Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
She didn’t get a last name, let alone a title? Or, heavens forbid, a connection to him.
“Nice to meet you, Iris,” Marsha said. Her tone turned to granite. And there were no smiles for Iris like there were for Finn. “I’m sorry, but this is a bit of a … sensitive topic.”
Oh, please.
A ‘sensitive topic?’
What—was she about to request a private audience to discuss his … legislative package?
Did she want Iris to walk away so she could pitch her bedroom re-election campaign?
She wasn’t going anywhere.
“Iris, would you mind?” Finn asked.
Oh, he didn’t.
He did.
And he’d said it so gently, like she was a child being ushered out of the room before the grown-ups could speak in peace.
Anger snapped—hot and potent, threatening to burn it all to the ground.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said, snark slipping into her tone. “I don’t want to stand in the way of political networking. Or whatever they’re calling it these days.”
She lurched out of Finn’s hold, forcing her chin up, and walked away like there wasn’t a strange crushing sensation in her chest.
Of course, that was the exact moment a news crew moved directly in her path, making it impossible for her to sidestep them without making it look deliberate.
“Porsha DeWinter. Channel 16 News,” the woman with the perfectly styled brunette hair announced. “We saw you with mayoral hopeful Finn Westrock. Can we ask you a few questions?”
Oh, they could bet their asses they could.
He wanted to embarrass her in public?
Fine.
Two could play that game.
“Ask me anything you want.”
Then she did something she swore she would never do: she plastered on the fakest smile imaginable.
And threw any trace of media training out the window.
16
Finn
He’d looked for her for over an hour after Marsha finally let him go.
He genuinely couldn’t stand the woman. She was pushy and backed up all of her suggestions with something that sounded a lot like a threat.
But he couldn’t afford to tick off any of the paranormal organizations. They had a lot of influence. And while he was leading in the polls with humans, he was still trailing behind with paranormals.
He had to play nice.
He had to shake hands, smile, and laugh while making soul-crushingly polite small talk.
While all he wanted to do was find Iris. Because there’d been something in her eyes before she’d walked off that had his stomach tensing.
Something heated, but under that, vulnerable?
Or maybe he was just projecting what he wanted to see there.
“Finn, finally!” Henry said, rushing up to him, his tablet in his hand, a panicked look on his face.
“What are you doing here?” Finn asked, looking past his campaign manager to scan the streets for Iris.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Can’t it wait? I’m trying to find Iris.”
“Oh, I can tell you who did find her. Porsha DeWinter from Channel 16.”
“What?”
“Yeah, she gave a full interview to a news station. Without you present. Talking about you and your relationship.”
“That can’t be—” he started to object. Iris knew the rules. She was only supposed to speak to the media with him about their relationship. It was important for them to present a united—and in love—front if they wanted to be able to sell their marriage to constituents.
But Henry was already bringing up the video and hitting play.
“This is Porsha DeWinter, Channel 16 News. And I’m standing here at the Fae Pride Parade with Princess Iris Marivelle. Princess, I saw you standing very close to mayoral hopeful Finn Westrock.”
“Did you?” Iris asked, a telltale glint in her eye that answered the question without words.
“I have to say, the two of you make quite the pair. How did you like the parade?”
There was a spark of something in Iris’s eyes right then. But it was gone before he could pin it down.
“I think it was totally fin-tastic.”
“Did she … did she just say fin-tastic?”
“Indeed, she did. Just wait.” Henry looked seconds away from passing out.
“I mean, they were really krilling it out there. I was completely hooked. Ten tentacles way up.”
Oh, good gods.
Was she making fish puns on live TV?
“Great. Love that,” Porsha said.
Why, why did it have to be Porsha DeWinter to catch Iris alone?
Sly and cunning were her very nature, being a fox shifter. If she scented a story, she would do everything in her power to charm it out of someone.
And Iris didn’t have nearly enough media training under her belt yet.
“So, back to Finn Westrock. Do I sense … love in the air? What an unlikely duo,” she went on. “A royal mermaid and a politician.”
“How does that saying go? Opposites attract,” Iris said, her smile peeled back so tight, it looked like it hurt. “You know, like barnacles to a hull.”
“Oh, no,” Henry groaned.
“This is bad,” Finn muttered, running a hand through his hair. The last thing he needed was a viral soundbite full of fish puns. Not when the Pixie Council was still on the fence and the Vampire Syndicate was watching his campaign like hawks. They wanted stability and tradition. Not chaos and pun-loving sea royalty.