by Elle Cross
Instead of a rambling palace, his family stronghold was more like a medieval keep. This one was preferable. It was large, yes, but only because it needed to contain the people within and keep them relatively safe. There were many who chose to live inside the walls, though there were cottages that dotted the landscape. Their little stacks of smoke that billowed from chimneys were so cute.
At this time of day, the walls were open for trade and commerce, Ranek explained. So we were able to walk through. No one made a big fuss that the big man was coming in, nor did they make a big deal that it was one of their princes.
I decided not to ask about it since I thought it might be rude.
At my mother’s court, I couldn’t sneeze without people reporting to her. And for sure if I’d come back after a day of being away, there would be some sort of trumpet announcing my return.
Here, Ranek was greeted with a wave, a sample of fruits or food at the market, a friendly word here and there. It was different. Warm. Approachable.
And I felt an odd longing.
He brushed my shoulder, and I realized that he was responding to my emotions so I tightened that up a little bit in case there were empaths here to pick up my stray emotions.
A little boy that looked like his spitting image ran at him, then launch himself into his arms expecting to be caught. “Ranek!”
Ranek caught the little boy with an oof. “Hey there little man. What’s new?”
“Nothing, just got out of lessons. Say, are you going to dinner? Grandad’s wanting a shindig.”
“Yes that was the word on the street.”
“You speak weird whenever you come back from your travels.” Then the boy finally saw me, and he dropped to a whisper. “Who’s she?”
In an equal whisper, Ranek said, “She is Karina, Queen of Shadows.”
I wiggled my fingers at him in a wave.
He ducked his head in Ranek’s neck. “She’s pretty.”
“She’s also right there, and you need to greet her properly.” He let the boy go so that he was on the ground.
“Welcome, Queen.” He bowed to me.
I mimicked with my own bow, since curtsying only looked right when I wore a dress. “How do you do, sir knight?”
He broke out into a blinding smile showing off some missing teeth. Ranek allowed him to scamper off when he got too squirmy.
“Nephew?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Felt like a nephew-uncle kind of bond, versus a brotherly one.”
A piercing scream cut off what I was about to say next. The shrieks got closer and even though Ranek stepped toward me to shield me, he didn’t seem too concerned.
An older woman with blue and pink hair standing on end came around the corner. “Where is he? Boy!” Then she locked sights on Ranek and pointed directly at him with her crooked finger. “You! Where is that boy? The little princeling, where is he?”
Ranek was too busy suppressing his giggling fits, so as elegantly as I could, I pointed to the trail he scampered off to. “He went that way, madam.”
She nodded with as much dignity as she could muster. “Oh, and Ranek, after I deal with that princeling, we’ll be dealing with your issues and what you brought home.”
Considering she gestured at me when she mentioned that, I figured I was the issue that he brought home.
Ranek merely shrugged. “Malita likes to speak her own mind. She means no offense.”
“None taken. I just thought the whole thing was hilarious. How long will your nephew be in trouble?’
“Not long. For all her bluster, she loves that kid and secretly I think she likes the attention that the kids give her, even when it’s terrorizing her studio and messing with her spells and such.”
“I guess we’ll be going to your dad’s shindig?”
“Yes, non-negotiable and the reason that I wanted you to come. We haven’t had a queen in a while not since my mother died, so I’m sure that your presence will be appreciated for our full moon energy.”
“A revel? You’d like for me to share in a revel, you mean?”
If he thought that I would touch him or let myself be part of an orgy, he was mistaken. There was the idea of thinking he was hot and sexy, a whole other level for me to go from that to jumping him if I ever would at all.
“The shared energy helps to keep the shields up, but I will understand if you would prefer not to participate.”
Oh. Clearly, not everyone got high on the power. And not everyone got so mega horny that they would fuck anything that moved or allow themselves to be fucked.
“Plus you will get to talk to my father, who has been missing Raya, and would love to talk to you about her.”
The pang in my chest sharpened at her name. His father must be worried, and without a queen here, they must be hurting for power.
A conversation, a revel, and hopefully, reunited with my men.
What could go wrong?
Ranek set me up at the queen’s suite. I raised my brow at that, but said nothing since I needed to decompress. Fresh fruit and water waited for me, and I munched while I watched Ranek pace.
Turmoil and angst came over the dimming thread between us, and I thought to just wait for him to wind up to whatever it was he needed to tell me.
“I think now is as good a time as any for me to tell you why I brought you here separately, without your Inner Circle.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “My queen. My father was the one who called out that bounty for you.”
Karina
RANEK PACED BEFORE ME. “I wanted you to meet my father first so you can see why he is harmless.”
I stared up at him from my seat, wondering if the apple in my hand would serve as an adequate weapon. “Harmless because he took out a bounty for me that caused all manners of Hunters to find me?”
“He is not of sound mind, please. If I present him to you, the bounty would dissolve much the same way Enver’s bond on my wrist dissolved as soon as I delivered you to him.”
I promised that I’d deliver her. Not that she would stay.
Vagaris were slippery indeed.
“I wanted you to see that my father isn’t quite right in the head, and that he didn’t know what he was doing when he unleashed that bounty into the world. There was no taking it back, but once you are delivered to him, the way the contract is worded, would be fulfilled, and the Hunters would be off your scent.”
“And then you’ll bring over my men?”
“Yeah, about that.”
“What? Don’t even try to get out of bringing them over.” My fingers curled into fists at my side.
He raised his hands in defense. “Of course. Only, I need you to convince them and by them, Enver, not to kill my father.”
I remembered that Enver had sworn an oath to kill whoever placed that bounty. “I’m sure that when he knows the extent of what you had to work with and what you needed to do, he would forgive it. Especially if I’m alive.”
I stood up, placing the apple back in the bowl though I so wanted to hit him with it. “Well, let’s end this and go then.”
“Well, that’s the thing. I don’t know how much influence my father still has over his court. You may be in danger after the bounty is resolved, and so I would rather you have your men with you when we go to my father.”
“And you would like for my men not to kill you or your father immediately upon arrival.”
“That would be ideal.”
I got it. Really I did. Family relationships could be complicated. I wanted to drum up sympathy, but I couldn’t relate to his decisions. “You know. My mother is the Queen of Nightmares and Death. And even she wouldn’t dream of trading one life for another.”
“For her daughter? I think she would do anything for you, even rend the veils to push your men through to you.”
Something about what he said and the way he said it coiled a knot in my stomach. That was true. She would do anything… Gods above and below I hoped she d
idn’t do anything too stupid.
“He was desperate to find his daughter,” Ranek continued. “Please believe that. But if I could plan this out right, I could get her back and keep you safe.”
“Why should I believe you when you’ve lied to me multiple times? You said you didn’t know the people who took her or the Oracles.”
“But I didn’t know. I still don’t. But there was only one way to get the key to the River STX and that’s through the Power Broker. Even a Prince of Straits cannot bend space to get to the Exchange. The Power Broker though. He has the ability to get into any bolt hole because he maintains them.
“His tastes are specific. He wants a queen. Since they’re basically nonexistent in the Shadow Realm…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to. I was the only Queen in the Shadow Realm, so therefore, I was the bounty. Mortals or Humans didn’t seem capable of producing even the basic spell casters. Only the god blessed, those who were descended from one of the Remnant God Tribes that roamed the world, retained any type of magic no matter how much mortal blood they carried.
Even then, their politics were more convoluted and secretive than the Fold’s. Only a fool would invite a Remnant God’s attention by threatening one of theirs.
Ranek’s father had assumed I was by myself and easy pickings when it came to presenting the Power Broker with a queen who could be traded in; for a queen to get into River STX.
“So what? I’m to be bartered? For a key? Were you going to let him rent my body by the hour or what?”
He grew scary quiet. “I would not allow you to be touched against your will.”
And then he told me his plan.
I had to admit, it had merit, and if it went well, would be a win-win.
Karina
I wanted to be angry with Ranek. But it was hard to be. I knew too well what it meant to find family and connection. To feel like you were on your own.
I understood him, but I didn’t trust him. He needed to win my trust, and to do that meant that he wouldn't try to fuck with me or my men. Literally and figuratively.
"Look, Ranek, I get it. I get that you needed to go along with your father. But you had a choice to lie to me, and you took it. Repeatedly."
"I didn't lie to you. I never lied."
I raised my eyebrow at that considering that was exactly what it felt like: he lied.
"I just didn't mention it before, but in my defense, you weren't there to listen to anything that I had to say. And your men were too busy hitting me to care to hear me out. Kidnapping you was the best I could do."
"Even now you admit that you totally kidnapped me. You understand that, right?"
He ducked his head, blotches of red bloomed high on his cheekbones. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed.
"If this is what it will take for you to trust me, fine."
“Trust. You want me to trust you, and you also want to serve in my court, and not only that, to serve in my Inner Circle? You want all that? You need to trust that I can handle my men, and that I have enough control to do so!” I stood and stared him down, which was not easy when he was so much taller than me.
I felt the resolve in him, felt him relenting, the cracks in his shield. Felt the fissures inside him from before. He would yield soon. “The ends do not justify the means. You do not get to take action ‘for my own good.’ You do not get to take choices away from me, including by omission. Do I make myself clear?” And then I pushed through his shields.
He inhaled sharply, but otherwise, that was his only sign of pain.
"As you wish, my queen." His soft voice was dusky and full of both pain and longing. Nevertheless, I didn't relent.
He pulled whatever he had together, and then cast his hand out. In a moment, the space in front of us thinned until it was like gold foil and I was able to see silhouettes on the other side. My men. I felt them there, seething with anger and more.
I went to them before the veils thinned some more. "You will need to contain your anger, at least for now, okay?"
There was no question that they were angry. But at least they, through Enver, were willing to contain their anger. Or maybe Enver was the only one stable enough to give an answer at the moment.
There was a feeling, just shades of color, and I knew that was more accurate. He was the only one able to put thoughts together. The rest were like the buzzing of bees in my head. Hot and electric. I pushed the most calm that I could out at them, and then without prompting from Ranek, I pushed my hand through the veil. I didn't know if that was kosher or if that was the way of things with the Vagari. Was I going to rip through the fabric of the world?
I felt a hand engulf mine, full of love and trust, and it shuddered through my body.
Enver came through, his face was unreadable, but the love that pulsed through our joined hands consumed me. I let him pick me up and crush me to his body, claiming my mouth with his own. Relief, joy, love, frustration, anger, and hope all rolled into one as he poured out all those emotions into me.
Enver growled, but it lacked heat. He smacked his lips against mine once more, and with a flick of his eyebrow he let me go so that I could have turns being greeted by Taran, Havoc, and West.
When we were done, I turned to face Ranek who had been quiet in the background, observing.
I couldn't decide what he was feeling at this point, but then I realized that I didn't care. It would be nice for him to be part of the group, willingly, but I wasn't about to spare his feelings if he was going to be jealous or secretive.
If he couldn't share, that was fine. I would allow him to serve, but he would have no access to me, my body, or my mind.
As if knowing the line in the sand had been drawn by me, Havoc sidled up next to me, my right hand. West behind me to my left. Taran at my back. And Enver out in front. My willing champion.
Ranek could see that he was not part of our conversations that he was on the outside once more. And that was exactly what he needed to know and feel, what he needed to understand. He could have this community, or he would be on the outside, always.
They came first, and if he had a problem with that, then he couldn't be part of my Inner Circle. My court perhaps, but not this.
Ranek approached, and I felt the thrum through the bonds I shared with Enver. It was a combination of heart beats and a growling in his chest.
Before he could test my men's resolve, he got down on one knee. "All that I am is yours, my queen. Only let me serve."
I shared a look with Enver, his eyes full of endless darkness as he had allowed power to leak into every part of him. I nodded to him, deferring the choice of men to him.
He gripped the other Prince on the back of his neck, and lifted him easy as if he were maneuvering a rag doll. "You pull that stunt again, endanger Karina in any way, I will rip your skin from your body and feed it to you."
"As I expect you to if ever my actions lead her to be endangered in any way."
They stared off until Ranek broke eye contact first. "I defer to you as well, Prince Enver."
And with that, Enver let go of Ranek. To Ranek’s credit, he maintained his footing.
"Now that we're all here, tell them why you risked your life by kidnapping me here."
Enver
I couldn't stop touching her.
Her hair was like silk. Were it up to me, she would be dressed in nothing but her unbound hair. She shivered under my touch. Such a fine tremble, that I doubted she even noticed. I loved the feel of her, and if she let me, I'd have her on my lap, trembling with pleasure every waking moment of the day.
She deserved nothing less.
This business though with this Vagari. He, I could dispatch at a moment's notice, but I didn't because she needed him. And if she neede
d him, then I would do everything in my power to make sure that he was at her disposal until she was done with him.
I couldn't stand the man, but I trusted him to keep her safe. I felt as much when I scoured his soul with darklight and found him regrettably noble and honorable. His word would be bond enough. I expected nothing less from a Prince.
My queen was less circumspect. Made me wonder what happened between them in the short time they were together. She didn't not trust him, though that was what she told herself even now. No, her problem with him wasn't whether or not she could trust him. It was whether she could trust herself with him.
Love.
She had the potential to love this Prince of Straits. Though I found that interesting, she was more troubled by that. Did she worry that I'd be jealous?
“My queen, I find the Prince to be honest, though annoying. Anything he says would be truth, especially to you, and especially if you were to ask him a direct question.” I spoke my piece aloud for Ranek’s benefit.
"Is that true, Ranek?"
He bowed, "Truth and honesty. Always, my queen. My answers are yours to command."
She bristled.
Didn't he know that she wasn't interested in mindless obedience?
I threw my thoughts his way. He stumbled back a step, and damn if that wasn't funny to see.
Taran moved, a lumbering mountain at our backs.
Havoc snorted.
West's cool voice came through the thread.
He was one to talk about ice. I switched my gaze, and met hers. Damn she was beautiful. Her eyes could drown me, and those lips...so full and soft. My cock twitched just looking at them.