Page 39 of A Bargain with the Fae King

Even so, the reactions of those around me say much. He must be monstrous, even worse than those they fought here in the clearing.

“And such a pretty little human she is.” Laughter flutters through the air.

My body stiffens. Me. Oh God, he’s talking about me. I cling to Riven with a desperation I never expected.

A resigned sigh slips over me. I’m awash in honeysuckle as Riven places a gentle kiss on my head. His arms loosen around me.

No.Please, don’t let me go, my body cries out as the safety of his arms retreats.

Riven tugs me to his side, one strong arm around my waist. His shoulders are squared, back straight, amused mask back in place as a grin pulls at his lips.

“Sigurd.” His voice fills the name with casual indifference, as if he hadn’t just been stunned into silence at the male’s sudden appearance.

Ambrose steps back to flank my other side, providing a view of the fae standing next to the ruined corpse of the eagle.

My mind had constructed him into a monster of a man, or rather, fae. Excessively tall, bulging muscles, sadistic, wild eyes, and a maniacal grin. I’d even given him horns.

He’s none of those things.

Tall but not excessively. The way his clothing drapes about him speaks to strength, but it’s lean, agile muscle, not the body-builder bulk I’d envisioned. Dark hair crowns his head in a slightly messy wave, curling about his ears. The cut is much shorter than Riven’s and many of the other fae, though he and Riven look similar in age.

If Riven’s eyes are emeralds, Sigurd’s are sapphires, shining out of his pale visage with an inhuman glow. Those sapphire eyes snap to mine. The glow flares before dimming out.

A grin spreads across his handsome face. “There we are.”

It takes everything I have not to hug my arms about myself and hide from his piercing gaze.

“What do you want? Showing yourself in my territory like this,” Riven demands.

Sigurd’s lips twitch as he brushes invisible lint off the dark material of his overcoat. Black? Navy? It’s impossible to tell in this light. “I was curious what the Unseelie were up to.”

An involuntary shudder rattles through me at the mention of those monsters.

Riven’s fingers tighten on my hip in response.

“Then there’s no need for you to still be here.” The amusement fades from Riven’s countenance, his words turning sharp.

“You don’t want my help? Though it would be easier to offer if my eagle had not been treated so poorly.” He gestures to the body of the bird on the ground, the one I still refuse to look at too closely.

“You have others.” The dismissal is too casual for the brutal death. “Besides, what did you expect when you used it to spy on us? Especially in my territory. Leave us. You’re not welcome here.”

“Still? After all this time?” Hetsks. “I do have others but not here. It may take some time for them to arrive with my guards. If you accept my offer, that is.”

“No.”

“Really? What would Evelyn think if she knew you’d let a poor human get taken by the Unseelie?”

Riven hisses. The fae guards around us tense. Even Ambrose adjusts his stance and reaches for his sword.

Something foul slithers in my gut at the female name. I lean away, suddenly uncomfortable pressed against Riven’s side. He’s not mine, not really, no matter what we bargained. Even so, the thought of him with someone else makes my blood simmer.

“You don’t get to speak of her,” Riven all but snarls.

Sigurd’s lips pull into a frown. My stomach twists. Whoever she is, Riven cares about her. Sigurd as well.

“Perhaps the human should decide.” His gaze slides to me, the grin returning. “Lia, wasn’t it?”

“How do you know—” The words spill out before I can check myself.

---