The Darkling Lord: Court of the Banished book 1 (Annwyn Series 4) by Shona Husk

in her favor that didn’t change what had happened or the way people had looked at her when they’d realized what was going on. He might have broken his word, but she hadn’t seen it coming. He had been a better player than her.
    Marlis knew all of that. Had she seen Shea after he was banished or simply heard about him? Darah couldn’t bring herself to ask. Nor could she give her word that she wouldn’t betray Henry. Her vow to Felan carried much more weight and consequence.
    “Neither.” She didn’t want to think of her husband or her marriage anymore. Being with Henry would be the perfect distraction, and like any fairy she always mixed business and pleasure.
    “Mmm.” Marlis gave a small nod. “Fairies aren’t nearly as heartless as we like to think. I liked the young Felan…I’d hate to think his mother corrupted him the way she did so many.” She strode out of the room before Darah could come up with a suitable response.
    Maybe there was none. Marlis already knew far too much. But if she already knew, there was no need for Darah to be delicate in her pursuit of Henry.

    W hile Henry knew he shouldn’t have kissed Darah, it hadn’t stopped him from reliving and enjoying the experience. It had occurred to him before that the only person he could kiss was a fairy.
    Being with Marlis had confirmed that. Since her, he hadn’t had another Grey lover. They were worse off than him and he knew how it would end. He always knew how his affairs would end. However, Darah was different. She excited him in all the right places. Unfortunately Court fairies usually wanted nothing to do with a darkling bastard who didn’t even know his real name.
    Except Darah, which had made him instantly suspicious.
    That she hadn’t denied playing him only added weight to his paranoia. For the past three days he’d had a Court fairy wandering around his casino, his city, poking her rather lovely nose into all of his business. And he kept on inviting her to get closer. He liked to think it was because that was the smart thing to do, but he wasn’t very good at lying even to himself.
    He wanted her. He was tired of being lonely and she was offering. One night or ten, he didn’t really care. The knowledge that she might stab him in the back as soon as he took her to bed was all that was slowing him down.
    Every time he looked at her all he wanted to do was kiss her again. If she caught him looking, she smiled as if thinking about exactly what they could be doing after they’d finished kissing.
    He ignored the lust pulsing through his body. He’d told no one, not even Kaid, Penn or Marlis the truth—that Darah wasn’t exiled. He should, but they’d want her to leave straight away because she was a security risk.
    He walked with Kaid toward the river. Neither man spoke, both taking in every change in the city. It had become a bit of ritual come evening. By morning, Kaid would be back at the casino, once again a man. The kelpie needed to spend time as a horse and in water. As long as Henry had Kaid’s bridle he wasn’t free to leave, but a kelpie could never be tamed either. The bridle was the sore point between them, and Henry was sure it was the only the thing that stopped Kaid from killing him for fun.
    He trusted the fairy horse less than he trusted fairies.
    Today’s route took them past what had once been the vibrant downtown area. Even now it was trying. There were a few restaurants, and the other casino was open. Bastard. How much of a fee had the owners paid the mayor? Was it more or less than the deal offered to him?
    Was Darah a security risk, or had that ship sailed the moment she’d found him and seen what was going on?
    He bit back the sigh. The thing was, this whole place was a security risk in Annwyn’s eyes. If Darah was here to investigate and make a report—which he was sure she was—then he at least wanted a good report to go back. Something that said he was no threat to Annwyn and that his work was