Page 5 of Beyond the Winter Kingdom (Faeted Seasons #2)

Vareck

The fireplace crackled. A loud pop rent the air, sending embers flying.

Lucian startled at the sound, his already pale complexion turning ghostly. A slight smirk pulled at my lips as Drayden walked through the flames and into the tavern.

Eyes like burning coals surveyed the room, his impassive face gave nothing away.

“Drayden.”

“Vareck,” he responded in an apathetic tone. “You sent the cat?”

I snorted, thrusting my chin toward Lou. “I need you to pyroport that one back to the castle.”

Drayden arched a dark brow. “If you needed an errand boy, you should have called—” He paused when his gaze settled on the leprechaun. The twitch of his lips indicated his feelings on the matter had shifted. “Well, if it isn’t Lucian Devlin.”

“Oh, he knows your full name? That’s serious. Is there anyone you don’t know?” Meera asked, eyeing the leprechaun. “Genuine question.”

“Know is a bit of a stretch,” Lou started.

“I do believe I promised to kill you if we ever crossed paths again.”

“Ah,” she hummed. “That makes more sense.”

“You’re really not helping here, lass.”

“I wasn’t trying to.” Meera assessed Drayden, then asked, “Out of curiosity, what did he do to piss you off?”

Drayden tilted his head casually, but the movement was stiff. I had handed him easy prey in the form of Meera’s broker, and the predator wanted nothing more than to attack. “Yes, Lucian, do tell us what you did.” The mocking tone sounded almost playful, but I knew better.

“I didn’t do anything,” Lou insisted.

Meera snorted. “Unlikely,” she muttered under her breath, earning a glare from the leprechaun before he turned back to Drayden.

“I told you that then, and I’ll say it again now. You have no proof?—”

“Which is the only reason you’re still breathing. I can rectify that.”

“Enough,” I commanded, shutting down the oncoming bloodbath that was sure to happen at any moment if I let it. “Drayden, I need you to put him in the dungeon. Alive. ” I emphasized my point, punctuating the last word to make myself clear.

A cold chill nipped at the air. Drayden didn’t like my restriction, but I wouldn’t budge. We needed him alive for the time being.

People often thought my presence was hard to be around.

As a dark fae and fury, I possessed the abilities of both. Add the burden of a royal crown, and the trifecta left many fae uncomfortable in my vicinity.

Drayden was another beast entirely.

Not even I knew what he truly was. I didn’t ask, and part of me didn’t want to know.

Power rolled off him like an oncoming storm.

There was an air about him that was distinctly different.

Other. Even before my sister’s death, Drayden was quiet—until he wasn’t.

Now, whatever darkness existed in him before had completely taken over.

He was a living, breathing shadow of a man.

Once a legend, now the stuff of nightmares.

If not for who he was to Maeve, I would have feared him to be my enemy.

After all, he was going to be king. Everything about his future changed the day my sister was killed.

Alas, while he wasn’t easy to read, Drayden had proved his loyalty.

I was his king now, but Maeve had been his everything.

She was the only one he would have left my side for.

I appreciated him, though I wasn’t sure he had the capacity to care.

When she died, he was left hollow. Empty.

There was a time when he’d asked me to put him out of his misery but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, even if it would have been a mercy.

“Now wait a minute,” Lucian began. The set of his jaw betrayed the first real trace of fear that he’d shown today. “I haven’t done anything or broken any laws. You have no right to imprison me.”

Meera laughed heartily. The sound called to something inside me and sent goosebumps over my skin.

“Apparently, Meera disagrees,” I said, suppressing the sudden desire to wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

“Oh for fuck’s sake. She’s biased?—”

“You’re dangerous. A criminal,” Darroch interjected.

“Again, you have no proof.”

“You took advantage of a desperate woman, repeatedly putting Meera in danger for your own greed,” Atlas added.

“First, that’s not a crime. Second, as you pointed out, she’s a woman. Not a child. No one forced her hand.”

Meera’s nostrils flared, her cheeks turning red. “As much as I would love for you to be locked up, I concede to your point. I make my own choices, stupid as they may be at times.”

I groaned, frustrated that this was even a conversation. “You’re responsible for Damon’s abduction. That’s more than enough.”

“Ah, see, I didn’t take anyone. That was Meera. Again.”

True to his form, Corvo chose to stop playing in the stew and comment. “Yeah, but you aren’t a beautiful redhead he’s fucking, so you’re out of luck.”

Several of Meera’s brothers made a choking noise. Cadoc paused what he was doing to stare me down like he wanted, and planned, on killing me.

Meanwhile Meera reached out to give Corvo ear scratches and coo at him like he was a baby. “Aw, you think I’m beautiful.”

Fearghal snorted. “Of course. That’s your takeaway.”

“Jealous no one calls you pretty?” she asked, raising a brow at him in challenge. The entire Wylde family groaned as she and Fearghal traded insults.

“You may not have taken my nephew with your own two hands, leprechaun, but you orchestrated it. Conspiracy to kidnap royalty is also a crime.” Lucian’s expression changed, dual lines creasing between his brows.

He was cornered, and he knew it. I turned back to Drayden.

“No torture. Dungeon only. Corvo, go with them.”

My familiar slowly narrowed his golden eyes. “Why I gotta be the babysitter?”

“How is the cat going to protect me?” Lucian demanded at the same time.

“Excuse me, sir, I am a god ,” Corvo scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. “The cat isn’t for protection.”

“Again. Who are you calling a cat?” Corvo sneered. He flicked his tail in my direction, added, “You’re the only pussy I see here.”

Meera snorted, then slapped a hand over her mouth, like that could somehow take it back.

I grabbed my familiar by the scruff and lifted him until we were eye level. “I know you aren’t hangry since you’ve been eating stew for the last half an hour. Go take a nap and quit being an asshole.”

“Animal abuse!” he cried out, pawing at me with his eyes closed. “I feel violated!”

Was he serious right now?

“Vareck!” Meera plucked him from me and cradled him against her chest. “You can’t grab him like that. You’ll hurt him,” she scolded.

Scolded me. Not the cat that tripped her out my bedroom window. Me.

“He’s fine. He’s a god, remember?”

“He’s a fucking cat. What’s wrong with you? Don’t grab him by the neck,” she snapped. To add insult to injury, Corvo started purring against her breasts, snuggling closer before flashing a sly grin over his shoulder at me. Fucker.

“Have your lover’s quarrel later,” Drayden said, then he looked at Lucian and snapped his fingers. “You. Up. I don’t have all day.”

“I’m not a dog,” the leprechaun replied distastefully.

“No shit,” Meera said, still petting Corvo and holding him to her chest. “Dogs are loyal.”

Drayden glanced at Meera, and while his mouth remained pressed in a firm line, the corners around his eyes crinkled. “I like her.”

“Glad I have your approval,” I deadpanned.

“His approval isn’t the person’s you need,” Cadoc said in a flat tone.

A hand darted out, smacking him in the back of the head. Mrs. Wylde pursed her lips at her son. “Stop being a misogynistic asshole and act like the man I raised you to be. This isn’t the eighteenth century. He doesn’t need anyone’s approval except Meera’s.”

“Exactly.” Meera pointed at him sternly. “I don’t need your approval, or anyone else’s. I can make my own choices, thank you very much.”

“Debatable.” Cadoc scoffed, then pointed toward Lucian with a blade in hand. “If not for that particular choice , we wouldn’t be here.”

“Let it go,” Mr. Wylde said, voice dropping low.

I knew Meera wouldn’t appreciate me fighting her battles for her, especially where her family was concerned, but it was a hard thing to stay quiet while my mate was trading jabs with her brother.

“What’s that saying about stones and glass houses?” Meera said acidly, arching an eyebrow.

“I know better than to live in glass, so my point still stands.”

Conor Wylde’s hand clapped down on Cadoc’s shoulder, knuckles white from the strength of his grip, but Cadoc didn’t flinch, nor did he look away from Meera and the stare down they had locked into.

“All right, that’s enough. Your sister gets the point.

We need to focus on the matter at hand, and that’s getting Sadie back.

You two can fight about her profession and associates later. ”

Meera huffed, rolling her eyes. “There’s nothing more to talk?—”

Lucian’s chair erupted into fire, effectively breaking the tension and cutting Meera off. He leapt to his feet, eyes narrowed at Drayden. While the other man hadn’t moved an inch, the red glow of his eyes was the telltale sign he was behind it.

“Hey!” Farris yelled from behind the bar. “Put it out! Now!”

The flickering orange flames blinked out of existence, like they were never there to begin with. The only proof that remained was a single wisp of smoke and a pile of ash where the chair had been.

“I’ll pay for it,” I told Farris.

“Mhmm,” he mumbled under his breath. He sent a scathing glare at Drayden before disappearing in the back.

“Start moving, or next time it will be you I light on fire,” Drayden told Lucian in a bored voice. He turned his back on us and started for the fireplace, not caring that everyone was staring.

“That’ll be hard to do, seeing as I’m fireproof you feckin’ gobshite,” he called after him.

Drayden glanced over his shoulder, a cruel smile gracing his mouth. “I enjoy a good challenge.”

I sighed. It would have been better to have taken Lucian to the castle myself, but it would have delayed our departure immensely. Unfortunately, the only person that could transport people within the realm was Drayden.

“He really doesn’t know when to quit, does he?” Corvo said to no one in particular. “Even I don’t fuck with the surly one, and I’m a?—”

“We get it, you’re a god,” I cut him off. Corvo let out a harrumph and muttered something about not getting the respect he deserved.

“That’s our cue,” Meera said, putting Corvo down and brushing the fur from her shirt. “Let’s get moving.” She clapped twice and started for the door.

“I’m still going with them,” Cadoc said, sheathing his blade. He thrust his head toward the fireplace.

Molly Wylde frowned, looking between her son, Meera, and Lou. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

He shrugged. “All the other bases are covered. I’m more useful extracting what information I can from the shady fuck.”

“I’ve already told you everything,” Lou said dryly.

Cadoc flashed a smile that was all teeth. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?”

“Drayden?” I asked. While King, there were only two people—three if you counted my mate—who I couldn’t command. The first was Kaia, who would have my balls if I tried. The second was Drayden, who would have my head.

A suspended moment passed when all of Meera’s family got to their feet.

“He can come.”

“Greaaat,” Lou drawled. “Just what I need, another sociopath along for the ride—and all you’re sending is a fucking cat to make sure they don’t kill me.”

“Actually, I’ll meet you there. Fur and fire don’t really mix, if you know what I mean.”

“Can I travel with you?” Cadoc asked, glancing at the fireplace with caution.

Corvo shook his head. “No can do. I can’t teleport living things. Just me, myself, and I.”

“What happens if you do?” Meera crossed her arms, looking at him curiously.

“I’m not sure, exactly. Tried it once. We never saw Kevin again. Well, that’s not entirely true. We did find half his face in a litter box in the east wing about a week later. Scared the shit out of me. Literally.” With that, Corvo teleported out.

Meera’s eyes snapped to mine. “What?”

I waved her off. “He was the royal accountant. Trust me, it wasn’t a loss.”

“Fuck my life,” Lou muttered.

Meera snorted as Cadoc grabbed the leprechaun by the arm and started dragging him toward the fireplace.

“You ever pyroported before?” Drayden asked.

“No, but there’s a first time for everything,” Cadoc replied. “Sounds better than the litter box.”

“Don’t kill him.” I called as they stepped into the flames. “Drayden, do you?—”

A dark laugh cut me off. I wasn’t even sure which man it belonged to, and that made it all the more concerning.