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She hadn’t banked on Kingfisher kicking in my bedroom door, me thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and wailing like a banshee. Nor had she expected his ultra-foul temper, his split bottom lip, or the thin line of blood trickling down his chin. She’d squawked when he’d thrown me unceremoniously down onto my bed and snarled, “Bad human,”
When Fisher was ten, the king sent his father on a mission to Zilvaren. He never returned. That’s when the gateways were stilled. The king said that Finran, Fisher’s father, was responsible for the quicksilver stilling and declared him a traitor to the Fae—”
Fae children are a rare gift. Most couples are lucky if they have even one child.
“Admittedly, I do enjoy when a female kneels for me, but in this particular case…”
“You like it?” he purred. “I figured some extra protection was in order this morning since you’re now given to hurling yourself at me like some kind of rabid feline.”
“I’m hungover,” he announced. “The sun is trying to crack my skull open, which is making me very unfriendly. But please. Feel free to open the curtains.”
His tongue darted out between his lips, his blood staining the very tip of it, and I found myself being flashed by a pair of wickedly sharp canines. The sight of them sent a thrill of panic-tinged intrigue through me. Heat rose up from the pit of my stomach, my blood rushing to my cheeks.
“Careful, human. We Fae have an excellent sense of smell. You’d be amazed what we can scent floating on the air.”
I was not attracted to him. I was not thinking about his tongue or his teeth…
“I like being surprised,” Fisher said, spinning his fork over in his hand. “I’m also a fan of aggressive foreplay. It’ll be a fun reminder.”
Kingfisher leaned forward, his tongue running over his teeth again. He smiled suggestively as he said, “Swallow.”
“And… and why does it smell like a brothel in here? If you’re going to spend the night out whoring and drinking, the least you could do is wash the smell of sex off you before showing up for breakfast.” Kingfisher looked like he was about to explode with laughter. The monstrous bastard was enjoying this. I braced for the cruel jibe—he was seconds from telling his sister that whatever she could smell was courtesy of me and not him.
Our pool is the largest ever documented!” the librarian declared, beaming, as if he were personally responsible for its existence. “Belikon had it crafted so that it could transport whole armies if needed. It’s situated beneath us, down very deep, in the bowels of the palace. Nearly every tunnel you come across will lead you there.
Quicksilver pool
“You could at least say hello before you start eye-fucking me.”
“You want me to wake the quicksilver so you can try and bind things to it and see if you can make a relic out of it.”
“It’s going to bite you,” Kingfisher said. “No, it won’t. It—” It bit me.
“A whole lot of blood.” Fisher pondered. Frowned. “Wait. I seem to recall that your intestines might have been a part of your ensemble.” “Pants and a shirt,” I said dryly. “And a pair of boots with really good soles. Do you have any idea what those boots cost me?” “Let me guess. Your virginity.” “Fuck you, Fisher.” “Sure.” He smirked. “But I’m afraid I don’t have any new boots to trade you for your time.”
I hadn’t seen many beautiful things in my short life. But, of all the beautiful things I had seen, Fisher was the most beautiful of all.
Some of them had been attractive. Some of them had even been hot enough to make my toes curl. But Fisher was the epitome of everything that was strong, and male, and powerful. He was so much more than anything I’d experienced before. He was beautiful. Looking at him made me feel like I couldn’t catch my breath.
Holy. Fucking. Gods.
“Our Fae hearts rarely betray us. We’re calm creatures. But you, Osha? You’re a ball of chaos. Your heart betrays you at every turn.”
Fast. Erratic, like a hummingbird. I hear it bouncing around all over the place when you look at me. Did you know that?”
“Lying is pointless with your heart betraying you so loudly.”
“That your body is betraying you in other ways. That I can smell you, Little Osha, and I’m thinking about drinking the sweet nectar you’re making for me straight from the fucking cup.”
...flatline
The forge disappeared. Everything fell away. Everything but him.
This was the kiss to end all kisses. Demanding, urgent, and carnal.
I hated this male. Hated him with every fiber of my being. But curse me, I wanted him just as bad.
“I didn’t say I minded. But for next time, that’s where the line is. You want to cross it, I’ll happily join you on the other side. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Oh, gods. Kingfisher. He emerged from the cloud of black smoke like a night terror stepping through the shadowy gates of hell. He wore the same shirt he’d been wearing in the forge. The same pants, too. But now he also wore his chest protector and his gorget, and in his hand, he held Nimerelle aloft, the black sword crackling with an unseen power that drew that darkness to it like a shroud.
His eyes blazed. “I’m hurt. Leaving without saying goodbye?”
Fisher was death incarnate, and he was coming right for me.
“To save my friends. To end my exile. To fucking live or die, finally, one way or another. It had nothing to do with you.”
“I will go, and I will try to get one of these humans who are so fucking precious to you. I will try to bring that human back here, and you will end this madness. In return, you’ll agree to do whatever I ask of you to help me forge new relics and any other instruments I deem fit.”
“Blood, Little Osha. It’s the only way to seal this between us.”
“I go and I try to get your brother. You help me and assist me in any way I ask you to, and you do as you’re told. You agree to this pact?”
“You understand that this is a blood oath? And you will be bound by this oath until death?”
“It’ll take a while for him to… wake up. Humans are so…” Kingfisher groaned. “You’re all so fucking fragile.” I rounded on the warrior, the dull roar in my ears growing progressively louder, louder, louder… “This is not my brother, Fisher. This is Carrion fucking Swift!”
Kingfisher took one look at him and shrugged. “I tracked your bloodline. It led me right to him. I asked him who he was. He said he was Hayden Fane. Ergo, I brought you Hayden Fane.”
“I said, verbatim, ‘I go, and I try to get your brother. You help me and assist me in any way I ask you to, and you do as you’re told. You agree to this pact?’ to which you replied, ‘Yes, gods, I agree! Just get on with it!’” “But we both know what I meant! I didn’t mean that I’d go traipsing off into the unknown with you in the middle of the night!”
“Unless you’re paying very close attention, what you mean to agree to and what you actually agree to are often two very different things in Fae, Little Osha. You agreed to help me and assist me in any way I asked you to, and that you’d do as you were told. You sealed that deal with blood.
“You fucking tricked me!” “No,” he said bluntly. “I taught you a valuable lesson that will serve you well for the rest of your very short human life in this realm. Always pay attention to the fine print. The devil’s in the details. Now go.”
“Nothing you can say or do will incentivize me to smash my genitals against this saddle any harder or faster than they’re already being smashed.” “Feeling a little sore, human?” “Sore doesn’t come close,” I grumbled. “I’ll happily kiss all of your aches and pains better for you once we strike camp. I’ve been told my mouth has healing properties. Especially when administered between a pair of thighs.” The suggestion in Kingfisher’s voice was a promise made of dark silk. Seductive.
“I don’t enjoy hurting people. I don’t like it at all. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary. To avoid far more serious pain, sometimes we have to endure a little sting. Sometimes, some of us have to inflict it. You say it so mockingly, but I do care about your well-being. You’re important. Without you, I can’t end this war or protect my people. I have to keep you safe so I can accomplish my goals. So yes, I’ll hurt you if it means I keep you safe. I’ll force you to follow me to the ends of this realm, because that is the only way I can make sure you stay alive.
“My father and Belikon had a long history. He saw what Belikon was planning long before he murdered the royal family and stole the crown for himself. He took precautions and warded his lands so that neither Belikon nor any of his supporters could cross into them. He was powerful, and his wards were strong. They remain as solid as ever. Belikon can travel to the borders of Cahlish, but he can’t enter. As long as I live and carry on my father’s line, he never will.”
“That sword is a holy fucking relic, Renfis. That bastard isn’t fit to look upon it let alone wield it. I’ll die before I allow Belikon to wear it on his hip. And you’re wrong. Not all of the swords are dormant. Nimerelle—”
But five of you stood against the dark that night. You saved four hundred. You were there, too, Renfis of the Orithian.”
“I’m not… I’m just…” His eyes were distant. “That was a long time ago. That person doesn’t exist anymore.”
To me, Kingfisher was a surly, foul-mouthed bastard who I wouldn’t piss on even if he was on fire. To everyone inside this tavern, he was a living fucking god.
“It’s a shadow gate. A means to an end. You can use this, or you can spend the next two months on horseback, sleeping in snowy ditches and scavenging for your dinner. What’ll it be?”
“Are you thinking about running? Gods, I hope so. I’ll give you a head start if you like. It’s been an age since I’ve hunted anything.”
