Page 41 of The Maleficent Faerie
At the time, I wasn’t certain of Aura’s true identity. Bluesteel seemed like a safer choice in case my investigation revealed her to be a true Fae after all.
The shackles on the bed are bluesteel. And my captive just snapped one into place around my wrist.
A single piece of flat bluesteel cannot block magic. Like a magnet, bluesteel has positive and negative poles, and must be connected end-to-end in circular form in order to work. Once connected, it creates an anti-magic barrier around the form to which it is attached—in this case, me. For complete protection against magic, humans require a large amount of bluesteel, like a suit of armor that encircles the body. But to hamper a Fae’s magic, one needs only a small band of it, like a collar, anklet, or a bracelet. Something as small as a ring wouldn’t disrupt all my power, but a cuff like this—it’s enough to block everything.
Aura may not have realized the nature of the cuff at first, but she knows now—she can see the consternation on my face.
Triumph threads through her smile. “Oh,” she says softly. “How unfortunate for you.”
I lunge for her, jumping off the bed, but she scampers back, out of my reach. When I reach the end of the short chain, I yank on it, to no avail. It is well-secured. I keep straining—but the bed frame is a ponderous one, and the best I can manage is to drag it forward a little.
Aura taps her chin. “Such a useful material, bluesteel. Why didn’t my parents simply build me a suit of bluestell armor and keep me in that for twenty-five years? Or they could have crafted a prison cell from bluesteel.”
“Bluesteel is rare,” I grit out, still straining at the chain. “Too rare and valuable to keep making new suits of armor as you grew, and too rare to build an entire dwelling from it. Besides, though it is excellent against magic, it’s not so hardy against certain types of blades. And a shot from a powerful crossbow pierces it easily.”
She cocks her head. “That’s why not all your human knights wear it.”
“That, and our bluesteel mines are nearly depleted. Yours too, in Caennith.”
Her brows pinch together, distress twisting her pretty features. Ah, she didn’t know about that. They have kept so many things from her, these guardians and parents of hers. She thought she was trusted above others—a warrior gifted with the duty of protecting the Princess. And now all of that is gone.
“It would be silly to keep a growing girl encased in bluesteel all her life,” I say quietly. “There are many ways your parents could have tried to circumvent my curse, Aura. They chose one, and you have to admit it worked well, until now.”
Rebellion flares in her gaze. “I do not ‘have to’ admit anything.” She takes a step toward me, then sways a little. Definitely drunk. Although judging by the way she flipped me onto the bed, she’s still dangerous.
This is ridiculous. There has to be a way out of my predicament; something I haven’t thought of. I can’t be magic-less, chained to a bed by the Princess I cursed.
We’re in a quiet, mostly deserted part of the Chapel, but if I shout loudly enough, someone will come.
“I’m going to shout for help,” I tell her. “But I’ll wait until you put some clothes on. The chapel attendants should have laid out some nightclothes for you to wear.”
“You want me to get dressed so you can call for help? The Maleficent One, bested by his captive yet again. The Void King, crying for his precious knights to come and save him.” She changes her tone to a small weak voice. “‘Help me, help me, the human Princess has chained me up.’ I’m sure your men won’t have a good laugh about that.”
Teeth gritted, I pry at the latch on the manacles. But it needs a key. Which has probably been laid out in my room. “Fuck.” I jerk at the bedpost again. I flare my wings while I pull, in case they can give me extra leverage. Useless. I only end up bruising the tapered bone of one wing against the dresser.
Finally I give up and pinion my wings tightly to my back, cursing the small size of the room.
I can figure this out on my own—maybe even convince her to let me go. No one else has to know she bested me yet again, like she’s been doing from the moment I wrapped my shadows around her carriage.
Aura pads nearer on quiet bare feet, until she’s within my range—but I don’t reach for her yet. I let her come to me. Her golden hair pours over both shoulders, partly concealing her breasts. Her expression has shifted again, from mockery to misery.
“I need more wine, or ale, or whatever they had at dinner,” she says. “It’s wearing off.”
“You’ve had more than enough.”
“I need it, though.”
“You need sleep. Did you eat anything?”
“Nibbles,” she says. “Not much. I am tired, but you’re chained to my bed, so… I’d rather not lie down.”
“You could release me. The key is probably in my room, right next door. You gain nothing from keeping me bound like this, Princess. I still have my strength, even if I lack magic. You can’t… you can’t overpower me…”
My voice falters over the last few words, because she is standing so close to me now, with her beautiful blue eyes and her toned, silken body. My heart is galloping like a wild stallion, and my cock swells against the front of my pants.
Every worry and plan in my head blurs into smoky shadow, while she takes on vivid color and exquisite detail. She is golden strength and delicate pearly skin, fathomless blue eyes and rose-petal lips.
Her soft breasts are almost touching my chest. I take air in tiny sips, afraid to breathe too deeply lest she back away. Tension hardens my arms as I fight the urge to touch her.
