Oberon’s touch.
“You saved someone’s life, exhausting you. How the poison got introduced, I don’t know.” And she still wasn’t entirely sure it was poison. It could have been any medium. Breaking the skin could have introduced the spell to his system. She doubted he’d inhaled it, or there would have been more people cursed to lose their memories as he’d been. “Do you know if you’re wounded?”
He scowled for a second, before his expression once again became impassive. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“I’ll check when we find a place to stop for the night.” As a healer, it was up to her to make sure he was not only safe, but sound.
His brows rose. “I think I know my own body. I feel no odd aches or pains, only a lack of memory.”
“Still. I’m a healer. Let me check. The wound could be as small as a mosquito bite.”
“As if someone used some sort of dart?”
“Or a needle, yes.” She wouldn’t put it past a Black Court operative. “More curious to me is how you got poisoned. You’re extremely cautious, even around the ones you consider friends. So how did you wind up bespelled?”
“I thought you said I was poisoned?”
The distrust that shadowed his expression cut her to the quick. “You know you’re magical, Oberon. Did you think a simple poison would do this to you?” She waved her hand at him. “A normal poison wouldn’t work on a fae. It has to be bespelled, glamoured in some way. It’s possible it could be a fae’s natural toxin that would do something like this, but it would have to be introduced under the skin for it to be effective.” And that limited the pool of people who could have been the one to poison him. Very few fae had the ability to wipe a mind as powerful as Oberon’s. “Not to mention you don’t trust easily. Someone close to you had to deliver the toxin, either in your food, drink or by piercing your skin.”
“Someone I trusted.” Oberon’s gaze turned back to the passenger side window. His tone was thoughtful, but hardly surprised. He must have already suspected betrayal. “You called me fae.”
She grimaced. She was doing a lousy job of keeping the information she fed him to a minimum. “Yes. We both are.”
“What kind of fae am I?”
“I…” She blinked, prepared to lie her ass off. “I have no idea.”
His gaze bored into her. “And you? What kind of fae are you?”
“A siren. Some call my kind merfolk because we’re nymphs of the sea.” She didn’t see the need to keep what she was secret, only who. The less he knew about her royal heritage, the better, at least for now. They had bigger things to worry about than her family’s soldiers. “I can use my power to sing you well, but it will take time, and a delicate touch.”
“How will you heal me if you don’t know what I am?” His brows rose. “Doesn’t the healer need to know his patient in order to—?”
“Shit!” Cassie yanked the wheel to the side as a car dashed past them, the maneuver insanely dangerous on the wet, icy roads.
Oberon’s eyes flashed brilliantly silver. “Our enemies have found us.”
Cassie tried to ignore her terror as she slammed her brakes. The car in front of them had skidded sideways, blocking the road. “Stay in the car.”
“Cassie—”
“Your life is far more important than mine.” She undid her seat belt, prepared to fight for her mate. “Stay in the car.”
Cassie climbed out of the driver’s side, ready to do battle for the man who didn’t even know who she was.
“I don’t think so.”
Oberon was less than impressed when she ordered him to stay in the car like a dog. Hadn’t she understood him when he told her he could defend them both? Did she have so little faith in him that she would rather face their enemies alone?
There was no way in heaven or hell he would allow Cassie to face danger without him by her side. When she stepped out of the car, he did so as well, ready to confront whoever it was who’d attempted to stop them.
Three men climbed out of the sedan. One, tall, broad and hideous, smelled of moldy mushrooms and fresh blood. The second had the scent of rotten vegetation and stale, algae-laden waters. The third…
The third held the scent of old, clotted blood and death.
The brackish-scented one grinned at Cassie, showing a mouth impossibly wide and full of sharp, dark-stained teeth. “Give us the High King, and we will let you live.”
Cassie tilted her head back, that ridiculous puff of hair blowing in the frigid wind. “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin chin. Get thee hence, kelpie. You shall not have what you seek.”
Her regal tone, the way she tilted her chin, all spoke of a heritage that her appearance belied. There was something about Cassie that screamed at him, beyond the draw he felt toward her.
The kelpie merely grinned wider. “Lunk, Augustine, take the High King and place him in the car.”
The large man in the dark suit, the one that smelled of mushrooms, lumbered toward him. “Yes, Mr. Lochlan.”
The other, the one smelling of old blood, merely shimmered out of existence.
A chill took hold of him as the man disappeared. What was he facing? How could he defend Cassie from a man who could disappear like that?
He had no choice. He had to make sure he and Cassie came out of this alive, and that meant fighting with everything in him. Oberon took a step away from the car. He braced himself, his hands rising, something singing through his body that made the wind howl, the snow and ice swirl faster. “I think not.”
He heard a low, deep hum. Recognizing Cassie’s voice, he left the siren to deal with Mr. Lochlan while he faced the other two.
Lunk grabbed at him, but Oberon dodged, managed to stay out of the huge hands that suddenly seemed to have far too long a reach. He ducked back, skidding on the ice, barely stopping himself from roaring in fury.
“No.”
Shocked at the deep, rumbling timbre of his own voice, he nearly missed the reappearance of Augustine. The creature’s eyes flashed red, his fingers tipped in claws, and suddenly Oberon understood exactly what he faced.
Vampire.
Oberon knew what he had to do, how to kill the creature who kept popping in and out of sight. The other man was forgotten as Oberon closed his eyes, reached for that something inside himself, and pulled.
All of the hairs on his body rose as a brilliant flash blinded him even behind his closed lids, the sonic boom coming so swiftly on its heels he was surprised he wasn’t knocked off his feet. Oberon opened his eyes to find a blackened spot on the road, smoke still rising from where the vampire had stood.
Lunk was laid out on his back, his expression clearly dazed. The creature had been thrown by the force of the blast, the lightning striking so close it had burned him.
“You’ll pay for that.”
Oberon faced Mr. Lochlan. Cassie was nowhere to be seen. Rage filled him. “Where is she?” Thunder boomed once more, echoing the fury that rumbled inside him.
Lochlan flinched, his face pale. The over-large mouth had shrunk, his face once more human. “How are you doing that?”
Oberon glared at the creature. “Tell me where. She. Is.”
Lochlan’s gaze darted toward the side of the car Cassie had been driving.
Slowly, his eyes never leaving the creature, Oberon edged around the back of the car and peered toward the blacktop.
Cassie was slumped to the ground, her body twisted, her tail…
Tail?
He blinked. Cassie’s jeans had ripped, splitting at the inseams to make room for a beautiful, iridescent fish tail. Her hair had gone from non-descript brown to shining aqua. Her skin shimmered with pearly iridescence, paler than it had been, almost the same color as the snow but with a tinge of blue that had nothing to do with the cold.
Beautiful. His heart damn near st
opped at the ethereal beauty of her form.
It took but a thought to send Lochlan to the devil, the lightning strike barely registering on Oberon’s consciousness. Lochlan had harmed Cassie, therefore his life was forfeit.
Careful of the slick surface of the road, Oberon knelt next to Cassie and turned her over. He cursed viciously at the large, purpling bruise on her forehead.
The healer needed her own healing.
He lifted her, cradling her in his arms, the feel of her there so right, so disturbing he almost groaned. He shifted until her head rested against his shoulder before standing, inhaling the fresh salt-water smell that permeated her skin. He ground his teeth, trying desperately to ignore the way his cock hardened at her scent, the feel of her soft flesh.
Hell, even the goofy headband was beginning to appeal to him.
She began to shiver, her fin twitching, her skin chilling even as he held her. “Cassie?”
She frowned, her brows scrunching together adorably.
“Cassie.” Overwhelmed by an impulse he didn’t understand, Oberon kissed her forehead. “A thaisce. Wake up.”
Her eyes snapped open, obeying his command. “Oberon. What…?” She blinked, staring down at her fin in disbelief. “Oh fuck me.”
He shivered hard. Now was not the time to daydream about doing just that. They still had Lunk to deal with, the creature just now gaining its feet. “Hush, Cassie.” He glared at the creature, ready to end its existence if it so much as glanced at the vulnerable woman in his arms. “Go. Tell your masters of your failure. Let them know what happens to those who threaten me and mine.”
The creature’s eyes went wide before it nodded its head so hard Oberon was surprised it held to its feet. “Yes, sire.”
Oberon blinked, but gave no other indication he’d heard the creature. “Go.”
Lunk spun, slipping and sliding on the ice before climbing into the driver’s seat and taking off.
“You can put me down now.”
Oberon glanced down at his companion and moaned. She’d returned to her normal, human appearance, draping her tattered shirt over her legs, her white bra her only garment. “You will be the death of me.”
She sighed. “I sincerely hope not.” She gestured toward the passenger seat. “Set me down, and if you don’t mind, grab me some pants from my suitcase in the trunk. We need to get out of here before more of her goons show up.”
“We need to have a serious talk when we stop for the night, Cassie.” He would not be denied, not after what had happened.
“Yeah, we do.” She sighed, plucking the headband from her hair to run her fingers through it. “But I want to be dressed when we do.”
He bit back his response. She was right. He couldn’t be distracted by her beauty while he questioned her. “He called me sire.”
She grimaced and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I know.”
“Cassandra.”
The sharp breath she drew in, the frightened gaze, told him she hadn’t expected to hear that name. “Yes?”
“You will tell me what I need to know.”
“Too much information too soon could cause damage.” She held up her hand, and he could see the way she shook. She wasn’t cold. She was terrified. “Please, Oberon. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
“Then swear to me you will not lie to me, no matter what.” He loathed lying above all else. “Give me your word on this, and I’ll grant you what you wish.”
They stared at one another, her imploring, him implacable, until finally she sighed. “Yes, sire.”
Those two simple, innocuous words filled him with dread.
Chapter Three
“All right.” Cassie took a deep breath. She’d been staring out the motel window, watching for any sign that the Dark Queen’s men had found their hidey-hole. So far the only suspicious thing she’d managed to uncover was the fungus currently living in the motel’s shower stall. “Your name is Oberon, but that isn’t your title.”
“I gather I’m a ruler of some sort.”
Of some sort. That was putting it mildly. “You are.”
“Then my memories were taken from me for political reasons.” He paced behind her, his footsteps soft on the cheap carpet. “Who is my successor?”
She laughed. “Trust me, your successor is the last person who wants the throne.”
He stopped behind her. She could feel his gaze boring into her. “Who?”
“Robin Goodfellow.”
He grunted. “My Hob.”
She swung around, startled. “You remember him?”
He looked distinctly uncomfortable, his brow furrowed in pain. Not surprising, if the nature of his illness was what she suspected. “He’s mine.”
A swift shaft of jealously stabbed through her. “He’s mated.”
He blinked, shocked either by her outburst or her revelation. She couldn’t tell which. “Oh?”
“It’s how you got weakened. It was his mate you saved from death. Trust me, the Hob is your most loyal follower. He’s killed for you, and now that you saved his mate he’s even more loyal. I’m willing to bet both our lives that he’ll do almost anything to see you restored.”
“I see.” He settled on the side of one of the double beds. “Tell me, Cassie. If he’s so loyal, why haven’t you turned me over to him?”
He would ask that. If it hadn’t been for Shane, she would have done just that. There was no one better equipped to protect the High King than Robin. But Shane’s instructions had been clear. Oberon had to be brought to the Dunne farm, and fast. His soul depended on it. “First, let me check you for wounds. It might help if I knew how you were bespelled. If it was injected rather than ingested, it might narrow down the list of possible suspects.”
“Can you speak while you examine me?”
She laughed. “Yes, in a way, but I won’t be answering any questions.” She gestured toward him. “Lay down and make yourself comfortable.”
He hesitated a moment before he obeyed. “I’m trusting you.”
“I’m honored.” And she was, truly. Oberon trusted no one but the Hob. That he obeyed her with very little question was an honor she would do her best to be worthy of. “All right. This might tickle a little.”
“That’s not what a healer usually says.” He watched her closely, following her hands as she placed them just over his chest.
Cassie took a deep breath. “Wait for it.” Cassie began to hum, soft and low, aligning her voice with Oberon’s energy signature.
It sounded so simple, the idea that you could hum or sing, and someone would be healed. But it was far more complex than that. Opening her mouth and simply belting out Lady GaGa’s latest wouldn’t do much beyond make her look ridiculous. She had to find a person’s song, their unique energy signature, underneath whatever it was that was wrong with them. She had to find the sour notes, sing in counterpoint to them and put them back in harmony.
It was why the task of healing Oberon would take longer than healing a simple wound, though she thanked the gods she could find none. His flesh had not been pierced, or even bruised.
The hum to find his energy signature was causing the curse to rise, to try and fight her from finding that which was Oberon and separate it from that which did not belong. She concentrated, humming under her breath, listening for the resonance that would show she was on the right track.
There. A deep, throbbing song echoed inside him, strong and deep and true. She’d never heard anything quite like the music of the High King. The more she sang and drew it out, the more complex harmonies she found. The drumbeat of his life thread was strong, steady, almost causing her to sigh in relief. Whatever had affected him wasn’t life-threatening, at least.
No. It was the harmonies that were being changed, overwritten, and until Cassie knew them all there wasn’t much she could
do to fix them. She’d need to take the time to learn them or risk changing some fundamental core of his personality.
Cassie scowled as one of the disharmonies sounded, different from the others. This one was older, harsher, twining around the other harmonies as if it had been there forever. A scar on his psyche, it lent a series of minor cords to his song that had her shivering with discomfort. This was a deep wound, old, no longer separate from his song but an intrinsic part of it. Changing that, trying to heal that scar, would forever change the core of who he was now.
Cassie filed it away for later questions. She had the feeling she knew what that scar represented, because the High King had once had a soul-bonded mate who wasn’t Cassie.
Titannia. The Black Queen, the woman who had ripped apart the fae court with her lust for power, had once been the beloved of the man who would someday become Cassie’s. The Black Queen had made a pact with a demon, becoming the first leannan Sidhe, a vampire with hungers far greater than any fae could comprehend. The war she’d started had almost destroyed the fae. Only the intervention of the gods had kept them from fading away into the twilight.
The gods had declared that the courts were now—and forever would be—separate from one another. Gloriana was placed in charge of the White, Titannia of the Black, while Oberon was declared High King over both. Minor courts such as hers picked sides, Atlantis nominally White while Pacifica had chosen Black, following Titannia into darkness. The courts were set, the High King and his Hob ruling over them all with a sense of honor that Cassie had to admire.
And war between the courts was avoided, for the most part. The occasional skirmish would occur as either Titannia or Gloriana tested the boundaries of their hatred for one another, but neither queen was willing to risk either the wrath of Oberon or the gods. Instead, they all tread the delicate dance of one-upmanship without ever changing the tune.
But the soul-bond Oberon had once held with Titannia had been severed somehow, leaving behind the scar that now ran so deeply through him. Rumor had it that the gods themselves had separated the bonded pair, granting Oberon freedom from the evil creature his mate had become. Others said that Oberon himself had broken the bond, but in the process had ripped his soul in half. Still other, darker rumors declared that Oberon had not chosen to remove the bond, but that Titannia had when she’d bonded with her demon, offering her mate’s soul as part of the bargain.
Siren's Song: The Gray Court, Book 5 Page 3