Bria laughed, delighted. “You’re tall, you’re strong, hell, you’re even mean, but there is no way you are going to drag me anywhere, let alone dress me up like a show pony. I go like this, or I don’t go. Pretty simple.”

“Demigod Kieran might fire you.”

“He’s more than welcome to. It won’t get rid of me, and he knows it.”

“And what if I kick you around this office and dress the bloody mess that results?”

“Dress yourself however you want. And if that bloody mess you’re talking about doesn’t stay in the world of the living, I’ll knock your spirit back into it, dress you up like a circus clown to go with your hair, and let you dance around the office. How’d that be?”

I rolled my eyes at their standoff, flitted into the bathroom, and quickly donned the fabulous dress. I had no doubt Kieran had picked this out. He loved simple elegance—he said it allowed my natural beauty to shine.

Heat pricked the back of my eyes as I checked my plain face in the mirror—I probably should’ve put on a little more makeup this morning. I only had a light dusting. And my hair was already wild. Freaking beauty standards—I didn’t know how to fit in, let alone compete, with the elegant elite. They all seemed so suave and manicured. I didn’t know how they did it.

Outsourcing.

I gritted my teeth and let myself out of the bathroom. Kieran made sure I didn’t want for anything, but still, a beauty team was a little much.

Bria had not changed by the time I got out. Red’s flat expression said she would like to force the issue but valued her job too highly to have a throw-down with another member of Kieran’s staff.

“Ready,” I said.

Red stared at Bria a little longer before walking over to Kieran’s large desk. She picked up two long, nearly flat black boxes and brought them to a little table at the back of the room. With the largest box in hand, she turned to scowl at me. Only when I crossed the room to stand in front of her did she lift the cover, revealing the largest, most beautiful gemstone necklace I’d ever seen. Two draped layers of sapphires and diamonds, set off with little black opals. Light sparkled across it like the sun across the water.

“Dating a Demigod is usually the worst idea imaginable, but sometimes it does have perks,” Bria said quietly, looking on.

“Now that I can agree with,” Red murmured.

I turned so Red could fasten the necklace around my neck. The weight took my breath away.

“This is too much,” I struggled to say.

Red held up a mirror so I could get a look. Now I wished I’d had a few more fucks to give this morning, because a little more effort on my face and hair was needed to live up to the expectation of a necklace this fine.

“It represents our combined magic in the soul connection, doesn’t it?” I said softly, the heat prickling my eyes earlier now overflowing into a tear.

Bria whistled, coming to look. “It must. He’s one of the more romantic Demigods I’ve seen. He probably got it from his mother. Lord knows he didn’t get it from Valens. That’s a beauty.”

Red handed off the mirror to Bria so she could pick up the smaller package. A bracelet to match the necklace.

“He thought this would set off the look,” Red said, fastening it to my wrist.

I blew out a breath and fanned my face to dry the tears. “I’ve never owned— I never, in a million years, thought I could ever own anything like this. That I would dress like this. That I would be standing here, with someone helping me put on thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry—”

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Bria cut in.

“This is a big dream. The biggest dream. And I didn’t even have to marry a turd and sacrifice my happiness for this. I didn’t have to gold-dig. I fell in love naturally—”

“Debatable.”

“—and still ended up in a fairytale.”

Red and Bria both chuckled, and Red dropped the mirror.

“What?” I asked, wiping another tear away.

Red shook her head and headed to the bathroom, probably to take the mirror back.

“Time to get your head on straight, Alexis,” Bria said. “This isn’t a fairytale. This is the lull before the storm. We need to finish up your training so that by the time Kieran is thrown into the snake pit of Demigods, you’re able to get his back. He loves you, true, and these gifts are undoubtedly from his heart, but he’s also strapping you with armor. This necklace and dress will show what he’s worth. What you’re worth. A Demigod’s wealth is an extension of their power, and they buy expensive things so everyone knows they can. Kieran lives a life of prestige, sure, but his kind are constantly at war. Constantly. You’d best wrap your head around that sooner rather than later. This is a great moment, and definitely savor it, but you need to remember you’re not safe anywhere. This necklace ultimately won’t help that. Don’t let it distract you from what will happen next.”

I swallowed. “What’s happening next?”

“You’re meeting a stranger Demigod that will undoubtedly be sizing you up. Time to play your part.”

3

Kieran

The Demigod of Ontario sat opposite Kieran at the large conference table with six of her staff members fanned out around her, all seated. Kieran’s Six were fanned around the room, standing. Nancy had claimed what she probably thought was the head of the table, leaving Kieran at the “foot.” Her position spoke volumes. When one Demigod visited another in his or her domain, the visitor was essentially declaring themselves lesser. A Demigod of equal or greater power would have suggested a neutral location. However, Nancy’s place at the table told a different story.