I’m the queen.
Damon stays put, silently towering over the kneeling fae.
When we get a good distance away, Kirian lovingly strokes my face and whispers, “What do you think we should do?”
“You’re asking me?” I say it a little louder than I intended, and Kirian puts a finger to his lips.
But seriously. As if I’d know what to do in this situation?
We enter a staring contest, and I realize he’s not going to move forward without my input.
I sigh. “Tell me about Farrel. What kind of person is he?”
“He and I have never been close, but I’ve always thought him to be a decent man,” Kirian replies. “He’s quite a bit younger than me—born about seven hundred years ago. Because of his ability to communicate with animals, he was hired on as a stable boy here when he was a child. He was orphaned and young, and we gave him a home at the palace. Unfortunately, he was easy prey for Gia. He had no family, no assets. When he came of age, she seduced him with the hopes that having a mate would make her seem more worthy of the crown.” He scratches his jaw. “Farrel always treated her well. He was willing to marry her, despite the fact that she was too old to have children and she wasn’t his fated mate.”
“So, he got tangled up with the wrong person,” I conclude. “But he didn’t kill me when he had the opportunity. I think we should give him a chance to redeem himself.”
I really don’t want to see anyone’s head roll, especially not because of my order.
Kirian gazes at me with affection as he runs a hand through my hair. “My merciful mate.”
“Is that a bad thing? Am I too soft?”
“No,” he answers before adding, “your kind heart is exactly what our kingdom needs right now.”
I sigh with relief. Maybe I won’t be bad at this.
Taking my hands, Kirian squares his shoulders and says, “I hereby transfer my vow of punishment to you. The decision is yours now, if you accept.”
My eyebrows go up. “You can do that?”
He nods. “Giving it to someone of equal power is the only way to rescind my original promise.”
“Oh,” I breathe out. Kirian found the loophole he needed to have compassion for his sister and the others involved in her crimes. I can take this burden from him. “Then, yes, I accept.”
I feel the flutter of the oath in my chest, and I swallow hard.
Because, wow, this is a lot for me. It’s probably the first of many verdicts I’ll deal with as queen, but this one’s a doozy.
“Okay.” Steely resolve flows through me. I’ll make this right. “I don’t know how I can tell—call it intuition or whatever—but Farrel’s remorse seems genuine. I suggest a kind of probation and community service. After some jail time, that is.”
“This is a custom from your world, yes?”
“Yeah. It works for some people, if they want to do better. I think Farrel should be given the chance to do something good with his life.”
Kirian inclines his head. “Then it will be as you say.”
With his arm around my shoulders, we walk back to the men.
“Stand, Farrel,” Kirian says, and the fae scrambles to his feet. “My mate lives because of you. I’ll show you the same courtesy, but you’re still in my debt. A mess has been made here. You were part of creating it, so you’ll be part of fixing it.”
“Seriously?” Farrel rubs his neck, like he can’t believe his head is still attached to his body.
“Seriously,” I say. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“Yes, my queen,” he rushes out, bowing repeatedly. “You have my word. I’m forever at your service.”
Seeming pleased with Farrel’s fervent loyalty toward me, Kirian commands, “Release my mother and the rest from the dungeon. You need to help the council confiscate all the Glow from the castle and dispose of it properly. Then, have them lock you up until I can figure out what to do with you. I need your word that you’ll do as I say.”
“You have it.” Without hesitation, Farrel runs off to carry out the tasks.
Then there’s the matter of Gia.
As the vines unwind from her limp body, they crackle and snap, slithering away. I watch as they disappear out the windows.
A pained expression paints Kirian’s face as he stares down at his sister. Her mangled foot is bleeding, and the dagger is still sticking out of her knee.
“I could kill her right now,” Kirian says quietly. “I could use my axe to sever her head. It would be painless for her.”
“But not for you.” I slide an arm around his waist and give him a squeeze.
“I can see the pulse in her neck,” he goes on. “I’m disgusted at the thought of ending her life. Even after everything she’s done, there’s still a part of me that cares for her. I’m sorry, Quinn. You deserve better from your mate.”
Tugging on his arm, I turn him to me. I frame his face with my hands, loving that his eyes can connect with mine. “You don’t have to apologize, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Besides, it’s not up to you anymore. This is on me.”
He places a hand over mine, holding my touch to his cheek. “The way you love me is humbling.”
Damon makes a noise close to a gag. “I thought we were going to battle today. All this mushy stuff is giving me the willies. I’ll just be over here. Alone. Without a mate. By myself.”
An amused smile tugs at my lips as Damon goes to sulk on the stairs, and Kirian shakes his head.
Before I can think too hard about what to do with Gia, an anguished cry rings through the great hall.
“Don’t do it, Kirian!” Zella yells. “Don’t kill her.” Running over to Gia, she falls to her knees, weeping. “Why do families do this to each other? I’ve seen too much of it. I can’t take it anymore.”
The yellow gown she wears is dirty from being in the dungeon, and it reeks of sweat, urine, and mildew. Although I’ve never been down there, I’m willing to bet it’s pretty disgusting.
Red bands of blisters and open sores decorate her wrists where she was restrained by iron shackles. Judging by the streaks of dried blood on her arms, she was chained up for a while.
Even after this, she begs for her daughter’s life.
I know my mom would do the same for me. Not that I’d ever do what Gia did, but still. The unconditional love of a parent is endless.
“She might not be right in the heart, but I can’t imagine a world without her in it.” Tears drip down Zella’s cheeks as she takes Gia’s hand. “Is there anything you can do to change your vow, Kirian? Anything I can give you to reverse this?”
Zella’s so consumed by grief she doesn’t realize I’m standing here next to Kirian. She doesn’t know her son has already given her what she begs for.
“Mother—”
“Kirian, I have a confession to make.” Without looking up, she interrupts him. She takes a deep breath, as if what she’s about to say is difficult. Prolonging the suspense, she combs Gia’s hair away from her face, fixing the messy strands before continuing, “About ten years after the curse, we found the witches.”
Shocked, Kirian jerks back. “What?”
“They wanted Gia. They said they’d lift the curse if we gave them our daughter, but she was just a child. They wanted us to choose between the two of you, and I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it then, and I can’t do it now. Forgive me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” he rasps. “Why did you continue to let me search for them when you already knew what they wanted?”
“Your father and I hoped you could persuade them. Maybe you had something else to bargain with. After all this time, I thought Gia was safe, but they got to her anyway. Before she locked me up, she admitted she’d been working with them. I’m not trying to defend her—she’s at fault. But they saw an evil in her and took advantage of it. Don’t end her. I’ll do anything you ask.”
“It isn’t my decision anymore,” Kirian tells her.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I tell her honestly.
Kirian’s arm goes around my shoulders, and his gaze flits to me. “My fated mate will make a choice here, and it will be final.”
“Did you just say fated?” Zella glances back and forth between us a few times before finally settling on Kirian’s focused eyes. “You can see.”
A grin stretches over both their faces, and I blink back tears when I see mother and son looking into each other’s eyes for the first time in thousands of years.
Temporarily forgetting about Gia’s predicament, Zella jumps up and grabs his hands. Bouncing, she chants, “You can see, you can see!” Then, she pulls me into a tight hug. “You did it. It was you all along.”
Her affection makes me happy, and I giggle.
“Yep. And don’t worry—no one’s dying here today. I’ve got a better solution. If Gia likes being evil and hanging out with witches, I know a place where she can go.” I share a look with Kirian, and I know he’s thinking the same thing. “But we’ll need a spell to keep her from leaving.”
“Banishment?” Zella asks, hope in her voice. “That would be preferable to death.”
Nodding, I lightly touch her long blond locks. “This sounds weird, but I’m going to need some hair to make it happen.”
Quinn
Kirian cups my ass while we walk through the seemingly endless darkness. It isn’t necessary for him to hold me up; I’m securely strapped into the carrier.
But I like that he wants to touch me. That he can’t keep his hands off me.
The feeling is mutual.
Sliding my arms around his neck, I press my nose to the skin at the hollow of his throat and inhale.
This time, our trip to the Shadowlands was a bit different. We traveled by carriage—the non-explosive kind—and got here in a record-breaking three days.
We didn’t sleep at any of the inns and we didn’t stop to eat. Kirian personally packed up our food supplies and we slept for short periods of time inside the carriage. It was a little weird with an unconscious Gia in tow, but I knew Damon wouldn’t let her wake up.
On our way through the villages, we made time for the announcement that I’m very much alive, but not much else. To celebrate, the gnomes broke out the sugar beet vodka, but the mood was subdued. After all, some of their children are still missing. Fiona, the girl who gave me my midnight rose, is among the taken.
I tried not to let my tears show as I promised I’d get every one of them back.
A day into our journey, we ran into Torius and Kai. Or rather, they flew over us and stopped to talk. Instead of heading to Delaveria, they insisted on coming with us to make sure we had a safe journey.
Ever the faithful soldiers, there were no hard feelings on their part. They were just happy to be back in Kirian’s good graces. They’re currently waiting for us back in Aelustria.
“Almost there,” Kirian says, low.
I shiver, and it’s not from the cold.
His gravelly voice triggers sexy memories from this morning. The way he growled dirty somethings while he pounded into me from behind. The way he pulled my hair and smacked my ass. The way he rubbed and pinched my clit until I screamed his name.
Countless times over the past few days, Kirian sent the guys a good distance away and had his way with me in this carriage. In the twenty-five thousand-ish years we’ll have together, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of him. There’s a hollow ache between my legs, and I want more.
I’m tired, hungry, horny, and ready to go home. Delaveria home. With my palace, my bed, and my people.
Like Kirian said—they’ll learn to love me.
“We’re here,” he murmurs into my ear.
Sudden light makes me wince, and I recognize the inside of Astrid’s cave.
“Oh, good. You’re all here.” She gets up from her rocking chair as Damon comes through the door with Gia in his arms.
She’s lifeless and unresponsive, just as she has been ever since the Dream Realm king put her in that state. Pretty impressive. Gotta say, when I first heard about Damon’s ability, I felt kind of bad for the guy. I mean, dream walking is cool and all. I’m sure it’s entertaining, but how useful can that be?
Being able to make people go to sleep on a whim is seriously badass.
As Kirian helps me out of the sling, I hold onto our precious payment. Astrid will be thrilled with the new material for her rugs. Zella didn’t hesitate to take scissors to her own hair when I told her the price for the spell.
“We need a favor,” Kirian tells Astrid, bypassing formalities like the bossy king he is.
Before the witch can go on about how much it will cost us, I hold up the long braid and run my fingers over the silky strands.
She gasps, snatching it from my hand. Bringing it close to her nose, she smells the length of it before rubbing it on her cheek. “Queen Zella. This is beyond my wildest hopes.”
“Good,” Kirian grunts. “Because we need a big spell. Something that will entrap Gia in the Shadowlands for the remainder of her life.”
“And let me guess.” Astrid thoughtfully taps her chin. “You want Princess Gia to have my home.”
“You knew this part was coming,” I pipe up, remembering the way she’d muttered something about her house no longer being safe.
“I suspected. Where am I to live?”
“With me,” Damon supplies. “There’s a room in my palace for you.”
“Well, this works out nicely for you, doesn’t it?” Astrid affectionately pats him on the cheek, then motions to the cot on the floor where he can set Gia. “You’ve been trying to get me to move in with you for years.”
“Seriously?” Kirian asks his cousin.
“What? It’d be pretty awesome to have a resident witch.”
“And the boy gets lonely without his parents,” Astrid adds.
“I’m not a boy,” Damon says defensively. “But yeah, it’d be nice to have a friend. Now that Kirian has Quinn back, I doubt I’ll see much of them for a while.”
Kirian and I exchange a troubled look, because he’s not wrong. We’ve got a lot of crap to straighten out. Not to mention, I want a honeymoon.
Although he tries to hide his loneliness with comic relief and funny quips, Damon can’t fool me. He’s pretty secluded. No mate. His parents have been away for over half a millennium. Obviously, he’s not dating. The Dream Realm is a lot smaller than the Night Realm, so he has fewer people to look after.
“All right.” Astrid crouches on the floor and begins rolling up her rugs. One by one, she dumps the hefty logs in Damon’s arms. “We’ll have to do this fast. I don’t want Princess Gia waking up before we get out of the Shadowlands.” She levels all of us with a serious look. “You’ll have to tell your people not to pass through here—ever. The coven might follow the princess, taking refuge in her domain. The Shadowlands will be more dangerous than ever.”
“Understood.” Kirian rubs his jaw thoughtfully.
“You have a question, my king?” Astrid surmises, a sly smile spreading over her face as she reads his mind. “I’m feeling generous today. Go ahead.”
“I don’t get why the witches would pursue Gia after so many years of silence and inactivity. Why now?”
“The timing was not a coincidence.” Astrid goes to her empty bowl on the table and sprinkles a chalky substance inside. “All curses have a shelf life, and yours was expiring. Once the curse is broken, they no longer have control over you. They got desperate to intervene before the bond could be completed.”
It all becomes clear when I remember what Astrid said about witches being puppet masters. “Holy shit, it totally makes sense now. Kill the fated mate, eliminate the way out of the curse. Gia was their way to infiltrate the royal family to get
to me. She was their vessel. Basically their puppet.”
Astrid points in my direction. “Exactly.”
“But they didn’t succeed. They lost. Does that mean they’ll stop coming after me?” I ask hopefully.
She nods. “They’ll focus their efforts elsewhere. You’re both free to live your lives.”
A burst of satisfaction and a feeling of security come at me through the bond. Kirian and I exchange a glance, complete with relieved smiles. Mystery solved, and no one had to die. We can get on with our plans.
A wedding. Ruling the kingdom. Maybe some babies.
“What about mine?” Damon interjects eagerly, his face hidden behind the pile of rugs in his arms. “Is my curse expiring?”
“Yes.”
He waits several seconds, and when he realizes Astrid’s not going to give him more information, he makes an impatient sound. “Well, when?”
“Soon.”
Frustrated, he groans. “Soon in fae time could mean tomorrow or a thousand years from now.”
Unfazed by Damon’s dramatics, Astrid begins stirring the contents in her bowl. She recites a few words I can’t understand, and mist floats up before snaking around the room like it’s alive. When it gets to Gia, it settles around her like a heavy fog before the gray stuff absorbs into her.
“It’s done.” Astrid packs up her dishes and a few books, dumping them into a burlap sack as she bustles around the room. “Princess Gia will be tied to the Shadowlands for as long as she lives.”
Walking over to Kirian and me, she scoops a handful of nothing out of her pocket. She blows whatever it is onto our faces before sprinkling it on herself.
“This will make it so you can see through the darkness. We’ll have to hurry to the Dream Realm.” Hoisting her bag of belongings over one shoulder, Astrid glances back at her rocking chair. “I guess I can leave that for the princess.” As she walks by Damon, she adds, “You better have a nice room for me.”
“You can have your own suite,” he says, following behind her as he adjusts his hold on the rugs. “Take my parents’ room. It’s not like they’re using it.”
Continuing to discuss the details of Astrid’s new living situation, they disappear through the rock wall.
The Fae King's Curse Page 26
