Faery Queen

by Michelle M. Pillow

  After, he slowly lowered her to the floor, breathing hard as he kept her against the wall. Tania wrapped her arms around him, lifting them up. He glanced at her in surprise as she pulled his great weight off the floor, flying them to the bed. Landing on the mattress, she urged him to lay with her. As her bodice disappeared, coverlets appeared over them. Hugh held her close, his eyes closed.

  “Did you want me to bring you to look for them?” she asked, empowered and not at all tired.

  He mumbled against her skin.

  “Hugh, did you want to look?”

  “Mmm, nay, I want to lay here and relax,” he answered sleepily. “I will look later.”

  Tania smiled happily, holding him while he went to sleep. Running her hands over his back, she frowned to feel the flat surface. Why didn’t he change yet? Their bond was complete. Wasn’t it?

  Her smile faded as she thought of Lily and Roslyn. Did they know something she didn’t? Was there something she was missing? She didn’t want to bring the women in with her, was repulsed by the very idea of sharing, but if Hugh didn’t change soon she might not have a choice.

  “Giants be big and piskies be small, but that no’ affect the bedsport at all,” William sang, utterly bored and out of spells. The song sounded much better after a night of drinking piskie ale.

  Without his wand, he couldn’t create a spell to get out of his chains and he couldn’t call his fellow wizards for help. Too bad he hadn’t been carrying the thing on him when the lovely maid captured him. The wand was back at Bellemare, hidden in his bedchambers.

  William sighed. Here he was in the immortal realm and he couldn’t even partake of any of his normal amusements. Being a wizard, he knew how to sense the magic around him. Wherever he was, it was a powerful place.

  “What do you say, good sirs?” William asked his lethargic companions. “Shall we go have a pint after we get out of here?”

  As predicted, he didn’t get an answer.

  “Last one to say ‘aye’ buys,” William said. “Aye.”

  Again, nothing.

  “Ah, well then, I will happily take a pint from each of you. Mighty generous, good sirs, mighty generous.” William sighed heavily. “So, what crime got you—?”

  Hearing a whooshing noise breaking into the silence he’d grown accustomed to in the prison, he instantly dropped his head, pretending to be like his unmoving companions. His hair stirred about his head, giving him a chill.

  “I heard you singing,” a woman’s voice said.

  William opened one eye to look. The violet-eyed kidnapper stared back at him, surrounded by the soft green light of a short distance portal. He easily concluded that the portal was the door to the chamber. The woman wore a long, black cloak to hide her figure. The material was big, as if it didn’t belong to her. “For a mercenary, you are very attractive.”

  “For a prisoner, you are very alert,” she said.

  “My companions and I have been getting along magnificently.” William tilted his head toward the side, motioning to the three men. “They cannot sing worth a spell, but we are working on it.”

  “Come, we do not have much time. He will sense I am gone,” the woman said.

  “He? Who is he?” William asked as she knelt before him to pull at the chains binding his ankles. He watched as she scraped her nail across one manacle. It clicked open. “And for that matter, who are you?”

  “I am Mia,” she answered, opening the second in the same fashion, only using a different nail. “And the he is King Lucien.”

  “I do not understand. You came to Bellemare to warn me about Lucien. Then you kidnapped me and brought me to Lucien and now…” William paused, instantly distracted as she stood before him. Her cloak parted and he saw that she wore hardly a stitch of clothing except for a ring of leather bands that wrapped along her body, winding from her shoulders to her thighs like a very lucky snake. He grinned, staring as he slowly finished, “And now you wish to free me.”

  “I did not kidnap you,” she whispered, liberating a wrist. “And keep your voice down. We do not have much time.”

  “If this is Lucien’s prison, where did you get the magic to free me?”

  Mia cursed, as she scraped her fingernail and the manacle didn’t open. She moved to a pinkie, doing it again. The manacle gave way, but William was still stuck on the wall. He flailed about, his arms and legs kicking as he was held by his back. She pushed him over, so his face was directed at his prone elfin friend.

  “Hold on, we need to lift you up. Your breeches are hooked,” she said.

  “Methought they were a bit snug. Done gone up the crac—”

  “Got it.” She pushed him up only to set him down hard on the stone floor.

  “Ow, take it easy.” William wiggled, shaking his hands while trying to free his breeches from where they’d traveled up. “My limbs are numb and my backside aches. And, to tell the truth of it, I think I have got a bruise or two.”

  “Come, you must go. There is not much time. He might already know I have come to free you.”

  “But what about my friends here.” William pointed over his shoulder. “They owe me a pint. I cannot leave them behind to rot.”

  “There is no time for playing hero. If you are gone, it will be excused as your wizard magic. If they are gone, he will know I helped you.”

  “By the by, how are you helping me? If you have enough magic to break in here, you should not fear Lucien. What manner of creature are you, anyway.”

  Mia held up her hands. “Skin from the Damned King’s back. I kept it under my nails. And when I put my lips to you that was his dried blood.”

  “Methought your lips looked pinker today,” William observed.

  “Do you want to die? We do not have time for this. You must leave. Now.” She tried to grab his arm.

  “You never said what you were.”

  “A nymph. Now please, you have to leave. I promise to find a way to free them later.”

  William turned to bow to the three prisoners in farewell. Before the words could leave him, he stiffened in surprise. “Sir Nicholas? He is alive? How is this possible? Hugh said he saw him die.”

  William rushed to the man. Nicholas’ flesh was grayer than a mortal’s should’ve been. His cheeks were sunken in, making his eye sockets protrude. His brown hair hung long around his head, uneven and stringy, just like his beard.

  “Mia, help me to free him now. I cannot leave him here,” William said.

  “Do you not care that we could be caught and this is your only chance at escape? I do not think I can make it here in time to save you again. Lucien plans to kill you in two days.”

  “You know, I do not really get panicked. Apprentice wizards cast a spell over themselves to take away panic and fear, so that we may bravely face anything. Though, I did give it to myself three times. I did not think I had it right. Turns out, I did. And, I must say, it does help the confidence with the fair maids.” He winked at her.

  Mia shook her head with a small sound of exasperation. “Great. Of all the wizards, I get stuck rescuing one who does not have any sense.”

  “Who are these two?” He looked at the elves. They looked familiar, but in truth all elves tended to look the same to him.

  “I do not know.” She tried to pull his arm. “Come.”

  “I am not leaving without them. By my wizard’s honor, I cannot—”

  “Fine,” Mia huffed, crossing over to Nicholas. “But know that as you save them, you most assuredly condemn me.”

  “I will protect you,” William swore. “You have nothing to fear.”

  She gave a short laugh, but didn’t respond. Mia scraped at her nails, taking several tries to free Nicholas of his manacles. “He is going to be disoriented at first. It has been a long time for him in here. After that, just pray he does not still carry a demon inside him. Even if he does not, Lucien’s had him trapped in a personal hell. He will be a changed man.”

  “I will be sure to watch my back.” As
William pushed Nicholas up to get him unhooked, he nodded at the other two. “Now them.”

  “I cannot.”

  “They are blessed elves,” William said. “I can tell that much. And if they are in here, they are in trouble. We cannot leave them behind.”

  “But—” Mia glanced at the green portal. She looked scared. Then, as if coming to a decision, she nodded. “Let us hope some of his blood lingers.”

  “Do I even want to know how you got close enough to the Damned King to get his blood and flesh?” William asked. The look she shot him was answer enough. He shivered, suddenly feeling very sorry for the woman and what she risked. The emotion kicked him out of his spell-induced stupor and made his heart beat faster. It had been a long time since he’d felt apprehension and he didn’t like it. But, knowing that she was scared made him scared as well.

  Licking her lips, she went across to the ankles, kissing the manacles. The metal creaked open, but barely. Then, telling William to give her a boost up, she did the same along the top, but the magic wore out and she couldn’t get the last wrist manacle to open. She licked her lips again, trying several times. William set her down and she used her nails. It wouldn’t open.

  “I cannot,” she said. “The magic is gone. I used it all up.”

  William looked at the poor elf in pity as he helped the one they could free off the wall. The two men didn’t move. William slapped their face several times. Still nothing.

  “Listen to me.” Mia reached within her cloak. Her hand came back with a vial. “I have a portal here that will take you to Feia. Your brother Hugh is there. He is being held prisoner by Queen Tania. This is the most I can help you. Once there, you will have to free yourself from the faeries. Just try not to get any of their pheromones on you.”

  “Again?” William asked, surprised. “Hugh is trapped by Queen Tania again?”

  “She made a deal with Lucien to get him back. I do not know why exactly, though I think it is because she wanted him as a lover, needs him as a lover to take her maidenhead? I am not sure on that point. I never did learn much about faeries. All I know is if Tania succeeds in whatever it is she plans, the earl will never return home. He will be trapped here in this realm. Forever.”

  “Just tell me this after we get out of here. There will be plenty of time once—”

  Mia threw the vial, stopping his words. A white, swirling portal opened. Grabbing the elf by the arm, she dragged him toward it, pushing him in. The portal grabbed him in its vortex, pulling him through with a gust of wind. Mia’s hair stretched toward it, but she kept back far enough not to get pulled in as she went for Sir Nicholas.

  William helped her drag the man to the portal and they shoved him in. “Are you ready?”

  “I cannot go with you.”

  “But you said he would be angry about this,” William protested. “Do not worry. I’ll explain everything to my brother. He will understand and will not be angry. Come to Bellemare with us. We will keep you safe.”

  She smiled sadly and came toward him as if to hug him. William held out his arms, ready to feel her soft body against him. Suddenly, she ducked, pushing him through the portal. He gasped in surprise as he was helplessly sucked into the churning center.

  “Mia.” He tried to yell, but the word was lost in the heavy winds.

  Mia stood on the other side, her hand lifting up in farewell. Her image grew fainter as he was pulled away from the Damned King’s dungeon. The remaining elf prisoner’s free limbs reached forward as if he would come too, but the manacle held him back. The portal dimmed and he knew Mia closed it on her side, staying behind to face whatever punishment Lucien dealt her.

  Lucien lounged before his fireplace, watching Mia’s deceit unfold on his bedchamber floor. The flames moved like a life size fire play, mimicking the people in his dungeon. He’d known that Mia would try something, had expected her to, but still her betrayal angered him.

  Why couldn’t he command her loyalty to him? Why did she have to fight him so? Even as he craved her complete submission, he longed for her defiant nature.

  He watched, his chest tight with uneasiness, as he waited to see if she would again kiss William. He heard their words in his head, even as the fire showed their actions. Finally, she pushed William through the portal she’d stolen from him—the one he’d let her take.

  The hold on his chest eased. She hadn’t kissed the wizard, but she did save his life, sending one of his most prized prisoners with him—Prince Ladon of Tegwen.

  Lifting his hand, he balled it into a fist to extinguish the flames. He could’ve stopped her at any moment, kept his prisoners, but he wanted William to cause trouble between Queen Tania and the earl. Mia’s rescue scheme did just that. He’d lied to Mia about Tania’s intentions, purposefully told her of William’s capture, all the while knowing she’d free the wizard and tell him of Hugh’s imprisonment. He predicted she might free Sir Nicholas, but he hadn’t anticipated her having enough of his magic leftover to free the elf prince as well. At least he still had one Tegwen prince left to him.

  Prince Ladon had spent over fifty years in his prison, plagued by evil thoughts. It would only be a matter of time before those thoughts took hold inside him—creeping into his dreams, into his actions, into his temperament. It wouldn’t be foreseeable, not like if he carried a demon inside of him. Ladon would fall into darkness harder than his brother, Merrick. And if Ladon failed to succumb, Lucien always had Wolfe.

  Lucien wasn’t concerned with Nicholas. The man was weak and it took less than a year to break his spirit fully. After he took in the demon and killed his own father, Nicholas’ soul had been half dead anyway. Now, he was merely a pawn that Lucien would use to prey upon the Bellemare family’s goodness. He saw many scenarios with Nicholas and the Bellemares. If Nicholas made it back to the mortal world, he would carry his demon with him. If he didn’t, he would either haunt the Bellemare family with his absence or would show them just how powerful Lucien’s demons were and haunt them with their fear. Any way it happened, Nicholas served a meager purpose.

  With barely any concentration, he willed that Ladon and Nicholas should awaken from their troubled sleeps. He also willed that they stayed weak and disorientated, at least for the time being. Let William the Wizard split Tania from her lover first. He glanced at the bed, seeing the faery queen’s image in the sudden flames. Her powers were still weakened, closer to darkness than to light. It allowed him to spy on her without her knowing. Hugh was with her and there was no mistaking the status of her former maidenhead.

  “Where have you been?” He squelched the fire as Mia slipped into the room. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  “Wandering the halls,” Mia answered. “I could not sleep and did not wish to disturb you.”

  He hid his rueful smile, keeping his face blank as she lied to him. “Always the thoughtful one, are you not, sweet nymph?”

  Chapter Seven

  Hugh was trapped in the euphoria of Tania’s embrace. He couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t keep from making love to her whenever she was near. The few times she did leave him, he waited breathlessly for her to come back. Nothing else mattered. Nothing existed beyond her body, her voice, her kiss. When he closed his eyes, it was to think of her. And each time they came together, the euphoria thickened as did his pleasure. He’d never felt so free in his life—free of responsibility, of thought, of duty. There was only Queen Tania and he couldn’t get enough of her.

  Blinking as he became fully awake, he automatically reached for her. His shaft was hard, ready to again feel her body on his. Already they’d made love all over her bedchambers—in the bathing pool surrounded by vines, on the hard floor, on the soft bed, against the wall—and in every position imaginable.

  His hands met with an empty bed. Frowning, he looked around the room for her.

  “Tania?” He sat up on the mattress. “Tania, come to bed.”

  Sensing she was near, he looked at the door to the bedchamber, eager to
see what she’d be wearing today. The lines on her body didn’t fade, but her hair stayed the same honeyed blonde. She always heard when he called and, since he had taken her against the wall, she always came to him when he beckoned.

  Her midriff was bare, showing between a short, tattered gray and green skirt and a bodice that only covered her breasts. A wreath of vines twirled in place of her normal silver crown. As always, her hair flowed about her shoulders and her wings flapped behind her as they carried her forward. Her long legs were still as they drifted through the air. She didn’t wear shoes upon her feet, leaving them bare.

  Hugh stared at her toes, groaning in arousal. Every inch of her turned him on. His gaze traveled up her legs, to where her thighs were exposed, her sex barely covered with the skirt. Part of him wanted to say something about her going around her palace in such revealing attire, but the thought slipped away as soon as he had it. He continued his visual journey up to her tight stomach. The skirt was low enough to show her navel. The practically non-existent top clung to her chest, held on by one strap across her shoulder, while giving him the impression of budded nipples.

  “Hugh, we have visitors outside the palace,” Tania said. “You should dress and come down from the tower.”

  “Come to bed.” He did not care if fifty kings awaited his appearance.

  “You spend all day in here.”

  “I do not hear you complaining while you are in it.” He stood. Reaching over to swipe her foot, he grabbed her and pulled her down next to him. Instantly his lips were on her neck, kissing her. She moaned, responding like she always did. Each time he wanted her, he found her body wet and ready for him, her desires enough to match his own.

  Running his hands along her waist, he pushed her top up to find her nipples were indeed hard. Hugh captured one in his mouth, mindlessly sucking and biting it. The small, pretty sounds she made turned him on more. Her magic fell over him in tiny dots of light, impassioning him even more. Like a man starved for release, he caressed her legs, impatiently pulling up her skirt to find her naked ass and hips. Her small hand wrapped around his arousal, stroking it so lightly that it made him ache for her tight sheath.