Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception #1) - K. M. Shea Page 0,33

second in command. And I was supposed to choose my steward from a group of fae that were convinced they were better than me and were probably going to do their best to fudge my efforts. (Particularly when they found out I was going to sell as much as possible to make up for all the budget deficits.)

I scanned up and down the table, noting the perfect hair, tapered ears, and bronze skin that was the mark of a full blooded night fae.

I tugged on the lace hem of my shirt—a cute, silk blue shirt that I liked because it really brought out the purplish-blue of my eyes—and approached the first applicant. “Hey there! Let’s cut to the chase: do you like humans?”

The applicant, a handsome fae with a dazzling smile, flashed his dimples at me. “Some may find humans intelligent and—”

“Yep, you don’t. Thanks, but I’m looking for an applicant with different qualifications.” I stepped up to the next candidate. “How about you? Do you like humans?”

This applicant, a beautiful female with blond-brown hair, glanced at the handsome fae, whose face had twisted with anger at the fast dismissal. “Is it important for a fae steward of a fae Court to like humans?” she asked.

I gave her a pitying look. “You need to work on your implications—he was a lot more convincing than you were.” I gestured at the still angry first candidate. “Thanks for stopping by, but I regret to say I don’t feel this position is a good fit for you.” Another step and another applicant. “Surprise question: Do you like humans?”

“Yes.”

“Splendid! A follow up question: are you applying for this job with the intention of harming or hurting me?”

The applicant fish mouthed for a moment, shocked by my blunt question.

“I, I,” she said, unable to answer with a lie.

“Ohhh, you were close, but the correct answer is: No. Thanks for applying, though. Good luck next time. How about you, are you applying for this position with the intention of harming or hurting me?” I asked the next applicant, a male.

“You are the Queen of the Night Court,” he countered. “I can’t physically hurt you.”

I stared at him for a very long moment and wondered if he really thought I was that stupid that I only meant physically. “Have you seriously not watched the way I’ve laid everyone before you flat for their wordsmithing? You had longer than them to prepare something. One star—very disappointing. Sorry, but no. I’m looking to move this Court in a different direction. Next!”

One of the female fae jumped from her chair, her slender frame taut with fury. “You cannot conduct yourself in this way.”

“Oh, can’t I?” I batted my eyes at the irate fae. “I was unaware there was a higher power than me in this Court.”

“It lacks tact and elegance,” one of the male candidates sneered.

“Oh no.” I dramatically clasped my hand to my heart. “Not that! How will I function without tact and elegance?” I chuckled to myself, then settled on the next applicant. “How about it? Do you like humans?”

Silence answered me.

I was about to move on to the next candidate, but there was something that made me look at the applicant.

She was different from the others. Her ears were like mine—not tapered at all—but she still had the blessing of fae beauty with her heart-shaped face, button-nose, and high cheekbones.

Rather than the typical bronze skin of the Night Court, her skin was a warm shade of gold. Her hair was pretty different, too. It was a lovely shade of a dark, ashen brown, but it was extremely short for a fae—just a bit longer than chin length—though it was perfectly curled with no amount of frizz my jealous eyes could see.

She’s part human. But someone might have sent her hoping to score some sympathy.

I hated that I even had to think that, but—as the Paragon told me—I was an unwilling participant in a game of power.

My pause gave the applicant enough time to reply. “Yes,” she said. “I like humans and enjoy spending time in the human world.”

Behind me someone scoffed.

“Are you applying for this job with the intention of harming or hurting me?” I asked.

“No,” she said.

“Then why are you applying?”

She hesitated, but her gaze went beyond me, to the other applicants.

I turned around, frowning when I saw none of the fae I had dismissed had actually left. “Since you seem to require elegance in order to understand anything, allow me to express it differently: I