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)
And obviously, I couldn’t rant at a recovering Zyra and her hovering husband.
So when I got a text comm from Tanyn that said he, Nayden and Uly were in the antechamber of the dining room having drinks before dinner, and he’d like me to meet them there, I did not hesitate to storm from the queen’s study, where I was flipping through wallpaper samples, to the antechamber.
Uly was not in uniform.
In fact, they were all in jeans and sweaters.
Both he and Nayden, along with Tanyn, were kicked back in armchairs, sipping from squat etched-glass tumblers, when I arrived.
The only male who got up was Hurley, and he greeted me, as I did him.
And I’d had too long to let the knowledge I’d learned that morning fester in my head.
Therefore, I planted my hands on my hips and announced to Tanyn, “Tatra abused the staff. And underpaid them. With your permission, I’ll be rectifying the latter. Outside of treating them like breathing beings with thoughts and feelings from here on, I can’t do much about the former.”
Tanyn stared up at me, and I saw the red seeping into his eyes.
“She abused them?” he asked quietly.
“I didn’t request details. But I sat down with your steward and head housekeeper, and the reason you don’t see the same being twice unless some time has lapsed in between is because, as Camaryn described it, they had to heal their wounds before being sent back into battle.”
“You seem to need a drink,” Nayden commented.
“Damn straight,” I replied.
“Martini. Vodka. Olives,” Tanyn ordered for me.
As Nayden headed to the drinks cabinet, I threw myself in a chair, crossed my arms and legs and announced, “I know the line is long, but when we get our hands on that bitch, I call a spot so I can slap her silly.”
Uly made a noise, I turned to him and tardily realized I was not making all that great of a second impression.
“Sorry. I’m not usually this much of a drama queen.”
“Yes she is,” Tanyn refuted.
I glared at him. “Hardly.”
“You took twenty minutes just to select a pair of boots to not go hiking in.”
“It wasn’t twenty minutes,” I retorted.
“It felt like it,” he muttered.
“Regardless, is that drama?” I asked.
“Yes,” all three males said at the same time.
I was seeing another drawback of being removed from my gals. I was clearly going to be ganged up on.
Nayden handed me my drink; I thanked him and took a fortifying sip.
“Bringing the matter back to hand, yes, you have my permission to do whatever the fuck you want to rectify the matter,” Tanyn said.
“Good. I’ve already asked them to give me a thorough report, and I’ve given Barret permission to run things as she would without fear of abuse. I thought I’d ask Laura if she could get me a line to whoever does this kind of thing at the Celestial Palace to make sure it’s all above board, because I have no idea what a footbeing makes. And hopefully, in a few days, we can set at least the workings of the castle to rights.”
“You don’t have to share your plans, baby. I’ll agree with whatever you think is best,” Tanyn said sweetly.
“It’s your castle, honey,” I replied. “And decisions I make reflect on you.”
“All right then, I’ll reword. Go with your plan. It’s a good one.”
I smiled at him then took another sip of my cocktail.
When I was swallowing it, I saw Uly grinning into his whisky.
Which, oddly, made Nayden say, “Fuck you,” to him.
Uly lifted his head, assumed an innocent expression that was so fake, even I, who didn’t know him, knew it was fake.
He pointed to himself and said, “Me?”
“What the fuck?” Tanyn asked into this.
“Mouth shut,” Nayden warned Uly.
“Fuck that,” Uly retorted, and I could swear he was about to explode from holding back laughter.
What the hells?
“What are you two on about?” Tanyn demanded.
“It’s official, I know you better,” Uly bragged.
“Oh, fuck off,” Nayden bit.
“As you know, none of this is an answer to my bloody question,” Tanyn pointed out.
“Apparently, you and Catla had a thing,” Uly began.
Oh boy.
“And Nayden witnessed this thing,” Uly went on.
Tanyn’s eyes were getting red.
Oh boy!
“And he got pissed about this thing because he’s loyal, but he’s also an idiot,” Uly concluded.
“Again, fuck off,” Nayden spat.
“I told him you were not,” Uly explained to Tanyn, completely ignoring Nayden. “An idiot, that is. You wouldn’t have picked Catla if she wasn’t the one for you. So he needed first, to chill, and second, to butt out.”
Nayden sighed very loudly.
“And now, he knows he’s wrong, he’s just too demon to admit it,” Uly summed up.
“You can’t be too demon,” Nayden returned.
“You would think not, but you prove that wrong,” Uly ribbed, then drove it home, “Repeatedly.”
“Just to say,” Nayden said to Tanyn, “she won me over.”