by Jen McIntosh
‘You heard,’ she said, her voice low and husky. ‘You did that to scare me, but I’m not afraid. So you’ll have to try something else.’
Alexan couldn’t repress the low moan that escaped his lips as her words filtered through. ‘You’ve got to be joking,’ he groaned. But she wasn’t, and the sight of her on her knees in front of him, offering herself, was enough to make him tremble.
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Do your worst.’
He couldn’t resist. Her power was singing to him, enchanting him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him, bending down to bite into her proffered neck. She gasped out loud and writhed in his grip, but he held her tight. He groaned as he gulped down her blood, revelling in the feel of her body against his, in her power crackling over his tongue. She struggled against him again, and instinct had him subduing her, pinning her down with the full length of his heavy frame. She moaned as she pressed herself against him, her fingers winding their way through his hair while she held him tight. His own hands were roving, with a mind of their own he realised, his fingers running across the flat of her stomach to grip her about the hips.
When he’d taken his fill, he released her, propping himself up on his elbows. Once more, he looked her in the eye as he cleaned the blood from her collarbone and shoulder with his tongue. She held his gaze, squirming beneath him. He grinned and stood up.
‘Your sister is going to kill me if we keep doing this,’ he said, brushing the wound.
Théon smirked and waved a hand over it. A Casting flared, and the wound was gone.
‘Good thing she doesn’t have to find out,’ she said, standing. ‘Still not scared.’ And with that, she sauntered towards the camp, leaving Alexan watching her retreating back in confusion.
The atmosphere back at the camp was tense. Théon and her sister didn’t say a word to each other, and what little conversation they had with either Alexan or Silvermane consisted only of terse replies to direct questions.
It was no better the next day, nor the day after that. If anything, it was worse. As they journeyed west along the islands, Illyandi’s sullen silences gave way to an ever-worsening series of spiteful remarks. Still smarting from Théon’s assessment of her actions, every time she opened her mouth it was to spew another barrage of passive-aggressive abuse at her sister. Never overt, always subtle, but the inference was clear. Théon, as the daughter of the Shade King, was defective. Deficient. Lesser.
Théon never reacted to the insults, no matter how hurtful, instead withdrawing further and further into herself. It was rage-inducing to watch – even if the wedge the Princess was driving between them played right into Alexan’s hands.
‘Princess,’ he’d growled, unable to take any more, ‘if you’d put half as much thought into your actions as you do into your insults, you wouldn’t be in this mess, so do us all a favour and just shut the fuck up.’
The Princess’s eyes had widened with shock, and he realised that he was likely the first person to ever speak to her so callously. He didn’t regret it – even if her scathing comments were now likely to be directed his way.
‘Keep talking, Darkling,’ she hissed. ‘See what happens.’
Alexan snorted. ‘That might scare me if I hadn’t seen you down on all fours being fucked by a Dragon.’
Illyandi’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but Théon let out a sharp bark of laughter, which only made Illyandi blush harder.
‘You’re disgusting,’ she snapped. ‘Though I guess that would make sense. I can’t imagine a monster like the Shade King would waste his time Claiming anyone who wasn’t a pervert.’
He couldn’t bring himself to dignify such a ridiculous statement with a response, so he shook his head in disgust and looked at Théon who said nothing, her gaze dark and brittle, her temper straining for release. He ignored Illyandi and turned his attention to the other two.
‘Sunset is not far off. We should think about making camp.’
But the Princess wasn’t done. ‘Do you have any preference for the people you murder to save your own worthless hide, or is it just a random choice?’
‘Illyandi,’ Théon warned.
But Illyandi didn’t listen.
‘Is anyone off limits to your kind? Lovers you’ve taken trusting into your bed? Old men too crippled by age to run from you? Children hiding behind their mother’s skirts?’ He kept his face impassive, tried not to wince at the truth of it. He’d done it all. Nothing was sacred at the King’s Court. ‘How do you even look in the mirror?’ she continued, seeing that she’d rattled him. ‘You’re a thief of life. Each breath you take is stolen from innocents more deserving of it than you—’
A vicious, feral snarl ripped out of Théon’s chest as she rounded on her sister. An aura was raging, and her eyes pulsed, the Shade fighting for freedom. Illyandi quailed in the face of her sister’s fury. Even Alexan was uneasy, for there was murder in Théon’s eyes. In her rage, she could not even bring herself to speak, growling in warning instead, her body trembling with restraint. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and flinched back – her skin was burning. His eyes flickered up to Illyandi.
‘Go,’ he mouthed at her. She shook her head, but as another snarl ripped from between Théon’s bared teeth, Silvermane took the reins – and the decision – from Illyandi’s hands. Alexan held Théon’s gaze, barely daring to breathe while the old man guided the little white mare past them.
When the wagon had disappeared around the hill, Alexan braced himself for the pain then gripped Théon by the shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘Relax,’ he ordered. Her eyes pulsed in defiance once, twice … and then it was gone. He caught her as she slumped in exhaustion, holding her tight to his chest while she sobbed. ‘Hush,’ he murmured, stroking a soothing hand over her hair. ‘It’s alright. I’m here.’
It took some time for the storm to pass, but she quietened and stepped away, drying her eyes with the hem of her shirt. He took a deep breath as his gaze flickered over a flash of toned stomach muscle, but for once, his instincts stayed silent.
‘Gods, I hate her sometimes,’ Théon whispered, dropping onto a nearby rock. Sensing she needed to talk, he perched beside her and waited. ‘She’s just a constant reminder of everything I should be. Perfect Illyandi who can do no wrong. Even when she’s been so catastrophically stupid, every time I look at her, I see the daughter I should have been. Someone soft and gentle. Like my mother.’
Alexan snorted with disgust. ‘She’s nothing like your mother. She might appear innocent at a glance, but your sister is a scheming, manipulative bitch.’
‘No,’ Théon argued. ‘She’s just upset. And scared. For herself and for the baby.’
Alexan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Time to fracture this tie beyond hope of repair. ‘She got all the brains, didn’t she? She treats you like shit, and you sit there defending her? Open your eyes, Théon. She’s jealous of you! Bringing you down is just a way to make her feel better about herself.’
‘Illyandi has nothing to be jealous of,’ she scoffed.
‘You mean, aside from the fact that you’re firstborn and will sit on the Oak Throne?’ he retorted, trying not to roll his eyes. ‘How about the fact that you’re more powerful than she is, more intelligent, more skilled and experienced, more charismatic, more beautiful—’ He broke off, realising what he was saying. But he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. There was a slight flush creeping up her neck and across her sweeping cheekbones, and it was enchanting.
‘You think I’m beautiful?’ she asked, her voice a breathy whisper.
He looked at his feet, certain that his face wasn’t as delightful when he blushed. ‘You know you are,’ he said, glancing sideways at her.
She grinned wolfishly at him. ‘All of the Graced are beautiful. I just didn’t think I was your type.’
‘And what do you think my type is?’ he growled, unable to stop himself leaning towards her. She bit her lip, and Alexan’s atten
tion honed in on her mouth with predatory intent. She seemed to sense it, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes flickered over his face, searching.
‘I’ve seen what pleasures my father’s Court has to offer. I would have thought I was plain by comparison.’
And like that, his desire was doused as though she had dumped a bucket of meltwater over him. His hand snaked out and gripped her chin, squeezing tight in his frustration. ‘I have no interest in Elucion whores,’ he said, ‘but if you keep talking like that, I’ll make you scream like one.’ He released her violently, surprised by the strength of his reaction, and stood.
As he turned his back on her, she asked, ‘Is that a promise?’
‘Yes,’ he growled and swung back up into his saddle. Then he turned his mount away and rode after Illyandi and Silvermane before he could say anything else he might regret.
The old man was waiting for him, leaning heavily on his staff. The Princess was some distance further up the road, seated in the wagon with her nose in the air.
Bitch.
‘She will go no further in your company, Darkling,’ Silvermane said without preamble. ‘Even if she could ignore your questionable conduct, she has the safety of her child to consider. Mercy is no longer a luxury she can afford.’
Alexan tried not to let the surge of triumph show on his face. ‘She’s never been able to afford that. You were a fool to let her believe otherwise.’
‘Careful,’ he warned. ‘You owe your life to her. I was prepared to kill you that night. It was Illyandi who persuaded me otherwise. She offered you a chance, and you threw it back in her face. It’s tempting enough to kill you now for that slight. Don’t make my decision to spare you any harder.’
He couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. ‘You couldn’t kill me if you tried, old man, and you won’t even do that for fear of losing Théon. Her trust in you, in her sister, is hanging by a thread, and you know one wrong move will cleave her from you forever. You can’t risk that. She’s too powerful. You want her bound to you and yours, so you can control her. And more to the point, to make sure her father can’t.’
Silvermane opened his mouth to reply but closed it again as the subject of their conversation neared. Alexan dared a glance as she drew alongside him and smirked at the mixture of exasperation and disgust on her face as she surveyed the scene before her.
She rolled her eyes. ‘Let me guess – another ultimatum? Something about having the baby to think about? No longer being able to afford mercy? Am I getting warm?’
‘Hotter than a Rising,’ Alexan murmured.
The old man shot him a dark look but left it alone. ‘She is not in any danger now. You must concede that your reasons for bringing him in the first place are no longer valid?’
‘Sure,’ she admitted. ‘Now I just want him here because he’s the only one who doesn’t treat me like shit all the time.’
Silvermane spluttered in indignation. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘I’ve lost count of how often you’ve put me down or written me off, all because of something I can’t control,’ she snarled. ‘I didn’t ask for this power. I didn’t ask for these bloodlines. I certainly didn’t ask to be conceived by force. Those were my father’s choices, not mine, and I’m tired of the two of you making me suffer for them.’
‘Théon,’ the old man began, ‘I know you’re upset, and she’s said some things in anger that I’m sure she regrets, but she’s your sister, and she needs you, now more than ever.’ Théon hesitated, face crumpling as her resolve wavered. Silvermane smiled, scenting victory, and held out his hand. ‘Come, Théon. Be reasonable. We are your blood … your family.’
A muscle leapt in her jaw at the imperious tone, and she squared her shoulders, looking him full in the face. ‘Blood and family are two very different things. My father taught me that.’
‘Théo—’
She cut him off with a hiss. ‘No. I’ve heard enough. You want me to choose? I will not choose someone who would never choose me.’
‘And you think a Darkling would?’
She looked to Alexan then, her lovely face impassive, but he could see the fear in her eyes. Scent it rolling off her. The power to break her in the palm of his hand. But the King did not want her broken. She was no use to him like that. Not when it was her strength, her power, he needed. So Alexan held her gaze and nodded.
‘Every time,’ he promised. ‘I swore my life in service to the Elf-Queen. It is hers to do with as she pleases.’
She smiled shyly at his pronouncement, the look she gave him lingering.
Then the moment passed, and she looked back to Silvermane. ‘You remember where you’re going?’
‘Of course,’ he growled, not bothering to hide his frustration. ‘You forget, this network was my doing. Every sanctuary, every ally, all found and nurtured by me and mine during the Dark Days.’
‘I’m well aware of that,’ she snapped, ‘but it’s been a long time, and I wanted to be sure. Just because it’s time we went our separate ways doesn’t mean I don’t care for you both. I’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re safe.’
His gaze softened at that, and he nodded in understanding. ‘I will take care of her, and whoever else comes along. You can be sure of that.’
‘You should get word to Faolin sooner rather than later.’
‘It’s already taken care of.’
Her gaze drifted up the road, to her sister sat proudly in the front of the wagon, and a sad smile touched her lips. ‘Keep her safe. Forged in war.’
‘Tempered in blood,’ the old man replied.
And with those final words, Théon turned away. Left her family behind her. No sign of the certain pain inside showing on her lovely face. No hint of suffering in her steel-straight spine. Just grim determination to forge her own path.
Alexan followed without hesitation, ignoring the mixture of triumph, apprehension and guilt that sent his guts churning.
So close. He was so very close.
They made camp on an open beach. The wind had eased, making the sweeping sands habitable for their camp. But even if it hadn’t, the location was too beautiful to ignore. Turquoise water lapping over golden sands. The setting sun staining the sky in shades of orange and pink. Marram grass undulating in the breeze. The scent of the wildflower meadow beyond mingling with the tang of salt spray rolling in off the sea.
There was enough driftwood to make a sizeable fire, and Alexan downed a nice fat goose for their supper. Nestled in the dunes, they ate and drank and talked while they watched the sun set beyond their flames. Revelled in the reprieve from the Princess’s constant criticism. Soaked in the peace and tranquillity of the world around them.
As the sky darkened, Théon rose. ‘Right, I’m going for a swim. I’ve been desperate for a proper bath for days now. Reckon this is the best chance I’ll get for a while.’
‘Good plan,’ Alexan chuckled. ‘My eyes were watering riding downwind from you.’
She kicked him in the shin. ‘You can talk. When did you last wash?’
‘Fair point,’ he conceded. ‘You go first. I’ll wait with the horses.’
Her look said that hadn’t been what she was suggesting, but she didn’t push it. Instead, she just shrugged and made her way down the beach to the water. His heart was thundering in his chest by the time she reached the surf and began to undress. She had to know he could see her. The scent of her arousal on the wind just confirmed it.
He leaned back in the grass, propping his hands behind his head, and enjoyed the view. Let her play her games. He was sure he’d be rewarded for his patience. The beauty of the sunset was forgotten while he watched her. Considered those long, sleek limbs. The toned muscles and tawny skin. What it would taste like, coated in salt water. Gods, if only she’d hurry up.
Finally, either clean or tired of taunting, she made her way back up the beach towards him. She wore only her shirt, barely long enough to cover her backside, yet there was a confidence
– a boldness – in the way she moved towards him that he hadn’t seen before. He opened his mouth to speak, to dissuade her, but before he could say anything, she held up her hand.
‘Hush,’ she whispered. She stepped closer, pulling her shirt up as she lowered herself onto his lap. He groaned softly at the feel of her heat against his groin and her bare thighs about his waist. She took his hands in her own and placed them on her legs, caressing herself with his hands. He heard his own breath catch in his throat and cursed inwardly. He was far from virginal, and yet she had him feeling like a blushing maiden on her wedding night. Her skin was like silk beneath his hands. He watched her, wide-eyed, as she guided his hands higher and higher. Beyond the curve of her hip. Past the flat of her stomach. Until he felt the swell of her breasts. She released his hands then and removed the shirt.
Alexan growled low in his throat. She was exquisite. Her skin glowed in the moonlight, and her damp hair tumbled over her slender shoulders like a waterfall of midnight sky. She was gazing down at him, her feline eyes glittering while she watched him drink in the sight of her, and he felt his stomach clench in anticipation. He loved a woman who understood the effect she had on a man. They had been few in the last hundred years.
‘Bite me,’ she whispered, her voice husky with desire. He didn’t have to be told twice, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him. His mouth went to the swell of her breast and she gasped aloud as he bit into the soft flesh. Sweet and salty, just as he’d imagined. He only allowed himself a single mouthful of blood, before licking the wound clean and moving to her other breast where he repeated the process. He rolled so she was beneath him as he moved lower, biting her hip on one side and then the other. She gasped, with outrage this time, then he turned her over and bit into her pert backside, before working his way down and biting into her thigh. She squirmed beneath him as he ran his fingers up the inside of her leg, as he sucked in a mouthful of her sweet blood. He sat up and rolled her onto her back and spread her legs, biting into the soft flesh on the inside of her thigh.