“Have you made your choice yet?” he deadpanned.
My right finger tapped against my cheek as I remained seated even though he towered over me. I didn’t need him thinking he frightened me. “I’m not sure. How about you tell me more about your sister and the trouble she’s found herself in with King Zephyr?”
A twitch appeared in his cheek, and I liked that the longer I held his stare, the more pronounced the twinge became. Even more so, I enjoyed that he didn’t seem to be at all afraid of me like most fae were.
As we had our stare-down, I took in the finer details I hadn’t been able to see during previous stolen glances. His eyes weren’t only silver, but also a darker charcoal color around the iris that would have been easy to miss for someone not paying close attention. Good for me, I was always paying attention.
His hair was short all around and dark blonde, while his skin was just a few shades lighter. His sharp jaw caught my attention next, along with defined lips that were probably full and lush on a normal day but were currently thinned while I took my time drinking him in with abandon.
“Are you done?” he snapped.
“Well, if you want to spin in a circle, I’ll happily continue, but if you’d rather get straight to business, then take a seat.”
He mumbled something about this being a horrible idea but sat anyway. Before he could say anything else, I was ready with questions I’d already prepared. Even though I had decided to help his sister, I wouldn’t do it blindly.
“Why do you contain dark magic when you’re a light fae?” I asked first and his mouth popped open, but there was no reply, so I continued. “You came to me for a reason. Don’t be so shocked I noticed.” Okay, that was a lie, but he didn’t need to know it was Neva who’d pointed out the darkness.
Finn grimaced and leaned back in the chair, allowing his long legs to extend beneath the glass tabletop. I didn’t miss the chance to watch his dark-wash jeans tighten around the muscles of his thighs.
“Like I said before, my sister is in trouble. I tried to fix it myself, and it didn’t work out. The dark magic is my consequence to deal with and not why I’m here. So, why don’t we keep the conversation around her and the piece-of-shit king who hurt her?” At the mention of the king, the charcoal in his eyes bled through the silver, and I sensed his ire rising in the air around us.
Good. Finn would need that rage to accomplish what he hoped.
“So, then. What happened to this sister of yours? What can she do that the king couldn’t resist meddling with?” I asked, letting the previous question go without a real answer. I’d get it out of him when he wasn’t paying close enough attention.
“My sister is a healer, but not the normal kind that can only heal wounds. Ivy can take sickness away as well.” As he spoke about his sister, his face softened and the lush lips I knew existed came into view. “The king was sick and demanded Ivy heal him when his own personal healer failed to do so herself.”
I shrugged, not understanding what the big deal was. “If Ivy’s a healer, what’s the problem? Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do?”
Healers were only ever born from light fae parents. I assumed this was a choice by the gods that created us. A light fae would have the least chance of becoming selfish with their abilities and more likely to use their gifts for the greater good. Dark fae had a little more rebellion on the inside, but that was what made us great warriors.
“When Ivy heals a sickness from someone, she doesn’t just make it go away. She takes on the illness herself. Normally, her body is able to fight it off better and faster than a normal fae, so long as the disease isn’t deadly.” His jaw tightened as his eyes darkened. Compassion flickered inside me, but I stuffed it down before it could grow. This was an assignment. I couldn’t get emotionally involved, no matter how badly my fingers itched to slide under the table and calm his bouncing thigh.
“The king was supposed to die, but your sister saved him and now she’s dying,” I summarized, focusing on the task and confident I’d read between the lines correctly, even though he seemed to struggle with precise words.
“Not exactly. That is what was supposed to happen, but the king promised her she’d live.”
Ah, fae royalty couldn’t outright lie to their people. It was something spelled into the crowning ceremony long ago to protect the people, but there were always ways around the old law.
Finn continued, “The only question Ivy ever asks is if the illness is deadly, and instead of the king telling her yes or no, he’d merely said she’d live. What he actually meant was he’d have a witch cast a spell on her that keeps her body frozen as if she was a vampire.
“Ivy won’t ever get the chance to age up or have kids or anything she should be allowed until the king is killed and the poison within her body is removed. And the witch linked the spell to the king’s lifeline, so we end him, we end the spell. I’ve done what I can for her, but she’s now refusing my help, which is where you come in.”
Fae aged in three stages once they reached maturity at ten and were no longer considered a faeling. We had our “prime” that lasted about five decades, during which we’d appear somewhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one human years.
“Midlife” was next, which was when most people settled down and were ready to have a family, depending on their fae role. We continued to age during that time period until we appeared about forty.
The last aging stage was the “after years”. Fae go through their last aging cycle and, if they’d lived that long, could appear somewhere in their fifties or sixties for several centuries. It was something to be celebrated to make it to the after years, though not anything I’d ever seen for myself when I worked for the king.
“So, let me make sure I understand this correctly. You tried to save your sister but ended up taking on dark magic while practicing with power you had no business dabbling in.” When the twitch returned, I grinned, knowing I’d figured it out on my own. “In the process of all that, she got pissed at you and now you’re desperate for me to help before she does something stupid.”
He opened his mouth to object, but I held my finger up and, surprisingly, he complied, staying silent.
“Now, I’m supposed to be some saving grace that figures out not only how to kill the king, so the spell dies along with him, but how to get the death poison out of her as well, once she’s no longer protected by the witch’s magic. Did I catch all of that right?”
His teeth ground together as he nodded stiffly.
Unfortunately, I had no clue how to remove the poison she’d taken from the king. There were very few things in this world that could kill fae royalty without the use of specialized weapons. The first thing I’d need to do was meet his sister and see for myself what was going on with her.
“I can’t promise to save your sister, but if the king’s death is consolation enough, I can promise to kill him,” I said with a conviction I hadn’t been sure of until that moment.
“You can’t kill him until we save her,” Finn raged.
I inched forward, leaning across the glass, and caught his eyes darting down toward my chest for the briefest of seconds. At least I knew the attraction I was experiencing wasn’t completely one-sided, but I stayed on task.
“Well, I can’t go back to Fae Islands and walk away without consequence if I don’t kill him. So, you’ll have to decide if the risk is worth it. I’m not saying I won’t help try to save your sister, but at the end of the day, if we can’t do that, King Zephyr will still die.”
He considered my words before responding, and I let him have his time. I was in no hurry to venture back to Fae Islands. I was already letting plans formulate in my mind and wanted to sort them out fully before I acted.
Neva returned then, and I stood from the table to join her in the living room while Finn figured out how he wanted to proceed.
Sure, now that I’d accepted that I needed to bury my demons, I was set on returning regardless of his deci
sion, but if he declined my help after our conversation, I’d at least give him some time to sort out his sister’s issue before I began my hunt for the king.
I might be wicked, but I wasn’t heartless.
I nudged Neva. “He’s sort of a delicate flower. He needs a moment to decide if he really wants my help now that he knows what could happen.”
A soft smile played at her lips. “I doubt there is anything delicate about that man.”
I laughed at her forwardness. “Well, there is something broken about him at least.” Finn carried a darkness in him I might not have seen the night before, but I couldn’t ignore it now. A part of me wanted to break him completely until he was writhing beneath me and begging for more of whatever I was offering.
The thoughts took me by surprise. Even though I was no Mary Sue, I normally didn’t like to mix business with pleasure. Though, the peculiarity about him made me want to toe the line and see what could happen.
I watched him from across the room as he steadied his breathing and stared out the window. If it wasn’t for the tense set of his shoulders or the continuous tic in his jaw, I’d have assumed he was enjoying the view, but I knew that wasn’t the case.
I might not have known what it was like to have a family of my own to care about, but I could see how hard of a choice he had before him.
Minutes later, Neva was once again gone and I was lounging on the couch when Finn stood above me. He was possibly wearing the same white shirt from the night before, or he really didn’t like diversity. Either way, I enjoyed the view from my position and took in the slight ripple of muscles across his chest as he folded his arms.
“I’d like to let my sister choose, but she can’t leave the islands. Is there a way we can compromise, and you can leave straight away if she says no?” With the strain back in his voice, I could tell it was maddening for him to be at my mercy.
I remembered the cloaking spell I’d asked Beatrix for. I’d originally gotten it in case the fae before me had proved to be a bigger problem than I’d been in the mood to handle, but the spell’s usefulness would also work on Fae Islands. Just because I was curious what could possibly poison the king to the point of death, I agreed. “Under one stipulation. She only has an hour to decide. I won’t wait around for days.”
“Fine.” His knuckles turned white from balling his hands so tightly and making his forearms bulge, but I ignored that fact and met his silver eyes that heated with a fiery passion the longer they stayed locked with mine.
My chest heaved, and his gaze ventured back to my chest before returning to my face. He, too, had begun to breathe harder as tension built. There was something about him that called to me and made me curious, but I had years of practice in building my self-control.
“We leave first thing tomorrow. Be here before sunrise,” I said aggressively, hoping to ease whatever was happening between us.
He nodded, then spread his wings before storming outside to disappear.
The thought of ending King Easton Zephyr should have been at the forefront of my thoughts, but instead, anytime I closed my eyes, Finn was the only thing that I could focus on.
He isn’t good for us. You need to tell him no. The voice was back, but I still wasn’t listening to it.
Finn was a temptation I would decide on my own if I wanted to ignore or not. Until then, I would keep my guard up and focus on what was being asked of me. This assignment was no different than any of the others. There was a bully and an innocent.
If I could keep my attention on the facts, then I could succeed without distraction and make this my most interesting assignment yet.
Chapter 6
Fae Islands consisted of four primary isles and some smaller ones that were typically only used by other supernatural races for vacation. I’d lived on West Island during my fifteen years there, but I’d visited the East, North, and South ones to do the king’s bidding on many occasions. Each one had its purpose and ran fine without King Zephyr, but he asserted himself whenever he felt like it. Or, at least, that was how it had been when I was there.
Finn said he was from North Island, and I’d have to watch my back there. Three years wasn’t a long time for fae—more like a blink of the eye. My last task there for the king had been to punish a group of farmers for failing to pay their food tax.
Disgust rolled through me at the memory of my former self. Even though I still didn’t often do things without selfish reason, my understanding of right and wrong had changed after spending time in LA on my own. Those fae hadn’t deserved what I’d done to them.
“Are you ready, Ms. Lucinda?” Neva asked, stepping onto the balcony. She caught me gazing at the sky that was just beginning to change colors for the morning, filled with pinks and blues painted across the cloudless sky.
“Lucy. Please call me Lucy,” I requested as I turned toward her and pushed my past behind me where it belonged.
She smiled softly. “I’ll do my best.”
“And yes, I’m ready. We’re just waiting on—”
“I’m here.” Finn landed on the balcony as if he owned the place, and my chest tightened as he walked through the open glass door.
His wings spread once more as he entered my home. Now that he’d shown them, he didn’t seem to like to tuck them away. He’d also changed from a white shirt and dark jeans to a black tee and tan cargo pants with boots that matched his shirt and laced up to mid-shin.
He was appraising me just as openly as I had him, and I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Did he see the me I let everyone else see, or were his silver eyes really as formidable as they appeared?
I was wearing black leather pants and another corset, but this one wasn’t for fun; it was for combat and keeping all of my goods tucked in unless we needed them later.
My hair was braided to the side, and I flicked it back before bringing a hand to my hip. “You’re very punctual, aren’t you?”
“No, I just like to spend the least amount of time with you as possible, so I don’t show until I’m required. Otherwise, I’d be early.”
His attitude didn’t insult me. In fact, it did the opposite. Finn could act irritated all he wanted, but his reactions to me had been real. He was just pissed off that he was attracted to someone he thought was a monster. I didn’t blame him for thinking that way since he’d only known me as the king’s guard, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was willing to show him I wasn’t still that person.
Finn was hot, and his brooding attitude certainly drew me in, but those two things were also reasons to keep my space. There was something about him that could be a distraction, one I couldn’t afford to allow in. Not when I was going to kill King Zephyr.
He greeted Neva with a kindness he’d yet to show me. “Good morning. Do you need help with anything?”
Her gaze darted back to me and then the fae again. “Um, no, Mr. Finn. I have everything taken care of for our trip.”
“Please, call me Finn.”
I laughed at his request, the same habit I’d been trying to break her of for much too long. “Good luck with that. Her manners are too ingrained to go without the formalities.”
He sneered at me. “Well, maybe if you didn’t treat her like a servant, she wouldn’t feel the need to act like one.”
“First off, screw you. I’m tired of your attitude toward me when you’re the one who needs my help. Second, I don’t force her to stay. She chooses to.” My foot tapped, and it took everything in me not to flick a nasty blast of magic at him. Only my curiosity in finding out what had made the king vulnerable kept me in check.
“Right. I’m sure she chooses to be at your beck and call all day, every day.”
He’d managed to turn the tables and rile me up like no supernatural before him. Gods, I’d known him for a day. Why in the world was I letting his disapproval of my life bother me? A small part of me was intrigued, but every other part was beyond frustrated and itching to lash out at him for being such an ass.
H
e mumbled something I couldn’t hear and smirked as if he’d won. Aggravated beyond belief, I threw my hands in the air, accidentally letting magic flow from my fingers, and scorched my ceiling. Gods, I hadn’t done that since I was eleven.
“Damn it, look what you made me do. Neva is not my servant. I’m not sure what you want me to do to show that. Give her a damn sock and say ‘be free’?”
Neva stepped cautiously toward me. “It’s okay, Lucy. I want to be here, and I promise to let you know when or if that changes.”
The fact that she called me Lucy was the only thing that confirmed she was being honest. “Thank you, Neva.”
Finn watched the interaction in silence and thankfully kept his mouth shut while I got control over my magic again. My chest heaved as I took deep breaths. I would not let this brooding fae get to me. I was better than my hormones.
That’s right, Lucinda. Forget this fae and go out on your own. Kill the king and take the throne. Make them all bow to you, my inner voice added.
I don’t want the throne. Never have, never will, I thought. There was no reply and I was thankful.
Neva reached for my arm before I could. “I think we should be going. His sister is waiting.”
Her honey eyes pleaded with me to do the right thing, and another battle began within myself. Between the psycho voice in my head, Finn’s attitude, and Neva’s expectations of me, I was about to lose my shit. I only wanted to unleash my darkness on those who deserved it. The fact that I was reacting to Finn so strongly was keeping me on edge and erratic, two things that didn’t bode well when heading into a mission. I needed to fix something.
I waltzed toward Finn, slammed my palm into his chest, and zapped him. “You are done talking to me like I’m beneath you. If you want my help, quit acting like an asshole only to me and show me some damn respect.”
We were nearly nose-to-nose as he bent closer to me, and I heard the intake of Finn’s breath once I was in his personal space. He tried to cover his reaction to my closeness with a smirk, but I hadn’t missed how I’d affected him.
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