“Look, I get this is your world and customs here are different from what I’m used to, but my friend is in danger! If you know where Olezka or King Erebus is, please lead me to them.”
“The Halfling?” he asked, ticking his head back in surprise.
“Yes,” I replied gruffly. Did they all know she was a halfling?
“Show me,” he demanded.
I jerked back at the bite in his tone then stiffened my spine and tried to infuse strength into my glare, showing him I wouldn’t back down.
“Fine, but only because I don’t know where to find Olezka.” I turned on my heel and sprinted back down the hall toward our room. We had wasted too much time already, but the closer we got to the room, the more I started worrying that if she didn’t back down her Lure, she might rope in the white-haired fae as well.
“Her Lure does not work on the High fae,” the man sniffed derisively. “We are the most powerful of the fae, mortal.”
Wait – how did he know exactly what I was thinking? There was something about this male that just didn’t feel right ever since the moment I saw him in the banquet hall.
When we arrived at the doorway to my room, the white-haired man pushed ahead of me to see Ana standing in the middle of the room with her arms crackling with electricity, holding the other fae back. Her skin still held a lustrous glow that made my eyes water.
“About time, Sixx! Who’s the other one, though?”
“You may call me Key, halfling. Allow me to take care of this male for you.” Key wisely kept his gaze averted from Ana, which was strange since he’d just bragged that her Lure wouldn’t bother him. I wouldn’t even give him grief about it if he got this guy out of here. It looked like the hyped-up guard had already destroyed the other chair… and the small coffee table… and torn the sheets from the bed… and then caved in the bathroom door.
Key stepped further into the room, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. But when the guard moved unexpectedly in his direction, Key’s gaze was forced up. The moment he locked eyes with Ana, he was lost.
“Fuck. Sixx, find Erebus.”
“No need,” the King’s voice sounded behind me where I hovered in the doorway. “Timur, remove Sixx from the room. Take her to Olezka’s quarters for now. I will deal with this.”
“Wait!” I cried desperately, scared for my friend. “How do you know you won’t get caught, too?” Even though Ana was holding off the two fae with her magic, her reactions were slower. I could only imagine how tired she must be from all of the magic she was producing.
Erebus peered at me meaningfully. “You know the answer to that, Sixx. Now, go with Timur; it is too dangerous for you here.” He stepped further into the room, and Timur pulled me away.
“Can we wait? I want to make sure she’s okay.” I twisted my fingers together, straining to hear what was happening in the other room.
“I’m sorry, Sixx, but no. Erebus has a good reason for wanting to send you away. Come, your mate awaits.”
Chapter 14
Timur deposited me in Olezka’s room with a clipped, ‘Stay,’ and shut the door. While curious about the space where my boyfriend had been staying, my awe over seeing the inside of Olezka’s room took a backseat to my anxiety over Ana. What if Erebus lost his mind, too? I know he implied he was her mate and that her Lure wouldn’t affect him, but what if he was wrong? Pacing the large, ornately furnished room with worried steps, I practically jumped out of my skin when the door opened.
I raced to meet Olezka at the door. “Is she okay?” I asked hurriedly, trying to peer around the massive chest that effectively blocked my way out.
“Da, but I would ask you the same,” Olezka said, not sounding too thrilled about our latest predicament.
I refused to look him in the eye, knowing that Ana and I had royally messed up. “I’m fine.”
Okay, maybe I wasn’t. I’d already plucked at least five splinters from the palm of my hand where I’d grabbed the table leg to break over that burly guard’s back. And I couldn’t even begin to think about how the guard had planned to let me die instead of getting help for my supposed “allergic reaction.”
Truthfully, I was severely allergic to coconuts. I discovered my deathly reaction to them on my twenty-first birthday when Ana and I ordered Pina Coladas and my face and tongue promptly swelled up to the size of a basketball. Since then, I usually had a good handle on my allergy and made sure to check for coconuts. But that was how Plan Pina Colada was born: Pretend to have an allergic reaction that required medical attention in an effort to distract others and escape a bad situation.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm,” he rumbled. “That is very interesting since the guard said the human required medical assistance.”
“Well, I have some splinters but nothing a little salve or tweezers can’t fix.” I held my hand out for him to see. Olezka growled, his face pinched with worry. It was almost cute.
Strike that – it was totally cute. Especially when he grabbed my hand for a closer inspection, smoothing his finger over the red, irritated skin.
“Why are the spots swollen?” he asked, confused.
“I might have been picking at them before you got here,” I replied sheepishly.
Olezka tsked me and bent down further to inspect the small pieces of wood. His hair fell forward, giving him a boyish expression. Why this handsome, brawny, intense male picked me, I didn’t know, but I did know –
“Ouch!” I yelped, trying to pull my hand back.
“Shush, it is not that painful. Just a pinch of pain followed by…” Olezka swept his tongue over the splinter he managed to pull out with sharpened, clawed nails. A full-body shiver swept over me. “Pleasure.” He glanced up at me with a knowing look in his eye.
“Yeah, well…” Heck, what was I going to say?
“Ah, I’ve rendered you speechless.”
“No! Just lost my train of thought, that’s all.”
“Mmhmm, let me see if I can get the train back on track. You were about to tell me about this allergy of yours that flared up, forcing Ana to call for the guard to enter your room?”
Like a bucket of icy water poured over me, I froze.
“What?”
“Da. What, indeed.” Olezka managed to remove another splinter. This time, I didn’t feel the pinch, but a small bead of blood welled up. Without thinking, Olezka licked it away. A choked noise escaped from my throat.
“That’s not sanitary! Besides that, you have no idea if I have any diseases!”
“I know you do not have any diseases, Sixx. I also know you are keeping something from me.”
“No-”
“Do not lie to me, Sixx.”
I swallowed.
“Fine. We’ve been stuck in that room for days and were getting antsy, so we came up with the idea to use my allergy as a means to get a little fresh air. One of the oldest tricks in the book, sure, but surprisingly effective. Most of the time,” I grumbled.
“Hmm, what do you mean – most of the time?”
“Don’t worry about it, Olezka.”
“Sixx.” Olezka stopped pulling out the last splinter and watched me with increasingly darkening eyes.
“Olezka.”
“Sixx, I am not being playful now. You will tell me.” Olezka dug out the last splinter but didn’t move to lick away the pain. Probably a good thing because, each time he did, it was increasingly hard to concentrate.
I huffed a breath, hating the idea of appearing weak in front of him. Then again, Olezka and I were in a relationship, so he should know. Especially about something he might not have any experience with like an allergic reaction. Ana was the first to find out with me, but she insisted on learning how to use my EpiPen along with keeping one in her purse in case we were away and I didn’t have one on me.
“I have a pretty severe allergy to coconuts, which means I need to be aware of the foods around me and keep medication on hand for it. We thought
if we could get the guard to take us to a doctor or something, we could use the time to get out of the room and stretch our legs a little. But when Ana told him I needed help, the guard just said to leave me. He refused to get me any sort of help, so Ana kind of intervened.”
Something dark passed over his features as the implications of that guard’s refusal sank in. With the exaggerated features he wore in this world, it made every flicker of emotion easier to detect. My heart shuddered, and a cold fear whipped through me. If that look had been directed at me, I would be running to the hills.
“Olezka, maybe he didn’t understand the severity of an allergic attack. Do fae even have allergies?”
He gave me another strange look then smoothed his features and took several deep, calming breaths.
“Erebus has de-escalated the… disturbance Ana caused and has given us the evening to be together. He would like to speak with Anastasia alone, so you will stay with me tonight. I will request to have our dinner brought in here.” Olezka released his hold on my hand and walked toward the door.
“I don’t want to be a bother. If it’s a problem, I don’t mind eating with everyone in the banquet room,” I offered.
Olezka’s back stiffened before he loosened his shoulders. He looked back at me with a questioning brow. “You do not wish to share a meal with your poor, abused mate?”
I smiled and gave a breathy laugh—my entire mood lifting. If I thought about it that way, it would be an excellent way to finally have some alone time with Olezka. More than that, I may be able to use our time together to learn more about this world.
Olezka gifted me with a rare smile and left the room. When he closed the door, I heard the unmistakable click of the lock being engaged. Well, good to know I’m locked in, I thought ruefully. On the bright side, I was in a new space, and there was plenty to explore.
Though just as richly appointed, Olezka’s room looked comfortable and lived in. His balcony was larger than the one in the room I shared with Ana, and the view was decidedly better. Where my room was pale and soothing, his room boasted darker colors; ashy grays and deep browns contributed to a more masculine concept. Not to mention the vast array of wicked-looking weapons that hung from the walls, including swords, axes, bows, and a few I’d never seen before. Oddly enough, even with the armory mounted along the walls, the place felt homey.
I explored the bathroom, noting it had the same layout as mine did but situated on the opposite wall. After I satisfied my curiosity there, I headed into the closet. Whistling low, I reached out and ran my fingers over the neatly folded, stacked, and hanging clothing. There was a pile of sturdy leather pants that looked like they would be suitable for battle as well as a stack of softer pants made of buttery soft fabric similar to cotton. I turned to the other side and brushed my hands over a regimented row of shirts hanging on a slender wood rod, a mixture of colors and materials, sleeve lengths, and styles. I debated the merits of stealing a pair of pants and a tunic for myself so I could get out of these dresses.
Hopefully, when Olezka came back, he would have news about Ana.
****
Olezka made good on his promise of dinner in our room, and he made sure everything was coconut-free. It was nice and quiet, a welcome respite from the events of the day. We ate outside on the balcony and kept the conversation light, taking time to savor the food and each other’s company. The sun had just started to set behind the horizon as we finished. I sipped from my glass of wine and laid my head on his shoulder.
“It’s so pretty here. I love being able to see a different view of the gardens.”
“Do you enjoy tending to plants?” Olezka asked, sounding surprised.
I laughed and shook my head. As much as I enjoyed looking at them, I couldn’t keep them alive. Not even a cactus that Ana bought me as a gag gift. I was pretty sure I was on the Plants’ Most Wanted List somewhere.
“I enjoy the beauty of them, but plants and I don’t have a great relationship. They can show off their beauty, and I’m perfectly happy admiring them from afar.”
“Would you like to go for a quick walk through the gardens?”
I peeked up at him, surprised by how intently he watched me. The lines on his face softened, and for a moment, he looked at peace. That feeling of calm unfurled through me and I smiled back.
“Can we?”
“For you, anything.”
Olezka and I left his room and meandered the labyrinthian halls of the castle. I tried to keep my mouth from falling open as we walked throughout the luxurious palace, but it seemed that with every turn, a sight more fantastical than the one before it assaulted my senses. We finally made it to a hidden side entrance that led to the gardens. The moment my feet touched the strangely soft, spongy grass, I was lost. Taller than would be considered decent on my side of the Veil, the supple blades tickled my ankles.
“Come.” Olezka led me further into the maze of rambling gardens. “The druid you met at the first dinner – the one you call Tess – is the curator of these gardens. This is only one of many on the palace grounds. I will take you to see the others on a different day.”
“Maybe Ana can join us. Or… you could finally tell me how she’s doing?”
Olezka’s lips pressed tightly together, warring with himself on how much to divulge. “She is doing fine. It is Erebus who had to deal with the consequences of both your actions. As a result, he has decided to take over her training while she remains here.”
I had to swallow the laugh that threatened to bubble forth, positive that would certainly piss off Kallan. But with Erebus by her side, I was glad to know Ana would be able to get out and move. She liked to exercise. Fidgety by nature, Ana needed things to keep her stimulated and busy. Even working at the bar, she never stopped moving for a minute.
“I do not wish to speak about Ana. Tonight, my Sixx, can we allow it to be just us?”
I smiled warmly, touched by the tenderness of his voice. “Of course.” Especially now that I knew everyone in my life was okay.
“Though your trip home to visit your parents was cut short, how was it?” he asked conversationally.
I pursed my lips as the usual thoughts of inadequacy and rejection swirled through my stomach.
“I told you before that my parents never wanted kids. They ignored my mother’s growing belly and didn’t even tell their parents until a month before I was due. Anyway, not a lot has changed. They love me in their own way, which is why I suppose I can’t complain that I had a bad childhood. So, to answer your question, my parents acted as if I wasn’t there, for the most part.” Eager to change the subject, I asked, “Let’s talk about you. Are your parents still in Russia?”
Olezka’s face lit up when he spoke of his family, and with the moon glowing over his sharpened features in this world, he was breathtaking. I wanted to reach up and trace his features, but more than anything, I wanted to hear what he had to say about his parents. He had rarely spoken about them before we came here, but since learning they were star-crossed lovers, I was intrigued to learn more.
“My mama is a hellhound. She was a fierce warrior for Erebus’s father. She had his favor even if he considered her lower than he. My papa is a rarog, very strong within his clan. We are very close, even if we live further away now. Erebus welcomed my parents back into the Veil after he assumed the throne. They live here, in the Dark fae lands. I hope you will be able to meet them while we are here.”
Olezka talked with such love in his voice that it made me yearn for that kind of family bond.
“I would love that.” If they made a man as kind and wondrous as Olezka, I had to assume they were fantastic people in their own right. Olezka held my hand as we strolled through the gardens. I was delighted to see that while some flowers closed their dewy petals as we neared, others blossomed as the cool rays of moonlight dappled their stalks. The night air had a bit of a bite, but finally being outside the stuffy walls of the palace made me feel freer than I’d had since I arrived.
We approached a stone wall that encircled the gardens and moved to turn the corner when suddenly, Olezka stopped and cocked his head as if listening. Fear, quickly replaced by rage, flitted over his face. My stomach clenched. That couldn’t be good.
“Run, Sixx. Get back inside and find help,” Olezka said, urging me back in the direction of the castle.
“Olezka?”
“Go!” he snapped. But before I could leave, a body dropped over the wall ahead of us, quickly followed by three more. The instant the first intruder spotted Olezka, my mate’s body exploded as his shift took over, flames erupting from his spiky fur.
When the invaders moved forward to attack my mate, panic flooded through me in icy waves. One of them caught sight of me and quickly bypassed Olezka, aiming straight for me. I didn’t have a weapon to defend myself, and Olezka had his hands full. All I could do was run.
Chapter 15
My heart hammered in my chest. How the para chasing me didn’t hear it, I would never know. The sound of my footfalls was thankfully absorbed by soft, springy grass. It reminded me far too much of the moment I entered this world. I was being chased then, too.
My mind blank from fear, I darted through the maze-like gardens until my legs ached. I had to stop. I was fairly confident I could wait it out. I threw myself into the foliage and moved as carefully as I could, trying not to disturb the greenery and give away my position.
The vegetation managed to hide me, and the sweet smell of the flowers masked my scent. The one that followed me kept lifting his nose as if scenting the area. When my pursuer got close enough where I could see his face, I shuddered. The creature had pale green skin, bumpy warts that covered half his face, and large, swooping tusks that protruded from his face in wide arcs. Long black hair trailed down his back and moved as he twisted around.
He turned and faced me head-on; I was certain he was about to discover me, so I ducked a little deeper into the hedge. But when I looked at his eyes, they appeared cloudy and unfocused. They were glazed over, but I couldn’t tell if that was his normal color or the reflection of the moon. My legs shook from the effort of crouching as low as I could.
The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Fae Page 10
