by Amy Sumida
“Yes, I'm aware of the bombs,” he admitted. “But ask yourself this; if I was involved with the disappearances, why were my bombs being used by the buyers instead of the sellers?”
I frowned; he made a good point.
Daxon stood and came around the desk.
“Come with me, Your Majesty.” He offered me his hand. “You agreed to two hours with me, and I have no intention of wasting them here.”
“What?” I blinked up at him. “You said two hours here.”
“No, I didn't.” He smirked. “I said that you would return here to spend two hours with me. Are you going to welch?”
“No, I'm not going to welch,” I huffed as I stood and took his hand. “I'm here, aren't I? If I were a welcher, I wouldn't have even shown up.”
“Excellent,” he smiled brightly. “I have a car waiting.”
I thought about Killian waiting outside, and wondered if I had time to scry him. Daxon gave me a discerning look, and I realized that he knew Killian was out there.
“You want me as far away from Killian as you can get me,” I accused him.
“Wouldn't you; if you were me?” He asked as he led me out a side door.
The door opened into an industrial corridor with a security door at the end. We headed to the metal door, our footsteps echoing off the drywall.
“Maybe,” I admitted. “But this feels suspicious. You setting me up, Daxon?”
“You just bragged to my employee that you killed your own relation; the last Seelie Queen, who was actually the first unseelie Seelie Queen,” he said with a smirk. “Are you truly worried about the possibility of a fight?”
The words were so close to what I'd discussed with Killian that it sent gooseflesh up my back. Daxon canted his head at me, sensing my unease.
“Not that kind of a fight,” I whispered.
“Ah.” He smiled. “Would it put you at ease to know that I'm nervous as well?”
I stopped and stared at him. He leaned in close and nuzzled his cheek against mine.
“I've never knelt for a lover before,” Daxon whispered in my ear.
I jerked away, but he held tight to my hand.
“The dream was real,” I accused him.
“In a way.” He smiled. “Trom-laighe is a nightmare magic, but it can also be used to enter dreams.”
“That was a dirty trick,” I hissed.
“I wanted to know how you truly felt about me,” he said with grim sincerity. “I needed to know. Before I went any further with you, I had to be certain.”
“Of what?” I asked breathlessly.
“The Call.” He saw my expression and nodded. “You feel it too. And you must know that the Call of Danu cannot be ignored.”
Oh, yes, it can,” I argued. “I've felt it three times already. I'm familiar enough with the magic to know how to fight it.”
Daxon's eyes widened.
“Sorry; did you think you were the first?” I asked scathingly. “Tiernan was; then came Raza, and then Killian. But Danu called them to me to unite Fairy. I have no idea why she would put the two of us together.”
“Maybe our Call is more traditional,” he purred.
“What; to make a baby?” I scoffed. “I don't think so, buddy. Besides, I'm already twilight; my children will be twilight no matter who the father is.”
“It's either procreation or passion,” he said simply. “I don't think I'd make a good father, but a lover... now that I excel at.”
“You're arrogant,” I said. “It's annoying, but I've dealt with worse.”
“Yes; I know. I've never actually met King Raza, but I lived in close proximity to him for awhile,” Daxon said. “He does have the dragon excuse, though.”
“So, he keeps reminding me.” I sighed heavily.
Daxon laughed, but I stared at him until he sobered.
“Don't ever invade my dreams again,” I warned him.
“I won't,” he promised sincerely. “Not unless you invite me in.”
“I won't,” I repeated his words.
“Queen Seren,” he went even more serious, “I was being honest when I said that I've never done that for another woman. I freely admit that I'm a controlling man. I like my women submissive, usually in chains, but you're aggressive and strong-willed, and I'm already obsessed with you. I don't get obsessed—women get obsessed with me. But your strength is intoxicating. I'm rethinking all of my fantasies. Kneeling at your feet after you kicked me down; it both excited and disturbed me. I'm man enough to admit that, and brave enough to want more.”
“You're not getting more, Daxon,” I said with finality.
“Let's not make any hasty decisions, shall we?” He was back to being the sly club owner. “First, we should eat. You came hungry, right? Tell me that you at least obeyed that request.”
“Yeah, I'm hungry,” I murmured as I stared into his mesmerizing sapphire eyes. “But don't ever use the O word again.”
“Oprah?” He asked.
I gave him a look.
“Oregano?”
“You and Killian will get along great,” I huffed.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Daxon indeed had a car waiting for us; a sleek, black sedan with a human driver. It looked hired, not something he normally used. I felt a little more relaxed when I saw that there weren't any other fairies joining us, and I wondered if that were the reason he'd hired the car. Dax smiled at me knowingly and then nodded to the driver. We pulled out behind the club; Killian wouldn't even see our car leave.
It wasn't long before we were pulling up to a restaurant called Firefly. The hostess knew Daxon and perked up when she saw him. She ushered us inside immediately, past a horde of waiting couples, to a covered patio with a fireplace in the center. There was a bar on one side of the space, a row of tables built into alcoves on the other, and several free-standing tables in between. It had a very Mediterranean feel, with vines climbing over the buttery stucco walls. The hostess seated us in one of the alcoves, sweeping the curtains closed behind her as she left.
I was starting to regret wearing jeans.
Moments later, a bottle of champagne arrived with an amuse bouche. I lifted my brow at Daxon, and he shrugged. Then more food started coming.
“We never even saw a menu,” I said in irritation.
“I pre-ordered the tasting menu for us.” He smirked. “That way you can have a little of everything.”
“I already do.” I smirked back.
Daxon chuckled. “Ah, but you don't have me, yet, Your Majesty.”
“Do you even understand what you're trying so hard to become a part of?” I asked him. “If—and that's a massive if—I were to take you as a consort, I would demand fidelity from you. No more dancing fairies for you to fuck.”
“I know what it means to be a queen's consort,” he assured me. “I've lived at court.”
“Have you?”
“Why so surprised? I told you I lived near to Raza.”
“That could have been anywhere, and you seem more...” I shrugged.
“Human?” He asked me. “Enlightened?”
“Sane,” I said dryly. “Normal... well, relatively.”
He burst out laughing and then shook his head. “I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much.”
“You sound like King Ryujin,” I said without thinking.
“King Ryujin?” Daxon blinked at me. “As in the High King of the Court of the Dragon Kings?”
“Yes, that King Ryujin,” I said with an eye roll. My hand absently trailed to the dragon's tear hidden beneath my high-necked tank “I met him recently and made him laugh too.”
“You made a sea dragon laugh?” He looked impressed. “And you weren't torturing someone at the time?”
“They're not all like that,” I defended Ryujin.
“You're right,” he conceded. “I've heard that the Court of the Dragon Kings is more sensual; a court I could enjoy.”
“You probably would. Let's just say that
I saw things there that I wish I could unsee,” I said dryly.
“Were they especially naughty?” Daxon leaned in eagerly.
“They did things with seashells that should never be done,” I whispered dramatically.
“What?” His eyes went wide. “What are the seashells for?”
“That's a question I've been trying to answer since I first saw Demolition Man,” I said so seriously that it took Daxon thirty seconds to realize I was teasing him.
He laughed so hard that he nearly spilled his wine.
“What were those seashells for?” He finally asked. “The ones in the movie, I mean.”
“No one knows.” I shook my head sadly. “And just as with the Kings, I don't think we'd like the answer.”
“So you made a lascivious dragon king laugh,” Daxon pondered it. “But then, humor is its own brand of seduction.”
“The other dragon court was very different,” I ignored his comment about seduction pointedly.
“That's right; I heard that you coerced the Sons to fight for King Raza.”
“I didn't coerce them,” I protested. “They asked to join the battle. In fact, they had to coerce me into allowing them to join. I didn't trust them. The only reason they wanted to fight was to have their revenge upon my uncle Uisdean.”
“Really?” He made an intrigued huff. “Fascinating. Still, they fought for your cause.”
“And ran off the battlefield to chase Uisdean into HR,” I added. “Dragons are like cats; if you want them to do something, you have to make it attractive to them. They only do what they want to do.”
“I think most men are like that,” he noted.
“Most men think they're like that, but actually, they're closer to dogs than cats.”
“Yeah, yeah, men are dogs.” He rolled his eyes.
“Just in as much as they respond better to positive reinforcement than negative,” I amended. “Cats and dragons don't give a shit about praise. They already have massive egos; they don't need anyone to tell them they're wonderful. They like it, but they don't need it.”
Daxon burst out laughing again, then covered his mouth when he realized he was being far too loud for a nice restaurant. He shook his head at me.
“You're gonna get us kicked out of here,” he said.
“I'm not the one laughing like a monkey,” I huffed. “And I have a feeling that little Miss Eye-Batter wouldn't kick you out even if you jumped up on a table and mooned everyone. In fact, I think she'd take pictures.”
“Are you jealous of the hostess?” Daxon asked with shock.
“Are you completely insane?” I shot back.
“Do I have to compete with King Ryujin?” He swung the conversation back to dragons while keeping up the questions.
“Hardly,” I scoffed, and then remembered the question game. “Are you jealous of King Ryujin?”
“Not anymore,” he said with a wink. “I just want to know what I'm up against; it's hard enough to have to deal with two kings.”
“And a prince,” I added.
“He's not prince yet.”
“No, not yet,” I agreed. “We've been too busy to plan a wedding.”
“I would be your only lover who wasn't royal,” he mused.
“We're not going to be lovers.” I sipped my champagne and glanced at my watch.
“Stop that.” He nodded to my watch. “I'll tell you when our time is over.”
“Maybe I don't trust you.”
“You shouldn't,” he said wryly.
“Again with the honesty,” I pointed out and then sighed. “So, let me be very honest with you, Daxon.”
“Please do.” He smiled wickedly.
“I'm not going to take an underworld crime boss as my consort. Especially not one who's a suspect in my current investigation.”
I placed my glass firmly down on the table as my father's lecture replayed in my mind—the requirements of a royal consort. Daxon didn't fit the bill, even had I been willing to give him a shot.
Dax went pensive, sipping his wine as he stared off over my shoulder. I didn't say anything more, just nibbled at my tasting plate, and waited. His expression went serious, and a little frown appeared between his eyes. It matured him and made him even more attractive. He rubbed his fingers over his strong jaw and sighed deeply.
“I won't give up everything I've worked so hard for,” he finally whispered. “Not even for you, Queen Seren.”
“I completely understand and approve of your decision,” I said with some relief and maybe a teensy bit of disappointment. “We hardly know each other, after all.”
“No, but it feels as if we do,” he said sincerely. “I won't give up my club or businesses.”
“You have more than the one?” I gaped at him.
“Did you just randomly choose Enchantments?” He asked instead of answering.
“No, it was recommended to me,” I huffed.
“Did this referral come with any further information?” He asked. “Such as the fact that I run the Underground?”
“No; they failed to mention that,” I said dryly.
“I'm not just an underworld boss, Ambassador,” he drawled. “I'm the King.”
“So, you're royalty, after all.” I lifted my glass to him in salute.
“Yes, though no fairy court would acknowledge me as such.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “I am nobility, though.”
“Yes, I've heard that your family is high ranking in Unseelie.”
“Just below the Thorns.” He nodded. “Though that's changed now.”
“Raza hasn't removed anyone's titles,” I assured him. “Anyone still alive, that is. Whatever position you held before, it remains.”
“That's nice to know,” he said casually. “Then, may I introduce myself, Your Majesty?”
I nodded regally, and he smirked.
“Count Daxon Tromlaighe; at your service.”
“Another count.” I grimaced teasingly. “Tiernan was a count when I met him.”
“And look what you did for his status.” Daxon waved a hand airily. “Perhaps you're worth the risk.”
“What risk?” I asked.
“The risk of losing my standing in the Fairy Underworld,” he said as if it were obvious, “of losing my clubs and businesses; my pride, and perhaps even my heart.”
“Pride.” I focused on that instead of love. “You think I'll unman you?”
“No,” he whispered. “But I think I may unman myself for the chance to be with you. And that, Your Majesty, would break me.”
“Then it's a good thing we won't ever be together,” I said brightly.
“There you go again”—he shook his head—“talking as if you can resist the Call.”
“I can, Daxon,” I said confidently. “I have three men to help me. And then there's the fact that being with you would threaten my ambassadorship. You think the Councils will want to work with me if I take a criminal for a lover?”
“What if I became an asset to you instead of a liability?”
“What are you proposing?” I asked carefully.
“A chance to prove myself,” he said. “I'm not a criminal, Queen Seren. I provide jobs for immigrating fairies and harmless magic to humans. It may not be the most reputable way to make a living, but it's legal.”
“Is it?” I asked. “What was in that drink Daxon?”
He smirked. “What drink?”
“The one you swept out of my hands so quickly,” I persisted. “The one you asked if I'd consumed. I know there was magic in it, and that's illegal.”
“Only if the magic is harmful,” he protested. “It was a minor relaxation spell meant to lower inhibitions. Nothing more than a few cocktails might do, but without the nasty side effects.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Let me show you what I do, prove to you that I'm clean—at least in my dealings with humans,” he murmured. “I have resources that can locate those missing people. Let me help you.”
“You'd do that?” I asked in surprise.
“In exchange for time with you,” he said. “We work together without your other lovers.”
“I have to work with the Councils and Extinguishers,” I protested.
“Even better.” He waved his hand. “Then the Councils will see how much of an upstanding citizen I am. Bring in all the help you want, as long as it's not a man you're sleeping with. I don't even want your lovers in the city. Send Lord Killian back to San Francisco. I won't have you distracted by him.”
“And if I prove that you've broken the law?” I asked.
“Then you may do with me as you will.” He offered me his wrists with a smirk.
“I'm serious, Dax.” I leaned forward. “If there are any illegal activities being orchestrated by you or your businesses, I will be forced to turn you over to the High Councils for sentencing.”
“I know, Extinguisher Seren,” he assured me. “Do you truly think I'd offer you this exchange if I had anything to hide?”
“The bombs, Daxon,” I said. “You've already admitted to making them. They were used against extinguishers.”
“I believe you were stretching the law a bit when you said I'd be held accountable for magic I've sold to humans,” he called me on the bluff. “You and I both know that the laws have no such provisions in them. I'm an innocent man, Ambassador.”