by Jayne Hawke
He pulled up in front of the shallow cream steps that led to the black double door. Evander’s hand caressed mine as he gave me a warm smile before stepping out of the car. This was really happening. He opened the door for me and held me close with his arm around my waist.
“Welcome to my home,” he said softly.
It was like something out of a fairy tale. We walked through the front door into a cavernous foyer with ceilings arcing high overhead. Delicate mouldings featured intricate patterns that wrapped around a large and complicated light fixture made to look like an ancient oak. Silver strands twisted and wrapped around each other with pale white orbs on the end of each branch.
Evander led me down the wide corridor into a kitchen larger than our training courtyard.
“I’m going to cook you a mix of French and fae cuisine, is that ok?” he asked.
I looked up into his emerald green eyes and smiled. How could I possibly say no to that?
“That sounds amazing, thank you.”
His eyes lit up with joy, and he began rolling up the sleeves on his sweater revealing powerful forearms. I followed him over to the range, where he had some bowls with spices and such prepared.
“Tell me about yourself, Iona,” he said as he pulled some chicken out of the fridge.
“There’s not much to tell. I’m a part-bred fae. My parents abandoned me when I was little. Tell me about you,” I said.
He looked at me with creases in the corners of his eyes and deep sadness.
“I’m sorry to hear you were abandoned,” he said softly.
I shrugged.
“I can’t mourn what I never had.”
The left corner of his mouth quirked up into a small smile. I wanted to run my fingertips over his pale pink lips.
“There isn’t much to tell about me either. I was born to a working family in the Barrows. They had a large moonlight and starlight farm. I worked with them for the first century of my life. A prince saw something in me and took me to the courts to be trained. Over the next two centuries, I gathered knowledge and a following until I took my own territory.”
He said it so casually, and yet I couldn’t imagine a life like that. To have lived for centuries and made himself from a farm boy into one of the most powerful lords in existence.
Evander reached out and gently stroked his thumb over my bottom lip.
“My life isn’t that special.”
“From where I’m standing, it’s truly incredible,” I said with a laugh.
He returned his attention to the food with a shrug.
“Our ‘normal’ is very different, but I hope that won’t interfere with anything. Did you always want to serve the god touched?”
I wrinkled my nose. I’d forgotten about that ridiculous lie.
He looked at me with a devilish smile that made warmth spread through me.
“You really don’t seem like someone meant to serve.”
I smirked at him and trailed my hand up over his strong back and across his shoulders.
“Don’t I?” I said.
He looked down at his hands, which were covered in flour and spices, with disappointment.
“No, you really don’t,” he said, matching my smirk.
“I suppose we all hold secrets and surprises,” I said, pulling my hand away.
He nodded and dipped the chicken pieces in the flour mix.
“Life would be boring if we weren’t,” he said after a couple of beats.
I leaned back against the countertop and crossed my arms over my chest, watching him move with quick and nimble motions, dipping the chicken in a series of bowls before dropping it on a tray.
“How many women have you cooked for?” I teased.
He was centuries old. I knew that he was experienced. It still made my stomach twist a little to think of it.
“You’re the first.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m flattered.”
He looked at me with a flat serious expression.
“You’re the first, Iona.”
I wasn’t sure what to say for that. It added a weight to the night. Chewing on my bottom lip, I allowed myself to really feel hope for whatever this was.
TWENTY-SEVEN
The food had been exquisite. The meal was made even more memorable by Evander’s choice to serve it on the patio, where we watched the sun set over the beautiful forests that stretched out around the edges of his property.
Once the meal was done with, he pulled me closer to him and ran his fingers over the palm of my hand in slow soothing motions.
“You have a warrior’s spirit,” he said softly.
He didn’t know how right he was.
His hand slowly slipped up over my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. I watched his eyes as I did so. Our surroundings slipped away as I slowly fell into the moment. His fingers hooked under my chin and slowly, gently, pulled me closer to his slightly parted lips.
My instincts screamed at me, torn between the need to jump into his lap and the need to flee from this predator that I was falling into the arms of. His lips brushed over mine, teasing me with fleeting warmth and promises of so much more. We held ourselves there, neither willing to be the one who broke this little game, our breath mingling between us as his scent wrapped around me, leaving its mark upon my skin.
After what felt like an eternity, he moved his hand to dig into my hair and pulled me into a deep kiss. Our lips clashed as I leaned into him, needing to feel more of him, to be closer. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I dug my fingers into the nape of his neck, embracing the feral passion that passed between us. His teeth grazed my bottom lip as our hunger grew.
I sank my teeth into his bottom lip, enjoying the small groan of surprise and pleasure that formed in his throat. His free hand skimmed up my thigh to rest on my hip as he opened his mouth, allowing me to explore with my tongue. He claimed my mouth as he held me there until I was gasping and eager to go further.
His thumb gently caressed my swollen bottom lip.
My heart thudded against my ribs as I caught my breath and bit back a laugh, trying not to break the moment.
“Not tonight,” he whispered.
I frowned and pulled back. Had something gone wrong?
He placed his hand on my cheek and rubbed small circles just beneath my ear bringing the warmth back to me.
“If I wanted meaningless sex, I could have it at any time. You’re something more. I want to savour this,” he said huskily.
We had discussed books for another three hours before Evander had returned me to Brixton not long before 1:00 am. I hadn’t given him my exact address, not wanting him to see where I lived, what I was. He would have to know, but I wasn’t ready. There was no shame in being a huntress, but there hadn’t been a good way to explain that I hunted monsters.
Evander had left me with a spine-tingling kiss that formed a ridiculous grin on my face. I almost lost my footing on the run across the rooftops home as I kept replaying it all in my head. The feel of his hands upon my skin... his fingers were slightly rough, which added an edge to him. Goosebumps formed on my skin just at the memory of it. The kiss had been wild and sent my mind spiralling into thoughts of exploring his body and passion further.
Pausing to look up at the night sky one last time before I returned to my normal life, I saw the dragon. A large black form sweeping across the skyline. How many innocent lives would it take that night?
I pulled myself back together and slipped through the hatch back into the house. Everything was quiet and still. I walked as quickly and quietly as I could manage, knowing exactly where the creaky boards were. Slipping into my room, I found Sienna and Nicole up, sitting on Nicole’s bed whispering.
“Tell us everything! Every detail!” Sienna whispered.
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
“You screwed him!” Sienna said excitedly.
“No, just kissed,” I said with a nonchalant shrug.
“Come on, tell us all about him, we’re dying over here,” Nicole whispered.
I chewed on my bottom lip and headed into the bathroom to change into my night clothes.
When I emerged, they were sitting on my bed with eager expressions. I sighed and relented, telling them a modified version of the night. I told them he had cooked for me and he had a nice house, and the way he filled me with a fire that I’d never felt before.
“I’m jealous,” Sienna declared.
Nicole and I laughed.
“He sounds like your soulmate. The old ones have soulmates, you know,” she said.
Evander was centuries old. Was that old enough? I shoved the thought aside. It was ridiculous and childish. He was a charming, sexy man. Being his soulmate was just a girlish dream that would result in my broken heart.
“I’m sure we’re not soulmates. He’s just fun, kind, charming,” I said.
“You’re glowing. You’ve never glowed. Don’t shrug it off, if he’s old it really could be,” Sienna said as she walked to her own bed.
I made a non-committal noise and crawled under my bed covers.
Soulmates were a fairy tale. Evander was just a like-minded man that I enjoyed the company of.
But what if...?
TWENTY-EIGHT
I groaned when the room began to fill with light and I had to get up for the day. I had another day of studying the old books and scrolls to look forward to. There was nothing of use in there. I would have been better served remaining with my sisters. Frustration bubbled up as I walked down the stairs in my leathers.
Sister Analise gave me a nod of approval, and I followed Nicole and Sienna out into the courtyard. The other sisters, Emma in particular, gave me dark looks. I ignored them and held my chin high. Hunting the dragon was an honour I’d earnt through hard work and determination. Their times would come.
The sparring matches were brutal. Everyone bar Nicole and Sienna did their best to take me down. There was no holding back. Emma tried to gouge my eyes out, but I knocked her flat on her ass for her troubles.
Once we were finally allowed to eat breakfast, Sister Analise announced that I’d be studying with Mr. Anastas for the rest of the day. I bit back a groan. The last thing I wanted to do was be stuck in a small room with him. He set my teeth on edge, and I didn’t understand why he was there to begin with.
Spending the evening with Evander had opened my eyes to the possibilities and lit a fire within me.
“Today, we’ll be studying fae court etiquette, ready for your stay with a fae lord,” Mr. Anastas declared.
It was a miracle that I managed to keep the polite expression on my face. Sitting down and looking at tedious rules on manners and such was my idea of Hell.
“Wait, my stay with a fae lord?”
There was that sharp smile again.
“Yes. We’re in talks with the local lords at the moment. You’ll stay with one, and they’ll aid you in hunting down the dragon. We felt it was best if you took him down from the inside, and the lords will be quite happy to aid in the political shift the demise of the dragon will bring about.”
I gritted my teeth. That wasn’t how huntresses worked. There was some logic to his plan, but I saw no reason to leave my home and be dragged into the tedium of the courts. It would only distract and take me further from the hunt.
“Do not worry, Miss Stormchild. We’ll ensure you’re fully engaged in the hunt.”
“Of course,” I said.
I glanced down at the large tomes of etiquette guides and excused myself. This was getting ridiculous. Hierarchy be damned.
Sister Analise was in her office, having left my sisters to study in quiet for a few hours. I walked in without knocking and closed the door behind me. There was something wrong with this Mr. Anastas, and I needed to get the full story.
“Why is Mr. Anastas in our home and taking control of the dragon hunt?” I asked.
Sister Analise’s eyes snapped up and hardened.
“Are you questioning me?” she growled.
“Of course not,” I ground out.
“He is in a position that allows him to help us,” she said coolly.
“We’ve never had a man in our home before,” I pushed.
“We must evolve and adapt to best fit our environment and enemies,” she said a little too quickly.
Something was very wrong there. As much as I was excited to hunt the dragon, I didn’t know if I should be looking more deeply into this Mr. Anastas.
“Go and study, Stormchild. You must not shame us while you stay with the lord. We believe there is one which will be happy to take you in and aid you in your hunt.”
I gave a small nod and returned to the small private study room. Mr. Anastas watched me as I re-entered the room with his hands in the pockets of his pants. There was a cold hard steel to him, and I didn’t appreciate it. He felt too much like the predators that we hunted. A spy.
TWENTY-NINE
Evander
The Sisters of the Hunt had been asking around with the local fae lords about the dragon. They were hunting the great beast and hoped that a lord would be interested in aiding them in the hunt. Some of the smaller lords were considering it. Rumours were that the dragon was a lord, and removing a lord from the political landscape might give them an opportunity unlike any other.
“It would be a good idea to have the huntress in with us,” Connor rumbled.
The cu sith had been my best friend and second in command for three centuries now. He was the only person in the world I trusted, and I valued the hound’s thoughts. Cu sith were once called black dogs; they were considered to be death omens. The humans didn’t realise they could shift into a human form, nor did they know they didn’t warn about death but rather brought death. Cu sith were often assassins, given their magic tied into killing and transporting life essence to where it belonged.
“I know you don’t want a stranger in your home, especially one who killed your brothers,” Connor added.
He wasn’t wrong. This huntress wouldn’t be one who had killed my brothers, but they were the same ilk. Little murderesses working for some corrupted idea of protecting the weak.
“Ok, do it. Make a firm offer, we don’t want someone like Malek to take her under his wing. He could be dangerous with a huntress under his thumb,” I said.
“Or Fionn. He already has that coven of witches bound to him,” Connor said with a growl.
I nodded. Fionn was one of the more powerful lords in London. He was sharp. We had been dancing around each other for a century or so, trying to form some sort of alliance. Things were slow and dangerous in the courts.
“We’ll set the huntress up in the city apartments. I don’t want her in my house,” I said.
I knew that Connor wanted to make some more comments about Fionn, but that was for another time.
“I’ll send the message now. She’ll likely be here tomorrow,” Connor said.
I watched the broad powerful man, my old friend, depart. What would Iona think of this world?
THIRTY
Iona
News came bright and early. A lord had offered up a place in his home to aid me in hunting the dragon. I forced a calm smile upon my face while my stomach twisted and my mouth went dry. Sister Analise was positively jubilant.
“This will be a good thing for us. We have hidden away too long. We need stronger allies to help us further our cause,” she said.
That sounded like the beginning of the end to me. The lords and ladies were quite attached to the power they wielded over the rest of us. There wasn’t a chance in Hell that they’d be as helpful as Sister Analise seemed to be thinking. I knew that there was at least one lord with a witch coven bound to him. There was no reason to think that they wouldn’t enjoy controlling a group of elite huntresses, too. We could soon become blades for hire, taking out their enemies and irritations.
“Go and pack, Stormchild. Your car will be here in an hour,” Sister Anal
ise said while she made a shooing motion.
I turned and left her study. Mr. Anastas’s eyes bored into my back. I felt his sharp smile burning. The smile had reached his eyes. This was his plan. That made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something was wrong here.
It hadn’t taken me long to pack. The clock on the bare brick wall told me that I had thirty minutes with just my thoughts. I knew Mr. Anastas was bad for the Sisters, but was that my concern? When I killed the dragon, I would be free. The house would no longer be my home, and I wouldn’t be welcome within its walls any longer. Chewing on my bottom lip, I knew that I couldn’t abandon my sisters like that. I would have to figure out a way to save them from Mr. Anastas’s grip.
Taking a slow breath, I steadied my heartbeat and tried to focus on what I knew of fae etiquette. They were predators, so it was a bad idea to maintain eye contact for more than a beat. Evander’s beautiful emerald green eyes flashed into my mind. The image was quickly followed by the memory of his lips against mine and his hand wrapped in my hair. Would I be able to see him more frequently if I was in the lords’ world?
Shaking my head, I returned my thoughts to the issues and considerations at hand. I hadn’t been told which lord I’d be staying with, which meant I couldn’t do any research. Sister Analise had been distracted. She should have given me an entire dossier on him. A quiet voice in the back of my mind whispered that it could be Evander. That would pose problems, though. He would find out I’d lied to him. How would he take that?
I stood and slowly stretched my muscles while making myself look away from the clock. It could well be Lord Fionn. He already had the witch coven bound to him. He could see this as an opportunity to take the Sisters, too. I rolled my jaw and hoped it wasn’t him. He was rumoured to be a cruel and sharp lord. I was curious to meet and see his witches, though. The chance to understand how they worked (and how better to kill them) would be a great thing.