Chapter Fifteen
“That makes me sick.” The vampire watched the couple as they made their way down the road toward the ramshackle cottage.
Liadan took in his measure. He seemed thin compared to a sidhe, but she knew that the vampire’s lankiness probably hid a wealth of strength.
“Well, it doesn’t do anything for me, either,” Liadan replied. She tried not to roll her eyes.
She was surprised at the depth of animosity she felt for the human. She hated the way the red-haired girl hugged her body to Cian’s. She loathed him for smiling down at Meg and teasing her as lovers did. It was obvious that they were finally sleeping together, and that fact chafed.
“You told me she was at odds with the brothers.” Kinsey Palgrave frowned, the expression marring his handsome face.
Liadan and the vampire stood beneath a wide tree. The tangled branches gave them a place to watch the road and not be noticed.
Liadan shrugged. She wasn’t sure why it mattered. “I told you she wasn’t sleeping with Beck. He brought her home and left the very next day for your home plane. He didn’t even spend that single night with her. He preferred to sleep in the barn. She wasn’t pleasing to him.”
Beck had never thought to sleep in the barn when he was seeing her. Then again, he had never actually spent the night. He had used her and then walked back to his own cottage. Liadan was being forced to admit that her charms had not worked on either brother the way they should have. She had been sure this form would work, but something had gone wrong.
“Well, Cian Finn doesn’t seem to have the same problem.” Palgrave’s eyes darkened. “He is obviously fucking the consort.”
“I don’t understand why you care,” Liadan said, studying the young vampire. He was a royal, like the twins’ cousin, Dante. Unlike that imbecile they were related to, however, this vampire was serious. He was hungry for a mate and angry that the consort had been taken from him. He did not believe the competition had been fair.
Dante had told the whole tale at the tavern the night Beckett had brought his bondmate home. Liadan had heard the name Kinsey Palgrave as one of the competitors Beck had brutally defeated. Kinsey had been easy to persuade to her side. He had bought the story of how desperately the human wanted to leave this barbaric place. Now he was faltering. She needed to bring him back into the fold. She needed to convince him to kidnap or kill the human.
“Do you honestly believe she is happy here?” Liadan asked. “She is used to a world with technology. She might enjoy sleeping with Cian, but living here? She is not used to the hardships. Beckett is still gone from this plane. His twin is vulnerable. All of his power is in his intellect. It will be easy for you to take the consort from him.”
The vampire turned to Liadan, his fangs out. They had popped out the minute he saw that idiot human walking up the road. He had some form of visual aid device. Liadan didn’t care to look through it. The vampires relied too much on their technology.
“It might be easy to take the consort,” Palgrave agreed. “The trouble will be in keeping her. I came here because I believed she would go willingly with me. She doesn’t look unhappy. I could kidnap her, but what’s to stop her from running the first chance she gets?”
“You would.” She was beginning to wonder if anyone had a brain. “Tie her up, for all I care. You would get the consort and your revenge. Beck will fade if he loses her.”
It was the vampire’s turn to sound disbelieving. “More likely he will simply go insane and attempt to track me. This is wrong. I only came because I thought the consort needed saving. I’m not about to get involved in carting off a screaming consort, and I’m certainly not about to hurt one. You know what they say, be kind to consorts or you will never find one yourself.”
Liadan nearly screamed in frustration. Her plan was falling apart because of an old vampire proverb? The royals had rules about handling consorts, but she hadn’t expected them to be vigorously upheld during a time when there were so few to be had.
The vampire looked very disappointed as he turned away from the sight of the couple kissing. “Besides, it’s a good thing in the long run. If the Finns can take back Tir na nÒg, our access to consorts will return. It is obvious that you are angry at the brothers. Did they break off relations with you? You have to be realistic, Miss. They were always going to marry a bondmate. I have to be realistic, too.” Palgrave pulled his hood up as he made to leave. “I came because I want a consort, and she is lovely. She isn’t available, so the best I can do is make some money off the situation. I don’t think anyone knows the Finns have bonded yet. I’m sure that Beck went to the Vampire plane to make a deal with his relatives. I might have time to buy up some Dellacorp stock before the price goes sky high. I’ll make a bundle and look like a genius in the trades.”
The vampire looked very pleased with himself as he turned to go. He had come alone, and now Liadan was grateful for that fact. It was easier to deal with a single vampire than a couple. The last thing she wanted was him telling his tale to all and sundry. The minute he mentioned her name, the brothers would be after her.
She pulled the silver knife from her sleeve. She said a quick spell to make her aim true and then plunged the knife into the vampire’s back. She was much stronger than she looked. The form she presented made her look frail and weak, but her true body was solid. The vampire’s body jerked once, and then he fell apart as his heart was torn asunder by the silver.
Liadan shivered as she looked at her previously pristine clothing. She wished she hadn’t worn her second-best dress. Killing vampires was a filthy business. They tended to explode when their hearts ripped apart. She was covered in blood.
If she moved quickly enough, she might be able to preserve some of it. Vampire blood was very powerful. Perhaps the day wasn’t a complete waste.
The sound of laughter filtered across the pond. She had to find a way to get that bitch alone. She had to get her off this plane and make it look like she had walked away. If the brothers thought she was taken, they would move mountains to find her. If they thought she had been killed, it could get ugly. Liadan didn’t like to think about what they would do to her. She had no plans to martyr herself.
As she made the long walk toward her cottage, an idea came to her.
* * * *
Beck walked out of the caves and handed his sword to Colin Dellacourt. The heat of the desert scorched everything it touched. Beck was filthy and covered in blood and he didn’t like to think what else, but the job was over.
Colin took the King’s sword and reverently wiped it clean. He motioned to the employees walking around camp. A young vampire walked up to answer the sidhe’s call.
“His Highness is finished,” Colin said. “Take the telemetry unit and gather the data we need.”
The young vampire looked to the mouth of the cave with anxiety. “He’s sure?”
Colin’s brown eyes narrowed. Beck hid his smile as the former farmer scared the shit out of a young executive with just a look. “Are you questioning His Highness?”
The young executive shook his head. “Not at all, Mr. Dellacourt. I’ll get you those readings immediately.”
Colin stared at the small group of Dellacorp employees as they scrambled to do his bidding. Beck pulled his filthy shirt over his head and reached for his robe. He needed a shower. The vampires had set up the camp with all the luxuries their technology had to offer. One of those luxuries was the portable shower that cleaned with something called sound waves.
Beck preferred a good soak, but that wasn’t available out here in the desert. He thought about the gift he’d approved before he left for the Bad Lands, as they called this place. Susan had been insistent on getting Beck a wedding gift. It was probably being delivered this very day. Beck couldn’t wait to lie in the soaking tub with Meg in front of him. He would hold her as they soaked in the hot water and talked about their days. He would tell her about the work he’d done in the fields, and she would talk about…
“What do you and Susan talk about?” Beck heard himself asking. He hadn’t meant to. It just popped out. He wouldn’t take it back, though. He was curious about the consort’s relationship with his cousin.
Colin sat down beside him and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He was quickly handed two glasses by an assistant who always seemed to anticipate the Fae’s needs. Beck gratefully took the glass and tipped it back. He would be damn sore tomorrow.
Colin thoughtfully sipped at his well-aged whiskey. “We talk about everything, Your Highness. Mostly, it’s business, of course. She is the CEO of one of the most powerful corporations in the States. It helps that I have a fairly decent head for business.”
He did. It had surprised him when Colin announced he was accompanying his king on this job. Susan had nodded and told him to send detailed reports. She hadn’t been his CEO when they parted, however. She had been his wife. She’d asked Colin three times if he remembered everything and checked his bag. She had kissed him goodbye and made him promise to call.
“I also have a very thick skin,” Colin said cheerfully. “That helps a lot when your wife is also your boss. Damn woman can flay a man alive with that tongue of hers. I screwed up the quarterly reports a few months back, and she took a chunk out of my hide right there in the boardroom.”
“She yelled at you?” Beck was surprised that his cousin would yell at a consort. Vampires were supposed to be as gentle with their consorts as the Fae were with bondmates.
“Yelled, screamed, threatened me with all manner of humiliation,” Colin explained with a smile on his face. “That woman of mine is a righteous bitch when she wants to be. It’s all right, though. I took my fair share out of her pretty ass later that night, if you know what I mean.”
Beck thought he did. He had spent a lot of time thinking about Colin and Susan while he was working in the caves. Colin didn’t seem to want the type of life he’d expected a consort to require. He seemed to like to work, and he was tough. His wife didn’t treat him like he would break, but she still loved him. “You were rough with her?”
The question came out with expectant curiosity rather than accusation.
“Vampires are rough, Your Highness,” Colin explained without a hint of self-consciousness. “Relationships here, at least sexual relationships, involve a dominant partner and a submissive partner.”
Now Beck sat up and poured himself another glass. Meg had used those words. “Are you the dominant?”
“Yes, I am. Susan prefers to give up control in the bedroom. It was strange at first. You have to understand, Your Highness, I was raised in a very isolated part of the country. I didn’t know I could bond until I came to the Vampire plane. I was a farmer. I had been taught to treat females with great softness.”
“We are bigger and stronger,” Beck said, parroting the words he’d heard from his father. “They need our protection, not our abuse.”
Colin’s dark brows rose questioningly. “If you’re worried about me abusing your cousin, Your Highness…”
“Say what you need to say, Colin,” Beck encouraged the slightly younger man. “Forget I’m the bloody King. I’m your cousin. Talk to me that way. The goddess knows I need someone who’ll be honest with me.”
“Fine,” Colin said, his eyes narrowing. “I’d tell you, cos, to get the stick out of your ass. My relationship with my wife isn’t open for your judgment. I heard that gentry marriages were cold exchanges of protection and money, for bloodlines and a proper bond. I don’t want that. I want a real marriage. Maybe it’s because I’m a commoner, but you can keep your perfect little bondmate. I don’t want to be treated like a bit of fluff to be taken off a shelf and fucked when my mate thinks about it. I certainly don’t want to treat my wife like that. Life is hard, no matter your circumstances. You should have a partner, not a weight around your neck.”
Beck felt his stomach drop. He thought about what he’d said to Meg. He’d told her she was a responsibility to be borne. She’d asked to be his partner, and he’d complained about having to feed and clothe her.
“I don’t think of her that way,” Beck said quietly. He didn’t. He thought of her all the time, though. Now that he’d had her, he couldn’t sleep without picturing her close to him. He held a pillow close to his body at night and pretended it was Meg against his chest. Goddess, he missed her.
Colin poured another round. “It’s hard in the beginning. Marriage ain’t easy. You have to find your way. It’s harder for you because there are three of you involved.”
“Ci doesn’t seem to be having a problem.” Beck took a drink, shooting the warm liquor into his belly. Cian had been plain in his correspondence. He was pissed with the way Beck had treated their wife up to this point.
Everyone was mad at him.
“Then maybe you should listen to Ci,” Colin said sagely. “He would listen to you when it came to killing gigantic bats.”
That thought amused him and reminded him he did have a place where Cian didn’t best him. “He wouldn’t have time to listen. He would be running the other way.” Cian had always been a pussy when it came to things with fangs trying to kill him. “I want to go home, Colin. Can you get me home tonight?”
The big Fae smiled. “That I can do, Your Highness. I suspect I could get someone to drive you straight through to your village, if you like. If you go back to the city, you’ll find yourself being debriefed for twelve hours.”
Beck groaned. “Please, no more meetings.”
Colin graciously inclined his head. “Go take a shower while I get a driver set for you. I have to prep this site for mining operations, or I’d take you myself. As it is, I suspect I’ll get in trouble with my boss. She’s expecting you to report back like a good little employee.”
Beck grinned. “Then she shouldn’t have paid me up front.”
He rushed off to get changed. He was anxious to get back to his sleepy little village where his sweet wife waited to start their life together.
* * * *
Five hours later, Beck stared slack-jawed at the chaos around him. There were tents and campsites everywhere. His quiet village had turned into a raucous marketplace. There were people everywhere.
“Your Highness,” a pretty sidhe said. He thought her name was Bri. She was carrying a basket, and he could hear the coins jangling in her pockets. He searched his memory. Her father was the miller. “Welcome back. I hope your trip went well.”
“It was fine,” he replied, still dazed. “What is going on here?”
Bri’s eyes were wide. “It’s a celebration. It’s the tradition. We’re celebrating the Kings’ bonding with three weeks of festivities. Last night we had a great bonfire, and the priestess blessed King Cian and Queen Meg. It was a lovely ceremony. They’re so in love.” Her face was shining with remembrance. She frowned suddenly. “Your name was mentioned, Your Highness. Everyone cheered.”
“I’m glad someone remembered me,” Beck ground out. This was how Cian chose to protect their bride? He was supposed to hide her from prying eyes. Instead, he’d invited the whole damn plane to a party. The goddess only knew how many of these people were actually spies for Torin. He caught sight of a big shape walking through the stalls. “Is that a bloody goblin?”
The young girl nodded. “Yes, they have brought so many strange wonders. Some of us worried they would not behave without Your Highness around to keep them in line, but they are terrified of the Queen, so all has been well.”
Beck felt his heart seize. His little Meg had met the goblins? Cian had allowed a goblin to get close to their bride? Had he lost his mind? What had the girl said? “What do you mean the goblins are terrified of the Queen?”
The girl smiled proudly. “Our queen beat them and threatened to never make another cookie for them if they ate her. She got the goblin chief to back down. Imagine that, a Seelie queen forcing an Unseelie lord to back down.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “If you ask me, the force is strong with our queen.”
Beck wondered if that damn vampire had taken him to the wrong plane. “Someone is forcing the queen to do something?”
“No,” Bri said helpfully. “It’s an old human legend. You see, the force represents…”
Beck saw someone who might be more helpful. “Thank you, Bri. Tell your father I’d like to talk to him about the mill. We’ll need more flour if this goes on for too long.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” Bri said as he started to walk away. “The queen already took care of it.”
Well, of course she had.
Beck pursued Liadan across the square. Liadan wouldn’t be under the new Queen’s spell as everyone else seemed to be. “Lia!”
The blonde turned and, when she saw it was him, made her bow. She was cool and polite. “Your Highness. You returned early. You weren’t due back for another week.”
A thought struck Beck. In another week, the three weeks of celebration would be over. His brother was a tricky bastard. Cian might not have been able to cover the fact that he’d called the festivities, but he would have been able to say they were small. He would have attempted to convince Beck that they were small but necessary to the villagers’ acceptance of Meg. He was a sly one, his other half, and about to get that magnificent brain of his bashed in.
“Would you like to tell me what the bloody hell has been going on while I was away?”
Liadan smiled sweetly. “It is a celebration for your queen, Your Highness. I was surprised you authorized it. It is very expensive and seems a strange thing to do when so many are hungry. I wouldn’t be surprised if our food stores are empty by the end of the festivities.”
Beck hadn’t thought of that. Cian had always handled things like that, but he seemed to be very derelict in his duties lately. Beck had hoped that once he bonded he would go back to his responsibilities. “And what has my brother been doing?”
Liadan shrugged gracefully. “He rarely leaves the Queen’s side. He dotes on her when he should be working. She demands it. I thought she wasn’t royal, Your Highness, but she certainly acts like it. She forced the women of the village to sew her a new wardrobe, and the miller to up his work all because she has to make some strange human food. She even took one of my dresses. The new queen thinks that anything to catch her eye should be hers, I suppose.”
“Is that a fact?” Beck asked.
Liadan looked properly intimidated by his low growl.
“She is even forcing the villagers to work for her,” Liadan said, pointing out a stall. There was a long line, and two young sidhe were working hard to sell some sort of food product.
Beck nodded shortly. His queen had gotten out of hand while he was gone. It was time she knew the king was back.