Because you’re unhinged.I don’t say it aloud.

“But if someone did happen to come across us,” he continues. “I suppose this would come in handy.”

He blinks away and back so fast that my body doesn’t have time to register the lack of him holding me. When he reappears, he’s holding a pretty dagger with rubies encrusted in the silver hilt.

I open my mouth to object that I don’t know how to use it, but the words cut off in my throat. Maeve taught me the theory, just like she taught me how to defend myself. Of course, my old lessons were short and hindered by my ‘illness’, but I do remember what she said about where to strike.

I have a feeling, in a real battle, that won’t help me much. They’re not going to stand there and wait while I count their ribs and try to remember which ones I was supposed to stab between to reach the heart.

“Drink up,” he encourages. “This is incredibly romantic, right? I’ve even brought dessert. We can stargaze while we wait for the fun to start.”

Goddess, this male’s definition of fun might just kill me.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this,” I murmur, hugging the dagger to my chest. “Can I just go—” I cut myself off, hating the sad puppy look which crosses his face.

“I’ll protect you, pet.” He tips back his own glass of wine, then takes off his hat and throws it up in the air.

When the red disc lands, it’s morphed into an incredibly wide-brimmed hat made of soft fleece, just like a blanket. Lore tucks it around our entangled legs and encourages me to lean back against him.

“Do you want to learn some of the constellations of faerie? That one up there is Vanderil’s Schlong—everyone else calls it his dagger, but let’s face it, that’s just a euphemism for dick. That one to the left of it is the nine whores—they’ll try to convince you they’re ‘maidens,’ but honestly, if they’re hanging out next to a giant dick, there’s no way they’re maidens.”

My cheeks burn until I just can’t hold it in any longer. A snort-giggle bursts from my lips. I’ve never heard anyone talk so… crassly before. Well, aside from Maeve, and even she watches her words around Titania and Mab.

Lore continues narrating the various constellations to me as I slowly relax into him. True to his word, he brought two slices of delicious cake to go with the wine, and he feeds me a piece, bite by bite, as he speaks. Before I even realise what I’m doing, I’ve started to doze, lulled by his warmth and the feather-light touches of his fingers in my hair.

Without meaning to, I fall asleep.

“Shh,” Lore croons, untucking his cap from around me. “I just need to borrow this for a second pet. I’ll bring it right back.”

I blink my bleary eyes at him, frowning at an unusual shadow across his cheek.

No. Not a shadow.

Blood.

I jolt upright so fast my head spins, taking in the carnage. Blue body parts litter the ground, and the earth is soaking up their blood like a sponge. My picnic blanket is the only thing which is untouched by the gore.

Almost like Lore was making a statement with his kills.

“How did I sleep through this?” I whisper, nausea pooling in my gut.

“Fae wine and an assassin who’s good at keeping death quiet?” Lore volunteers whirling his cap in his hand until it shrinks back to its regular size.

He bends over and dunks it into the still spurting jugular of a Fomorian closest to me, and I watch in grim, rapt fascination as the cap… drinks.

There’s no other word for it.

The cap absorbs the blood with wet, squelching noises which should turn my stomach, but I’m too enthralled by the process to care. Lore waits a few seconds before moving across to the next Fomorian, and then the next.

When he’s done, he plops the hat back onto his head like he didn’t just bathe it in the open wounds of his enemies. He holds out his hand with a small bow.

“I’m sorry, pet. Next time, I promise to save one for you. But you just looked so cute sleeping…” He trails off, and I blink as I realise he’s deadly serious.

He expects me to be sad that I missed out on this. Instead, I feel curiously… numb.

No. Not numb… safe.

Am I in shock? Is that what this is?