EIGHT
GABRIEL found the Shadow King in the gardens of the
Black Tower. The fae loved their wild places, even when the fae in
question weren’t wilding or water fae. All of them yearned for
green spaces and growing things, it seemed. Even the Seelie, who
were as far removed from their roots as any of them were, an ironic
thing, considering they were supposed to be the true bloods—the
direct line.
“Gabriel.” The Shadow
King turned from examining a beautiful pink and white orchid. “You
wouldn’t be here if you weren’t making progress, so I trust you
are?”
Birds tittered above
and around. Moonlight filtered in through the glass ceiling of the
space. It was moist and warm in here, redolent with the scent of
green, growing things.
No one could say that
the Unseelie were all about death. It simply wasn’t
true.
The Shadow King was
growing impatient. Gabriel could read it in his body posture, the
tone of his voice. Something like that could become unhealthy for
him very fast.
“I am.” He paused.
“It’s slower than I would like, but I’m winning her
over.”
At the same time,
Aislinn was winning him over. She was prickly at first, too honest
by half, and a little stuck up. But peel back that exterior and
there was sweetness inside. Gabriel wanted more of that—more of the
true her.
He could still taste
her on his lips and feel her soft skin under his fingertips. It had
hurt physically to have her run out after dinner. He still felt the
ache of her rejection deep within. Never had a woman been able to
resist him. Never had a woman pushed him away like that, with fear
in her eyes. And, fittingly, it was the one woman in the world he
actually wanted.
Had to have. And it had nothing to do with the
demands of his liege anymore.
The Universe had a
sense of humor, it seemed.
The Shadow King
turned back to his flower. “I don’t like to wait. You know
that.”
“She’s strong willed
and coming off a bad breakup with some useless Seelie Court fop.
She’s got good instincts, too.” He smiled and touched a rose that
quivered in the light breeze of the green space. “She doesn’t trust
me. It’s necessary for me to work past all that in order to align
her with my desires. I’ve never met a woman more stubborn than she
is.”
The Shadow King
grumbled something intelligible. “Talk to . . . what is that
woman’s name? Her friend? Bella. Talk to Bella and Ronan. See if
you can gain any insight that might help you woo Aislinn to the
Black. I need her over here voluntarily and soon. I need her out of
the Summer Queen’s reach and under my control.”
Under my control. Gabriel shifted uneasily. “If you
told me specifically what you wanted Aislinn for, it might help
me.”
The Shadow King
turned to face Gabriel, eyes squinting. “I’ve told you before,
Gabriel. She’s a relative of mine. I’m certain the magick running
through her veins needs cultivation and training. She’s wasted over
there. Here we can groom her to take her proper place in the Black
Tower hierarchy. I mean her no harm.”
Gabriel inclined his
head, regretting the moment he’d doubted his king’s intentions.
“I’ll work as quickly as possible. My week in the Rose Tower is
almost up as it is.”
“Bring her here soon.
I’m sick of having this issue open. Do your job and come home to
us, Gabriel. I promise you will be rewarded.” He turned back to his
orchids, a clear dismissal.
GABRIEL sought out Bella and Ronan in one of the main
gathering areas, when he didn’t find them at home. The Unseelie
Court didn’t have as rigorous a formal social schedule as the Rose
Tower, but there were still many places throughout the building
where the Unseelie gathered.
Bella and Ronan were
sitting near a decorative black marble waterfall and talking with
Llewellyn, a tall, slender, dark-haired Twyleth Teg, when Gabriel
found them. Llewellyn took one look at Gabriel, said good-bye, and
left the room. Long ago Gabriel had slept with his sister, and
Llewellyn had disliked him ever since. Not so his sister,
Rhianwen.
“That guy knows how
to hold a grudge,” Gabriel commented, sitting down.
Bella eyed him. “Did
the Summer Queen deny your petition already? I thought you were
supposed to be at the Rose Tower.”
“I’m still under
consideration. I should have her final verdict the day after
tomorrow.” And by then he was supposed to have Aislinn convinced
she wanted to come with him back to the Black Tower. Inwardly, he
cursed.
Under that fear of
failure was the bare desire not to leave her. The prospect of never
seeing or talking to her again pinched him more than he wanted to
examine.
“Why does the Shadow
King allow you to come and go between the courts? Isn’t he angry
that you’re trying to leave him for his rival’s domain?” asked
Ronan.
“The Shadow King and
I have known each other a long time. We have a special
relationship. He’s not taking my defection
personally.”
Bella blinked. “How
odd. He doesn’t strike me as the forgiving sort.”
“None of the royals
are, are they? Like I said, we have an unusual
relationship.”
Bella apparently
accepted his lame explanation. She hadn’t been here long enough to
know any different, but Ronan eyed him with suspicion. “Have you
seen Aislinn?” Ah, she was eager for news of her
friend.
Gabriel nodded.
“She’s my guide. I’m spending a lot of time with her this week,
actually. I’ve been getting to know her quite well, though she’s a
tough one now that Kendal dumped her. She’s feeling a little
vulnerable and sad.” He laughed. “Doesn’t like men much at the
moment.”
“Kendal broke up with
her?” Bella breathed.
“Right in front of
the entire court and the queen. It was pretty humiliating for her,
but Kendal is an idiot. He didn’t know what he had. She’s better
off without him.”
Bella pursed her
lips. “My sentiments exactly. I never liked him. I never thought he
was good enough for her.”
“Your instincts about
him were right.” He leaned forward. “What do your instincts about
me say?”
Her eyes widened.
“You? Oh, no, Gabriel. Don’t ask me that.” She sat back, shaking
her head.
“The thing is, Bella,
I like her. I like her a lot, but she’s so hurt by this breakup
that she won’t allow another man close to her.” He wasn’t even
lying. Not about any of it. Even if his intentions behind this
information mining were slightly left of honorable.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel,
but no way.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “The last thing
Aislinn needs in her life is an incubus like you. You’ll sleep with
her, break her heart, and leave her.”
“I’m sick of everyone
making judgments about me because of my magick. Just because I’m an
incubus doesn’t mean I’m incapable of a true
relationship.”
Bella raised an
eyebrow. “Oh, really? I haven’t been here long, but I know your
rep. When’s the last time you had a serious
relationship?”
She thought she had
him there, but she didn’t.
“Caitlin Aoife
Catriona O’Murchadha. We were together for almost ten years and
nearly were married. She broke
my heart, Bella, and left me for her
current husband.”
“But how long ago was
that?”
Damn. Now she had
him.
“A while
ago.”
She blinked slowly.
“Yes, a while. I’ve met Caitlin. She’s
been married to her husband for over a hundred years
now.”
“She has. We’re
friends now.”
“That means nothing,
Gabriel. It was such a long time ago. You can’t exactly say you’ve
got a good track record.”
“So I’m picky.” He
spread his hands. “Why don’t you just come out and tell me you
don’t think I’m good enough for her?”
“Bella doesn’t think
anyone is good enough for her best friend, Gabriel.” Ronan finally
broke in. “Don’t take it personally.”
“Let’s let Aislinn be
the judge of that. Let’s allow her to make her own decisions.”
Gabriel leveled his gaze at Bella. “Help me to know her better. I
want only the best for her. Believe that.”
He truly did believe
that coming to the Unseelie Court would be the best thing for her.
She was stifled and strangled at the Seelie Court, unable to use
her magick, which he suspected was strong. She was probably not a
full-fledged necromancer—those were rare—but her abilities were
unique and deserved to be tutored. That’s exactly what the Shadow
King wanted to do. Moving here would bring richness to her
existence.
But the Summer Queen
had such a strong hold on her people, had brainwashed them so well,
that Aislinn would never imagine voluntarily moving
courts.
Gabriel gathered his
thoughts, leaned toward Bella, and cleared his throat. “I know that
Aislinn is more than she seems. I know she has a secret much like
the one you kept while you were in the Rose Tower.”
Bella’s eyes widened.
“How could you know that?”
“I’m very
perceptive.” There was no way he could reveal his own secret—that
he was Lord of the Wild Hunt. “How I know is not important, but
she’s playing a dangerous game. If I know, others could know.
Others who are a threat to her. Dangerous game aside, she possesses
magick not suited for her court and she yearns to develop it. She
feels isolated and alone in the Rose, that she’s got no real
purpose in life. That’s the vibe I’m getting, anyway.” He paused
and studied Bella. “Am I right?”
Bella chewed her
lower lip, clearly debating how much of her friend’s life she
should share with him. She let out a slow breath. “You’re right,
Gabriel, she’s got Unseelie blood and not just a little bit. I’ll
tell you because you know already. She’s not sure where it comes
from, but she suspects her father’s side since she found a book—”
She snapped her mouth shut. “She just suspects her father’s side of
the family.”
“A
book?”
“Look. I’m not going
to spill all her secrets. She’ll tell you about the book if she
chooses.”
“Fair
enough.”
“For the record, I
think you’re right, Gabriel. She’s taking a big risk hiding the
secret and I suspect she would like to develop her magick. You’re
going to have to approach the subject carefully, though, because to
reveal you know what she’s hiding will threaten her.”
Yes, he’d seen that
already.
“Still,” Bella
continued, “that’s where you both have common ground. If you really
care about Aislinn and want the best for her, if you truly want
something more than a one-night stand with her, that’s where you
should start.” She paused and drew a sharp breath. “I can’t believe
I’m helping you do this.”
“You have my absolute
word that I won’t hurt your friend.”
“That’s good, because
you know my magick, right, Gabriel? I’m not someone you want to
piss off.”
No, she wasn’t. Bella
had the ability to curse people. All she had to do was wish
something bad happened to you and it would. Her husband was no
slouch in the magick department, either. Ronan was a class A
sorcerer, a mage with druid blood. Ronan had a brother here at
court with much the same magick, though Niall was even more
powerful, even darker. No one doubted Niall had a touch of
Phaendir. People gave him a wide berth because of it.
“One more thing you
might want to know about Aislinn,” she said, fingering a sapphire
drop pendant nestled in the hollow of her throat. She smiled.
“Tomorrow is her birthday.”
AISLINN opened the door at an insistent knock and
found one of the Rose Tower footmen on the other side, holding a
large white box wrapped with a red bow. Frowning, she took the box,
thanked the footman, and closed the door. Once inside she laid it
on her coffee table and stared at it.
There were only a
couple of people who might send her a gift on her birthday. As a
general rule, the fae didn’t make much out of them. After all, they
were such a long-lived race that birthday celebrations got old
after a while. Her mother may have done it, though she hadn’t sent
her anything in several years. Bella would have done it for
certain. Bella had sent her a gift every year on her birthday for
all their lives. But Bella was gone now, so it couldn’t be from
her. Tears stung her eyes at the prick of pain the thought caused.
Carina might have done it, but Aislinn doubted it. Kendal
definitely wouldn’t have sent anything. Her friends were more the
superficial kind.
That left one last
possibility.
There was only one
way to find out. She untied the ribbon and let the velvet strand
lay across the table. After she pulled off the top of the box and
folded back the tissue paper, she found the gown from the shop, the
too-expensive dark red Valentino, along with a pair of gorgeous
matching shoes. A card lay in the box, too.
Happy birthday to a woman who is beautiful both inside and out. I hope to see you tonight. Gabriel.
Tonight. She frowned.
He must mean at the ball. She reached in and fingered the expensive
material of the gown. It truly was gorgeous and she would never
have bought it for herself. It touched her deeply that he’d done so
for her.
She hadn’t been
planning to attend tonight. The first kiss they’d shared she’d been
able to sweep under the carpet because he’d only kissed her to dig
at Kendal. The second was impossible because he’d kissed her out of
desire and pure desire only.
And she’d kissed him
back that way and wanted more.
Her intention had
been to avoid him until the queen made her final decision about his
petition. If she accepted it, her stint as Seelie companion to the
petitioner would be over and life would return to normal. If the
queen denied Gabriel, he would return to the Unseelie Court to beg
for his head and his former place back.
Aislinn would miss
him. She’d even worry about him.
However, she had
every reason to believe that the queen would allow him to stay, as
long as he hadn’t shot off his mouth about the Seelie within her
hearing. He was far too colorful and beautiful a man to refuse. He
was the type that was like candy to the Summer Queen.
Then he’d gone and
bought her an expensive birthday present. Of more concern, he was
growing on her. She actually liked him. She was attracted to him.
There was no denying it. Even worse? Nightmarishly worse? She was
developing feelings for him. Feelings
that eclipsed the good sense she should have, to stay away from him
because of her prophetic dream. Even if Gabriel wasn’t going to do
it intentionally, somehow he was going
to lead to her death.
How stupid could she
be?
Apparently since
she’d met Gabriel her IQ had dropped a bajillion points because
despite what her good sense told her, she was putting on that gown,
slipping into those shoes, and going down to the ball.
Willpower had never
been her strong suit.
GABRIEL watched Aislinn come toward him, parting the
crowd of fae around her like an ocean. The gown fit her perfectly,
clinging to every luscious curve so closely it made him jealous.
The dress was backless and if it dipped any farther than it did,
all the men in the room would’ve been very happy instead of just
teased beyond belief.
She’d done her light
hair up on the top of her head, leaving her slender throat and the
back of her neck bare. His fingers itched to caress her nape and
free her hair so it fell down around her shoulders. The color of
the dress set off her gray eyes and the shade of her
skin.
The knowledge that it
was the gown he’d bought for her that encased her body and rubbed
against her skin aroused him beyond belief. It was erotic to watch
the way she moved in the garment, knowing he’d held it in his hands
that morning. Why he should be struck with this oddness now was a
mystery. After all, he’d purchased many gowns for many women, yet
this one was different.
Everything about
Aislinn was different.
Gabriel had seen many
women in his life, but Aislinn was by far the most beautiful. That
beauty came from more than just her physical appearance. It came
from her intelligence and her strong backbone. It came from her wit
and her deep compassion for others. Hells, he even loved her
stubborn streak and that far-too-honest mouth. He could think of
lots of things to do with that mouth, too. . . .
The bottom line was
that he wanted to get to know her even better.
For the first time in
more years than he could remember, he wanted a relationship with a
woman. Hells, he just wanted Aislinn, whatever way he could get
her, for as long as he could have her.
Coldness washed
through him, followed by a wave of warmth. This faint beginning of
a deeper caring for a woman scared the hell out of him. He frowned.
It wasn’t like he was a sociopath; he cared about all the women he
was involved with. He’d cared for Caitlin deeply.
But this was
different. More involved or something. Honestly, he wasn’t quite
sure what this was yet. He only knew that he was in unfamiliar
territory, and that watching her walk toward him right now made him
happy.
“Hello,” she said,
looking up at him with a smile. Every person around them seemed to
be watching, murmuring. Gabriel had no doubt they were admiring
Aislinn. She was a knockout every night, but more so
tonight.
And tonight, she was
his. His. And no way was she escaping
him.
Without a word, he
pulled her forward into his arms and up against him. The movement
was purely instinctual and completely impulsive. She gave a little
cry of surprise but allowed him to drag her up against his
body.
“Gabriel, Kendal
isn’t here tonight. You don’t have to put on an act for
him.”
“Who’s acting?” he
growled. “You have a short memory. I tried this the other night,
but you ran away from me, as I recall.”
“I know. I’m sorry
about that, I really am.”
“I can forgive you,
but you’ll have to make it up to me.”
Her cheeks colored a
little and she licked her lips. His gaze ate up every movement.
“Maybe I will.”
“Tonight?”
“We’ll see.” She
glanced around. “Everyone is watching us, Gabriel.”
“There are other
people in the room? I don’t see anyone but you.”
She ducked her head a
little and smiled. “Thank you for the dress.”
“Happy birthday.” He
turned her in time to the music and pressed his chest to her back.
In one smooth movement, he pulled a necklace from his pocket and
looped it around her throat, securing it in back.
She turned toward
him, touching the sapphire pendant. “I know this necklace. This is
Bella’s.”
“She asked me to give
it to you for your birthday.”
She looked up at him,
a wet sheen in her eyes. “Thank you.” She stroked the top of it
with the pad of her index finger. “It means so much to have
something of her. I miss her.”
He took her into his
arms and they began to dance. “I know. She misses you,
too.”
“But how did you get
it?” She frowned. “I don’t understand. Did she give it to you
before you came to petition?”
He opened his mouth,
intending to lie. To say, yes, that was exactly how he’d come to
possess the necklace, but this curious thing happened. As he looked
into her eyes, he became totally and utterly unable to force a lie
through his lips.
Ah, there was that
cold-warm rush of fear chased by contentment through his veins
again. What the hell was that?
“Bella gave it to me
last night, Aislinn.” He paused, watching her jerk in surprise. “I
can go back to the Unseelie Court when I choose and I have on
several occasions since I came to petition the Summer
Queen.”
“How?”
“One day I hope I’ll
be able to tell you.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t understand. Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Let’s just say that
I have a good relationship with my king.”
“Strong enough to
withstand your attempted defection?”
Theoretically, it
might be. The Shadow King didn’t have the same vanity that the
Summer Queen possessed. Ronan had gone from the Unseelie to the
Seelie and back, though he was the only one who ever had. That
situation had been different for a number of reasons, one of which
involved Bella.
But mostly it had
been because of the piece of the bosca
fadbh.
That was the artifact
Ronan had stolen for the Phaendir. He’d bought Bella’s life and his
freedom by giving it to the Summer Queen. The piece of the
bosca fadbh, when combined with the
other two pieces and used with a spell from the Book of Bindings,
had the power to break the warding that imprisoned the fae in
Piefferburg. Obtaining the other pieces was a long shot at best,
but Gabriel had no doubt both the courts were trying. They might
even be competing.
The Seelie and the
Unseelie, the Summer Queen and the Shadow King, might war, they
might hate each other—but there was one area in which they were
united. All fae hated the Phaendir and most fae wanted out of
Piefferburg. Almost everyone wanted the freedom to live in the
world again.
The enemy of my enemy
is my friend.
Gabriel knew
firsthand that the Summer Queen and the Shadow King were already
talking about combining forces to make a move on the Phaendir. It
was only a question of time.
So when Ronan and
Bella had shown up on the stairs of the Black Tower, refugees from
the Seelie Court with nowhere else to go, the Shadow King had had
his fun, but there had been no doubt they would have a home
there.
They needed
Ronan.
They would need
Bella, too, and Gabriel, along with many others, if they planned to
make a move for the rest of the bosca
fadbh and the Book of Bindings.
“I think my
relationship with my king is strong enough to withstand an
attempted defection, yes.”
She looked at him
sharply. “My king.” She stopped moving,
stepped back, and blinked. “You don’t intend to stay here, do you?
No matter how the Summer Queen rules.”
He glanced around
them at the rest of the dancing and conversing Seelie Court. “Can
we talk about this later?”
She pressed her lips
together and gave a curt nod.
“Good.” He took her
hand and whirled her out, around, and back against
him.
She laughed out loud,
the prettiest sound he could imagine. “You’re a great
dancer.”
“Thanks.” He stared
down into her eyes and put everything he was thinking about doing
to her into his gaze. “It’s the second best thing I can
do.”
She swallowed hard
and glanced away. “Yes, I can imagine what the first thing is,” she
answered in her characteristically dry tone of voice.
“I’d be more than
happy to show you.”
“You have to know by
now I’m not that easy.”
“Easy things are
generally not worth the time and trouble, sweetness.”
“And you, Gabriel,
you’re just trouble.”
“Not as much as you’d
think. Anyway, I think you could use a little trouble in your life,
the right kind of trouble, anyway. My kind of trouble.” He growled
the words and held her tight. Gods, he wanted her so badly. Having
her body pressed against his, her hips to his, her breasts to his
chest. It was driving him insane.
She stopped dancing
and moved away, drawing a shaky breath. Could she be feeling it,
too? “I think I need a drink.”
A familiar figure
caught Gabriel’s eye. “Looks like Kendal decided to come after
all.” He was accompanied by his floozy of the moment.
“Correction, I think
I need to get out of here.”
What a great idea.
“Then let’s do it.”