by Box Set
* * *
Six days later
* * *
Branx reached for his tankard of ale and tipped the remaining liquid down his throat. He waved the empty pewter mug at the reptiscillan woman behind the bar and shouted, “Another!” The ale was dwarf-brewed, making it suitable for fae consumption. Intoxication should have been a long way off, but Branx was downing it with alarming speed. Which was fortunate for Ryn, who’d been coaxing information from Branx for the past half hour.
“Yeah, I remember that one.” Branx wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and blue-streaked beard. “Got an excellent price for it. Had more than one interested customer. Bidding started high.” He paused as he took a swig from his refilled tankard. “It ended up going for four times the price I thought I’d get.” He grinned at the memory, then belched loudly.
“And who was the lucky customer who walked off with the necklace?” Ryn asked.
Branx leaned back on his bar stool, eyeing Ryn suspiciously. “What’s it to you?”
Ryn hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Can I tell you a secret? I found the necklace. The owner must have lost it. I was thinking I could return it for … well, a reward.”
Branx nodded slowly, his lips turning up in a sly smile as the meaning of Ryn’s words settled into his alcohol-influenced brain.
“If you could point me in the direction of your customer,” Ryn said, “I’d be happy to split my reward with you.”
Branx downed another few gulps of ale, then slammed the tankard onto the bar and said, “Deal.” He grinned at Ryn, seemingly oblivious to the liquid sloshing over his hand. “It was an advisor in the Unseelie Court. Bought it for his wife. Aster something-or-other.” He scratched his head. “Troll-something. No … Traw. Trawbridge. Aster Trawbrige.”
“Excellent,” Ryn said, pulling a few coins from his pocket and placing them on the bar beside his half-finished drink. “Where can I send your half of the reward?” Not that there would be half a reward to send to Branx. Ryn was simply playing along until he could get away from the intoxicated faerie.
Instead of answering, Branx’s gaze moved to Ryn’s chest. A frown furrowed his brow. “I know what that is,” he said slowly.
Ryn looked down. His trainee pendant, which should have been hidden beneath his T-shirt, was visible between the lapels of his leather jacket. “Damn,” he murmured.
“You’re with the Guild,” Branx accused, his words slurring slightly.
“Uh, would you believe me if I said I found this too?”
The tankard swung toward him and struck the side of his face. Ryn swore as he stumbled backward off his stool. Considering the amount of alcohol in Branx’s system, he hadn’t expected him to move that fast. “Liar!” Branx shouted, flinging his now empty tankard to the floor.
Ryn took a step forward and kicked. His boot connected with Branx’s ale-filled belly, sending him flying backward amidst bar stools and several shocked fae. Ryn turned swiftly and ran for the exit. He would open a doorway once out in the tunnel. He was almost there when a reptiscillan man jumped in front of him and knocked him to the ground. The reptiscilla pinned Ryn down before pulling his fist back. Ryn grabbed the fist and twisted it, then pushed a rippling force field of magic straight at the reptiscilla. He flew into the air, crashed onto a table, and landed on the floor. Ryn sprang to his feet. Fighting the urge to pull a weapon from the air—he didn’t want to reveal his Guild affiliation to anyone else in the room—Ryn settled for bringing his boot down on the reptiscilla’s injured arm. “Try to stop me again, and I’ll hurt you properly.”
This time, when he headed for the exit, nobody stopped him. Seconds later, he was walking into a hastily opened doorway on the tunnel wall. He let out a long breath and thought of home. His mother’s kitchen materialized before him. Tasting blood, he realized his lip was cut. A minor injury considering what could have happened in a room full of guardian-haters. He stepped out of the faerie paths as his jaw began to throb. Man, that tankard had given him a serious whack to the face.
He pushed through the kitchen door and found his mother lying on the couch reading a book. Reading for pleasure wasn’t something she had much time for between all her assignments, so he hated to interrupt her. He also didn’t want her seeing him in his current state.
She looked over at him, then sat up quickly. Ryn felt concern shooting through her as she took in his appearance.
Just play it cool, he told himself as he crossed the room. “Hey, Mom.”
“Ryn, are you—”
“Fine, yup, all good.”
“But your—”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. Everything’s fine, Mom. I promise.” He gave her a smile before disappearing up the stairs.
* * *
Two weeks later
* * *
The darn necklace was proving harder to find than Ryn had anticipated. It had been given away, stolen, sold, and resold, and in the process of discovering all this, Ryn had been burned, punched, slapped, and chased by an enchanted broomstick after he was found hiding inside a cupboard for eavesdropping purposes.
It was all worth it, though. Over the past few weeks, this mission had grown in importance. At first it was about doing the right thing. It was about taking a step toward mending a broken friendship. But then there was that moment in the bathroom of the Harts’ pool house. Violet had been standing so close, and for some reason he couldn’t convince his feet to move. And the next night, when they’d hidden together inside the antique wardrobe watching Savyon and the Hart men, he was distracted by her nearness. He’d wondered if it was simply seeing her in that sleek sexy dress that made him think of her in a different way, but it was more than that. She hadn’t been wearing anything enticing the night before, and he’d still wanted to be near her. He’d still wanted to protect her and make sure there was no possible way Zell could summon her.
By the time they returned to the Guild, he knew for sure that what he felt was more than just a fleeting attraction. She was hallucinating and weak and the color in her eyes was fading, and the stupid guard wouldn’t let him in, and he knew without a doubt that she was dying, and the idea that he might lose her forever made him feel horribly, desperately afraid.
After eighteen years of feeling everything from everyone around him, Ryn knew a lot about emotions. He knew what he was feeling.
He knew he loved her.
So now it was about more, this necklace-finding mission. He had little more than a pixie’s chance in a goblin pit of her ever feeling the same way, but if he could just find this darn tokehari that was so special to her, he might have a chance.
The only problem now was that he was running out of time. He’d hoped to have the necklace by tonight so he could give it to Violet before graduation, but the ceremony was less than two hours away, and so far he had no necklace. Instead, he had an aching neck from hiding in the narrow space beneath a bed.
The home belonged to a siren named Dahlia. She’d been given the necklace by one of her admirers. Lena had found out where Dahlia lived and led Ryn there. Then she’d taken her bottle of brandy and disappeared.
Ryn knew how intoxicating a siren’s powers could be, so he’d waited until Dahlia left before going inside to search for the gold chain with the gold key. He’d been hunting for about half an hour when he heard the siren return. Furious with himself for not having found the necklace yet, he slid beneath Dahlia’s bed and tried to recall the training he had on sirens. There were charms he could perform on himself to protect his mind from a siren’s influence, and he’d done a simple one before leaving home that afternoon, but he hadn’t planned on actually running into her, so he hadn’t researched any of the more complex charms.
Dahlia’s bare feet came into view as she entered the bedroom. Too close, Ryn thought. It would probably be better if he left. He could come back another time when she wasn’t here. Violet wouldn’t get her necklace tonight, but she’d get it soon.
Carefu
lly, Ryn stretched his arm toward his foot. He needed to get his stylus so he could open a doorway under this bed and make his escape. He stretched a little further, and his boot scraped ever so slightly against the floor.
He froze.
Dahlia stopped moving.
Ryn held his breath and tensed, ready for a fight.
“Come out, come out,” she sang.
Dammit, not the singing! That was the hardest to resist. Before he knew it, he was rolling out from beneath the bed and standing up. His first thought was that she was beautiful. He didn’t know if the thought was his own or simply a result of her magic.
“Well, what a delicious surprise to find you under my bed,” she said, her eyes gleaming as she beamed up at him.
Ryn decided to pretend she was no different from any other fae. His hands reached into the air, each one grasping a glittering knife. “I’m already late, so let’s make this quick. You have something that doesn’t belong to you. A gold chain with a gold key. Give it to me, and I won’t hurt you.”
She continued to smile at him as she dipped her hand beneath the neckline of her dress and pulled out three chains. And there it was. Violet’s tokehari from her mother.
“Do you mean this?” Dahlia asked, touching the delicate golden wings of the key. She undid the clasp at the back of her neck and held the necklace out toward Ryn. “You can have it.”
Ryn narrowed his eyes at her. This was definitely too easy. There was bound to be a trick here somewhere. Nevertheless, this was what he’d come for, and he wasn’t about to say no. He let go of one of his knives and took the necklace from her. He pushed it into his pocket, never letting his gaze leave her face.
“You know, it isn’t fair if I give you something and don’t get anything in return.”
“I’m sorry,” Ryn said. “Life isn’t fair.” He shifted his stance, getting ready to launch himself away from her and run as fast as possible.
“Wait,” she said, and he found he couldn’t disobey her. “Just one kiss. Then I’ll let you go.”
Definitely not. Even if she was telling the truth—and he highly doubted that—he didn’t want to kiss this woman. He might have done it in the past, knowing that it meant nothing to him, but not now. Not when he’d been dreaming of someone else’s kiss.
Just … one … kiss, Dahlia’s voice whispered in his mind.
He shook his head, trying to clear it of her spell. Trying to clear away the sweet perfume infiltrating his senses. What else had he been taught about fighting off siren magic? Focus on something. That was it. He needed to focus on something so completely that it would be impossible to be distracted.
Violet. Her bright eyes. Her lips. He could easily focus on her for the rest of his life.
Dahlia’s lips were more beautiful …
No! Violet. Only Violet. He pictured her smiling face and imagined her laugh. He saw only her. He heard only her.
But Dahlia’s smile was more enticing …
She placed a hand on his chest and slowly pushed him backwards onto the bed. He didn’t resist. Why would he resist? She was the most beautiful woman in creation, and he wanted only her. He lay back and breathed in the sweet perfume. Dahlia bent over him and lowered her lips toward his. He closed his eyes.
It’ll have to be one seriously impressive stunt to convince me he’s worth it, Violet’s voice whispered at the back of his mind.
With a great effort, Ryn flung his arm out, knocking Dahlia into a sprawling heap on the floor. “I’m worth it,” he gasped, breathing in clean air. “Please believe me.”
Without another look in Dahlia’s direction, Ryn ran from the bedroom. He half hopped across the living room as he pulled his stylus from his boot. He stumbled against the table, scribbled on its surface, and climbed into the darkness of the faerie paths.
* * *
The graduation ceremony had already begun, but Ryn needed to make sure he’d recovered from his siren encounter before going into the hall. Being so out of control had shaken him. It was scary how close he’d come to succumbing to Dahlia’s influence.
He stood with his back against the hall doors and listened as Councilor Starkweather began calling each graduate forward. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly and deeply. Listening to the words of the Guardian’s Oath calmed him. This was the big night. The moment he’d worked so hard for. The moment he finally became a real guardian.
When Violet’s name was called, he opened his eyes. He straightened his suit jacket, smoothed a hand through his hair, and quietly opened the hall door just wide enough to slip inside. He leaned against the closed door and watched her as she repeated the words of the Guardian’s Oath after Councilor Starkweather. She crossed the stage and knelt to receive her markings. Then she stood, turned, and finally faced the audience. He was so captivated by her, he forgot to clap along with everyone else. Her dress was perfect and her hair was perfect, but the most beautiful thing about her was the joy she radiated. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this happy, and, as the thought came to him, so did the realization that it was partly his fault. He’d done his best to make her training years hell. She’d suffered because of him.
It’ll have to be one seriously impressive stunt to convince me he’s worth it, she had said that night under the stars in the human realm.
I’m not worth it, he realized. I’m so far from being worth it. But if she let him, he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
* * *
He’d received the top graduate prize. So had Violet. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her right there on the stage in front of the Council members and a room full of guardians. He wanted to kiss her again now as she glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest while demanding to know where he’d been. She’d probably slap him if he tried, though. He could feel the anger coursing through her.
“You had to fetch something?” she demanded as her anger morphed into frustrated disbelief. “Underground?”
He nodded, a smile growing on his lips as he pushed a hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the chain. “I’m pretty sure that’s what I said.”
She shook her head. “What could possibly be so important that you would risk losing your life and—more importantly—missing graduation for?”
This. He drew his hand from his pocket and held it up in front of her, allowing the chain to slip down so that it and its key were visible as they dangled from between his thumb and forefinger.
Shock. It was all he could feel from her, all he could see in her eyes. “Where did you get that?” she whispered.
“Underground.”
A sheen of tears formed over her eyes as she stared at the small golden key. If Ryn had ever had any doubts as to how much it meant to her, they were put to rest in this moment. “But … when … how did you find it?” she asked.
“It took a little while.” He moved behind her and looped the necklace over her head. “I went back to the singing well I threw the necklace down all those years ago and started there. A beautiful piece of jewelry like this always leaves a trail, especially Underground.” As he attached the clasp behind her neck, he allowed his fingers to linger against her skin for just a moment. “It wasn’t easy to track, but I figured it was worth the effort.”
It was most definitely worth the effort.
As he moved to face her once more, she said, “So … every time you’ve had a bruised eye or bleeding lip in the past few weeks, it’s because you’ve been Underground searching for my necklace?”
He smiled, wishing he could tell her everything he felt but knowing she wasn’t ready to hear it. So he simply said, “I thought it was time I got it back for you.”
For a moment, his desire to kiss her, hold her, feel her body against his, intensified, as if she were feeling the same thing and he was feeling it through her. But it was gone a moment later, and he knew he’d imagined it, as he’d imagined it on several other occasions. It was something he wanted so ba
dly that sometimes his own emotions tricked him into thinking they were actually hers.
By the time they reached the center of the dance floor about half an hour later, Violet’s joy at having her tokehari back had been replaced by sheer panic. Ryn could feel it thrumming in his chest, warring with his excitement at being able to do something as simple as dance with her. He pushed the panic away as best he could, focusing instead on his left hand clasping hers and his right hand touching her waist.
“V, you have to stand a little closer to me if this is going to work,” he said. It wasn’t entirely the truth, but if this was as near to him as she’d ever willingly get, he wanted to take full advantage of the situation. He was also hoping the close proximity would distract her from her panic.
The music began, wrapping its spell around his body. He relinquished control of his feet and let the spell guide him across the dance floor. He and Violet spun in circles, and she laughed as she twirled beneath his arm. “See?” he said, unable to keep from smiling. “This is easy. And you might possibly be having fun.”
She spun behind his back and caught his hand. “You might possibly be right.”
He pulled her back into his arms. Her radiant smile made his heart soar. He felt so much for her. He had to say something or he’d explode. “I forgot to tell you,” he said before he could change his mind. He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, “You are more beautiful than any other girl in this room.”
Her hand tensed in his. Then emotion so strong it nearly knocked him down flooded her heart. It filled every part of her being like wine pouring into a carafe. He felt her longing, her want, her desperate desire for the exact same thing he desired.
Breathless, he leaned closer to her and whispered, “I knew it.” He would have pressed his lips to hers right there on the spot if not for the sudden cold fear that shot through her.
