Fate of Fire (The Forbidden Fae Book 2) Read online

  My breath grew short as my muscles became heavier. I glanced at Iain, surprised to see him slightly flushed. It was almost impossible to see, but there was the slightest hint of color at his cheekbones.

  His eyes were a glassy blue, and his fists gripped the bench at either side of him, so hard that his knuckles stood out white and stark.

  Holy fates, my fists were clenched, too.

  And I wanted to jump on him.

  I’d never wanted to jump on anyone so badly.

  I drew in a shuddery breath and leaned closer to him, drawing in his scent. It wrapped around me, bringing with it the aroma that was so uniquely his. The sea, but also Iain.

  Memories of his body flashed in my mind. Of his strength.

  He turned toward me, his jaw tight. His blue eyes met mine, and the heat within made me gasp.

  We lunged for each other at the same moment. Right before his lips landed on mine, a faint thought flared in my mind—This is weird.

  Then his touch drove all cautionary thoughts away. As always, he was a thrilling combination of cold and hot. So cold he burned. A low groan escaped his throat.

  He surrounded me, his strong arms wrapping around my back and pulling me toward him as his lips plundered mine. He kissed me like he was starving, his lips shockingly soft for such a hard man.

  His touch made my head spin and I moaned as his tongue slipped between my lips, sending a jolt of heat through my body. A ravenous desire seemed to eat me up inside, making me run my hands over his shoulders and arms as I tried to touch every bit of him.

  More.

  I wanted to push him down on the seat and climb on top of him, tearing his clothes off.

  Do it.

  Some dark force urged me onward, blowing my desire out of proportion, driving away any doubts that I had and making me act on my basest instincts.

  His lips trailed down my neck, leaving a path of fire in their wake. I tilted my head to give him better access and tried to push my hands beneath his shirt. I just wanted to feel more of him. His skin, his muscles, his strength.

  Here we were, in the middle of enemy territory, and I wanted to jump his bones.

  Hang on…

  Alarm bells rang in my head. This was strange.

  But then Iain’s strong hand slipped beneath my shirt and pressed full against my lower back. His hand was so big that it spanned nearly the width of my lower back. The heat seared me, along with the sense that Iain couldn’t get enough of me.

  All rational thoughts were driven from my mind.

  “More,” I moaned.

  He began to push me back against the bench, and my heart thundered with anticipation.

  A sharp pain seized my calf, and I jerked, pulling away from Iain. I looked down, spotting Puka. Her white jaws were clamped around my calf, and annoyance glinted in her dark eyes. Her white fur had a slightly bluish cast to it.

  “What the hell, Puka?”

  Iain pulled back from me, confusion in his hot gaze. His hands were still underneath my shirt, wrapped around my waist as if he couldn’t let go.

  Get ahold of yourself. You’re in enemy territory.

  I blinked, then looked around. Shock flashed in my mind as reality returned. We were floating in the middle of the undersea lake, no longer making forward progress toward the tunnels. The feeling of being watched burned brightly, and despite it, desire continued to thud heavily within me.

  “Magic.” I looked at Iain. “There’s some kind of weird sex magic here.”

  He blinked and shook his head, then dragged a strong hand over his face. When he opened his eyes, the heat was still there, but so was wariness. The kiss-softened nature of his lips had hardened, and he looked around.

  “Not sex magic,” he said. “Something meant to lower your inhibitions. Make you do whatever you most want.”

  And that was what I had most wanted?

  Yeah.

  No point in fooling myself.

  It took everything I had, but I managed to move away from him, mourning the loss of his hands against my skin. “Is this part of that Court of Intrigue and Danger thing?”

  “Indeed.” He cleared his throat, then faced forward. “It’s harder to negotiate and lie when your inhibitions are lowered. They can see what you really want.”

  Neither of us could ignore what that meant; what we really wanted was each other. Or sex with each other, at least.

  He didn't trust me because of the love potion thing, and I still hadn't recovered from a lifetime of running from him. It was like suddenly wanting to jump the bones of your bogeyman. It was a freaking head trip.

  Iain leaned forward, gripping the reins that were looped around a post at the front of the boat. He gave them a small flick. “Onward.”

  The sea creatures pulled us forward, their silvery scales gleaming beneath the lights.

  You can thank me later. Puka shot me a loaded look.

  “Plenty of snacks for you.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew the little bag of beef jerky, removing a piece and handing it to her.

  “You walk around with that in your pocket?” Iain asked.

  “Of course. If one has a fox, one needs fox treats. I’m just lucky she’s satisfied with this and doesn’t want some small decapitated mammal.”

  I wouldn’t say no to that either.

  “Well, it’s not happening. It’s already weird enough to walk around with this stuff constantly in my pocket.”

  Puka shrugged and started to chew her jerky.

  I did my best to ignore the desire that still raced through my veins and turned to keep an eye on our progress, searching the walls of the cave for any hidey-holes where someone could be lurking.

  “I don’t think they are actually here,” Iain said.

  “But you can feel them, right?”

  “I can feel their magic.”

  The boat passed through another curtain of green vines, entering a tunnel that was similar to the first. Some of the unnaturally strong desire faded, and my shoulders relaxed a bit. Still, nerves tightened my skin.

  All right, I’m out of here. Puka disappeared without a word.

  “She’s useful,” Iain said.

  “She’s awesome.”

  A few minutes later, the river led to a massive cavern. The walls were decorated with intentional carvings in this part of the underwater palace, beautiful designs of Merpeople swimming in the sea. On the far side, I spotted figures sitting against the far wall that sloped downward from the ceiling. It was carved to contain impressive throne-like chairs.

  The chariot pulled up alongside the stone bank. Four more guards awaited us, standing stiffly at attention. They were different than the first, and their uniforms—long-sleeved tunics with slim-fitting trousers—were decorated with more silver trim.

  They had to be queen’s guard.

  The tallest guard stepped forward and bowed. “The queen will see you now.”

  I stood and exited the chariot, followed by Iain, who moved so gracefully that the small boat didn't even rock.

  From behind me, Iain leaned down to speak quietly in my hear. “Don’t mention the inhibition magic. Pretend things are normal.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Together, we approached the queen, who sat in the highest, biggest throne that had been carved into the dead coral wall. At lower levels, there were smaller thrones filled with other members of her Court, though none were dressed as fabulously as her.

  She wore a sleek, glittering gown of emerald green that was a perfect match for her flowing hair. Her skin was almost impossibly pale, and her eyes so dark that they might as well have been the depths of midnight. She was impossibly beautiful, of course, with sleek ebony fin-like wings.

  We stopped in front of her, and a cunning look glinted in her eyes as she inspected us.

  I had no idea if I was supposed to bow or not, so I just followed Iain’s lead, which might have been a bad plan since he was an actual king and had a status I didn’t.

 
Still, I was pissed about the inhibition magic and didn’t want to bow to this bitch if I didn’t have to.

  Anyway, maybe she’d perceive it as a sign of strength.

  Or throw me in some horrible underwater prison.

  Here was hoping for the former.

  Fortunately for me, she seemed to have eyes only for him. “Iain of the Iceni, King of the Court of the Sea Fae.” Her voice was a siren’s, drawing me toward her. Something tugged in my chest—something like a desire to do her bidding. To please her.

  Shit.

  That was no good. Where was Puka when I needed her?

  I looked toward Iain, and it was clear that he was feeling the effects as well. His jaw had tightened again, and annoyance flickered in his eyes.

  The annoyance made me feel a bit better.

  “Queen of the Primordial Ones.”

  “You may call me Mareline.” Her gaze moved to me. “You may call me Your Highness.”

  Yeah, my show of power hadn’t worked.

  I just nodded, though. No way I could trust myself to speak around her. Anyway, she preferred dealing with Iain, that was clear enough from the way her gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and blue eyes.

  “What brings you to my Court?” she asked. “It’s been centuries. Before either of us ever ascended to the throne.”

  “We seek something that was lost. A valuable artifact from the Court of Flames.”

  Knowledge glinted in her eyes, and I was sure she knew what we were talking about. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  When he spoke, Iain’s voice was soft. “You know that’s not true, Mareline.”

  Her lips quirked up and she shrugged. “Why don’t we discuss it over dinner?”

  Dinner?

  Didn’t she know what a rush we were in? Every second was valuable to the Fire Fae. The kingdom was destabilizing with every moment that passed.

  But yeah, she might know.

  Probably did.

  I tried not to scowl at her. She held all the power here—for now.

  Iain hesitated just briefly, but whatever he saw in the queen’s eyes made him say, “That sounds excellent.”

  I shifted anxiously, but kept my mouth shut. We were entirely at their mercy down here. The SoulStone was somewhere in their kingdom—I could feel it. I just couldn’t tell where exactly. There was a faint pull to my left, but I’d need more to go on. The queen was the one who could give us that. Or at the very least, we needed to stay free long enough to look for it. Getting thrown into a prison would only slow us down.

  The queen gestured imperiously for some guards, and they appeared at our side a moment later.

  “I will see you at dinner in an hour,” she said. “My staff will help you dress.”

  Dress?

  I looked down at my black fight wear. Apparently leather and boots wasn’t appropriate for dinner here.

  Damn.

  As we followed the guard from the chamber, I leaned toward Iain and whispered up at his ear. “What the hell? We don’t have time for this.”

  He leaned down, his lips so close to my ear that I could feel the heat of them against the delicate shell. I shivered as his words flowed near-silently into my mind. “We also don’t have a choice. This is part of the test. They love these Court games and displays of power. If we don’t play along, they could toss us in their prison.”

  I swallowed my frustration down, but it was rough.

  “We could just go look for it now. I can just sneak off and follow the tracking sense that I gained from the potion.”

  His lips moved against my ear. “You could, but it will be easier to search at night, when everyone is asleep. Let’s go to the dinner and see what information we can get.”

  Damn it, he was right. The delay would be worth it. I pulled away from him and followed the guard, who led us through a wide, twisting tunnel that was beautifully decorated with ornate carvings. Scenes of Merpeople and Fae decorated the walls, inset with the same blue crystals that shone like sunlight. If I hadn’t taken that terrifying ride down the air shaft, I’d have no idea we were under the sea.

  The guard stopped in front of a pale door that was made of more dead coral. He pushed it open, and it swung silently on hinges of silver, revealing a large chamber done in shades of white and pale blue. There were huge holes in the coral walls, through which I could see the deep blue ocean.

  My heartbeat thundered.

  They were like gorgeous windows into abject terror. That water could come rushing in at any moment. As if to confirm the danger, a huge shark swam by.

  Unconsciously, I stepped back.

  “You do not need to be afraid,” the guard said.

  Shit.

  I’d let down my guard. I never showed fear in front of the enemy, but here I was, losing it.

  “I’m fine. Is this my chamber?”

  Please say no, please say no, please say no.

  “Indeed, it is. His Royal Highness will be in the room adjoining.”

  “Fantastic.” I stepped in, managing not to wince as the door shut behind me.

  7

  “Hello.” A cheerful, feminine voice sounded from the edge of the room, and I turned.

  A Primordial One exited a tiny room that appeared to be a closet, her green eyes bright with interest. She stopped near the massive bed, inspecting me. Unlike the queen, her hair was brilliant blue and her skin a pale, luminous pink. Her dress was a vibrant cobalt, simple and silk and finely made.

  “Are you our newest guest?” She put a hand to her face. “Silly me, of course you are! I’m Syrea.”

  “I’m Caera,” I said, using my Fae name. She and I had almost nothing in common, but I should play up what little there was.

  “Ah, Fae. What kind?”

  “Fire.”

  Her mouth formed a small O of interest. “Ooh, well then. You’re a bit out of your element here.”

  I sensed no threat from her, so I smiled. “Yeah, no kidding.”

  She approached, and I spotted a fine line that stretched along her neck. She had one on each side, actually.

  I wasn’t as smooth as I thought I was, however, because she caught me looking. “They’re gills.”

  “Oh.” My gaze flicked to the glassless windows. “To… go out there?”

  She smiled. “Yes. And my wings are more like fins.”

  “So you’re not nervous at all down here?”

  “Why would I be?”

  “If the water rushed through those holes… Makes me pretty nervous.”

  “I’ll just swim.” She walked to the window and did something that chilled me to my soul. She stuck her arm right through the water, making it dreadfully obvious that there was no glass between me and the ocean.

  I swallowed hard. “So that water really could just rush right in then?”

  “It could, but it won’t. This isn’t actually an exit, and magic protects us.”

  “If you say so.”

  As she laughed and withdrew her arm, a terrible thought popped into my head. “So, there’s definitely no way out of here if I don’t have gills.”

  “Not without help, no.”

  Shit. It was what I’d feared. Maybe Iain could pull some different water magic, but what if something happened to him?

  I’d be trapped.

  I needed to make this woman like me. We needed allies here.

  “So, I’m here to get dressed?” I eyed her outfit. “By a pro, it seems.”

  She grinned. “True, I am good at my job. Royal costumer to the queen.”

  Ooh, she might have access to some good stuff.

  “But first, you need to bathe. Queen’s orders.”

  I frowned. “Yikes. This is the second time in a day I’ve been ordered to bathe by royalty.”

  “You have the stink of the surface on you.”

  “Yeah, this is enough to give a girl a complex.”

  Syrea laughed. “Wait until you see the bath.”

  Oh, no. I had a feel
ing I wasn’t going to like this.

  She led me to a smaller chamber near the closet. It was empty save for a bench piled high with fluffy towels and an enormous hole in the white wall, providing a massive opening onto the ocean. It went from floor to ceiling, with an air pocket going from the room into the water, making it so that I could walk right into the ocean and be in water up to my waist, but still able to breathe air.

  “Oh, hell no.” I shook my head and backed up. “You want me to get in there?”

  “Of course. It’s the bath.”

  “It’s the ocean. A thousand feet down.”

  “Not quite a thousand.”

  “Far enough.”

  “Go on, you’ll be fine.” She smiled merrily. “Everyone does it.”

  “Everyone here has gills.”

  “There’s a huge air pocket there. You’ll be fine.”

  I drew in a breath and shucked off my clothes, deciding not to be shy. After all, if I acted comfortable around her, she might be more comfortable around me.

  Eyes on the prize.

  I just had to make her like me. Enough to be an ally. Enough that just in case this all went south, I had some help getting the hell out of this beautiful nightmare.

  “Here goes nothing.” I walked toward the water, shoving down panic at the idea of breaking the surface tension. There was magic to prevent that, right?

  I reached the edge of the water, which came up to my waist before the air pocket started. It was about the size of a minivan, so not totally claustrophobic.

  “Go on, don’t be a guppy.” Syrea grinned.

  I gave her a glance, then stepped into the water. It closed around my waist, surprisingly warm. I walked a couple of feet in, but no farther. A curious octopus swam up and watched me from the wall of water in front of me. I gave it a weak wave, then turned back to the Syrea. “Now what?”

  She tossed me a bottle of pink soap. “Get clean.”

  I caught it, then squirted some of the liquid into my palm. “Gotta be honest, this would be a bit weird where I’m from?”

  She tilted her head and frowned. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” I decided not to go into details about how we generally took baths alone in tiny rooms covered in tiles. Actually, when I thought about it like that… “This is kind of cool, really. Terrifying, but cool.”