“No.”Dy waggled her finger at her in a salacious circle.“You have been exceptionally closed mouthed about Prince Charming and what all occurred there, which is totally out of character.I never thought I’d see the day you didn’t brag in detail about one of your sexual conquests until my ears bled.”
Becauseshehad been the conquest.Cha had fully melted into a yielding pile of goo in Azul’s arms—and wrapped in his fabulous wings—so unlike herself that she wouldn’t be able to imagine what had come over her.Except she remembered in such vivid detail, she grew hot thinking about it.
“Are you blushing?”Dy asked, brows climbing again.
“No.It’s hot in this barn.And there’s nothing to tell.”
“You didn’t bang him then.”
Cha considered lying about that.She shouldn’t have banged him.She’d known better.One slutty-for-fae ancestor was enough for any family.But Dy was her best friend and Cha couldn’t lie to her.And not just because Dy always knew when she was lying.Kicking out her legs, she tried for her usual insouciance.“Oh, I banged him plenty.Guy hadn’t had a human woman before and I rocked his world.Out of the goodness of my heart.”
“So he sucked at foreplay,” Dy speculated with narrowed eyes.“The Bridget joke,” she clarified.
“Oh, no.Different context.”
“Then he rockedyourworld,” Dy confirmed.“And you are definitely blushing and it’s not hot in here.”
“It’s stuffy.”
“That’s not why your face is red.”
“The point is,” Cha said, struggling to get the conversation back on topic, “only Prince Charming could know to call me Bridget.And to send the platinum coin, knowing what it would say to me.He’s asking for my help.You shouldn’t go, but I have to.”
Dy crossed her legs, lacing her fingers together over one knee.“Cha,” she said in a very gentle tone, “I haven’t pressed you on what happened with that guy because I know he broke your heart.You’ve never been in love before and—”
“Whoa there, Nelly!”Cha interrupted, a cold sweat breaking out down her spine.“No one ever said anything about love.Sex, yes, and I fully admit it was earth-shattering, but I’m not the sort to fall in love with anyone, ever, much less afae.A faeprince, no less.”
“Uh huh.”
“Seriously, Dy.I’m not that stupid.”
“Right.”
“There is zero future for us, even if he hadn’t made it clear we were one and done.”
“And yet, he’s made contact.You’re sure it’s him reaching out to you.”
“Yes.I’m sure.I don’t trust Lenorae any more than you do, but Prince Charming wouldn’t have sent this message if he wasn’t desperate.”
“Desperate because…” Dy trailed off leadingly.
Cha threw up her hands.“I don’t know, do I?All I know is he was supposed to marry Lenorae and fled from the altar—probably because he found out she’s a Ruby realm demon—and then he went back to sort it out because of his family’s honor and fae politics he wasn’t at liberty to explain.”
Dy cocked her head.“Fae politics.Do you even hear yourself, Arantxa Evermore?”
It did sound a little crazed.
“You’re out of your fucking mind even considering getting yourself mixed up in this situation,” Dy exploded.
Cha pointed at her.“That’s Phinny talking.”
“Well, Phinny’s right!”Dy jumped up from her hay bale and paced like a furious curupira.Finally she stopped, faced Cha, and blew out a long breath, clearly struggling to control her temper.At least she wasn’t flinging fireballs, though that could have been from an abundance of caution in not wanting to burn down the barn.“Cha, we’re not kids anymore.We have adult lives and responsibilities and—”
“Youdo,” Cha pointed out.“I don’t have anyone that I’m responsible for except Katu.No one else I care about except him, you and Phin, and the kids.”And, she realized before her words had even faded from the air, Azul.
But you’re not responsible for him,her brain argued.He would laugh in your face at the very notion.
That was true.Azul possessed tremendous magical powers.He didn’t need her, a mere human.