Their eyes took on a hard edge. “What exactly did they look like?”
I gave the best description I could and hoped that the two I had seen were the only ones out there but I wasn’t going to put any money on it. The two guys shared a knowing look and took off toward the elevators.
When I caught up with Lochlan he stood just inside the office, waiting to close the door behind me. He had positioned himself such that I was forced to walk past just inches from his broad chest. When his rich masculine scent wrapped itself around me, memories from the night before assaulted me and realization sucked the air from my lungs. Why hadn’t it registered then? He always smelled exactly the same, like a seductive calling card—nothing like the cologne Ronan had worn when he took me to bed.
I squashed my frustrations and self-doubt, taking a cleansing breath and reminding myself that saving people’s lives was much more important than my pride. In the future I would pay more attention to detail, but castigating myself now over my carelessness in the past would not further my goals.
I sat in one of the office chairs but Lochlan never moved from the door. Looking back in confusion, I saw that his arms were crossed and his hard eyes bore down on me in anger. What the hell did I do now? Last I had seen him, the real him, we shared an amazing kiss at my place and he gave me a burner phone. Why would he be upset with me?
“Is something wrong?”
“Not at all, but I would prefer the next time you fuck Ronan, you don’t come waltzing in here reeking of him.” His voice was deadly calm and his words were a brutal blow to my gut.
I thought he wouldn’t know. I assumed I could keep what had happened to myself. But they were hunters, probably gifted with superhuman senses, and he had smelled Ronan on me. If I hadn’t felt dirty already from what had happened, my skin positively crawled at that point.
My downcast eyes blinked rapidly to hold back the moisture quickly threatening to spill over, but I refused to let him see me cry. There was no way I would tell him that I had slept with Ronan under the false impression that it had been him instead. As much as his hateful words and his misconceptions hurt, I would rather accept that burden than have him know the truth. Once I had regained control and masked my features, I lifted my unwavering eyes to meet his glare.
“I wanted to let you know that Ronan was the leak. He knew about the setup with the Red Caps and they were hoping to kill you in the trap.” My voice was firm but still sounded hollow to my own ears. If Ronan’s actions hadn’t been enough to demonstrate his disloyalty to the Hunt, I had confirmation that he had actively sabotaged Lochlan. When Ronan unveiled himself he admitted that he had been involved in orchestrating the trap where a dozen vicious Red Caps waited in the shadows of an abandoned garage. When Lochlan and I had walked straight into the trap we were forced to fight for our lives.
“You have a lover’s quarrel? Why would you rat out your boyfriend?” I ignored his comments and stood to face him.
“That’s really none of your business. I do have a favor to ask—I need you to teach me how to fight,” I said with a strong voice, hoping he would hear my conviction.
Lochlan went inhumanly still and the air in the room became charged with energy before he asked in a lethal voice, “Did he hurt you?”
My breathing faltered but I schooled my features and lifted my chin defiantly. “No, I’ve just realized that there’s no escaping my new reality. If I’m going to play a part in this war, as everyone seems to think, then I’d better start to arm myself. I need to know how to fight, both with magic and physically.”
His eyes scrutinized me, no doubt attempting to detect whether there was more behind my words. Almost begrudgingly, he gave a single nod. “If we do this, I won’t be easy on you.”
“I would expect nothing less. I’ve got plans this weekend, but if it’s all right with you, I’d like to start Monday evening. I can come by after work each day.”
He arched an eyebrow before giving me another nod.
“You are a man of few words, aren’t you? Why speak when you can nod or grunt?”
“I’m a man of efficiency, Rebecca, so don’t waste my time. How do you know Ronan was involved in the Red Cap attack?”
“I overheard him talking. He knows that his secret is out, and I doubt he’ll come back to the club.”
“If what you’re saying is true, we’ll find him.” His gritted teeth and the harsh planes of his face told me finding Ronan was not the only thing they would do.
“You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not a matter of believing you, I would give any of my brothers the chance to explain themselves before I condemned them. I may not have liked him, but he’s been in the Hunt for far too long to not give him that much.”
“Just don’t give him too much leeway, I promise you on everything I hold dear in life that Ronan is a threat. I wasn’t mistaken and I’m certainly not making it up.”
“There’s no leeway or forgiveness to a man who has betrayed the Hunt. He will die, and it will not be a quick death.”
“Normally I wouldn’t like the idea of brutality, but he deserves whatever punishment you guys dish out. I can’t believe he’s been hiding in plain sight this whole time.”
Lochlan finally uncrossed his arms and walked slowly to his chair behind the desk. “One of the many perks of being a part of the Hunt is we make our own rules, and first and foremost is loyalty. Once a man breaks that trust, there will be nowhere he can hide that we won’t find him.”
I followed his lead and sat back down now that our conversation had turned less antagonistic. “Have you made any progress locating the Sword of Light?”
The Fae relic was a powerful tool and we needed it to help rule out who was trustworthy and to help us against our still unknown adversary. The sword was one and the same as the legendary Excalibur and I was anxious for us to locate the weapon.
“It’s taken us some time to follow the trail of possession. The last known location, as far as we have been able to track, was in the hands of humans in Scotland. That was centuries ago and we haven’t found any evidence of its whereabouts after that point.”
“Do you think Ronan could be working alone? Maybe he is the mastermind behind it all and once we catch him the portals will no longer be an issue.”
“No, he’s not nearly powerful or knowledgeable enough to be circumventing the queen’s wards.”
“I figured that was too much to hope for.”
“There is someone powerful orchestrating this rebellion and who knows how many others involved. I can’t imagine that we would have more than one traitor in our ranks, but I never would have believed Ronan would betray us either.” He was quiet for a moment, his eyes far off, before turning back to me and continuing. “He was an asshole who did some terrible things in his past, but I hadn’t thought him capable of treachery. What you’re accusing him of, if true, it’s unforgivable. The Hunt was formed when Arthur and Guin had a falling out—he was one of her generals essentially. When he left the Court, his most loyal soldiers went with him and they formed a brotherhood that became the Wild Hunt. We have no lands to call our own, so our freedom and commitment to one another is what we hold most sacred.”
“King Arthur formed the Hunt? As in King Arthur and his knights of the round table?”
“He wasn’t a king exactly, but he was the first Erlking and the men who were loyal to him could be called knights. They were the most elite soldiers in the Seelie kingdom and each new member of the Hunt must be equally well trained to be accepted into our ranks.”
“That’s fascinating. I’m still amazed at how Fae history evolved into human legends. Was Arthur and Guin’s falling out over Lancelot like in the stories?”
“Yes, however, the Fae don’t marry like humans do—such long lifespans make it impossible to expect permanent fidelity. Lancelot was Arthur’s right hand and his relationship with Guin was a betrayal to his leader. The Fae may not have marital relationships the same as human
s, but that doesn’t mean we don’t value monogamy. Arthur not only walked away from Guin, he walked away from the Seelie but his loyal soldiers would not allow him to go alone. Since then, the brotherhood has existed as an autonomous unit and not once has there been disloyalty from within, until now.”
“While you’re in an unusually talkative mood, what else can you tell me about the sword?”
He lifted a brow in my direction before answering my question. “The Sword of Light is an ancient Fae relic from the Faery city of Findias. It’s had many names, originally named Caledfwlch, but it has also been called Fragarach, or ‘The Answerer,’ although more commonly it’s been known as Caliburn, or Excalibur.”
“I’m seriously going to have to do some research into the Arthurian Legends. Of course the great Fae Sword of Light and Excalibur are one in the same. Tell me about it, I can’t remember from when I read the stories back in school.”
“It’s a magnificent weapon, or so the legends say. I’ve never seen it myself but supposedly the blade was artfully constructed of iron and the hilt made of wood so that the barer wouldn’t have to touch the iron. As you know, iron dampens magic and that’s one of the great wonders of the sword. It’s infused with a form of light magic able to exist despite the presence of iron. It was forged by the earliest Fae and the knowledge of whatever method was used to create the weapon has been long lost.”
“What about the sword’s abilities?”
“Our best source of information outside of legends would be Merlin, if you can find him. He had access to the sword, although it was created long before even his time.”
As he finished, the door to his office opened and I rose in surprise at who entered. Standing before me was the man who had helped me through the Faery queen’s dinner. He was no longer wearing the Fae formal attire and was now the spitting image of a GQ model wearing well-tailored slacks with a pale blue dress shirt perfectly cut to his fit torso. His wavy light brown hair was sculpted backward and when his warm coppery eyes landed on me, I could feel my cheeks heat.
“Rebecca, I see you made it back home safely.” His lips hinted at an amused smile and I got the feeling there was a joke somewhere that I was missing.
I returned his smile shyly. “Yes, and thank you for your help. I was rather out of my element.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Lochlan cut in somewhat tersely. “I didn’t realize you two had become acquainted at the palace.”
Was he upset that I had met this man?
The man in question lifted his chin as his eyes met Lochlan’s. “Not formally. As you know, I happened to be at the palace the night Rebecca joined the queen for dinner so I tried to guide her though the evening.”
Lochlan held eyes with the man for an uncomfortable second before cutting his glance in my direction. “I suppose introductions are in order. Rebecca Peterson, this is the Erlking of the Wild Hunt, Alberich.”
The name sounded like all-brick and in a vague way it sounded familiar. I smiled and started to give a Faery bow of greeting but froze as bits and pieces of my prior internet research came back to me.
“I know that name!” My voice came out almost reverently. “Alberich is another name for Oberon! After we learned about the Fae, I researched Titania and Oberon to see what I could learn and one of the names for Oberon, was Alberich. Am I right?”
Alberich flashed a dimpled grin and bowed deeply. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
My eyes rounded and I turned to Lochlan. “So that’s how you knew I had been in Faery!” I was stunned that the man who had so gallantly given me guidance while I was in Faery was leader of the Wild Hunt—not that I had expected him to be brutish or anything. I was simply amazed that the mythological giant had seemed so ordinary and approachable. The legendary Oberon, or Alberich as he was called, stood just feet from me, eyes laughing as I gawked at him.
“I think you may have broken her.” Lochlan teased.
“Wouldn’t be the first time, son.” The two men laughed at each other in a warm and familiar manner.
“Wait, is he your father? Your father is Oberon?” I looked at Lochlan in astonishment. They didn’t look much alike—Alberich had a darker complexion and was altogether smaller, whereas Lochlan was blond, blue eyed, and solid with muscle.
“No exactly, he’s not my biological father. If you’ll recall I mentioned being raised in the Hunt. Alberich took me in as a boy so he’s my adoptive father, but we display a professional relationship unless behind closed doors.”
I recalled Ronan telling me about Alberich with palpable disgust. If Ronan hated Lochlan and Alberich was essentially Lochlan’s father, that would explain his agitation toward Alberich. Ronan had intimated at his own blatant disloyalty, but I didn’t have the background to put the pieces together. Had I known that the man we had discussed was his leader, perhaps I would have caught on to his betrayal and could have stopped him before he had attacked me or hurt anyone else.
No, I refused to entertain remote scenarios to shift blame onto myself. The ‘what ifs’ were a slippery slope, and while they might help me see ways I could do better in the future, they were also a one-way ticket to the blame game. Ronan was drowning in hatred and that cancer had eaten away at his soul, there was nothing I could have done about that.
“Is something wrong?” Alberich asked with concern.
“No, I was just reminded of something Ronan had said.”
“Rebecca was just informing me that Ronan was involved in the Red Cap attack and has likely abandoned the Hunt.” Lochlan took on a more formal tone and his eyes cut over to his leader, whose face iced over with fury before he closed his eyes and went still.
“Is he okay?” I asked with concern.
Lochlan’s eyes stayed fixed on Alberich. “When a new Erlking is chosen, the members perform a rite that grants him the ability to sense us. It’s not a way to communicate, just a generalized sense of where we might be and in times of great emotional stress, some of those feelings may be communicated through the bond.”
After a tense moment of silence, the Erlking’s eyes opened and they were filled with something akin to regret and condemnation. “He has severed the bond, I cannot sense him.”
The two men shared a look and while I may not have been part of the exchange, the meaning was clear. Ronan had gone from hunter to hunted and these men were now out for blood.
An unexpected sense of relief fell over me and exhaustion tugged at my mind. I wouldn’t feel safe with Ronan out there, but knowing these men were hunting him went a long way toward calming my addled nerves.
“All right.” As I spoke, their heads swiveled in my direction. “I think you have this covered and it’s been a long day for me, I’d like to head home but I have one more favor to ask.” I looked at Lochlan imploringly, knowing I might be pushing my luck. “My parents are in Ireland, they came to visit but I’m worried about them being here. I need you to use your Fae mojo and convince them they need to go home. They are supposed to stop by my place tomorrow evening to discuss our weekend plans, I thought maybe you could stop by then.”
“Not a problem, we’ll get them sent home.”
“Thank you, that would be a big weight off my shoulders.” I turned to face Alberich. “It was a pleasure to meet you, although I wish it had been under better circumstances.” I gave him a tight smile and turned back to Lochlan. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As I rode the elevator I called for an Uber—with Ronan out there, I wasn’t going to wander around looking for a cab. They were relatively prevalent in downtown Belfast but I wasn’t taking any chances. Once my ride showed up, I exited the building and hurried into the car.
By the time I got home, I had about thirty minutes before Cat was scheduled to come by. I changed into comfortable clothes and threw together a sandwich for dinner. I hadn’t seen my brownie friend since my fight with Ronan but I had no reason to believe he had left, so I fixed a small plate for him as well a
nd left it on the counter.
Finding a six-inch green man gathering crumbs on my kitchen table had nearly convinced me I was going crazy. But in a few short weeks everything had changed and now I would be forever grateful to the little man for bringing me my necklace when Ronan attacked me. If it hadn’t been for his small act of bravery, I wasn’t sure I would have survived the night.
Memories from the night before started creeping up on me until there was a knock at the door and I was flooded with relief. I had no desire to dwell on that darkness. Checking the peep hole, a precaution I rarely took prior to Ronan’s attack, I verified that it was Cat and ushered her inside.
“Thank you so much for coming,” I offered with a warm hug.
“I’m glad to help. I love your place, I’m so jealous.”
Cat was twenty and still stuck living at home with an over-protective mother. Her family was part of a long line of druids who had been living in secrecy for centuries after the Wild Hunt had attempted to eradicate all humans who had knowledge of the Fae. Her mother had good reason to worry but it strained their relationship.
“Thanks. It’s nothing fancy but it works great for me. Not much longer and you’ll have a place of your own.”
She set her coat over the back of the couch and looked around my small living area. “Hopefully, otherwise I’m going to end up killing the old cow.”
I snickered on a cough. “Whatever, you know you love her. What did you bring?” I pointed toward the plastic sack she held dangling from her hands as I encouraged her to have a seat on the couch with me.
“Well, I wasn’t sure exactly what type of spells you were looking for, so I brought this as an option.”
“Great, tell me about it.”
“The first thing we do is ward the home against any Fae entering the building.”
Oh crap! I didn’t want to ward the apartment against myself but I wasn’t ready to tell her that I was well on my way to becoming Fae. Not to mention I had a brownie living in the place and I didn’t feel a need to kick him out of his home.
Twilight Siege: A Dark Fantasy Novel (The Fae Games Book 2) Page 2