Paying Mara’s sarcasm no heed, Piper flitted to the door. She settled on the heavy brass knob and stamped her foot. “Could I get a little help here?”
Mara gritted her teeth and stalked up the porch steps. Shooing Piper aside, she opened the door. Piper shot past her, leaving a trail of shimmering violet dust in her wake.
“Oh brother.” Mara dashed through the entry and skittered after the sprite. She might be angry at Dash for his head games, but she wouldn’t subject him to Piper alone. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.
She bounded into the master bedroom and skidded to a stop. Piper hovered at eye level with Dash, her wings an iridescent blur as she treaded air. Sprite and fae were locked in a stare-down.
“You’ve been a very bad boy, Dashael Rhyder,” Piper squeaked, wagging a tiny finger.
Dash grunted. “Anyone have a fly swatter handy?”
Piper’s indignant gasp broke off when Ronan stormed into the room, his barrel chest heaving from his sprint down the hall. Sweat stains formed perfect semicircles beneath the armpit area of his beige tunic. Mara couldn’t remember seeing him put out such exertion before.
“What’s going on?” Clutching his side, Ronan scowled at the room in general.
“Well, I’m shackled to my bed and awaiting transport to your employer. Other than that, not much.” Dash’s gaze roved to Mara. “Not too many bulbs in his lamp, I take.”
Mara stifled a grin. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing she found him funny. No way. She glanced at Ronan. “Is the aerocoach ready?”
At his nod, she tossed him the handcuff keys. “Let’s get him outside.”
Ronan unclamped the cuff from the post and yanked Dash upright. Mara’s breath expelled on a relieved rush. Good—the collar’s sensitive circuitry seemed safely under control.
“Easy, big boy,” Dash growled. “I don’t allow rough handling until the second date.” A harsh curse hissed between his teeth when Ronan yanked his free hand behind his back and manacled it inside the other cuff.
Fury sizzling in his eyes, Dash lowered his head, butting it hard into Ronan’s protruding belly. Unfazed, Ronan slapped a meaty hand around the base of Dash’s neck and propelled him out the bedroom door.
Outside, Ronan shoved Dash headfirst into the aerocoach’s plush backseat. Cracking his knuckles, he walked to the front of the idling vehicle. Mara slid in beside Dash. Once he’d twisted into a sitting position, she snagged the safety harness and slipped it over his wide shoulders before buckling it in place. She tried ignoring the heated musky tang of male skin inches from her nose.
His stare scorched her. “Interesting company you keep.”
It wasn’t her choice—not by a long shot. “Don’t complain. I half expected Ronan to crack your head open back there.”
“What, and ruin the beautiful thing going between us?” Dash rolled his shoulders and winced when the strap pulled tight against him.
“You’re making things worse for yourself.”
“I’m sitting on my damn hands. What do you expect?”
She wedged a knee between his thighs and reached for his trapped arms. His mouth settled at the crook of her neck. A weak breath escaped her when his tongue flicked her rapidly beating pulse.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
“Why?” He bit her and laved the sting away with his lips. “This is the best time I’ve had in the past thirty minutes.”
She jerked away from him when Piper darted into the aerocoach’s roomy back cabin.
Dash fixed his heavy-lidded gaze on the smirking sprite. “Your timing is impeccable.”
“I know.” Piper giggled. Ignoring Dash’s scowl, she turned to Mara. “You owe me.”
Big time. Weak-kneed, Mara sank onto her seat.
Dash’s body jostled when the vehicle hit a rough air pocket. Despite the delicate female ears within close proximity, he let loose a string of colorful swear words that would blister even a dockworker’s ears. Hell with it, he’d never been more uncomfortable in his life. Why pretend otherwise? He shifted, trying to ease the strain in his arms, and managed to twist his elbow into a position a contortionist would be hard pressed to replicate. Fan-frickin-tastic.
He stared at Mara across the way, his temper spiking. What a contrary picture she made with her angelic face lit beneath the moon’s opalescent glow and her sex kitten body curled against the seat cushion. Her eyes remained closed. Merely a ruse—sleep eluded his delectable enchantress. He could tell by the restless stirring of her head.
His mind whirled with a million questions, starting with what the hell she, a human, was doing working for fae royalty. Most royals barely considered humans worthy of scrubbing their waste receptacles, and here she’d been enlisted to kidnap him. “What’s your story?”
A snore broke from Mara.
“I know you’re faking.”
She cracked one eye open. “Do you mind? I’m trying to sleep.”
“No you’re not.” He shrugged off her glare. “It’s impossible. Riding bareback on the hump of a Mer’daca dragon is more comfortable than this.” To verify his point, the aerocoach jolted when it flew through a patch of choppy turbulence.
She stared out the window, her lips thinned in a stubborn line. He wouldn’t be put off that easily. “What’s in this for you?”
Mara remained silent long enough he figured she wouldn’t appease his curiosity.
Finally she looked at him, her aggravation clear. “The satisfaction of bringing in a thief who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the law.” Fire kindled in her eyes. “Really, it’s quite despicable using your goddess-given magical ability for such a low purpose.”
“Why do you assume I use my magic to steal?”
Her expression remained confrontational. “Don’t you?”
“There’d be no challenge. Besides, sticking with the old art of lock picking honed the dexterity of my fingers.” He deliberately focused his scrutiny on her breasts. “Something you could have appreciated firsthand if you’d waited a couple minutes before clamping this collar on me.”
The fierce blush riding Mara’s cheeks belied her scornful snort. “Yeah, keep kidding yourself.”
He chuckled. “Fine, we’ll agree to disagree for the time being. But you still haven’t told me what you get out of kidnapping me.”
Adorable frown lines crinkled the corners of her eyes. If he weren’t so damn cynical, he might have believed her guileless.
“But I did. You broke the law—several times over,” she added combatively. “Isn’t that explanation enough?”
“You really expect me to believe you’re doing this out of a sense of civic duty?”
Her gaze flickered down—the only verification he needed. She definitely possessed a much bigger motive.
He wiggled his fingers in an attempt to bring circulation back to the trapped digits. The effort proved fruitless. “We’re more alike than you think.”
She jerked her chin. “I sincerely doubt it.”
“Let me paint the picture for you.” He slanted his head in a contemplative pose. “I steal diamonds, rubies…original Hon’dach oils. Whatever brings top merca.”
Her expression remained impassive. “Sorry, I don’t get the connection.”
“No? Sweetheart, you’ve stolen the most priceless commodity on the market.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Dare I ask what that might be?”
“Me.”
“Jeez, it’s amazing your back isn’t out of whack carrying your massive ego around.”
“Like it or not, it’s the truth.” Stretching his legs, he observed her beneath hooded eyelids. “People have tried nabbing me before. How did you manage where they failed?”
She stared at the hands fidgeting in her lap.
“What, suddenly shy? Quite a departure from earlier.”
A nerve twitched spastically above her left eye. “You’re beyond obnoxious.”
He gave her a wolfish gri
n. “You haven’t even seen me at my worst.”
His claim earned an exaggerated shudder from her. “Fine, if you must know—I studied you. There’s a certain style to your heists.”
Clever girl. “And?”
“A string of recent robberies around Helias matched your profile. It didn’t take much to determine you were responsible.”
“You knew I was in the area,” he said, nodding. “So you staged the perfect scenario and drew me in. Utilized all your sexual wiles until I panted after you like a Weliker hound.”
Her cheeks blushed a furious shade of crimson. She opened her mouth, but he stopped her with a shake of his head. “No, I applaud you. Well done.”
Mara’s brows slashed low. She flipped onto her side, presenting him with her profile.
He changed tactics. “How much is Nalia paying you to bring me in?”
“Do you never shut up?”
Her surliness tugged a smile from him. “Not much else to do right now.” His attention drifted to the sprite snoozing on the seat’s padded neck roll. The wings tucked against her quivered every once in a while with her loud snores. “How old are you?”
“Is that question for me?”
Turning, he caught Mara’s frown. “Well, it’s not for the snoring sprite.”
“Why are you asking?”
He gritted his teeth, frustrated with her mulishness. “Stealing the Frez’nak Diamond was a breeze compared to getting a simple answer from you.”
Her lips pinched together. “Fine, I’m twenty-five. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“You’re quite clever for a young girl.” His words weren’t empty flattery spoken with the intention of winning her over. Not that he suspected such a thing would work on the stubborn twit. “So here’s my offer—whatever Nalia is paying, I’ll double it. Invest it wisely, and you’ll be sitting pretty by the time you’re thirty.”
Mara’s mouth fell open. “I can’t believe you’re bribing me.”
“Worth a shot.” He repositioned his head and the safety strap tightened over his larynx. Grimacing, he sent a pleading look Mara’s way. “Help,” he choked on a strangled gasp.
Her eyebrows cocked in an evil fashion. “Why? I’ve been waiting all night for the perfect means to shut you up. Besides, I’m not falling for that again.”
He jerked against the constricting harness and it eased a fraction. “Surely I’m worth more alive than dead.”
Another put-upon sigh filtered from Mara. She leaned forward and yanked the strap behind his head. Air rushed into his lungs and he slumped back with a blissful groan. She scuttled onto her seat, reminding him of a hare fleeing to the safety of its underground burrow.
The rawness of his throat dampened any enjoyment mocking her skittishness might have brought. Instead, he returned to the business at hand. “Tell you what. I’ll triple her price.”
“I’m not interested in your money.”
He studied the set lines of her face and determined she spoke the truth. But it didn’t mean he wouldn’t find a bargaining chip more suitable than money.
Everyone came with a selling price.
Chapter Three
They passed through Rulach’s palatial gated entry shortly after dawn broke. Pressing her hand against the aerocoach’s cold window, Mara watched the heavy iron gates with their filigreed scrollwork clank shut behind them. The sound was an ominous reminder that more than one type of prison existed.
Despite the early hour, the vineyard teemed with sprites busy inspecting the dew-kissed grapes. Summer’s harvest would be ready by week’s end, which meant the vats would need a hard scrubbing. Good thing she’d stocked up on ointment for the blisters sure to make an appearance on her fingers.
The aerocoach coasted to a stop in the horseshoe-shaped drive and the palace’s ten-foot doors swung open. Nalia’s trio of personal bodyguards stepped out, their thickly muscled torsos covered with two crisscrossed straps of hammered metal. The knives and throwing stars tucked inside the straps’ various notches glinted with menace when the trio marched down the steps.
“Interesting fashion statement. Not everyone can pull off wearing kitchen cutlery on their chests.”
Mara shifted her gaze to Dash. He was surveying the bodyguards stationed outside the door with an air of detached amusement. “Wouldn’t mock, if I were you.” She released her seat harness and it snaked into its housing. “Compared to them, Ronan is a pussycat.”
Dash didn’t appear overly impressed. Shaking her head, Mara pushed open the door and stepped out. The bodyguards waited until she hiked towards the palace entrance before entering the aerocoach. Seconds later, Piper flew from the vehicle, her pink hair sticking up in a messy halo.
“Ever heard of waking a girl gently?” she screeched at the brutes tussling inside the vehicle.
Grunts and thumps preceded the sprawling arrival of Dash at the foot of the marble steps. Nalia’s bodyguards exited the vehicle and reached for Dash, jerking him upright. A thin gash above his right eye trickled blood and his jaw wore the red imprint of someone’s fist.
“The hospitality here is rather lacking.” Dash leaned over and spat onto the graveled drive.
“You wound me.” The sharp statement drew everyone’s attention to the regal fairy queen poised in the front archway. Nalia tugged aside the scalloped hem of her morning dress and glided from the door’s shadow. Her waist-length tresses swirled around her like ribbons of black silk.
Everyone but Mara and Dash bowed in a deep curtsy. Nalia’s narrowed eyes suggested the slight didn’t go unnoticed.
Pasha, biggest and dumbest of the queen’s bodyguards, rushed forward with an eager gallop. “Your Royal Highness, where do you want the prisoner?”
Nalia took her time inspecting Dash. Lust lurked beneath the imperiousness in her icy green irises. “Bring him into the East Solarium. I wish to show my newest prize to my husband.” She turned and strolled inside the palace.
Dash’s gaze met Mara’s as Pasha grasped his neck roughly and escorted him up the stairs. Something cold and awful slipped around Mara’s heart. She had a bad feeling it was guilt.
I didn’t slide the noose around his neck. Dash’s flagrant disregard for the law sealed his fate long before she stepped into the picture. Fortifying herself with that thought, Mara waited until the others filed inside the palace before slipping through the door. The entourage crossed the vast, marbled receiving hall. Servants busy waxing the mahogany paneling dropped their polishing rags and stared at the procession.
Nalia strode into the tropical oasis of the East Solarium. “Finian, come meet my new pet.”
A tall figure robed in plum-colored silk appeared amongst the palm trees occupying the solarium’s glass-domed sundeck. Shooing a brightly plumed parrot from the railing, Finian descended the spiral staircase. With his silvered ebony hair, piercing blue eyes and natural Maddoc charm, the queen’s husband prompted drooling adulation. Mara stood in direct contrast to the female populace of Zalan—she despised Finian Artronté. And with good reason.
Finian stared at Dash, his hostility a visible shower of white-hot sparks. “What the hell is he doing in my home?”
“Your home? Last time I checked, I’m the one holding the deed. But why quibble?” Motioning everyone aside, Nalia circled Dash. She halted and trailed her hands over her prisoner’s tightly bound arms. Her talon-like nails raked over Dash’s dusky nipples, making him flinch. “Isn’t he quite a specimen? Don’t believe I’ve seen any finer.”
Mara glanced away, unable to stomach any more of the disgusting display. The twisted games played between Nalia and Finian sickened her.
“Pity I won’t have much time for enjoying my pet before he leaves on his mission,” Nalia said, the pout in her voice evident.
Mission? Frowning, Mara returned her attention to the tense interplay between husband and wife. She thought Dash was strictly here to pay off his debt to society, and service Nalia’s…recreational needs.
/> “But I suppose absence will make my heart grow fonder.” Nalia’s tone dripped with venom. She slid her hands from Dash’s chest and smacked his butt—hard.
Dash jumped. “Much as I love being talked about like I’m not here, an explanation would be nice.” He swiveled and glared at Nalia. “Let’s start with what the hell you mean by mission.”
“Yes,” Finian bit out. “I’d like the answer to that as well.”
“Just a little job for my beautiful boy.” Flicking back the sleeve of her dress, Nalia stroked Dash’s rigid jaw. “If you complete it successfully, I’ll shorten your sentence.”
Dash jerked away from Nalia’s touch. “What kind of job?”
“The kind you do best.” A wicked laugh erupted from Nalia when Dash’s expression turned contemplative. “I refer to stealing, of course. Though I’m sure your other notorious talent will receive my accolades in due time.”
“Let me get this straight.” Dash’s mouth curled in a sardonic grin. “You imprison me for stealing, yet you want me to steal for you?”
A scowl marred Nalia’s smooth, porcelain perfection. “I’m doing you a favor. Rather than being beneficent and keeping you in the luxury of the palace, I could let you rot in the fairy prison.”
“Excuse my ungratefulness. If not for the bruised state of my body, I’d grovel at your feet.” Dash’s scornful gaze traveled between Nalia and Finian. “Okay, I’ll bite. What exactly do you want me to steal?”
“The Rhyann rune.”
Mara frowned, unfamiliar with the name, but judging from the wary set of Dash’s face, he was plenty acquainted.
“You dare enlist this worthless slime to steal the Rhyann? The very individual responsible for its theft from my family’s vault in the first place?” Finian stalked forward, his body bristling with anger.
Nalia chortled with glee. “It’s quite brilliant. Who better to track down the rune?”
Finian’s glare transferred to Dash. For several tense seconds, Mara worried the stare-down between the two Maddoc faes would end in bloody battle. And with Dash’s fists trapped behind his back, he stood at a distinct disadvantage.
Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Page 3
