Kvigor released my other hand, collecting my daggers. “Addie?”
“What if I am in the family way?” Swallowing past the bile filling my throat, I took a deep breath. “I mean,” I looked to Adelric, then Kvigor pointedly, “what if- It’s- What if-”
“It’s ours, all of ours, me, you, the great white idiot,” Adelric started, Kvigor finishing with, “No matter.”
“Okay. Okay.” I kept saying it over and over, unable to calm my arse down until I was sandwiched between my mates, one on either side of me, my head turned, pressed between two thick chests, their steadily beating hearts soothing mine. “We need to plan,” I murmured, one hand reaching behind me to clutch at Kvigor’s, the other hand buried in Adelric’s thick fur, kneading his chest. I didn’t want Robin on this mortal plane a moment longer than he had to be. Puck’s reign must come to an end. Now. Before he dragged anyone else into this goblin dung.
“You’ve a plan.” Adelric knew me too well.
“An inkling of one,” I said with a smile. “I’ll need to discuss it with my strategist first, my second.”
“Second, eh?” My warrior mate chuckled, planting a kiss on the rounded curve of each of my horns and then my forehead.
“What’s that make me?” Kvigor grumbled with a note of envy.
“First mate,” Adelric told him without any preamble, “because we all know second is best.”
When I burst out laughing, Kvigor reached over and gave him a playful shove, sending us all stumbling as a unit.
“Hey! Hey! Enough of that,” I griped. “We have a king-chief to dethrone.”
“About bloody time,” Kvigor said with a whoop.
“I’ll be of service, whatever ye be needin’,” Yhem called from a respectable distance away.
“Do you think you’d mind playing messenger?” I asked the axe wielding behemoth, my smile slowly widening until the oversized Tauran took a few steps back.
“Ah... whatever it tis you wish, milad- Erm...”
“Lady Demon,” I finished with a cackle. Pulling away from my mates, scooping up our weapons, I handed them over, the sword to Adelric and the black dagger to Kvigor. “I put these in your care.” Slipping the red and quartz swirling one into the side of my k’h se, pressed against my skin, with a pat, I motioned them to follow me to the table. We had much planning to do.
“Vacha.” Adelric grinned, eyeing something off behind me.
“What?” Turning, I spun in a circle but couldn’t find what was making him give me that look.
“It’s the dagger,” Kvigor murmured, “when she joined us, and them.” He held his weapon out.
“It worked?” Adelric blinked, eyeing his brother’s gleaming dagger.
“Yes,” I fairly crowed, “you can hold it now and it’s glowing. I’m hoping you’ll keep it on you always, and should you need it, it’ll prove more than useful. Magicks,” I said in a silly voice, wiggling my hands at him.
The males shared a look.
“I believe it is my turn, and a long time coming,” Adelric said as they closed in on me, and that’s when I felt it.
Yelping, I whirled around, slapping the shorter or my mates’ hands away with a sputtered, “Did you just- Just- Did you just pull my tail?!”
“Hard to catch, whipping around like that, and with your... wings in the way.” The golden-eyed male was grinning from ear to ear, a little boy teasing his crush.
“Of all the-Wait!” My hands shot behind me, smacking my wings. “Hey, they work for the daggers now, too!” Wiggling my shoulders, watching as they fluttered, I shook my head. “Shouldn’t I be able to feel these things more? I couldn’t even tell they were hanging around back there. That’s ridiculous.”
“That’s magick,” Kvigor reminded.
Very true.
“Perhaps you’d like somewhere more private?” Suzaela held up the key to her secret room, smiling with dark delight. “I want that parasitic infection gone as much as you do.” She gave a sniff. “maybe more.”
“Thank you, Suzaela.”
“Mother, dearling. We’re family. I’ve meant to have this talk with you but we’ve yet to find the time.” She gave her sons indulgent looks, glancing at them standing behind me. “These things and timing, you know.” Her eyes strayed to my wings, my feet, but her smile never faltered. It was like the female knew. I wouldn’t doubt it if she actually did.
Taking the key, I enveloped her in a big hug. “Thanks, Mom. We really appreciate it.”
“Well, don’t go and make me cry now!” she joked, wrapping me in a motherly hug. Pulling back, pretending her eyes weren’t watering, she sniffed, giving her sons much the same treatment, even a startled Yhem, and sent us on our way. “Go on now, I’ll have a tray sent, you just go on and plan an untimely demise or whatever you see fit. Go now. Shoo.”
“Your mother is...” Yhem mumbled when we’d reached the empty hall that led to the secret room.
“Wonderful,” I finished for him, pointing to him warningly before whirling around, wings fluttering behind me, to prance ahead to the door.
“Your mate is... ah,” I heard him mutter to my males. He sounded disturbed, maybe worried, even.
“More than we could have ever asked for,” they said in unison. The talk bad about her and I’ll bury you alive was heavily implied and duly noted.
So sweet, my males are!
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
We walked side by side, covered in cloaks. It had been several days since we’d sent Yhem with his message, and several messages between the derelict king-chief and ourselves before he took the bait.
Kvigor was the first to break the silence. “Do you think it’s because we didn’t need it, being mates to a demon and all?”
“Matters not,” Adelric said with a grunt. “What am I to do with wings? Fly?” He shook his head. “Taurans aren’t made for flight.” With one look at me and a smile, his eyes twinkled. “Neither are tiny wingless beasts, without practice.”
“Oh, har-har.” My scowl said it all, though my lips twitched. “One time. One! I’d just wanted to see!”
“And what a lovely flight it was,” Kvigor boldfaced lied.
“Right before I crashed, taking out that statue near the entryway.”
“It wasn’t a good likeness to him anyway,” Adelric said with a laugh and a wink. “He’d be thanking you if he could.”
I had my theories as to why they hadn’t changed in appearance since they gained the ability to wield demon imbued weapons, I just didn’t dare voice them aloud. As children of Puck, a cursed fae, they’d already been through a magical transformation of a sort.
Titania had left her human playthings as the original lumps of clay we’d begun as, thus leaving us unmarred by magic to begin with. Untainted by fae.
They didn’t need the transformation, as they’d already endured one. Surely there had to be limits to magical meddling of the sort? Unusually strong, especially when their inner demon, so to speak, came out, full of steaming nostrils and wild glowing eyes, was surely a form of fae enhancement. A gift from Oberon or Puck, though, I wondered.
Lapsing into silence, desperate to keep our steps light in the snow, as well as the rest of us, headed straight for the village, it was nice, comfortable.
My hands swung at my sides, strangely empty, the dagger I favored strapped to my side over my pants. Thick sweater on for the trip, two males beside me giving off heat like twin camp fires, one on either side of me, I was plenty warm enough.
When my hand brushed Kvigor’s he automatically curled his fingers over mine. My lips tugged up in a pleased smile when he pulled my makeshift mitten off, stuffing it into his belt so he could twine our hands.
Just like old times. My bubble of happiness slipped firmly into place, momentarily shielding me from the tasks ahead of us.
Adelric coughed, then coughed again, until I glanced up at him. His hand fell, jargling mine, and he grunted. “Cold.” Tugging my mitten off, doing the same as K
vigor, he wrapped his huge hand around mine. He couldn’t entwine our fingers as Kvigor had, but he held onto them like he never wanted to let go.
“Cold? Through that mitten and everything?” I questioned.
“Shut it, demon pixie” he bit out lightly, giving my fingers a squeeze.
“Yes, second,” I whispered, making them both chuckle.
Watch out, Ekodar, because here we come, and this ragtag band is ready to Puck shite up!
˜˙˜*˜˙˜
Walking into the village by myself was weird, though I felt far from vulnerable or alone.
Kvigor and Adelric, having already come the day before, leaving me nestled in a hunting cave with Bainan of all beings. The Tauran was quiet, solemn, eyeing me like he wished to take back all the horrible things he’d ever said or done but unwilling to open that clenched gob of his and have it out.
That was alright. I couldn’t say I had a single thing to say to him anyway.
Puck had accepted Kvigor and Adelric’s offers of surrender, seeing as to how I’d gone mad, they claimed, positively mad, stomping around throwing tantrums, and then howling for my Robin. Barf. Gag. Vomit.
As if to give proof to the lie, I’d done just that, concerned it needed to be convincing, should there still be spies at temple.
He bought it, shockingly, as if I’d be so utterly Titania-like, gah, bargaining that they were to return me to him immediately and Adelric was to retake his position in his rightful king’s service, and Kvigor by his father’s side.
But my return wasn’t needed. I’d search my mate out without them there to stop me. Another lie I’d made a show of following through with.
It was cold, wind whipping through the trees, making me shudder as the branches swayed, memories of whipping trees still so fresh in my mind.
“Where is he?!” I shrieked, playing it up, stomping forward, cape flapping about me wildly, going along with this farce. “Where is my male?!” I stormed right past Adelric, who, sword at his hip, sheathed, was back into that sexy, leather man-skirt and not much else. I’d have to remember to divest him of it with my teeth later. What good were sharp teeth but for tearing my mate’s clothes to shreds? “Robin?!” I fairly screamed, in a fit of pique.
The dais was lit but empty. Picking up one of the torches, working it out of the ground, I slammed it down until it went out with an ugly sizzle, swinging it over my head to throw it. “Where?! Is?! He?!” I was channeling my inner Kvigor in search of his Addie-mine after he came back to himself.
Villagers were starting to wander out to see what all the commotion was about, bleary-eyed. The hour was late.
“Riadne?” that snake oil salesman’s voice purred with a decidedly sibilant hiss. Coming from Ekodar’s mouth I just wanted to vomit, hiding it behind an impatient snarl.
The male came forward, Kvigor following dutifully behind. Ekodar took his seat, forcing Kvigor to sit next to his chair on the floor of the raised platform like a dog. My white beastie bull did as he was told, watching with the saddest expression.
Ekodar caught it and sniggered. “See what you’ve done to him? Denied him his one true love, he says, because you’re over there bleeding their ears,” he paused, robes flapping, to settle back in his seat, his fingers steepling, “for me.”
I took a step forward, snarling when Ekodar’s men made as if to stop me.
“Leave her,” he commanded, lips pursing when one too many hesitated. Studying me, cocking his head, he smiled slowly. “Do you accept me, my mouthy little human?” His lip curled and he lifted his k’h se, exposing his wrinkled, naked body to the group gathered.
The thick rod jutting up between his legs was swollen and red, and rather bent at a funny angle. “I’d take his form,” he gestured lazily to Kvigor, “but what’s to say he doesn’t turn on me again once we have you, hmm? No. This will just have to do until a more suitable body can be found.”
Villagers were already whispering, gaping. What was he talking about, their looks said, their murmurs wondering at his madness.
Puck only had eyes for me, a hint of something wild, unhinged, in that purple hue.
Mate sickness? Did the fae have it?
Gripping his engorged flesh, he fisted it, grunting as he pumped it. “Come, my queen, show your people what you’re willing to do for your king. Show them how much you love me. And then you shall show me again, with your mouth, on your knees.”
Love. Such a foreign word coming from the mouth of a being that couldn’t even begin to know it.
Dropping my cloak, shifting my dagger so it pressed against my exposed flesh, I took off at a run. Kvigor, hopping up in feigned surprise as I changed, wings sprouting to aid me as I leapt, stood off to Ekodar’s side, effectively blocking his escape.
Swooping in, my clawed toes landed on the arms of his chair, digging in, sending him tumbling back. The supports along the back, conveniently removed beforehand, about the time Ekodar had demanded Kvigor’s chair be removed, were hidden beneath the king-chief’s ode to his magnificence.
“MINE!” I roared, which was as good a signal as any, hopping off to the side of him to drag him bodily to his feet.
Bronze-gold fought with purple as the two males in one struggled, even more when Kvigor, standing opposite his sire, grabbed Ekodar’s other arm.
“NO,” he howled. “What are you- Release me!” Dick dangling in the breeze, robes fluttering at his sides, he kicked his little legs weakly. “NO! NO!”
“Adelric!” I bellowed, but the male was already striding forward, unsheathing his sword as we quickly pulled our daggers free.
The second my hand touched the dagger’s hilt my head spun, a booming voice instructing me with that deep voice of his exactly what to do next.
“Oberon’s sword?” Robin of Puck shrieked, snapping and snarling as he tried to escape.
“I banish you,” I sang, my blade slicing across the palm of his hand, the noise it made as it rendered flesh from bone oddly echoing my tone. “In the name of Oberon, I banish you, from Tavros and all else here after!”
“Robin Puck, I send you home! I punish you! An eternity at court! Hence, here after! In the name of the All-father!” Kvigor spoke next, his body jerking, eyes flushed so dark I thought they might have gone black.
The fae was screaming now, face mottling an ugly purple beneath his fur.
“Trickster, wheedler, teller of tales, go back from whence you came, Peacock! Be gone, parasite!” Adelric was all steaming nostrils and sexy, pissed off Minotaur as he ran and leapt to the dais. Bringing his sword down, he sliced right through the toppled throne chair, narrowly missing the limp lump between Ekodar’s legs by a mere inch.
With a violent screech Ekodar collapsed, falling into a fit of convulsions. Bronze eyes rolling up in his head, we watched as a purple mist erupted from his throat. There was a flash and we lifted our weapons, feeling very much like something out of a tale of heroes—and also feeling particularly silly, as this had to look utterly ridiculous—and the purple mist disappeared.
Ekodar stilled, though his chest moved, as if in sleep, and we all took a collective breath, our arms dropping.
“You heard it, too, the voice? Didn’t you?” I asked of my males, sheathing my dagger to rush at them as my demon facade slipped away. “The voices, telling me to spout those words?”
“Changed ‘em a bit to fit,” Kvigor gestured at the crowd gaping at us, “but I heard it.”
“I didn’t hear a thing,” Adelric shrugged and smiled. “Thought it planned. Felt left out, had to say somethin’ or it wouldna looked right.” Snorting, he winked.
Planting a kiss on his sheepish mug, I laughed. “We did it!”
Thick arms went around my waist. “Yes, we did, vacha.”
“Think he’ll be back?” Kvigor spared his father, snoring away at our feet, a glance.
“Not if it worked. The spell,” I murmured, glancing up at the sky.
My mates followed, noting the ring on Puck’s moon was
notably absent.
“What do we do now?” I asked, squinting up at the night sky.
“Now, vacha,” Adelric turned to pick me up, grinning when I gripped his horn, bussing my nose with his jokingly, “we live.”
“We live!” a villager shouted, then another and another, until Adelric’s words became a chant.
“Give her to me now,” Kvigor grumbled. “Go save face with your people, I’ll be having my turn, brother.”
“My people?” Adelric raised a brow, sidling away with me. “I think you mean yours, brother. As I recall, it is not I who is to gain the throne.”
“But it is not my name they chant,” Kvigor pointed out with a sly smirk.
“It- What?”
We turned to face the crowd, who were all chanting his name to their new slogan.
“I wasn’t meant to rule,” Adelric admitted, “I no longer desire the position. Truly.”
“Nor I,” Kvigor stated bluntly, shrugging, “but someone must.”
Grudgingly handing me over to his sibling, Adelric eyed our trio. “What says one must rule? Why not... three?”
Pulling my lips away from Kvigor’s long enough to catch my breath, already squirming in his hold, I yelped. “Beg pardon?”
“I like it.” Kvigor, puffed his chest out, standing proud and tall.
“Oh I don’t know about tha- Can demons rule?” I was scrambling for anything to grasp onto, any excuse.
“Who better to help the village than the demon that brought us together!” Adelric’s voice boomed above the crowd.
“I give you, our savior!” Kvigor was completely hamming it up, egging everyone on, when a wild cheer rent the air.
“To Riadne! May she watch over the great people of our village, of Feagmunt of Tavros, in the name of the All-father!”
“In the name of the All-father!” many echoed.
“Gods, save us all,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the twin chuckles I got for that.
“To Kvigor!” Bainan had joined the crowd, cheering on his original pick.
By the Horns Page 55