Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
I feel a warmth at my heels, pulling me from my reflections.
“Hello, Ain,” I say with more affection for my black cat than I’ve ever felt for another being. I lean over, and the cat gracefully leaps into my arms. The cat does more for me than any other being has. She’s my sweet and vicious familiar.
“There she is,” I say, pointing out our enemy. The queen walks out of the cottage with a dumb smile on her face, holding Cian’s hand as they move toward the barn.
It would be simple if I could kill the bitch, but I’m certain that yesterday Cian destroyed that plan as well. According to the gossip I heard at the party the night before, Cian fully bonded with the human. If I kill her, the human will be able to send the image to her husband.
It’s too risky. I can’t change forms again, and I don’t intend to be revealed as the hag I am when a lynch mob comes.
I watch the outcast king teach his second-rate mate how to milk a cow. I’ve played a very careful game. It would be stupid to risk it now. The game has changed with the insertion of the human. What I need is a new plan.
I smile as I think about all the vampires Beck fought in the arena for the right to mate with that ridiculous human. He probably made them all angry. It’s the one decent move Torin managed on his own. Limiting the vampires’ access to consorts made them more amenable to certain negotiations. There are still vampire families loyal to the outcast king, but others are much more reasonable. Perhaps it’s time get in touch with one or two.
“I didn’t mean yes that way, Ci!” The human’s squeal carries across the field as she playfully avoids Cian’s hands.
Cian will be sad when the human is dead or gone. I don’t care which. The vampires would probably rather take the girl. They have their uses for one with her unique talents. With Beck off the plane, I might find some vampires desperate or arrogant enough to think they can kidnap a consort. Or some might be looking for revenge and kill the bitch.
Either way will lead to Cian’s fading and Beckett’s death. Once they’re gone, Torin can reopen Tír na nÒg, and I’ll march back into the homeland a conquering hero. I’ll take my place beside my sisters as the king’s counselor. Our status will be assured.
I turn toward home, my familiar nestled firmly in my arms. I can hear the newlywed couple playing. Let them have fun now. Theirs will be a short marriage if I have anything to say about it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cian
“What is it?” I sit in the kitchen looking at the small, flat cake-thing my wife has been working on for days now. Meg has been working on other things as well, but this odd bit of food seems to be her labor of love.
I’ve spent the last few days working in the fields that feed our village. I’ve been perfecting the irrigation system with the gnomes. At night, I entertain the Fae who come from all over the plane to welcome the new queen. Large tents have been set up around the village as though a great fair has come to town. I’m happy with the coin that is now flowing around the village as visitors spend money and trade goods with the locals. It’s been a long time since my people had anything resembling prosperity.
My wife seems to think she has something to trade, too—this odd-looking thing she’s prepared to force on me. She looks so cute with an apron over her day clothes and flour in her hair. She looks good enough to eat, and the now familiar ache starts in my groin.
I’m going to die if she doesn’t say yes soon.
“It’s a cookie,” my wife proclaims as though the word should mean something.
I’m rapidly discovering that even with the bond, my mind still wanders. It’s my wife’s fault. She has a smile that tends to melt my insides. I force myself to concentrate on her words and not how creamy her skin looks.
“I had to figure out how to substitute honey for sugar, but I think I have it,” Meg continues. “It’s an oatmeal cookie. It’s better with chocolate chips, but we don’t have any. Try one.”
That isn’t what I want to try. I want to get my mouth on her breasts and that sweet, soft pussy of hers, but I’m playing a long game. Still, I can’t disappoint her. I take the “cookie” and pray it tastes better than the other meals she’s attempted to cook. My bride is beautiful and possesses a sharp mind, but cooking is not a talent of hers. I’ve had to choke down dinner all week and smile and tell her how edible it is. Flanna is attempting to teach her a few tricks to Fae cooking. So far, it’s not working.