3. The Serpents Plus-One

Chapter 3

The Serpent's Plus-One

LORI

A ll mirrors connect us to the sceawere—the space between worlds that allows us to travel to and from Faerie. Equipped with an expansive knowledge of Fae runes and a mask, a magical being can easily walk in and out of different realms—or simply step from one room to another.

The Shadow King's arrival wraps the entire gym in darkness. Damian zooms toward Seth with incredible speed, but right as he's about to grab him, the prince dissipates into an airy mist. The king's arm shoots out toward the space Seth just occupied, and he wrenches the cocky prince out from the depths of his storm magic without hesitation.

"Seth." With a low hiss, Damian flattens his fellow Fae to the wall. "What did I tell you about coming here unannounced?"

I peer through the mesh walls to check on our deadly visitors, scared that the altercation might attract their attention. "Are the reapers still in the gardens?" I whisper to Nell.

"No. They're in the vault now," she answers, her emerald and gold mask tucked safely over her eyes.

My shoulders slack in relief. "This one hasn't stopped talking since you left."

"And what kind of fairy tales did he share with you?" Damian bands an arm under Seth's chin. "You came for the Yule pageant again? I warned you. My hunters are off limits."

I suck an audible gulp of air. Damian looks like he knows exactly what Seth wanted to talk to me about, and a hint of betrayal shows on my face. "You knew about this?"

"I did, and I told him that it's too dangerous."

"It's too dangerous for me to save my brother?" I say, my mouth opened in outrage.

"Your brother?" Damian frowns.

We stare at each other for a breath, and I realize he's still unaware of my brother's troubles. "Let's start again. Seth here offered to help my brother in exchange for my participation in the Yule pageant."

"How is your brother involved with this rascal?" Damian asks, but I shrug off his inquisitive stare.

"You're not the only one who's been keeping secrets."

He gives Seth an inch to spare. "How did you pierce the barrier without tripping the alarm?"

"I snuck in behind Elio, followed Lori, and overheard the single most juicy piece of gossip since my own birth," Seth chucks out. "I'd call that karma." His eyes roam over Damian with a mix of fear and respect. "What happened to you? You look…different."

"Never been better."

"I believe it." Seth licks his lips. "I'm not after your throne, D. I just need to find your phantom queen."

Nell's top lip curls in disgust at the mention of Morrigan's nickname. "She's not his queen."

The Fae rubs the curve of his jaw and corrects himself quickly. " Erm. Not your queen, obviously. Nell here is the only woman in your life worth mentioning. Congratulations on the wedding. I only wish you two the best— Truly."

Damian pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand like he's about to lose his mind. "What am I going to do with you now? It's not like I can just enchant you to forget?—"

Nell places a soothing hand over her lover's arm, and Damian finally releases his unforgiving hold on our visitor. "What can you do for Ayaan?" she asks Seth.

"Keep me around a little longer, and you'll find out." The Fae prince dusts off his jacket and shakes out the assault like he deals with threats and punches every day.

Given his behavior, I believe it.

The tension that had built up and up after Seth had revealed himself dissipates, and the potent scent of cinders—all the shadow magic clogging the air—goes along with it. Damian and Nell have a quiet conversation, the Shadow King and his future queen silently coming to an arrangement that'll no doubt affect Seth's survival chances.

"Alright. You're going to stay here—within Lori's sight—until the wedding. I'll deal with the reapers, and we can chat about the Yule pageant after the ceremony," Damian says. His shadowy aura thickens and drains the light from the room until the darkness becomes suffocating once more. "But if you pressure her in any way, or you say anything out of line, you're dead. I don't care what slippery shape you take, I'll find you. Clear?"

"Oh, I'm taking meticulous notes, and I'm with you. One hundred percent," Seth declares a little too formally. Damian spins around to leave, but the rogue Fae prince calls after him. "To sum up… You're inviting me to your wedding?"

The Shadow King slips his hand into Nell's without looking back. "Behave yourself, Seth, and I won't have to kill you before I leave for my honeymoon."

The bride and groom whistle out through the mirror, and Seth nudges my side. "We'll go together, then?"

Arms crossed over my chest, I raise a brow. "Where? I still haven't accepted your offer."

"To the wedding. Like a date."

My jaw drops, and I can't help but look him over. The damn prince is like a cardboard cut-out of a romance cover model. I can see his fucking abs through his shirt, and his dark skin looks perfectly smooth to the touch. "You just said that I'm a ringer for your cousin ."

He shrugs, his hands tucked in his pockets. "So what?"

The mouth-watering shape of him fogs my brain, but I tear my gaze away. A Fae prince. No , thank you. Sleeping with him would without a doubt ruin me for all mortal men. My last sexual relationship was a long-lasting friends-with-benefits arrangement with a fellow Shadow hunter, so I'm familiar with Seth's no strings attached behavior, but I'm done with all that.

I have enough on my plate.

But the alarm bells ringing inside my head aren't enough to deter me completely. Seth is a welcomed distraction from the ache in my ribs and the unquenched thirst for revenge burning at the back of my throat, and a smile pierces my scowl. "You're a cocky jackass, aren't you?"

He wraps an arm around my shoulders and squeezes me to his side with confidence and ease, like we're already the best of friends. "That I am, Lori. That I am."