“I should get ready for the court meeting,” she insisted.
I cleared my throat.
“Right,” I said. I stood up and backed away from the bed. “Of course.”
“But thank you, Malachi. And thank you for saving my life today. Again.”
“Anytime,” I replied. Jade smiled at me before heading to the bathroom, leaving me alone in the bedroom.
CHAPTER 17
Jade
“How does it look?” I asked Malachi. He was standing in the corner of the room, his massive black wings tucked behind each shoulder blade. He had changed into a sleek black t-shirt and jeans, which matched his wings and his hair.
A Prince of Shadows, indeed.
“You look fine,” he said, although I could tell he didn’t even bother glancing at me. Since our encounter earlier, he had been ignoring me completely.
But maybe that was for the best.
I had let myself forget who Malachi really was. I had let myself fall for his soft touch on my leg.
Saints, I had nearly kissed him.
Malachi might have been my husband, but he was still fae. And I was still trying to survive.
I looked at myself in the mirror, smoothing down my black corset and matching skirt that fell past my feet. “How the saints am I supposed to fight off an attacker in a skirt like this?”
His shoulders shook in laughter in the mirror’s reflection, but he still didn’t meet my gaze. “Your five minutes of training won’t help much anyway, princess.”
Jackass.
The nerves in my stomach were enough to make me want to vomit, but I didn’t dare tell Malachi that.
Show no weakness, as he said. Yield no mercy.
These fae weren’t about to see me cower.
I took a deep breath and let go of the nerves. I was a survivor. A fighter. “Let’s get this over with,” I said, turning from the mirror.
Malachi looked up for the first time since I got dressed. His expression was blank, which made me more nervous than if he were pissed off. “Don’t forget what I told you,” he said in a low voice. “Keep quiet.”
Warning laced every word. I just nodded.
He looked at me, eyes finally moving from my face, landing on my new dress. I had never worn something like this. My gown at the wedding had been a singular piece of fabric that flowed with my body. This dress was thick and structured, and I couldn't take a deep breath without my chest nearly spilling from the top.
He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but we were both interrupted when the bedroom door creaked open.
Serefin.
“I’m here to escort you, my lord,” he said in an unusually polite voice. Malachi nodded, as if the two of them had done this dozens of times before.
Whatever softness had lingered in his gaze disappeared. “Let’s go, Jade,” he said in a voice that was rumbling with power. He didn’t wait to see if I followed him before storming out of the room and into the hallway.
“You look beautiful,” Serefin whispered to me as I forced my feet to move. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
Was he talking to himself? Or me?
I didn’t dare to ask. Just kept my mouth shut as Serefin guided me behind Malachi, his prince and my husband, the heavy pit of dread in my stomach growing with every step.
Malachi
The scent of Jade’s fear was about to rip me apart. She knew just as well as I did that if the people in this room wanted her dead, they just might be able to succeed.
Every ounce of my body was on alert. I wasn’t going to let anything surprise me. Prepare for the worst, always prepare for the worst.
For all I knew, we were walking into a death trap.
I couldn’t even look at her, but I heard her and Serefin’s footsteps echoing behind me until we were standing right outside of the solar. I could hear the voices of the others already inside.
We were the last to arrive.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn’t going to happen again. I was going to protect her.
I had to.
Without thinking, I slipped my hand into Jade’s. We had to appear united in front of the court. We had to at least pretend to act like a couple.
Jade just stood next to me, a quick flash of shock on her face before she covered it up. Burying it deep down where it couldn’t hurt her.
Good. She couldn’t afford to feel anything. Neither could I.
I balled my free hand into a fist, nearly piercing the skin on my palm. Serefin nodded at me once before pushing open the doors.
My brothers were seated in the center of the room, around my father. They didn’t even glance at us as we walked inside.