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“Boy.” Mahon clapped his hand on Curran’s shoulder. His whole face was glowing. Curran grinned back. It almost made the Conclave worth it. “Old man,” Curran said. “You’re looking thinner. Trimming down for the wedding? Or she not feeding you enough?” “He eats what he kills,” I said. “I can’t help it that he’s a lousy hunter.”
“You should’ve let me twist his head off,” Mahon said. “You can’t let people insult your wife, Curran. One day you’ll have to choose diplomacy or your spouse. I’m telling you now, it’s got to be your wife. Diplomacy doesn’t care if you live or die. Your wife does.”
Curran laughed. “What?” “You always know how to get under someone’s skin.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It’s your superpower. Trust me, I know.” He looked at me and laughed harder. “What?” “I love when you bare your teeth at me. All the shapeshifter living has been rubbing off on you. You’d make such a cute shapeshifter.”
“I told Jim to go to hell. I also told him that if he ever told me that my wife is a ‘potential threat’ again, I would become a real and immediate threat.” I laughed and opened my arms. “My hero.” “You’re an asshole,” he told me. “You knew that before you asked me to marry you. What, no hug?”
I dropped my arms. “Okay, why are you so freaked out?” “Because you did that thing your father does.” “What thing?” “The one where you smiled and it was like being blessed.”
“Were you tempted, Your Furriness?” I asked. “By your evil?” His voice was a hot, deep whisper near my ear. “Yes.”
“No. If you and I ruled forever, I would never have you all to myself. We tried that, remember?” “So you’re greedy?” His voice raised the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. “You have no idea.” I was playing with fire. “How greedy are you?” He spun me around, his eyes full of gold sparks and predatory excitement. “Let me show you.”
“Why?” Curran asked. “I can’t tell you.” A roar rumbled in Curran’s throat. Barabas sat back a bit. I shuddered. “So scary. Still can’t tell you.” He opened his mouth. “Lorelei,” I said. Curran swore. Barabas grinned.
“I swore an oath, Sharrim . . .” she whispered. “He’s Sharrum . . .” “He isn’t here. This is my domain. Here I’m Sharratum. Here I rule. My word is the only word that matters.”
“Well, ex-Consort, if you can’t come to our studio, we have brought the studio to you.” “I’m sorry. I really am but I don’t have time to—” Fiona narrowed her eyes. “Jun?” A young Japanese man stopped by her. “Sister?” “Bring the ex-Consort to me.” “Curran!” I backed away from the railing. “Curran, help!” Laughter exploded in the bedroom. Bastard.
After the first fifteen minutes of flight I decided that I could stop clutching at Sugar every time she beat her wings, which signaled to her that it was time for aerial acrobatics. She threw herself into it with gusto, neighing with delight every time I screamed.
Christopher watched it all from a safe distance. I heard him laughing a few times. I’d never live it down.
Tears wet my cheeks. I pulled Sarrat out of its sheath, hugged it the way I used to do with Slayer when I was a child, and cried. I cried for my grandmother, shackled in this concrete tomb so far from home. I cried for my aunt, because I finally understood her. I cried for myself, because I hated feeling helpless and I was so fucking tired of not being able to breathe, and now all my anger was leaking out of my eyes in tears. I cried and cried, my tears falling into the blood. I had nothing left. Nobody would see it.
The pressure ground against me, as if my soul had split in two. One part wanted power, the other knew what was right, both of them wanted Curran, and I was torn in the middle.
“I walked away because I needed to clear my head and figure out what the hell was going on. And because I was so angry, I couldn’t see straight. I killed that asshole and I still wanted to keep killing. The rage wouldn’t stop. Then I cooled off, I talked to Adora and the kids, and realized that tonight was the first time I had seen the real you in days. You found another misfit with no place to go and were ready to protect her with everything you had.” “I didn’t . . .” “Yeah, you did. You’re like a crazy cat lady, but you collect killers instead of fluffy cats.”
He pounced on me. I tried to punch him, but it was like trying to wrestle a bear. He gathered me up and pulled me to him. “Go away!” “I love you,” he said. I stopped struggling. “Where the hell would I go without you, Kate? No matter where I went, you would be there in my head. I would miss you every moment of my life.” “I would miss you, too.”
Curran smiled. It was a bright, infectious smile, the kind that could change the mood of an entire hall of shapeshifters. I had seen it in action before. It signaled that all was forgiven. The tension in Jim’s body eased. But I knew Curran better than Jim did. Curran would never forget this.
