Fever--A Dark Kings Novel
Page 18
“She’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Unless you kill her before then.”
Keltan squeezed Bernadette’s hand. “There is a way for you to keep her out of your home, but if you use it, she’ll know we told you.”
“What is it?”
“A symbol. You can carve it or mark it anywhere in your home. Most people put it on the doorway or even a door.”
She shifted to face him. “Do you think I should use it?”
“It’ll keep her and any Fae out, and it’ll ensure that she can no’ hurt you. I doona like the position you’ve put yourself in. The symbol can help.”
She cocked her head to the side as she smiled at him. “She’ll know it came from you. It’s the same as if you used your magic to protect me. All of which defeats the purpose of me gaining information from her that could help you.”
“I’d rather you stay alive. We’ll get Usaeil another way.”
“She’s hurt enough people, Keltan. Her eyes turn red on occasion.”
He nodded slowly, his lips twisting. “We’ve known for some time that she’s using glamour to hide her true visage. She’s killed her family, and even her own children. There’s no telling how long she’s been Dark and hidden it.”
“I understand that, and I’m also aware of how dangerous she is. But I can do this.”
“It’s no’ a matter of whether you can. It’s more of if you should.”
Her brow furrowed as she shot him a dark look. “Are you saying you don’t think I can do this?”
“I’m just getting to know you. You have a strong character, and I know you want to make up for what you think you did.”
“What I have done,” she interjected.
Keltan drew in a deep breath and released it. “You mean what Usaeil made you do.”
“I wasn’t strong enough to withstand her.”
“No human could,” he told her. “That’s magic for you. Unless the Druids know to be wary, Usaeil has gotten a jump on them, as well. That’s why she’s been able to hide her glamour from us. She’s combining her magic with that of the Druids.”
Bernadette gave him a flat stare. “All the more reason that Usaeil needs to be brought down.”
“It doesna have to be by you.”
“I’m the person she used. Who better than me? She thinks I fear her. After she listened to us today, she believes I’m completely on her side.”
Keltan sat back while keeping his hand linked with Bernadette’s. “There are few Fae who can remain veiled that long. I didna believe Usaeil was one of them. I suppose the Druid magic helps her with that.”
“And you think if she can do that, then she can come back at any time and find us.”
He nodded slowly. “Which means we can no’ keep talking like this. If Usaeil caught us, she’d wait until I left, then she’d kill you.”
“Is there nothing you can do that would ensure she can’t spy on me like that?”
Keltan suddenly smiled. “There is. And now that I’ve been here, I have every reason to put it in place.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
She was back at the house in Glasgow. This time, Rhi was going to find out why she felt the need to be there. She veiled herself and was about to enter the house when she spotted movement in the window. That pleased her because now she might get some answers.
The moment Rhi entered the house, she spotted Keltan walking away from the sofa where a pretty mortal sat. Rhi could drop her veil now, but that might scare the human. Though why should she care? If a Dragon King were there, then this somehow involved Usaeil.
Rhi lowered her veil. The moment she did, Keltan’s gaze swung to her.
“Rhi,” he said. There was a moment of surprise immediately replaced by worry. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Rhi’s gaze slid to the mortal. “Is this your house?”
The woman nodded her head of black hair. “It is.”
Keltan returned to the sofa and said, “Bernadette, this is Rhi. She’s the Light Fae I spoke about. Rhi, this is Dr. Bernadette Davies.”
“Hello,” the female said.
Rhi forced herself to smile, though there was nothing for her to be happy about. “I was hoping you might tell me why someone used blood magic here.”
The human glanced at Keltan, but before the King could speak, Bernadette said, “It’s Usaeil.”
Rhi wasn’t sure if she was happy about the news or not. “How is Usaeil involved?”
“She used Bernadette,” Keltan explained. “Usaeil approached her a year ago and showed her a dragon.”
Rhi’s eyes widened. “She did what?”
“She showed Bernadette Con,” Keltan said.
Bernadette got to her feet. It didn’t go unnoticed by Rhi that the mortal moved closer to Keltan. The mortal trusted the King. And by the way the two kept looking at each other, they had already shared their bodies.
Rhi released a breath. “There is no way Con would’ve shown himself to anyone.”
“He didna. It was all a hoax,” Keltan said.
Bernadette shrugged as she crossed her arms over her chest, hunching her shoulders. “It worked. As soon as I saw the dragon and Usaeil told me they were real, I was hooked. She explained that she was Queen of the Fae. After I learned that, I started asking more questions about the dragons. She told me that they lived at Dreagan.”
“She told you about the Dragon Kings?” Rhi asked in surprise.
Keltan made a sound at the back of his throat. “Usaeil left that part out. Just as she let Bernadette believe that she was the queen of all Fae. Usaeil simply said that there were dragons—and they lived at Dreagan.”
“Why not tell Bernadette that you’re Dragon Kings?”
Keltan and Bernadette both shrugged.
Rhi flicked her hair from her shoulder. “I can’t figure out why Usaeil wouldn’t want her to know about the Dragon Kings.”
“I didn’t need to know that part,” Bernadette said. “I was intrigued enough to start digging into Dreagan. I was an anthropologist who loved her job, but all I could think about all day long was finding out more information about Dreagan and the dragons.
“It started as something I did once I got home from work. I’d stay up until the wee hours of the morning and only get a few hours’ sleep. Then it bled into more research during my lunch hour. Finally, I was taking vacation days. That was when I got the most done—not having to go into work or deal with anyone interrupting my research.”
Rhi looked at Keltan to find the Dragon King staring at Bernadette as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She wondered if Keltan knew that he was falling for the mortal. Probably not since Keltan had always made it clear that the Kings shouldn’t be mating until the dragons were back.
“What happened then?” Rhi asked.
Bernadette smiled sadly and dropped her arms to rub her hands together. “I gave up my position at the museum. I wanted to quit, but I needed some form of income, so I only work part-time now. I had to sell my house and most of my belongings.”
Rhi blinked and jerked back. “All because Usaeil showed you a dragon?”
“It wasna just that. Usaeil used magic to push Bernadette to dig into us,” Keltan said.
Rhi rolled her eyes and cocked out a hip. “Now that I can definitely see. That must be why I was drawn here.”
“Drawn here?” Keltan repeated, his brow furrowed in a deep frown.
Rhi shot him a half smile. “A few days ago, I dreamed about this house. I knew it was in Glasgow, but not where. It took me almost an entire day to locate it. I heard someone inside, but when I came in, no one was here. That’s when I saw the pen and the blood on the desk.”
“A spell by Usaeil to make sure I returned home,” Bernadette stated angrily.
That got Rhi’s attention. “What kind of spell? The fact that Ubitch used blood means she was trying to track you.”
“Bernadette was at Dreagan,” Ke
ltan explained.
Rhi looked between the pair. “And both of you believe Usaeil doesn’t know that? Fae don’t need to use blood spells. That is something Druids do. What blood magic does do is link the person casting the spell to the one they’re casting it on.”
“Meaning what?” Bernadette asked, her expression growing worried.
“That Usaeil may know more than she’s letting on.”
Keltan vigorously shook his head of dark blond hair. “If Usaeil knew that Bernadette was at Dreagan, then she would’ve pushed her for more information at the verra least. More likely, she would’ve killed her.”
“Usaeil has Con,” Rhi stated flatly. “And she intends to keep him. The rest of the Dragon Kings and the mates matter little to her. Based on what we’ve learned so far, Usaeil wants all of you out of the way, and she’ll do whatever she needs to in order to get that done.”
“Including making me believe in dragons,” Bernadette said. Her head whipped around to Keltan. “Rhi’s right. Usaeil knows I was at Dreagan. She was using me. Not to tell the world about you, but to get close to someone at Dreagan.”
“And to get a Dragon King to trust her,” Rhi said.
Keltan ran a hand down his face. “Why? What does that get Usaeil?”
“She’s not making any moves that I’d have expected,” Rhi said. “Everything she’s done so far has been completely different than what I’ve known her to do in the past.”
Bernadette slowly sank back onto the sofa. “What if Usaeil has been setting this up for hundreds of years? Making the Fae and even the Dragon Kings believe one thing while she’s waited to put this plan into motion.”
Rhi considered that for a second and then shook her head. “Usaeil is crafty and smart, but she doesn’t have the patience for something like that. She has an agenda, of that I’m sure, but what it is exactly, I’ve yet to figure out.”
“She wants you,” Keltan said.
“She wants to kill me, and she’ll get her chance soon.”
Bernadette tilted her head to the side, causing her black locks to fall away from her face. “Do you often dream of places? I’m still trying to figure out why you came here.”
“The answer is no,” Rhi explained. “I don’t dream of places. I think I was brought here because of Usaeil. Our showdown is coming sooner rather than later, thanks to the deadline she gave the Kings.”
Keltan narrowed his amber eyes at her. “I know you’re ready for it.”
“Very. I’m tired of this. She wants me. Why not let her have me?”
“Usaeil has hurt enough people,” Bernadette said.
Rhi smiled at the mortal. “The fact that you can stand here, knowing what Usaeil has done to you and say that says a lot about you. I like you, Bernadette. When this is all over, if we both survive, we’ll go get a manicure. My nail tech, Jesse, is the absolute bomb.”
“I’d like that,” Bernadette said, returning her smile.
Keltan squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Rhi, you can no’ do anything rash regarding Usaeil. You need to think about things.”
“It’s all I’ve been thinking about, Keltan. If Con had attacked Usaeil when I wanted, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“You can no’ know that for sure,” he argued.
Rhi pointed to Bernadette. “She wouldn’t be dealing with this now. Ubitch wouldn’t have kidnapped Con or used her magic to ensure that Claire became pregnant with V’s child.”
“What?” Bernadette exclaimed.
“Oh, you didn’t know about that?” Rhi asked her and then rolled her eyes. “Usaeil knows that no mortal has birthed a live Dragon King’s baby. She also knows what the strain of a mate becoming pregnant and waiting each day to see if she’ll lose the bairn does to a couple. Usaeil used glamour to appear as me and spelled Claire so that she’d become pregnant. Now, Usaeil threatens Claire’s life if any King goes to the Light Castle.”
“A King?” Bernadette asked, her gaze fierce.
Rhi nodded, unsure of what wasn’t clear. “That’s what I said.”
“What about a mortal?”
“Nay,” Keltan stated angrily.
Rhi blinked, looking at Bernadette with new eyes. “No mortal goes to the Light Castle.”
“But can I get there?”
Keltan threw up his hands. “Did neither of you hear what I just said?”
Rhi cut her gaze to Keltan. “Bernadette is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.”
“No’ when it comes to our world,” he argued.
Bernadette calmly put her hand on Keltan’s arm. “Thank you for looking out for me, but even I can see that you all need every advantage you can get.”
“We have an advantage,” he replied.
Bernadette’s jade eyes moved to Rhi. “Are you sure that we’re even talking to Rhi? You said yourself that you can’t see through Usaeil’s glamour.”
Rhi snorted loudly. “Oh, doll. Trust me. I’m me. Usaeil might be able to pull off looking like me with someone who doesn’t know me, but Keltan knows me.”
He nodded at Bernadette. “Rhi is one in a million. Usaeil knows better than to try and pull something like that on a King. The Dragon Kings are unstoppable when we fight together, and that’s what Usaeil is trying to avoid.”
“But you won’t be fighting together,” Rhi said.
Keltan blew out a loud breath. “Nay. Some will have to stay behind at Dreagan. We willna leave our home undefended. But we’ll have you, Balladyn, and the Dark Fae army.”
“Damn right you’ll have me. Any chance one of you spoke with Death?” Rhi asked. “It’d be great if she and her Reapers made an appearance.” Keltan wouldn’t meet her gaze, which was all the answer she needed. “I see.”
Bernadette’s eyes went wide. “Reapers? Death?”
Rhi took pity on Keltan and said, “Death is a goddess who makes it her mission to be judge and jury to the Fae. Her Reapers … well, they reap the souls she’s judged.”
“Oh,” Bernadette murmured, frowning. “Why wouldn’t Death and the Reapers join in? They’re Fae. Doesn’t this pertain to them?”
Rhi looked pointedly at Keltan. “That’s exactly my question.”
His lips flattened. “The night I went to hear Bernadette’s lecture, I had a run-in with Rordan. It wasna long after that Erith and Cael showed up.”
“Erith is Death’s real name,” Rhi told Bernadette. “And Cael is her main squeeze.”
Bernadette smiled her thanks.
Rhi looked back at Keltan. “You going to tell me what was said, frowny? Or do I get to guess?”
“Erith said this was your fight. She willna join in, and neither will the Reapers.”
“Well, isn’t that just peachy?” Rhi said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. Or her anger.
All this time, Death had been telling her to go after Usaeil and not wait, or else Death would do it herself. Looked like it was all just talk to get Rhi moving.
Rhi forced a smile. “I’ve waited on Con to make a move against Usaeil, and that was a mistake. I’ve let others make all kinds of decisions while I sat on the sidelines waiting and planning. I’m done with that. I’ve offered myself up to the Kings so you could bring me to Usaeil as she asked. I suggest we do that.”
“Rhi,” Keltan began.
She held up a hand to silence him. “The time has come. Take a look at the clock, stud. Time has nearly run out for you.”
“I know,” Keltan said with clenched teeth.
“Ward this house against Usaeil. Then take Bernadette to Dreagan. I just warded her. Add in yours and Eilish’s, as well. That might be enough to keep Usaeil from forcing Bernadette back to her.”
Rhi gave a thumbs-up to Bernadette as well as a smile she didn’t feel. Then she teleported away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Rhi did what?” Rhys demanded, his voice rising with shock and outrage.
Keltan tossed back a shot of Scotch and set the glass on the table before he t
urned to face the others. When he called for Ulrik to bring him back, he hadn’t realized that others were waiting to hear what had happened.
No one said a word as they stared at him. Keltan ran a hand over his face and tried to find the words. His brain could barely process all of it, and somehow, the others wanted him to spell it out in a way they could understand.
“She’s demanding we bring her to Usaeil as we planned,” Keltan told the room. “If we doona, she’ll go after the queen herself.”
“Damn,” Ulrik said as he rested a hip on the corner of Con’s desk.
It was rare that Ulrik sat at the desk. They might conduct business in the office, but no one wanted Con’s chair.
“We can no’ let her go alone,” Rhys stated.
Anson shrugged, twisting his lip. “Rhi’s right. There’s no use in continuing to wait for the final minutes of the countdown. Look what Usaeil has done to V and Claire and now Bernadette. No’ to mention taking Con.”
All the arguments Keltan had in mind died when he looked into Anson’s black eyes. “Anson’s right.”
Rhys gaped at him. “What?”
“Rhi can win,” Kellan said as he pushed away from the doorway.
Keltan turned his attention to the Keeper of History. It was Kellan’s job to see everything that happened in each of their lives and record it. There was so much that he didn’t retain it all, and didn’t always understand what he wrote down. He just got it out of his head as fast as he could.
Ulrik nodded as Kellan moved to stand beside him. “He’s right. Con put off the battle for a long time, even though Rhi wanted it. The time Usaeil gave us is nearly up anyway. We doona have a choice.”
Not all the Dragon Kings were in Con’s office, but the ones who were nodded in agreement. Including Rhys. Keltan swallowed and thought about Bernadette. He hadn’t wanted to leave her behind, but she had been adamant. He’d tried to force her to return to Dreagan with him, but Ulrik had stepped in and prevented that. Thankfully.
Keltan had taken Rhi’s advice and warded not just Bernadette but also her house. Eilish was, at that moment, adding her magic to both his and Rhi’s. And Keltan would make sure several other Kings did the same for Bernadette—and all the mates.