And then I remembered the horrible expression on my mother’s face in the painting, and Daigh’s terrible laugh when we were performing the ritual, and how tired and drawn Corbin looked when he left, and I knew this was not the time to get distracted.
“Now that we’ve got that sorted,” I leaned against Arthur’s body, letting him hold me upright as the heat swirled inside of me. The thought entered my head that with Jane downstairs I could take all three guys up to my room and do a little group experimenting, but I pushed it down. Concentrate. “I think we’re going about this all wrong. It might take us a year to go through the library and there’s no guarantee we’ll find anything of use.”
“Finally, a voice of reason.” Flynn tossed his book over the balustrade, where it landed on the flagstones below with a loud SLAP. “I’m so bored that the BBC marathon of David Attenborough documentaries is starting to sound like fun.”
I decided not to tell Flynn that I’d happily watch an entire weekend of David Attenborough documentaries, especially if my favorite red-haired Irish boy was beside me making funny monkey noises. Instead, I balled my hands into fists to try and quell the heat, and said, “First of all, I think we need to take a more practical approach. I want to set up my monitoring equipment by the sidhe, today. Second, we’re doing this because we need to figure out what the fae are planning, right? The quickest way to get that information is to go straight to the source.”
“You mean, back into the fae realm, the same way you did before? Corbin won’t like it,” Flynn said. “Especially when he’s not here.”
“Corbin’s not in charge of this coven, I am.” I turned to Blake. “Would you be willing to do it? You know your way around there much better than I.”
Blake grinned. “Do I get one of those kisses out of it?”
I shrugged, trying not to betray how his words sent a shiver down my spine. “Sure, when you come back.”
Blake’s face betrayed no emotion beyond his smug cat-ate-the-canary grin, as per normal. I thought I caught a little tremor in his hand when he leaned against the balustrade. “Then I’ll oblige you, Princess. Do you still have any of that sleeping draught left over from your little adventure the other night?”
Flynn tapped his chin. “I think there’s some down in the kitchen, unless you drank it when you ate everything else.”
“Did it taste delicious?”
“No.”
“Then I definitely haven’t drunk it already,” Blake sauntered back down the stairs. “That Rowan may be a freak, but he sure knows his way around the kitchen.”
Flynn went down to the kitchen to pour the draught while the rest of us returned to the library.
I sat down on the end of the couch, expecting Blake to sit beside me. Instead, he leaned over me, a powerful arm on either side of my hips. His face an inch from mine, giving me a clear view of his perfect porcelain skin, his crystalline eyes laced with heat, his pouting lips that looked delicious enough to eat.
I swallowed hard.
“I’ll take my kiss now, Princess,” Blake said, the evil glint in his eye turning my stomach in knots. “I prefer payment in advance.”
Before I could reply, the heat in my veins pulled my body forward, pressing my lips against Blake’s.
Sparks flew inside my head – Fourth of July fireworks exploding through my grey matter. The room swirled and disappeared, and I lost all sense of time and place and urgency. The only thing that existed was Blake’s lips parting mine with confidence, his tongue devouring me. I’d never been drunk before, but I imagined this was kind of what it felt like.
Whoa.
Is it kissing another spirit user that makes me feel like this, or was it just that Blake is really, really, really good?
I drew back, heart hammering. Blake stared at me, his eyes dancing. His lips curled back into his signature evil grin.
“Anytime you want, Princess,” he whispered, his words both an invitation and a warning.
Behind Blake’s head, Arthur leaned against the bookshelf, glowering. I smiled at him, trying to show him that just because I kissed Blake, didn’t mean that I didn’t love his kiss from earlier. But he looked away.
Flynn returned with the glass and sat it on the table. Blake leaned against Corbin’s desk and picked up the draught, frowning at the tiny portion.
I frantically tried to think of what things I should do as a leader to make this safer for Blake. “Before you drink it, let’s talk strategy. How are you planning to find the answers we need?”
He shrugged. “I don’t plan, Princess. How do you think I ended up here? I made a split second decision to jump into the void after you. It was either going to send me here or rip me into a million infinitesimal pieces and scatter my soul across the galaxy. I got lucky.”
“Blake, you have to have some kind of plan. You can’t just walk up to Daigh and ask him how he intends to raise the Slaugh.”
“Damn, there goes plan A.” I whacked Blake on the shoulder and he grinned. “Calm your farm, Princess. There is someone I’ll try to contact who might know the details of the plan, but Daigh may well have got rid of them.” A strange, faraway look passed through Blake’s eyes. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was worried. The look was gone in a moment, replaced by his usual cocky smirk. “If not, I’ll use fae methods for gathering information. They’ve always worked well in the past.”
“What are these fae methods?”
“It’s probably better you don’t know. Please note I’m doing this on one condition,” Blake stared at the glass. “When I get back, there better be a hot curry sitting on this table.”
“Corbin texted to say he and Rowan won’t be back for dinner, so I’ll order us some takeout.” Flynn searched through his phone for the number. “What curry do you want? Butter Chicken? Lamb Rogan Josh? Chicken Tikka Masala?”
“Yes.”
“Gotcha, one of everything. One bastardized Indian feast, coming right up.” Flynn pressed the phone to his ear and left the library.
“Be careful.” I kissed Blake’s forehead, my lips lingering as a delicious heat shimmered across them.
Arthur shot us a disgusted look and stormed out of the room. I wonder what’s wrong with him? I thought I’d made it clear that I hadn’t chosen any of the guys. I thought they all knew what’s going on. But maybe I haven’t been clear enough.
I hated the idea of Arthur being upset with me. I wanted to go after him, but he would have to wait. I needed to stay with Blake. If I thought he was in trouble, I might be able to help him inside his dream.
“Careful is my middle name, Princess,” Blake grinned. “Oh wait, I lied. It’s actually carnal.” He leaned forward and stole another breathtaking kiss. With a final flash of those sparkling eyes, he tipped his head back and downed the glass in one gulp.
18
BLAKE
The things I do for this woman.
I laid my head back on the puffy chair they called a sofa. The draught burned my throat on the way down and settled in my stomach like nectar wine, ready to dissolve the inside lining. That’s it, I resolved as my eyelids drooped and my brain went fuzzy. This is the last time I drink anything that makes me sick. From now on it’s just curry and cakes and roast lamb and bollocks to anyone who tells me otherwise—
My eyelids slammed shut. A moment later I was back in the meadow of Tir Na Nog again.
Soft grass swirled around my legs as I clambered to my feet and steadied myself on shaking legs. That draught had really done a number on my balance. Methinks Rowan should stick to cake-baking from now on.
I stared down the valley, wondering what might greet me when I reached the bottom – if I managed to reach the bottom alive. The meadow ran along the single, solitary valley in Tir Na Nog, separating the two sides of the forest – one each for the Seelie and Unseelie courts. The sidhe at the base of the meadow had been built by the ancestors of the fae as a meeting place for the royals during their revels, where the two courts came tog
ether to dance and drink and copulate. But ever since Daigh killed Morgana, they were the sole domain of the Unseelie Court.
I knew I’d find Daigh there, which meant I’d also find answers. All I had to do was get down there without being seen.
Luckily, I knew all the good hiding places. First step, get to the forest. I lurched toward the trees on the Seelie side, dragging my shaking body into the shade of the towering oaks just as footsteps crunched over the grass.
I ducked down behind a trunk, my body tense. I peeked over the edge to watch a column of soldiers – their uniforms mixed green and black – heading toward the gateway. They carried the carcass of a deer. Dried blood caked around an arrow wound in its neck. A sacrifice. A fae ritual was afoot.
They’re trying to break through the gateway again. They won’t do it, but it won’t be long until they succeed. At best, we’ve got two days left before their combined power breaks through our warding spell and they come after me.
Not going to happen. I’d only just discovered the joys of the human realm – eccles cakes, roast lamb, sofas, Maeve’s lips pressed against mine, the warmth of her cunt as it tightened around my finger, and tonight… curry. It’d be a cold day in Tir Na Nog before I let Daigh take all that away from me.
I waited until the column passed out of sight over the crest of the hill then I darted deeper into the forest, keeping low to avoid detection. Above my head, birds chirped a cheery tune, but I knew even they could betray me if Daigh offered a tempting reward. I skated around the lookout towers, trusting that Daigh hadn’t thought to change them after my departure. The sound of laughter and music filtering through the trees told me I approached the sidhe.
I crept as close as I could to the clearing, parting the blackberry bushes in front of me so I could see the dancing Unseelie fae. Seelie slaves in green loincloths carried trays of meat drowning in berry sauce and struggled under the weight of huge amphorae of nectar wine. It must have disgusted them to carry that dead flesh around for their new masters.
If only I was close enough to hear what they were saying. But between where I hid and the revels was a field of meadow grass. I’d never be able to overhear anything useful unless some fae decided to go make out in the forest.
Wait a second. I’m in a dream. I can do whatever I bloody well want.
I closed my eyes and thought myself into a nearby tree. A moment later, something hard and wooden slid between my legs. And I wasn’t talking about that Irish boy’s meat.
I opened my eyes and found I was straddling a thick oak branch, high above the clearing at the center of the sidhe.
Shit. I’m in the High Oak. The sacred tree right in the center of the court sidhe. Not the ideal place to be if I wanted to stay concealed. Fae danced right beneath my dangling feet. If a single one of them looked up, they’d see me.
Let’s try that again.
I closed my eyes again and thought myself back into the trees, this time a little further down the valley from where I’d been before. I opened my eyes and found myself back on the ground in a different spot. The blackberry bush I’d landed in looked right on to the entrance of the Royal Sidhe. I could see glowing lights inside and shadows moving. Daigh would be holding court inside, directing the fae in the next stage of whatever-it-was he was planning.
If I could just get closer, I could hear what they—
A blade pressed against my throat and a soft voice whispered in my ear. “Move and I split you open.”
I inclined my head half an inch, indicating my agreement. The cool bone dragged over my skin. A tiny hand on my shoulder yanked me back onto the ground. Blackberry thorns clung to my shirt, tearing at the skin on my back and arms.
A familiar face loomed over me. The tips of two white-blonde braids tickled my cheeks. Despite the seemingly distressing situation I found myself in, I broke into a grin.
Liah. Just the fae I wanted to see.
“Blake Beckett, what are you doing here?” Liah’s mouth twisted into a smirk. She didn’t lower the knife. “Daigh said you’d betrayed the fae and joined forces with the witches.”
My heart pounded, but I managed to hold my smile. Liah could have cried out already and alerted the nearby guards to my presence. But she hadn’t. That meant something, although maybe only that she wanted to toy with me before handing me over to Daigh.
The joke’s on her if that happens. As long as I’m alive I can jump ship from this dream any time I want. But as long as I hold on, there’s a chance I might find something we can use.
“I’m just back for a visit.” Then I noticed that Liah wore her Seelie green tunic and trousers instead of the loincloths and smocks of Daigh’s new Seelie slaves, and her bow with a full quiver of arrows was strapped across her tiny shoulders. She crouched over me, the shimmer of an invisibility glamour still clinging to her skin. I must’ve appeared right beside her. But why was she crouching in the bushes with her bow at the ready, instead of serving at court with all the other Seelie?
“Why are you hiding here?” I mouthed the words, rather than speak them. Liah still pressed the blade to my throat, and I knew my childhood friend well enough to know that she kept her blades sharp. If I moved too much I’d slit my own throat.
“Because…” Liah’s eyes darted forward again, peering through the bushes at the sidhe. She barely spoke above a whisper. “I’m trying to find a way to kill Daigh.”
My grin widened. Of course she is. I cursed myself for not thinking of contacting Liah earlier. She and I had spent most of our childhood playing together. She taught me some of the simpler fae magic, and I taught her how to fire a bow and wield a sword – skills usually reserved for male fae. As I grew older, Daigh took issue with me spending time with a Seelie. He thought it made me look weak – and plus he always had plans for Maeve and I – so no more Liah for me. Yet another good thing he deprived me of. We’d seen each other at court a few times since, but it was always strained.
Liah removed the knife and held out her hand to pull me up. She didn’t embrace me. That wasn’t her way. Instead, she handed me the knife and removed her bow and an arrow.
“You just appeared in front of me,” she whispered. “Even your magical abilities won’t allow you to cast an invisibility glamour.”
“I’m not really here. I’m dream-traveling. It’s sort of a new thing for me. Someone explained to me that it has to do with theoretical physics, but I fell asleep from boredom before I could find out what that gibberish means.”
Liah’s lips curled back into a smile. “So if I slit your throat, you won’t really die, because you’re actually in a dream?”
“You don’t have to look so excited about it.” I huffed. “And no, I think I really do die, but I don’t want to test it, thank you very much. Can you tell me what’s happened since I left?”
“It’s horrible. Daigh has nearly all the Seelie in his court now, supporting his plan to return the fae to earth. I’m leading a small group of Seelie rebels who refused to join his new court. Daigh burned our barrows, salted our magic places so nothing would grow, and now his soldiers hunt us out in the forest, one by one.” Liah nocked an arrow and raised her bow, aiming for the entrance to Daigh’s barrow. “Well, not anymore.”
“You’ll never get a decent shot through the guards,” I reminded her. “Daigh’s not just going to walk out unprotected. He’s probably even got magical shielding.” Especially after Maeve drove that iron sword through his hand.
“I have to try. I want to leave Tir Na Nog as much as anyone else, but this isn’t the way.”
I curled my hand around Liah’s wrist, pulling down her bow. “Even if you do kill him, it won’t matter. This is bigger than Daigh. He’s playing on the fae desire to return to our ancestral home, to our true sacred places. That’s why so many Seelie joined him willingly. Because they’re sick of living in this prison. If Daigh dies, some other fae will just step into his place.”
“Then what brilliant suggestion do you propose? After
all, it’s your world on the line. Oberon forbid I might be allowed to do you a favor and shoot your enemy through the heart.”
She sounded just like the Liah I used to know. I grinned. “We’ve got to kill the idea, obviously. Or make this place somehow livable again. I don’t know. I’m no good at this. I’m much better at the arrow through the heart stuff. It’s just that in this case I think it’s a waste of an arrow.”
“You’d better figure it out quick,” Liah muttered. “You’re running out of time.”
“You know what he’s trying to do?” I demanded. It couldn’t be this easy, could it? I’d just ask her and she’d tell me? “He’s been trying to steal babies from the human realm, but I don’t know why.”
“Obviously he plans to raise the Slaugh.” Her eyes narrowed. “The babies are some kind of offering that has to be made to the unhallowed spirits. As soon as they unblock the gateway they’re going through to take more. They already have the targets picked out. And the spirits will come to collect as soon as the babies return, so no chance of you stealing them back this time. That’s as good a reason as I need to take him out.”
Oh, this was bad. This was very, very bad.
“But the fae haven’t had the power to raise the Slaugh since we were banished to Tir Na Nog. That’s why you were sent here. The realm restricts fae powers.”
“Daigh has the power,” Liah muttered. “He’s taking it from all the fae, from the Seelie and Unseelie together. He’ll make every one of us impotent, but it will be enough to raise the Slaugh and—”
Liah’s words stopped short as an arrow whizzed between us, the fletch streaking across my cheek, leaving a thin, stinging cut against my skin.
Liah’s eyes widened with fear. “Run!”
19
BLAKE
By the time I scrambled to my feet, Liah had already disappeared into the trees. Of course she wouldn’t wait for me – she was a friend, but she was also a fae. They didn’t suffer the weak, and as a human, I was the weakest of all. I crashed into the trees after her, following her swinging blonde braids as she leapt off logs and darted between the towering oaks.
The Castle of Fire and Fable (Briarwood Reverse Harem Book 2) Page 13