Page 514 of Flirting with Darkness

“Unlike most mortals who enter our world…A queen has to come willingly.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did. You called me. You wanted to come with me.”

“No,” I shook my head, but the refusal seemed empty; Tor just looked amused.

“Why can’t you marry him?” Tor asked. “To save your people. It would be the noble thing. But also, the prince is handsome. Charming. Powerful. It shouldn’t be a hardship.”

“I don’t want him.”

“You’re as stubborn as you were as a child.” He sounded exasperated.

“So are you! And as pompous, too.”

“Pompous?” His eyes widened in surprise.

“Arrogant,” I added.

He caught my chin in his hand and tilted my face up to his. “Was Iarrogantto think you needed me when that mortal dared to attack you? Was Ipompoussaving you from those low Fae who wanted to turn you into stew?””

“I didn’t ask you for anything!”

“You don’t need to,” he said coolly. “I’ll always see your needs, Bethany, and I’ll always make sure they are met. Even if you marry the prince. You’ll still be mine.”

My lips parted in surprise.

This his mouth pressed mine. It took me a second to process that Tor was kissing me. His lips were soft and tender, only one side working in that half-frozen face. But that didn’t change the heat that washed over my skin as his tongue teased against the seam of my lips.

I resisted, and then my lips parted, my entire body giving way to him.

Voices rose far away in the garden. He froze, and the sense of danger that had just suffused him made me freeze too.

“You can’t be seen with me,” he said. “Everyone knows you belong to the prince.”

“I do not,” I said indignantly, but he was already melting back into the shadows of the garden.

“Don’t worry, I’ll rescue you if they try to eat you.” He whispered, and I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me or if he meant it.

Then he reached out and wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me with him into the shadows.

Three Fae girls kept up a steady stream of chatter as they strolled through the garden arm-in-arm. I felt an unexpected longing at how close knit they all seemed to be; Vivi and the other servants had seemed like the best of friends too. I’d never had friendships like that. Maybe I’d tried too hard to hide.

“I can see why she would be with the Tor, but I can’t imagine why the prince would be with her.” One of the girls wrenched down a piece of shiny red fruit from a tree, then examined it critically.

“She and Tor are much better match in terms of physical appearance,” another snickered, her long purple hair cascading over her shoulders. The first girl tossed the fruit to her, and she caught it and took a bite.

“She’s uglier than sin,” the third said. “At least sin is entertaining. She seems so dull.”

Tor’s arm tightened around my waist. “Ignore them. They’re not worth violence.”

Violence had not occurred to me.

“They don’t matter,” Tor whispered. “You are perfect just as you are.”

And there in the shadows with him, no matter what anyone else thought about us, for a second it felt like I was home.

Then the girls went on. Purple threw the fruit back to the first girl, who added, “They’re only a match physically.”

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