a brilliant smile for his queen.
“Brother, it’s good to see you again.” The other voice sounded familiar. Brea turned to find a blond man leaning against the terrace railing. “The last time I saw you, you were rather in a hurry.”
“Lochlan, don’t be such a stick in the mud,” the queen chastised. “We simply couldn’t allow my niece to end up in the hands of your queen.”
Brea looked from Lochlan to the queen and back to Griff.
“Brothers?”
Chapter Eight
Griffin’s lips flattened into a thin line, and his brother didn’t seem any happier to see him. Brea couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that the two men who’d tried to kidnap her from the human world were related.
“Impersonating a police officer is a crime.” The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them, and her cheeks flamed at her stupidity. He’d been trying to abduct her and take her into this whacked out world. He didn’t care about committing human crimes in a world that wasn’t his own.
Neither brother spoke as they stood in a silent stand-off.
When the queen clapped her hands together, they all jumped. “That’s right! I forgot you already met my dear niece.” She turned to Brea. “Darling, this is Lochlan O’Shea. You may call him Loch.”
“She may not,” the man in question snapped.
“Oh, don’t be such a bore.” She rolled her eyes in the universal expression of men! “Don’t let Lochlan scare you, niece.”
“What are you doing here?” Griff spoke like his brother was the only person on the terrace.
Lochlan’s jaw clenched. “My queen sent me.”
His queen. Griff mentioned Lochlan worked for the fire queen of Eldur.
“Ah, yes.” Griff dropped into a chair beside Brea’s aunt. “How is Queen Faolan? Still bent on destroying Fargelsi?” He shook his head and turned hard eyes on his queen. “He shouldn’t be here. Eldur is no ally of ours.”
“Forgive Griffin.” Aunt Regan folded her hands in her lap and looked to Lochlan. “Sibling relationships can be difficult.” There was a sadness to her eyes Brea wondered about. Did it have to do with her mysterious fae father?
But she couldn’t ask.
Lochlan pushed away from the railing, his cold gaze skittering over Brea, sending a shiver down her spine. “I told my queen this mission was a mistake. Our talks have gotten us no closer to a deal today. I will leave you to your…” His expression darkened. “Family reunion.” With that, he turned away.
“The queen has not dismissed you,” Griff growled. In all the time she’d spent with Griff, she couldn’t remember ever seeing him so tense.
Aunt Regan held out a hand toward Griff, palm up. He placed his hand in hers. “It’s okay, Griff. Lochlan, you may leave us.”
With a grunt, Lochlan stormed past the guards at the door and disappeared. The tense air choking their gathering dissipated, and Griff’s shoulders dropped.
“Niece.” Her aunt smiled. “Please, take a seat.”
Brea lowered herself into a tiny chair she worried would break if she so much as shifted. Yet, it seemed to hold the larger Griff just fine. Servants descended on them, setting silver teacups in front of them and pouring steaming tea that smelled of oranges.
Needing something to do to quell the nervousness inside her, Brea reached for a pastry only to have her hand slapped away by a servant who used silver tongs to place food on each of their white china plates.
“Ana,” the queen chastised.
Ana, a slight woman with tanned skin and caramel colored hair bowed her head in apology. “I’m sorry, your Majesty. Truly. Don’t… please… I didn’t mean to cause offense. You always tell us no lady should serve herself. I just…”
The queen’s eyes flashed green. “You may go, Ana. Do not touch my niece again, or we shall have a problem.”
Ana scurried away.
Throughout the entire exchange, Griff stared down at his plate, almost as if he were willing himself not to see the cracks in his liege’s kind demeanor.
Brea watched the door Ana had disappeared behind. “It’s okay, A-auntie. It was my fault.”
“Brea, nothing that happens in this palace is ever your fault. As a Lady of the court, you will grow used to that.”
“But I’m not a Lady. I’m just a farm girl from Ohio.”
The queen smiled. “I thought Griff would have explained your importance by now.” There was admonishment in her voice.
“I did,” Griff grumbled. “She just refuses to see herself as special.”
“That’s because I’m not.” Brea took an abnormally large bite of her pastry to keep more words from tumbling from