Chapter 38

“Meow.” Tinder, the damn cat, cried loudly at me and I damn near nicked the fur ball on the edge of my blade.

“What the ‘ell do you mean waking a man from sleep like that?” I growled, setting my weapon back under my pillow. “Yer lucky I didn’t stick my blade into your skinny throat.”

My bed was cold without Avery and I hated not waking up with her on the nights she was with Simeon or Malcolm. Never cared before if we shared a female or not. Except Avery had gotten past my shields and now I couldn’t imagine life without her. Her laugh made the days brighter and her kisses made me wish the night would never end with her.

Fuck! I was turning into a blasted shmuck.

“Meow, meow.” Tinder sank his claws into my bare chest.

“Oy, ye furry rat.” I shoved him off me, then looked down at the welts forming on my skin. “I’m allergic to your razor-blade claws.”

The black cat blinked at me then fluffed its tail letting out a yowl. I grimaced.

“Are ye possessed or something?” Except all the hairs on my arms stood up too.

Tinder glanced from me to the door, then burst from my chambers.

Avery! My heart slammed into my throat. I grabbed the knife under my pillow and bolted out of bed. My bare feet slapped across the tile as I tore after the cat who ran as though a hellhound was after it.

The air froze in my lungs as I ended up in the kitchen and there was no sign of Avery or a struggle or anything.

“If ye brought me here because of some fucking mouse, I’m going to stuff you in the stew for the Unseelie coming to dinner this week.”

Tinder’s fur bristled more as it growled at a dark spot on the floor. Its paw shot out, striking something, and metal scraped across the stone floor.

One of the kitchen knives spun. I squatted down, reaching out a hand to touch the inky surface on the stones. Tinder hissed and arched its back.

A black tentacle shot out of the floor ’n’ hooked onto my arm.

“Fuck!” I stabbed the bastard with my blade. It wasn’t bronze like the useless kitchen knife against Fae. This was iron with the handle coated in magic to keep from burning me, but it still stung to even hold it.

The creature squealed like a swine. It withdrew the tentacle from my arm, but I snatched the limb in my hand, holding on.

“Oh no, ye aren’t getting away from me that easily.” I sliced the blade deep into the blackness pooling on the floor. The limb wiggled in my grip, trying to get away and I wasn’t letting the bastard loose.

I stabbed the creature over and over. Each tentacle that whipped out in defense, I jabbed with the end of my blade. Sweat beaded across my forehead and I wiped at it with the back of my arm.

It slashed at me, trying to get away. I wrestled the tentacle, pinning it underneath my knee.

“Forget about fleeing, fucker, I’ve gotcha now.” I rammed the blade in deep, my arm sinking into the vile mess.

Fingers grabbed ahold of my hand inside the creature.

A squelch sounded. I pulled back, bringing a pale hand connected to a body with me.

Avery!

I tugged on her arm, heaving her out of the inky mess. She gasped out a choking cough.

“I’ve got ye.” I hauled her to me, and she clung to me, black ooze covered both of us.

The creature shrieked, collapsing in on itself until it vanished into the shadows.

“What was that?” Avery asked in a hoarse voice. Her gray eyes were huge as she stared at the spot where the creature had been.

“Shadow kin.” That was my best guess. “Are you all right?”

I pushed her hair out of her face, searching for injuries, but she kept staring at the floor as though fearful the creature would return. Ach fucking Simeon. He was supposed to be with her tonight and keeping her safe.

Tinder sat in the corner licking himself like there was nothing strange going on with us covered in black blood. I owed the cat for this.

What if I hadn’t raced here feeling like something was wrong?

I held Avery to me telling myself that she was okay, that I had made it in time. Couldn’t lose her. The idea had me sick to my stomach. She clung to me, her coughing subsiding.

“Will that thing come back?” She shuddered, finally meeting my gaze.

“Dinna fash yersel’, Avery,” I lied. “It's injured and will think better next time o' trying to make a meal out o' you or me.”

Her smile was shaky like she was still coping with her fear but trying to cover it up. She stood, but I didn’t let her go and swooped her in my arms.

“Nay, its officially my day now and I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight.” I carried her down the hallway to my chambers.

“I can walk.” She squirmed in my arms, and I held on tighter.

“Not right now ye can’t.” I carried her to my room, her heart pounded against my chest, mimicking my own.

I kicked a chair out of the way and placed her on the trunk at the foot of my bed. Couldn’t stop touching her. I was afraid she’d vanish like the shadow kin had done.

Shit! If it had disappeared with her, she’d be deep in Unseelie territory right now. We’d never have known what happened to her until it was too late.

“Varaux,” I yelled. “Get your ass out ‘ere.”

The brownie popped onto the middle of my bed flicking me his middle fingers. Avery stiffened like she was prepared for an attack. I rubbed her back.

“I’m off duty.” His small face contorted into a scowl, making his hook nose look even bigger. “Eww…you two reek.”

“And you spend too much time reading Earthside books and picking up their foul gestures. Now prep the bath for me and my lady.”

He spat out curses and waddled to my personal bathing chambers. The water would have to be heated since we didn’t have plumbing like the humans. And I wanted to check over Avery and ensure myself she wasn’t hurt.

“Let’s get you undressed.” I tugged on her nightgown which had black gore sliding down the thin material. Her body was shaking. How long had she been in the belly of that shadow Fae? My throat closed up.

“You’re covered in whatever this is too.”

“Aye, but ye look like you took a swim in a vat of pitch.” I chuckled. “Would that be the worst of our troubles after fighting a dark Fae?”

A clouded look came over her face and I sensed this wasn’t really about her hair, but how she needed to focus on something else rather than the fact she got eaten.

“It’ll be okay, lass.”

She inhaled a shaky breath, staring at her clasped hands. “I’m-I’m not supposed to be afraid. I’ve fought dark Fae before, why can’t I get over this?”

My thoughts rammed into my throat. All the stories of my troubled childhood and crying myself to sleep. I cupped her cheek and she stared at me with hollow eyes. “My guess is you’ve never lost before?”

“I’ve come close.” She swallowed. “But when the Fae are expecting a weak human who can’t or doesn’t know how to fight back, I’ve always had the element of surprise.”

“This time was different.”

“I-I wasn’t prepared, and it was so strong, I couldn’t beat it.” She twisted her hands in her lap, before looking up at me with tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t breathe. What kind of warrior or queen am I when I almost die from a shadow blob?”

The vulnerability in her gaze drove me onto the floor. She’d never seemed afraid or weak even when facing me and my temper when we first met. That this shadow kin could crack her confidence fueled my rage, but I couldn’t turn that loose on her.

“When I was becoming a man, but still a boy, I thought I was stronger than any Fae around. Grown up with the bastards nearly at my door every night and knew how to fight them all. My da used to say I was born with a blade in each hand.” I shook my head, pushing away memories of my mother being ripped apart. “Ever heard of a Bwbachod?”

“No, should I have?” Her brow furrowed like she was trying to place the name.

“It's a bugger of a beast. But tame if you leave milk with honey for it. Which is what my da did every night.” I rubbed my hands down my thighs, the black goop from the creature spreading across my trousers even more. “What I didn’t know was the wee thing was so dangerous. I thought I’d rid the Fae realm of these creatures starting with the one that visited my house every night. But you see, when angered, these swell up like a bloated leech.”

She made a face.

“And they are damn hard to kill in either form, which is why the Fae just leave the nightly offering for them. We feed them and they leave us alone. Easy. Except I was a hard-headed kid who didn’t know when to leave well-enough alone.”

She laughed softly. “I can see that.”

Her smile warmed me. “After the Bwbachod handed me my arse, my father beat me as well. Now I never forget the offering.”

“Even here at the castle?”

“Especially here. Never know when a favor might be bought instead of a punishment.”

She tilted her head to the side. “I thought you hated all shadow Fae.”

“There’s a gray line between the Seelie and Unseelie. The Bwbachod, is one of those, harmless unless provoked so I let it slide. There are worse things than a Fae teaching a rebellious child manners.”

She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m freezing.”

“Right. That’ll be the dark Fae magic trying to make you fall asleep. Kind of like when a spider puts a bug in a cocoon.”

“That’s super disgusting.” She shivered.

I led her to the bathing chambers. Steam rolled across the surface of the water and I helped her into the bathing barrel.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m right behind ye, lass.” I stripped out of my clothes, setting them on the floor. “Varaux take these clothes out and burn them.”

Avery grasped the edge of the bath, her eyes huge. “Why not wash them?”

“Too risky. Dark magic can cling to material even after a scrubbing. Not so easy to adhere to people. Besides, I’ll have Varaux run his magic over us after we’re done for any residue.”

With a choked gasp, Avery scrubbed her body like she was trying to rip her skin off.

“Varaux!” I called.

“What now?” The Brownie snapped into view, and he blushed a deep red color, looking at Avery.

“Warm the water back up and use your magic to get all the shadow Fae muck off us and out of the water. Leave nothing of their foul magic behind.”

The Brownie gave me a mock bow and placed his tiny hands in the water. The water churned and bubbled until the muck cleared and the water was pleasantly warm again.

“Thank you, Varaux,” Avery said, dipping down into the water modestly. “You have an unusual name. Does it mean anything?”

“Rascal,” I said with a smirk. “Don’t let him fool you that he’s a nice Brownie. He’s full of crass.”

“Takes one to know one.” Varaux flicked me the finger again before disappearing.

I took Avery’s hand, leading her through the water to me. I had to hold her. Kiss her. Ensured myself that she was all right. I knew she was, but there was something in my heart that needed to feel her.

My lips skimmed her shoulder and across her collarbone. She moaned against my touch. Her breasts bobbed in the water.

I pulled her to me, sitting on the ledge inside the smoothed-out barrel and kissed her until she curled her fingers around my erection. My need for her consumed me. Never felt like I could get enough of her.

Her body trembled under my touch, but she looked at me through half-hooded eyelids.

“We can stop—”

“Not a chance.” She pulled my hand to her breast. “I need this right now. I need to feel alive. I need you.”

I brushed my thumb across her nipple, and it strained for my touch. Avery mewled as I did the same with her other breast, deepening our kiss. She straddled me in the bath and glided her body over mine. The friction drove me wild with the need to be inside her.

Her back arched as she pushed her breasts into my hands. I hoisted her up, kissing my way down her neck to one breast, then the other. She ran her hands across my chest and up my arms, heating my skin. I sucked hard at her nipple and she raked her fingers through my hair as her moans made my cock throb and strain to reach her. I moved back and she eased down on me. A groan rumbled in the back of my throat.

The water sloshed around us as she lifted herself up and down. I pulled her down for a kiss as she rode me. Our breaths mingled. Our bodies slapped to a frantic rhythm. I’d almost lost her today to a shadow kin. My heart squeezed. I couldn’t lose her.

She gasped out a moan and I increased my pace, lightly biting her shoulder. One hand kneading her breasts. She pumped up and down on me, grinding her hips against mine. Both of us tried to chase away the demons that haunted us. I gripped ass, guiding her deeper and harder onto my swollen cock. Her breasts bounced up and down with her movements, mesmerizing me.

“Darrius,” she cried, her muscles tightened around me.

Pleasure pulsed with every heartbeat through my body. I held her down, sinking all the way up into her deliciousness.

And for once, I couldn’t stop myself from joining her in climax with my own. The rush of euphoria stole my breath for several moments. Stars danced behind my eyes until I came back to Earth.

When our breathing calmed, she trailed a finger across my chest, not looking at me. “Thank you for saving me. I-I thought I was going to die.” She shivered and I wrapped my arms around her tighter. “There was nothing I could do. It was so much stronger than me. And I can’t stop thinking about how I almost died. How I would never see you, Malcolm, Simeon, or anyone ever again. It felt so final. Like a void sucking me up.”

I rubbed her back. “Aye, I know, Lass. I’ve skirted the edge of death to know the taste of it down in the marrow of my bones.”

“How do you get over it?” She looked up at me with desperation and hope in her eyes.

It was a sight I knew well, seeing every time I looked in a bloody mirror. “Ye don’t. All ye can do is take one day at a time and praise the gods for every second of your life.”

“Where you afraid?” she asked in a soft voice, a vulnerable voice that made me want to hold onto her and never let her go. To chase away all her fears and protect her with my life.

“Each and every damn time. I did die once for a few minutes.” My hands stilled on her back as memories threatened to drown me.

“What happened?” She pushed back, searching my face.

“Let’s not talk about such things now. The water is getting cold.” I nodded to myself, not trusting my voice, and held her hand as I led her out of the bathing barrel. Malcolm and Simeon were the charm-talking Fae. I was only good and fighting and fucking, not pretty words. She sighed against me, resting her head on my shoulder as I wrapped her in a blanket.

The tightness in my chest eased some knowing she was safe and in my arms.

As soon as I was able, I was going to hunt Simeon down and wring his scrawny neck for leaving her alone. He hadn’t believed my warning about the arrow, but I would make him listen to me this time.