Tempted By Fae

by Midnight Coven

  He lifts his chin. “Use the other bath for now. Just be quick.”

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

  “Go now, while there’s nobody in there,” he says.

  The door behind him opens and he grabs my arm and moves me out of the way. In a sudden movement, I’m pushed behind him and I notice that his shoulders straighten and he stands at attention.

  Peeking out behind him, I see someone emerge from the door. It’s a girl I’ve seen before. Another human servant. She’s red faced and her dress is torn. With downcast eyes, she walks straight ahead, not looking back.

  Whatever just happened to her, it wasn’t good. I hold my breath, and stand statue still behind the guard. I get the feeling I’m not supposed to be seeing this. I make sure I’m hidden but keep my eyes locked on the door.

  A second figure walks out and my eyes widen. The king himself is standing in front of the servant’s bath entrance. His shirt is open, revealing a muscular chest and washboard abs. He looks over at his guard and I catch a glimpse of his bright green eyes.

  I move as slowly as I can, trying to fully hide behind the guard.

  “Your highness,” the guard says.

  I risk another glance just as the king finishes buttoning up his shirt. He inclines his head at the guard, his messy dark hair falling into his eyes as he does. He runs a hand through his hair, moving it away from his eyes, then he turns and walks away.

  I’ve never seen him up close and he’s even more gorgeous than I imagined. Of all the fae I’ve seen, he’s like a work of art come to life. His sculpted jaw and pointed ears are the perfect combination of masculine muscle and feminine beauty. It shouldn’t be such a deadly combination, but it is. I know instantly why he has the reputation he does. If I met him in a bar after a few drinks, I wouldn’t hesitate to go home with him.

  I swallow hard and stay frozen in place as his footsteps fade. I’ve heard the rumors about the king and his misdeeds, but never had I heard of him spending any time with a human.

  The guard in front of me moves, walking toward the servant’s bath. He opens the door. “The bath is open.”

  I take the hint and quickly bolt through the door. I don’t even look back. I have a feeling what I just saw was enough to get me in serious trouble. Grateful for the guard, I don’t question my luck. For once, something went right for me here.

  Chapter Two

  Rena

  Fae in glittering dresses and flowing silks swirl past me in a blur of color. When I see them all like this it reminds me how far away I am from home. There are times when their world feels like mine. When I get a few minutes to sit in the garden, or at night when I wake from my nightmares.

  But here, surrounded by gorgeous fae and terrifying lesser fae with their horns and antlers and tails, it’s far too real to ignore that it’s nothing like my home.

  A stunning pixie with blue gossamer wings and glittering gold skin stops in front of me and takes a drink from the tray I’m holding. She never makes eye contact with me. I might as well be furniture to them. Though, I suppose that’s better than drawing attention to myself.

  I look around at the guests and find that I’m searching for any signs of the king. It is his party, after all.

  Another fae takes a glass from my tray and I nearly jump as I regain my balance. I’m distracted and shake my head. Why do I care what the king is doing or where he is? I’ve never cared before.

  Even though I technically work for him, he’s not involved in daily life from my point of view. Until today, I only saw the preparation for these events and the aftermath in terms of cleaning.

  And I have to say, so far, this party isn’t living up to the reputations. It’s civilized, elegant, and downright boring.

  I thought I’d see something more interesting. More wild.

  Turns out all the rumors were lies. Or they were about the private soirees in the king’s rooms.

  More fae in elaborate dresses take drinks and my tray is soon empty. I walk back to the tent where an outdoor kitchen has been set up to easily prep items for refilling.

  The tent is warm, full of clay ovens and lamps lit to keep things warm. It reminds me of the heat of a few hours ago. Thankfully, it’s much cooler outside the tent.

  Margot is in the middle of the tent directing people as if she’s a general at battle. She’s in an apron and her hair forms a halo around her face from the humidity of the space.

  “Drinks?” I ask, pointing to my empty tray.

  Margot hustles over to me and grabs the tray. “No, take this.”

  She hands me an oversized bowl full of something that looks like tiny fish wrapped in leaves. It smells like fish and salt water. But not in a good way. I wrinkle my nose as I take the bowl from her.

  “Walk around, get those served quickly. They’re terrible when they get cold.”

  I cock an eyebrow. “Only when they’re cold?”

  “Go,” she says, not looking amused.

  I walk back to the party, my new disgusting appetizer stretched out in front of me. The sooner I get rid of it, the sooner I can get something better to serve.

  “What are you offering?” A smooth, masculine voice asks. It’s like velvet, wrapping me in instant warmth. If arousal had a sound, it would be this man’s voice.

  I turn and my jaw drops open as I come face to face with the king.

  He grins. “Speechless, I see?”

  Blinking, I close my mouth then lift the bowl toward him. “Fish, I think.”

  “You’re new here, aren’t you?” he says.

  “Um, I guess,” I say.

  “Why do you look so familiar?” He narrows his eyes and I can tell he’s studying me.

  I tense. It feels too intimate, invasive even. “I’ve been working for you for six months.”

  “For me,” he says.

  I don’t respond. His expression changed again. It’s something I’d see on a cat toying with its prey before it snaps its jaws around it.

  His eyes drop and I know he’s checking me out. I can’t help but roll my eyes. Even the king, with all his power, is just as predictable as every human man I ever met. Joke’s on him, though. I’m in a plain white servant’s dress that does nothing to show off my curves. All he gets is a sense of my waistline and what my face looks like. Even my dark hair is tucked into a scarf for the evening.

  His eyes flick back up to me and his gaze locks on me. Heat rises in my chest and I can feel my heart pounding. I wish he’d just walk away.

  The king moves closer to me. I only reach his chest and am forced to lift my chin to look up at him.

  He’s so close to me now that I can feel his body heat. We’re nearly touching. He takes the bowl from me and I drop my arms to my side, waiting for him to do something. Anything. What the hell is he doing?

  He leans down and speaks so quietly I lean even closer to hear him.

  “I saw you outside the bath today.”

  My heart beats harder.

  “That was my private business,” he says.

  “Right,” I say.

  He stands and turns. “You there.”

  Another servant in white catches my eye then looks back at the king. She’s small and her sharp features make me think she’s probably fae. “Yes, your highness?”

  “Take this away and tell them no more fish.” He passes the bowl to the servant.

  The king turns back to me. “Look at that, someone who knows how to address me by my title.”

  I swallow, realizing my mistake far too late. I should say something, I should use his title, but my defiant streak is kicking in. So I say nothing, worried that if I open my mouth, it won’t be anything polite.

  He smirks. “Come to my room tonight.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “No.”

  His brow furrows. “No?”

  “No,” I say.

  “Nobody says no to me,” he says.

  “I did,” I say.

  “Yes, you did.” He stares at me for a
moment as if he expects me to say something else. When I don’t respond, he turns and walks away.

  I let out a breath and watch him until I lose him in the crowd. My hands are shaking when I walk back to the tent.

  “The king says no more fish,” I say to Margot.

  “Yes, I just got that message,” she says as she offers a tray of drinks to me. “Take this. Go.”

  Grateful I don’t have to carry any more weird warm fish, I take the tray of drinks and head back to the party. This time, I can’t help but see the king everywhere. As soon as I see him, I turn the opposite direction.

  He grins every time he sees me.

  It’s like a game to him.

  But I don’t want to play.

  The sun has set and the garden is full of twinkling lights. The fair folk are drunk on wine and some of them have even shed their clothing. I know this is only the beginning of the party, though. At the beginning of the night, I wanted to see some of the crazy I’ve heard about. Now, I just want to go back to my room and hide.

  I set the empty tray on a table and look for Margot to get my next assignment. She’s on the other side, sending the trays of dinner food to the long buffet tables. Maybe they’re done with food on trays. Maybe she’ll let me stay back here and help clean up.

  “Rena, is that right?” The voice is back. The one that makes my toes curl. Only this time I know who it belongs to.

  I turn to see the king. “Yes, Rena.”

  “Darius,” he says, as if I don’t know his name.

  “I know,” I say.

  “Have a drink with me,” he says.

  “Have you not noticed that I’m a servant?” I ask, then my cheeks heat. So was the girl he was in the baths with today.

  “And I said no. There’s a dozen women ready to throw themselves at you out there,” I say.

  “But only one who isn’t,” he says.

  “Your highness,” Margot says. “What can we do for you?”

  I glance over to see her fall into a deep bow. I still haven’t so much as called him by his title. He’s spoiled and awful and even though I know it’ll likely involve lashes, I can’t bring myself to do it.

  “Do you have any fresh bottles of wine back there?” he asks.

  “Of course, your highness, I’ll have a servant bring them at once,” she glances at me. “And I can assure you, Rena will be punished appropriately.”

  “Hey,” I say.

  “That’s not necessary,” he says. “I’d like to borrow her for a while. I’m entertaining a very important person. Two glasses, please.”

  “Are you sure?” Margot asks, her voice higher than usual. “We have more qualified staff.”

  “She’s right, you know,” I say. Because the last thing I want to do is fill his glass while he’s putting the moves on some wealthy fae guest.

  “She’ll do,” he says.

  Margot practically shoves the glasses and the bottle in my arms. I grab the glasses and adjust so I can take the bottle.

  The king takes the glasses from my hands, his fingers brushing my skin for a second. Tingles shoot up my arms and I release the glasses. Thankfully he has a grip on them so they don’t end up on the ground.

  He takes the bottle from Margot. “I’ll carry it.”

  She looks surprised. As if she’s never seen him carry anything himself. Maybe he hasn’t.

  He turns and walks a few steps. “You coming, servant?”

  “Go,” Margot says, slapping my hand.

  I run after him, my cheeks burning. I’ve been doing this servant thing for six months but this is the first time I’ve felt small. I don’t like it. I wonder if I can sneak away from him when he’s trashed on fae wine.

  Chapter Three

  Rena

  The king walks through the party and I follow, keeping my eyes down as I’ve been taught. There’s no way I want to draw any more attention to myself than I already have.

  I expect him to grab someone on his way through, but we exit the crowd and enter the gardens without another person. Every part of me tenses.

  I know where this is going.

  I’m about to be the crying girl leaving the bath. Only this time, it’s the gardens. What the hell is he playing at? Of all the rumors about his active sex life, I never once heard of him with a human. And today he’s trying for two?

  Fuck that. I’m not going down without a fight.

  The scent of roses fills the air and if not for the predicament I was in, I might enjoy a stroll through the palace rose gardens in the moonlight.

  I can’t focus on the beauty around me, though. All I can think of is what I’m going to say to him before he tries something with me. It better be good, because I know refusing him likely means death. But I’m not that kind of girl. I don’t just fuck anyone. Not even a king.

  We stop in front of a small structure that looks like it might be a shed. Great. This is where he wants to do this?

  As he balances the glasses, I’m suddenly terrified. Am I strong enough to fight him off if needed?

  He opens the door and stands in front of it, propping it open with his shoulder. “Go on.”

  “No,” I say with as much defiance as I can summon.

  “No?” He repeats, seemingly amused.

  “I’m not going in there with you,” I say. “I don’t know what makes you think you can do whatever you want with humans, but I don’t play that game.”

  He narrows his eyes and the amused expression fades. His teeth are slightly bared and I can see his elongated canines.

  “Go inside,” he says.

  I gasp as my body complies, overriding my mind. “Fuck you, let me go.”

  He smirks as I walk past him into the building. I don’t want to go, but he’s used compulsion and I don’t have a choice. Asshole.

  I hear the door close behind me and I turn slowly around the dark space, trying to get my bearings. Why me? I know I’m pretty enough, but I’m nothing compared to the fae females that throw themselves at him daily.

  Lights flicker to life in mounted lamps around the room. I’m not in a shed. Around me are several couches and plump chairs around a lush rug. A low table sits in the center of the seating. “What is this place?”

  “It was my mother’s,” he says as he crosses over to the table. He sets the bottle and glasses down. “Do I need to force you to sit?”

  I clench my jaw and ball my hands into fists. I want to run. I want to slap him across his handsome, cocky face. Instead, self preservation takes over and I walk to one of the chairs and take a seat.

  He sits on a couch, his legs wide. He looks relaxed, at home. Like taking random servants to hidden rooms with him is normal.

  Maybe it is.

  He works on opening the bottle and I can’t help but notice how handsome he looks tonight. He could easily get anyone he wanted. He’s the summer king, after all. Ruler of this entire kingdom. His kitchen alone is larger than the house I grew up in. He’s got everything.

  Knots form in my stomach and I silently curse myself for thinking about how attractive he is.

  He pours the wine into the glasses then passes one to me. I take it on reflex. He leans back in the seat, looking completely at home, and takes a sip of his drink.

  I hold mine out away from me as if it’s something toxic. For all I know, it is.

  “Tell me about yourself,” he says.

  My brow furrows at the question. “Why?”

  “I’m curious, what can I say.”

  “You do realize that there are a hundred ladies of the court out there who would do anything to be in here with you right now?” I ask.

  “Of course,” he says. “Would you like me to invite one of them to join us?”

  “What? Wait, what the hell is happening here?” I ask.

  He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You don’t know?”

  “What am I supposed to know?” I ask. “Is this your thing? You go through your human servants one by one an
d now it’s my turn?”

  He sets his glass down on the table. “You’re upset about what you saw earlier today.”

  “Of course, I’m upset,” I say. “That girl looked terrified.”

  “She wasn’t terrified while we were together,” he says.

  “You probably compelled her,” I say.

  “Perhaps,” he says. “Does that upset you?”

  “You’re a monster,” I say.

  “I can assure you, if you prefer that I don’t take other lovers, I will abide by that,” he says.

  I blink a few times and try to get a read on his face. What the hell is happening here?

  “You know what,” I set my glass down, “I should go. I think you’re drunk.”

  I stand and he jumps up from his seat. Before I get more than two steps, he’s caught my wrist.

  “Sit down,” he says. “Please, I don’t want to compel you.”

  “I don’t want to have sex with you,” I say, looking up at his gorgeous eyes. Fuck. I’m doing it again. Thinking about how handsome he is. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  “Fine,” he says. “Sit.”

  I tug my wrist free from him and reluctantly take a seat. At least with the chair, I feel a little protected. I know it’s a false sense of security as he could probably kill me in seconds.

  He sits back down. “Tell me, Rena. Why is it that you’ve never used my title or bowed to me?”

  My eyes widen. Is that what this is about? “I don’t know. I guess it could be that we don’t do that where I’m from.”

  “Have you ever thought about how you ended up here, Rena?” His tone is gentle and it wraps around me like silk. Nobody should have a voice this sexy. It’s literally made for seduction.

  “Every day,” I say. “I wonder if I had just gone home instead of going to that party. If I just said no, maybe I wouldn’t be here.”

  I’m surprised by how angry I sound. Not because I’m not angry, but because I didn’t mean to show him any weakness. Emotions are weakness here. They prey on it. I’ve seen it before. Humans show how we feel so much more than they do. They seem to get a sick kind of pleasure out of knowing they got a rise out of us.