The pin struck her, and Quinnette"s eyes widened, her gaze shifting to Sessily. “You!”
But her voice was already drifting, and she sank to the bench, then collapsed.
“She"s asleep, my lord,” Sessily said, curtseying. “Maybe she could sleep on a bench at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore? Without any fae powers, of course. And though I"ve heard the economy is tough, maybe she can work at a bar and grill again.”
The king frowned at Sessily. “You and I will have to talk further, later.” He stalked over to Quinnette, lifted her off the bench, and said, “I restore your fae travel, Creshion. But as for the duchess, take care. She is of the dark fae, and their kind are notoriously devious.”
Then the king vanished with Quinnette, and Sessily wondered if the king truly would leave the woman at a park bench in the zoo. Maybe by the Reptile House so she could remember her time spent with the cobra fae.
Chapter 16
“I"m glad you and your uncle have mended your relationship,” Sessily said to Creshion as she rode with him on his horse back toward the dark fae kingdom early the next morn.
“I didn"t think it would come to pass, but he had been quite morose about what the former queen had done, though Nesten has cheered him considerably. How long will the potion last?”
“Forever they shall love one another. But not due to the potion exactly. They will find true love before long in their own way. It"s too bad Grieves fell in love with the scullery maid. I think a couple of baronesses might have been interested in the gentleman before that,” Sessily said, loving the irony. To give up the queen and all that could have meant should the king have died, to grovel before the scullery maid?
Creshion sighed. “I wonder how that happened. I heard some say that the woman who was my ward was seen standing near him at the dining table, but only so briefly that most never saw her. And those who did were said to have been drinking too much of the king"s wine in celebration of his finding a new queen so had only imagined the lady was there. But somehow one of the scullery maids happened to arrive at the same time to speak to Grieves, when she should not have been in the dining hall at that time.”
“Hmm,” Sessily said. “Sounds like one of those rumors that always get started among a group of courtiers who have nothing better to do with their time.”
Creshion chuckled. “Most have distanced themselves from Grieves, thinking him the fool. The woman berates him constantly, and he adores her. Rumors had been flying ever since that Cupid had somehow managed to find a way into the castle and played his tricks on both the king and Grieves. But some say that it was the mystery woman at the ball, the one who had accompanied me, who in her own way had paid them back for their rude treatment of her. But most are glad to see Quinnette gone.”
“Then I accomplished my mission. But I have a question for you. You said that you were a man like my father who killed for money. I have seen no evidence of this. Are you truly?”
Sessily asked, not believing it in the least.
Creshion leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I was trying to learn more about you and your father. If you thought I was an assassin, too, I thought you might tell me the truth.”
“I guessed as much.”
“You said that Lady Marguerite would be safer with Lord Davenport dead,” Creshion said. “But you would not tell me why.”
“He had murdered four of his other wives, that we know of.”
Creshion cursed under his breath.
“I had to ensure he did not murder Marguerite. At least her brother, Alexander, paid me for that job. But you have not paid me for my work that I have done for you.”
Creshion closed his arm around Sessily"s waist and encouraged her to rest against him as the horse cantered along the woodland trail. “Aye. We did not agree on a payment. And besides, you did not assassinate the queen.”
“A technicality. She is gone. From what Tarn and Eaton said after looking into her situation, she is still looking for work, unable to see the fae all around her, but knowing they are about, probably some from your own fae court, enjoying her fall from power, her fae abilities gone, her rich lifestyle gone, the man who loved her gone. That"s what you really wanted. For the rest of her human life, she will miss what she had and never be able to get it back. And you have a new queen in her place that some adore.”
“Many of the women of the court are furious,” Creshion reminded Sessily.
“Because of their rank and that your uncle wed a lowly servant. But they will get over it.”
“They do not like it that I"m escorting you back to your castle either. Rumors abound that we are lovers.”
“Rumors are only that. But I get the bed this time when we reach the tavern.”
“It"s my coin, my bed,” he said.
“If you would pay me, it would be my coin, my bed.”
“You can sleep in the bed,” he said agreeably.
“And you will sleep on the floor.”
“A crown prince of the cobra fae kingdom does not sleep on the floor, my lady. And I strenuously object to your sleeping there yourself.”
They rode in silence for about a mile, then Sessily said, “All right.”
“All right, what, my lady?”
“If you do not steal the covers and you stay to your side of the bed, just this once I"ll share a bed with you. But if anyone should ask, you must say you slept on the floor.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Creshion, and he was smiling, his eyes sparkling with dark delight. She faced around front, thinking she was bound for even more trouble with the cobra fae.
“If anyone asks, they will know the truth,” he said. “And you know what that means.”
Trouble.
“You mean to marry me then if this happens?”
“You are dangerous.”
“Hmm.”
“But aye, to keep you safe.”
She smiled. “I need a vacation. What if we were to visit South Padre Island? Or, what if we visited the Maryland Zoo?”
“Can you afford to take off the time?”
“Yes, I"m retired, remember?” Sessily said. “And once you pay me what I"ve earned, I can afford it financially also.”
“Assassin Guild Master Lyon might say something differently about your retiring.”
“I"m not a member of the guild,” she said, annoyed with Master Lyon.
“But what if he is rethinking his position with you?”
She turned in the saddle and stared at Creshion. “What are you saying?”
“Seems someone told my uncle what your occupation is. Well, three some ones to be sure.”
“You told King Olaf I am a master assassin?” she said, irate.
“Tarn beat me to it, Eaton agreed with him, and so when my uncle asked me the truth, what could I say?”
“You could have made something up.”
Creshion shook his head. “My uncle wanted you to work for our own assassin guild.
When I told him all about your work for Master Lyon and how he refused to make you a member of his guild, my uncle said you would be a member of ours. Full honors. Master Assassin title.”
Sessily couldn"t believe it. But she had no knowledge of the cobra assassin guild. What if the guild master was irritated with having to give her a position within their guild? He might assign her only the most menial of tasks.
“But here is the problem. King Olaf sent a missive to Master Lyon, stating that you were every bit a master assassin that your father was, so he said that you would no longer work for him,” Creshion added.
“Your uncle had no right telling Master Lyon what I would or would not do.”
“He is a king, and that is how he handles matters of concern to him.”
Sessily let out her breath in a huff. “I—”
Creshion smiled. “Dear lady, do you know what Master Lyon said to that?”
Sessily scowled, knowing just what Master Lyon would say. “Fine, she no longer works for me. She"s stub
born and unpredictable and—”
“No, he told my uncle that you were a member of the guild and already had the rank of Master Assassin. That there must have been some misunderstanding on your part.”
“My part? Why that—”
“And that he would tell Queen Irenis and let the dark fae queen take the matter up with the cobra king. She would not let you go because you are a dark fae.”
Sessily couldn"t believe it. Had she no say in any of this?
“To which my uncle said that his son, the Royal Crown Prince of Salamain , that’s me, was in love with the girl, that’s you, and she would soon be part of the cobra fae royal household anyway. This means you have two fae assassin guilds fighting over you. And that means you won"t get a moment"s rest.”
She eyed Creshion with suspicion. “This has nothing to do with my earning my own keep, has it?” Then she frowned. “If I married you, you wouldn"t have to pay me!”
He laughed. “You would get all that I am worth.”
“But you may be worth very little,” she said. “Whereas I am worth quite a lot.”
“"Tis true. The gold coins have already been delivered to your home. Your lady advisor has put them under lock and key.”
“Truly?” she asked, beaming and leaned over to give him a kiss on the mouth.
“Aye,” he said, taking advantage of the kiss.
“Then, that"s it! Stable your horse. We"re going to South Padre Island to play in the sand and surf like the humans do.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Within the hour, they"d reached the tavern, stabled the horse, and fae traveled to South Padre Island. It was right before sunset when they headed for the beach, still in their fae forms that no human could see. Sessily thought how romantic it would be, walking along the beach with Creshion this time, just as the sun set.
“Do you come here often?” Creshion asked, his arm around her shoulders as they enjoyed the sea breeze and dark blue waters.
“Never. You?”
“It"s the Denkar claimed territory. But no, I never visited the human world.”
“Ah.”
She squinted and frowned as she saw a dark-haired man walking with a girl on the beach, both visible to humans. “Prince Deveron. With a girl. He"s seen us.” He was wearing swim trunks, the girl covered up in a big T-shirt as they drew closer.
“And now he"s stalking this way,” Creshion said.
Scowling, too. He wouldn"t like it that Prince Creshion was here, or with her either, without permission from Queen Irenis. Of all the times for Deveron to be here with whomever the girl was.
Reaching them, Deveron shifted his dark gaze from Creshion back to Sessily. “Who is he?” he asked, glancing at Creshion"s tunic, but he couldn"t see his gold medallion revealing he was of the royal house of Salamain.
“Prince Deveron, of the dark fae, meet Prince Creshion, of the cobra fae.” Sessily smiled.
“And who is this young lady?”
“A cobra fae?” Deveron scowled. “This is strictly dark fae territory.”
“Well, he is with me, so that makes it right. So who is the lady?”
“It is only right if I say so,” Deveron said.
“Fine. We will visit Baltimore, one of the cobra fae"s territories then,” Sessily stubbornly said.
Deveron gave Creshion another blistering look. “If you"re to be with him, then we will chaperone you. This is Alicia, who will one day be my queen.”
“Alicia, the human who had fae sight?” Oh my goddess! She was the girl Queen Irenis had wanted Sessily to eliminate.
Creshion"s hand tightened around Sessily"s. “We have no need of your chaperoning us.”
Deveron smiled darkly. “If you don"t want a war between our kingdoms, then it will be as I say. How about dinner?” He glanced south. “Just in time. Here comes my sister.”
As she joined them, Ritasia frowned at Sessily and Creshion. “Queen Irenis is furious you would consider working for the cobra fae assassin guild, Lady Sessily.” She glanced at Creshion, and saw the way he was holding Sessily"s hand. “Who is he?”
“The crown prince of the cobra fae, Creshion.”
“Oh my. Mother will not be pleased.” Ritasia smiled in a way that said she was most pleased.
Suddenly a group of seven of the queen"s royal Denkar guards headed their way across the sand, their navy tunics trimmed in gold braid, matching their dark eyes ringed with gold, expressions determined and grim.
“Uhm, Deveron, who are they after this time? You and Alicia, or Sessily and the cobra fae, do you think? They can"t be after me,” Ritasia said, not sounding real sure of herself.
None of them waited to see, and in the way of the fae, they all vanished, but not before Sessily whispered to Creshion as to where she wished to go.
Sessily and Creshion ended up back in her woods near her castle in the Denkar kingdom.
She smiled to see the familiar forest, the falls, the towering castle.
“Show me your secret path, Sessily,” Creshion said.
“No one knows my secret passage into the castle.”
“You beat me to your castle while on foot and I traveled on my horse. I wondered about the path you took.”
“Very well.” She ran with him all the way to the castle, then led him inside. “I wonder who the royal guard was after.”
“Couldn"t have been us. Had to have been Prince Deveron or his sister.”
“Then why did we leave there so quickly?” she asked, heading outside to the stables to see for herself that Master Travis was in good health.
Master Travis hurried out to greet them, looking nearly twenty years younger. “Oh, my lady, the royal guard has been searching for you.”
Sessily cast Creshion a worried look.
Her master of the stables continued, “Master Lyon has said that he had a job for you, but that Prince Creshion had stolen you away. Prince Deveron has been forbidden to see Alicia, the woman you were supposed to eliminate some time ago, and he"s disappeared with her. And Princess Ritasia is supposed to be seeing a fae of the queen"s choice, but she"s vanished as well.”
Sessily smiled. “I see you"re doing well, Master Lyon.”
“Aye, thanks to you and Lord Fairhaven, Prince Creshion, I mean, my lord.”
“And Father…”
“Is on a rampage and wants to know why you have been gone so long and not called him back to play Battle Chant.”
“Then all is as it should be,” Sessily said. She was about to lead Creshion into the keep when her advisor hurried to meet them, her face flushed, her brows pinched in worry.
“My lady, you are back. Master Lyon has sent a messenger with two contracts for you—
both requesting a lady master assassin.”
Sessily felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Creshion kissed her on the cheek. “"Tis as it should be,” he said.
“But also Master Selencourt of the cobra assassin guild sent a messenger and needs your assistance with two cases of his own,” Venetia added.
Sessily gaped at the lady, then smiled. “I"m doubling my rate.”
Her advisor nodded agreeably.
“After all, I"m now a true master assassin, member of two assassin guilds, and highly sought after.”
“Then you are not retiring?” Creshion asked, looking as though he was fighting a smile.
He must have known all along she couldn"t quit that which was her calling.
“No. Duty calls. And you, my prince? What will you do while I"m away?”
“I"m a master healer, did you not know? And your knight protector, while you, dear lady, are my assassin angel.”
Sessily knew then she would need look nowhere else for a boyfriend. Who else would set aside a date night to go on a mission with his girlfriend while she eliminated someone truly evil?
“I suppose you want me for my wealth now,” she said, taking his hand and walking toward the keep.
“Aye, and you will want me for my cro
wn.”
She glanced over at him.
He offered her a genuine smile of warmth and affection. “Someday, you"ll be queen of the cobra fae—when my uncle gives up his throne. But for now, we will marry and live here, oversee your castle and grounds and…”
“What if the king and the maid have a child of their own?”
Creshion shook his head. “The throne would have been mine had my father lived. So King Olaf has said no matter what, it would be mine when I was ready for it. But unless something untoward happens to him, that will not be for many, many years.”
“Queen,” she said, demurely. And thought back to Lady Fabian and some of the others who were so snotty at the cobra fae court. Just wouldn"t they love to see Sessily return in such a capacity?
Mistress Teramond rushed out of the castle, followed by the ringing of warning bells.
“My lady! You are back! We have a slight problem. A…small kitchen fire, again.”
Notions of queenliness vaporized as Sessily was doused in reality as she raced with Creshion toward the keep.
Present day, she had a castle to run, only this time Creshion was at her side, issuing orders, some countermanding her own, but what could she expect from the royal crown prince of the cobra fae?
She loved him anyway.
###
About the Author:
Award-winning author of urban fantasy and medieval historical romantic suspense, Heart of the
Wolf named in Publishers Weekly's BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, NOR Reader Choice for BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE.
Terry Spear also writes true stories for adult and young adult audiences. She"s a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and has an MBA from Monmouth University and a Bachelors in Business and Distinguished Military Graduate of West Texas A & M. She also creates award-winning teddy bears, Wilde & Woolly Bears, to include personalized bears designed to commemorate authors" books. When she"s not writing or making bears, she"s teaching online writing courses.
http://www.terryspear.com/
Excerpt from:
The Winged Fae
The World of Fae, Book 3
by