Shimmer (Summer's Harem Book 1)

by Maggie Alabaster

  Shimmer

  Summer’s Harem Book 1

  Maggie Alabaster

  Copyright © 2019 by Maggie Alabaster

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover by Ryn Katryn Digital Art.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Maggie Alabaster

  Also by Mirren Hogan

  Dedicated to Jen and Stephanie, beta readers extraordinaire.

  Warning: This book was written in Australia, with Australian and UK spelling.

  1

  "For the millionth time, don't call me Gardenia." I didn't know what I wanted to do more, slap him or fuck him.

  "It's your name, isn't it?" Huon raised an eyebrow.

  "Not for the last hundred years." I crossed my arms over my chest.

  The door opened beside us and Sorrel peered out. "Keep it down." She sighed deeply. "It won't be long now."

  I dropped my arms. "Sorry." I glanced at Huon, but he was looking toward his feet. I understood his reluctance to face the situation, but sooner or later he would have to.

  "Summer, the king wants to see you." At least Sorrel used the name I had chosen for myself. She shot Huon an apologetic glance and herded me inside.

  King Birch was an uncle to me, in every way but by blood. Huon, his oldest son, would be king after him, but Birch had always had a soft spot for me.

  "Hey," I said softly.

  The room was dark. Only a sliver of late afternoon sun dared to slip between the curtains and slant across the bed. The faint light was barely enough to illuminate the shell of the fae who had led us for the last two hundred years.

  He smiled at me. In spite of the sickness, his expression was warm.

  "Has Huon been calling you Gardenia again?" Of course he would think of anyone but himself in his final hours. He didn't need our childish arguments now.

  I flushed, embarrassed. "You heard?"

  "Yes." His voice was soft, laboured, but clear. Anyone else would have succumbed by now, let the sickness take them. Not Birch. He would fight until the last. "But I could tell by the look on your face." His eyes smiled as they did whenever he teased me.

  I lightly touched my heated cheek. "He knows I hate it."

  Birch chuckled, but it turned into a wheeze. He was too proud for me to fuss, so I stayed near the door.

  "Huon can be a handful," he said finally. "As can you." His white teeth flashed.

  "No fae is perfect," I replied. "Except Zinnia."

  I grimaced. My eldest sister was the epitome of grace and elegance, all the things I didn't give a shit about.

  "It's you I've asked for, not her," Birch replied.

  I knew that tone. It put me immediately on my guard. "What?"

  "I just want to ask one last thing," he said, totally guileless as always.

  I resisted the urge to fly the hell out the window. For the second time in a handful of minutes, I crossed my arms over my chest.

  "I'm not marrying Huon—"

  "While I would like it if you did, it's not that." He paused. "I have another task for you. I want you restore lesser magic to the fae realm."

  Yep, I should have left when I got the chance.

  "Are you . . . Out. Of. Your. Fucking. Mind?" I asked.

  He smiled again, tired, but full of charm. "I've never been more in my right mind."

  "That's debatable." I moved over to perch on the side of his bed. The breeze from the open window caressed my wings. It tickled. I shifted position, turned my back away from the draught.

  "All right, assuming I plan to buy into this crazy plan, then where would I even start.?"

  "Summer, Summer, Summer," he said slowly, "if anyone would know such a thing, it would be you."

  "And yet," I said, "here I sit, lacking a clue. No one knows why lesser magic failed in the first place." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Right?"

  When he didn't respond, I sighed. "I know you like puzzles, but if you know something, now is the time to say so." Or he could be infuriating, die and leave me with no answers and an impossible task. Fae aren't immortal, but we live long enough to spend a few decades on a problem and get nowhere.

  "Better yet, give this task to Huon. He could use something to pass the time for a century or so."

  "His isn't the right magic for this, but combined—"

  What?

  "What?" I stared at him. "Combined how?"

  "I'm not certain," he admitted. "I know there's an answer to this. Somehow. If you don't find it, fae kind will die out."

  There it was, he dumped the whole thing, guilt trip and all, on me.

  "There might be no way to fix it. If higher magic can't do it, maybe nothing can," I pointed out.

  "I'm certain there's a way. Higher and lesser magic aren't that different."

  Truthfully, calling them that is a misnomer. What we call higher magic comes from us fae. Lesser magic comes from the Earth itself. Whoever coined the terms was arrogant to decide our magic was more than that of the whole fucking planet, but it caught on. The distinction isn't relevant, as much as the fact there is one. The failure of natural magic was always going to be a disaster.

  The problem was, in spite of what he was saying, I had no idea how to fix it.

  "I need you to work with Huon." His voice was weaker than it had been.

  "Is the pain that bad?" I asked gently.

  "Because it's making me delusional?" He gave me a faint smile.

  "I don't want to be horrible, but I'm not ruling it out." The smile I gave back was watery. "Huon has never taken anything seriously in his life." I regarded Birch for a while. "That's the point, isn't it? You think whatever this task involves, it might make him grow up. Do you really think we have a chance?"

  I might be difficult in many ways myself, but I was not a rehabilitation centre for wayward fae. If that was what Birch was after, I was out.

  "I know you can do this," he replied. "It's too late for me, but the rest of the fae need you to do this, before it's too late."

  "No pressure." I sighed. I wished he hadn't become sick with the wasting disease that even high magic couldn't fix. Birch could go on being king. Huon could take another few hundred years to mature.

  It's true what they say, sometimes life makes you grow up too fast.

  "I wish I didn't have to pressure you," Birch replied. "Give Huon a chance." He glanced toward the door. "I know he's been difficult—"

  I snorted, but didn't bother to disagree.

  "He's also trying to find his place in the worlds," Birch finished.

  I frowned. "He's a prince. The heir." I didn't add that he would be king soon, the words hung in the air.

  "That's a role," Birch said patiently, "it doesn't define him. What kind of king will he
be? How will he rule? Those are things he has yet to work out."

  "He needs more time," I whispered. A tear trickled down my cheek.

  "There is no more time," Birch replied. "Like it or not, he will need your help. I wish…"

  "Don't say it," I urged. "I wouldn't have wanted to be queen, even if I was related to you by blood."

  He smiled wanly. "Of course not. The best monarchs are ones who didn't want the job."

  "In that case, Huon will exceed all expectation," I said dryly.

  "Perhaps, but I still need you to do this task for me. For Huon, for all the fae."

  I sighed again. "You know I will, even if it's against my better judgement to keep trying."

  He reached for my hand and squeezed it. "I knew you would. You might not think you can do this, but you can. You won't be alone. There are others who will help you."

  He exhaled and his hand relaxed. For a moment I thought he'd gone, but then he asked, "Can you tell Huon to come in now? It's time to say goodbye to him."

  "Of course." I leaned over to kiss his cheek. His skin was cool. Not quite icy, but not the warmth I was used to from him. "Safe travels through the seven hells." I didn't know whether or not there was such a thing, but I would have preferred him to stay in this life.

  Birch nodded. "I'll see you again some day, if the gods allow."

  I sniffed and hurried out the door. I only glanced back once, but it was through a sheen of tears.

  "He wants to see you."

  Huon nodded. His face was wet too, but he turned away as I appeared in the doorway. Any other time, I would have called him out on his pride. Today, I just put a hand on his arm, patted it with my fingertips and moved away.

  I had no more words to say, not yet.

  Later, I would have plenty to say.

  2

  "You think he was crazy, don't you?" Huon asked.

  I reclined on an oversized leaf. In the human realm, I made myself as big as them. Here, in the fae realm, I was the size of a honeybee.

  My wings stretched out under me to catch the rays of sun which peeked through the canopy of fragrant flowers over my head. I knew they glistened, which pleased me. I'm not usually vain, but my wings were my best feature. Or so I've been told.

  Huon flopped down beside me and made the leaf rock.

  I put out a hand to steady myself. His use of "was" left me breathless for a moment. Birch had died peacefully four days ago, but it still hurt like a punch to my heart.

  "No," I replied finally. "I think he was hopeful, optimistic and wanted the best for us all." Crazy? Maybe a little bit, but that was beside the point now.

  "You know what he wanted for us," he said softly. "Apart from looking for lesser magic."

  I looked into eyes of brilliant blue. He had long lashes, even for a fae, a broad mouth and strong chin. Most of that was from his mother. His nose was definitely from Birch.

  "We fight like siblings," I pointed out.

  "When we don't fuck like trolls," he added. Given the rate trolls bred, it was fortunate they only lived for a handful of years—just seventy or eighty or so.

  He ran the tip of his finger down the side of my wing. One of the most sensitive places, as he well knew.

  I shivered.

  "Fucking doesn't make us suitable spouses," I said. My mouth went dry.

  "Why not?" He stroked his finger back up my wing.

  "I can think of a dozen reasons." I should probably push him away, but I didn't want to. "What do you think of trying to get lesser magic back? Seriously."

  He paused mid-stroke and looked me in the eyes. "If he thought it was possible, then I guess it is. It's a worth a try anyway, right?"

  I narrowed my eyes at him. "How many lovers did you have in the human realm?"

  He laughed softly. "Probably as many as you. Why, are you jealous?"

  I snorted. "Hardly." Fae weren't really given to jealousy when it came to mates. Huon's mother, Aster, had three husbands and I never saw Birch bothered by it for a moment.

  "Good. Father seemed to think you're the key to bringing back lesser magic."

  I nodded. "Something about combining magic. We never figured out what caused it to fail in the first place, so I have no idea what we'd try, combined or not."

  "If you did know, would you do it?" he asked. "No matter what it was?"

  I ran a hand over my hair. That seemed like a simple question, but the gods only knew what sacrifice we might have to make.

  "Yes, I would," I said finally. "We've both seen what's happening in the fae realm. The plants are starting to die, the weather is different." At first the change was slow, barely noticeable, but now I knew what to look for, I saw it more and more.

  Huon nodded. "We need to find the source of the problem first. At my father's suggestion, I asked a couple of my friends to help." He looked as though he had more to say, but didn't.

  "You have friends who have time to do more than laze about drinking elderberry wine?" I teased.

  He laughed softly. "The lifestyles of the bored and idle fae. I certainly need to find things for more of us to do." He cocked his head at me. "For example, what are you doing right now?"

  I smiled. "Taking a break from picking berries." I showed him my fingers, tips stained with juice.

  He leaned to take one between his lips and sucked gently. "Delicious. Just like the rest of you."

  I looked at him through my lashes. "We really should be trying to find a solution to the problem of how to bring back lesser magic."

  He smiled at me. "Afterward." He tickled my neck with the tip of his tongue.

  I swallowed. "I guess it's waited for this long, it can wait a little while longer."

  "Mmmhmm," he murmured. His hand slipped down my leg and under my skirt. He pulled the side of my panties aside and slid a finger across my sex.

  My legs parted for him. All thought of magic slipped from my mind, pushed aside by rising desire.

  He found my clit and started to rub softly, gently. His skin barely touched mine, but it was enough to make me wet.

  I raised my hips, pulled off my panties and tossed them aside. Huon undid my skirt and threw it in roughly the same direction. I drew my top over my head, careful not to pull my wings up with it. and it joined the small pile.

  He smiled and sat back to admire my bared breasts. "I always forget how lovely you are," he said, his voice low and husky. "I could gobble you up." Instead, he lowered his mouth to one of my pert nipples and started to suckle, just hard enough to hurt.

  I moaned. He always knew just what I liked.

  He slid a finger inside me, then two and stroked me from the inside, while the heel of his hand rubbed my clit. I rocked my body against him.

  My hand wandered down to the bulge in his pants. I rubbed my palms across it once, twice, until he grunted with desire. I tugged the laces of his pants undone and pulled them down to free his hardened cock.

  I wrapped my fingers around it and rubbed back and forth, back and forth.

  "Oh gods, Sum," he breathed.

  "Now you remember to call me that," I teased.

  He chuckled. The sound and his touch drove me closer to the edge. I bucked harder.

  "That feels so good."

  Underneath us, the leaf rocked with our movement, threatened to toss us off. I hardly noticed. All I felt was his hands, his mouth and the rising flood of passion which washed over me as I came.

  I cried out, then bit my lip to keep from screaming with sheer pleasure. My hand tightened around his cock. He bucked too, sliding himself in and out of my curled fingers.

  "Can I?" he asked, breathless as I was.

  "I—all right."

  He turned at an angle. My hand turned with him.

  He drove himself harder and harder. His wet tip made my hand slick, but I kept my grip. I watched his face though half-lidded eyes. His were open, brow creased in concentration.

  After a minute, two minutes, he gave a grunt, then a groan. He bucked ha
rd against my hand and spilled his cum all over my extended wing. The sensation of hot, wet warmth on such a sensitive place nearly made me come again.

  He flopped and gasped a few breaths before he pressed his hand deeper into me. Each stroke drove me higher and higher.

  When the second orgasm flooded over me, I didn't bother to contain my desire. I threw my head back and screamed out, "Huon! Oh, the gods…"

  The ecstasy washed me away for a minute, two minutes, lost in a world of pure pleasure. I could have stayed locked in this forever.

  Eventually, the sensation began to fade. It left behind a feeling of languid satisfaction. I flopped back onto the leaf and let my breath return in its own good time.

  "You see why we're such a good team?" Huon asked softly.

  I opened my eyes a crack and exhaled. "Sex and love aren't the same thing," I pointed out. We'd had that conversation at least as many times as I told him not to call me Gardenia.

  This time, he looked inexplicably hurt. He turned his face away while he pulled up his pants.

  Was it even possible he felt that way about me? I had no idea. He seldom took anything seriously for long enough for me to see what he was really thinking.

  I sat up and put a hand on his arm. Underneath his clothes, he was firm and muscular. His wings jutted out of openings in the back of his tunic and lay across the cotton fabric. They were much like mine, but darker, shot through with blues and purples.

  "Was it something I said?" I kept my voice light. If he cared about me, but hadn't told me, this was the first I'd heard of it. Unless I'd missed subtle signals somewhere along the line. If that was the case, he was far too subtle for me. The fact I was using Huon and subtle in the same thought would have me laugh under other circumstances.