He didn’t buy it, but for the moment, he’d let her have her silence. Sooner or later, he’d draw it from her if he could. Kellan rolled her to her back and took her mouth in a kiss as he started to make love to her all over again. If she was going to worry, he’d do his best to wash out any doubt. But it would help if he knew more about what she feared.
There was only one person he could imagine trying to come between them. Eldred. In the silence of their afterglow, he tapped into his ancestral memories, looking for anything about the man who held Zoe captive.
The only Eldred he could find was his great uncle. The king of the Air Realm thousands of years ago, and a tyrant. Ruthless, cold, and always took what he wanted.
His family was full of people like him. Kellan’s father was another example. Kellan wanted to be more like the good people in his family. Namely his aunt, Aeryana, who happened to be mated to his uncle Reance.
Kellan had the good fortune to meet Reance at a young age, and more recently, Aeryana. Both blood relatives strove to right the wrongs of their bloodlines. He hoped he took after them, instead of his parents.
Which reminded him, he wanted to meet her father soon. He understood she was nervous, and if there hadn’t been proof he wasn’t in his home when they visited, he would have found a reason to bring her back. Or maybe go without her.
Zoe climbed on top of him and took him in once more. She rode him, his hands caressing up her body. Her needy whimpers pushed him higher.
Kellan needed to show her his love. He rolled her to her back, taking her mouth in a kiss. His tongue danced with hers, as her hands drifted to his ass, squeezing and urging him faster.
He obliged, but only slightly. He wanted to feel every sensation as he gave her pleasure.
“Kellan, please,” she begged.
He rose up, taking one of her ankles to his shoulder as he pushed deeper. “Better?” he grunted, fighting to keep his eyes open as her walls gripped him tight. She felt so damned amazing it took every ounce of will to keep from finishing.
She screamed out, her back arching as she pushed her hands into the sand. Her magic flowed, the wind picking up, swirling the water away from them. His magic burst forth, freezing the water in a wall around them.
His release flowed with her name on his tongue. He rolled to her side until he was flat on his back, sucking in a breath.
She giggled as she curled against him, sliding her leg between his. “This place…breathtaking.” She looked over the short wall of ice and grinned. “The falls are incredible. I never imagined places like this existed. But you’ve taken me to two.”
“I’ll take you to more. I’ve explored much of Faery, and another place not Faery, but not Earth.”
“Another dimension?”
He nodded. “There are many. Though I only know of one that looked like it might support similar life. Some of them…” He chuckled and shook his head, turning to watch her. “There are some strange realms out there. I’ve heard stories some of the environments will kill you.”
“How do you know what you could survive?”
He shrugged. “It’s a guess. There’s no way to know for sure until you step through, but I’d been warned enough times that I don’t randomly step foot into unfamiliar territory.”
“So you watch from this side?”
He nodded. “Sometimes they can watch back. Though so far, nothing has come through.”
“But they could?”
“Theoretically.” He shrugged.
“And the creatures you watched?”
A laugh escaped. “There are some creatures so far different than what’s in Faery or Earth, that it only makes sense they came from some darker realm with stranger creatures.”
“Like what?”
He leaned his head to the side. “Have you ever heard of the Nightmare Plains?”
She shook her head.
“There’s a place where those creatures live. They’ve taken it over, made it their own. Some fae sicken and die if they venture too far.”
“So let’s not visit there,” she teased. “You can take me to all the beautiful places.”
“Anywhere, anytime. Just tell me where you want to go.”
Her hand caressed down his body, tracing over muscles before her fingers wrapped around his semi-hard length. “To ecstasy,” she breathed, pushing him to his back to make love again.
Chapter 9
Three days of exploring Faery. Anywhere Zoe desired to see, or whatever scenery she desired, Kellan listened and opened a portal. He shared everything with her. Stories about his life, his mother, even what he knew of his father.
The more she studied his tattoos, the more she believed that there was a drop of good in the sea of Saressa’s evil. Not that she was still around to torment anyone, but she went out of her way to protect her son.
Kellan’s chest shuddered. Zoe curled closer, watching him with concern.
He rolled away, coughing.
Fucking coughing.
Something she’d never seen any fae do. Then he climbed from the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, coughing once more.
She sat up, her heart pounding in her chest. It had begun. He would get sick and die, unless she left and found a way to end the curse. Something other harpies had tried to do but failed.
Oh fuck, I’m pregnant!
She wasn’t ready. There weren’t enough answers. And the only person she knew who had them was the one person who could end it—who was also the last person she ever wanted to see.
Kellan came back and pulled her into his arms, snuggling deep under the covers. He was burning up, and she would have pulled away if she wasn’t scared to death she was about to lose him.
“Have you ever been sick before?” she asked as desperation set in.
He nodded once. “Yeah. When I was drunk off Faery wine.”
This wasn’t a hangover. She’d suffered only one hangover in her life, and it didn’t include wet sounding coughs or fevers. She pressed a kiss to his lips and let him pull her closer.
There weren’t many options. Hospitals were out. Neither Paineaters, nor healers would be able to heal him. Brent had already explained all of those things had been tried and none had worked.
Maybe he’d found some information about where to find Eldred. As much as she didn’t want to believe Eldred was behind the curse, she couldn’t deny the truth any longer.
Eldred had claimed he loved her. Obsessed was more like it. He was a sick fuck who wanted to own her. He’d told her she’d never leave him for good, that she’d be back in his bed. And early on, when she first left, she may have fallen back into his grasp. It took her five years to regain some confidence and gain strength.
To think she’d been sleeping with the man who cursed all of her people. Had he chosen her as some kind of sick punishment? Was she a pawn in a twisted game? She truly hoped she’d be able to find the right answers and at least help Kellan end Eldred for good.
Kellan slipped into sleep while her mind wandered. She had to find Eldred. She didn’t want to be by his side, but it was the only way they stood a chance—if Kellan could forgive her for leaving.
“Zoe, stay with me,” Kellan murmured, still asleep, as he clutched her tighter.
A tear fell down her face. “I’ll find a way to keep you, or die trying.”
“Stay,” he commanded, his body trembling even as he held her.
She couldn’t promise that, not yet. There was one giant obstacle to get through still. Maybe two.
First, find Eldred and learn how to kill him. Surely that would destroy the curse. But what happened if Kellan didn’t want her back when she left him sick, dying, and alone?
She couldn’t worry about that. One problem at a time. Either way, she’d always have a piece of him. His child grew in her womb…only her leaving meant she couldn’t raise her baby if she failed. Then again, if Eldred figured out what she was attempting, he’d kill her first.
“Hold me,” she
whispered. Figuring out her next step could wait until morning.
* * * *
The wind howled under the tree on Sky Top Mountain. Nemia flew down in her harpy shape and landed before Zoe. “You only have a couple days before you must leave to save Kellan.”
“Two days?”
She nodded. “If he coughs up blood, he has a few hours left to live. That’s when you have to leave and get as far away as you can.”
“How do I end the curse?”
Nemia moved to her and caressed her face. “I believe Kellan is the key.” She shook her head. “You aren’t strong enough, Zoe. But Kellan can’t defeat Eldred without you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll learn his secrets and communicate with Kellan when the time is right.”
“How?” Zoe demanded.
Nemia shook her head. “That depends on the bond you two formed. Some things won’t manifest until you are away from him for a period of time. But you are the only one who can get close enough to Eldred to learn anything useful.”
“Why can’t you?”
She sighed. “He believes me dead. Everyone believes me dead. For now, they need to. This can’t be a ploy for power. It’s why the Elder Guardians refused to hear my case. They believed I wanted the Air Realm, and that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I simply wanted my mountain perch. They’re the ones who exiled me here and then made it nearly impossible for anyone to visit.”
“Kellan opened a portal here.”
“Yes, and the necklace I gave you will bring you back. She caressed both of Zoe’s cheeks and chanted a spell. The amulet hummed with magic.
Wind rushed, and her vision filled with the words Nemia spoke. “You’ll come to this tree again. An old friend showed me our joined fate long ago.” She smiled. “The dawn of a new age. Once the curse ends, things can finally go back to how they were meant to be. Before the curse started.”
“Why are you helping me?” Zoe whispered.
“I’ve watched too many of us lose the ones we love. And I’ve seen others lose multiple mates. It has to end.”
“Multiple?”
She nodded. “Some of us choose to stay, watch their mate die, and carry on.”
“I could never watch Kellan die,” Zoe sniffled, closing her eyes. Images of Kellan’s death flipped through her mind. Shuddering, she shook her head. “I’ll find a way to save us all.”
“The key is Eldred. Learn his secrets.”
“I can’t stand him. I can’t let him touch me again. He was…” Tears fell down her face.
Nemia wiped them away. “He won’t. Not until you beg him to make the suffering end. Which you won’t.”
“How can you be sure? He used me for decades.”
“Did you tell him to stop? Did you fight?”
“He stopped when I did, but most of the time I didn’t have the strength to argue.”
“For everything he’s done, he must die.”
Zoe touched the necklace and tipped her head. “Will he recognize this?” she asked. “Eldred, that is.”
Nemia shook her head. “No. I made this long after the last time I set eyes on Eldred. And this is my own creation.”
“And it will stay with me?”
She smiled. “Indeed it will. It’s yours, was always meant to be yours. Zoe, you present hope, something our people haven’t had in a very long time.”
“Because of my mate?”
“Without you, your mate wouldn’t go after Eldred. It will take more than air magic to kill the former king of the Air Realm.” Nemia pushed gently.
Zoe slammed back in bed. Kellan curled tight around her, clutching her with a bruising grip. “Don’t go,” he pleaded in his sleep.
“Shh, baby,” she whispered, rubbing his back, hoping he would relax. “I’m right here.” Tears rolled down her face. She wanted to remember every last moment with Kellan.
* * * *
Kellan woke with a start, pulling Zoe tighter. He kept dreaming she’d left him dying in blood spattered clothes and sheets. He couldn’t stop coughing as pain spread through his body.
Shaking his head, he relaxed, holding her close.
Her sparkling blue eyes were sad. “Hey, babe. Hungry?”
He nodded, but his stomach was off. Food didn’t sound so appetizing, but he also dreamed she had a passenger who needed food. A sappy smile pulled at his lips as he spread his hand on her stomach. He could feel the pulse of magic in her belly. His child. Something he had never considered before Zoe came into his life. He could hardly wait to hold the tiny bundle who looked just like her mother.
She giggled. “You know, in order to eat, we have to leave the bed.” She rolled to climb off the mattress, but he caught her hips and rose up to slide into her tight sheath.
“Need you first,” he purred as her walls grew slick for him. So damned perfect. He took his pace faster, wrapping his arm around her waist, and up, planting his hand between her breasts, pulling her upright as he drove into her, their skin slapping in an erotic rhythm.
“Kellan,” she cried, clutching one hand over his and reaching the other down. He felt her fingertips graze his length as he stroked into her while she rubbed her clit.
Her juices dripped down his balls as he neared climax. Zoe’s walls started to pulse before she cried out his name while coming around him. He followed, pleasure shooting through every inch of his body.
His lungs squeezed tight, and he held his breath as his vision dimmed. Something was wrong. He collapsed back on the bed, bringing Zoe with him as he held the cough back.
She was right to worry the night before. He’d never been sick. Strange thoughts surfaced, and ancestral memories he hadn’t reached for bubbled up without effort.
A great uncle had an obsession with power. The harpies refused to bend to his will. He made a deal to let them keep their freedom if they promised to come to his aid, as long as the queen’s only daughter would spend a week with him. He planned to initiate a mating through a ritual, but she found a mate. In a jealous rage, he cursed all her people.
The more he reached for, the more the thoughts drifted. Maybe Brent would know. Or Reance. That number…where did he leave it? And would he have a chance to call?
Zoe rolled over to envelop him in her arms. “I love you, Kellan.”
He sucked her bottom lip between his before pressing his forehead to hers. “Love you too, gorgeous.”
“So much more than you know,” she whispered, squeezing her beautiful blue eyes shut.
He wanted to beg her to stay, but he couldn’t see her leaving. Instead, he pulled a slow breath, fighting back the cough, and held on.
“Breakfast,” he finally whispered.
“Quick shower, then breakfast.” Zoe climbed from the bed and walked to the bathroom.
Chapter 10
Kellan had made love to her with vigor, nearly convincing her he was fine. Until his chest seized up. Was he holding the coughing fit in? She needed answers—and hope.
Breakfast went by too fast, and she headed out for work. Or what she was calling work. She had no assignment for the time being. She’d already turned in the most recent article.
Right now, she thought it best if she took an indefinite hiatus. There was no way to know if she would ever come back. She kissed Kellan and walked him home before making a quick trip to In Other News’ office.
She marched straight back to Brent’s office and took a seat.
Brent looked up with a frown. “Shit, that fast?”
Zoe shouldn’t have been surprised. Brent generally knew what was coming before it happened. “He started coughing last night. Nemia visited me in a dream shortly after. If I don’t leave in the next couple days, he’ll die.”
“He’s not going to die, and I have faith we’ll end the curse.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I need to know more about Eldred. The real story. If I’d had any inkling he was an ancient Faery king, one who had been exiled, I would
have never followed him.”
“I have more information, but you may not like it.”
“I don’t care. I need it,” she answered without hesitation.
“He’s related to Kellan. He’s Aeremaius’ uncle. He fucked up big time. The Elder Guardians exiled him to Earth and made it so Nemia can’t leave the mountain. She’s killed everyone who finds themselves there, until you two visited.”
“Why didn’t the Elder Guardians kill him?”
“They couldn’t break the curse without killing a king, and he had so many supporters, they couldn’t openly kill him just for cursing a species. They sent him here, and from what I understand, he stays out of the way of most fae. Except harpies.”
“Perfect. So I was supposed to be a prize. And so were others.”
He nodded. “Seems he’s fixated on harpies because Nemia refused his advances.”
“Nemia says I can’t kill him, that it will have to be Kellan who does it. That I won’t harm him because I can only use air magic. Why can’t I just use a cursed blade?”
“He’s an air fae, one of the strongest. He can phase in and out of air, and from what I understand if you don’t get a mortal blow, he’ll phase out and reform—uninjured. He’ll torture you, probably worse. I’m guessing you’re pregnant?”
“Unconfirmed, but if that’s what kicks off this curse, and Nemia says it is, then I suppose I am. Which means I need to figure something out and soon. I don’t know that I want Kellan coming after me. What if he can’t kill Eldred?”
“That’s his choice. No one else is going to be able to sway him one way or another, but I have seen enough of the future to know he’s going to come after you. He’s going to be pissed when you leave, but only because he wants to spare you pain. He’ll come for you and make Eldred pay for ever setting eyes on you.”
“Brent, I didn’t come here for guesses, visions, or prophecy. Just to find the truth, or as much as you can give me. I’m going to have to go to Eldred, which I hate, but it’s really the best thing I can do at this point. Because if Kellan comes for me, then I need to have found him so we can end this once and for all.”
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