by Rhys Ford
Rykoff ignored him. “But isn’t refusing to help him choosing a side?”
The sprite regarded him coolly but merely shrugged. “The flow of information is never free. And the cost of information is dependent on how valuable it is. Your traitor has nothing to offer us that is worth the risk of placing the sprites in the chaos that the information he seeks would cause.”
It surprised Hugh when the sprite shifted her eerie azure gaze to him.
“Hugh Whitby. You are the reason we agreed to this audience. We will not trade with the fae traitor for the information he seeks, but we will trade information to you.”
What the everloving fuck. Hugh had nothing of value he could give them. Shit. What did the sprites like? He ransacked his memory, trying to recall what he’d traded to them in the past when he’d been here on official council business. It was usually information for information, but he had no knowledge they would covet.
They were magpies, gathering anything that could have value. He wore no jewelry aside from the celestite pendant Ruby had made from tumbled rocks at camp last year. He never took it off. He’d replaced the flimsy silk thread she’d strung it on with a cheap silver chain. It was the shiniest thing he had.
Hugh reluctantly unfastened the necklace and held it out in his open palm.
“My daughter made me this necklace. It is immeasurably valuable to me.”
The sprite took the necklace and slipped it into her pocket.
“The fae traitor killed a Harlow prince in the mortal realm eleven years ago. He sought to overthrow the summer court to install a king of his choosing. He was unsuccessful and thinks the prince somehow lives. He does not. A half-blood fae child of his line, human born, walks the mortal realm. Through her the Harlow court will continue. If the fae traitor learns of her existence, he will seek to kill her to extinguish the line before she can lay claim to her status as heir.”
Rykoff made a guttural noise and fell to his knees. Hugh wanted to comfort him, but sheer terror rooted him to the spot.
There couldn’t be more than one secret fae child in the mortal realm, could there? If the prince died eleven years ago, he could be Ruby’s father. What if leaving her behind that dumpster hadn’t been an intentional act of abandonment? What if her parents had been hiding her from Ambrose and had been killed before they could come back for her? Holy shit.
“What we have traded to you is yours to do with what you will.”
Rykoff regained his feet and stepped forward. “The identity of the child….”
The sprite inclined her head toward Rykoff. “Words, once spoken aloud, cannot be unsaid. Be sure of the intentions of those around you before you say them.”
Hugh swallowed hard. That was as good as confirmation that the child was Ruby. His daughter could start a civil war. And she’d never be safe with Ambrose out there.
“I trust him with my life,” Hugh said.
The sprite’s lips curved into a sad smile, and she held her hands out, cupping his hand between them. “Then now is the time to trust him with hers.”
Before he could respond, he saw a flash of color out of the corner of his eye. Hugh whirled around in time to see a man lunge at Rykoff from the shadows. He carried no scent or visible aura. It had to be Ambrose. Had he portaled in? How much of the sprite’s information had he heard?
The sprite had already fled, which confirmed that she’d known he was there. Goddamn sprites and their manipulations.
She’d hedged her bets well, giving both sides the information at the same time. But Hugh had an advantage. He knew where Ruby was.
Her camp was hours from here. But by the time Hugh could drive there, Ambrose likely would have found her himself. Rykoff had portaled to Hugh by thinking of him last night. What if that meant Ambrose could do the same now that he knew Ruby existed? Maybe she’d been safe from him only because he’d been looking for the prince, not the prince’s child.
He had to get her to the fae realm. And it had to happen now. Ruby had to be presented to the court so she could be acknowledged as the queen’s heir, or whatever the sprite had said. She would have to go with no assurance she’d be able to return. Hugh had no idea if he’d ever see her again.
He looked down at his hand, surprised to see the sprite had returned his pendant. That couldn’t be accidental, but it wasn’t something he could worry about now. He stuffed it into his pocket to keep it safe and took a running leap at Ambrose, knocking him off Rykoff.
Hugh hit the floor with a thump that resonated through his bones, Ambrose’s full weight on top of him. Hugh was strong, but Ambrose was stronger. Hugh couldn’t get the upper hand. Ambrose broke free of Hugh’s hold like it was nothing and sent him flying into the front of a washing machine with one solid kick to the ribs.
Pain flared through his side, making it hard to draw in a breath. Hugh forced himself to get up and go after Ambrose, intercepting him before he reached Rykoff again.
Hugh had never been in a fight like this. It made his tumble with Rykoff at the truck stop look like a child’s wrestling match. Ambrose seemed to be able to predict Hugh’s moves before he made them—hell, before Hugh even knew what he was going to do himself.
He needed to tell Rykoff where to find Ruby. If he could do that and give Rykoff enough of a break to escape, then he’d have a chance at portaling to Ruby and getting her to safety.
He had to believe that would be enough.
Hugh finally caught Ambrose by surprise with a left hook that sent him crashing through the shuttered front window. Rykoff was by his side in an instant.
“You have no idea what he’s capable of,” Rykoff said. “You’ve got to get out of here.”
Hugh shook his head. “Go get Ruby. Take her to the fae realm.”
He hadn’t seen a stand of trees Rykoff could portal from when they’d driven up. It was probably strategic on the sprites’ part, to make sure they were safe from ambushes. They didn’t do anything without protecting their own interests.
Shit. The necklace. The sprite gave it back to him, which had to mean it was important. He dug it out of his pocket and pressed it into Rykoff’s hands.
“Ruby found this stone on the banks of a river that runs through her camp. She said it called to her, like it wanted her to find it. That has to mean something. You’ve said you can portal with a totem. Please.”
Ambrose was back inside already, barreling toward them.
“That’s not how totems work, they have to be—”
Hugh shoved Rykoff out of the way, taking the brunt of Ambrose’s momentum as he tackled him. His head hit the dirty linoleum, and he saw stars for a moment before he could gather himself enough to struggle back to his feet. Ambrose had Rykoff pinned against a wall, choking him.
Hugh staggered and caught himself on a laundry detergent dispenser on the wall. He wrenched it off, the screech of tearing metal loud enough to make him wince. He closed the distance between them in a few steps and swung the metal dispenser like a bat, catching Ambrose upside the head and sending him sprawling.
“Go,” Hugh gasped, his broken ribs making it difficult to draw in a breath deep enough to ease his screaming lungs.
“He’ll kill you.”
That was probably true. God knew Hugh couldn’t keep this up for much longer, but luckily he didn’t have to. He just had to stay conscious and fight long enough for Rykoff to get to a portal. Ambrose could probably track him, but hopefully Rykoff would find her quickly and get her out. The camp was in a heavily forested area, so opening a portal to the fae realm wouldn’t be a problem.
He just had to get him to the camp.
“I’ll be fine. Go. Please.”
Rykoff gave him an uncertain look but nodded. “I’ll be back for you.”
He took off for the door as Ambrose climbed to his feet. Hugh kicked his legs out from under him, somehow taking himself down with Ambrose in a tangle of limbs. He laughed, the absurdity of the situation and the lack of oxygen making him light-h
eaded. Ambrose landed a few solid punches before Hugh could roll away.
It was tempting to lie there and let Ambrose leave, but he had to give Rykoff as much time as he could. So he forced himself up again, hefted the nearest washing machine into the air, and threw it at Ambrose. Water spurted from the broken pipe, drenching him instantly.
The fae dodged it easily, but it gave Hugh an idea as it came to rest in front of the laundromat’s door.
He pushed a pair of stacked dryers over, further obstructing the way out. He couldn’t win the fight against Ambrose, but he didn’t need to. He only needed to keep him here long enough to give Rykoff a head start. Ambrose couldn’t portal from inside the laundromat, so Hugh’s new goal became making it harder for him to leave.
Ambrose tackled him again, and this time Hugh was certain more ribs broke. His breaths came in tiny pants, shards of agony stabbing his chest. The water made the floor even slipperier, which made it impossible to gain any traction to stand up in his damaged state.
He had no clue how long he and Ambrose had been fighting. Probably only minutes, but it felt much longer than that. All he could do was pray it was enough time for Rykoff to get Ruby to the safety of the fae realm.
Hugh’s head lolled as Ambrose pummeled him, and he caught sight of a pipe sticking out of the cement. He ignored the way his body screamed as he rolled, then grabbed it and broke off a foot-long section.
Ambrose kicked him hard, but Hugh brought the pipe down and smashed it against Ambrose’s knee, sending him skittering backward into a bank of dryers. Hugh struggled to get up but couldn’t, so he lay there, braced for Ambrose’s next attack.
The front windows imploded in a rain of glass and wood. Hugh curled in on himself as best he could, protecting his face from the debris. He was barely conscious when hands grabbed his shoulders and dragged him to his feet, and he wanted to cry with frustration when he realized it was Rykoff.
Men clad in leather armor streamed into the laundromat around them. Rykoff must have gone to the fae realm for reinforcements instead of portaling to Ruby. Goddammit.
Hugh could barely keep his head up, but he saw the moment Ambrose dove through the shattered windows and made a break for the lakefront.
All the fight leaving him, Hugh sagged against Rykoff. He’d failed his most important task—protecting Ruby.
Rykoff hefted him up and held him against himself with one arm as he pulled out a piece of wood with a glowing emblem on it.
“Your necklace was not a totem. This is a totem. Just so we’re clear.”
And then the world went black.
When he opened his eyes again, they weren’t in the laundromat anymore.
Hugh had expected the fae realm to be a forest, and it was. But that was like saying a protein bar was a meal. Technically it was true, but it didn’t hold a candle to the real thing.
This was unlike any forest he’d ever seen. There were more shades of green than he had names for. Dewdrops shone like diamonds, and the forest floor Rykoff lowered him to was as soft as the beds Rykoff made for them when they camped out.
“Ruby,” Hugh gasped between pained breaths. His lungs felt like they were full of broken glass. His entire body hurt, and he was colder than he’d ever thought possible. The irony of freezing to death in the summer court made him want to laugh.
“She’s here,” Rykoff said, cradling Hugh’s head in his lap. “I left her with the guards when I brought reinforcements.”
Relief swept through him, making him light-headed. Ruby was safe. Hugh’s eyelids seemed to weigh a thousand pounds as he lost his fight to keep them open, but that was okay. Ruby was in the fae realm, and they’d take care of her. He could stop fighting now. His daughter was safe.
Chapter Ten
THE FIRST thing Hugh realized as he swam back toward consciousness was he wasn’t cold anymore. The last thing he remembered was lying on the floor freezing.
As awareness flooded through him, he sat bolt upright, groaning as his broken ribs protested. He was in a bed, naked from the looks of it. Before he could take in any other details, Rykoff slid under the covers next to him.
“Ruby?”
“Shh,” Rykoff said, trailing a finger over Hugh’s lips. “Your daughter is fine.”
Hugh relaxed a fraction at the reassurance. He hadn’t missed the fact that Rykoff still acknowledged him as Ruby’s father here in the fae realm. That had to be a good sign, right?
“She’s being entertained by her grandmother.”
Hugh struggled to sit up farther, pain lancing through his chest. “Her grandmother?”
“The queen sends her regards and her wishes for a speedy recovery. She says to assure you the realm will welcome Ruby as a full member of the summer court, as is her due as the Harlow heir.”
Holy shit, they were never going to let him take Ruby home. She was a fairy princess. Jesus Christ. His daughter was fae royalty.
Hugh tried to toss the blanket aside to climb out of bed, but Rykoff easily overpowered him.
“Your daughter is being doted on and given everything she could possibly need. She is safe and well. You, on the other hand, are not. You need to feed, Hugh.”
He did. He wouldn’t heal until he fed, but he wasn’t about to leave his daughter alone in the fae realm to go find someone to eat.
“I’ll be fine. I need to see her.”
Rykoff wrapped an arm around him and tugged him down until Hugh’s cheek pressed against Rykoff’s bare chest.
“Feed, Hugh.”
“I can’t.”
“I’m giving you permission. Feed from me. It won’t hurt me.”
Hugh appreciated the sentiment, but he couldn’t feed from someone if he couldn’t see or scent their aura. He raised his head to look at Rykoff, who was staring down at him with a fond smile.
Rykoff cupped his jaw with his hand, and a pulse of pure contentment and joy ran through Hugh. He stared at Rykoff, confused. The euphoria hadn’t been his own. It differed from reading an aura, or even the emotions he felt from Rykoff when they kissed. This had been purposeful. Directed.
“Feed, Hugh.”
He lowered his head, resting his cheek against Rykoff’s warm skin again. This time the feeling didn’t take him by surprise. He tried to align his own chi so he could feed, but it was like sitting in front of a feast not being able to smell the food. He couldn’t engage enough to feed.
Hugh closed his eyes and tried his hardest to focus on the moment and pull energy from Rykoff. Nothing.
“Hold on,” Rykoff said. He stroked a hand down Hugh’s face again, and then gently helped him sit up.
He leaned in to kiss him, and even though Hugh was far from in the mood, he found his body responding. Suddenly, he was awash in Rykoff’s aura. Hugh’s body reacted automatically, opening himself up to feed from the enormous well of energy Rykoff was offering.
It was so much more than he could process. He’d had pieces of this before—the glimpse of Rykoff’s aura the first time they’d kissed, the taste of him when he’d let down his barriers for a split second as they said goodbye in the park in Detroit. But added together, it was overwhelming. Kissing him with his barriers down had tasted like sunshine. Feeding from him was like standing on the surface of the sun.
Every nerve in Hugh’s body tingled, awash in more energy than he’d ever seen before. His circuits felt like they were being overloaded, but he didn’t need to struggle to keep up—his body let the energy flow through with ease. To say he was feeding on Rykoff wasn’t quite right. He was a conduit Rykoff was sending energy through. The difference between feeding and being fed. It was absolutely amazing.
Normally healing large injuries took time. The pain would be no more than a dull ache. Bones knitting together, tissues healing. But right now, with Rykoff’s energies swirling through him like liquid sunshine in his veins, all of Hugh’s injuries were healing at once. It was exquisitely painful, but he was too euphoric to care. He registered the agony, but he wa
s somehow above it. Like it was happening to someone else, and he was merely observing it.
His head spun with the complexity of Rykoff’s aura. There was so much. He could explore it for days and not come to the end. Were all fae like this? How did they function with this much life force inside of them?
The influx of energy made Hugh giddy. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. He broke the kiss, not wanting to take too much, even though it seemed like Rykoff had a limitless store.
Rykoff pressed a kiss to his nose and let their foreheads rest against each other. Hugh took a few deep breaths, still dizzy and disoriented.
He was strung out from the chi. Almost come-drunk, but without the sex.
“You look much better. Did you get enough? You only fed for a minute.”
A minute? It had seemed like hours.
Hugh sat up, breaking the contact between them. It quieted the buzzing at the back of his head and eased his dizziness a bit. He was still buzzing on a high, but he could think again.
He stretched, marveling at moving without pain or any aching hunger. He’d fed well over the last few days, but it didn’t compare with how he felt now.
“Your aura, it—”
“I lowered my barriers entirely this time,” Rykoff said with a smile. “I shouldn’t have risked as much as I did in the mortal realm. It was a foolish slip of my control. There was too much at stake.”
Ruby. Ruby had been at stake. Fear flooded back hard and fast.
“Did you know about her?” Hugh asked hoarsely. “Did you come to reclaim her?”
Rykoff shook his head. “I had no idea she existed, truly. Even after you told me about her, I did not know she was kin. The Harlow line’s flame continued to burn after my brother disappeared, which we all assumed meant he lived.”
The sound Rykoff had made when the sprite informed them of his brother’s death had been one of raw grief, and it would haunt Hugh for the rest of his life. “I’m so sorry about your brother.”
Rykoff’s lips twisted into a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “My eldest brother didn’t want the yoke of the court. I would have eased his burden if I could, but that is not the way of the fae. The eldest inherits everything. Land. Power. Everything. And if they die before they produce an heir, the throne falls to whoever can win it.”
