To Owe a Favor

Killian POV

"You must be going to the dinner tomorrow night then."

I'm glaring at Prince Erin from behind Lillianna, but he pretends to not notice as he speaks to Lilianna with a charming smile. Lilianna's back is to me, and I want nothing more than to take her far away from the young Prince.

She nods her head, "That's the plan."

I finally get my head straight and intervene, "That is not the plan."

Prince Erin gives me a thumbs up, much like Selivan usually does when he's up to something, "Come on Kill, it'd be rude to not invite Lilianna to dinner after she was your date at the ball."

I look to the young Fae woman besides him, her flirty gaze darts from Prince Erin to me and then back to Prince Erin. This is payback for letting Selivan ruin their bedroom time.

I grumble, "Fine."

I grab Lilianna's arm and drag her out of the coffee shop before she can stir anymore trouble. She jumps up and down when we are outside, pointing to her neck, "And that's how you get rid of a favor mark."

I chuckle lowly, "I don't recall asking for a favor Lilianna."

She freezes. Her hands are clasped together, "But..." her eyes widen and she kicks the ground, "Shit."

I nod, "Tough shit, right?"

After nodding to Selivan, who is watching the prince from a distance above the coffee shop, I begin to walk away. A mistake, really, because Lillianna falls into step beside me.

"Where are we going?" without any illness her voice sounds clear and bright.

Mine sounds agitated, "I am going to buy some cleaner."

The wing shop is only a few buildings up from the coffee shop.

Lilianna follows me into the store, "Why do you need cleaning stuff?"

I shrug, "Some pesky human threw coffee on my wings today."

Lilianna smiles at her feet, "Sorry."

She is definitely not sorry.

I finish buying all that I need, with Lilianna questioning everything I pick up, when she gasps, "Can we stop into the fae pastry shop?" When I shake my head she pleads, "Please! It'll just be real quick."

"Hurry." I planned to fly away the second she turns around, but she quickly tugs my hand. Forcing me to follow her inside.

She orders a small cake and the owner of the shop nods to me before handing it to her without making her pay. Instead of leaving the shop Lilianna places thirty dollars on the counter.

It's only a portion of the cost, but the owner smiles at her. He gives me a wink as we leave, and I force myself to not react in anger. We are not mated.

Lilianna clings to my side when we are outside, "Okay. Now we can go meet your adoptive parents."

I try to shrug her off, "You are not coming with me to the kingdom."

She pouts, still clinging to my armor, "I thought humans and Fae were peaceful now," she pretends to look me up and down, "Are you really creating a feud?"

I have to stop myself from chuckling at her dramatics, "Did you learn that from your parents?" Not many humans know that saying 'feud' is another form of favor that can only be compromised when one side yields.

"Yep," she pops the 'P' and holds onto my armor tighter, "Now, let's get a move on fairy."

"Fine, human."

I shoot up into the sky quickly. Lilianna almost slips from my side, her grip on my armor not tight enough, but I place an arm around her lower back to prevent her from falling.

I force myself to slow down when I hear her hiccupped breaths as she tries to breathe in the fast moving air.

At the highest part of the kingdom that is built into the mountain, I am greeted by many servants. They're all curious when Lilianna steps away from me holding a small cake.

From the crowd, my mothers, Adrin and Lona, pull me into firm hugs. Then, they remove their hands from my back in disgust, "Killian..." Adrin starts speaking, looking at her now-sticky hands.

Lona wipes her hands over her apron, "Is this tea?"

“Or coffee?” Adrin holds her hand in front of her nose take sniff deeply.

Lilianna ducks behind me so they can't see her giggle. Adrin and Lona look at each other with mirrored smiles before turning their gazes to me, "Is this the human you told us about?"

Adrin laughs and flutters her wings, already knowing the answer, "You're taking her to the dinner tomorrow. We'll make her a dress like the last one-"

I pull Lilianna out from behind me and motion to the cake, "She wanted to bring you both cake."

Lilianna jolts the cake out in front of herself, staring at my mothers giddily, "I have so many questions."

Adrin pulls Lilianna close to her side and begins to walk with her toward the dining area for servants. I watch them walk away as Lilianna looks around the kingdom in awe.

Lona pulls me from my thoughts, "Have you courted her yet?"

I glare down at my mother, "No. I'm not planning to court a human. And, she's a pain in the ass."

Lona swats my arm, "She's very sweet. And she likes you."

To prove her point she gestures to Lilianna, who turn around while she walks to make sure I'm still in the same spot. When she catches us looking she waves to us nervously. Her gaze is only on me.

I look away, shaking my head, "Courting never works for me Lona-"

"You wore black armor to every Courting Ball Killi," Lona bats her wings so she is slightly above me. She brushes my long hair away from my face, "Being a Royal Warrior is your duty, not your life."

I turn my gaze away and take a step back challengingly, "She's too young."

"You're young too, Killi. What are you? Twenty-seven? I'm three-hundred and fifty-three, you child," she stands beside me to look at Adrin, her mate, "If I hadn't met your mother... I would've concealed my wings and lived with the humans."

I look to Lona sharply, "Don't say that mom-"

"It's true," she loops her arm through mine, "I couldn't stand being with the Fae. It would've been easier to act as a human, pretending love didn't exist and merely live among the world of distraction."

I look at my mother in shock. She had never spoken of such things before, only of Adrin and their life together.

When I look back to Lilianna, she is laughing at something Adrin is saying.

Lona pats my arm comfortingly, "And you know what's funny Killi," she removes her arm from mine, hovering over me slightly as she plans to fly to Adrin and Lilianna, "That human likes you even though you wear black armor. That's more love than any of those Fae at the Courting Balls could offer."

She flits off to Adrin and Lilianna. Leaving me rooted to my spot in annoyance.

I don't like Lilianna. She owes me a favor. That. Is. All.

It is not my problem that everyone else is getting the wrong idea.

I clench my fists and begin to fly away from the highest part of the kingdom to the living areas that reside below the King's chambers. Adrin and Lona would bring Lilianna to my room when they were done gossiping.

For now, I would take a cold shower and clean my wings of this disgusting tea.