by Bec McMaster
"You planned this?" she gasped.
Scott scrubbed at his jaw. "I happen to agree with Malloryn on this matter. Balfour needs to be dealt with, and Malloryn has proof confirming the Ivory Tower is a target. The Coldrush Guards are compromised. The Echelon is full of Rising Sons. So we either remove the lot of them while we try to ascertain which of them are Balfour's, or we tempt them to make their play."
The queen looked at all of her councilors in turn, but Malloryn had spent half the night in secret meetings. They needed to present a united front.
"How intriguing," the queen drawled. "Not a one of you is protesting this idiot scheme. Do I even bother calling for a council vote? Or have you already had one?"
"It's for your own protection, my dear," said Mina, the Duchess of Casavian, as she circled the table and took her dearest friend's hand. "Think of it as a holiday. You were the one who was saying how you wish you'd been born a commoner just the other day. Well, now you get to be one."
"Mina and Barrons will be staying here," he told the queen. "Nobody would believe the Duchess of Casavian would abandon you. Sir Gideon will accompany you and play the gracious host; and Lynch and his wife, Rosalind, will be in your retinue for protection. We don't expect the ruse to be discovered, but we cannot be too certain. The fewer people outside this room who know you're gone, the better."
"I see," she said. "I'm leaving my country in your hands, Malloryn."
"I will protect it as if it were my own."
She sighed. "Don't destroy my city. Don't ruin my tower. And for God's sake, don't get yourself killed. You and I haven't had the last word on this subject."
He winked slowly at her. "As my queen commands."
The queen slipped away in the middle of the night with her small retinue of trusted guards.
Malloryn smuggled Adele into Alexandra's chambers, where he checked all the wardrobes and under the bed with a small mechanical apparatus that sensed listening devices before pronouncing the room clear. The rest of the Company of Rogues was interspersed among the guest chambers on the floor below them, and he'd requested a handful of Coldrush Guards he knew to be loyal to take guard duty.
Now it was just a matter of waiting.
"Well," Adele murmured, easing the queen's crown from her head and holding it reverently. "Life at your side is certainly entertaining. And touching this is better than holding an entire case filled with diamonds." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I am touching the queen's crown. I was wearing it on my head."
"Do you need a moment alone with the crown?"
"I think I'm going to sleep with it on," she whispered, sharing a conspiratorial smile with him.
"I've been replaced, have I?"
"Who said you'd ever earned your place in my bed?"
Her husband shook his head. "It's the diamonds, isn't it? If I glue one to my forehead, will I have your entire focus?"
"If you glue one somewhere else, you might."
He gave her a swat on the bottom. "I've created a monster."
Adele burst into laughter, and he shook his head at her. Opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it with what could only be described as a flash of chagrin darting across his expression.
"You have something to say," she interpreted.
"How do you do that?"
"See right through you?" She quirked a brow. "We embarked upon war, Malloryn, and the first act of engagement is to know your enemy. I think I'm finally starting to get a handle on how you think."
"Well, that makes one of us. You always seem to catch me by surprise."
Adele reached out and captured his fingers in hers. "You could just tell me what it is, you know? Someone once told me trust is an art that soothes the waters of marriage considerably."
"Sounds like a smart fellow." Malloryn said. "Turn around."
Adele obediently faced the mirror.
Malloryn loomed over her shoulder, his expression tightening, which was a sure sign of his emotional state.
"I'm not very good at this." Reaching around in front of her, he moved to put something around her throat. "But I wanted to give you something."
"I adore presents."
"I noticed," he murmured. "This is our last night together. Tomorrow, we set our trap and it wouldn't be wise for me to stay with you at night."
"That's all right. I have the crown."
A soft laugh escaped him. "I swear to God, Adele. I'm trying to be serious."
"So am I."
"I never thought I'd resent a hunk of gold and gemstones so much. With all the Devoncourts of the world flirting with you, it's a fucking crown that tempts you."
"The crown," she teased. "Every little girl dreams of being a princess. I could almost kiss you right now for making my dreams come true."
"Almost? Well." He leaned his chin on her shoulder as he examined her in the mirror. "Now you're making me wonder if my paltry gift is even worth it."
A heavy weight settled against her throat.
And despite her giddiness, she couldn't help feeling a little nervous. "You went shopping for me?"
"No."
Adele's smile slipped off her face as she saw what he was draping around her throat. "Oh, my goodness. My pearls."
"I had them fixed for you," he said as he gently worked the clasp. "They were your grandmother's. I know how much they meant to you."
Adele touched the pearls as if to make certain they were real. Her heart started thumping. "How did you know they were my grandmother's?"
"You told me. On our wedding day. For all your talk of diamonds and precious gems, you chose to wear your sentimental favorites."
He'd remembered?
Tears glittered in her eyes. They were perfectly put back together. If she hadn't been there when Jelena broke them, she wouldn't have believed they'd even been ruined.
And how had he...? With everything that had been going on, he'd remembered her pearls and gotten them fixed. The thoughtfulness shocked her.
"Better than a crown?"
Emotion thickened in her throat, choking her. All she could do was nod.
"Good. Because while we have this chance, I wanted one last night with you. And I want it to be perfect." Malloryn's voice turned soft and teasing. "Good gods, are you crying?"
Adele turned and slid a hand into his hair as she dragged his face down to hers. Their lips touched and then Malloryn kissed her. Truly kissed her. Lazy and slow and heated in all the good ways.
This was the Malloryn she desired.
The one who claimed her mouth without a single hesitation.
The one who stole her breath—her thoughts—with the heated, slick dart of his tongue.
The one who tenderly brushed her cheek with his thumb as he slowly drew back, looking down into her eyes with an expression she couldn't read.
Her Auvry.
"Thank you. Thank you for fixing them."
He rested his forehead against hers, his breath stirring against her swollen lips. "We've come a long way together. Who would have thought?"
"From threatening castration to stolen kisses," she joked.
"From doing everything to avoid going home, to trying to find where in my house my wife is hidden," he said, his mouth softening into a smile.
"Preferably in your bed."
"Preferably," he agreed.
"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered, biting her lip.
"I have an entire network of spies at my behest. There's nothing I enjoy more than secrets."
You might not enjoy this one. Adele closed her eyes. "I love you."
He drew back sharply, the humor fleeing from his eyes. "Don't tempt fate—"
She put a finger to his lips, shaking her head. It was time to be brave. "I know why you don't want me to tell you that. You see it as a burden, as one more weight on your shoulders should I fall."
"Adele—"
"You said it yourself," she whispered. "This is our last chance to be together before we confront him. And I c
annot help thinking, what if I don't ever get a chance to say it? I love you, and I'm not afraid to say it. I want to say it."
"It's not a burden," he whispered, cupping her face between his hands. "Never that."
And then he kissed her again.
There was a desperation to his actions; not merely hunger or desire, but something almost frantic.
One hand cupped her bottom, dragging her firmly against him until they were chest to chest, groin to groin.
"You're not going to lose me," Adele promised, the moment he let her come up for air. It haunted every line of him, his hands clinging to her as if he was afraid to let her go, even for an instant. "We are going to defeat Balfour and make him wish he'd never happened upon either of us."
"I just wish he was dead." A shudder ran through him as he stroked his thumb longingly down her side. "I've carried that bastard like a noose around my throat for almost seventeen years. I want to live in a world where his ghost no longer haunts me. I want to...." He clearly sought the right words. "I want to tell my wife how much she means to me."
Those words.
They ricocheted through her like an arrow given flight.
"Does she?" Adele's heart hammered. "Does she mean something to you?"
Malloryn stared down at her, his heart splayed wide in his eyes. And she realized he could not say it. Could not force the words past his lips.
"Everything," he said simply.
Just that.
A word that held so much more in it.
She'd thought him cold, once upon a time, but it was merely a mask. One she recognized, for she'd worn it too. If you didn't let anyone in, then you couldn't be hurt again.
It didn't mean you didn't feel deeply.
It didn't mean you couldn't be hurt.
And it didn't mean you couldn't love somebody, even if you couldn't bring yourself to say it.
"I love you," she whispered, saying the words he couldn't. It set her free in some way. Unfurled something within her that had been so tightly guarded for so long. Adele leaned onto her toes and pressed her lips gently against his. "And I will love you for as long as we both live. I will love you, even if you think you are not worthy of it. I will love you even when you are too afraid to tell me the same."
A shudder tore through him. "Adele."
"I will love you when you push me against bookcases. And throw me over your shoulder." She felt his mouth soften against hers, and eased her tongue against his. A soft, petting caress as she breathed into his mouth, "I will love you when you threaten to lock me away for my own good. And I will even love you when you are being your arrogant best and clearly wrong."
His eyelashes stirred against her cheeks as he drew back, cupping her face with an expression she couldn't name. "And when you throw books at my head?"
"Especially then."
He breathed out a laugh. "I'll consider myself a lucky man as I'm dodging glassware and curses."
"That's the spirit," Adele whispered, and then smiled. She felt the smile blaze within her, lighting her from within. Happy. In this moment, all she knew was happiness.
Malloryn's breath caught in his chest, as if she'd somehow knocked him for six. "You ruin me. You always have. You're like a cannonball that's obliterated every aspect of my life."
"We're going to have to work on your delivery," she said. "You're severely lacking in poetry."
"Adele."
She bit his finger. "I know."
And then he was laughing helplessly, as if her happiness was contagious. He stole another kiss, and the roughness of his hands was a little unsteady on her skin.
This time it was long and slow and deep, holding the promise of everything he wanted to do to her. He pushed her back, toward the bed, and Adele went with a shiver.
"Are you planning to ravish me in the queen's suite?"
"Yes." He captured her mouth again, hands stroking down her sides. "A thousand times, yes."
"Do you—" She gasped. "—think I could wear the crown?"
Malloryn bit her lip sharply, a growl echoing in his throat as she burst into a cascade of laughter.
Reaching down, he slung her up over his shoulder and strode toward the bed. "Why did I ever think you were going to be a cool, biddable bride?"
"I don't know," she replied. "The idea baffles me too."
And then she gave a squeal of laughter as he tossed her onto her back in the middle of the queen's bed and followed her down with a smile.
Chapter 33
The day of the queen's parade arrived.
This was it.
Adele nervously smoothed her borrowed finery into place as Malloryn barked orders and snapped commands.
Tension etched his hard frame as he sent the Rogues scurrying. Gemma saw her watching and rolled her eyes behind his back. Far below them, the carriage was brought out, its gilt edges twinkling in the sunlight, and Adele could hear people chanting the queen's name, the sound floating up to the heights of the tower on the breeze.
"Are you ready?" Malloryn asked, finally turning to her.
No.
It had been easy to commit to this before she'd realized she had a target painted on her back. Easy to jest about the crown jewels when thousands of people weren't out there calling the queen's name. Someone had to realize she was a fraud. Someone would notice.
Or worse, they'd put a bullet in her head.
"Breathe," Malloryn warned her, cupping a gentle hand against her cheek. "The parade route is patrolled by so many Nighthawks, nobody's going to get near enough to take a shot."
"This corset is too tight."
Of course, said his eyes. "It's the steel inserts. I won't let anyone hurt you."
She didn't care who saw them then. All of the servants around them knew of the ruse, and Gemma wouldn't care. Adele grabbed a fistful of his shirt and hauled him down for a kiss.
A kiss to catch her balance.
A kiss to ground her.
One last chance to touch him before she had to perform.
Malloryn drew back, breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers. "You're going to ruin my reputation. If anyone sees us, they'll think I'm having an affair with the queen."
"I'm fairly certain Sir Gideon Scott might have something to say about that."
He looked at her sharply. "Scott?"
"You haven't seen the way he looks at her? And she at him? They're besotted with each other, though neither dares make the first move."
It was clear he hadn't.
"Oh, Malloryn." Adele slid her hands inside his coat, resting her forehead against his chest, where she could hear his heart beating. "How can you be so all-knowing, and yet so blind to what's happening right beneath your nose?"
"The queen?"
"I thought that was why you sent her off to his estate with him." All those little plots, and he'd missed the most delicious one. "A masterful stroke, I thought."
"Suffice it to say," he grumbled, "but I don't always see what's right beneath my nose. Especially when it comes to people wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Scott and the queen? Who would have guessed?" He frowned. "I've been pushing her to consider a European prince."
"Do you think she'll accept one of their proposals?"
"Considering she practically snarled at me when I suggested it, my hopes remain low." Malloryn stepped back, a considering look on his face.
Adele recognized it. "You have your 'meddling' face on. I shouldn't have told you."
"Scott might make an ideal consort. He's the head of the Humans First party, a councilor, and decidedly conservative in his decisions."
"You mean, he listens to you?"
Malloryn flashed her a smile. "Sometimes. More importantly, he talks her around when she's being irrational. The humans of London would rejoice, though this will cause problems among the Echelon. A human queen and a human consort? Even those blue bloods who've accepted the new way of doing things will grumble about it."
Adele fixed his colla
r. "It's nice to see you plotting the future of the realm again. But perhaps this can wait until we kill Lord Balfour and hang his remaining Rising Sons."
"I never knew you were so bloodthirsty."
"Dead enemies don't cause future problems."
"You practically read my mind sometimes." Malloryn captured her hand and lifted it to his lips. "Do you know, if we survive this, I think we're going to make a formidable pair."
"Oh, Malloryn." She rolled her eyes. "We've been a formidable pair ever since you surrendered to me."
"Did I surrender?"
Adele shot him a wicked smile. "Many, many times."
The parade through the streets was a nerve-wracking affair.
Adele waved at the crowd from a closed carriage with Gemma, Ingrid, and Lark, whilst Malloryn rode at the head of the column and deployed his teams of Coldrush Guards with a stern hand. Adele forced herself to smile, buoyed by the throng of humans and mechs who swarmed the parade route, waving the queen's colors in the air.
Nothing had been left to chance.
Charlie and Jack were working with a scrambling device Lena had created during the revolution in order to counteract any automaton attacks; Obsidian, Byrnes, and Kincaid made dashing Coldrush Guards; and the Nighthawks' dirigible prowled overhead. Several nearby contingents were prepared to whisk her out of the way the second any signs of danger erupted.
Balfour, curse the man, declined to accept the opportunity they'd presented, though an assassination attempt during the parade had been the lowest of Malloryn's suspected possibilities for the day.
Gemma eased a sigh of relief as they rode beneath the arches of the gate towers that guarded the Ivory Tower. "Well, ladies. It looks like tonight is going to be the night."
Adele breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I can't wait to get out of this armored corset."
"I'm sure Malloryn will assist you." Gemma looked completely innocent.
"But then we'll never get to the ball."
Everyone who was anyone in the Echelon was invited.
Especially those on a certain membership list.
Malloryn wanted nothing left to chance. He wanted them to take their shot at him when he dictated, not when they did.
