So much for salvaging this monstrosity. I wasn’t even sure why I’d asked her to bring it from the castle. No one should ever wear this many ruffles. No one.
“How is Tadhg?” I asked, desperate for good news.
Aveen closed the gap between us to fluff the ruffles over my shoulders. “He’s quiet tonight.”
“And the drink?”
She circled me slowly, her brow furrowing as she studied the tiered skirt that sat wider than any hoop I’d ever seen. “The lads are drinking away, but as of the moment I left, Tadhg hadn’t joined them.”
Air puffed from beneath my skirt when I collapsed back onto the sofa, relief spilling through my chest. “Any luck with the blight?”
Aveen’s curls bounced when she shook her head. “They’ve tried everything, but death continues to spread. Tadhg and Rían relocated another ten homes.”
Why couldn’t the bloody Queen keep to herself in the Black Forest instead of being so dead set on hurting her own people? The humans I could understand. But as far as I knew, Aveen and I were the only humans in Tearmann—and my sister had magic now, so technically she was more Danú than not.
Aveen considered the sofa, but with my skirts taking up the entirety of the empty cushions, she sat on Ruairi’s striped wingback instead. “Enough about that bloody blight. What are you going to do tomorrow?”
“I still want to marry him. Is that mad?” I searched her face for signs of disappointment, but her neutral expression gave nothing away.
“Who am I to say? Yesterday, Rían murdered four people.” Her shoulders lifted and fell in a casual shrug, as if we were discussing the flowers in her garden. “Marry him, Keelynn. And if it doesn’t work out, we can ask Rían to kill him too.”
True. There were some perks to marrying a true immortal, I supposed.
The front door swung open, startling us both. Rían stepped inside and ran a hand through his hair. “Who am I murdering?” he asked.
I swore Aveen’s eyes lit up as she took in his impeccable black breeches paired with a black waistcoat and black shirt. “Your brother if he hurts my sister,” she said.
“Gladly.” He smirked down at her, but when his gaze swung toward me, his eyes narrowed. He gestured to my dress. “Why are you wearing that atrocious thing?”
I ran my hand down the undulating waves of fabric over my legs, but they refused to stay down. “This ‘atrocious thing’ is supposed to be my wedding gown.”
“It’s even worse than I remember.” He clicked his fingers. “Stand up and let me have a look at you.”
I pushed to my feet and twirled.
“Look how it bags at the waist.” He tugged at the fabric above my hips. “And it’s far too tight across your chest. And those sleeves. With your silhouette, you really should be wearing something off the shoulder.”
I couldn’t believe I was about to say this aloud, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Do you think you could help me?”
Part of me expected him to laugh in my face or make some snide comment about coming to him for assistance. But there was no laughing, only another sweep of his cerulean gaze from my poofy sleeves to my flouncy skirts.
“I’m good at a lot of things—just ask your sister,” Rían threw over his shoulder with a wink at Aveen. A deep blush crept up her throat, and she hid her smile behind her hand. “But sewing is not one of them. Fortunately, I know someone who should be able to help.”
34
TADHG
“There must besomething wrong with yer eyes, lad.” Ruairi beat his fist against his bare chest hard enough to leave a red mark on his bronzed skin. “That’s all muscle.”
Rían snorted, his fingers deftly fastening the buttons of his crisp white shirt. “Keep telling yourself that, dog. Maybe go easy on the cake today. Otherwise, you won’t be able to fit into your breeches.”
“The only reason my breeches wouldn’t fit is if my cock gets any bigger.”
“Must be quite impressive since you have so many women pining after your prick,” Rían drawled. “They’re practically lining up at the gates for a ride.”
While I appreciated the distraction their squabbling provided, the last thing I wanted was for them to whip out their cocks and shift a measuring stick. I’d seen enough of both men without their breeches to last a lifetime. There was only one person I wanted to see naked today and it wasn’t either one of these eejits. “If the two of you could save your pissing contests for tomorrow, that would be brilliant.”
They both turned on me.