by HP Mallory
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
He pushed his hips forward and his tip entered me. I closed my eyes and moaned, feeling myself start to stretch around him. The feeling was so intense and so pleasurable, I wanted nothing more than to feel him burying himself all the way.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
I opened my eyes to find his glowing white. His fangs were so long, they poked his lower lip and I suddenly wanted them inside me just as much as his erection.
“I love you,” he whispered at the same time that he thrust into me all the way, filling my body with his. I wrapped my legs around his middle and my arms around his chest, clinging to him as tightly as I could, needing him to fill me to the brim. I was only faintly aware of the sounds I was making—my mind was wholly encompassed by what he’d just admitted.
He loved me? He loved me.
The more I considered it, the more sense it made—how he was always there for me, how protective he was of me, his dislike for Dureau, the way he looked at me…
Sinjin was absolutely in love with me.
I opened my eyes and found his already fixed on me. We stared at one another as our bodies continued an age-old dance, moving instinctively. Neither of us made a sound, instead we just gazed at each other, as if our eyes were having a conversation all their own.
The longer I looked at him, the more I began to understand my own muddled feelings. I was just as in love with him as he was with me. And I had been for a long time. I’d just been too stubborn, too unwilling to see the truth for what it was.
“I love you, too,” I whispered, and I felt something deep inside of me give way as feelings of bliss blossomed through my body. I heard myself crying out and, moments later, Sinjin began to thrust inside of me faster, harder, until he exhausted himself and collapsed against my heaving breasts.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sinjin
I found myself sitting in the amphitheater-style Green Room, my mind racing. I could not stop replaying the events from the previous evening. Images of Bryn, naked and beneath me, refused to yield to more time-sensitive thoughts involving the impending meeting.
God, how I wanted her again. And again, after that.
I could not recall how many times I had taken her. Numerous. As soon as I thought myself satiated, I found my member rising to the occasion yet again. It was a wonder I had not worn the poor princess out. But, no, surprisingly enough, she had met every instance of my need with her own.
As members of the council filtered in, I attempted to force my thoughts to the present event, but no such luck. Instead, my eyes sought the princess. She sat in a chair beside the Queen and appeared to be wholly ensconced in discussion with her sister. Discussion, I was convinced, that had everything to do with the Tribe and Luce and blah, blah, blah. I envied her ability to focus on the task at hand, for I could do no such thing.
No, my mind continued to rehash memories that both delighted me and made me quite impatient for the meeting to wrap up so I could claim the lady again all evening.
As soon as the thought emptied from my mind, Audrey Chevalier walked into the room. A guilty feeling began to suffuse me as soon as her eyes settled upon my own. A secretive and suggestive smile curled her mouth and I was forced to smile in turn. It was not lost on me that Chevalier took notice of the entire encounter. The glare he bestowed upon me made it quite obvious, to say the least.
It was clear he believed something was going on between his sister and me. And it appeared she was of the same belief.
Bloody hell, you have really outdone yourself this time, old man, I said to myself with a sigh.
I certainly had some cleanup work to do where Audrey Chevalier was concerned. But the time for such work was not now upon me. Instead, I needed to pay attention to the meeting, which was due to begin any moment.
The Queen sat in the center of the Green Room; Randall was seated behind her with a single hand placed gently upon her shoulder. Her lovely sister sat beside her and, I noticed with interest, refused to look at me.
Ah, my little pet, are you afraid your eyes will give you away? I thought as I unabashedly stared at her large breasts, recalling the feel of them in my mouth.
“Hello, everyone,” the Queen began, her regal voice demanding attention from her courtiers. “I called this meeting because I have two important pieces of news.” She watched as everyone took their seats and, once the room was quiet, she continued. “The first bit of news is that my sister and I were visited in a dream by Monsieur D.”
A number of council members gasped in outrage.
“Och, how dare he!” exclaimed Odran.
“Visiting our Queen in her slumber is quite appalling,” Mercedes agreed as she faced Jolie sternly.
“You did not tell me this,” Randall added, frowning at his wife.
The Queen held up her hands as the frog cleared his throat from where he was sitting in the first row. He stood and turned around to face his companions.
“My fellow council members, you should be aware that Monsieur D was acting within the bounds of the protocol set by the Les Invisibles court,” he assured them, his voice frustratingly calm. “It is entirely likely he was simply attempting to be polite; after all, the members of Les Invisibles believe that it is far ruder to engage someone in real life than it is to engage them in a dream, as dreams are considered to be more private by those who are members of Les Invisibles.”
My pet nodded in agreement, then spoke. “While I’m not Monsieur D’s biggest fan by any means,” she said, “I do believe he meant no harm by approaching us in dreamscape. If anything, I believe he was trying to be polite—as polite as he knows how, by our own standards,” she added. The other members of the council murmured a bit at this news, but they quickly began to simmer down.
“In any case, friends, Monsieur D offered his army of zombus and his Louisiana hounfour as lodging for our soldiers,” the Queen explained. “He wishes to become our ally in our fight against Luce.”
“Should we trust him?” Rachel asked.
“Trust is never a good word to use with regard to Monsieur D,” Audrey put in, as all eyes fell to her. “But I do believe we could benefit from his allegiance.”
“D does have a reason to fight alongside us,” the princess responded, facing Audrey. There appeared to be a coolness between them that had not existed before I’d muddied the waters. “He wants to free his people from their zombie curse, and defeating Luce is the only way to do that.”
I could not fully agree with Lady Bryn. “Madame, I am somewhat more hesitant to trust Monsieur D, though I do value your reasoning,” I stated. “His contracts have traditionally proven themselves to be incredibly dangerous, given the loopholes he insists on including.”
“Whit are ye goin’ oan aboot?” Odran demanded.
“Bloody hell,” I grumbled. “Have you not been present whenever we have discussed this exact subject?” I growled at him, and he appeared taken aback. I frowned more deeply. “Damek came close to death due to one of Monsieur D’s loopholes,” I clarified as I faced each council member in turn. “The selfishness displayed by Monsieur D remains unparalleled.”
“But his contract is what saved you from death, Sinjin,” the princess pointed out.
“While this is true, I have yet to know what the repercussions will be,” I admitted with a sigh. I could feel Audrey’s eyes on me, and I felt most uncomfortable. Especially when I realized Chevalier had also taken note of the same. “And perhaps they will be greater than death? I do not know.” I faced the rest of the room again. “Regardless, I do not trust Monsieur D and I would go so far as to say that I do not believe it is in the best interest of anyone sitting in this room to trust him.”
I ended my commentary there, hoping my words would be sufficient to convince Lady Bryn and the rest of the council that my way of thinking on the matter was correct.
“Sinjin, I completely understand your point of view, but I do have to say that
I disagree with your conclusion,” replied Lady Bryn. “You’re completely right in saying that D’s selfishness is unparalleled—but that’s exactly what we can trust.”
“Explain,” Jolie said.
The princess nodded at her sister but then returned her attention to me. “Luce has done Monsieur D two great dishonors, and D values appearances above all else. In attacking D’s zombies and killing many of them, Luce made Monsieur D look weak. And when he attacked D’s home, that was another great dishonor. The Underworld court can count on the fact that D has been embarrassed, and now he needs and wants our help. Is he selfishly motivated? Yes. But, so what? We can count on the fact that Monsieur D is now as hungry for Luce’s downfall as we are, even if our motivations are independent.” She took a deep breath. “I admit that D couldn’t give a rat’s ass about any of us. But that’s not what matters here. What matters is that he needs us and we need him. His reasons are different than ours but the end goal is still the same.”
“I am in agreement with the princess,” Audrey announced with a quick glance at the Queen before she brought her attention back to me. I noticed, with concern, that the princess also followed the trail of Audrey’s eyes.
I cleared my throat and forced my thoughts back to the conversation. I had to admit the reasoning offered by my pet made quite a bit of sense, though I was loath to work with Monsieur D, under any circumstances, ever again. “Even if you are correct, Lady Bryn—and I am not arguing with your train of thought—does Monsieur D deserve our help, given his ridiculous contract loopholes?” I asked. “Or, put another way, do we need his help enough to warrant him possibly turning against us at the ninth hour?”
Lady Bryn gave a sharp nod. “His contracts might have loopholes, but at the end of the day, they are still contracts.”
“What do you mean?” Lady Maetta asked, eyeing the princess closely.
“Monsieur D might be untrustworthy, but the one thing we can trust is his legal process. If he enters into a contract with someone, he holds up to his end of the bargain.”
“Right, but with added angles no one was planning for,” Rachel countered. She glanced at Damek and sighed.
“But what if we were able to get him to enter into a contract with the added proviso that there were no added angles? What if the newest contract stipulated an end in and of itself?” Bryn asked.
“It would be the only way to engage him,” Audrey agreed.
Jolie nodded and Randall appeared thoughtful.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Maetta said with a nod. “I know Monsieur D fairly well,” she continued as she faced the room. “We have been antagonists for a while, and one thing on which I do agree is that Monsieur D will stand by his word. His contracts are his bond. And if we are able to back him into a corner where he can only abide by the written contract and nothing else, I believe we would be safe.”
“I agree.” The princess gave a broad smile.
I was proud of her, but I still wanted to provide the cog in the well-oiled machine. “Then we would be placing our trust entirely in our belief that Monsieur D would not back out of an agreement?” I clarified.
“He would not,” Lady Maetta asserted.
“We’re going to have to take some chances, Sinjin,” the princess responded. “We don’t have any guarantees on anything.”
I nodded.
“I believe I’ve heard enough, and I agree with my sister,” interjected the Queen.
The night was growing long and I had the distinct feeling she was ready to end the debate and retire to her chambers, so she could put the Princess Emma to bed and enjoy some much-needed rest, herself. “Everyone who agrees that Monsieur D should become a welcomed member of our coalition, please raise your hands.”
Everyone with the exception of Mercedes raised their hands. I did, as well, and the princess faced me with slight surprise in her gaze. I simply smiled. Her own expression was one of amusement.
“Very good,” Jolie continued. “I do believe Monsieur D will help us with our goal in ridding Luce for good.” Then, she faced Maetta. “Lady Maetta,” she said, “I understand we are indebted to you for convincing Monsieur D to help us. You have my thanks.”
Lady Maetta nodded in reply, only the faintest of smiles appearing on her battle-weary face. We were lucky to have her soldiers and her assistance in this matter.
“The second piece of news is more dramatic,” the Queen continued. She took a deep breath and faced the room. “In fact, it will change our perception of our enemy entirely.” There was a round of hushed discussion and exclamations of surprise as she nodded toward Lady Bryn. “I will turn things over to my sister, and I request you provide her with your undivided attention.”
Every head swiveled in unison to look at Lady Bryn, who appeared somewhat nervous at becoming the center of attention, but she seemed determined to share her news all the same. She stood and I could not take my attention from her pleasing figure. As attractive as it was clothed, I knew it was even more so naked.
“Thank you for your attention,” she began, betraying no sign whatsoever of anxiety. “The story Luce has told his Tribe members regarding their upbringing is a complete and total lie,” she began, eyeing each council member in turn. “One of the reasons Tribe members consider Luce to be their leader is based entirely on that lie. I believe that, once confronted with the truth, many of those who are currently loyal to Luce will abandon him.” She took a deep breath. “And, furthermore, I believe those same members would be willing to become solid members of our own kingdom.”
There was a round of shocked inhalations and audible outrage.
“I know this sounds crazy but please stay with me,” Bryn continued, holding up her hands in supplication.
“Please, let her continue,” the Queen called out, and the room quieted.
My pet then proceeded to briefly rehash the falsehood Luce had told the Tribe members for so many years. The frog informed the rest of the council of what had truly happened to cause the birth of what we now referred to as the Tribe.
The council members were almost uniformly aghast at the news. “Everything Luce stands for has been created on a lie!” Klaasje growled in her Southern drawl, charming even under these circumstances.
“I agree that we should offer clemency to the women who have been reduced to breeders,” Mercedes began. “But I do not believe the male Tribe members should be allowed to live among us.”
“Then we just kill them all?” Damek asked.
“Unless they kill us first,” Varick pointed out, rather snidely, before turning to address the Queen. “And the hybrids? What do we do with them? They are hardly of the same lineage as we are.”
“Hybrids are still magical creatures, just as vampires, witches, and werewolves are,” Rachel pointed out.
“I agree,” Randall concurred.
“Then everyone should be forgiven?” Odran asked, shaking his big head.
“Quiet, please!” Jolie called out and everyone in the room acquiesced.
“I believe the Tribe members would do the right thing, if released from their mental chains,” Mathilda said kindly, taking her place as the first council member to suggest offering an olive branch out loud. “This lie—a lie offering a convoluted explanation of the very ancestry of the Tribe—is the foundation on which Luce’s entire empire is built. Every brick Luce used in the wall he erected between the people of the Tribe and our people lies upon the foundation this falsehood provides.”
“Exactly,” Jolie confirmed. “And if we prove this falsehood to be just that—a completely insane equivocation—we remove the foundation that house of lies is built on.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sinjin
“My sister and Mathilda are right,” announced the princess. “To understand the mentality of a Tribe member, you have to have lived the life of a Tribe member—a life you are all lucky to have avoided. I have lived that life, though, and if I gained anything from my days with Luce, it wa
s an understanding of how the rest of his people think. The Tribe operates under the supposition that Luce’s word is law; and that makes perfect sense, because Luce is never wrong. Well, in their eyes, anyway. But there hasn’t been anyone to show them there’s an alternate way of thinking or another way of life. Luce has made sure the Tribe is completely cut off from any other magical people, because he doesn’t want anyone challenging his authority. That means his people will believe anything he says, because he’s the only leader they’ve ever known.”
She took a deep breath, then resumed her speech.
“The luckiest moment of my life was when Luce abandoned me on the battlefield, allowing me to become a prisoner of the Underworld court,” she continued, smiling broadly. “That was when I was first able to see there was another way of life. It was my first opportunity to learn about life, love, and friendship, and look where it’s gotten me. Look at the person I’ve become today. I owe it all to all of you.”
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she faced each one of us—well, with the exception of Varick and Mercedes.
“Can you explain to me how telling the truth to Luce’s Tribe members is the best way to beat him?” Randall demanded. “I must admit, I’m confused as to how you plan to deliver this information, especially given the intense control Luce has over the communications the Tribe members have with the outer world.”
Bryn started to respond, but Randall halted her when he held up one hand.
“Furthermore,” he continued. “How can you hope to convince the tribe that you’re telling the truth?”
In response, the heads of all council members in attendance immediately turned to Lady Bryn.
“Och, mah Queen,” started Odran, and I shuddered at his thick brogue, “ah have me a most difficult time believin’, Yer Majesty, that anyone could persuade these roofians tae believe anythin’.”
Mercedes piped up at that moment, too, proving herself a harpy once again. “I would like to second Odran’s hesitations. While Lady Bryn’s heart is certainly in the right place, it seems highly unlikely to me that we will be able to convince Luce’s Tribe of anything other than what they already believe. And attempting to do so could come at a high cost to us,” the prophetess noted snidely.
