I raised my hand and cupped his chin between my fingers. “You get even hotter when you’re angry. Let’s see what happens when I do this.” I gave him one second to object before my lips pressed against his, and I took what I had no business wanting.
Finn kissed me back, and I knew it was time to go. He’d done the opposite of what I’d anticipated. Moving my hands south, I sent the tiniest shock of magic through his ribs to get the reaction I desired.
His hand grabbed on to my braid and yanked my head back. “Lucinda,” he growled against my lips as I smirked.
“Yes, Finn?” I batted my lashes.
“That’s enough.”
That, I wouldn’t argue with.
“I agree. We need some separation and don’t feel too bad, but it’s definitely you and not me.” I inched my wings closer, supporting my body with my knees. Before he could move, I pooled magic into both hands and trapped him with a bit of extra power and feathers I didn’t mind leaving behind if it meant I could get the hell away from him.
“What are you doing, Lucinda?” he snarled, bucking beneath my magic.
“Exactly what you expected of me.”
Neva poked her head out the door, but I didn’t acknowledge her. I couldn’t let anything else stop me.
My wings extended to their full six-foot span, and I took to the sky, heading straight for King Easton Zephyr.
It didn’t matter that I hadn’t settled on a plan. All that mattered was that I was done letting him win.
Chapter 8
Nobody chased after me, and I should have been happy about that, but I wasn’t even close to okay. Since I couldn’t understand why the situation irritated me so badly, I focused on figuring out how best to get close to the king without him knowing.
While I sped away from their farm, I wasn’t exactly watching where I was going, my thoughts too focused on how best to complete my task. I could attack head-on, take out whoever was in my way while moving through the castle like it was mine, but that was reckless. I didn’t know what had changed in the last three years.
Then, there was the option of finding someone to glamor me. Between a glamor and the spell Beatrix had given, I could possibly walk right in, but again, I’d run the risk of being questioned if I tried to go anywhere the public wasn’t normally allowed. One wrong answer could turn into a war within the castle where I’d be severely outnumbered.
Only one option was left, but it was one that wouldn’t provide instant gratification and would require my stay on the islands to be much longer than I wanted, but this last option was definitely the one he wouldn’t expect from me. Not from the Lucinda he thought I was.
By the time I began paying attention to where I was again, I was nearing West Island and considering turning toward South Island. After thinking it through more thoroughly, I knew I wasn’t ready to initiate my plans. I had no weapon, and I still knew nothing about the poison that nearly killed King Zephyr. Though, I also wasn’t ready to go back to Finn’s farm.
I’d only been flying for about ten minutes and was surprised I hadn’t seen anyone else. When I’d last been around, people flew between the lands frequently, but everything around me was quiet. Too quiet.
The islands here were bigger than any I’d seen while on Earth, and they weren’t very far from each other, which was a good thing once I realized nothing was as it should be. I needed to get out of the open.
I headed for an orchard at the edge of South Island. My wings carried me down, and I landed without noise, heading straight for the cover of trees. I’d missed the nature of these lands and reached out for the closest limb, but as soon as my fingers connected with the branch, brittle leaves crumbled to the ground. “What the hell?”
Then, I started paying closer attention and took in a deep inhale of death.
The dirt beneath my feet that used to be powdered and fresh was now hard and cracked. The trees I could see held no food or flowers, and when I pressed my hand against several trunks, there was no life left within any of them.
My feet moved of their own accord as I stared at what was left. Everything was dying, and I was taken aback by the emotions it caused within me.
Up ahead, a little boy darted out from behind a tree. He was maybe six or seven and covered in red grime. His bright blue eyes watched me, and I couldn’t tell if they were filled with fear or curiosity.
I knew I should go. I told myself to just flap my wings and leave, but my extremities weren’t listening. My feet continued forward until I reached the child.
“Hi,” he squeaked with a wave of his hand.
I offered a tight smile back. Saving kids was one thing; interacting with them was something I’d never been comfortable with. “Hello. Where are your parents?”
He pointed up, and I hoped he meant they were just out flying.
“Are you alone right now?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You’re here.”
Clever boy. “What happened to the trees?”
He glanced around, then moved closer to me and whispered, “The king tried to kill them.”
I kneeled down in front of him. “Why would he do that to his own home?”
“My teetee said it’s because he’s selfish, but I think he was just having a bad day.”
“Did you see him when he was having a bad day?” The boy nodded. “Did he hurt you?” It wasn’t like I needed to add more fuel to my need for vengeance, but it couldn’t be a bad thing, either.
“No, I hid in the trees and they protected me until he was done, then I ran home.”
I patted his head awkwardly. “Why don’t you run home now? It’s not safe to be out here by yourself.”
“Are you going to make the trees all better?” he asked, tears brimming in his soft blue eyes.
I sighed, knowing I should have just gone home. I damn well knew better. “I don’t have the power to do that, unfortunately.”
He frowned. “But the trees said you did, and the trees are never wrong.”
Gossamer emerald wings sprouted from his shoulders, and he flew off before I could formulate a response. Once he was out of sight, I still didn’t know what to think about the interaction or if I should believe the direction my mind was taking me.
Fae that could communicate with nature were rare, even more uncommon than those with wings like mine. If he was being truthful, that boy needed to learn how to keep his abilities to himself or he’d soon find himself a pawn in something much bigger than his beloved trees.
I turned to leave, knowing I couldn’t stay hidden on a dying land, not even with my power concealed. With my wings fully extended and ready for flight, I moved them once before a very angry fae dropped down in front of me.
“Why are you still here?” Finn challenged.
“Why are you following me?” I countered instead of answering.
He sighed, the irritation he’d shown just seconds before slowly being replaced by resolve, or maybe it was acceptance. I couldn’t be sure. “I’m not following you. I come here every day to inspect the growing damage, and since I’ve been gone a few days, I came as soon as I made sure Ivy was okay.”
Interesting when this island had nothing to do with his farm.
“There was a little boy here who told me King Zephyr did this because he was having a bad day. What did he mean by that?” I asked, even though I shouldn’t care what the answer was.
Finn put his wings away and began walking. “Come with me.”
I stayed unmoving. “Where are we going?”
“Do you always have to be so difficult?” he retorted.
I grinned. “I don’t have to be, but it does come natural.”
“Of course, it does.” He quickened his pace, and I did the same while trying not to concern myself with why he was suddenly being nice to me. I’d already told myself no distractions. His change in demeanor shouldn’t matter to me. To prove it to myself, I focused on our surroundings instead, trying to figure out where we were headed. Fin
n didn’t seem the least bit worried about moving freely through the forest, and while I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t stupid, either.
I had been exiled by the king, and I was on his land. If one of his guards came along and recognized me, things were going to escalate, and the plan I was beginning to get excited about would be ruined.
A few minutes later, there were still no signs of other fae, and we’d come to a ditch. Finn gestured toward it, but I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be seeing.
“Do you know what that once was?” he asked, and I shook my head. “It was a stream of water. One that was filled with freshwater instead of salty, courtesy of the king. It nourished the forest and provided water to the outlying homes, but when a family from this island dared to question King Zephyr after he killed their son, he cut the whole lot off. No one and nothing receives hydration out here unless they travel to the other islands to get it by the bucket.”
“Why don’t they leave? Seems stupid to stay where you’re not wanted.”
Finn ran a hand over his short hair, something I’d seen him do several times already and usually when I frustrated him. “You don’t get it, and I’m not sure you ever will. Maybe this was a waste of time.”
He turned to walk away, but I caught his arm. Power sparked along his skin at my touch, though I couldn’t find the will to let go. All I’d been trying to do for the last day was fight whatever was building between us. With everything I’d been trying to sort out, I was tired of denying myself, even though I knew it was the wrong choice to make.
His silver eyes met mine, and he sighed. “You’re only attracted to me because of what’s running through my blood. Just ignore it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I guess we’ll never know. Though, you can’t deny you return the feelings. Our little tumble in the grass earlier proved that.” I had no idea why I was reminding him of something I’d only done to throw him off. I didn’t actually want him to want me, did I?
His hands gestured toward me, then he circled around so he was behind me. “I’m not blind, Lucinda. You’re seductive, tantalizing, and my fingers itch to trace every inch of your skin.” He paused, his breath hot on my neck, making me involuntarily lean into him.
“I wanted to rip that vampire apart when I saw his hands all over you the night I found you. A promise to my sister was the only thing that kept me from doing so.” He backed away just when I thought we were moving beyond contempt.
He came back around to face me. “But none of that matters. Regardless of all the things that draw men to you—that made me want you no matter how badly I fought it—I see what lies beneath the surface. You are cruel, care nothing of the life around you, and think hurting other people is fun.”
My eyes pinched together as an emotion I didn’t ever experience tried filtering through, but I pushed it aside, knowing it was for the best. Finn showing up and declaring what I’d already known was not what I had planned.
You need to walk away. He will ruin you.
I knew the voice was right this time, but every time he was around, I learned something new. His comment about me only wanting him because of what was running through his blood made walking away even harder. The thought of showing Finn how hard that was for me was not acceptable, though. I had to do this my way before I lost myself.
Turning the tables on him and playing by my rules, I traced my fingers from his temple, through the light stubble along his jaw, and down his sculpted chest until I paused just above the top of his pants. “Listen, Finn. You need to quit thinking so much and just have some fun.” The words were said more for me, but he’d never know that.
His hands circled around my waist and yanked me close enough that our noses were touching. “I don’t do fun. I do serious, and there is nothing serious about you, Lucinda.”
My fingers tapped his chest as I smirked up at him. “Oh, we’ll see about that.” Then, I backed a few feet away, needing space to breathe.
My thoughts were racing, and I knew if my plan was going to work, I needed Finn. I needed someone who was familiar to the lands and fit in to make the guards look one way while I was tearing down their king right under their noses. While I knew Finn was the worst choice for my wellbeing, I was also aware that he was the best choice given the situation.
I was going to have to let him in and accept the risk that there was something inside him that he was afraid of and could be screwing with me. Along with the risk that I could allow myself to care about more than just myself and Neva.
Keeping the elf safe was easy. She knew how to disappear into her pocket realms, but something told me Finn wouldn’t do that, and if I let him in enough to help me, then there was no predicting what else might happen.
Was killing King Zephyr really worth allowing myself to care again?
As Finn patiently watched me, allowing me to filter through my thoughts, I knew I had my answer, but I would do my best to make sure I didn’t change who I was. I couldn’t let that happen, even if it made him hate me in the end.
“What are you going to do now?” Finn finally asked.
“I’m going to kill the king, but I need time. My plan won’t be quick. It will be precise and done my way.”
“Good. It gives me time to do what I need as well,” he replied, much too happy with my answer.
“And what’s that?” I asked.
His brow raised. “Do you actually care?”
“Not really. Just curious.” I shrugged, already beginning to remind him who I really was.
He stepped even further away, then released his wings. “Well, for the sake of your curiosity, I’m going back to the house to get Neva. Then, we’re headed to the castle.”
Fury filled me within a moment. “Like hell you are. You’re not taking her anywhere near that castle.”
He grinned, and I didn’t like it. I much preferred the tic in his jaw I usually caused. “Well, according to her, she finally got her sock.”
I sneered. “That’s not a real thing, you idiot. She’s not my servant.”
He leaned closer to me. “Exactly. Neva gets to do whatever she wants, and since you left her, she wants to come with me to see where you’re from. Oddly enough, she actually cares about you and still wants to help.”
Emotions I wasn’t used to slithered their way through me, and my chest tightened until I was gasping for air. I gripped the top of my corset, undoing buttons as I did. Breathing was getting harder by the second, and I bent over, trying to recover.
Sweat dripped off my forehead even though I was wracked with chills, and my body trembled like I was standing in the middle of the arctic instead of the perfect climate of Fae Islands. Dread coursed through me at the thought of King Zephyr getting anywhere near Neva. I couldn’t control a single thought or action.
Finn’s hand stroked my back as he spoke softly to me. “Just focus on breathing, Lucinda. One breath in, one out. Nothing else matters except those two things.”
I listened to his words and did as he said, but it didn’t work, and horror seized me all over again as my eyes darted around, paranoia taking over.
The king had found me, and he was slowly killing me, sucking every last drop of air from my lungs.
“Nobody is going to kill you. You’re just having a panic attack, and you need to calm down before you pass out,” Finn said, and I realized I must have said some of my thoughts out loud, but I didn’t really care.
The tension in my chest refused to release its hold on me, but neither had Finn’s touch. He continued to stroke my back, his fingers running from my hair line to my shoulder blades and tracing circles over where my wings extended from.
Every movement he made warmed my skin like never before, and heat pooled within me as I fought the doom and gloom with desire. Our unofficial partnership I decided on was about to take a turn I’d just sworn would not happen. I was losing control by the second and, for the first time since I was a child, my emotions took control of my actions.
My chest
still ached, and that was something I’d have to deal with soon enough, but stopping the dread was my priority. Focusing on the desire between us, I stood up straight, my eyes finding his and seeing none of the contempt I was used to.
“All better?” he muttered, appraising me, but only making it as far as my chest where buttons still remained undone.
“Not even by a long shot.” My hands grasped his shirt, and I jerked him toward me.
His eyes pinched together, but he didn’t object, and his own hands tightened around my waist. I pushed my lips to his, not waiting more than a split second before my tongue was searching for his and my hands wrapped around his neck, avoiding the sharp points of his wings that were still extended.
My fingers traced over the hard edges as far as I could reach without breaking our kiss, and then moved inward over the leathery feel of his wings that I knew hardened just like my feathers did.
“This is wrong,” he murmured against my lips.
“You’ve been living life all wrong if you think a woman pressed against you is anything but glorious,” I replied and tilted my head back as his mouth moved down my jawline to my neck before finding what it was looking for in my chest.
Just when I finally felt like the heaviness in my chest was nearly gone, leaves crunched behind us. I peered between his wings to find Neva, Ivy, and a man I’d never seen before, all standing there with varying expressions. As much as I didn’t want to stop what we were doing, I also didn’t need Finn to go back to being perpetually pissed off at me.
I pushed back, letting my feet touch ground again. “We have visitors.”
His body tensed as he pivoted on one foot, ready for a fight until he saw who was there. “What are all of you doing here?”
Ivy shrugged. “You’re normally back by now. I thought you were in danger. Though, Neva was sure you’d just been preoccupied. I didn’t believe her, and now I owe her five coins. Thanks for having no willpower, brother.”
My eyes met Neva’s, and I felt guilty that I’d left her, but she didn’t seem upset with me. Instead, she seemed happier than I’d ever seen her.
Dark Fae Cursed (Broken Court Book 1) Page 7