To Love a King (Court of Annwyn) (14 page)

“How did you ever date me, knowing all of that?”

“At first it was just for fun. I like the mortal world. You were fun to be around, full of spark and hope. When things started to get more serious between us and I started to wonder how you would fit in Annwyn, I was surprised when I could imagine it so easily. Picturing you by my side wasn’t hard at all. I told you what I was because I wanted to see how you’d react. When you became pregnant, I thought that was it. I was making plans to sweep in and take control…my plans fell apart on both sides of the veil.”

“So you weren’t planning to take me to Annwyn from the first day we met?”

“No. I was planning on taking you to bed though. No games, no deals, just lust. It’s very heady to someone who is always watching every move at Court.” He drew her closer. “Why didn’t you run when you knew what I was?”

“Because I wanted to be more…You made me feel like I could do anything and be anyone. You listened to me and what I wanted.”

“I still listen. And you won’t be trapped in Annwyn.”

“You are assuming we’re going to win.”

He smiled. “That is the only outcome I want to think about. If I can go into the ocean to get you, I can beat Sulia to the throne.”

Jacqui took a deep breath. “And I can give up my soul to be your wife.”

The tension Felan had been holding on to released. He’d almost been expecting her to refuse. “Thank you.” She had no idea how relieved and happy that made him. That was almost better than hearing her say that she would marry him. He kissed her again.

“Just how private is this magic?” Her breath tickled his lips.

“Very. Humans can’t see or hear a thing.”

Then she turned around, pushed him onto his back, and straddled him.

He smiled and undid her shirt, smoothing his fingers over her skin. The need to have her was rough in his blood. It may not have been seven years in Annwyn, but it felt like longer since he’d had her in his arms. His fingers traced the cup of her bra, then he hesitated at her necklace. When she said nothing, he removed the iron crescent and dropped it on the sand.

She covered the place where it had rested with her hand and looked at him for a moment. He could see the questions in her eyes, but then she blinked and they were gone. Whatever needed to be said could be said afterward—and she seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

She rolled her hips. He was already hard and resenting all the clothing between them. Her hands slid over his shirt, but he wanted to feel her skin against his. He drew her forward and caught her lips. His fingers freed her hair from its clip, and it tumbled around her shoulders in dark curls. He liked when she wore it down, messy and a little wild. He liked it more when she was naked and her hair was loose and her eyes were half-closed in ecstasy.

He opened the button and zipper on her pants, even though he knew they were never going to come off like this—and nor were his. She smiled and kept moving her hips as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Are you sure no one can see us?” She lifted her hips, and he slid his hand into her pants.

“Totally.” He eased his fingers over her panties and caressed her, taking his time to rediscover her body instead of rushing like he wanted to.

She drew in a breath, but this time she moved her hips against his fingers, trying to find her own pleasure. Her eyes closed, and he wondered what she was thinking. He wanted to slide his fingers under the fabric of her panties and feel that slickness on his skin, but he didn’t want to disturb her; he wanted to see her come.

Little moans caught in the back of her throat. He knew those sounds. Music he’d never thought he’d hear again.

“That’s it, come for me.” He claimed her mouth, his tongue flicking against hers. Her body tensed against him; then a shudder ran through her as she gasped. Her hips kept moving, only slower this time, as if she was trying to catch her breath.

He pulled his hand free and rolled her onto her back. His coat was going to be ruined by the sand, but he didn’t care. He worked her pants and underwear down, the sodden fabric clinging to her legs as she tried to kick off her shoes. After a little bit of wriggling, she was almost naked. Her shirt was open, and she still wore her bra, but it was close enough. He kissed her belly and up her stomach while her hands undid his trousers and pushed them down.

Reluctantly he drew away to shed his boots and trousers, neither of which were really wet anymore, just damp, thanks to the magic keeping them warm. He placed one knee between her legs and moved over her. The thought that she’d still turn him away lingered even as he eased closer. She didn’t realize how much power she had over him.

Her hands skimmed up his sides, pausing at the bandage wrapped around his ribs to protect the wound on his back. He kissed her throat, tasting the salt on her skin—and a little sand. Her fingers pressed against his hips as her legs moved apart to allow him closer. The head of his shaft brushed her inner thigh, then her hand was there, wrapping around him and guiding him to her slick core.

As he sank into her, he closed his eyes. He’d missed her so much, and now that he was in her arms again, he was afraid it would all be taken away. He held his breath, almost expecting her to change her mind, but instead she lifted her hips.

With Jacqui, it was always different. It was never simply the sealing of a deal or scratching an itch. She was able to reach in and tear down his defenses because she never wanted anything else but him. He was always the one dragging all the baggage and making it hard for them to move forward, always worrying about what it would mean.

Now he knew. Jacqui was his.

She drew him down for a kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair and her legs wrapping around his hips as if she planned on never letting him go. Need burned hot in his blood. He opened his eyes to watch her. Her eyes were almost closed, her lips parted as she panted.

A shimmer of desire traced down his spine; no fairy would ever let themselves sink into such abandon. He placed his lips to hers in the softest kiss. Her core clenched around him as she came, her cry of pleasure on his lips.

He thrust twice more and gave in to desire. For a moment he didn’t move, just let the sensations wash over him—the sound of her heart, her breath on his skin, the waves along the shoreline. Maybe the ocean wasn’t so bad after all.

Jacqui opened her eyes, so dark in the dusk. Her fingers stroked down his neck.

“I love you.” He meant it with all the power he could put into the words. He felt the magic in them. Would she?

She smiled. “I know. You went into the ocean for me.”

“I would do anything for you.” Without her, he might as well be banished.

***

Before she was ready, Felan pulled away. Her body missed the weight and warmth of his immediately. That was some engagement celebration. It was also apparently going to be a very short engagement. How much longer did she have with her soul? Her soul for the safety of two worlds and the lives of billions. Was anyone really that important?

He passed over her pants, now dry but covered in sand. She shook them out as best she could, well aware that compared to the coat she was sitting on, they were really cheap—but he didn’t seem bothered. She pulled on her panties, and he distracted her by kissing her again. For a moment, she almost expected her underwear to come straight off again. She melted into his arms. How had she gone seven years without him? Had she not noticed how empty her heart was and how cold her bed was?

He smiled at her. “I don’t want to leave you now.”

“Well, I guess we won’t have long to wait.” How long did she have left in the mortal world? She needed to eat chocolate and ice cream, to walk on the beach and do other things that she couldn’t do in Annwyn. She didn’t even know what she could do in Annwyn. She’d agreed to live in a place she’d never seen, rule people she knew only a little about, and become one of them. She swallowed down the rising panic. That was the only way she could have Felan, and it would be worth it. She had to believe that.

He nodded. “After the Court meeting…a few mortal days maybe?” He glanced at the ocean, and she knew he was thinking of what needed to be done. Their time was over. When he looked back at her though, this time his focus was on her. “Will you be ready?”

No, never. What have I agreed to?

“Yes.” As she said it, she knew that she would be. This is what they’d started seven years ago. If things had gone to his plan, millions of people wouldn’t be dead. She could save them, not that anyone would ever know. She’d once told her mother that there had to be more to life than just working, living, and dying. Her mother had laughed and told her not to be silly. Perhaps even then, years before she met Felan, she’d been marked for this, her destiny.

He sat on the coat next to her and put his boots on. The embossed leather would be ruined from the ocean, but he didn’t seem concerned. Was it really that easy for him to replace his clothing?

“So what now?” She glanced at him. He was watching her, half reclining on the coat as if they were at a picnic.

He stared at the ocean but didn’t seem to be seeing it. “Where there was one Grey, there would’ve been another.”

Her stomach rolled at the memory. Would she ever get over that peculiar scent of fairy blood and the feeling of breaking bones? “You mean there’s another watching me, us, now?” Had it watched as they’d had sex?

“It would have left when it saw me meet you.”

“It could have overheard everything.”

Felan shook his head. “After you killed the first one, I suspect they will stay well back. Which is good. It’s safer. But now Sulia knows who you are and where you live.” He lips formed a thin line. Gone were the easy smiles she usually saw. This was the grim Felan she’d glimpsed in the mirror—the one trying to save his world and hers. “I can’t keep you safe here.”

“What do you mean? I can’t go to Annwyn now.” She had to say good-bye to people. That realization caused a little lump to form in her throat. Would they think she was dead?

“No, not now, not yet.” He frowned. “Have you ever been to Charleston?”

“What’s in Charleston?” How was South Carolina any safer than California?

“My son and his guardians.”

She felt her jaw drop open. “You have a son?”

He gave a single nod. “I had an affair with a married woman over thirty years ago, but when I saw her with her husband, I realized all we had was lust, not love. She loved her husband. I walked away. Caspian was born here. He is a changeling.”

He had a son who was older than she was. “Were you planning on making her your Queen?” He’d said she was his only choice.

“Annwyn has been in trouble for a while. I liked her a lot, but not enough. When I saw the way she looked at her husband, I wanted someone to look at me like that. So I waited. I was selfish.” He shook his head, old regrets written in his features. “I could have spared both worlds a lot of grief if I hadn’t reached so high.”

For how many decades had he been balancing what he wanted with what Annwyn needed?

She placed her hand on his thigh. “I don’t think wanting love is too much to ask.”

He laughed. “You don’t think like a fairy. I hope you never do.” His finger traced the curve of her cheek. “So you’ll go to Charleston?”

“Do you have any other children I should know about?”

“No others. I never wanted them to be used to get to me. It hasn’t been easy keeping Caspian safe.” His lips turned down as if the memories still hurt.

“How do you know I’ll be safe there?”

“Because I trust his guardian, and I trust Caspian.”

She nodded. She didn’t know these people and yet she was going to have to trust them with her life since staying here was no longer an option. Did Felan realize he was asking her to cross the country? “It’s not as simple as driving there. It’s the other side of the country.”

“I know my geography. Are the airports still open?”

“Internal flights only and all nonessential travel is supposed to be canceled.” She licked her lower lip and tasted salt. “What if I get sick? There are so many outbreaks at the moment.” And the idea of being stuck in a plane with people who could be harboring anything from TB to the bubonic plague really didn’t appeal.

His eyebrows lowered, and she knew he was running through options she couldn’t think of.

“What if a Grey gets on the plane with me?” Now that she’d started thinking of all the bad things that could happen, she couldn’t stop. If it was a big Grey, it would be much harder to kill, and some Greys still had magic. She glanced around the dark and almost deserted beach as if expecting to see something moving in the shadows.

“Taking you via Annwyn is also a risk. We could step through the doorway and be attacked. It’s happened in the past, and I don’t trust Sulia.”

“She’d be that bold?” Would this fairy woman really try to kill her just to claim the throne? Of course Sulia would. She’d already tried to kill Felan, and he was the Prince.

“Desperate.” He sighed and was silent again. “Private charter.”

“What?”

“I’ll hire a private plane.”

“Now, at this time of night?”

When he smiled this time, she saw the fairy, the cool, calculating smile of a man who knew exactly how to play dirty. “In this situation, I think a few little enchantments are required and necessary.”

“You won’t hurt anyone?”

“No one will be hurt, I swear. But I can’t let Sulia capture you. Where I refuse to kill her consort, she would not hesitate to kill you.”

The sound of the waves was drowned out by the beating of her heart. This really was life and death. “You swear I’ll be safe?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate. She knew how much he valued keeping his word.

She took one last look at the ocean, then turned to Felan. Her fiancé. “Then I’d better get home and pack.”

While Jacqui had packed, he’d planned the rest of his day in detail. Great detail. From whom he needed to speak with to what he needed done. There was no ambush waiting on the Annwyn side of the doorway when he’d left California, which was a welcome surprise, but also a reminder of how confident Sulia felt. She didn’t expect him to act until the last moment. And he wouldn’t, but he was going to choose when that moment was, not her. The tension in his shoulders and the way his hand rested on the hilt of his sword just in case as he passed through the veil made him realize what a good defense the doorway was. If he were Sulia, one of the first things he would have done was secure the doorway, thus forcing his opponent to use the old doorways that only went to a fixed location. It was a pity the Window had been broken; it had been a useful—albeit dangerous in the wrong hands—portal that could be carried in a pocket.

The time difference between Annwyn and the mortal world was working against him. Dawn was lightening the sky over Charleston already. Those few moments in Annwyn had chewed through the night. He glanced up. How close was Jacqui to arriving? A few more hours?

Had he done the right thing in leaving her to travel alone?

Maybe taking her to Annwyn would have been better, but he didn’t want her there for the Court meeting—he didn’t want her there until the last moment. Couldn’t have her there until she was pregnant. Was she already carrying their child? Probably not. He was going to have to resort to magic or he would lose at the final hurdle and both their lives would be forfeit. Given her fear of pregnancy when she’d kicked him out of bed the first time, he didn’t know how he was going to convince her that he needed an heir. His fingers brushed the old-fashioned drinking horn hanging from his belt. He should have told her while he had the chance, but even now the moment on the beach was a precious gem he’d never let go of.

He could always have the Court meeting without bringing forward the execution, but it would be an empty threat and that time had passed. He needed to cut Sulia, and cut her deep. Catch her off guard and put her on the back foot. Sulia didn’t think he had the heart to bring forward his mother’s death. His father had set these events in motion and had made peace with the decision. Felan had already spoken his last words to the woman who had let the loss of her soul steal her humanity. It was up to him to carry out the sentence for treason. While he knew he had to, it still didn’t sit well, ending his mother’s life. If it all went wrong, he’d only have himself to blame, but at least he would no longer be following; he would be leading the dance to the throne.

He walked up the road from the cemetery toward the old house where Caspian and his lover, Lydia, lived. He had barely entered the property when Verden appeared in the garden still cloaked in shadows left over from the night.

“You know you give off a resonance of Annwyn that attracts banished fairies?” He leaned against one of the oaks.

In the dull light, Felan didn’t see a change in the old Hunter of Annwyn, temporarily banished from Annwyn. A Grey. However, it had only been just over one week, and if Verden was careful and didn’t use magic, he could last for quite a while. Once Felan was King, Verden’s sentence would be reduced to exile.

“Your heart longs for Annwyn.” Like all Greys, he just wanted to go home. Verden understood the risk that if Sulia took over, there would be no reduction in his sentence. For that reason alone, and his love of Taryn, he was loyal to Felan.

“My heart longs for Taryn. I don’t particularly care where we are.”

“I know she has been across the veil to see you.” The Lady of the Hunt was virtually living on this side of the veil.

Verden gave him a lazy smile. “You aren’t here to discuss what she does when not running around for you.”

Felan shook his head. “She does it for you, not me.” He didn’t care that Taryn acted out of love for Verden and not duty to the throne. She’d do what was needed to put him on the throne and lift her lover’s banishment. “But you are right. I have important matters to discuss. I’m assuming Taryn is already here?”

Verden nodded. “Dylis and Bram too. They are living here at the moment.”

Good. And bad. The people he trusted most were all in one location. If Sulia was smart, she’d wait for them to leave the protected house and attack. Maybe her support wasn’t as strong as she claimed and her allies refused to participate in an outright attack on the rightful heir. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t agree to a declaration of war.

He looked at Verden again, closer this time. He’d expected him to shrink and make a small dwelling in the garden, but obviously Verden was determined to hold on to stature in his banishment. “Where are you living?”

“Not in a burrow or in the scrub. I will not live like a criminal fairy.”

Felan didn’t point out that he technically was a criminal, but his only crime had been wounding the King’s ego publicly. If Annwyn hadn’t been on knife-edge, he probably would’ve gotten away with a simple demotion and lost the rank of Hunter.

Verden pointed behind him. “There are old workers’ cabins on the property. I’ve been fixing them up. Caspian was quite happy to acquire the materials and for me to do the labor. It is quite comfortable. Of course, if you took the tea set home, I could just live in the house.”

Felan smiled. He’d given Caspian an enchanted silver tea set to keep his house free from Greys. Another precaution Felan had taken to protect his son. “Has there been any Grey activity here?”

“You’re looking at it. No one else will come near while I am here.”

The tension he’d been holding on to eased a little. Verden’s word was as good as his swordsmanship. This property was as secure as it could be. “Get Taryn up and choose a place for the meeting, outside. I’ll go wake up everyone else.”

Without waiting for an answer, Felan went and knocked on the door. He didn’t have to wait too long for footsteps to move quickly down the hallway. The lock clicked and the door swung open. Caspian stood there in jeans and a T-shirt. Both looked crumpled, but Felan still smiled. He’d seen his son more in the last three months than he had in the last thirty-five years. He hoped it would continue after he was King.

“I’m sorry for the early visit, but we need to talk.”

“Is it time for the power shift?” Caspian stood aside to let him in.

“Almost. How did you know?”

“The Brownies have left the house and Dylis is acting like she’s walking on hot coals.” He shut the door. “I’ll get the others and meet you in the kitchen.”

Taryn’s parents had been Caspian’s Brownies and had kept the house for him, but with the power shift coming, they had gone back to Annwyn. That was part of the reason for his visit; he didn’t want anyone to be caught on the wrong side, where death would be instant.

“Outside, so Verden can be present.” Most fairies wouldn’t make that concession for a banished fairy, but Felan and Verden had made deals, and in his heart, Felan knew that he would have done the same thing as Verden for the woman he loved.

Felan walked through the old house and into the kitchen. It had changed since he’d last seen it. For one, there was a fairy-made tea set sitting on the kitchen counter; secondly the house looked lived in. There were coffee cups by the sink, fruit in a bowl, and notes stuck to the fridge. His son was making himself a good life with the mortal Lydia.

Voices filtered down from upstairs.

He didn’t want Verden to think there was a brief secret meeting happening inside, so he went out the back door and down the path. On the grass was a table and six chairs—not enough for everyone. Taryn and Verden were already there. He nodded at Taryn. A few minutes later, Lydia, Caspian, Dylis, and Bramwel came out. Despite the early hour, everyone seemed alert.

Verden stood on the other side of the table, his gaze skimming over the chairs, and for a moment Felan wondered what he’d do. Verden stepped back, allowing everyone to sit except him. It was the right thing to do, given that he was the lowest-ranked fairy, but at this point in time, Felan was willing to throw out rank and go for the survival of everyone here—and Jacqui.

He would stand while he talked. He preferred to be moving anyway. “Everyone sit. You too, Verden.”

They did, turning their chairs to face him. All of them looked grim, although getting woken up at dawn by the Prince of Annwyn probably wasn’t the best start to a day.

“The next few days will determine all our fates. I will speak to those I trust at Court separately, but there are things I’m not ready to share even with them.” He swallowed and looked around the table—three happy couples who were risking everything by being associated with him. Caspian didn’t even have the luxury of choice. He was guilty by blood. “I trust you with my life and Jacqui’s.”

Dylis sat up straighter. “She has a name.”

“And she will be arriving in Charleston this morning.” He pulled a carefully folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Caspian. “Can you please go to the airport and collect her?”

Caspian nodded. “What does she look like?”

“Dark curls, blue eyes.” He paused for a moment and thought of all things he’d once tried to forget and yet never would. She had engraved her name on his heart, and some wounds never faded. “I doubt she will have a problem spotting you.” There was a family resemblance even though Caspian was mortal.

“Am I to assume she will be staying here?” Dylis said.

“Sulia’s Greys found her in California. I had no other choice.”

“It’s fine. There are plenty of rooms.” Lydia smiled, but it looked forced. Because she didn’t want someone else staying or because was afraid of Greys after her last encounter?

“Hang on. Sulia is working with Greys?” Caspian looked directly at him. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“As far as I know, she hasn’t made a deal with them; she has taken their families hostage, some of them are mortal.” Usually trusting the word of an unknown Grey wasn’t wise, but he’d seen the fear in the man’s gaze as he’d faced his last moment and begged not for his own life, but his son’s.

Everyone was silent for several heartbeats as the meaning sunk in.

Verden spoke first. “I’d heard whispers but didn’t believe it.”

“That gang of Greys was willing to kill for her because she’s threatening their families?” Taryn leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. “How did she arrange that?”

“I can only assume she has supporters willing to resort to kidnapping.” Which made him worry even more about Jacqui. Perhaps he should have sent Dylis or Taryn to travel with her. It was too late now, and at the time the best plan had been to get her on a plane as fast as possible.

“We killed most of those Greys.” Taryn paused. “You think there’s more? You think they will come here?”

“I think it’s a possibility you should all be aware of.” He looked at Verden, the person most as risk, as he wouldn’t be protected by the tea set in the house.

Lydia glanced around the garden as if expecting a Grey to melt out of the shadows. “And you are bringing Jacqui here. We will be a beacon to every Grey and fairy loyal to Sulia. We’ll be trapped in the house.”

“Lucky you.” Verden crossed his arms.

“It’s only for a few days…which is my next point of business.” Felan took a few paces, then turned back to face them. Everyone was watching, waiting for him to say he had a solution. It was less of a solution and more of a gamble. But what fairy didn’t like to gamble? It was a hell of a lot more fun when lives weren’t at stake. “Tomorrow in Annwyn is a full Court meeting. You must attend.” Felan paused and waited for the inevitable
why
?

When it didn’t come he was surprised.

“And me?” Caspian crossed his arms.

This was the part of the conversation Felan had been dreading. “If you go to Annwyn, you will be safe from the power shift, however, being there will bring its own dangers. People know your face; they will know you are there for me. Sulia is out to hurt me regardless of the bloodshed.” He would rather Caspian stay on this side of the veil, trapped in the house, as Lydia had put it.

“And if I stay here?”

“You are mortal; the power shift won’t kill you, but it will be unpleasant for a time because of your fairy blood.” Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure how unpleasant or for how long. No one had ever bothered about changelings too much, as they were born on the wrong side of the veil to start with. Although one changeling had recently arrived in Annwyn on the arm of a fairy and had willingly given up his soul—making him fairy—and sworn to fight on Felan’s side. He couldn’t ask Caspian to do that. Caspian’s life was here.

His son frowned as if considering, then glanced at Lydia. “Will Jacqui be attending the Court meeting?”

“No. I will come for her soon after.”

Dylis slapped the table. “Why not take her in for the meeting?”

“I can’t risk her murder.” If he lost her, he’d walk away from Annwyn so he could die in the power shift when Sulia took over. And if he took her back without a child growing in her belly, all was lost anyway.

Verden tilted his head slightly, his gaze carefully neutral. “What are you planning?”

“I’m going to bring forward my mother’s execution and close the doorways.” No one in and no one out. He was hoping to spoil whatever Sulia had planned.

“You need someone to bring Jacqui to Annwyn before that.” Verden leaned forward. “I’d offer, but…” He smiled, knowing that he couldn’t set foot in Annwyn at the moment.

Verden was right. He couldn’t leave Annwyn once he went back for the Court meeting. Which meant he wouldn’t be the one holding Jacqui’s hand for her first glimpse of Annwyn.

He could only give Jacqui full Court protection once he was either accepted as heir or the formal call to war had been issued, and he could only do that once she was by his side in Annwyn—proof that he had everything he needed to take the throne. Almost. Could he tell anyone here the truth, that Jacqui wasn’t pregnant yet?

He still had time. He hoped he had time. He glanced at Taryn, but she had to be by his side as Lady of the Hunt. That left Bramwel or Dylis.