Page 15 of Fae Unleashed
When I sucked in a fresh breath and opened my eyes, I locked gazes with Ostara. Her lips were slightly parted. The small hint of her sheer shock was enough to settle me. When the corner of her mouth curved upward right before she flattened it into a straight line again, I knew that I’d made headway.
“We can never be the friends that I wanted us to be,” I started. “However, wewillbe allies. So long as you reside inmydomain, you will bow to me and all I require of you.”
“The shifters raised a woman of substance, I see.” Ostara paused and regarded her stolen domain.
The fae sitting around her whispered among themselves. They stole glances at me as they covered their mouths with their hands to keep me from reading their lips. Intimidation painted each and every one of their faces. I didn’t want that from them. What I wanted was pride and awe, but it seemed that so long as I had this Unseelie curse, they would always look at me with fear.
Rhoan cleared his throat. “Ostara, our princess grew up to become a good woman despite your efforts. I think you owe her your apologies and service. If not for Cerridwen, then in her mother’s memory, should you still hold any respect for the woman you once loved.”
Despite her efforts?
I tucked that away for later. It wasn’t like I could crack that egg open here and now.
Attention still on Ostara, I said, “Rent is due at the beginning of the month.”
With a flourish of my dress, I spun and walked back through the portal we’d entered.
Rhoan
Outside,Cerri dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Tal scowled at her weakness, but I knelt at her side and wrapped my arms around her.
“Pull yourself together,” Tal grumbled.
Cerri had entertained very different expectations upon visiting Ostara. All of them had been shattered and defiled. It was only fair to let the princess have a moment to pull herself back together.
I didn’t mind standing watch while she took however much time she needed. Mouth shut, I waited. She wiped her tears on the gauzy sleeve of the dress Tal had lent her. She scowled at the rough texture but didn’t offer Tal an apology for abusing his generosity.
“Well, that sucked,” Cerri said hoarsely.
I pulled back but kept a hand on her back. My beast snarled at me. It wanted me to pull her tight to my chest and never let go. She would be safe from any and all threats so long as I kept her in my grasp. No one else could harm her.
I wouldn’t allow it.
The beast’s growl rumbled in my chest. I expected Cerri to pull away at the sound, but she turned and buried her face in the front of my shirt instead. Shock overwhelmed me. For a heartbeat, I stood there, stunned while my beast purred in pure delight.
I had to pull away from her. If she held onto me like this, the beast’s desire would win out. I couldn’t let this happen. Her safety was paramount to everything. I wasn’t afraid that I would hurt her.
No. That’s not what this was about.
I thought of Faust, still hot on our trail. He knew what was happening. The man waited for me to lose control over my emotions. There was a clause in the deal that’d given me my beast. While I’d gained power, I’d also gained a weakness.
Leaning away from Cerri, I pushed her hair back from her face and peered down at her red-rimmed eyes. She gave me a tight half-smile and looked away.
“Time to get up,” I said, voice tight to keep myself from saying those magic words.
Cerri stood and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand again. Tal’s glamour washed over her and wrapped her in mortal clothes. With Feri draped over the back of her neck, she trudged off towards the dock where the ferry awaited us again.
Before I could follow, Tal pulled me back. He yanked me close and hissed, “Do you think it’s wise to show the princess such affection?”
I served him a dark glare. My beast roiled under my skin. The creature wanted out so it could teach Tal a lesson for opening his mouth. Tal had a point, though.
“You made a deal with the Unseelie. Once upon a time, you were a golden child. Your deal has stained you over the years. Tread any further into the realm of the Unseelie, and no one will trust us.”
He spoke as if I was the reason that no one trusted us. The was a nugget of truth in Tal’s whispered warning, but there was an Unseelie mark on Cerri’s skin, too. I wasn’t the only one here who’d been touched by Beryl’s court.
The problem was that I was the one who’d willingly taken the mark. I’d asked for it, even.
The need for power made people do questionable things. The consequences had meant little to me up until now. If I couldn’t contain what I felt for Cerri, then it would all fall apart. I would break the promise I’d made her, and I was tired of having to do that.
