Chapter 13

Stay.

I did my best not to read into it, but it was a struggle. Even if it was only because I was a better—or at least, safer—option than Tavaris. I would be having words with Damen after this about how these candidates were being determined, because I strongly felt that a greater level of discernment was required.

"How much did you know about Tavaris prior to sitting down at this table?" I asked, suspecting I already knew the answer.

"His name." Tallulah's cheeks went pink. "And that he has a nice house? Not that I care about that," she added quickly. "That information was just made available to me."

I grunted in irritation. Not that Tavaris was rich—he was. He'd recently inherited an impressive estate and was presumably in the market for heirs, which was undoubtedly why he'd insisted on being on this ridiculous list in the first place. But that simply wasn't enough information for Tallulah to be provided with.

Unfortunately, I was a nobody and my opinion was worth less than nothing, so I doubted the queen would take it well if I voiced that.

"What did you say to him to get him to stay away?"

"Merely that I would be here." My presence was usually plenty of a deterrent to keep Shades away.

Tallulah looked at me warily over the rim of her goblet, as if trying to figure out what it was about me that was terrifying. It was wrong of me not to explain it, not to lay out in detail that I wasn't scary, I was repulsive—but my ego wouldn't let me say the words out loud.

"Is that something you intend to keep doing?" Tallulah asked mildly.

"Yes. If these suitors of yours have got any sort of spine to speak of, they shouldn't have a problem telling me where to go," I groused, immediately squashing the desperate, primal instinct to pull Tallulah into my arms and remind her who she belonged to.

I didn't have that right.

But it was made exponentially harder when Tallulah's scent sweetened, a hint of desire mingled in with her pleasure at that answer.

Outwardly, she scoffed, giving nothing of her feelings away. "Yes, I'm sure they'll all feel perfectly comfortable telling the giant, brooding Guardian of Darkness to get stuffed."

Judging by her tone, she hadn't meant the description as a compliment, but I took it as one anyway. Guardian of Darkness had quite the mysterious ring to it.

"Do you really want to settle for a mate who isn't brave enough to stand up to me?"

She mumbled something into her goblet, something that sounded like, "I don't want to settle at all."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "This is just a favor for the king and queen. I'm meeting Shades for them."

"And no part of you is hoping that you might meet someone you actually like?"

I picked up the top plate, filling it with a selection of delicacies from the tray in the middle and passing it to Tallulah before repeating the process for myself. She nibbled daintily at the edge of a cake, watching me through narrowed eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe I did think that. Now, I'm thinking of focusing more on healing my inner child and loving myself."

"Those sound like good uses of your time, too."

Tallulah laughed, though she did her valiant best to suppress it. "You know we're on a date right now."

"It does appear that way."

"That's something new and different for us."

I hummed in agreement, trying to make sense of her tone. It almost sounded like that was something she'd wanted. That I'd been the one denying it to her.

"This is someone else's date. If it were my date, I would have waited for you at Elverston House, told you how magnificent you look—you do, by the way—and brought you somewhere far less… on show than this."

A faint blush stole across Tallulah's cheeks, and her scent sweetened again in spite of the irritated glare she was trying to maintain. On reflection, I had never complimented her as much as I should have. I'd been physically attracted to her—to the point of madness—and I'd lazily relied on that to demonstrate that I found her beautiful.

I wished I knew what I was doing. I had almost no experience in anything that even resembled flirting. And yet… would it have been so hard to just say the words too? Why hadn't I done that? I could have given Tallulah that.

"What have you been doing today?" I asked, knowing that once I happened upon the right topic, Tallulah would lose herself in the conversation.

"Spending time with Iris, mostly. Getting her set up."

"Is she settling in comfortably at the palace?"

I fancied Tallulah looked a little gratified at the question and cursed myself silently again for not taking more of an interest in her life and friends in the past. I hadn't even known the name of that ex-Hunter when I'd found her half dead in the in-between.

"Yes, I think so. She didn't really have a lot of the stuff she needed, so I went through it with her today, making lists of what we had on hand and could provide, as well as a list for Astrid to take with her on her next supply run."

"I'm sure Iris appreciates all your help." My chest was tight, the overwhelming affection I felt for Tallulah coming back in full force at the reminder of her kindness.

She was just so very good, right down to her soul.

"It's nothing, really. Damen has really taken it upon himself to help her get settled in at the palace."

"Damen?" I repeated doubtfully. I knew him well enough to know Damen had it in him to be decent and helpful and generous. Usually, he just… didn't bother. I supposed he had no need to—his life was going to be comfortable and easy either way.

"I was surprised too," Tallulah admitted. "He needed a little encouragement, but he's really stepped up."

"And who provided him with that encouragement?" I teased.

Tallulah groaned, hiding her face in her hands, and peering out at me between her fingers—impossibly endearing, as always.

"I don't mean to insert myself into the middle of everything, I swear. It just keeps happening to me."

I hummed. "Or perhaps you struggle to walk away from a problem if you think you can fix it."

Whether that problem was old curtains or broken Shades.

"Maybe," Tallulah agreed softly, finishing her wine before setting the goblet down. "I should go. Ophelia is probably losing her mind over there, wanting to know what's going on."

I nodded. "Until your next unsuitable date, I suppose."

Tallulah's laugh was a little shaky as she stood. "Until then."

As dangerous as it had been for my peace of mind, the "date" with Tallulah last night had settled something inside me. Perhaps it was just that the way things had ended between us still felt so unfinished that I'd needed that one last time to sit down with her, and see her face, and hear her voice.

It had to be the last time, though. If I had to interrupt a date again, I'd do it from afar.

There was a faint vibration in the air, a reminder of the loud buzz that had once filled the in-between back when all of the portals had been active. I followed the pull toward it immediately, pushing past Shades who had been passing through the in-between, and paused at the sudden change in the air.

It was only one portal. It was probably the same situation as when Austin had arrived in the in-between, before I'd started my shift and the other guards had been slacking. But it could be something else, too. Perhaps Iris was one of the ex-Hunters that their council would take up arms to steal back.

Three Hunters walked through the now-active portal—two men and a woman. The woman appeared to be significantly younger than the other ex-Hunters who'd moved here, and she was the only one I didn't distrust on sight. Her scent was tinged with a slightly sour nervousness, but there was a layer of bright excitement beneath it, and her smile was open and friendly.

The men were more… shifty.

"I'm Sebastian," one said, pushing his blond hair out of his face as he stepped forward with his chest puffed out. It was a look of self-importance I recognized well from my brothers. "Sebastian Taylor. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

I stared at him in silence for a long moment. His eyes wouldn't be able to make out much, but they'd certainly see the glow of my eyes. "No."

"Never mind," the woman said hastily, stepping forward with a nervous giggle. "I'm Cora. This is my brother, Lochan. We're so happy to be here."

"Are you?" I murmured. I could see the resemblance between them—they had the same dark hair, brown eyes, and similar features. But Cora's expression was open and honest, and Lochan's was anything but.

My stalling had paid off. The hum of the now-functioning portal had attracted the attention of everyone passing through the in-between, including some members of the Guard. "I will take you to the king. Remove your bags and jackets, and empty your pockets," I ordered, watching them closely. It wasn't a foolproof defense strategy, but the darkness worked to my advantage and likely gave them a sense of security they hadn't earned. If there was even a flicker of hesitation on their faces, I would see it.

They were either honest or skilled, all three of them instantly following my instructions and handing over their possessions to the waiting members of the Guard who'd moved in to assist.

"Tell them to hide Iris," I murmured, only barely getting close enough to say the words quietly, since the guard was busy trying to get away from me.

He nodded, sprinting ahead, and the other members of the Guard formed a loose formation around us—with a wide berth for me—as I led the trio to the portal in front of the palace, taking my time to allow the news to circulate.

All of the key decision makers in the realm had already gathered on the palace steps by the time we emerged, looking down at the newcomers.

"Absolutely not," Astrid said as I stood off to one side, alert and ready to intervene in case of an attack. "Send them back."

"Do you know them?" Captain Soren asked his mate.

"That one is Verity's ex-boyfriend," she said flatly, staring down a pink-cheeked Sebastian. "That one is a Council bootlicker, and the biggest narc I've ever met," she added, more derisive this time as she glared at Lochan, who narrowed his eyes right back. "And I don't know her."

"I'm Cora, the narc's little sister," Cora supplied cheerfully.

"And what, precisely, are you doing here?" King Allerick asked, angling himself in front of his wife so she was obscured from view.

"We're a peace offering," Sebastian said, spreading out his arms wide as though it was obvious.

"I think we should kill them, to be safe," Astrid suggested, turning to speak to the royal couple, though not troubling to lower her voice.

Queen Ophelia laughed a little too loudly. "She's joking. We don't kill peace offerings."

"The Astrid I remember didn't joke," Lochan replied with a frankly astounding amount of smugness, considering who he was talking to. Then again, he and Astrid had always been on the same team. He'd never had a reason to be afraid of her before.

He probably should be now. Astrid was a fierce warrior, and thus far, didn't appear to be afraid of anything.

"Speak about me like we're long-lost buddies again, and I'll cut out your tongue," Astrid said calmly. Lochan smirked at her, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Why don't you elaborate on the peace offering thing a little more?" Ophelia suggested, looking to Sebastian for an answer.

"Sure. I'd love to do that. It's just… Where's Verity?"

To my surprise, it was Damen who answered. "I strongly suggest for your own safety that you don't ask that question again. My brother is a possessive mate, and ill inclined to control his temper."

Sebastian paled before attempting a relaxed smile. I wondered if he knew that his acrid scent gave him away.

"It's pretty clear that the Hunters' plan wasn't working. As Ophelia—Queen Ophelia—pointed out, fear is part of the balance. She said removing the Shade presence would be shortsighted in the extreme and, well, she was right. Things have been…"

"Wrong," Cora volunteered when Sebastian's silence extended. "Just wrong. There's been a general air of wrongness since the portals closed—like the very air itself tastes strange."

"Can you see why we might have reservations about believing you?" the king drawled.

"Absolutely." Sebastian nodded enthusiastically. "That's why we're here. We are at your mercy, all but helpless in your realm, ready to prove our intentions are honorable."

"And those intentions are?" Damen laughed. "Find Shade mates of your own and make a home here? Make your own personal contributions to our power stores?"

"Yes," Cora said with a decisive nod of her head.

Her brother shot her an appalled look. "If that's what it takes. But we're here first and foremost as a delegation on behalf of the Hunters Council. We want to work together, to find long-lasting solutions that benefit everyone—Shades, Hunters, and humans. Sebastian and I have been given considerable decision-making power in this regard so that we are able to negotiate without constant delays to get feedback."

"I might be more optimistic if they hadn't sent a lawyer and a PR manager," Astrid muttered. "Why are you here, Cora?"

"Because I wanted to come, and my brother isn't good at saying no to me."

Lochan's expression, and his scent, soured at this—I suspected because Cora was speaking the truth. It certainly seemed as though she'd talked him into allowing her to tag along, and he was frustrated with his decision.

At that moment, Tallulah and Meera edged to the front of the crowd, and my focus shifted from the new arrivals entirely to Tallulah. She looked so beautiful in her dark green dress and her hair elaborately tied up with a ribbon, as she hesitantly glanced between the new Hunters, the royal contingency, and me.

"You're here to… negotiate?" Meera asked warily. "On behalf of the Hunters Council?"

"We are." Sebastian nodded earnestly. If he was an actor, he was a good one. "This probably won't surprise you, but there have been plenty of mixed reactions to the Council's edicts, and those who felt that their strategy was… short-sighted and ill-advised have become the loudest voices."

Tallulah and Meera exchanged guarded looks, and I desperately wished I could climb inside her head and see what was going on in there.

The king and queen made their way over to where Tallulah and Meera were standing, speaking in low voices. I shifted around the edge of the crowd, hoping it looked like I was just circling the new arrivals for security purposes and not so I could eavesdrop.

"…not mention Iris. Would you be comfortable with them staying at Elverston House?" Queen Ophelia asked them. "Or you two could move into the palace for the time being? We're not sure it's a good idea to have them in the palace, though. Obviously, we need to be careful what information they are exposed to until we know if their intentions are genuine."

"I'm more inclined to keep our enemies closer," Tallulah said, though she looked cautious. "If they're in Elverston House with us, we're in a better spot to assess their intentions."

Meera nodded. "It would probably be wiser than leaving them to their own devices."

"That's irrelevant if you two don't feel safe and comfortable," the king interjected. "We can easily set you both up in the palace and assign guards who are allowed on the grounds of Elverston House."

Tallulah shook her head, looking more determined this time. "No, it's better if we do it. They're more likely to slip up around us, and we'll have a better idea of what to look out for."

"If you're sure," Queen Ophelia said sternly. Why wasn't anyone asking me if I was sure? Because I was not. I didn't want Tallulah around this at all.

It physically hurt to hold back my opinion, but I wasn't entitled to give it. If only my head would get the message it was over, because it certainly didn't feel over. It felt like there was an invisible string connecting us, and while the edges had frayed a little, it hadn't snapped yet.

For the briefest of moments, Tallulah spared me a glance that was entirely honest, and just for me. A wide-eyed hint of the worry that plagued her, despite her best efforts to hide it. But then she pulled herself together as though it had never been, straightening her spine and smiling determinedly at the royal couple.

Of all the cruelty I'd experienced over the years because of my lack of horns and the disappointment I'd caused my family, not being able to walk up to her and pull her into my arms at that moment might have been the most agonizing blow.

And she'd allow it, which almost made it worse. The Shades closest to me shuffled away with as much discretion as they could manage, a reminder of why this connection between us—as amazing and right and perfect as it felt—could never be.

I'd ruin her.