by Sarra Cannon
Chapter 23
“Fuck,” Heath spat as he and Ethan grabbed the remaining bounty hunter by the arms and dragged him to the portal’s edge.
He kicked and flailed, trying to break free of their grips. “I’m not going into that! Who knows where it goes?”
“Wherever my princess sees fit.”
On the count of three, they tossed him into the hole, and he screamed until magic pulled him through the veil to the other side.
Dasha, behind them, and whom they’d momentarily forgotten about, gasped.
They turned to face her.
“What. The. Hell.”
Ethan gave Heath a pleading look, and Heath just shook his head. “Deal with it as you see fit.” He tossed himself into the portal, hoping Simone was handling the situation well enough on her end. She might not have had his crew’s training, but she had good instincts, and that counted for something.
He landed on his feet in a mossy corridor he recognized. She’d put them close to Old Fergus’s—likely the only place she thought to go.
Dasha appeared a moment later, falling onto her ass at the sudden landing, and Ethan landed a moment behind her.
“She jumped in before I could stop her.” He pulled her to her feet.
Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and for once, not a single word crossed her lips. Speechless.
“Should have expected she’d follow Simone.” Heath started toward the keyman’s cottage and hoped he’d intercept his princess soon. If he were lucky, those guards weren’t putting up much of a fight.
At the sound of grunting, he pulled his knife from his sheath and sped up. Rounding the corner, he found Simone dragging one unconscious guardsman toward the door. The other lay on his back, face turned to the side, and a pool of blood formed on the dirt path beneath his nose.
“Whoa! What’d you do to them?” Dasha asked.
Simone shrugged and kept pulling. “Dunno. Can’t remember. I was mad. That’s all I know.”
Heath grinned with pride. His princess was a bruiser. “Gonna have to keep an eye on you, love.” He heaved the guard away from her, and Ethan yanked the second one to his feet.
“If your plan was to drop them off at the palace”—he canted his head toward the right—“the quickest route is that way.”
She swept a hand toward the corridor. “After you.”
They moved quickly through the cramped mound passageways with Dasha letting out the occasional gasp of awe and muttering questions under her breath. Apparently, she didn’t believe herself to actually be awake.
“I’ll explain it all to you later,” Simone called back.
“Is this why you’ve been avoiding me for six years?”
“Uh. Not exactly.”
Heath stopped at the heavy wood door that opened to the rear entrance of the palace and dropped the guard unceremoniously onto the ground. He nudged Simone’s hair back from her eyes and wiped away a smudge of blood from her cheek. “Did you just want to ditch them at the entrance or did you have another plan?”
“I thought about pinning a note to this one with my dagger, but once my blood rage subsided, I decided that would be a bit over the top.”
“Probably not from Mum’s perspective. She’s certainly sent more gristly messages.”
Simone cringed.
Ethan dropped his load, and the feckless guard hit the ground with a whine. Ethan rolled his eyes. “Before you do anything, how about we ask these two some questions?”
“Splendid idea.” Heath walked over to the wakeful one and put his boot against his Adam’s apple. “Let’s start with the basics. Who sent you?”
The guard coughed and sputtered. “That should be obvious.”
“It is, but I’d like to hear you say it.”
“Queen Rhiannon.”
“Aye, and what was your job?”
“To abduct your mate.”
“Of course. And how did you track her?”
The guard groaned and pointed toward his downed companion. “He charged a shell to act as a beacon. Had someone drop it into her purse when you were in New Mexico.”
“Who?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Simone squatted beside his head. “I think it does. I think it does a lot actually.”
“It really doesn’t, Princess. The person who dropped it into your purse likely wouldn’t remember doing so. It wasn’t of their own volition.”
“Seems an interesting thing for you to confess.”
“Not at all. I have no problem dispensing words when I believe doing so will prove beneficial to me.”
“Sweet-talk all you want. You’re still getting tossed through that door.” She started yanking him up by his shirt.
“You should listen to him.”
— —
Three out of the four of them turned with blades pointed toward the voice of the newcomer. Simone was the last to lower hers. There had to be some sort of trick.
The woman stepped into the light, pulling the edges of her cardigan together. Hair the color of new cooper pennies hung heavily over her shoulders and down her back. Impossibly green eyes fixed on Simone, and a grin curled her lips. She hadn’t aged a day in all those years, and it wasn’t just because of good genes.
Simone shook her head. “No.”
Heath rested a hand on her wrist and lowered it gently to her side. “Energy’s right. Tastes like you and Fergus.”
“If I would have thought you’d end up with the prince, I might have thrust you at him long ago. What an odd turn of events.”
“I think that’s putting it mildly,” Dasha muttered.
Mom leaned sideways to peer around Ethan and waved at her. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Katie,” Dasha said in a strained whisper, her eyes wide.
“What are you doing here?” Simone still itched to bring that dagger back up. Her mother showing up seemed too convenient. Heath and Ethan had both stood down, and they should have known how to perceive threats better than anyone, but Simone’s brain and heart weren’t working on one accord.
“I come by sometimes. I wouldn’t dare go out and risk being seen. It’s the closest I can get to my parents. I do the same for you. I do pop out there, it’s just easier to be discreet when no one’s looking for you.” She canted her head toward the guard on the floor. “You should listen to him.”
“Why?”
“Because this close to Rhiannon’s domain, he has nothing to lose. If he goes back without you, she might kill him, and obviously your prince isn’t going to let him kill you. I can’t think of a single fairy who wishes for true death, in spite of the boredom they often endure here.”
The unconscious would-be abductor groaned in his sleep state. Ethan put his boot against the man’s chest. “What would you have us do with them?”
“That depends on your end goal. What were you planning to do?”
“Leaving them on Rhiannon’s doorstep as a warning. I’m not going to be bullied.”
Mom’s nod came slowly. “I can see the appeal of doing so, but you’re better than that. Don’t stoop to her level. I think it would work just as well to keep her in suspense when they don’t return. She’ll keep sending out more and more only for the same result.”
“We can’t keep any more of these guys at the motel. We’re running out of space.”
“So, is this what’s depleting your motel room inventory? You’re using them as jails for these…these guys?” Dasha asked.
“They’re fae. Daoine Sídhe, which I guess is Irish for greasy fairies.”
“We’ve showered,” Heath and Ethan said in an indignant duet.
“I was joking. And yes, Dasha, one of the rooms. Probably the one you see everyone going in and out of.”
Mom knelt next to the unconscious one and righted his head. “What’d you do to him?”
“Dunno.”
Mom cringed. “You did it?”
Simone shrugged. “I was mad.”
Mom’s gaze flitted to Heath. “You need to keep an eye on her.”
“Yes, I’ve recently discerned that.”
Mom stood and dusted off her hands on her jeans. “I can get some…well, friends, I guess is the best word, to imprison them. They’ve got the space and would love to do anything to undermine Rhiannon.”
When Simone didn’t immediately respond, Heath gave her back a little nudge. “It’s up to you, Princess. We could still make compost out of them, if you’d like. It’s one of Ethan’s favorite pastimes.”
Dasha gasped.
Simone kept forgetting that the woman had no idea what was going on. Now, they’d have to explain everything all at once instead of piecemeal. Hell of a way to traumatize a person.
Simone sighed and slumped. “Of course I don’t want to do that. I just want to be left alone.”
Mom nodded. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.” She turned away, only to stop and point at Ethan. “Why don’t you come with me to ensure I’m not up to anything devious?”
“Mom…”
“It’s your prerogative to be skeptical, Simone, because you’re not stupid. I would be, too. That’s why I’ve lived this long.”
Heath chuckled and put his back to the mossy wall. “Don’t be coy, Katie. Legend has it you fight like a maniac.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, there may be a couple of other reasons. Come on along anyway, Ethan. Makes sense for at least one of you to know where I am.”
He nodded and followed.
Simone went to stand next to the passed-out guard. She tucked her dagger into her waistband and tapped her foot nervously. Even without turning to see, she knew Heath and Dasha were both waiting for some words from her. Unfortunately, she had none. How was she supposed to react in such a situation, anyway? There was probably an entry about it in the fairy handbook—How to Behave When Your Long-lost Fairy Parent Reemerges Out of the Blue After Half a Decade. But then again, fae probably went much longer without seeing each other. With such long lifespans, six or seven years was probably a polite amount of time not to call or visit.
Dasha cleared her throat. “So…magic stuff?”
“Right,” Heath said.
“And you’re a…”
“I’m Sídhe, a sort of fairy.”
“And all the people in your crew back at the motel right now…”
“Also Sídhe.”
“And that means…”
“Well, that’s complicated.”
“Uh-huh.”
Simone turned to see her nod.
The guard on the floor between Dasha and Heath pushed himself to seating and rubbed his battered face. “Shit’s supposed to be a secret.”
“Unfortunately, when a prince takes a half-human mate, and fucktwats are insisting on abducting her, there’s going to be some collateral damage in that regard,” Heath said. “I’m certain Dasha will be…” He rolled his gaze up to the ceiling and rocked back on his boot heels. “Well, I believe she’ll be invested in keeping the secret.”
Ah. It seemed Heath didn’t want the guy to know Dasha belonged to someone. Or maybe he didn’t want Dasha to know. Simone wasn’t sure she did either, not just yet.
“And where are we right now?” Dasha asked.
“That’s hard to explain. Passageways like this don’t rely on sensible geometry to get you from Point A to Point B. Depending on the finesse of the fairy who laid them, several thousand miles can be condensed to easy walking distance.”
“Can my grandfather do that?” Simone asked.
“I believe he could if he were inclined to. He built this one many, many years ago. But, to answer your question, Dasha, right now we are somewhere under the island of Ireland.”
“We’re inside the island?”
He made a waffling gesture. “We’re not exactly in the same realm, so it’s hard to be clear. Celestial physics aren’t necessarily in sync with Earthly ones.”
Dasha strode a few steps forward with hands on hips and looked from Heath, to Simone, back to Heath again. “If you’re a prince…”
He chuckled. “Go on and make the connection.”
Simone sighed.
“My best friend’s a princess?”
“I’m just a cursed, disgruntled motel owner who has a fairy prince as a fated mate.”
“Just, she says.” Dasha gave her short hair a manic little yank. “Ha. I’m so confused. Someone walk me through this.”
“It’ll have to wait until later,” Ethan called ahead. He reappeared in the corridor, and behind him were two very tall, dark, muscled, and gorgeous spear-carrying warriors. Mom brought up the rear looking totally blasé about it all.
Dasha did a cartoony wall slide, making nonsense words as she stared.
Ethan growled, but to his credit, said nothing. If he were anything at all like Heath, he’d probably express his lack of appreciation in some very creative ways later. The woman wouldn’t know what had hit her. Simone giggled at the thought.
Heath pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled his face against her shoulder. “What’s so funny, love?”
“Everything and nothing.”
“Spoken like a true fairy.”
“I guess it’s rubbing off.”
“I could think of some other things I’d like to rub off,” he whispered into her ear and ground his cock against her backside.
She tried to keep a straight face, but no one was watching, anyway. Mom, Dasha, and Ethan were paying more attention to the newcomers hoisting the bounty hunters to their feet.
“You’re so fucking hot when you’re being righteously indignant,” Heath whispered huskily.
“What about the rest of the time?”
“You’re hot then, too, but I like seeing you get rough.”
“Yeah? Want me to beat you up a little?”
“Nope. I like seeing you get rough with other people. I’d prefer you to be sweet to me.”
“Good luck with that, Prince.”
“Oh, you’re plenty sweet when you want to be.” He skimmed his lips down her jawline and slipped his hands inside the bottom of her shirt.
As his fingers inched up her belly toward her bra, she let out a girlish giggle that prompted Dasha to whip her head around.
“What have you done to my friend? My friend doesn’t giggle.”
“I’m not sure I can explain that in mixed company. Besides, I don’t kiss and tell.”
Dasha’s impassive expression gave way to a flushed, wide-eyed mien of scandalization.
“Behave, Heath,” Simone whispered. Hopefully her mother’s hearing wasn’t as good as it was when Simone had been a teenager.
“As if I’d start now.”
Mom horned in looking from Heath to Simone. “We’re going to deliver these characters to my adoptive village. Meet you in Salvo?”
“Uh…sure.” Simone fondled the hilt of her knife and chewed her lip for a moment. “I’m not exactly certain of how to get back there, though. Getting to this specific passageway was an accident.”
“Yes, there’s a bit of a learning curve to being a good key. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Mom started away, then stopped, turned, and walked over to give Simone a sloppy kiss on the forehead. “Missed you.”
“I was wondering if you did.”
“I suppose I gave you good reason to doubt it. I’m sorry for that, my darling. I didn’t know how else to go about things. Daughters are so much different than sons.” She drifted away, and by the time her words settled into Simone’s brain, Heath had his arms around Simone.
“Question it later,” he said, holding her in place. “I’m certain she holds many secrets.”
“But a brother? Or brothers?” Could it be that she really wasn’t as alone as she thought? That was a big fucking deal.
“And older, from the sounds of it. I hadn’t a clue he or they might exist, but then, I didn’t know about you, either.”
Ethan leaned against the wall near Heath. “I wonder if we c
an pass off the other three assholes at the motel.”
“We could certainly ask when she gets back,” Heath said.
“How many others do you think Queen Rhiannon has skulking around hoping to grab Simone?”
“Why would anyone want to grab Simone?” Dasha asked.
Simone pushed up a brow at Heath. “Yes, Prince. Explain that to us all.”
Heath rolled his eyes. “Simply said, Simone is a problem for my mother for the same reason I am. I’m a competitor. She tolerated me beforehand as a sort of necessary evil, but having a mate tips the level of power somewhat.”
“In whose favor?” Dasha asked.
“No one’s. It’s just balanced now, whereas before my parents were a heavy weight on one side of the scale, and I was a feather on the other.”
“This is like the fairy equivalent of some kind of soap opera, isn’t it? And my best friend is tied up in it.”
Ethan let out a long breath and rolled his gaze up to the ceiling. Simone knew exactly what he was thinking—just wait.
“What does she think you’re going to do to her?”
“Take her place, in spite of the fact I have no such inclination, and nor does Siobhan.”
“Fairies of her age aren’t known for their rationality,” Ethan said.
“So…are you all in deep shit now, or what?” Dasha asked.
“That’s a fair way of putting it.” Heath pulled Simone’s dagger from her waistband and studied the handle as if to make sure jewels hadn’t fallen off during the fight.
Dasha got in front of Simone and stood on tiptoes to meet her eyes. “Why aren’t you more afraid?”
Simone sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. “Maybe I will be later. It’s been an interesting few weeks. I’m exhausted and processing pretty much everything on delay. Mostly, I just react and do my thinking later.”
“Are you still going to want to be my friend now that you’re a fairy princess?”
“The better question would be whether or not you’ll still want to be mine.”
Chapter 24
With Katie’s assistance—and with a cadre of her guards in tow—the group made its way through quickly drawn passageways between Earth and the fairy realm, exiting near the restaurant.