Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
I looked fabulous (obviously, or I wouldn’t have put that picture up on the gallery’s pane).
As I scrolled down, I saw another photo of us both at the Midnight Masque. We were in close proximity but not standing together. However, we were sharing a look.
I remembered that moment.
We both were wearing masks, so you couldn’t quite see my glare, and Tanyn was being his then-usual indifferent, so his expression was unreadable, even around the mask he was wearing.
But the angle of the camera made it look like we were together.
And we looked amazing, if I did say so myself. Tanyn could rock a tux, and my gown for the Masque had been the bomb.
I scrolled back up to start reading, and…yes.
The first sentence said:
King Tanyn, our new monarch, isn’t wasting any time filling his neighboring throne. And he’s selected a member of a First Family of The Fall, a demon defector, Catla Truelock.
Well…fuck.
This had to be Mira’s doing.
I’d promised her I’d give her a heads-up before I told Tanyn, but it was seeming I wasn’t going to be able to do it.
I handed him back his Palm, but before I could say anything, he said, “Mira attempted to resign half an hour ago.”
Right, that was a surprise.
Maybe?
“She did?”
He was watching me closely. “She said something happened between you two, and she’s tendering her resignation before I request it.”
Uh-oh.
“Just to say, I was waiting for the right time to tell you,” I said.
“Tell me what?”
“Mira didn’t share?”
“No.”
Cowardly female.
“She approached me about the staffing in the castle, specifically that I thought it might be overstaffed, and sharing her advice, as who I was to you, but who I would be to Sky’s Edge, and a member of a traitor family, that wasn’t the first act I should do as the future queen.”
I got that all out, even if his eyes had saturated with red before I finished it.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me she spoke that way to you?” he demanded after he took a step away from me.
“I handled it at the time, and, honey, you know we’ve been dealing with more important matters.”
“I don’t give a fuck what we’re dealing with. If someone insults you, I don’t care who that is, but especially someone on my staff who I pay to offer service to me and the crown, you don’t delay. You fucking tell me.”
Oh no.
I was getting angry.
“How is this my fault?”
“I’m not saying it’s your fault. I’m telling you, in future, you don’t take these hits without me at your back, so I can ensure, in the more distant future, you don’t take them at all.”
“I know you’re at my back. But I can also take care of myself.”
“And I know you can take care of yourself. What you need to understand is, you aren’t in this life alone anymore. Like I’ve shared, we’re a team, and in that team, it isn’t simply you looking after me, it’s me looking after you as well.”
Again, so farging sweet.
But at this juncture, also annoying, because I was annoyed.
“And I know that,” I bit.
“So why didn’t you tell me this shit went down?”
“I explained that,” I snapped.
“I’m not a fragile flower, Catla. I’m king of a bloody realm.”
My voice was rising. “I know!”
We went into a staring contest I was determined to win.
Because he was also the king of patience, and I was the queen of impatience, predictably, I lost.
“So does this mean Mira’s the leak?”
“No. One of the reasons she came to me was to show this to me and share she knew nothing about it. It was another reason she wanted to tender her resignation, that she hadn’t been on the ball enough to cut something like this off at the pass.”
“All right. In order that you know it all, I’ve recruited the females to keep an eye on castle staff so we can help you find the leak.”
“We know who the leak is.”
My chin jerked back. “You do?”
“It was confirmed this morning. A footbeing by the name of Mord has been selling info to whoever wanted to buy it.”
“Oh,” I mumbled.
“Another reason why I haven’t spoken to you this morning. I was dealing with him.”
“Oh,” I repeated my mumble.
“Not surprising, since we brought him in for questioning, he was happy to share he thought all the Firefierces sucked. He got paid shit. Got treated like shit. And making matters worse, Tatra was inappropriate with him in more than just being a tyrannical bitch.”
Oh gods, no.
“Sexual harassment?” I asked quietly.
“Yes. With touching. Though she didn’t push it further than that, I think we can both agree that was bad enough. He has a wife and a kid and needs this job, that’s the only reason he didn’t leave.”
“What are you going to do?”
He appeared aggravated. “I haven’t decided yet. Because as infuriating as it is he did what he did, and the consequences of it, I understand why he did what he did.”