want it. Quit bringing it up.”
“No need to growl, grumpy bear.”
I laughed, a hoarse, grating sound. “I thought I was a wolf.”
“It changes moment-to-moment,” she replied. “And you’re not, you know.”
“A wolf or a bear?”
“An idiot. You’re a very intelligent man. One of the smartest men I’ve been privileged to meet.”
That struck me dumb, for sure. And humbled me. “I can’t even read a kid’s book, Lia.”
She shrugged, the movement wisping silk and the warm curve of her breast against my bare arm. “Intelligence is more than reading. Or knowing the composition of vurgsten. How many people have devised a way to infiltrate Yekpehr and rescue captives there?”
“I had a lot of help, and good luck.”
“You have a talent for picking good people, and we make our own luck.”
“You definitely sound like Ambrose now.”
She laughed, a warm purr of delight. An archway ahead glowed with brighter light streaming through blossoming vines hanging over the opening. “Are you ready?” she asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” When she gave me a dubious look, I patted her hand. “It’ll be fun.”
Laughing together, we parted the vines and stepped through into the Night Court of Calanthe.
9
Though I’d never before set foot into the Night Court, I’d heard plenty. My ladies had regaled me with salacious stories, partly to give context to gossip they imparted, partly to entertain and educate me. If worse had come to worst—and at that time we’d thought the worst would be me marrying Anure. Ha!—then no one wanted the queen of Calanthe to be ignorant of the basic elements of human sexuality.
As much as I’d teased Con about being shy about what we’d see, I surprised myself with a hint of nerves. Ridiculous, after what I’d been through, but I supposed I was as innocent in some ways as Con was. Both of us had been locked away from the normal explorations that young people engaged in. An unlikely pair of virtual virgins, we were—and out for an evening of pleasure for the first time in our lives.
“This is like a date,” Con said with some surprise, and echoing my own thoughts.
“I suppose that’s true. Though we’ve gone about it entirely backward.”
He stopped in the arcade draped with white lilies and fairy lights, turning to face me. He held my good hand in both of his. “I would’ve wooed you, Lia, if I could have. If we’d been born to a different world.”
“I’ve thought about that,” I confessed. “That there’s another time line where Anure never happened, and Crown Prince Conrí of Oriel came to Calanthe to court Me.”
“You told me once that, in that time line, you might have said yes.” He seemed to be holding his breath, this big, rough man with the soft heart, who fretted over being unable to read.
“I might have,” I answered airily. “After I strung you along for a while, and made you suffer to prove your undying passion for Me.”
“Seems like I’ve been doing exactly that,” he said, not joking at all.
I sobered. “Unfortunately true. I shouldn’t have made light of it.”
“I don’t mind. You know I love that wicked sense of humor of yours.” He didn’t move, his face very serious. “I love you, Lia.”
My mouth went dry. “I know.”
“Marry me again. We’ll do it right this time.”
At least he hadn’t waited for me to say the words back to him. “I don’t think there was anything wrong with the way we did it last time. Marriage bonds aren’t meant to outlast death.”
He shook that off. “I mean a big deal, with actual guests, and a celebration afterward.”
“Guests like your sister?”
He cleared his throat, nodded. “Yeah. That would be nice.”
Nice, perhaps—and an unlikely fantasy. “Let’s talk about it after all this is done.”
Giving me a long look, not at all deceived by my deflection, he turned and tucked my good hand in the crook of his arm, holding it there where I could feel the flex and play of his muscle, the heated skin, wiry hairs, and occasional rough scar. Real flesh and blood. Mine … for the moment.
“Your Highness, Conrí.” Lady Delilah, queen—though not officially—of the Night Court, spoke to greet us. She’d been waiting at the entrance. No doubt her network had informed her the moment I stepped into the guardian maze. Delilah curtsied deeply, an impressive feat, given what she wore. Structured like a gown of the sort I used to wear regularly, this had the steel boning of a corset, panniers, and a bustle, all on display over