Page 13

Chapter

Thirteen

W hen I woke up, everything was not better. I mean, I had an ethereal glow and felt this floating happiness that I’d never experienced in my entire life, but that was a problem. The biggest problem.

Fairy Queens are tied to their country and their people emotionally, physically, and magically. It is too great a burden for one person, so she has her consort bound to her in a different way, giving her strength instead of taking it. Her magic returns to him, so it’s a positive energy cycle, but Max was a werewolf, and me becoming tied to him was absolutely unthinkable.

But there I was, wrapped up in his arms with my cheek against his chest, the sun soaking into his warm tan skin, my own pale and shimmery, such an obvious contrast that it struck home the point. We didn’t match. He was the sun, the earth, and I was the night, the unearthly. Literally, because Fairyland wasn’t on earth. Kissing him shouldn’t have been enough to bind him to me, but apparently I’d been closer than I’d realized. It was probably all the grooming. Fairy couples groomed like crazy. I shouldn’t have shampooed his beast.

No, I’d noticed feeling better with him, soaking in his warmth and energy, almost from the beginning, but it was the kiss that triggered my subsequent misery, leading to this most pleasant disaster.

We were on a cloud of softness, wrapped in downy delight. Was this what a werewolf bed was like? How did people ever leave?

I sat up, breaking the hold of his arms and feeling a correlating tear in my chest from losing the contact. I turned my head to look down at him, taking in his soft eyes, sleepy smile, and bare chest that was soft with relaxed muscles.

“Um,” I said while my heart pattered in my chest. I was wearing a gray shirt, something that would fit him, not me. I had no idea where my sparkly dress had gone. I also wasn’t covered in anything else. No toxic ooze on my skin.

His smile grew more amused. “You look horrified. Such a scandal, Princess Sparkles getting drunk in a bar and carried home by a no-good werewolf.”

I frowned and rubbed my forehead. “I got drunk in the bar? So the sparkly poison didn’t happen?”

“Oh, no. That was a side trip that went along with my dissolved shirt. How do you feel? Did you get all the death sickness out of your system, or will you be doing that again?”

I wanted so much to climb back into the bed and snuggle against him. It would be so easy to say that I still felt sick and needed to rest. And I was cold, so I needed him to keep me warm. But the truth was, I felt fabulous, absolutely alight, powerful, strong, and hungry. For him.

“I feel much better. Did you heal me, or was all of that just me?”

“You have been detoxing, which I’d consider healing you, but a slow, natural process. Do you feel better, then?” His smile was a splendid thing, his pale teeth flashing behind those soft lips that I’d tasted. And wanted more of.

I pressed my lips together while my heart pounded and my stomach tangled. I wanted him so much. Had I ever wanted something in a way that consumed all of me? Something? Max wasn’t a thing that I could pick up and carry with me. He was the alpha of Singsong City. I needed distance before I got irrevocably fused to him. If it wasn’t already too late. I needed to go home and make Vervain or someone else my consort, because if I was turning to a werewolf, I needed to admit what I was and what I needed.

I needed to touch and taste him.

I curled my hands into fists and slid off the bed, landing with a thud because it was so high above the floor. The frame was massive dark wood, whole tree trunks with gnarled curves supporting the enormous bed, all white and downy. This was Max’s private bed. He didn’t take people here, because they’d never leave.

“Princess Sparkles?” he asked, sitting up to study me. “Are you all right?”

I stared at him, golden skin covering those shifting muscles lit by the sun’s glow. He was absolutely stunning, and his face was slightly darkened with stubble. I wanted to touch it, to feel his skin and hair and press against him until we melted together in one pile of happiness.

I had it bad. I absolutely could not afford to touch him again. “I need to go on an errand.”

“The bank?”

I blinked at him. “Yes. No, not the bank, your beast. Can I see him now, or is he still busy?” I’d forgotten all about Shotglass and the hat shop.

He scratched the back of his neck and then shrugged, rippling into the beast, but instead of his suit and hat, he was wearing very small black shorts, like what he’d been wearing under the falls.

“My precious delight of perfection. You must be getting cold,” he rumbled. “Come wrap yourself in the blankets and warm yourself on my skin.” His voice was so low and deep that it reverberated through me.

I swallowed hard and stayed where I was instead of running towards him or away. I wasn’t sure which was more compelling. “You aren’t wearing your hat.”

He studied me with slightly narrowing eyes, then ran a clawed hand through his dark mane. “That’s right. Do you want me to wear a hat? It could be arranged.”

I took a small step back, because that wolf in the bed was dangerous. Very, very dangerous. “I was just wondering if you like hats.”

“You wanted to ask me if I like hats?” He stretched his massive arms behind his head and leaned against the solid wood headboard. So much muscle beneath that dusky, marbled skin. It was absolutely mind-boggling.

I licked my lips and nodded.

“Yes. I like hats.”

“Really?”

He nodded, sharp and decisive, then smiled, showing all those dangerous glinting teeth. “Come closer and I’ll tell you the myriad of ways I like hats.”

I took another small step backwards. “Ah, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to fall asleep again. I have things to do today. Errands. So, um, you do like hats?”

“Passionately.”

I relaxed slightly and nodded at him. “So, you might consider funding a hat shop? Think how lovely it would be to have a top-of-the-line hat shop in downtown Singsong City? In the shiny district.”

“You want me to fund your hat shop? Consider it done. Come back to bed.”

I didn’t quite take a step away. “Ah, well, it’s not for me personally. It’s actually Shotglass who wants to open a hat shop.”

“The fairy you forced a rehabilitation on? She never wears hats.”

I shrugged helplessly. “I know. It’s ridiculous. I’m pretty sure it’s just a wild idea she had, and she has no collateral and no record for keeping a job much less making payments, so most likely you’ll be pouring your money down a drain and never get any return on your investment.” Those were all the things the goblin had said to me, only couched in more condescending tones.

“You seem distraught. Come back to bed and I will soothe your feelings.” His eyes glimmered, and a ripple went down from his pectorals over his stomach down to the waistband of his shorts.

I took a large step away from the bed. “I don’t need my feelings soothed. I need funding. It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

He shrugged and melted into a smaller form of the still large Max, who wore pants with suspicious holes, like they’d been caught in my poison storm. “All of that to ask me for a loan? You’re not very good at negotiating. You’re supposed to highlight the potential, not point out the risks.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to take advantage of you.” Not when it was my fault that his people were poisoned, but I needed Shotglass’s information. I swallowed hard. “Still, it could be a good investment. There could be some terms in the contract requiring her to hire other fairies, give them some purpose, help rehabilitate them. She is an excellent healer and could be held on retainer for your pack. What collateral do you want from me? Is there anything you want?”

He laughed, teeth flashing as he shook his head. “My beast made his interest very clear. You almost sold your body for money.”

I frowned at him. Was his beast interested in my flesh in such a primal way that didn’t include cannibalism? I shivered. “Is that what your beast…”

“No.” He slid off the bed and walked across the room, pulling on a shirt as he went. He sat down at a table and pulled a paper off the stack, as well as a quill and inkwell. I loved inkwells. Did he have a wax stamp as well? I used to spend hours melting wax all over my mother’s desk. She’d been able to read all the languages. My chest throbbed strangely as I watched him write. His movements were so sure, his lines so graceful. I watched over his shoulder, unable to make any letters out of all the swirling ink.

He turned around and handed me the papers. “I own a building that she can have. This is the title. I’m passing it to you, and you can give it to her. I’ll have someone get the keys. There’s also an account that will have enough funds for her to get started with supplies and whatever else she needs.”

“But what do you want for collateral from me?”

“Your word that you won’t ever go to a bank or a goblin without me. I’m your bank and your loan officer. Princess Sparkles, you healed my wolves until you passed out for two days. And you saved Ruin from the owl god. Money is nothing compared to that.”

I slowly started to relax and finally gave him a small smile. “I don’t really understand money. That’s what I think, that it doesn’t make sense to have so much focus on something that’s just a symbol of labor or goods, but this isn’t Fairyland.”

“Do we have a deal?” he asked, holding out his hand.

I looked at his hand and then up into those warm eyes filled with an intense burning that made me shiver. “What do you want me to give you?”

“Shake my hand. It’s an oath.”

“I’m bound by my word, like when I promised to terraform your cavern by accident, but if you want to shake hands…” I carefully placed my palm on his, and a ripple of warmth slowly ran through me, comfort, strength, happiness.

I pulled my hand out of his before I started levitating or kissing him.

“Thank you,” I said, staring at his shirt buttons instead of that face that needed a shave or a beard. Somehow, in-between was the most tempting thing in the world.

“That’s it, then. Here you are.” He handed me the papers and the small rectangle I’d forgotten about. “Don’t forget your phone. If you have trouble with your fairy business or anything else, you will call me. That’s the deal. You’re bound.” His eyes grew more intense while my heart burned.

That’s what I was afraid of. I took a step away from him. “Yes. I agreed. You are my loan officer.”

“And you don’t ask beasts for funding unless you want to be utterly consumed.” Those eyes were positively glowing.

I tried to take a step away, but the pull of him had me balanced between going closer and further away. I wanted to be utterly consumed, but Max wasn’t offering. His beast wasn’t him, whatever he said. I couldn’t bind a werewolf who took care of pixie-dust addicts as my consort. I would be the one consuming him.

I took two steps away and gave him a bright smile and a deep curtsy. “Thank you, Lord Max, for your considerable generosity. I will remember our agreement and your kindness.”

“You need to get changed before you leave.” He went to a closet and pulled out a purple silk dress with a long skirt and sleeves. It was a proper fairy gown, fit for a princess. Maybe even a queen. “Take a shower. When you finish dressing, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” He handed me the dress, then pushed some shoes at me, and gestured to a door that I imagined led to the shower.

I stared at his stubble. “Okay. Why do you have a dress in your personal closet?” I smiled slowly as I looked from the purple fabric to his raw masculinity. “Oh, you’re secretly a fairy boy. I wondered where your pretty jaw came from.”

He raised a brow and shook his head. “That dress wouldn’t fit any version of me.”

I looked down at it and my smile faded. That meant it belonged to another woman but had ended up in the closet of his personal bedroom. Only he’d probably wanted her in his bed instead of having nowhere else to contain a molting venomous disaster.

I took a deep breath while my heart cracked alarmingly. I finally looked up with a bright smile. “That’s convenient, because then it’s more likely to fit me. I’ll return it once I find something else.” I had no money, I’d used up my favors to Rynne, and I had no way to get other clothing. It was fine. I knew where the bandages were. I’d just wrap myself up and call it theft.

“Keep it. It doesn’t belong to anyone else. How it got in my closet is a long story involving an insistent vampire tailor and a drama king. The necromancer I mentioned.”

I blinked at him and then felt a rush of relief. “Oh. Not a woman you brought to your bed?”

He gave me a strange smile with those soft eyes. “Would I bring a woman to my bed? Anyone else wouldn’t leave. It’s an extremely soft bed, but you didn’t even notice, did you? It could be a hard mat in the warehouse and you’d be just as content.”

“No, it’s a very soft bed. Why did you take me to a bed instead of a mat? I must have burned acid holes in the fabric.”

“I wanted you isolated until you were through the worst of it. My room is very isolated. It’s where my beast can be himself. Which as you’ve seen, comes with risks. Still, you survived the beast.”

I nodded and turned towards the bathroom without answering him, because I was afraid of what I might say about his beast being lucky to have survived me.

It was like stepping into a forest, smooth stones underfoot, green vines printed on the walls in soft velvet. Flocked. Plants grew in a tangle over the huge shower and the enormous tub on the opposite side of the room. This is what the cavern should feel like. Wild, alive, growing.

I had work to do.

I shook off my distracted haziness and got in the shower. I had to scrub every drop of death sickness off my skin. Oddly, I was mostly clean. I frowned as a fuzzy memory of a long tongue on my scalp played on the edges of my mind. Max’s beast had licked the poison death off me? He was insane, but he’d seemed mostly healthy. Very healthy if the way his muscles had rippled was any indication.

I washed anyway, shaking off thoughts of Max. I needed to get Shotglass’s information and finish terraforming the cavern. Berry had pointed out that it had no water. I should have realized that, but I’d never terraformed anything before. I needed to fix it, make the caverns truly come to life, and then I’d find the poisoner and go back home. Forget that this bathroom, and his bed with Max in it, felt more like home than anywhere else I’d ever been.

After I shampooed and conditioned my hair, I stepped out of the shower and studied my reflection critically. I looked like a proper midnight fairy, sparkling skin, smattering of galaxy across my cheekbones, dark purple hair thick and rich with glittering starlight strands. My eyes shone with power and confidence.

I’d come to Singsong City broken, and Max had made me a queen. He rehabilitated fairies, and he’d done a stellar job with me. Why did he work so hard for a people he was supposed to hate? There must be a reason, but I’d probably never know.

The dress fit like a dream, stitched together, so I only had to wrap and tie it, not lick anything to keep it stuck on. The layers of various purple shades were light and soft. The only thing that didn’t match the picture were my tattered wings, grayish, dingy, sad. I really needed to pull them off and regrow new ones. As soon as I went back to Fairyland.

I left the bathroom and found Max wearing a black fedora with his black suit and purple tie. “Lord Max, you look ravishing.”

His eyes twinkled. “Naturally. You look…” He raised a brow. “My beast insists. I apologize in advance. He says, and I quote, ‘You look ready to be ravished.’”

I laughed, because it was either that or burst into tears. “Your beast is impossible.”

“I thought nothing was impossible.”

“I was wrong. Your beast is all of the impossibles wrapped up in one big bow of crazy. I kind of like him, but don’t tell him I said that, or it will give him ideas.”

“Oh, he’s already got all the ideas. Still, I’ll be sure to not let him know your growing affection. It’s for the best.”

“Not that you aren’t the same person.”

“Of course we’re the same person. He’s me, I’m him, and the wolf is our illegitimate love child.”

“That makes perfect sense. And with that, I must go.”

“I will escort you.”

“I’m just going to the fairy caverns. I can take the elevator.”

“I will walk you through the owls.” He held out his arm to me. His black jacket looked very thick. Surely it wouldn’t strengthen the binding to touch his jacket.

I hesitantly placed my hand on his arm and relaxed slightly at the lack of a sudden flush of happiness. It was just a mellow contentment that grew slowly as we walked down a long hall lined with paintings of various moonlit scenes. The black and white checked floor echoed the feeling of the paintings, as well as the indigo walls.

“How do you plan to get the moon to agree to be your mate?” I asked when we reached the grand curved staircase that led downstairs. I hadn’t been in this part of the house before, just through a door and into an elevator.

“It’s difficult, but I can be very persistent and patient. Patience is most essential when pursuing someone so high above yourself.”

“Waiting for them to fall? But the moon never falls.”

“No? Then I suppose I’ll have to wait forever.” His smile was melancholy until he met my gaze directly and a flash of something hot and aching went through me.

“Don’t worry, forever doesn’t take any time at all.”

He rumbled a slight laugh. “That dress looks like it’s made for dancing. Shall we dance with the owls in the owl cavern to the music of distant fairies weeping?”

I hesitated as the elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. “I’m not a graceful dancer,” I finally said.

“You think that spinning around in an owl cave will require grace?”

I pulled my arm off his jacket and held my hands together so they wouldn’t accidentally touch him again. “If I don’t wish to trip and ruin this extremely lovely dress, yes. It would require mountains of grace. I’m afraid that it’s impossible.”

“Impossible? You have fairy wings and sweat glitter. Nothing’s impossible.”

I looked up at him, saw the challenge in his eyes, and raised my chin because I couldn’t help myself. “Very well. It’s impractical.”

He raised a brow over his fascinating eyes. “Ah. Well, who can overcome impracticality?”

“I have no idea.”

His lips twitched. “In that case, we better forgo the dancing.”

“It’s for the best.” I put a hand on his arm for a moment before quickly withdrawing, and he looked at me intently.

“Princess Sparkles?”

“I’m here to finish terraforming the caverns. You’ve completed my rehabilitation, so your duty is done. Once the caves are transformed, there won’t be anything left for me to do here. I’ll be going back to Fairyland.” It hurt to say those words, and it hurt even more to mean them. “I wanted to tell you before I go how grateful I am for all that you do for fairies, and everyone else who crosses your path. You’re a remarkable person.”

He stared at me, face blank for a moment, before he cleared his throat. “I’m not that remarkable. I’m actually quite the reverse.” He frowned. “What about the poisoner? You’re going to leave before you find them? They might turn on you next.”

“I’m hoping that Shotglass can give me information about it. Maybe I’ll set up a spy system so I don’t have to rely on reading minds.”

“Speaking of reading, I haven’t finished teaching you that or the healing spell. And maybe you have more detoxing to do.”

I studied him, knowing that I’d never be finished looking for excuses to stay with this crazy werewolf who made such a difference to so many. “Thank you, Max. You’ve done enough. I will always remember you with gratitude.”

He hesitated, then nodded. The elevator doors opened, and he gestured me out into the owl cave, following close behind.

Screeching came from above, and then the enormous white owl landed, blocking my path, staring at me with one glowing yellow eye and then the other.

“Hi,” I said, gulping nervously.

It narrowed one eye at me and then coughed and choked until it spat up a large object that rolled to the hem of my lovely gown. I looked at Max, revulsion and horror pasted on my face that was apparently funny, because he smiled.

“You don’t want to accept an offering from an owl god?”

I stared at him, then turned back to the enormous owl whose beak was larger than my face. “Thank you,” I said, and dropped into a deep curtsy. “And in return, I give you…” What could I give an owl god?

“You already gave the owls a forest,” Max murmured.

“Oh.” I looked from him to the owl and then down to the object. Well, I could turn whatever he’d eaten into something more pleasant. I crouched down and put my hands on the thing and felt a shock of power when it connected to my palms. I pulled away with a gasp and looked up at Max. “It’s dark magic. I can’t touch it, and I can’t transform it. I thought it would be something dead that I could turn into flowers or something useful, but it’s just a powerful dark talisman.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, I’ll take care of it for you.” He reached past me, picked up the egg-shaped sphere and blew on it, melting away all the bits of mucus and fur that were stuck to the outside of it. The pulsing green gem was carved into the figure of a woman who seemed to be writhing in pain.

“An emerald dancing figurine. I’ll put it with my collection of dancing figurines,” he said, frowning down at it. “I’ll actually hand it over to the sorcerer’s guild for containment.”

“It’s that dangerous?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Then you shouldn’t touch it. It might corrupt you or poison you in weird ways.”

He shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time. Are you certain you won’t dance with me? It would make the strangeness of this moment complete.”

I backed away from him, the owl, and the pulsing emerald. “No, thank you. I have fairy business to take care of.”

He nodded slowly, but he said, “Are you certain you won’t reconsider? I would like to dance with my Princess Sparkles before she returns to Fairyland.”

If I kept getting close to him, I would make him my consort. I would give him fairy wings. I would make him everything I needed and never let him go, however much it hurt him, no matter what he wanted. I smiled brightly. “I’m a terrible dancer. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner about the poisoner. I still don’t know what fairy it is, but I will find them and end the attacks. Until I do, please be on your guard. Thank your beast for funding the hat shop. I apologize for taking so much of your strength. It wasn’t my intention to become another one of your rehabilitation projects, but I am grateful. You brought me back to life. I will never forget you.”

I turned and walked off, half expecting him to shift into his beast and rip me apart.

He grabbed my hand and spun me around, the evil artifact on the ground behind him, while the owl watched us with interest. Max’s eyes burned like twin fires in the depths of an abyss. “Wrong.”

I blinked at him. “Wrong?”

“You stink of guilt. That’s it? You feel guilty that you didn’t warn me about being poisoned? The first moment you came here, all you could talk about was watching the water and food sources. I called in someone I know who specializes in defense. The reason we had no deaths was because he was looking for early signs of poisoning and was able to isolate the cause and shut down the supply, tracking it back to the factory that is under very close scrutiny as we speak. You’re going to leave before I give you the list of owners and factory workers? You warned me. I took the warning. You saved countless lives. I owe you a great debt.” He finally released my hand and gave me a deep bow. “You don’t understand where the balance of debt lies, and I’m an evil werewolf, so I’m not going to tell you, but do not apologize for taking my strength. I’m not going to apologize for taking yours.”

With that, he turned and strode back to the evil gem statue, picked it up, and carried it back to the elevator. He got in and turned around, staring at me with a scowl on his shockingly handsome face, and then the doors closed, leaving me with the owl who was blinking at me, and a thousand other owls who had gathered around when I wasn’t paying attention. No, I was paying attention to Max. Part of me would always be with him.