Page 65 of Fae Reckoning

Laughing darkly, Ivar onlytskedand pulled his head back to avoid the bite of El’s blade. “A male cannot make love unless he’s aroused. Rush was aroused to satisfy my queen.”

“That was ‘cause ofme,” Elowyn rasped. “He drugged himself to avoid feeling, you awful, horrible, little…” She trailed off, shook her head, tucked away the blade, and stepped back. Her chest heaved as she glanced at the others but not me. “He’s not worth it. There’s no insult great enough. I just…” She breathed in, out, and finally looked at me. Tears welled in those beautifully loving eyes, magnifying the violet so that it was crystalline in its clarity. The color, I suspected, was her magic coming alive. Her eyes had been a light gray when we first met. My mate was transforming into something even more magnificent.

After several calming inhales, she announced, “Let’s focus on saving whom we can while there’s maybe still a chance. Ivar”—she winced as if his name itself were foul—“surely you must realize it’s not okay for the queen tomurderher subjects to supposedly keep me from draining their power—as if I’d ever do that.”

“You’ve had it out for Her Majesty since you first darkened the palace gates.”

“No, I haven’t. She’s been the one who’s had it out for me. All I’ve been doing is trying to get the fuck away from her and … never mind. You don’t believe me, and you wouldn’t care even if you did. Do you know where else she’s keeping fae to drain them of their power?”

“The queen shares everything with me. But even if you flay me alive then set me on fire, I won’t tell you a thing that will injure my queen.”

“That can be arranged,” Xeno said evenly. “Though I’m digging Hiro’s snakes. I’m thinking they should feast first.”

Ivar didn’t react.

“You’re truly willing to let innocents die,” Hiro said, “when you have the information to help us save them?”

“As I’ve said,” Ivar answered, “we’reher subjects. It’s part of our role to make sacrifices for her. We strengthen her so she has the power to defend us.”

“Defend us fromwhat?” West asked, sounding exhausted, his hands slapping against his thighs, setting his weapons to rattling in their sheaths. “Since as long as I can remember, the only threat to the Mirror World has ever beenher.”

“Our queen is the greatest tactical mind we’ve seen in thousands of years. There are threats from the outside you don’t even know about.” He hesitated before adding, “We’ve been wrongfully denied access to Faerie. It’s our true heritage, where the magic is strongest. If not for what King Spiro did, my queen wouldn’t weaken. None of us would.”

“If not for King Spiro, the Mirror World wouldn’t exist at all,” Roan pointed out.

“Exactly,” Ivar said triumphantly, as if he’d made some grand point.

Pru padded over to wedge herself between Elowyn and me. She tugged on the hem of El’s leathers. Saffron scuttled up my mate’s back to avoid going with the goblin, making my beloved wince. She believed she hid it well, but El couldn’t conceal the many grimaces from me with how closely I watched her. My mate was still injured. She should be healing somewhere peaceful instead of dealing with crazy, foolish bastards like Ivar.

“What is it, Pru?” Elowyn asked with a calm that was presently out of my reach.

“One of the sleepers. She’s been trying to talk, Mi—Elowyn. Her voice is hard to understand, but Pru thinks she knows what she’s saying.”

“And what’s that?”

“She keeps saying his name.” The goblin scowled at Ivar with admirable ferocity. “And now she’s started saying something that Pru thinks sounds liketurtle.”

“Turtle?” Elowyn repeated, mystified.

I watched Ivar as he heard that one word. The highly annoying sense of superiority he always wore wrapped around his person like a cloak slid from his face. He gawked, eyes wide and empty—no, not empty, churning with … something.

With the dragonling practically sitting on her shoulders, El bent at the waist to better meet the goblin’s stare. “That sounds like she’s still unwell. Keep me updated if she says something new, but for now, just keep doing whatever you can to help. Thanks, Pru.”

“Turtle,” Ivar croaked. “Are you sure she’s saying ‘turtle,’ goblin?”

Pru scowled at him some more, meeting his frantic stare with slim, yet very straight shoulders. “Pru doesn’t make mistakes.” The goblin brazenly stared him down as if she hadn’t just finished admitting she onlythoughtthat’s what the female had said. With Ivar seated, she nearly reached his head, but not quite.

For several moments, Ivar stared blankly into the distance, lost to something none of the rest of us could see. Then he barked, “Take me to her!”

Xeno snorted and rolled his broad shoulders. “That’s not how this works, asshole. You’re our prisoner. If you wanna get to do something, you gotta give us something we need. Like information on where the queen’s stashed anyone else she’s sucking the life out of.”

His face reddening, Ivar gulped. “If that is who I think it might be, then I’ll tell you whatever the blazes you want. Just take me to her.Now.”

Xeno looked at Elowyn, then me.

“But he stays in the chair,” I told him.

The changeling, who was obviously even stronger than he looked, crouched and picked up Ivar in the chair on his own. “Show me where, Pru,” he said, and the goblin pattered alongside him, pointing.

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