Bad Fae | romantasy | Bad Fae #1

Chapter Thirteen

The day of the Vodreylian king's ball had arrived. For the first time in almost a month, I was spared training in the afternoon. The alternative was no better.

"Can you show a little more skin?" Phin asked, more rhetorical than not, looking me over in the dress she'd insisted on glamouring onto me.

"I'm not sure how much more skin there is to show, Phin, short of the side that faces my insides."

She waved her hand at me dismissively and I felt more chill air against my skin than I had before.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked.

"The more time our king is staring at your body, the less time he's listening to what's coming out of your mouth."

"Are you saying I'm too stupid to be properly clothed?"

The look she gave me didn't exactly say 'no'. "Yana, I have become strangely fond of you. Like a tiny, baby sibling we're still wondering about leaving for the wolves."

"Good?"

"And, while I appreciate your lack of filter and propensity to armour yourself with defiant rage – especially when you direct it at our Dain – you are still far too human for our king to abide it."

"So, I'm meant to keep my mouth shut and look pretty?"

She nodded. "If you'd like to come home alive, yes. Ideally."

She shook out her hands and a small dagger and sheath appeared in them. She looked me over quizzically, like she wasn't sure where to put it.

"Do you ride side saddle?"

I frowned. "Not by choice."

She nodded once as she knelt down and started strapping it to the very top of my thigh. Her fingers against my skin were brief and methodical. "Necessity it is."

My frown deepened but I was pretty sure arguing would make no difference.

Once the dagger was in place, she stood and gave me another once over. She fluffed my hair, like it was ever so slightly out of place.

"If it comes to it, keep the king's hands out of your skirts. Dain wants us armed if the need arises, but we don't want anyone thinking we're about to stage a coup."

"No, couldn't have that," I muttered.

"Goddess forbid," she seemed to agree. "All right, last thing's last and we'll be ready."

Phin whipped her hands around and, from the shadows themselves, she pulled a cloak of starlit night and wrapped it around my shoulders. She draped it so it covered me and thankfully I found slits to slip my hands out.

"Let's meet the men."

I followed her outside where Ninleyn, Venali and Dain all waited with the horses. Camoren stood by Dain, who held Legacy's reins as he watched me approach. He stared at me like he was trying to see what was under the cloak. Not that he was the only one. Venali's eyes also followed my progress, though mine seemed unable to leave Dain.

I hadn't seen him so impeccably dressed since my father's party almost seven years ago.

He was dressed all in black. Of course. A black silk shirt with tight trousers, a jacket that fell to his knees and embellished with what I now knew to be knots on the chest and cuffs, and heavy boots. His belt buckle shone silver in the light, as did the buttons on his coat. The rest of him seemed determined to merge and dissolve into the shadows dancing around us.

"Yes," Phin said dismissively. "I know. I outdid myself. Thank me later. No, you can't see the full package. We're already late."

"And whose fault is that?" Venali asked with a smirk as he helped her into her saddle; set side like mine would be, no doubt.