by Dyan Chick
"It must all seem so strange," Cormac said, his voice soft and calming. His posture relaxed and he reached for me, then lowered his hand.
I found myself aching for that unfinished touch. Why did he keep so far away from me? I knew he'd been hurt, but he had to know I wasn't going to do the same things Angela had done, whatever they were. "Cormac."
He cleared his throat. "We should get on with it, the others will be wondering about supper soon."
My brow furrowed and I opened my mouth to say something, but wasn't sure what to say. There seemed to be so much unspoken between the two of us, but that didn't make any sense at all. I closed my mouth and nodded then wondered if I'd ever have the ability to translate these strange feelings for him. And if I did, would I be brave enough to tell him what they were?
"Magic is inherent in Fae so we feel it pulsing through us almost all the time. The flair up is when your magic is about to break free. To tie it off, you have to find the pinnacle of your power. This might take some work, and practice."
"How?" I asked.
"Close your eyes," Cormac said.
I obeyed.
Warm hands pressed against the sleeves of my tunic as Cormac rested his palms against my upper arms.
I could feel him in front of me. I could smell citrus and cedar, the scent that enveloped Cormac at all times. I could feel his warm breath on my neck as he whispered in my ear, "Search for the source of the light you create. Imagine you are inside your head, then travel down to your neck, your shoulders, your chest, your stomach..."
He continued to speak, but my breathing was heavy now and I couldn't focus on his words. All I could feel was the heat of his body so close to mine and a rising desire that I wasn't sure I could contain. "Cormac."
Fingertips traveled down my arms, sending a shiver through me.
"Cassia, I..." he hesitated, then his fingers left my skin.
My eyes snapped open and I stared at him, bitter disappointment making my chest tighten. Why did he stop?
"Well, well, well," Tristan said. "So this is where you're hiding my guest."
Chapter Five
Embarrassment and anger surged through me in a twisting mess. Tristan strolled into the stock yard as if he owned the place. For all I knew, he did.
"And here I thought the honorable Cormac would actually be working on a training session. I should have known you weren't as pure as you pretended."
I could almost hear something snap in Cormac.
He charged Tristan, throwing all his weight onto the startled Winter Prince. Tristan landed on the ground, a cloud of dirt enveloping him like a halo. Cormac landed a punch on Tristan's face before the other male managed to scramble away from his assailant.
"Cormac!" I screamed. "What are you doing?"
Cormac stood, shoulders heaving with heavy breaths as he turned to face me. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Tristan stood and dusted the dirt off of his white tunic. "How long have you wanted to do that, Cormac?"
"What is going on here?" I asked.
Cormac turned away from me, focusing his attention back on Tristan.
The Winter Prince was smiling and extended his arms wide. "I'm right here, Cormac. Get it over with. Everything you've dreamed about doing to me. Now's your chance."
"Stop this!" I shouted. "Both of you."
"I should," Cormac said, ignoring me. "I should make you feel the pain she felt before she died."
"Trust me," Tristan said. "There's nothing you could do to me that would hurt me worse than her death did."
"You were supposed to protect her," Cormac said, his voice low.
"You're right." Tristan lifted his chin toward me. "Why do you think I'm going along with you on this visit to the Queen? You have this changeling under your protection. It's not Lena, but at least I can honor her memory by helping you."
Cormac's hands tightened into fists and I worried he was going to charge Tristan again.
I stepped over to him and gently rested my hand on Cormac's upper arm. "Please, talk to me."
His jaw clenched and he took a deep breath before turning to look at me. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"I don't understand what just happened." I looked over at Tristan, then back to Cormac, hoping someone would explain the reason for the fight.
"Cormac, I don't know how many times I can tell you this. She was my true mate. We loved each other."
"Then you should have protected her," he said.
"Yes, I failed," Tristan said. "Don't make the same mistakes as me."
I wanted to ask for more details, but both males looked so upset I was afraid to say anything.
After several moments of heavy silence, I felt the weight of Cormac's hand on my back. "Let's go. The others will be waiting for us."
"You can't protect her from everything," Tristan called after us.
"I can try," Cormac said as he guided me toward the door.
I looked back at Tristan and caught a momentary glance of him looking completely exposed, but it didn't last. He winked at me, his usual cockiness back in full swing.
Turning away from Tristan, I followed Cormac out of the stock yards and into the street. The cold of late evening hitting so hard it nearly stole my breath. I crossed my arms over my chest in an effort to stay warmer. Despite the long sleeves of my gray tunic, cold had settled into the Winter Court. I wondered why I hadn't felt it before.
Cormac seemed preoccupied during our short walk back to the Small Palace, not even noticing the puddles on the ground in front of him. I pushed him away from the water so he didn't soak his boots and he kept walking, not even acknowledging my action.
I frowned. Cormac was sullen and often in his own head, but this seemed worse than usual.
When we arrived back at the palace, Ethan and Dane were waiting for us in a small sitting room. Both males stood when we entered.
"How did it go?" Ethan asked.
"I'll be in my room," Cormac said, pushing past the two other princes.
"Cormac," I said. "Don't."
He didn't stop.
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
"Were you that bad at cycling?" Dane asked.
I heard the door open behind me and turned to see Tristan enter the room. Hand on my hips, I narrowed my eyes at the Winter prince. "What happened back there? What did you do? And who is Lena?"
"Lena?" Ethan said.
"You brought up Lena?" The summer prince took a few steps toward Tristan and I could tell he was looking for a fight.
I turned and put my hands on his chest, pressing into the firm muscles under his tunic. "Stop right there. No fighting."
Releasing Dane, I looked at all three males in turn. "One of you better start talking. No more secrets. If we're all going to be traveling together and sleeping in the same places, I can't be the only one who is in the dark here."
Silence hung in the room and I wondered if I'd pushed too hard. After all, they were all royalty and I was just a foundling Fae they rescued. I had no right to demand anything of the males who had saved my life and were now helping me figure out how to stay alive.
Just when I was going to relent and apologize for being so harsh, someone spoke.
"It was a long time ago," Tristan said. "Before the Winter Court split."
"What was?" I asked, gently.
"The current Queen is from the Autumn Court," Tristan said. "Prior to her rule, our Queen was of the Winter Court. Which made high families in the Winter Court desirable for alliances."
"His sister was the Queen," Dane added.
"What?" I asked. "But your father rules the Winter Court. Your court left Faerie."
"After her rein ended. It's complicated," Tristan said.
"Get to the point," Dane said.
"The point," Tristan said. "Is that my heart was broken and yet, your friend, still can't find it in him to forgive me."
"We all know it's your fault she died in the Under," Dane said.
"
Who?" I asked, then I looked over at Dane. "Please, let him tell the story."
"Thank you, Cassia," Tristan said. "Lena, my mate. She believed that we could strike a deal with the creatures of the Under to prevent them from terrorizing us. She went to the Under to find their ruler."
My insides twisted. I knew where this was going. "Why didn't you stop her?"
"You sound just like Cormac." Tristan managed a weak smile. "Tell me, if it were Cormac who was going to the Under, do you think you could convince him not to go?"
"No," I said without hesitation. Cormac was not someone you could talk out of things.
"His sister was just like him," Tristan said.
"Sister?"
"Yes," Tristan said. "He still blames me for her death." He glanced at Dane and Ethan. "They all do."
"So that's the reason for your bad reputation?" I asked.
"Oh no, that's justified," he said. "But I can assure you, all of my playmates have been willing participants."
I didn't understand why Cormac was still hanging on to this. If his sister had been anything like him, even Tristan wouldn't have been able to stop her if she put her mind to it. But now that I knew some of the background between the two males, I understood why Tristan was so willing to help me. "Are you really doing this to make it up to Cormac?"
"He'll never believe me, but I loved his sister. Even if it was an arranged marriage. I wasn't able to protect her the way I should have so he'll have to settle for you," he said.
“So you’re trying to make it up to him?” I asked. “Why do you care?" I asked, feeling awful for saying it. The Winter Court was at odds with the rest of Faerie. It made no sense that Tristan would care.
"Because they used to be friends," Ethan said. "We all were."
"The Spring Prince is right," Tristan said. "But I'll never admit it again."
I frowned. All the effort of looking like a bad guy was all for show. I wondered what the real Tristan was like. I felt like I'd caught glimpses of what he might be behind closed doors. For a moment, an image of Tristan shirtless, sitting in front of a roaring fire flashed before my eyes. The shadows of the flickering firelight made his muscles stand out even more, accentuating his washboard abs that led down to his sharp hip bones. He was wearing trousers, but they left little to the imagination. In the vision, his strong arms wrapped around me and I could feel the bulge of his manhood against my thigh.
With a gasp, I shook my head, sending the image away. I bit down on my lower lip, hoping nobody was able to see inside my head.
"Was it a vision?" Dane asked.
I shook my head. "It was nothing. I think I'm just hungry."
Tristan was staring at me, one eyebrow lifted in question and a half smirk on his lips. "You're welcome to eat in your rooms if you like, there's a very nice fireplace in the sitting room."
My jaw tightened. Of course he knew what I had seen. He might not be able to see my future, but I had a feeling he saw that vision as clearly as I had. "No, thank you. I'd rather eat with the horses."
"That won't be necessary," Ethan said. "There's a tavern down the street. We should be in time for supper."
"You three have fun," Tristan said. "In case anyone is looking for me later, I'll be in my room. You remember the way, don't you, Cassia?"
I ignored his comment and tried not to think of what Tristan looked like with his shirt off, skin glistening with sweat. Tingles danced between my thighs and I silently cursed my traitorous body. As soon as Tristan turned and walked down the long hallway, I turned away from him.
Tristan might not be the bad guy I painted him to be, but I was already deep enough in with Ethan and Dane. I didn't need to throw another prince into the mix. I already felt guilty enough as it was for being with both of them even if neither of them seemed to have a problem with it.
"Ignore Tristan," Ethan said.
"As soon as we get you to the Queen, he'll have to come back here," Dane said. "No way she'll allow him to stay."
"Why do you all speak so ill of him?" I asked. "He doesn't seem so bad."
"He wasn't once," Dane said.
"I'm afraid the loss of Lena hit him harder than anyone guessed," Ethan said. "He acted out in ways unbecoming of any Fae, royal or not."
"He said it was an arranged marriage," I said. "I thought you said Fae mated. That it was destiny that brought them together."
"It is, most of the time. Occasionally, in the elite houses, arrangements are made as they are in the human world. But it's rare," Ethan said.
"Extremely rare," Dane said. "And selfish."
"Cormac's father wanted power so he offered his daughter as bride to the Queen's family. Tristan's father took him up on the offer and the two were wed," Ethan said.
"How long does your father control your life here? Do you ever gain your independence?" Immortality seemed an awful curse if you never had any say in how you lived your life.
"For females, it's all about Queen's Trial, for males, it's different," Ethan said.
"How?" I asked.
"Females are eligible for Queen's Trial when they turn twenty and they remain eligible until they are fifty. After that, they are no longer under their parent's watch," Ethan said. "For males, you never really lose that connection if you want to inherit the lands. Oldest child has it the hardest."
"That's why I enjoy being the third son," Dane said. "I get the title and the parties, but none of the work. My brother, Stephan on the other hand, doesn't have it so good. He'll stay in the Summer Court to learn from our father until he takes over the position as the Summer Minister."
"What about you, Ethan?" I asked.
"I'm the second born, but first son. However, my sister did not pledge to Queen's Trial so she can inherit the title of Minister," he said.
I felt dizzy with all of the new information spinning in my head. There was so much to keep track of and so many rules. It might take an entire human lifetime to learn it all. I'd always avoided discussions of social politics with my father. I understood the basics, but there were nuances I never grasped. I'd always found it rather petty and dull. Trying to climb higher than his status had cost my family nearly everything and was constantly on my father's mind. He never seemed to slow down enough to enjoy his life. I didn't want a life like that. I wanted to be happy with the simple things.
We stopped in front of the tavern and Ethan opened the door for us. I had to admit, learning about the politics and life of Fae royalty wasn't as exciting as running from a Sodalis, but I would listen to these two talk for the rest of my life if it meant I got to avoid seeing one of those drooling creatures.
Settling in to a cozy corner table between Ethan and Dane, I felt the tension I'd been carrying melt away. It didn't matter what we were talking about. As long as I was with them, I was happy.
I was worried dinner would be awkward with Dane and Ethan, that I'd have to explain myself or that one of them would try to assert their right to have me. I couldn't have been more wrong. As the friendly Brownie server brought out cups of ale and soft, brown bread, Dane caught us up on the details of the Sodalis hunt that Ethan and I missed out on.
"There were at least twenty of them," Dane said. "But once we got through the first few, they couldn't get back through that tear fast enough. The vultures had a feast that day."
I lowered the bread I was about to eat and set it on the plate in front of me. "Could we talk about something that isn't going to make me lose my supper?"
"Sorry, love." Dane's hand found my thigh under the table and he gave a gentle squeeze.
On my other thigh, Ethan was resting his hand, unmoving. There was something exciting about having both of the males I was involved with touching me in public. Nobody else could see, but I could almost hear my human mother chiding me.
The server returned and set two steaming bowls of stew on our table. "I'll be right back with the last bowl. Want more bread here?"
"Only if you're the one that brings it," Dane said, winking a
t the female.
She stifled a giggle as she turned away from our table.
"Why do you always do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" he asked as he slid the bowl that was in front of him to my place.
"Flirt with every female you meet," I said, picking up a spoon. I wasn't going to turn down food.
Dane's brow furrowed and he looked like he was considering the question carefully. "I'm not sure, really. Must be that I like females." He shrugged.
Ethan leaned closer to me. "Must be that he hasn't met the right one yet."
Dane's grip tightened on my thigh and my eyes widened in response. "Dane!"
"Sorry." He lifted his hand and set it on the table.
"Here you are, dear." The brownie set down a steaming bowl of stew and a fresh loaf of bread in front of Dane. "I had them give you an extra scoop."
"Thank you, doll," he said, flashing a toothy grin.
She giggled again as she turned away from our table.
I turned to look at Dane, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You can't turn it off, can you?"
"Well, I couldn't exactly wink at her once and then ignore her," he said.
"You don't have to ignore a female to be nice to them," I said.
He lifted a huge bite of stew to his mouth and made a show of chewing.
I shook my head and returned my attention to my food. I knew it shouldn't bother me to see him flirting with the server, but it did. I had no claim on Dane, but I found as we sat there, eating our stew in silence, I wanted to.
I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping alone tonight. But I wasn't going to be sleeping in Tristan's princess suite, either.
Chapter Six
When we arrived back at the small palace, I was surprised that Cormac wasn't waiting to greet us. He was apparently angry enough at Tristan to avoid being in any of the common spaces. "Should we check on him?"
Ethan and Dane both shook their heads. "Just give him some time. He gets this way every year on Lena's birthday."
"It's her birthday today? And Tristan pulled that?" I marched down the hall to the back stairs before either of the males could stop me. Ignoring their calls after me, I climbed the stairs that I knew would take me to Tristan's rooms.
