Page 53 of Courting the Fae Captain
“I told you not to touch things that didn’t belong to you,” Raithe said as he stalked towards Declan. “I told you not to touch what is mine.”
Mine.Gods, he had said those words the night of the party, hadn’t he? Had known even then that I was his fated mate, which meant those words were careful and intentional. I couldn’t help the small smile that crept over my face. Yes. I was his. And he was mine. And no one could stand in the way of that. Especially not my father’s Bloodhound.
“If you touch me, you’ll have your father to answer to,” Declan said as he backed away slowly. “Harming me is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“I’ll take those odds,” Raithe said with a shrug. “Right after I take your head off. But first…” He looked at me tenderly as he held out a hand. I walked over and took it, relishing in the feel of those callouses as they scraped against the newly formed ones on my own hands. “My lady,my equal, is more than entitled to shed first blood. If that’s what she wishes.”
Declan looked between us in disgust, and his face scrunched up in fury. “Females do not belong in positions of power. You disgrace your father’s line by offering such.”
“You disgrace the world with your very existence,” I spat. I turned to Raithe. “Finish him. A lady does not diminish herself with the blood of a beast.”
Raithe grinned. “As you wish.”
I didn’t watch. Not as the whine of steel came with the unleashing of his sword, nor as Raithe’s power overwhelmed the Bloodhound’s dark spells. But I heard it all. I stopped to listen to the sound of weapons clashing and males grunting before the sound of something thudding to the ground followed. Another heavy thud, then another, and Declan James was no more. To his credit, he’d lasted longer than I’d thought he would against Raithe. But I suppose one didn’t get the title of Bloodhound for nothing.
I turned to find Raithe burning the body moments later, and then my captain was standing before me, laying his cloak around my shoulders and carrying my basket of herbs. He ran a gloved hand through my hair when he stopped at my side. “Are you okay?”
“He had it coming. I’m actually sorry I won’t be there to see my father’s face when he hears the news. He won’t be so glad about his deal with the Pentad now. But what will happen toyou?” The forest area hid what we had done from the guards and Pentad, but a missing male guest would not go unnoticed.
“I will deal with them,” Raithe said. He nudged me playfully. “Being the captain of the Shadow Court navy has its perks, after all.”
“And when will the captain take me for a ride on his ship?” I asked with a hopeful bob of my heels.
“The ship will have to wait,” he said mischievously. He took my basket and set it down gently. “But I will take you for a ride.”
I yelped as he lifted me into his arms and launched us into the sky. The breath left my lungs as his wings carried us into the cold air around the castle, taking me as far as the coastline. I realised his wings weren’t intangible shadow anymore, but something else, something solid and real. The wings beat hard as they carried us higher. I clung to him for dear life, my knuckles white as I latched my arms tightly around his neck.
Raithe must have sensed my fear because he said to my mind,“I would make a poor captain if I lost my cargo so easily, especially something so precious.”
“I’d say that’s romantic, but it’s kind of hard to think when you’re fifty feet in the air.”I gritted my teeth and nestled in closer, but even as fear and adrenaline thundered through my heart, I risked leaning my head over his shoulder. It truly was beautiful up here. The rolling waves were white-capped and gleaming, and the sunlight filtering through the clouds glittered over the soft snow dusting the cliffs. Even the castle looked like a beacon when the light hit it just right. Castle Cliffscote was a picturesque place, if one could ignore the company it kept.“How do you do that with your shadows?”I asked about his wings.“How can the shadows turn solid?”
“It took me a long time to master,”he admitted.“I spent a lot of time studying the wings of other beasts. Birds, obviously,but insects, too. Even the wings of a Jediri, on the rare occasion they have allowed my proximity.”
“You’ve actually seen one of the wyverns?!”My mouth fell open in awe. To see a Jediri was a rare sight indeed, much less to stand—and remain—alive in their company. I’d read much about them as a child, but I had always wondered what it would be like to be a rider. Most of the Jediri were born and bred in the Bone Court, giving them a great advantage in battle, but others rode the mighty beasts throughout the continent, too, if not as common.
Raithe chuckled.“Like I said, on rare occasions. They are as magnificent as the stories say, but I’ll take the sway of the sea and the feel of a wooden deck beneath my boots any day. At least the helm doesn’t bite back.”
“You really do love the sea, don’t you?”I asked as I looked at him. His face was relaxed, his eyes bright as we soared along the coastline. If I hadn’t seen it, I would never have known he’d just beheaded a male without breaking a sweat.
“It is my calling. But you, mate, are my answer.”
“Such a cheesy romantic,”I answered with a grin.“But I think I might keep you.”
I nuzzled deeper into his warmth and sighed as the world flashed beneath us. It would be so easy to keep flying, to start a new life together somewhere safe. But then he wouldn’t be the male I had fallen for, and I wouldn’t be the person I needed to be. The person I was growing into. Someone worthy. Someone fierce and powerful and feminine …Someone free.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
‘There is no Faemade concoction that cannot be countered. For every creation, there is a cure. Start with an herb or flower’s base properties, then find something with the adverse effect.’
An Alchemist’s Guide to Herbal Remedies
“The final trial is in three days,” Jaren informed five of us currently holed up in Raithe’s chambers a few days later. “Whatever we’re going to do, now is the time.”
I glanced at our party and frowned. Raithe, Jaren, Killian, Sherai, Akira, and myself. Six people were hardly enough to stand against an island swarming with guards and a castle full of soldiers, female participants, and five powerful Pentad members. We weren’t without resources, thanks to Sherai’s impressive mind, but we certainly had our work cut out for us.
“Many of the guards will turn to our cause,” Killian said gruffly from his position in front of the fire. “Say the word, Raithe, and they will obey your command.”
“It isn’t enough for the guards to form a coup,” Raithe said as he ran a hand through his already messy hair. “We need to get hundreds of females off that island safely and securely. Many of them are malnourished and weak. They haven’t lifted a blade or felt their power in years—centuries, even.”
