by C C Solomon
I scrunched my face in thought. Who knew faes were this organized? Honestly, I’d thought Misandre had gotten the throne by killing someone or from inheriting it. Had that wench really been civil enough to go through a campaign? Well, she did know how to rock a pants suit. Maybe she had. Then when she won, she just did whatever the hell she wanted. I knew for sure that she did not go about working on the needs of the Unseelie fae realm to help her people. She was all about self. That’s why everyone hated her. Except no one verbally objected to her under their court because she was powerful and would kill them. She also had dirt on just about every royal in the Unseelie realm, even beyond her court. So, she didn’t have to worry about any uprisings.
It was quite impressive in retrospect. She spouted the most hateful, useless rhetoric yet people defended her at every angle they could in public. The only reason I knew that there were many who thought she was self-serving trash was because I was nosey and had some ties in the gossip world.
As I watched Sylvester take a seat across from me, with his smug, pig-nosed face, I wondered if he would be the same kind of leader if he won. Did he know the dirt that Misandre knew to blackmail her supporters? If that was the case, would I even have a chance at winning the throne?
“So,” Sylvester began before waving his fingers in our direction. “I heard the two of you are getting married. Congratulations. What nonsense is this?”
Marcus tilted his head back slightly, he flicked a tongue over a fang and lowered his lids.
The whole action gave him an undeniable sexy appeal and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Sylvester dropped his mouth open then caught himself, wiggling in his seat and straightening up.
Marcus gave a cocky smile. Oh, he knew what he was doing. “It’s the truth, Sylvie. It was love at first sight for me.” He looked over to me with adoring eyes.
All right, this dude was laying it on thick.
Sylvester lifted his chin in obvious disdain. “I can hardly believe that.”
This asshole. I bared my teeth. “Of course, you wouldn’t, you little rodent. That’s because you don’t even know what love is. Jealous no one is crazy enough to even like you a little?”
“I’ll have you know, you dusty wench, that I have plenty of suitors.”
I put a hand to my forehead as if searching off in the distance for something. “Where?”
Marcus placed a hand over mine and leaned in close to me. “Play nice, won’t you. If you keep rising to his bait, people won’t think you’re emotionally strong. A good leader rises above pettiness,” he whispered in my ear before giving me a quick peck on the cheek.
I pressed my lips together against my teeth. Misandre was the definition of petty. Guess we were just going to ignore her shoddy leadership and take the higher road. I gave Sylvester a tiny smile. “Sorry, Sylvester for implying no one loved you.” Even if it was true.
Sylvester gave me a ‘humph’ and looked away. I wanted to step on him.
However, for the rest of the meeting I played nice. Actually, it was interesting learning about the challenges to fae kind, both Seelie and Unseelie. Everyone was still worried about the paranormal illness, which had made its way into our realms despite our best efforts to keep it out. There was renewed discussion about building a truce with some of the Seelie fae courts. Something Misandre had actually done for a short time.
My interest also peaked when they talked of the rise of demon interactions ever since the return of the original soulmates, especially in connection with the Unseelie. Misandre teaming up with demons and ghouls hadn’t done the reputation of Unseelie fae any good. Some suggested exploring relations with them since there was a mutual disdain for humans. Others opposed it since they felt demons were beneath them and although Unseelie cared little for humans, not all actively went out of their way to destroy them as demons did.
I wasn’t opposed to alliances with certain demons, like my father. It also would make news of me being half more palatable to the fae. However, we had to be very careful about who we decided to join. I was still human enough to know that I didn’t want to be allies with a child-eating demon like Yasmine. At the thought of her, Felix’s face popped in my mind. I couldn’t shake him. I wanted to know how he was doing. Being in the fae realm for a few days would mean almost two weeks had passed in the human world. What had happened during that time?
A dramatic sigh interrupted my thoughts. “You really refuse to pay attention, don’t you?” Marcus stated, standing up.
I gave him wide, innocent eyes. “I was paying attention. I swear. I was deep in thought about our strategy and the important issues of our world.”
He narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip, studying in me. “Go back to the humans. It’s clearly going to be a distraction to us if you don’t resolve things with your giant, check on that demonic town, and talk to your father. Do all that, then come back with your pretty head clear. If we are going to have a successful fake marriage you’ve got to play the part better.”
It dawned on me then that Marcus was much more than a pretty face. He was quite perceptive. I understood why my family thought he’d make a good match for me. Good looks, intelligence, and wealth. However, none of that mattered. A formerly jolly half-angel, half-demon kept occupying my heart.
Marcus was putting way more effort into our campaign than me and I was starting to understand it was because my heart wasn’t as entirely behind it. However, until I figured out what path I really wanted to take, I had an image to uphold. If I acted or even looked like the weaker half of this arrangement then it would be even harder to make sure people respected us as equals and if I did decide that this was my certain path, I couldn’t risk losing my ground. We could campaign as husband and wife all we wanted, but many fae still looked to a man as the leader. As a married couple, if Marcus took any lead, I’d forever be relegated to second status. I’d be no better than a vice-president to him.
I cleared my throat and looked around the now empty room. “I’m not going back for a guy. But I have to go back to talk to my father and get all the answers I can before the truth of what I am comes out.”
Marcus gave a twisted smile that successfully displayed how little he believed my words. “I’ll make you a portal and send you home.” He pulled what appeared to be a small purple box out of his pocket. He took my hand and placed the box there. “Open it.”
I did as he requested and raised my brows as I stared down at a large diamond-shaped, sapphire ring. “Engagement ring?”
Marcus moved his head from side to side. “And a communication ring. Since you’re only half-fae, I know you can’t easily teleport here or communicate across realms. This will let you do that. So, you have a two for one. Lucky you.”
I took the ring out of the box and put it on my right ring finger.
Marcus made a noise of disapproval. “Please do me the favor of not embarrassing me by putting your engagement ring on your right hand. I know it is a human tradition to put it on the left finger, but it is one we’ve taken quite a liking to.”
I shook my head, feeling like an idiot. What was going on with me? “Right.” I switched the ring and gave him a cheesy smile. I guess I could be happy that I had a ring that could easily come off this time. I grimaced at the thought of the tracking ring that I’d gotten from Alister.
I looked up at Marcus and gave a salute. “Okay, send me back to the human realm.”
Chapter 24
The first person I went to see was Faith. I had to know the outcome of the St. Michaels situation, which I assumed was resolved by now. I figured that would be the quickest matter to get over. Then I’d call dear old dad and get some more answers before returning to the fae.
When Faith answered her door back in Silver Spring, she looked less than thrilled to see me. “Where the fuck have you been?” she grumbled before opening her door wider for me to enter.
“And hello to you, too,” I said as I walked into her apartment. “I’ve been in the fae r
ealm.”
She paused in front of her door after closing it, not inviting me further in. “You ditched us.”
“What else was there for me to do? I owed a friend a favor for breaking the ward and getting us out. And Felix made it very clear he didn’t care about me. We solved the mystery. We’re good, right?”
Faith scoffed and crossed her arms. “Hell, no we aren’t good. St. Michaels is still operating. Monica is still M.I.A. Then when we finally went to the town, the wards were back up and we can’t break it. We think Olivia helped amplify it.”
“Felix can’t convince his allegedly awesome mother to help us take out an evil demon and her wraiths? I’m beginning to doubt she was such a good woman or that Felix is such a good guy. I mean he’s still in that rotten town, after all.”
Faith squinted her eyes. “No, he’s not. He’s back. He left to try to figure out a way to get rid of Yasmine and her people. He’s off visiting that old witch, Charlie, now to find a spell or something.”
Well that wasn’t what I expected to hear after my last meeting with Felix. “No, he wouldn’t leave his mother. He told me that.”
“Yeah, well his conscience got to him and his mother is refusing to leave. She’s able to hold her own so I guess he felt okay leaving even though he risked not getting back in the town.”
“People are still leaving the town to get victims, right?”
Faith shook her head. “No. The ward is so strong because it won’t let anyone in or out. We’re hoping as a last resort we can just starve them out. We have folks posted out there 24/7. The only issue is there are still victims trapped in there.”
I scratched my head, thoroughly confused. “How did Felix get out then?”
“He left before that particular ward went up. We should have had your friends fight while the first ward was down.”
I closed my eyes, frustrated. Something wasn’t right about her story. “Marcus wasn’t going to use his resources to start a fight with demons without a benefit to him. But Felix said he was staying in the town. He told me when I was at Nadia’s after I left with Marcus.”
Faith lifted a brow. “Not possible. Unless he just lied to you and why would he do that?”
“I’m not going crazy. I had a whole conversation with him.”
I heard footsteps from further in the apartment and Azrael soon appeared. Had that angel been eavesdropping the whole time? The jerk. “You weren’t talking to Felix,” they announced, walking closer to us.
“Come again?”
“You were most likely talking to his doppelganger. We’ve been with Felix up until now.”
Faith shivered. “That’s creepy as fuck. What was the point?”
Faith wasn’t wrong. I’d been totally fooled and, even worse, vulnerable to being attacked. Why hadn’t he harmed me?
The angel shrugged. “What did he say?”
“That he felt we weren’t right for each other. It felt like a breakup.” Just saying it out loud made me feel nauseous. If I didn’t know how I felt about Felix before, my body was telling me now. I deeply cared about him and I did not want to let him go. Not for anything. Shit.
Azrael scratched their chin, squinting their eyes as they pondered my response. “Well, that would keep you from coming back to town if you thought Felix wouldn’t want you.”
“So, we think the demons really are behind these doppelgangers?” It certainly made sense being that we hadn’t encountered them until we got to the town. It just freaked me out that now they were on the move and this thing had come to visit me in the demon realm with no problems. “He could have killed me. I suspected nothing.”
Azrael gave a slow nod. “Yes, he could have.”
I didn’t have time for this. “Okay, let’s get rid of that town. If his mother doesn’t want to come out then she has to go too.” Of course, that would do nothing to repair any relationship I was even thinking about with Felix.
Faith snorted. “Or maybe we can get some help clearing out the demons before we go destroying a whole town with innocent people in it. We’ve been trying to reach you because we wanted to see if you could get your dad to come and break the ward but you left.”
That certainly sounded like a less destructive option and I did need to talk to the man. Of course, getting my father to help us might not be realistic. “My father is a demon King. I’m not saying he’s horrible but I need to give him a reason to go break that ward.”
Azrael tapped the back of their head against the wall. “Your father and Olivia are enemies. Wouldn’t he want to break the ward to get her back?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I thought. Assuming my father had actually captured Olivia, then it would stand to reason that he would want her back. However, it felt wrong to set up a situation where Felix could lose his mother. “If he breaks the ward, he’ll want to take Felix’s mother.”
“We won’t allow that.”
I snorted. “Like you’ll have a choice. My father is not weak. If Olivia could help put up a ward that you guys can’t break, how easy do you think it will be to get my father to back off when he was strong enough to trap her?”
Faith grumbled something intelligible. “You’re his daughter. Can’t you just ask him not to hurt the mother of your kind of boyfriend?”
I lifted my upper lip in a silent snarl. Did she want me to lie? Believe it or not, that wasn’t my specialty. “Felix can’t stand me right now. I don’t think that’s going to fly.”
Azrael pushed themselves from the wall and lightly tapped the top of my head with their fist. “How many times do I have to say that the Felix you spoke to was a doppelganger?”
I winced and plucked the angel in the forehead. Was Azrael being playful with me? Were they, dare I say, liking me now? “Well, even before then, he didn’t want to leave. But fine, whatever, I’ll try. And what’s the backup plan if my father refuses or decides to come for Olivia?”
Azrael ruffled my hair and I swatted the angel’s hand away. “We’ll work it out.”
“Would you stop touching my head? What is wrong with you?”
“We thought all along that you were the problem. But you aren’t, are you?” The angel looked almost shocked at this statement. “You’re in love with him.”
I leaned back. “I’m not. Shut up. What?” I rolled my eyes and looked away. Was it love that I was feeling? Maybe, but I definitely didn’t want to discuss my feelings with the two of them.
Faith waved her hands in the air. “Girl, you aren’t in middle school, it’s okay to love. Felix is lovable.”
I cut my eyes at her. “Says the girl who can’t commit to anyone.”
She shot me the middle finger. “It’s not about me. Go to Hell.”
I glared at her. Maybe we weren’t friends just yet.
Faith smirked. “I was talking literally. Go to the underworld and talk to your dad. We’re wasting time.”
The next time I crossed the portal to the underworld after summoning my father, I did not end up in his nice spacious mansion in the south. Nope, this looked clearly like Hell. I stood in what appeared to be a large cavern. Orb lights hung in the air along with sconces holding fire. The air felt stifling and immobile and I opened my mouth just a crack in order to breathe. Sweat started to pull at my hairline and neck and I wiped at it absentmindedly.
Black and red etchings of languages I didn’t know covered the cave walls. The place smelled like mildew and something very burnt and foul. Far off, in a direction I couldn’t determine, I heard faint screams and deep laughter.
Out of the depths of the cavern a dark figure approached. The shape did not match my father’s. Soon a man dressed all in black with a buzz cut appeared. He looked no older than his mid-twenties and his eyes were entirely black, no whites.
One of Herrod’s minions. He had many of these humanoid beings to do his dirty work. Outside of the eyes they looked unassuming but they were very powerful.
“Where’s my father?”
&nbs
p; “Indisposed. He told me to have you wait in his study.” He snapped his fingers and instantly the surrounding cavern morphed away, replaced by the same room I was in when I first visited Herrod.
I spun around, a little freaked out by the sudden change. When I turned to look back to buzzcut, he was now standing with a tray holding a short glass full of brown liquid. He didn’t say anything to me, just looked at me with those same creepy dead eyes. I took the glass and lifted it slightly in an unspoken thanks. The buzzcut bowed and then stepped back, standing against the nearest wall in the shadows of the room.
I sat down on the couch near the window. “You gonna stay there?”
“Yes, I am your minion.”
“Say what now?”
“I am your minion.”
I didn’t have minions. What the hell was he talking about? “I didn’t ask for a minion.”
“Your father assigned me to you. I am to serve at your call.”
“What’s your name?”
“Lucas.”
I nodded slowly. My father had given me a minion. What the hell was I supposed to do with him? “You stay here, right?”
“I am to go where you go.”
“Like a bodyguard?”
Lucas nodded. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. How the hell was I going to explain that to the fae? I couldn’t just walk around with a black-eyed demon like it was no biggie. I took a sip of my drink as I pondered my predicament. I really needed my own place to live. Maybe I could hide him out there.
Before I could think further into possible living arrangements, my father appeared in the leather chair beside me. Since I was used to how demons and fae just liked to materialized, I wasn’t surprised.
Herrod gave me a gentle smile. “I’m glad you returned so quickly. I was just about to contact you.”
I squinted my eyes at him and leaned forward. There was a speck of red on his crisp white button down. “You got a little blood on you,” I stated, pointing at his collar.
Herrod looked down and then snapped his fingers, magically erasing the blood. “I do hate when they make a mess.”