Motor City Fae (30 page)

This was obviously a much younger elf than most of the ones she’d met so far. His speech patterns were almost American. “I’m listening.”

“If Diarmud gets the title, I’ll be forced to kowtow to him for the rest of my life. And frankly, I’m sick of that. So here’s the deal. I keep you here long enough to miss the council meeting. Meanwhile, you agree to a handfasting, making me Lord Rose. Then we both live happily ever after.”

“Yeah right.” Meagan shook her head. “And what do I get out of this? A husband I don’t want? I don’t think so. Why not off me and your brother?” He really didn’t look like he had the guts for outright murder. God, she hoped her intuition was right on that count.

“Unfortunately there are two sisters in between us. And getting rid of all of them might start to look suspicious. This way is much better. Marry me and you get to live. I’ll even let you draw, or whatever it is you do.

You let me rule Rosemeade and sit on the council in your place.”

He’d
let
her draw? What an ass! Meagan wished he’d get off his butt and come closer. She could blink in her bat, but he was too far away to hit. Hmm… Was that her purse there under the desk? With the nice can of pepper spray she kept in it. Good thing she’d brought that with her. She visualized the can of pepper spray. Moments later, she held it in her hand.

Apparently her new cousin was the impatient type. She heard him scoot the chair back and stand.

“Well?” She heard footsteps, seconds later saw him at the bars. Keeping her body turned so he couldn’t see the can, she approached the door to her cell.

“Well, what?” She looked back over at the desk. Cool, there were the keys, sitting right where she could see them. He must not have heard she’d already learned to blink things. “Let me out of here and we’ll talk.”

“No way. I told you I’m not stupid. We can handfast through the bars.”

“And how are we supposed to prove it? We’re not talking about life-bonding here. Who’s going to believe—or even know, for that matter—that we’re married?”

“Video camera.” He pointed up to the corner of the room. Sure enough, damn it, there was a video recorder in the freaking dungeon.

Okay, time for plan B. If he wasn’t going to unlock the door, maybe she could. She stared at the keys, imagining them in her free hand. As soon as she held them, she blasted what’s-his-name in the face with the pepper spray.

“You bitch!” He screamed, covering both eyes with his hands, while Meagan reached through the bars to wiggle the metal key into the old-fashioned lock.

She almost quit breathing till she heard the tell-tale snick of the lock coming free. Thankfully, Cousin Twit was still busy rubbing his eyes, so she gave him a swift push as she came up behind him. A few seconds later, he was in the cell, still screaming and swearing, while Meagan shoved the door shut behind him. But how to keep him there? As soon as he was done screaming, he could do what she did. Except, didn’t you need to know where something was in order to blink it? She wasn’t sure exactly how that worked. Could he get it from her pocket if her pocket was moving? Opting for safety, Meagan closed her eyes and visualized the rose garden where she and Ric had made love the night before. She blinked the keys into the fountain, doubting her cousin would think to check there.

She fled the dungeon at top speed, keeping her pepper spray in hand as she went. Once she was out in the corridor, she looked around and took stock of her surroundings, realizing she had absolutely no idea where she was, or which way to go. Well, up was probably a good bet. The stairs were dark and cool, more carved stone. When she got to the top, she paused at another heavy wooden door. The last thing she wanted to do was to run into any more cousins, or any of Owain’s followers. She figured she probably wasn’t at court, which meant they’d brought her through a portal. One she had no idea how to find or even use, once she found it.

She laid her ear against the door and listened. Nothing.

Well, she couldn’t stay in the dungeon forever. She turned the door knob slowly and opened the door a crack. Great, another dark room. Her eyes were somewhat adjusted to the dim light by now and she slipped into what looked like a large pantry or storeroom.

Now what? She chewed on her lip and fiddled with the stone amulet around her neck.

The amulet! Duh! What had Elise told her to do? Hold it in her hand and call for help? What the hell, it was worth a try.

To be on the safe side, she clutched the warm, smooth stone in both hands and murmured her plea out loud. “If anybody’s out there, I could really use some help right about now.”

Both Ric and Owain blinked in their swords and handed them to their seconds, who held them up to Madog for inspection. The half-ogre was thorough, checking each blade for hidden mechanisms and testing the weight, handing them off to one of the queen’s wizards to check for spells.

“Both swords are acceptable.”

“Devlin, ward the area.” Llyris nodded at the wizard, who spelled the floor between gallery and dais. Once the duel began, no one would be able to enter or exit the area.

Aidan collected Ric’s sword and started to hand it back. Suddenly Aidan’s eyes went wide. “Elise!” He pushed the sword into Ric’s hand. “Sorry, old man. Have to go!” He gestured for Blaine to come take his place, bowed to the queen and left the room at practically a run.

“What was that all about?” Blaine paused by Madog to be searched and took Aidan’s place at Ric’s side.

“I have no idea.” And Ric didn’t have time to worry about it now. Aidan was a big boy and could presumably take care of himself.

“Trial by combat is to the death.” Llyris’s voice rang cool and firm above the murmur of the crowd. “Is that clear, my lords?”

Ric nodded, glad he and Meagan were not actually life-bonded. This way, if he lost, she wouldn’t die with him. Owain tilted his chin in agreement as well.

“Then let the trial begin!”

Okay, she’d called for help. Now what was she supposed to do? Wait for it? Hide? She had no idea if the amulet would even work and if it did, what form would the help arrive in? Meagan visualized the softball bat she’d left on the bed in her apartment at court. Pepper spray was good, but she felt more confident with the Louisville Slugger.

Well, whatever form help came in, it probably wasn’t going to find her if she stayed holed up in somebody’s pantry. Hitching the bat up on her shoulder, she inched toward the door.

She was only a foot or so back when the door burst open.

“Elise!”

Meagan was so shocked to hear Aidan’s anguished cry that she dropped the bat with a loud clatter. “Aidan!”

A light globe appeared above Aidan’s hand as he peered into the room. “Meagan? What are you doing here?”

“Umm, trying to escape. What about you?” She picked up her bat and stepped closer to her cousin. Now that he was here, her knees began to shake in reaction.

Aidan caught her shoulders to steady her and his eyes fastened on the amulet. “Did Elise give you that?”

“Umm-hmm.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “How do you know Elise?”

Aidan winced. “We can get into that later. Who brought you here?”

“Another cousin. This one claimed he wanted me to marry him, so he could beat out his older brother for the title. I’ve gotta tell you, this whole ladyship thing is proving to be a major pain in the ass.”

“Yeah.” Aidan eyed up the bat. “Did you kill him?”

“No, just stuffed his sorry ass in the cell where he had me.”

“That will work. Now let’s get you back to the council meeting.”

“Right with you on that one.” She followed him out the doorway and down a hall. When they reached an arched alcove, she saw an unconscious guard slumped on the floor. “Your work?”

Aidan nodded and showed her the police baton he held in the hand that wasn’t on her shoulder. “I was in a hurry.”

“How did you know where I was?”

He pushed her into the alcove in front of him. “The amulet has the equivalent of a GPS spell on it. It automatically showed me the nearest portal and led me to you.”

“Cool stuff.”

Aidan nodded as he followed her into the alcove, where a shimmering curtain of energy blocked her vision.

When it dissipated they were in the main portal chamber of the court.

“I should warn you before we go in…” He was practically dragging her down the corridors at a run, two guardsmen from the portal chamber keeping pace.

Meagan was really glad she didn’t have her heels on.

“Warn me about what?” She was panting and her hair was probably a total disaster. Wasn’t the queen going to love this!

“Ric challenged Owain to a duel. They were getting started when the amulet triggered.”

“Damn it! Is he going to win?” Her blood ran cold at the thought of Ric dying on the end of a sword.

“I have no idea. They’re both good. The thing is…”

He paused at an ornately carved door, pulled Meagan close and whispered, “Ric told them you were engaged. It was a stalling tactic to keep Owain from forcing the vote with your seat empty. I backed him up, so did Blaine. So if you’re going to turn him down, do it after today’s meeting.”

Turn him down? Not in this bloody lifetime. She motioned to the guards to hurry up and open the door. She had to see for herself that he was alive.

When the doors opened, the sounds of clanging metal crashed into the hallway. Meagan clutched Aidan’s arm tightly as they stepped inside. They were stopped at the doorway by one of the queen’s guards. He closed the door behind them and they leaned up against the carved oak panel. Meagan watched in horror as Ric and Owain circled and danced. She only tore her eyes away for a second when one man in the gallery stood and stared at her before he made a run for the far door. Another of the queen’s guards grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place.

“My cousin Diarmud?”

“Afraid so.” Aidan returned her whisper, but both of them kept their eyes focused on the fight.

Both men were bleeding and breathing heavily. Meagan recognized a shimmering dome of power around them, like the one Owain’s assassins had erected at the truck stop, but this one was transparent, allowing the audience a full view of the combat. Blaine Black stood behind Ric and another man she didn’t recognize stood in the far corner. The queen and her bodyguard watched from the rail above the fight.

Meagan whimpered as Owain’s sword sliced into Ric’s hip. The same leg that had been hurt last time.

“Shh. Don’t distract him!” Aidan let her clutch his hand, didn’t seem to mind how tightly she squeezed. She didn’t think Ric was even aware of her presence in the room, he was so focused on the fight. Owain’s eyes did fly wide and that moment of distraction cost him, as Ric’s sword bit into his shoulder, causing his own weapon to clang to the floor.

Owain slumped and Ric’s weapon flashed, pausing right at Owain’s exposed neck.

“Mercy, my queen?”

Ric didn’t even look at Llyris as he asked. The question was routine, but he knew Llyris too well to think she was going to let him spare Owain’s miserable life.

No, the queen would use this as an excuse to make somebody else, namely Ric, the villain in Owain’s demise.

“Granted.”

The dome vanished as Ric pulled back his sword.

Shocked at Llyris’s pronouncement, he let his eyes flash to the queen, which proved to be a critical mistake. Owain ’ported in a knife, which he buried in Ric’s chest.

He felt the burn, but his reflexes kicked in to bring his sword back around and shove the blade into Owain’s throat. Blood fountained, metallic-smelling and thick as Ric slumped to his knees. He heard screams, thought one sounded like Meagan.

“Meagan!” His own voice sounded distant. He looked down at the blade sticking out of his chest. He’d be okay, he thought. It looked like it missed the heart or lungs and Llyris’s healers could fix about anything else. As long as they did it soon. There was an awful lot of his own blood pouring down his tunic.

Blaine’s hands wrapped around him and eased him to the ground. He heard his tunic rip, felt the burn of magic as Blaine laid his hands on Ric’s chest. “Get me a goddess-damned healer!” His vision was starting to blur, but he forced his eyes open as Meagan ran to his side.

“Don’t you dare die on me, damn it! Not when you just promised to marry me.” Trust his Meagan to have learned about that already. Ric tried to smile.

“He’s not going to die.” That was a woman’s voice, vaguely familiar.

“Lady Storm.” That was Blaine again. “If you can stabilize the wound, I’ll get the knife out.” Ric decided he really owed Blaine a drink after this. He let his eyes close as he felt a second set of healing hands on his chest.

Meagan gripped his hand on the side away from the wound. There was a horrendous burn as the blade was removed and the world went black for a moment.

“The council will recess while someone cleans up the remains of Lord le Faire. And someone else find his heir.”

Ric heard Llyris in the back of his head as his brain started to un-fog. The murmurs of the healer had stopped, along with the pain in his chest, so he figured it was safe to open his eyes and sit up.

The first thing he saw was Meagan kneeling above him, tears streaking her beloved face. “Don’t cry. It’s over.”

“Never, ever do that again, do you understand? No more swordfights. Ever!” She sniffled, wiped her eyes with the back of the hand that wasn’t clutching his.

He sat up and drew her into his arms, neither of them worrying about the blood. “Shh, love. I’m fine.” He buried his face in her tangled hair and remembered why he’d been fighting Owain in the first place. “And where were you? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I’ll explain later. Right now we need to talk to the queen.”

“You know what I told her?” He was more scared now than he’d been facing Owain. What would he do if she denied him?

She pulled back far enough to look him in the eyes.

“Did you mean it?”

He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “If you’re interested. Otherwise, please go along with it for today and you can dump me publicly tomorrow.”