Authors: Quinn Loftis
Mona met the King’s stare, not flinching when she felt him tighten his large hand around hers.
“I make this deal with you this day. Bound by the blood oath, I will agree to your terms.” With one last painful squeeze by Cypher, they released each other’s hands, both abruptly stepping back to a safe distance from the other.
“I will return in two days’ time with your female,” Mona told him as she turned to go.
“When am I to perform this task?” he asked, his face a mask of calmness that barely cloaked the rage beneath.
“I will give you ample notice when the time comes.” That was the only answer he received before Desdemona exited his home at an inhuman speed.
Cypher closed his eyes as he fell back onto the couch.
“What have I done?” he whispered into the large, empty room. He had allowed his own desire for a mate to put the lives of his species at risk. And for what? For a woman who may never love him and never forgive him for allowing Desdemona to take her from her human life.
What’s done is done
, he thought.
I must simply do what I can to make it work.
~
Adam and Elle watched as Mona fled from the warlock King’s mountain. They had heard all they needed to hear and it wasn’t good. Peri had told them to continue their recon and then to split up. Elle was to be with Decebel’s group and Adam was to go to the Carpathian Mountains and meet up with Vasile’s group.
“I know Peri told us to leave once we had this information, but perhaps we should follow the witch for just a while longer,” Adam suggested. “Maybe then we can find out the identity of the human she is bringing to King Cypher.”
Elle nodded and began to climb down the mountain. They both moved soundlessly as they maneuvered across the rocks, bushes, and crevices. They quickly caught up to Desdemona and used their magic to cloak themselves from her. Elle ran alongside the steed’s right side about 50 yards away while Adam mirrored her on the left side of the beast. They ran fluidly, swiftly dodging trees, jumping soundlessly over fallen trunks. The leaves and plants around them were left undisturbed, never revealing that the Fae that had run past.
Mona finally stopped at the edge of a small village. She dismounted and murmured something in the horse's ear. Then she simply walked away, leaving the horse where he stood.
Elle looked over at Adam, who gave a shrug and began to follow the witch. Elle decided to stay with the horse and watch Adam’s back.
Adam followed Mona into a tavern and was immediately plunged into dark, smoky surroundings. Music blared and the mumbling of conversation rippled across the room. He eased his way in, careful not to bump anyone. He caught a glimpse of Mona at the back of the room. She briefly looked back before passing through a doorway. Adam picked up his pace, squeezing through tightly packed tables and moving patrons. When he finally reached the door he pressed his ear to it. Using his superior hearing, he listened for voices. Suddenly the door was wrenched open and Adam found himself being pulled in.
“Uncloak yourself, Fae,” Desdemona growled.
Adam stumbled as she pushed him back but then caught himself. He removed his cloak and stood tall, shoulders back, and showed no fear or weakness.
“Why are you following me?”
“Who said I’m following you?” Adam smirked. “You aren’t really my type.”
Mona rolled her eyes. “Oh please, boy. I was bumping uglies with Egyptian pharaohs when you were still cutting your baby teeth.” She began to circle him and Adam turned with her, never giving her his back.
“Now, because you are so pretty to look at, I will ask again. Why are you following me?”
Adam cocked his head to the side and flashed a smile that would have any other girl melting on the spot. He folded his arms across his chest, effectively accentuating his chiseled arms. “Fine, I will admit it. I’m bored.”
“Bored?” Mona repeated skeptically.
“Yeah, bored. I’ve been over here doing my good deeds, fighting the good fight and, frankly, it’s getting a little old. Not to mention the chicks – talk about boring. So I’m looking for a change, some excitement, some indulgence, if you will.” Adam’s voice took on a seductive quality as he narrowed his eyes at Mona and allowed a little of his true appearance to show.
A Fae in its true form is close to perfection in beauty. And though Adam was indeed beautiful, he was far from feminine.
“I think you are something I could definitely indulge in.” He took slow measured steps toward her, continuing to allow a little more of his true form to show. Mona’s eyes followed the movement of Adams’s lips when he spoke. Her eyes traveled up his muscular legs as he drew closer to her. Adam needed to catch her off guard if he was going to flash himself out of there.
She had been using some sort of power to keep him in the room, but as he distracted her, her concentration on the spell diminished.
When he was mere inches from her face, he reached up and slowly ran his fingers through her thick, black hair. He tugged gently on the white strip of hair that framed her right cheek.
“I like this,” he murmured. “It’s very unique.”
Adam reached up with his other hand and gently traced her lips with his finger. He watched as Mona closed her eyes and gave herself over to his seduction, drawing her magic back inside her as she did.
Adam leaned down and placed his lips next to her ear. He blew gently on it before he spoke. Mona leaned even closer into him as she listened intently to his words.
“Desdemona.”
She moaned at the sound of her name on his lips.
“I need to tell you something.” His words were accompanied by warm air caressing her skin.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Before my time is done, I will watch the light fade from your eyes as you are sent to the hell you so deserve.” Though his words promised destruction, the cadence of his voice still held her in a seductive rapture.
Just as what he said registered in her mind, Adam flashed from the room back to where he had left Elle. As he left, he heard a soul-piercing scream, a sound that vowed retribution for fooling her. Adam knew what really pissed her off was that she had shown that she was capable of being seduced, that she still had those urges. He grinned to himself as he approached Elle.
“What did you do?” Elle narrowed her eyes at him.
Adam shrugged innocently. “What? All I did was seduce the wicked witch.”
Elle’s mouth dropped open as she stared at her friend.
“You seduced Desdemona?”
Adam waved her on to follow him deeper into the forest.
“We need to get to Peri and tell her what we’ve found out.”
Elle still didn’t move.
“You slept with the witch?” she nearly yelled.
Adam turned around and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Elle? Do you really think I’m that desperate? I just distracted her so I could get out. Look, I’ll explain it when we get to Peri. Let’s get out of here.”
Elle and Adam stepped farther into the trees, then both closed their eyes. They reached out through the Fae bond, looking for Peri. Once they found her they let her know they were on their way. She gave them the image of the place she wanted them to flash to and then they were gone. The forest became as quiet as if they had never been there.
~
Peri waited, standing behind the small café. Adam and Elle had let her know that they were heading back and she didn’t want the wolves to know they were here just yet.
There was a slight ripple in the air,
and then
Adam and Elle stood before her.
“He seduced Desdemona,” Elle blurted out.
Adam huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I did not seduce her into bed. Good grief, Elle.”
Peri’s head snapped from Elle to Adam.
“You had direct contact with her?” she asked, her voice full of concern.
“She knew we were following her, even though we were cloaked.”
“So how did you end up with her?” Peri asked briskly.
“I followed her into a tavern. She went all the way to the back and through a door. I followed, still cloaked, and when I got to the door and tried to listen it swung open and I was dragged inside.”
When he stopped talking, Peri glared. “Do I have to beat it out of you or are you going to get on with it?”
Adam tried to disguise his chuckle as a cough. Judging by the gleam in Peri’s eyes, it didn’t work.
“She asked me why I was following her,” he continued quickly. “I tried to flash out but she was preventing it with a spell. So I decided distraction was the best course of action.” He flashed Peri with his heart-melting smile, a twinkle in his eye. “So I put the moves on her.”
Peri shook her head. “You put the moves on her?” she asked indignantly. “And it worked?”
Adam clutched his chest as if he’d been stabbed. “Perizada, ouch. You wound me with your skepticism at my seductive abilities.” He took a step towards Peri, his eyes going into bedroom mode. “Shall I demonstrate how persuasive I can be?” His voice, dropping low, was a caress against the skin. Elle shivered and shook her head to clear her mind and pull herself from the spell he seemed to weave.
Peri stood still, seemingly unaffected.
“So
that
worked, is what you’re trying to tell me?”
Adam let out an exasperated sigh as he went from Don Juan to agitated Fae in the blink of an eye.
“Yes, dammit, it worked. I distracted her enough to get her mind off the spell and onto more interesting venues. She even said please,” he told them with a cocky grin.
Peri was quiet for all of two seconds and then busted out into body-shaking laughter. She was able to compose herself several moments later, and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Oh, man, I would give your left kidney to have seen the look on her face when she realized she’d been fooled by a man, and a Fae at that.”
“So glad that you feel comfortable enough with our relationship to pass out my organs,” Adam told her dryly.
Peri waved him off.
“So, please tell me you did more than just try to make skunk head think you wanted in her pants.”
“We definitely have more for you,” Elle began. “She met with the warlock King.”
Peri groaned. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
“But we listened to the whole conversation,” Adam added grimly. “It wasn’t good, Peri.”
“She is asking Cypher to open the veil to the underworld. And in return for his help she is promising him a mate.” Elle paused for emphasis. “A
human
mate – one who is familiar with the supernatural world.”
Peri’s eyes widened at Elle’s words, the meaning of them hitting her hard in the chest. She knew Desdemona was desperate, knew that there was no light left in her, and still it surprised her, the depths that her depravity had indeed reached.
“Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?” Peri asked her comrades.
Adam nodded solemnly. “That bloody hell is going to break loose and the wrath of an Alpha, his son, and two packs are going to descend on Mona and the warlock King when they find out that Lilly Pierce has been traded to be the king's mate? Cause that’s what I’m thinking.”
“I know that we
should
inform Jacque and Vasile of this, but I think that if we allow Mona to think that she is still in control and that her plans are still unknown to us, then we have a better chance of catching her by surprise.”
Elle looked at Peri like she had lost her mind. “You want to let Mona get her hands on Jacque’s mother?”
“Lilly is Mona’s ticket to Cypher. She isn’t going to hurt her,” Peri assured them.
“What about the King? Will he hurt her?” Elle asked nervously.
“It’s been a very long time since I’ve had dealings with the warlock King, but if he is even a quarter of the male he used to be then he will treat her just as preciously as the wolves treat their mates.” Peri stared off into the distance, remembering something from long ago. “King Cypher and his clan were once a mighty race, strong, and very magical. They, like the wolves, are getting closer and closer to extinction. The King is old, though he doesn't look it. He should have been mated long before now.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were hoping this thing between Lilly and Cypher would work out.” Adam narrowed his eyes at Peri.
“I want what’s best for the supernatural beings and the humans. If somehow the Fates have determined that Lilly is what’s best for Cypher and Cypher is what’s best for her, then who the hell am I to say otherwise?”
“You said otherwise when the Fates decided it was Jen’s time and you brought her back,” Adam so helpfully pointed out.
“Sometimes the Fates get it wrong, but it’s only once a millennia. So the chance of them getting Lilly’s fate wrong is virtually nil,” Peri snapped.
Adam and Elle stood silently and watched their leader as she collected her thoughts. They trusted her, even if she did seem bat shit crazy sometimes.