by Donna Grant
“What’s the next step?”
“I need to listen to the metals.”
Her eyebrows shot up in her brow. “Listen?”
“Aye. I hear them, like a song. Each one has a distinct sound.”
She moved closer to him. “Really? So you should be able to hear V’s sword?”
“I hope. There’s always the possibility that the Druids and Fae masked it.”
“Can V not hear his sword?”
Roman grabbed her other hand. “Each King has their own power. V has the ability to mask himself while in his true form. He has no idea what others see, so until I told him, he didna know that when he shifts and veils himself, it appears as if his body is disintegrating into hundreds of bats.”
Sabina laughed softly. “Dracula in all his glory.”
“He’s quite sickened that the legends turned him into such a monster.”
“I admit, I feared him after the story Gran told me.”
Roman turned them so that she had her back to the wall. “And now?”
“I see the way he treats my brother. And Camlo adores V. That’s pretty much all I need.”
Roman bit back a moan when she withdrew her hand from him and placed it on his chest. “And me? Do you fear me?”
“You know I’m not afraid of you.”
“Aye, lass. I know.” But he’d needed to hear it.
She smiled up at him, the curve of her lips sensual and welcoming. He was contemplating kissing her, learning the movement of her lips and the taste of her, when Camlo shouted for Sabina.
Roman stepped away from her, giving her room, but Sabina once more took hold of his hand. She held his gaze a long moment before she slowly loosened her grip and turned to walk into the cavern.
He scrubbed a hand down his face. How in the hell was he supposed to keep his hands off her? Maybe it was a good thing they weren’t alone. With Camlo and V always near, it would force Roman to keep a safe distance from her.
But in his mind, he could envision all the wonderful, naughty things he wished to do.
Roman entered the cavern, and as soon as he did, V smiled at him. The bastard knew just how much Roman yearned for a taste of Sabina. No, that wasn’t right. A taste wouldn’t be enough. Roman wanted a feast.
V chuckled, causing both Camlo and Sabina to look his way. Roman ignored him. V was enjoying this entirely too much. While his friend had sexed his way across Europe, Roman hadn’t met anyone that knocked him off his feet.
Whatever plans Roman had for putting V in such a position were cut short when he realized why V hadn’t met anyone. How could he when V had spent more time sleeping than living? All because of the Druid and Fae pricks.
Roman squatted down near the back of the cavern, out of the light of the fire. He wanted to be in the shadows, needed them in order to let his thoughts delve into places they probably shouldn’t tread.
Because if this unholy alliance between the Druids and Fae had managed to conceal not only what they’d done to V—and, he suspected, their involvement in pushing the mortals to take V’s sword—but also their vicious killing of the White dragon and hiding the lookalike wooden figure of Con, then what else had they done? What else could they do?
It was a thought that left Roman cold to the very pit of his soul. How many times had Con said that they might be the most powerful beings on the realm, but it was only a matter of time before someone challenged them?
Roman hadn’t given Con’s words much credence since Roman truly believed that day would never come. But now he feared that he might have been wrong all along.
He dropped his chin to his chest as apprehension, thick and cloying, churned through him. The last time he’d felt anything even remotely like this was during the war with the humans when Roman realized the dragons would have to leave.
All the Dragon Kings had ever done was protect their home. As far as he knew, nothing had been done to the Druids and Fae that would warrant such an attack. Yet it was the idea that the two very different, usually warring sects of both beings had joined forces for one cause—to harm the Dragon Kings—that troubled him the most.
“Dragon Kings, hear me,” Con’s voice said as it filled Roman’s head.
Roman stilled, not liking the hard tone of Con’s voice.
There was a pause before Con continued. “There are Kings away from Dreagan, which is why I’ve no’ called everyone together. I didna want to wait to impart this information because of its importance.
“It wasna long ago that I shared a secret with all of you, one that was to be kept by those in my position. It was the Darks—and Mikkel’s—interest in gaining the weapon that led me to tell you about it.…”
When Con’s voice trailed off, Roman lifted his head to look at V, who met his gaze. A frown was forming on V’s face that Roman was sure matched his own.
“Unfortunately, that weapon is now gone,” Con continued.
Shock went through Roman. How could this be?
But Con wasn’t finished. “The magic I had around the weapon wasna breached. I doona know who found my mountain or gained access, but all of you need to be aware that the weapon that can kill us is out there.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Light Castle
Ireland
There was a hum through the castle that used to soothe her. It was the magic of the Light Fae. But very little pacified Usaeil now.
In fact, it hadn’t for quite some time.
She knew the cause. She’d outgrown the role of Queen of the Light. She needed a grander task, one that would eclipse all others. That of Queen of the Fae.
Her magic was powerful enough. And she was strong enough to do it. Though it would likely mean another war before the Light and Dark came to grips with things. Not that a war was bad. It weeded out the useless, the inferior, and the weak. What would be left would be a race of Fae like no other.
A commanding, effective race more powerful than ever before.
Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Balladyn had already done her a favor by getting rid of Taraeth. As for Balladyn, Usaeil had no doubt that she could kill him easily enough. After all, she knew his strengths.
And his weakness.
For as formidable as Balladyn was, he had one failing that would be the death of him—Rhi.
Usaeil smiled as she sat in the tall-backed, white chair and rested one leg over the arm, swinging her foot. With one blow, she could wipe out two enemies at once. Then, after several decades of letting the Fae fight it out, she would step in and force them to realize that they were better joined instead of divided.
Any that opposed her would be struck down immediately. Much as she’d done to her family.
Her thoughts took an unexpected turn to Thea. She still didn’t know why she hadn’t killed her daughter as she had with all the others as soon as she discovered that her belly was swollen with child.
To this day, Usaeil had no idea why she’d given birth to Thea. She’d intended to kill the babe, but again, she hadn’t been able to. Instead, she’d given the bairn to a children’s home in Ireland and then promptly forgot all about Thea until a few months ago.
Usaeil didn’t know what reminded her of the child she had given away or why she felt the need to find Thea again. Whatever reunion Usaeil thought to have with her daughter had been shattered when she realized that Thea was ungrateful and weak. In the end, Usaeil had to kill her.
Which she should’ve done years ago.
Usaeil drummed her nails on the arm of the chair she was leaning against. Thea’s death should have been the end of things, but instead, she’d been dealt a blow she hadn’t seen coming—Reapers.
And Death.
For months, she’d ignored the whispers about Reapers circulating around the castle. She’d even discounted the head of the Queen’s Guard, Inen, when he cautioned her to find out more about them.
While she wanted to know how the Reapers knew Thea and why they would even come to find her,
Usaeil was much more concerned with why Death had arrived.
Once, a very long time ago when she was just a child walking the many halls of the castle on the Fae Realm, Usaeil had overheard a Light talking about the Mistress of War and her lavender eyes.
As soon as the woman with lavender eyes confronted Usaeil, she’d known the being was the Mistress of War. Yet the woman wasn’t dressed in chainmail and leather as the legends described. Somehow, the beautiful black gown made the woman even more terrifying.
But it was what Usaeil saw in the female’s gaze that truly frightened her.
Death.
Usaeil had run away before she could form a thought. All her years of destroying anyone who got in her way, of ensuring that she was more powerful than any other, meant nothing when confronted by those lavender eyes.
But the Mistress of War and the Reapers hadn’t come for her.
“Her first mistake,” Usaeil said aloud.
What was one more enemy to add to her list? Usaeil made sure her opponents didn’t remain on that list for long. As soon as they were inserted, she set about ridding herself of the problem.
Unfortunately, she’d had to add Balladyn back to the list since Taraeth had lied about killing him. She still couldn’t believe that Taraeth turned Balladyn Dark and made him his lieutenant. Look what that had gotten Taraeth? Balladyn had executed him and taken over as King of the Dark.
He wouldn’t stay there long, though. Just as Rhi would soon breathe her last. Not even Rhi’s precious Dragon Kings would be able to help her this time. Usaeil was going to make sure of it.
As for Constantine, he would soon come to see that they were meant to be together. Usaeil knew men. She knew what to say, how to act, and certainly how to dress to gain their attention. Men were led by their cocks, after all.
Con, however, had proven more difficult than most to get into her bed. She had been patient, though. Gaining his trust by helping him with Kiril’s problem with the Dark Fae, and then giving Shara the last little push to turn Light.
The King of Dragon Kings had been grateful for her help. And willing to meet with her whenever she asked. By their third meeting, she lounged naked on her bed when he entered.
Con hadn’t hesitated as he strode to the bed, yanking off his clothes before his mouth was on hers, their bodies skin-to-skin.
Usaeil had assumed that Con was hers from then on. That had been a miscalculation on her part. She’d let him think he was setting the rules for their relationship, and for a while, it worked to her advantage. But then Rhi had to poke her nose into things as she always did.
It was the final straw for Usaeil. Con was hers. Only hers. She was the Queen of the Light, soon to be Queen of all Fae. And she shared with no one.
Once she found something she wanted, nothing got in her way. Not in the past, and certainly not now. Con would realize how perfectly they fit together. He would see that only she could match him in magic, power, beauty, and brains. They would rule the dragons and Fae together.
And the Fae would finally give the Kings the children they’d been longing for. Because it was the magic within the Fae that would bear the fruit the mortals hadn’t been able to sustain.
Usaeil closed her eyes and smiled. Her plan was beautifully laid out before her. While she’d initially been scared of the Reapers and the Mistress of War, she was no longer. Because if they were able to take her, they would have already come for her.
No, Usaeil was untouchable. She’d known it for some time. It was about time others did, as well.
A knock sounded on her door. Usaeil looked at it with distaste. “Who is it?”
“Inen,” the head of the Queen’s Guard said through the barrier.
Usaeil blew out an exasperated breath. “Enter.”
The door opened, and the Light Fae stepped forward. Inen was handsome, as all Fae were. He kept his black hair trimmed to his shoulders. His silver eyes didn’t hold hers long as he looked just over her shoulder. Was it out of fear or respect? Or something that resembled … disgust?
Usaeil narrowed her gaze as she straightened in the chair. “Yes? What is it?”
“A hidden room was discovered in the library.”
As if she cared about the library. It was a huge place with shelves that reached up to the sky filled with books she had little interest in. “So?”
“An old book was found.”
Usaeil sighed loudly. “Inen, you say this as if I should care.”
“It’s very old, my queen. In fact, it looks to date back several million years to before we ever came to this realm.”
She raised her brows and shot him a flat look. “So?”
“Perhaps if you looked at it…”
“There are Fae who do that sort of thing and report to me.”
Inen shifted in his white and gold uniform. “I think you will want to see this first.”
“And why is that? Because you want to bore me with this shite? Can’t you see I’ve more important things to do?”
Inen’s gaze briefly met hers, a spark of righteous anger flaring in his silver eyes for just a heartbeat. “Because it mentions the Dragon Kings.”
Now that got her interest.
Usaeil pushed to her feet. “That can’t be right. We didn’t learn of the Dragon Kings until we came to this realm.”
“There were a couple of Fae who knew.”
“Bring me the book,” she demanded.
Inen tilted his head briefly. “I can’t do that, my queen.”
“And why not?”
“Magic is holding it in place.”
Just what the hell was going on? Usaeil strode to Inen and made him look at her. “Then take me to it. Now.”
He turned on his heel without a word and walked away. She followed, ignoring the many Fae who stopped and curtsied or bowed as she passed.
It felt like an eternity walking through the huge castle before they finally reached the library. And the entire time, Inen didn’t say a word. He nodded and greeted others, but he kept just a few steps ahead of her.
Normally, that would please Usaeil, but she knew he was angry that she’d banished Rhi. And Usaeil had a sneaking suspicion that Inen’s refusal to look at or talk to her was his way of delivering the bit of revenge he could.
Oh, how Fae like him amused her. She didn’t bother getting angry. No doubt Inen would be one of the first killed in the upcoming war with the Dark. She’d make sure of it.
She inwardly smiled at the thought as they entered the library through the gigantic double doors. The smell of the books made her stomach roil. Usaeil never came here. She hated anything to do with books, and she didn’t understand why some revered them so. They were just pages with words on them.
Inen led her through rows and rows of manuscripts. She glanced up at the large, domed ceiling, unimpressed with the artwork.
Finally, they reached the back left corner of the library where two shelves had been cleared of books. They were now stacked on the floor.
“My queen,” a Fae in his elder years said as he dropped to one knee, bowing his head.
Usaeil smiled graciously as the two other Fae, both young, one female and one male, quickly followed suit. “Please,” she said. “Rise.”
The elder got to his feet and grinned nervously. “I saw one of the shelves bending, which it shouldn’t do. This entire area was built with magic.”
“I know,” she replied. She had been there with her grandfather.
“Right, right.” The Fae cleared his throat. “Once I removed the books and took a closer look at the shelf, I realized it was actually part of a hinge. And well, see for yourself,” he said and motioned her forward.
Usaeil followed him to the bookshelf as he tugged on the ledge in question. The entire section swung open to reveal a small room. She’d given her grandfather ideas when he built the castle, but she hadn’t cared about this section. He’d wanted her with him, but Usaeil had ignored his call when it came to the library.
She pushed past Inen and the three others and walked into the room. With a snap of her fingers, she illuminated the room to find a pedestal with a single book.
Usaeil made her way to the book and looked down at the pages. She couldn’t read the words since they were an old dialect, but she did make out Dragon Kings in the third paragraph. Curious as to what the rest of the book said, she tried to turn one of the pages.
Suddenly, the letters jumbled together and began to move about the pages in various speeds, never stopping.
“What the bloody hell?” she murmured.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
How surreal was her life right now? Sabina smiled at the fire heating them without the benefit of wood. Nothing unusual when you had a Dragon King as a friend.
That caused her to frown. Was Roman a friend? Acquaintance, yes, but a friend? When did one cross from just knowing someone to being considered pals?
She licked her lips to stop from smiling. She never said pals. It was like being around Roman had opened up other channels she hadn’t known were there.
Or was too complacent to look for.
But with him, she had no choice. Those invisible doors threw themselves wide open by his mere presence alone. My God. What could he accomplish if he actively set out to do something?
“Cold?” Camlo asked.
Sabina jerked her gaze to him, frowning. “No.”
“You shivered.”
She glanced toward the entrance, looking for Roman, but she didn’t see him. Sabina then scanned the cavern until she found him half-hidden in the shadows down on his haunches with a deep frown on his face.
Her head swiveled to V, who wore a similar expression. She recalled that the two could communicate telepathically, so they must be talking. But whatever the conversation was about, it wasn’t good.
“I need to pee.”
Sabina bit back an embarrassed moan. Thankfully, it appeared that neither Roman nor V had heard her brother. She motioned for Camlo to follow her as she headed to the doorway.
“You can’t do it in here,” she whispered.