by Nissa Leder
Her eyes widened. “Was that me?”
“Sure was, darling.”
Back home, she’d tried with all her might to move the pen and it wouldn’t budge until she’d gotten frustrated. Now she felt like she could move an entire house if she tried. What had changed?
“You fed from me,” Kaelem said, reading her thoughts. “As King of the Unseelie Court, my emotion is potent, the finest of wines.”
Scarlett remembered the power she’d felt when she’d choked Hair Gel at the party. Sure, she’d felt strong. But this was something else.
“Consider it a privilege,” he added. “I’ve let very few souls absorb my power.”
Thank you.
“I can think of a few ways you can repay me.” Kaelem moved the book and glanced at his lap.
No way.
Kaelem chuckled. “Someday, darling.”
Scarlett’s training session was a surprise, even to Kaelem. As king, he’d seen so many unexpected things; he didn’t know he could still be amazed. But Scarlett’s raw power and ability to control her magic so quickly awed him.
After she’d worked on controlling her magic for another hour, Kaelem excused her and relieved some of the tension he’d built up as she’d fed from his lust.
As he left the room, Lola found him.
“You have a visitor,” she said. He listened to her thoughts. The Winter Queen. In the entryway. Looking bitchy as ever.
Kaelem grunted. Why was she there? “Thank you. I’ll see her in my throne room.”
Lola gave a small nod and turned away.
Unexpected royal visitors to another court were rare and considered rude. Leave it to the Winter Queen to break fae code. Doing so allowed Kaelem the right to retaliate as he saw fit without abiding by the court treaties. But she knew he wouldn’t harm her, not with the advantage over him she possessed. Kaelem may be more powerful but hurting her, justified or not, would only end in his own loss.
Kaelem evanesced to a large room with two wrought-iron thrones at the end. He sat in one. Every court had its own throne room, some rulers spending more time there than others. Kaelem hated sitting where his father had spent so much of his life. A life so still and boring was a life wasted in Kaelem’s mind. But sitting on a throne was an ego boost that so many of the rulers took satisfaction in.
As the door swung open, The Winter Queen waltzed in.
“Kaelem, dear.” Her long, white dress trailed behind her. Its lace sleeves elongated arms that ended in thin fingers. Three male fae followed behind her.
“Nevina, to what do I owe this pleasure?” His tone was cold as ice, fitting for his Winter guest.
“Can’t a queen have a friendly visit with a king?” Her platinum blonde hair was pulled from her face into a tight bun that accentuated her dark brown eyes.
“I didn’t know you were capable of friendship.”
Nevina held up a hand and her minions all stopped. She continued until she was a few feet from Kaelem’s throne. “Ruling can be so lonely.” She glanced at the empty throne next to him.
“I prefer to rule alone.” He leaned back, wearing a mask of nonchalance. Kaelem didn’t like Nevina, and he didn’t want to give her any other impression.
The Winter Queen had wanted a grip on the Unseelie Court before Kaelem had become king. She’d been after his father, and nearly had her claws into him before his untimely death. Nevina would not be deterred, and had since set her sights on Kaelem.
But she was the last woman he’d ever take as Unseelie Queen.
“You know, I’m a reasonable woman,” Nevina said.
Kaelem’s jaw clenched. If he didn’t fear the repercussions, he’d have killed the Winter Queen right then and there. Her Winter power was limited while his Unseelie power was unrestricted. She’d known he was too strong to control, so she found another way. She stole something from him. Something dear.
“I expect you’ll be joining us for the Winter Solstice,” Nevina said.
“My schedule is already booked. Darn.”
“Then I might feel the need to hurt something, and we wouldn’t want that, now would we?” An evil grin spread across her features, stretching from her mouth to her eyes.
“And if I come?” Hatred threatened to break through his indifferent expression, but he swallowed it.
“Then I’ll be merciful for your stay.”
Kaelem had no choice. He couldn’t risk her retaliation if he turned her down. But he needed to be careful with his bargain. “If I come for the Solstice, you won’t harm what you have of mine?”
Kaelem held out his hand. An official fae bargain.
She pondered the agreement he was suggesting. “If you attend, I won’t harm it during the Solstice.” Nevina gave her hand to him.
Kaelem lifted her fingers to his mouth and gently kissed them.
Bargain sealed.
He would go to the Winter Solstice, and he would get back what was his.
Chapter Six
Cade was eating breakfast alone when he felt a tug at the bond he shared with Poppy. The long dining table was filled with the finest Summer Court options, from pancakes to eggs and bacon to a platter full of fruit in every color of the rainbow. It was more food than Cade could eat in a week, let alone a single meal. At his mother’s request, he was sure.
It had been like that all week. He’d considered asking the servants to make less, but he didn’t want word getting back to Kassandra. She had advised him that kings were superior to common fae and should act as such. So instead, Cade instructed them to take whatever he didn’t eat and divvy it amongst the merchants outside of the castle.
Should his mother find out, he would remind her that a gracious king had the hearts of his people.
Poppy entered the room, hand on hip. “This should be gone.”
He knew she meant the bond. She’d purposefully tugged on it. Cade took a bite of fruit. “I know.”
“Well, what are you doing about it?” She had pulled her blonde hair into a ponytail on top of her head, making her look even fiercer than she usually did. If he hadn’t been Summer King, he’d have feared her.
The tone she used showed her bravery. Or stupidity, since he had the power to throw her in a dungeon or kill her if he saw fit. But he’d be stuck feeling any emotion she felt.
“I…” He paused. He’d tried to think of any other reason the bond hadn’t disappeared, but he couldn’t. He shut the door behind her with his mind. “Come closer.”
She obliged, annoyance spread across her face.
“I lied to you,” Cade said. “I didn’t actually kill Raith.” Anger pulsed through the bond. “He was as good as dead, but I owed him a life debt from when we were children, so I left him unconscious to be eaten by forest creatures.”
It didn’t sound as bad at the time, but now, listening to himself speak the truth aloud, he sounded like either an ass or a coward, neither of which he liked.
“The loser of the battle doesn’t have to die,” Poppy said. “Plenty of kings have shown mercy.”
“But their opponent surrendered,” Cade whispered. No one else could know about this. It would lessen his authority or, worse, remove it completely. And if his mother was right and war was on its way, he needed to have the confidence of his people. “Raith was unconscious when I left him, but he’d never conceded.”
Poppy gawked at him. It was the first time she’d ever not had some smart-ass comment to retort. “Then you aren’t king?”
“I am,” Cade snapped. “He was as good as dead. It was my kindness that allowed him to live.” He’d allowed her to speak freely, but he wouldn’t be told he hadn’t earned the Right of Heir. “I’m going to be making my official visits to the mortal realm courts. The bond should be weakened while I’m away, and I’ll figure out how to break it.”
“You’ll need a guard to go along.”
He’d almost forgotten. When his father had traveled, he’d had two fae accompany him. It broke fae law to hurt another
ruler when on an official visit, but none ever went alone. “Yes, thank you. Please find two of our strongest guards to be my escorts.”
“I’ll do it.”
Her? He’d never heard of a female on a Summer royal guard.
“You know I’m the best,” Poppy said. “It’s why your mother selected me to train you.”
How would it look to the other rulers? “I’m not sure.”
“You will choose me or I’ll tell everyone what I know.”
What was she thinking? He could kill her for the threat. If he were smart, he would. But Poppy knew from the bond that Cade wouldn’t. The Summer Court had never had female guards, but other courts had. Cade could be the ruler who brought the Summer Court to a new stage, one of equality between genders. His mother had stepped up to rule when his father was sick. He’d always respected women as equals. It was about time the entire Summer Court did as well.
Poppy sighed. “The bond between us could be a good thing. If I’m on your guard, I’ll be able to feel if you’re in danger and, because of the bond, so will you.”
“True,” Cade said. “Fine. Select one more fae and we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
Poppy nodded once. “Deal.”
Cade could trust Poppy, he hoped. She was the closest thing to a friend he had. He had an entire kingdom to protect now, and, while they admired him, they didn’t truly know him. He’d been raised away from other fae children. His only playmate was his brother. They’d spent hours every day in each other’s company.
Then they had to fight for the Right of Heir. Cade had won. He’d taken Raith down.
And he’d killed Scarlett.
When Cade had realized Raith might still be alive, he wondered if Scarlett could have survived, too. He’d been surprised to learn she had fae blood in her. But he’d hit her too hard, and, fae blood or not, she was mostly mortal. He wanted to believe she’d lived, but he couldn’t. Despite her betrayal of sleeping with his brother, Cade had cared for her. The thought of the two of them together was what made Cade lose control. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her dead body. A braver soul would have brought her back to the castle for burial. But not Cade. Even if he’d found the courage, his mother would have claimed it a sign of weakness.
He couldn’t be weak—not when he had so many people to protect.
Cade would visit the Unseelie Court, the first step to show the other courts that he wasn’t to be trifled with.
Then he would do what he must to protect his people and be the strongest king the Summer Court had ever had.
Chapter Seven
Scarlett turned in front of the mirror. The sequin dress she wore was short, exposing her long legs. Magic still buzzed through her from her training session earlier. She’d never done drugs, but she imagined the high she felt now was better than anything in the mortal world.
She’d wanted to say no when Kaelem offered to show her more of the Unseelie Court. She’d come for business—to learn how to be fae—not for pleasure. But there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t have fun while she was here. She had too much energy to just sit in her room all night anyway, so she agreed to go out with Kaelem if he’d take her somewhere she could check in with Ashleigh. Earlier, he had evanesced her out of the Unseelie Court long enough for her to call her sister and give yet another lie. Scarlett said she was going camping with a friend from high school. Ashleigh was hanging out with her maybe-boyfriend so she didn’t press for more information. It would buy Scarlett at least a week, which would hopefully be enough time to learn what she needed.
She already felt more in control of her power after one lesson. Maybe being fae wouldn’t be so bad after all, though she wasn’t holding her breath.
“Sexy,” Kaelem said as he walked into Scarlett’s suite.
“I could have been naked,” she said with mock outrage.
“I heard your approving thoughts of the dress you’re wearing before I came in.” He eyed her up and down. “I agree, you look fabulous. Besides, if I had walked in on you naked, at least we’d be even.”
“I’ll lock the door next time.”
“As if that would keep me out.” Kaelem smirked. “Are you ready?”
Scarlett ran her hands through her long waves. “Yep.”
Kaelem took her hand and she felt herself moving swiftly through the air. When they landed, tall buildings surrounded them.
“Where are we?” Scarlett asked.
“Starlight, the Unseelie City.”
Bright lights shone all around. Fae walked up and down the streets, most with brightly colored hair and bold outfits. There were humans with them, too. Scarlett could sense the difference in their auras. She inhaled the human emotion around her. Curiosity mixed with lust and gluttony. Delectable.
Though the setting replicated a downtown New York street, it was noticeably void of cars or vehicles of any kind.
“There’s a subway underground, but it’s the only form of transportation allowed in the city.” Kaelem twined his arm with Scarlett’s. “Let’s go.” He led her down the street.
The fae around them murmured as they passed by. They must have known who Kaelem was. He paid them no attention. He guided Scarlett to the front of a long line. A short creature with wrinkly skin and a large nose stood at the entrance to one of the buildings. He didn’t look like a bouncer.
“Never underestimate a goblin. They’re small but deadly.”
The goblin glanced at Kaelem and bowed. It looked at Scarlett, its black eyes hypnotizing her. All her thoughts vanished.
Kaelem tugged Scarlett past the goblin. Within seconds, her thoughts returned. What had happened?
“Today’s bonus lesson: don’t make eye contact with goblins.”
“Did it read my mind?”
“They can’t see inside your mind, but they can empty it. Temporarily, usually. But with enough time they can erase it completely.”
Scarlett gulped. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. There were so many new creatures with different abilities. Would she ever learn everything about his new world?
Loud music boomed from inside the building. It grew louder when they stepped inside. Strobe lights shined everywhere as people danced in the middle of the huge room. Booths surrounded the dance floor, all filled with fae and humans chatting and laughing.
And drinking.
Scarlett had never been to a club. Her hometown was a small town, and she’d only been to a city a few times. Having a mom who could go off the railing at any moment didn’t incite a desire to stray far from home. Scarlett had dreams of leaving her small town for the city life, but they’d never seemed a true possibility. She’d have never left her mother.
But here she was, and this place was everything she’d imagined a downtown city club might be and more.
When she scanned the room more closely, she realized there were more than just fae and humans. Well, at least different than the mortal-like fae she knew. Was the bouncer also considered fae?
“Any creature from Faerie is considered fae,” Kaelem answered her thoughts. “The fae that look nearly human are high fae. All the others are a different species and low fae, like the brownies.”
Scarlett didn’t appreciate him reading her mind, but at least she’d learned something new.
Because she was now fae, and surviving in a world so different than the mortal one would take as much knowledge as she could absorb.
A goblin walked past Scarlett, its height only reaching her hip. This one was clearly female, dressed in a red flapper dress. Like the bouncer, she had no hair, but a small nose and long eyelashes gave her features a decidedly feminine cast.
When the goblin turned her head, Scarlett made sure to look away. She preferred to keep her thoughts right where they were, thank you very much.
Scarlett closely followed Kaelem as he walked past the dance floor and to a set of stairs. When they reached the top, Scarlett saw more booths. The one in the center sat on a pedestal. It was empty.
>
Kaelem led her to it. “After you, darling.”
This must have been reserved for the Unseelie King.
Scarlett scooted into the back of the booth, her already short dress riding up further. She looked out onto the dance floor below. The song changed to something with an electric beat. The crowd jumped in unison like a sea of waves moving as one.
A waitress with a long silver braid pulled to one side approached the table. “What can I get for you?” Her eyes, bright like rubies, stared impatiently at Scarlett. So beautiful. So inhuman. Yet, human-like—as humanesque as any fae could be, that was. She must have been high fae.
“She’ll have a Twisted Pixie,” Kaelem said.
“Your usual?” Her tone was flat.
“Yes.” Kaelem’s response was equally dull.
Scarlett couldn’t sense any animosity between the two, though. The waitress turned and strutted away, hips swaying back in forth as she walked in four-inch stilettos. Damn.
“You come here often?” Scarlett asked, crossing her legs under the table. She regretted wearing such a short dress. Although if she’d worn anything much longer, she’d have been out of place. All the girls around wore skimpy outfits. Scarlett’s dress looked modest by comparison. The male outfits varied from suits like the one Kaelem wore—silver, as if he’d planned to match Scarlett—to ripped skinny jeans, to nothing but boxers and bow ties. Women danced with men, women with other women, and men with men. High fae danced with other high fae and humans, but never with any of the low fae.
“It’s the hottest club in Starlight.” Kaelem scooted closer to Scarlett. “But I go to others sometimes, too. There are a few with more specific interests.”
Scarlett wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was pretty sure she didn’t want to know.
The waitress came back with two drinks. One was metallic and steaming. The other, in a glass with hourglass curves, faded from a deep blue in the bottom to a bright pink at top. She set the colorful one in front of Scarlett. A plastic sword with what looked like a blue piece of pineapple stuck through it sat on top of the drink.