Page 117 of Gemini Wicked

“In truth, he should be here already. At this hour, our home is his accustomed place, and the Seelie Prince is very much a creature of habit.” He pauses. “But Ash is regent in my absence, and those duties demand odd hours. Perhaps he’s merely… asleep.”

“Huh.” I shoot a dubious look at the setting sun. “He’d be a pretty late riser—or early sleeper—if he is.”

“’Tis possible.” Zephyr’s gaze narrows on the high tower. “No matter. If he’s indeed in residence, I know precisely where to find him.”

My Unseelie’s already stalking for the stairs, swords crossed over his shoulders and green hair streaming in the wind. Now we stream after him (in various states of undress) like chicks after a hen.

Xhevith is slurping water from his big trough in the lair, and I know he’ll fly out later to hunt. When I scurry past, he lifts his dripping muzzle to croon at me. Under his possessive stare, my dragon queen gives him a flirty chirp and preens like the diva she is.

We all pile into the twisting stone stairwell, lit by pale glowing crystals stuck in the walls like torches that generate the cool illumination the Fae call witchlight. I’m used to the spectacle by now, but Lucius gazes around in rapt fascination.

“Your guest chambers await on the lower level. I trust you’ll find the accommodations to your satisfaction,” Zephyr says coolly to the collective, then turns to me. “Of course, my queen shares the royal chambers in the tower with me.”

My mouth pops open in shock.

Oh, hell to the no with that shit.

But Ronin beats me to the punch with a rude snort. “Yeah, good luck with that, mate.”

“Um, no.” I give Zephyr the stink-eye. “We talked about this on Day One, remember? My guys and me, we’re a package deal. If we’re too much for you to handle? Houston, we have a problem.”

Zephyr’s clearly chafing to find his missing mate, but he breathes out strongly through his nostrils and visibly strains for patience.

“I have indeed agreed to accept your other males in our bed to please you, my bride. You need only choose the one you desire to join us this night.” Zephyr looks nowhere in particular while my mates crowd around us in the stairwell, but I can feel the tension humming between him and Ronin like a live wire.

“Looks like someone’s failed his Basics of Polyamory exam.” Vasili slips one arm around my waist, one arm around Ronin’s, and sneers at our prickly host. “Haven’t you been reading your why-choose romance, darling? Zara doesn’t have to choose. In this polycule, we’re all together. If you can’t manage the math… or the biology… you and the winged wonder will be occupying that royal bed of yours alone.”

V’s not a lightning witch, but fuck if this stairwell doesn’t crackle with electricity.

Max lets loose with a possessive growl and his lean hot body crowds up against my back. Like the peacemaker he is, Neo hovers between the warring parties, but nibbles his lip and looks anxious. Even my patient Lucius is glaring at our obnoxious host, wolf eyes pulsing red in the witchlight. Ronin leans in to nuzzle V’s ear, but my Brit’s amber gaze smolders at Zephyr the whole time.

“Very well,” Zephyr says curtly under the weight of our hostile stares. “By the moon, follow me or do not. I thought to give us all time to grow accustomed to this… novel arrangement. If you are so eager to warm the king’s bed without delay, the lot of you are welcome there in your entirety.”

Half my guys are still wrapping their heads around all that, and bristling over the irritating parts, when my Unseelie pivots away and darts through the little door that leads to the high tower above the lair. He’s a fast mover, but I sprint right after him, now that he’s not actively trying to separate me from my warlocks.

“Want me to push him off the roof again?” Ronin mutters behind me. “Forgot how pissy the bloke can be.”

Despite the tension sparking in the air and my mounting concern over the absent Ash, I’m relieved Ronin can crack a joke (even a tiny one) over their effed-up history.

“Cut him a break, okay, Ronin?” Neo says softly as they all crowd into the snug spiral stair behind me. “He’s really worried about Ash, and so is Zara.”

I swear our bookworm is sweeter than any of us deserves.

Ronin grumbles as he climbs. Max can’t seem to stop growling, low and deep in his chest. Lucius’ wolf whines as our headmaster brings up the rear—guarding everyone’s back. And Vasili’s skulking silence is downright sinister.

But this uneasy state of affairs is probably as good as it’s gonna get in this harem. I mean, at least until we all fuck (if that’s even in the cards).

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Vasili murmurs in response to my thought, his tone sharp with spite.

I sigh and switch off the psychic leakage, then power up the stairs behind Zephyr’s lithe scramble. A sudden gust of wind fills the stairwell and the door at the top blows open before Zeph even touches it, because his elemental Fae magic is wind.

He shoots through the doorway with me right on his heels. The room beyond opens around me. I jolt to a stop and stare in amazement.

This entire tower was closed off during my earlier visit, so I’ve never seen this joint.

And man, was I missing out.

I’m standing in a perfectly octagonal jewel of a room that’s like an eagle’s aerie, all high ceiling and sunken floor and leaded-glass windows all around. A wooden ledge like a window seat rims the space, piled with colorful cushions in some places and rows of vintage books and exotic artifacts in others.

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