Page 6 of The Unseelie Wish
That got a laugh out of Alex. All right. She didn’t know what to make of Abigail, but she certainly didn’t hate the woman. When Alex laughed, Abigail’s face lit up in a joyful smile. The Seelie Queen just seemed so sweet. It was hard to imagine her married to Valroy.
I mean, the King was a looker, there was no way around that—Valroy was hot as fuck. But that only went so far when the man was also a rampaging genocidal maniac.
Then again, she had the hots for Izael, and the snake monster literally ate people whole.
Kettle, black, all that jazz.
Abigail gestured to a table by the wall. “Sit, dear. Please. Help yourself.”
Alex sat and fought the instinct to thank the woman. There was a bowl of rolls and some cheese sitting on the table, and her stomach grumbled. Picking up a knife, she cut a slice off the cheese and picked up a roll. “I appreciate the food.”
“Smart girl.” Abigail smiled. “Smarter than I was.”
“Doubtful.” Alex sat back in the chair and looked around the room. It resembled something from one of those Colonial American reenactment places—like Williamsburg. Only somehow older. It smelled amazing, like a hundred thousand cooking fires and roasted food. It was cozy, she had to admit.
“Please. I couldn’t stop thanking people for years. But you and I have a lot in common.”
“We do?”
“We both fell for the charm of a man we, despite all reason and common sense, should not have.” Abigail hummed. “We are likely the same manner of foolish, then.”
“I’ll accept that.” She smiled faintly. “And I haven’t fallen for Izael.”
Abigail gave her one of those looks that could only translate to girl, please. She pulled the kettle off the hook with a towel and took it over to another table, where a suspiciously modern pour-over coffee pot was sitting. “No reason to lie.”
Alex narrowed her eyes and changed the subject. “You were expecting me.”
“Being prepared for, and certain of, are two very different things. I was suspicious this may come to pass, yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it is what I would have done.” Abigail smiled at her again, just a little sadly, perhaps. “It is, more or less, precisely what I did do.”
“Which was what?”
“Sought to sacrifice myself to save two worlds in peril.” The fae Queen finished pouring out the hot water and set the kettle back on the stone of the fireplace as the liquid made its way through the coffee grounds. It already smelled fantastic. “I also ran from the man I loved, for I feared what he was capable of. And I feared for my part in his plans.”
“Seems to have turned out—uh—okay—for the two of you.” Alex winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”
The redhead laughed and sat across from Alex at the wood table, reaching over and picking up a roll and tearing off some of the bread. “No offense taken. You are not wrong. My relationship with Valroy is, shall we say, complex.”
“How do you two make it work? Always trying to stop the other one.”
“It makes our arguments quite heated. You can imagine how they end.” There was a bit of a devilish edge to Abigail’s tone. Just a little bit of playfulness.
Oh.
Hah.
“Yeah. I can imagine.” Alex snickered. “Nothing like angry make-up sex.”
“Indeed.” Abigail plonked her elbow on the table and put her chin on her palm, watching Alex curiously. “What are we to do with you? Your power, if left unchecked, could wreak havoc wherever you go.”
“I promise not to?” She smiled back at Abigail hopefully.
“To be blunt, I believe you. You do not seem like the power-mad kind, or out to destroy the world. That said,” Abigail hopped up to pour out two mugs of coffee, “your word is predicated on the notion that you remain in control of your power.” Abigail walked back, placing a stoneware mug of steaming, caffeinated goodness in front of Alex.
She couldn’t see any cream or sugar around, but it wouldn’t be the first time she drank black coffee out of desperation. It smelled amazing. She sipped it, careful not to burn her tongue. It was good enough she probably didn’t need cream. “You mean Izael?”