Fifth Essence: A Reverse Harem Tale (Lovin' the Coven Book 5)

by Jacquelyn Faye

  There were three windows in the queen's suite, all situated above and behind where her throne was, before she decided to use it as an ass implant. There might not have been a sun in the sky, but there was an abundance of daylight. Aoife, or Glabrielle, had seen to that. The orange glow filtered through the windows casting shadows around it on the stone floor. As I dodged the repeated swipes of spider legs, I focused on that and not getting impaled. Picturing the shadows coalescing into forms, I called.

  Stop her, I thought at them as they were forming, picturing the shadows themselves wrapping around her and subduing her spider form.

  Just as in my vision, the shades lifted themselves up off the floor behind her, just like I had seen Shea do multiple times in the past. I spared her a wicked smile and stepped back as the shadows came, and came, and came some more. My smile started to fade as they began pouring from the floor like black smoke. Delron and Elleslyn, already standing apart from our battle, ran toward the door, dragging me with them as they passed me.

  "Stop!" The shadows weren't listening to me.

  At the entrance to the room we watched in horror as the wave of shadow lifted her, in all her eight-legged glory, and slammed her toward the floor.

  Elleslyn frowned and turned his head, unable to watch.

  "No!" My voice echoed like thunder just as the queen was pushed into the stones beneath her. The shadows stopped. Walking forward, I expected a splattered mess against the stones, but as the shadows parted, I saw her half in our world, half in the shadow realm. They weren't killing her, they were dragging her to their world. "Bring her back, but do not let her go," I whispered softly, and they pulled her head from the floor, their bodies a congealed mass of lightless liquid.

  Her eyes were smashed closed in fear, expecting to be dashed upon the stone floor, too. When they righted her, she opened one eye and took a deep rasping breath. "I should have known better," she said, defeated.

  "Let her go." The shadows pulled back, still ready to pounce and to protect me if she moved so much as a spider tip.

  She curled her legs beneath her, settling the monstrous orb that was her ass against the ground. "Thank you," she whispered softly. "Death in the realm of shadows is not how I wanted to leave this world."

  "Especially while wearing a big spider butt."

  She tilted her head and looked at me curiously. "Pardon?"

  Elleslyn coughed behind me. Delron looked like he was about to go into convulsions. "What?"

  "Lady," Delron started. "Remember when you asked why there was no surrounding town? Why there were no dark elf families?"

  "Yes?"

  "Females of our species… They are true queens. There is but one female with multiple mates and hundreds of workers. That giant spider butt, as you so eloquently put it, is her true form…"

  I turned around and looked at her, and even though she had just tried to impale me, I felt horrible. "Well, it is a lovely spider butt. Bet you can shoot some mighty fine webs out of that thing."

  "Quite," was all she said, not knowing what else to say.

  Chapter 19

  "Okay, so where the hell is Jaeren?"

  Delron pointed up. I tilted my head and gasped. There were literally twenty cocoons suspended from the rafters in the vaulted ceiling. "Oh."

  "Shall I retrieve him for you?" The queen asked.

  "Is he still alive?"

  "Quite."

  "Didn't suck out his guts?"

  "Seleighe sidhe give me stomach pains. Too light for this dark elf's tastes."

  "I see what you did there. Please. I just really want to go home."

  "I think I would prefer it if you were there, as well," the queen said and stepped around the swarming shadows to start climbing up the wall.

  I squatted and held my hand out to the writhing mass in front of me. There were hundreds of eyes staring back at me, but they moved like one giant monster. "Thank you. You may go home now."

  I watched in fascination as they slowly began to seep back into the floor, their eyes blinking out one by one as they returned to the shadow realm. All except one. Fidget broke away and slithered up my leg and slipping into my jeans' pocket. I didn't know how the hell he fit. I couldn't even get a ball of lint in there if I tried. He would have been way more comfortable in the back pocket.

  All is well? Dar's voice popped into my head.

  Yes. You can wait there or come back if you wish. Just getting Jaeren and heading that way.

  Shea will be pleased. He has been on edge since we would not let him leave. He had…an episode. He began frantically shaking but has been calm since a moment ago.

  That might have been my fault.

  What did you do?

  Called the shadows.

  From where?

  Everywhere. All of them.

  I see. I shall let him return to you for comfort. Yukina and I shall remain here.

  True to his word, I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me as I watched the spider queen carefully untangling Jaeren's cocoon from the ceiling. Stringing it over her shoulder, she climbed back down.

  "Hi, Shea."

  "Greetings, Lady. I told you that you could do it."

  "Yeah, yeah. Mr Smartypants," I said and turned around, giving him a quick kiss.

  The queen deposited Jaeren at my feet. Shea knelt down and used his dagger to cut open the cocoon, one of the barbs on the back of the blade looking like it had been designed for such a purpose. He was half dark elf. For all I knew, it had been.

  "Shea, how much do you know about dark elves?"

  "Pretty much all, why?"

  "You knew the queen was half spider?"

  "Yes? All dark elf queens are?"

  "So all female dark elves have spider butts?"

  "No? Only the queens. But, females who are not queens are very rare. Not as rare as shadowalkers, but rare nonetheless.

  "Okay. If you have information like this, share it with me before we go anywhere?"

  "I am sorry. I assumed you knew."

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. He was damn lucky he was cute.

  As soon as the cocoon was pulled away, Jaeren started to rouse. "Dot?" My name was the first word out of his mouth.

  "Welcome back. Sorry it took so long to find you."

  He looked around, saw the dark elves and snarled. "Treacherous bastards!"

  "Calm down. It's over," I told him, putting my hand on his chest to keep him from coming up swinging. "Let's go home."

  He looked like he wanted to argue, but just gave me a curt nod. "Lady… Would you be so kind as to help me up? I seem to be unable to move…"

  I looked at the queen. "It will wear off. It is the venom still in his veins. He was in stasis. Now that he is breathing again, he will regain his mobility."

  I reached down and grabbed an arm, Shea grabbed the other and we hoisted him to his feet. Luckily, Elleslyn was there to catch him when his legs were unable to support him. The two of us weren't tall enough to keep him up. Even Delron stepped forward, propping the seleighe prince between them. "We shall return with you to the gate," he offered.

  I nodded my thanks. It was the least they could do. "You, I'm still mad at," I said to Delron. He nodded in understanding and gave me a wan smile.

  "I would do anything for your father, and now for you. I hope you realize this."

  "Good. Because you're going to help me get him back."

  "If it is at all possible, I will."

  "Wait!" I rounded on him, jabbing my finger in his chest. "What the hell is this about a sister?"

  "Heard that as well, did you?"

  "Yes! Who is she? Where is she?"

  He leaned in and whispered in my ear. "You know her. You've known her your entire life and treated her as who she was. How could you even doubt who she is when she shares your birthing day?"

  I stared at him in shock as he pulled away. "That's not possible. Josie remembers her father. He was human!"

  "Was he?" Delron smiled and
motioned for the door.

  I just stood there in shock, completely and utterly happy that Josie was my real sister. Somehow, I did know. I'd always known. Now she couldn't say shit about me wanting to take care of her, or for feeling guilty when I did. That's what sisters did. Then the thought of my father bumping nasties with that witch of a mother of hers made me throw up in my mouth. A lot. I silently vowed never to think of it again. Not even if I accidentally drank a gallon of bleach and needed to purposely induce vomiting. I'd rather die.

  "Lady, may I have a moment in private?" The queen sounded even more defeated…and tired. I nodded.

  "Take them to the gate for me please, Shea. I'll join you in a minute.

  "As you wish. You can make it there?"

  "Yes. I have a guide," I said and patted my front pocket.

  "Is that a shadow in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" He made a joke. I was so proud. I grinned at him in response.

  "Little bit of both." Then I looked down and noticed that you could actually see the shadow through my pocket, and it looked suspiciously like a wet spot on the front of my jeans. "It's the shadow!"

  "Uh huh. I shall see you at the gate." He winked and grabbed onto Delron, pulling the four of them into the shadows.

  "I shall not waste much of your time." The queen stepped from her spider body, nearly toppling over.

  I quickly grabbed her, steadying her and letting her sit back down now that it looked like a throne once more. "You're going to ask me to marry your son again, aren't you?"

  "No. I'm going to beg."

  "Why me?"

  "Because you are the very first woman I have ever seen him take an interest in. I do not know if it is your power, your personality, or your beauty. It might even be a combination of all of them, I do not know. What I do know is if that child of mine does not take a wife, this court is doomed."

  There was something she wasn't saying. "I couldn't help but notice you stressed the word woman. Elleslyn likes…"

  "Men. Yes."

  "I'm sorry. Not about him liking men, but I have to refuse. I cannot tie myself to anybody. I have too many men who love me, and that I love back just as much. With that said, I do think your son is very sweet, intelligent, engaging. And kinda hot. If he is interested in me… I wouldn't mind getting to know him better. Slowly."

  "That is all I can ask. I am truly sorry for trying to force you into more. I should have passed on ages ago, but until there is a new queen of the realm…"

  "If people and the gods would just start asking instead of trying to get me to do what they want, things would be a lot better. And safer."

  She chuckled, and it sounded like somebody was shaking a bag of bottle caps and marbles. She must have a lovely singing voice.

  "That is all I can ask. You have my thanks. As well as my vow of help when the time comes to rescue the Night. I would like to enjoy one more night beneath the moon before I move on."

  I stopped for a moment and looked over at her throne. "Just out of curiosity… If your son and I ever had children, how many legs would they have?"

  "Any children are born elven. Females… They do not gain their other attributes until they have fully matured."

  "Okay then. No offense, but whew."

  She gave another chuckle. I really felt a driving need to get out of there before I heard it again.

  "Okay, then. Be well."

  "You, too. Daughter." She added with a wink.

  Barf.

  Fidget. Get me the hell out of here.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I stepped from the shadows beside the portal, leaning against it and waiting for everybody to notice my arrival. Dar smelled me first. He scented the air and turned around, giving me a big, blue grin. "Welcome back, Master."

  "Thanks. Good to be back. Shall we get the fuck out of here?"

  "That's the best damn plan I've heard in a week," Yuki said and slapped the rune on the portal. The purple liquid swirled, and the warehouse could be seen on the other side. "Go ahead," I told my three. "Don't wait for me. Get Jaeren into bed."

  "Thank you, Master," Jaeren said gratefully and respectfully. I reminded myself to give him his box of crayons when I got home. And to get him the hell home. He had his own kingdom to fix, and it sounded like it was in a bigger mess than I thought. I wasn't sure if the drug thing was true, probably not, but I didn't trust the council at all. Jaeren, I did. We'd just have to work his babysitting schedule around his kingly duties. It wasn't like I couldn't rip a hole into Faerie whenever I needed.

  "No sweat. Have a bath and get some rest."

  "Surprisingly, I feel like I've slept for a week."

  "Surprisingly, you're right?"

  "A week?"

  "Yep. Told you I sucked at finding you."

  "You do." He nodded for emphasis.

  "Go," I said to the rest of them. Before things got ugly and he started insulting me. The gate closed behind them.

  "You are staying?" Elleslyn almost sounded hopeful.

  "No. But feel free to come visit me whenever you like," I told him. "I may not want to get hitched, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy your company. Come see how the other half lives."

  "If you do not mind, I shall." He had the cutest damn dimples when he smiled. I fought the urge to stick my finger in one.

  "Delron. You're not allowed to visit. I'll meet you someplace neutral."

  He chuckled. "That is fair. Take care of yourself. If you feel the need to speak to me, send your half-elf. He has been in the capitol library. He should be able to find me from there. The Church of Night is hard to miss."

  "He's been there before?"

  "Yes."

  "That little shit and I are going to have a long talk when I get home. He leaves out so much information sometimes."

  "He is a scholar. They often need prompts and often assume everyone around them has the same knowledge."

  "Defending him. That's the nicest thing I've ever seen you do."

  "I am not a nice person," he answered with a chuckle and a bow, keying the rune and stepping through the portal.

  "That goes to the capitol?"

  "It goes wherever you wish to go."

  "That's handy. I should put one in my house."

  "You are part god. I do not think you need one."

  "I've opened a portal to faerie with my hand, but nowhere else. I wouldn't know how."

  "It is much the same as the gate, I would think. Merely picture where you wish to go."

  "Like the capitol?"

  "Have you ever been there?"

  "Of course not."

  "Then I do not think it possible. You would not be able to picture where you are going."

  "Hmm. That makes sense. Thank you, Elleslyn."

  "You are welcome, Lady. I hope to see you again."

  "That is a definite. Thank you for not being a douchebag, too."

  "Douchebag?"

  "When you come visit, I'll introduce you to the internet. You can Google it."

  "I shall."

  I made a silent vow to be there when he did. I wanted to see his face. "Well, I better be going…" I looked around. He and I were alone, so I stepped forward and stood on my toes, intending to give him a quick kiss on his lips as thanks.

  My lips touched his and my body tensed. He felt me go rigid and put his hands on my hips to steady me. That touch was more than enough to set me on fire.

  It erupted from his palms, spreading over my tummy and headed directly south. I shuddered in his grip as my lips parted and my tongue darted into his mouth.

  He moaned in surprise and tilted his head, pulling me into that kiss. His masculine scent faded as he began to smell more delicious by the moment. I wanted to devour him. I wanted him inside me and not in the good way. The burning need to taste him drove all the other thoughts from my brain as my lips slid off his, over the smoothness of his cheek and down the softness of his neck.

  I felt him grow rigid against me as I practically climbed in
to his arms. My eyes rolled back as I drove my fangs into his neck and suckled the blood that sprang from the wound like a fountain of pleasure.

  He held me tight as I ground against him, the pleasure from the feeding amplifying the pleasure from rubbing together, wishing I wasn't wearing jeans. I started to shake as he began groaning and lowering us to the ground. I ended up on top of him, my hips bucking as I pulled his lifeblood from his neck.

  It was the gentleness of his hand, softly caressing my back that slowed my frenzy. I gave the wound one last gentle lick, instinctually knowing it would close the wound, before sitting up and giving him a smile. "Woah."

  "You are a vampire?"

  "No. I am what I am. Kind of like a mutt. I guess I can be sometimes, though."

  "You can do that again, whenever you wish."

  "I have a feeling I will. Amongst other things. You know I have multiple lovers, I would need to talk to them before we go any further, though." I found myself saying that a lot. Sighing in frustration, I vowed not to put myself in another situation like that again. Enough was enough.

  "Do not worry. You are well worth the wait."

  My smile got a little bigger. "Elleslyn. That is a beautiful name."

  "What would you like me to call you? You have so many."

  I leaned in and licked his ear. "Dot."

  "Dot?"

  "It's short for Dorothea."

  "Short?"

  "Like Elleslyn. Calling you Ellis would be short for Elleslyn. Can I call you Ellis?"

  "You may call me whatever you wish."

  "Mine," slipped from my mouth without thinking about it.

  "That as well."

  "Really?"

  He nodded.

  "I'm a lot of trouble."

  "Again, you seem to be well worth it."

  "Until next time, then." I leaned down and kissed him again, this time trying to keep it chaste, at a low simmer instead of a raging boil.

  Something clicked. Not around us, but inside me. I felt it snap and then there was a rush of power as something broke free. Gasping into the kiss, my back arched as all the feelings of the feeding and the grinding came rushing back as I shuddered above him. The kiss broke and my cheek slid against his as I held him tightly, eyes closed and riding the moment.