Page 143 of Curse of Darkness
“Maybe,” Thiago says, the word a thrust.
They both smile.
29
“I’m going to kill her,” I seethe, my skirts rippling behind me as I pace our rooms.
“No, you’re not,” Thiago says, unbuttoning his coat.
“How can you be so calm?” I demand, turning on him.
“Because now we know what she’s up to. Now we can counter her claims.”
“How?” I retort. “They’re true. We did steal her crown. Her tree burned. You might have attacked one or two Asturians on their way out of there.”
“The court case is a sham,” he murmurs. “She knows that if we really want to play this game, then we can bring our own cases against her.”
“Amaya.” It would give us the right to have attacked Mother back. But it also opens May up to investigation. And sets up an entire outpouring of dirty little secrets, nasty little lies. It brings too many others into it. Andraste. Edain. The attack on Ceres. It would mire us here for weeks. Maybe even months. Maren would love every second of it. I turn to the mirror, ripping several jeweled pins from my hair. “What do we do?”
Thiago comes up behind me, curling his arms around my waist as our gazes meet. “This is the opening gambit. We remain patient. And we work with Lucere and Kyrian. We don’t need to break her case, Vi. We just need those two to vote with us. And we’re already halfway there.”
I wrap my arm over his, leaning back into his embrace. “Lucere is a fragile ally.”
“True. Getting Baylor into her camp gives us some leverage though.”
My eyes narrow. “He’s not going to bully her into voting for us. He won’t do that.”
“He doesn’t have to.” Thiago kisses the side of my neck, and then turns to pour me a glass of wine. “Lucere is a lonely woman whose grandmother isolated her. She’s jealous of everything you have, but she also apparently… likes you. And you’re right. Baylor is loyal and true. He has very strict moral grounds. He’s protective. Kind. Good-looking….”
I stare at his back, my mind chasing itself down several alleyways. “That’s what that whole meeting in the cave meant? You being the aggressor and painting me as her protector? Her friend? You wanting him tostripin front of her?” My eyes boggle. It’s a devastatingly clever game in hindsight. “Does Baylor know you’re dangling him in front of Lucere like a carrot?”
“Baylor has some idea, yes. He’s not an idiot.”
“And he agreed to this?”
“I’m not asking him to do anything other than guard her.”
“He has the poetic qualities of a rock,” I point out.
“I didn’t send him there to seduce her,” Thiago replies. “Especially not in his current form. I sent him there to protect her. If he saves her life once or twice, I’m fairly certain he won’t need to seduce her with pretty words.”
I stare at him, all of it dropping into place in my lap.
An enormous, protective, honest warrior.
One who doesn’t play games.
One who doesn’t lie.
One who will kill to protect her.
“You evil man,” I tell him, hitting him with a pillow from the bed. “That is absolutely diabolical. And it could backfire on you spectacularly. What if he denies her? Or says something utterly Baylor-like?”
“Why do you think he’s in wolf shape?” Thiago asks. “He can’t speak right now. Or be seduced. And he’s very furry and warm when he sleeps on the end of your bed. What woman does not want a sexy shapeshifter protecting her?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I truly hope you’ve got something more than that.”
Thiago captures me again, kissing my cheek. “I’m working on it.”
