Agent of the Fae (Dark Fae FBI Book 4)

by Alex Rivers

  She met my gaze, her jaw dropping. I pointed at her, a midnight smile on my lips.

  Her eyes widened, full of terror, and she unleashed a scream. She collapsed to the floor, urine staining her skirt. Her body trembled, eyes wide open, and she jabbered soundlessly.

  A shocked silence hung over the room.

  I lowered my hand. “If any of your men think they’re going to arrest me, they can expect to find themselves quivering in terror in much the same way.”

  For a few seconds, no one moved.

  Then Grendel let out a deep, mocking laugh. “I don’t need them to do my dirty work.” He rose. “I will kill you myself.”

  “Then you will break your word twice,” I snarled.

  “I promised to use my own magical powers against those I believe are enemies of the Unseelie, and only against them. And after what Idelisa told me, I perceive you, mongrel, as an enemy of the Unseelie.”

  He raised his arms with a smile. His smile faltered, and I felt the first stirrings of victory. It really helped to have friends in situations like this.

  Only minutes before I had entered the hall, Idelisa had poured Siofra’s potion into Grendel’s wine cup. It had done its job, draining Grendel of his powers.

  I quirked my head. “Well? If you think I am an enemy of the Unseelie, why aren’t you using your powers against me?”

  “What did you do to me?”

  I rushed at him. His eyes widened, and he tried to pull his sword, but his movements were all unnaturally slow. I slammed my fist into his face, cracking his nose. I snatched his sword-hand in a vise-like grip, twisting it while he screamed in pain. A kick to his gut sent him flying into the wall, his murky eyes panicked.

  Ice frosted the room as my hands morphed into claws, my canines sharpening against my tongue. I stalked forward and picked him up by his throat, his huge body feeling as light as a feather. I smashed his head against the wall.

  “What did you do to me?” he groaned.

  “You promised to use your magical powers against the enemies of the Unseelie, Grendel.” I whispered back. “But you can’t do that if your power is gone.”

  His eyes widened, and I smiled at him, flashing my sharpened teeth.

  “You broke your promise to me,” I said. “And that puts you in my power.”

  How many women had he attacked and dominated over the centuries? And the decapitarium… The thought of his sadism filled me with a cold wrath. I needed to act like the Mistress of Dread, and lucky for me, vengeance was coming naturally.

  And now, for the coup de grâce.

  Roan’s image burned in my mind, along with that powerful drive to keep him safe at all costs. Electrified by pure protectiveness, I slashed at Grendel’s throat with my sharpened claws. His flesh felt rubbery, the hot blood pumping furiously from his jugular. I swiped again, growling, brutally destroying the threat to my mate.

  Flailing, he grasped at his throat, but I slashed through his fingers, ripping through his veins and flesh. I was the Mistress of Dread. I would keep my mate safe, and the Unseelie would fear me.

  Grendel’s eyes dimmed, his eyelids drooping. His body slumped to the floor, his blood flow slowing to a trickle. Covered in the blood of an ancient fae, I turned to his dinner guests. Horror shone in their eyes. They’d just watched me take down the great Grendel, as easily as if I were swatting a fly. I shot a quick glance at the motionless Idelisa lying on the floor, resisting the urge to smile at her. She’d given a remarkable performance of terror.

  I held my hands up to the ceiling. “I am Cassandra Weala Broc. Daughter of Ogmios, heir to his throne, ruler of the Weala Broc House.”

  I let that sink in for a second while they gaped at me.

  “Grendel has sold you a pack of lies,” I continued. “I never offered anything to the humans. I talked to them last night, but I turned down their offer. I am an Unseelie ruler. My loyalty lies with the establishment of the Republic!”

  I had just enough of my dread powers to feel the fear vibrating over the room like a grim symphony.

  There was no going back. I ruled the Weala Broc Court, and this was my home now.

  Chapter 25

  I sat in the library, trying my damnedest to decipher the fae text in front of me. Overhead, candles in the chandelier flickered, casting a wavering light over the runes. If I was going to rule the Weala Broc Court—at least until we could vote for someone else or something—I needed to learn as much as I could. Sadly, I was hardly fluent in fae script.

  I squinted at the words, reading the same lines over and over. I’d decoded the words outside and London, but my eyelids kept drooping before I could get the rest. It didn’t help that every few minutes, I desperately tried my bond with Roan. I was almost sure I could feel him, that I sensed him thinking about me.

  Then again, it was just like Elrine had said—maybe it was all in my head. Had I convinced myself it was real just because I wanted it to be real?

  Leaning back in my chair, I blew a strand of pink hair out of my eyes.

  Directly across from me, Lannosea, my bodyguard, stood ramrod straight. Just by the doorway, she was on high alert for any threats. She gripped a spear, her muscular arms tensed. I toyed with the edge of my skirt, eyeing her. She’d just been watching me.

  Hours ago, I’d forced myself to stop fruitlessly searching reflections. Wherever Roan was, he was out of reach, and searching for him was just wasting my time. If I was going to be a true Unseelie leader, I needed to act like one. I needed to learn everything I could about the Unseelie realm.

  If only I could concentrate on the damn text…

  I sighed. “Lannosea, I think I’ll be fine on my own this evening. Thank you for your vigilance.”

  Her gaze darted to mine, her brow furrowed. “I don’t think so, Mistress.”

  “Call me Cassandra,” I said wearily, for the ninth time. “Please. The mansion is glamoured, Grendel is dead, and if Siofra comes for me—well, you’ll hear me scream.”

  “If you insist.” She nodded curtly. “My room is nearby.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Just please be sure to scream loudly if—”

  “Thank you, Lannosea, good night.”

  “Good night, Mistress.” She yanked open the door.

  “Cassandra!” I called after her. “Call me Cassandra!”

  I shut the book, blinking in the warm light. It was only a short walk to Alvin’s room, and I had to restrain myself from running to him again. The great keeper of secrets had no updates on Roan at all. Why hadn’t my mate returned to London yet?

  Thing was, I’d already asked Alvin twice for updates. A third time would simply be embarrassing.

  I drummed my fingers impatiently on the book’s cover, then thumbed through the pages, trying to reassure myself that the emotions I could feel weren’t all in my head. I could still feel my bond with him, could still feel his love, his desperation to get home.

  I turned a page in the book so hard it nearly ripped. I could feel it.

  Right?

  Desires were powerful persuaders. Maybe my own mind was playing tricks on me.

  Roan, where are you?

  I felt his absence like a missing limb, and I had to fight all of my instincts to flee right into Trinovantum and search for him in person. Ever since we’d sealed our bond, we’d been together almost constantly. Granted, some of that time had been on opposite sides of a dark prison, but other than that, he’d been a constant part of my life.

  Now, after he’d been gone for almost a week, I couldn’t ignore the truth.

  I was in love with Roan. I thought of him as my mate, and I couldn’t stand being apart from him. I just didn’t know what to do about that whole “mind-reading” issue. I couldn’t imperil the human race just because I’d fallen in love.

  A fae preemptive strike on the humans would be disastrous—for everyone.

  I violently turned another page.

  The cold part of me rebuked myself for even c
onsidering a life with Roan. How could I let him in on all the humans’ secrets, on the overwhelming threat they posed to the Unseelie? Risking so many lives just to be happy was selfish.

  The other, much more powerful part of me—the part that constantly imagined seeing Roan again, of having him by my side—drowned out the rational voice. Sometimes you had to trust your gut. And your heart, and your soul, and your entire body. And all those parts of me wanted Roan. Needed Roan.

  Where the fuck was he, anyway?

  I rose abruptly from the chair, the book falling out of my lap.

  Fuck it. I was going to talk to Alvin again. Maybe he’d heard something that he didn’t recognize as important.

  Just as I was heading for the door, I heard footsteps on the other side. His footsteps, striding down the hall. I’d know that purposeful gait anywhere.

  I threw myself back into the chair. Feigning a casual demeanor, I picked up the book. I wanted him to know that I’d had everything under control here when he’d been gone.

  Just sitting here, reading like an Unseelie ruler should.

  The door opened, and my pulse quickened. There, on the other side of the door, stood Roan, as beautiful as ever. He crossed into the library, letting the door close behind him. For a moment, my breath left my lungs. The warm candlelight flickered in his green eyes, and heat rushed through my body at the sight of him.

  I crossed my legs. “I didn’t hear any news about you.”

  “We kept our whereabouts hidden. I thought you could feel me through the bond.” He smiled faintly. “You were worried about me.”

  I took a deep breath. Just sitting here reading, like a normal person. “Of course, but I did have things under control. Anyway, I’m glad you’re back. Safe, and all that. I got your mansion back.”

  His features warmed. “Your book is upside down.”

  I felt our bond spread through me like a warm light. A thrum of togetherness, of love and want, skimmed over my body, my own desire washing over me. I could feel my chest and cheeks flushing. Involuntarily, I felt my bare thighs clenching together as I looked at him. God, I wanted him. “It’s good to see you,” I said as casually as I could.

  The look he gave me was pure heat, as if he could see right through my white blouse and little black skirt to the bare skin below—as if he were taking in the curves of my breasts, my hips, all of me.

  I rose, dropping the book again. I’ll save the pretenses for another time.

  As I crossed to him, his green eyes electrified me. And when I reached him, and wrapped my arms around him, I felt myself melting into him. I breathed in his warm, oaky scent. The feel of his hands on me sent liquid warmth streaming through my body.

  One of his hands softly slid down my back.

  “It’s good to see you, too.” His deep voice seemed to wrap itself around me like a velvety caress on my bare skin. I could imagine his hands moving lower, lifting my skirt. And as the image blazed in my mind, my body seemed constrained by my clothes—too hot, too damp, swelling against the fabric.

  I couldn’t stand this any longer. Roan had refused to kiss me or properly touch me until I could commit to being his. Maybe now I could.

  I slid my hand under the hem of his shirt, letting my thumb dip below the waist of his trousers. He stiffened, and I lifted my face to his expectedly.

  “Cassandra.” His body had gone rigid, and his expression looked pained. This was as agonizing for him as it was for me.

  Maybe I should put him out of his misery.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered. “I’m ready. You’re mine. I’m yours. I want to be with you. Always.”

  His eyes flashed with a golden light, and joy shone on his features. He didn’t ask me any questions, just pulled me closer, kissing me hard as I stood on my tiptoes. Slowly, sensually, his hands moved down my back, sending hot shivers through my body. My back arched into him.

  He pulled away, then leaned down, whispering in my ear, “I’ve been waiting for this.” His voice slipped around me like an exquisite silk, touching me in places that ached for him. I felt my body melting with heat, but Roan didn’t seem to want to rush it. Maybe he was right. Were there things we should talk about first?

  “I should probably tell you,” I said softly, my mouth just inches from him. “I’m the head of the Weala Broc. I’m—”

  He kissed away the rest of my sentence, his kiss languid and intense at the same time. Within seconds of feeling his tongue flick against mine, I’d forgotten all about fae politics. A raw, desperate hunger ripped through my body.

  I moaned against his mouth, pulling him closer, and his fingers tightened on me. It seemed like he wanted to take his time with me, but I wanted his clothes off now.

  Aching for him, I slid my hands under his shirt, brushing them over his powerful body. I pulled off his shirt. Slowly, I let my gaze roam over his muscled torso, over the tattoo of the strawberry leaves. I leaned in to kiss the tattoo, his skin hot under my lips.

  In the next moment, he was yanking off my shirt, his movements increasingly desperate. Maybe he’d determined that he was going to take things slowly, but it wasn’t easy for him either. I reached behind my back, unhooking my bra. I wanted my bare skin on his. At the sight of my breasts, his eyes shifted to a deep amber, and I was pretty sure I heard a low growl escape his throat.

  I wrapped my arms around him, letting my breasts brush against him as I stood on my tiptoes. Cupping my head, he pressed his mouth to mine in a searing kiss.

  Slowly, sensually, his hands moved down my back, until he was cupping my ass under my skirt. I pressed my hips into him, the warm ache building between my thighs.

  Roan scooped me up in his arms, and I hooked my legs around him, my pulse racing, skin glowing.

  Carefully, he carried me to the wooden table, then set me down on the edge. The wood felt cool under my ass. Sitting here, my height better matched his, and I kissed him again, now hungrier.

  But he still wasn’t rushing it. Slowly, he stroked his fingers down my body, leaving trails of hot tingles on my skin, until he reached the hollows of my hips. Under the hem of my skirt, his touch felt surprisingly gentle on my skin, and I wanted to feel something harder, rougher. I arched my back, pressing myself into him.

  When he hooked his fingers into the hem of my skirt, I scooted my ass into the air so he could pull it off. The silky material slid over my bare thighs, the sensation sending shivers of pleasure through me. He’d left me almost completely naked, and his slow gaze drank me in, like a starving man who’d found a luscious banquet.

  As I feasted on the sight of his perfect body, I grabbed for his pants, desperate now to move this along. I pulled them off. “I want to finish what we started,” I breathed. “Last time, when you left me for the training room.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  With his hand behind my back, he lowered me to the table. Just as before, one of his hands softly pinned both of mine over my head. He leaned over me to kiss my neck, his mouth hot on my skin. His free hand stroked up my thighs, his touch agonizingly light. I was going to lose my mind. When it brushed between my legs, over my panties, I groaned, my hips bucking at the light touch. He teased me, stroking me gently as I moved against his hand.

  “Roan, please.” I thrust my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to me.

  He moved between my legs, spreading them, and his kisses moved lower over my body—over my breasts, my belly.

  Nothing existed right now, except his mouth on my skin, his hands on my body. Raw need seemed to pulse in my core. I needed him now. His mouth moved lower, slow as honey. His mouth searing me, he moved down between my legs, kissing the inside of my thighs. Groaning, I clenched my thighs around him, desperate to feel more of him.

  “Roan, please,” I whispered again. This felt like torture.

  At last, he reached for my panties, slipping his fingers into them. He pulled them off, leaving me completely naked. I opened my legs in invitation.

 
; That’s when the dam finally broke, and his restraint snapped completely.

  He growled, practically lunging for me, horns gleaming on his head as he unveiled completely. I wrapped my arms around his powerful back as he thrust into me, filling me. As he moved in me, I pulled his neck closer—my mouth, my teeth finding my way to his throat so I could claim him again. He was mine. Wild hunger drove us both as we moved in rhythm with each other, my hips grinding against him in complete abandon, until pure euphoria claimed my mind. The world disappeared around me, and I unleashed a wild moan.

  I leaned into Roan, our bodies glowing, finally satiated. Aftershocks of pleasure pulsed through my body in waves, and I shuddered against his embrace. “I’m glad to have you back in our manor.”

  “Our manor,” he repeated, stroking my hair.

  “Right.” I licked my lips. “Ours.”

  “Seems like you were busy while I was away.”

  “We still have a lot of work to do. Just… please don’t go into your bedroom until we have a chance to fix it. Or mine, for that matter.”

  He stiffened. “What happened?”

  My lip curled. “Grendel happened. You know, I really don’t want to talk about him right now. How did the negotiations with the Elder Fae go?”

  “As well as could be expected. King Ebor and I reached an agreement. The Elder Fae will not let Seelie soldiers cross Hawkwood Forest. But they will not let Unseelie do so either. The Elder Fae will not take sides in this war.”

  I nodded. During a long meeting I’d had with Alvin the day before, he had guessed that this would be the outcome of the negotiations. There was nothing we could promise the Elder Fae that would sway them to our side of the fight. The best we could expect was for them to sit this one out.

  I scooted off the table. Maybe I should get dressed before Lannosea decided to come in and check on me. I reached for my skirt on the floor.

  “Getting dressed already?” Roan muttered. “I was hoping you would stay naked more often.”

  I rolled my eyes, slipping into my skirt. “We do live with other people, you know. Our guards, my new advisor…” I thought I’d broach the topic gently.