Page 29 of The Nightbound Soldier

“Can you clarify why she is necessary?” I bite out, unable to hide my agitation. Fleur cannot be anywhere near the Winter Court this mating season. The tensions are too high, the risk to her life too great.

“She’s popular among the fae, a guarantee of good times and safety. If she attends and sends out invitations for my winter solstice celebration, people will come.”

“She won’t do it.” I have no idea what Fleur will do.

“My mate will ask her.”

“The fae kingdoms will clash if something happens to her.”

“Nothing will happen to her, General, because you will personally guarantee her safety. Consider it an audition for the protection of my child once she’s born.”

I chuckle. “You seem to think I’m one of your subjects.”

“You are for as long as you’re in my court.”

If I shared my blood with him and ended him, I could make him one of mine. But I think he might be provoking me, testing my control, testing to see if I’ll snap the way he might. “Nobody needs two unhinged powers in one court,” I tell him. “You can trust I’ll always act in the best interest of undead magic. If you think the Summer princess will bring your people back together, then she’s just another blade in our arsenal.”

“Precisely,” he says as he retreats into the shadows.

I reach into my pocket and take out the strand of hair. I lay it over my knee and start braiding it while waiting for my males to return from hunting to tell them the good news.

We secured a stronghold.

All we need now is the undead army.

What we need not is a pretty princess getting in the way.

13

FLEUR

The funeral on Evie’s estate went as well as expected, with many relatives vying for the riches and threatening Evie’s position in society. If she doesn’t mate soon, no number of connections to the royal family will help secure her position.

Before passing, her father amended his will and put restrictions on Evie’s inheritance. If she doesn’t marry by winter’s end, she’ll lose her home and title.

I want to help her find a suitable match, but it’ll be much more difficult now that our court is out of the mating season. More difficult, but not impossible, and I must come up with an idea before Evie’s spirits deflate as the time spent idling lengthens.

My friend deserves her inheritance, and she would hate depending on my charity or, worse, have to marry someone she doesn’t love.

It’s past twilight by the time I walk into my bedroom and sit on the edge of the mattress. I close my eyes and send a prayer to the fate who sees all that will come to pass (who happens to be my friend Augusta) that she will deliver me something tonight, because I’m out of ideas and time and hopelessness is starting to take hold after we failed to reach an agreement with Evie’s relatives.

They’re descending on the estate like vultures. She doesn’t even know half the cousins claiming blood relations now. Standing with a sigh, I stretch and collect my hair up into a bun. As I do so, the figurines Nottuza has been leaving on my nightstand catch my eye. I pick up one of the four figurines, disappointed he’s stopped visiting and then annoyed I’m disappointed about not getting night visitations from a dangerous notturno.

And yet, I wish to see him again. I wish his cold lips would descend on top of mine.

The golden buttons of the small figurine’s red uniform coat are painted in a perfect round circle. One would think it was made by elven hand, but I know elven work, and this isn’t it. Either Nottuza is buying them from the fae toy makers or crafting the soldiers himself.

And then gifting them to me. At night. It’s both creepy and exhilarating. Daring as fuck. If my brothers found out I have nightly visits from a male neither of them knows anything about, they’d lose their minds.

I drop the figurine into the pocket of my fluffy, dark blue robe that hangs over the portable dresser and walk behind the partition to sort through my wardrobe. I miss my designers, tailors, and crew. Picking out a wardrobe for another formal dinner where Evie’s large family will surely attack her again is a chore.

I don’t wish to go.

But I must, for I talked Evie into attending. She can’t seem weak. She must face them, appearing as if she’s certain of her position. Easier said than done, even when I’m by her side. Which is why I won’t leave her for the Summer Court, even though I have obligations.

A little black dress catches my eye. I slide it off the hanger and put it on, then walk back into the room and run into a fate.

I screech and backpedal, the partition curtain falling as I stomp on it.

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