by HP Mallory
“The werewolf?” I repeated, realizing he was talking about Dayna. “How did you know…”
He smiled broadly, revealing his perfect and large teeth. “Fae magic, mademoiselle, is all-seeing.”
“Go on,” Jolie pushed, and Monsieur D nodded his agreement.
“Luce slaughtered half of my zombus—my people—as revenge for my involvement in the freeing of the Unseelie women,” said Monsieur D, becoming visibly enraged. “I will not accept the deaths of my people so lightly, regardless whether they are in undead form or the fae form to which I aim to return them,” he continued, demonstrating a sense of dedication I’d not seen before. It seemed Monsieur D finally had something to fight for: his people.
“When in undead form, my people cannot defend themselves as fully as when they present as fae, although they will still make excellent additions to a fully prepared military much like yours,” Monsieur D added, growing calmer and regaining his poker face. “Lady Maetta, who originally enchanted my people into their current form, has told me she will return them to their natural state if my people fight for your cause and if I volunteer my home to house your soldiers. I am willing to accept her offer, but for me to do so, you must accept mine.”
“Then half of your zombies are already dead?” I asked. “Sounds like your army isn’t as big as it once was.”
Monsieur D placed his hands on the table, folding them in a genteel manner that spoke to his high-born beginnings. “Half of my people did survive, and will be better prepared to fight once they are returned to their natural form. I have strengthened the fortifications around my home, preventing any more raids from Luce or the members of his Tribe. You want to preserve the future of your court; I want to defend the honor of mine. So, are we agreed?”
“And what of my own contract?” I demanded. “What loophole do I face?”
Monsieur D shrugged. “That is a different conversation altogether, mademoiselle,” he explained. “Furthermore, I cannot discuss contracts unless you have all the pieces to your puzzle. Until you know what loophole exists for you, if one truly does, I am afraid I can’t be of any use.”
I didn’t know what to make of that, but I also figured Monsieur D wasn’t going to offer anything more. Clearly, he’d only wanted to discuss the impending battle and, truly, that was most important for the time being. I took a deep breath and nodded.
Jolie and I turned away from Monsieur D for the first time since he’d made his presence in the dining room known. We looked at each other, not daring to attempt telepathic communication. One couldn’t be sure how magic worked in realms controlled by other magical beings; this was Monsieur D’s realm, not our own, and we couldn’t risk him overhearing our messages to each other if his dreamscape allowed for that sort of thing.
We looked at each other for a moment, then nodded together. Our twin bond had grown stronger since the beginning of my tenancy at Kinloch Kirk. Right then, we said everything we needed to say just by making eye contact and nodding our heads.
Jolie cleared her throat. “Monsieur D, I have decided to take you up on your offer. However, in the future, I insist you contact me through the protocol established by the Underworld court, not by the Les Invisibles traditions. Is that understood?”
“Oui, madame,” replied Monsieur D, standing up from his chair at the head of the dining room table.
“Again, Monsieur D, it’s reine, not madame. Thank you for your partnership, and now, we wish to return to our own realm,” said Jolie, ever polite but nearing the end of her rope.
Monsieur D smiled and snapped his fingers just once, and the dining room immediately disappeared.
Chapter Seventeen
Sinjin
A heavy, gray fog rolled over the cliffs of Kinloch Kirk. The fog spread across the sky and hung thickly outside the windows of the castle, making it nearly impossible for anyone who might be interested in the outside world to learn anything about its condition merely by glancing through the medieval-style windows indicative of the broader architectural style of the kirk.
A castle-wide breakfast organized by the Queen had started fifteen minutes ago and I was expected to be there as Lord Protector, much though I did not have an appetite for food.
I walked down the stone hallways of the kirk without much joy in my gait. As I entered the grand dining room, I was impressed by the number of people assembled. While I should not have been surprised as we were all honor-bound to follow the orders of the queen, breakfast-related or otherwise, it was still charming to see so many members of the Underworld court gathered together in community. My spirits began to lift as I made my way over to a table where I saw an empty chair.
Before I could take a seat, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around, I received one of the greatest shocks of my life as I laid eyes upon the crocodile shapeshifter who had done her best to protect the Louisiana-Texas expedition team from the machinations of Monsieur D during our visit to House Gedde. It was the peerless Audrey Chevalier.
“Mon ami!” Audrey exclaimed upon gaining my attention, quickly gathering me into a firm embrace. As only four of us in the entire dining hall had ever previously laid eyes on this beautiful woman, all heads immediately swiveled in our direction. Both the men and women of the Underworld court began wondering out loud who this comely creature was, and from whence she came—a fact that was not lost upon me as I heard the whispers and murmurs spread across the dining hall.
Audrey and I were nearly immediately joined by Queen Jolie and Randall.
“You must be Dureau’s sister, Audrey,” declared the Queen. “You’re as lovely as I was told! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Merci, Queen Jolie,” replied Audrey, equally graciously. “I was not able to send word ahead of my arrival, informing you that I planned to visit. This trip was terribly last minute. I truly hope you are not bothered by an unexpected guest, Your Majesty,” she added.
“Nonsense, Audrey! Your brother has been invaluable to the entire Underworld court during this time. You are always, always welcome here at Kinloch Kirk, as Dureau’s sister and as our friend in your own right,” insisted Jolie, obviously determined to make her guest feel at home.
Audrey was quite stunning on that foggy morning. Her hair glistened and her skin gave off a sort of dewy radiance one only witnessed in truly happy women. In fact, Audrey seemed infinitely happier since the dandy had bargained with Monsieur D to lift the curse that had been placed upon her, forcing her to live in swampland in order to control her shape-shifting. She appeared in much better spirits than she had the first time we met, and her newfound joy was a delight to see.
She turned to me once again. “Mon ami, how have you been? Tell me everything you have been doing, s’il vous plait,” she requested, with just the slightest hint of seduction in her tone as she linked her arm through mine and began leading me over to a table.
As we walked, I briefly twisted my head to confirm that we were indeed the center of attention for those who did not have anything better to talk about during the kirk-wide breakfast. I was, in fact, entirely correct. The stares and whispers Audrey and I inspired were quite numerous. I would not have been bothered by this in the slightest, had I not noticed the princess watching along with all of the others.
Whether the princess watches or not is beside the point, I reminded myself. She does not feel for you the way you feel for her.
Bryn happened to look quite annoyed at the sight of Audrey and me. Her beautiful, full lips were pursed tightly and her facial expression gave one the idea something had caused her great irritation within the last few minutes.
All a great farce, I thought.
Truly, I felt I’d been liberated. I had told the princess of my feelings and she had denied me outright. As far as I was concerned, I was a free man to do as I pleased. And perhaps this French coquette was just the answer to my dour mood.
Audrey and I sat down at a table that was as secluded as was available, given the fact that the
dining hall was filled to the brim with all the tenants of the castle grounds. Privacy simply was not an option at that moment, much to my chagrin and, oddly enough, my relief.
“Monsieur Sinclair,” Audrey said as she looked up at me with an expression that was easy to read. The woman hungered for me; it was quite clear.
For once, the arrival of the fop actually made my life more comfortable. The frog strode across the dining hall immediately after we sat down and joined us without asking. While I would normally consider such to be incredibly rude behavior, I was somewhat grateful for the buffer between the flirtatious Audrey and myself, now that I could feel Bryn’s stare burning a hole into my back. My little hellion had eyes like a hawk.
“Whatever inspired this impromptu visit?” asked Chevalier of his sister, providing no sort of introduction to his question. The man was a horrid conversationalist, even with his own family members.
Audrey took his bluntness in stride, providing a witty response within less than a second. “Well, mon frère, I missed my favorite gentleman relative, but I also missed another gentleman I had the privilege of meeting recently and thought it only right to remind them both of my affections,” she said, looking directly at me through her full eyelashes as she finished her sentence. I returned her flirtatious smile. Glancing over my shoulder, I found Lady Bryn staring directly at me. However, once I caught her eye, she diverted her gaze and refused to look at me again.
The twit is impossible!
I was pulled out of my reverie by Audrey. “Of course, mon frère, there is another reason for my visit that is less pleasure and more business. I came to check on the progress of the Unseelie. As I did do a small amount of diplomatic work in order to recruit them to the Underworld army, I feel somewhat responsible for their performance,” she said, flashing a smile that could only be described as “winning.”
The lady had downplayed her role in recruiting the Unseelie to our cause by a significant degree. Audrey, if I remembered correctly, had actually been the lead diplomat in the process of creating a partnership between the Unseelie and the Underworld court, putting in a massive amount of work to establish an agreement that worked for all parties.
“We are all very impressed with Maetta and her female soldiers,” I assured her.
“I remain horrified at everything Luce has done and continues to do,” Audrey said, suddenly dropping all of her flirtatious airs. “I saw what he did to those women in cages, and I know the devastation he will bring to the entire magical community if he wins this war. And so, we will ensure that Luce loses this war, whatever it takes, however many hours,” added the shapeshifter.
Audrey had more grit to her than I had previously realized. This was a woman who could bounce between seduction and discussing political affairs with barely a pause in between.
“The Unseelie have been a much-needed addition to our court,” I replied, smiling at Audrey. “They have been training morning and night alongside our own people and have only proven their potent loyalty.”
Audrey seemed very pleased to hear this and beamed in response. After pausing a moment, she continued. “Now, where is that delightful lady werewolf you were so kind as to introduce me to, Monsieur Sinclair? Dayna, I believe her name was?” As if Audrey’s fae magic had commanded it, Dayna entered the dining room just at that moment. The young girl’s face lit up when she saw that Audrey had joined us, leading her to sprint across the dining hall toward our little group.
The two women embraced in a warm hug and began to chatter about their lives. Once they’d finished their morning victuals, Dayna and Audrey walked off arm in arm. The two were clearly meant to be friends. However, their departure left me alone at the table with the frog, who was no friend of mine. I decided I had made enough of an appearance and promptly began to depart.
“Afternoon, Chevalier,” I offered.
“Afternoon, Sinclair,” he returned.
I made my way through the crowd and attempted to make my exit with as little fanfare as possible, hoping to avoid any awkward conversations with busybodies. I had just made it to the doorway when I felt a tap on my shoulder, which happened to be the second time that had occured in a single morning. I turned around to identify the tapper and was somewhat surprised that it was my little hellion.
“Bête noire, to what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked, Cheshire-cat grin spreading across my face. Unfortunately, the grin was not long for this world.
“We need to talk and we need to talk right now,” Lady Bryn replied, clearly vexed with me to an extreme degree. While I always loved spending time with my pet, something told me I should dread this particular conversation.
Lady Bryn indicated for me to follow her and I obeyed, wondering all along if I should have instead run in the other direction.
***
“I had a talk with Mercedes at breakfast this morning,” began the warrior princess, staring daggers at me. Discussing anything with Mercedes never resulted in the most pleasant of conversations, but she typically was not enough to create this level of vexation. Something had happened, and I had a fair idea it had everything to do with Audrey’s arrival and our subsequent breakfast together.
“I am most sorry your morning got off to such a disagreeable beginning,” I offered.
Lady Bryn frowned further. “Mercedes told me something I should have known a while ago—something you never admitted.”
“Which is?”
“That you fed off Betta a few weeks ago,” she answered, surprising me as I believed the information to be harmless, at worst. “Is this true?”
“It is,” I replied simply.
“And why wasn’t I aware of this?”
“Why would you be made aware of it?”
“Because!” she railed, then appeared to lack a further response. “Because… Betta is… my friend!”
“So what?”
“And… you shouldn’t be drinking from people who… are loyal to me.”
I smiled down at her. “You are clearly jealous and you lack the ability to process your jealousy, thus it is revealing itself in a most awkward, untidy way.”
She looked furious. “I’m not jealous!”
“What would you term it, then?”
“I wouldn’t term it anything!” she protested. “I just would appreciate it if you’d stick to the humans who are supposed to provide that… pleasure for you and leave my friends alone!”
I took a step nearer her and narrowed my eyes as I reached down and gripped her wrist to keep her in place. “I will have you know that Betta approached me and asked me to feed from her. I merely obliged her because I was quite… hungry.”
“Betta asked you?” she repeated, clearly at a loss.
“Yes, she did.”
“Why… why would she do that?”
“I believe she fancied me.”
Lady Bryn swallowed hard but said nothing. Then she glanced down at my fingers wrapped around her wrist and forcibly pulled away. “You just stay away from my friends from here on out, got it?”
“I had already decided not to feed upon Betta again. Therefore this conversation is quite a waste of time and breath.”
“That’s not all, Sinjin,” growled Lady Bryn in a tone of voice better suited to an enraged tiger than the curvy, attractive woman I saw before me. “You’re making eyes at Audrey now, too, and it’s… it’s very unprofessional! We have a war to think about, and that should be your only focus.”
“That, my dear, is your opinion and while I value it, I am by no means resigned to abide by it. You worry about you and I shall do the same.”
Her anger appeared to ignite as her eyes narrowed and her face took on a fetching shade of bright pink.
I smiled. “Might I remind you that you, again, have no right to be jealous, my pet.”
“I’m not jealous!”
I disregarded her comment. “Might I remind you that you made your feelings for me known the other evening. Thus, I owe you nothing—certainly no
t my loyalty.”
She appeared stunned for a moment or two but quickly regained her composure. “And it’s a good thing I said what I did, because I know what would have happened!”
“Which is what?” I asked, feigning disinterest. Perhaps it was a childish ploy, as I was very interested in what she had to say, but I also was surprisingly irritated by the nature of the conversation.
“You’re a known womanizer. I know you’re only into me because I’ve rejected you again and again, which I’m certain is a fresh experience for you. Once a woman gives in, you get bored—that’s your nature. Well, it’s a game I’m not playing,” snarled Lady Bryn, demonstrating herself to be a fighter in all arenas.
I was bowled over by the force of these grave accusations. Lady Bryn had essentially accused me of being emotionally dishonest, both with myself and with her. Like an arrow to the heart, her words hurt me deeply. It was simply fact that Lady Bryn was the only woman for me. I had not experienced feelings like this for another woman in over six hundred years, many of which I had indeed spent womanizing and breaking hearts. But those were years I regretted now, because my actions during that time lent credence to the accusations Lady Bryn had just levelled against me. As things were today, though, those charges were groundless.
Groundless, but surprising all the same. I could not recall the last time I had met such vehemence in her demeanor, nor such anger. I was quite floored by it.
“Sinjin? Answer me,” she continued, pulling me out of the forest that was my thoughts.
“My apologies, Lady. I was merely lost in my thoughts,” I replied, deciding to choose my words carefully before making my next move in this chess match.
“Well, unlose yourself!”
“My lady, in one sense you are correct, as I have erred. If you think I only want you because of your repeated rejections, I have utterly failed in making my intentions clear. For that I do apologize, as communication is deeply important to me, as are your feelings. That being said, I do not feel I did anything inherently wrong by feeding from Betta or from enjoying my interactions with Audrey.” She started to balk, so I hurried my speech. “My lady, as far as you are concerned, my overtures have fallen on deaf ears. As things currently stand, we are both free agents,” I explained, as calmly as possible. I knew an argument was about to erupt, but I did not want to be the one to throw the first grenade.