Lord of the Hunt (7 page)

Taryn met the woman’s pale stare even though it chilled her to the core. Fairies could be creepy without even trying hard. “Will half be enough?”

The woman laughed as if Taryn had shared the funniest joke. Others looked over and noticed the exchange. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

“Come find me tomorrow, and I shall help you with your wardrobe. I owe your mother a favor, and I shall consider it paid if I make you more presentable.”

“And who shall I ask for?”

“Sulia. I hope your mother mentioned me.”

Was that an invitation to pry? What choice did she have? She needed to know whose side Sulia was on and if she could trust her. So she lied. “She did. Have things changed since you last saw her?”

Sulia shook her head. “Too bold, child. It is enough to know I don’t wish you or your family ill. Others do. Be warned.” Then Sulia was moving on, leaving Taryn standing there.

That went okay—maybe.

It could have been a whole lot worse.

Sulia was going to help with dresses and such, and she owed her mother. Or Sulia was lying and just taking the opportunity to meddle. Yeah, that was far more likely. Fairies didn’t have friends. They had a web of promises, lies, and lovers. Where did Verden fit?

One of his white dogs sat in an archway, waiting for her to follow. Or at least she hoped that’s what it was doing.

She glanced at the hall filled with beautiful fairies, a rainbow of colors dancing and drinking even as flower petals drifted to the floor. Soon there would be no flowers decorating Annwyn. Her parents didn’t have forever to waste like these fairies had. She had to act, and at the moment, that meant seeing Verden, accepting his offer of help, and crossing the veil.

Chapter 5

Verden leaned against the tree, waiting for Taryn to appear. Would she see his hound and let it guide her? Only if she really trusted him. If she didn’t, he still needed to make sure that she got what she was here for.

Just beyond the rustling of the leaves he heard the lapping of waves that shouldn’t exist. He felt it in his blood that something was wrong with Annwyn. Part of him wished Felan would get his act together. The other part wished the King would find a way to reconcile with the Queen, but maybe that moment had passed. If it had, his role as Hunter had also passed. Once Felan was King, everyone with ties to Gwyn would find themselves demoted at best. Banished more likely. The idea of being cut off from the magic of Annwyn was akin to imagining life without an arm or leg. It was why he was doing his best to be friendly with Felan without betraying the King, but every day that knife-edge became sharper and finer.

What was taking Taryn so long?

Had the King coaxed her into a dance? Was she now gladly in his arms thinking of ways to get her father’s pardon while the Queen watched?

He curled his fingers, remembering the warmth of her hand against his, and the light in her eyes as she’d danced with him—she needed to learn how to hide what she was feeling. Too many people would see too much.

The white dog came strolling across the grass a moment before Verden saw Taryn emerging out of the gloom. He straightened as she approached, his heart beating faster, as if it were him being hunted.

The dog dropped at his feet, tongue lolling. Verden bent down to scratch its ears, then dismissed the animal. He wouldn’t need it in the mortal world. Where he was going, there would be no other fairies.

He gave her a half bow. “I’m so glad you were able to join me.” There was only the lightest touch of sarcasm. He wasn’t used to being kept waiting.

“It took me a while to work my way out.” She paused and he knew she was deciding what to tell him. She was learning, but in that heartbeat, he didn’t want her to learn; he wanted her to remain uncorrupted by the Court. “I had people to speak to.”

“Lots of people will want to talk to you. You are new.” And he wasn’t the only man watching her with interest. However, unlike a fairy, she wasn’t throwing herself at the King—not that many had done that in recent years. The Queen had a habit of making would-be mistresses vanish. “In the coming days, you will need to work out your alliances. You need people who will help you.”

“Like you,” she said with one eyebrow raised, as if she didn’t entirely trust him yet.

He smiled, but he knew it held no warmth. Did she have any idea how quickly he could destroy any hope she had of getting that pardon? One word from him to the King and that would be it. He doubted even Felan could fix that damage, but that would help no one.

While he could pretend he was doing this just to help her, that wouldn’t be true. He wanted to be alone with her and it had nothing to do with Court.

“You shouldn’t be seen with me too often.” She needed to hold the King’s interest and she couldn’t do that if she were on Verden’s arm all the time at Court.

She nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

But she was here in the garden with him, ready to cross the veil. A few moments of being caught in their dance had him wanting to steal more time with Taryn—away from the prying eyes and greedy gossip of Court. He wanted her to himself.

“Shall we go?” If he lingered any longer he might change his mind and decide the risk of this game wasn’t worth the reward.

She hesitated. “Are you sure I won’t get found out?”

“I will do nothing to jeopardize your chances.” That was almost a lie. They were outside the castle in the dark about to sneak away; getting caught would be disastrous. “I cross the veil all the time. No one will suspect we are together.”

Taryn let out a breath, the tension in her shoulders easing. “I really need to speak with my mother.”

Verden looked at her. He knew the old doorways across the veil, but they didn’t act like the main doorway. “That could be a problem.”

“You said you could take me across, that there were hidden doorways.”

“Yes. But they are the old routes, the ones forgotten at the edges of Annwyn. The ones not destroyed by humans.”

“You can’t take me to Charleston?”

“No. But I can take you to the forgotten wilds of the mortal world.” The places he sometimes visited when he wanted to get away from the politics and enjoy the untouched beauty of the mortal world where there were no fairies to police and no rules to enforce.

“Damn it.” She crossed her arms and looked back at the castle. Was she regretting stepping outside to meet him? She spun back to face him, her features half masked by shadows. “Then what is the point?”

Ah, she wasn’t here to be with him. He wasn’t used to rejection; he was the one usually turning down advances, but it didn’t put him off. He liked to hunt, and Taryn was something unique. “We get time alone without being watched. Plus…” He reached into his pocket and produced the cards. “I can teach you to play.”

Her lips parted, and her gaze darted between the cards and his face as if torn. “And what do you expect in return? Nothing is free here.”

“The pleasure of your company.” That was the truth, and tonight he could determine just how far he was willing to play or if this was a distraction from the current chaos and nothing more.

She laughed. “I am not that naïve. You could have any woman here. One with standing and power.”

“I could.” However, they were boring and they sought only to elevate themselves. Taryn was different, and not just because she was a new face at Court. She was here to save her parents and he admired that. He touched her cheek and a shiver ran through his blood. “But then I wouldn’t be standing here with you.”

“What do you want, Verden?”

She used his name, not his title. It had been a long time since anyone had done that and not meant it as an insult.

You, even though it goes against my better judgment.
Was he helping her or indulging himself? Maybe both. But he still had to think of Annwyn. “I don’t know.”

For the first time in a long time, he had no plan, no game in play. He took orders from the King and did what he needed to execute them, but that was all he did. Taryn made him want more. He wanted to feel the edge of risk and the rush of desire—and he didn’t want to hide it.

She considered him for a moment. “That I believe.” Then she held out her hand.

Verden hesitated even though he wanted to feel her hand in his again. “You should know there is a bet.”

“About me?”

He nodded. “Whose bed will you fall into first.”

“If you think I will give in so you can win the bet, you flatter yourself.”

“The good money is on Felan or the King.”

Her eyes widened. “Who did you place your money on?”

He took a step closer, invading her personal space; another step and their bodies would be touching. Taryn didn’t step back; she tilted her chin a fraction to meet his gaze. Her lips were soft and full in the starlight. He wanted to close the distance and kiss her. “No one. I said you’d sleep with no one.”

And there had been much amusement at his expense. Right now he was hoping to lose every coin he’d bet. His body hummed; he was harder than a sword and couldn’t remember ever being this intoxicated with lust. He’d forgotten how powerful true desire could be. Too many times he’d made deals and alliances by giving in to a vague attraction. He wanted to step back, to draw breath, and yet he couldn’t. She held him captive by simply questioning his motives. No one questioned him besides the King.

She looked hurt by his assessment. “Do you think I’m cold or unattractive?”

“No, Lady Taryn. I think you have spent too long in the mortal world and that you do not play as casually as everyone else. Sex is currency here; it is traded like gems and silks, given as favors and forgotten just as fast. I don’t think you can do that. Not yet anyway. For that reason alone, there are some who would like to see you broken and corrupted.”

“But not you, because you have honor or something equally lame?” She raised one eyebrow as she mocked him. She was far braver than she realized she was, but instead of her comment raising anger, it only spiked his interest further. She may not trust him, but she wasn’t afraid of him either. Around him, she wasn’t playing games. He wasn’t used to anyone being this honest.

“Honor is such a human term. I am loyal to the King, but I am just as dangerous as any other fairy. I seek my own interests, my own pleasure.” His finger brushed her lips.

Don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose.
He couldn’t afford to lose his heart or his head over a woman. If he wanted sex, he could get it from a handful of different woman tonight. But he didn’t just want sex; he wanted something more—the thrill of the chase maybe. That’s what he’d call it. It had been a long time since he’d had to chase any woman.

A group of fairies ran past, laughing and shedding clothes as they went. No doubt they were looking for a quiet alcove to indulge. Taryn watched them pass, her lips parted and her eyes wide. The midsummer festival would no doubt shock her further.

Verden waited until they’d moved on; then he took her hand and whispered, “Come. Let’s cross the veil.”

They moved quickly through the forest that had once been lusher. As they moved deeper, it became wilder, the trees less constrained and less arranged for beauty’s sake. Gems still grew like mushrooms on the bark, vines still hung from the branches, and flowers hung closed, waiting for daylight—but he could feel the change as they moved away from the castle. Power still throbbed, but it was raw. Unlike the grinning danger of Court politics, this was real, wild, and special. Those that never left the castle missed out on the true beauty of Annwyn. The glory most fairies had forgotten when they’d crossed the veil and taken up residence between life and death.

Beside him Taryn drew in a breath and stopped. She glanced around as if lost. “How far are we going?”

“Not much further.” The place he’d wanted to take her was still a little farther on, perhaps too far for tonight. Another time, maybe. “There is a doorway close by.”

“You won’t leave me there?”

Verden placed his free hand over his heart. “I swear I will not leave you lost, and no harm will come to you while you are with me.”

She searched his face. “Okay.” Her tongue traced her lip. “Where are we?”

“Still in Annwyn, the wilder parts. There are farms farther on, but I don’t go there.” Not anymore. Not since coming to Court and swearing he’d never herd a fairy cow again. People at Court forgot that at the edges of Annwyn fairies lived peaceful, dull lives. They forgot there was a choice beyond the Court or the mortal world.

He stopped in front of a tree with a split up the center just big enough for a man to pass through sideways. He placed his hand on the bark to be sure the gateway was still open and undamaged. The shimmer and ebb of power was there. A collapsed gate felt like a sinkhole. If he found one, he told Felan, so the Prince could seal the wound. It was the Prince’s job to ensure the boundaries between Annwyn and the mortal world were secure. The magic of Annwyn bleeding into the mortal world created problems that usually resulted in death.

Taryn mimicked him. For the first time since he’d seen her this evening, she seemed relaxed. Her face had lost the tension that had edged her eyes. She really didn’t like Court, which was unfortunate, as it could be a lot of fun.

He covered her hand with his. “Do you feel the doorway, the thinning and flux of power?”

She nodded. “Is that how you found it?”

“If you ever come here, or any doorway, and all you feel is a pull like a—”

“Black hole?”

Verden raised his eyebrows. “A what?”

“When a star collapses and its gravity sucks everything in. A black hole.”

He glanced up at the stars and tried to imagine one of them sucking everything in and failed. “If the doorway doesn’t feel like this, don’t use it, as it’s broken.”

“Right, don’t use a broken wormhole.”

Verden looked at her again. “Wormhole?” A doorway to Annwyn was not a hole used by worms.

“I studied physics at school. The doorways are like wormholes, allowing people to cross vast distances in a blink?”

“There is no distance. Annwyn exists in another realm; it overlaps the mortal one and bleeds into it in places.”