Page 89 of A City of Emeralds and Envy
“I look forward to all of it,” he replies.
33
“Ready?” Dorothy says, looking around at us.
I survey the hands touching her—my own, Riordan’s scarred brown one, Caer’s pale slender fingers—and one more hand.
Jasper stands at my side, his tanned arm brushing mine as his palm presses to Dorothy’s back. The deep V of his loose white shirt shows a glimpse of the new heart clicking and whirring in his chest—a mechanical heart designed by the Hatter herself and installed successfully with the help of Riordan and Finias. They couldn’t force Jasper’s flesh to seal around it, or over it—he was scarred by the fire of a god-star, and there’s only so much even the most powerful Fae can do to restore him. So the clockwork heart remains visible, nestled between his lungs, surrounded by protective metal plating and the shadow of burn marks.
His chest is no longer smooth and golden, and the crow tattoo across his pectoral has been partly obliterated—but none of us care about that. Riordan, Caer, and I are simply thrilled to have him back with us. Whether his heart is mechanical or not, it remains as big and brimming with love as ever. And all his other parts are intact, thankfully. The first thing Caer said to Jasper when he came back to life was, “Lucky your cock didn’t get blasted, or we might have left you for dead.” But his fanged grin trembled a little as he said it, and Jasper’s new heart whirred faster, right before he threw himself into Caer’s arms.
The sex we enjoyed that night was more than pleasure—it was each of us showing our reckless devotion to the others. I can’t think of it without blushing hard and feeling a rush of grateful joy.
Weeks later, when Dorothy told me the shoes were ready for a trip back to the mortal realm, I told my three men I would go alone and say goodbye to my family. But Riordan growled, “The fuck you will,” and Jasper said, “You need us,” and Caer bared his teeth and declared he was going whether I liked it or not.
So we’re all holding onto Dorothy now, waiting for her to click her heels and take us back to my former world.
“I’m excited,” Jasper says. “Are the rest of you excited?”
“I’ve been to the mortal realm,” Riordan says darkly. “It’s nothing to be excited about.”
“Just a lot of tasty humans walking around.” Caer licks his teeth, then catches my eye. “Not that I’d crave a taste of any mortal butyou, my sweet mousie.”
“Not only because I’d be murderously jealous,” I say, “but because eating, kidnapping, or torturing humans is…?”
“Wrong,” Caer and Riordan chorus, so dejectedly that I can’t help laughing.
“Good boys,” I tell them. “I think you deserve a treat after this is done. Don’t you think so, Jasper?”
“Yes, and you shall have a treat too, my darling savior.” He kisses my cheek.
I can’t help blushing. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”
“You protest,” he says softly, “but I think you rather like it.”
“Oh gods, the four of you,” groans Dorothy. “Is everyoneready?”
“Yes,” we reply.
“See you shortly, wife,” West calls from the parlor sofa, where he’s munching on a green apple that nearly matches his hand. Dorothy brought us to her castle for the test, mostly because Jasper has been begging to visit Fiero.
“Back soon, bastard.” Dorothy replies acidly, but she winks at her mate before tapping the heels of her shoes together and taking a single step.
Instantly the parlor whirls into a tornado of color, wind roaring around us.
Dorothy takes a second step, and another. Abruptly the swirling tempest vanishes, leaving the five of us breathless, standing in the shriveled cornfields I know all too well, under a gloomy gray sky. The bite of winter is in the air now, and the trees are bare and black, like spiderwebs dipped in ink. I suppress a shiver.
“Oh, it’s… um… it’s nice, your home,” Jasper says politely.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Caer nudges him. “It’s wretched here. That’s why she wants to live with us. Well, that, and my talented tongue.”
He’s not wrong. I love his tongue as much as I love his cock—especially now that his heat is over and the little barbs don’t fuse us together during sex. During our time in the Seelie Court, Caer fucked me several times a day until his body finally decided it had pumped enough cum into me, and his lust receded to a more manageable level. As a precaution I took a few of Fin’s contraceptive sweets to ensure there won’t be any Fae babies until I’m ready for such things.
“I’m going to see my parents,” Dorothy says. “It shouldn’t take long. Meet back here in an hour?”
I nod and give her hand an encouraging squeeze. “Do you need someone to go with you?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “West offered to come, but I prefer to do this alone. I’m going to confront my father about my Fae heritage and find out what I can about my real mother. My parents will be more open to talking if it’s just me.”
