Cast in Faefire: An Urban Fantasy Romance (The Mage Craft Series Book 3) by S.M. Reine Read Free Book Online Page B

didn’t realize she’d spoken to him. He was distracted by watching Marion glide out of the hall, a slender form whose gown was a crimson mirror of her chestnut hair. Marion was beautiful enough to be sidhe, but so much more special.
    A god. She’d brought a god into their partnership.
    Konig had hoped she would, of course. But before her memory loss, she had repeatedly refused to use her privileges as the Voice of God with anything related to Konig.
    No longer.
    The doctor Marion liked to pal around with was one of the gods, so her value had just increased exponentially. Impressive, considering that she was already priceless.
    “What do you think?” His mother asked the question louder the second time.
    “Hmm?”
    “Oh, darling.” Violet cupped his cheek in her hand, blank eyes warming with genuine affection. “Transfixed by your bride, are you?” Even Violet, who had never been fond of Marion, appreciated what she perceived as desire between the two of them.
    “She’s quite a prize,” Konig said.
    Nori didn’t look at either of them. “I like the waterfalls,” she said, bustling around the new tree with a strand of witchlights. They’d be twined through all the branches to provide an unearthly glow to the ceremony.
    “I didn’t ask you.” Violet turned back to her work on the hall. “I shouldn’t bother asking my boy, either. Boys never care about these things. You’ve much more important things to consider.” She cast loops of magic toward the roof, peppering it with blossoms of starlight.
    “More important than my wedding?” Konig asked.
    “Actually, we do have some important court business to talk about, if the queen doesn’t need us anymore,” Nori said. She tucked the last of the witchlights among the tree branches.
    Violet dismissed them with another flick of her fingers. “Attend to the court.”
    As if Konig needed her permission.
    Much as it rankled to leave his mother in charge of anything, he really didn’t care about how things looked during the ceremony. And as long as she was busy with decorations, she wouldn’t be sitting on the throne. The woman was practically dancing on the bones of the Winter Queen.
    Nori kept her head bowed as she led Konig from the hall, back toward the king’s bedroom. The hall was so much chillier that Konig couldn’t help but suck in a breath. He kept forgetting where they were.
    But his blood burned hot enough to keep him warm.
    As soon as the doors to the wedding venue swung shut behind him, he caught Nori’s wrist. “Court business?” he murmured, pulling her to his chest.
    Spots of pink touched her cheeks. “Very important court business.”
    Konig’s fingers glided up her ribcage. “Tell me all about it.”
    “It’s Ymir,” Nori said.
    That chilled his desire. “Again? Damn. Where is he?”
    “I had him brought to our room by the Raven Knights.” Nori ducked her head, but not before Konig saw her flushing even brighter with embarrassment. “ Your room.”
    It was an easy slip to make. Nori had been spending more nights in his bed than anywhere else. The succor of her half-angel flesh was the only thing keeping Konig sane while he waited for Marion’s frigidity to thaw.
    Two of the Raven Knights were guarding the door to the king’s bedroom. Konig made a mental note to have more assigned on that hall. With Arawn throwing Hounds at their doorstep, nothing was more important than ensuring Konig’s safety.
    He was only days away from being king. Days . Konig would not let an uppity demon interfere with that.
    Ymir waited inside the room, watched by yet another pair of Raven Knights wearing warm furred coats. The frost giant wore a t-shirt and jeans instead. Ymir seemed to find temperatures in the palace summer-like.
    The child was munching on a candy bar—not his first, judging by the many wrappers around him. He looked as content as he ever did these days.
    Every scrap of momentary contentment vanished when Konig strode into the