Luxe in arms, p.20
Luxe in Arms, page 20
She slipped on one of the human-style dresses from her bag. It was black satin with long sleeves, and the hem hit about mid-thigh on her long legs. She unbraided her hair and brushed it out into long, golden waves, smoothing it with a touch of magic. She didn’t have any makeup, but it didn’t matter; she used a glamor to redden her lips and to give herself a subtle smoky eyeshadow look.
She also didn’t have any access to the realm’s money, but she knew that wouldn’t be a problem. Most likely, plenty of men would buy her drinks; if not, she would persuade the bartender she had already paid her tab before she left.
Slipping on a pair of black pumps, she headed down to the hotel bar.
Within ten minutes of seating herself at the bar, a trio of men were at her elbow, eager to chat and buy her a drink. She allowed them to buy her a cocktail and chatted politely for twenty minutes, but she wasn’t interested. Two of them wore wedding rings, and she didn’t feel chemistry with any of them. They were too eager and somewhat boring.
When a tall, handsome, dark-haired man in a nicely tailored business suit walked into the room, her eyes latched on to him. He walked over to several other men sitting in a booth, greeting them with a wide, charming smile. So, he wasn’t here to meet a woman. Good enough.
She politely excused herself from her current company. “Thank you so much for the chat, gentleman, but I was waiting on someone and just saw him arrive. I hope you have a wonderful evening.”
She walked away without a backward glance, moving toward the dark-haired man. He sat on the outside edge of the booth bench, making it easy to lay a hand on his shoulder as she approached him from behind.
He started slightly and turned to glance up at her. She dazzled him with a brilliant smile. “It’s so lovely to see you!”
His gaze roved over her as he gave a tentative smile in return, making his blue eyes crinkle at the corners. “Uh, hi… Do I know you?” His buddies quieted, exchanging curious glances and listening in.
Her smile faltered. “Oh. You don’t remember me?”
He shook his head slowly. “I wouldn’t have forgotten such a stunning woman. No, I’m sorry to say I don’t.” He winked. “Wish I did know you, though.”
She smirked at him. “Oh really? We could arrange that.”
He blinked, then glanced at his companions. “Uh, I’ll catch you guys later.” The other men chuckled knowingly and returned to their conversation as he stood.
He leaned closer to her, maybe so his friends couldn’t eavesdrop. He smelled nice—artificial, but nice. Some expensive cologne, no doubt. “Can I buy you a drink? My name is Matthew.”
She rested her fingers lightly on his forearm, the fabric of his navy-blue suit jacket smooth under her touch. “I would love that. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Matthew. My name is Mila.”
When she woke the following morning, she realized Matthew was still sleeping next to her. She studied him, noting the chocolate brown hair and remembering he also had blue eyes—both vaguely reminiscent of the man who had apparently sired her only child. Magnus’s hair was a richer chestnut color, though, and his eyes, which he passed down to their child, a brilliant turquoise. Matthew’s denim-blue eyes were washed out in comparison. Still, maybe she had a type.
She left him asleep and took a shower. When she emerged from the steamy bathroom wrapped in the hotel bathrobe, he was gone. She shook her head, chuckling to herself. So predictable, human men.
She had enjoyed herself, though. He called her by her name—her new name—several times as they pleasured each other. The witches advised her to seek out experiences that would solidify her latest identity, so last night had served the purpose nicely.
Not in a hurry to rush back to the fae realm, she checked out at the last possible minute. She was in and out of the human realm often, but she rarely took the time to enjoy the experience. It was almost lunchtime by then, and she had skipped breakfast, so she found a nearby restaurant and tried her first Sonoran-style Mexican food using cash she had snuck out of Mr. Magnus-Wannabe’s wallet the night before after he passed out.
Finally, she forced herself to make her way back to the portal. It was time to make some decisions.
She ended up portaling to the coast with the hunter’s shack. There was no note from the halfling waiting for her. However, she knew at least their vague plan. They wouldn’t leave the male, Calix, in the queen’s care indefinitely. She sighed, looking around the barren hut. No one would come looking for her here, so she might as well take the time she needed to determine her next steps.
She started a fire in the tiny hearth and sat against a wall, contemplating her options. She felt powerfully ambivalent, and no wonder. On one hand, she now wanted the queen overthrown as much as the rebels did. On the other hand, she wanted nothing to do with any of it, especially if it meant returning to the castle or seeing the queen again.
She could always stay away until it was over and done with. If the prophecy was true, did they really need her help? If fate was on their side, surely they could accomplish the feat without her.
However, knowing the rebellion would likely succeed was less comforting than it might have been, as she also knew there would be losses. It was inevitable.
She pictured the male fae named Søren. Her son. Not for the first time, she played a game in her mind, stripping his beard from his face, imagining it softer and more rounded. Imagining what he looked like as a child. She had fleeting memories of him at that age from her brief return to the home they used to share, but she didn’t pay close enough attention to those portraits at the time.
Still, she could picture it. If she lost herself in her imaginings thoroughly enough, she could feel his weight on her lap, as though she held his warm, wiggly, young self as they sang songs and whispered secrets to each other. It felt so real that she wondered if she was managing to touch on true memory.
She shook herself out of the daydream. He was not a babe in need of his mother. He was a grown male now. His childhood was over. He was taller than she, and intelligent, and strong, with the skill of wielding a blade. Surely, he was perfectly capable of protecting himself.
Surely, after all these years under the queen’s control, it wasn’t selfish of her to take her first true chance at an escape. Her son would understand that.
After wrestling with her thoughts for another hour, she doused the fire and left the shack, hoping she was making the right decision.
30
An Epiphany
Søren
Søren woke to Luxe shaking him and babbling something about her cousin and witches and Calix. Once he was awake enough to be coherent, she explained it all again as they hiked back to the portal.
They waited for about an hour. Søren chewed on some jerky as he watched Luxe pace impatiently. “I didn’t think to ask how far from a portal she was camping.”
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” Alistair spoke calmly, reassuringly, as he used the time to do drills with his sword. Søren grunted his agreement.
They were right. About ten minutes later, Willa stepped through the portal, along with another woman, a stranger—presumably the witch Willa mentioned.
Luxe rushed over to them, then stopped herself abruptly, probably remembering that Willa didn’t like uninvited physical affection.
Willa smiled at Luxe, then at Søren and Alistair. “Hey. Good to see you.” She nodded toward her companion, an attractive woman who Søren guessed was of indigenous American descent. “This is Sakari.”
Sakari stepped forward and shook hands with each of them, a warm smile on her face. “Thalia has told me so much about you. It’s a pleasure.”
Søren had almost forgotten the new name Willa chose. He noted it to himself as she spoke again.
“I’m sorry about Calix.”
The three of them nodded. Søren responded first. “Maybe we can figure out a way to get him back. Let’s sit down and talk.”
They settled right next to the portal under the rock overhang, backs against the stone.
“Luxe told us your idea of getting witches to help us.” Søren raised an eyebrow. “You really think they would?”
Thalia glanced at Sakari, who gave her a small smile before she spoke. “I think it’s possible. Some of them, anyway—there’s no way we could reach or convince all the witches in the human realm.”
“But we know quite a few in our area,” Sakari put in. “Working together, they could be very powerful.”
“I’m still not sure that me being a witch is enough incentive for them to risk their lives.” Luxe chewed on her bottom lip. “Most of them don’t know me, and what happens in this realm doesn’t affect them.”
“Yet we believe in balance and justice.” Sakari spoke in a soft yet confident tone. “We care about others outside of ourselves and our immediate communities. I don’t see why that wouldn’t extend to the fae realm.”
“Say we could convince them to join us, to help.” Alistair leaned forward, forearms resting on bent knees. “I don’t mean to offend you, but what could they do against fae power? This realm is steeped in magic beyond anything you may encounter in your own world.”
Silence followed this statement, and Søren worried that Alistair had offended the two witches; he couldn’t read their expressions. But then Thalia spoke again.
“It’s a fair question, and I’ve been thinking about it. We do know our spells can be effective with fae—like the memory spell I just performed for the female you sent—so it’s not that you’re impervious to our magic; it’s just that you have more of your own.”
Sakari nodded thoughtfully. “Witches practice a lot of magic in a more solitary way, but we also work together when the need arises. As a group, I would think we could make a difference, even against fae magic.”
Alistair inclined his head. “That makes sense. How many witches are you thinkin’ we could gather?” He paused. “Keep in mind, we are short on time.”
Thalia nodded. “I don’t have an exact number, but potentially several covens’ worth. We will speak to them on your behalf if you want us to.”
Søren glanced at Luxe and Alistair, who both shrugged. “However many you can gather in the next couple of days. We would welcome any help you could offer.”
Thalia blew out a breath. “We’ll do our best. Can’t just let pretty boy get the short end of the stick. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Luxe’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Thank you.” Blinking them away, she continued. “Speaking of potential allies, do you know where Saoirse is now? That’s not even her name, is it?”
Thalia shook her head. “I think she was headed back to this realm, but I’m not totally sure. She asked me not to share the name she chose and didn’t tell me her plans.” Her eyes widened as though startled. “Oh, but speaking of names. I can’t believe I almost forgot. She told me that she believes part of the queen’s true name is Nyx.”
Luxe’s mouth dropped open, but she recovered quickly. “She did say she knew part of it, but she wouldn’t tell us at the time. Thank you. I’m not sure if knowing only the one name will help, but it definitely can’t hurt.”
Thalia and Sakari walked into the portal a short time later. Thalia even hugged them all goodbye first. “We have to get Calix back,” she muttered to Søren. “She’s gonna be a mess if you don’t.”
“I know,” he murmured back. “We all would be. We’ll do everything we can.”
Once the trio were alone again, they had to decide on their next move.
“If she can call those dragon-creatures to any battle, I’m not sure what to do.” Luxe sounded frustrated. “Especially if my magic isn’t working right.”
Søren sat with his back against the rough rock and pulled her down to sit on his lap. “I think we need to try to figure out what happened with your power before we do anything else. We don’t have a choice; we can’t do much until we know what’s going on and how to fix it.”
Alistair lowered himself to the ground with a grunt of agreement. “Aye. There must be somethin’—a pattern or trigger.”
Luxe leaned her back against Søren’s chest, resting her head on his shoulder to look up at the ceiling. Her neck was exposed and very tempting, but Søren resisted. She sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“You haven’t needed the moly in a while. Weeks. And you were fine in the battle. You said it changed after the queen showed up, right?” Søren dropped a light kiss on her temple.
“Right.”
“I don’t think she affected your magic directly,” Alistair mused. “She wasn’t around most of the other times you had trouble.”
Luxe shook her head. “I don’t think so either. I didn’t feel her do anything like that.”
“Maybe it has to do with fear? Could your power make you ill when you feel too afraid?” Søren suggested.
Luxe thought about this for several moments. “I … don’t think so. I’ve been terrified plenty of times in the last few weeks. Like when they took Calix.” She shuddered. “But I portaled after that with no problem.”
“Other than afraid, what were you thinkin’ and feelin’, mo chuisle? When the queen was there?”
Søren lightly stroked her arms up and down as she thought about it. Finally, she said, “I wasn’t all that focused on her, actually. I was thinking about Calix.” She hesitated. “She said he doubted me and the prophecy. He—did you hear when he said he was on her side?”
“Aye.” Alistair’s voice was sober.
“How could that be?” Luxe whispered. “I tried to speak to him in his mind, but he didn’t reply to me.”
Søren had honestly forgotten that moment entirely. Now everything started to make sense. “She convinced you that he switched sides?”
“I mean, that’s what it looked like.” She shrugged. “I… I couldn’t help wondering a little if you both doubted me, too.”
“Of course not, lass. Never.”
Søren gripped her chin and forced her to turn her head toward him. “Never, Princess. You hear?”
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “Okay. But Calix, he said…”
Søren released her as he tried to recall what exactly the other male had said. “Remember, specific words matter. He didn’t say ‘I don’t believe in Luxe or the prophecy.’”
She shook her head. “Not exactly, but—”
Søren cut her off. “That’s my point. The exact words matter.”
A look of understanding settled on Alistair’s face, and he chuckled. “He was bein’ clever. He got lucky how she worded it, sure, but he said what she needed to hear to make her believe he had switched sides.” He slapped his hands on his thighs, laughing and shaking his head. “Do you remember what she asked him, mo chuisle?”
“I—something about… She asked if he was on her side, that’s all I remember.”
“Nay. She said somethin’ like, ‘The halfling’s own lover stands with me, don’t you?’” Alistair watched Luxe, waiting for her to understand.
“Wait… You mean—she really said, ‘stands with me?’”
Søren nodded. “He’s right. And what did Calix say?”
“He said, ‘Of course.’ Because … because he was standing right next to her.” She smiled, then frowned. “Why would he want her to think that?”
“Any number of reasons.” Søren lifted and dropped a shoulder. “Maybe to avoid torture. To try to gain her trust is my guess, though, so he can wreak havoc from the inside.”
“So it wasn’t fear that the queen used against you. She planted a seed of doubt, and self-doubt is somethin’ you struggle with anyway.”
“She did make me doubt.” Luxe hugged herself. “What hurt even more, though, was thinking that Calix didn’t really care about me.”
Søren lifted her by the waist now, prompting her to straddle him so they were face to face. “Princess, that male loves you more than anything. We all do. No matter what appearances may seem, you need to remember that truth. The queen is always playing some game. You can’t let her fuck with your mind.”
Tears spilled over her brown eyes, and she buried her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly, rubbing her back, patiently waiting for her to calm.
When she stood and grabbed a cloth out of her pack to wipe her face, Alistair spoke. “I’m thinkin’ we may have figured it out. When Luxe first started learnin’ her magic, she was afraid and felt all alone in the world—both with good reason. She didn’t feel she fit in anywhere, nor that anyone cared about her. She certainly didn’t believe she could ever be queen of the fae.”
Søren’s eyes widened. He could almost see—there was a pattern. “And then, even when we all became closer, she doubted herself and how we felt about her, and she held us at arm’s length.”
Alistair nodded. “But once she accepted how we felt about her, and she started to believe in herself and her powers…”
Luxe stood gazing back and forth between the two of them, jaw dropped. “Are you saying… Are you saying it wasn’t about physical strength or my body needing to get used to my fae power? It was like—what do I call it? A mental block, or emotional one instead?”
Alistair grinned. “It makes sense. Only one way to find out.”
31
To Arms
Alistair
Alistair was feeling optimistic. He got to his feet and gave Luxe an encouraging nod. “You haven’t used the moly today, aye? Let’s portal back to the clearing as a test.”
A few moments later, the three of them stood in the clearing amongst all the new wildflowers in the shadow of the huge tree.
“How do you feel?” Alistair scanned Luxe; she didn’t look ill.
“I think I’m fine.” Her eyes grew round. “I am. It worked.” She jumped up and down and then leapt at Alistair. He caught her, holding her off the ground, and she planted a kiss on his lips. Then she wriggled out of his grasp and gave Søren the same treatment.
