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Shaw leaned against the shelving, tracing the gilded spines of the tomes. “Our magic relies on bargains, especially with humans. It balances our world, since…” He trailed away.
“Since what?”
But Shaw waved off the question with a forced smile. “That’s not important. It’s just risky to enter a bargain that might be broken. It can warp our magic. It has warped our magic.”
If that was true, why would Lachlan point me in the direction of breaking ours? Unless he really believed I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. I tried to keep my voice steady. “But it can be broken?”
If Lachlan had lied to me, all bets were off on my promise not to kill him.
“If both parties agree that the conditions can’t be met.” He nodded. “It’s just like when the bargain is made. Both parties have to mean it.”
“Why?” I asked, completely forgetting to stay composed.
“Otherwise, what’s the point? Without magic, it would just be a promise—and promises are broken all the time.” He shrugged.
“Fae don’t seem very trusting.”
He raised a brow. “And humans are better?”
He might have a point. “So magic means you can’t break the promise?” Or change your mind.
“Doesn’t stop people from trying,” he admitted. “Like I said, it’s not worth the hassle.”
“Your brother seems to think it is.” Relief flooded me, tinged with a little guilt. The magic had sealed our bargain because I’d agreed to exchange my life for Channing’s. Lachlan hadn’t tricked me. He’d just conveniently failed to mention that magic was involved. And once I proved to him that he was never getting his end of the bargain, there would be nothing to prevent breaking it. As long as he left Channing alone, there was nothing more I wanted from him. “Does he make a lot of bargains?”
“Lach?” Shaw snorted his brother’s name. “Never. He doesn’t do anything for anyone. He relies on other people to do it for him. You must have something he wants very badly.”
But I didn’t. I might have thought it was about sex, but he could have had me that first night and sealed my fate. It wasn’t that simple. I suspected that whatever Lachlan wanted would prove very dangerous. But I kept that thought to myself. “I think he just wanted to screw with me.”
“He excels at torturing people, and someday he’s going to get rewarded with a one-way ticket to hell for it.”
“Does he have a lot of enemies?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“He doesn’t have anything else.” Shaw straightened, reaching under his unbuttoned jacket to adjust his holster.
“Even his family?” It was clear that there was no love lost between Shaw and Lachlan, but Ciara…
“I know I sound like an asshole.” He forced a smile that held none of the warmth of his others. “But if I was on fire, Lach wouldn’t piss on me to put it out. The hazard of being a fae royal. We’re a dysfunctional bunch, even in the light courts.”
Well, that was colorful. “I’m sorry,” I said, meaning it. “I think I romanticize family. It’s the hazard of not having any.”
“Want some of mine?” he asked dryly. “Maybe a disapproving brother or a reckless sister or two?”
I couldn’t help smiling. “You aren’t exactly selling me on them. And I’m already stuck with your cocky, dickhead brother, remember?”
Shaw answered with a wry grin that crinkled his golden eyes. “Definitely the worst of the lot.” He tipped his head toward the shelves and the books I’d mostly been ignoring. “I feel like I’m distracting you.”
“No,” I said quickly. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to.” Someone who didn’t delight in tricking and toying with me. “I’ve read all of these, but this is my favorite.”
Shaw scrunched his nose, looking around the stacks. “Maybe—”
“What the hell are you doing in here?” A lethal voice cut through the room, and we swiveled to find Lachlan watching us.
“Lach, I didn’t expect you back tonight.” Shaw’s eyes bounced from him to me.
I shoved the novel back into its place and took a step away from the shelf.
When I looked, he was already staring at me. “I can see that.”