CHAPTER NINETEEN
DAEARY
I waited until she had rejoined the main street, then followed her. I kept a distance so as not to be noticed, but close enough to protect her in case she encountered others like me. Her disguise would deceive the Fae, but if another incubus passed, he would surely smell her ripeness and be enticed.
Soon, she reached Mistress Olwen’s tavern. I knew the woman well, and the little half-human would come to no harm while under her roof. As I made my way back to my own lodgings, conflicting desires warred in my mind.
“Hey, demon. The likes of you should be slain on sight.”
I dodged the vicious shoulder aimed at my solar plexus. Hard words ran off my skin like blood off a virgin’s thighs. It meant nothing, and I was used to it.
My Fae mother and incubus father had had one night of passion centuries ago. She survived the encounter and bore me. I knew from early on that she did not love me, but she tolerated me. Offspring were precious to the Fae—we were unlike the humans who would abandon unwanted children to the care of others.
But while my features were pure Fae, my eyes always gave me away. If I wanted to live, I had to feed, not by force, but by seduction. There was no other way for me to survive.
A hand brushed along my ass, and a body pressed against my side. I side-stepped deftly, not bothering to see whether it was a male or a female. It mattered not. I enjoyed both, but on my terms. Following the little half-human made me run hotter than usual, and my natural scent drew people like flies to manure.
I grunted when another hand cupped my crotch, squeezing hard. I pushed the man away, ready to end him if he tried again. But I needed to find a quieter street before the situation escalated.
These were the drawbacks of my incubus nature, although usually I did not care. This was my life, and it was a good life. Moving from town to town, earning enough to live well, and bedding any male or female who showed interest. Most of the time, they survived. Other times, I would go too far, but at least, they always died happy.
Something was different with the little half-human, though. I had lived for centuries. During that time, I had learned to control my desires. But when I had caught her scent, I had felt a need to take her right there in that alleyway, to bury myself in her, to mate with her.
Walking faster, I put as much distance between her and my raging lust. She was not for me. Tonight, I would leave Emlyn and find a Fae, any Fae, to fuck, to destroy, until the girl was erased from my mind.
***
BETH
I’d forced myself to stay awake until all the noise outside had died down. When my head kept dropping, and my eyes were hot and gritty from being forced open, I got up and had a drink of water. It was time to go back to the tent with the cages, and try to free the man and the bearded lady.
I’d have loved to have Bleddyn by my side, but he was still out. His things were in his room, so he’d return at some stage. Hopefully, my mission would be finished by then.
Leaving the house at night felt strange, as if I was doing something wrong. Not wrong, I corrected myself. But definitely dangerous. Several times, this realm had shown me its dark side. Each time, I’d learned something new that would stand me in good stead.
I wouldn’t fall for a hag a second time. And no Fae would get the drop on me again—I’d keep my eyes and ears peeled. The night was so quiet, the whistling clicks of bats, hunting in the light of the magic lamps, were clearly audible.
Staying in the shadows of the houses, I made swift progress along the empty street. In no time at all, I reached the tent. The two cages stood as I remembered them. Except they were empty.
I groaned and dropped my head into my hand. Had I left my brain behind in the human world? How had I not considered that the bearded lady and her friend might be inside the tent? Had I really thought they’d make them sleep outside?
I walked up to the cage that had held the woman. The door was locked, but her nail file was placed on a shelf, together with a book and an empty cup. There was a pillow and a folded blanket in the corner in case she got cold and wanted to sit down. Not exactly how I’d imagined a prisoner would be kept.
The other cage was also locked. But when I checked inside, I froze. There was a giant hole burned into the floor, large enough to allow a man to escape.
Cursing my curiosity, I bent down and looked under the cage, fully expecting to come face-to-face with the bearded human. But there was nobody there. The fire mage had found a way past whatever magical barrier had kept him inside and escaped. He was probably long gone.
When I returned to the tavern, I was happy he’d gotten away from his tormentor. I didn’t know the man and would likely never see him again. It made no sense that that thought made me feel sad.
Bleddyn still hadn’t returned. I fell asleep quickly, hoping he might join me when he returned. But when I woke up, I was alone. I sighed in disappointment. Apparently, he’d lost interest once he’d had me.
I slipped out from underneath my covers and washed as best I could. Then I wriggled back into the rough clothes. They were dirty on the elbows and knees and beginning to smell. Next time I spoke to him, I should probably ask Bleddyn to get another set so I could use one and wash the other.
I’d have loved to wear something a little nicer, though. Today was the day I was going to meet my grandfather, the king of this land. The prince would collect me this morning, although I had no idea when exactly.
The sun was barely above the horizon, peeking through the closed shutters. I wanted to have some breakfast before we had to leave. Quickly, I wrapped up my modern clothes with the bed sheet until it was a tight bundle I could carry over my shoulder.
Then I knocked on Bleddyn’s door. When he didn’t answer, I tried the handle, but the room was empty. He was probably downstairs, chatting with the mistress as they both waited for me to join them.
But when I descended the stairs, there was nobody in the breakfast area. Worse, while the spicy scent of freshly made porridge lingered in the air, it was stale and cold. No table was set, and the kitchen was silent as the grave.
“Mistress Olwen? Bleddyn?”
Again, no one answered. My throat tightened with misgiving. Something was wrong. Where were the maids to start the day? Where was the owner? And most of all, where was Bleddyn?
I opened the door to the kitchen. The dishes were sitting next to the sink, dirty from the day before. Nothing had been cleaned, and without a fire in the hearth, the room felt cold and abandoned.
A feeling of real fear cramped my stomach. Where was everybody? Why was everything a mess, and why had the fire gone out? There should have been food cooking and drinks brewing. But there was nothing.
At the far end of the kitchen, a second door lead to the outside. I rushed over and flung it open, dreading what I might find. A stream flowed swiftly past the tavern, edged with grass and wild flowers. To the side was a large herb garden with some plants I recognized. Sage, rosemary, thyme, plus a whole more I’d never seen before.
I’d feared to find bodies, signs of struggle, or puddles of blood. But no, the birds were singing, and the scent of Mistress Olwen’s herbs wafted on a soft breeze.
Shaking my head, I closed the door and went back inside. All I could do at this stage was wait and see what the day might bring.
I’d barely sat down on one of the chairs, wringing my fingers and rubbing my hands in an effort to still my anxiety, when four Fae guards entered the tavern. I sat up taller, knowing they’d come for me.
But they took no notice of me. Instead, they positioned themselves on either side of the door, waiting silently. The minutes stretched while I tried to figure out what they expected me to do. Was there a leader? Or were they expecting Bleddyn?
It took me way too long to understand that they wouldn’t move until I did. I got up, and with the pathetic cloth bundle in my hand, left the abandoned tavern. The Fae guards followed me to the outside, and before I could even think about getting away from their intimidating presence, they’d surrounded me.
“We’re doing this, then,” I said, more to reassure myself than to communicate with the men. The broad back belonging to the guy in front of me moved forward, and something prodded me from behind.
Finally, we were off on our way to the royal court of King Rhys.