I hadn’t let go of my true anger, but I had sensed the changes in me even more after the bond. While I fought against them, I wasn’t oblivious. I was slower to act in some things and more aware of others around me. Regardless, my new give-a-damn still didn’t override my sense of self-preservation, and that didn’t bother me one bit.
“Neva, can you get us back to the house? We should probably get there before Maeve tries to leave,” I said.
“She won’t be leaving her house. I made sure her blood oath was unbreakable. If Maeve does not hold up to her agreement, then she’ll live out the rest of her days burning in pain,” Neva answered.
“Is that what the part about ‘blood boiling consequences’ meant when you edited her words?” Finn asked.
Neva nodded. “Something about her is off. She was too willing to do the blood oath. For as knowledgeable as she seemed, it didn’t sit right. An oath can only be broken in death. Since we didn’t die, she either holds up her part of the bargain, or her blood will literally boil until she does.”
Holy hell. Who was this elf, and where had she been my whole life?
I wrapped an arm around her. “Oh, you have no idea how proud I am of you right now.”
“Ivy needs us. All that matters is that Maeve gets us to her.” Neva grimaced, clearly not okay with her actions, so I held her tighter.
“Let’s get moving, then,” I said.
Finn led the way as we all disappeared, then reappeared in the forest. Neva stepped out in front of us, power already emanating from her.
“This way,” she said confidently.
As much as I loved this Neva, there was a slight worry that my encouragement was going to break her, but maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. We were both changing and hopefully for the better.
Maddox followed Neva, and I moved to do the same, but Finn held me back. We hadn’t really talked since leaving Mosi’s island, and I kind of liked it that way. Besides the unexpected heat he’d thrown my way on the beach, the constant need to be on the move had given me space to think for myself again.
The bond was stronger than I’d anticipated. When I thought back on the few days that had passed, I realized how easily I’d let myself accept his touches and picture a future I’d never even thought twice about before.
There was a constant pang in my chest every time I pushed him away that I’d attempted to bury, but it only grew stronger as I avoided our situation. Finn, on the other hand, wasn’t one to let things go, and the twitch in his jaw said we had unfinished business.
“How are you doing?” he asked first.
“Great. Life is working out just how I hoped.”
He rolled his eyes. “How exactly did you tell Maddox to ‘handle his shit’?”
“The same way I do. Unleash the pent-up emotions, but only on those who deserve it. Clearly, he’s good at following directions from what we just saw.” I tried to sidestep him and make sure Neva and Maddox didn’t get too far ahead of us, but Finn tightened his hold on me.
“You know that isn’t the only solution to people’s problems, right?”
I nodded. “But it was this time. Can you be okay with that?”
He saw the challenge in my question and didn’t back down. “I can, and I am.”
“Are you sure?” I raised a brow at him, pausing my attempts to get past him.
“Positive. Our bond has shown me more than I was willing to see before. I meant it when I said I accept you for who you are, Lucy. I won’t ever lie to you, but it doesn’t mean your actions won’t frustrate me as we both adjust.”
I patted him on the chest and tossed a saucy wink at him. “Then, we’re on the same page. Just remember, angry sex is the best kind. I intend to push your buttons as often as possible.”
He groaned, but it wasn’t all in frustration. I might not be down with public displays of affection, but I wasn’t going to deny our attraction, either. I liked Finn, and I wanted him. I just didn’t know how far I was willing to take those wants. As long as he continued to be patient and understanding with me, then I would stick around to figure it out.
He surprised me by grabbing both of my arms just like he’d done on the beach. “You’re killing me slowly, you know that?” he murmured against my neck as he breathed me in.
“But you’re enjoying it,” I replied with a smirk.
Instead of responding with words, he left a trail of fire along my skin as his hold on me tightened and I once again ended up with my back pressed against a tree.
“Picking up where we left off earlier?” I asked, voice husky with a need I didn’t expect.
“The bond… do you feel it?” he murmured.
I knew exactly what he was talking about. The pull. The need. The emotions. All of it was pushing us together. It didn’t matter that we were in the middle of the forest. We’d gone too long without touch, and the bond said time was up.
“I do, but Neva and Maddox could come back for us once they notice we fell behind.” I was trying to convince Finn this was a bad idea, but my breathy words didn’t hold much strength.
Magic hammered through my body as need like never before exploded within me, making me ache all over.
Finn’s lips crushed to mine in a passionate kiss that had me clawing at his clothes, needing to be as close to him as possible. I didn’t know much about bonds, but I was pretty sure continuing to have sex with him wasn’t going to allow me to walk away from him. Though, those consequences were the last thing on my mind as his hands trailed down the front of my stomach and slipped beneath my pants.
“Clothes have got to go,” I moaned, and he wasted no time complying.
Using magic to speed things along, we were both free of our pants within seconds, and there were no more gentle touches. Finn surged into me with one swift move, and my nails dug into his back as I arched, taking everything that he was willing to give.
“You are mine, Lucinda. I won’t let you go,” Finn grunted, and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.
I didn’t respond with words. My mind didn’t want to be there, and I wouldn’t give him false promises. I let the bond continue to take over my actions and gave in to the euphoria he was pulling from me like he was an expert in all things Lucinda.
Every touch was purposeful, every kiss filled with a passion I didn’t know existed. I closed my eyes, tilted my head back, and cursed the fucking bond, all while thanking the gods for allowing sex to feel this damn good.
Finn was going to ruin me, one thrust at a time.
I quickened the pace—my subconscious not forgetting we still had things to do like the bond had—and we finished together with throaty moans.
After we were done and I was able to focus on Finn’s face, he was holding me gently, one hand spread under my ass and his other stroking my cheek. “You are mine,” he repeated.
“You keep that up and you just might be right,” I murmured, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a bed and sleep, but also knowing it wasn’t possible. Not yet.
“As much as I wish we didn’t have to, we should probably catch up with Neva and Maddox.” Finn watched me closely as I nodded in response. Then, he added, “When this is over, I’m taking you to one of those islands where we can repeat this as often as we’d like without interruption.”
A soft laugh left my lips. “You haven’t seen enough of Earth. There are plenty of other places I’d rather be than within the fae realm once Zephyr is dead.”
Finn grimaced, stepping back to grab our discarded clothes. I knew we were going to have a problem about my refusing to stay here when this was all done, but that wasn’t something I was going to let either of us worry about yet.
I accepted my pants, finding my underwear inside them, but not seeing my shoes. By the time I was dressed, Finn was ready and holding my boots.
“In the trees.” He smirked, handing them over to me.
A shudder caressed my skin as my mind did its best to fight the desire
starting to build once again. As soon as my boots were back on, I moved to find Neva and Maddox and get back on track. I’m sure they hadn’t missed what we’d been up to, and I appreciated that neither of them had interrupted.
It might have seemed selfish and reckless for Finn and me to spend those moments alone, but our bond made us stronger. Sometimes, it was worth it to be greedy. I already felt more energized as we trudged through the trees looking for our friends.
After several minutes of searching only with our eyes, I stopped and used my power to search out Neva’s that seemed to grow the more she used it. Sure enough, I caught her trail and followed the magic she was putting off.
Finn stayed at my side and was back in warrior mode. His wings were out, and gone was the desire we’d both been lost to just moments before. “I don’t like Maeve,” he said.
“Yeah, neither do I. She’s going to screw us over if she can,” I replied, keeping my voice low as we finally spotted Neva and Maddox. They were only a few yards ahead of us now, and I didn’t want to freak Maddox out with our doubts.
“Then, why are we going back to her?” Finn asked.
“Because she made a promise, and I’ll be damned if I let her out of it after sending us on what should have been a suicide mission. After that, well, she can do whatever she wants. Except if she gets in my way, I’ll kill her.”
“Your mind, it’s so black and white. How do you do that?” he asked without judgement.
I shrugged. “Anything in between was beat out of me long ago. People either make good choices, or they don’t. They either need to be punished, or they don’t. There isn’t usually an in between.”
“I might not always agree with you, but I’m beginning to see your point of view,” he replied.
“Good, because I promise it will save your life one of these days. Maybe even sooner than you think.”
Chapter 19
Maeve was waiting outside when we arrived back at their hideout. She tapped her foot at the top of the porch, glaring down at us.
“What’s wrong, Marcy? I thought you’d be happy to see us,” I said, purposely using the wrong name again.
Her lips twisted into a forced smile. “Of course I am, but as you might have seen, I just lost some good men out there that were trying to stop our island from burning down. It hasn’t been the best afternoon. I presume yours was better.”
I grinned right back. “It was certainly interesting.” She didn’t deserve the details of our underwater adventure. If she wanted to know more, then she could swim her happy ass down there herself.
“Do you have what I’ve requested?” she asked, glancing at my empty hands.
My gaze met Neva’s. I wanted her approval before we handed the blood over. The elf seemed to know more than I’d once given her credit for, and I trusted her to make the right call. Neva nodded, and I walked to Maddox, who was staring daggers at Maeve.
“Not now. Remember what I said. Revenge isn’t always an instant gratification,” I whispered as I held my hand out.
Love made people do stupid things. Maddox wasn’t at all the same fae I’d met a few weeks ago. He’d learned that life was a bitch sometimes, and he wasn’t handling that very well, but he had the potential to take control back. I could see it, and I hoped he did, too. I needed more people like him around if we were going to succeed at killing Zephyr.
Maddox handed me the ceramic container, and I wrapped my fingers around it gently. The liquid sloshed as I turned, and my palm heated from the magic within. I’d never met a siren. I didn’t know anything about their kind. Any supernatural that was water based was thought to have been long ago dead, but now that I knew better, maybe I’d learn more about them.
Maeve met me at the bottom of the steps and held her hand out. She licked her lips, all too eager to get her hands on the blood.
Before I handed it to her, I stopped a few feet away. “I might not have been in the room when you took your blood oath, but Finn and Neva were. I don’t care where your loyalties lie, or what you think about me. You made a deal. You will honor it, or you will burn in more ways than one. Do I make myself clear?”
She lunged for me, but I moved the blood away and brought my hardened wing up, holding it just inches from her neck as she paused. “Don’t test me, Macy. You won’t like the results.”
She hissed. “I am a woman of my word, Linda. Now, give me the blood and I will take you to the castle. I promised to get you in the door undetected, and that is what I will do.”
“One wrong choice, and I won’t hold my wing back next time,” I added as I dropped the blood into her waiting palm.
“There won’t be a next time,” she sneered, bringing the container close to her chest.
“We’ll see about that.” Gods, I really hoped there would be, because killing her would make me oh so happy.
She turned on a heel and headed back inside, still holding the siren’s blood close.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Maddox called before I could.
Maeve turned back to us, her aqua eyes glowing bright in an unnatural way—even for supernaturals. “You have no idea what you’ve brought me. It needs to be locked away before I can leave. Wait here, and I will be back with two of my men to help escort you to the castle as agreed.”
Hopefully, we hadn’t just given her something that would destroy us, because she was right. I had no clue what power the blood held.
I walked back to the others. They all looked worried, possibly for differing reasons.
“This isn’t going to work,” Finn said.
“Probably not, but it’s either we try this, or we storm through the front doors. I know there are more of us now, but look at how far that got me last time. I was consumed with rage and didn’t let rational thought in. I’d rather not go that route again,” I replied.
He smirked. “Rational thought, huh?”
“Just because our versions of rational are different doesn’t mean I don’t have any.”
Maddox grunted. “So, she gets us in, and then what?”
All three of them stared at me. My plan had always been to focus on killing Zephyr. With the darkness gone from my head, I’d also spent a lot of time thinking about Ivy. The strength and acceptance of her fate was clear in Ivy’s eyes when I’d seen her at the castle gates. It was something that I hadn’t been able to forget.
She deserved to live. I knew that, but I was having a hard time putting her before my needs. Yes, I was aware that made me a shitty person. At least I was even considering it. I knew that was more than I would have done even a week ago.
“Until we see where Maeve is going to get us in at, it’s hard to say what our plan should be. We’ll either get Ivy out first or have to fight with the guards. If the chance to kill Zephyr comes first, then I’ll take care of that while the rest of you go find Ivy. She’ll be in one of two places.”
“What about just getting Ivy out unnoticed and waiting until the king is in one of his vulnerable states like Maeve had mentioned, then coming back?” Neva suggested.
It wasn’t a bad plan, and if it played out that way, I might be okay with it, but I wasn’t making any promises. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but I also hadn’t forgotten how the sword had powered me in an unnatural way. I needed to get my hands on it before I faced Zephyr. I had a feeling it was the key to my success. If we faced him and he wasn’t aged, then I very well could be on another suicide mission.
“It’s something to keep in mind. Like I said, let’s see where we enter at before deciding,” I said.
Maddox narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care what happens or what your plans are. Just tell me where Ivy might be, and I’ll take care of it.”
I took a step toward him, meeting his challenge. “You won’t do a damn thing until I know where we’re going. If you make one wrong move, you could get us all killed. We will be outnumbered. Potentially, by fae who have no idea what they’re doing and are probably there against their will. Do you w
ant to be responsible for the deaths of your fellow fae?”
Maddox lowered his head, his height making him feel bigger and badder than me, but I was two seconds from showing him otherwise. “I don’t care as long as I have Ivy.”
“And if she looks at you like you’re a monster and won’t go with you after what you might need to do in order to succeed, what then?” I countered, my hands itching for a fight.
“She would never,” Maddox said, but there was less bite in his voice. He was beginning to see reason.
“You keep telling yourself that, but I’ve killed people in front of her before. Killed them to keep you, Finn, and her safe, but it made no difference. I was a monster to her when I was done.” Satisfied that my point was made, I spun around to give myself some space.
It wasn’t useful for any of us to fight with each other. As much as I used to believe I could do this on my own, I knew better after almost dying and losing the part of me that made me feel invincible. I wasn’t afraid to die, but there were things I wanted to do before that happened. Ending the terror that was King Easton Zephyr was at the top of that list.
The sun was beginning to set, and I was grateful for that small fact. Sneaking into the castle would be a hundred times easier under the cover of darkness. Even still, we had more than a handful of challenges set before us.
Maeve came bounding down the stairs, a bounce in her step that hadn’t been there before, and her eyes were back to their normal color. “Let’s go.”
“Where are the men coming with you?” Finn asked.
She tossed her hands in the air casually. “Oops. I forgot about them with all the excitement. I’ll grab them.” She disappeared into the house again, much too eager.
“I knew she wanted the blood, but it’s like she just smoked the world’s best joint,” I said, even more on edge than before.
“It’s the blood,” Neva said.
“What about it?” Finn asked.
“Depending on what exactly she is, if she’s already used some of it, then it could have boosted her in ways she was not prepared for. Blood of other supernaturals typically isn’t used for good intentions.”
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