Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court)

by Jessica Aspen

  They moved around the corner. Haddon released his invisibility spell and collapsed onto the bench. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat pouring down his face.

  He glared at the empty hallway, the sounds of their passage dying away. When he was king the old man would be one of the first to go.

  At least the old fool couldn’t keep his ideas to himself. Now Haddon was forewarned.

  If Oberon came to the Black Court the Queen would fall apart before he would be able to make his move. He’d lose everything and the Sun King would have it all, the power of two of the courts. Time for some action, hey? Well, it was definitely time for him to take action. Time to use the queen to find Kian and force him to marry Agrona once and for all. Time to pack and head for the Keep of the Brethren.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The sun’s rays crept through the gap in the curtains and touched the side of Kian’s face. The tingling stabbing under his skin grew worse, pushing hot pins into the nerves along his spine and into his bones.

  “Aaaah!” He dropped Rage.

  The pain swelled, taking him down to the floor. Joints cracked, skin pulled tight, and his jaw elongated. He hung on to consciousness, desperate not to pass out and leave Bryanna alone with the puca.

  He forced his eyes open. She huddled on the bed, clutching the bedclothes to her chest and staring at him curled up on the floor. The horror etched in the darkened depths of her eyes and in the silent open O of her stretched out mouth showed it all. He’d lost any forward motion the night’s lovemaking had brought him. Hatred for his mother burned in his gut.

  “Well, well, well, what have we here?” Solanum’s mocking tone set Kian’s kindle-quick temper aflame. He growled and climbed shakily to his feet, his weak muscles bunching in preparation of attack.

  Solanum’s face stretched into a sly grin. “I’d take you on, princeling, but I’m afraid I have instructions to deliver you safe and sound.”

  “Who has sent you for me?”

  “Why who else? My master, Logan Ni Brennan.”

  “Logan’s alive?”

  “No thanks to you.” The puca’s grin dropped and a red flame lit behind his black eyes. “If it were up to me, I’d let you rot here. Or perhaps I’d let you watch as I devoured your pet.” Solanum’s deep, dark gaze wandered over Bryanna’s figure, and a lascivious smile played over his face. He took a step toward Bryanna.

  “Don’t touch me.” She picked up a small glass trinket from the bedside table and held it up threateningly.

  Kian lunged. But Solanum moved, and was across the room, laughing at him before he even got there.

  “Such fun we could have. Alas, Logan demands I bring you to him as soon as I find you, so off we go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Kian said. “Tell Logan I’ll be there later. I have a commitment first.” He nodded at Bryanna. “I promised I would find her mother and sister for her.”

  “Thank you,” she mouthed. He pulled back his lips from his fangs in the only way he could smile.

  Solanum was suddenly pressed to his side, his cheek nearly touching Kian’s face. “Do not forget you have given oath by the old ways.” His words hissed out, his mouth so close the heat of his breath blew into Kian’s ear. “Will you be fore-sworn? Would you betray your honor? Your oath by blood and bone? All for the sake of this doxy-witch?”

  An ancient fear skated along his skin. The fear of what no one saw during the night, the fear of what you only guessed might be hidden in the shadows, the fear of something that had more power than anyone dreamed.

  “How dare you accuse me of this? I am not fore-sworn.” Kian shoved the puca back, knowing full well he pushed a keg of dynamite held in check only by an ancient blood vow. “It won’t take long if you help us, and then I will go to Logan, wherever he is.”

  The puca glared, his eyes again flashing red. He stalked to Bryanna’s side, his long, liquid gait smoother than any man’s had ever been. Bryanna stilled.

  “What is your name, child?” the devious puca crooned.

  Something cold lay against his skin, raising all the fur on his body. Kian held his breath and saw Bryanna did too.

  The puca been around longer than Kian, longer than the Black Court. Possibly longer than the elvatian had existed, but when he walked among the fae, they all forgot. All they saw was a too young, too pretty lad. Someone to take advantage of. Someone to screw. But when the puca leaned in and spoke to Bryanna, Kian saw what lay beneath. Something alien and ancient and far more dangerous than he’d ever imagined.

  Bryanna darted a look at Kian. She swallowed, and the skin of her throat pulsed.

  He nodded, wishing he looked reassuring and knowing, in this present animal form, he did not. “Tell him. He can help you find them.” They had no choice. Solanum was their best bet and if he wasn’t on their side he would take what he wanted anyway.

  She opened her mouth as if to deny his words, and her gaze flicked away from his. A sudden drop in his gut said she hid something, but he didn’t have the luxury of time to figure it out. “Bryanna, he will find them, and if he cannot, Logan can. Your name is a small price to pay.”

  “Ah, that is not the price. That is merely the means. I have yet to set a price. I must know first whom I’m searching for.”

  “My name is Bryanna. Bryanna MacElvy.” Her gaze leveled out and although her voice stayed low, it was clear, and full of confidence. “You’re looking for my mother and sister. Theresa and Cassandra MacElvy.”

  The puca’s black eyes danced red. “MacElvy.” His laugh started slow, soon growing out of control. “MacElvy.”

  The hairs on Kian’s coat lifted.

  “Oh Kian, laddie, what have you done?”

  Under his fur, Kian’s skin flushed. “It’s done. Now, can you find them?”

  “I have a better idea. You wait here, and I’ll bring Logan to you.”

  “Wait!”

  But the puca vanished, leaving the two of them alone, with only the curtains swaying from the breeze of his passage. It was as if he’d never even been in the room.

  Bryanna loosened her stranglehold on the white duvet, her chest still squeezed tight. “He’s gone?” she asked, peering into the dark corners of the room, not sure the stranger hadn’t hidden himself in one of the shadows on the wall.

  “He’s gone.” Kian carefully scooped up his discarded clothes and sword in his claws. “Get dressed. He’ll be back soon.”

  She slid into her robe and crossed over to where her dress and cloak hung on chairs, drying in front of the cold fire. “What’s a puca?” Something about the too-liquid way the young man had moved across the room and his unworldly beauty, that put even Kian’s elven looks to shame, said that Solanum wasn’t human.

  “An amoral, shapeshifting fae. Be wary of him. He’s unpredictable and untrustworthy.”

  “Why?” She squeezed her dress. The fabric was dry, but her heavy, fur-lined cloak still held some damp.

  Balancing the sword and clothes in his arms Kian walked over to the door. “The puca are bound by few laws. Only an old vow of blood and bone ties Solanum to Logan’s command. Should Logan die without heir, Solanum will be loosed upon us all, and none will be safe.”

  Bryanna recalled the cold malice of the young man’s face.

  Kian used one claw to depress the bronze thumb latch, and the bedroom door creaked open. “Come downstairs for breakfast when you’re dressed,” he said, his voice curt. “Solanum and Logan will be here soon.” He left, and Bryanna sank down, clutching her dress.

  Already Kian was acting more like a prince. She’d been dismissed in favor of his own people, his man Logan, and the likely battle ahead. There would be more men, and more plans, and soon, her troubles would be lost in the confusion of reunion and strategy that was sure to come. Her head spun.

  The puca didn’t seem like he’d help her willingly. Even Kian said not to trust him, and there was the matter of payment.

  A cold trickle of fe
ar slid into her belly, spreading out under the warm robe and leaving her feeling like ice.

  She rubbed her hands on her arms, trying to warm up. What kind of payment would a creature like that require? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She groped in the folds of her dress, searching for the locket. She felt the small hard lump, tucked deep within an interior seam, and something inside her eased.

  It was safe.

  She pulled it out. The shiny gold sang to her, the thrum tempting her to open it and find her heart’s desire. She thought of Cassie and her mother and inserted her thumbnail into the edge. The locket showed a picture of her heading downstairs, dressed.

  The blood rushed from her head as relief flooded her. She fumbled for a chair and sat.

  It still worked. She didn’t have to depend on Kian. She didn’t have to trust the malicious mystical creature with eyes dark as an abyss. She’d stick with her original plan, find them herself, and avoid being in debt to anyone.

  The forest was deadly, there were things there she had no idea of, dangers she would not see coming. Things that seemed innocent, like the quick-snow. But did she have a choice? A flicker of doubt ran through her and she quickly squelched it.

  She re-hid the locket and hurriedly got dressed wishing she had normal clothes. Jeans, sweater, a heavy jacket. Clothes that would make what she had to do easier. Carrying the still-damp cloak, she made her way out into the upstairs hall that looked over the great room. The pines outside were covered in a light layer of snow glinting in the sun, and brightening the hall as the weak winter sunshine streamed in the large front windows. She made her way down the stairs and entered the room they’d had dinner in the night before.

  Kian, a green plaid wrapped around the bottom half of his torso and flipped over one shoulder, paced in front of the large window. It was strange, a beast walking in a piece of clothing so well known for showcasing the male figure. His hairy legs, chest, and misshapen back were so unlike the Kian she’d made love with the night before, she swallowed.

  He couldn’t help being a monster, just as he couldn’t help being the son of one.

  “You’ve stopped hiding under your cloak.”

  “Why should I, you’ve seen it all, haven’t you?”

  She didn’t even respond to the bitterness in his voice. What could she say? She knew what he looked like, both in this form, and in his true form. He was right. She’d seen it all.

  His dirty plate and gleaming, unused silverware sat on the table. He’d eaten without her. While she knew he’d done it to spare her the sight, she still felt let down and even more alone than she had upstairs. It was simply one more barrier between them.

  The food smelled delicious, and she served herself from the sideboard. Crispy fried ham and potatoes, eggs scrambled with cheese, some odd purple fruit, but she found she wasn’t hungry when she sat down. She picked up her fork and ate anyway, not tasting or really seeing what she ate. She would need every bit of energy for what lay ahead.

  “Kian…”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m leaving after breakfast.”

  He stilled. “Leaving?” He turned his large head away from the window. His crystal-violet eyes caught her gaze. He was a beast, but those eyes were the same ones that had looked at her with such desire the night before. And, she’d thought, maybe a little tenderness.

  “You’re headed for battle, and I need to find my family now.”

  “How will you do that?”

  “I’ll scry for them,” she lied.

  “Scrying isn’t all that accurate Underhill. Maps are unreliable because the borders stretch and change, you need to be close to your subjects. If they aren’t in this demesne, you’ll have trouble finding them at all.”

  “I have to try.”

  “Solanum will help.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “You said he’s dangerous. I’d rather not end up owing a creature like…that.” She shivered. “I have to go.”

  His voice dropped low. “What if I asked you not to?”

  He’d demanded everything from her since she’d met him, and here he was asking, instead. She was sure this proud prince had asked for very little in his long life. Her heart soared. Inside, he must care for her, at least a little. Not that she could stay with a fae prince, son of the woman who had killed almost all of the MacElvys.

  “I’d say I’m sorry,” she said. He couldn’t know how reluctant she was to go, despite everything.

  His paw clenched, sharp claws flashing in the sunlight pouring in through the window.

  “My mother and sister need me.”

  “I need you.”

  “No, you don’t.” She folded her napkin and placed it next to the plate of half-eaten food. “I’m leaving.”

  He took a step toward her, his face serious. “Bryanna…”

  There was a loud pounding on the front door.

  “They’re here,” she said and rose, picking up her cloak and pulling it around her shoulders.

  She thought she heard him say something low and soft. Something that sounded like, “Wait.” But it didn’t matter anyway. He might end up cured, he might end up loving her, but there was no magic to fix his background. No magic to erase his parentage or hers.

  She ignored the soft tug of his voice on her heart and headed for the hall. She’d made her decision, it was too late.

  He sighed, and followed her.

  “Open!” he commanded. The carvings on the door slithered into life and it swung wide. Solanum strode in, behind him entered another man. An elf, with long black hair, strung with sparkling ornaments, high boots and pointed ears, but the build of someone shorter and stronger than Kian. If you could call six feet short.

  “See what I’ve brought you, Prince.” Solanum spread his arms wide, his angelic face split with an evil, cocky grin. “Surprise.” He bowed and moved out of the way, finishing off with a flourish of his hand.

  Behind him, a petite dark-haired woman, looking so normal with her over-sized shoulder bag, leather jacket, and jeans, poked her head around the two men. “Let me see,” the woman said, and her green, almond-shaped eyes met Bryanna’s.

  Bryanna’s throat seized up and tears she’d held back for far too long, poured out. Her hand flew to her mouth. “You,” she said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Bryanna fought for words at the sight of her cousin.

  “Oh, Trina.” Was all she managed to get out before another wash of tears closed her throat and stole all her questions away. Trina’s long, dark hair lay in two fat braids on either side of her face and her MacElvy eyes looked so much like home that Bryanna had to shut her own. She focused on just breathing as a stab of combined grief and joy hit her hard.

  “Bree?” Trina ran forward and they hugged, her much shorter head tucking itself under Bryanna’s chin.

  Bryanna clung to her tiny cousin and gasped for air through her too-tight throat. “We thought you were dead,” she choked out.

  “I’m okay. I’m okay.” Trina murmured against the skin of her neck.

  The storm of tears broke. By the time Bryanna managed to get herself together the men had all stepped to the far side of the room, their expressions the kind of bewildered incompetence men seemed to apply to women in tears.

  “Would you like to take Trina upstairs?” Kian asked.

  She wished she could see his face. His fur and tusks distorted his facial expressions so much, she couldn’t tell what he was feeling. She couldn’t tell from his polite, flat tone if he was relieved she wasn’t leaving immediately, or if he was just stunned at the turn of events.

  She nodded, her voice still clogged with tears, not sure if she could let Trina go long enough to make the short trip up the stairs.

  “Why don’t you show her the room next to yours?”

  “Maybe you should stay with me,” the stranger said. His hand hovered near his sword and his turquoise eyes darkened into a summer storm. Trina pried herself loose and went to him. She wr
apped her arms around him, her tiny body fitting into his with deep intimacy.

  Bryanna flushed. Could Trina be involved with this man? Yes, she’d slept with Kian, but this was a stranger. An elf. The enemy.

  “I’ll be fine,” Trina said, squeezing him around the waist and giving him a quick peck on the lips. “It’s my cousin.”

  He frowned. “I’d feel better if you stayed close.”

  Trina rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine.” She let him go and came back over to Bryanna, looping her elbow through hers. “We’ve got a lot to catch up on,” she said, her voice as bright as the look in her eyes. “And the first thing we need to do is get you some clothes. Is that the best this place can do?” She eyed Bryanna’s bedraggled gown, pointing at the muddy stains streaking the hem.

  “I’d love something else.”

  “Well I have some new magic tricks.” Trina patted her shoulder bag. “And I think we can get you back into cool, modern, and sexy, instead of looking like you got lost in a medieval romance.” She winked and Bryanna nearly lost it again at the warmth, and scent, and smile of her cousin. She snuffled back her tears and hung on to Trina’s arm, hardly believing any of this was reality.

  As they climbed the stairs, she eyed the stranger. “You kissed him,” she whispered.

  “Mmm, I did. We’ll talk, but my Goddess, what is that creature?” Trina whispered. “Can that really be the prince? I’ve never seen anything like it, and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of things recently.”

  Unexpected anger tightened Bryanna’s grip on her cousin’s arm. “That’s Kian.” she said, through clenched teeth. “And he’s not an it.”

  “That really is him?” Trina glanced back down at the group of men standing a few feet apart. “What the hell happened to him, and why are you here?”