by C. E. Olson
“Let him go,” the Hammer says quietly. “Let him go back the way he came and all the way back to the Stone Realm unharmed, and I’ll drop it.”
“Are you the one in a bargaining position? I don’t believe you are. Drop the axe, or your brother’s blood will run with mine on this floor.”
“Don’t do it!” the brother yells, spitting onto her carpet. “Didn’t I just say this was going too bloody smoothly? Don’t do it, brother. Take her out. You don’t have a choice. I’ll be okay, free virgins and all that.” He huffs, but the fear he feels is laid bare in his bright, blue eyes. He doesn’t want to die, and yet he would for the Hammer.
The Hammer screams so loudly she's sure it'll alert the entire castle. His face looks pained, as if he genuinely wants to kill her badly enough to risk it — but his shaky hand drops the axe and one of her guards snatches it before it stops clattering. “Just let him go,” he says again. “You've got me. Let him go.”
He turns to face her fully for the first time, and when their eyes lock, her stomach turns in a way she’s never felt before. With no time to dwell, she looks away and walks over to the Hammer’s brother. “Take him to the cells. It’s the only way this brute will cooperate.”
“Reeve!” he yells, lunging for her only to be knocked aside by her second guard. His head smacks against the stone to the left of her bed, but still, he tries to get back up.
Aine sets down her wooden chair and orders them to bind him. Not one of them has rope, so she goes to her closet and pulls some out with a blush. Why she has it is none of their business. “I’ll do it myself.” She leans over him and tosses the rope around him, binding his upper body so he can’t move more than an inch.
“Is that what I think it is, brother? Really? Now?”
The Hammer curses loudly and squirms, fighting against the ropes as she ties them tighter. “Shut up, don't say a damned word.”
“What are you two bla—” Aine doesn’t have to finish her question, she sees the growing bulge in his lap. “You surprise me, Hammer.” Smiling, she rounds on him with a mischievous grin. “Take Reeve and go. The assassin and I need to speak in private.”
None of her guards hesitate to drag Reeve out of the room. When the door clicks shut, the Hammer tries and fails to slip the ropes. “Weird thing for a Fae Queen to know,” he hisses. “Who taught you about bondage? An old lover? Mentor? Were you just spawned with the knowledge?”
“That’s not of your concern,” Aine snaps with a flush, but something about him makes her want to answer. “Who taught you? A true lover, or the king's whores?”
He doesn't answer right away. “Such a rude word for such a fancy lady,” he quips. “If you're asking me who taught me that I like to be tied up, the answer is you. Congratulations.”
“Oh.” Aine bites back a grin. “Hammer, no one will hurt Reeve if you calm down.” She locks her gaze on him and ignores that strange feeling in her gut once again. “You know our weakness, you know we can’t lie.”
“No, but you can find every way to dance around a lie until it sounds like the truth,” he accuses. “Hurt and kill aren't the same thing.”
“Then no one will kill him. You were sent by your King, I presume?” Aine takes a seat on her couch and crosses her legs, eyes still glued to the so-called heartless killer. There’s something about him that has her doubting everything she’s ever heard about him, and when the reason clicks in her mind, her entire body stiffens. He can’t be... he’s the bloody Fae Hammer.
Aine fights the urge to fall to her knees as the bond to the human snaps into place. The room spins, and more than falling to her knees, she wants to climb into his lap, the overwhelming urge making her nearly miss his response.
“Yes,” he admits. “Reeve shouldn't have been here. He has no oath to the King, just send him back to Ostusen. He knew the risks for me, he won't come back.”
Aine shoves down the thoughts swirling in her mind and tries to pull herself back. It changes nothing, she thinks, knowing down to her core that she is lying to herself. She notices the blood dripping down his cheek, as well as the way he's grimacing, and her hands tighten at her sides. She badly wants to heal him, but if she does, she believes he’ll see it as weakness and never take her seriously. “I’d heal you, but you’re here to kill me.” Aine stands and walks closer, pushing her luck in hopes to get through to him. She truly has no intentions of harming his brother, but these are desperate times. “Will you cooperate? Believe it or not, I’d like to offer you a job.”
He huffs bitterly. “Let me guess. You want me to go kill Balian? I'm afraid I won't have any better luck there. My skills are killing warriors and commonfolk, not kings and queens.”
“Obviously.” She chuckles without realizing and hastily clears her throat. “A king, yes. But not that king. King Sontar of the Lunar Court.”
The Hammer blinks, then leans forward as far as he can. “Haven't you been paying attention, Your Grace? I'm especially terrible at killing Fae monarchs. What makes you think I'll be any better the next time?”
“You’re better motivated this time,” Aine responds plainly. “And lose the formality, Hammer. You’re here to cut my head off my shoulders, call me Aine. Shall I continue to call you Hammer?”
He studies her for a moment and shakes his head. “My name is Varis Kester. The man you took from this room is my brother, Reeve. He's the only family I have, and with that in mind... I'll make you a deal, Aine. The kind that'll see me dead if I break it.”
“You help me with my king. I’ll help you with yours. Maybe none of our heads end up on pikes,” she says, proud of herself for no longer trembling.
“All that leaves us with are two dead kings and a war we won't be able to win,” he mutters. “I want my brother returned back to Ostusen safely. Before I leave to kill your Lunar King. I want to see him safely cross through the portal. You do that and assure me that no Fae will go after him once he's through, and I'll do it.”
“You have a deal. But I need more than just your word, Varis Kester. Swear to me.” Aine braces her hands on the arms of the chair so their faces are inches apart.
He swallows thickly as the sound of the ropes creaking fills that narrow space. “Thought verbal agreements were good enough? Don't lie, you’re just looking for an excuse to kiss me.”
“Why would I ever want to kiss you? You’re a murderer.” And yet, her voice doesn't even convince herself. When their lips touch, she jerks away from the pesky spark she had a strong feeling would ignite. Now that their agreement is sealed, she walks behind him to regain her composure and untie him. “I’m glad you know what happens when you break a contract with one of the Fae, Varis.”
“Sure do.” He grunts as his arms are set free then rubs them to regain some feeling in his extremities. “I break my oath, I die. Funnily enough, I'm already facing that exact scenario. The only difference is this way, Reeve survives. You were right. I am better motivated.”
“Very well. We’ll leave at first light.” Aine walks toward her door, but pauses when he doesn’t move to follow. “What?”
“You're not coming with me. You'll only slow me down, and traveling with you will just tip him off that I'm coming.”
“You’re not in charge here, Hammer. I am. And I’m coming, it’s the only way you’ll succeed. I don’t slow people down.” Aine stomps over to him, wishing she was in more than her pajamas. Truth is, a human would never make it into the Lunar Court without a Fae’s glamour. “You saw my guards at the portal? Triple it... you need me.”
Varis clenches his jaw and looks away, every muscle in his body tense. “I cannot do my job if I’m worried about someone else. You'd be dead right now if Reeve hadn't been with me. So fine, come with me. But if you die, it's on you. Not me.”
“Worried about me already?” Aine hates herself for that joke, and she bristles at him as if it’s his fault. “In any case, we’d both be dead if Reeve wasn’t here, so we’ll thank him by sending him home. You can have
the honor of telling him he’s not coming along.”
“Yet another thing that doesn't seem to work out very well for me,” he mutters. “Fine. Take me to his cell.”
Aine opens her door and relaxes when she sees Vaenor standing there. “Take him to the cells, too. We’ve come to an agreement, but he needs to speak with his brother.”
“Of course, my Queen. Would you like me to leave him there when he's through?”
Aine considers that a moment before shaking her head. “No. Take them to a room. The Hammer is our guest tonight, but keep guards outside his door in case his brother decides he wants to finish the job.”
“My Queen,” Vaenor says with a bow, then takes Varis out of sight.
Dinae slips back inside and takes a couple of hesitant steps toward her with a frown plastered on her beautiful face. “May I speak freely?”
“Please do.” Aine deflates onto her couch and looks toward Dinae. “Say what you feel.”
“Terrified,” she admits. “You're letting the Killer run free in our castle. Your... castle. What sort of deal did you make that guarantees the safety of all of us?”
“He will help me or die. The agreement was sealed... it is unbreakable, Dinae. The Killer brought his only vulnerability with him, and it turns out he’d do anything to keep his brother safe. Including killing Sontar and ensuring our court never has to bow to them. They will never harm us again.” Aine trusts Dinae more than anyone else in her life, she’s positive her plan will never leave this room and yet she makes no mention of the bond. She can’t. “I am open to your council, as always.”
She purses her lips. “Making promises to help you kill a foreign king doesn’t protect the other people in this castle. You trust him?”
“I trust his love for his brother. Nothing more. Him harming someone in our castle goes against what he agreed to do, he agreed to cooperate.”
Dinae inclines her head. “I trust you, Your Grace. I always have.”
Aine nods her head and watches her handmaiden go, and when the door clicks shut, nothing happens right away. She stares at the handle, wondering if Varis feels even a fraction of what she feels, but based on the look he had after their brief kiss, he doesn’t.
Did he feel anything at all?
It felt like some sort of electric current entering her lips and overtaking every inch of her body. Aine wanted more, so much more, and just imagining her mate’s hands on her body has her own sliding down her belly the moment she lays in her bed. No! The queen stops herself. I will not think of the bloody Fae Hammer while I pleasure myself! That’s completely mad! But the truth is he already isn’t the Fae Hammer in her mind, he’s her mate. Something she never thought she’d find... something she’s always actively avoided.
There’s a reason Aine rarely left the castle, one of the many reasons she refuses to marry this damned Lunar Court King. She’s never been one for relationships, it was only recently that she started to feel a void in her life that nothing could fill. Meaningless sex had begun to feel exactly that — meaningless — and she’d rather spend some time alone in her chambers than lay with another secret whore that Vaenor handpicks for her. Now that the bond with this human has firmly snapped into place, she’ll never have meaningless sex again. She’ll never want to.
And he will never want you. The thought hurts more than she expects it to. Whether it hurts because the bond is making her feel emotions for the man, or because if he denies her, she dies, she doesn’t know, but regardless... the feelings are inconvenient.
Sleep doesn’t come easy.
Aine lays there staring at the ceiling until she’s sure the morning sun will rise any moment and contemplates her next move. If she plays her part and doesn’t tell Varis about the bond, he may fall for her naturally, but they’re already off to a bad start. She’s kidnapped and threatened his brother to get him to do her bidding. His brother who is obviously the only person he’s ever loved.
It’s times like these that Aine misses her family, misses being a child without any responsibilities. She could almost hear her mother now: “Bloody hell, Aine. What have you gotten yourself into this time?”
Aine smiles at the memory of her comforting voice. Her mother may not have been the best queen for the Sun Realm, but she was a good mother, and that’s all a child truly needs. “I don’t know, mother. But I’ve really outdone myself this time.” She finally lets her eyes flutter closed, and from the second she drifts off to the moment she’s woken by Dinae the next morning, she only sees one face: his.
Chapter Eight
Varis eyes Vaenor warily as he's led from the Queen’s chambers. The fact that everyone involved still has their head is concerning, but not as concerning as the deal he'd just made with Aine. He knows damned well what will happen if he doesn't follow through. He knows damned well what will happen if he does follow through. If she doesn't kill him once she's done with him, Balian will. For all the Fair Folk in the Star and Sun Courts that Varis has been sent to assassinate, he's only been sent to the Lunar Court once. Sontar and Balian have had a long-standing relationship and understanding with each other — they stay out of each other's realms, out of each other's way, and each provides something to the other in return. This is one instance where bringing back an extra head will harm him, not help him.
“So tell me, Vaenor,” Varis starts, “does your Queen tie people up often?”
“No.” The man grunts, then shoves Varis toward the cell door. “We were a peaceful people until you came around and started picking us off one by one. Don't pretend like you don't know that.”
The truth is, he didn't know that. King Balian always made it sound like the Sun Court was full of brutal, conniving Fae, not peaceful ones. His experiences to the contrary haven't swayed him, either — he’s been taught from a young age that nothing in the Golden Realm is as it seems, and it's not his place to question a monarch.
Well, now he's being played by two of them, and he has many questions.
“Of course. Are you going to open the door, or just stand there staring at me like you want to eat me? I've been told I'm too muscular to make a good meal,” Varis says cheekily.
“The Fae boy you killed in the woods the other day? The one who was with the blacksmith? He was my son,” Vaenor growls. “Mark my words, Hammer. One day, when my Queen is through with you... I will avenge his murder.”
The truth of those words rings so clearly in Varis’ mind that it makes sweat bead on the back of his neck. That man had been collateral damage and nothing more, and Varis had completely forgotten about him until this moment. “I'm sorry, Vaenor. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. He shouldn't have come after us.”
“You're blaming him? You come here to murder and steal, and you're blaming him?” Vaenor’s grip tightens on his spear, making Varis flinch. “So you do fear,” he says with a bitter, dark chuckle. “You're as vulnerable as anyone else, aren't you? For years, we heard stories of the ruthless, heartless Fae Hammer of Ostusen. How you'd rip through anyone in your path and made sport of killing the Fair Folk like it was little more than a game your younglings would play with sticks and rock. Yet, here you stand, bent to my Queen’s will as easily as if she were slicing through a fresh loaf of bread. Maybe the stories were wrong.”
Varis stands his ground. “If the stories were wrong, then where is your son? Is he at home in his bed, or rotting wherever I left him?” He steps forward, knowing he's fast enough to snatch that spear if Vaenor so much as blinks. “I am the Fae Hammer of Ostusen, and the stories you heard were true. Now, let me through to see my brother, or I’ll see to it that you're breaking bread with your son again before you finish your next thought.”
“You can't,” Vaenor snaps. “You made a deal.”
“I made a deal to help the Queen of the Sun Court kill the King of the Lunar Court. I never agreed not to defend myself or my brother if I felt threatened by someone in her court. For Fair Folk that specialize in this sort of trickery, you really
should've seen that coming. Now let me through, and go home to whatever’s left of your family. We’ll stay in the cells tonight.”
The guard visibly struggles with that information, but something tells Varis that he's not permitted to hurt him in any way, so he relaxes. Vaenor opens the cell door without breaking eye contact and pushes it open. “Get in. I was told to take you to a guest room, so get your brother and follow me. Now.”
Varis doesn't stick around to argue. He slips inside the cell and helps Reeve up, holding a finger to his lips to keep him silent for now. He unties him and tugs him back out into the dim light of the hall. “Lead the way.”
“Walk in front of me, both of you.” Vaenor waits until they pass, then presses the tip of his spear between Reeve’s shoulder blades. “Try anything, Hammer, and I'll end his life right here. I'm not beholden to whatever deal you made with my Queen.”
The words make Reeve’s face snap toward him, but Varis shakes his head and prays that he stays quiet. The less they reveal about their relationship and what lengths they'd truly go to in order to protect each other, the better.
They hold that silence until they're standing in front of an ornate wooden door. Vaenor uses the spear’s handle to smack the back of Varis’ knees and make him open the door himself, so he bottles up the anger that surfaces and enters the dark room. There are candles, but no way to produce a flame. “Can I get a match? Or flint, maybe?”
“You have the nerve to ask me for anything? Perhaps a night in here will give you some perspective, since you sent my only son to the darkness.” Without another word, the door swings shut with an echoing thud.
“Okay, it's a good thing we're accustomed to the dark,” Varis says flatly. “We won't have any light now until the sun wakes.”
“What in the bloody hell is going on? Why are we alive? What damned deal?” his brother questions, not giving Varis even a moment to get comfortable.