Page 42 of Through the Veil (Endangered Fae #2)

“If you weren’t feeling so poorly, I’d slap you,” Diego said, completely exasperated.

He grabbed Finn by the chin to lift his head, staring into anguished black eyes.

“It took more than forty people to save us. Lugh helped and Faolchú. Zack, too. But they sure as hell didn’t do it alone.

Remember that I couldn’t keep you safe, either.

These are my people, my time, and I should have been able to, but I failed you.

That stabs at my heart and gives me nightmares, but I can’t let it stop me from doing what needs to be done. ”

He leaned in to press his lips down-soft against Finn’s. “And you did help save us.”

Finn jerked his head away, a spark of anger joining the pain. “How?”

“Because of what you did, trying to use your dragon shape to rescue me, one human believed in us. Because of who you are, and your brave, loving heart, another human found compassion for us. Without you, we would never have made it out.” Diego took Finn’s head between his hands, forcing his face back around.

“Without you standing beside me, I’m lost. I need you, my strength, my anchor, my life. ”

“Diego…”

“Stand beside me. Say you will.”

Finn searched his face for a long moment, eyes brimming. He slid a hand up Diego’s shoulder, across his jaw to trace his lips. “As long as you need me. Yes.”

“I need you, God, yes, I need you,” Diego murmured. “Touch me. Please. I’ve been alone too much these past couple of months.”

Finn’s long-fingered hands slid down his back and slipped inside the waistband of his briefs.

A wave of heat rushed through Diego as those fingers kneaded his backside and slid the material down to mid-thigh.

Finn’s lips captured his, caressing in tender kisses which soon caught fire with Diego’s rising need, his tongue plunging in to plunder Finn’s mouth, stroking the roof and ridges.

With a soft moan, Finn shoved a hand between to run a fingertip along the length of Diego’s shaft.

Half erect already, the simple touch finished the job, and Diego reveled in the feel of another cock sliding against his, silken skin over hard marble.

Finn took both erections in his hand, stroking them both together.

A sharp cry escaped him and his hips rocked forward when Diego’s finger teased the pucker between his cheeks.

“Shh, hush,” Diego whispered, peppering kisses over Finn’s lips and jaw. “We have a whole house full of people.”

“Ah. Best keep kissing me then,” Finn panted out. “To keep me quiet.”

“Not a problem.” Diego seized his lips again.

His conquest of Finn’s mouth became desperate as Finn’s fist pumped them both from base to crown, stopping every few strokes to palm the engorged heads and share the pearl drops leaking out between them.

Diego’s balls drew up tight in a sudden rush, his breaths labored as the pressure increased to where he felt like a steam valve with no outlet.

“Finn… Dios …I’m coming,” he gasped out.

“Yes,” Finn hissed and leaned in to fasten his teeth on Diego’s shoulder.

That sharp, bright point of pain hurled Diego over the edge. He gripped Finn’s head with both hands, grinding his hips hard against the fist around his cock. Teeth clenched, he bit back his ecstatic cries as his orgasm thundered through him in breathtaking hammer-pulses.

Growling, hips bucking, Finn followed him over a moment later, his moans muffled against Diego’s skin. Aftershocks zipped through Diego at the hot splash of Finn’s seed against his chest and stomach.

“Better?” Diego asked when the black spots faded from his vision. “Ready to face the world?”

“Ready for a nap,” Finn muttered, stroking Diego’s back. “Stay with me?”

Diego kissed him tenderly, for once not at all concerned about the sticky mess between them. “Always.”

They had time while Miriam made phone calls and pondered through everything. For Finn, there would always be time.

In the evening, Miriam emerged from the den, which she had been using as her impromptu war room with her cell phone, her PDA and her little black book.

While some people kept phone numbers in little black books, this would have been far too antiquated for Miriam.

Diego had called the black book her ‘web of intrigue’ since in it she kept track of relationships and favors, who had access to what and to whom.

She asked that they convene in the dining room, with all the principal players present.

“Zack, too,” Diego insisted.

“I don’t think so. That boy should be in the damn hospital,” Miriam snapped.

“Too risky. The minute we check him in, he’s exposed.

They’ll come arrest him for desertion, even across the border, I’m sure,” Diego said as calmly as he could.

The whole issue of Zack upset him, that he had destroyed the young man’s career and possibly doomed him to a life of exile.

“Besides, the fae healers have his ribs knitting, probably faster than human doctors would.”

She grumbled a few rude words, but conceded, and soon the cavernous formal dining room table held Balor at one end, Danu at the other, and their respective Champions, Heralds Seers and Healers lining the sides.

Diego took the middle next to Eithne, Finn at his side, while Miriam took the seat across with Zack next to her.

It didn’t escape Diego’s notice that Lugh shooed Morrigan up the table so he could claim the seat on Zack’s other side.

“All right, everyone.” Miriam slapped both palms on the table. “Seems to me you have two problems—one of security and one of sovereignty. In the end, they boil down to the same damn thing and your biggest problem of all—secrecy.”

“We have kept apart and hidden for good reason,” Danu said. “Nuada’s death, the attempt at Finn’s execution, the increasing desire over the centuries of humans to use us to gain power and wealth.”

“Right. I hear you, Your Majesty.” Miriam nodded, but forged on.

“Thing is, though, the secrecy causes a lot of these misconceptions and misunderstandings that bring humans to do terrible things to you. The boys here”—she waved to Sionnach and Angus—“have told me there used to be regular diplomatic contact between your courts and the human rulers. Angus knew King Brian Boru personally. Sionnach remembers drinking with King Conchobar. And in those days, fairies weren’t being killed or hunted. ”

“Those days are gone,” Balor growled. “Long past.”

“Sure. Things change. That’s the only thing you can count on.

” Miriam looked from one ruler to the other and Diego recognized the signs.

She was moving in for the kill, about to do the reveal.

“But secrecy breeds suspicion and the wrong conclusions. You let people have only rumors about you, they’ll make up lies to fill in the gaps.

What you need is for everyone to know. For everyone to understand, so you have allies and supporters. You need a press conference.”

Zack, still pale and exhausted, choked on the water he’d been sipping. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“What is this…conference?” Lugh asked as he rescued the water glass.

“It’s… You’ve seen the news broadcasts by now, right?

” Zack leaned back so he could look up at the sidhe champion.

“That’s what they call ‘the press’—all those folks who gather the news from the day and write about it and show it to everyone on the TV.

Ms. Thorpe is saying you should go on TV, expose yourselves to the world. ”

Diego cleared his throat. He always found it difficult to disagree with Miriam. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea. The issues of exploitation, the—”

“Your pardon, but these conflicts arise when a single group of humans believe they can lay claim to us,” Nathair interrupted softly. “Sovereignty, Miriam said. We need to be…our own nation.”

“Yes!” Angus pounded on the table. “With our own governance.”

“Whoa, hold on.” Diego held up both hands.

“Unless you’re thinking about moving to Antarctica, all the land in the world belongs to someone.

Where would this nation be? Certainly, you have the Otherworld, but you still need a place here to call your own if you want to be free of obligations to human governments. ”

Miriam chuckled. “Governments need money, kiddo. You bet your nuts real estate can be had, for a price.”

“We have no human currency,” Danu said, her delicate fingers drumming.

“Not yet, you don’t. But I hear his huge majesty can call gold from the ground, and that you, unless I’ve heard wrong from these boys, have stockpiles of gems that would put the Smithsonian collection to shame.”

Danu’s brows drew together. “Diego says humans do not barter with such things any longer.”

“Not directly, no.” Miriam leaned forward, her chair creaking. “Not like you could waltz into a grocery store and plunk down a handful of gold. But these things can be exchanged for money. Invested, so you have shitloads…sorry, piles of money.”

“You will help us with this, Miriam,” Danu said, in a tone just shy of an order.

“I will help you, my cousin the investment banker will help you, my father the jeweler will help you.”

“Back to this press conference,” Diego prompted.

“Right. It’s the perfect way to let everyone see you, let them ask questions and let the world’s governments know you’re looking for some property to call your own.

” Miriam gestured toward the ends of the table.

“I’d say their majesties should be in front of the cameras.

And this handsome lug over here.” She waved at Lugh, then down the table to Sionnach and Angus.

“Plus those two fast-talkers. And Finn.”

Beside Diego, Finn jerked back as if struck. “No,” he whispered, shaking his head frantically.