Page 16 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
“If I don’t sing my praises, who will?”
“All those sycophants who flock to you for gold and influence, I’d imagine,” I whispered. The last thing I wanted was more people gossiping about The Huntress and what she said to men who didn’t deserve it. But this was an emergency.
He barked a laugh. “Gold was made to be used.”
“You sure love to use it,” I muttered, watching closely as the almost imperceptible tension in his shoulders eased.
“Everyoneloves gold, Huntress.” He nodded at one of his underlings, who rushed forward with a fresh glass of something amber and pungent that Fabrian polished off in one big gulp. “You’re not paying and feeding your people with smiles. The Protectorate vaults are filled for a reason.”
They weren’t, but nobody–nobody–needed to know that.
“Even so, the Serpents are richer than the Protectorate,” I said evenly.
“Much, much,muchricher. I can buy you three times over.”
My nostrils flared. “Perhaps. But you can’t outpower us.”
“Yet.”
“Is that why you want to ally yourself with us through this marriage?”
His gaze slashed my way, before that oily grin returned with a vengeance. “Why, I do it for love, of course.”
It was a struggle not to roll my eyes. “We both know you’re not the romantic type.”
“People change.”
People like him didn’t. “When did you fall in love with Evie?”
“When we met.”
“What do you love about her?”
“She’s nice.”
Evie truly was nice–nicer than Clan life demanded–but Fabrian couldn’t have known that from the few short weeks that had passed since he’d “saved” her.
“Nice?” I asked just as my father approached his own seat in the first row, right in front of me.
He raised his brow my way, as if he already knew what I was doing and cautioning me not to. I gave him a tight smile and averted my gaze.
Time was ticking.
“Yes, nice,” Fabrian said with a bite, polishing off another glass, fingers holding on so tightly against it they turned white.
He truly was nervous.
I leaned toward Fabrian, barely moving my lips, my father’s stare heating up the side of my face. “Do you really want this?”
“Your sweet words in my ear? I could get used to it–with the proper incentive.”
“You should be doused in unspoken water.” My upper lip rose in disgust. “You’re marrying my cousin. You’re literally standing at the altar.”
He shrugged. “Evie knows who I am. I don’t plan on changing, married or not.”
Loathsome little–
I took a deep inhale and closed my eyes, trying to quiet the storm. Fabrian was horrible, but if growing up around Silas’ unsavory self had taught me anything, it was that some people–no matter the rank, the riches or the righteousness–needed to feel important.
