by Ivy Clyde
My heart came to a stuttering stop and then started drumming hard. It was a struggle to not clutch at my chest and just act normal. Why did these princes make my heart pound so hard every time they were being nice? They were all dangerous. I knew that much but how could I stop being so attracted to them? The familiar feeling of fear and anticipation rose up inside me as Leon stepped close to me.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered as he hooked a finger under my chin. He lifted my face to him and leaned in close to look deep into my eyes. My startled expression was reflected in his amber orbs as he moved in closer, his nose almost touching mine.
I stayed frozen in place as his warm breath fanned my face. Other than his gentle finger holding up my chin, he didn’t touch me anywhere. I was free to break away from him at any time. Leon was giving me every opportunity to back away.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said in a deep voice that reverberated through my entire body. Slowly, he leaned in even closer and touched his lips to mine.
My eyes widened at the searing touch. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to. Leon moved his lips against mine in a slow, sensuous kiss. Heat sang in my veins as his dark, masculine scent enveloped all around me.
An embarrassing moan escaped me. Leon took it as an invitation, sliding his hot tongue through my lips.
Leon still held me by my chin but I found myself clutching onto his shoulders to keep myself steady. His tongue languidly moved around mine as if he was taking his time to taste me. Next thing I knew, I was kissing him back too. The throbbing heat deep inside me chased away all my fear.
I moaned again and his answering groan reverberated through me, setting my insides aflame.
Leon couldn’t keep his hands from my body anymore. His arms wrapped around me as he kissed me deeply. I felt aware of the hardness of his chest against my soft curves, the swell of his full lips against mine, and the heat of his body seeping into mine through our clothes. My mind was too lost in a haze of lust to realize this was my first kiss.
Leon’s body pressed against mine, leaving me to lean against the edge of the table to keep from falling backward under his overwhelming weight. With a sudden move, he caught hold of my waist and bodily lifted me on the table. I gasped from the surprise but next second, he silenced me with his mouth.
This was a more comfortable position. The table gave me a better height so I could kiss him better. Through the haze of heat, I felt Leon’s hands slide under my skirt. His palms were hot against the smooth, cool skin of my thighs.
My breath trembled in my throat as I felt him reaching higher. Could I let him touch me there? Each time a man brushed his hands over that part of my body, I was left feeling cold and clammy. I broke the kiss, suddenly unsure if rushing into things with Leon was a good idea.
Leon didn’t seem aware of the tension spreading through me. His mouth trailed kisses down my chin to reach the side of my neck. The feel of his lips against the sensitive skin threatened to drown my senses again.
“You smell so good,” he whispered against my neck. “You taste so good. I am breaking all my rules for you.”
“Do you really want me to be your mate?” I asked, suddenly desperate to know what he was thinking about.
His warm breath spread against my neck as he chuckled softly. “Can’t you just enjoy this moment without thinking that far?”
“Answer me,” I said.
The aggressiveness in my tone had him digging his fingers into the flesh of my thighs. He raised his head to look at me. “You dare command me?” His gaze was suddenly cold.
“Why else would you be…” I pushed his hands away from under my skirt and got off the table. Before I could move away, he grabbed my hand and pushed me back in place.
“What are you doing?” he asked, tightening his grip on my arm.
“I won’t do this with you until you give me an answer,” I said, meeting his angry gaze. My whole body was trembling as the flames burning inside me suddenly died down.
“Who are you to question me?” he asked with a raised brow. “If I want you, I can have you right here. Who is going to stop me?”
Anger rose within me. What the hell had I been thinking? Leon was an asshole. I twisted my body even as he grasped my arm. Next moment, my other elbow crashed in the middle of his chest. With a hiss, he stepped backward.
“Even if no one comes to help me, I’ll still be able to protect myself,” I told him coldly. “I’ve been fighting against monsters most of my life. Go and ask Artemis and Chantal what happened to the last people who tried to force themselves on me. You’d know I’m letting you off easy.”
Leon’s expression changed at once. “I would never force myself on you. Or anyone.”
“You just said you would!”
“That’s not what I meant.” He rubbed his temple before meeting my gaze again. “I only said I could have you if I wanted to. It didn’t mean I would…” He exhaled out a long breath. “Forget it. I didn’t mean to hurt you or get angry with you.”
“Then, what did you want from me?”
“Reject Rowan and Cade’s claim on you and be mine,” he said. “When the unrest in the royal court ends, I’ll consider making you my concubine. You will have a sheltered life. Until then, we’ll share our intimacies in private.”
He moved closer to me but I stepped back at once. “Let me get this straight. You want me to reject both Rowan and Cade and be with you in secret. No one can know about our relationship?”
“No. It is safest to hide our association with each other.”
“And when the court battles are over, the dust settles, you will consider making me your concubine? Not a consort or a wife. But a fucking concubine?”
“Watch your tongue,” he said coldly. “But yes, you have understood my intentions perfectly. Do you agree?”
A hollow laugh escaped me. “I have no idea whether to be insulted or feel grateful for your suggestion. See, I come from a place where we didn’t have to bend to the wills of petty, asshole princes. It must be a hard concept for you to understand but you can’t force me to do anything I don’t want to. To be clearer, I do not agree. I’ll never be your or anybody’s mistress.”
“You are foolish to throw away my kindness,” said Leon in a tight voice. His eyes were staring daggers at me. He was furious but I could see he was doing his best to control himself. “I could protect you.”
“I don’t want your protection.” Turning away from him, I picked up the stack of books from the table. Only minutes ago, I was kissing Leon wildly. Looking over my shoulder, I added, “Thank you for the books.” Holding them to my chest, I walked away, not daring to turn around to see how the fae prince took my rejection.
13
Moira
I stayed shut in my room over the next week, venturing out only when Isla came to invite me to go down to eat in the dining hall. All my time was spent on reading the books she recommended me. They were indeed meant for beginners and I was able to follow through most of the instructions.
Within the next few days, I was even able to write in the strange fae script. Leon had been right. I was somehow born with the ability to read and write the language.
While I made progress with my self-taught lessons, I was still scared to be on my own at night.
Most nights I was afraid to fall asleep, so I stole out of the dorm building after dinner to read in the library. The dome-shaped building stayed open all night, letting me take shelter there. Most times I would fall asleep at dawn but it was better than being attacked in my sleep when my mental shields were down and it was easy to manipulate me.
Since I was holed up in my room during the day and the library at night, I rarely came across the three princes who refused to leave my head. Even though I disliked all of them, I couldn’t stop wondering what it would feel like kissing Cade and Rowan. Could it get any better than the make-out session I had with Leon?
Even when I tried not to think about the kiss with Leon, my body de
manded I thought of it. Just replaying the scene in my head made my insides clench with a deep, pulsing need.
There were times when I was clear-headed and wondered whether Rowan and Cade could also see me as a potential mate to them. Leon clearly enjoyed kissing me back then. I just hated his idea of using me as a secret mistress. Part of me kept wondering if I should have said ‘yes’ but then I wanted time to evaluate my options.
So far, I was able to get a small handle over my powers. After practicing the techniques in the books, I was able to manifest orange-sized balls of fire in the palms of my hands. There was no need for me to call onto my magic anymore by depending on emotions of rage. My magical energies flowed like the blood in my veins. They pervaded every particle of my body now.
All I had to was keep learning and practicing until I could do something more useful than making pretty balls of glowing light. There was no need for me to depend on someone for anything.
Even though my body begged me to keep considering Leon’s offer, I couldn’t really accept the life of a mistress. What would happen when he had to marry another wife? I would either be tossed out or be a thorn in the eyes of the woman who was his legitimate wife. I couldn’t accept such a fate even when such relationships with royals were acceptable in the fae society.
A yawn escaped me as I leaned heavily against the chair. Even though there were no windows in the library’s reading section, my body could tell it was past midnight. My eyes were beginning to droop. My mouth opened wide in another yawn.
I looked around the empty room. Would it be so bad if I smuggled in a pillow and some sheets and sleep on the floor here? After a whole week of staying up at night, my body yearned to sleep well. So far, no one had come into the library this late.
Making up my mind, I rose from the chair and walked down the aisle leading toward the exit doorway. The entire place was silent and deserted. No one would notice if one of the students slept here. I hurried out of the library and into the cold night.
The night sky was teeming with twinkling stars. Even without the moon, their glow lit up the grounds with a silvery light. A sudden realization dawned on me. I’d never seen so many stars before. The city sky only had a few because of air pollution and bright streetlights.
I was halfway through the deserted grounds when something made me come to a sudden stop. The magic in my veins sent tingles down my back. This happened every time danger lurked nearby. My gaze moved around the shadows but couldn’t spot anything. I strengthened my mental wall immediately.
The soft laugh of a woman made me whirl around. A dark figure stood some feet away from me.
“I am impressed by the strength of your shield,” said the woman. She stepped under a lantern hanging from the branch of a tree. In its light, I recognized her. She was one of the girls who was close to Cade. She was dressed in a long-sleeved robe but the sheer fabric didn’t conceal any of her luscious curves. Her auburn hair was loose and gently waving in the night breeze. It looked like she was ready to head to bed.
“Thank you,” I said cautiously, wondering why she was up this late at night and walking around the grounds.
“Where have you been hiding these days?” she asked. “I only see you at mealtimes. You take no lessons with any of the teachers at the Court but you’ve learned how to use a shield in no time.” She took a few steps forward. “Who has been teaching you?” she asked in a soft voice but the hint of cold lethality in it didn’t escape me.
“Isla helps me,” I said. “And I am studying on my own too.”
Large orbs of golden light manifested on her raised palms. Like tossing a volleyball, she threw the glowing spheres over my head. I ducked but the orbs floated above my head.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I only wanted to see what your face looks like when you lie.” She stepped closer to me. Her marble-like skin was tinged gold from the flickering orbs of light hovering over us. “No novice has the magical strength needed to put up such a strong shield. Lady Chantal is never this concerned about a new student. She had her personal servant tend to you and she didn’t question or punish you about the state of your old room.” She moved forward, standing directly before me. “Are you some kind of dark witch who is only pretending to be a poor, abandoned fae? Have you bewitched Prince Cade by some evil enchantment?”
“Prince Cade?” I blurted. “I haven’t even seen him recently.”
“You haven’t,” she agreed with a nod. “But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been thinking of you. He is constantly talking about you even when you don’t appear before him.” She shot an accusing glare at me.
A kind of exhilaration shot through me at her words. My excitement, however, was short-lived. A sharp slap struck my right cheek.
“How dare you smile, witch?” the girl screamed.
I stumbled back from her. The slap had been hard enough to make me see black for a second.
“Stay away from me,” I warned as a familiar rage flared up inside me. Magic burned at the tips of my fingers. I took several deep breaths to cool my anger. This stranger was being a complete bitch but I couldn’t go as far as to burn her to death for it.
“How dare you command me?” she shouted. Her pretty features were quickly contorting into an ugly expression. Something glinted in her right hand as she moved toward me. It was a dagger with a long, thin blade. “Did you think staying out of your room at night would keep you safe?” she asked. “You can’t escape from me again.”
I began regretting leaving the library tonight. This young woman was crazy and steadily approaching me with a knife. I was weaponless against her and the only thing I could do with my magic was to make pretty fireballs. The other option was to unleash my uncontrolled magic on her but again, I didn’t want to commit a murder.
I glanced all around the dark grounds, looking for an escape.
“This blade is made of steel,” said the stranger as she advanced on me. “You will never recover from its strikes.” With a sudden move, she lunged at me. I jumped back but she was far quicker, managing to slice at my arm that I’d thrown up before my face in an unconscious attempt to protect myself.
“Ow!” I gasped, feeling the blade cut through my skin.
“Deirdre! Stop right now!” said a familiar voice from somewhere above me.
I looked up and caught sight of a dark silhouette perched on the branch of a nearby tree. The person straightened up and leaped down. He landed on the ground in a graceful crouched position despite having jumped from a height of at least twelve feet. Under the light of the floating orbs, I watched Prince Rowan approach me and the crazy young woman.
“Prince Rowan,” whispered Deirdre. “Please excuse me for the moment.”
“Why would you be wasting your time on her?” asked Rowan. He turned away from me and moved toward Deirdre. “Go back to bed, My Lady.”
“Not until I’ve taught her a lesson, Your Highness,” she said in a low, hissing voice. “Please, don’t interrupt our duel.”
“Duel? With her?” Rowan still didn’t glance at me. “She is not worth your time. You have already injured her so easily.”
She shook her head. “There is something different about her. I can feel it.”
“She is of no consequence at all. Just an abandoned fae.”
“And yet, she has a claim over all three princes,” screamed Deirdre as she stomped her foot on the ground. “I want to carve out the mark that seals her to you.”
“There is no need, dear Deirdre,” said Rowan in a gentle, placating tone. Even though I knew he was trying to keep her off me, I hated him using that voice on her. “We have all rejected her. None of us will abide by the seal on her. There is no need to soil your hands because of it.”
Deirdre looked up at him. I took the opportunity to slowly back away from the pair.
“You’re lying, My Prince,” she whispered.
Next second, she ran toward me at an alarming speed. There was no way to outrun her, so I grabbed her hand hol
ding the dagger.
“I am going to kill you,” she told me as she exerted more force, driving the dagger closer to my shoulder. A manic grin unfurled on her lips. That’s when I knew she wouldn’t let me go until I was dead.
“Prince Rowan is witnessing everything,” I said, trying to reason with her. “He will tell the authorities you murdered me. What would be the point if you end up being punished for it?”
A loud laugh cackled out of her. “Prince Rowan will do no such thing. He will never snitch on me to seek justice for a nobody like you.” She paused momentarily and cast a glance at Rowan. “Would you, My Prince?”
“No,” he said immediately.
Cold washed over me. “You will stay quiet and act like nothing happened even if she ends up being dead?” I asked.
Deirdre glared at me. “You’re threatening me?”
“I am warning you,” I said through clenched teeth.
Deirdre renewed her efforts to drive the blade through me. Blood was already dripping from my other arm. I’d had enough of her. With a sudden move, I twisted my wrist and grabbed hers. A gasp of surprise escaped her as I put pressure on a certain spot. Next second, she howled with pain and dropped the knife.
I caught the dagger midair before it could land on the ground between us and swiped it at Deirdre’s face. It was only meant to be a light strike but Deirdre howled, clutching at her left cheek. She stumbled backward and fell down on her knees. “No!” she screamed.
I was confused by her exaggerated reaction until I noticed the steam rising through her fingers. What was happening? Why did it look like her face was being burned? I was sure I didn’t use any magic on her.
Rowan kneeled down beside her. “What’s wrong, Deirdre?”
“The blade…” she said with difficulty. “It was pure steel.”
Rowan gasped. “How can that be? It didn’t affect her.”
“She is a dark mage,” she screamed, pointing a finger at me. “How else could she stay unaffected?”