Tainted (25 page)

“And who or what am I to say I hold allegiance too?”  I heard Ian saying this kind of thing to Pike a couple of times when he had to meet with certain ambassadors and such.

“The Unseelie court.   A human who has been brought over as a slave for me.”

“WHAT?”

“It happens.  I don’t condone it anymore, but it happens.”  He held out a little piece of sheer gold cloth.

Anymore?  “You have human slaves?  What do I do with that?”  I said with a snap in my voice any woman would be proud to hear.

“Did!  And it hides your face.  Reason I picked slave.  My father will recognize you without it and the charm.”

I didn’t know what to do with this information. 
Sick!
  “What, you meet with me one time and now I am to presume you’ve mended your wicked ways.  This is too much Kin.  You can’t just change…like that.  You picked the role for a reason.”

“Perhaps.”

I gave him a dubious look, hiding my actual real fear.  Kin was more than just uncivil in his previous life, he was vile and sick and atrcious.

“But you doubt it?” he asked.

Triangles just can’t become squares.  It’s a fact.

“Why not?  You have that effect on others.   Look at Pike?”  I heard it thunder boom in the background like a bad horror movie
.  Oh, the luck!

“What do you mean Pike?”

“Oh, your beloved Pike had a way, Grace.  He was a ladies’ man.  He could conjure the best into doing his will.”

Disgusting!

“He didn’t enlighten you I see.  He mended his wicked ways the day you were born.  Some kind of mumbo jumbo about you being the future he never had.”  Kin was totally liking this gift of knowledge.  His laugh came straight from his stomach.

“Well, that is some juicy news, but it doesn’t change my mind about Pike.”

“It doesn’t?  You’ll still give him the chance?”  Kin slid his fingers to his chin.

Jealous?  My eyes like saucers, I fisted and hit with everything I had in his chest.  He fell a very small step back and looked incredulously at me.  “No Kin.  He never had a chance.”  I made my spine stiffen.  This didn’t bode well on the Grace meter of what I thought of Pike.  He’d better have some major redeeming qualities to cover up his past discretions.  He certainly never dated the human girls in school.  That I knew of anyway.

He just stared still trying to work out the pushing him part.  “I’ve never been assaulted by a woman.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” I said, nonplussed.  I thought about telling him to shove his comments to where the sun doesn’t shine.  As well as him making me a slave girl, because the push was more for that than the other.  But that would set us back more on time and I wanted to get back before Ian did anything rash.  I already had a hint from an earlier listening in on with a guard that Ian and Pike had found clues to the path leading to this lair.  I’d given him a great description and I since found out my honey to be is a great tracker, PI, etc.  I was positive this was the last visit to my dear Kin’s lair.

“I do.”  The grin made a comeback.

Erg!  I stomped off into the great room of blue everything.  I loved the room despite the company.

We left shortly after.

Off to Kin’s court…stolen again. 

Kin bent his head to enter, me following.  I wondered how it was that the door to his own court was too low for his head but I didn’t have any more time to think about it because I was being shuffled yet through another door and shoved through a tunnel. This is extreme.  Our court had no creepy tunnels. 

This was more than I’d bargained for in coming here, but I knew without asking I couldn’t leave until Kin willed it.  And the rain was pounding above me the instant I stepped over the first threshold. 
Brilliant!

Our trail was probably covered up or washed away now.

The groups of Unseelie court Fey gathered around a dead tree that desperately reminded me of my Lord of the Rings phase in my preteen years, but this place didn’t remind me of Gondor at all.   Jasmine covered the entire walls of everything.  Everywhere.  Guess it shields all of Fey in more ways than one.

They were casting their eyes side to side as I entered no doubt deciding to consider me friend or foe.  I blocked with everything I had and signaled a hello to Kin to see if he heard. 
Nada!

At this, I was beckoned forward staying right behind Kin.  He warned me to bow to the king and not look up no matter what.  If the king deemed a slave to look up, they were meeting their end.

I thought him evil for making me this level of person in front of this crowd, but it was too late to turn back now.  I had to endure it.  But Kin didn’t foresee what “daddy” would do to the one that his son had brought to his court.  The one who I since found out from Kin was the first one to enter his court with him.  Yes, Kin had never brought another to court.  Didn’t he realize this was a red flag?

“Rise, for my son thinks highly enough of you to have brought you.  Your name?”

Ahh—

Kin stepped up, “The lady Marissa.”

My peripheral vision was my only clues to assess each new mini event happening to me.   “Daddy” didn’t look happy at son’s interruption.  He stepped out of sight again so that the king was my only measurement, reminding me that this was coach from school, or rather the king of the Unseelie court acting as a coach in my high school.
His malevolent face was making even Kin fidget.
  Ah-oh.
  Deep purple-brown eyes sought me out, met my eyes even through the veil that I begged not to hypnotize me into something horrendous.  I chanced a look sideways at Kin who met my eyes, a very uncomfortable, new look for him.

“Come!”

I approached Mr. High and Mighty reluctantly wondering if this was my end, and if “daddy” would know who he was killing.  Or care.  Or was his aim all along.  Oh, the possibilities.  But no way was I meeting my end today.  If need be, I would pull the queen card out of my hat in need of saving myself even if it meant becoming a prisoner.  I didn’t get this far too just die.  Besides, a prisoner can be rescued by her prince.  I just hoped the rescue would come unscathed and not starving for anything in any way.

“You are a favored one amongst my son’s camp.  Do you cook?”

I pretended to look to Kin for permission to talk hoping this would suffice for the first answer to his question.  He nodded and I spoke.  I still never looked up again for fear he would still possibly catch some recognizition.

“Yes.  A little sir.”

“She warm your bed son?” He addressed Kin.

Kin didn’t redden to the cheeks as I did, but easily answered a yes.

I was absolutely horrified.

“She has been with me some time.”

“She is agreeable?”

Kin nodded a yes.

This was way out of line with what I had in mind.  What did I have in mind?   I wasn’t dead yet.  I’d disguised myself with a hair bonnet and a brown robe that was a show for warmth.  I had my traveling clothes underneath in gold to match the court but Kin had said to cover them for the initial meeting. 

The attention stayed on Kin, but the voice sounded like he was halfway amused to mention the next order of business.   “Any news of the queen?”

This is about me.

“Same.  A little closer every day.  She has agreed to a small amount.”

This was true enough in Kin’s eyes.  At least I wanted him to believe so.

“Figures.  Like her father.”

What the—my father?  What about my father?

“Continue on then.  And this girl is welcome to join you here.  Your quarters are clean.”

Quarters.  Am I to stay with him?  No freaking way!  I wanted to rise up and attack mister son of an evil king dude.  Hello!

What about my father?

Kin rose and I followed. Outside the great room of thronedom, Kin stopped and took off the brown cloak he’d draped over me but not the veil.  “You can remain in the court colors from here on.  The king favors it if he accepts you.”

“That was being accepted?” I hissed close to him giving him the look of total disgust.

“Grace, I told you.  No one has come before the king before in my name.  He will be a little more curious about you because I brought you.  Don’t think you are out of the rough waters just yet.  Now, come.  Get ready for the feast tonight.”

“Feast?”

“In honor of my return.” His sudden savagery had me taken aback.  He torqued a weapon in the air towards some of the guards, gaining high fives and whistles for what I guessed was due to my presence.

How special!  Not!
  I remember him saying something about returning to court only if he had a queen.  I was confused.  “And this shared quarters?”  I was angry about this something crazy.

Changing his demeanor like that he declared, “Rest assured.  I will be a gentleman.  Contrary to what you may believe or have heard, I am honorable.  I told you, I played the part I had to keep you safe.  It was the only way.  I will make sure you are safe.  Nothing, I mean nothing, will harm you Grace.”

And once again with Kin, I believed him.  I am starting to think that he was truly misjudged, but nothing was for sure with him.  “Okay, but I want to sleep with a dagger beside me.”

He widened his eyes in fear I think.  “Why?”

I rolled my “you’re
-
so-petrified-I-will-kill-you-that’s-so-funny" eyes at him.  “Okay, so you can protect me, but what happens when I’m left to defend myself?  I want reassurance.”

“I will have it under my pillow then.”

“I’m sleeping beside you?”

“Yes, you will have to sleep in my bed.  And they will think…”

Oh, no.  What if anyone ever found out? 

He didn’t read my thoughts but guessed by the horrible face I gave him. “No.  I will tell no one.  My court doesn’t matter to anyone but themselves and anyone else you might worry about would pay no attention to our affairs.  You seem to be the first to be so inquisitive.” 

Appropriate word.  Ha!  I chuckled stupidly.

He cocked his head sideways.  I waved my hand indicating he better keep his trap shut.

So much for the pendant I never needed.   I was thankful for all the practice.

We refreshed and headed for the feast.  I danced, served him drinks, stood behind him closer than I wanted, and danced some more.  Kin took full advantage of the ordering me around part. 
Mangy mutt!

My head zapped.  Whoa!   Nothing, but someone trying to force into my block.  I looked around to find the source.  Nothing.  Telling Kin would tell him more than he needs to know about me and my growing strengths, so I will stay in the dark.  I darted my eyes around.  The head daddy in charge had his peepers aimed right at me. 

The king stood while still watching me and announced his son.  Many of the court’s younger girls took turns begging to dance with Kin and left me off the hook.  Or so I thought!  He foolishly danced with me more than once and raised a few heads at the repetitive pick of his servant girl, the hoi polloi in his father’s eyes.  He frowned each time he left me and watched
me
as he danced with each of them.  I was starting to get an idea of how Kin might really feel and that made me feel uncomfortable and a little sad for him.  Perhaps he cared for me more than I realized.  Most boys or men that I’d seen in life or the movies rarely gave this much face time to one girl unless she was the match that lit the fire in his belly. 

I couldn’t help but enjoy the attention even if I couldn’t return it.  He was being very kind and I needed to finish this prescribed mission and admonish thoughts of Kin with me in any equation he might think the future could hold.  I felt a tinge of regret now that I saw his face so confused and blinded by my not returned charms.  He would be let down when he knew he didn’t have a chance.  No, he would be livid and I hoped that I wasn’t seeing invisible visions of a rabid Kin pissed off beyond belief.

I dared a smile at him.  That was all it took.  He returned to me leaving a very pretty, long brown haired girl alone on the floor.  She watched to see where he went already giving me the “
if looks could kill”
death stare.  He’d danced with her several times already and talked with her unlike the others. I quickly assessed his steps and headed to the drink table landing him beside me now.  “I think you need to cool it dancing with me Kin.  They are starting to wonder especially Miss Brunette.”

“Who cares?  They think you’re mine.  And she’s irrelevant.”

So final.  I didn’t like hearing him enjoy that statement.  He was much too comfortable with it. “What if that’s a problem with me?”  I tried not the grit my teeth.

“True to them.  Ignored, someone will try to take you.”  I saw only coldness in his eyes. Possessive nature of what’s not his to have.  Just when I think there is a different Kin in there, I see the extreme power he could extend if needed.  My insides cinched up and hurled daggers at my too quick to trust emotional side. 

First, I had to get past what he was actually saying.  Second, I had to shudder at the thought of someone thinking they can have their way with me.  “But you’re the prince,” I said in hopeful disbelief.

“Yes, which makes you more the prize!”

Shuddering again.  I suddenly felt out of my element and wanted to go home.  I am certifiably loco ono for saying yes in the first place!  I have the layout, the details of how they throw a party, the eerie ways of how they savagely like violence and how they treat women. 

We danced again and again until he announced we would retire.  I blushed at every single stare in the room because hearing their thoughts would tell me they were all thinking about the exact same thing.  Their faces said it all.  I was headed straight into a private room of sin with Kin!  Angel Grace was swatting my hand and behind and cheek all at the same time to wake me up from this blunder ridden action packed adventure.  He will pay for this, of that I will make sure of.

The bedroom door closed and locked.  He turned to face me much like a new husband would for the new bride.  At least my mind pictured just that.  I gulped. 

“Do you want a drink?” He walked over to the bar and poured two glasses of champagne before I could say yah or nay.  “It will help you sleep.”

I wondered what Ian was doing at the moment.  Looking for me.  I was a horrible queen.  A horrible candidate to be his wife.  I should have thought about this some more.  I was irrational, thoughtless, and just plain stupid!

I nodded yes and sat in the chair far from the bed curled up into a ball to escape the wanting looks he kept giving me.  If I appeared far opposite of the way he felt, the better.   He mentioned what to expect the next morning and what it would bring and then be back at my court by breakfast.  It was a very small relief to hear about home, but the night would be long.  How about for Ian?  I’m so selfish.  And even Pike was probably going insane.  Goodie, goodie gumdrops for him!

Sighing heavily, I let out the last of it not meaning for him to hear it.  He came and sat down on the edge of my chair causing me to look up.  He touched my chin like Ian did.  I didn’t want to be touched.  He looked into my eyes and didn’t take his hand away even as I backed away.  I said with as much conviction as I could muster, “I can’t give you what you want.”

“I fear that more and more, but know you are in my heart.  I haven’t been the best I needed to be for you and it appears it is too late.  I would change it if my power allowed it.  But I have to try, Grace.  I want you to be my queen.”

It’s like he had something to prove.  I was his crucible in this life and would redeem him.  All those atrocious acts some of the men exemplified and talked about at the dinner tables tonight, he'd done them.  I was sure.   Why was he so determined to change?  For me?  Or was it all a really, really good lie.  “What would happen to your father if you became king?”

“He would die.”

Um! 
Same in both courts.  Noted.  He took my line of questioning the wrong way I think because he changed his face and said, “I am not what you wanted in life, but I do have certain qualities that you can find appealing.”