Page 21

I hissed at the growing stench of death permeating the pristine waters around us. Even in this beautiful white sandy clearing, with the moonlight shining down on the colorful water fae, it festered below the surface.

I scented Remnant before I saw her. She was the only one that the stench didn’t cling to like a second skin. I followed the scent of pure and potent lilies in a midnight rain to her stunning silhouette.

There was no comparison to her in the crowd.

As if the goddess agreed, a moonbeam shone brightly down upon her like a spotlight, the star's reflections glittering in the water around her, highlighting the delicate green art someone had tastefully painted on her black scales.

Heavy teardrop emeralds hung from her thick blue black hair and down the middle of her forehead.

She was striking, even with her brow furrowed slightly as she watched the festivities .

“Solaire!” Kira called out to her.

When Remnant turned, the worried expression instantly replaced with joy for her friend swimming towards her.

If anyone ever doubted how she survived the queen’s court within the capital, they would need to look no further than this moment. She was a mirage. Remarkably convincing in her role to play.

But I knew different. I could smell it on her.

“Kira!” Remnant beamed and gave me a pointed look.

I nodded but remained quiet. I would follow her lead.

A calculating gleam flashed in her emerald green eyes but was gone when she turned back to her friend. “I had almost forgotten about the traditional paints. How do they look?” Remnant asked, twirling in the water.

“Beautiful as always! Bay does exquisite work. It was hard parting with her but I knew tonight had to be perfect for you.” Kira exclaimed. “What do you think of my look?” She spun.

Remnant smiled knowingly. “Like a queen.” She purred, leaning into her friend intimately.

I perked up at Remnant’s statement. The orange haired guard Cyrus had called Kira the same but I had thought it to be some sort of sickening bed play.

There was only one queen allowed to be crowned in Faerie and she was dead.

Ladies and lords ruled the courts of fae but the Queen of Faerie presided over them all.

If Kira was making a play for the throne then she was getting help from somewhere…or from someone.

I pretended to watch this spectacle of a festival play out with my body half turned away from the chattering friends. Listening closely to any other information Remnant unwittingly fed me.

Sudden cheers muffled their conversation when across the shallow waters a grouping of eager males, holding trays of globulous pearls, joined the soiree.

“Drinks! Drinks for my friends!” Kira ordered and snatched a cluster of drinks that looked like fish eggs from a stumbling fool who stared at his declared queen with simpering adoration.

“What the fuck is it?” I growled when Kira shoved the slimy pile of gelatinous pearls into my hands.

Kira laughed. “Ambrosia pearls of course. They are a water fae specialty. Shifters are so unsophisticated.” Her razor teeth smiled brightly at me.

“You call slimy ball sacks sophisticated.” I said dryly .

Remnant snorted and rolled her eyes. “What a wee scaredy little pet you are, shifter.” Then shot me a wink before she downed her pile with one swig.

I gnashed my teeth together, staring down at them and forced my stomach not to revolt.

“Not again, fairy boy. I absolutely refuse this time.” The cat snarled.

Kira giggled and threw back her own slimy ball sacks in one go. “I'll see you later darling.” Kira said huskily, leaning in to kiss Remnant’s cheek while her rainbow painted hand trailed down her body. “Save me a dance, Solaire.” She cooed seductively.

I barely restrained my protective growl when I scented Remnant’s fear and anxiety at the water fae’s unwanted touch.

Moving to intervene, Remnant flashed me a warning look, stopping my assault. I growled, fisting my hands at my sides while I watched her smirk at Kira and shove her playfully away. “Get going you uncontrollable flirt!”

Kira giggled with a wink before blowing her a kiss and swimming away. Remnant caught it with a smile while her scent was sharp with disgust.

Nauseated with the display, I threw back the pearls to keep the guttural snarl from escaping my clenched jaw.

“Fuck the goddess to Sheol and back!” I gagged on a burp.

Remnant spun around and scowled. “Why exactly did you follow me here, shifter? You clearly know nothing of water fae customs. It’s a miracle you’re even still alive!”

I peeked out through one eye while another burp escaped me. “I’ve been known to have many lives.”

I did have a cat beast.

Remnant’s lips pulled back with disgust.

I straightened, pulling in the tainted air to ease my stomach. “Besides, the real question is why did you come here? We had an agreement, remember? You come with me to The West Isles. Not the fucking Under. What in the Goddess happened to change that? What did you see when you were unconscious?”

Her gills flared. “I don’t need to share my reasons with you.”

My beast met her ire and I snarled in her face. “You jumped head first into a den of goddess damn water snakes and I am owed a reason why, little—”

Remnants hand snapped over my mouth. Her touch sent a tingling warmth down my spine .

“I’ve asked you to stop calling me that, shifter. No one recognizes me here and the water amplifies many sounds.” Pulling her hand back, she bared her teeth at me. “I am no faeling, shifter. I know exactly what I am doing and I am as safe here as I am anywhere else.”

I inhaled her familiar scent and the pleasurable tingling continued.

Shaking my head to gain some clarity, I growled.

“That’s not true and you know it. I’ll admit, your act is almost flawless…

” I moved closer, dipping my head down to speak low.

“But you can’t hide your worry and fear from me.

I’m a shifter, remember? If I can’t see it, then I sure as fuck can smell it. ”

“Please refrain from sniffing me out, shifter. It’s repugnant on so many levels.”

I hissed. “How can I not? This place reeks of death and you know Kira cannot be trusted. She has something planned. What in the goddess were you thinking drinking that shit with her?”

Remnant’s eyes flashed with fury and she opened her mouth to respond but her words were abruptly lost when a low thrum rippled through the moonlit water. The tingling already in my scales responded to the vibrations pleasurably.

“What now?” I moaned.

“We never should have come here, fairy boy.” My cat whined deep within my subconscious.

The water fae cheered and collectively moaned when another series of sounds rippled around us.

This time more forceful and louder. The waves and excitement pushed Remnant into my arms and I groaned, tucking her petite frame tightly into me.

A fierce need rose and my hands gripped her hips tightly to stop them from roaming all over her delicious body.

Another series of vibrations pulsed and this time a rhythmic beat started and drummed sinfully against my scales.

Scouting for the source, I saw multiple water fae on a dais waving their arms in a flowing pattern as water churned around them.

“What are they doing?” My hands tightened even more on my soulmate to prevent myself from molesting her.

She shoved my hands off her hips and faced me, rolling her eyes. “They are manipulating the entire ocean to create sound. What you are experiencing is the music of the water fae, shifter.”

A grin split across my face. “You’re telling me we are at a fucking wave rave right now!?”