"You humans often tell yourself such charming lies," she said, leaning forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as if she was my mother. "To love is to make yourself vulnerable. I think he would bare his throat for you if you asked it of him." The Queen leaned back again, resettling herself to drape elegantly across the brocade. "Do you truly believe you make him stronger? You are his greatest weakness. What do you think he would do to have you by his side forever? You might end him for me yet, and give me everything my heart desires." Her smile returned with the slow menace of a viper. "Your Dain was far safer before he met you, sweet Leah. The whole Court was."

Protective anger flared at the implied threats, but before I had a chance to respond to that challenge, the door opened, and the colorful forms of the courtiers streamed in, with all eyes on me.

46. An Instructive Meal

Chapter 46

An Instructive Meal

When I asked him about it on the way to the garrison, Dain didn't have any good reason why he'd left me alone with his mother. She was the Queen and she'd given him a direct command, he said, as if that was reason enough to leave me in potential danger. A small line formed between his brows as he said it, looking at me as if I was a problem to be solved, so I stopped pressing him on it. Nothing had happened, and while I'd hated having to face the pointed curiosity of the High Court on my own, probably people had been more willing to talk to me without Dain standing like silent Death at my side.

Alluin and Zhiolas were, predictably, delighted at the news that Dain and I were finally being flagrantly affectionate. The rumor had flown on swift wings; a whole parade of soldiers and garrison civilians stopped by our table in the upstairs bar until, several hours in, Dain battlefield-roared loud enough to get heard by the whole damn garrison party house that "yes, the fucking Beast of Phazikai is in love, alright?", hauled me up onto a table, dropped me into a deep backwards dip, and kissed me passionately to the whoops of the soldiers around us.

Zhiolas laughed until he cried.

Alluin almost choked to death on his drink.

Personally? I fucking loved it.

We did have wicked hangovers the next morning, but the celebration had been worth it, and it was more than nice to know that the armies had our backs. Hungover Dain was also about as pathetic as a wet kitten, growling and snapping at everything while following through with nothing and looking as miserable as it was possible for a person to look, which I found deeply amusing. I still didn't tease him about it, given his dislike of being treated as cute, but in my heart-of-hearts I added it to my stack of delightful Dain facts.