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“Only about the ways I wish to kill you! I wonder if you would roast up nicely like a chicken. On second thought, I bet you’re nothing but gristle.”
He could do this all night with her. He had never met a female who was not afraid to banter with him in this way.
“Oh I think you would find me full of long… thick… meat,” he said as he cocked a brow. She rolled her beautiful black eyes at him. He nearly pulled her out of the cage to show her a better use for that sharp tongue, but he controlled himself. He needed answers from her, and he didn’t think she would be willing to answer if he lost control like that.
She cocked her head to the side as if she were taking his measure. “Hmmm. I don’t know, I think you’d be alittlefowl, honestly.” She emphasized the word little and looked far too proud of her little pun.
Kes laughed a deep booming belly laugh. He liked her sharp tongue almost as much as he liked her eyes.
She snapped her fingers with their long sharp nails in front of his face. “Now listen up you big bird. I have information the prince would likely find valuable, however, I will only divulge this information about the Day Court and its power if the prince is willing to take the blood oath to protect me.” She tried to look like she was some kind of haughty high fae.
“And what is it you need protecting from, my darling nymph?” What could be that dangerous for a wood nymph? He did notice her well of power was surprisingly deep for a nymph.
“The Day Court’s high fae. Apparently they were not content to let me live out my life in the Borderlands any longer. Now they want me dead.”
He felt himself gripping the bars tighter at the thought of anyone but him hunting her. He had no idea why he felt possessive over this Day fae. He had to be losing his mind. “I will bring your proposal to the prince, but only if you answer another question for me.”
She made an exasperated sound as if he were annoying her to no end.
“Fine. What do you wish to ask?”
“Why were you out in the Human Realm on the night of the Night Court’s hunt?”
She stared at him as if he were the biggest idiot to ever live. “I would think it obvious, but apparently not. I was running to the Human Realm to escape the Day Court. I was going to live the rest of my days there.”
A hint of emotion crossed her face, but it was gone before Kes could read it. She would have never been able to blend in among the humans. He didn’t like that she thought that to be her only option.
“I will bring your proposal to the prince immediately, but I would not hold your breath. The prince is not known for his kindness.” His smirk almost faltered at the sight of her face falling. He could tell she was counting on the prince giving in to her demands. He didn’t like how defeated she appeared, so he decided he would sell it to Ciaran as best he could.
She locked eyes with him and released a shaky breath. “Would you please make it quick then?” she said quietly.
It took him a moment to realize she meant her death.
“I will not be killing you,” he growled at her.
She looked at him in fear for the first time and that pull in his chest felt like it was on fire. Her mask of indifference had cracked and a single tear had fallen down her face. He reached through the bars and caught her tear on his finger. He was frustrated when she flinched away. He realized then that she thought he meant to torture her for an eternity instead of giving her death.
He looked her in the eyes. “I promise no harm will come to you by my hand.”
She seemed to relax knowing that fae can’t lie.
He made to leave when she touched his hand – it felt like lightning had run through his whole body. He looked back at her and she wore a similarly shocked expression; they had both felt it.
She cleared her throat and was as dignified as possible. “Please, don’t leave me in this cage down here,” she begged him.
“I must for now, but I can make it a bit more comfortable for you.” He really had no choice at the moment, he needed to find Ciaran. He made the cage large enough so she could lay down and added some pillows and blankets. He turned to leave again, when she pleaded with him one last time.
“Please, please don’t leave me here.”
He held her gaze for a moment before giving her a tight smile. He turned away as fast as he could and immediately ported to his chamber before he could second guess his choice to leave her there. The whole thing had rattled him. It was incredibly unusual behavior for him, and he had no idea what this thing in his chest was he was suffering from.
Five
CiaranpacedKes’squarterswhile waiting for him to arrive. If Kes was not back in the next few minutes, Ciaran had every intention of calling him back from his hunt early, their wager be damned.
A surprised Kes ported into his chambers before he could act on his thoughts. “Cousin! I saw your hunt was successful, however, I do believe I have wo…” Kes’s words dropped off as soon as he saw Ciaran’s face. “What is it?” Kes asked once he had a chance to fully take in his cousin’s demeanor.
Ciaran looked around. He never trusted anywhere but his tower, knowing the wards were strongest there. “Not here.” He grabbed his cousin and ported to his private study in his tower, two floors below his bedchamber, where the human woman slumbered.
