He stepped away. "No. It is a place only suited for the ancient among us. You have your entire life to live."
"When will you return?"
"I cannot say. Perhaps never."
Dread sent icy fingers along my spine. "Can Korwyn and I live with one of our half siblings?"
"No, son. Lillias—your mother needs you." Lillias was the pet name he gave my mother. Unlike all the other females he'd chosen to take to his bed, he'd visited her so often, he'd impregnated her twice. My sister's birth might have been the final straw to rip apart the queen's indulgence."
"Mother treats us badly. She is unwell." A lone tear dripped onto my tunic.
"Try to be grateful that she still lives." He lifted my chin and smiled his most radiant smile. My knees wobbled at the gift he'd given me. "If you are an obedient young male you will be loved and treated gently."
"But Father..."
"I love all my children, and always will. Take care of Korwyn and my sweet Lillias."
Fionna finally stopped her pacing and glanced toward the double doors that marked the entrance to the hall. "Where is your captain? He should have reported to me long before now."
"He reports to me, sister."
"You..."
"Forgive me, but as queen, you should not concern yourself with field reports delivered by common warriors. This male has a rough nature. His face is deeply scarred and he lacks the courtly finesse you are accustomed to. As is my duty, I will report to you personally as soon as I hear from him."
"Hmmph. Very well. I will check on the vampire." She left and I sighed with relief. Fionna could be exhausting to a degree known only to the mothers of very young children.
A serving girl entered and bowed, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. "Lord, your captain has arrived."
The female had light hair like my mother, her skin so pale it was practically transparent. "Send him. And bring wine."
"Yes, lord."
As if to prove a point, my captain, a slim male with a face scarred in battle, met my gaze without fear, an unusual occurrence at court. Most had first-hand knowledge of my predilections, and so spent time in my presence staring at their feet. I'd chosen this particular male for the task he'd performed because he did not seem to fear me, nor any other fae. Or rather, he did not fear death. Perhaps he felt dead already, the horrible burn on his face lessening his chances to find a mate. We fae were obsessed with the continuance of our race, our fortune in this regard having not been in our favor for some time, Finvarra's seed notwithstanding.
From his ragged appearance I could guess that he'd come to me before bathing. Fionna would have found this to be the height of disrespect, however I appreciated his courage and common sense. The information he brought was more important than following a courtly protocol that made no sense in this circumstance. I smiled, thinking about the serving girl and her more typical behavior. It was always easier to converse with someone who answered your questions without mumbling, shaking or talking to the floor.
"It went as planned?" I asked. I was still seated, the rest having done wonders for my knees.
"Yes, Lord Kennet."
"Continue."
"The Cascade male was guarding the border and not expecting an attack. Your instructions gave me easy access, enabling me to deliver the body to the field and then get out again quickly."
The serving girl brought wine, pouring it with a shaking hand. When she started to leave, I said. "Return to me when the warrior leaves."
"Yes, lord."
Throughout my brief conversation with the girl, he stood at stiff attention, a perfect soldier. I invited him to sit and share wine, but he refused, having lived under Fionna too long to take any generosity at face value. She enjoyed playing games with those who displeased her. I did not have the patience for that, preferring more direct methods. "Caelen and the other elders will be more careful in the future, captain. He is arrogant, but not a fool."
"Yes, lord."
"The queen will wait for Cascade to respond to her message. Be ready to leave again as soon as it arrives."
"Yes, Lord Kennet." The damaged male dissolved, perhaps to eat and rest in his small quarters. I rose and walked to the throne my father had occupied all those years ago, then sat, scanning the entire room. Running my fingers over the exquisitely carved arms, I enjoyed the view from the higher platform. None of the current queen's sycophants would dare say anything against my sitting here, particularly because I was the most powerful male at court.
The mongrel serving girl had returned.
"More wine." The decanter was half full and I could easily have poured my own, but I wanted to enjoy her terror as she poured it for me. I would be demanding much more of her today and she knew instinctively that she might not survive what I'd expect of her.
The lithe female poured the wine, trembling as she replaced my goblet on the small table beside the throne. She was pretty, but would have been quite beautiful if she had access to her magic and enough to eat. Fionna drained most of the court mongrels' magic, leaving them barely enough to survive. Full-bloods were also required to contribute a portion of their magic to "prepare for the war", at least that is what Fionna told them. Her true reason being that It kept them weak and under her control. I was one of the few she left intact. Our personal guards were also included in that group. No reason to take chances.
"Do you need anything else, lord?" The servant was two feet away, but I could barely make out her whispered words.
I took a long sip, drawing out her torture. "Yes. Kneel here." I pointed to the floor in front of the throne. She stared at her feet as she shuffled and knelt where I'd indicated. She trembled so violently I thought she might collapse, but then, I was indeed a creature to be feared.
I had inherited my birth father's telepathic powers at the age of sixteen. The gift brought me sweet revenge on my mother and continued to serve me in many unexpected ways. Fionna would soon bow to my will, as would others at court. Charles would learn to use his inheritance as I have and together we would control Faerie. What young man would turn away from such power, and if he did, well, I had ways to encourage him to follow my instructions.
I locked gazes with the mongrel kneeling before me and thrust my will into her mind without kindness, taking over her body and guiding her as I wished. Her terror was still present, but if she pleased me well, she could become a favorite. Sighing, I relaxed into Father's throne, imagining what else this mongrel could endure today to please me.
CHAPTER FOUR
My senses returned as the scent and feel of a filthy wooden floor wrinkled my suddenly responsive nose. Although it was still dark, my keen eyes had no trouble adjusting to the dimness. I was sprawled face down, unbound and dumped without care. I forced my body into a sitting position, then stood and stretched out my stiff muscles, not feeling any ill effects from whatever spell had been used. Grateful for the relative freedom, I began to pace around the small room, automatically searching for an avenue of escape.
The mild stomach cramps caused by my not having fed, were a relief, informing me that I'd been here for less than a day. I knew all the symptoms of blood deprivation by heart, having been starved half a dozen times by Eleanor, my long dead maker. There was one main difference. Where in the past I could access magic to dampen the pain, here I was blocked from using that skill. I sighed, knowing I was in for some difficult days if this imprisonment went on for long without my being able to relieve the hunger.
Fae light lit up the room with a warmth opposite in mood to the female who appeared a heartbeat later. Dressed in a golden gown that shimmered with jewels, Fionna smirked as she took in my more vulnerable state. Her gaze slowly traversed my entire body, spending a few longer moments on my bare chest. Dressed only in sweatpants, my usual resting-phase attire, I felt like a horse at auction.
I stood still and waited for her to speak first, hoping she'd give me some information I could use.
She spoke in Seelie Fae, a
language I could understand and speak fairly well. "I see Jacqueline has excellent taste in males. Are you hungry?" she teased, tossing back her long golden locks with an arrogant flick of her head. She knew I hadn't fed today.
I ignored her question. "Why am I here?"
"I will bring you a snack. Someone sweet."
"I don't take blood." I didn't mention that Jackie was the exception.
She tilted her head and frowned. "That is ridiculous. How do you feed?"
Seeing no reason to lie, I told her, "I can take energy from shifters by touching them."
Her frown became a scowl. "That will not be entertaining at all. You are the first vampire I have had at court and I was so hoping that witnessing you attend to your needs would cause some excitement among my people." She ran a hand over her hip, smoothing out her gown and showing off her lithe figure. "The centuries can grow dull."
"I'm afraid I'll be disappointing you and your followers." I made every effort to keep my tone neutral and non-confrontational. I wasn't an idiot. She could kill me with a snap of her fingers.
"When your hunger becomes too much to bear, you will take whom I offer. We have no shifters here." She said the word shifters as if it were abhorrent to consider having them at court.
"I won't feed from innocents."
"We will see how long your morals hold as your body begins to starve."
The room darkened and I fell to the floor, returned to my former state. Sadly, I was no wiser as to why I was brought here. Surely it wasn't for entertainment purposes as she'd hinted because, if that were the case, she could have taken any vampire.
Without stimulus, time slowed. I focused my mind on warm memories of Jackie and Charlie, doing all I could to stay sane and ignore the gnawing pain.
We were all in the living room. Charlie, only four, giggled from his seat on the couch. "Mommy, you can't dance good."
"I'm trying to learn. It's hard."
"S okay, 'cause you fight really good. Fighting's more 'portant than dancing." As usual, Robin Hood was carefully placed beside him on the couch, open to an illustration of Robin fighting with Little John in the river.
"Not at a wedding," Jackie sighed. Sinc and Gabe were having their mating ceremony soon and Jackie was practicing with me. Sinc had told her there'd be lots of dancing.
She was fighting my lead. I pulled her closer to my body, her lean muscles molding to mine perfectly. "Relax. You're having trouble giving up control."
"Duh." She rolled her eyes. I raised an eyebrow. We were trying to break Charlie of that same habit. "This partner stuff doesn't come naturally to me."
I grinned. "Kind of late to tell me that, don't you think?"
She whacked my shoulder. "You know what I mean."
I tucked a clump of hair behind her ear, then kissed the perfect line of her jaw. "There are times when you allow me to take the lead." I teased.
"Mmm. Hmmm." She nuzzled against my chest, her mouth curving up.
"Dancing is similar." I spoke into her fragrant hair.
"I don't think so..."
"Think of it as foreplay." I whispered. She gasped then giggled against my shoulder.
"That's better, Mommy. You're 'laxed now."
Sprawled on the wooden floor of my prison, I could not contract or stretch my muscles to form a smile, but it was there just the same.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Where the heck are we?" Charlie asked, throwing the leather jacket Sash had gotten him for his last birthday on the floor by his feet.
I looked around, not sure where we'd ended up. The room was full of exercise equipment. "The gym."
My sixteen year old son gave me that sneer that's unique to teenaged boys. "I can see that it's a gym. I worked out at the vamp villa with Sash for two hours yesterday." He rubbed his shoulder as if it was still sore. "I don't need more time in the gym."
"This isn't what you think. Calm down."
"You want me to calm down?" He took in my attire and groaned. "You showed up in the middle of the movie looking like some kind of terrorist. Then you dragged me away before it ended like I was a little kid," he bit out, fuming. "Jay and Grady are gonna be worried." He ran a hand through his hair, the same way Garrett did whenever he was stressed. Not being related, they looked nothing alike, and yet they were father and son in every way.
I fisted my hands to fight off the tears. "Aislin will make sure that Grady and Jay get home before she returns to Faerie."
"Why are we...?" He took a closer look at the equipment, then twisted toward me, his eyes wide. The language on the instruments made everything clear. "Are we...?"
"Welcome to my home, not so tiny demon. Your visit is unexpected, but I'm certain that your mother has an extremely good reason for barging into my home without permission." Isaiah was furious too. "Jacqueline, I gave you the ability to slip through my wards with instructions that I would only allow it in an emergency." He looked us over. "Neither of you appears to be missing arms or ears. I see no blood."
Wishing I'd had a few more sips of coffee before being forced to deal with two large angry males, I sat on the weight bench, my shoulders sagging. "Fionna has Garrett. She wants Charlie in exchange."
Charlie lowered himself next to me, his face pale with shock. "Holy crap."
I had to make Isaiah agree to this. "Caelen wants him in Cascade, but Liam says it's not secure. Can you protect him here? Naberia can't find him."
Isaiah's demeanor changed in a flash. "Yes. You did the smart thing. Good girl. I'm shocked that Liam suggested it."
"Liam has always been honest with me."
"Mom, we have to go back. We have to find Dad." Charlie stood, pulling me off of the bench.
"Your dad would never forgive me if I sacrificed you to get him back. The team and our fae allies will find him and bring him home. Then I'll come back for you."
"That's total bullshit! You need to..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Charlie was thrown against the wall and suspended there while Isaiah stalked closer, his eyes flaming. "You will speak to your mother with respect, or I will beat some sense into you. And my beatings don't heal so quickly. Your mother was..."
"Isaiah. Please, don't." Seeing my horrified expression, he stopped mid-sentence. Charlie could never know about the rape. He wouldn't understand.
Isaiah took hold of my son's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Jacqueline is a warrior who's protected your ungrateful ass with her life for over sixteen years. You know nothing of her sacrifice."
Charlie struggled to pull away, but he shouldn't have bothered. We were on Isaiah's turf and his magic trumped anything Charlie could come up with. Unfortunately, Charlie's mouth was working great as his gaze locked on mine. "You're wasting time. Don't you give a crap about Dad?"
Isaiah's voice chilled the room. "Apologize." Charlie scowled, then winced. Isaiah's grip must have tightened. "Apologize and mean it, or I'll exchange you for Garrett myself, and good riddance. In the DR, especially in my home, teen angst is a punishable offence."
Charlie looked in my direction, seeing the tears for the first time. "Jeez. I'm sorry, Mom. Let me down, Isaiah." Isaiah frowned but waved a hand, causing Charlie to fall like a rock to the floor. Fortunately, his shifter reflexes kicked in and he landed easily on his feet. He sat beside me on the bench, pulling me into a comforting hug with arms that seemed to grow longer on a weekly basis, along with the rest of him. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk."
I wiped another tear from my cheek with a rough swipe of my sleeve. "You're my favorite jerk." He laughed and we were okay again.
"Charles." My son twisted Isaiah's way. "This will give me the opportunity to train you in skills we haven't yet broached."
Charlie thinned out his mouth. "You were kidding, right? About exchanging me?"
"Alas, I wouldn't be welcomed at the Fae Court, even if I brought you wrapped in pretty flowers with butterflies on top. However, there are other ways I can torment you if you continue to disrespec
t Jacqueline. Or me." His evil grin should be patented. No one could do it like him.
Charlie's expression grew sheepish as he turned back to me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be making this harder."
"I get why you're angry. I'm angry too," I paced and huffed out a quick breath. "I have to follow my instincts, and they tell me that you'll be safer here where Fionna can't get to you."
"Your mother has exceptional instincts." Isaiah gave me an encouraging smile.
I stopped my pacing. Could I trust him with my son's life? We stared at each other for a few silent moments. "I guess...I guess now I find out the truth."
Isaiah replied with some affection. "You know the truth. You're one of the few who does. Your trust is a gift I'll never take for granted."
I sent, "I'm leaving you with half my heart. Please..."
"He's one of the only relatives I can bear to spend time with," he teased. "Even though he's at a horribly annoying age."
I wiped away another tear, frustrated that I was losing control in front of them. "What do you want in return?" With demons, everything was arranged as an equal exchange of favors.
He shook his head. "We can talk when this is over."
"I'll be in big trouble with Caelen and Garrett for leaving him here."
"Somehow that doesn't bother me." He smirked. "He's safe with me. Now go get your other half back."
I looked closely at my son. Handsome, and already taller than Garrett, his lavender eyes reflected some fear and worry of his own. "It'll be okay," I tried to reassure him, my feeble attempt only producing a frown.
"I want to help find him." He was hurt that I wasn't including him in the planning.
"You'd be a big help, but then Fionna might find a way to take you away from me, and I can't chance it."
He didn't argue again. "Did Kennet have anything to do with this?" Charlie asked.
Lord Kennet was his birth father, but Charlie had never called him Dad or Father. Garrett would always hold that position in Charlie's heart. Kennet had forced me into an agreement to bring Charlie to him twice a year. We'd spend the day together, usually with Kennet telling him stories about life at court when he was younger, sharing books, or teaching him basic knife skills. Those lessons seemed to interest Charlie the most because Kennet had given him a magically powerful dagger for his fifth birthday.
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