A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1)

by Valerie Harmon

  And all I wanted was to feel his lips on mine and him to hold me...

  But…

  Always this damn BUT...

  He clearly said that he didn’t want to see me with Xanor, but he didn’t say a word about what would happen to him and his future wife.

  “What about Felicia?” My voice was also low, hoarse, agitated, and my heart hurt so much because I knew perfectly well what I was about to hear.

  “What does she have to do with this?”

  “Just the fact that she’s your future wife. If I break up with your brother, what will happen with you and her?”

  I pulled back and wrapped my arms around my shoulders because now I was freezing.

  One second of silence, followed by another, and then he answered.

  “Feelings and marriage are two different things, Elenia.”

  I started shaking.

  “I have no feelings for Felicia. I never had.”

  As if that makes it easier for me.

  “And yet she’ll become your wife. And I? What will I be to you?”

  “The one I love. The one who’ll never lack anything. Neither you nor Lita. You’ll always be under my protection.”

  Now I wanted to laugh. Hysterically. He planned to put me in a cage!

  “Have you ever thought about how disrespectful that is? To Felicia? To me? I don’t want such a life!”

  Garanor grew gloomy.

  “And what do you suggest? I don’t know you at all.”

  He took a step toward me. I stepped back. I put my hands in front of me so that he didn’t dare approach me.

  “This relationship that you want to impose on me would help us get to know each other better... Is that what you’re trying to say?”

  “No, Elenia, I’m trying to say that I want to be with you, and that you want to be with me.”

  He knew just enough about my desires...

  “With me, your life will change, it’ll be different. Whatever you had run away from in the past, you can forget about it. With me, you’ll have nothing to fear.”

  “Do you want to know what I was running from?” I grabbed my phone from the bed, fighting the urge to toss it at this monster hiding under the guise of false concern. “From a bastard! You say your brother doesn’t deserve me? No, Sonor Horos, you don’t deserve me, and I’ll continue seeing Xanor with or without our agreement! You can fire me! Right now! If I survive, I’ll find another job, and...”

  “Elenia, calm down. I’m not going to fire you,” he growled, and I wanted to do the same.

  “And one more thing!” I jumped to him, experiencing another need — to punch him hard. “You don’t need to know me at all. Not now, not later — not ever! Be so kind as to invite your fiancée to breakfast next time. Or a mistress, or anyone else!”

  I jumped out of the room, rushing along the corridor, down the hallway, and ran off.

  Away from this house.

  Away from Garanor Horos!

  Chapter 22

  Elenia

  I calmed down a little in the aerocar. For the first few seconds, I didn’t understand how I ended up in it. When did I have time to call an aerocab? I was flying back to Lita.

  What has my life become?

  Maybe this was the residual effect of that drug?

  Or maybe it was Garanor. His damn proposal.

  Elenia, I’m sure you’ll be happy to be my mistress. No need to thank me. Just remember who did you good and be proud of it.

  He didn’t use these exact words, but that was what he meant.

  What a bastard!!! I hate him! I hate him, I hate him! I was ready to repeat it a thousand times.

  He wasn’t worth all this suffering!

  Dina gave me some soothing herbal tea and told me how she was worried about me.

  “I’ve never been shaken like that. And even after Garanor called and said that you were all right, I still couldn’t calm down. He didn’t give me any details. Lenny, what happened yesterday?”

  I didn’t want to tell her the truth, of course. I just told her that it was a joke-gone-bad situation.

  I was sitting in the kitchen, wrapped in a bathrobe, overwhelmed after the hot shower and the fragrant drink. I held Lita in my arms, not wanting to let her go, even though she was trying to break free. She wanted to play, and not serve as a stress relief for her mother. But I wasn’t ready to part with her, so I let her reach for the velvet box that was delivered yesterday and started a thorough search of it.

  She twirled it in her hands, managed to find a button that was inconspicuous at first glance, and squealed with delight when the gift smoothly opened. On a cushion of light satin was a pendant with an unusual dark stone, braided with either white gold or silver interspersed with tiny transparent stones, and earrings with matching stones, just smaller.

  “I found out that it’s a set from one very famous jeweler.” Dina’s eyes sparkled, and she blushed, either from excitement or from the brew. “To create it, he used fragments of some super-ancient meteorite, diamonds, and platinum. Basically, it’s very... Well, very expensive jewelry. I’m sure they’ll look great with your dress. You’ll look amazing!”

  “I won’t because I won’t be going anywhere. I’m tired, Dina. I just want to spend this evening with Lita.”

  “But, but, but...!” Dina got upset like she was the one not going. “This is an important event. And I was going to do your hair... Besides, Xanor sent you all these gifts... He won’t be pleased to hear that you’re not going.”

  And he wasn’t happy about it. He called after lunch. Lita had already fallen asleep, and I, too, dozed off till my phone woke me up.

  He asked about my health, apologized for what his friend had done, and reminded me that he’d pick me up at seven. In response, I said that I wanted to stay at home today, but he clearly didn’t like my wonderful plan to spend the whole evening as a couch potato.

  In his opinion, I needed to unwind, and not stay home thinking about what happened yesterday.

  But I couldn’t go. I didn’t want to deal with Garanor and Felicia right now.

  But Xanor insisted, almost demanded. Accepting his invitation was the least I could do to thank him for saving me. Also, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Vin. How did he punish him? I hoped he didn’t disable him, or something like that. I knew firsthand what the Dark Ones were capable of in a fit of rage.

  I texted Dina to come over.

  “I’ll come early so you have time to prepare!” She replied, and I curled back into a ball and closed my eyes.

  The doctor said that my memories would return soon, but I didn’t know which memories I feared more: those about Vin, or those about my conversation with Garanor.

  Xanor was miraculously punctual, and he appeared at my apartment at exactly seven in the evening. He was wearing a long coat over an elegant black suit, and even a bowtie. I had never seen him like this — not in photos, not in real life.

  “You look so handsome today.” I smiled at him. I relaxed a little in his presence. For the first time during this strange day.

  Another weird thing that I suddenly noticed, or rather, realized, was that I felt safe, like I was hidden behind a stone wall when I was next to him. If someone had told me this about a month ago, I would’ve never believed it. I would’ve laughed at such an idea.

  Also, I would’ve never believed that my brain would turn to mush at the sight of Garanor. However, I could easily deal with him... No... That wasn’t true. After all, I was organizing his wedding. But I was definitely not going to lose control of my life because of that.

  I don’t want to become like Leticia.

  “Actually, it’s I who should be giving compliments to you.” Xanor pulled me closer, gently and at the same time businesslike. He kissed the corner of my lips. “How are you, kid?”

  “Fine, because I still don’t remember anything.”

  Noticing the baby running around him, Xanor squatted down and handed her a book with holog
raphic pictures. Lita loved fairy tales, and she stopped being shy around him a long time ago. Having snatched the book, she returned to Dina.

  “And thank you?” I looked sternly at her.

  Lita froze and, looking down, quietly thanked him.

  “Enjoy, little thing.” He got up. “Meanwhile, your mom and I’ll be so bored.”

  “But what about the unwinding you promised me?” I slipped into my shoes and smiled gratefully at Xanor as he threw my coat over my shoulders.

  “Well, at least there’s going to be plenty of good booze and delicious food. If the whole thing suddenly becomes bad, we’ll eat and immediately get away from there.”

  “Sounds like a plan!”

  My mood improved a little. It had to be the dress. Or this great man next to me.

  He affectionately called me “kid” and “his girlfriend” and didn’t offer me the shameful role of a mistress behind a bride’s back.

  Angry with myself for thinking about Garanor again, I shook everything unnecessary (Garanor) out of my head, said goodbye to Dina, kissed Lita, and we left the apartment.

  While we were in the elevator, Xanor told me that I was beautiful, and I thanked him for the gifts. Once we were in the aerocar, plucking up courage, I cautiously asked him about yesterday’s events.

  “Xan, tell me what happened to Vin... Garanor... Sonor Horos said you decided to punish him.”

  Xanor sped up, merging with the lights of the evening metropolis, and shrugged indifferently.

  “I just taught him some manners and explained to him that that wasn’t the right way to treat girls.”

  Taught... Explained...

  “Could you give me some details? What have you done to him?”

  “Nothing that I’ll regret.”

  And that was it. I couldn’t get anything else out of him. Xanor looked calm, completely calm, and that, to be honest, scared me even more. I didn’t care about Vin. I just didn’t want Xanor to get in trouble because of me. I didn’t want him to do something... bad.

  “Is it true that Narcissa made him do it?”

  “It is.” Xanor nodded, and I noticed his eyes turn black. “I talked to her today. She admitted that she was going to blackmail you with photos he took so that you’d break up with me. I didn’t think she was such a fool, and that Vin was so bored with his life. Both of them are idiots.”

  “What did you do to her?”

  “Nothing.” Xanor grinned. “It’s not in my nature to torture girls, although, today I seriously thought about changing my morals. I just warned her not to show up in the same places I go to ever again. That’d it be better for her if—”

  “Thank you.” I timidly touched his hand.

  “Don’t thank me. I introduced you to those bastards after all, even though I knew about Narcissa’s obsessive desire to get with me, and about how big of a jerk Vin can be. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have been kidnapped yesterday.”

  He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and I, leaning toward him, put my hand on his.

  “I’m all right, really.”

  “You’re saying that now, because you don’t remember anything.”

  “Even when my memory comes back, I won’t think about it.”

  If he knew about my past, he wouldn’t look so skeptical. He’d just nod and calm down.

  ***

  Dina was right to say that the Solts’ mansion was a palace. I just stood at the entrance, staring at the luxury that surrounded me.

  “Lenny, are you there?” Xanor snapped his fingers lightly near my nose.

  “Hey!” I jokingly dismissed him. “I’m just admiring the view and trying to understand which of the houses I’ve visited is cooler — yours, Monson, or this mansion. Gods, what a garden they have!”

  The lower we went the more details I could see. It had to be exceptionally beautiful here in summer. I hadn’t seen so many plants even in a botanical garden. This was a real jungle. In the middle, there was a pool that looked more like a lake with stone rapids. There was even a modest imitation of a waterfall. I could imagine how much Lita would’ve liked it here.

  The area in front of the house was lined with marble and well-lit. The guests smiled for the cameras right in this spot. Ladies wore capes, luxurious dresses, and tons of jewelry, mixing all the styles that could work together.

  “Xanor, can we not enter through the front door?”

  He followed my gaze, which was glued to journalists with cameras.

  “Sure.”

  He probably thought it was because of Vin. But I just didn’t want to appear in the press again. Valar was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, and I was advised to start a new life in a new country, but caution still couldn’t hurt.

  We landed at the back entrance, which was full of aerocars, but not as luxurious as those that glistened near the front door. Escorted by the surprised glances of the staff and the waiters hired for the evening, we passed through the kitchen (indecently large) and other service rooms, and then somehow imperceptibly found ourselves in the hall.

  They immediately took my coat and offered me a glass of champagne. For a moment, I was slightly stunned by everything that was going on. The noise, the bright lights, the music, and shiny things, but I came to my senses very quickly.

  And for that, I could thank Garanor. He descended a wide marble staircase with Felicia. They looked perfect. And they seemed like a perfect couple.

  “I have no feelings for Felicia. I never had.”

  And nobody would’ve guessed it. The way he held her arm, the way he looked at her spoke volumes.

  Maybe it was just a show. Or maybe it wasn’t.

  He knew they were being watched, that they were being photographed, and he smiled. But his eyes remained as cold as they were this morning when I said I wouldn’t be his toy.

  It seemed that I had overestimated my strength because it was difficult for me to look at this scene. I turned away and asked Xanor to take me somewhere away from the hall — there were too many people here. While he led me into a spacious hall, where tables had already been set for guests and a place for the auction had been set aside, I finished my champagne in one gulp because I realized I couldn’t survive this evening sober.

  “Tell me something about the auction,” I asked Xanor to distract my thoughts.

  “Today, jewels that had once belonged to the old noble families of Grassor will be up for bidding. All the money from the auction will go to the construction of orphanages and hospitals in Liamorra.”

  Liamorra was a very poor country, torn apart by civil wars for many years now. I hoped the Grassor’s elite wouldn’t be stingy today, and I hoped a lot of jewelry had been prepared for the auction.

  My gaze continued to slide over the invitees. There were many politicians and celebrities here. Famous trendsetters, successful businessmen, actors adored by millions. There were even fairies. Without blockers!

  Lucky.

  My blockers were another reason why I refused to wear my hair up. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.

  But I still attracted someone’s attention. I could feel his gaze even through the crowd, even from a distance. It burned through me, shattering my fragile cocoon of imaginary calm. And again I was worried, nervous, and although I tried to force myself not to turn around, I still did.

  Garanor looked at me as if there was no one else in this hall. As if his arm wasn’t interlocked with hers, and like she wasn’t clinging to him.

  I felt like I was drowning.

  “Have I already told you how gorgeous you look today?” Xanor hugged me around the waist, his lips touching my temple.

  It seemed that I was beginning to get some kind of sadistic satisfaction from this because I enjoyed seeing how Garanor observed every movement Xanor made.

  “It’s all because of the dress. Anyone would look like a model in it.”

  Xanor led me to the table, where Oli joined us. The waiter brought us a bottle
of champagne and this night started getting better.

  “Oh, it’s great you’re here, too.” Oli pressed a glass with a cool drink to her ruddy cheek. “If you decide to run away from here, I’m coming with you.”

  “We’ll definitely stay at the auction.” Xanor leaned back in his chair. “Maybe we’ll even like it here.”

  “Yeah, especially you.” Oli snorted.

  Soon, two more men and one girl joined us. We nodded to each other, smiled, and exchanged a few polite words. Felicia and Garanor settled down at the hosts’ table and Sibyl went there, too.

  The music died down. Felicia’s mother took the stage to deliver a short welcome speech and to announce the auction.

  “The first item is the necklace of Duchess de Lara. This isn’t just a jewel, but a real work of art. Never before have sapphires of such unusual shapes and sizes been intertwined so skillfully with Assalian diamonds.”

  The lights were turned off and a three-dimensional image of the item appeared above each table.

  The ladies gasped in delight, the men exchanged muffled whispers. And I shrugged imperceptibly. In my opinion, it was too bulky and probably heavy.

  “The starting price is two million.”

  I didn’t know how I managed not to choke on the champagne.

  That was way too much money. Especially for the opening item.

  “Two and a half!” A man with bald patches jumped.

  “Three!” Sibyl added recklessly.

  Other guests joined the auction, and the hall was overwhelmed. The cost of the necklace was skyrocketing. I drank my champagne, enjoyed my snacks, and quietly rejoiced for the people of Liamorra. The Solts were doing a good, noble thing.

  And I wasn’t. I was thinking about a man whose wedding I was planning. I needed to get all this nonsense out of my head.

  After a couple of glasses of champagne, this goal seemed quite achievable. I needed a normal man who’d love me and Lita. Who wouldn’t hide us, but who’d be happy to call us his family. I wanted to be a wife, not a mistress. I wanted to be happy.

  That was what I wanted!

  The third glass of champagne went well with a salad, even though it was outrageously small.