Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  Maddy went silent for a moment. “Yeah. Hey, who would have guessed I’d put more trust in a half-Unseelie blood elf than in my father’s people?”

  “Not me.” Anna hesitated. “Any particular reason we’re going to see Fen now instead of going home, cuddling on the couch, and making love?”

  Too bad the overhead light wasn’t on. From the look on Maddy’s face, she was probably blushing to match her hair, and that was always a sight to see. “It’s not… I need to talk to Vek and Dria more than Fen. Lial agreed to let me go to Moranaia for training a few days a week, and I have to coordinate it with Dria.”

  Anna opened her mouth to ask why the trip couldn’t have waited until morning, but she stopped herself before the question popped out. Yes, her feet hurt from running back and forth across the restaurant, and chances were good that she smelled like fish and chips. But Maddy had struggled with her gift for so long. She needed this training. Who could blame her for being in a rush to get things settled? Anna would, too, if she had magic that could kill someone.

  “I’m glad your meeting went well,” Anna said. “Have you talked to Jase about the shop?”

  Maddy nodded. “I called him earlier. He’s going to be back in the morning, and we’ll shuffle around our days off to manage. Though I think we’ll have to hire another part-timer. Want a new job?”

  Work at The Magic Touch? Anna wrinkled her nose at the thought. Dealing with human customers was enough of a pain in the ass. Having to field questions from all manner of fae, too? No, thank you. She’d learned a lot about the magical races, but not enough to hazard that. She would far rather wait tables and write her book.

  Besides, Maddy was the one who cared about fashion. Even this late, she looked bright and fresh in a cute summer dress and strappy sandals. Anna preferred jeans and soft T-shirts—bonus points if it was cool enough outside for a cozy cardigan. Helping people pick clothes sounded like a nightmare.

  Maddy broke out in laughter. “I was just teasing. I know you don’t want to work there.”

  “Thank God,” Anna said, uncaring that her fervor was a little insulting.

  “Do you want me to take you home?” Maddy asked.

  The sudden shift in topic had Anna frowning. “Huh? Why?”

  “You keep leaning your head against the seat as though you’d rather be sleeping.” Maddy rubbed her thigh again. “I feel guilty dragging you out when you’re so tired from work. But I couldn’t wait. Lial wants me to come tomorrow for a couple of days so that we can work out how to proceed.”

  Anna did her best to hide her disappointment. “So soon?”

  “I’m a little concerned about the speed myself,” Maddy said softly, her usually bright expression dimming. “But all the extra energy on Earth has made my gift even more of a liability.”

  “Then you should go.” She could hold out against the draw of water for another couple of days, right? “I don’t mind tagging along to the outpost while you work out the details. Besides, I like spending time with Fen.”

  Even though it did cause her a little jealousy, if not in the way Maddy feared. Ever since Anna had overheard her telling Cora about the possible mate thing, Anna had been going silently crazy trying to figure out how to broach the topic. She’d almost managed it this morning, but she’d wimped out. But like her growing struggle with her water power, it couldn’t go unaddressed much longer.

  “If you’re sure,” Maddy asked softly.

  “I’m fine,” she answered. “Let’s just hurry up with it.”

  She didn’t say she wanted to talk, because that would have added to Maddy’s worries. But Anna was done waiting to see if their problems would resolve themselves. They needed to sit down and discuss their issues before they had a stupid argument that could have been easily fixed in advance. If they were too tired after this meeting, she would insist they have a long conversation in the morning.

  No more hiding.

  Fen paced the length of yet another room he’d helped Vek create. Originally a large fissure beside the entry chamber at the top of the cavern enclave, the room served one purpose—a secure landing point for any portals the mages might create. Every inch of wall, floor, and ceiling was imbued with protective spells, and two guards were stationed at the door. With enemies on the loose, they could afford no lapses in security.

  “No texts?” Dria asked.

  He pressed the button on the phone he’d been gripping like a lifeline and scanned for any notifications. Nothing but the weather forecast and an offer from some shopping app he’d downloaded on a whim. “Not—”

  A text box popped up as a ring sounded.

  Ready when you are.

  “Okay, they’re in place.”

  Dria turned to the stone arch formed into the far wall and began to weave the spell. Impatient and more than a little nervous, Fen tapped his foot against the floor as light flooded the room, the spell far brighter than the handful of mage globes settled in sconces around the walls. Both of his potential mates were going to be here. Together. In the same place as his uncle and new aunt.

  He’d admitted to Maddy that she could be his mate, but he’d chickened out before explaining that Anna could be, too. It wasn’t like either would accept him, for fuck’s sake, so it hadn’t seemed to matter. Any time they’d been together since, he hadn’t managed to find the right moment. But hey, if Maddy hadn’t mentioned it to Anna, she wasn’t likely to bring it up here. And his family wouldn’t betray his confidence.

  Of course, if he’d fessed up during any of the chances he’d had over the last two weeks, he wouldn’t be standing here worrying now. Fact was, he hadn’t wanted to lose the opportunity to get to know both women better, and it hadn’t seemed worth causing strain in their relationship. They didn’t deserve to have their lives messed up because of his sorry ass.

  Before he could get too far in his litany of self-deprecation, the spell settled, and the women in question stepped through. Fen’s mouth went dry, and his tongue froze. He’d rarely found women he was so attracted to, though they were quite different from one another. Anna was several inches shorter than tall, willowy Maddy, plump and well-rounded where Maddy was lean. Her shoulder-length blond hair swung gently against her lightly tanned skin, while Maddy’s bright red hair tumbled down her back in beachy waves.

  Such a beautiful contrast—and he wanted them both.

  “Hey, Fen,” Maddy said, no sign of awkwardness on her face or in her tone.

  Anna, on the other hand…

  He could tell with a glance that something was wrong. She was generally quiet and reserved—the most he’d ever seen her do after winning a game was a fist pump and wiggle, while Maddy didn’t hesitate to leap to her feet with a squeal—but Anna didn’t usually appear somber. Had something happened? She averted her gaze before he could get a grasp on the emotions swirling in her eyes.

  Maddy must have told her.

  “Hey,” Fen answered, though his throat wanted to close around the word.

  If Maddy noticed, she was kind enough not to say anything. Instead, she glanced around. “Where’s Vek?”

  “He’s headed up from the bathing pool,” Dria answered for Fen. “We’ll meet him in his old room. I’ve set it up as an informal meeting spot since it’s more comfortable than the dining room.”

  When had she done that? Fen’s room was next door to that one, and he’d seen no sign of such a transformation. Then again, he had spent more time at Vek’s house lately. He might have a bedroom here, but the outpost wasn’t his home—literally or figuratively. Aside from learning the Unseelie ways from Vek, Fen had no clue what he should be doing with himself. Whatever it was, it wasn’t here. His constant lack of inclusion made that abundantly clear.

  “Great,” Maddy said cheerfully. “Let’s go. We both just got off work, and Anna has been on her feet for hours. We could use a bit of comfort.”

  Dria led the way past the guards and out the door. Fen trailed behind, bleakness slowing his steps un
til Maddy gave him a questioning glance over her shoulder. He hurried to keep up, to hide his thoughts better. Why couldn’t he shake free from this shitty mood? He’d been rejected repeatedly since his first foster home. Too uncanny. Too strange. Too difficult. He’d never let it affect him this much before. He could get through, just as he always did, but his emotions didn’t seem to buy that truth.

  It wasn’t like things would get worse. He’d never been mated, so he couldn’t exactly miss it. He was already hated by a fair number of fae after he’d helped a madman set up a spell to poison Earth’s energy—and by extension, that of other fae realms. Fen was responsible for his own cousin’s death, and gods knew how many other people had died or had their lives ruined because of his fuck-up. Helping to fix the mistake wouldn’t change the past.

  Fen was at the bottom of a crevice with nowhere to go but up, and that usually boosted his mood. His whole life, he’d tried to see low points as an opportunity to find another path—an adventure to begin. There was always a foothold in the stone, a way to advance, a new thing to learn. This time? He caught another strained look from Anna and sighed. This time, he might very well be stuck.

  He followed the others into the room and stopped just over the threshold. The furniture that had been here before was gone, the space filled by a dining table on the left and a grouping of cozy-looking armchairs on the right. A series of maps had been affixed to the walls, and Fen wandered closer to examine them. A world map, one of Tennessee, another of the Chattanooga area, and even a topographic map of the region stretched nearly from one corner to the next.

  “What’s this all about?” Fen asked.

  Dria smiled. “I had Delbin gather these. If I’m sending people out to search for danger, I should have a good understanding of the terrain. Of course, I found a map on my phone that allows me to zoom in on individual streets, so perhaps banners on the wall are unnecessary.”

  “It’s still useful. You could place markers on the locations where strange things have been reported,” Maddy said, stopping beside Fen to stare at the world map. “Like the dragon in Scotland. It’s easier to see the whole picture like this.”

  “Fen did mention that Scotland is on the other side of the world, but I haven’t had a chance to find it.”

  Fen tapped his finger against the country in question. “Right here.”

  The door opened, and Fen spun in time to see Vek enter. His uncle’s brows rose in surprise as he took in the inhabitants of the room. “Finally bring your mates home to meet the family, Fen?”

  Any thought of connections froze at the question.

  What the fuck?

  Beside him, Maddy sucked in a breath. Fen was too afraid to look at her or Anna to see their reactions to Vek’s revelation, but he was more than willing to turn a death glare on his uncle. Vek had known both women would be there, the asshole. So much for not being betrayed by his family.

  “Did you seriously just—”

  “Mates?” Anna’s incredulous voice cut across Fen’s. “Plural?”

  “Sure.” Vek shrugged as though he hadn’t upended Fen’s world with a few casually spoken words. “You could both claim him if you wanted. Three-way bonds are rare, but they happen. I thought he talked to Maddy about this.”

  Dammit to every hell ever imagined. He’d told Vek exactly what he’d said. “You know very well—”

  “Fen.” Maddy’s gaze hit him like a shove, and he couldn’t bring himself to counter it. “If this is true, then why wouldn’t you say something? That’s sort of an important detail.”

  How could his uncle have betrayed him like this?

  Fen studied the striations in the limestone beneath his feet as he tried to think of a way to explain, but shame crept up his throat. Choking. Ever-present. These amazing women deserved far better than a screwed-up half-blood Unseelie prince who ruined everything he touched. They had to realize it. Gods knew Fen would never forget.

  Without a word, he strode out of the room.

  Chapter 5

  Maddy stared blankly at the door after Fen’s exit. What did it mean that he hadn’t denied his uncle’s claim? Vek might be wrong, and Fen just didn’t want to tell her. He’d been clear about respecting her relationship with Anna, even when he’d mentioned the mate thing. Despite their obvious mutual attraction, he had never pushed. When they’d spent time together as friends, he hadn’t acted like he had any ulterior motives.

  “That was not well done,” Dria said softly to Vek.

  “It is what was needed,” Vek countered, his cool, confident tone sparking Maddy’s anger. “He’ll castigate himself until the sun burns out if someone doesn’t intervene.”

  Maddy’s brows lowered. What gave him the right to make that decision? Didn’t he care about Fen’s obvious hurt? Or the chaos this would cause with…

  Her hands went cold and clammy. Anna. Her girlfriend hadn’t known any of this. Oh, hell. Maddy sucked in a breath and finally dared to look. The surprise on Anna’s face was easy to identify, but there was no hint of anger in the eyes that met Maddy’s. Instead, she could have sworn Anna was…relieved?

  That couldn’t be right.

  “I’m sorry, Anna,” Maddy said in a rush. “Fen told me I could be his mate a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been struggling with it since. I didn’t want to upset you. I was going to talk to you about it, but we’ve been so busy. You have your new magic to deal with, and—”

  “I know, love. It’s okay,” Anna said, her expression turning sheepish. “I…might have overheard you telling Cora about it. You didn’t say anything about me, though.”

  Maddy’s mouth dropped open. “You heard? That was over a week ago.”

  “I guess we’ve both been delaying a long-overdue talk.”

  “You’re telling me.” Maddy’s chuckle held little humor. “Seems like Fen has been holding back, as well. He didn’t say a word about being able to form a bond with you. I don’t even know what that means. Are you and I already some kind of soul mates who didn’t know how to link, or does that require Fen? Maybe he has to pick one of us. God, I’m so confused.”

  Vek took a few steps forward. “I can’t answer the first, but I can the last. If Fen tastes your blood together, he could bind you all as one. A triad, I suppose.”

  “He didn’t seem particularly interested,” Anna muttered.

  Maddy blinked. Was her girlfriend in favor of a polyamorous relationship? As far as she knew, Anna was rarely attracted to men at all. Would she actually consider this? Maddy herself had never really thought about long-term polyam relationships. She hadn’t even begun to process how she felt about the possibility.

  But Anna’s lips were turned down in unmistakable disappointment.

  “Anna?”

  Dria marched over to Vek and jabbed his stomach, a sudden spark of lightning making him yelp. “Look what you’ve done, you ass. You could have tried talking to Fen in private.”

  Recovering from the jolt quickly, Vek curled his fingers around the nape of Dria’s neck and bent close to whisper in her ear. Her expression didn’t exactly clear of anger, but she no longer looked like she wanted to annihilate her mate. Maddy glanced away from the intimate scene and found herself studying Anna.

  They’d been pulled together from the moment Maddy had sat down at Anna’s table at the restaurant where she worked. Maddy had been having lunch with Jase, who had teased her mercilessly about the way she’d stared at their server. Thankfully, the draw had been mutual. They’d traded numbers that evening and went on three dates within a week. Anna had even accepted Maddy’s half-Sidhe nature without having known that the fae really existed.

  But then, neither had known about Anna’s blood at the time.

  Almost hesitantly, Anna eased closer, and Maddy reached out to take her hand. “What are you thinking?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. Lots of things.” Anna squeezed her fingers. “I’m mostly relieved, I guess. I’ve been… Well, I’ve been jealous, if you really
want to know the truth.”

  Maddy’s chest grew tight. “You know I wouldn’t cheat on you or leave you for someone else. I’m a big girl. I can ignore my attraction to Fen.”

  “I know that.” With a huff, Anna pressed the palm of her free hand between her brows and rubbed. “But I’ve been struggling to reconcile it all. I love you, but I was jealous that you could share a link with Fen that I couldn’t. It makes no sense. I haven’t known him long, but that didn’t seem to make a difference with my emotions.”

  “Oh, Anna.” Maddy tugged her girlfriend close and wrapped her in her arms. “I’m sorry. We’ll figure it all out. Together.”

  They held each other, peace and love flowing through Maddy at the contact, but then Vek cleared his throat. With a grin, Maddy stepped back, though she reclaimed her girlfriend’s hand. Vek and Dria must have come to some accord, since the latter now wore a slight smile.

  “Perhaps I should check on Fen while you speak with Dria,” Vek said.

  Maddy frowned. “I need to talk to you, too.”

  Suddenly, Anna pulled her hand free. “Why don’t you show me where Fen is? I’ll calm him down and bring him back here.”

  “But…” Maddy studied her girlfriend’s face and found stubborn resolve. For whatever reason, Anna really wanted to do this. “Never mind. If you’re really okay with it, that would be helpful. I just know you get nervous about any kind of confrontation.”

  “I’ll manage,” Anna answered.

  Vek smiled at them both, a pleased glint in his eyes that made Maddy want to shove him. Manipulative bastard. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where he is and make myself scarce.”

  A maelstrom of emotions twirled through Maddy, a storm she couldn’t define, as Anna followed Vek through the door. But she couldn’t linger on that. It was getting late, and there was a lot to settle with Dria about her future trips to Moranaia. Actually, this might turn out for the best. Maddy could share her concerns for Anna while her girlfriend was with Fen.

  Another thing they probably needed to talk about.