by Ginna Moran
“You got this, kitten,” Kash says, nudging me into the hallway. “And we’ll take care of Quillon. He needs to be put in his place about what he can and can’t say about you now that he’s no longer in control despite my servitude.”
I peek over Kash’s shoulder and glare at Quillon, sweating in the corner I left him in. Before he made his stupid as hell comment, I had considered asking the Drekis to give him a break, but now I love seeing him regret his life choices.
Hugging my mates one last time, I exit the room and venture into the hallway. Now that I’m alone and undistracted, I drink in the details of this section of the palace. A red floor runner brings color to the dark rock walls arching into a high ceiling. Metallic light fixtures glow with magic, lighting every glittering facet of the mountain. The palace has obviously been here a long time, and I can’t help wanting to explore.
“We can do that now, you know.” The familiar feminine voice stops me in my tracks, and I spin around, expecting to see a ghost.
I summon dragon fire in my hands.
“Over here, Nova.” Rose claps her hands together, drawing my attention to her. I freeze and open my mouth to shout, but she flutters closer, holding her finger to her lips. “I’ve learned my lesson about tricking you. There is no need to be frightened.”
I scrunch my nose, trying to suppress my rising panic. “I thought you were dead. I watched you burn.”
She smiles, her lips stretching into a devilish grin. “It takes more than a little fire to get rid of me, especially with my new protector. But, why don’t we keep it this way? The Drekis will kill me otherwise. Plus, you owe me for getting me caught up in your bullshit. Next time someone nearly steals my ability to fly because of you, you have to promise to give me one of your wings, okay?”
A deep, guttural growl bounces around the corridor, shaking me to the core. “Don’t respond to the murderous fae.” Tiernan drops down from an opening in the rock ceiling and lands on his feet in front of us. “She will bind you to a contract without you realizing it. Now move, Delphia. She broke through the shield.”
Shit. I flick my gaze at Rose, and she shrugs her shoulders with a smile. I should’ve known that she wouldn’t go down so easily. Fairies are tricky. They have their own magic and will use it how they please.
“Well, someone owes me, Unlucky Twin. Will it be you? Will you be the dragon who will bow to Lazlo? He will get someone, but preferably you, Nova.” Rose’s wings flutter, sending my hair blowing in a breeze. “Don’t you think you’re better off elsewhere? We can find you a new plaything or ten.”
Tiernan curls and uncurls his fingers, his green eyes smoldering with the intensity of his dragon fire. “Get back or I will kill you.”
Rose flaps her wings, flying into the air a few feet to get at Tiernan’s eye level. Raising her hand up, she points at Tiernan. “With wh—”
I snatch her hand and tug her back to the floor. I wouldn’t put it past her to poke the beast man. “Stop, please.” I grab Rose’s shoulders. “Why are you doing this? I helped you. I was going to teach you about the Mortal World.”
“You were taking too long,” she snaps. “A better offer came up, so I went with it. You’d have done the same thing.” A smirk crosses her lips. “You being here proves it.”
I step away from her and cross my arms. “How so?”
“Don’t bother arguing with a murderess fae.” Spinning toward a wall, Tiernan slams his fist in a crevice, shooting a spark of power right at Rose. The fairy freezes, unable to move, her eyes widening. “She is no longer your concern.”
Whoa. A part of me hates that there is no way the Darkonians will let her leave alive, but an angrier, more aggressive part of me wants her to pay for her betrayal. “What will you do to her?”
“It’s best if you don’t know. She will be handled appropriately. Now, let me get you out of here. I don’t trust you to see reason, especially knowing this criminal hurt you and tried to give you to someone unworthy.” He’s speaking of Lazlo. Tiernan was there after all.
“Uh...” I flick my gaze to Rose, still trapped in a frozen cage of magic.
Tiernan straightens his shoulders and drops his gaze over my body, drinking me in. “Please, Delphia.”
My skin prickles under the intensity of his stare. Taking a step closer, he captures my gaze, the fire in his eyes hot enough that if he were to check me out again, my clothes could very well burn off. His identical features to Theo make it easier to forget that Tiernan never got to magically bond with me, but my soul can sense it, and I want to tease his beast just a little.
Locking his fingers to my shoulders, he holds me in place, not allowing me to step back like sharing my personal space is his right. “I am capable of protecting you how you deserve, Delphia. It’s nearly my time with you, so let me take you away while my brother comes for the intruder.”
I twist my lips to the side, trying not to let his closeness distract me. A part of me wishes the Darkonians were unattractive to me, so my body would chill out. Another more vain part of me is so glad I do like them. Terrible? Maybe. Now if I can figure out how to manipulate this guy. I was supposed to distract him anyway, but...fucking Rose. What is she planning? “I think I’d prefer to watch you handle it. If you don’t want to, I guess I could ask your brother.”
Am I taking things too far? Definitely.
Tiernan flexes his muscles, his annoyance turning his features sharp. He slides his hand from my shoulder and to the back of my neck, tightening his grip on me. Leaning in, he gets in my face, the smoky sweetness of his breath caressing my mouth.
“You know, Delphia, I’m not one to play games. You say you want to see me do this, but you don’t,” he says. “You also might think you can manipulate me by using my brother’s bond to you, but you’re wrong. We’re twins. Our souls are like one entity split apart between two bodies. While it might help Theo connect with you faster, it won’t make you want him more. I don’t need a mate bond to get what I want. You will willingly give it to me. You’re mine. Can’t you feel it? We don’t need the stars to align in our favor. I will rip them from the sky and put them together how I please.”
Well, this took a turn in a strange direction. It’s like he purposely distracts me from Rose. Her interruption might have been what I needed to do what I needed to. Is it the fates finally being kind to me? I’m afraid to find out.
The heat of Tiernan’s body radiates against mine, our chests grazing together with each of our breaths. My nipples harden from the sensation, and I try not to react. Because damn. My rebel vagina clenches in excitement as I feel my willpower bending to his.
“I’ll be waiting to see that.” I lick my lips and swallow, drawing Tiernan’s attention to my mouth. “Until then, do as I ask.”
Tiernan tenses and roars, releasing me so quickly that I don’t have a chance to catch myself as my legs give out. Spinning around, he snarls at Rose. She flaps her wings and glares, free from the magic trapping her. In between her hands glows a strange red light, like glowing red gel.
“She is not yours to claim! She belongs to Lazlo,” Rose screams, her face contorting. “I will take her home as a present for him. Now don’t try to get between us.”
“You’re dead, murderess!” Tiernan bends his knees to launch into the air to grab her.
Rose flings her hands out, sending the strange red gel pelting over us. “Now, get away from her. She’s mine.”
“Fuck,” Tiernan mutters under his breath.
Rose’s face transforms, her skin turning pale blue. “I said get away!”
I don’t have time to react or move as Rose throws more of the red gel substance at Tiernan. Blobs of red melt through my shirt and plop against my breasts. Pain ignites over my skin, and I slap the strange gel away.
“Delphia, run!” Tiernan commands.
Rose flings her hands out again, but I can’t dodge out of the way fast enough. My skin sears and burns.
I scream.
Cha
pter 14
Seductive Games
TIERNAN CRASHES INTO ME, TACKLING me to the floor. He grunts and jerks on top of me as I see a splatter of the red gel spatter against the floor. My mouth falls open in surprise, my eyes widening. What the hell is that shit and where did Rose get it from? How did she escape the magic cage? Fuck.
“Don’t move, Delphia,” he says, shielding me protectively. “I got you.”
Rose’s shadow flits around us, but she remains out of my view. “You’re not so powerful when faced with fae fire, Unlucky Twin, are you? Have you forgotten I am a princess born from the pyres of the Winter Court? You’re lucky that the fire that warms me doesn’t hurt like the ice in my veins. Now this is your last chance.”
What the actual fuck?
“Rose, stop,” I say, cringing as a glob of the red gel substance lands on Tiernan’s shoulder and drips onto the floor above mine. “Stop!”
Her feet thump on the polished stone a foot away. The scent of roasted marshmallows wafts through the air. Tipping my head up, I peek at Rose, silhouetted in the light from overhead. Her shimmery wings sparkle, and the tattoos given to her by the Spring Court dance and twist on her arms.
“Stop? Why should I stop? He won’t let you leave with me willingly.” Rose’s wings hum as she flutters them so fast that they look like pure rainbow light glowing on her back.
“He will if I agree to go.” My words crack as I struggle to release them.
For the first time ever, I might be a teensy bit afraid of her. I had never seen her fae powers like this before. I knew she was powerful—so much so that she could remove a muter from my mouth in Max even under magical imprisonment—but now I wonder who the hell this fae princess really is and what she’s capable of. No wonder Lazlo got to her. A winter princess that can send a dragon to his knees is quite surprising and a worthy ally.
“You think I’m going to believe you?” she asks, glaring. “It will take a bargain. If you don’t, then I—”
Summoning fire into my hands, I surprise her and blast her with my power. She screeches and disappears into sparkling ash that vanishes before I get a chance to inspect it.
I touch the floor. “What the fuck?”
“She’s not gone,” Tiernan says from behind me. “She was wearing a protection amulet.”
“We have to find her,” I say, spinning around to meet his gaze. “She’ll come back.”
“My brother will handle it.” Tiernan groans and falls to his side like now that Rose disappears, he can drop his guard. “Right now, I can’t. I need to heal.”
And fucking fuck. I can’t believe he’s not screaming his head off. I hadn’t realized how much power Rose had used, but Tiernan’s back glows with the gel residue like it embeds into every inch of his skin, melting the fabric of his shirt to his wounds.
Panic kicks my ass into action, and I swear under my breath and shake his arm. “Tiernan, Tiernan. What do I do?”
“Mud,” he responds, trembling with his words.
I frown and grab his arm. “Come on. I need help getting you up. I can’t carry you.”
“Just give me a minute,” he murmurs, blinking his green eyes.
“I’ll get Maddox. He can—”
“No. Don’t get anyone. It’s a fucking little bit of fae fire.” Tiernan grunts and tries to push himself from the floor but fails to hold his weight.
“Don’t be a stubborn ass. You’re hurt badly.” I shove my hands under him, trying to hoist him off the floor. But it’s no use. He’s twice my size and built like a solid wall of muscle.
“I’ll be fine. I just need to get to my room. It’s on the second level through the opening on the ceiling.” Gathering the fabric of my shirt, he tugs me closer. “I have everything we need. You’re hurt too.”
He’s right, but I basically have papercuts compared to his bullet holes. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure the Drekis will see it that way. They might blow up and do something insane for my injuries caused by getting stuck in the crossfire between an enemy and someone they expect to protect me.
“Please, Delphia,” Tiernan says, his voice lowering.
I purse my lips and bob my head. “Okay. Hang on. I’m going to transform.”
Closing my eyes, I summon my dragon, unleashing her faster than ever. Tiernan drinks in my dragon form like I’m an angel come to save him. Hot air puffs from my nostrils, and I stretch my neck to get at Tiernan’s eye level. His now seemingly small hand, one that would usually swallow mine, touches my chin as he grazes his fingers over my scales.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, stretching his arms up to hook his hands around one of my big fangs. “I’m already in love. My clan arranged for such a stunning mate in you.”
I growl, annoyed that he thinks he loves me because his beast probably wants to mate with mine. “I’m more than my looks,” I think to him, opening my mind to let him in.
He hangs on as I stand at my full height, my head nearly grazing the vaulted ceiling near the entrance to the second level. “And you won’t ever let me forget it. It’s a good thing I like that.”
Flapping my wings, I launch off the floor and manage to drag myself through the tight space in the ceiling. I feel awkward as hell in my dragon form, my body and mind slightly disconnected as my humanity clings tightly to me. It’s hard to accept that I’m not a mortal, but especially in moments that I would prefer to be—like now. Something about being in my dragon form in the confinements of this mountain freaks me out a bit. All I can think about is either launching through the nearest exit leading outside or transforming back.
The world shifts with my thought, and I hug my arms over my body as I stand over Tiernan, completely naked, giving him the best view of my vagina. He remains utterly still as my feet remain locked in place at the sides of his head. I don’t know what I was thinking just leaving my clothes with the mess Rose left behind.
And then the fucker pushes up, knocking me off my feet. I automatically catch his neck with my thighs, squeezing his head right into the heat of my body.
His hot breath tickles my skin, and I nearly curl around him, my body totally on board with sitting on his face, but Tiernan groans and tugs me off him and into his arms. He licks his lips like he can’t resist, hoping to catch a taste of me. I suck my bottom lip between my teeth as his cock hardens under me, testing the fabric of his pants.
He exhales a sexy, hot breath. “Go fill the tub, Delphia. Help me, and I’ll give you what you want.”
I force myself to get up, my legs trembling at the strange, yet exhilarating, situation we’ve found ourselves in. Tiernan scrubs his hand over his face and heaves a breath. I watch him struggle to shift to his knees but try my best not to watch him in his moment of weakness. He obviously is trying to hide how much pain Rose caused him, and I should call him out, but a part of me wants him to know it’s okay. He doesn’t have to be a tough asshole all the time.
Entering the grand bathroom, I stare in awe at the rock-walled room. An overhead light blinks on with my movement, and I gawk at the massive tub inlaid within the shiny rocks. An overhang of glittery minerals makes the tub look as if it’s nestled within a cave. Excitement swirls through me. I’ve never seen anything like this, and it takes everything in me not to slam the door closed to enjoy a moment of peace.
I would if Tiernan didn’t release another groan, the low rumble of his voice relaying to me how much pain he’s in.
“You said we need mud,” I call, stepping into the tub to try to figure out the unfamiliar knobs. “How do I get it?”
“Turn all three knobs to the left. Our palace is equipped with everything we need in case of unexpected attacks. We’re the ruling clan in this territory. Many try to test our power.” Tiernan’s rumbly voice echoes through the room as he uses the doorframe to balance on his feet.
“So will you ever tell me how to activate the magic traps?” I ask, turning the three knobs like he instructed.
“You will learn everythin
g. This is your home now.”
A gurgling noise erupts from the walls, and I jerk my head to look for some kind of spout. Chuckling, Tiernan points at the ceiling in time for me to spot a waterfall of thick brown mud cascading over a ledge to pour on top of me.
I screech at the icy sensation and scramble to get out of the way. My feet slip out from under me, and I land on my ass under the stream of mud. Swiping at my face, I clear my vision and glower, knowing well enough that Tiernan knew this would happen. His sparkling cock bling glints in the lighting a few feet away as he stands naked on the step to get in.
“Mind scooting over, Delphia? There’s plenty of room for the both of us, and I’m not so sure I can wait much longer to cool the fae fire burns.” Tiernan climbs into the big tub without waiting for my response.
I remain frozen, unable to really give him one.
“I only bite when I’m in the mood,” he adds, gracing me with what might be his first genuine smile. And damn. He’s gone from attractive to hot as hell. Even the cold mud filling the tub warms with his presence. “So keep your distance. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, even covered in this filth.”
Stretching out, Tiernan floats on his back, doing nothing to hide his erection peeking from the mud bath. I inhale a few deep breaths, his closeness digging under my skin. This tub might be gigantic, but it feels tiny with his presence.
“Relax. It takes a couple minutes to absorb the toxins in the fae fire that burns us.” Tiernan flicks his fingers, pelting me with mud. “You can’t think sharing a tub with me is that awful.”
Which is exactly why I need to get out. I don’t find it awful at all. If anything, I want to float on the strange silky mud with him until it dries into dirt. But I have to find Ambrose. I know I shouldn’t care what the Darkonians do to him. I should pretend that it doesn’t bother me, because the dickhead warlock fucking leashed me. But that’s not me. I do care. I don’t want something to happen to the man who can help me...maybe. I can hope.