Faery Queen (15 page)

Hugh was relieved. It could have gone much worse between them, but she was agreeing to let him go. In a way, her desire for him was sweet, no matter how misguided her actions were.

“Aye,” he agreed with her as he turned her jaw to angle her mouth for a kiss. If the woman wanted him that badly, who was he to deny her one last time before he left? If what she said was true, then William was safe for the time being. After he left her, he'd find Thomas and together they'd meet with King Ean to get William back. Then, they'd call on Juliana to make sure she was safe and offer again for her to come home. Her half elfin child would naturally be welcome, despite the fact that Hugh was fearful of what powers the baby might possess. He smiled against Tania's mouth. Within a sennight, his family could be back together as it should be—all safe and sound at Bellemare and out of the realm of magic forever.

 

Tania met the earl's lips. If all he wanted was to find where his brothers were at, he should have just asked. She'd taken strands of their hair as well the last time they were at her palace and with the help of the divination pool, she could locate them easily for him.

But, instead he'd just gotten mad and yelled, hurting her feelings. It only proved that mortals' moods could be very changeable. They were quick to anger, quick to passion, quick to happiness. Perchance it was their mortality that made them that way. It would make sense. Humans didn't live long and they had to fit a lot of things into such a short amount of time. That would also account for why they were always in a hurry.

Tania had spied on copulating mortals and knew the ways of lovemaking between men and women, and still she was surprised when Hugh didn't carry her off to the bed. Instead, his hands pulled at her bodice, freeing her breasts from the lighter red material. The tight black corset around her waist didn't budge. Her wings fluttered in pleasure and her feet lifted off the floor. Hugh growled, pulling her back down by her hips.

His gaze hot with passion, he pushed her against an uneven wall and leaned over to take a nipple into his mouth. Her flesh glistened with pleasure, sparkling in the diffused light coming through the crystal-like walls. His kisses were angry, though she didn't get the impression he was mad.

“Part your thighs.” He stripped from his tunic before falling to his knees. He didn't give her time to answer as he lifted her skirt out of his way, disappearing beneath it. Her leg was thrust over his naked shoulder. The earl gripped her ass, pulling her sex to his mouth. She gasped at the wet, hot feeling of his probing tongue. Tania wiggled and his grip tightened.

“Hugh?” Her legs weak, the tension within her built. She tapped his head beneath her skirt. “Hugh?”

He made a grumbling noise, while fighting his way out from underneath the material. Pulling back, he looked up at her. “Aye?”

“Should we not?” She motioned toward the bed.

Hugh surged to his feet. “Mmm, nay, here is good.”

He kissed her hard, stealing her breath. Before she could again focus her thoughts, his breeches were around his feet, her skirt was pushed up and he was lifting her up along the wall. He entered her with a confident thrust. His face buried in her chest as he held her before him. Tania held on, surprised by the rough, mindless way his body thrust inside hers. The tension built anew and she welcomed it, feeling the power of release feeding her magic. The sensation was like an enchantment and she could see why the faeries of her court couldn't resist its call. She felt powerful and alive. Pheromones sprinkled them as they exploded off her body, wrapping them in a cocoon of pleasure. Hugh grunted, making the noises that men made at such moments. Suddenly, she came, gripping onto him as her whole body shook. Hugh was soon to follow, burying himself deep inside her as he met with release.

After, he slowly lowered her to the floor, breathing hard as he kept her against the wall. Tania wrapped her arms around him, lifting them up. He glanced at her in surprise as she pulled his great weight off the floor, flying them to the bed. Landing on the mattress, she urged him to lay with her. As her bodice disappeared, coverlets appeared over them. Hugh held her close, his eyes closed.

“Did you want me to bring you to look for them?” she asked, empowered and not at all tired.

He mumbled against her skin.

“Hugh, did you want to look?”

“Mmm, nay, I want to lay here and relax,” he answered sleepily. “I will look later.”

Tania smiled happily, holding him while he went to sleep. Running her hands over his back, she frowned to feel the flat surface. Why didn't he change yet? Their bond was complete. Wasn't it?

Her smile faded as she thought of Lily and Roslyn. Did they know something she didn't? Was there something she was missing? She didn't want to bring the women in with her, was repulsed by the very idea of sharing, but if Hugh didn't change soon she might not have a choice.

 

 

 

“Giants be big and piskies be small, but that no' affect the bedsport at all,” William sang, utterly bored and out of spells. The song sounded much better after a night of drinking piskie ale.

Without his wand, he couldn't create a spell to get out of his chains and he couldn't call his fellow wizards for help. Too bad he hadn't been carrying the thing on him when the lovely maid captured him. The wand was back at Bellemare, hidden in his bedchambers.

William sighed. Here he was in the immortal realm and he couldn't even partake of any of his normal amusements. Being a wizard, he knew how to sense the magic around him. Wherever he was, it was a powerful place.

“What do you say, good sirs?” William asked his lethargic companions. “Shall we go have a pint after we get out of here?”

As predicted, he didn't get an answer.

“Last one to say ‘aye' buys,” William said. “Aye.”

Again, nothing.

“Ah, well then, I will happily take a pint from each of you. Mighty generous, good sirs, mighty generous.” William sighed heavily. “So, what crime got you—?”

Hearing a whooshing noise breaking into the silence he'd grown accustomed to in the prison, he instantly dropped his head, pretending to be like his unmoving companions. His hair stirred about his head, giving him a chill.

“I heard you singing,” a woman's voice said.

William opened one eye to look. The violet-eyed kidnapper stared back at him, surrounded by the soft green light of a short distance portal. He easily concluded that the portal was the door to the chamber. The woman wore a long, black cloak to hide her figure. The material was big, as if it didn't belong to her. “For a mercenary, you are very attractive.”

“For a prisoner, you are very alert,” she said.

“My companions and I have been getting along magnificently.” William tilted his head toward the side, motioning to the three men. “They cannot sing worth a spell, but we are working on it.”

“Come, we do not have much time. He will sense I am gone,” the woman said.

“He? Who is he?” William asked as she knelt before him to pull at the chains binding his ankles. He watched as she scraped her nail across one manacle. It clicked open. “And for that matter, who are you?”

“I am Mia,” she answered, opening the second in the same fashion, only using a different nail. “And the he is King Lucien.”

“I do not understand. You came to Bellemare to warn me about Lucien. Then you kidnapped me and brought me to Lucien and now…” William paused, instantly distracted as she stood before him. Her cloak parted and he saw that she wore hardly a stitch of clothing except for a ring of leather bands that wrapped along her body, winding from her shoulders to her thighs like a very lucky snake. He grinned, staring as he slowly finished, “And now you wish to free me.”

“I did not kidnap you,” she whispered, liberating a wrist. “And keep your voice down. We do not have much time.”

“If this is Lucien's prison, where did you get the magic to free me?”

Mia cursed, as she scraped her fingernail and the manacle didn't open. She moved to a pinkie, doing it again. The manacle gave way, but William was still stuck on the wall. He flailed about, his arms and legs kicking as he was held by his back. She pushed him over, so his face was directed at his prone elfin friend.

“Hold on, we need to lift you up. Your breeches are hooked,” she said.

“Methought they were a bit snug. Done gone up the crac—”

“Got it.” She pushed him up only to set him down hard on the stone floor.

“Ow, take it easy.” William wiggled, shaking his hands while trying to free his breeches from where they'd traveled up. “My limbs are numb and my backside aches. And, to tell the truth of it, I think I have got a bruise or two.”

“Come, you must go. There is not much time. He might already know I have come to free you.”

“But what about my friends here.” William pointed over his shoulder. “They owe me a pint. I cannot leave them behind to rot.”

“There is no time for playing hero. If you are gone, it will be excused as your wizard magic. If they are gone, he will know I helped you.”

“By the by, how are you helping me? If you have enough magic to break in here, you should not fear Lucien. What manner of creature are you, anyway.”

Mia held up her hands. “Skin from the Damned King's back. I kept it under my nails. And when I put my lips to you that was his dried blood.”

“Methought your lips looked pinker today,” William observed.

“Do you want to die? We do not have time for this. You must leave. Now.” She tried to grab his arm.

“You never said what you were.”

“A nymph. Now please, you have to leave. I promise to find a way to free them later.”

William turned to bow to the three prisoners in farewell. Before the words could leave him, he stiffened in surprise. “Sir Nicholas? He is alive? How is this possible? Hugh said he saw him die.”

William rushed to the man. Nicholas' flesh was grayer than a mortal's should've been. His cheeks were sunken in, making his eye sockets protrude. His brown hair hung long around his head, uneven and stringy, just like his beard.

“Mia, help me to free him now. I cannot leave him here,” William said.

“Do you not care that we could be caught and this is your only chance at escape? I do not think I can make it here in time to save you again. Lucien plans to kill you in two days.”

“You know, I do not really get panicked. Apprentice wizards cast a spell over themselves to take away panic and fear, so that we may bravely face anything. Though, I did give it to myself three times. I did not think I had it right. Turns out, I did. And, I must say, it does help the confidence with the fair maids.” He winked at her.

Mia shook her head with a small sound of exasperation. “Great. Of all the wizards, I get stuck rescuing one who does not have any sense.”

“Who are these two?” He looked at the elves. They looked familiar, but in truth all elves tended to look the same to him.

“I do not know.” She tried to pull his arm. “Come.”

“I am not leaving without them. By my wizard's honor, I cannot—”

“Fine,” Mia huffed, crossing over to Nicholas. “But know that as you save them, you most assuredly condemn me.”

“I will protect you,” William swore. “You have nothing to fear.”

She gave a short laugh, but didn't respond. Mia scraped at her nails, taking several tries to free Nicholas of his manacles. “He is going to be disoriented at first. It has been a long time for him in here. After that, just pray he does not still carry a demon inside him. Even if he does not, Lucien's had him trapped in a personal hell. He will be a changed man.”

“I will be sure to watch my back.” As William pushed Nicholas up to get him unhooked, he nodded at the other two. “Now them.”

“I cannot.”

“They are blessed elves,” William said. “I can tell that much. And if they are in here, they are in trouble. We cannot leave them behind.”

“But—” Mia glanced at the green portal. She looked scared. Then, as if coming to a decision, she nodded. “Let us hope some of his blood lingers.”

“Do I even want to know how you got close enough to the Damned King to get his blood and flesh?” William asked. The look she shot him was answer enough. He shivered, suddenly feeling very sorry for the woman and what she risked. The emotion kicked him out of his spell-induced stupor and made his heart beat faster. It had been a long time since he'd felt apprehension and he didn't like it. But, knowing that she was scared made him scared as well.

Licking her lips, she went across to the ankles, kissing the manacles. The metal creaked open, but barely. Then, telling William to give her a boost up, she did the same along the top, but the magic wore out and she couldn't get the last wrist manacle to open. She licked her lips again, trying several times. William set her down and she used her nails. It wouldn't open.

“I cannot,” she said. “The magic is gone. I used it all up.”

William looked at the poor elf in pity as he helped the one they could free off the wall. The two men didn't move. William slapped their face several times. Still nothing.

“Listen to me.” Mia reached within her cloak. Her hand came back with a vial. “I have a portal here that will take you to Feia. Your brother Hugh is there. He is being held prisoner by Queen Tania. This is the most I can help you. Once there, you will have to free yourself from the faeries. Just try not to get any of their pheromones on you.”

“Again?” William asked, surprised. “Hugh is trapped by Queen Tania again?”

“She made a deal with Lucien to get him back. I do not know why exactly, though I think it is because she wanted him as a lover, needs him as a lover to take her maidenhead? I am not sure on that point. I never did learn much about faeries. All I know is if Tania succeeds in whatever it is she plans, the earl will never return home. He will be trapped here in this realm. Forever.”