Wicked Whispers (34 page)

Somewhere her brain cells were singing the melody while the rest of her warbled the chorus. A drunken chorus, because she couldn’t think, couldn’t talk, couldn’t do anything except
feel
. And it was almost too much.

He whispered words she couldn’t understand as he lifted her to meet his thrust. She was absolutely
not
whispering as he pushed into her—slowly, slowly, excruciatingly and unbearably slowly. She shouted her joy as he finally filled her, stretching every inch of her body around him.

And then he drew out. She moaned. He plunged in. She moaned louder. In, out, in, out until the friction became a chain reaction. Friction, spark, ignition, lift off!

The music was a thundering crescendo as she arched to meet his final thrust. This time she heard his cry a moment after hers, his explosion joined hers, and the musical notes hung in the air, raining down bits of melody as the spasms grew weaker and weaker until she lay exhausted.

He lay beside her and simply held her. She could feel the
thud, thud, thud
of his heart, still racing, and his rasping breaths slowly evening out and slowing. Finally, they both lay still.

It was quiet. The moment was right. “You know I meant it when I said I loved you.”

He didn’t move. For once his music was still. “I thought you might’ve said that just so I’d fight harder.”

She knew her laughter sounded nervous. “Well, that too. But I do love you.” She waited.

“I love you too.”

The silence had color and texture. It was the quiet right before laughter, the soundless footsteps of happiness, the… Oh, shit, she was crying.

He let her cry. And when she was finished, he handed her a tissue without commenting. She smiled. He was a guy. Tears tended to leave males speechless no matter what their origins.

“In case you were wondering, those were tears of joy.”

“Good. I don’t always understand human emotions, and tears make me nervous.” He smiled as he brushed back a few strands of hair from her face. “We need to discuss things.”

Uh-oh. Nothing good ever began with those words. “Why?”

“Because everything has changed now. We have to face what’s coming.”

No, no, no.
Please don’t bring me down from this high.
She was soaring—out of the galaxy, past the Milky Way. All the way to the edge of the universe.
She
was the Big Bang. A serious discussion would send her tumbling back to earth.

“Your family.”

She sighed. “Right. My family.” Ivy hit earth with a dull
thud
. “I guess introducing you to Mom as my demon lover might cause a few cracks in our family structure.” What could she possibly say to her always-grounded mother? How could she shield Kellen from the consequences of Mom finding out he had faery blood?

“My connection to the Underworld.”

Now
that
really scared her. He didn’t want to return, did he? “Your master doesn’t have power over you anymore. Won’t they leave you alone now?”

“Not necessarily. It’s complicated.”

“
How
complicated?” Lord, please let him stay with her.

He glanced away. “I had Holgarth draw up a contract. Right after the faery thing is settled, I’ll return to the Underworld and try to hammer out an agreement with Naamah. If she goes for it, we’ll be able to live here without fear.”

“And if she doesn’t agree?” Panic rode her. She took a deep breath, trying for calm, trying for confidence.

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Ivy didn’t even have to think about her next words. “If you have to live in the Underworld, I’ll go with you.”

Murmur looked as close to shocked as she’d ever seen him. “You’d do that?”

“Believe it.”

Sadness moved in his eyes before wonder replaced it.

The sadness tore at her heart. He didn’t say it, and she refused to ask, but for a moment the truth had been there for her to see. She wouldn’t be able to follow him.

He drew her to him. His heart was a trip-hammer, and she gloried in this proof of his feelings as her head rested against his chest.

“You’re the only one who has ever loved me unconditionally.” His laughter was soft, with a catch in it. “You’re the only who’s ever even
liked
me unconditionally. I’m not particularly likeable. I have a snarky sense of humor, and I can be a real pain in the ass. Do you think you can live with that? Forever?”

She wouldn’t think about the forever part, because her forever wouldn’t be forever at all. What she couldn’t face, she’d put aside for later.

“Absolutely.”

The silence curled around them, warm and comforting. But Ivy knew it wouldn’t last, that the real world would eventually intrude.

Finally, he rolled onto his back and said the words she’d dreaded. “First, we have to survive the faeries.”

18

Waiting was the hardest part. Murmur stood in the castle courtyard looking up at the midnight sky. Ivy stood beside him. He didn’t want her there. They’d fought about it. He’d ordered her to stay in Kellen’s room with her brother behind a warded door. That hadn’t ended well. She’d said she would stand beside him to face the faery host.

He loved her, and he feared for her. But he silently promised Ivy that no faery evil would touch her tonight, even if he had to wrap the entire castle in his death music.

Sparkle joined them. Ganymede wound around her ankles. She wore her own version of battle dress—black leather pants, black leather bustier, and black knee high boots. She carried a black whip that she snapped against the side of her boot. She’d allowed her long red hair to fly free tonight.

Ganymede chuckled.
“Dominatrix Sparkle is in the house. She wanted me to wear a spiked collar. Not going to happen.”

Sparkle sniffed. “Perception is everything. I intend to project the image of a confident, sexy, powerful woman. The Sidhe appreciate presentation.”

Ivy watched the sky anxiously. “When do you think they’ll get here?”

“Anytime now.” Sparkle shrugged. “Relax. We have lookouts on the walkway at the top of the wall. They’ll warn us. Holgarth and Zane activated all the gargoyles throughout the park. They’ll make the faeries think twice.”

Murmur glanced behind him at the giant gargoyles guarding the great hall doors. Their eyes glowed yellow. He didn’t know how much he trusted them. They hadn’t given Archangel Ted much trouble. He hoped Holgarth had done a major tune-up on them since that battle.

Wind whipped through the courtyard, and high above them thin clouds scudded across a full moon. “A good night for a faery hunt.” Murmur half closed his eyes, searching the part of him that
knew
things. The faeries were so close now that he could feel his music returning to him, bringing the Sluagh Sidhe with it. He only hoped everyone at the castle hadn’t made a deadly mistake.

The sound of a collective indrawn breath drew Murmur’s attention back to the present. He turned toward the great hall doors.

Asima stood there. Braeden stood beside her.

Murmur smiled. Asima had managed to suck all the air from the courtyard.

Ivy spoke first. “You look like a faery princess, Asima. They won’t be able to resist you.”

Murmur had to agree with Ivy. Asima wore a gown that practically floated in the breeze. White and beautiful, it contrasted with her long black hair and spectacular blue eyes.

“That’s Asima?”
Ganymede’s voice held awe.
“Looking good, babe.”

Murmur had forgotten that none of the others had seen Asima out of her cat form. He allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

“Asima?” Sparkle didn’t try to hide her shock and disbelief.

“You look amazing tonight, Sparkle.” Asima swayed toward them, every step graceful and confident.

Murmur silently cheered. Asima had taken his advice and was trying to reach out to others. He hoped Sparkle didn’t shoot her down.

Sparkle blinked. “Amazing? Are you sure you’re Asima?”

Asima smiled. “Of course.” Her smile faded. “Do you think the faeries will like me?”

Braeden spoke up. “They’ll love you.” He cast a warning glance at Sparkle. “Won’t they?”

Sparkle had moved closer to inventory Asima’s outfit. Ganymede padded along beside her. She evidently couldn’t find fault, because a reluctant smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. “That’s exactly the dress I would’ve chosen to impress the Sidhe. They don’t have adventurous taste in clothes.”

Murmur didn’t know if Asima would think that was an insult. He never got to hear her response because suddenly one of the lookouts shouted.

“They’re coming!”

The defenders of the castle poured into the courtyard—Edge and Passion, Dacian and Cinn, Holgarth and Zane. Klepoth and Bain came out last. The two demons joined Murmur and Ivy.

Klepoth glanced around. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Murmur nodded his agreement. Everyone except Dacian had met during the day and talked defense and offense until he wanted to tell them to shut up. There was no defense against the faery host. You were either more powerful than them or you weren’t. And considering their numbers, he was coming down on the side of “we’re screwed.”

“None of them have ever seen the faery host. I have.” He clasped Ivy’s hand and held on tight. He speared her with his gaze. “If things start to go south, stay with me. I’ll make sure you get out of here.”

“You’re scaring me.” She looked uncertain.

He didn’t want to frighten her, but she had to understand how dangerous the faery hunt was. “You’ll be safe as long as you stay with me.” She would’ve been safer if she were in Kellen’s damn room.

Through all of this, Bain said nothing. He just stared into the sky.

And then it was too late to worry.

Next to him, Klepoth whispered. “Holy hell.”

The Sluagh Sidhe came.

A roiling black cloud filled the sky, darker than the night as it swept toward the castle from the west. It blocked out the moon, and as it grew closer Murmur could make out shapes and faces. Terrible and terrifying, the cloud that was no cloud drew near enough for everyone in the courtyard to realize that thousands raced through the air toward them.

“Oh, shit.”
Zane said it for all of them.

Sidhe knights—tall, slender, with their cold faces and long, silvery hair—rode through the sky mounted on faery horses. Beside them raced their hunting hounds—huge black beasts with glowing eyes and slavering jaws. Hundreds of the fae filled the sky above the castle. And flying with them were humans, their bodies lost in the swirling cloud. But Murmur could see their faces—screaming, crying, horrified faces.

The gargoyles roared their challenge into the sky. Without warning, the gargoyles beside the great hall doors disintegrated, leaving nothing more than a pile of rock dust.

Zane glanced at Holgarth. “That can’t be good. If we survive, you might consider replacing them with missiles.”

It was a testament to how upset Holgarth was that he didn’t even come up with a sarcastic reply.

A voice emerged from the mass of faeries converging above the castle. “We followed your music, demon. You desire something. State your wish, and then we’ll dance.” Pregnant pause. “Or perhaps you’ll die.”

Everyone in the courtyard looked at Murmur.

Bain moved closer. “Do you want me to speak?” His face had grown pale.

Murmur could only imagine what his friend felt now that he was so close to Elizabeth. Before Ivy, he wouldn’t have understood. “No, they want to speak with me.” Ivy squeezed his hand.

He shouted into the sky. “We propose a trade before the dance begins. You have a human named Elizabeth. We would like to trade one of ours for her.”

The faery laughed. “Why would we do that? What is to stop us from keeping the one we already have and also taking the one you offer?”

Now began the game of chicken. “Ganymede, Edge, and Sparkle Stardust stand with me.” Murmur knew the Sidhe would recognize the cosmic troublemakers’ names and know how deadly they would be in a fight. “Two demons, a vampire, a wizard, a sorcerer, and a demigoddess also are ready to defend the castle.” He didn’t mention Passion because he still wasn’t sure what to call her.

Braeden looked at him, and Murmur mouthed, “Not yet.” The faery was one of their own, and his words might carry weight as a last resort.

“Impressive.” The faery’s voice sounded as though he meant it. “Show us the one you wish to trade.”

“This is Asima.” Murmur nodded for her to make her entrance.

Asima glided into the moonlight. She was light and air, and Murmur would have bet she was using some of her power to glamour them all. Not that she needed to. He couldn’t imagine the faeries turning her down.

“We accept the trade.”

“Well, hell, that was too easy. They could’ve at least shown a little fight.”
Ganymede sounded disgruntled.

Suddenly, Asima was gone, and another woman stood in her place. Young, with long dark hair that fell around her shoulders and wide brown eyes, she wore a gown from another time. She looked terrified.

Bain gave a choked cry and stumbled toward her. “Elizabeth!”

She froze. “Bain?”

He reached her and drew her into his arms. “You’re safe now.”

Eyes wide and staring, she jerked away from him. She covered her mouth with her hand and backed away.

Uh-oh. This didn’t look good. Murmur glanced skyward. He couldn’t see Asima. Braeden looked agitated. An agitated Gancanagh was not a good thing.

“What’s wrong?” Bain didn’t move.

“I want to go back to them.” She glanced toward the faery host. “I don’t belong here anymore.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “I’ll never belong here again.” She brushed at the tears with her hand. “I have someone I care…” Elizabeth seemed to remember who she was speaking to—a demon with immense power and a sometimes-uncertain temper. “I’m sorry, Bain. I’m so, so sorry.”

Bain’s face was marked by the centuries he’d searched for her, all that he’d sacrificed for this moment. Everything he felt lived in his eyes—fury, sorrow, and in the end, no expression at all. “Go. Return to your faery lover.”