Falling fast, p.2
Bound to the Queen: A Fantasy Romance (Our Fae Queen Book 3), page 2
“Glori,” I said cautiously. “You asked us to tell you if you were about to make a decision without all the facts. I therefore must warn you that giving up your queenhood would disband the Elven Heir’s Guard.”
“What do you mean disband the Guard?” she asked.
I opened my hands with palms toward her in a supplicating gesture. “Only ten guards make up each Heir’s Guard. Any more requires Council approval since we’re fighting the Unseelie on so many fronts. If Una’s Guard is lacking members, her guardleader may choose to fill the void, but it is his choice. He may not take in any of us.”
“We Seelie are stretched too thin,” Rorik said, his voice calm even as the breeze picked up around him, revealing his dismay. My heart grew heavy imagining him losing his station and being demoted to the Seelie army along with the rest of us.
Glori pushed her long hair behind her shoulder. “Couldn’t you join the Queen’s Guard once Una ascends?”
Nolan’s boots scuffed on the rocky terrain as we approached the first of the lightberry trees.
I shook my head. “The Council will likely reassign us to the Seelie army until then, and once again it will be up to the queen’s guardleader to choose who joins the Queen’s Guard.”
The Guard was all I knew anymore. We’d searched so long for the Elven heir, who at the time was Nuala, Glori’s mother. We’d failed her, but we resolved not to fail Glori. Now, when we’d at last recovered our heir, she didn’t want us.
That gave me an idea.
“Glori, your mother gave up everything to give birth to you. Nuala knew the risks she took, and she wanted to ensure the queen’s magic lived on through you.”
Glori narrowed her eyes.
“What can I do to change your mind? I want to be direct and open with you.” I hoped to win back her trust and help guide her toward queenhood.
She shook her head, her shoulders straightening. As usual, I’d said exactly the wrong thing to her. Silence stretched between us as she no doubt pondered how I was always trying to manipulate her into doing what I wanted instead of supporting her goals. It was all I could do to stifle a cry of frustration.
“It’s my turn to ask questions, Lyall. And it’s your turn to answer them. Honestly, and without holding anything back.”
“Yes, my lady. I vow to answer your every question.”
“I want to know more about the heir we’re going to see. What information do you have about her?”
I knew very little about Una, the Nixie heir, but I’d known Una’s mother, and if the choice were between the two of them, Glori would definitely make the better queen. Una had been in hiding for so many decades because she feared suffering the same fate as the other long-dead heirs — being captured and killed by the Unseelie. Perhaps she, too, wished to pass off the queenhood to someone else, and then Glori would have to accept she was the hope of the Fae.
“Una is a Nixie who is two and a half centuries old. She—”
“You already told me all that.” Glori’s voice grew low and thick with anger.
We had nearly reached the forest’s perimeter. My time was running out.
“Despite her greater years, you will make the better queen, Glori. You are—”
“How does one become queen, Lyall?”
She had me there. “Without a living queen to pass on those responsibilities, the heir who renews the Tree of Life proves herself as queen.”
“Right,” Glori snapped. “So you don’t need more than one, do you? Consolidating the magic only makes sense. My magic was almost too slow to heal Merc. She’s human, so I would’ve thought it would take less magic, not more. Would it be worse trying to heal one of you? Una needs every ounce of the Last Queen’s magic that I can give her.”
“Because Merc is human, the magic may have acted more sluggishly on her. Never have I seen a Fae queen or heir try to heal a human before, so I cannot confirm this for you.” I hesitated, fearing to push my luck. “I know you want to protect your friend, but your people need you, Glori.”
“They need Una.” The conviction in her voice destroyed me. “I’ve contributed nothing as heir, but I’ve endangered the Guard and my friends, including my best friend. I even got one of you killed.”
“Every single member of the Guard would gladly lay down their lives if it helped you ascend as queen, Glori. We will always protect you.”
Just before we stepped beneath the tall lightberry trees, Glori spoke in a quiet voice. “No one else should have to die for me.”
“Know this… Every heir makes mistakes. They’re not perfect, and you are not intrinsically worse. Don’t berate yourself, Glori.” I paused. “I failed to tell you that you could save Lian. If anyone should be blamed for his death, it is me, not you.”
Glori let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed a little. “I… appreciate you saying that.”
Rorik, Nolan, Jovanka, and Erynn remained spread out to ensure all sides were covered as we entered the deeper forest. Veela winds stirred up fallen leaves, keeping Glori safe from any projectiles if the Unseelie were to launch a surprise attack. Earthly forests shaded their ground from the sun, but in the Encante, where the ambient magic produced light, the forest remained as bright as the barren wastes of the Edge.
“I need to get this over with so I can be by Merc’s side without endangering her. I need to see for myself that she’s okay. Don’t fight me on this, Lyall.”
“Would you give up your bond to Kenji and Angel so easily?”
A slow shake of her head wasn’t the reaction I expected.
“A true relationship shouldn’t depend on me spying on their feelings to know they care about me.” Glori’s eyes shone with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “I can still feel them, you know. It’s much more subtle now, but they’re always there in the back of my mind.”
“Glori…” I started.
“Stop trying to convince me, Lyall. I’ve made my decision.”
At her order, I left off. We traveled through the lightberry forest for a few minutes without seeing any of the Elves that lived here. They must all have followed Thressa and Lauren back to the village to prepare for the heir’s arrival.
“Behind!” Erynn shouted.
With Elven speed, I drew my long rapier. Rorik drew his shorter, double-bladed weapon, and his left hand sought an ax. Nolan and Jovanka also wielded axes. Everyone’s head swiveled, searching for threats coming from within the forest or the barren landscape of the Edge.
My eyes landed on a small orb of orange light, its illumination casting unnatural shadows as it wove its way through the tree trunks. It rose steadily to mine and Glori’s eye level.
“What’s happening?” Glori whispered as her eyes locked on to the orange ball of light. The wisp had no face, no features.
I pointed toward the wisp with the tip of my rapier. “The humans call them shito-dama, or min min, or the Will-o’-the-Wisps. This doesn’t bode well.”
“They like to lead wayward travelers into the Encante,” Rorik said as his eyes scanned the forest. “When they appear to the Fae, it’s usually to warn us.”
The spherical wisp bobbed up and down in front of Glori. She reached out a hand toward it, but it rose higher in the air, towering above us. I noticed this from the corner of my eye as I scanned for threats, but none appeared.
The wisp darted off over our heads, traveling deeper into the forest, and fortunately not in the direction of the village. Glori watched as it disappeared between the trees.
“What if it wants us to follow?” she asked.
“If it wanted us to do so, it would have gone much slower, trust me.” Nolan’s low voice answered.
We all remained on guard for a couple more minutes until I finally gave the order. “Continue on. Keep weapons at the ready.”
With no immediate threat, my thoughts returned to the lingering problem. I hated to imagine us all being disbanded and reassigned among the Seelie guard like new recruits. While we all remained at high alert as we traveled to the village, my spirits fell.
Truthfully, my desires for the heir were much less altruistic than simply wishing to return the Fae to our former glory.
Being this close to her challenged my willpower as I struggled to rein in my attraction. I had dreamed of winning over her affections, but everything I did seemed to undermine that foolish hope.
If she remained heir, she would need an Elven consort. Glori showed a clear preference for men, and although I was the only male Elf among the Guard, she was under no obligation to choose me—the heir had the freedom to find her consorts from all Fae, Guard or not. Though I would willingly relinquish any chance to become her consort if she would accept her place as our queen. After disappointing her so many times, and after she was nearly kidnapped twice under my leadership, many would say I didn’t deserve the privilege.
And if Glori stepped down? Though I hated the idea of losing my place as guardleader, it wasn’t up to me. For the first time, I allowed myself to truly consider that possibility as we approached the forest village where we would rest.
If Glori gave her magic to Una, then the Guard would be disbanded, yes, but Glori wasn’t the only one who would be freed of burdensome responsibilities. As much as I loved the Guard and prided myself on our group cohesion, it might be a relief to no longer shoulder responsibility for so many others. I would join the Seelie army, and I would be free to do as I wished beyond that, just as Glori could.
Without the mantle of queenhood weighing her down, Glori could begin to embrace Fae customs more naturally. Though no longer her consorts, Kenji and Angel would likely choose to remain Glori’s lovers, and I could slowly court her. It might take decades, but I would have time after Queen Una revived the Tree of Life, renewing magic and extending our lengthy Fae lifespans.
I was not yet resigned to that fate, but if it came to that, I couldn’t fault Glori for stepping aside for Una. I vowed to support Glori regardless of what she chose.
Chapter 2
Gloriana
In his black leather jacket and fedora, Angel leaned back against some pillows at the head of the bed and beckoned me to him with that sexy, lopsided grin I loved so much. I crawled over to him, and our lips united in a kiss that was so passionate I never wanted it to end.
He pulled me in closer, nestling me against his chest before turning me around to sit between his legs. I could feel his hardness pressed against my backside, straining against his pants. Suddenly, I realized I was naked, and Kenji crawled across the bed in my wake, his hazel-amber eyes on me. He didn’t seem to mind being naked in front of Angel, but when he sat up, his long silver-blond hair covered his nudity. His intense gaze filled me with heat, and I reached for him.
Angel pulled me against his chest and hooked my feet over his spread legs, opening my knees and allowing Kenji to crawl between my thighs. He dipped his hands under my buttocks, and his breath alone nearly made me lose my mind. His tongue began to slowly lap at the wetness between my legs, and I fell back against Angel in sheer ecstasy.
“Let’s switch,” Angel said before I could come.
I whimpered, and Kenji took Angel’s place against the pillows. With my back to Kenji, the two of them worked together to steady me, raising me above Kenji’s hips to impale myself on his dick. I groaned as I slid down his length. When I glanced at Angel, he was now fully nude as well, and he took Kenji’s spot between my thighs. With my legs spread wide, I couldn’t move on Kenji like I wanted to, but I should have known they had a plan for me. Angel grinned at Kenji before pressing his mouth to my clit.
With Kenji inside of me and Angel’s tongue working me, I flew higher and higher, my legs trembling as Kenji massaged my breasts, his breath on my neck.
“Gloriana…” Rorik’s voice called, and my walls clenched in surprise and desire.
Yet the sound of footsteps brought me back to consciousness, interrupting my delectable dream. I let out a growl of frustration. That was twice now I’d had naughty threesomes with Kenji and Angel in my dreams and been awakened before I could finish.
I opened my eyes to glare through the slats in my cottage. Rorik smirked back at me. His seductive voice had invaded my dream, and some part of me knew that I wouldn’t have minded his involvement. Only in my dreams, of course.
“Nightmare?” Rorik asked. “You were thrashing around and moaning.”
Somehow his smirk told me he knew it wasn’t a nightmare at all.
“I don’t remember the other guards standing so close to my cottage on their watch.” I threw back the lightweight Fae sheets on the tiny bed and got up, still clothed in the Fae fabrics I’d put on after my bath last night after we’d straggled through the village, all of us exhausted.
Rorik took the hint and wandered farther away. I stood on shaky legs, feeling hollow and bereft after that dream. Kenji and Angel remained in the human realm, so I had no one to slake my thirst. If I’d had more privacy, I might have taken care of this need on my own. Prior to the two of them, I’d never been able to come with anyone else, which had motivated me to take matters into my own hands.
Kenji and Angel were both amazing lovers, caring and thoughtful. I’d only been with each of them once, and I longed now for their company, for their touch.
The bond offered little comfort. With them in the human realm, their emotions felt fleeting, nebulous. On the whole, I took solace in the fact that they seemed to be more positive than negative.
As soon as I stepped outside my cottage, my eyes fell on Lyall. The cobalt-skinned Elf had long, pointed ears that rose above his head like mine, and his close-cropped, dark hair did nothing to hide them. With the ache between my legs, my attraction to him surged anew. I’d found him stunning from the moment I met him, when he first held out his hand to me and called me his queen. I hadn’t known then that he’d meant it literally.
Now, though, my distrust tainted my attraction for the powerful leader of the Guard. He’d hidden the truth from me and been slow to reveal what I needed to know even after I’d confronted him about it.
Yet I couldn’t deny my body’s attraction for him. I wanted him to push me up against the side of the cottage and claim my mouth. I wanted him to let his hands tangle in my long hair as he kissed me. I wanted those hands to start undoing the ribbons tying the Fae fabrics to my body. I wanted…
“Good morning, Glori.” He approached me cautiously, his forest-green eyes piercing me.
I looked away, worried that he’d been able to sense my thoughts. He was centuries my elder, and he’d shown me nothing but professional courtesy so far. I’d once suspected he wanted to become my consort, but since dismissed that notion. I still wasn’t sure why he preferred me to become queen instead of Una, but one thing was certain — Lyall cared about his Guard and the Fae people above all else, even over the wishes of his heir and supposed future queen.
“Good morning.” I stretched, taking a casual look around the village as though I hadn’t just awakened from a dream that left me horny as hell.
Other cottages made from open slats circled the ones we’d spent the night in, sprinkled here and there beneath the lightberry trees, dark in the daylight without their berries to illuminate their limbs, far overhead. This time, the Elven residents didn’t gather to stare at me. Perhaps I was no longer a novelty, or perhaps word of Una’s presence at the palace tree had spread. Whatever the reason, I was happy not to feel paraded around like a princess in a pageant.
“Would you like breakfast before we go?” he asked innocently.
“No.” My eyes snapped over to him. He would use any excuse to delay what needed to be done. “Let’s head to the palace tree straightaway. We can eat while we walk, right?”
“As you wish. I will gather the others.”
Rorik remained at a distance, but Nolan approached, his four-fingered hands on the handles of his hammer and ax. He merely nodded to me, his fiery orange eyes scanning the cottages and forest behind me. I appreciated that Nolan never weighed me down with his expectations that I become queen. Between Lyall and Erynn’s optimistic hope, and the ongoing judgment and disdain from Rorik and Thressa, the pressure mounted, crushing me. Nolan seemed indifferent, relieving that pressure.
They all assembled around me with Jovanka in Erynn’s place at my side. I didn’t see Lauren or Erynn or anywhere, but Lyall waved us forward down the now-familiar path toward the palace tree. The two Elves must have been either scouting ahead or shadowing us in their shapeshifted forms.
I walked alongside Nolan instead of Lyall, mentally throwing cold water on any stray thoughts about how much I wanted Lyall’s hands on me. The remnants of the dream made me crave male attention.
To keep my lust at bay, I decided to strike up a conversation, realizing this might be my last opportunity to talk to anyone among the Guard if they were to be disbanded.
“Nolan, have you met Una before?”
“I’m afraid not, my lady.” The Duwende’s deep voice sent tremors through my body. This was getting ridiculous. Why couldn’t I shake that dream? “She has been in hiding for many decades.”
“So you can’t tell me if you think she’ll make a good queen.”
Nolan shook his head, his long brown hair falling around his shoulders. “None of us can. While Una was in hiding, we searched for you. Our paths never crossed hers.” He glanced up at me. “But of course, you should do whatever you believe is best, trusting us to do the same.”
I tilted my head, trying to decipher any hidden meaning in his phrasing. Though his tone was neutral enough, his words chastised me, making me feel like he’d survived centuries without me and didn’t need me. But of course he didn’t. None of them did.
What the Fae needed was a good queen who would treat all races fairly, not showing the Elves preferential treatment. I hoped that Una being a Nixie wouldn’t mean that the Nixies suddenly became the exalted ones. The Seelie believed in the equality of all Fae, and yet it was clear they hadn’t truly achieved it. The Seelie High Council had let the Unseelie massacre countless Duwende before intervening. The palace tree’s carvings favored Elves, as did the height of the doorways and door handles. These small details spoke volumes about who was welcomed and valued.
