Page 21 of The Dark Rises
CHAPTER NINE
MADOC
Cormal is a force of nature with his unrelenting will and sheer determination. I prop a foot behind me and lean against the wall of his office while I watch him assemble a plan to get the weapons for the Water Fae. I study the faces of his men, noting both their respect and concentration on the task. He respects them equally, answering their questions, and changing the plan when they don’t believe a particular piece will work.
Dark power seeps from his pores, saturating the air around him. With its seductive quality, it draws his men closer. The essence of his power is unnatural and an abomination to the natural order of things. A mish mash of magic from various races, it’s chaotic and raw. It should be destroying him from the inside out, but somehow, he’s able to contain and harness it for his purpose.
A human who found the power to become immortal without becoming a vampire or shifter. Who knew it could be done? I wonder how he achieved the impossible. I know he gained theability to wield magic by drinking his father’s blood, which also turned him into a beast, or a brùid. Neither of those things would give him immortality. Is this the power he gave to Meri? Her ability to mimic isn’t Fae in origin.
My gaze turns toward the beautiful woman in the corner watching his every move, her turquoise eyes glaring at him in irritation. Magic sparks from her fingertips, but not once does she interrupt. Afterward… she’ll give him hell. For the first time in eons, I have to smother the laugh threatening to escape.
Another abomination. Made not born. Equal parts light and dark Fae with a touch of dark magic in her. Not solely from the power Cormal shared with her, but something else hidden deep inside I can’t quite put my finger on. I doubt she’s aware it’s there, but it’s what drew me to the Light Fae Kingdom and to her.
Flawless perfection on the outside, I was so fucking irritated at the first sight of her. Queen of the Light Fae. She fit the golden image of goodness and light with her platinum hair and trademark turquoise eyes, but her small stature gave me the first clue to her difference. Most light Fae royalty, like Solandis, are tall but not her.
Unable to find Leandra and needing to lie low, I used those excuses to stay, but I’m not sure I would’ve been able to resist the call of her. Or the darkness within. When I found out she was to train with one of her soldiers, I eliminated him. Took his place. The moment I stepped into the training room with her standing there, the pull became stronger. But it was her reaction to the knife coming at her that intrigued me. A Fae would have thrown magic at it. Balancing on the balls of her feet, she prepared to duck as if she’d been doing it her whole life.
Training her was an exercise in patience. At first, it was her inability to wield her magic, but she managed to overcome that hindrance. Later, it was my inability to keep my distance. Ourshort sessions weren’t enough to satisfy my curiosity. I started following her around, watching from the shadows, even when she left the palace to go on her dates with Lorn. I was there trying to figure out why I was drawn to her. The only time I took a break was to check on Aamon. Every time I saved her, whether it was from the wendigo, Denir, or her own court, my obsession deepened.
Emotionally, I’ve done my damndest to stay away from her. The light Fae queen is the last Fae I wanted in my life, but she continued to chip away at my walls, breaking down the barriers between us. Her irreverent disregard for royalty protocols and proper aloofness was astonishing. She makes friends regardless of status. I’m her friend, yet she doesn’t know who I am. None of them do. And I know the time to tell them is coming closer and closer.
She steps out of the shadows next to me, making me jump. “Can you believe him?” Her small hand waves elegantly at Cormal. “Not once has he mentioned me in this plan, but if he thinks I’ll stand on the sidelines or go back to The Abbey, he’s lost his mind. This is my fight more than it is his. He’s not even Fae.”
The thought of her returning to the light Fae palace makes my blood churn. They would love nothing better than to blame this whole revolution on her. “Maybe you should join us after we have the weapons.” Seconds after the words leave my lips, I almost smile, knowing her reaction will be fierce.
Anger surges across her delicate face. “He didn’t mention you either,” she spits out, lifting a taunting eyebrow in my direction. “Are you sitting this one out?”
Normally, I’d be pissed off at the thought, but the glee in her voice only makes me want to chuckle. A common occurrence around her. Nobody else makes me want to shed the armor I created so long ago.
Her scent is alluring, a mix of orange blossoms and jasmine with an underlying earthy note of musk and amber. It teases me, pulling me in closer. For a second, I fight it, not sure if she’s ready to know how she tempts me, but my hesitation almost immediately slips away. I lower my head, inhaling her sweet perfume, and picture the two of us in her bed as I dip my tongue into the honey sweet nectar between her legs.
I let the image play out—my dark head between her creamy thighs, doing all the wicked things I’ve dreamed of since the moment I felt her body beneath mine on that mat. My cock hardens at the tantalizing sight of her writhing on the bed, sheets clenched in her hands, as her head tosses from side to side.
She gasps, and I draw my head back to stare into her desire drenched eyes. “Stop it!” Her gaze darts to Cormal, then back to me. “You don’t even like me, remember?”
I didn’t realize she could see the images in my head, but I can’t say I mind either. All it does it make me loosen the control I’ve held onto for ages.
“Like is weak. Do I have to like you to want you beneath me?” I ask, pressing up against her until she can feel every inch of me. Her scent deepens as her body drenches itself in anticipation. The pulse at her throat flutters rapidly. “Does liking me make you want to spread your legs and surrender to my every whim? Mmm. Tell me.”
She tilts her head, searching my face to see if I’m serious. “I like you better when you’re mean.”
Ouch. “No, you don’t. It’s just easier to keep the wall up between us.” Giving up her crown opened a door. One she doesn’t understand now, but she will. “Shall we spar and find out? I’m sure you can use the practice.”
Her ire cools instantly. “Keep your hands to yourself. I spent too many years letting Cormal’s hot and cold routine spin meinto knots.” Her bright eyes search mine as if she’s looking for answers.
“Mmm. You’ll still be my friend, though, right?” I tease her, unable to help myself.
She scoffs. “Now you want to be friends.” She turns away before answering me. “Yes, but only because I think you really need them.”
Like a burr, her words burrow under my skin. The truth sucks.
Normally,when a portal is accessed by a non-Fae, an alarm goes off, but Cormal changed a few things when he fixed the alarm for Meri, including the ability to bypass the system and enter the kingdom without alerting anyone. Same goes for the palace when we arrive. Positioning his men, Cormal slips through a door in the basement, then opens it for the rest of them. Meri stands near the truck to direct the loading of the shipment while I patrol the area.
Unwilling to risk the use of magic, we’re doing this the old-fashioned way. A thirty-man team with each man physically carrying out a crate and loading it onto an old-fashioned truck. Once we’re done, we’ll drive it from one portal to another near the ship.
With this many men, it doesn’t take long. As I’m closing the back doors of the truck, I hear a whistling noise behind me. I swivel around to find a guard holding a knife to Meri’s throat. She must have walked off to find Cormal.Damn it.A bead of blood trickles down her neck.
Fury rises. “How many damn times have I told you to keep your shield up?” Stalking toward the two of them, the guard shouts for me to stop, but I ignore him. “Your enemies are ten times more powerful than the weasel holding you. If they catch you, they will kill you. Do you not understand that?!”
