As we trek forward, I stay close to Taryn, keeping her in my peripheral at all times as I scan our surroundings. Since Faerie is so vast, it would take weeks to cross it on foot. Not an issue for the winged fae who live here, but according to Taryn, back when the realm was still mortal-friendly, humans used portals to magically travel from one region to another. Since the guys and I can’t fly, using the portal to get to the Summer Palace is our only option.
We walk for several hours—or that’s what I assume since our cell phones and other modern technology is useless here—only pausing to refill our canteens as needed.
“Shouldn’t be much farther,” Taryn says at my side. Her voice is steady, but I sense something is off.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
She scans the dark purple sky dotted with the first stars of twilight and shakes her head. “Aine should have sensed my arrival and sent scouts to collect me by now. We never should have made it this far.”
Dmitri speaks from behind us. “Maybe it is a test, sestra. Maybe she is waiting to see what you will do after all this time away.”
“I think that’s what I’d do in her position,” I say.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Her words are convincing, but the way she chews on the inside of her cheek says something else. I don’t bring it up, though, content to let her play it off as long as we don’t appear to be in any danger.
Shortly after, the purple sky is so dark it’s almost black. The thin crescent of the silver moon and blanket of tiny stars doesn’t give us enough light to see by, so Taryn used her fire magic to create flames that float along with us like lanterns.
Finally, Taryn points to something off in the distance. “There it is. The region portal for the Summer Palace.”
“Whoa,” Conall whispers, the word drawn out in awe, and it’s for a damn good reason.
Suspended above a field of sleeping flame lilies is a small cave-like mound surrounded by thousands of lightning bugs blinking lazily in the darkness.
Conall lets out a low whistle. “This place is unreal. I fucking love Vegas, man, but I’m strongly considering buying a second home here.”
Connor snorts. “You don’t own a first home, genius. We live on the Midnight Manor estate, free of charge. Not to mention we have a little thing called a duty to protect our king and queen. Wherever they are, so are we.”
“No problem. Once Fi sees this place, she’ll want a vacation home here, then we’ll get to tag along. Same difference,” Conall says with a shrug.
“Guys,” I say, stopping things before it devolves into fur flying. “Let’s focus on making sure Faerie is still around before anyone starts shopping for summer homes. Copy?”
In unison, they say, “Copy, boss.” Connor shoots his brother a smug look, which is answered by Conall extending his middle finger. I’d give them shit about immaturity, but it would make me a hypocrite since it’s no different than what my brothers and I do with each other.
Once we reach the portal, we stare up at it, speechless. It’s floating approximately thirty feet in the air with wispy fog undulating around the base like rolling swells on the ocean. The cave is covered in some kind of flowering moss, the delicate blooms a lavender that matches the eye color of the Fire Fae.
“Ow, shit.” Conall sucks on the tip of his finger and then shakes it out. “Spoiler alert, don’t touch the lightning bugs here. They fucking bite.”
Taryn chuckles. “That’s because they’re Ember Pixies, and they’ve got a mean streak. I definitely suggest a ‘look, don’t touch’ approach with them. They live in the hearth moss that grows on the stones.”
One of them breaks from the swarm above and flies down to hover a few inches in front of my face. Taking Taryn’s advice, I keep my hands where they are and let it study me as I do the same. She’s no more than an inch tall with tiny, pointed wings that flutter quickly, and her entire body glows in slow pulses just like an ember from a fire.
She cocks her head to the side as though trying to determine something. I have no idea if she would understand me if I spoke, so I use the universal form of respect and bow my head. When I lift it again, she appears satisfied with my gesture, flying up to rejoin the others.
“Well played, Your Highness,” Taryn says with a smile. “Your diplomacy just ensured we won’t wake up to any nasty tricks being played on us while we sleep.”
“We’re sleeping here? I thought we were going through the portal.”
“We can’t,” Taryn says, dropping her pack to the ground. “Not until morning. The portals were designed so that humans could only travel during the day so it was easier to keep track of them. Once the sun rises, steps will appear.”
“Perfect,” Connor says, dropping his pack of supplies on the ground. “Gives us time to go for a run after we set up camp, brother.”
Conall nods. “Good call. We can do a perimeter check and let the wolves out so we’re in peak condition for tomorrow.”
Before long, we all have our sleeping bags rolled out around a modest fire. We eat what little we brought with us, and Taryn decides to conjure a privacy shield around our camp in case the Ember Pixies feel feisty later. Though it isn’t visible, it acts like a two-way mirror—we can see and get out but they can’t see or get in—which made us all feel better about the prospect of sleeping under them later.
“Hey, Finn,” Connor says as he and his brother get ready to go for their run. “When we went back to the high roller room to collect Garyth, I found this.” He pulls a small leather journal out of his pack and hands it to me. “It was peeking out from the bottom of the broken case. It looks like your grandmother’s seal on the cover.”
“It is. It matches the one that was on her letter.” I trace the branded emblem on the worn, brown leather. Similar to when I first held Taryn’s Armas, I swear I can feel my grandmother’s energy ghosting over the tips of my fingers.
“I meant to give it to you earlier, but…” He pauses, glancing at where Taryn is talking with her brother. “I didn’t want to interrupt you from other things.”
“Thank you, Connor,” I say with heartfelt gratitude. “For this, and for being a great friend.”
He claps me on the shoulder, then walks over to where his brother is waiting. They shift into their massive, rust-red wolf forms and take off at a sprint, communicating telepathically to move as a single unit across the dark field.
Dmitri stands and surveys the area. “I think I will explore too. For a couple of hours and well out of earshot, for anyone who cares to know.”
He’s gone before the blush of embarrassment hits Taryn’s cheeks. “Well, that wasn’t awkward at all.”
I chuckle and draw her against me, dipping my head to bury my nose in her soft curls. “Awkward, maybe. But it’s also helpful information. Because suddenly it feels like weeks since I’ve felt you wrapped around me,” I say, my voice pitching low with my growing need for her.
Tipping her face up to me, she grins impishly. “We’ve only known each other a few days, and I’ve been wrapped around you all of once.”
“Both of which are godsdamned tragedies.” My fingers burrow into her hair as I start to close the distance between her mouth and mine. But before I get there, she places a finger to my lips.
Peering up at me through her long lashes, she says, “Then allow me to rectify one of those tragedies…sire.”
Then she lowers to her knees in front of me.
THIRTY-ONETARYN
Throughout my long life, I’ve never been in a subservient role, not even in the bedroom. I may have gone to my knees plenty of times before, but it never felt like this. Like I’ve never been more powerful than when I sexually submit to Finn’s dominance. That’s how he makes me feel as I stare up at him from where I’m kneeling in the soft grass at his feet. Powerful.
Being back in Faerie after all this time has evoked a strong sense of homecoming mixed with an equal sense of no longer belonging. The two emotions are warring within me, vying for which of them is right, while my brain is telling me the correct answer is both and neither.
If I’d returned here alone, I’d be a mess of twisted thoughts and second-guessing myself. But I’m not alone. I’ve got my brother at my back, my lover by my side, and two who are fast becoming my friends ready to support me, whatever comes our way. It’s why my nerves have quieted, why my anxiety hasn’t taken over. It’s why I’m not worrying about tomorrow when I’d much rather be focusing on the here and now, with my king.
The heat of anticipation has my pulse racing as I drink in the delicious view of his tall, broad frame. The longer sections of his hair are tousled in a mess over his forehead giving him a rakish appeal. The sharp tips of his fangs peek out from between his parted lips.
I’m reminded of how it felt when he pierced my flesh, and it causes a fresh wave of arousal to wash through me. His dark T-shirt stretches over his chest and shoulders, a stark contrast against his tanned skin, and the tactical pants hug his muscular legs and ass in a way that should be illegal.
My fingers are steady as I reach for the button of his pants. I undo it with practiced ease, my breath hitching as I slide the zipper down. He watches me with those intense, golden eyes, a silent command that sends a shiver down my spine. I slip my hand inside, feeling the hard length of him, warm and throbbing with desire.
Drawing him out, I wrap my fingers around him, marveling at his size. He really is big all over. He must read the expression on my face because he gives me an amused smirk. “We already know it fits, sweetheart, there’s no need to panic.”
“Who’s panicking?” I challenge with a regal arch of my brow, letting my hands glide down the silky smoothness of his skin over the steel-like hardness beneath. He groans, a deep, guttural sound that makes my pulse quicken.
