The Seduced

by Cheyenne McCray

  “Do you love her?” Copper asked softly.

  Tiernan plucked a thick blade of grass from outside the shelter, held it up, and twirled it between his fingers. “I am over two thousand years older than Airell. I have known her since she was a baby swaddled in blankets and held to her mother’s breast.”

  He flicked the grass from his fingers and looked at Copper. “The joining was arranged by my parents and hers when she was born. It was deemed I would wed her after she turned eighteen.”

  “But do you love her?” Copper asked again. She wasn’t sure why she needed to know, but she did.

  “Not as a lover or husband would.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. She noticed a couple of welts from bee stings on his biceps, and she winced at the sight. “I care for her, yes. But I do not love her.”

  “Then why were you going to marry her?” Copper rubbed the thick bracelet on her wrist.

  “Shortly before Airell’s birth, the House of Torin had just risen to wealth and power,” Tiernan said. “My parents and hers chose to combine forces to become one house. Together our houses would be powerful enough that they would have the greatest voice on the Council and influence with the Chieftains.”

  “What about you?” Copper asked. “What did you have to say about all of this?”

  He fixed his blue eyes on her. “It was not my decision to make.”

  “Bullshit.” Copper met his gaze head-on as she uncrossed her arms and braced her hands on the grass-and-leaf bedding to either side of her. “You aren’t the type of man to be told what to do. Even I can see that.”

  “It was my duty, my responsibility.” His jaw hardened. “I made the vow to join with Airell at my parents’ request. To break that vow would dishonor Airell and her family, as well as my own.”

  He rested his head against the rock again. “That is why finding a solution to this situation will prove most difficult. There is no single way that all will be appeased. Someone will be hurt by the choice that I make.”

  A lock of hair fell over his forehead and he pushed it away with a heavy sigh. “If we wed, neither of us will be happy. She loves Urien and I will be raising another man’s child.”

  Frustration marred his features. “If I refuse to wed her, and it is learned what she has done, she will be marked and banned from the Fae realm. Urien will be banished from the D’Danann as well as our world, and sent below ground to serve the Drow.”

  For a moment neither of them said anything. Finally, Copper said, “Sounds like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

  “That would accurately describe it,” he replied after a moment.

  Out of habit, Copper started picking at the hem of her vine-and-leaf dress. “So, I was just like one of your pleasure partners.”

  Tiernan shifted to move closer to her and cupped her cheek. She wanted to lean into him, oh, how she wanted to.

  “You will never be that to me,” he said softly. “From the first time I saw your photograph I knew you were special.”

  Copper felt weighted down. Pressure built in her head. She pulled away from his touch and rested her face in her hands so that she couldn’t see him.

  But he didn’t stop touching her. He gently caressed her hair from her face and she couldn’t help an involuntary shiver.

  “Copper, let us at least be friends.” The way he said her name sounded like a caress. “I want more from you, but I will not take what you do not wish to give.”

  She raised her head and he trailed his fingers along the curve of her neck. “Sex, you mean.”

  Tiernan let his hand slide down her arm until he no longer touched her. “That and friendship is all I have to offer. All I can offer.”

  One rule of thumb was to never get involved with an engaged or married man, and she’d always followed it.

  Why, then, was she even thinking of taking him up on it even if he was trying to find a way out of the situation? Sex and friendship. No commitments, just sex and friendship, both sides knowing exactly where they stood.

  Copper took a deep breath. “I’ll take you up on the friendship thing, but sex—you’re on your own, buddy.”

  Damn, it killed her to say that.

  10

  San Francisco

  * * *

  To Darkwolf’s irritation, Garran, the Drow king of a faction of Dark Elves, smirked as he reclined against a massive wooden leg, called a pile, one of the many pilings supporting the pier.

  They stood on the rocky shore of the bay, at the base of the abandoned pier where centuries ago the Drow had created an entrance from Otherworld that was hidden from any eyes but their own.

  The wind was mild yet chilled, and it carried to Darkwolf the earth-and-moss scent of the Drow king, mixed with Sara’s jasmine perfume. Elizabeth and Sara both stood off to the side, watching. Sara had a satisfied expression on her face, while Elizabeth looked surly.

  “Are you certain Balor will give us what we want in return for our service?” King Garran asked in an arrogant tone. “We wish to once again walk in the light.”

  Heat rose in Darkwolf’s chest like fire and his head ached with Balor’s invasion in his mind. The sharp pain was even more intense than usual. The insolent bastard of a Drow would pay one of these days if he continued to express his doubt of Balor.

  Outwardly, as always, Darkwolf kept his expression unreadable, his emotions hidden.

  Elizabeth looked from the warlock to the king, one eyebrow raised as she watched the interplay. Due to the nip in the air, she was wearing form-fitting jeans, a snug sweater, and her hair hung loose about her shoulders.

  Sara was dressed similarly, but where Elizabeth had a haughty, bitchy look, Sara’s was one of confidence—and perhaps a little deviousness, too.

  Garran had the bluish-gray skin of the Dark Elves, and silvery-blue hair that reached his shoulders. He wore leather straps that crisscrossed his bare chest, a dagger and sword on a belt slung low about his hips. He was as tall as Darkwolf, but larger in build.

  “You shall have it,” Darkwolf said. “However, you must deliver the witch, Copper, as well. Balor has relayed to me that he requires her services.”

  Her blood. Balor cared only for the powerful witch’s blood.

  Garran’s expression grew fierce. “Copper is mine. When all is said and done, I will claim her. I wait only for the door to be discovered and opened, and for her to come to me willingly.”

  Darkwolf chose not to answer. He also needed Copper to lure the witch Silver to him, but he didn’t have time to argue with the Drow. Balor had conveyed to Darkwolf that he needed Silver’s or Copper’s blood, but Darkwolf refused to kill Silver. He would make use of Copper instead.

  Garran’s gaze drifted slowly over Elizabeth and Sara. “I have yet to take a human. These are both particularly exquisite.”

  Sara gave a sensual smile.

  Elizabeth clenched her human fists at her sides and Darkwolf could tell she wanted to erupt into the powerful demon she was.

  “You would be wise to keep your tongue, Drow,” she said in a low growl.

  The Drow king smiled and a spark literally flashed in his dark eyes. “A being who is not what it pretends to be, I see.”

  He swung his gaze to Darkwolf’s. Elizabeth gave another low growl and Darkwolf saw the demon wavering again, wanting to crawl out of its human shell.

  Sara gave a seductive smile and walked up to the king. She ran one finger from the hollow of his throat, over his chest and the leather straps, down to his waistband. “You can fuck me all you want. Take me with you if it pleases you.”

  Garran laughed and pushed her hand away. “A spy, no doubt.”

  Sara gave him a little pout. “You would have had the best night of your life.”

  The Drow king grinned and cast his gaze back to Darkwolf. “I will seek you out here on the arranged date.” He gave a mock bow before he disappeared into the darkness beneath the pilings of the pier.

  Anger burned in Darkwolf at Elizabe
th’s and Sara’s interruption of their meeting. Although Elizabeth-Junga was the Fomorii queen, Darkwolf bore Balor’s eye. And Sara—he could not believe her insolence.

  Yet perhaps the warlock seer was even more devious than he had thought. Perhaps she had been angling to be a spy, an inside source for Darkwolf once the Drow neared the door.

  Darkwolf barely held back a smile. Sara was proving to be far more interesting than he had expected.

  11

  Otherworld

  * * *

  The still air seemed to almost suffocate her as she walked through the dark tunnel again. Yet, things were different. Bile rose in her throat and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.

  Fear.

  Deep, penetrating fear.

  Senses on fire, she continued to move through the tunnel, holding her wand up to make her way through the dark passageway. Again the darkness seemed to swallow up most of the wand light.

  She dropped.

  Screamed.

  Wind rushed past her face.

  She landed on her ass and cried out as a sharp pain shot up her spine. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand and it illuminated the dank space. She was underground in another passageway, and she had the feeling it must lead to a larger cave.

  Were those voices she heard? What about those dark shapes?

  She blinked. Nothing was there.

  The tunnel felt claustrophobic, as if it were closing in on her while she sat, the passageway becoming smaller and smaller.

  She rushed to her feet and started making her way through the cramped tunnel, slightly bent over. She felt the scrape of rock and dirt against her skin and the smell of rotten fish nearly overwhelmed her.

  Cobwebs caught in her hair and she brushed them away, and wiped the sticky remnants on her jeans. Her earrings dangled against her neck. Holding the lit wand in front of her, she moved through the tunnel, pieces of rock crunching under her running shoes.

  In the distance she saw something red. The glow of her wand illuminated shimmering liquid.

  She came to a complete stop.

  Blood—so much blood.

  It rushed down the passageway, roaring through the passage way. Coming straight at her.

  * * *

  Copper came awake with a start, heart thudding, throat dry.

  She tried to sit up, but Tiernan had draped his arm over her waist, his leg casually flung over her thigh, pinning her down to the floor of the shelter.

  She struggled against his hold. With a sleepy mumble he pushed to a sitting position and moved his leg from hers, freeing her.

  Copper barely missed hitting her head on the rock ceiling. Zeph immediately buzzed to her from his nook of the shelter and she felt his concern.

  “What is wrong?” Tiernan rubbed his hand down his face, as if trying to wipe the remnants of sleep from his mind.

  For a moment Copper couldn’t talk. She trembled as she looked past him into the meadow that was now the misty gray of predawn. Not long and the sun would be rising.

  Sounds of crickets met her ears, and she thought she heard the clink of Drow pickaxes deep below the earth, although that was probably her imagination. The arrogant Dark Elves had a tendency to work at night and late into the morning.

  They still had her wand, damn them. No doubt Garran was keeping it, just waiting for her to come to him.

  Tiernan caught her chin and brought her attention back to him. “Nightmare?”

  She took a deep breath and rubbed her arms to drive away some of the cold. “I don’t know. It could have been a dream-vision. It was so clear, so vivid, like I was there.”

  He released her chin and dropped his hand to her shoulder and squeezed. “Tell me.”

  The dreams had been so strange, so intense, so real. But were they just that? Dreams?

  Or were they all about something terrible to come?

  Copper cleared her throat and told Tiernan everything. She could remember every last detail from all the dreams—the scent of damp earth, the sound of crunching rock beneath her shoes, the feel of cobwebs on her face and hands and the rough texture of her jeans when she’d tried to wipe the cobwebs off.

  She’d been wearing a sweater and running shoes, and could recall how they hugged her, keeping at bay only part of the chill.

  When she finished, Tiernan was studying her intently, his hand still resting on her shoulder. “What do you make of this dream?”

  She slowly shook her head. “I think it means we do make it home, because the clothes I was wearing were some of my things left in my apartment. But it also would mean that something bad is going to happen. Something really terrible will be set free—unless it can be stopped.”

  Copper frowned before she continued. “The dream keeps changing. I think that could mean it’s not set, it’s something that could be kept from happening. Maybe it’s a warning.”

  She ground her teeth and clenched her hand before adding, “I’ve got to get us back home. I think it’s more important than ever that we return. Especially with the threat of Balor.”

  His gaze remained fixed on her and for a moment the morning silence weighed them down. “Do you wish to sleep any longer?”

  “I can’t.” Copper pinched the bridge of her nose. “Not after that.”

  He ducked out of their little shelter, and she moved to stand beside him, Zephyr riding on her ear. It was the day following Tiernan’s and Copper’s ‘talk,’ about his situation with his fiancée.

  Since she’d agreed to still be friends with him, she’d allowed him to sleep in the shelter with her—but no sex. When they’d first gone to bed, he hadn’t been touching her.

  A light smile came to her lips. She couldn’t help it. She rather liked waking up with him engulfing her in his embrace.

  Over the horizon, through the shimmering shield of their prison, faint pink tendrils of dawn crept through the trees. Mist swirled around her ankles, making her homesick once again. She missed the San Francisco fog.

  She sighed. She missed everything.

  At the same time, tension had taken hold of her and she almost shook with the power of it. She had to get them home, and soon.

  While Tiernan left to relieve himself, she walked to the apple tree and reached up on her tiptoes to snag one of the juicy fruits. It felt smooth and cool in her hand and made a small snapping sound as she pulled it from its branch.

  Yesterday, after her talk with Tiernan, Copper had tried another spell to get them out of the meadow. Without her wand she felt off balance and insecure. She’d never been good at hand-magic. She had to get her wand back from the damned Drow.

  Problem was, not a single one had come out of their underground home—at least not while she’d been awake—and she hadn’t really wanted to make her way down there.

  Of course, the mischievous Brownies or Pixies could’ve taken it, but she didn’t think Riona would lead her astray by mentioning the Drow. The queen was a tease, but she wasn’t mean-spirited.

  When Tiernan had learned her wand had probably been taken by the Drow, he’d been furious. Copper had simply said she intended to retrieve it and Tiernan went ballistic. He’d ordered her to stay away from the Drow, which had pissed her off.

  No one, no man, told her what to do. She intended to retrieve it one way or another. She’d been to Garran’s realm before. What was the big deal?

  Tiernan had been damn lucky she let him sleep in the shelter with her last night.

  Still thinking about their conversation, Copper wandered back to the rock outcropping holding the apple. Tiernan had left his dagger in its leather sheath in the shelter. After she retrieved it she used the sharp blade to cut the apple horizontally.

  When he came back, she was looking at one half of the apple intently, the other half sitting on one of the rock shelves, the dagger resting next to it.

  “Did you know,” she said when she looked up at him, “the seeds of an apple are in the shape of a pentagram?” She showed him the fruit. “The apple i
s blessed by the goddess. I have no doubt she put the tree here along with everything else for me.”

  She gestured around them as she continued, “Why would I have the conveniences of water, food, and Fae friendship for so long if it didn’t mean something? I could just as well have been trapped with nothing at all.”

  He studied the apple half before looking up to meet her gaze. “You believe Anu planned all this?”

  Copper sighed. “I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason. But for the life of me, I can’t figure this one out. Why would I have been placed here when I could have been home fighting beside my family? When I could be home now, trying to stop Balor from being freed. What’s the purpose of all of this?”

  He didn’t answer. They leaned against the rock outcropping, ate their apple halves, and watched the sunrise without talking for a long time.

  After a while, Copper said, “Are you afraid of anything, Tiernan?” She glanced up at him. “Or are you just the big macho warrior?”

  He frowned as he looked down at her. Finally he said, “I have no fear of dying, of performing my duties, living up to my responsibilities, maintaining my honor. That is a part of my life.”

  Tiernan looked away from her and continued, “However, I do fear for the lives of my comrades, my people, and yours. We are doing so little when so much more needs to be done.” He sighed. “My brethren and my family need me. I fear you and I will never get out of this place.”

  Copper tossed her half of the core onto a rock for the Brownies. She looked to the sunrise. “I fear a lot of the same things you do. Not getting out of here, not being there to help, and I especially fear for the lives of my family and friends.”

  She glanced at Tiernan as she said, “I know Silver struggles with using gray magic more than I do, and that worries me. I’m confident with mine. I have no problem using it, and I know I will never fall over that line into the dark. I just know it.”