by Allie Santos
“I just can’t concentrate. Could we move on to something else?” I whined, and something occurred to me. “Maybe learning how to fight will help my mental blocks.”
He shook his head and scratched his eyebrow. “It would be pointless to know how to fight if someone can get in your head and cut it off while you thought you were seeing your best friend in their place.”
He stood and strode to a corner of the room and slid a part of the wall over. On closer inspection, I realized it was like a little cubby with a whole lot of buttons. He reached in and fiddled around. The floor shuddered, and to the far left of the room, two panels from the ground opened, and a sleek gold machine rose.
I got to my feet and approached it. “What is it?”
“It’s for running.”
I threw him a confused look. It was like the Fae were a perfect balance of past and present, and I never knew which one to expect.
“So, like an elliptical?” I guess I could see how it looked like one. The sleek bottom gold was different in the middle where the band would generally go.
“I do not know what that is, in all honesty,” he said, and I smiled at his weird phrasing. “Get on.”
I looked over at Tyran to see him smiling at me with a soft expression. Running was not my thing, but I couldn’t deny it had gotten easier.
I puffed a breath out and clambered on. I almost slipped, but Tyran reached out and grasped my waist before I slid headfirst into the dull side of the running machine. His touch sent a shock through me, not necessarily bad, but not all good. I pulled away, feeling like an idiot.
“Thanks, Ty,” I mumbled and shot him a sheepish grin.
“I like it when you call me that.” The smile on his face made nervous butterflies erupt in my stomach.
“How do I turn it on?” I asked and turned back to the machine. This time, I stepped higher into the middle of the light-colored strip. As soon as my weight settled on it, it started moving. I flailed for purchase. Ty reached out, grabbing my hand to steady me. I managed to get myself upright and stilled.
“You’re going to have to build up your speed.”
“How the hell am I supposed to balance on this crap?” I was unsteady and not only because the contraption felt an awful lot like a death trap.
“You need to start at a slow walk. I’ll be here to catch you if it’s needed. Trust me. You will be okay. This was used for training our young. Stay straight and start slow. It’s simply to gauge your speed and endurance so you know your limits.”
I still wasn’t sure if I should trust this damn machine, but I put a step forward, and the thing moved under me, requiring another step forward. I kept up the stumbling pace, holding onto Ty’s hand the entire beginning. Once I caught some wind, I kept my position and let his hand go. It wasn’t long until I fell into a rhythm.
I slowly picked up speed, and my hair whipped behind me with how fast I was going. My breathing was even and steady.
“I think I got this down,” I huffed, and my concentration broke. I managed to catch the rhythm again before I went flying. I heard Tyran laughing, and I glared. As I kept up the speed, a sheen of sweat beaded on my forehead.
“I didn’t realize Fae sweated,” I said, disgruntled. I hated the feeling.
“We don’t. It must be because you haven’t fully transitioned.”
That made sense. I stopped focusing on him and concentrated on the pounding of my feet and the sound of my steady breathing huffing in and out. It wasn’t long until the rhythmic thumping of the elliptical lulled me in a detached state. I felt calm. Not only in body but in mind. A real smile slipped out as I kept running. I loved this rush.
The door flew open, and one of the guards strode in. I’d met him, but his name escaped me, but he was the only Fae I’d seen with facial hair. I was so shocked by his arrival that I stopped, and the forward momentum I’d built threw me back.
Unable to react fast enough, I flew back into Tyran. I winced at the impact, but it wasn’t as hard as I had expected. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder. His face was close to my cheek, his arms wrapped around my middle.
I pulled away hastily and felt my face flush. I dusted the imaginary lint off my clothes and looked at the guard who had burst into the room. He didn’t meet my eyes, but his eyebrows had almost disappeared into his hairline.
“What is it?” Ty asked, sounding breathless.
The guard finally looked up, and his expression turned grim. “A small army marches in our direction from the northeastern side. The Elvin leader comes calling.”
Tyran shot up so fast that it sent my head spinning. “We need to go.”
He grabbed my arm, and I didn’t fight his hold as he toted me out of the training room. “Where are we going?”
“To see what that pompous ass wants after not replying to us for weeks.”
What the hell was he talking about? Though confused, I kept quiet and followed as he told me about the Elvin leader and his sexual proclivities. I groaned. This guy sounded like a character I wanted to stay far away from.
9
Tyran barked orders to the guard who had notified us. Something about assembling the Fae Guard immediately and a slew of other orders in a lilting language I didn’t understand. It would have been nice if the Fae ability to understand all languages kicked in. The unpredictability of Fae qualities I could access was irritating. I had forgotten about my super strength, and I’d broken a bed. It had been incredibly embarrassing.
The guard zipped away just as Conan and Cora ran in our direction.
“Good, they’ve told you.” Conan gave Tyran an answering nod.
I stumbled at the abrupt halt Tyran brought me to, his grip on my wrist still tight. Tyran looked at him, grim-faced. The nervousness from in the training room had ratcheted up to an excruciating level as they continued talking.
“What could he possibly want? Maybe he has good news.”
“No idea with that flakey son of a bitch,” Conan tossed out. Cora’s eyes shot up to him in shock.
“Agreed, he hasn’t shown his face around here in four hundred years, not since he was a boy.” Rian appeared next to our group.
I jumped and glared at him. Then I registered what he said. Damn, that was a long time. How old was Rian?
“We should get to the bordering wall. We don’t want the civilian Fae to be fearful,” Rian continued.
Conan nodded in agreement, but the disgruntled expression on his face showed something else. “Why couldn’t that arrogant asshole request a meeting?”
“What’s going on?” I finally exploded, a little louder than I had meant to be.
Everyone turned to look at me, but Cora crossed her arms, staring them down. She was as clueless as I was.
“Apologies, Rae,” Tyran said. “The Elvin leader and his people have not visited from their lands in a long—”
“Can you talk and walk? We need to get to the entrance,” Rian said.
Tyran nodded and waved me forward. We collectively started walking before he opened his mouth. “As I was saying—”
“I need you to go back to the room, Cora,” Conan interjected.
She shook her head, confused. “What? No, I would like to come.”
“Please, Cora, I don’t know what he wants. He may be our ally, but we do not know where he stands now that he knows we pretty much have,” he paused, shooting me an apologetic look, “a human as a leader. He could be turning the tides and wanting to prove his dominance over Fae. I don’t want you in that danger.”
Cora’s lips pressed together.
“That should go for you both,” Tyran said, looking to me.
My hackles rose, but before I could open my mouth to argue, Rian interrupted. “She should be there as our Queen. It’s probable he is testing her specifically. We need her there.”
I nodded shortly at Rian even though I had no clue what he meant and turned to glare at a tight-lipped Tyran.
“If Rae is going, I’m going,” Co
ra said mulishly, and Conan’s expression tensed as she grasped his hand. “The guards will be there. You will be there.”
That seemed to soften him because he sighed and picked up his speed.
We strode through the middle of the little town, my shoes slapping against the main cobbled pathway that led to the arching exit of the boundary.
“Why is there no one out?” My eyebrow wrinkled at the ghost town vibe. There were Fae usually milling or doing some sort of work.
“I told the guard to spread the word to keep everyone inside, just in case.”
So that’s what Tyran had said in the other language. That made sense. I’d come to call the Fae who didn’t wear the intimidating Guard garb civilian Fae because that’s pretty much what they were. Some of them actually looked frail, which was odd.
We arrived at the arching doorway moments later. I was surprised that the gates had already been slid open.
“They’re coming from the far north. They have approximately eight bodies,” the Fae at the top of the tower said.
“Not many at all,” Rian muttered.
When I tore my gaze away from the guy at the top, I found myself looking at another wall entirely. Ten towering, thickly-muscled guards garbed in familiar dark clothing stood by the entrance. A smattering of weapons hung from each Fae. Their faces were still, and they stared straight ahead.
“Are they all the Fae Guard?” I whispered to Tyran. I’d seen most of the towering males at one point or another. They were always quiet but never failed to offer a stiff nod. Tyran smiled and squeezed my shoulder as if he found me adorable. But I was terrified. My pulse rocketed the closer we got. The sight of the clothing was giving me hard-core anxiety. Roark and Sabine had been a part of this wicked-looking group.
“No, some are at the portals and others are protecting the civilian Fae. Rian is their First.”
“What does that mean, first?”
“First Fae. According to my research,” Ty muttered. He said that a lot. He had some obsession researching all sorts of random human shit. How he researched exactly was still a mystery. “In your human world, the equivalent is similar to a captain or a major. He doles out orders.”
My mouth popped open. Sabine’s sly title for Rian made more sense now. I had no idea that there was a legitimate name for his position. I just knew he led them.
Their gazes collectively settled on me, each one nodding once before returning to their blank staring. I smiled awkwardly and wiggled my fingers back at them. They fell into a formation around Ty, Conan, Cora, Rian, and me as we stepped through the wall. Rian nodded up at the guards at the top.
We began trekking, and Tyran filled me in on Elvin-Fae history. “The Elvin are the only other powerful Unnatural species left in Faerie due to a treaty many years ago. Their Leader has not recently set foot within our boundary. Unlike Fae, Elvin pass down the position through bloodline. It was his mother who led before she was murdered.” A twinge of empathy entered my chest. Tyran turned a warning look at me. “Don’t fall for it. I mentioned his way with women. He uses that to his advantage. He is a—” He paused, lost for words.
Cora interjected. “A rake.”
My lips twitched at the old-fashioned word for player.
Conan slid his arm around Cora’s waist and pulled her to his side. His quick turn to jealousy made me want to laugh. At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel the sting of their cuteness. A part of me wished for someone to need me like that. I forced my thoughts elsewhere as the wind picked up, reflecting my tumultuous thoughts.
A splat hit my nose. Startled, I craned my neck. The sky churned a dark grey. “Shit.”
I took a deep breath, reining in my emotions. I swallowed hard and tapped into my training. I dipped into my well, slowly and carefully pouring just enough out. I forced the rain to stop. Since the sky was darkening with the coming night, I hoped no one noticed the turning clouds. Thankfully, I didn’t feel any more water droplets.
The three guards in front of us came to a stop, all reaching behind them to the sharp daggers holstered at the small of their backs. As I glanced at the rest of the guards, a shiver of fear shot through me at the intimidating sight surrounding us. One of the guards had a large broadsword. Another had a wicked curved sword. There was even an ax holder. These guys looked dangerous.
It made me mull over how much danger I’d been in with Sabine. Added to that was a bit of grudging admiration at her being a woman equal to these intimidating males.
The squeaking of wheels and footsteps filtered through the forest, and I got on my toes to look over one of the guard's shoulders—something I’d never had to do at my height. A lavish red carriage came into sight, seemingly pulled by nothing. As it approached, I realized little beings were pushing it forward from the bottom. The handful of guards surrounding it were covered from shoulder to toe in black with red embroidery. They gazed at the group with hostility. Most startling was that every single one was female.
The four large, golden wheels came to a smooth stop. Flourishing carved emblems adorned the carriage. The red felt of the curtains shifted before a guard stepped forward and opened them in a dramatic swoosh. My mouth almost dropped open.
The interior was pure red. Pillows surrounded a large comfortable-looking bench that faced outward. The lavish coach wasn’t what threw me off, though. Nope. It was the outline of two naked women sprawled on the plush bench with a large shadow leaning indolently between them. The shadow moved, and the dim lighting offered by the sky shone on his face as he removed himself from the carriage in a smooth motion.
Air left my body when he fully emerged. I realized then why this man had so many women at his beck and call. His hair was long, and a golden piece of it fell in front of golden eyes that promised sensual pleasure. He grinned, and his gaze raked me from head to toe.
“Aren’t you a savory morsel? You would make a great addition to my harem.”
My lip curled in distaste. This guy was full of himself. Man, I hoped those women wore earmuffs to cancel out his voice. Or maybe they just let themselves be blinded by his godlike looks.
I felt Tyran and Rian tense at my sides, and I narrowed my eyes at him. His eyes flicked to Cora, and as his heavy-lidded gaze slid over her, his grin widened. Conan bared his teeth and pushed himself in front of her. The Elvin leader threw his head back, and a deep laugh exploded out of him.
Classic pretty-boy attitude. Felt like he was owed something, so he went around like everything was his playground. Got everything he wanted and knew it, too. I wondered where his underlying issues stemmed.
The newly risen cynic in me rose to the forefront, and I scoffed, crossing my arms. Stepping forward, I waved the three guards in front of me to the side and tilted my head up to look at him.
“I heard whisperings about Luz being gone and how the return of magic depends on a puny human.” The corner of his lips curled up, heat simmering in his gaze. “I assume you’re the half-breed.”
“Proud of it, too.” I evened out my expression, trying not to show him how much his comment irked me.
His smile widened as if he knew what I was doing. “I have a proposition for you. I will tell you the information I know…. if you agree to be my mate.”
“You’re not a foreplay kind of guy, huh?” I drawled, and his lips quirked. Tyran was suddenly at my side, his expression more vicious than I’d ever seen it. “I thought mates were fated?”
“Unlike the Fae, we have free will and are able to bind ourselves to another that is not mated.”
“Jedrick,” Ty snapped warningly.
I waved him back. My outward appearance was more relaxed than what was going on inside. Quite frankly, I was freaking out. The breeze picked up. “Why should I agree to that? From what I understand, the return of magic benefits you just as much as us.”
His expression turned bitter. “Not at all. We have been happily living out our lives on my lands. Something came up where having a future alliance will be bene
ficial. But either way, I could live without magic ever being released. Agree, and I will tell you what I’ve heard.”
I wanted to tell him to stuff it. I got the stinging feeling that he was lying. Jedrick’s smile had an edge to it. He needed something. I sensed it.
“Why do you want a mate?” Cora interjected tightly, saying what had been on my mind. His eyes narrowed, and I wanted to smile at his displeasure.
“If what you want is an alliance, you have one. Just tell us what you know,” I said, my tone cajoling.
“It’s not enough. You must be loyal to me and only me. You will show this by being my mate. We can iron out the details at a later date,” he said in a clipped tone. An emotion other than mocking flirtation showed. “Take my deal or I will tell you nothing.”
My chest tightened. But the resolve on his face made me hold my tongue. “How do we know the information is any good, anyway?”
He smiled, and I wanted to throw something at him. I was tired of these arrogant mercurial assholes surrounding me.
“How are we supposed to know it’s a reliable source?” I prompted again, ignoring the tightening of his eyes.
“If you don’t succeed in freeing magic, then our deal will be void.” His smile was deliberate. “So, there should be no need to worry otherwise, correct?”
I couldn’t argue with that. Out of options, I nodded, despite the nervousness eating at my stomach. “I agree to those terms.”
Tyran hissed from behind me.
“The goblins in the human world know the rest of the prophecy.” The perfect grin that spread over his face sent chills over my body. Both the good and the bad kind. This guy was not one to mess with. He turned and strode back to the carriage as I stared at him, agog. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Jedrick slid in between the naked women, and the curtains closed as their hands began petting him.
Great. How the hell was I getting out of that deal?
A part of me hesitated. Should I even look for a way out? Being with someone who knew where I stood would solve a lot of issues. An urge to smack myself at that thought filled me. I didn’t need to be with anyone. I sighed and tossed that depressing thought to the side.
