Page 109 of Crown of Briars
Stones, why were we both sopetty? It was embarrassing.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. There were far more serious matters to be concerned with. We were both being absurd.
“What are we going to do about Warwick?” I asked.
“We?” Varius repeated, eyebrows raised.
“Yes,we. He poses a problem for both of us.”
Varius rubbed his chin. “I need to have him killed.”
I stiffened, though the statement shouldn’t have been surprising. Warwick was too dangerous. And I would certainly sleep better knowing he was dead. “How?”
“I know a skilled mercenary who can handle brutes like Warwick. I just have to ensure it’s done quietly, so the soldiers don’t revolt.” His gaze darkened, his brows drawing together. A muscle feathered in his jaw, and I knew he was thinking of how his own men had betrayed him. How many more were working with Warwick? Would Varius have a civil war on his hands?
“And what about… Chesser Road?” I asked quietly.
“I’ll have guards watching the area in case Warwick’s contact shows up. But, hopefully, with him dead, the plan will not move forward. If his contact suspects Warwick was caught, it will throw a wrench in their plans.”
“That’s a lot of assumptions,” I muttered.
Varius spread his hands. “There is not much else I can do, unless you can provide me with answers as to why your kingdom is working with the fae.”
I grimaced. “I still don’t know the answer to that.”
A tense silence fell between us. Varius watched me, but there was no accusation in his gaze. Instead there was something softer. Something that made my stomach churn.
“Are you going to take my blood now?” I asked, trying to ignore my racing heart. “I’d really like to get some sleep.”
Varius made a gruff sound before stepping toward a small desk in the corner. From one of the drawers, he withdrew an empty vial, then approached me. The anger brimming in his gaze told me it would not be a good time to tell another joke.
So, I remained silent, drawing up the sleeve of my cloak once again.
Varius held my gaze, his eyes never leaving mine as he drew closer to me. My pulse thrummed at his nearness. I was keenly aware of the wings still spread behind him, partially blocking the light from the sconces.
“Do your wings expand only when you’re angry?” The words left my lips before I could stop them.
Varius’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
I shrugged. Once I’d started, I couldn’t stop. “I was just curious if it was only anger that drew them out, or… other emotions.”
Stones, what the hell was I doing? The adrenaline from our argument and my lack of sleep must have addled my brain.
To my surprise, half of Varius’s mouth quirked upward. “If you want to know what my body can do while in the throes of passion, wife, all you have to do is ask.”
My face flushed, but I forced myself to hold his stare, refusing to back down.
He stared right back, his eyes glinting with a hungry heat that stirred something low in my belly.
“Did you know that some fae can smell arousal?” Varius asked, his voice low and sultry. The sound made my insides coil tightly.
I forced myself to adopt a calm and apathetic expression. I lifted an eyebrow. “Really? Well, then you must have smelled positively filthy at the revel.”
His eyes flared wide for a brief moment, and then he barked out a surprised laugh. It was such a loud and boisterous sound that it caught me off guard. I couldn’t help but grin right back at him. There was something endearing about the way his eyes crinkled at the edges. The look of delight on his face made him seem youthful and full of life. So unlike the brooding king I’d grown accustomed to.
“You are full of surprises,dannahla.” He grasped my arm, then drew a small dagger from his belt.
“You won’t use your claws?”
