by Claudy Conn
She went upstairs, took another long, wonderful, hot shower, and climbed into bed. She had to ask herself for the zillionth time, What happened to your life, Max? What happened to your young, carefree life?
~ Sixteen ~
THE PRINCE SHIFTED off to Tir, his mind a whirlwind. The situation was starting to spin, and he needed to contain it from spinning out of control.
On his last visit to the queen’s palace she had been away, and that had left him sorely frustrated. He really needed to sit down with her and discuss all the latest developments. It was beyond belief that the traitor in their midst meant to take it to the limit. Someone tried to kill, or at least wound, Julian Talbot. It was well known the Druid line of MacTalbot was a line that had always served the Fae. All Fae knew better than to harm or interfere with that line. Conclusion: the traitor was offering up a challenge, wasn’t he?
Who would want to overthrow their well ordered, gently governed world? It was inconceivable. There was always dissent, but it was languid and peaceful—the kind of dissent that made up intellectual conversation, not treason. Fae were immortal, and boredom, not mutiny, was more in their concerns. This was what the humans would call their Mutiny on the Bounty—inconceivable behavior in a Fae world. The traitor had already broken the Treaty by aiming at and shooting a human. Repairs must be made at once. Who was the traitor? Why—what had driven him to this horrific decision? To know that, Breslyn believed he would have to set aside his own ethics and beliefs and get into the mind of this Fae. Lia was in danger because of her power to probe. She was a novice and would bounce around until she equalized her ability and honed it to a manageable skill.
The prince was more emotional than most of the Fae. He had to pause and bring his agitation down. If the thin walls of the prison that held the Unseelie monsters within should crack … terror beyond imagination. Neither Seelie nor man could risk such a catastrophe. Such destruction would unleash the Unseelie from their prison, and then … havoc and chaos would rule all. Fae madness, the prince decided to himself, has seeped into the ancient Fae’s mind. The madness is ever a danger of immortality.
He continued to pace when he realized that his queen would not be available for some hours. He turned to leave, and in the pretty palace gardens he saw Ete, but she wasn’t alone. He took a closer look and saw a substantially flamboyant male Fae beside her. Gaiscioch.
That surprised and annoyed him. Gaiscioch could gobble her up and spit her out a broken shadow of herself. There were rumors about his decadent tastes. She was capable of giving and receiving brilliant sex, but she was not yet tried. Gais’s tastes ran towards the baser, more experienced Fae females. What was such an elder doing with her?
The prince watched Ete with the Gais for a long moment. Breslyn’s handsome countenance displayed astonishment even as his body experienced agitation. He couldn’t help but notice that Gaiscioch seemed genuinely enchanted by Ete’s youthful company. Gaiscioch was more of a taker, not a romancer. The entire scene was disturbing. Damn, it was downright annoying! He felt repelled by the scene, and it put him into an even blacker mood.
The truth was that he had never liked Gaiscioch. They traveled in different circles, enjoyed different activities. Gaiscioch was an old friend of the queen’s, and he was a Council member, but the prince had never been able to trust him. And they had argued long ago about humans. Gaiscioch hated them and thought the prince a fool for caring about what he called their puny lives.
Ete was too much an innocent to keep company with this particular male Fae. By Danu, he had to do something about it. He could no more allow Ete to linger with Gais than he could his own dear sister.
In fact, the notion that Ete might become romantically involved with Gaiscioch nearly made him want to heave—a thing Fae most certainly did not do. Ete’s first romantic encounter should not be with such a jaded, selfish Fae. And besides, he was jolted because he had believed Ete infatuated with himself.
There was little he could do at that moment besides physically tear her away, and he didn’t have time for that kind of an altercation. He was expected back at MacTalbot by morning. Lia awaited him there. Lia? He was not certain of her yet. He had seen the way she had of looking at Talbot. The queen had warned him, but he had not listened and still meant to make a push in that direction. He wanted Lia; she would have a better, longer life with him.
He had made his way into the queen’s antechamber to leave her a message when Aaibhe arrived and called for him to enter her private quarters.
Glowing and lovely she stood there as the prince strode purposely forward. He took and bent over her hand. “My Queen.”
“I was told that you were here earlier, Breslyn?”
“Yes, my Queen, we have had an incident with Julian and Maxine. It’s damn unfathomable, and I believe the consequences are far reaching!”
He saw the queen’s delicate brow arch as she remarked on a dry note, “Indeed. This has been a busy day.”
The prince’s brow was up. “Why … what?”
“Tell me first, Breslyn, what has occurred at MacTalbot?”
“Someone took a shot at Julian. The wee lass pushed him aside, and she was wounded. She saw the shooter, my Queen …” He hesitated before continuing. “He was a Seelie Fae.”
“What?” The room got colder, and the queen looked dangerous. She looked as she had when they fought in battle together: regal and formidable. He could see her thoughts racing through her mind. She was frowning as she took an angry step. “What are you saying, Breslyn? I want details!”
He gave them to her, repeating everything his Lia had told them, and then he stood back to wait for her reaction.
The queen went into deep thought before she asked, “Julian saw none of this?”
“Not a thing. He didn’t see the Fae, nor would this traitor of ours expect Julian to be able to see him …”
The queen waved this off. “What matters is that one of our own, my dear Prince, has broken the Treaty by shooting a human!”
“Yes, my Queen … there can be no doubt as to his intentions.” He watched her as she considered all the ramifications.
When she spoke her voice was clipped. “This is as bad as I thought it might be.”
“Just what are we facing now? If the Treaty is broken, will the walls automatically come down?” He knew little about the stability of the walls. Before this day, it had never been a concern to him.
The queen ignored his question. “At this moment, do you think either of our humans faces mortal danger?”
“No.” He chose not to elaborate. There was no telling what the queen would approve of with regards to what he’d done for Lia. Although it was not a matter of life or death, it had drawn on his life-force when he healed her. Healing a human was infringing too close to the line of the great ‘no no’ of non-intervention, she would lecture him, and he didn’t have the time.
“I assume you healed … what do you call her … Lia?” The queen’s brilliant eyes narrowed as she waited for his response.
His queen could not be fooled. She was up to every score. He looked right at her and brought himself up to his full height. He supposed he was about to hear the riot act, and he braced himself. “Yes, I healed her, and then I helped Julian with the protection wards for all MacTalbot land.”
“In this instance, Breslyn, you have done well, very well. A Fae has attempted to break the Treaty. He has broken our law! Non-intervention has been disrespected. Some of the time, it takes intervention to right the wrong.” She went and reclined on her settee by the balcony and put a delicate hand to her forehead. She gathered her thoughts and then sat up; after a long moment she said, “I was out earlier when you called. The elders of the Druid Realm requested my presence. I have not shared my information with my Council. It seems our Fae traitor has been very busy. At some point he has paid Lamia DuLaine a visit. And he has been cleaning up after her kills, which was something I had not anticipated.”
“Aye …” He fe
lt momentarily impotent, and it was not a feeling he enjoyed. He felt the fury inside him grow. He wanted to get his hands on the Seelie Fae traitor whoever he was and—
“Ah.” The queen interrupted his thoughts. “Then you already know all this?” The queen was alert at all times.
“I meant to tell you earlier, but so many things have been happening so quickly …”
“I suspect he means to try and disrupt our plans if he can. No doubt, before long he will tell Lamia where she might find Julian.”
The prince felt panic work its way through his system. “I must immediately bring Lia to Tir … and then, I must find this traitorous blackguard and send him to a hell where he will suffer for all eternity!”
His queen rebuked him. “All this emotion, my Prince, is … unbecoming. Our traitor means to cause dissention. We shall not allow him to succeed.” She smiled. “I have already put some … elements to work for us, and you will go and make sure our Druid humans are informed of the facts.”
“You can count on me, my Queen—it shall be done.” He paused a moment, and then, with some hesitation said, “There is another matter I would broach to you.”
“Really?” Her tone made him pause, and he decided to tread carefully. He wondered for a moment how she could possibly know what was on his mind, and he had no doubt that she knew. Fae shielded their thoughts from one another very well. However, her moderate warning indicated that she had an idea. Perhaps she had noticed him looking out the window that overlooked the gardens? So he put to her gently, “I am concerned for Ete.”
There was no welcome in her smile. “Are you?”
He could see that she did not wish to discuss Ete. Still, like a fool, he plodded on. “She is but a babe … and I know a favorite of my Queen’s.” Breslyn knew he was overstepping, but he couldn’t stop. “But, when I was here earlier … I saw her walking with Gaiscioch … and—”
“Ete can take care of herself. You should give her a little more credit, ah, but then, you don’t really know her … do you?”
The prince could see that was all she would allow on the subject. He inclined his dark blonde head. “I am going to visit with Cahal, and Danté, to see if they have any information for me.”
“My good Prince, you will do what only you can and …” Her brilliant eyes sparkled. “I know I don’t have to remind you to watch your back.”
He nodded. He was damn well ready for the traitorous Fae who moved amongst them unfettered and unharmed. He meant to find him, and when he did, he would make him pay the ultimate price. He knew his queen wanted to punish him herself, but first, first he meant to teach the villain a lesson only he could teach him.
As he closed the door to the queen’s antechamber he looked up and saw Ete coming towards him, and his breath got stuck in his throat. Her movements were graceful, and she stunned him with her beauty. The prince was not a player in the true sense of the word. When he pledged himself to a female (always human), even if it was for just a short duration, he wouldn’t cheat. However, he was a male, and he had not yet pledged himself.
Ete’s long, wavy hair of golden auburn swayed around her provocative figure, drawing his full attention. Her eyes glistened with a warm welcome. She smiled at him and, of course, he returned the smile. She was, he could see, not going to stop to chat and linger as was her normal habit whenever she got close enough to halt him, so he put out a hand and touched her arm. “What? No time for old friends?”
She looked at him, and her delicate brow arched. “I thought you were busy. You are always too busy to stop for me.” There was a definite twinkle in her lovely, glittering eyes. There was a definite reproof in her words.
She was right. He usually avoided her, but this time she needed protection from a cad, and the prince was what humans called a gentleman, or in this case gentlefae.
“Ah, but Gaiscioch … I suppose he is not too busy for you?”
Ete’s very fine brow went up, and her heart-shaped face tilted. “What can you mean?”
“What I mean is plain, Ete, plain and simple. He is not a nice Fae, my dear. I don’t like him. That is what I mean!” The prince snapped the words.
“Ah, but you, thankfully for yourself as well as for me, don’t have to worry about such things. Even my brother does not worry about such things. He knows I am well able to take care of myself.” She started to walk off and she didn’t look back.
The prince let her go, thinking he had been roundly told. He smiled to think that perhaps he didn’t know young Ete after all. Perhaps she could take care of herself?
By Danu, I don’t think so! he told the walls around him as he stomped off in search of his friend Danté.
* * *
Morning had Maxie wondering if the events of the previous afternoon and then evening had really taken place. Now with the sun out and spinning its light, everything about the day before seemed surreal. Shaking all of it off, she showered and splashed her Cool Water fragrance all over herself before she pulled on a pair of comfortable Gap jeans. They were a pair she knew fit her well and looked sexy. She wanted to look sexy. Why? She shook her head—she just did. A pretty red tank top trimmed around the edging with white completed the picture, and she started to make her way downstairs. She wasn’t trying to probe. She wasn’t even thinking of DuLaine. She wasn’t going to be a Druid priestess. She was just going to be Maxie Reigate …
Her Druid mind took exception and said, You need to know this, and whap—it just came at her out of nowhere. One minute standing—next minute she was on the hardwood floor frozen in time and back in the past.
The star of the show, Lamia DuLaine, was stretching and purring, obviously pleased. Maxie watched her in dumbfounded silence. It wasn’t DuLaine she was interested in—it was the disembodied and familiar voice. It was deep, musical, and resonating. It was the voice of the ancient traitor Fae, and he was speaking from his dark cloud.
DuLaine was enough to deal with, and now out of nowhere Faery was being attacked by one of its own, and both their worlds were at risk. Max had gotten into this mix to save herself and to rid the world of DuLaine. This was something new and way more dangerous than DuLaine, and she knew it. The queen had a Fae working against her, and ultimately against the human realm. Maxie knew this Fae meant to speed up the works. He was here with Lamia for a reason, and it couldn’t be good.
“Lamia …”
“Who is that? Go away.” Lamia thought at first it was the Druid Elders come to taunt her.
“Listen to me, human. I am not a Druid. I am here to tell you that Julian is alive and well. He lives in the Highlands of Scotland. Go to him.”
“Alive? My Julian? Where … where in Scotland …?”
No answer. The Fae had done what he set out to do. DuLaine began screaming for Shamon in her mind, and then he arrived, coming into her room quickly. He was reaching for her.
“Shamon … Julian … lives …” She was clutching at Shamon, pulling at his suit.
“How … how do you know this?” He patted her shoulder. “Lamia … beloved, you were dreaming … only dreaming …”
“No. He told me.”
“Who told you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know who it was … not one of the Druid Elders … someone else, and he called me ‘human’ as though he weren’t.”
Shamon’s confusion and concern was written on his face. “Lamia, try and be calm. Where is Julian—where did this voice say Julian was, if he is supposedly alive?”
“Scotland. He told me he is in Scotland.”
Shamon froze. Maxie could see he was momentarily struck. He didn’t know what to make of this. He knew this was not part of the Fae plan, and this was not what he wanted …
“Very well then. I will need some time to research this.” Shamon was speaking soothingly even though his mind was jumbled with his bouncing thoughts.
“Shamon … I have but you to care for me.” Lamia clung to him.
He held her tightly. “Lamia. W
hat you need is a bit of entertainment. I have someone coming tonight … for you. You will enjoy yourself for as long as you wish, but you will send her off alive, when you are done. She is a professional and will know how to please you, so you must not drain her.” He hesitated before giving her the lie. “Lamia … she will have a bodyguard waiting for her. So, you understand me? Now promise me—you will let her live.”
Maxie could see Lamia was excited by this new prospect. She immediately promised him. Her gland tingled as she thought of fresh blood. Black magic had exacted its toll on her long ago. That price was an unquenchable lust for sex and blood. The magic fed on her lust, and on the killing. She put her arms around Shamon. “Ah Shamon, my good boy …”
“I must go now, but I will return to see the young woman safely returned to her bodyguard. Lamia, be gentle with her, for both our sakes.”
This annoyed her. She was fond of Shamon but still thought of him as her servant. He took too much upon himself, and her first reaction was to tell him so. However, she was smarter than that. She allowed it to slide. “Where are you going?”
“To find out who the devil told you Julian was alive, if I can, and if he is alive I will start investigating.” Shamon was stalling. Maxie was surprised by it. She had thought by now he would have given her what she wanted. Maxie knew that there had been a time when he had been unable to keep anything from her. And then, the Druid Realm installed a shield in his mind, a shield against DuLaine.
“That’s my Shamon. You find Julian for me.” She eyed him. “When will the girl be here?”
A knock sounded at the door. Shamon gave her a quick smile and went to open the door wide. There stood a tall, slim redhead in a black knit cocktail dress that scarcely reached her thighs. Her legs were long and lovely, and Lamia smiled as the girl said softly, “Hi, my name is Sophia.”
Lamia said on a husky note, “Ah, Sophia.”
Maxie, shut down, she shouted at herself. She was amazed that she had been able to do so. She was refining her skills. She was getting stronger. She was getting control of her abilities. She hadn’t needed to know anymore at that point, and she had clicked her inner remote to off. Thank goodness!