Page 184 of The Fallen Fae King

Maybe assassination isn’t Daire’s love language with them like it is with me…?

I turn around with a swish of my cloak back to Aquila.

My eyes become fathomless. “When did Cato order you to assassinate my cousin? When is this murder meant to take place?”

Aquila hugs his arms around himself.

“I’m meant to have already done it,” he whispers, tormented. “I refused.”

My wings itch to burst from my back. “Are you in trouble for not following through on the fucker’s plan?”

Aquila gives a shaky nod.

“See?” Ignatius rushes to say. “He didn’t do it. He’s not a bad Omega. We all know about being under the control of our families. Is it fair to punish us for the sins of our parents? Should he die because his father, an Alpha, has forced him into an impossible position? He didn’t kill me. Please let me hold my Omega. If he’s to be executed, then let me love him one last time.”

My chest tightens.

I give a curt nod.

Ignatius roughly brushes past me, throwing himself to his knees next to Aquila.

I blink at the desperate way that Aquila throws his arms around Ignatius’ neck, nuzzling and licking him.

Aquila is crying and repeating sorry, sorry, sorry, while Ignatius is softly hushing him.

Neither dragon is trying to mask their emotions.

Is this love?

When they draw back and kiss each other, I clear my throat.

“This is an interrogation, you know.” I cross my arms. “And don’t imagine, Iggy, that you will not answer to me for hiding such a dangerous secret. What were you thinking by keeping such a deadly snake at your bosom?”

Ignatius gives Aquila a final lingering kiss. He pulls his Omega into a smart kneel next to him but maintains a firm hold on his hand.

“A bit like you do with Daire then, Your Majesty?” Ignatius cocks his head. “How many times has he boasted that he tried to assassinate you again?”

He had to fucking remember that.

I open my mouth to reply but I don’t know what to say. Daire’s attempts were affectionate? A game? That I knew I could beat him every time?

It made sense in my own twisted relationships between enemies, but any way that I explain it would make me sound like a hypocrite.

By Ignatius’ triumphant expression, he knows it.

Yet he doesn’t understand that this is all part of my plan.

I satisfy myself by muttering, “Insolent.”

I need to move this onto the most important reason that I am here.

Wraith is the best spy. Once she starts to dig, she will always discover something unexpected like the fact that this haughty Omega has been sneaking out to visit another Omega in the palace in secret.

An Omega who I would have never expected to be caught up in this, and which if she is, will solve my wedding problems later today.

I have plotted several bloodier ways to escape from marrying Liviana, but this way is neater.

I point at Aquila. “You’re still not telling me everything. I want to know about why you’ve been secretly meeting with Liviana.”