tumble of blue hair in place. Tiny little sheathed throwing knives with jewels at the top held my masses of hair in an elegant up-do that had taken Sera and I an hour to create. The effect was, mostly, to expose my back, but it also let me wear his gifts.
“Winter at her finest looks less lovely than you,” Eli said, voice nearing reverence.
In fairness, my escort was gorgeous. Eli had elected to dress to his heritage. No glamour. No mortal attire. He was wearing leggings that made clear that his legs were all muscle, tunic, vest, and a circlet crown. The most unusual item was a codpiece that matched the crown. Although the codpiece was barely visible under the tunic, the glint of jewels made it challenging not to look.
“You test my resolve,” I admitted.
“I do try, Geneviève.” He looked me over. “Your loveliness and strength would shame the queens that came before you.”
There was no reply that seemed suitable, so I brushed my lips over his gently and prompted, “Shall we?”
Arriving at the castle again was different. Everything felt different, tonight. This would be our first official outing as an engaged couple. A couple. The mere thought made my stomach twist in anxiety.
“You have been busy,” I said as we parked.
Eli met my gaze. “I wanted to show you that I have no need to take up all of your time, peach pie.” He offered me his arm, and we approached the massive doors. “Being with me will not consume your freedom.”
I nodded.
“It’s not you,” I reminded him. “Any woman would be lucky to be chosen by you.”
He stilled briefly, not quite bringing us to a stumbling halt, but slowing us. “I would remind you that we have a bargain, Geneviève Crowe.”
I winced.
“You are not to be thinking of the future.” He began to walk, and I stayed in step—even when he added, “If I have not satisfied you with my touch or my gifts, you will tell me, so I might correct my errors.”
I blushed despite myself. “You have not failed to satisfy me.”
“You left without word. One might find that worrisome,” he said lightly.
I laughed. “It was that or fear that I’d fail in my own resolve. You are a very thorough lover. Already. Even with . . . not . . .”
The look he gave me was enough to make me well aware of my lack of knickers.
“You are remarkable as well, Geneviève.”
Then we reached the door and followed Eleanor to a ballroom, where we were swept into Beatrice’s soiree. Her attention was drawn to us as if she could sense our arrival. Perhaps, however, that was the ripple of whispers that carried through the ballroom.
I let Eli handle the speaking and mingling. I followed his lead as we danced. I meekly stayed at his side to enjoy hors d’oeuvres—and I slid in and out of the minds of the well-dressed corpses walking around the ballroom. Only about fifty people were present, so the search and scan wasn’t terrible. I was as uncomfortable as a lamb invited to the side door of a restaurant.
“You are a wolf,” Beatrice said, her voice a reminder that she could read me, too.
I didn’t flip her off, but I thought the visual at her and felt her answering laughter.
“Hunt our enemies for me, wolf.”
I hated to admit it, but I was mollified by her faith.
As I let my magic roll out, sliding in and over the cacophony of voices, I thought that this was not that dissimilar to reading the dead in the graveyard. I’d expected minds like the draugr I usually encountered. They were nothing but feral needs.
Unlike the disjointed minds of the newly walking, however, these were orderly minds. Pretentious. Bored. Judgmental. There were thoughts of hunger, but it was more often hunger for power. These were not the draugr who would be found on the streets of the city. They struck me as the sort who had chefs or delivery or whatever service posh dead folk used for their food.
“I would drink her dry.”
“Why do we need to allow his sort here?”
“Vintage fae juice. What a lovely pet he’d make.”
“Stupid bitch.”
“When Guarin was in charge, we weren’t so burdened by rules.”
The last one was the first that felt angry in ways that were alarming. I reached out with my magic until I found the speaker. He was tall, and from the look of him, he’d died before reaching full maturity. His face was soft, and he