In Malice (The Stolen Queen Book 1)

by A. M. Hodges

  "Hush, this week will be about me showing you my world. The two of you have been keeping me so busy, probably on purpose, and I haven't gotten a chance. So, this break in training will be, let's call it an educational experience, for both of you."

  They both stare at me like I have horns growing out of my head. Considering all the weirdness that keeps happening to me, I reach up and pat the top of my head just to be sure. That makes Jeb smile again.

  "I'll make you a deal," he offers, "If you promise to run twice a day and practice holding your wings up for thirty minutes than we will give you the week off from everything else and allow you to be our chaperone. You are only completely excused on

  Thursday for Thanksgiving."

  "Deal!" I blurt. It isn't the entire week off like I wanted, but I'll take what I can get.

  Then I have an idea.

  "Since you seem to have an endless amount of money, I assume you will be okay with funding these ventures?" I bat my eyelashes innocently.

  Lucah groans and Jeb laughs, "We'll I guess so, you sure aren't rolling in money working at that auto shop."

  "Great!" I beam, "then I will need you to purchase three plane tickets, a rental car, and book us a place to stay tomorrow night. I also need you to cover rentals. Gentleman, we are going to

  Wintergreen, Virginia. It's time you boys experienced snow."

  We spend the next hour enjoying dinner and planning out our trip on Lucah's phone. By the time I make it home I am fighting sleep and immediately go upstairs to shower. The old man isn't home, which means he is working late yet again. I really wish he would stop and take a breather for a while. Life is about more than work; I wish he would just stop and smell the roses for once. Which gives me another idea.

  I rush to my phone and shoot a text to Jackson.

  R:'Hey. Think you can manage to take off work for the next 3 days?'

  I patiently (not really) wait for his reply, bouncing my knee while staring at the screen. Finally, my phone chimes.

  J:'Sure. That is actually why I was working late tonight. I already requested the rest of the week off. I was planning to surprise you.'

  My heart melts. He really is a great dad.

  R:'Perfect. We're headed to Wintergreen in the morning. Don't worry about the expenses, it's already taken care of. I want you to meet my friends! They are coming too.'

  A few minutes later his response comes saying that he is excited, and he can't wait. I shoot a quick text to Lucah telling him that Jackson is coming and to buy another plane ticket and then I hop in the shower.

  Before bed, I pull out my box of winter clothes and pack my bag. Since he is working late, I go to Jackson's room and pack his too. We haven't been to Wintergreen since I was little. Jackson taught me how to ski there when I was seven and then I learned how to snowboard a few years later.

  I love the rush I feel going down the slopes, that free feeling. Like I’m flying. I guess being surrounded by water will be great too. It’ll be the perfect place to practice my water abilities.

  Great, they've turned me into a monster. I get the week off from training and instead I'm thinking of ways to train on my own.

  Completely worn out, I forego a shower and turn on my sleep playlist. Lost Boy comes on as I drift off to sleep.

  We arrive in Wintergreen around eight the next morning. The guys and Jackson were introduced at the airport and if Jackson had an opinion on Jeb's unnatural appearance, he didn't comment on it. Our flight was full of pleasant conversation and my companions seemed to be getting along well enough. Lucah asked Jackson a lot of questions about being a fire fighter and Jackson had an unusual conversation with Jeb about The Art of War. I wasn’t aware that Jackson had read the book and I certainly have no idea how Jeb got ahold of it.

  A shiny black suburban is waiting at the curb for us when we exit the baggage claim. We throw our bags in the trunk and pile in, Lucah and I opting for the backseat. It seems cruel to make Jeb cram himself in behind the passenger seat. Jeb is, surprisingly. letting Jackson drive. They are both such control freaks that I was almost positive there would be an argument.

  Instead, they are sitting up front chit chatting about plans to unpack and grab some food before heading to the lifts. I've been itching to hit the slopes since I woke up this morning and have no plans of unpacking once we check in to the hotel. I'm changing into my gear and then, it's go time. They can stay back and be old men about it if they want to. We arrive at the resort but instead of stopping, Jeb directs Jackson to keep driving passed it.

  "Where are we going?" I poke my head between the driver and passenger seats.

  "You'll see," Jeb smirks but doesn’t look at me. I huff and fall back into my seat to continue staring out the window.

  Around ten minutes later, we pull up to a cabin near the ski lifts.

  Calling it a cabin doesn't do the structure justice. It's more like a mansion made of logs. From the car I can see a chandelier hanging in the entryway through the window above the double front doors. The bottom floor has a covered wraparound porch and large bay windows on either side of the doorway. The second floor has a fully furnished balcony that stretches the length of the building and two large windows that are on either side of an intricate door.

  "What is this?" I gasp as I exit the car.

  "This is a home owned by a very wealthy family. They rent it out during the summer and fall months to people. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs along with a master suite on the bottom floor. There is also an eat in kitchen and a living and dining room that are both equipped with gas fireplaces. Oh, and the master suit comes with a master bathroom, of course, and there's also a half bath in the main hallway," Jeb finishes with a look that says he knows he did good.

  "This is absolutely amazing Jeb!" my hand moves to rest over my heart.

  "Only the best for you, Krasivaya," he winks and then heads to help Jackson and Lucah with the bags. My heart skips a beat and

  I struggle to master the dumbfounded look on my face. I’m not sure what sparked this attitude change, but I’m not mad about it.

  "Oh, and one more thing," he turns, "the master suite is for you. There should be a surprise waiting."

  And just like that, he is off with the guys.

  I beeline straight for the master suite, not taking even a second to look around. When I open the door and see what’s waiting for me, tears pool in my eyes. Damn these assholes have turned me into a blubbering idiot.

  Propped up against the edge of the bed is a custom-made snowboard and a pair of boots, that are almost an exact match to my hair color. There are also black snowboarding pants with a matching jacket, hat, and gloves. The board is shimmering obsidian in color with white stripes on the ends and my name in purple calligraphy written in the center.

  I can't believe he did this. How did he even get this board done so fast? The clothes I can understand but, a custom-made snowboard? Those things usually take months! Also, why did he do this? This isn’t like the tough broody Jeb that I’ve come to know. Even in my dreams he was stoic, alluring, but stoic. His attitude flip-flopped so fast that I think I have whiplash.

  I leave the suite and find the three of them sitting in the eatin kitchen.

  "Thank you," I whisper to Jeb as I sit down next to him. His only response is to reach over to squeeze my hand under the table.

  He seems to be doing that a lot since my breakdown in the woods. It almost seems like, after doing it that one time, he feels like he needs to keep doing it. Or maybe he thinks I’m fragile and that I need to be coddled now? I don’t know.

  We sit for a while and talk over some hot cocoa before deciding to hit the slopes. After explaining all the different levels to Jeb and Lucah, we decide to save the Black Diamond, which is the most difficult and intense slope, for last. When everyone has changed, we grab our boards and walk to the ski lift.

  Unsurprisingly, Jeb and Lucah are naturals, which is more than a little annoying. I've been snowboarding
since I was ten and still am not as good as them. Stupid Fae agility.

  We spend hours going down the slopes before stopping to go into the resort for some dinner. Lucah keeps talking about the ski lift while Jeb seems unimpressed. Then again, what's impressive about a ski lift when you can fly right? Their idle chit-chat continues all the way to the restaurant where we leave some of our layers at the coat check and wait to be seated. The hostess shows us to our table and hands us menus to peruse while we wait for our server.

  We order a round of waters when the server arrives, and I receive three very judgmental stares when I order desert as my appetizer. The glare I return their looks with throws down a challenge for any of them to comments on my decision. Screw them, I'm on vacation and they can suck it. Plus, have you ever heard of a fat Pixie? No. So there.

  When dinner comes my mouth waters over the roast beef and mashed potatoes being placed in front of me.

  "So, is everyone still up for the Black Diamond after dinner?" Lucah grumbles between mouth full. Jeb looks like he is struggling not to remind him that he is not currently an animal and needs better manners.

  "I think that sounds like a good idea. It'll be late and less crowded since its almost dark and the temperature is dropping," I agree.

  "You think you can make it there? I think you may have packed on a couple pounds with that meal," Jeb teases earning snickers from around the table. Again, who is this and what has he done with broody Jeb? Has he been body snatched?

  I flip him a not so nice gesture earning me a wink in return, an eye roll from Lucah and a head shake from Jackson. That wink does funny things to my heart again. This new side of Jeb is quickly growing on me. Hell, if I’m being honest, all the sides of Jeb have been growing on me.

  The old man is insisting on paying the bill and, after an argument that I feel takes way longer than necessary, Jeb gives in and we head to the ski lift. This time, I plop into a lift with Jeb and Jackson takes the one behind us with Lucah.as we climb higher in the sky, I take in the world around me. The sunset view from a lift has always been my favorite, completely breathtaking in nature.

  "So, did you like your surprise?" Jeb nudges me to get my attention.

  When I turn my focus to him, he seems to be looking everywhere but at me. His fingers drum restlessly on his knee and he is gnawing on the inside of his bottom lip. It's kind of cute, seeing him squirm like this. Is he nervous?

  "Very much," I grab his hand and force him to look at me.

  When his finally gaze connects with mine, his eyes seem to be searching mine, as if he has a question. His gaze drops to my lips and then darts back up to my eyes. Ahh, there's the question.

  He must see the answer he needs in my eyes, because he begins to lean towards me. My own gaze drops to his lips as I move in to meet him halfway, the world seeming to move in slow motion. Just before our lips meet, I hear a loud snap. Jeb's eyes simultaneously widen in shock as the distinct pop of his wings being released sounds inside the lift.

  Oh my god. We're falling.

  Chapter 11

  Within seconds we are free falling through the air as Jeb rips off the bar holding us in lift. He hooks his arms behind my back and under my legs before shooting into the sky with me in his arms. We soar passed the cables and then hover in the air for a few minutes, listening to the steady thump, thump, thump of his wings. If I thought they were magnificent before, it is nothing compared to seeing them now in all their glory. I am speechless.

  They are graceful, yet powerful, and shimmer with the reflection of the sun and the snow. It looks like millions of diamonds are shining as they calmly beat in the air. I almost forget why we are up here until I see the empty lift that we were in, crashed in the snow. With that, reality hits me. Jackson.

  A wave of nausea sweeps through me. I have no doubt that Lucah would survive the fall in his panther form but there is no way that Jackson would survive that with his fragile human body. I frantically look over my shoulder, expecting to see the lift that they shared crashed in the snow with them still in it. Instead, I find their lift still hanging on the cables and continuing up the slope, with

  Jackson's terrified face looking up at us.

  At first, I feel relief, then it turns into immediate panic. Jeb tightens his arms around me whispering soothing words as we fly to a point on the slope where we won’t be seen by others. As we land, Jeb slowly lowers me to the ground and grabs my hand before leading me the rest of the way. My mind starts rapidly searching for a way to explain this to Jackson.

  He is going to want an explanation and I honestly have no idea what I am going to say. I hope that Lucah is trying to devolve the situation, at least a little bit, before we get to them. Even then, there is only so much that he can do. My head is spinning, and my brain is turning into my worst enemy. What is he going to say? How am I going to tell him? What am I going to tell him? What is he going to think?

  What if he thinks I really am an abomination?

  In my panic I must have been screaming my thoughts down the bond because Jeb pulls me to a stop. He grabs my shoulders, bending down to look me directly in the eye. His eyes are searching again, his brain trying to land on the right thing to say. I hate that he can hear my thoughts sometimes. He knows every little insecurity, every little flaw.

  I can see the pity written all over his face, and the tears immediately begin to fall down my cheeks. My body crumples, the only thing keeping me from falling in the snow is his hold on me. sobs take over me as I break down in his arms. Jeb pulls me closer, running his fingers through my hair while I bury my face in his chest.

  He is whispering over and over that it was all going to be okay but, how could he know that? He couldn't. He doesn't have human family. He has never had to hide himself from the ones he loves or see that look on their faces. The look of pure terror.

  After crying out enough to fill an ocean, I start to collect myself. Once the trembling subsides, I look up to meet Jeb's eyes. His usual hardened exterior is gone, and he is looking at me like he would do just about anything to take away my pain. I'm not used to seeing this side of him, this softness in his face. If he keeps this up, I’ll be a goner for sure.

  "What am I going to do?" I choke.

  He smoothed down my hair before resting his hands on my cheeks.

  "Survive," he utters softly before crushing his lips to mine.

  The small tingles that I feel with his touch erupt into a fire that threatens to consume my soul. He gently coaxes my lips apart with his tongue, almost hesitantly. I open for him eagerly, deepening the kiss as I run my fingers through his hair. Somehow, I end up with my legs wrapped around his waist, his hands supporting the backs of my thighs.

  When we break away, we remain forehead to forehead, staring intensely into each other's eyes. I don’t attempt to move, and he doesn’t try to put me down. If anything, his grip on my thighs tightens.

  No words are spoken, at least not out loud. A puzzled expression crosses his face, but he masks it so quickly I wonder if I really saw it. He reluctantly releases me and turns to continue up the slope. As I begin to follow him, he stops and reaches back to offer me his hand. He waits with his arm outstretched until my palm rests in his and then we continue the rest of the way.

  We reach the top to find Lucah waiting silently with his hands in his pockets and Jackson pacing behind him.

  "We need to talk," I try to keep my voice from wavering.

  Since going down the slope was obviously not an option, considering two of our snowboards are destroyed and lying somewhere in the snow, we hitch a ride back to the resort and head to the cabin. The tension running through our group is so thick I can practically see it, and the silence isn't helping. I spend the entire trip back running through things to say in my head and nothing seems to be good enough. When we arrive, Jeb gives my hand one last reassuring squeeze before exiting the suburban.

  Everyone migrates inside and goes to the living room. Lucah and Jeb take a seat on the co
uch while Jackson goes to continue pacing by the fireplace. He occasionally stops to run his hands through his dark hair. I just stand there awkwardly wringing my fingers until they turn white.

  "Can you please sit down," I point to an empty chair, "I can't do this with you pacing like that."

  He shoots me and incredulous look before shaking his head and taking a seat on the smaller couch across from Jeb and Lucah.

  His knee starts bouncing almost immediately.

  "I'm sure by now you've at least come to the conclusion that they are not exactly human," I gesture to Jeb and Lucah.

  "No shit Reyna," he snaps, "humans don't exactly have giant wings sprouting from their backs."

  I flinch at his tone, desperately trying not to show how much his words hurt me as I push on.

  "Lucah and Jeb are Fae. Jeb is a Pixie, before you asked no not like Tinker Bell, and Lucah is a shifter that belongs to a race called the Shvetlani. They come from a continent called Malatia in an unseen realm that coexists with ours,” I quickly blurt out before taking a breath. I push on before I lose my nerve.

  “There is so much that you need to know, but it will take time for us to tell you. For now, all you need to know is that they are Fae. They came here to find and protect me because," I take a deep breath and release my wings, "I'm Fae too."

  Jackson just stares at me and I self-consciously retracted my wings after a few minutes. I can't determine the meaning of the look on Jackson's face, but I'm terrified of the next words that will come out of his mouth. My brain is playing worst case scenarios on a loop to prepare me for the coming blow. The words never come.