Tajael appeared, knife drawn, inside the Summer Queen’s bedchamber.
It was a very risky move, given he would be vastly outnumbered by the fae of the Summer Court, plus the queen’s powers were extraordinary given she was over 12,000 years old. The only reason he wasn’t cut in half immediately and had time to magick his clothes dry was the fact that the queen herself was tied up. To her bed. And being vigorously penetrated by a large male fae with long red hair that hung down his bare back.
As it was, Tajael had to cough to gain their attention.
“What the—?” The male fae ceased his sexual activity and hurled a blast of energy at Tajael.
He flew up, dodging that, then landed closer to the bed, where the queen lay bound with an elaborate set of black leather straps. He couldn’t determine their function other than restraining her wrists to the posts, as most of the rest of her skin was left exposed, notably her sexual parts.
Tajael raised his hands, including the one holding his blade, in surrender. “I mean you no harm.”
“The fuck you say, angeling,” the red-haired fae spat and lunged from the bed to come after him.
“Kalen, wait.” The queen’s words froze her lover half off her bed.
“My queen,” he growled. “He should die merely for the interruption.”
“I’ll allow you to finish soon enough.” With a flourish of fingers, her wrist restraints disappeared. She rose from the bed, trailing her fingers along Kalen’s back—he gave a small moan in response—and she walked, naked in all the ways that counted, right up to Tajael. She looked him up and down. Somehow Tajael felt like he had on less clothing when she was finished. “I loathe your kind, Tajael, but you’ve earned my forbearance.” She was referring to the time, very recent, when they worked together to save one of the dragon princes of the House of Smoke. The child they saved, Aurora, was not only the first angeling born in the light—she also had dragon blood and traces of fae from the Summer Court. “So you may ask a favor—for I assume that’s why you’re here? Or have you decided to take a Fall and want to make it a glorious one? Because I can help with that as well.”
“I do not want to have sex with you, Nyssa.” The fae queen was physically beautiful—snow-white hair that floated everywhere in a cloud behind her, all the female curves in alluring proportions, delicately curved cheeks—but the only creature he could feel less Lust for would be a vampire.
Nyssa let out an elaborate sigh. “Pity.”
Kalen growled in the background but otherwise stayed silent.
“But I will ask for your assistance,” Tajael went on quickly. “The Winter Court has captured a human—a female scientist of great importance—and I need you to persuade them to release her.”
Nyssa scoffed and turned to saunter back to her bed. “What is a human female to me? The House of Smoke already has their mates for the moment. That is the beginning and end of my concerns with humanity.”
“She has bridged the gap between the realms.”
Nyssa stopped her hand toying with Kalen’s chest. His eyes had been closed in pleasure, but they also snapped open at Tajael’s words.
Nyssa turned. “That pulse. It was her?”
“She has a machine which sends artifacts to the immortal realm.”
Her eyes grew sharp. “So Zephan was right.”
“No, he was wrong,” Tajael said sharply. “Charlotte is a scientist. A seeker of knowledge. She means no harm to the immortal realm. But Remasay has taken her, sending Alvara of the Winter Court to snatch her away. She’s innocent of whatever crimes they will try to punish her for—”
“I see.” The queen’s eyebrows had lifted. She turned and sashayed back to stand in front of Tajael, examining him once again. “You love her.”
Tajael swallowed. Would admitting it put Charlotte more at risk? Or less? “Yes.”
Nyssa smirked. “Oh, you are going to Fall. Splendid. When you’re in shadow, and before they eat you alive, come see me.” She licked her lips. “I’ve never bedded an angeling, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
Was this some kind of demand? He was lost. “As I said—”
“Yes, I know.” She waved him off. “Not yet.” Then she turned and flicked her hand to summon what looked like a large mirror, but which Tajael knew was a portal. The kind used for communication in the immortal realm. With another circling of her fingers, the silvery shine of the mirror warped and twisted and finally resolved into the image of the King of the Winter Court. His dark hair and chiseled face were similar to Zephan’s only weathered with time. His eyes were closed, the lower half of his body below the reach of the mirror but obviously moving rhythmically.
“Oh yes, my dear,” he grunted. “The whole thing.”
“Oh, for the love of magic,” Nyssa snarled. “You can stop for a moment, Remasay.”
“Not unless you want to finish for me, Nyssa,” he rasped out, then his mouth fell open, and he groaned, long and deep.
Tajael cringed.
Nyssa rolled her eyes. “Are you quite done now?”
Remasay was panting and flushed, but a lazy smile climbed up on his face. “Unless you’re offering to come over here and—”
“Dismember your favorite parts? Yes, I’d happily do that.” The queen’s voice had gone from indulgent to cold-as-ice.
The king of the Winter Court quickly sobered. “I meant no offense, Nyssa. Your beauty precedes you, of course.”
“You mean the reputation of my thousand fae warriors.”
“That as well.” He gestured roughly at something off screen then turned his attention back. “But we have peace among us now. The treaty has renewed. Forgive me for assuming the Summer Court might be calling for pleasure.” He tried a smile, but Tajael wondered what sort of creature that might work on. Certainly not the Queen of the Summer Court.
“I hear you’re meddling with the humans again,” she said, her tone imperious. “I thought that would end with Zephan.”
The king’s eyes grew cold. “He has not ended. Not yet. Watch yourself, Nyssa.”
“Have you taken up his bad habits, then? Because last I heard he was still… recovering.”
“He has not yet awoken, if that’s what you’re asking,” the king snarled. “What is it to you? My quarrel is not with your precious House of Smoke—it is with the angelings who nearly murdered my boy. It is none of your concern.”
“This human is.”
The king scoffed. “I will not harm her. I’m not a fool, Nyssa. I’m not risking the treaty.”
“Then release her.”
The king’s eyes grew pinched. “You have no standing here. She is not a mate of the House of Smoke. She is not being harmed. I will keep her as long as I wish.” He grunted and then reached for the mirror portal. “Do not call again unless you wish to watch the woman riding my cock.”
The portal returned to silver.
Tajael’s heart lurched. What? Did he just say… Tajael was so stunned at the thought—the king forcing himself upon Charlotte, using her for his pleasure—that at first, the fury merely blanked out of his mind.
“Oh dear,” said Nyssa. She looked sideways at him.
The anger was building and building. Tajael felt the Wrath like a distant wave speeding toward shore, where it would crash and destroy him.
“Angeling!” Nyssa snapped her fingers in front of his face.
It jolted him and snapped his attention to her.
“Listen carefully,” she said. “I cannot help you in this—my help would only worsen things at this point—so you’ll have to seek elsewhere.” She hesitated a moment. “I’m sorry.” And she seemed to mean it, but that didn’t mean Tajael could breathe. That he would not drown in his own Wrath.
She pursed her lips. “Look, if you’d like my advice, I would go to someone who can truly help you. Not that fool of an angel, Markos. I know he’s your leader, but he’s not going to risk this. Not for your female.”
That grabbed his attention. “He’s already said as much.”
Nyssa rolled her eyes. “I swear I loathe every single one of you. The only tolerable angelkind I’ve met—other than you, Tajael—have been the ones in shadow. There’s a certain… liberation there, of which I approve.”
He frowned. She was speaking of the endless orgies of the shadow realm, he was sure. But there was a second meaning he thought he understood. “Razael. Erelah’s father. He might be willing.”
Nyssa tipped her head. “Indeed. Especially for the angeling who helped save his daughter’s life. And his granddaughter’s.”
A wash of relief made his limbs go loose. “I’ll travel there right away.”
“Wonderful.” She rolled her eyes again. “I’ve been waiting for you to leave from the moment you arrived.”
Tajael shook his head as she turned her back on him and sauntered back to her bed. Then he twisted and willed himself to the one place to which he’d been desperate never to return.
The shadow realm.