by Jayne Hawke
Dragon Knight
The Fae Lords of London, Volume 1
Jayne Hawke
Published by Kitsune Ink, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DRAGON KNIGHT
First edition. September 7, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Jayne Hawke.
Written by Jayne Hawke.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE | Evander.
THIRTEEN | Iona
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN | Evander
NINETEEN | Iona
TWENTY | Evander
TWENTY-ONE | Iona
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE | Evander
THIRTY | Iona
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR | Evander
THIRTY-FIVE | Iona
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
FORTY-ONE
FORTY-TWO | Evander
FORTY-THREE | Iona
FORTY-FOUR
FORTY-FIVE
FORTY-SIX
FORTY-SEVEN
FORTY-EIGHT
FORTY-NINE
FIFTY
FIFTY-ONE
FIFTY-TWO
FIFTY-THREE | Evander
FIFTY-FOUR | Iona
FIFTY-FIVE
FIFTY-SIX
ONE
I stood on the steps of the old building, about to live the dreams of many women across the city, and I wanted no part of it. The second-hand silk pumps pinched at my toes, and the gown, while beautiful, was entirely impractical. To add insult to injury, I hadn’t been allowed to carry a single knife to the ball. I was expected to walk into a room full of the city’s biggest predators entirely unarmed. Worse, I was supposed to be demure and polite as I pretended to be a god-touched maid in training. They wanted me to act as though I was someone who served those the gods had chosen to enact their will upon the world. I was a huntress, a guardian. The thought of bowing to some god-touched dick rankled.
I lifted my chin and ignored the fierce look upon Sister Analise’s face. The older woman was greying at the temples, but there was nothing soft about her. She trained huntresses like me with a core of steel and a vicious temper when she felt it was required. Sienna and Nicole had already ascended the steps and were quietly waiting at the grand door for me to join them. I glanced over my shoulder, debating whether the consequences of scrambling onto the rooftops would be worth it.
Sighing, I painted a polite simpering smile upon my face, lifted my heather grey silk skirt a little, and walked up the steps with what grace and dignity I could muster. I reminded myself that it was one night. I could survive one night of shallow small talk and condescension from London’s elite. It would have been easier had I have had my knife, but I could be resourceful should the need arise.
Sister Analise gave us a stern look, to which I rolled my eyes. I’d heard the speech that was rattling around Sister Analise’s head many times over the previous week. The Sister had worked very hard to gain us tickets for the prestigious event. We’d been invited by someone who wanted to show off the maids in training, if anyone asked. In truth, we were there to gain knowledge we might not have otherwise had access to. In short, we were spying on those that ran the city and, in some cases, far beyond.
I knew that my face was going to ache from the fake smile by the end of the night. I followed my sisters through the wide heavy doors into the marble-clad lobby. The space was as large as the entire upper floor of the building I called home - the same place I shared with twenty other huntresses. The opulence on display was almost stomach turning. It was something I was entirely unused to.
Pure white marble with gold veins stretched from the doorway down the hallways that wrapped around the broad staircase clad in thick gold carpet. Guards watched us dispassionately as we crossed the white space so bright it hurt my eyes. The brilliant starlight lights only whitened the marble, making it almost blinding. Each light must have cost as much as a month’s rent for the entire building I called home. I watched the guards out of the corner of my eye. Their flatter bone structure and plain brown eyes marked them as humans. Or more realistically, witches.
Witches were thieves and con artists. They rarely caused enough harm to draw the attention of the Sisters of the Hunt, but I had learned about them. Each witch had a small spark of magic within them, enough to grant them the ability to borrow and steal magic from other sources. I wondered what they had been granted to give them the magic they’d need to put down an enemy of the fae. Blood was thought to be the most powerful and dangerous source of magic, but surely no fae would have been fool enough to hand their blood to anyone, let alone a witch.
I was glad to step off the slippery marble onto the deep golden carpet. Sienna led the way up the stairs and along the short hallway with the double-height ceilings arcing far overhead. I glanced upwards and noticed the murals painted there. They depicted the fae with the rolling emerald-green hills and forests of their plane.
Soft violin music filled the space around us, and I bit back a sigh. This was it. There was no turning back now. Sienna stepped through the wide doorway with both redwood doors thrown open. The silvery threads of fae wards glittered around the doorframe, making no attempt to hide their presence. Another reminder that we were in fae territory.
I adjusted my smile to soften the edges and present a kinder, more suitable image to the predators I was about to join.
TWO
Thankfully, there was no one there to announce our entrance. I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my facade through something as humiliating as that. Once we entered the ballroom with the vaulted ceilings depicting more fae landscapes, we split up. I made my way around the west of the room with the floor-to-ceiling windows displaying the generously sized balcony. I eyed the balcony with its view over the city and told myself that, once I had fulfilled my duties, I would give myself some peace and time out there in the cool night air.
The patrons of the ball all wore their finery, silk gowns glittering with slender threads of magic no doubt woven from the finest starlight and moon beams. I shuddered at the expense of it all. A glance around told me that I was among the few non-fae present. It was hardly surprising, given the fae had quickly taken control of the upper echelons of business and politics when they had stepped out of the shadows. Rumours had spread like wildfire that they’d been running the country for centuries, but the fae refused to say a word on the subject.
A man in a black suit with a blank expression and vivid violet eyes slowly wove his way between the clusters of people discussing boring subjects such as the rise in stock prices on the Northern Bank. He carried a silver tray with champagne flutes and wine glasses full of silvery liquid. I knew better than to drink even a sip of fae alcohol. My drop of fae blood would stop it from knocking me on my ass, but I’d have one hell of a hangover the following morning.
I wondered what the man’s life was like. His violet eyes showed him to be part fae. His bone structure was too bl
unt to be a full-blooded fae, which meant that he lived between the worlds much as I did. A law had been brought in when I was a little girl that meant those fae who produced half-breeds had to care for them. Previously, they had abandoned them without a care in the world and, given fae sexual appetites were voracious and varied, they had a lot of unwanted mixed-blood offspring. The new law had reduced the rate at which half-breeds were produced, but it did nothing to help those of us who already existed.
I lowered my eyes and gave a soft smile to a puka who watched me with feline gold eyes. Her black cat ears protruded through the complicated updo, and her black cat tail emerged from the highly tailored dress in a way that made the entire ensemble work. Puka didn’t often have much interest in the politics of the courts. They were mild-mannered tricksters who helped those they felt showed them kindness and respect. Of all the fae, they were the gentlest and easiest to be around.
On the other end of the spectrum were the elves, such as the olive-skinned man that held court at the far end of the room. His lean form and leaf-green eyes gave him away immediately. It was rare to see elves away from the wilds, which they guarded with ferocity matched by none. There were, however, two elf lords present in the Celtic Isles, as they had come to be known. Lord Ryn was the highest and most powerful of all the fae lords. He resided in Edinburgh, but it appeared that he had deigned to grant London his presence for the evening.
Sienna slowly moved through the crowds with a polite smile, heading towards Lord Ryn and his entourage. I had no interest in playing that game. I idly wandered around the edge of the room, spending more time looking out over the canvas of oranges, golds, and soft reds that formed the city at night. A whispered comment about shifters moving through the forests of Exmoor caught my attention. I paused and kept my back to the group as though admiring a piece of the mural overhead.
“Someone said they’re Fenrir shifters,” the pixie woman whispered.
“They never leave the Nordic forests and snowy wastes,” the male hissed back.
“What if they’re moving?” the woman hissed.
“No. Fenrir wouldn’t dare send his mutts into fae territory. There is enough trouble with Hades and Mercury,” the man said dismissively.
I made a mental note to check on the Exmoor forests. Fenrir shifters were a dangerous breed. Wild like their master. They had been people long ago, but the great Norse wolf had chosen them and given them a taste of his essence, turning them into vicious wolves trapped in human skins. They could change into wolves, but it was an agonising process that was said to require the permission of Fenrir.
Satisfied that I had something to take back to Analise, I slipped through the tall glass door out onto the balcony. Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I breathed in the scents of impending rain, salt, and old stone. It was said that London was full of pollution before the new era. The fae had quickly removed such concerns and made the air fresh and clean. I was glad I’d never witnessed the time of pollution. My city wasn’t perfect, but I loved it exactly as it was.
THREE
Leaning my bare forearms against the smooth cream stone of the parapet, I looked out over my city. My mind wandered over the rooftops laid before me. I’d snuck out to run along those rooftops and enjoyed the taste of freedom many times over the years. The way the tile felt beneath my feet and the rush of jumping between the buildings was like nothing else. Slowly, the ball faded away from my awareness, and I was lost in my own mind, playing in memories of nights spent free.
“I didn’t expect to find anyone out here,” a distinctly masculine voice said.
I started and turned to find a tall lithe sidhe lord standing next to me. His brilliant emerald eyes danced with amusement as he looked down at me. I noted the way his raven-black hair was long enough to run my fingers through. I found myself thinking what it would feel like to enjoy his pale golden skin beneath my fingertips and lips. His elegant neck joined powerful shoulders that weren’t too broad but offered enough space to give me sanctuary in his arms with my head resting against his chest... should I ever desire such a thing. I noted the way the slate-grey suit had been tailored to draw the eye down his long lean torso and over his powerful thighs and legs. Biting my bottom lip, I realised just how long it had been since I’d enjoyed the company of a man.
My mind flitted to the pleasure his long elegant fingers could offer, and the passion that simmered in his stunning eyes. Swallowing hard, I caught myself and looked away. He was a sidhe lord, a predator who enjoyed toying with women such as me. My fantasy slipped away, leaving a coldness in its place.
“Do you have a name?” the lord enquired.
I raised my eyes and offered him a polite smile.
“Iona.”
I couldn’t bring myself to call him lord. Men like him despised my kind despite being partially responsible for bringing us into the world.
“You may call me Evander,” he said as he rested his arms barely inches away from mine.
I found myself watching the way he pressed his hands together and entwined his fingers while he gazed out over the city. There was such grace about every little movement. He was a work of art.
A glance back at the ball brought a sigh to my lips. I couldn’t bear to return to that stuffy room where I’d have to play a role I was never made for. There was a risk in remaining near the lord, near Evander, but I enjoyed the thrill that came with his presence.
“I’m afraid these events are always dry and tedious. I assume you were dragged here, too,” he said with a gentle smile.
I looked away. He was trying to put me at ease.
“I was. I had tried to give my ticket away, but my... superior would not allow it.”
Evander laughed, a bright sound that brought a genuine smile to my face. I wanted to hear that sound again.
“I do not blame you at all. I would have done the same had I had any choice at all. Although I do not have any superiors.”
He watched me closely then, judging my reaction as I realised just who and what he was. Lord Evander was second only to Lord Ryn in the fae territories. Evander’s holdings spread throughout the world and made him far more money than I could imagine. His power ran deep throughout the political landscape.
“I envy you that,” I said with a smile.
I found that I wasn’t threatened by him, and his power didn’t appeal to me. I wasn’t meant to be bound up in the rules and cages offered to the truly powerful. It was a constant battlefield where they all hid behind masks and polite fictions. I couldn’t imagine much worse.
His head tilted slightly as the corner of his mouth quirked up and he really looked at me. The tip of his tongue slowly trailed along his bottom lip as he drank in the details of me. I found myself standing a little taller, daring him to judge me while ignoring the warmth that pooled in my stomach.
“Tell me, Iona, if you could be anywhere now, where would you be?”
Evander moved closer, his arm resting along the stone near my hip now. It would have been so easy to reach up and caress his pale lips with my own.
I chose to answer honestly.
“I would be running along the rooftops of London, feeling the breeze in my hair and the cool tile beneath my shoes.”
His smile broadened, revealing sharp white teeth, a reminder that all fae were predators.
“Now it is I that envies you. I’ve never had that pleasure.”
I looked out over the rooftops and breathed in deep, catching the fresh scent of oak and sea salt mingling with London’s usual aroma. Evander’s scent wrapped around me, teasing me.
I looked into his eyes and knew that I would take the risk.
“Perhaps one day you’ll join me,” I said softly.
He reached out and traced a circle over the back of my hand with his fingertip, a slow languorous gesture that would have had me smacking away the hand of anyone else.
“Perhaps I will,” he whispered.
I knew that nothing would ever happen between
us. At best, it would be a night full of intense passion, and I’d never see him again. In that moment, I was willing to break every rule just to taste him, to have that one night of bliss.
FOUR
A glance inside showed that my sisters were watching a group of fae very closely. I felt certain that I had at least an hour before I’d be pulled back home. Turning my attention back to Evander, who was still idly tracing circles on the back of my hand with a featherlight touch, I smiled.
“What do you do for fun?” I asked.
Evander’s fingers paused for a moment as his mouth pursed and a look of contemplation spread over his beautiful face. I found myself beginning to reach out to touch the razor-sharp cheek bones that were native to all forms of fae. The sidhe were the most refined of the fae and their pale skin added something, an ethereal beauty to the sharp edges.
“I rarely have time for fun. I do quite enjoy cooking, though.”
I tried to picture this beautiful creature in a kitchen cooking. Everything about him was pristine, and cooking was a messy, creative affair. It was something I’d never mastered; in fact, I’d been banned from the kitchens in my home.
“What do you like cooking?”
I wanted to encourage him to keep speaking, to open up and indulge me. I was participating in a fantasy, and I was relishing the escape from my world.
“I like intricate, fussy recipes; pastries and delicate French food are a particular favourite. I’ll cook for you one night.”
“Oh, you will, will you?” I teased.
I couldn’t believe I was teasing Lord Evander. He could kill me with no effort at all or rip my life out from under me, sending me fleeing into the night.
Evander leaned in a little, his warm breath stretched across my lips tempting me to lean in myself.
“Yes, I will,” he said with absolute certainty.
My heart skittered at that. I knew that it would never come to anything, but the promises were so tantalising.