Page 33 of The Succubus's Song

“Magairlean,” Emmett cursed, shaking his head as he looked at Mara. “I don’t like it but…”

“Sir!”

The door flew open as one of the fae guards charged in. Mara jumped off Finley’s lap, and Emmett stood, whipping a dirk out of his waistband. The guard was agitated; he blocked the view of the library, but everyone could hear the small commotion happening behind him.

“Motherfucker—” One guard shouted.

“My nose!” Another voice responded.

The rest of the patrol was standing right outside, and by the sounds of it, they’d brought someone with them. Mara’s body was immediately back on high alert.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Emmett roared, slamming a fist down on his desk. Mara watched as Finley’s eyes got wide at Emmett’s outburst.

Ah, he’s probably never seen this side of him, she chuckled to herself in a moment of amusement.

“Sir,” the guard mumbled. His words came out muffled, like his mouth was full of cotton, until Mara realized one side of his face was swelling. “We caught another one outside.”

As if on cue, another barrage of voices escalated in the library.

“You shithead!”

“Oi! Fuck off!”

Emmett’s face twisted in concern, and Mara’s stomach dropped as they heard the guards battling with an unknown trespasser. The guard’s sword was extended, and he continued looking over his shoulder as if he was worried their captive had the strength to escape.

“Another what?” Emmett demanded.

Mara grabbed Finley without thinking and yanked him out of the chair. Before anyone could answer Emmett, Mara’s supernatural strength and speed kicked in, and she manhandled Finley until he was hiding underneath Emmett’s desk.

“Stay here,” Mara hissed, pressing a kiss to Finley’s brow before she stood. Finley nodded in response and a wave of relief rushed over Mara. Emmett, to Mara’s relief, said nothing about her instinct to protect Finley and directed his anger at the guard once more.

“I need someone to explain what’s happening here in the next thirty seconds, or I’m going to start stabbing first and asking questions later!” Emmett threw his dagger down on the desktop.

“W-we found another baobhan sith outside,” the guard stuttered, his face going even paler. Mara’s stomach dropped to her feet as her blood turned to ice. Emmett’s anger abated almost instantaneously, the strict general returning. He motioned towards the door.

“Bring them in.”

The guard looked terrified, as if this was not the reaction he expected Emmett to have, and disappeared to quickly follow orders.

“You don’t think…” Emmett turned to look at Mara with a raised brow.

“Alice wouldn’t let herself get caught,” Mara shook her head, trying to calm her nerves and look indifferent as the patrol of guards wrestled inside Emmett’s office. There were four of them surrounding their prisoner, blocking them from view, and Mara’s heart stopped as she thought of Finley hiding underneath the desk.

“Bloody fecking idiots!” A husky, albeit entirely feminine, voice resonated above the din.

Mara recognized it immediately.

“Hey, back away from her,” Mara hissed, hurdling over Emmett’s desk and pulling one of the soldiers off the captive. The guards backed off at the sight of an enraged Mara, raising their hands in submission and backing up towards the edge of the room.

They revealed another baobhan sith, spitting mad and cursing with every breath she had, in the center of the room. As soon as she locked eyes with Mara, all her anger seemed to evaporate.

“Mara!” she squealed happily. “You could ‘ve at least told them I was coming, yeah?”

“Pippa!” Mara squeaked, her entire face lighting up as she threw her arms around the woman. Pippa hugged her back as best as she could, but she was impeded by a rusty set of iron handcuffs around her wrists.

“Good to see you too, cousin.” Pippa smiled, pulling back slightly from Mara’s embrace. “Do me a favor and get these damn things off, yeah?” She held her wrists up. “Your damn guards all think they’re fucking Rambo incarnate. Thought I was going to disappear on ya, did ya?” Pippa turned towards the soldiers and grinned, causing them all to shudder.

Mara nodded and held her hand out towards one of the fae, who gave her a small set of keys. Mara made quick work of the shackles and tossed them on the floor, pulling Pippa into another tight embrace.

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