by Lucia Ashta
“Precisely. He’s been trained by the best of the best of the elves, the same ones who trained me.”
“What you suggest is madness. You’ll end up getting her killed.”
“Either way, you lose nothing if she fails.”
“And she’ll never win...” I could all too easily picture the avaricious gleam to the king’s stare. “If I agree to this challenge—let’s call it that, since the better term would be as a lost cause—then you won’t bring her up to me ever again.”
“Correct. Not unless it’s to tell you she’s ready to challenge the prince heir.”
“And you’ll stay away from her.”
“I won’t officially court her, but I won’t stay away from her. I can’t.”
A smile crept across my face. Probably a sign that I’d become totally unhinged, but Leander’s words warmed my tender heart.
“You’ll keep your affair with her a secret, then.”
“As you wish. Do we have an agreement? When Rina beats Galen, you never say another word in opposition to our union. And you tell your council to stop giving her the evil eye. The entirety of the court will openly approve of our courtship.”
“It will never happen.”
“Then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You’ll have peace from me for the remainder of my visit.”
I flung my hand from my mouth, sank to the bench, couldn’t sit still, and shot back to standing to resume my useless pacing.
“Fine,” the king ground out. “But you keep all evidence of your affection for the girl hidden while you’re here. I don’t want anyone in my court thinking you won’t be marrying the right person.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Leander bit out, tight as a taut rubber band. “Do we have a deal?”
“If only so I don’t have to hear you mention the girl’s name again. Yes, we have a deal, but I get to tell Galen. He’ll fall over laughing. You just secured this girl’s demise.”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Haven’t you learned by now, son? Belief isn’t enough to get you what you want.”
“I think you’re wrong, Father. Belief is everything.”
Well, I hoped belief was a rainbow unicorn that shot magic out of its ass, because I was going to need a whole lot of magic, which I didn’t have, to fulfill the agreement Leander had just roped me into.
But if he believed in us, then so would I. And if he believed in me, I’d find the way to do the same.
He’d better have a trick or two up his sleeve. We were going to need a whole arsenal of them.
2
“I’m sorry you had to hear that,” Leander said while he sat beside me, crossing an ankle atop the other knee, his wings draping across the side of the stone bench. His silver eyes studied my face. “I didn’t expect things to go that way, or I wouldn’t have asked you to wait for me here.”
I was torn between smacking him on the head for being a total dunce and kissing him till we had to stop for air for believing in me when I struggled to believe in myself.
“Why did you agree to me fighting your brother? It’s insane.”
“It’s the only way to get my father to agree to our courting. He won’t allow it unless you prove your worth to him.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry for that, by the way. You shouldn’t have to prove yourself to anyone.”
“Agreed, but beyond that point, you do realize there’s no chance in hell I’m going to beat your brother at anything, right? He’s a lean, mean, killing machine, and that’s on one of his bad days. I’ve never seen him with a single hair out of place.”
Leander’s lips quirked up in amusement. “He gives the appearance he’s meant to, nothing more. It’s what’s expected of him.”
“Are you saying he couldn’t kill me in five seconds flat if I gave him the chance?”
He took my hand and held it atop his knee. “I’m saying with training and a little bit of faith, you can accomplish far more than you give yourself credit for.”
“I could have buckets full of faith, but that wouldn’t change the fact that your brother outweighs me by like seventy pounds of muscle and he’s quick as a rattlesnake…”
“Agreed. But I wasn’t thinking you’d beat him with your, hmm, admirable physique.” He raked his gaze across my body without bothering to hide the direction of his thoughts. My own thoughts, of course, trailed happily after his. Despite the king’s disapproval, we’d made the most of the week since term ended, making out in shadowy corners of the palace, in the enchanted woods that surrounded it, and just about every other place we could get away with it.
He settled his gaze back on my face, took in my flushed cheeks, and grinned. “It seems like we have better things to do than waste our breath talking about what’s already done.”
I scoffed and spluttered. “You signed me up to battle your brother! You seriously can’t be suggesting I do that?”
“Rina, have you forgotten how special you are? You might have lost your shifter power, but you still have your mage power.”
“Maybe. Not even Sir Lancelot is sure of that. And it’s only made an appearance twice in all the time I’ve tried to access it. Twice! That’s not exactly what we’d call a reliable power source.”
“Again, all you need is training. Your mage power is like any other muscle. You have to learn to control it to use it well.”
“And if I don’t actually have any witchy magic? Then what?”
He shrugged. “Then my father won’t give his approval for our union, and after winter break ends, you won’t be invited to my home again.”
“Well, that sucks.”
“It does, but I’m pretty sure that would have been the result regardless of the deal I made. My father’s patience with our attraction wouldn’t have lasted much longer. He would have ordered me not to invite you here again anyway, and I wouldn’t be allowed to show affection to you anymore either.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, just get your ‘rocks off’ with me in private before discarding me.”
He squeezed my hand and scooted closer to me, totally ignoring the king’s order that our interest in each other remain private. We were still alone in the courtyard, though I’m sure prying eyes noticed every single thing that took place at the palace. Since my arrival here, when everything was so different than it’d been when Ky and Boone had been guests of the court as well, I’d discovered that the fae came in two basic types: the carefree, jovial, pleasant kind, and the Machiavellian, scheming, power-hungry kind. I had no doubt the king had a swarm of spies, and that every other fae of political significance employed the same methods. Knowledge was power, as much in the fae’s Golden Forest as it was everywhere else.
Leander abandoned his attempt at playfulness. “Try to understand. My father rules in the old ways. The elves especially abide by ancient traditions, and little of significance has changed over thousands of years. My father only thinks of the line of rule and succession. He doesn’t consider how outdated his mode of thinking might be.”
“In other words, he’s fine with me being your illicit mistress, as long as no one finds out about it.”
“Basically.” He grimaced. “I know it’s hard to understand—”
“Oh, I understand all right.” I huffed, blowing errant strands of hair from my face. But I wasn’t mad at him, not really. He’d risen to my defense when it might cost him. He didn’t appear worried about himself, but I’d seen enough of the king’s behavior to worry he might lash out at Leander later on.
“Look,” he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about the challenge first, but I honestly thought my father might consider my plea. I’d hoped he wouldn’t be such a...” He cut off, intelligent eyes sweeping the entirety of the courtyard. “I’d hoped he’d allow me to date you, but once we got to talking, I realized there was no chance of it. It’s true that my brother is a formidable opponent, but while that’s true, I know that so are you.”
I chuckled darkly.
> “I mean it. I’ve watched you in your classes and training sessions. You think outside the box and come up with outrageous solutions that no one else would think of.”
“Yeah, and have you also seen how long it took me to get my … my shift down? And how even at my best I could only manage a shift about eighty percent of the time?” A dull ache bloomed in my chest. I couldn’t think of my lion without suffering her absence.
“I’ve seen you stand up to Rage and Fury with more courage than most. You’ve shown mage magic when it isn’t even supposed to be possible. You broke Ky’s collar and saved him. If you hadn’t, he probably would’ve lost his lion too.” He leaned forward to clasp my free hand; his gaze seared into mine. “You’re remarkable. Nothing about you has gone to plan, and that just makes you all the more intriguing. You’re full of surprises. We don’t lose anything by making this agreement with my father. Either way, he’d do everything in his power to push you out of my life. At least now, if you do win, he can’t say anything about you. He’ll be forced to allow us to be together.”
“In the unlikely event that I somehow could, very miraculously, beat your brother, would your dad really honor the agreement?”
“He would. An elf always honors his promises. He only agreed because he thinks there’s no chance you can win.”
“Fair enough, I guess.” I squirmed. “I really like you. A lot. But I’m not ready to marry anyone, you realize that, right? I’m only nineteen. I’m not ready to think about settling down for a very long time.”
He smiled. “Elves have long lives. It’s part of our nature to think of the long term. Don’t worry, I have no intention of plopping onto one knee and proposing anytime soon. For all we know, we might not even mesh well in the end.”
I sidled a bit closer and tilted my head coquettishly. “I was under the impression that we meshed quite well.”
“I have to agree.” His voice lowered seductively. “I’m drawn to you, Rina. I don’t claim to know the future, but with how I feel about you, I have no wish to limit our potential. Do you?”
“I’m all about potential.” I released one of my hands and ran fingertips along his forearm. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind exploring it some more right now.”
He arched his dark eyebrows the color of steel. “Is that so?”
“Hmm. The king basically said he wouldn’t bother us as long we kept out of sight. And I have a private room far away from the king’s quarters, and the queen’s, in case that matters.”
I stilled my fingers atop his arm as he went completely still. “Are you inviting me to your room?” he asked.
“Isn’t that what mistresses do?”
His shoulders tensed. “Just because that’s what my father suggested doesn’t mean that’s how I see you.”
I smiled, trying to get him to relax. “I know it isn’t. And yes, I’m inviting you to my room. We’ll be going back to school before long, and we hardly have any time to ourselves when we’re there. I didn’t get the chance to really get to know you last summer when I was here, but now … it’s just you and me.”
And hundreds of milling fae, but whatever. I wasn’t in the mood to be picky, not when the man I wanted was right in front of me, fighting for his right to be with me.
I shrugged as my cheeks flushed, suddenly timid at the intensity of his returning stare. “We don’t have to go to my room if you don’t want to. It was just a suggestion. If you want to start training for my battle of doom, that’s fine too. I’ll just—”
He swept forward and pressed his lips against mine and all thoughts of my feeble protests vanished. I leaned toward him, weaving my hands around his neck, pulling him closer. His lips were full, soft, and insistent—pure perfection. When he parted my lips and our kiss grew deeper, I moaned without thinking, and Leander pulled back.
“What? What is it?” I asked, trailing a flustered gaze around the courtyard. “Is someone watching us?”
Eventually I brought my attention back to him. He was staring at me, his eyes ablaze and intense, as if he could devour me with his sight alone. I bit my bottom lip at the ferocity of his stare, and his eyes followed my movements. When his gaze threatened to sear right through me, I prompted, “Leander? Is everything all right?”
He didn’t answer me for a few moments, as if his own intensity had consumed him as it threatened to consume me. “If you’re sure about inviting me to your room, then let’s go.”
I hopped to my feet, the elfin dress I wore trailing low to the ground in a fluid sheet of silk, and yanked on his hand, pulling him to standing. I hurried in the direction of my guest chambers, afraid that if we lingered my nerves would get the better of me. Leander met my pace, but slowed me when we reached the edge of the courtyard, and released my hand.
“Oh, right,” I said. “Secret mistress.” Only when Leander’s eyes clouded did I regret my flippant comment.
“Rina...”
“I was kidding, sort of. But don’t worry, I’ll behave.” I set off in the direction of my room with him right behind me before turning to face him once more. “At least until we’re behind closed doors. Then all bets are off. I don’t get to misbehave often enough.”
Leander blinked at me a few times, and I couldn’t decide if he was shocked or excited before I took off again at a measured pace, trying to reach my room as fast as possible, wondering already what it would be like to make love with the prince. I hadn’t said it, nor had he, but from the anticipation building between us, I knew he understood the nature of my thoughts.
My room was on the opposite end of the palace, and never had the building seemed quite so large or magnificent, with its seemingly endless halls and rooms, each decorated with magic in a different theme, making the palace seem like an enchanted forest as much as the woods that surrounded it. But for the first time I hardly made note of the way plants and flowers draped the windows like curtains, or the way the floor moved along with me, as if I were on a seriously tripped-out conveyor belt. The distance dragged out as I worked to restrain my urge to tear across the halls at a run.
Eventually, finally, we arrived at the simple door to my room, distinguished from those that surrounded it by a single violet flower woven into the raw wood, the blossom reminding me of a cross between a lily and an iris, though it was neither, exclusive to the fae world, its perfume fresh and intoxicating. I turned to face Leander with my hand flat against the door, about to request entry into the room spelled to admit only those who belonged.
I opened my mouth to ask if he was sure, when what I was really wondering was if I was sure. I met unexpected vulnerability in his gently upturned face. I knew he felt the same way I did—excited, open, and raw. Fear to share myself spiked within me, but the enthusiasm to connect with this man in a way I never had before prevailed. And when Leander moved against me, gently, tenderly, as if every one of his actions asked my permission for his touch, for his desire, the door behind me popped open.
Though I hadn’t yet requested entry, Leander and I went tumbling through the threshold, and he caught me before I could fall. He stared into my eyes as if there was nothing but us in this enchanted world, and I registered the sound of the door shutting closed behind us. I didn’t know what magic controlled the workings of the palace, but whatever it was, it had enclosed us in my room.
Alone. Just him and me.
My room contained a queen-sized bed, two nightstands, a desk, and a private bathroom with a deep bath. Here there was no Rage or Fury, no dark sorcerers, no traitorous Enforcers. There was no older brother with his watchful, judgmental eyes.
My heartbeat settled into a steady rhythm as everything else around me fell away. Calm overcame any traces of anxiety, and a slow smile drew across my features.
When Leander pressed his lips against mine once more, I gave myself permission not to hold back. Life was meant to be lived. I’d lost my lion, but I hadn’t lost my will to live. I hadn’t lost my passion, my hopes, or my dreams.
I remained
Rina Nelle Mont, just a different version of her. I was in the process of discovering who—and what—I was, and Leander Verion, second prince of the elves, was a large part of my discovery.
Our kiss deepened, and I allowed a deep, primal groan to break free. I was finished holding back. I just had to be.
3
I’d expected the man who wore Stacy, the redhead with the big boobs and gropey hands, like an accessory at school, to be a smooth operator in the bedroom. But as Leander’s lips trailed the length of my neck to graze my collarbone, he froze when I tugged at the sleeves of my dress, desperate to shed the layer that separated my skin from his.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as his lips stilled entirely, pressed against my skin.
“Nothing’s wrong.” But he pulled his lips away and took half a step away from me, offering me a view of his wings in silhouette. In other circumstances, we’d still be close enough for my satisfaction, but not when we’d been all over each other moments before. Now the inches of distance felt like something was definitely wrong.
I tugged the sleeve of my pull-on dress back over my shoulder. “Something seems wrong. Are you sure you’re okay?” I tried to study his eyes, usually so expressive, but they were shuttered, and the elf studiously pinned his gaze on my body.
“I’m fine, really. I’m just a little nervous, and that surprised me.” Finally, he looked up to meet my gaze. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting it. It’ll pass.” He pressed his body entirely against mine again, holding me from the side, the hardness of his body serving as reassurance that whatever worried him had nothing to do with his attraction to me.
I draped my hands around his shoulders, brushing against his wings, and nestled my head against his neck. “We don’t have to keep going.”
A tremble of desire racked through him, and I knew it was the heat of my breath. I’d purposefully whispered against his bare skin, already as hot and flushed as mine.