Page 39 of A Court of Sugar and Spice
“How long of a journey is it?” I ask.
“Two weeks if we must walk at a human’s pace,” replies Finias. “We may be able to use horses, but we certainly can’t use airborne forms of transportation or we’ll risk drawing too much attention.”
That’s it, then. Clara and I must go with them.
“Do I have your authority to bargain on your behalf?” Finias asks the Prince. “I assume the royal treasury will bear the burden of whatever price we must pay?”
Lir nods grimly. “Whatever it takes. But do try to keep it reasonable.”
Fin splays a hand over his heart. “I’m nothing if not a skilled bargainer.”
“You’re many things, and a spendthrift is one of them,” mutters the Prince. “Do your best not to bankrupt the kingdom.”
With Lir draped in a conjured cloak, we round a clump of trees and step onto a new path, one paved with flat rocks that shine golden in the bright air. Leaves of ruby-red or aquamarine flutter in the trees, or drift in jeweled splendor through the haze of sunshine filtering through the branches.
As we walk, I become conscious of a faint pattering and thumping that seems to come from all around us. It sets my nerves on edge, even though the two Fae males don’t seem concerned.
“Do you hear that sound?” I ask. “Is it hoofbeats? Footsteps?”
“It is the heartbeat of the trees,” replies Lir. He pauses, laying a palm gently against a bluish trunk veined with gold. “This area is an extension of the Living Forest, one of the most precious places in the Seelie realm.”
“The trees of the Living Forest hold the spirits of dryads,” Fin explains. “Most are sleeping now, but every fifty years they emerge, and then—ah, what delights!” His yellow eyes brighten, and he tosses back his pink hair. “You’ve never fucked a dryad, have you, Lir? Ah, you’ve missed out. It’s an ethereal experience. Bit of an acquired taste, I suppose, but then, I’ve never been too particular.”
“What are dryads like?” I ask curiously.
“Like willowy saplings, but in female shape,” he says. “But they canstretch. And some of them have two vaginas, and three or four breasts. When their sweet sap is running they’ll let you suckle like a hungry babe—”
“Oh, for stars’ sake, stop!” Lir shudders.
“Two vaginas?” I breathe, fascinated. “Can they both orgasm at once?”
“Theycan.”
“I’m so jealous. That must feel incredible. And it must be a delight to watch.”
“It is,” Fin assures me. “I’ve always loved watching women come.”
Lir marches ahead, his back stiffer than ever as he puts distance between himself and us.
“He has never liked open discussion of sex,” Fin says aside to me. “A bit of an oddity among the Fae in that respect. Most of us will fuck anyone, anywhere. And most of us enjoy a good orgy. Once you’ve been to enough of those, though, it all becomes rather hollow. Last one I attended I found myself simply going through the motions, wondering when it would be over.” He laughs ruefully, his gaze turning distant.
Much as I like sex, I don’t believe I’d want to engage in it in front of others, or in groups. I would rather claim one person as mine and learn all the little ways I could make him come undone.
It’s odd how casually I can discuss sex with Finias, just like we talked about Fae speed or the seasons of this realm. I’m a little aroused—not because of him, but because I can’t help imagining Lir in the center of an orgy, looking very shocked and displeased. I picture taking him by the hand, leading him somewhere private, stealing the haughty words right out of his mouth, and replacing them with helpless groans.
It would be such delicious fun to dismantle the Prince.
Now I am much wetter. Damn it.
“Lir is walking very fast for a curse victim.” Chuckling, Fin tugs a peppermint cane from a pouch at his belt and begins to suck on it. “We should try to catch up with him. The tavern is just ahead—you can see it there, through the trees.”
Right before we reach the tavern, Fin turns me to face him and touches the tops of my ears. A prickling sensation dances across my cartilage.
“There,” he says. “Pointed ears. I already altered your scent this morning, so you wouldn’t draw monsters so readily.”
“Thank you?” I arch an eyebrow. “But why would my scent attract monsters? I bathed thoroughly, trust me.”
“It’s not that,” Finias assures me. “Humans have a more carnal scent than the Fae. It incites lust or hunger in darker beings of this realm. Lures them, like a beacon. Seelie Fae can smell it, too, but its effect is less powerful with us.”
