Mark of Truth (Wicked Kingdoms Book 1)

by Graceley Knox

  “So you’re saying you did slaughter babes, but now you don’t?” I ask.

  “We never slaughtered them, only refused them entry into our Kingdom. After those twenty years, we have always accepted and protected any babes left on our doorstep. We made sure they had a family where they could thrive.”

  I lean my back against the arm of the chair. I lay my hands on my thighs and stare at the wall past his ear. As I let what he just told me sink in, he smooths his hands over my thighs, his touch distracting me.

  “Stop that!” I tell him.

  He widens his eyes and then places his hands firmly on the arms of the wide chair.

  I come to terms with the one bit of information that kept anyone at MECA living in this realm. We all thought we had nowhere to go, that we would be slaughtered if we tried.

  “Is MECA aware of this?” I narrow my eyes at him and watch for any signs of dishonesty or any play on words.

  “We believe they are. We have tried to talk to them multiple times, but because they were cast out of the Light Elven Kingdom during that time and forced to protect themselves during those twenty years after we wouldn’t accept them, they won’t listen and think it’s a cruel trick.”

  At my sharp look he grimaces and appears almost contrite.

  “Is it a trick?”

  “I swear to you it is not.” He meets my stare head on. “Would you have my blood oath that I am telling the truth?”

  I jump up from his lap and shake my head. “No, no. That’s not necessary. I like not glowing like a Christmas tree, thanks.”

  Just the fact that he was willing to offer it though means a great deal. Fae don’t offer their blood oath lightly because if they break it, the Sluagh will hunt them down and hand them a fate worse than death. The Sluagh, otherwise known as the Horde are the scariest of the bad Fae. And those fuckers mean business.

  His severe frown at my remark makes me chuckle.

  “You seem to frown a lot around me.” I smile at him.

  He doesn’t smile back. “I had briefly forgotten about your reaction to our blood oath yesterday, little álainn.” He leans forward, resting his thick forearms on his knees. His hands hang between his legs, the amber liquid left in his glass swirling with his movements.

  “That’s okay. There’s a lot going on around here.” I shift back from him. “Let’s just forget about it, because it obviously was a fluke. No way am I your—what was it? Mate? And I am not half goblin so it must be that I came into some abilities or something. I just don’t know what yet.” I inch my way silently toward the door to his rooms.

  When he stands up, I realize he knows what I’m doing. Not only does he know, he’s amused by my actions. Smug goblin.

  He follows me right to the door and he leans a hand against it. Despite my best efforts I can’t open the door with his weight on it. Giving up in a huff, I roll my eyes up to meet his.

  “Move.”

  “I don’t think so, little álainn.” He moves another inch closer to me.

  I can feel the heat coming off of his body. This close he’s huge—as in like two of me, plus another one.

  “Move, goblin. Before I have to do bodily harm to you.”

  At his low chuckle, I turn and take a swing for his arm and make contact. It has no effect what so ever. Using my momentum against me, he spins me around and pushes my front to the door, sliding his larger body against mine. In this position he’s got me pressed snug between the door and him.

  Squirming and screeching in frustration, I know I’m not going to get out of this with force. Only by playing dirty. I relax back into him and he stays stiff. One hand still on my arm, the other wrapped around my waist, he keeps my body tight to him.

  “Now that wasn’t very nice, little tine,” he whispers in my ear.

  The hand around my waist splays wide over my stomach. A riot of nerves unfurl in my belly.

  Oh, I’ll show him little fire.

  Leaning back against him, I let my head drop back onto his chest, relaxing my body. At my cues, he runs his jaw against mine. His stubble scratches me, and I shiver. Pushing back against him, I hear his quick intake of breath and smile to myself. As soon as he relaxes, I’ll strike. And get the hell out of here.

  He leans against me and dips his hand into the waistband of my jeans. He teases my bare flesh and sends tremors of desire through me. My want dampens the little scrap of lace between my thighs.

  I groan. I need to stop this before it gets out of hand. Just because he’s a sexy goblin, doesn’t mean I want to die today.

  “Dare, stop.”

  He keeps his hand right where it is, pushes a piece of hair out of his way, and whispers in my ear, his tone seductive, “You don’t want me to stop, little álainn. I can feel how much you desire me. I can scent your need for me.”

  “Just because my body is reacting doesn’t mean we should,” I reason half heartedly. Getting anything through that thick head of his is like trying to break glass by throwing flower petals at it. “It is forbidden, Dare. Even though you annoy the shit out of me, I don’t want you marked for death. I also like breathing as well, so if you could just back it on up, big guy, we can move on and forget this even happened.”

  I feel his chest expand to respond just as I hear shouts sound from down the hall. They get louder as they get closer. I push against him to let me go so we can go check it out. He keeps me where I am, not moving an inch. Stubborn goblin.

  As the shouts continue to come closer, I’m gritting my teeth when someone pounds on the other side of the door I’m smashed against. Well, didn’t that just feel awesome against my cheek bone. Not.

  “Dare, open the door and show them you haven’t killed Ever!” Dax shouts from the hallway.

  “Tell them you are all right, little álainn,” he murmurs in my ear, responding a bit louder for their benefit. “She is alive and well, I assure you.”

  “Alive and well, my ass,” Kirin says.

  “Someone better come in here and get this big bastard off of me.”

  My crew will respond like a well-oiled machine. I just have to sit and wait for them to get me out of his grip. He’s obviously lost his senses, or he hasn’t been laid in a while, if he is having this reaction to a female in his personal space. “You might want to move away from the door unless you want them to kill me in the process of getting you away from me,” I tell him, mostly just to see what his reaction will be.

  Swiftly, so swiftly that my breath whooshes out of me, he lifts me away from the door and turns his back to it as the door comes flying off the hinges with a loud bang. Wood splinters fly everywhere.

  Hmmm…Kirin must have had some explosives with him. Good man.

  Dropping out of his hold, I hightail it out of his immediate reach and walk toward my crew calmly, arms at my side so they see that he didn’t harm me. Not physically at least. Mentally I’m a little shaken up by his hot and cold moods, as well as his habit of pushing me up against hard surfaces. But I guess everyone has to have some sort of kink, right?

  Doyle, Kirin, and Axel glare daggers over my shoulder. I make eye contact with Eryn. Her eyes widen, but what she is seeing is beyond me. I shrug it off. I have more important things to worry about today than what energy reading Eryn is getting from myself and Dare.

  “Who’s ready to train?” I ask as I bounce up to the guys. I make sure to stay in front of them to stop them from making any stupid moves towards Dare. Men and their need to compare dick size. It gets old.

  Feinting a punch at Kirin and actually slapping Doyle in the stomach with the back of my hand, I get their attention. I clear my throat when Axel is the last to turn to me.

  “Training? Yes, no, maybe?”

  At their mixed looks of apprehension, gritted teeth, and scowls I try again.

  “What’s the matter? Afraid I’m going to hand you your asses in front of the goblins?” I smile when they all jerk back, looking offended. Bingo.

  “You could try Ev,” Doyle
mutters. He turns and leads our crew down to the hallway so we can make our way outside to train.

  “Pssh, Doyle, please. I handed you your ass last time.”

  Laughing at my antics, Kirin throws me over his shoulder like I weigh ten pounds. He heads out the front doors. I toss a weak punch toward Kirin’s kidney. He grunts, but keeps me where I am. He laughs at my complaints and the expletives thrown his way.

  That strange and deadly-sounding growl rumbles behind us. I tense in his hold, bracing to suddenly go flying. When nothing hits either of us, he shrugs and continues to bruise my stomach with his halting stride.

  Damn, Kirin and his antics.

  CHAPTER

  NINE

  Once we get to a spot we can all agree is just right the guys get to setting up.

  Putting me down, Kirin flicks my pony tail. He narrowly avoids my swat and grins from ear to ear. “Love you, Ev.” He blows me a kiss, and we both ignore the scowls coming our way from the three goblins joining us.

  “Yeah, yeah, don’t try to butter me up Kirin.” I mock snarl at him before sticking my tongue out at him and finishing with, “You’re going down.”

  Rolling his eyes at me, he shakes his head as he heads towards the course ahead of me.

  Weapons are set up on a table off to the side, everything from swords to guns. Ladders and tires sit in the grass in varying patterns, the whole nines. They must have raided the goblins’ training center and set some of this up earlier because we don’t keep this much in our van.

  We prefer to train outside so we can stay fresh on our skills. This way we can adjust quickly to new terrains. After all, if we crash and burn, there are no mats to break our falls. Keeping our footing isn’t as easy when we’re outside as it is on a hardwood floor. It’s one of our best kept secrets, and it keeps us securely at the top of MECA’s deadliest and most effective team roster.

  I let the guys finish up with the heavy lifting as they create what is going to prove to be a very fun obstacle course. I stretch out with Eryn, both of us chit-chatting about nothing in particular and enjoying the buzzing feeling working its way through our veins. Being able to release some of the tension that’s built up this week will do us all wonders. I swing my arms in forward circles. The hair on my arms rises, and I feel the crackle of power behind me. I look over my shoulder, trying to find the source of the power surge that has my senses going haywire and my own powers surging, I only see Doyle and Kirin. Both of them are stretching, and neither of them have that kind of power unless they have been holding out on us the past few years. I turn my head a bit more to the side and eye the three goblins standing there not stretching and watching us like we are all dimwitted.

  “You guys gonna stretch?” I narrow my eyes to see who looks like they are concentrating hard enough to exert that level of power.

  My question is met with three grunts, which I take as a no. Whatever, they can all be sore as hell later for all I care. I shake my head and finish my stretches. I start pursuing the obstacle course to map out a game plan in my head. I walk back to our group and open my mouth to speak when those haunting growls sound again. Kirin and Doyle go flying through the air to land twenty feet away on the tires they laid out.

  I wince but stay quiet. I know better than to ask if they are okay. Hard rubber tires are no fun to land on. I raise my eyebrows as Dax tosses both of them across the field like they are freshly folded laundry.

  I stand back to let them get whatever manly shit they need to sort out, out of the way. I roll my eyes at Eryn. Both of us stand there with our arms crossed.

  Doyle and Kirin regroup and head straight for Dax. They attack him systematically and work as a team. They know what the other is going to do before it even happens, which makes them a deadly pair. Knowing how they fight, I’m focused on Dax and his moves. We watch our opponents to find weak spots before we fight. The tactic presses our advantage and keeps our strategy stronger than theirs.

  Kirin tries to press his advantage, but Dax moves faster than light and tosses him against the trunk of a tree. A crack sounds through the field. Narrowing my eyes at Dax, I make a move to check on Kirin but am stopped dead when that familiar tingle spreads up my arm from the hand suddenly gripping me.

  “Do not interfere,” Dare warns. “It will only end in you being hurt.”

  I scoff at him and yank my arm away, ignoring him and skirting around Doyle and Dax, who are still fighting. Kirin blinks his eyes open and shakes his head a bit. I stand over him and scowl. He winces.

  “You okay?” I ask him under my breath.

  At his nod, I punch him lightly in the stomach.

  “Good. Now watch Dax for any weak spots, so you can kick his ass next time.” Knowing Kirin, there will be a next time. There always is. Must be a goblin pride thing. Or just a man thing. Either way.

  “Aye aye, Capitan.” He salutes me with a middle finger.

  I chuckle and stroll back to my place next to Eryn. The fight winds down. Both men are laughing like they’ve been best friends since diapers. I step toward the matted down patch of grass they just fought on, wanting to spar. I just don’t know with whom. Axel steps out as well, and I know that I’m in for a challenge. I nod at him, signaling that I want to get my fight on. We circle up and I keep silent instead of my usual smack talk. Axel is a wild card and out of all of us probably the deadliest because of his abilities. Axel gets snippets of the future. He doesn’t know when it’s going to rain. More like he knows what someone is going to do even before he does, but only from a gut feeling.

  I have to go on pure gut instinct to get any sort of advantage over Axel. I don’t even let him finish taking off his jacket. I lunge for him and knock him to the ground. We grapple with each other. I try to keep the upper hand, and Axel’s determined to make me lose it. Both of us pant from exertion. He gets in a good chop to my inner elbow and my arm buckles, my hold on him breaking. We spring apart from each other, and neither of us allows for any breathing room before we throw ourselves into full contact combat.

  Punch. Block. Spin. Contact. Repeat.

  Our fighting goes on for a while. Each contact made helps loosen another knot of tension. Both of us dance in and out of the other’s reach. We taunt each other with quick feints to one side only to attack from the other. I’m lost in my own world as I focus my breathing. In and out. In and out. I know this. I know how to fight. I know how to defend myself from the physical. I can block out and avoid the mental tension when I’m fighting. Euphoria strums through me and my muscles relax as if I just got treated to a day at the spa. Hastily, I move in for the final jab that will end our sparring. Seeing my opening, I make my move. Axel circumvents me and ends up pinning me to the ground. Face first, mouth full of dirt and grass, and I grin like a loon.

  “Do you yield?” Axel asks, a hint of laughter in his voice.

  “Never!” I laugh.

  Axel reaches down and tickles my side mercilessly.

  “Mercy! Mercy! I beg for mercy!” I wheeze out. Inhaling air, I try to catch my breath as he lets go of me. I roll onto my back and grin up at Axel. I extend my arm and let him pull me up from the ground. We walk over to the cooler containing water and snacks, and I elbow Axel in the side to get his attention.

  “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “I know.” He unscrews the cap on his second water bottle and downs it.

  I lounge back and stretch out a bit as I sip my water. A phone vibrates, and I look around. It’s my phone. It’s my mother. Yet again. If I don’t answer it now she will keep calling me and leaving me messages. I reach over to grab my phone from on top of my hoodie. I might as well get this over with.

  I swipe my finger across the screen. “Hello?”

  “Ever, my darling,” she coos. “I’ve been trying to reach you for a few days now.”

  “I know, Mother. I’ve been busy. What is so important that you have to call me every hour on the hour?” I sigh and take a sip of water.

  “Don’t take that
tone with me, young lady! I’m your mother and I deserve your respect. After all I did set you up with Cashel after all.” She delivers that last bit with a smug tone.

  I make a gagging sound into the phone. I’m not willing to touch the subject of Cashel with a ten-foot pole. “You didn’t set me up with anyone, Mother. Like I said before, I’m not interested. Never will be interested. Give it up already.”

  “Ever, you will do this for me. As a favor to me you will come to this festival.” She grits out the last part, her polite tone slipping.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint, Mother, but to put it frankly, there is no way in hell I will ever consider Cashel.” I roll my eyes at Eryn as she approaches with a raised brow. I mouth, “it’s my mother.” She winces and shrugs. We all know what it’s like to deal with parents who only notice us when it suits them.

  “Why ever not?” she whines.

  Before she can start listing his many charming qualities, I cut her off.

  “The answer is no, Mother. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not ever. No.”

  Grumbling about ungrateful children and telling me that we will talk about this later when I am in a more sensible mood, she promptly hangs up on me. I drop my phone from my ear and stare at it in my hand. All that tension I just worked off is back tenfold.

  I toss my phone aside and head toward everyone. I won’t be able to focus on another match now, so I tell them I’m going to head back in, grab some protein, and clean up.

  “You okay, Ev?” Eryn asks, eyeing me closely.

  “Yeah I’m good. Just stressed. Nothing some protein and a nice hot shower won’t fix. Meet up in the library again when you guys are all done? We can do some more exploring.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her. Both of us know that by “exploring” I mean in the library. And by in the library, I mean sitting our asses in those overstuffed couches and reading.