Page 59 of Destined for the Fae King

Right. Because that’s the reason, Mira.

“You’re not wrong,” I say at length. “But I still think a hard truth is better than ignorance.”

Lysandir shifts, and I’d swear his fingers inch closer to mine. When did I even drop my hand to the covers?

“I don’t know,” he says. “There are many times I would love to be ignorant. Just for a little while. If pain or disappointment is inevitable, I’d like to be able to enjoy the happy moments before them without the cloud of the future hanging over me.”

Like it hangs over you now?Something does. Maybe his time pushing back the Unseelie.

“Surely not everything you see can be bad?” I say.

He looks at me then, really looks, like he’s trying to see beyond my body and into my soul. I look away, suddenly regretting my question.

“No, Mira,” he says. “No, it’s not at all bad. Not at all.”

“Then you have happy things to look forward to as well, right?”

He smiles but closes his eyes and drops his head. His hair is loose this evening, and some of it slides over his shoulder to shield part of his face. The barest hint of a pointed ear pokes through the tresses. He pulls his arms in front of him and braces his elbows on his thighs as he leans forward.

It’s strange, but the darkness brings out as many variations in his hair as the light, accenting the darker strands and giving a depth to the color that makes me yearn for a red pen despite my dislikeof them. Not red. Crimson. Burgundy. Something darker yet rich and full of life.

Lysandir clasps his hands in front of him and looks over at me. “I suppose I do.”

Another ache pulses through me. Why, oh why, does he look so sad? Because of what I learned about his brother? Something else?

“We were told you were dealing with the Unseelie these past few days,” I say. “Was it terrible?”Is that the reason for your pain?

I want to know. No, I need to know. More than anything, I want to find some way to soothe whatever is troubling him. It calls out like a wound in need of healing, and something tells me he doesn’t have many people to tend to him. He’s shown me care and concern. I’d be a fool not to do the same, my personal feelings aside.

“Terrible?” he says. “I’ve seen much worse. This raid was quick. They seemed to be after information rather than trying to cause real damage or loss of life.”

I lean in, intrigued. “What kind of information?”

“Some of the fae the Unseelie cornered and interrogated were asked about whether there were any unbonded humans nearby.”

My skin turns clammy. “Were there? I mean, they didn’t take anyone, did they?”

“No.” Lysandir shakes his head.

I nearly sigh in relief. To be taken by Unseelie… I shudder. It’s too horrible to consider.

“The humans that come to live here typically have little trouble finding a willing partner,” he says. “In fact, most unbonded never even leave the capital before they secure one. I’m sure you haven’t missed the interest you all receive at events.” A lopsided grin flashes across his features. “You probably aren’t supposed to know the details of the Unseelie raid. At least not yet.”

I make a gesture of zipping my lips, which earns a slight huff of laughter. It would raise way too many questions if I just happened to know things about enemy attacks that the other women don’t. I’m not foolish enough to give myself away like that anyway, but I get the sense he’s not insulting my intelligence, just covering his own bases.

“After we secured the border, we tracked them back into their territory, and—” He cuts off with a shake of his head. “We didn’t find much. I should be disappointed. My brother sees it as a failure. But such offensives fit more with his interests and skills than mine. I’m…” He swallows again, a hint of color rising to his cheeks. He flexes his arm, showing off the lean muscle there. “Vasilius and I are different in many ways, but in one thing we are aligned. We do what we must to fulfill our roles and protect our court. Even if it’s not what we want.”

The pain in Lysandir’s eyes as he looks over at me is all too real.

Fighting goes against his nature, just as marrying a human goes against his brother’s. But both do their duty. They put the court first, no matter what they want.

It’s the most natural thing in the world to place my hand over his and give it a squeeze. The moment we touch, a thrill rushes under my skin. Lysandir jolts, and I think he might pull away. But he doesn’t. The shock in his expression fades as he stares at the place where we touch.

“Mira…” He turns his palm over, and his fingers curl around mine.

It’s so simple, almost innocent, but that touch is everything. My heart swells until my chest aches. My stomach twists in on itself. And the grin that rushes to my face makes all the hurt and uncertainty of the evening fade into nothing.

“I…” I bite my lip, hesitant to break the moment, and then force the words out. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that and that I brought it up.”

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