**~***~**
Nicole sat on the patio outside of her room with a large, black fleece throw wrapped around her. The morning sun was warm on her cheeks and the birds were singing in the trees of the beautiful garden around her. The flowers that surrounded her were truly something she would have imagined seeing in the Garden of Eden. All the blooms were picture perfect with their vibrant red, pinks and violets, each giving off a unique scent that mixed together to form a heavenly perfume. “Slade does have a beautiful place here,” Nicole admitted to herself aloud as she took in a deep breath of the morning air. She was trying hard to shake the visit from her grandmother in her dreams. Everything seemed to be fine until the end when she was being forced out by Slade’s returning powers. The queen’s face was seared into her memory. Why did she get so upset at the mention of Slade’s name? Maybe she didn’t hear what I was saying, after all, I was being ripped back into my world, Nicole wondered to herself as she picked at the edge of the blanket.
A soft knock sounded on the closed patio door behind her. She turned to see Slade standing on the other side of the glass. He opened the door slightly and stuck his head outside, “Do you mind if I join you?” His face twisted comically, as if he was waiting on Nicole to throw something at him.
Nicole bit her lip trying to keep from laughing at his pitiful display and motioned for him to join her. She watched a relieved smile stretch across his face as he moved towards the table where she sat. When he reached her side he knelt down beside her gently kissing her cheek then placed a single white rose on the table in front of her, “I know I’ve already apologized but it didn’t feel proper without a flower.”
Nicole tried to ignore that he had managed to sneak another kiss as she looked down at the beautiful rose in full bloom, “White? Like your raising a truce flag,” she chuckled.
“Exactly. Time for us to start over, a new beginning where you don’t think I’m a jack ass.” Slade sat in the chair next to her with excitement radiating off him like a five year old on his birthday. “I’ve got a wonderful day planned for us. First breakfast then I’ll give you a tour of the gardens, followed by sightseeing around some of my favorite spots in Dublin.”
Nicole felt her stomach start to churn as she stared into Slade’s expecting face. There was an unease tugging at her mind but she wasn’t sure if it was real concern or her worry over what happened with Queen Titania last night. She knew that he was trying to make up for yesterday but what was his reason for wanting to keep her so close to him? Was he really trying to be her friend and protect her until Loch shows his face? She sat up straight in her seat pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, “Slade, I think my time should be spent working on a plan. I’ve got to figure out how to fight Loch.
“Nicole, we’ve already talked about...”
“No, you told me what you wanted me to do but it’s not what I need to do. I have a purpose in being here and many people’s lives depend on me doing it,” she pleaded with her eyes for him to understand.
“You don’t know what you’re walking into!” Slade face twisted with anger as he stood up, towering over her. “Loch is powerful and he will get what he wants.”
“What are you trying to say, Slade? That I should sit here and do nothing at all?” Anger was filling her voice as she watched Slade move into a defiance stance.
“I’m saying you should stay with me. You take your rightful place as ruler of the fae kingdom with me by your side as king. Together no one will be able to touch us, not even Loch. I can show you a world you never dreamed of and with my powers you will get to live a normal life for all of eternity. I know that’s all you really want Nicole, to be as normal as an immortal can pretend to be and I will let you have that.”
Nicole’s heart sunk at his words. This was his plan all along, to win her love so he could rule the fae kingdom. He never cared about helping her figure out how to stop Loch. There was no concern for the war that was building and the threat that was on her friends and family’s head. He wanted the one thing his bags of money and good looks couldn’t give him—the fae kingdom.
Nicole stood and stepped forward until she was staring up into Slade’s ice cold eyes, “I will not be used.” She pushed past him and walked back into her room. She began to pull her clothes out of the bureau and the closet, tossing everything onto the bed. She dug around under the bed, grabbing her backpack from where she had hid it. When she stood up Slade was standing behind her. He spun her around by the shoulder and shoved her roughly onto the bed.
“I don’t think you understand what’s happened. You have two choices here,” he leaned down pointing a finger in her face as he spoke, “You go be Loch’s lap dog, help him destroy all fae then when he is done, he will destroy you. Or you join me,” he grabbed her face between his hands, as an evil, power hungry look filled his eyes and his lips curved into a smile. "We will rule together, side by side. We will rid the world of those low life warriors and the fae kingdom will be strong once again.”
Nicole jerked her head away from his hands then quickly backed off the bed so there was some distance between them again, “That’s your big plan? You’re no better than Loch,” she hissed taking a step backwards, getting closer to the open patio doors. “I will not be killing anyone but Loch…and if you get in my way…I will kill you too.”
She turned to run out of the room but Slade was already standing in front of her. She gasped as he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her hard against his chest. She could feel the heat of his breath blanketing her neck as she tried to break free from him.
“You know, that’s what really attracts me to you Nicole—your spirit. You’re beauty is beyond any I’ve ever seen and you know what you want, just like I know what I want but your spirit is unlike any I've encountered,” he let his lips brush across her earlobe as he pulled her struggling body tighter against him. “Am I really that hard to love?”
“Love,” she hissed with wide eyes, “Do you really think you can force me to love you?” she laughed as she leaned her head back, putting some space between her face and his. She was trying to come up with a plan to get away from him but her anger was building inside of her with each breath, making it hard to think past the moment. “I will never love a man like you,” she spit in Slade’s face.
Slade closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly releasing his hold on Nicole. He wiped the moisture from his face with the back of his hand before letting his anger darkened eyes meet hers again. “You can love that traitor warrior but not me?” He stood staring at her then he let his eyes drift over her shoulder. After a few moments he shook his head defiantly, “You need time to think my offer over. After all, you are a smart woman who doesn’t make rash decisions and I can respect that,” he walked around her to the French doors that lead back into the living area of the hotel room before he stopped, speaking over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you to your thoughts but be forewarned, if you haven’t made your decision by the time Loch calls,” he paused looking back at Nicole with a mixture of hurt and anger written on his face. “I will take you to him and your fate will be sealed. He will use you and you will have no choice but to obey him.”
Nicole watched as he walked out of the room, shutting the doors behind him. Is this really what has become of my life? She thought, turning to look back outside as she fought to form an escape route in her head. But as she stared movement among the green caught her attention. A large form materialized out of nowhere, its towering presence was familiar and unsettling to Nicole. The warrior that had left the party in pursuit of Luke last night stood at the edge of the garden, hands locked in front of him and feet shoulder-width apart. He raised his chin so he was looking down at Nicole. When their eyes locked he shook his head slowly from side to side, sending her a warning without saying a word.
“Damn it,” she cursed under her breath as she slammed the patio door closed and locked it, blocking the chilling glare of the warrior. She leaned against the door and sli
d down to the floor with her elbows on her knees and her hands gripping the sides of her head. “Nice job Nicole, you can’t even keep yourself out of trouble for two days, how in the world are you going to save a kingdom? And to top it all off, I chose the only person in the world that could make my powers completely useless as my friend.” She sighed deeply as she realized what kind of trouble she was in. She had cut ties with the only people who could truly help her: Luke, Sage, and Rhys. She thought it would keep them safe but she was more than wrong. She could see that now that she was a prisoner and forced to see the truth. They were sent to help her put an end to Loch, not only by training her but also by fighting at her side.
Nicole rocked her head from side to side in her hands, frustrated by her own stubbornness. She didn’t know how to even begin to fix this mess. Luke and Sage were somewhere in Ireland but they couldn’t get close enough to help her; not with all of these warriors who were on Loch's side. Plus now there was Slade to deal with. How could anyone fight someone who could make everyone’s powers completely useless?
Leaning her head against the cold glass of the door, she could feel tears make warm trails down her cheeks as she closed her eyes tight and prayed.
Chapter 7
The next two days were a blur of nothingness and self-pity for Nicole. She believed herself to be a weak, powerless woman who could do nothing to change becoming Slade's prisoner. She spent most of her time locked in her room, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling lost in thought. There were times when she was forced from her bed to accompany Slade into town when he had business. Whenever they were out she looked for any opportunity to escape but the warriors that went with them made it impossible for her to try anything.
Several times each day a warrior would enter her room carrying a tray of food. The warrior, a new one each time, would stand against the wall while she ate then after she was done, would gather everything up and leave but not before asking if she had an answer for Slade.
Today she had enough of the questions. “I have a question for you,” she retorted, “Why do you serve a traitor to his own people? Slade isn’t a warrior, he’s a fae, and if you truly want a war then why do you obey him?” Nicole crossed her feet underneath her as she leaned back against the headboard of her bed.
The warrior in her room studied her face for a moment before moving towards the door. “Do you have an answer for Slade,” he asked again with no show of emotion.
“You’re being controlled by the fae you hate and it doesn’t bother you,” she chuckled hoping to get a reaction out of the stone faced man. She could see the tension flexing in his jaws and the tightness in his muscles as he stood with a hand on the door. “He keeps you weak just like he’s doing me. I mean really, how much good would you be if a fight broke out while Slade was around to suck up all of your power,” she clicked her tongue against her teeth, tsking him slyly. “That makes you no more than, I don’t know….Tinkerbell’s puppy, all bark and no bite.”
A change in the wind around her was all Nicole registered before the warrior was next to her, towering above the bed with a dark look filling his eyes and anger shaking his body with each panted breath he took. His hands were held out to his sides, both glowing with red flames, and his lips curled into a smirk as he realized he had startled her with his display. “But I thought you couldn’t use your power if Slade was around,” she stammered as she tried to hold her ground under his glare.
“Well, I guess you shouldn’t trust everything that your told, now should you princess,” his smile became wide as he realized that he had the upper hand in this conversation. “Now, do you have an answer,” he asked as he let the glow of his hands die out.
Nicole bit the inside of her cheek to keep the arrogant warrior from seeing how much he had gotten to her. She shook her head from side to side and bit out her words slowly, “It’s the same answer he’s been told for two days so stop asking and get the hell out of here,” she pointed towards the door and was relieved when the broad, muscle bound man nodded and walked out, carrying her half eaten breakfast with him.
Her fingernails dug into her palms drawing blood as everything started to become clear to her. Slade had planned this entire charade out so well. Even the fact that they were seated together on the plane had been planned so perfectly by him. He wanted me to feel abandoned and weak so I would lean on him. He made me think Luke had turned his back on me at the airport and lead me to believe that he had no control over his powers so he could keep me tamed. I'm such a fool. How could I let him manipulate me like that, she groaned banging her palm into her forehead. “Big, bad, city boy—one, sheltered, trusting Alabama girl—zero,” she muttered to herself as she leaned back across the bed.
The day turned into evening as the light in her room began to dim with the setting sun. Nicole was vaguely aware of the change as she lay unmoving on the bed. She had settled into an unnerving pattern of waiting. Waiting for time to pass, waiting for an unknown hero or waiting for the call that would send her into the hands of her enemy. An enemy, that at one time she was foolish enough to think that she could take on alone. Instead, she chose to ignore her years of police training that told her how to research her target well: study his every move and desire before taking him down. Then there wouldn’t have been any surprises like this. She would have known what she was up against and avoided turning into a prisoner.
The sound of heavy footsteps approaching her door drew her attention from her thoughts. It was too early yet for her meal to be brought to her so her body tensed for the unknown as the door swung open. “Shower and dress for dinner. I will be back in an hour to escort you down,” the same stone faced warrior from earlier informed her. She noticed his eyes were still tight and cold like they were earlier when she challenged him. He laid a long garment bag across the foot of the bed then sat a shoe box beside it before turning on his heels and exiting without another word.
Nicole found a bit of joy in the fact that she had gotten under his skin so easily. “Nice talking to you again, Rover,” she chuckled as the door slammed behind the gorilla-like warrior. She slid to the end of the bed and opened the bag to see what she would be wearing. She pulled out a blood red dress that bordered on hooker attire. The front draped around her neck with a sharp v-cut that barely covered her breasts with silk strips of material. The dress didn’t join together again until below her belly button, leaving a lot of cleavage and most of her stomach exposed. The bottom half of the dress was much more modest in a length that reached to her ankles but the long split that stretched to the top her thigh put an end to any comfort she had put into keeping some of her dignity intact.
“You have got to be kidding me!” her jaws clinched as she opened the shoe box. She pulled out matching red shoes with six inch heels that strapped around the ankle. “Well if he wants to kill me this is sure one way to do it. I will break my neck in these trashy things.” She went to toss the death traps back into the box but an envelope caught her eye.
My love,
I hope this letter finds you on much happier terms than I left you. I am sure you are shocked by the attire for tonight but I must insist you wear it. You see, this is not what I would choose for such a beautiful woman, but it is what Loch would choose. He has requested you be brought to him tonight so our time together is running out.
I will see you at dinner and I hope, with all that I am, that you will have reconsidered my offer otherwise you must get accustomed to looking as you do tonight because you will forever be Loch’s whore.
Slade
Nicole let the paper fall from her hands and land silently on the carpet near her feet. Her heart was beating so loud that it drowned out the chaos in her mind. The breath in her lungs came in with ragged pants as she let herself sink to the floor. This was it, the fight she had been training for was finally here but she no longer had a weapon to battle with. All that training and preparations was useless without her power. "How in the hell am I going to win this now?"
**~***~**
Nicole entered the eloquent dining area of the hotel on the bulbous arm of the warrior that hated her deeply. She had been given strict instruction not to try anything or she would regret it. Holding her head up high, even though she looked like she had just walked off a street corner, she strode with confidence past the staring eyes of the other diners. There was no way she was going to let Slade have the satisfaction of seeing how humiliated she was so she smiled confidently as they approached his dimly lit booth.
Slade stood as they neared the table, “Thank you for joining me, Nicole.”
“Like I had a choice,” she retorted taking her seat across from him.
Slade smiled slyly at her as he sat back down in his seat, “Well, I’m beginning to see that you don’t make very good choices if given options.” A waiter approached with a bottle of red wine and two glasses, filling them promptly then walking away just as fast as he appeared.
Nicole watched the nervous demeanor of the waiter with interest. It seemed that everyone took their job seriously when Slade was around. She found herself wondering if the reaction of the man was because his boss was in the room or if it was fear because people knew what type of deceitful and power hungry man Slade really was. Finally, she let her eyes turn back to Slade who was staring back at her with an unreadable look, “When it’s a choice between the lesser of two evils, there’s never a good choice.”
Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series) Page 6