Hot Blooded (11 page)

The kiss deepened as Iona opened for him. The longer they kissed, the hotter the fire inside her burned. His hands were all over her back, in her hair, and on her hips pressing her against his arousal.

Iona was trembling with fierce need the like she hadn't known existed. She was reaching for his shirt when a pounding came from her front door.

Laith ended the kiss and stared down at her, not bothering to disguise the desire darkening his gunmetal eyes. She didn't want to stop, didn't want anything to interrupt whatever had taken them.

But Laith was already releasing her.

“Get dressed,” he said softly and ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

He turned to walk out when she tried to stop him. “Wait. You don't know who's out there. It could be more of those guys.”

“It's no',” he said without stopping.

Iona threw on her shirt and rushed out of the bedroom as Laith opened the door. She slid to a stop when she spotted Tristan, Ryder, and another man she didn't recognize. Two of the three were from Dreagan, and she was willing to bet everything she had that the third was as well.

She looked from the men to Laith and watched how they greeted him. It was there before her all along, she just hadn't realized it. Laith turned to her then and waited. The room grew quiet as the group stared at her.

Iona wrapped her arms around herself and lifted her chin. “You're part of Dreagan too,” she stated.

Laith gave a single nod. “I am.”

“Why not tell me from the beginning?”

He glanced at the floor, a small frown furrowing his brow. “There is much more going on than you know, Iona. Those men in the forest for one. These are verra dangerous times.”

“In more ways than one,” she mumbled to herself.

 

CHAPTER
TWELVE

Rhi was thankful that she could remain veiled longer than most Fae. It allowed her a few minutes to wander her queen's estate on the west side of Ireland to make sure there were few Fae about.

Usaeil liked her privacy, and though she had a palace on the Fae realm, she spent a lot of time on Earth. Mostly because for the last five years she was posing as one of the most famous actresses in the world.

Rhi waited until the antechamber outside of the queen's throne room was empty before she dropped the veil and appeared. She took a deep breath and looked around at the high ceilings, ornate crown molding, and priceless art.

The room was small and narrow compared to others throughout the estate. It was where all Fae came if they wished an audience with Usaeil, or if the queen requested your presence.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Rhi was there, when in fact it had only been over a month. She had been alive thousands of years, and yet one simple month drastically changed her life.

Rhi remained on her feet despite the cushioned benches set along the walls in various places. There was no need to inform anyone of her arrival. Usaeil already knew.

Almost on cue, the twenty-foot-tall double doors opened behind her. Rhi turned and stared through them to the throne room. There were two rooms in Usaeil's estate that no Fae could teleport into—the throne room and Usaeil's private quarters.

Releasing a deep breath, Rhi clasped her hands behind her back and walked to the doors. Her steps slowed a fraction right before she passed through them, because once inside the throne room, the queen would decide just how long Rhi remained.

Rhi spotted the white high-backed chair with a cream velvet cushion, but no Usaeil. She immediately halted, waiting for whatever punishment the queen deemed necessary because Rhi hadn't come when summoned.

“Rhi.”

She closed her eyes at the happiness she heard in Usaeil's voice. The greatest day of her life had been when she had become part of the Queen's Guard. Usaeil wasn't just her queen—she was a friend.

When Rhi opened her eyes, Usaeil stood before her wearing jeans and a flowing yellow shirt that set off her long black hair. Usaeil's silver eyes were filled with tears while her smile was bright. She threw her arms around Rhi and held her tight. “We didn't think we'd ever see you again. You don't know how happy I am you've returned.”

Rhi had never been very good with showing emotion, and she was always uncomfortable with displays of affection—except with
him
. She stopped that train of thought in its tracks. Thinking about her Dragon King lover wouldn't help matters.

She returned her queen's hug and waited for Usaeil to pull back. Rhi let out a thankful breath when she finally did. Usaeil wiped at her eyes and studied her.

Somehow Rhi remained still under the scrutiny. Only her family and Balladyn knew her better than Usaeil. Her family was dead, and Balladyn … she was going to kill him for what he did to her.

Usaeil's smile slowly faded. “I came for you.”

Rhi frowned, unsure of what to say. No Light Fae, especially the queen, ever ventured into the Dark. For anyone.

“I did,” Usaeil repeated. “I was with Con, Rhys, and Phelan. I wasn't going to let the Dark take you. I … I had no idea Balladyn was alive, Rhi. I'm sorry.”

“You didn't free me,” she said.

Usaeil swallowed and turned away to walk to a couch set against the far wall in a light brown distressed leather. “I was told Balladyn put the Chains of Mordare on you.”

A tremor of fear raced through Rhi at the mention of the hated chains. They were thought to have been lost, until Balladyn locked them on her. The Chains of Mordare were only to be unlocked by the Fae who shackled them. Any time a Fae would try to use magic to remove them, unimaginable pain would shoot through their body.

The worst part was that the chains helped to drain a Light Fae of the spark within them, the light that made them who they were.

“No one has survived the Chains of Mordare,” Usaeil said in a low tone. “No one but you, Rhi. I knew the first time you walked into my palace that you were special.”

“Because I was foolish enough to fall in love with a Dragon King?” Rhi asked sarcastically.

Usaeil didn't bother to acknowledge her comment. “You have battle skills better than many who have trained their entire lives to serve me. You have a quick mind, your loyalty is without question, but it's the light within you that truly sets you apart. It's why Balladyn fell in love with you.”

“What are you talking about? Balladyn hates me.”

“There is a thin line between love and hate.” Usaeil smiled dejectedly. “He was in love with you before he and your brother went off to war. He was waiting until the right time to approach you. Then he had to return home and tell you and your family about your brother's death. It put everything on hold.”

Rhi's chest began to ache as she recalled all the times she spent with Balladyn talking about her brother. While she grieved, Balladyn had been patiently waiting.

“He was beside himself when you fell for the Dragon King. He kept it from you, though it killed him to do it.”

Rhi shook her head. “Stop. Balladyn was my closest friend. I'd have known if he had feelings. He thought of me as a sister.”

“He wanted you for his wife,” Usaeil insisted. “We spoke about it. I was the one to caution him to stand beside you instead of trying to talk you out of your affair with the Dragon King.”

“Balladyn was the one to comfort me after…” Rhi couldn't even say it thousands of years later.

Usaeil waved Rhi to her, then tugged Rhi down beside her on the couch. “When Balladyn was injured in the war, we all saw him fall. You weren't the only one to try and reach him. The battle lasted days, Rhi, with scores of Fae—Light and Dark—dying. We fought for survival, intending to return for our dead.”

“Except Balladyn was gone,” Rhi said.

“His wound was fatal. None of us could've known that Taraeth wanted Balladyn as one of his men.”

“Balladyn blames me,” Rhi said and focused on the thirty-foot painting hanging on the far wall of the Fae realm. “It's why he kidnapped me. It's payback for leaving him on the battlefield.”

Usaeil snorted. “That's shite, and you know it.”

“Is it?” she asked, turning her head to look at Usaeil. “He was all the family I had.”

“You're Light, Rhi. You're never without family.”

Rhi lowered her gaze to the white marble floor with veins of dark gray running through the marble. “My light was almost taken.”

“But it wasn't. You're here with us now.”

She paused a second before returning her gaze to Usaeil. “I'm not the same. I'm … different.”

Usaeil took one of Rhi's hands in her own and ran a finger over Rhi's black-tipped nails. “How do you think the Dark Fae began?”

“Their need for power.”

The queen's smile was forlorn as she shook her head. “It began because there were some who couldn't control the darkness that's in all of us. They weren't strong enough to hold onto the light. No realm is merely black or white, good or evil. It's a mixture. Always has been. Always will be.”

That didn't help Rhi. It wasn't as easy as making a decision. She had been inexplicably altered.

“It was the light within you that broke the Chains of Mordare. Do you understand what that means, Rhi?”

She looked at the queen. “It means I'm a liability.”

“No, my dear. It means you hold more light inside than the entire Light Fae combined. It means you are powerful, but more importantly, it means you fought—and won—against the Dark.”

Could it be that simple? Was she worried for nothing? There was melancholy and rage inside her as well, and Rhi didn't know how long she could hold those emotions back.

“What is it?” Usaeil asked.

Rhi looked at the black on her nails before she turned her head to gaze out the window. “I can't find happiness as I used to. There is such anger inside me.”

“Look for the light inside when such feelings come. It will help to center you.”

Rhi nodded, since it was expected.

“I was told Ulrik carried you from Balladyn's fortress.”

“Apparently he did.” Rhi withdrew her hand from the queen's. She didn't want to talk about Ulrik, but she knew Usaeil would eventually get to him.

“Is that where you've been? With him?”

Rhi chuckled as she looked at Usaeil. “No.”

“Be careful there,” her queen warned. “There is a war coming between the Kings and Ulrik.”

“He is a King,” Rhi corrected her.

Usaeil raised her brows, her silver eyes seeing everything. “Not according to Constantine. Ulrik was banned from Dreagan, stripped of his magic, and unable to shift into dragon form. He has revenge in mind. Don't get in the middle of what is coming between them.”

“It seems I wasn't the only anomaly recently. For the first time a Dark has become Light,” Rhi said, changing the subject.

Usaeil shrugged and leaned back against the arm of the couch. “A Fae chooses to become Dark. Up until now, we've never found one who wanted to return to Light. Shara's love for Kiril helped her find her way to overcome the darkness. She's the first, but hopefully not the last.”

Shock waves reverberated through Rhi. “Tell me you aren't going to do what I think you're going to do.”

“What is that?” Usaeil asked innocently.

“You want to try and change Balladyn back to Light.”

Usaeil drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “He was turned against his will.”

“Trust me when I say he is fully Dark. He's second in line behind Taraeth. Balladyn wants to rule the Dark, and one day he will. You can't bring him back from that path.”

“He was a great warrior for the Light,” Usaeil said, her voice rising.

Rhi jerked to her feet, rage flooding her. “He's not the same! He is evil to the core. There's no light within him, only darkness and cruelty.”

“If a Light can be changed to Dark with torture, a Dark can be changed to Light.”

“If you believe that, you're going to put every Light Fae in danger. You don't know the Balladyn I was tortured by.”

Usaeil's eyes narrowed before she stood and faced her. “You're blinded by your hate. And lest you forget, Balladyn used the black smoke to torture you.”

“How would you know that?” Rhi took a step back. “How do you know anything that happened to me? Unless…”

How could she have been so stupid? The Light Fae and Dragon Kings had a shaky truce, and she assumed Con and Usaeil didn't interact. Apparently, she was wrong.

Usaeil didn't respond. She merely held Rhi's gaze. Rhi laughed, though there was no humor in the sound. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't realized what Usaeil had let slip earlier, but she did now. “So I didn't misunderstand when you said you were with Con and Rhys looking for me?”

“No.”

“And Con then told you what happened.”

Usaeil clasped her hands in front of her and nodded.

“There are three people who know what happened at the end, excluding me. Balladyn, Ulrik, and Con. Balladyn is Dark. Ulrik is banished. Of course you would believe whatever Con said.”

“Why would he lie?” Usaeil asked.

Rhi turned on her heel and started out the doors. “Why does Con do anything?”

Usaeil waited until Rhi vanished and the doors closed before she turned toward the hidden doorway behind her throne and waited for Con to step out. “Well?” she asked him.

His lips flattened. “I think she's right. She's not the Fae she used to be. Before she was reckless, wild, and uncontrollable, but she was always … happy, for lack of a better word. Now, she's controlled, easily enraged, and oppressed.”

“I lost Balladyn, Con. I can't lose her as well.”

“You won't. I promise.”

 

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Laith laid upon the ground and stared up at the ceiling of the cavern. There were dozens of candles lit and reflecting on the water from the hot springs. The ripples of light playing from the movement of the water bounced on the walls and ceiling.