"Blah!" Roman gagged, throwing up for the third time. He heaved and groaned, clutching the toilet like it was his last lifeline, riding out whatever cursed thing the pixies had fed him.
"I think Iâm dying," he moaned pitifully, forehead pressed against the cool porcelain.
"Youâre not dying," Griffin said, patting him on the shoulder. "Just... donât go to strange parties at night."
From the corner, Alaricâwho was supposed to be providing moral supportâsnorted.
"Yeah, laugh all you want," Roman muttered, rolling his eyes.
"You should be grateful itâs not diarrhea," Alaric said dryly.
Roman opened his mouth to fire back, but another violent wave hit him. He lurched over the toilet and started hurling again, loud enough to make Griffin wince.
On the bright side, the serpent wouldnât be creeping out its hiding place anytime soon.
Unbeknownst to them, Violet had seen everything unfold. She returned to the living room, where Asher stood before Lila and Rhara. His posture was rigid, his slitted eyes cold and razor-sharp.
"Whatâs happening to him?" Violet demanded.
"Now that the enchantmentâs worn off, his bodyâs fighting it," Lila explained.
"Fighting what?"
"Nectar," Rhara added.
"Nectar?" Violetâs frown deepened.
Lila sighed. "Sugar. Lots of it. Fae tend to have a serious sweet tooth."
"And donât forget the pollen," Rhara chimed in, "and whatever magic dust they probably sneezed into it. He might be supernatural, but his body isnât built for food from this realm."
"Food," Asher called out, "You probably intend to feed us soon."
"Thereâs a spell thatâll let you handle our food, and stop you from falling for Fae charms so easily."
"Really?" Asher scoffed. "And does that spell happen to leave any residue you can use to manipulate or control me?"
Rhara shot Lila a look that clearly said, Where did you find this one?
"Itâs just protection so you donât end up like Roman did last night." Lila responded.
Asherâs eyes narrowed further. "You expect me to believe that?"
Lila let out an exasperated sigh. "You think I dragged you all the way to the Fae realm to do what, control your mind? I couldâve left you behind, especially since youâre not even mated to Violet."
That last part hit a nerve. Asherâs jaw clenched, his teeth flashing in a snarl. But Lila bared her own in return, her sharp Fae teeth glinting as the air between them thickened. In an instant, the sweet-faced Fae was gone, replaced by a dangerous creature.
"Alright, thatâs enough!" Violet stepped between them before it could turn into a fight.
Violet reached out, her fingers brushing Asherâs before she firmly took his hand. His muscles tensed, but she didnât let go. Without saying a word, she led him away from the others, toward a quieter corner of the room.
"Asher," she began, turning to face him. "I get it. I understand why youâre pissed. Youâre not in your element, this is not the world youâre familiar with, and you donât trust any of them one bit."
His eyes snapped toward Lila, still visibly bristling. "Youâre right, I donât trust them. Any of them. Not even your mother," he said flatly, meeting Violetâs gaze without flinching. "Even the devil can pretend to be an angel."
Violet was speechless, her mouth parting slightly, but Asher wasnât finished.
"That spell could have something attached to it, and weâd never know. Romanâs situation should be proof enough."
Instead of getting offended, Violet simply said, "Exactly. Look what happened to Roman."
Asherâs jaw tightened. "Roman happened because he canât sit his ass in one place. He walks straight into trouble and brings it home like a damn souvenir."
"And what if next time itâs you? Or Griffin? Or Alaric?" Violet countered, her voice gaining strength. "You wonât be stuck here forever. You know it already, Fae are masters of glamours and charms. Weâre already at a disadvantage just by being here."
Asher folded his arms, but his silence told her she had his attention.
"What if itâs not the pixies next time?" she continued. "What if one of you falls into the hands of something worse? A Fae who knows exactly what heâs doing. Remember Baron?"
Asherâs worked his jaw at the mention of that name.
"We donât even know what heâs capable of yet, Asher. You canât tell me that doesnât worry you. Even if my mother is the devil, at least she wants me alive."
Asherâs mouth fell open, the defiance in his eyes gone. He swallowed, and tried to explain, "I didnât mean it that way..."
"No, itâs alright." Violet said gently, "Iâm not saying you have to trust her, But maybeâjust this onceâyou should listen. Iâm only but one and canât keep you all from danger. You guys need protection in this realm."
Asher sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine," he muttered at last.
"Thank you." Relief warmed her tone.
"However," Asher said, "If that spell makes me crave flowers or start singing in my sleep, Iâm murdering all of them."
Violet snorted. "Really? That would be a cute sight."
"Violet." He growled, mock-threatening.
She laughed anyway. "Fine, that wonât happen. Also, no murdering anyone, you blood thirsty beast." Violet teased, leaning in to kiss him on the lips.
What was supposed to be a simple kiss quickly evolved into a passionate one.
Violet moaned softly, leaning into Asher until there was literally no space left between them. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.
A low, possessive rumble escaped Asherâs chest in response, vibrating against her lips. His hands roamed her body, tracing the curve of her spine, skimming down to the small of her back, before finally resting on her hip, holding her there.
Lila cleared her throat deliberately, pulling them both back to reality.
Violet pulled away, breathless, her cheeks flushed. Asher didnât even bother hiding his annoyance, his gray eyes flashing toward the Fae female.
"So?" Lila demanded.
"Weâll do it," Asher said, "But I need to speak to the queen. I have questions of my own."
Lila told him. "Youâll meet the queen over breakfast. Discussions in the Fae realm are often made over meals."
Asher met her gaze. "Fine. Then do it."