Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(117)

Neil let his nose lead us. We entered the well-decorated dining room with high hopes for a decent meal.

“Hello.” A strong feminine voice greeted us. She looked me up and down, and after a moment, she began to speak. “You’re not Nim so I assume you must be Zoey Quinn.”

“I am. You must be Chima.” My hopes for good political relations vanished in an instant because I was pretty sure this was our hostess and she was not f*cking happy to see me.

She sat at the head of the table and there was no questioning her regal manner. “I am, indeed. You have to forgive me, Your Highness. I’ve been in the country for the last several months and had not heard of your marriage until my steward mentioned it this morning. I wish you felicitations.”

No, she didn’t. She wished bad shit on me. I knew a jealous woman when I saw one. I was betting this one hadn’t had a boyfriend to keep Devinshea out of her bed.

“God, Z,” Neil commented in a quiet tone as he looked our hostess over. “She looks a lot like you.”

She did. Though her facial features were not like mine, we certainly had the same body type. She had curves and nicely placed breasts that Dev would have loved. I wondered how often he’d spent time in her bed to make her so jealous of me. I tried to tell myself that I was the one he married and I should be magnanimous. I knew his time in the Unseelie sithein had been hard on him, so anything that brought him joy here should be celebrated, but it was difficult.

I put on a sincere smile and hoped charm worked on her. “Thank you. I have to admit, it doesn’t seem quite real. It’s hard to think I married a faery prince. Thank you for the use of the clothes, by the way. I found myself in desperate need of them.”

“I’m glad to see they fit, Your Highness.” She had wide sky blue eyes and they narrowed as she considered me. “I was surprised to hear you were human. The Seelie don’t tend to take well to anyone who isn’t exactly like them.”

I shrugged and felt uncomfortable. I could smell the food and hoped she couldn’t hear how much I wanted it because she might be bitter enough to deny me. “They don’t like me all that much. Most of them seem to think I’m not worthy to have married a royal. The only person I made friends with over there was a troll.”

She shook her head and silky curls escaped her updo. “Well, that’s not surprising. What is surprising is that Miria allowed the marriage. I would have thought anyone not fully sidhe would be unacceptable.”

I stood up to my full, if somewhat not imposing, height. I wasn’t about to take that crap from anyone, even if they were my host. “My husband made it clear to his mother that she could accept me or we could go back to the Earth plane. He loves me. He doesn’t care that I’m human.”

“Lucky you, Your Highness.” She pushed back her chair and stood up. “Please feel free to keep the clothes. I’ll have more sent to you since they fit so well. We have a lot in common, as you will discover. Please sit and break your fast. I’ll see you later, after the Hunter and Arawn have awakened so we can decide how to get you back to your loving husband with all due haste.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say to that obvious sarcasm except, “Thank you, Your Highness. I would love to see my husband as soon as possible. We’re not used to being separated.”

Chima bowed her dark head to me and exited with as much grace as she could manage.

Neil whistled as he looked over the buffet. “Bitter, party of one. Damn, what did Dev do to cause that?”

I watched the door she had exited out of warily. “I don’t know, but he did it well. I have Gilliana on one side and now Chima on this one. It doesn’t seem like there’s anywhere I don’t run into Dev’s ex-girlfriends.”

Neil inhaled and sighed in happy anticipation. “At least she didn’t skimp on the food. It smells wonderful.”

“I’m wondering if I should eat it.” I looked over the enormous buffet with wild regret. I’d been living off of soldier’s rations for days. Soldier’s rations sucked.

Neil was already filling a plate. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“Hello, I’m ‘just drank poison’ girl,” I pointed out.

Neil frowned at me. “You have to get over that. It was a curse, not poison. I already checked your clothes for hex bags. I don’t smell anything but deliciousness, and the vampire blood in your system should take care of anything anyone tries to get you with. You and Daniel did that last night, right?”

I nodded. While Neil had been readying himself for bed, Daniel had insisted I take an extra helping. He was worried about the red caps despite the Unseelies’ belief that they would leave Angus’s daughter alone.

“So eat up, sweetie,” Neil said.

“Chima would never attempt to harm you in that way.” Arawn entered, dressed richly in court clothes. He looked at me and I didn’t like the sympathy in his eyes. “She might not appreciate your marriage, but she won’t harm you over it.”

“So she had an affair with Dev?” I wished I could be more cavalier about it, but I would never get used to being around women who had loved my husband, and there was no doubt Chima had. She wouldn’t be so bitter if it had been a simple fling.

“It is none of my business, Your Grace,” Arawn stated as he picked up a plate. “I’ve never discussed it with her, but I certainly think all of the evidence points to it. Devinshea is what he is. The miracle is that he married at all.” Arawn laughed as he reminisced. “He always told me that when he found his perfect woman, he would settle down and enjoy being faithful. I thought he was joking. I never imagined he would do it. Chima has sacrificed much over the last several years. I ask you to be kind to her, as the woman who won the prize.”