Gillian’s smile grew vibrant. She opened her arms. “Lachlan!”
Shim watched Simon Roan as his sister embraced his other half. The vampire watched her like a hungry predator, his eyes following every move she made. And Shim would swear the vampire’s fangs were out.
Gillian embraced Shim, hugging him to her. “Brother, I thought I might never see you again.”
“Yes, I thought the same,” Roan said, every word a silky threat. “Imagine my surprise when I went to wake you so we could leave Aoibhneas. You were gone, Lach.”
Lach let his sister go. He didn’t back down an inch from Roan. “I believe I mentioned that we should leave earlier. It was a good thing or our bondmate would be dead.”
Gillian straightened her shoulders. “His Highness, the Prince of the Unseelie Fae, is correct. Her Royal Highness, the Princess Bronwyn, would be dead if her mates had not saved her. You were late, mercenary.”
“I was attempting to keep the princes alive. Torin has guards on the roads. He has spies everywhere. I don’t doubt that the events of the day will reach his ears soon. His Royal Highness has created a huge cluster fuck for my men.” Roan leaned across the table. “There is a reason your father put me in charge.”
Gillian laughed, a short, sharp sound that made Shim wonder what the vampire had done to set his sister off. “Is my father paying you? He shouldn’t.”
The air practically crackled around them. Roan’s eyes got dark and big. The damn vampire wasn’t even trying to control himself. “Your father and I made a deal. I don’t get paid, princess. I get a boon. Your father intends to make sure I get what I want.”
“I’m sure someone of your stature will want gold. That’s what you poor vampires want.”
“If you think that is what a vampire cherishes, you haven’t spent enough time on our plane. Understand this, princess, I mean to get what I want,” Roan growled back. He shook his head and seemed to calm a bit. “Prince Lachlan, would you like to explain why you and your brother chose to run away from the guard your father sent?”
“I think they were just horny.” Dante Dellacourt had a smirk on his face as he leaned against a wall.
“Well, you would know.” Lach seemed to be in a ridiculously good mood. Shim had never seen his brother so relaxed.
Dellacourt stood up straight. “Is my cos all right? Goddess, I can’t believe Bron’s alive. Can I see her?”
“Bronwyn is fine. She’s perfect. And she’s tired. She’ll be down in a little while,” Shim replied, though he wasn’t completely sure she was fine. She’d seemed very disconcerted. They needed to talk, but he would prefer to do so while they held her, bonding with her, skin to skin. It was necessary. They had been close to her mind for so long that she didn’t trust the physical presence. “Though she’s sure she’s lost her mind.”
Lach put a hand on his shoulder. “She was just confused by the potion.”
“Potion?” Dellacourt asked.
Gillian took her eyes off Roan and frowned Dellacourt’s way. “Your sweet cos was nearly executed today for being a witch. It was only my brothers who saved her.”
“As was right. We’re her husbands,” Shim pointed out. “And we knew she was in danger. We’re bonded. We can feel her. Dellacourt, tell me you can’t feel your consort.”
Dellacourt frowned. “Most of the time, though she’s good at shielding. It pisses me off. She tends to do it when she wants a spanking. But I understand what you’re saying. I can feel my Kaj.” He smiled a bit, his eyes losing focus. “She’s happy right now. She’s also curious about the village around her.”
Shim turned on the vampire mercenary. He didn’t understand them. He couldn’t. “See? You don’t have a consort. You don’t have the bond. You can’t understand.”
Roan laughed, a disdainful huff. “No, Your Highness, I don’t have a consort. I haven’t had the cash or the connections to keep one. But that will change.” His eyes went right back to Gillian.
She hugged Shim. “Stop baiting the mercenary, brother. I will try to do so as well. He’s only here to try to help. And I’m grateful since otherwise we have nothing but you and Lach to protect our precious Bron.” She smiled, her face vibrant. “She’s wonderful, isn’t she? When I first came to negotiate your marriage, I worried she was far too young and spoiled, but she’s been magnificent through all of this. You should know I have come to love the girl dearly, and I will kick both of your asses if you cause my Bron a moment’s pain.”
Shim liked that his sister was so protective of their wife. “We love her, Gilly. We’ve been lost without her.”
“But we have some work to do with her. I’m worried she’s angry at you,” Lach said, his eyes going back to the stairs.
Gillian sighed. “I am sure she will be. I thought it best to simply be her guardian. We’ve met so many nobles here who would have used her as a rallying point.”
Dellacourt’s foot tapped as he thought. “Not just a rallying point, I would suspect. Bron is the last Finn on the plane. And she’s female. If I were a betting man, I would lay a lot of gold on the fact that noble families here would see her as a way to take the crown. Oh, wait, I’m actually quite a good gambler. I also bet that’s what you were doing here in the first place.”
“I was attempting to negotiate a proper, advantageous marriage for my brothers,” Gillian replied. “When the coup occurred, I protected the princess. She died. Do you understand that, vampire? She was dead, but my magic brought her back to life. I was the one who used magic to cover up the fact that she was alive. She’s here today because of me.”
Gillian was wrong about her magic. It had been he and Lach who had brought her back, but Shim kept his mouth closed. Gillian needed all the help she could get with the vampires.
“And you intend to use her to unite the crowns.” Dellacourt’s voice was without a touch of emotion. Bland, even. But there was a shrewd ruthlessness in the vampire’s eyes that let Shim know he had an angle to play. “It might work except for one small fact you’ve overlooked.”
“Really? I don’t think I overlooked a thing. When Torin falls, and I will see that bastard fall if it is the last thing I do, Bronwyn will assume the crown and my brothers will be kings. My father will step down and the triumvirate will rule both planes.” Gillian made her announcement with a brutal practicality.
“That will be interesting to see.” Roan crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, his fangs peeking out.
Dante sighed a bit before making his point. “I believe Their Majesties, Beckett, Cian, and Megan Finn will have something to say about that when they reclaim their throne. Or were you planning on Bronwyn going to war with her brothers? I assure you I love my cousin, but I will not allow her to claim her brothers’ rightful throne. Certainly not when she would be an Unseelie puppet. But then your brothers would be puppets, too. You want to be the power behind the throne.”
Shim stared at his sister, Dellacourt’s words sinking in. “Gillian, Lach and I have no intentions of fighting with the Seelies.”
“We’re taking Bronwyn home. We’re going to make sure she’s safe,” Lach said. “Her brothers can have this plane.”
Gillian rounded on them both, her eyes alive with fire and anger. “Where is your bloody ambition, brothers? I don’t care that the Finns bonded or that they think they can waltz in after thirteen long years and reclaim their throne as if they never ran.”
“They had to run,” Dellacourt argued. “And don’t think they haven’t tried to fight.”
“Well, as I’ve been alone and protecting their sister, you’ll have to forgive me for saying that they didn’t try hard enough.” Gillian’s fists were clenched at her sides. “I have fought and protected her. I will not allow them to come in and claim that which I have sacrificed for. I will speak to father. He will see reason. If my brothers don’t want the bloody crown, I’ll take it myself. I’ll take it by right of blood. I’ll bring an Unseelie army back. Father will support me.”