by Lucy Auburn
“In fae politics, sitting is considered rude. Sorry about that.” He gave me a sympathetic look. “But it shouldn’t take long, as I said. The blood the attendants took from you is the most important part of today’s meeting. The rest is just formality.”
“I won’t have to do anything special, will I?”
“No, there won’t be a quiz.” There were footsteps from the dais up ahead, and Petyr straightened his back. “As I said, don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Try not to stare. And don’t fidget.”
“It’s like you know me already,” I murmured, because I’d just been about to play with my braided hair or mess with my new silk skirts. “And I can say no to the engagement, can’t I?”
Petyr glanced over at me without moving his head as a few more figures filed onto the dais. “You can. But again, I wouldn’t suggest it. At least consider the intended the Elders put before you—they do nothing without reason.”
“I just hope my blood passes whatever tests they give me.”
“It will. Now hush.” His eyes found the dais again. “Any more talking and we’ll be outright rude.”
I zipped my lips shut, pushing down on the nervousness in my belly. However strange this all felt, it was one step closer to discovering my fae heritage. I even had hope that one of the Elders would know something about my parents, or maybe be able to divine something from my blood.
After all, they were thousands of years old. Surely that much time in existence brought knowledge with it.
As several figures filed out onto the dais, each taking up a spot on one of the circular tiles on the ground beneath their feet, I carefully studied them. Most of the fae were human in appearance—but there were some differences that stood out.
One, a man with reddish orange skin, had a thin tail that parted the back of the long skirt he wore in the place of pants. His face was slightly pointed at the cheekbones and chin; if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was in a cartoonish devil costume.
Another two were normal in every way except for the color of their eyes and hair, which seemed to glimmer with some sort of otherworldly light. They seemed both male and female at the same time. Standing next to each other, I couldn’t decide if they were the same gender or opposite, and wondered if maybe they were each outside the boxes I was used to, genderless in some way.
In the middle was a tall, angular woman with shockingly white hair and a pair of gossamer feather wings trailing from her back. When I looked at her, I could imagine how humans had come to invent angels. The only thing that was missing was the halo from the crown of her head.
Countless others filed in, until there were thirteen. A man in a black armor suit, a woman whose hands trailed light, a man with dwarf stature, two women who were almost seven feet tall. There was complete silence in the room as they took their places, and when their eyes studied me I felt the weight of the centuries behind those storied gazes.
It was impossible to imagine speaking first now that I was faced with the depth of their wisdom. I didn’t even know why Petyr had warned me not to be rude; only an idiot would interrupt one of the all-powerful creatures before me.
The woman with the angel wings spoke first. She barely looked at me even as she said my name. “Selena Pierce. We have been expecting you.”
I glanced over at Petyr, pushing down any questions I had for the woman. Petyr explained to them gently, “Selena has only recently learned she is a fae.”
The woman murmured, “Such a shame, to separate one so powerful from her birthright.” An object was passed down to her from the end, and I saw that one of my attendants had passed the Elders the bowl of my blood. She cupped it in her hands and stared down into its depths as if it whispered secrets to her. “Strength and duality in this blood. A match must be made, and a powerful one.”
Speaking with one voice, the twins with no gender said, “A blackfyre, perhaps.”
“The Havaala boy.” This, from the woman whose hands glowed with light. “Elah Havaala is a blackfyre fae about her age.”
It was strange to be spoken about, and not spoken to. I held my lips together tight to keep my confusion and curiosity from spilling out.
“This will be a good match.” The winged woman looked at me, and for the first time I was addressed directly. “If we make you a match, will you accept it?”
My eyes flitted over to Petyr and back again to the Elders. “I was told I would have time to make a decision,” I said, in a voice that I was surprised didn’t quiver at all.
Petyr added, “Selena is new to the idea of a fae engagement. In the human world, it is customary to date before becoming engaged. Perhaps her intended will be amenable to the same courtship rituals she grew up with.”
There was some murmuring among the Elders at this—the dwarf man especially seemed disgruntled—but it was quickly quieted as they came to an assent without seeming to ever confer directly.
“Very well then.” The winged woman held out the bowl in one hand, and I watched as she dumped it onto the dais. It ran in rivulets through tiny grooves I hadn’t seen before, and she studied it with her eyes. “We will give you three months and no more to come to know your intended. After that, you must give us an answer as to the suitability of the match.” She blinked at me with her owlish eyes. “Since your blood family is not known to you, your own voice may speak in the place of any guardians.”
Sensing that this would be my only chance to ask a question, I screwed up my courage and spoke. “Do you know who my parents are?” The weight of the Elders eyes on me felt significant enough to crush me into the ground. “All I know is that I’m a succubus. And a Lightblood.”
At their feet, my blood lit up and disappeared in a hiss of smoke. Something about it disconcerted the winged woman, because she dropped the wooden bowl on the ground and looked down in dismay.
The man with the orange skin and the tail spoke in her place. “What is known or is not known will be told to you when we deem you ready, Selena Pierce.” His eyes found Petyr as he added, “Ambassador, prepare your charge better next time.”
Dismayed that I’d somehow angered or upset them, I shot Petyr a grimace and mouthed, “Sorry!” He eyed me and made a quiet shushing noise, and I fell silent and still, eyes trained ahead.
The winged woman seemed to have regained her composure after her earlier upset. She stared at me so intently that it was as if she looked into my soul and beyond. “Beware of curiosity, young fae. You will be your own destruction if you do not take care.” Around her, the other Elders were walking out again, as if by some unseen command. “Go out into the courtyard. Your intended will meet you there. Ambassador, stay here so that we may speak on some matter of great import.”
Cringing, I bowed shallowly towards the woman and turned on my heel, feeling as if I’d made a great mistake. Petyr stayed behind, back straight as always, hands clasped in front of him. The great stone doors opened to me on some unseen command, gliding as if they weighed nothing at all.
As I walked down the unfamiliar corridor, I fought tears of embarrassment at how small I’d felt while I was in there. Thankfully I wasn’t left alone to find the courtyard again—my attendants joined me, gliding through a small side door I hadn’t seen while I was in the hall. Sensing how upset I was, Yalla moved forward and took my hand in hers.
“Do not worry, little fae,” she said, voice kind. “Our own meeting with the Elders about our intended was a disappointment as well.”
Talla picked up the story, adding, “They did not feel there was a suitable match for us in all the nine kingdoms of the realm.”
“Trios are rare,” Xalla continued, as they led me in towards the right fork in the hallway ahead. “We were told to either look for separate intendeds, or stay in Illyrium until another such as us was found.”
“We stayed,” Yalla said, “but we hold out no hope for a match. Some things are not meant to be.”
I considered their words, wrapping up my embarrassment and hid
ing it deep inside me. “So this engagement... It’s something all fae look forward to?”
“Those of the noble families, at least.” Talla glanced over at me and smiled. “You are lucky to have the Elders’ wisdom on your side, as well as a speedy match. The Havaala are a great family, and the blackfyre son is strong.”
“And handsome,” Yalla added quickly. “You will see. You won’t be disappointed by their choice.”
As they finished speaking, we reached a great archway that led outside. Standing in the garden was a man I hadn’t seen when we were walking in. He wore black clothes and had a heavy sword at his hip. Standing next to him was a black horse, and all around his feet and the horse’s hooves was ash. His back was to me, but I could see that he was tall and strong—and that his hair was as black as his clothes and his horse.
It seemed impossible that someone could be here so quickly when I’d only just found out he would be mine to marry—but then again, nothing in the fae realm made any sense to me in the first place.
Stepping forward on my own, I approached him slowly and tried to squash my expectations. “Are you Elah Havaala?”
The most handsome man I’d seen in my life turned to me and graced me with his smile. “I am. And you must be Selena.” Taking my hand, he bent at the waist to kiss the back of it. “Pleasure to finally meet you, intended.”
Suddenly I found myself liking the idea of an engagement.
Chapter Twenty
Petyr
I stood before Syriah Mah-Zora, Elder of the winged fae of the Striving Peaks, waiting for her to speak. Behind me, Selena’s footsteps echoed off the tile as she headed out of the receiving hall to meet her intended in the courtyard.
Her intended. The man she would no doubt become engaged to, and one day marry. A thin hope flitted through my chest: that her intended, Elah, would not demand monogamy of her. But it was a foolish hope, so I squashed it. My position as ambassador kept me separate from other fae, especially human-fae hybrids, and that was the way it should be.
I was Anyana, descended from the tree fae whose presence in the universe predated humanity by thousands of years. Patience was my virtue. This silly crush on one succubus would fade as quickly as it had come, and just as unexpectedly no doubt.
“Petyr Kennedy.” Syriah’s gaze had a weight to it that was intimidating. “We need to talk about the girl’s blood.”
“What about it?” My brows knitted together in confusion. “I assume it had more than enough power in it for her to claim her rightful place as fae.”
“It did, or we would not have made the match.” I stood carefully still, waiting for Syriah to explain herself. “Her blood is not merely human and fae. Our spells detected another presence.” Stepping off the dais, Syriah approached me, her towering height and folded wings adding to her intimidating presence. “Her unknown parentage and the strength of her powers troubles us. She must be closely watched.”
Unhappiness twisted my mouth down. “I already have someone shadowing her whenever possible.”
“She needs more. Her powers require training.”
With a heavy sigh, I nodded. “I’ll have someone work with her closely. The walker detective, if I can get him.”
“Good. A walker fae is powerful enough to stand up to her should she realize the full potential of her powers and turn.” Syriah reached out and pressed her fingers to my chin, tilting my head up to meet her bright gaze full on. “In any way you can, you must watch over her and guide her. Especially towards her intended. His blackfyre blood and battle experience may be the only thing that can cool the embers of her growing flame.”
“Of course, Elder Mah-Zora. I’ll do all that I can.”
“Good.” She let go of my chin and returned to the dais, pausing for one moment to speak to me before she left. “We have also heard word of many demon summoners swarming the North American continent of Earth. There are troublesome reports of human possessions and deaths all across the land where our fae make their homes. Look into it, Petyr.”
“I will.”
“Our attendants will give the girl a draught,” she added, motioning towards the painted screen. Three women stepped out, one holding a heavy golden chalice. “Be sure that she drinks of it before she leaves for Earth.”
“Yes, Elder Mah-Zora.”
“You are dismissed.”
She didn’t look back at me as she walked off the dais and towards the chambers behind the receiving hall, where she was no doubt going to have a long conversation with the rest of the Elders about our latest troubles.
If the demon possessions had become so numerous that even the Elders had taken note of them, then our world was in more danger than I’d previously suspected. Naomi was right to be concerned—whoever was behind this was powerful if they’d placed their agents across the continent.
I had other things to worry about besides a single succubus.
Still, as I headed out towards the courtyard to meet up with Selena, I took the long way. The last thing I wanted was to face what I had done: paired her off with another man, who would get closer to her than a diplomat like me would ever be permitted. It was my job to watch her and try to control her—whether I wanted to or not. I couldn’t afford any other feelings.
Though I did dimly hope that whatever the Elders detected in her blood, it wouldn’t cause trouble for her. Because I didn’t know if I would be able to give the order take her down if it came to that.
If something like that happened, Maggie would never forgive me—and I would never forgive myself.
Selena
Elah and I walked around the courtyard gardens, his mare trailing us, her reins loose in his hands. He explained to me that when the Elders summoned him, they opened a portal between the lands his family lived on and this courtyard. “Only some fae can travel in such a way,” he explained, “and I am one of those few.”
“Do you use the sword often?” I asked him, my eyes going to it.
“Only when I’m patrolling the outer realm, as I was doing before I received word that I was to meet my intended today.” He smiled a brilliant smile, his dark grey eyes lighting up with it. “Truly, I have never had better news in my life. I’ve been waiting for this engagement since the day my powers came upon me and I first met with the Elders.”
That made things more awkward if I turned it down. “This is all new to me,” I told him, hoping that he would understand. “I was raised as a human until just a few days ago.”
“Ah.” There was understanding in his voice. “Well then, perhaps we can plan on a long courtship. And if we meet each other’s approval—which I’m sure we will—then we can accept the engagement together.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved he understood. “No one expected my powers to come so quickly.”
He gave me a peculiar look at this. “But usually they come when a fae is much younger.”
“Mine were bound,” I explained, “until they broke loose. Apparently when I was born, my birth parents were worried that my powers were too strong. So they... they left me with someone to take care of me, and my human parents raised me like I was one of them.”
Mentioning them put a lump in my throat. I planned on reading their letters to me as soon as I got home. It was time to know what they had planned for me when I was a child.
Footsteps in the courtyard drew my attention to Petyr, whose meeting with the winged Elder fae must have just ended. He cleared his throat and motioned towards his right side. Next to him, glowing brightly, was a large portal made of light.
“That must be my signal to return to my family’s lands.” Reaching out, Elah took my hand in his own again and chastely kissed the back of my palm. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Selena.”
“You too.” Hesitating, I added, “This... courtship. What will it entail?”
Elah’s eyes sparkled with a mischief that sparked a low heat in the place between my thighs. Stepping forward, he bent to murmur quietly in my ear. “Do not wo
rry, hungry succubus. I am prepared for the rigors that a courtship with one such as yourself must require.” His warm lips brushed against the bare skin of my neck, and I flushed. “Tell me, is that desire I scent on you?”
I swallowed heavily. “It’s possible.”
Moving until his mouth hovered near mine, he met my eyes, a strange and altogether tempting heat in his gaze. “I am made of fire and ash, Selena Pierce. Care for a taste?”
In answer, I tilted my chin up until our mouths brushed, eyelashes fluttering as I melted into him. Elah kissed me with a scorching heat, his mouth opening mine, his fingers coming up to press against my chin. I opened myself to him and let him fill my mouth. He was spiced and strange on my tongue, heady and filling in a way few things had been since my power awakened so many days ago. I gave into him, pulling his energy into my mouth and moaning with it.
And when I pulled back to look into his eyes, they burned with orange-hot flame. Huskily, he murmured against my lips, “You taste like the finest wine I’ve drunk in this realm or any other.”
“My powers didn’t hurt you?”
A white, sharp grin flashed across his handsome face. “All I feel is a hunger for more, little succubus.” Subtly, he pressed our hips together so that I could feel his arousal through the thin silk of my dress, my nipples brushing up against his muscular chest. “I do have to go now, intended. Take your time deciding what you want.” When he stepped away, he took his heat with him—and all the desire I had inside me as well. “I’ll look forward to your next visit.”
I watched him as he headed towards the portal. His mare followed dutifully, stepping into the white hot magic as if it were nothing. It sealed shut behind them like any door, leaving Petyr standing in empty space.
Maybe it was my imagination, but for a moment I could almost swear that the ambassador was jealous of the kiss he’d seen me share with Elah. And what a kiss it had been—one that had promised much, much more if I gave myself to him and accepted our engagement.