Jack folded his arms again, suddenly feeling the need to protect his vitals. “No. You come in here and cast suspicion on my partner, tell me you know my darkest secrets and then dangle rewards for betraying everything I believe in? Hardly subtle.”
“Subtlety is overrated. I prefer the direct approach.” She turned away, carelessly strolling through the chaos of the room. She paused to push a cushion out of her path with a dainty slipper. “You want to know if Lark loves you or if she is about to betray you again. You want to know if your demon will win over your conscience. You want to know if you have the strength to remain the pure knight, or if you will transmogrify into a loathsome evil.”
Jack was silent, dismay blooming in his chest. The Dark Queen had his number.
“What would you give to know those answers?”
Jack bowed his head. He recognized fear inside himself, and the longing for acceptance. He wanted to believe he was good. He wanted Lark’s love. And those were exactly the weapons Selena required to destroy him.
“I would give nothing,” he said. His Fallen had been tempted before, and by a far better salesman than her. “I don’t believe you could answer those questions or control the outcomes. I’m a great believer in free will.”
But she’d seen his hesitation. He might have won the round, but the game was still on. With a slight nod she stepped back, only the corners of her mouth quirking upward with satisfaction. “Fair enough. Now let us go see if you can win your wolf.”
At the mention of Kenyon, Jack’s temper heated. His demon stirred, raising a prickle of energy along his skin. He followed the queen out of the room, loathing everything about the situation. It would be simpler to take control and make it right.
But that would mean letting the demon free, and that meant losing everything.
Chapter 26
“I’ll be clear, vampire. I want this dinner because I want a chance to convince you an alliance is in both our interests.” Selena cast Jack a sly look. “You are about to tell me that’s impossible.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“But you will listen, Jack. It’s no coincidence that you’re here. I counted on you coming in person to rescue the princess. I knew you wouldn’t trust her to anyone else.”
“Manipulation isn’t a great selling point for a partnership.”
“But you will listen to my offer. Might I remind you that the reward for your attention is the return of your wolf unharmed.” Her step was quick, leading them through a maze of rooms and passageways. Her skirts eddied behind her, a flash of blue against the dark stone floors.
In anyone else, Jack would have found such energy exhilarating. In the Dark Queen, it was just alarming. “My willingness aside, I’m curious why you think I’m able to assist you.”
“You were there when the spell over the gates was cast.”
“I was but one part of the ceremony.”
“I have confidence in your resourcefulness. I have Haven. The ring is missing, so your allies must have it. Success is not so far off.” She cast him a sidelong glance. “But I have other uses for you besides all that.”
“Such as?”
“All in good time. For now, just enjoy the entertainment. I’ve always believed the best negotiations begin with food, don’t you?” Queen Selena cocked her head. “We of the fey courts take our hospitality seriously.”
Jack could tell she was eager, blood tinting her pale cheeks. He’d seen the same feverish look on gamblers and those who rose to duel at the first light of dawn. His stomach was a leaden ball of apprehension.
They entered the banquet hall, which was crammed with fey. Conversation was at an almost painful pitch, but there was no evidence of a feast. Suspicion slowed Jack’s steps.
Selena caught his look and laughed, a pretty flash of white teeth and dimples. With a flourish, she clapped her hands. The room fell instantly silent. She held the moment, stretching it out as a smile spread across her face. When the tension in the room was about to snap, she raised her slim arms into the air and spun in a circle until her blue skirts swirled. “Bring in the entertainments!”
Cacophony broke out—a whistling, grunting, cheering roar of approval. The lesser fey scattered everywhere, and in a moment they were back, dragging trestle tables and stacks of golden dinnerware. Seating and cloths appeared in record time. Each creature knew its role, and when steaming platters of food began to appear, it was plain they had been waiting for this moment. It took less than a minute to conjure a complete feast.
“Come,” said Queen Selena, stopping her pirouette. Her skirts still swirled as she waved to the long table that stretched before the dais. “Come and sit at my right hand.”
“Where is Lark?” he asked. “You said she would meet us here.”
She grabbed his hand, pulling him to his seat. “So I did. I will send someone to fetch her.”
“Now,” Jack growled. He wasn’t going to be easy until Lark was in sight.
Selena waved a liveried servant to her side and whispered in his pointed ear. With a bow, he hurried off. “Your partner will be here in just a moment.”
Forced to be patient, Jack watched what was going on around him. The dinner itself was something out of a nightmare, and he was suddenly glad he was undead and his plate empty. As the silver-domed cover was lifted from one of the dishes, a swarm of beetles skittered out. A trio of pale blue fey snatched them up and dipped the treat in what smelled to Jack like chipotle dressing.
“They need to be fresh to get the proper crunch,” the queen commented.
Thankfully, her tastes were more traditional. At least he assumed it was roast chicken on her plate. The gentleman with gills several seats away was pouring butter sauce on something with waving tentacles.
The queen sipped pale wine from her goblet, gesturing toward the room. “Speaking of fresh, who would you like to drink?”
Despite himself, the predator in his soul had already been scanning the room, seeking out the young and beautiful. “Thank you for the offer, but I have no need to dine.”
“Yes, you are old and strong and bubbling over with honorable instincts. It’s all very charming.” She considered the tidbit of meat on her fork. “That doesn’t mean you don’t want it.”
She flicked a finger and a pretty female came and knelt at his feet. The girl looked painfully young, her pale green hair tumbling to her knees. As she bent her head, utterly subservient, Jack saw her eyes were slit like a cat’s.
“Exotic,” he commented.
“It’s good to broaden the palate.” The queen tapped the girl lightly on the top of her head. “Not much to her, though. Barely an appetizer.”
He could smell the servant’s piquant fear, and despite every good and decent instinct he had, his mouth watered. He was a vampire, and the queen was appealing to his basest impulses. The girl held up her wrist and he took it, his fingers easily circling her arm. Now he could see her skin held a pale green cast, visible only where the sun had kissed it.
Slowly he bent and inhaled, relishing the scent of untapped blood. It wouldn’t be anything like Lark’s—nothing would—but greed prowled through him. He never got to take every drop he wanted, and his appetite clamored. Fey tasted the sweetest, although they went straight to his head—which was a really bad idea when trying to outsmart Selena.
He released the girl’s wrist, letting it fall. “Tempting, but I don’t drink on the job.”
The queen gave a sigh of exasperation. “You’re an interesting specimen, my vampire friend. What does shake your puritanical reserve?”
Jack’s patience was starting to unravel. “I’m here to listen to your arguments for an alliance. Speak, and be done.”
She set down her fork, dabbing her lips with a snowy napkin. “Have you seen the mountain compound?”
“Impressive, although
I’m sure you already know working with mercenaries has its risks.”
Her mouth quirked. “I do love the way Company men do their homework. Then, you’ve seen the forces at my beck and call. There is another army ready to defend this castle.”
“Against what?”
“There will be a war, and soon. My sorcerers have predicted it, and their future sight is flawless.”
“Did they say who was going to win?”
She gave an uneasy laugh. “That has yet to be decided, but I’m willing to play the odds.”
“Which means what?” Jack was growing impatient.
Selena’s eyelids lowered a moment before she flashed him a brilliant smile. “I’m offering you the winning side if you help me. I will make you my second in command.”
“You know that’s an offer I will never accept.”
“Why not? Think of everything I can give you. Think of everyone you could save just by asking me to spare them. I’m not without gratitude.”
Jack sat back in his chair. Selena’s lips were parted as if she were already preparing her next argument. She wanted his help badly—apparently so badly she forgot what he knew about her. “I was there at the Vale of Rakkul when you made it rain with the blood of innocents. Whatever you might be promising now, you aren’t the merciful type. I will not let you out of this prison.”
The queen’s head jerked away, breaking their gaze. She took a deep breath that made the jewels at her throat flash. But she did not let her anger touch her voice. “Think on it, Jack. My offer remains open until the end of the night.” With that, she rose and swept from the hall.
* * *
“It is time you earned my forgiveness,” the Dark Queen said when she stormed into the room where Lark was waiting.
Lark’s impulse was to bolt, but she was tied to a chair. When the queen came to a stop in front of her, she could feel the brush of Selena’s gown against her knees. Fear pebbled her skin.
The queen glared down at her. “I know why you were in Amelie’s room. You came to rescue the royal brats. I don’t blame you for that—it was an expected move.”
She grabbed Lark’s chin, tilting it up. “I do blame you for getting your claws into Jack. You have no idea what kind of fire you’re playing with.”
Lark winced, squirming her way out of the queen’s sharp-nailed grasp. “Why do you care?”
“This is not simple jealousy, you idiot girl. I can have my pick of men between the sheets. I want Jacques Armond d’Errondine for his power.”
“Who?” Lark asked in confusion.
The queen gave her a withering look. “You don’t even know who he is or why he matters. Let me give you a clue. The Derrondine Pass was named after him.”
“Jack?”
“Don’t the Light Fey have schools? Jack Anderson is simply what he calls himself now. Immortals change names if they live long enough—which you should also know.”
“Of course I know that.” Embarrassment heated Lark’s cheeks. She was aware Jack had money and connections in Marcari, but not that he owned a mountain or two. But that was Jack, a steel box welded shut.
“You’re the only one who can get past his guard.”
Not as well as I would like. “What makes you think that?”
Selena made an impatient gesture. “I saw the mess you made of your room. Besides, he looks at you like a hound dog after the last sausage.”
The contempt in the queen’s words made Lark’s skin crawl, but she set her mouth and willed herself to meet Selena’s gaze. “So?”
“I’ll be blunt. I need him. One fey to another, if you can make him lose control of his Fallen within the borders of my kingdom, the demon will be mine to command. The right spell in the right place will tame even one of the Fallen, but I need you to give me access.”
Fury surged up Lark’s body, a hot ball of pain that caught in her throat. Her words came out as a rasp. “What makes you think I will help you?”
“You’re my prisoner.”
“I’m not a betrayer!”
“Oh?” Selena’s glance was pure acid. “I’d say otherwise.”
That made Lark’s head spin. “What do you know?”
“I see the truth spell that still winds through him. It’s Light Fey work, and there are only so many ways to put it there. It’s a matter of connecting the dots, my little traitor. Has he forgiven you for that?”
The queen bent over the chair, holding Lark’s gaze with her own. “No? And what do you think he will say when he learns you used a Dark spell that led Drusella Blackthorn right to the princess’s door and your own people straight to oblivion? Because you know it’s the Light Fey that I will destroy first.”
Lark was pressed as far into the chair as she could go, straining to put distance between herself and the Dark Queen. The queen backed away, leaving Lark dizzy with a storm of emotions she couldn’t begin to count. Fright and sadness were there, but shame was clearly at the top.
Selena bent over her, her voice unexpectedly kind. “A pity you ended this way. You’ve survived the most horrific trials. Swords harden in flame, and you’re a magnificent blade. What a waste.”
A waste, and about to come to a bad end. Lark steeled herself, raising her gaze to the queen’s. She would not die cowering.
But the Dark Queen suddenly changed course. “I can use someone like you, Lark. Don’t throw away everything I could give you. For instance, I might give you back your princess. There were rumors she had fey blood, but so far she has shown no trace of it. If she’s just a mortal, she’s of no use to me. If you give me Jack, I swear on my throne that I will send your princess home.”
At that, Lark’s heart skipped so hard it hurt.
“Rescuing her would go a long way to restoring your good name.”
Lark’s pulse pounded, considering the bait, considering what would happen if she was too eager or too slow.
“I haven’t got all night,” said the queen.
Lark took a breath, held it for a beat and let it out, refusing to speak until she was calm. She could play this game, and she had to believe that she and Jack could still win. She had to believe Jack was right, and the Dark Queen had grown impatient and reckless enough to believe Lark’s lie. “Very well, but it won’t be easy.”
The queen reached forward, running a finger along Lark’s cheek. “Good girl. I’ll tell you what I want you to do.”
Chapter 27
Jack grew increasingly impatient. The queen had been gone long enough for two more courses to arrive before he finally saw her reappear at an arched entrance at the side of the hall, the werewolf at her side. She had a long silken leash tied to Kenyon’s silver collar. He padded beside, his head and tail drooping.
The sight wrenched Jack, bringing him to his feet in a surge of anger—and alarm. Lark was not with Selena. Faint blue demonfire crackled over his hands, showing just how far his patience had been pushed. With a curse, he hid them behind his back and fixed a glower on the approaching queen.
“I have brought your friend,” she said with a gesture toward the wolf. “The meal is almost over. A little while longer, and your beast will be free to go.”
“Where is Lark?” Jack asked in a dangerous voice that made Kenyon whine. Jack couldn’t help it. The burden of inaction was building up inside him. He felt about to crack apart in a burst of demonfire.
“She is coming as we speak.” The queen subsided into her seat, letting the silk leash drop. “Sit, vampire.”
“I will sit when I see Lark.”
“Don’t be a bore.” The queen dug her fingers into the werewolf’s ruff. “I prefer it when guests show proper courtesy.”
Kenyon gave a sudden yip of pain, a sound Jack had never heard him make. Without thinking, Jack grabbed the werewolf’s silver collar, p
ulling him free of the queen’s grip. Demonstrating how much he cared wasn’t a smart move, but he couldn’t stand Kenyon’s suffering one moment more.
Kenyon didn’t resist. In fact, he seemed barely able to stand any longer. Jack ran his hands over the werewolf’s long back, feeling tremors of exhaustion shudder through Kenyon’s flesh. Fresh outrage surged through Jack. Although the wolf had hardly been in the Dark Fey realm for more than a few days, his fur was dull and matted.
“What have you done to him?” Jack said, forcing his voice to come out evenly.
As his gaze lifted to the queen’s face, she flinched slightly—just a tightening of the jaw—but otherwise the beautiful mask of her visage remained calm. “He resisted me. I won’t tolerate that.”
In the periphery of his vision, Jack saw the other guests looking on with a mix of expressions—fascination, fear, anticipation and even glee. Some faces weren’t human enough to read, but this was the kind of crowd that understood power and not much else. The sight snapped him back to reason. Whoever won this battle of wills held a two-edged sword. It might tip the balance of power in the room, but it invited vengeance from the loser. He had to play this the right way.
Kenyon was leaning against him now, a slight vibration still running through him. Fear? Weakness? Jack couldn’t tell. He rubbed Kenyon’s ears, remembering years ago how the angry youth would barely let himself be touched. Trust had come slowly, and Jack wouldn’t let him down now.
The room was entirely silent, broken only by the panting of the wolf. “I’ve lost patience with this,” Jack said in a cold, dead tone. “I’ve stayed through your banquet. Let him go.”
“You’ve yet to see the entertainment. Banquets must have entertainment.”
“If you want me to see them, free Kenyon as we agreed. Let him go home.” Any other time, he would have wanted the werewolf guarding his back, but he was too weak. All Jack could think of was getting him to safety.
“You know that’s impossible,” Selena protested. “I need the ring and the blood and all the other ingredients of the spell.”
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