Seduced by Magic

by Cheyenne McCray

  “Get real.” Copper stared at him in exasperation, then glanced to the seat beside him where her wand rested. “You know exactly what I want.”

  Garran cocked an eyebrow. “So direct, Copper. I should be insulted by your lack of decorum.”

  She almost rolled her eyes. “I need my wand back. It’s important to me.”

  The Drow king pushed himself out of his seat and was in front of her in a single step. Shock rocked her at the speed of his movement. She had to look way up to meet his eyes. His expression was fierce as he reached out, caught a lock of her hair, and wrapped it around his finger.

  His voice came out low and gruff and his liquid silver eyes swirled with passion. “What price are you willing to pay, witch?”

  Tiernan shouted and growled as he made attempt after attempt to breach the barrier surrounding the meadow. He did not like this helpless feeling, not at all.

  When he’d had enough of testing the barrier, he kicked off the six or so Brownies nipping at his knees, and batted the Pixies away from his hair. He slipped the leather lace from his neck opening.

  He drew back his hair along with whatever creations the Pixies had managed to make in it. When his hair was tied, he plucked out pink and yellow flowers, hoping he got them all. This time he hadn’t heard any laughter coming from the Faeries or Copper. No doubt the Fae had had their fun the last time and were just waiting to pull some other trick on him.

  He frowned. Where was Copper?

  Riona, the Faerie queen, zipped up to flutter before him. She had a small perfect body with full breasts and rounded curves. Her black hair tumbled down her back and her amethyst eyes held laughter, as usual.

  He scowled at her. “What do you want?”

  “More like, what do you want, great D’Danann warrior?” Riona flapped her wings, lavender dust glittering in the afternoon light.

  Tiernan resisted swiping his hand at her to get her out of his way. “I am not interested in your games, Faerie.”

  She hovered in the air, tapping her tiny chin with her finger. “Perhaps you are interested in Copper?”

  He frowned. She laughed.

  “I don’t think the Drow will give her up so easily.” She zipped away, and then she was gone from sight.

  “What?” Tiernan bellowed. When the Faerie didn’t respond, he searched the meadow with his gaze. There were perhaps three places Copper could be. Behind the bushes of the Fae mound, behind the side of the rock outcropping they used when needing to relieve themselves, and the shelter itself. Ah, yes, a fourth—the side of the rocks that she avoided, where the Drow door was located.

  To his increasing concern, she was nowhere to be found in the usual places. He stormed to the side of the rock outcropping he had only been by in passing when he was searching the barrier. He stared at the flat gray rock on the ground that was shadowed by a pine tree. It was, of course, a door leading to the Drow realm. There were similar doors all over Otherworld. No doubt the Faerie Riona hadn’t been lying when she said something about the Drow not giving up Copper.

  Shit. What in the name of the Underworld was she doing with the Drow? His chest burned. It was usually not an easy task to return from the realm of the Dark Elves.

  He knelt beside the door that lay flat on the ground and rubbed his fingers around it, trying to find a catch. He felt nothing but smooth rock. The door was sealed tightly within its stone frame, which was as he expected. The more he searched, the more the knot in his gut grew. With all his strength he tried tugging and pulling at the frame, but it didn’t budge. He sat heavily on the ground and wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

  “Perhaps you need my assistance now, D’Danann?” came Riona’s tinkling voice as she fluttered before him. “Or are you too much the arrogant warrior to need help? You certainly have not asked the Fae or even Copper to assist you in any way.”

  Tiernan ground his teeth as he glared at the Faerie queen. “How do I get to Copper?”

  She placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward. “Pretty please?”

  A low growl rose up in his chest. “Riona . . .”

  She shrugged. “If not, then—”

  “Pretty please,” he shouted, and Fae giggles rose up from the other side of the rock outcropping.

  Riona gave an amused grin. “Stomp on the door five times. Do not expect a warm welcome.”

  Tiernan pushed himself to his feet and ignored the Faerie as he raised his boot and pounded on the door.

  The Faerie queen zipped in front of him as he backed away, and she gave him a small pout. “Not even a thank-you?”

  “Thank you, Queen Riona,” he snapped, then riveted his attention on the now moving door. Stone rumbled as it opened and a hollow sound rose up from below. When the door was fully open, he strode down into the darkness.

  Copper resisted the urge to push Garran away as he tugged on her lock of hair. It wasn’t that she found him distasteful. Actually, she found him quite sexy. But she wanted to put some distance between them.

  She straightened her spine and tilted her chin, stretching to her full height, but she was still a good eight inches shorter than him. “What do you want, Garran?”

  He drew her closer by pulling the lock of hair. He caught her off guard and she stumbled forward, and barely caught herself by bracing her hands against his bare chest. Muscles rippled beneath her palms. The king drew her close and wrapped his arms around her waist so that her body was flush with his. Heat rose to her cheeks when she felt his very large—obscenely large—erection pressing against her belly.

  “You are the light to my dark,” he murmured. “You have something magical in your spirit, a purity in your heart. I would give you everything.”

  Copper swallowed. “Just tell me what I have to do to get my wand back.”

  “A kiss.” He lowered his head until she could feel his warm breath upon her skin. “I want a kiss and you shall have your toy.”

  Copper pushed harder at his chest and leaned back as far as she could. Not a Drow kiss! A kiss from one of the Dark Elves could make another being wish to stay below-ground with the Drow.

  But it was only a kiss and she was a witch, immune to much Fae magic. Yet she didn’t know if she’d be able to resist the power. What if she fell under his spell?

  His lips neared hers and she caught his earthy scent. “Just a kiss, my fair one,” he murmured, a breath away from her lips.

  Only a kiss. Only a kiss.

  “You promise that I can have my wand?”

  His mouth quirked into a grin. “Of course.”

  Copper’s hands gripped his leather and gem-encrusted chest straps. “You promise you’ll let me go?”

  His gaze grew heavy-lidded, almost obscuring the liquid silver of his eyes. “If you still wish to leave.”

  She couldn’t help but tremble in Garan’s arms. “No magic,” she managed to whisper.

  He lowered his head. “Mmmm.” The sound rumbled in his chest just before he pressed his mouth to hers.

  When Tiernan reached the bottom of the staircase, Drow guards stood to either side of the doorway that led into an enormous great hall. One of the Elves had black hair, the other’s was silver.

  Tiernan glared from one Drow to the other. “Where is Copper?”

  The silver-haired Drow’s expression didn’t waver. “Rudeness will not get you an audience with the king, if that is what you wish.”

  Tiernan blew out a long breath and tried to calm himself. If the Drow used any magic on Copper, it would be hell trying to get her out of here. “Please take me to your king,” he said.

  “Come.” The Drow gestured to one of the archways across the hallway and then the two males began walking to either side of Tiernan.

  Surprise filtered through him that they so easily granted him an audience with their king. Drow tended to be far more disagreeable and did not like Fae in their realm. They hadn’t even requested he remove the weapons belt that secured his sword and dagger.


  When they reached the crystal chamber, Tiernan strode into the throne room and came up short.

  Copper was kissing the Drow king. Her arms were around his neck, her body snug against his, her eyes closed.

  Rage rose up within Tiernan. That anyone, any being, would kiss Copper was enough to send molten fury rushing through his veins. He drew his sword. When the two guards grabbed his arms, he struggled against the power of their hold on him. “Copper!” he shouted as he fought to get away from the damnable Drow.

  Her eyelids fluttered open and she jerked back from the Drow she had been kissing. Her face blushed crimson, and the Faerie kisses sprinkled across her nose stood out against the red of her cheeks. The copper pentagrams at her ears swung wildly with her movement.

  The Drow king glanced up at Tiernan who still struggled to reach him. Amusement crossed the king’s expression. “Copper may choose to leave or she may stay. You will not have a say in it, D’Danann.”

  Copper took one look at the fury etched across Tiernan’s face and almost laughed. It was so obvious he was jealous, even though he might have to marry some other woman.

  The arrogant ass deserved a little taunting. As did Garran, who was just as arrogant and just as much of an ass, so assured that his magic would bind her.

  She turned back to Garran and ran her finger from his collarbone, over the crisscross leather straps to his belly and to the waistband of his breeches. Her tongue darted out to touch her lower lip. “What would you do with me if you had me?” she said in a husky purr.

  A rumble sounded in Garran’s chest. “I would fuck you until you could not take any more, and then I would fuck you again.”

  Tiernan nearly roared. “And I will kill you where you stand, Drow!”

  She tossed a look over her shoulder at the D’Danann and barely held back a grin. Her lashes fluttered again as she brought her gaze back to Garran’s. His earth-and-moss scent was even stronger as she raised herself up on her tiptoes, nuzzled the line of his jaw, and moved her lips to his ear. She actually felt him shiver.

  “Sorry, baby,” she murmured, then drew back. “You got your kiss, and you promised me my wand and my way out of here.”

  Garran looked taken aback, but then smiled. “I didn’t promise that the D’Danann could leave.”

  Copper frowned and tried to push him away. “No fair, Garran.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and his silver eyes glittered with amusement. “Who said I was fair, love?”

  “Damn you.” She pushed at his chest and this time he released her. He didn’t stop her when she snatched her wand up from the chair beside him.

  “What will you give me to set him free?” he said with a look to Tiernan and then back to her again.

  Copper pointed her wand at his chest. “Release him or I—I’ll spell your lips shut.”

  Garran pushed the wand away and cocked an eyebrow. “Do you think a human witch’s inferior magic could harm me?”

  The tips of Copper’s ears burned. She backed up and pointed her wand again at Garran. “Let him go!”

  Power rose up within her just as the ground began to rock.

  A tremendous rumbling noise came from beneath their feet, like a massive hammer against stone.

  The room shuddered. Copper lost her footing.

  She stumbled backward and found herself in Tiernan’s arms. Tiernan held her as great chunks of crystal rained down from the ceiling and one icicle-sized shard just missed grazing Copper’s cheek.

  Garran and the other Drow shouted and barely kept to their feet as they bolted from the room. Tiernan grabbed Copper’s hand and they followed.

  It was no better outside the royal chamber. Rocks, some the size of boulders, loosened from above and slammed into the floor of the great hall. From below came one thundering pounding noise after another. Other Drow were shouting and joining Garran and his guards. They disappeared through a far doorway, brandishing their swords.

  Tiernan and Copper dodged the massive rocks as the boulders fell, and headed for the stairway that would lead them out and back to the meadow.

  It was blocked by a wall of dirt and rocks.

  The room continued to shake and shudder with the tremendous pounding noise. Tiernan still had a tight grip on Copper’s hand as they ran toward the doorway the Drow had disappeared through. Dirt filled her mouth and her nose, and her body ached from the small stones that hit her.

  When they made their way across the hall and through the Drow doorway, a great bellow came from below, and again another sound, like a massive hammer against stone. The passageway they were in must have been reinforced because only smaller rocks fell from above and tumbled down the walls, and dust filled the tunnel.

  Even so, Copper didn’t want to be in the tunnel. She wanted out, wanted to be able to breathe without choking on dust. It felt as if the walls were closing in on her. And it reminded her too much of her dreams.

  When they finally made it out of the passageway, Copper and Tiernan came up short, and she gasped. Down in the mine pit Garran had taken her to, perhaps two stories below, was the biggest creature Copper could ever imagine seeing. Its skin was bark brown, it had long stringy brown hair, its eyes were brilliant green, and drool gushed from its mouth. It was hunchbacked with great jagged, mossy green teeth.

  In one hand the giant beast held a shield as big as a garage door. In his other he wielded a club the size of a two-seater airplane, and was smashing it into the side walls. The arrowheads from Drow arrows were exploding on contact. The arrows stuck out of the giant’s huge head like tiny toothpicks and blood poured from the wounds.

  Heart pounding, she saw Garran in the midst of the battle, shouting commands. Naal, his brother and first in command, directed another troop of the Drow. Her heart leaped in her throat when she saw a Drow bashed up against the wall hard enough to sever his head. As his body dropped, it vanished in sparkles of obsidian.

  Copper observed all this in just a fraction of time before looking back at Tiernan.

  He was gone.

  She whipped around to the other side of her and saw Tiernan holding his sword as he rushed down the cavern path to where the Drow were fighting the giant.

  “No!” she shouted, her heart pounding so hard now she could hear it in her ears. He couldn’t take on such a beast with a sword!

  In the next moment Tiernan’s wings unfolded from his back and he launched himself into the air.

  Despite the pounding of her heart, Copper couldn’t help but think how magnificent Tiernan looked, his great wings spread as he soared around the cavern like a great eagle. He held his sword at the ready, as if looking for the best angle to attack the giant.

  The huge animal-like beast spotted Tiernan and swung its club at the warrior. Tiernan deftly dodged it, and flew even closer to the giant’s face. The creature roared and swiped at him with his shield. This time Copper screamed Tiernan’s name as the giant came inches from hitting him.

  At the same time Tiernan distracted the giant, the Drow continued their attack, more wounds bloodying its body as Elvin arrows exploded in its flesh. The giant stumbled as great rocks that were flung from the catapults slammed into him.

  Copper tried to think of some kind of spell that would help. A thought came to her in a flash. She magnified the glow of her wand and pointed it so that the glare momentarily blinded the giant.

  She barely saw Tiernan through the brilliance of the light as he dived toward the head of the giant. Her heart stuttered as he swooped down and drove his sword into one of the beast’s brilliant green eyes.

  The giant screamed and flailed. More rock rained from the ceiling.

  Tiernan’s blood boiled as he buried his sword in the beast’s eye. No doubt this was one of the great giants of Underworld, of the kind Owain and his giant lion had fought to the death centuries ago. The giants were beasts, truly no more than animals, used as guards at crossing points to Otherworlds. What was such a creature doing this close to the surface of this Otherwo
rld?

  The beast started swinging its club toward Copper where she wielded such powerful light with her wand. Tiernan’s blood pounded in his ears as he drew his dagger and flipped it through the air, end over end. The dagger buried itself into its target, the beast’s other pupil.

  The giant screamed and screamed, blindly spinning around with the dagger and sword jutting out from its huge eyes. It swung its club again and nipped Tiernan at his chest, the power of the momentum slamming Tiernan against a cavern wall. He caught himself before he tumbled to the cavern floor and soared back into the air, his chest aching and his breathing coming in harsh gasps.

  With a great bellow, the beast dropped its shield and club to reach up to its eyes to pull out the sword and dagger.

  The Drow attacked in full force, taking advantage of the giant’s blindness and the fact that its hands were now empty of shield and club.

  Copper’s wand light dimmed, surely to keep from blinding the warriors.

  Tiernan spread his wings and flew down to the center of the mine to join the rest of the Drow. He flew over a huge pit from which the beast must have emerged. Tiernan circled until he landed in a crouch. He drew his wings back in, and watched the beast at the same time his gaze searched the room for a loose sword.

  The giant ripped both of Tiernan’s weapons from its eyes and flung them to the rock floor with a clatter that was nearly lost in the roars of the Drow as they attacked. The beast tried to reach for its shield and club again, but was blinded from Tiernan’s weapons’ having pierced its pupils.

  Tiernan spotted his sword gleaming in the rubble. He dived for it and barely avoided a swinging fist as he snatched up the weapon.

  When his feet touched the soil, as one he and Garran bolted for the giant’s feet. With a broadsword, Garran slashed one of the tendons above the giant’s heel at the same time Tiernan sliced the other.

  The giant bellowed again, the sound so loud the walls shuddered and more rock rained from the ceiling.

  Both Tiernan and Garran rushed to get away from the flailing giant. Tiernan took to the air and Garran bolted with the legendary Elvin speed.