Olezka stood with me as we followed his mother out of the kitchen. She took us down a different hallway from the one where the bathroom was located that almost looked like it had been carved from rock. I reached out and touched the strange wall. Marisha laughed lightly.
“The power of High Fae magic. The King awarded me this house after serving his father for years. I didn’t feel comfortable having my boys in this realm. We raised them in the human realm for as long as we could, but when we came back, I wanted to know we were safe. Our home is warded, glamoured, and built into a small mountain.”
My brows furled as I tried to recall the mountain that, surely, I would have been able to see when we came in, but I didn’t remember seeing it when we arrived in a wagon-style cart pulled by two olam. Our journey was long, but I was comforted by the presence of the three brothers. Roman rode at the front of the wagon while Olezka and I curled up in the back. Timur ran next to us in his hellhound form, saying it was for extra protection.
“Here we are. Don’t worry, doch', the rooms are soundproofed with magic.”
My cheeks burned, and I made another choked noise. She heard us in the bathroom. I mean, they expected us to share a room, but it was one thing for it to be an unspoken thought and quite another to fully acknowledge it. Humor twinkled in her amber eyes as she walked away.
“You must not take her words too seriously,” Olezka remarked, his voice light.
“You’re laughing at me now, too.”
“Da.”
Olezka pushed open the door to reveal a spacious room that truly belonged in a cave. No windows broke up the walls to allow natural lighting, making my barely restrained anxiety skyrocket. Enclosed places made me nervous, but spaces that looked like a cave made my mind scream in terror as memories that should stay buried resurfaced. I breathed in, focusing on the smaller details of the room, details that made it homier, such as books on the shelves that looked well-loved.
The furniture in the room was that modern style again, all sleek, straight lines. The bed looked as if it hovered above the ground with no headboard. The dresser and nightstands were the same, straightforward but clean designs. Those things helped to remind me that I wasn’t trapped in a cave with bloodthirsty werewolves or trapped with an incubus who was about to use me as a pawn.
“This place is very… unique,” I hedged. Maybe if I voiced my observations and differences, it would help distance my memories and reality.
“It feels like home.”
“Hmm, more so than your house in the human realm?”
“Nyet. I’ve discovered that the only place that feels like home to me is you. But the safety of this place is unmatched, which puts me at ease.”
I hummed in acknowledgment. Safety, maybe. But first…
“Shower?” I asked.
“Come.” Olezka showed me an equally impressive bathroom. He explained that since they had no formal magic users here to work the showers like in the human realm, they relied heavily on hot springs. The shower was more of a waterfall, so I decided to take a quick soak. After that, I dressed in a nightgown, which I loathed, and climbed into bed. Olezka finished in the bathroom before joining me, wearing decidedly less than me. You would think that sleeping in the same bed with him for the last week would have tamed the blush in my cheeks or I’d learn some restraint and would stop gawking at his tight briefs that left nothing to the imagination. But nope. Even this hellish nightmare of sleeping quarters had me sneaking a peek.
Once he laid down, he swept the hair from my cheek. “Sixx.”
I looked up at him, and he brushed his fingertips over my clenched fists. “Yeah?”
Worry furled his brows. I so badly wanted to reach out and smooth away the lines, but my terror had taken on a life of its own, trapping me.
“What troubles you, my love?” Olezka reached up and stroked his thumb over the curve of my cheek.
I closed my eyes, savoring his touch sending tendrils of warmth through me. I’d grown accustomed to his extra body temperature. “Do you remember back when you came to find me at three a.m. because I had gotten the drugs from the werewolves?”
“Da.” He growled, obviously not happy with the memory.
“That night, I was terrified. Heck, I was scared when I first met you, thinking you were a werewolf.”
“And why do you have a fear of werewolves?”
“Did I ever tell you how Ana and I met?”
“Nyet. You have not.” He sounded distant, maybe even hurt. I didn’t intend to keep it a secret, but since meeting Olezka, it felt like we’d barely had a moment to sit and have a conversation.
“In high school, Ana moved into our small, sleepy town. She was all the buzz for a good month or two as the hot new kid. At first, we weren’t even remotely close; we were barely on speaking terms. But one night, I was attacked by a lone wolf. Ana happened upon me and protected me. Unfortunately, that incident caught the attention of the local pack because another girl in our grade was one of them, and she told her pack. The next night, the pack kidnapped us both.
“They threatened to return Ana to the Veil, and for me… well, I was a liability. They held us in a cave on the outskirts of town. So, as you can probably guess, I don’t do well in situations like this.” I motioned to the room. The dungeon in the Light Fae Kingdom felt the same way, but the other impending dooms I had to deal with had taken precedence at the time.
“I apologize, my love. I didn’t know. I would not have…”
“It’s okay. With you here, I know I’m safe.” I pressed closer to him, taking in his warmth and letting it flow through me.
“Always, zhizn' moya.”
****
Sleep came quickly enough, but I woke earlier than Olezka. After working so many late nights while we were at the palace, he was taking advantage of the safety of his parents’ home to catch up on much-needed rest. Erebus had been working him hard because he was heavily invested in getting Ana back. After revealing all I knew, Erebus went on a rampage. This time, Olezka kept me at his side while they worked tirelessly in Erebus’s office. While Olezka was focused on Ana, Timur was out searching for Cyril, though I figured the incubus had returned to the human realm as soon as he could.
I slipped out of bed, my bladder begging for release. When Olezka groaned and reached for me, I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, promising to return quickly. But after I visited the bathroom, I was wide awake and couldn’t imagine falling back to sleep. By that point, Olezka had rolled over; his arm was slung over his eyes, and he was out like a light. Peeking into the closet to see an assortment of clothes, I slipped into an outfit that was considered loungewear in this realm.
Staying asleep while I left the bedroom was a testament to how much Olezka trusted this place. Normally, he would bounce right up and accompany me. I followed my nose to the kitchen where the scent of fresh coffee pulled me forward. I practically groaned with pleasure.
Since arriving in the Veil, I had been fed foods that were deemed ‘safe’ for me. Olezka said after we were officially mated, I could eat anything without being trapped there, but for now, we had to be careful about any food or drink I came into contact with.
“Come in, doch',” a quiet, masculine voice said. I peeked around the corner to see Olezka’s father, Sol, sitting at the table with an impressive breakfast spread before him and two coffee mugs.
“My mate will not be up for at least another hour. I’m sure my son will be sniffing you out soon, and I hoped we could talk.”
“Oh… okay.”
“Nothing bad, I promise. Please, come. Sit.” Sol paused. “The coffee is for you.”
“Oh, thank you.” I snatched it up greedily, breathing in the pungent aroma.
Sol laughed, but it was a soft, light chuckle that brought a smile to my face.
“Thank you again for this. It’s been too long.”
“I suppose you are eager to return to your world.”
I slowly set my cup down. Is this
the moment when he tells me I need to make sacrifices or that I’m stealing his son away from him? Distracting him from his true purpose?
“Don’t look so scared, Sixx. I was just making an observation.”
“Oh… um,” I floundered, unsure how to respond.
“You know, Marisha used to be much more reserved than she is now. She would often withdraw into herself. Never sought out the company of others. Hellhounds can have that problem. They were once used solely by the Dark Fae Court as killers and disposable guards. Their family units were destroyed. Happiness wasn’t in the cards for them,” Sol said quietly.
“Rarogs, like myself, are often solitary creatures. My parents were close; we were a tight-knit unit. But after I fell in love with Marisha, they abandoned me. She saw how it crushed me to lose them.” Sol said it all quietly, evenly. But something told me that bringing this up only had bad memories resurfacing.
“She decided after that, that we should never intentionally make each other sad or hurt each other. She became a different person. I loved her before when she was cold and withdrew, and I love her as she is now, loud, compassionate, and exuberant.”
After his revelation, Sol became quiet. We sat like that for a little while. My stomach grumbled, but I ignored it.
“I apologize for getting lost in my thoughts. My son carries a lot on his shoulders; I just wanted you to know he gets it honestly, as they say. He wrestles with two beasts inside him, each with similar yet vastly different personalities. Be patient with him as he will be with you. I raised him to be this way,” Sol said gently.
“Papa, you have not fed my mate yet?”
“That’s your job, son. My mate would feel rather put off if I took the honor away from you,” Sol said with a wink as Olezka sat down next to me. I grabbed his hand in mine and leaned over to kiss him gently on the lips. He growled the moment I pulled away.
Chapter 3
We spent the “weekend” at Olezka’s parents’ place, though time passed differently here. The experience was domestic and very normal. Time away from the palace accomplished what Olezka had wanted to achieve. And while I appreciated it and loved the bit of normalcy, I was itching to get back to the palace. We needed to get Ana back so we could return to the human realm. Once there, we could start searching for the fighting rings Cyril told me about. Hopefully, Olezka’s twin would still be there. Not that I wanted him to be in the fighting rings, but… ugh.
At the close of the weekend, Timur, Olezka, and I returned to the palace while Roman decided to stay behind for an extended visit with his parents. Marisha had been so excited for one of her boys to remain behind. All three of them gave me hugs before we left and made me promise to bring Olezka and Ana back for another visit before we left for the human realm.
I missed them already. I loved my parents, but their affections were quite different. It was refreshing to spend time with a family who was free with their affection. The trip back to the palace was quiet and comfortable, but the closer we got, the more stressed we became. Olezka’s shoulders tightened along with his hold on me.
Timur twisted around in his seat on the front of the wagon. “Palace gates are just up ahead. Look alive.”
Olezka pressed a kiss to the side of my head before joining his brother in the front. I leaned back against the side of the wagon and let my eyes drift shut. The wagon had high walls with fur lining the floor, making it more comfortable.
Erebus said that Dark Fae didn’t have covered wagons like Light Fae. They have more grit—his words, not mine.
The wards for the palace pressed against my skin, and I squirmed under the weight of an irrational desire to run in the opposite direction. It was the same reaction I had the first time we passed through, which was yet another thing Olezka said would disappear when we um, well, completed our mating. Something we hadn’t discussed at length yet. I shook my head, breaking away from those thoughts.
As we pulled through the back gates that we’d snuck out of when we left, we were surrounded by guards. I squeaked when one jumped in the back with me. Olezka growled, and the male guard took three steps back.
“Apologies, my lords, but the King has ordered increased security here and on the border.”
“What happened?” Olezka asked, climbing in the back to be closer to me.
The guard paused and looked at me before turning his attention back to Olezka. “Perhaps we should wait…”
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of my mate.”
The guard nodded. “A royal spiorad was spotted on the grounds. Along with that, the Light Fae have increased their security on the border. We have reason to believe the Princess tried another escape attempt and failed.”
Hope popped like a balloon. It was sudden, startling, and horrifically unexpected. Ana trying to escape wasn’t surprising because it was Ana we were talking about. She never gave up. But hearing she’d failed broke my heart. I kept thinking about how Cyril kept me close as Warrior took us farther and farther from her.
“How do you know it was a Royal spiorad?” I asked. I knew a certain incubus who had taken off on a spiorad.
“The royal beasts are stark white, and most are not,” the guard answered.
Could it have been Warrior they saw on the grounds? There was one person who might be able to tell me if she had seen him, but the trick was getting Olezka to leave me unattended long enough so I could visit her. Tess was a druid whom I’d met when I first arrived here, and she and I became fast friends. However, she was terrified of my ex-assassin mate.
“Oh.”
Olezka turned to Timur. “I guess we should find him. He’ll be on edge.” Olezka rubbed the back of his neck, making me aware of the tension tightening around his eyes already. I reached out and touched his arm comfortingly. He looked down at me, his eyes softening fractionally. “I will take my mate to my room and find the King immediately.”
“I can go with the wagon to the stalls and find my way back,” I offered.
“Nyet. If the stag is around, it is possible the incubus is not far behind. You did say that you were riding a white spiorad, da?”
“Yeah.”
Olezka took my disappointment for worry, reaching over and holding me close. “He will not harm you.”
“I know. I’ve got you protecting me.” I patted his chest to reassure him.
The next hour moved swiftly as Olezka helped me off the wagon and rushed me through the halls. Once he deposited me in his room, he took off again. I took the opportunity to wander about the room for a bit. New clothes were hanging in the closet for me – no doubt made by the woman I’d affectionately named Spider, the Royal seamstress. When I mentioned that I preferred wearing pants and shirts as I would do in the human realm, Spider balked at the thought. We compromised a bit—sort of. She made pretty dresses while I borrowed Olezka’s shirts and pants.
When I noticed some of the new additions hanging in the back of the closet, my cheeks flushed. Holy gods… I pulled out what I thought was supposed to pass for underwear. Or, more likely, lingerie.
“Oookay. Just gonna put that right back.” I tucked the tiny scrap of material back into the cubby. It was weird to think of someone else handling sexy clothes meant for me, not to mention making them with that intention in mind. It took great effort, but I pushed those thoughts away in favor of focusing on a different mission.
I grabbed a pair of boots from the closet. They were a little big, but I was pretty sure I could still run in them. I peeked my head out of Olezka’s room, looked both ways down the hall, and snuck out. If this was evidence of increased security, I hated to think what ‘lax’ meant. There were more guards stationed on us when Ana and I were staying in another room, but maybe that was when we both had a reason to leave. Right now, I only had reasons to stay.
Getting to the courtyard that housed Tess’s garden took a lot longer than it should have. I kept ducking into doorways as fae wandered the halls, ranging from High to Low, most ar
med and dangerous. By the time I made it outside, I was certain Olezka would be on my butt, but there was no sign of him. I slipped out of the side door.
The greenery greeted me, and as always, it blew me away. I realized that Tess used quite a bit of magic to make it as spectacular as she did, but it never ceased to amaze me. Indescribable shapes and floral scents unique to this world invaded my senses.
“You’re back!” Tess’s quiet voice broke through my thoughts.
I blinked, the setting sun getting in my eyes. “Hi, Tess!” The beautiful green druid rushed forward and wrapped her long arms around me. “I’m back, for now, I think. It seems a little hectic here.”
“Yes, I’ve attended several meetings, especially after my garden was attacked, and I’ve heard the rumbling. Where’s your mate?” she asked with a concerned tilt of her head.
“He’s in a meeting.”
“So, you ran off?”
“I wanted to see a friendly face,” I offered with a bit of mischief in my voice.
She crossed her arms. “Your mate does not know.”
I cringed. “No.”
“Do you wish to see me killed?”
“He wouldn’t… I won’t let him do that!” I answered lamely. “It was my choice to come out here.”
“Come along.” Tess shook her head at me before heading down one of the twisting paths. I followed her, curious to see where she wanted to take me. The farther we walked into the thickets that made up her garden, the more it acted like a maze. But I trusted Tess. When we reached a small opening, she tilted her head forward and darted her eyes to the side. I stepped closer and gasped.
“Warrior?”
“The spiorad has been near for a couple of days. I am more attuned with plants, but I heard him every so often. He feels very protective of you. I figured you would come looking for him eventually,” Tess said as she looked over at the giant deer-like beast.
I thought Warrior had disappeared along with Cyril. The moment I stepped into the clearing, he pranced over and nuzzled his narrow face against my chest. I laughed and petted the soft fur by his ears.
Sixx and the Incubus: The Sidekick Chronicles Page 2