TWELVE
Erin blinked up at the fairy king. As she watched, his face seemed to recede. She felt so weak, everything seemed more like a dream than reality. And the idea of a fairy king was pretty dreamlike as it was.
She licked her dry lips. “Liked you better…as an angel.” Her eyes drifted closed.
“Are you that ready for your heaven?”
The snap in his voice made her lids flutter up. Anger, perversely, made him even more breathtaking as it sharpened his arrogant male beauty. Erin gazed up at him in wordless admiration. The universe seemed to revolve around her once, with his handsome face as the pivot.
“I said, are you that ready to die?” He gritted the words through his teeth.
“My Liege, you can’t mean to save her!” The tiny fairy woman zipped back and forth over Erin’s chest. The sparks from her wings turned bright red as she flew. “I told you what I saw in my vision. We’ll all be better off if she dies!”
The king’s gold brows lowered, but he didn’t even glance at the hostile little fairy. “Do you want to live?”
Did she? It would be so much easier to simply float away on this pleasant wave of numbness. No more hopeless battle with a demon, no more worry about possibly homicidal witches.
But Reece would be left alone. Erin remembered the expression on his face when he’d flung himself at the window—the angry desperation that had been more than the need to stop Geirolf. He’d wanted so badly to save her.
She could almost feel the warm strength of his big body moving against hers, the heated silk of his lips on her mouth. To touch him again, kiss him again—that was a reason to live.
She opened her dry mouth and forced out the words. “Help me…live.”
Triumph flashed over the Sidhe king’s face. Strong arms closed around her, lifting her from the bracken as his face swooped down. Instinctively she tried to turn her head, but his mouth had already closed over hers. His lips felt hot against her chilled skin.
And then they got even hotter. Erin sucked in a breath, and it was like inhaling fire. Something rushed from his mouth into hers in a flaming wave, pulsing down her throat and into her lungs. She screamed weakly into his mouth, but he didn’t stop kissing her as he forced the blazing energy deep.
It swelled inside her like a fireball, driving her failing heart into a frantic pounding, sending hot blood surging through her veins until it seemed every cell in her body lit up like a Christmas tree.
A burning Christmas tree.
She screamed again as her body convulsed in his arms, writhing against him.
Then, between one gasping breath and the next, the fire changed, metamorphosing from burning pain to blazing pleasure. Erin felt her nipples harden against his chest. And she felt Llyr hardening too, a thick, demanding ridge growing against her belly.
Somewhere inside her, something cried out in wordless protest. No matter how handsome he was, no matter how powerful he was, he wasn’t Reece.
Instinctively she began to struggle, but she couldn’t break Llyr’s grip.
The scent of Sidhe hung on the ground. Nose down, Reece followed it in wolf form as fast as he dared. He wanted to break into a lope, but he was afraid of overshooting the trail.
The only question was, would they save her? The Sidhe were an unpredictable lot at best, touchy and proud. And given that Lance had told him the Majae’s Council had recently insulted King Llyr yet again, they might be even less inclined to help.
But he’d damn well talk them into it. Somehow. He wasn’t going to let her die.
The scent trail intensified, riding the wind. They were close now. Reece wanted to bay like the wolf he’d become as he lifted his head and broke into a full run, following the shimmering, woodsy scent.
Even as he raced over the leaves, he realized his surroundings looked familiar. He was too desperate to care as he bounded over a tangle of brush and into the clearing where he’d left her lying helpless and unconscious.
A tall, blond man knelt in the leaves with Erin in his arms, kissing her with a hunger that brought Reece skidding to a stop in shock. The stranger, whoever he was, wore a blue doublet and hose, a velvet cape draped over one shoulder, a jeweled sword at his hip.
As he held Erin plastered against his body, power flowed around them so intensely even Reece could see it—sheets of energy, tinted with that glittering iridescence that was uniquely Sidhe. Reece throttled his first impulse to leap at the intruder and take revenge for that devouring kiss. He didn’t dare interrupt.
The Sidhe was bringing her back to life.
As Reece watched, Erin began to struggle, trying to turn her face away from the Sidhe’s kiss. A ripping growl tore from Reece’s throat, but he couldn’t interfere until he knew the spell was complete.
Then the magic faded and the Sidhe male lifted his head, masculine satisfaction in his smile. Erin glared hotly up at him, yet Reece could smell a trace of her arousal in the air. He told himself it was nothing more than her body’s response to the stranger’s life-saving magic.
“Let. Go.” The chill rage in her words had Reece tensing. Savior or not, he’d rip out the bastard’s throat if he tried to take this further.
The blond lifted a brow. “Is this my thanks for saving your life?”
“Thank you. Let go.” Her tone had not warmed one iota.
Reece reinforced her demand with a rippling snarl, stalking forward on four stiff legs.
The man threw him a look and laughed, rising easily to his feet even as he pulled Erin to hers. “Peace! There, free and alive.”
She stepped quickly back from him and tugged the hem of her crop top into place. “Well, that certainly cleared up the question of whether you’re an angel.”
“No man is an angel where a beautiful woman is concerned.” He was watching Reece stalk closer, silent warning in every line of his lupine body. “Isn’t that right, vampire?”
Reece shifted to human form at Erin’s slender back. “It certainly is in my case.” He gave the other man a smile every bit as threatening as the snarl he’d worn as a wolf. “Particularly when it comes to Erin.”
“See how little gratitude they show you, my Liege?” a tinkling voice demanded. Reece turned to see a tiny fairy glaring at him from inches away, her wings holding her at a hover. “I told you to let her die.”
“But it would have been such a waste.” The blond’s expression was watchful despite his amused smile.
Abruptly Reece recognized their opportunistic savior. “You must be King Llyr Galatyn.” A man they did not need as an enemy, with daybreak barely a half hour away and a demon on their trail. Never mind that Reece would rather punch the Sidhe’s teeth in for that kiss—this was the kind of king that could order them killed if they pissed him off. Hell, with his power, he could do it himself.
Falling back on the elaborate courtesy he’d learned at Arthur’s court, Reece gave the man a sweeping bow and introduced himself and Erin. Laying a subtly possessive hand on her shoulder, he met the king’s eyes. “I’m honored, Your Majesty. And very grateful for your swift action in saving Erin. I owe you a great debt.”
Llyr smiled coolly. “Yes. As a matter of fact, you do.”
Erin watched in admiration as Reece turned into a polished courtier before her eyes. Somehow he managed to acknowledge Llyr’s power without seeming like a sycophant. At the same time he used gentle touches to her shoulder or arm to subtly communicate that the two of them were very much involved. The gestures were just as possessive as his blatant fang-baring had been earlier.
Had it been any other man but Reece, Erin would probably have been irritated. But it was Reece, and she found that there was something warming about watching him warn off a king on her behalf.
Besides, Llyr was up to something. She’d sensed that much when he’d touched her mind during the healing spell.
He was at his core a decent man, but he was completely dedicated to the survival of his people, and utterly ruthless in pursuit of their well-being. He’d saved her only because it served some purpose of his.
The real question was, of course, what that purpose was, and when he’d get around to revealing it to her.
“Our lovely friend tells me you’ve encountered a little trouble with Geirolf,” Llyr drawled at last, apparently judging that protocol had been served.
“When did I tell you that?” Erin asked, tugging a dried leaf out of her hair. She was all too aware of Reece’s speculative gaze. She had the sinking feeling he knew she’d been turned on by the king’s kiss, whether she’d welcomed it or not.
“I read it in your thoughts,” Llyr told her. His lids dipped over those opal irises. “Among other things.”
Evidently the link had gone both ways.
“You know about Geirolf?” Reece asked.
“I should,” the king said with a shrug of those elegant shoulders. “I helped your Fae capture him and drive his kind from Earth, even before Merlin sought out Arthur.” His mouth twisted. “My father gave his life in that cause.”
Erin frowned, puzzled. “So how are the Sidhe and Merlin related? Did he create you, or what?” When Reece winced, she realized she’d committed a blunder.
Llyr gave her a frosty glower. “Of course not. We evolved on Mageverse Earth, just as you did on your own. Our races are mirror images of each other, as our Earths are.”
She nodded. “So you’re basically magical humans.”
“Or you are powerless Sidhe.”
Erin smiled slightly. “Touchè.” She shrugged. “Merlin’s people are called the Fae, which is another name for Sidhe, so I assumed…”
His frosty expression warmed. “A natural assumption. Your people have confused two concepts that are unrelated. Not unusual, with mortals.”
Stung, she muttered, “Land on the moon lately?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. But that’s a story for another time.” Llyr glanced toward the horizon. “The sun is very close. May I offer you the hospitality of my palace for the Daysleep?”
Reece’s gaze flicked from the king’s face to the brightening sky, then toward Erin. She got the strong impression he was wondering what she and Llyr would do while he was helplessly unconscious. He gave a coolly infuriating little bow of the head. “I would be grateful. I used a great deal of strength escaping from that cell, and I need to replenish it.”
“Then come, and I will open a gate for us.” The king made a gesture with one elegant hand. A shimmering dot appeared in the air to swell outward into a glowing window. Erin felt the magic of it dance over her skin, and something within her woke and responded.
“I’ve heard a great deal about Sidhe hospitality and the beauty of your palace,” Reece said as they prepared to step through it. “I look forward to enjoying both first-hand.”
As the king and Reece stepped through, Erin stepped to follow them—only to have the way blocked by a tiny glowing figure.
Janieda’s eyes were hot and angry. “Whatever schemes you harbor, creature,” she hissed, “my Liege will see through them. And if he does not, I will!”
Okay, she’d had more than enough of this. “Listen up, Tinkerbell,” Erin growled. “The only scheme I’m harboring is a deep and burning desire to mount Geirolf’s head on a pike. Unless you’ve got a problem with that, we’ve got no problem. So lose the attitude.”
“I saw you, whore,” Janieda hissed. “I saw what you’ll do!”
Thoroughly fed up, Erin stepped through the gate, too irritated to hesitate even in the face of such unfamiliar magic. Even so, her knees buckled as alien forces washed over her.
A big hand wrapped around her arm, supporting her. She looked up into Reece’s concerned eyes. She forced a smile and jerked her head at Janieda as the fairy flew through the gate. “You wouldn’t happen to have a flyswatter on you?”
He grinned. “Not even a rolled-up newspaper.” His eyes tracked to Llyr and his voice dropped to a mutter. “Though I sympathize with the thought.”
“Where’s a bug zapper when you really—” She broke off in amazement as their surroundings suddenly penetrated her consciousness. “Damn.”
They stood in a towering foyer built of shimmering white marble, polished to a mirror gleam. The twenty-foot ceiling overhead was supported by arches that appeared to be solid gold. The white marble floor underfoot was set with smaller jeweled tiles—sapphire, ruby, emerald. And everywhere, magic swirled and eddied in sparkling trails that made Erin’s eyes ache. She shivered, feeling the power stir under her skin. “It’s…beautiful.”
The king smiled at her awed tone, then nodded to Reece. “Come. I’ll lead you to your quarters. You can tell me of Geirolf’s schemes on the way.”
She watched as the two men started down the glittering foyer, comet trails of magic swirling in their wake. Her head began to throb as she followed. Somehow during her brush with death, she’d forgotten the way the energy of the Mageverse pressed against her mind.
She’d been able to manage those forces before when she had a clear-cut purpose—escaping the cell. But now Erin could feel them whipping around her like a nest of snakes she had to somehow capture and control.
It was a terrifying thought.
“What a weakling you are,” Janieda sneered.
Erin turned to glare at the little fairy just in time to see her grow in a blink to a full-sized woman, impossibly slim and delicate, her face a sweet, big-eyed triangle beneath a waving cluster of pink curls. To her irritation, Erin instantly felt like a cow.
The fairy lifted her delicate chin and sniffed. “Why my Liege should feel any interest at all in a creature who cannot even manage her own magic, I do not understand.”
Erin bared her teeth in an expression that was not even remotely a smile. “Oddly,” she said, “I find your lack of understanding does not surprise me.”
Janieda huffed, turned on one bare heel, and flounced off after Llyr, her short, diaphanous skirts twitching around her long legs.
A trail of sparks hung in the air in her wake, glittering seductively. Erin gritted her teeth and followed.
Reece could feel the need for the Daysleep pressing harder on his body as he struggled to explain the situation to the Sidhe king.
He was relieved when Llyr’s expression grew grim. “This spell of Geirolf’s would destroy the Magekind?”
“Down to the last vampire and Maja,” Reece told him. “So you can see why the High Court needs to be informed immediately. If you could get a message…”
Llyr’s opalescent gaze narrowed with calculation. “Not just yet.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Geirolf can’t work his spell without a sacrifice, which means he’s blocked for the time being. The High Council can continue as they are for a few hours more.”
Reece put a tight grip on his temper. “Unless he decides to kidnap another vampire and Latent.”
“Which would take a great deal more time and effort to arrange than simply recapturing you and Erin. He’ll try for that first. Again, the situation can wait until you awake. You can report to your High Council yourself.”
“But the sooner they learn of this, the more time they have to find a spell to defeat him.”
Llyr shrugged. “I’m sure such capable people are more than up to the task of handling Geirolf.”
He was too damn tired for diplomacy. “The High Council has always considered you an ally. Were we wrong?”
“Any alliance works both ways, Lord Reece,” the king said coolly. “My people, too, face threats, yet yours have been less than willing to assist me in vanquishing them.”
Damn, Reece had known the Majae’s Council’s arrogance would come back to bite them one day. But he’d had no idea his own anatomy would be the target for the teeth. “Your assistance now could change that,” Reece pointed out carefully.
Llyr made a dismissive gesture, his eyes drifting to Erin’s elegant profile. “Be that as it may, your High Council will simply have to wait.”
Reece’s heart sank at the interest in the king’s gaze. He needed to find a bed, but watching Llyr watch Erin, he’d never dreaded sleep more. It didn’t take a tactician to realize the Sidhe was mentally spinning plans around her.
Was Llyr considering romancing her? Reece could see why he might be tempted, even aside from Erin’s considerable attractions. The Majae’s Court had refused him over and over again, but Erin had no ties to the court. Hell, they might even execute her. From the Sidhe king’s point of view, she was ripe for the plucking.
On the other hand, since she had no Court connections, wedding Erin would not gain Llyr the close alliance with Avalon he needed. So what exactly were his intentions?
Either way, she seemed unaware of Llyr’s interest. Reece would have found that encouraging, if she hadn’t been paying such wild-eyed attention to things that weren’t there.
“She is still adjusting to her powers,” Llyr said softly, watching Erin as the four of them walked down the hall. Her wary gaze was fixed on something that seemed to be pacing her, about six inches from her eyes.
“It’s a profound adjustment, Your Majesty,” Reece said, forgetting his unease at the other man’s intentions in his concern for Erin. “She’s done well with her new abilities, all things considered, but it’s going to take her a little while longer to get used to them.”
The king’s lids veiled his opalescent gaze. “Assuming the Majae’s Council doesn’t kill you both first. They’ve been looking for you, you know. A locator spell.”
Reece felt his muscles tense. A group of Majae could arrive at any time to check on him. And they wouldn’t be pleased to discover he’d turned Erin without permission.
“Don’t worry—I blocked it as soon as I discovered you,” the Sidhe told him bluntly. “They’re casting about on the wrong side of the planet now, following a false trail.”
Reece blinked, not sure whether to be relieved or outraged. “Why?”
The king’s full attention was focused on Erin, who had stopped dead in the hallway, staring intently at some invisible something. “I don’t want them killing her.”
“Contrary to your evident belief, they’re not totally inflexible. When I explain the threat Geirolf poses and the risk Erin took to free us—”
“—they may spare you,” Llyr finished. He shrugged. “Or not. Were I you, I would be disinclined to take the chance.” His gaze returned to Erin. “She deserves better.”
“Of course she does,” Reece snapped back.
The king shot him a cool, calculating look. “Then perhaps when you return to Avalon, you should leave her here until you have convinced your Majae’s Court you were right to Change her.”
He stiffened. “I don’t think that would be wise.”
“I am more than capable of protecting her.”
“They’ll need to examine her to determine she’s sane.”
“They can send an emissary here.”
“What’s your interest in Erin?” The Sidhe king stiffened, his face taking on a mask of arrogant offense at the question. Reece shrugged. “With all due respect, you just met her.”
“That is no business of yours.”
“Actually,” Erin said suddenly, “it’s a good question.” Her eyes met the king’s in challenge as she moved to join them. “I wouldn’t mind knowing the answer to it myself.”
Llyr’s expression softened. “When I saved you, I touched your mind.” He reached up and brushed a lock of hair from her face. Reece felt raw jealousy stab him at the tenderness of the gesture. “I liked what I found.”
Erin’s lips parted. Before she could speak, the king turned to gesture at a nearby doorway. “These will be your quarters for the Daysleep. When you awake, I will transport you to Avalon.”
Reece opened his mouth to ask to be sent to the High Court immediately. But he could feel the sun pressing against the horizon, and knew it was doubtful he could remain conscious long enough to explain the complex situation. And what would the Majae do to Erin before he awoke? She’d be safer here until he was awake to defend her.
Dammit, he should have thought of this earlier. Probably would have, if he hadn’t been so distracted by his uncharacteristic jealousy. Still, he had to make sure the court was warned about the demon’s plans. “Please, Your Highness—send a message to the Court. Warn them Geirolf has escaped.”
The king hesitated. “I will consider it.”
He knew he didn’t have time to argue further. Reece turned on leaden feet and pushed the door aside as he felt the sun shove its leading edge into the sky. He staggered.
Suddenly Erin was beside him, one slim hand gripping his biceps as the other arm circled his waist. “Can the sunlight reach him in here?” she demanded over her shoulder.
“No, I’ve polarized the glass.”
She threw him a questioning look. “Will that be enough to protect you?”
“Yeah,” he managed as he forced his legs to carry him toward a shape he recognized as a bed. “I wouldn’t…really turn to dust, you know.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “But I just wanted to make sure.”
“Watch out for the king,” Reece gritted. “He wants something from you.”
“Yeah, I figured that out,” Erin said. “Sleep now.”
“Persuade him to warn Avalon,” he managed as they struggled the last couple of feet. He tumbled onto something soft the instant before the Daysleep fell on him like a velvet hammer.
Erin watched Reece’s handsome face go lax as sleep claimed his big body. She found herself feeling a little abandoned.
Vampire or not, he’d become her refuge in a world gone thoroughly alien. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to crawl into the bed next to him and wrap herself around his warm strength.
“Come,” Llyr said from the doorway. “I would like to show you the rest of my palace.”
Erin looked down at Reece’s still profile. His dark eyelashes lay on his high cheekbones like feathers. “I’m not sure I’m up for a tour, Your Highness. It’s been a rough night.”
“Ungrateful creature,” Janieda said.
Erin stiffened and turned. The fairy eyed her maliciously from behind the Sidhe king’s shoulder. Llyr watched her coolly, as if wondering whether Janieda was right.
It occurred to Erin that if she wasn’t careful, the fairy would poison the Sidhe king against them before they woke. And God knew what situation they’d face then.
Besides, Reece was right. Avalon needed to be warned about Geirolf, and Llyr was the logical one to do it. She shoved away her exhaustion. “I am deeply grateful for my rescue. And I would love to see your palace.”
No expression stirred behind Llyr’s watchful eyes. He nodded and extended a hand. “Then come, and I will show it to you.”
Putting aside her longing, Erin walked away from Reece’s big, powerful body and took the Sidhe king’s hand.
The palace was indeed impressive, as much artwork as architecture, filled with dazzling colors and fabrics.
Not to mention the Sidhe themselves. They were the most uniformly beautiful people Erin had ever seen in her life. There was none of the imperfection one would see among any group of humans she knew: no overweight bodies, bad teeth, big noses, receding hairlines. The men were lean and tall and broad-chested, with long, angular faces and gently pointed ears. The women were small, slim, lovely enough to make Erin’s teeth ache. Yet she would have mistaken them for human, had it not been for the whimsical color of hair, eyes, and skin: blues, screaming reds, iridescent purples, and metallic golds.
She found herself just enjoying the view.
For their part, they all seemed fanatically devoted to Llyr. Everywhere they went, beautiful, elegant people paid homage to the Sidhe king. And they weren’t just currying favor with a powerful man; Erin sensed they genuinely admired the king and viewed him as a hero.
The longer she spoke with him, the easier it was to see why. He might be a ruthless opportunist with ulterior motives, but he was also intelligent, witty, and genuinely concerned about his people.
Add that to astonishing good looks, extreme wealth, and a kingdom full of adoring fairies, and you had a devastating package all the way around.
Yet even as she watched Llyr charm both her and his court, she found her thoughts drifting to Reece. When would he wake—and what would he do then? He’d have to return to Avalon to warn the High Court about Geirolf’s plans. It was his duty; he had no choice, and she knew it.
But what kind of reception would he get? For that matter, what kind of reception would she get when they discovered Reece had changed her? True, he’d had excellent reasons, but the High Court sounded like a ruthless bunch. What if they viewed her as a threat?
Damn, she wished they didn’t have to go to Avalon. It would be so much better if they could sidestep the whole problem.
“You’ve grown quiet,” Llyr observed, his glowing gaze searching her face as they walked together in the palace’s sprawling gardens.
“I’m concerned about Reece,” Erin admitted, watching a fairy in winged form standing on the petals of an exotic flower, busily doing something to it. “I’m worried about how the High Court will react when they learn he’s Gifted me.”
“You have reason to be concerned,” Llyr said. “The Magekind can be extraordinarily ruthless where their Great Mission is concerned.”
Erin lifted a brow. “Great Mission?”
He shrugged his shoulders and took her by the hand, leading her farther into the garden. “To save humankind from itself. They have no objection to spilling blood when it comes to accomplishing that goal. And I would hate to see yours among the blood they spill.”
“So would I,” Erin said dryly. She hesitated, then took a chance. “Could I prevail upon you to send a message to the Magekind explaining the situation? It would make things much safer for us if we didn’t have to go to Avalon.”
“Unfortunately, Reece doesn’t have the luxury of staying away,” Llyr pointed out. “He has to go back, or he’ll be suspected of treason.” Reading the expression on her face, he shrugged. “I know I wouldn’t take it well if one of my soldiers defected to a foreign court rather than face my justice.”
“But there was nothing Reece could do except Change me! If we hadn’t escaped from that cell, all of Magekind would have been destroyed.”
“They have seers of their own, Erin,” Llyr pointed out. “It’s entirely possible they would have foreseen Geirolf’s intentions.”
“Or perhaps they wouldn’t have. We had to warn them. We still do.”
“Champion does, perhaps,” the king said. “But you don’t.”
Erin shook her head. “Your Highness, I can’t just stand by and let Geirolf destroy Magekind. And I can’t leave Reece to face the High Court alone.”
“Both Champion and the Magekind are more than capable of taking care of themselves,” Llyr said. “You’re not.”
Something zipped by, shedding sparks. She automatically pivoted to watch it go, then returned her attention to the king. “That may be, but I can’t hide from the High Court forever. They’d find me.”
Suddenly long, warm fingers closed over her hand. “Not if you stayed here in my palace,” Llyr said. “With me.”
Erin turned to look up at him, shocked. And saw his head lower. Before she could step back, he was kissing her, his mouth moving in hot demand over hers.