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Chapter Five

B eware the pools clear and deep, for morgens will sing thee to thy sleep.

—Anon., Tales from the Twilight Court

Roan sat back in his chair and listened to Hagni, the head of his Shadow Guard, explain how the Seelie had been known to test borders before launching a full-scale attack.

Roan and his war council sat at a large circular table made of obsidian.

Roan had one of his legs thrown over the arm of his chair, lounging comfortably as he stared into the distance.

His mind was miles away from the discussion of ancient battle strategies.

It had been so long since the last war, it was ridiculous to think they would use the same tactics as before.

He kept replaying the moment he’d been fighting the Seelie warriors and one of them had slashed his forearm.

Their numbers had been too great and the wound too deep and sudden for him to continue the fight.

The only thing possible was to escape, but he knew better than to open a path on the Fae roads when his enemies were right behind him.

If they were close enough, they could follow him and have a straight line to the palace.

It was better to lose them between worlds, and that meant leaving his own.

He had called on his powers and had his wild Fae form come forth.

He’d immediately sank deep into his animal instincts, seeking escape so desperately that he shot like a cannon blast into the mortal realm.

He’d lost his attackers in the in-between , but his miscalculation had sent him straight into Kate Winslow’s arms.

He relived the moment he’d first seen his little mortal’s face, the way he’d felt the instant he looked at her, something he hadn’t felt in a thousand years.

Alive .

But why now? Why her? She was but a young creature who’d only begun to see the world with aging eyes, whereas he had seen empires rise and fall time and again. He had seen stars born and perish. He’d commanded armies in battles so ancient they no longer had names.

So why then did this mortal woman create such a peace within him that he could think of nothing but her?

“My lord?” Hagni said politely, breaking through Roan’s thoughts.

Roan dropped his leg off of the chair arm and leaned forward. “My apologies, Hagni. What did you say?”

“I believe we have time yet before Culan and his warriors strike. He is more warlike than his father, but he fears you. That will buy us a little time. I would like to set traps at the foot of the Black Hills to catch any Seelie troops who may be scouting the area.”

Roan nodded. “And what of our allies?”

“The dryads of the dark woods and the dwarves in the hills will follow us into war if we call them to our aid. They are as concerned by this encroachment as we are and are providing what information they can.”

Roan nodded again. Hagni knew their allies the best, having served with them in wars long before Roan had been born. He trusted the head of his Shadow Guard to do whatever was necessary to protect the people of Roan’s lands.

“See it done.”

Hagni stood and bowed, leaving the room with his lieutenants. Only Eudora and Rath remained, sitting on either side of Roan. He could feel the silence settle uncomfortably around them. His best friend and his sister shared a look before Eudora cleared her throat.

“Have you eaten anything yet?” his sister asked. “You’re still pale, and I meant to send you food. I?—”

Rath cleared his throat. “That is my fault, Roan. I distracted your sister.”

Eudora blushed and sent Rath a look that warned him not to speak another word on the matter.

The two were excellent at having silent conversations whenever they were in the same room.

Any other time it might have amused Roan, but right now he wanted nothing more than to be back in his chambers, exploring the way the human woman had somehow made his world.

.. brighter, softer... and more real than he’d ever imagined it could be.

He wanted to recapture that feeling of comfort and love he’d felt when he’d been nothing but an owl in her arms, listening to her whisper her worries against his feathers.

That moment lingered in his mind. How he had felt needed, and she had protected him, cared for him, and he had given her comfort in return.

Roan shook his head. “I will eat when I return to my room. See that I’m not disturbed.”

“Of course,” Rath promised.

Roan rose from his chair. As he passed by his sister, she reached out and caught his hand in hers.

“Be gentle, Roan. She is young and mortal. Do not frighten her.”

“I will not,” he promised. He had no desire to frighten her, only to seduce her. Would he corrupt her with his dark passions? Yes, that was unavoidable.

As he headed toward his rooms, he passed by a number of courtiers in the hall.

Beautiful women in glowing gowns and gentlemen in black trousers and waistcoats the color of midnight.

Each of them stopped whatever they were doing to pay their respects.

He answered each with a brisk nod. Several brownies appeared out of thin air to see to some errand and just as quickly vanished.

Dwarves and goblins were in deep discussion on matters of business and paid him little heed.

The dwarves sold metal from the Black Hills to the palace and to the goblin blacksmiths who made the armor for the palace guards.

The Twilight Court was no mere palace. It was a vast city built upon the pale stones of an ancient mountain whose roots reached the firmament of creation.

Its spires glittered like diamonds in the sunlight.

At night, as the majesty of the moon moved overhead, the crystals that grew from the stones everywhere turned the palace into a beacon of soft, alluring light.

Roan wondered if Kate would appreciate the beauty of his world and fall in love with the twilight hours and the passing of midnight just as he had when he’d been a young boy.

Sunlight was powerful and fierce, it was true, but the moon—ah, the moon—she was the mover of tides, the secret keeper, the mirror of the sun’s light, softening it for the eyes of Fae and mortal alike.

He’d been given a choice on his one hundredth birthday, just as Eudora had, to join the Seelie Morning Court, but they had both loved this place more.

Roan would convince Kate to see the wonder of his home. He would start by showing her the pleasure she would have for the rest of her life with him.

That single kiss he’d taken still lingered upon his lips.

Her sweet taste, the touch of her soft skin beneath his fingers, the warmth of her eyes, and the rapid beat of that racing mortal heart had been intoxicating.

He wasn’t certain how he’d managed to stop from going further.

But something about not rushing this conquest of her made each encounter all the more intense.

How would it feel to explore her, to kiss every inch of her body and learn the secrets of her soul as he stole kisses from her lips?

He returned to the west wing of the palace and whispered the spell to unlock the door to his chambers. When he entered, his blood heated in anticipation, expecting to find the mortal naked in his bed.

But his bed was empty.

“Kate?” he growled into the silence. He strode toward the bathing room and jerked the door open. It too was empty.

Where was she?

He cursed softly and saw the chest of drawers had been left open. When he searched through his shirts, he noticed one of his spare daggers was missing.

So, his little mortal had escaped, and she had taken a weapon.

This was not good. By the look of the empty tray on his bed, she had eaten, so at least something had gone right.

She’d consumed food from the Fae realm, which would give her strength and would heal her wounds for a day or so.

More importantly, it bound her to his land for a time.

She would be safe—well, safe enough—until he was able to recapture her.

However, there was still the matter of how she had escaped...

“Babbitt!” he snarled.

The brownie appeared in the blink of an eye. “My lord?”

“Where is Kate?”

“Um...” The brownie glanced around, eyes wide. “She’s not here?”

“Did you let the mortal woman leave?” His blue eyes turned gold as the wild form within him stirred with rage.

“No, my lord!” Babbitt replied without hesitation. “She asked to be set free, and I told her you wished for her to remain here. I was very clear about that. She was most understanding.”

Roan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “And then what did she do?”

“Well, she asked me for rope.” The brownie smiled. “So I gave her one. A very long one.” Babbitt, the little fool looked all too pleased with herself.

“Rope.” He uttered the word with a dark scowl. “You gave her rope?”

“Yes, my lord. You said to see to her every need but not to let her leave your chambers.”

When a faint breeze tickled his skin, he spun to face the balcony. The doors hadn’t been fully closed.

“And you unlocked the balcony doors?” he added.

“Well, yes, my lord. The balcony is part of your chambers, and it’s not like the mortal can fly away, can she? And we’re far too high up for her to jump, so you’d need to have an awful lot of ohhhhh dear... I might have made an error in judgment, my lord. Please don’t be angry…”

Roan’s eyes narrowed as he flung the doors open. A stout rope was tied around the stone railing and dropped down out of sight. Roan peered over the edge, terrified that he would see the mortal woman’s body smashed on the rocks below.