Chapter 47

“Malcolm, you Coblynau cocksucker!” Darrius stormed through the chamber.

Even though I knew my actions would cause this, I still cringed inside as I faced him. “It was for your own good.”

He strode toward me with heavy footfalls and I braced for what I knew was coming.

A foot from me, he punched me in the face. Blood coated the inside of my mouth. I stood straighter and met his red-faced glare.

His fist rose again, but I caught it with my palm.

“I gave you the first punch out of curtesy, strike me again and there will be consequences.”

He kicked my thigh, barely missing my balls. “Fuck yer consequences. Ye put Avery in danger by knocking me out with yer sleeping spell.”

This time, I didn’t hold back and punched him in the chin. His head whipped back with a bone-chilling crack. But he rolled his shoulders forward and raised his fists.

“What good would you do Avery if you couldn’t stand up and keep your eyes open at the same time?” I blocked his blow to my head.

“A lot better than dead asleep and flat on my back.” He threw a jab.

I spun away, but his fist grazed my shoulder.

“Ye had no right.” He swung an overhand punch and I barely blocked in time.

I followed my punch with an uppercut that clipped him under the chin. His teeth clacked together from the impact.

“Stop, what are you two doing?” Avery’s voice froze me in place.

But Darrius punched me in the nose and my head snapped to the side. Blood poured from the wound.

“Enough.” Simeon thrust up his hand, encasing Darrius in an invisible web.

Avery crossed her arms and glared at both me and Darrius like it was my fault the brute didn’t know how to behave. “What is going on? Why are you two fighting?”

“Ask him.” Darrius nodded to me. His hands were locked to his sides from Simeon’s magic.

“I put a sleeping spell in his breakfast.”

Avery’s mouth dropped open for a split second before she recovered. “Why?”

“Because he was exhausted from staying up all night watching over you.” I sighed, squeezing my nose more to staunch the bleeding, and added the little bit of healing magic I had. “If we let him, he’d have stayed up all day and could be a danger if you were attacked again and he wasn't performing at a hundred percent.”

“My performance is ten times better than yes any day.” Darrius spat.

Avery took Darrius’ hand. “How about you help me gather weapons that will fit in my clothes.”

The magic holding him in place evaporated. He sent me a murderous glare, before strolling away with Avery to the weapons' chamber.

“Thanks,” I said to Simeon.

He nodded, turning away, and heading in the opposite direction.

“Wait. It’s still your day.” I jogged to catch up with him. My nose finally not bleeding, but it felt swollen inside and I was sure my voice sounded off. “You going to let Darrius have her so early?”

“Call it payment for you knocking him out.”

“Hey, that’s not fair.” I matched his strides. “It was technically my time with Avery and the stubborn bastard wouldn’t have gone to sleep without knowing she was better.”

“You still should have asked him.” Simeon stared straight ahead as we walked. “He had every right to beat that into you.”

I grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop and look at me. “What’s gotten into you? You know as well as I that Darrius would’ve made himself sick with lack of sleep. He’d be a danger not only to Avery, but to everyone here.”

Simeon jerked his arm back. “If you ever do something like that to me or Avery, I won’t hold back. I will use fists and magic against you, so you never even think of trying anything again.”

I gapped at my cousin. He was always the sweetest and most sensitive of us all. “Avery will be okay. She’s healing nicely and the healing magic Helga put in place is speeding everything up.”

“Is there something you need, Malcolm?”

“Look we are all stressed, but you don’t need to take it out on me or the others.”

He gave me a short nod. “I’ve got errands to run for Avery and I’d like to get them done as quickly as possible. Do me a favor and tell Darrius to watch over her until I return.”

“What errands? I’ll go with y—”

“No,” he said so forcefully that I jerked back. “Sorry, it’s a minor thing I need to do, and you are best served staying here, keeping Avery safe.”

He didn’t wait for my reply but strode down the hallway. I watched him leave with anxiety weighing heavily on my chest. Something was going on with my cousin and whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

When Simeon turned the corner and was out of sight, I rushed to the nearest servant who was waxing the wooden doors to the ballroom. Her black hair was braided and hung over one shoulder. Rags hung from a belt cinched around her waist. She hummed a Fae lullaby about the wind dancing with flowers.

“Tell Darrius to stay with the queen until I can speak with him.”

“Yes, m’lord.” She bowed her head.

I raced back to where Simeon had gone. My side ached from my wound as I ran and placed a hand on the pain. A nagging suspicion wouldn’t let go of me that Simeon was hiding something. Plus, Tinder had acted weird around him earlier and he had been the one to leave Avery just before she was attacked.

And I intended to find out what the hell was going on.