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“W here is Flynn?”

Adira stared into the emotionless eyes of a housemaid waiting for her response. It would be so nice to have these Mortals simply do as they were told without the necessity of removing every semblance of intelligence and personality with the compulsion. But that simply wasn’t the way of it.

Mortals and their so-called morals. Such a bother.

“Master Flynn took a car into town, my queen,” the woman answered tonelessly.

Of course, he would have. He was still angry with her.

She waved the useless woman away and stepped back into her sitting room to pour herself a cup of tea.

Flynn and his constant pouting were starting to get on her nerves. It wasn’t that she’d ever fully trusted the man. She’d learned early in life not to trust anyone. But he was comfortable. Familiar. Normally efficient.

In spite of that, she might have to consider replacing him if these obstinate little tantrums and hurt feelings continued.

Still, he did have his useful moments.

It had been Flynn, after all, who’d suggested the solution to her problems. Why she hadn’t thought of it herself was beyond her. Too much on her mind, she supposed.

He’d stood at this very table this morning, eyes downcast, as she’d chastised him for having lost the Noble woman she’d wanted so badly.

Even now, even with her new plans under way, it still rankled her that she’d been so close to having the half-breed within her grasp. She’d wanted whatever powers the woman had for her own.

“What do you suggest I do now, Flynn?” she’d asked. “Now that you let that Mortal slip through your fingers? It’s hardly as if I can look up ‘Faerie descendants’ in the ads or order one off the internet.”

“You still have the girl.” He’d looked up sullenly.

“Thanks to Dermond. He, at least, was able to hold on to his charge.”

Flynn’s face had colored at that remark. “I was shot.”

She’d fluttered her hand to dismiss his excuse. “And you were healed by my own little pet. The one Dermond held on to. Who knows what the one you let get away might have been able to do for us?”

“My apologies, mistress.”

“Tell me. How do you recommend I find others?” The longer she’d looked at him, his eyes not meeting hers, the angrier she’d become.

“Don’t find them,” he mumbled. “Breed your own women.”

“What?”

Have her own daughters? Not bloody likely. Even without the Earth Mother’s interference, which had destroyed the Nuadians’ ability to bear female children, pregnancy was not something she would ever willingly choose for herself.

Adira Ré Alyn had sworn early on that she would never be one of those ugly, bloated, miserable breed cows.

Long ago in Wyddecol, she’d heard the contempt in the men’s voices as they’d bemoaned their wives’ swollen bodies. She’d seen them reject those fine ladies, coming instead to her bed for their pleasure.

In those days, she’d had no chance to think of the possibility of having her own children. Women like her weren’t considered good enough for marriage outside their class. Their only use had been to warm the beds of the nobility and the wealthy.

She’d been good enough to entertain them, to bed them, but never to marry them. In her innocence, her na?veté, she’d dared to hope it would be different one day.

She’d quickly learned the harsh truth.

Those men of power and wealth who’d whispered sweet words of encouragement and false promises as they used her body for their own pleasures had no intention of raising her station in life. She’d been nothing to them, less important than the animals that ate from their scraps.

Reynard had saved her from that life, though she’d paid dearly for the rescue. Years of enduring every depraved indignity he could dream up, all to ensure her value to him. To guarantee he’d keep her at his side.

When the rebellion had gone badly, she’d been banished from Wyddecol along with Reynard and those like him who had fought against the Faerie High Council. But banishment had been no hardship for her.

The others, with their former lives of comfort and plenty, their rich families and splendid homes left behind, whined constantly about missing all they had given up for the rebellion.

But not her. Though she might miss the beauty of the Faerie Realm, life here in the Mortal World had been far better for her than anything she’d left behind.

She had used her body to buy her way here. Still used it when necessary. There was no way she’d ever consider ruining her greatest asset by filling it with a parasite. Growing inside her, feeding off her, distending her stomach, stretching and tearing her skin. The very idea made her shudder in revulsion.

A child was the one thing, the only thing, she’d ever denied Reynard. And supposedly his reason for bedding every Mortal he came across.

Perhaps even his reason for refusing her the one thing she had wanted—the legitimacy of marriage and the entitlement it would have given her to rule at his side.

She clenched her teeth at the memory of his refusal, setting the fragile china cup on the table in front of her before she forgot herself and smashed it to the ground.

No matter now. She no longer needed Reynard or any male to give her anything. She’d learned to take what she wanted by her own hand.

Of course, she hadn’t explained herself to Flynn this morning. Back in Wyddecol, his merchant-class family might have far outranked her own, but here things were different. Here, his subservient position didn’t rate explanation of any kind from her.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Flynn,” she’d said, sneering. “You know very well the only child I’d be able to bear would be male. And another male to take care of is the last thing I need.”

“I would never be so disrespectful, my mistress, as to suggest such a thing. I was recommending you should breed the girl. She’s of an age and healthy. In this world, women younger than she already have children. Some more than one. And because the prohibitions of the Earth Mother obviously have no dominion over her, she is as likely to give you females as males. It will take time, of course, but if there’s anything you have plenty of, it’s time.”

Oh yes, she had time.

Breeding her own stable of mixed-blood females, each with a gift of magic? Certainly it was no different from all those years ago when Reynard had bred his own stable of racing dogs.

Leah was, after all, her pet.

Certainly it would take a decade or two, slowing down her plans. But once begun, there was no telling what powers she’d have at her disposal. And if she were fortunate enough to find other females, other half-blood Fae mongrels, while she waited?

So much the better.

She could be patient. She could wait for the power just as she’d waited for revenge on all those she’d left behind.

And on some of those who’d come along with them.

Adira smiled, picking up her cup for another sip of the bitter herb tea she found particularly soothing.

Flynn had recognized the moment Adira accepted his suggestion. She’d seen it in his sly expression before he bowed his head in mock submissiveness.

“You’ll need a loyal full-blood to impregnate the girl. I’m at your disposal in this, my mistress,” he’d fawned.

“I think not, Flynn.” She’d noted his looks of disdain when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. “I believe we’ll use Dermond for this task. Since I’m breeding the girl to obtain the purest forms of magic, a noble blood lineage is perhaps preferable to merchant class, don’t you agree?”

Adira stifled a laugh at the memory of his shock. “Ah, yes, Flynn,” she murmured aloud now. “The cutting edge of discrimination swings both ways, does it not?”

He was at her disposal? The unmitigated gall of the man. Of course he was at her disposal. Now that Reynard was gone, they were all at her disposal.

A light knock at her door and Dermond entered, bowing his head respectfully as he paused at the entrance.

“You sent for me, my queen?”

Adira smiled at the man. He truly was a beautiful specimen, with a physique more than one artist had attempted to capture for posterity. And a rare treasure at lovemaking. Her little pet was luckier than she knew.

“In light of Flynn’s failure to bring the elder Ms. Noble along with us, I’ve decided to start my own breeding program.”

Dermond’s brow wrinkled.

Beautiful man, loyal beyond a fault, but not always the quickest thinker. That, perhaps, made him the perfect follower. Possibly even the perfect consort.

“What is it you wish of me, my queen?”

“I want you to mate with Leah. I want her impregnated so that she will produce daughters who, like herself, will have the honor of serving me. Serving our people. Do you understand my request, Dermond?”

“You want me to bed her.”

The inviting smile that curved his lip as understanding dawned almost made her want to wait for tomorrow to put her plan in motion, keeping this delicious treat for her very own tonight.

“Yes, my darling. She’s waiting for you in my bed-chamber right now.” Adira rose from her seat, heading for the door between her study and her bedroom.

The wrinkle of confusion returned to his lovely face. “She knows? And agrees to this?”

Adira laughed at his na?veté, shaking her head as she did so. Poor dear, darling man.

“No, my sweet. She has no idea what a wonderful experience awaits her. As for you, consider this your reward for loyal service.”

His smile returned, along with a decadently wicked gleam in his eyes as he joined her at the door, which she pushed open.

“One caution, my darling. Be gentle with my little pet. She is my only one and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. I simply want many, many more like her.”

“What?” Leah slid off the bed as they entered, her eyes rounded, moving forward as far as the strap connecting her wrist to the headboard would allow. “What are you talking about?”

Adira stood back, allowing Dermond to swagger into the room, his confidence swelling. He was in his element here, sex and domination an integral part of his breeding.

He loosened the tie he wore before slowly unbuttoning his crisp white dress shirt, revealing the chiseled plane of muscles hidden beneath the fabric. His piercing gaze locked on the young woman in front of him, his expression of anticipation telegraphing his intent as clearly as any words ever could.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Leah gasped, the scent of her fear rolling off her as she realized what was to happen in this room tonight. “No. You can’t be serious.”

Dermond chuckled, whipping the tie from his neck as he approached. “If you fight me, pet, I’ll tie the other hand, too.”

“No,” Leah screamed, fighting uselessly against his superior strength as he captured her free hand. Her desperate eyes turned to Adira. “Don’t. Please don’t let him do this.”

Heat pooled low in Adira’s belly as Dermond ripped the satiny material of the nightgown Leah wore, exposing her firm, high breasts. The young woman’s skin turned a pleasing shade of pink with her exertion. She fought, but it would do her no good.

Adira’s breath came faster as she watched him slide his hand lower, coaxing the material down over the curves of Leah’s hips. She knew the feel of those hands, but seeing them caress another woman’s body, a woman struggling to avoid that touch, was more exciting than she could have imagined.

“Do you plan to join us?”

Dermond’s silky voice pulled her back to her own awareness and she realized, to her surprise, she’d taken several steps into the room.

Join them? Not something she’d considered before, but almost too enticing an offer to turn down.

Adira licked her lips, stalling for time while she regained her composure. She hadn’t gone to all the trouble to set up this little scenario simply for her own pleasure. There was a purpose to what happened in that bed tonight.

“I think not this time,” she murmured, backing out of the room and shutting the door against Leah’s screams.

There would be other nights. She would see to it now that she’d feel the thrill of such a liaison. She was a patient woman. Just as she’d waited for her revenge and would wait for the births of her own private stock of gifted females, so she would wait for the experience of joining Dermond as he enjoyed her pet.

The anticipation would make it that much sweeter when the time came.

She crossed to the door leading out to a balcony off her study and quietly let herself out into the cool evening, wishing for a moment that Flynn were here at the castle rather than in town.

Yes, she was resolved to wait.

But not for too long.

“Begging yer pardon, mistress, but the neighborhood warden and a special constable are downstairs demanding to see you.”

“What?” Adira turned to find one of the emotionless maids standing in her doorway.

“The neighborhood warden and …”

“I heard that part, you twit,” she interrupted. “Send them away. I’ve no time for them right now.”

Whatever the authorities in this little backwater village might want, this was certainly not the time to have them in her home. Especially considering what was going on in the room next door to where she stood.

Though she could hear Leah’s muffled cries, she doubted the sound would carry to the lower level. All the same, if there was some sort of problem, she no longer had the ability to use a compulsion to diffuse the situation.

“I’ve already told them you dinna care to be interrupted, my queen, but I canna get them to go. They demand to speak to you or say they’ll execute a search warrant of the manor.”

Mortals. Inconvenient pests.

“Very well. Seat them in the library and tell them I’ll be right down.”

Adira waited until the maid had closed the door of her suite behind her before heading across to her bedroom. With Flynn away from the castle, there was only one other person who could control the minds of the men downstairs.

It certainly seemed as if all the Fates were conspiring against her plans tonight.

With an irritated sigh, she opened the door.

“Have you changed your mind you mind about joining us, my queen?” Dermond looked up from the bed where he lay across Leah, trying to hold her down.

Damn it all. Adira’s irritation flared anew, at the men downstairs and at Flynn for not being here to take care of this problem.

“Unfortunately, no. As sorry as I am to interrupt you before you even get started, I’m afraid we’ll have to call an end to this for the moment. I have need of you downstairs. Now.”

“Thank God you changed your mind,” Leah gasped, pushing away as Dermond stood up.

“But I haven’t changed my mind at all, pet. This is merely a slight delay.” Adira stared at the girl, her own satisfaction growing as the girl’s eyes rounded with understanding. “Think of it as time to build some anticipation for what’s to come.”

As soon as Dermond could get rid of those imbeciles waiting in her library.