Tempted By Fae

by Midnight Coven

  “Help me?” I don’t know that I’m steady enough not to drop the damn thing. But instead of picking up the bottle, he shakes his head and awkwardly positions the book in my lap and starts writing again.

  You must not take food or drink directly from a Fae’s hand. If you do, they will have power over you. I will never compel you, Kat. I promise.

  “Power? But…wait. You gave me something earlier.”

  I had no choice. You were close to death. The effects will have faded by now. It has been a full night and part of a day.

  He helps me by supporting my arm, but doesn’t touch the bottle. I have to wedge it between my legs to remove the stopper, but then I manage on my own. It tastes faintly like strawberries and mint, and before I even finish, I feel stronger. More…myself.

  Better?

  “Yes. Thanks. But, um, what happens now? Do I just…sit here and wait for this thing to kill me?” I poke at the stone around my wrist, then hiss out a breath. That…was a mistake.

  Adrian glances across the room, and for the first time, I notice a window. It’s little more than a round hole in the stone wall the size of a beach ball, but a shaft of sunlight angles into the room. He picks up the book again.

  I must speak to my uncle. He rules this world and may know more of the Phoenix’s history. If you wish, I will show you around Faery. The sun and fresh air will help you keep up your strength.

  I should be panicking. Or crying. Or doing anything else besides smiling at the idea of exploring this…wherever the hell I am. But if we’re going to see Faery, then Adrian will have to get out of this bed. And well…I might as well appreciate the view again before I die.

  Chapter Four

  Adrian

  If I could keep Kat safe by hiding her away from all of Faery, I would. I do not like the idea of other males looking at her. Especially since I have no appropriate clothing for her. She wears one of my tunics, which falls to the middle of her thighs. At least her boots miraculously stayed on her small feet when she fell into the lake.

  Tearing a strip from one of my extra blankets, I fashion a sling for her arm. She cannot move her fingers, and the poison is spreading. Lash’s healing draught improved her skin tone, and her hazel eyes are clear. But she is unsteady on her feet, and any attempt to move her left arm results in terrible pain. She is nervous, and fidgets with the hem of the tunic as I tie the leather cord on my pants. When I am done, I pick up the book once more.

  Faery is a safe place, Kat. You will come to no harm here.

  I tire of writing everything down, but it is the only way we can communicate.

  “Unless this piece of stone kills me.” Her voice cracks, and she reaches for my hand, interlacing our fingers. The warmth flowing through me is unlike anything I have ever felt before. “What if they don’t find the rest of the Phoenix?”

  Fear snakes through my belly, but it is not only my fear, but hers as well. We have formed some sort of tenuous connection, and I draw her closer, wrapping my arm around her waist to help steady her as we take our first tentative steps outside into the sun.

  The royal city is only a ten minute walk, and Kat lets me hold her the entire way. The sun does her good, and though I can see faint streaks of gray along the left side of her neck now, I feel her delight at the warmth, at the flowers blooming all around us, and the clear blue sky.

  Fuck. I wish I could speak to her.

  “Did you say something?” she asks, stopping and staring up at me.

  I shake my head, confused. It is utterly silent outside the gates of the royal city, save for the birds in the trees.

  “I would give anything for that to be true.”

  “You…” Her brows draw together, and she presses closer to me. “Why can’t you talk? Does it have something to do with these?” Reaching her right hand up, she traces the scars around my neck.

  I try to stifle my flinch. I can still feel the iron collar choking me, and I lick my lips, expecting to taste the poison that dripped from that cursed spike every single day of my imprisonment.

  “Adrian.” Her voice holds a mixture of horror and sympathy. Tears shimmer in her eyes, and she lays her palm against my cheek. “Who did this to you?”

  I take a quick step back. Too quick, as Kat’s knees buckle and she starts to fall. No! I catch her a breath away from hitting the ground.

  A large, flat rock with a view of the gates is only a few steps away, and I set her down there so I can pull out my book.

  You should not have to hear of such terrible things.

  “Those things…it’s like I can almost see them,” she says. Her full lips curve into a frown, and a tear spills onto her cheek before I dash it away with my thumb. “You can’t move. And…everything hurts. It’s dark. That’s all I know, but…it’s true, isn’t it?”

  I nod. Everything…is too much. Too much to write, too much to feel, too much to remember. But I wonder. Focusing as hard as I can, I close my eyes and cup her cheeks.

  “Kat.”

  She sucks in a sharp breath. “Do that again.”

  “Kat. Tell me you hear me.”

  But the words I long for her to say do not come. Instead, she pulls back, and I meet her gaze. “I felt something. Strange. Nice. Familiar. Why?”

  I dared let myself hope, and now, it takes all I have in me to withdraw the book once more.

  It is possible it is a side effect from the Phoenix poison. You have Fae magic running through your veins. It is too powerful for your body to maintain, but it may be granting us a tenuous connection. Fae can often speak to one another without words.

  My fingers start to cramp. This is the most I have written since I was a child, and my joints are still so sore every day. Lash swears his healing potions will gradually lessen the pain, but thus far, they have done little.

  No longer hoping for anything more than a single, stolen day with this beautiful woman who does not see me as a monster, I stand and help her up. There is one person in all of Faery who might be able to tell us more about the Phoenix of Osteria.

  Time to see my uncle, the acting king.

  Kat

  I’m so confused. When Adrian wraps his arm around my waist, it’s like small bits of his thoughts or emotions seep into me. If I weren’t terrified that the world’s worst bracelet was going to kill me before his friends find the rest of it, I’d never want it off. Well, except it hurts like hell every time I touch it.

  Shining silvery gates part before us as he leads me into the city. This is so different from Dublin—and from Seattle, where I live.

  The citizens whisper as we pass by, and I only hear snatches of the conversations.

  “…the King…”

  “Is that a human? King Adrian…”

  “…finally take the throne…?”

  I peer up at Adrian. His jaw is clenched tight, and though he’s being gentle, supporting me so I don’t fall, his muscles tremble. I think from the effort it’s taking him to remain calm.

  “How come they keep calling you King?” I ask.

  He rolls his eyes.

  I don’t know why I’m asking him questions. He can’t write in his book while we’re walking. But I press him further. “Are you the king of this place? Of Faery?”

  Though he shakes his head, I don’t believe the answer is that simple. Fragments of memories pepper my mind. A male voice calling Adrian “my liege.” My Fae companion’s anger, frustration, and pain.

  A tall structure, sparkling glass, shining metal, and ornately carved stone rises ahead of us, and Adrian sighs. But then a delicious scent wafts from some sort of shop to my right, and I stop and stare at a tall, blond man operating some sort of cooking plate. My stomach rumbles, and Adrian sucks in a sharp breath.

  Guiding me over to the man cooking, he gestures to a steaming pot and signals “two.”

  “Of course, my liege,” the man behind the counter says as he passes us two servings of whatever this is. Some sort of pale noodles with little green pearls a
nd a savory, lemony aroma. “It is good to see you back.”

  Adrian grunts quietly and nods, then we sit with a view of a large fountain. It’s awkward to manage the spoon, but I take a bite and moan. “What is this?”

  He pulls out his book and scribbles a response.

  I think in your world, it would be something like picatta? Lemons, capers, and noodles made from one of our local vegetables.

  “How do you know so much about my world?” Adrian stares at the water cascading over a sculpture of a man who bears a vague resemblance to him, but has short hair and a different nose. I’m not sure he heard me, so I touch his arm, and he jerks then blows out a breath. His eyes are full of regret, and he shakes his head. “You’re not going to answer me?”

  Another shake, and a muscle in his jaw ticks. With a sigh, he returns to eating, but if I had to guess, he’s not tasting anything.

  Giving up, I take another few bites, but the flavor that was so amazing a few seconds ago holds less of an appeal now. I need to keep up my strength, so I force myself to finish every noodle. When we’ve both finished, he takes the bowls and returns them to the vendor, then helps me up again.

  This time when we touch, it’s like quiet words float through my head. His words. You are so beautiful when you smile.

  I don’t say anything. Despite only knowing him for a couple of hours, I can sense his discomfort over telling me anything deeply personal. He’s the King of this place. Or could be. But he doesn’t seem to want the job. Is it because he can’t talk? Or because of whatever happened to him?

  A group of children race past us, and I gasp. Their ears are all slightly pointed—almost like elves. A woman races after them, and…my God. Wings. She has wings. They beat rapidly, and her feet leave the ground.

  Adrian watches me marvel at the sights all around us, and his lips twitch. He’s almost…happy, I think. “Is she…Fae too?”

  He nods.

  There are many types of Fae. Only some can fly. I am not one of them.

  I tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. “Oh my God.” With a gentle touch, I skim my fingers over the shell, and as I reach the point, he shudder. We’re close enough, I can feel his arousal starting to press against my belly.

  Adrian stares down at me, a pure, animalistic need churning in his blue eyes. Half-carrying, half-dragging me into an alley, he has me up against a wall before I can say a word, and then his lips are only a hair’s breadth from mine.

  Kiss me, Adrian.

  I need this. If I don’t taste him, I won’t survive another minute. But he’s not moving. Not even breathing. I wrap my good arm around his shoulders and pull myself up to my tiptoes.

  When our lips collide, both of us moving at once, it’s like fireworks go off behind my closed eyes. I’m scared, weak, and in pain, but this feeling…the connection I’ve felt since I first saw him…slams into me like a brick wall.

  “Kat. Fuck.”

  “Adrian?” I break off the kiss and meet his shocked gaze. “Did you just…say, err, think the word ‘fuck’?”

  He nods. “This should not be possible.”

  “Seems like it is, though.” I tip my head up in the hopes he’ll kiss me again. “I need…more.”

  Uncertainty furrows his brow, but he brushes his lips to mine. Tentatively, his tongue begs for more, and I let him in, forgetting that I could die, that I’m trapped in this world that isn’t mine, that I’m probably kissing the Fae king, and who the hell knows what that means.

  Adrian’s strong hands mold to my hips, and he lifts me so I can wrap my legs around his waist. In this position, I can feel the strength of his need, and when he gave me this tunic, he did not provide me with any panties.

  Arousal pools in my core, and I grind against him. With a grunt, he reaches for the tie on his pants, but then stops and shakes his head. “No. Not like this.”

  “Yes. Very much like this,” I say. “This thing is killing me, Adrian. And I don’t want to die without feeling you inside me.”

  He squeezes his eyes shut, and the battle raging inside him is so violent, it radiates off of him in waves. “You will not die, Kat. I will not allow it. But I cannot allow this either.”

  Before I can protest, I’m back on my feet, his arm around my waist, and we’re striding quickly towards the glimmering castle.

  Chapter Five

  Adrian

  I can never lose control like that again. Kat is not mine. My cock throbs with each step. Her life is at stake, and if I give in to my desire, the distraction could kill her.

  “This is so beautiful,” she says as we approach the castle. Her wonder is infectious, despite how unworthy I feel to even cross the threshold of this place.

  The guards hold the doors open for me, bowing slightly as we pass.

  The throne room is up three flights of stairs, and I sweep Kat into my arms to carry her. I so wanted her to see Faery, but she is weakening. I should have brought a second bottle of Lash’s tonic for her.

  My uncle looks up when we enter, then stands. “Adrian. You have brought the human.”

  “Uncle. My King.”

  I set her down and bow, but my uncle rushes forward to take my elbow and force me to straighten. “It is I who should bow to you, nephew. You are the rightful king.”

  “I am never taking the throne. And we do not have time to rehash this argument again today. Kat needs help, and you are the only one in the realm with additional knowledge of the Phoenix of Osteria.”

  “Um. One of us can’t always hear what you’re saying,” Kat says, staring up at me. “Or, um, thinking.”

  The King bows to her and offers her his hand. “My apologies. I am Bernard. Adrian’s uncle—by marriage. Adrian believes I know something about the Phoenix, and he is correct. I do.”

  “Kat.” She lets my uncle kiss her knuckles, and a wave of intense jealousy and possessiveness threatens to choke me. Bernard is a good man. One of the best I know, and I still do not want him touching what is mine.

  She can never be mine. Stop hoping for what you will never have.

  Bernard gestures to a set of lavish chaises next to floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the royal city. I hold Kat close, and my uncle’s dark blue robes billow as he drops down across from us. “May I see the piece of the Phoenix?”

  Kat shudders as I untie the sling and roll up her sleeve. Fuck. Her arm looks so much worse than it did when we left. The black streaks are thicker than ever, and the rest of her skin is almost blue.

  My uncle draws in a sharp breath and leans forward to take her hand. He traces the poisonous stone, and tears shimmer in Kat’s eyes.

  “You are hurting her!”

  “I’m okay, Adrian,” Kat whispers. “If he knows how to fix this…I can stand the pain.”

  Bernard’s gaze pings between the two of us. “You can hear his thoughts?”

  Kat chews on her lip, then nods. “Sometimes.”

  My uncle arches a brow and switches to his thoughts. “Adrian, this ability is not from the power of the Phoenix. This is your Kat’s own unique magic. Are you certain she’s entirely human?”

  “What else would she be? She is not Fae. Nor shifter. I would be able to tell.”

  “The two of you are having a whole conversation without me, aren’t you?” Kat asks. “Can we get back to this thing that’s killing me? My shoulder is numb now. And I can feel it spreading.” Her voice cracks, and I gently ease her fingers from my uncle’s hand and tuck her arm back into the sling.

  The poisonous trails have reached all the way to her left ear, and there’s a dark tinge under her eye that was not there when we woke this morning.

  “I will not let this kill you.”

  My uncle clears his throat, and I ease Kat closer so we can settle against the cushions.

  “The Phoenix is a blight on this realm. On every realm. Two millennia ago, a Fae king imprisoned two mages—sisters—and told them he would only let them go if they found a way for him to pull back the
veil between the various realms.”

  “There’s more than just…my world and this one?” Kat’s eyes widen, and she shrinks into my embrace.

  “There are many, my dear,” Bernard says. “Most are sealed off from the others by magic so powerful, nothing can combat it. But the king tortured the mages until the younger sister was near death, and then forced the older one to siphon off her sister’s magic and use it to complete their task. The result? The Phoenix of Osteria.”

  “Osteria? Wait. My boss. The man who sent me to Dublin to get this Phoenix. His name is Miles Osterman. That’s…too similar to be a coincidence,” she says as she peers up at me.

  A memory threatens. Dark and dangerous, but Kat’s gaze keeps me from going down that path, and I shake my head, unsure who this Osterman is that he thinks he can wield the power of the Phoenix.

  Hoping our connection is strong enough for her to hear me, I link our fingers before trying to speak to my uncle. “This does not explain why the stone is killing her. Or how to save her life.”

  “Can’t you just like…use a hammer and break the damn thing? I don’t care how much it hurts.” The tremble in her voice belies her words. She cares very much, but she also wants to live. Desperately. And for the first time since my father imprisoned me…I think I might want to live too.

  “I wish it were that simple,” Bernard says. “But if you try to remove the tail without the rest of the statue, the magic will have nowhere to go, and I am afraid it will destroy you.”

  “How do we find the rest of the statue? Lash and Joran have been unsuccessful. It is not in the lake or the cliffs.”

  “Then it must be in the human realm. But the two of you together can find it. Return to the place your Kat came from, and the magic contained within the Phoenix’s tail should help guide you where you need to go. But be careful. This…Osterman cannot be of human blood if he thinks he can use the Phoenix, and I fear what he will do to get it.”