An Unseelie Understanding
Page 1
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Epilogue
Chapter One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter One
An Unseelie Understanding
Amy Sumida
Copyright © 2018 Amy Sumida
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10:1985794322
ISBN-13: 978-1985794320
Legal Notice
This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.
More Books by Amy Sumida
The Godhunter Series(in order)
Godhunter
Of Gods and Wolves
Oathbreaker
Marked by Death
Green Tea and Black Death
A Taste for Blood
The Tainted Web
Series Split:
These books can be read together or separately
Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest
Perchance to Die
Tracing Thunder
Light as a Feather
Rain or Monkeyshine
Blood Bound
Eye of Re
My Soul to Take
As the Crow Flies
Cry Werewolf
Pride Before a Fall
Monsoons and Monsters
Beyond the Godhunter
A Darker Element
Out of the Blue
The Twilight Court
Fairy-Struck
Pixie-Led
Raven-Mocking
Here There be Dragons
Witchbane
Elf-Shot
Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings
Black-Market Magic
Fight For Your Fairy Tale
Happily Harem After
The Four Clever Brothers
Beauty and the Beasts
Wild Wonderland
Pan's Promise
The Little Glass Slipper
Codename: Goldilocks
Awakened Beauty
White as Snow
Other Books
The Vampire-Werewolf Complex
Enchantress
Erotica
(An Unseelie Understanding)
Chapter One
I took another look over my shoulder. He was still there. The cold from my bottle of tea was seeping into my skin, a sharp chill, but not as painful as the possibility that I was being followed. I ducked down a hallway and came out into the cafeteria. How had I come full circle? I could have sworn I was heading out of the hospital.
While I stood in the cafeteria doorway—the aroma of poorly prepared, somewhat-healthy food assaulting my nose—my stalker caught up with me.
“Could I speak with you for a moment?” His voice was a velvet rumble and made me shiver.
I turned slowly and looked up into a pair of the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Oh, I know that people say that all the time, but this time it was true. His eyes were startling in their intensity, such a deep sapphire that they were nearly purple. They caught the light coming in the large windows set into the far wall of the cafeteria and seemed to glow. They were so beautiful—surrounded by thick lashes—that I nearly didn't notice the rest of him. And the rest of him was worth noticing.
His body was sleek but thickly muscled, and he was a good ten inches taller than my five-feet and seven inches. His skin was pale, and for a moment I thought it shimmered silver, but then I blinked, and the illusion was gone. His midnight hair was pulled back in a tidy ponytail; highlighting the stark handsomeness of his face. Those cheekbones...
“Miss?” He asked with a smile. “Perhaps we could have a seat?”
He motioned to an empty table—round and plastic; so very ordinary. It seemed odd for him to even acknowledge it. This man should exist in a world where there were no such things as plastic furniture.
“Please.”
It also seemed odd for him to use that word.
“Um, I suppose I can spare a few minutes.” I looked around the room.
The cafeteria wasn't crowded, but it wasn't empty either. There were at least six other people eating, not to mention the staff. I sat in a plastic chair, my butt making a nervous squeak as I shifted. He smiled at me.
“My name is Drostan,” he said, “and I'd like to offer you a bargain.”
“A bargain?”
“I know about your sister,” he said gently. “She has bone cancer.”
“What do you want?” I growled; the interlude had suddenly become sinister.
People could be such assholes; taking advantage of others when they were at their most vulnerable. I'd heard about such things happening in hospitals before.
“Relax. I assure you that what I have to offer will interest you,” he said. “What would you say if I told you I could cure your sister?”
“I'd say you're a scam artist who preys on desperate fools,” I snapped. “And that you're despicable.”
“I can prove it,” Drostan said calmly; not at all offended.
“How?” I narrowed my gaze at him.
“I will cure her for free,” he offered. “You will have a full week to verify that she has been cured and then get your affairs in order.”
“Get my affairs in order?” I gaped at him. “Are you insane? It sounds as if you're offering me her life in exchange for mine.”
“In a way, I am,” Drostan stared unflinchingly into my eyes as he said it, and if he'd been saying anything else, I would have believed him.
“You're an evil bastard,” I muttered. “Do you get your kicks on giving people hope only to dash it away? My sister will die any day now; I'm afraid to even leave her side to get a drink.” I waved my iced tea at him. “And you want me to believe that you can cure her?”
“I said that you didn't have to believe.” He smirked. “Call it a good faith gesture. I will cure her, and you will have your week to accept that I am genuine. Then I will come for you.”
“You'll do what now?” I cocked my head at him.
“I will go to your home and collect you,” he said simply. “You will come with me to my home, and be mine.”
“And be yours?” I blinked in shock. “Like what; a slave?”
“A sex slave, to be exact,” he said with a purr. “You will obey my every wish.”
“Fuck you!”
“Yes, precisely.” He nodded. “Is your sister's life worth it?”
I went still. Something trembled inside me; a warning, or maybe a call to action. I suddenly wondered if he were telling the truth. And if he were, what would my answer to that question be? Would Helen's life be worth my freedom?
“Why would you want me?” I asked him with narrowed eyes. “If you can heal cancer, why would you need to bargain for a woman?”
“I'm not bargaining for a woman, I'm bargaining for a willing slave,” he corrected me. “And those are much harder to come by.”
“Not really.” I sat back and looked him over. “With those looks, you could find several women who would happily go home with you and be your slave.”
“For a night or two.” He shrugged. “I'm asking for the rest of your life.”
“Fine, but there are far more beautiful women to bargain with.”
“I want you.”
“That makes no sense.” I waved a hand at myself.
I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't exactly supermodel material either. My hair was a touch too brown to be a true red, my skin was a shade too dark to be that peaches and cream complexion that was the best part of being a redhead, and my body was too curvy for most men in this starve-yourself-thin world. Then there was my height; at five-seven, a lot of men came close to being at eye-level with me. When I wore heels, I had towering potential. Yet this hottie wanted me? Sure; and I was actually the lost Princess Anastasia.
“I'm not certain, to be honest with you.” He chuckled. “Let's just say that there's something about you that is fascinating.”
“Uh-huh.” I stood up. “Okay buddy, whatever.”
“Are you seriously giving up the chance of saving your sister?”
I froze.
“You have nothing to lose but pride,” he went on. “You're afraid I'm going to humiliate you, correct?”
I looked back at him.
“What is that, compared to the chance that I could be telling the truth?”
I sat back down very slowly.
“Okay, let's say you are for real,” I said. “And let's say that I agree to this. What then?”
“I will state our terms, and you will agree with them verbally,” he said. “That's all.”
“I could back out,” I huffed.
“If you refuse to honor our arrangement after I cure your sister,” his tone went deadly, “I will take back the cure, and your sister will die—immediately.”
A chill shot through me.
“That's the first thing you've said that I actually believe,” I whispered.
“Good”—he leaned forward—“because it's the truth. I have no patience for humans; especially those who call me a liar. So, I'm going to silence your accusations by doing something I wouldn't normally do.”
One second the guy was normal, the next his skin gleamed with a silver sheen and his eyes glowed like sapphires in the sun. I gasped and pulled back.
“What are you?” I whispered.
“I am the King of Unseelie,” he said proudly as his image returned to that of a normal—albeit gorgeous—man. “What you might call; a fairy.”
“A fairy?” I gaped at him. “Sure. Okay. A fairy is going to cure my sister. Why not?”
“You will make the bargain?” He asked.
“State your terms.”
“Simple: you obey me completely,” he said. “Your life becomes mine, to do with as I please, for as long as you exist. In exchange, I will save your sister.”
“I want to know that she won't come down with another sickness after you cure her,” I said. “What if you save her, and then she dies a year later from bird flu or some such shit?”
He smiled widely. “Very smart, Riley,” he noted. “I'm impressed.”
“You know my name?”
“I know everything about you.”
“Of course you do.” I rolled my eyes. “You're a fairy king.”
“I will guarantee your sister's continued health if you keep your end of the bargain,” he said. “I cannot guard her against future accidents, but I will guarantee her health for as long as she lives. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have an understanding.” Drostan held his hand out to me, and I shook it.
Something zinged up my arm and into my heart.
“An Unseelie Understanding,” he whispered.
Chapter Two
A week later, my sister was home and in full health. I still couldn't believe it. The first day she started feeling better, I kept expecting it to be a mistake. The second, I began to hope. When the doctors told Hannah that she could go home, I was overjoyed... and scared out of my mind.
“That fairy fucker was telling the truth,” I whispered to my empty bedroom.
I was packed and had done as Drostan instructed; put my affairs in order. I didn't tell my sister I was leaving; I was still holding out the hope that Drostan might not show up. So, I wrote her a letter. I told her the whole thing, every crazy bit, and knew she'd either think I'd lost my damn mind, or that I had been fooled by a con artist. Either way was better than her wondering what happened to me for the rest of her life. I couldn't do that to her.
My doorbell rang.
“Holy fuck,” I whispered as I walked to the apartment door in a daze. “It's him.”
I opened the door, and there he was. Drostan, King of the Unseelie; miracle healer and gorgeous motherfucker.
“Hello, Riley,” he purred. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, just let me grab my bag.”
“I can provide for you,” he said crisply. “Leave your things.”
“It's not just clothing,” I protested. “There are pictures and things that I treasure in that bag.”
He sighed and picked up the bag. “As you wish,” he said. “Though this will be the last time you argue with me. Understood?”
“Sure, whatever you say.”
“Good.” Drostan offered me his hand.
I took it, and the world went dark.
Chapter Three
I woke up in a sumptuous bedroom, lying on a bed that was so big, it was ridiculous. I sat up; trepidation rising in my chest. What the hell had Drostan done to me? And where was I?
I slid off the bed and looked around. The room was spacious; with a black marble floor covered in thick rugs. My shoes were gone, so I was able to appreciate the silky weave beneath my feet. It was unlike any rug I'd ever walked on.
“What a stupid thing to focus on,” I growled at myself. “Some magic dude whammies me, and I'm admiring his carpet?”
I quickly went back to searching the room. There were two doors; one directly to my left, and one behind me. The furniture was delicate; carved in thin, twisting shapes that were both unusual and extraordinary. Even the bed was carved in a way that made me wonder how much weight it could take. It had four posters and was lifted high on spindly legs of polished wood with gold swirled set in it. The duvet was quilted blue velvet, the sheets blue silk, and the curtains hanging around the four posters were black silk with silver swirls embroidered on them.
Drostan had good taste. Or maybe he had a fairy interior decorator. I chuckled at that.
There was a seating area consisting of four fragile-looking chairs that surrounded a circular table, and another arrangement of sturdier chairs that was set before a black, marble fireplace. An elegant armoire, with a mirror set in its door, stood tall in one corner. I opened one of the armoire's doors and saw my bag set inside it. I made sure that all of my belongings were inside; as meager as they were. Then I closed the ar
moire.
Beside the armoire, there was a carved wooden chest. I wandered over to the chest and flipped open the lid. Leather trousers, vests, and intricate belts were laid inside. There was a box of jewelry that obviously belonged to a man; heavy rings, chains, and pins. There were velvet sashes and pieces of clothing that I couldn't recognize.
“Fairy king clothes, I guess.”
I checked out the smaller of the two doors first, guessing that it probably led to a bathroom. I opened it, and sure enough, a luxurious bathroom waited on the other side of the door. White marble and gold fixtures, with blue linens folded neatly on the counter. There was a tub fit for a king, which I suppose was appropriate. It was wide and set into a raised dais, with a golden spigot curving gracefully over it. I sighed as I surveyed the sinks set beneath gold-framed mirrors, and the pedestal stacked with fluffy blue towels.
I went back out into the bedroom and took another look around. Against the wall opposite the bathroom door were floor-to-ceiling black curtains that matched those adorning the bed. I headed over to them and pulled them back to reveal a large window; starting at about waist height and going all the way to the ceiling. On the other side of the glass, there were trees. Just trees and more trees as far as I could see. There was nothing to indicate where I was. I could have been in Colorado or Canada.
“Beautiful, isn't it?”
I jerked around and saw Drostan shut the bedroom door behind him. He looked like he had in the glimpse he'd given me in the hospital; silvery skin and impossibly-blue eyes.
“Where are we?” I asked as I stared at his otherworldly beauty.
“Castle Unseelie,” Drostan said as he went to the pair of chairs before the fireplace. He sat in one and then waved to the other. “Sit, Riley, I think it will be easier for you to hear what I have to say if you do.”
“Okay. I expect that you wanna tell me how this is going to work between us.”
“I do. But first, let me explain a few things. We Fey are a long-lived race.” He leaned back in his chair and hooked one knee over the other. “You may even call us immortal, though that's not technically true. When you live as long as we do, life can become tedious, and so we've had to find ways to keep it interesting.”