Stolen by the Fae

by Laxmi Hariharan

  Boris turns to look at Dante from the corner of his eyes. Then he closes the distance between us, grabs my hair, and yanks it back.

  I groan. Pain slides down my neck. My back arches. My heart hammers. Everything inside me wants to curl up and die. But I cannot. I need to play out my hand. Need to find a way to keep him occupied and then hope Dante takes the hint. He has to surprise Boris and use the element of shock to overpower him.

  Assuming he doesn’t kill me at the end of all this. The anger bounces off Dante in waves. It slams into my chest, pushing down with such force, I can't breathe.

  “So, the human reveals her true colors finally.” Boris leans in close, close enough for his breath to sear my cheek.

  Bile rushes to my throat. I swallow it down. Force myself to meet his gaze.

  “It’s all because of your charisma, your personality, Boris." I jerk my chin toward Dante. "He pales in comparison to you."

  “I wonder if you are saying all this to save yourself?” He knits his eyebrows.

  I open my mouth to speak.

  He brings his other hand around my throat and squeezes. “Doesn’t matter. I quite like what this spectacle is becoming. It seems I should spare your life. If only for the pleasure of knowing that he will go to his death, knowing you are mine.”

  A low cry rings out from the other side of the arena. I don’t dare look there.

  Pain bleeds down the bond, and I gasp. It’s worse than I thought it would be. It’s as if he’s already giving up hope, and I don’t want that. No, I need to keep Dante engaged in this fight.

  “Release me. Let me go to him. Let me speak with him and show him what he’s missing. It will only make the victory so much sweeter for you.”

  His gaze narrows. Then he drops my hair and steps back. He nods to the soldiers who let me go.

  My knees quake and I almost fall over. Pressing my feet into the ground, I right myself.

  I swipe my hair away from my face, then cross the arena toward Dante.

  He looks past me. “Get her out of here, Boris.” He squares his shoulders. “You want her, you can have her. Just don’t use her against me. This isn’t about her. This is about you and me. About how jealous you are of me. You’ve always envied me, Boris. And now instead of a one-on-one fight, you are using a woman to win your battle?”

  Anger vibrates off him.

  He staggers to his feet, then looks around the audience. “What say you, Fae of Singapore? Me and Boris, the colonel and the commander, go one-on-one just for your entertainment.”

  The crowd goes quiet.

  “A fight that you’ll be able to tell your grandkids about. A momentous occasion in the making.”

  I am almost upon him now. He still doesn’t look at me, just trains his gaze on the audience.

  “You want it, admit it. A battle of two of the most powerful Fae in this land. And unfolding right here and in front of you.”

  A man in the middle of the audience springs up to his feet. “Yes.”

  Another man cups his palms around his mouth. “Fight of the giants.”

  “Fight.”

  “Fight to the death.”

  The cries pour over me.

  I know what he’s doing. Taking the attention away from me.

  He’s making sure the crowd fixates on our enemy. It’s the only way to trap the commander into fighting. But it will still be a one-sided fight. There’s no way Boris will uncollar Dante.

  The breath catches in my lungs. Panic thrums my nerves. I will not show how scared I am just now. I cannot lose this.

  The cries die down.

  I continue to walk toward Dante. I cannot let go of my goal. Just once more to touch him, hold him, kiss him. I cannot take my gaze off him. Cannot stop everything inside me from wanting to be close to him. The hair on my nape rises.

  The air around me thins.

  The next second, a lasso of telekinetic energy descends around me. I fling out my arm; my fingertips graze Dante’s chest.

  I strain against the energy holding me back, only for the lasso to tighten around my shoulders.

  I stay where I am, panting. Sweat slicks my palms. My knees wobble. The fear is a living, breathing thing that burns my throat.

  “Well, who am I to stand in the way of what the people want?” Boris’ voice swirls over the arena. “A fight is what you seek, and that’s what you’ll get.”

  34

  Dante

  The commander’s words echo over the audience. Many jump to their feet, applause ringing out from all sides. So this is it, my fate is sealed. This is how I am going to die. Fighting with the man to whom I had sworn loyalty. In front of the woman I mated. The one who decided to go against me and take my enemy’s side.

  She strains against the lasso of telekinetic energy holding her down, and I am almost glad she can’t get to me. If she’d touched me, I’d have lost all coherent thought. I’d have forgotten where I was. I’d have let my emotions sway me and have begged her to reconsider what she was doing.

  It’s better this way.

  Without her, my life is not worth living. Without her having acquiesced to the mating bond, my life force is already ebbing away.

  If I fight Boris and manage to kill him, she will go free. She’ll be able to find a new life, another mate.

  My guts heave. The thought of anyone else holding her, touching her, kissing her, the thought of her fingers trailing over anyone else’s skin…all of it makes my chest constrict. There is a roaring in my ears, and my breath comes in short puffs.

  “Don’t do this, Dante.”

  Her voice reaches me over the sounds from the crowd that resonates all around the space.

  “Leave.” I fix my gaze over her head on my enemy. The one I must defeat.

  “Dante, you know I had to do it, I had to appeal to his ego, it was the only way to distract him. To make him believe that I don’t feel anything for you.”

  “You succeeded.” I twist my lips.

  It’s all an act, but I can’t tell her that. I need Boris to believe that I have turned her away. That there is nothing more between us. It’s the only way to protect her.

  The thoughts tumble around in my head. A part of me marvels at how much I’ve changed in the short time I’ve met her. From being concerned only about my mission, my loyalty to the Fae Elders, now all that matters is that she is safe.

  Her shoulders slump.

  My heart skitters. If only I could reassure her…but what do I say? That things will be fine when nothing will ever be the same again?

  “I release you from the bond.”

  “No.” Tears glitter in her eyes.

  The lasso of telekinetic energy around her goes taut.

  “Goodbye, Gia.”

  I keep my voice distant.

  The energy tugs her back. Her feet drag in the mud. Her gaze is still fixed on me, her hand stretched out as if to touch me. My heart feels like it’s going to break.

  Boris hauls her to him, so she is flush against his chest. Anger beats at my temples. I welcome the ache, channel it, knowing I’ll need every bit of my emotion for this fight.

  I curl my fists at my sides.

  He snaps the lasso from over her shoulders. The energy dissipates. Then he shoves her at his soldier. “Take her to my quarters.”

  He’s doing it just to make me angry. I know that. He’s baiting me, trying to make me lose my temper. Trying to make me lose control so I will make mistakes. “From the time you recruited me you’ve always liked to test me, haven’t you, Boris?”

  I hadn’t meant to ask him that specific question just then, but I know it’s important to keep him engaged. I need to take his attention off my mate. But how? Two can play at this game. If he can bait me, I, too, can find a way to push him until he loses control.

  “You think this time you will get the better of me?” I lean forward on the balls of my feet. “You are wrong. Even with me collared, my strength is greater than yours. I have always been a better
fighter, Boris. It’s why you pushed me to take on the most challenging of missions. You were jealous of me.”

  He moves his gaze from Gia to me.

  “You heard me. You wanted my youth, my strength. The loyalty I inspired in my men. You wanted it all, didn’t you, Boris? “

  He takes a step forward, then props his arms on his hips. “I see what you are doing here.”

  “What is that?”

  “You’re baiting me, trying to force me to make a mistake.”

  “You are doing fine all on your own.” I laugh, pleased when the sound comes out confident.

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a soldier drag Gia toward the exit of the arena.

  Almost there; soon she’ll be safe…until he goes to her. Which I plan to stop. If I have my way, only one of us is walking out of here alive, and it’s not him.

  “And speaking of loyalty.” He jerks his chin at me. “Apparently, it’s not a trait you inspire in your men. It’s they who are imprisoning your mate, it’s your men who obey me now as I ask them to restrain you.”

  “Take off my bonds, let’s fight now. Let’s show them who the real winner today is. And we both know it’s not you now, is it?”

  He snarls and brings his fists up in front of him. Around him, the remaining soldiers grow restless.

  One of them turns to Boris. “Dante’s right. You need to remove his bonds, make this more of an equal fight.”

  Boris stiffens. He turns to the man, raising his hand. The fingertips glow with that eerie telekinetic light. “Nobody asked you for your opinion.”

  I see the intent on his face for a second. “No, don’t,” I yell out, but it’s too late.

  He points his finger at the soldier. A blast of telekinetic energy lights up the space. The next second, the soldier topples to the ground.

  Anger tightens my skin. A strange calm fills me. I am going to kill him. All this time I’ve been loyal to him, despite the fact that he’d made mistakes, he’d always sent his men—my men—to take on impossible tasks, losing good people in the process. I should have spoken up earlier, but a sense of loyalty…yeah, the very thing that he accused me of not having, it’s that quality which held me back. But no more. I need to do right by my men. By her. I need to stop this senseless killing he’s indulging in.

  “It’s time to fight, Boris.” I raise my head, look around at the crowd. “What do you say, citizens?” I throw my voice toward the throngs.

  “Fight.” A woman jumps to her feet and fist pumps the air. More in the stands stamp their feet. The sound swells and fills the arena.

  “You heard them.” I jerk my chin at Boris.

  He bares his teeth. For a second, I am sure he is going to protest. Then he drops his head in a mock bow. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Colonel.”

  I square my shoulders and hold his gaze.

  He raises his hand and flicks his fingers. The telekinetic energy dissolves, taking some of the skin of my arms and around my hips with it. Pain laces my nerve endings. I clamp down on the groan that works its way up from my throat.

  The fucker did that purposely to weaken me further.

  Shaking out my arms, I take a step forward, pushing my foot into the ground for purchase, then stalk to stand in the center of the arena.

  Around me, the crowd begins to clap. A round, then another.

  The sounds slam over the space, feeling as final as the slap of the lid on my coffin. Goosebumps pop over my skin. I roll my shoulders, then take my stance, my fists held up in front.

  The fucker watches me closely, his arms held close to his sides. He curves his lips up in a smile. A shiver of apprehension creeps down my spine. What the hell is he up to?

  He raises an arm. The rest of his men position themselves at the corners of the arena.

  “Last chance, Colonel.” He drums his fingers on his thigh.

  My gaze drops to the movement. My breath comes in slow pants. The hair on the back of my neck rises.

  All my instincts scream that it’s a trap.

  There’s a low hum, then a net of telekinetic energy arcs through the air. The beams are as thin as cobwebs, as nuanced as the deadliest of weapons, as accurate as a laser beam. The fine threads mesh to form a web that floats down toward me. The spotlights pick out the glittering strands. He’s had this space rigged from the beginning. I never stood a chance. Even if he’d taken off my collar, he’d have caught me by surprise. I’d been too confident of being able to defeat him. Even with my collar hampering my telekinetic powers I’d been sure I’d be able to take him down. I had underestimated him and now I was going to die.

  I look up as the web of telekinetic energy closes in on me.

  “Any last words to your dear mate who is no longer going to be yours, not after I fuck her and bond with her? I am going to wipe out all trace of your essence from her, you hear that, soldier?”

  Rage flushes my skin, twists my gut. I drop into myself, feel the telekinetic energy inside gather into a seething ball of emotion. It wells up, filling my chest, my throat, and it overflows from my skin. I know it’s going to hit the barrier of my collar and then short-circuit. It’s going to burn me up completely. But I am past caring. If I die, I am going to take him with me.

  Flinging my arms up, I let the telekinetic force swell my cells, let the flames flare up, rising to meet the web of energy that descends on me.

  “Dante.” Her voice swipes aside the haze of violence and hopelessness that holds me down.

  I look to the entrance to find Gia racing toward me.

  There’s a movement from the corner of my eyes. “No, no, no.” I hear the sound as if from far away and only then realize it’s me screaming.

  There’s a burst of light, then Boris raises his hands. The fingertips glow. He fires at her.

  35

  Gia

  There’s a flare of bright light as Boris fires at me. I swerve and roll to the side. The telekinetic energy rushes past me, singeing my hair. I snarl. I hate it when my hair gets the short end of a fight; it’s already unmanageable, and now I’ll have to cut it further, and it really doesn’t do well at short lengths…and I must be losing my mind to be thinking of my looks at a time like this.

  There’s a shout from the other side. “Come at me, motherfucker. The duel’s between us, remember.”

  A burst of panic sparks down the mating bond. It’s Dante, and he’s scared, terrified of what could happen to me. Even in the midst of this fight when it’s clear there’s no way that he can hold his own against Boris, not when he’s collared, he’s still trying to save me.

  I want to look at him but don’t dare take my eyes off Boris.

  He throws another ball of energy at me. I roll again and manage to evade it. This time the energy slams into the earth near me. The mud from the impact stings the skin of my arms, my face. Pain tightens my skin. My breath comes in pants. Sweat slicks my forehead. I manage to stagger to my feet.

  I feel vulnerable; there’s nowhere to hide. But I need to go to him. Need to get to Dante and try to help him, but how?

  There’s another burst of fire, so bright that I feel the heat slam into me. The flames rise high and sweat pours down my spine. A fresh wave of pain bleeds down the bond. Sweat beads my palms. For the first time since I met Dante, I sense his vulnerability. He’s always been so alpha, so larger than life, I’d forgotten that he’s not invincible, ultimately that he, too, has his failings. Me. I am the soft spot in his armor. It’s because of me that he turned his back on his clan. That he’s going to lose everything he’s spent his entire life building. He’s going to die because of me. “Not if I can help it.”

  Another burst of telekinetic power comes at me. I swerve low, then keep going, intent only on somehow taking Boris down.

  The air around me thins, and my pulse skitters. It’s as if all the oxygen in the space has been sucked out. Then there’s a howl from the side. There’s so much pain in it, so much anger, I can’t stop myself from turning to glan
ce at him. Just as I can’t stop the cry that tears out of me. The net of telekinetic energy covers him. It almost looks like he’s covered in twinkling lights. Lethal lights that bite into his skin. Blood drips from the punctures on his skin. Still, he stands tall and keeps moving. He races toward Boris.

  Dante grabs the net of telekinetic energy with his bare hands. The scent of burning skin seeps into the air. My stomach lurches. Bile rushes up my throat.

  I want to move toward him but find my feet seem to be stuck to the ground. There’s movement from the other side. I turn to find Boris closing on me. He forms a ball of energy between his palms. His eyes gleam.

  The skin across his cheeks is stretched tight. “You are both going to die. The people want to see death, they’ll get it. And fireworks, the entire package. The kind of death they’ll keep talking about for years to come. Both of you are going to find your way into the history books.” My heart begins to pound. Yet I hold Boris’ gaze. Now is the time to keep him occupied. Keep his attention away from Dante.

  I grit my teeth. “What kind of a commander are you? You don’t protect your own people. You are conveniently using us as a scapegoat, a way to provide entertainment.”

  I keep the words coming, only half aware of what I am saying.

  It’s more important to keep Boris’ attention on me.

  Keep the audience looking at me. I raise my arms at the audience. “Fae of Singapore. Is this the kind of leader you want for your Fae Corps? A man who will not hesitate to make a spectacle out of punishing his own?”

  The crowd quietens.

  “A man who will throw an innocent to death, and all for what? Just to have the spotlight on him squarely? Just to make sure you remember him? What say you, Fae? Are you as fallen as the world seems to think you are?”

  My voice resounds around the space. Apparently, the acoustics are good enough for that. I blink. I hadn’t thought they’d listen to me, but my words have an audience.