Page 20 of Kiss the Filthiest King

It’s not his fault I disliked him from the moment I first heard of him. My sister killed herself to save him, and he didn’t stop her.

I realize I’m not being fair. From what Valdred described, he didn’t have a chance to do much.

“How is she?”

“Asleep, still. She was always a light sleeper,” I find myself saying nervously. “Us being so close should have been enough to wake her up.”

“Eversleep does that—even a drop of it could send her on a hundred-year nap.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

He shrugs, walking to the other side of the humongous bed.

It’s so large it could comfortably fit a dozen people, plus their cats.

“Ryther was taking a risk. Surely, you’ve heard the tales. It takes true love’s kiss to break the curse.” Loch smiles wickedly.

I blink several times. “Darina doesn’t love anyone.”

Except that’s not exactly true, is it?I think bitterly.

Again, I’m not fair. She loves me. She loves my parents. And yes, she clearly loves her brother too.

“Was he banking on you kissing her?”

Loch sits on the bed, by her side. “He’s her mate. See? They wear each other’s mark.” He points to yet another new feature on my sister’s skin: a tattoo I spot through the slit in her fancy gown. Except it’s not a tattoo, because it’s moving. Crawling up her leg, disappearing through her clothes, then reappearing around her arms.

Oh, wow. Honestly, I can’t picture it. Rina hasn’t so much as ever had a steady boyfriend in her entire life. She scorns the very thought of monogamy, of commitment. And all of a sudden she has someone able to break a curse with his true love?

“At least she chose someone pretty.”

“Right?” Loch laughs. “I certainly would have loved a piece ofthatcake, before he was spoken for by my sister, that is. A little gross to think that way about him now, sadly.”

I’m surprised again. “You sound normal. Modern.”

Everyone else seems to speak like they’re from another era altogether.

“I travel to your world a fair bit for business.”

“Business,” I repeat, wondering what manner of business a fairy could have on Earth.

He shrugs. “Deals. Supplies. We folk are terrible at making practical things. If you want a sword capable of cutting clean through titanium, come to us. If you’re after toilet paper, Walmart is a better bet.”

“You shop at Walmart?”

He grimaces. “Not really. America is too expensive. My business shops at the Walmart equivalent in more affordable countries, and resells the goods here at a premium. It’s rather lucrative. I imported plumbing and many useful amenities centuries ago.”

I admit I’m impressed. “How enterprising.” I clear my throat. “Did you know? What Darina was. Did you?—”

“I went to see her while she was cursed. Not often. That wouldn’t have been healthy. My last visit was almost twenty-five years ago. I didn’t even realize she was awake.”

I nod, because that makes sense. Then there’s an awkward silence and I feel compelled to fill it. “So, when are my parents getting here?”

For the first time, Loch’s eyes cut to me, while they were fixed on her sleeping form.

“I mean, if Rina sent Valdred to get me, she sent him—or someone else—for them too, right? I figured that’s why they weren’t home when I went to see them.”

“Ah,” is all he says.

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