Witchful Thinking (30 page)

He braced both of my arms, turning me to face him. His eyes burned, and for a split second I thought he might kiss me. Instead he swallowed hard. “There has been talk, Jolie. Talk about the Queen taking a husband, a King, as a show of unity.”

“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” I tried to beat down the irritation that was already rampaging through me. “And, furthermore, why haven’t I heard anything about this? Shouldn’t I be the first to know?”

Rand shook his head and dropped his hands from my arms. “You’ll find that in many instances you might be the last to know.” He sighed deeply. “At any rate, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the subjects of your kingdom coming out of the woodwork to offer you their hands in marriage with the hope of uniting a stronger kingdom.”

“Well, I won’t do it,” I spat back as irritation turned to fury. “I’m the Queen and I’m not about to marry anyone. It’s bad enough that my entire life has been derailed to unite this kingdom and I’ve basically had to forfeit my personal life. This is going way too far.”

Rand just nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced by my bravado. He didn’t believe that this would go away so easily.

“And what do you think of all of this?” I demanded finally, wanting some sign from him, something to show he would fight this ridiculousness beside me, that he still loved me and wanted to be with me.

Rand seemed taken aback and took a few seconds to respond. “I obviously don’t like it.”

“So if I have your support, then end of subject,” I answered, silently bemoaning the fact that his answer hadn’t been the one I’d been hoping for. Back to the Virgin Queen for me. I started forward again but stopped when I realized Rand hadn’t budged. I glanced back at him and he shook his head.

“I don’t think it will be as easy as that. In a way your life has basically become the property of your kingdom.”

“What?”

He inhaled deeply. “That’s one of the reasons why I have always been against monarchies. I dislike everything they stand for. The only reason I agreed to become your chief advisor and the only reason I’m here right now is because I care deeply for you and I believe you can make a change, Jolie. I believe you can rule judiciously and democratically.”

But I wasn’t really interested in drafting another version of the Constitution. What I was interested in was why in the hell people were deciding my future—and worse, were doing it without my knowledge.

“I’m simply not going to agree to any of this,” I said. “It’s not like they can force me to get married.”

Rand nodded. “That is true, though they can be … forceful with their recommendations.”

“And besides, who are ‘they’? Where did you hear this?”

Rand shook his head. “Not from any one person. It’s been a theme as of late.”

“So let’s just say for the sake of argument that it was a choice that was forced on me … Why wouldn’t you just marry me?” The words were out of my mouth before I had the chance to think them through and, in so doing, swallow them.

Rand nodded as if the idea wasn’t foreign to him, as if he wasn’t surprised. “I would not be considered a strong enough ally.”

“You’ve already worked this out then?”

He nodded and his jaw was tight, his eyes piercing. “Of course I have. That was the first thought that entered my head—that I could ask for your hand. But I already know my offer would be regarded as worthless by Mercedes because we’re of the same species. Furthermore, you and I would have little hope of producing future monarchs.”

But according to Mercedes, I
wasn’t
a witch. I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it. I didn’t know what I was, and I until I did, there was no point in saying anything to Rand. For now I wanted nothing more than to return to the safety and solitude of my bedroom, where I could open my journal and spill my figurative blood all over the pages.

After finalizing the reanimations of our own legion and receiving Bella’s list of deceased soldiers, we managed to reanimate thirty of her legion over the next few days. I had to suffer through another lesson, this one on etiquette (more specifically, the proper protocol for writing letters, including addressing them, what the salutation should be, and what the closing should be). It was now the end of the day and the sun had already crawled back down the sky, making room for night to spread her dark cloak. I found myself exhaustedly sitting on the couch in my living room trying to unwind by watching an episode of
Peep Show
.

Instead a knock sounded on the door. Before I could budge from my sloth-like demeanor, my butler, whose name was Cassius and who had also been a member of Odran’s fairy kingdom in Scotland, materialized in true fae style. He opened the door with a great show of gallantry and subservience, bowing low to our visitor. Once I heard a mumbled, thick brogue, I realized it was Odran. Great. Just great.

“May I present the King o’ the fae, mah Queen,” Cassius said in a thick Scottish accent, his bushy red mustache moving in time with his lips. Cassius was an odd one—he never wanted to talk to me except about the operations of Kinloch Kirk, and even then he was so
rigid in his posture and speech, it was like talking to a corpse experiencing rigor mortis.

“Hi, Odran,” I said.

“My Queen,” Odran said with a wide, bright smile while rolling his arm across his stomach and bowing like never before—something entirely too practiced and artificial.

“Why the surprise visit? I hope everything is well in fae?” I asked, turning the television off as I started for the entryway, while wishing I could spend my evening watching the hilarious exploits of Jeremy and Mark.

“Aye, Yer Highness, all is well, thank ye fer askin’,” Odran responded, clearly avoiding the subject of his reason for visiting. He glanced behind himself impatiently. “Doolan, where be ye?”

I craned my neck, trying to find out who the hell Doolan was and what the hell he was doing at Kinloch. Well, it turned out that Doolan was one of Odran’s warrior fae, only this evening he wasn’t armed with weapons. Instead he appeared to be carrying more than an armful of colorful silks, satins, and beaded tapestries. Behind him, he toted a purple velvet bag overflowing with jewels, more fabrics, as well as enormous lilies, roses, and tulips. Flowers of that size were only possible in the realm of the fae. Strewn behind Doolan were the entrails of still more flowers, which had unfortunately not survived the trek from Odran’s BMW to my doorstep.

“I bring gifts fer ye, ma Queen,” Odran said and bent over into another deep bow.

“Why?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as the puzzle pieces began to fit into place. So Rand had been correct all along—there was going to be a mad rush for my hand in marriage. Well, little did everyone know that I wasn’t going to accept any of them, Doolan bearing gifts or not.

“Ta celebrate yer loveliness, ma Queen,” Odran lied.

I just shook my head and faced Cassius. “Can you see to it that all gifts are put in an empty room somewhere? I don’t have the energy to deal with this right now.”

Then I left Odran, Cassius, and Doolan standing in my entryway surrounded by enormous daffodils, rubies, and silk damasks.

“My Queen.”

It was Sinjin. I paused, halfway up the stairs already, and turned to face him. “Will you accompany me please?” I asked. Really it was more of a command.

Sinjin said nothing but bowed his head in mock deference and started up the stairs behind me. Once we were shoulder-to-shoulder, I glanced over at him. “What the hell is going on with all this marriage business?”

“Marriage business, poppet? I do not understand.”

Just as he finished speaking, I heard a commotion from downstairs and peered over the wooden balustrade to find that Trent had arrived with one of his wolves and, of course, more useless shit. I had to laugh inwardly at Trent’s nerve—did he seriously think he had a chance in hell with me after what I’d already gone through as his so-called girlfriend? Well, the answer was pretty apparent by the fact that he was even here. I shook my head and started for my bedroom, Sinjin beside me.

“Haven’t you noticed all the hullabaloo, Sinjin?” I asked and approached the window at the far west side of my room, one that overlooked the driveway to Kinloch. Opening the blinds, I focused on the entryway, which was desolate now, with only the remnants of strewn flowers coloring the ground. Maybe Odran and Trent would be the only two morons I’d have to deal with in this idiotic mission for my hand.

“I am not aware why the fairy and wolf have shown up, love,” Sinjin said and took a seat in one of my armchairs as he eyed me up and down appreciatively.

I glanced at him and frowned. “You definitely don’t have any problem making yourself comfortable, do you?” Before he could respond, I added: “You seem to be the only person, well, besides Rand maybe, who treats me as more than just a Queen.”

“How so, love?” Sinjin asked but the half smile on his face said he knew exactly what I was talking about and, more, that he enjoyed the fact he was allowed such intimacy with me.

“I could name a million instances but let’s just settle for the fact that you didn’t ask me if you could sit in that chair. Plus right now you’re looking at me like I’m naked.”

Sinjin threw his head back and chuckled heartily before looking at me as if he could seduce me with just his eyes. “I can be whomever you choose me to be, love. Although I was of the belief that you liked me as I am?”

I sighed and shook my head, well aware that I was allowing Sinjin too many liberties where I was concerned. “Yes, I guess I do.”

“Then you must come to terms with the fact that I want nothing more than to see your naked body.” He leaned forward, and the smile was suddenly absent from his face, replaced with his fangs. “My one desire is to taste your flesh, to …”

“Enough, Casanova,” I said with a subdued laugh. I glanced out my window again, this time catching the image of Varick as he stepped out of a Rolls-Royce.

“Son of a bitch.”

“What disturbs you, love?”

I continued peering outside my window like a nosy old lady intent on spying on her neighbors. “Just that all of the creatures of the Underworld have arrived en masse to propose marriage to me.”

Sinjin made no other remarks, and somehow I had the feeling that he knew more about this whole situation
than he was letting on. But at the moment, that wasn’t the topic on my mind. Instead I turned to face him and, leaning against the windowsill, tapped my fingers against my lips, studying him.

“As your Queen, I can make demands of you, right?”

Sinjin nodded, his eyes sparkling and his fangs even longer than they had been. “Of course.”

“And if I make a demand of you, you must respect my order and do as I say?”

He nodded again and stood up, his immense height intimidating. He walked toward me and I felt myself melt into the windowsill, as if I knew I shouldn’t allow him to come so close. When he continued his approach, I held my hand out against his chest, stopping him.

“As my Queen, no matter what you command of me, it is my responsibility to see to your … desires.”

I smiled, not dropping my hand from his chest. Somehow I knew if I did, Sinjin would take it as an open invitation to kiss me or … more.

“Good.” I took a deep breath. “I order you to tell me what you’ve been discussing with Mercedes in your secret meetings.”

The smile on Sinjin’s face immediately faded and his fangs retracted as his entire posture went rigid. I actually wanted to laugh at the transformation. He’d been so confident that I was about to invite him into my bed. Instead I had demanded that he tell me how many cookies he’d stolen from the cookie jar.

“I’d hoped your interests followed a different direction,” he muttered.

I shook my head and crossed my arms against my chest. “No more wasting time, Sinjin. I order you to tell me what’s going on between you and Mercedes.”

Before he could say another word, we were interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door. Just as I was about to answer, it opened and Mercedes stuck her head
in. I had to wonder why she didn’t even wait for me to respond before entering … it was as if she knew what I’d just demanded of Sinjin. Hmm, it was almost like they had some sort of special connection with each other—one could sense when the other was in a dire situation. Well, if Sinjin didn’t come out with the truth soon, he
was
going to be in a dire situation.

“Your subjects have assembled downstairs, my Queen, and they demand an immediate meeting,” Mercedes said rather breathlessly.

I narrowed my eyes and frowned. “They can wait, Mercedes. I have important information I’m discussing with Sinjin.”

Mercedes spared a glance at Sinjin before facing me again. And I could read nothing in her expression. “I believe it is of prime urgency, my Queen. They are beginning to argue with one another.”

“Un-freaking-believable,” I muttered. Shaking my head, I started for the door before turning back to face Sinjin. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this.”

He looked taken aback but immediately smiled coolly and adopted an expression of nonchalance. “Why should I think such a thing?”