid to a stop. “What the hell does that even mean?”

“I guaranteed your protection and agreed to save your sister. Is that not what you wanted?” His shoulders are slightly slumped. The lust-filled glint is gone from his eyes, and for the moment, he’s my Riven again. Was his attitude in the throne room a mask, or is this? Maybe they both are, and he changes them to suit his needs.

“But the other part. Why do I have to be your…” Shit. My teeth dig into my bottom lip. Why is this hard? It’s not like I’ve never dated before, not that those were shining experiences, but whatever. When he doesn’t immediately respond, I continue, “You really want me? After all I’ve told you?”

Gosh, I can’t even remember the things I’ve told him.

Almost killing May, that’s for sure. We talked about that at length. My guilt, the uneasy feeling I’ve had around my parents since, the pain that stabs through me every time I look at her.

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