She scoffed. “How noble of you.”
A feral sense of competition creeped into me. Jade was challenging me. She was challenging my words. Stupid, stubborn human. I rolled off the bed and walked around to her side, inches from where she sat. “Would you like to see what the fae really look like, princess?”
She swallowed once.
“Or are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” she answered quickly.
I stepped closer, looking down to where she sat on the bed. “No?” I teased.
Jade lifted her chin and stared at me with those big, endless eyes. “Let me see,” she said.
I couldn't tell if it was fake confidence or simple arrogance.
But I didn’t care. If Jade was going to survive the night, she was going to have to learn what she was up against.
With a single breath, I dropped the glamour that was concealing my fae characteristics. The glamour that hid my large, uniquely black wings. The glamour that hid the points in my ears.
Jade’s eyes widened. I growled and spread my wings, nearly covering us both with the sheer size.
“Well?” I asked. “What do you think?”
Her eyes dragged across my torso and drank up every new detail. She wasn’t afraid like I had expected her to be.
No, she was feeling something else. She stood from where she sat on the edge of the bed, her head just meeting the top of my chest despite the fact that she was tall for a human.
Slowly, Jade smiled. Wicked curiosity washed over her face. “They call you the Prince of Shadows for a reason, I see.”
“They call me that because of more than just the color of my wings, princess.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “Don’t call me princess.”
“Why not? Like it or not, that’s what you are now. Princess of Rewyth.”
“Let’s just worry about surviving the night first.”
“You doubt my abilities to protect you?”
“I doubt my safety in the presence of fae.”
The silence that rang though the air said more than I could form with words.
Jade still didn’t trust me. I guessed that was fair.
But we had a few hours to go until sunrise, and it was her and I in this room alone until then.
I moved my wings in a motion that blew her hair across her face.
She gasped and scrambled to get it out of her eyes while I laughed.
“You think this is funny?” She snapped “You really have fun toying with worthless humans, don’t you?”
“Calm down, princess. We’re both in a shitty situation here. You might as well lighten up.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Serious as ever.”
“Please explain to me, prince, how this could possibly be a shitty situation for you? You basically get hand delivered a wife, a party thrown in your favor, and eligibility for your own Kingdom. What part of that is shitty for you?”
I stepped back, finally putting some distance in between us. “It’s complicated,” was all I had the energy to say.
“Right; because your dumb human of a wife can’t understand anything complicated.”
“You really should get some sleep,” I said, walking to the other side of the room. “I’ll wake you if I hear anything.”
To my surprise, Jade actually got back into bed. It had to be from pure exhaustion, because Jade was too stubborn to do anything I suggested.
I listened to her breathing as it slowed.
It was only after I was sure she was asleep that I turned around to look at her.
I smiled when I saw her curled up in my bed, clutching the knife I had gifted her as if it were her only hope in this world.
CHAPTER 9
Jade
I woke up with a panic. Sweat dampened my forehead. Falling asleep was certainly not part of the plan, especially when my life was at risk. But I was still holding my weapon, my wedding gift, which was a good sign.
Perhaps Malachi let me keep it in case we were really attacked here tonight. Or maybe it was because my little knife was nothing against a fae. Maybe he knew I wasn’t even a threat against him with it.
I sat up and caught him already staring at me from the chair across the room. “You snore,” he spat.
Ignoring him, I flung the blankets off my legs and stood up. Although I didn’t remember getting under the blankets in the first place.
“It’s been quiet so far,” Malachi continued. “No sign of anything unusual. Serefin is still outside the door. Nothing from him, either.”
I nodded and folded my arms across my chest. Malachi was still shirtless, and his black wings hung casually off each side of the large sofa.