Calum smiles. “This way, Ever.”
My feet start walking before I tell them to and I trail after him like a lovesick puppy. I know that something is wrong here. I shouldn’t be doing what he says. It’s like I have no control over my movements, but something inside of me is saying that I have to follow him. I shake my head to dispel the fog surrounding my brain. I slowly stop walking as the fog dissipates and I’m steaming mad. I had let my guard down around them because Dare had introduced me to them.
“Hey! Fuck face.” I lean against the stone wall while I slowly get my bearings.
Calum and Calder stop walking, and turn to look at me. Calum raises a cocky brow. Calder scowls at his twin.
“Yeah, you. Not cool.” I huff a breath from the effort it’s taking me to stay where I am rather than follow him. “Turn it off, or when I get free I’ll gut you like a fish.” I take a step forward without meaning to and grit my teeth.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Calum speaks calmly and folds his hands together in front of him.
“You know perfectly well. You’re glamouring me, you prick.”
Calder looks from me to his brother and frowns. “Let her go, Calum.”
Calum tilts his head to the side and watches my struggle. I take another step forward before I bite on my tongue, hoping the pain will distract me from Calum in front of me. It works and I take a step back.
Calum frowns when I do.
“Stop it, Calum. Your test has lasted long enough. She can resist you, it’s just not easy for her.”
“Turn it off. I swear to the Goddess you’ll regret it if you don’t. Test or not, I’ll make your life hell.” My nails scrape against the stone while I try to grip it and keep myself from stepping toward Calum.
“Calum! That’s enough.” The order comes from Dare and I turn my attention to him.
I watch him approach and stay where I am. I focus on Dare’s face. The scar trailing from his eyebrow to the top of his cheekbone, his autumn colored eyes, and his broad shoulders. He steps between Calum and I and like a string being cut, the fog lifts from my brain and every fiber of my being is no longer trained on Calum.
I lunge forward and pull a blade. I shove Dare out of the way in my fury and face off with Calum. I sweep a foot out and knock him to the ground. In one swift motion, I whip the blade up to his neck. The cold iron centimeters from his skin, I hold it while I hold his gaze. “Bad decision, Calum.”
“Ever, let him go.” Dare walks around to the side of Calum where I can see his boots out of the corner of my eye.
I shake my head. “Not without an explanation. What the fuck was that?”
I press my knee into him just above his groin. He groans, but doesn’t make any sudden movements.
“I had to see if you are as powerful as they say. To see if you’re worth putting my neck out there for.”
I scoff. “Did I pass your petty little test?”
He starts to nod and stops. “Yes. You did. Can you let me up now?” He winces when I shift my weight again.
“Nope. I’m not finished yet.” I let the tip of the blade touch his skin. It sizzles in reaction to the cold iron and he jerks his head back. “Fuck with me again, and I won’t think twice about taking you out. Fuck with any of mine and I’ll make it last. We clear?”
“Clear.” He holds my gaze when he says it and doesn’t try to glamour me.
I look up to his twin and ask him the same question. “Same for you. You watched and did nothing. We good?”
Calder nods and hangs his head. At that I stand up, but not before letting the edge of the blade knick more of his throat. If the goblins want me to prove my strength, I will. I hadn’t thought it would be necessary as we’d been here before but I’d just been proven wrong.
I reach down to offer Calum a hand up, and he takes it. As soon as he’s vertical, Calder smacks him on the back of his head.
“I told you not to fuck with her. Idiot.”
Calum just smiles and shrugs. “You get why, right?”
I look him up and down and frown. “I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. You don’t know me and I’m here with trouble on my heels.” I hand him a scrap of cloth for his neck and he refuses it. “You weren’t there when I made the decision to come here with this. It was my last resort.”
He furrows his brow at my remark. “Why would coming here be your last resort?”
Dare clears his throat and steps up behind me, his hand finding its spot at the small of my back. “She has her reasons. Let’s all go to dinner now, shall we? We’re late.”
Calum looks to Dare and grins.
I sigh. Great. Why didn’t Dare just pee on me. What a great way to start off here. A fight with one of my guards, Dare laying claim to me like a dog with a bone, and I’m late to dinner with the King and Queen of the Goblin Kingdom.
What a lovely way to say thanks to our hosts.
*
Diner has already started when we arrive and I flinch from the look of pure displeasure Eryn wears on her face. If she frowns any harder the lines in her forehead might stay there permanently. I keep that thought to myself so I don’t lose a limb, and try to sit down gracefully and without any mishaps.
Before I sit, I offer a low bow to both King Teag and Queen Odaine. “My sincerest apologies for being late.” I look down the table to Calum who looks nervous. I clear my throat. “I was having a bit of an… issue. Calum and Calder were helping me out though.”
I hear Calum expel a sigh of relief that I didn’t rat him out to the King, and I shoot him a small smile. I’m not happy that he tested me, but I get why he did it. If he’s going to be willing to step in front of all manner of weapons, magical and physical, he has to know I can handle my own and won’t take any shit. Among the goblins, it’s one thing to call yourself a warrior… a guard. It’s another thing entirely to prove it.
Teag smiles at me and waves a hand indicating for me to take my seat. “I’m glad they could assist you, Ever.” He reaches for his goblet and raises it in the air. “A toast! Fáilte ar ais go dtí Goblin. May you find everything you need here during your stay.”
We all raise our own goblets and return his good will. “Sláinte!”
I look around and take stock of who else is with us in the hall. Small group of people my ass. There has to be at least thirty or forty people in here. Welcome back to Goblin, indeed. I’m seated next to Teag, but not by chance or choice. Dare sits on my other side and our thighs touch occasionally on the bench. With each brush of his muscled leg against my own, shivers make their way down my spine and pool in my sex. It’s all I can do not to squirm in my seat or rub myself all over him like a bitch in heat.
Smile, smile, smile. People are watching, and Eryn will cut me if I do anything else not one hundred percent proper.
If I keep shoving food in my mouth, maybe no one will talk to me.
The moment I finish the thought; I know I shouldn’t have.
As soon as I do, Teag turns from talking with Odaine and addresses me. Gods damn it.
“Is the food to your liking, Ever?”
I put a hand in front of my mouth and hold up a finger so I can finish chewing. “Yes, it’s great. Thank you for having us, Teag.”
Odaine gasps next to him and her jaw drops.
I replay my last words in my head and wince. Whoops, forgot the King part. “I-I mean thank you for having us, King Teag.” I dart a glance to Dare who’s watching me closely. He has little laugh lines around his eyes but his mouth stays in a firm line. Bastard.
Teag waves a hand. “Bah, please call me Teag. I think we are beyond formalities at this point, don’t you think?”
Queen Odaine looks like she just swallowed a lemon, her features pinched while she holds her fork in a white knuckled grip.
“I wouldn’t want to offend anyone…” I trail off and look to Queen Odaine.
“You would only be offending me if you continued to call me King.” Teag chuckles
darkly and lays a hand over Odaine’s. “We are friends after all. Aren’t we, Ever?” He narrows his eyes on me and waits for my response.
I swallow a mouth full of peach juice and choose my words very carefully. “I consider you a very valuable ally… to be able to speak so… freely with, Teag.” I force a smile to my lips and try not to let it become a baring of my teeth.
Teag’s smile slips for a moment before he catches it and dips his head to me. “Allies indeed.” He looks past me to Dare and inclines his chin to him. “And you, Dare. You were telling me that Ever and her friends needed some resources, right?” Teag takes a sip of whatever is in his goblet and looks back to me. “And what exactly are you looking for, Ever?”
Why couldn’t Eryn have been seated between these two? I have the courtly social skills of a newborn. Guess it’s time to bring out the big guns and shoot until I hit something.
“It’s complicated, but we need to look into some old customs of the different Kingdoms and Courts.”
“Well, that certainly is something we can help with.” Tore MacDouglas speaks up for the first time and offers me a hopeful smile.
“I certainly hope so, Tore.” I look down the table at Eryn and smirk.
Eryn narrows her eyes and purses her lips before excusing herself from the conversation around her and walking toward our end of the table. She indicates the vacated seat of someone across from me. “May I, your highnesses?” She bows low and waits.
“Of course you may, my dear.” Teag grins.
“Thank you, King Teag.” She looks between the four of us. “What is the subject at hand?”
Dare shifts in his seat and answers her. “We are currently discussing what resources you will need while here.” He leans forward while he speaks and his arm brushes against my breast. My nipples harden at the contact and I pray they don’t show through my top.
I gasp and try to cover it up with a cough. I don’t fool Dare.
He turns his autumn colored eyes on me and winks.
It’s all I can do to keep my mouth from dropping open in shock. He’s flirting with me in public. In front of his father, the King of Goblin, and the man who is supposedly mine, Tore MacDouglas. I wait until Tore begins talking to Teag and bug my eyes out at Eryn. I tilt my head at Dare and mouth ‘what was that?’
Eryn shrugs and squints at us. She’s reading our energy, which makes me nervous. Her eyebrows raise a moment before she turns to me and grins.
I frown at her. No grinning. There will be no grinning about this shit between Dare and I. I’m suspended from MECA and without their protection, so even if by some chance we could make it work or keep it secret it could still get back to the Light Elven Kingdom and my uncle would be forced to send a hit squad to take me out for breaking their laws. Even though I’m not a citizen of their Kingdom they still feel they can dictate how I live my life. The Fae and their shit never gets old. I’m so lost in my thoughts I don’t hear the question directed at me.
Dare’s hand on my thigh makes me jump and I look around. “I’m sorry, what was that?” I try my best to look attentive and not at all hot and bothered by Dare’s hand still on my thigh.
Tore clears his throat. “I was saying, that if you and your team would like to train with our Guards, I’m sure something can be arranged.”
Dare’s hand slowly inches higher. The patterns his deft fingers trace driving me to distraction. I look to Eryn, who only bites her lip while she watches Dare and I.
No help from her, then.
My heart rate picks up speed and desire thrums through my body.
“Uh, yeah. That would be great. We don’t want to be a bother, so if we can just have a space to do our thing that will be fine.” As subtly as I can, I let my hand drift under the table. I press Dare’s hand against my thigh to stop his movement. It doesn’t work. He only entwines our fingers together and begins tracing his patterns on my palm with his thumb. I shiver at his ministrations.
Teag leans forward in his chair and offers his own idea. “How about my Guards show you a thing or two, and you show them a thing or two? Wouldn’t that be a good idea? Cooperation between MECA and the Goblin Kingdom for the first time in history.”
“Uh…. about that.” I take a deep breath and try to focus my thoughts away from the pulses of desire at my core. “MECA has decided that my actions were dissatisfactory while dealing with Cashel and entering the Goblin Kingdom. They’ve suspended me indefinitely until evidence can be brought forward to the contrary.”
Kirin, Axel, and Doyle pull up chairs at our end of the table just as I finish taking and they all curse. Kirin straddles his chair and rests his thick forearms on the back of it.
“Such bullshit!” Kirin pounds a fist on the back of his chair. “Don’t worry, Ev. We’ll get the proof we need to prove those bastards wrong!”
“Kirin!” Eryn’s eyes bug out of her head at Kirin’s language.
Kirin looks around and notices Queen Odaine. He turns bright red. “I-I apologize, Queen Odaine. I forgot myself.”
Silence envelopes our group and we all watch her for her reaction. Teag’s booming laugh echos through the hall and he slaps a hand on the table making goblets and silverware jostle and clang together. My crew and I all look at each other with worry. Should we run? Did we mortally offend someone again?
“They suspended you? I will say this, MECA is usually smarter than that.” Teag got his words out through huffs of breath and chortles but his words couldn’t have been more accurate.
Kirin chokes on his drink and turns wide eyes to Teag. “That’s what I told them! We told them consider us all suspended and we walked out.”
Teag raises a brow in my direction. “Is that so?”
I shrug and look up at Dare. He looks down at me and says nothing, but he squeezes my hand under the table and I breathe a sigh of relief. I squeeze his hand back and something inside me clicks. Amidst the chaos of being kicked out of MECA, the attack on the house, fighting with Teag about the stupid Druids, and fighting my attraction to Dare, this small moment of Dare holding my hand and lending me his support feels right. With a simple squeeze of his hand, my heart feels lighter. My anxiety lessens a little bit and I allow myself to relax. I let my muscles go lax and I lean my free arm against the table and rest my chin on my hand.
I listen to the carefree laughter of my crew while they mingle amongst goblins and I smile. Here the constant weight of being leath cine isn’t shoved in our faces, at least not overtly. We aren’t lesser here, we’re equals. Warriors.
The thought of equals brings Arela to mind and I look around trying to spot her. I lean back and look past Dare’s wide shoulders. Nothing. Odaine should know where she is.
“Queen Odaine, where is Arela staying tonight? I’d like to let her know we are here and where to find us if it can be arranged.”
She slowly turns to look at me, an unfriendly smile gracing her fine features. “She’s with the other girls. They are not to be disturbed for another day as per the custom.” She raises her goblet and takes a dainty sip.
My head goes back a bit in surprise. “There’s no way to get word to her?”
“No. There isn’t.”
I open my mouth to speak and she cuts me off with a harsh glare.
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand the customs of goblins. Your upbringing wouldn’t allow for it.” She spits the word upbringing out like she has dirt in her mouth.
I see red. “Listen, you hoi–”
“Ever! I think it’s time we all head to bed!” Doyle’s shout draws everyone’s attention to me.
Dare squeezes my hand tightly, and I reach down and remove his grip. I weigh my options carefully for a moment. I could either speak my piece with this rude cow or I could let it go for the time being until we can get what we need from them.
I grit my teeth but keep my mouth shut. Without a word, I stand up and glare at Odaine. I give her my back and walk away. No bow, no good bye, nothing. Chairs scrape behin
d me as I walk out, but I don’t look to see who follows.
I pull both of the heavy doors open at once and leave the hall. I start walking in the direction I came from, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.
Heavy footsteps hit the stone behind me and I give a cursory glance over my shoulder. Dare.
“Go away. I don’t want to talk to you right now.” I hasten my pace and turn down what corridor I assume is the right one. I realize too late it’s a dead end. Shit.
I spin around and face off with Dare. I wave a hand. “Okay, let’s get this over with. Tell me how I was wrong, and I should have let her distain for my bloodlines go.” I step forward, my chest heaving with angry breaths.
Dare doesn’t say anything, he just looks me up and down. His silence only enrages me further.
“Well, come on. Let’s hear it! Fucking say something!”
*
–Queen Odaine–
Fabric swishes and heels click on the cobble stone as I storm through the castle. That little mongrel bitch thinks she can speak to the me like that and not face any repercussions? She’s got another thing coming. My vision is hazed in red as I turn down another hallway toward my royal suite.
I approach my chambers at a quick clip and before my guards can scramble to get the door open I slam my small hands against them and unleash my powers. Shards of wood fly everywhere as the double doors shatter like glass. The destruction cools my temper briefly, that is until I notice the Trickster lounging in my sitting room.
With a wave of my hand the wood splinters reform into the doors they previously were, shutting the world and the curious guards out.
“What are you doing here, Trickster?” I hiss as I advance on him.
The Trickster smiles and props his booted feet up on the stained-glass table. “Well hello to you too, Odaine. Fancy a chat?”
Anger boils through me at the omission of my title. “Queen! Queen Odaine of the Goblin Kingdom! I am the fucking Queen and you peons would do well to remember that!” I turn and fling the closest vase into the wall, the bits of glass falling to the ground, tinkling like bells.
The Trickster holds both hands up in apology. “Seems like something’s got your skirts in a twist.” He sings the words in a sing-song way. “Tell me all about it.” He leans forward and gives me his undivided attention. Any and all information is always useful when you’re the Trickster.
Crown of Betrayal (Wicked Kingdoms Book 2) Page 10
