“I’m glad you can’t lie,” he said with a wide smile.
“I can lie, and do. I’m only half-Fae, which is what allows me to be inside this shit hole protecting you. I’m more Demon than Fae in some aspects. I just choose to tell you the truth,” he said as he watched the window and noted Olivia was indeed with Cyrus.
The Guild Elder towered over the little librarian and her posture was one of professionalism as she seemed to be reporting to Cyrus. He wished he was close enough to hear what they were discussing. The Elder had aged well, just as Alden had; he was still fit and had only a bit of salt and pepper in his brown hair and his brown eyes were sharp and always assessing. Something about the man made Ristan uncomfortable though and there wasn’t any reasonable way for him to get close enough to Cyrus to have a chance of touching his skin to get a ‘read’ on him.
“She was a chatterbox today, which isn’t normal. She’s usually really shy,” Ristan noted out loud.
“Olivia was chatty?” Alden asked in surprise. “That’s weird,” he admitted, his bushy eyebrows lifting as he reached up to scratch his head.
“It’s interesting mixed with the knowledge of what Cyrus is doing, to say the least. I’d like to get you out of here soon. I’d also like to be around for Synthia when her time comes.”
“I’ll think on it.”
“If Olivia is in on it, I’d be surprised. I don’t know how you handle staying here, surrounded by so many people that are guilty of treachery. I’d kill ‘em all and let your Goddess, Hecate, sort them out. I need to go feed, though, so I’m out of here. I’ll have Zahruk send Olivia more shit for tomorrow. She’s pulled most of what I’d planned to do today. I’ll also have Zahruk work with Dristan on pulling some of our history around New Orleans. Send them on a merry chase so we can get back to it. There were a few references I found today that look like they could lead to at least one of the relics we are looking for. If that’s the case, I’ll need to send my brothers in to find it.”
“See you in the morning,” Alden said as he poured himself a glass of bourbon.
Ristan left him in the study area, his mind heavy on the little redhead and Alden’s problems. Who knew that agreeing to protect Synthia’s uncle could lead to so much shit that he was practically wading in it?
He walked down the Guild steps and watched the dark-haired male Fae with the green-gold eyes who had returned to the spot he’d occupied earlier in the day, his eyes still fixed on the doors of the Guild compound. He shook his head and moved closer, only to watch as the Fae turned into a saucy little imp. Her green eyes flashed with gold, and thick black hair was braided into plaits on each side of her stunning face. Tattoos covered her arms, and her ruby red lips turned into an impish grin.
“Demon,” Danu said with a throaty laugh.
“You’ve been standing there this entire time?” he asked, his eyes slowly sliding down the body she’d chosen for this meeting. She often swapped her images when she paid him a visit, like some sort of kinky role-play. Yeah, this one he’d tap, maybe even twice. “Nipples pierced?” he asked with curiosity and watched as she lifted her shirt to reveal perfectly pierced pink nipples.
“Of course; I know how you love it when the clamps click against the metal. Pussy is pierced too; want to see it as well?” she whispered huskily.
“You know I do,” he replied dutifully. And let’s be honest: The bitch was evil, but she was a damn good fuck. She played with his head, and tortured him at every opportunity, but she had her reasons. At least, he thought she did. There was one thing he knew for sure: She was as fucked up as he was. He could recognize her pain when she thought he wasn’t looking.
He’d only let part of the truth slip to Synthia in the maze and she was the only being that knew even that much outside of himself and Danu. There had been a time where he had always been there for Danu, thinking somehow she would save him as she had promised when he was a child. As time wore on, it became abundantly clear that he was one of her many men. Danu toyed with her men, and she had an increasingly large appetite for Human males.
So he had moved on to others, many others until he found one who stood out. And they’d been good together, great even. Those had been some of the best moments of his very long life. The beautiful Fae female was amazing and knew how to please him. They’d become close, right up until the day she’d become rough with him in bed. But it hadn’t been her, not on that day. It was Danu. She’d taken over the female, and she’d been pissed. She’d been even more pissed that he’d finally grown a pair and stopped catering to her every whim. He got a massive wake-up call when Danu had killed the girl as a warning.
That’s when shit had gone downhill, and he was careful to never get close to any female again. They reached an understanding that day, one that Ristan hadn’t been overly fond of, but it worked. Danu didn’t want him getting attached to anyone, and her deal had been laid out for him. He could fuck and flirt to his heart’s content, but anything more meaningful and the female would suffer, or worse. One of his partners died at Danu’s hand, just because she suspected they were getting closer, so he tried to be even more careful. At the risk of starving, this was no easy feat.
Synthia had been the only exception so far, probably because Danu was clear where both Synthia’s and Ristan’s mindsets were and no fucking had ever been involved between the pair. Kissing, yes. He’d lip-locked Synthia and had enjoyed her shocked response, even knowing it would never lead to anything.
Lately, though, Danu’s visits were frequent, but short and to the point.
“Too bad,” she said, and watched as a mother and child walked in front of her, probably seeing only the Fae with the green eyes or nothing at all, because they would see only what Danu wanted them to see. “I’m in a hurry today.”
“When aren’t you?” Ristan retorted, his eyes still firmly set on the nipples. No biggie; he needed more than she could give him this time. He’d spent too much time between feedings.
“Careful, Demon,” she warned. “I’m not here for me, I’m here for you. I’m not sure why you keep up this insanity of looking after this man when Synthia’s more important. Her condition is precarious at best.”
Ristan gave her a hardened look, his eyes rising slowly to meet hers. She could take on any image, but she’d chosen this one specifically because she knew he liked his women to be erotic both in body and nature. His body stiffened when she showed indifference to his needs, her eyes noting the bulge he was now sporting, yet paying it no heed.
Cold-blooded bitch. “I am keeping my promise to her by looking out for the old fossil. While I’m doing that, I have unlimited access to look for the relics all I want. Two birds, one stone, and all that. Seems like a good idea if you ask me, seeing that you haven’t sent any visions to fuck with my head in a while. Anyway, I’m on my way back there now; I need to feed. So unless you’re going to fix that itch for me, I’ll be leaving now.”
Chapter Four
Ristan sat below the berm of the castle, his eyes watching the suns as they set in Faery. Sunset was always his favorite time of day here, as the memories of the greatest pain he’d ever experienced seemed to fade away with the arrival of night. As if those twin orbs of light had a way of reminding him of the horrors he had survived, and the moon awarded him with solace from his sins. His eyes wandered around the beauty of his home, and he took it in with an unfamiliar eye, something he liked to do.
It was as if he was someone seeing its rare beauty for the very first time.
Faery was indeed beautiful, but it was deadly, as most beautiful things often were.
He stood and walked a short way to a grassy field just outside of the keep. They’d placed rocks in a wide sprawling circular pattern, an area he’d often used when he needed release because of the power it held. There were more ways of getting fed and releasing tension, other than
fucking. He waved his arms in a pattern and released the souls he’d taken over the centuries. Their glowing, colorful auras hovered and danced around his fingers as he released them. They would make a captivating light show, which would draw the Fairies closer, and with enough of his own people around him, he’d feed.
Emotions came in many shapes and forms, but the easiest was orgasm. It released an abundance of emotions, and the Fae could refill easier through it. This was another way to feed, and one he enjoyed when tensions were high because it helped others as well.
He watched as the auras from the souls shot from his fingers and entered the space around him. To the naked eye, they would mirror Human fireworks; to Demons it would show as auras. Prisms of color erupted and filled the darkening sky as he continued to bring them forth and allow them out. He’d learned long ago to curb his soul hunger; as a Demon it was his choice of food, but it was addictive. He only took enough to curb the hunger and take the edge off.
He’d learned his lesson the hard way, and in Transition, he’d killed four out of five of his bedmates. Dead. No coming back. Immortal fucking Fae and he’d held them mesmerized and slaughtered them with his uneducated hunger. Danu had watched it, and his mother had allowed it to happen. She didn’t even try to warn him or anyone else what was going to happen. She had wanted him to know who and what he was. What he was capable of. That was why he was always careful to release the soul after he’d fed from part of it, instead of taking it all, which could easily lead to addiction, not to mention the demise of his dinner. And really, who wanted to dispose of a body after feeding?
He’d only taken the edge off his inner hunger since, and he’d done the impossible, surprising even his own mother by never killing another female since his Transition. He hated senseless killing, and worse than that, he hated wasting pussy. No female should die while giving them what they needed, and he had struggled to hide his Demon side from them all.
It was a weapon, one he’d come to terms with his brothers needing, but in all other parts of his life, he hid it like a dirty little secret and hunted some pretty evil fuckers in the Human world to get what he needed. Shit, he hated it when anyone outside of Synthia called him Demon. For some reason, her saying it had calmed a part of him. As if being one was okay, and not something he should hate.
Synthia had been a surprise altogether, one he’d planned on killing, right up until he’d figured out who she was and what part she would play. Even then, he had never planned on actually liking the brazen woman who had laid claim to the scariest beast in the Horde and made him purr like a sated kitty-cat.
His mind wandered for a few moments as he thought of what would be the best music to start with, and he smiled. Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. The lyrics and beat pulsed through him and out of him as if he himself was the conductor. He watched silently as the music whispered through the hillside and fields nearby. The Fairies started to gather and dance in the light show that surrounded him. More and more of the lesser Fae worked their way to the dancing, shimmering lights, and as he continued, they joined in dancing with him.
He moved his arms to the beat, dancing stealthily and as if his life depended on it. Fuck Danu for leaving him hard as fuck! His balls were blue, and he needed release, and yet with every pound of the beat, and with each new partner who unknowingly joined in to feed him, he felt the ache being filled.
The armies of the Horde who camped on either side of the walls joined in from their places outside the stone walls, dancing to the music which poured from him, and the prisms of souls continued to fill the sky with a blinding beauty. Silvers, blues, reds, and other colors continued to explode from his body as the Fae laughed and danced in their enchanting colors.
The tinier of the Fairies looked like fireflies as they danced to the music, their small wings humming in tune with the beat. The energy in the air was thickening and became a feast of emotions as each creature released their own angst, tension, and emotions into the air. Nymphs joined in and Ristan had to remind himself that he was already feeding as they shed their clothing and danced around him.
Ristan let it all out. The anger he felt. The tension Danu had created with her cryptic bullshit. His fear of what was coming and what would become of his world if he failed to see the future in time to save it. The stress he felt with the impending birth of his brother’s children, and his inability to see their future. He allowed it all out while he could. He changed the song and enjoyed the Fairy ring, which was a continual circle that fed everyone.
It wasn’t until his brother Asrian moved closer and started to dance that Ristan really opened his eyes and looked around. He hadn’t realized he’d allowed them to see his inner turmoil, and as his brother stepped forward, he placed the mask back in place on his face. It was a simple smile that he didn’t feel, but still showed to everyone to maintain his place in this world.
He turned and found Synthia lounging on the grass, her hand absently rubbing her pregnant belly. His smile reached his eyes at the sight of her, and he made his way to her side. He collected the souls he’d allowed out to play as he did so. His fingers moved in the air as he fed Asrian his power to expel music from his soul for a brief time.
“You shouldn’t be out here, Flower. Not with such precious cargo stowed away in your blessed womb,” Ristan teased as he shook a single finger at her. She was a naughty little nymph if he’d ever met one. Which he had, and she would have tempted the saints with her sweet lips and even sweeter kiss, which he would know since he’d stolen a kiss from her long ago as he’d healed her with his own powers. The second one had also been stolen and had been sweet as sin. Pun intended.
“I had to mess with Zahruk a little, but he finally allowed me out to play with the grown-ups,” she said with a wicked smile as she peered back at Zahruk, who was alert and even now looking for any hidden threat to the Princess and her unborn offspring. “So, what’s up with the show?” she continued as she winced and her hand moved to another spot on her stomach.
“Fairy Ring—we will have a nice one going here by dawn. It’s a way of working things out. Some Humans work out, others go mad,” Ristan said, and shrugged as if it should answer her sufficiently. Ristan looked past Synthia to where Darynda silently glared and watched Zahruk. “Puzzles have a way of being solved when you least expect it,” he added softly. He watched the body language between the two, the tension in their stances was hesitant, and yet there was something there. Something deeper than just sex, which would eventually come to a boil, and that was something he wanted to be around to see.
“Which puzzles are you working through?” she asked softly as her eyes went alight with interest, even though her voice held a hint of caution.
“A shit storm of information with very little time to figure it out,” he replied easily. His eyes looked troubled, betraying his cheerful attitude even as he tried to contain it. Synthia had enough on her plate already; she didn’t need his bullshit on it too. “Danu has been fucking me over with no new visions for the past month, and can’t seem to leave me alone. The Guild is slick with traitors and your uncle is too stubborn and prideful to just walk away. Just trying to see where it all connects because it has to. Every puzzle has a starting piece,” Ristan said on a deep exhale.
“You, of all people, would like puzzles,” Synthia said with a naughty smirk on her lips. “Those first few weeks here, Ristan, I couldn’t have done it without you by my side. I’m pretty sure I would have killed at least a dozen Fae before I settled in without you guiding me,” she continued.
Ristan considered it and smiled at her. She was smart and blunt, which was one of the reasons he enjoyed her company. “You told me once that it’s what a true friend does, and you taught me a few unexpected things as well, Flower. Just tell me what is on your mind, weighing it down, and I will help you where I can. Even if you think it’s silly, sometimes it may be the most important thing,” he
said as he watched her for a reaction. He was surprised that he genuinely liked this female when only months ago he’d considered killing her to keep his brother on task.
“So tell me, Demon, what’s bothering you at the Guild?” she asked, and he smiled. She was adept in all things Guild, as she should be since she was raised in it.
Ristan tilted his head slightly as he considered what he would actually say to her. He didn’t want her to worry about anything other than the upcoming birth of the twins she carried. “I want to pull your uncle out. It’s not safe in that place. Treachery is afoot and I’m watching a few of them, who I suspect of being spies. Even one of the librarians seems to be in with the Mages.” He decided on just being honest and failed in masking the growl in his voice.
“A librarian; which one?” she asked as her hand continued to rub her stomach.
“She has dark red hair, and she’s not very tall,” Ristan disclosed, and his tone once again changed. He was warring with his needs and his inner thoughts; he hated to bring her into it. He could handle one librarian; seriously, the little thing shouldn’t be weighing on his mind this much. “At least I believe she is working with the Mages, and she has access to Alden; it just doesn’t sit well with me. She’s a piece of this puzzle, I can feel it. Alden won’t listen to me where she’s concerned, though, says she’s a sweet girl who wouldn’t harm a fly.” It wasn’t exactly how the conversation had gone down between him and Alden, but he hoped Synthia might give more insight that he seemed to be missing.