He approached me, his stride that of a predator. A shiver ran down my spine as he crowded me against the wall. The movement was overtly sexual, and the heat in his eyes made a delicious shiver run through me.

  He tipped his head toward my ear and whispered so quietly that I almost couldn't hear him, "The room could be monitored."

  Of course. I didn't know the queen well, but I wouldn't put it past her. I moved my lips closer to his ear. To make it look more realistic, I wrapped my arms around his neck. If anyone was watching, I was going to give them a good show. "Do you have a plan?"

  Talan dipped his head to brush his lips across my neck, right below my ear. I shivered. Had that been entirely necessary?

  Honestly, I didn't care. I hoped he did it again.

  "We sneak into her room and dose her with the truth potion,” he murmured, low. “I don’t want to stay here for the entire party. We need our answers sooner, so we’ll have to go get them.”

  "I like it." I didn't bother to whisper that part. If anybody was watching, they would assume I liked his hands on me. Despite the high stakes and danger, or maybe because of them, my heart was racing. Being pressed up against Talan clouded my thoughts and made me want to kiss him.

  "Cora." The words escaped Talan on a groan. "We shouldn't."

  "Why not?" I couldn't believe I was saying it, especially after what had just happened between us, but I meant it. It would help solidify our alibi if someone was watching, and we needed to give the queen time to fall asleep. That would be my excuse. I tilted my head and pressed my lips to his.

  It was as intoxicating as ever. Talan rumbled low in his throat and turned the tables on me, taking control. I loved it. His hands ran from my waist down to my hips, and he gripped them tightly, hoisting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tightened my arms around his neck, surrendering to the passion of his kiss.

  He towered over me, his size an aphrodisiac of its own. He kissed like a man starving for me. His lips and tongue and teeth drove me mindless with pleasure, and when he dragged his mouth to my neck, I cried out with a low whimper. "Talan. More."

  “Yes. Anything.” He growled low in his throat.

  I ground my hips against his, lost to the delicious friction. He moved in a rhythm that drove all conscious thought from my mind. Soon, I wasn't in the queen’s palace anymore—I was alone with Talan in a world that was entirely ours. He drove me out of my head with pleasure.

  When he pulled back, I was panting and mindless.

  "As much as I want to continue this, it’s not the place," he whispered against my ear. “When I finally have you, I want it to be just us.”

  Oh, right. It was possible—probable—that we were being watched. I didn't have much of a voyeur streak in me and wasn't keen on it.

  I nodded, closing my eyes, and tried to catch my breath.

  Gently, Talan lowered me to the ground. He stepped away, and the loss of his touch chilled me.

  It was for the best, though.

  I looked at the clock over the mantle and felt my jaw slacken. “Is it really after one o'clock?"

  "It is. Time passes quickly when we're…"

  Seriously. We’d arrived at eleven thirty. I hadn't realized so much time had passed. On the plus side, the queen was probably asleep. I moved my gaze toward the door and asked him, “Shall we?"

  Talan

  * * *

  I nodded and pulled myself away from Cora. The loss of her touch made me ache, but I shoved the thought aside and walked to the door. I listened for a moment, finding it silent outside, then stepped out and let her follow me. In the hall, I turned and whispered, “Are you armed?"

  "Of course."

  “Good. We’ll have to be quick. If someone was monitoring our room, they may be curious about why we left."

  She nodded. “Do you know the way?”

  “I do. Follow me.” I set off through the castle, sticking to the shadows. Cora followed silently, light on her feet. We made it down to the main floor without meeting anyone.

  On the landing, I looked out toward the rest of the castle. So much of it was open-air, with spiraling wooden staircases leading up to towers. The towers themselves were little more than platforms with wooden arches supporting the roofs.

  It was beautiful, but it had to take a massive amount of magic to keep the climate temperate and the bugs away. The Bayou was the last place on Earth I would build a home, but the fae were determined.

  "Do you know which way to go?" Cora asked.

  “She’s at the far end.” Through the maze of twisting wooden paths and spiraling staircases, I could just make out the queen’s tower. I’d never been there, but when I’d first moved to New Orleans, I’d done extensive research into the homes of all the most powerful supernaturals in the area. I had a vague idea of the layout from stories told by past guests.

  Not that I needed it. Her tower was the largest, most ostentatious one. Three massive pennants wafted in the breeze, each studded with jewels that glittered under the light of the moon.

  “Oh, yeah,” Cora said. “I didn’t even need to ask.”

  “Stay alert. As we get closer to her quarters, there will be protections in place.” I started forward, moving silently down the path.

  Cora stuck close to my side, her weapon gripped in her hand, a short, curved blade with a loop that hooked around her forefinger. The little dagger was a genius weapon, allowing her to punch, slice, and stab. I wondered for the hundredth time where she had learned her skills, and why she had needed them.

  I shook the thought away—I needed to be on the alert, not wondering about the woman at my side.

  The bottom part of the castle was quiet as we walked through the halls. Huge arched windows provided a view of the Bayou, and many of the glass panes were thrown open to let the warm air inside.

  We were nearly to the queen’s part of the castle when I sensed a guard ahead. If I focused closely, I could make out the sound of his breathing. Cora shot me a pointed look, then nodded toward the bend in the hall where the guard was likely stationed. I nodded, indicating that I knew what she was talking about, and pointed to myself.

  I’ll take him, I mouthed.

  She shrugged and gestured for me to go ahead.

  I slipped quietly down the hall, planning my attack. I would have to be careful—my usual fire magic wouldn’t be practical in a wooden castle. Though I was sure it had been enchanted to repel normal fire, my demon fire would be far too strong. If I burned the place to the ground, we would certainly lose the element of surprise.

  I slipped around the corner, immediately spotting the guard keeping watch over the intersection that led to the queen’s quarters. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he lunged forward. I deflected his punch and grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around to trap him against my body. I pressed my fingertips to his temple and used my magic to command, “You will fall asleep."

  He sagged in my arms, and I dragged his body to an alcove. A statue of a stallion reared on powerful hind legs. I stashed the unconscious fae behind the pedestal and turned to Cora.

  She raised a brow. "Nice work. How long will he be out?"

  "We have about an hour."

  "Good. Let's move." She waited for me to lead the way, and I set off down the hall. There was another guard up ahead, and I used the same maneuver to take him out. I hid his body inside a small room and returned to Cora.

  "This is a little too easy,” she murmured, her tone wary.

  "Maybe I'm just skilled." I grinned. “More likely, it will get worse the closer we get."

  “Could be both."

  Surprise flashed through me, followed by a low laugh.

  Cora herself seemed a little shocked, as if she hadn’t expected to joke with me. She turned and headed toward the queen’s tower, stopping at the base of the stairs, a magnificent expanse of golden oak. Each step was fifteen feet wide, creating a massive spiral to the chamber at the top. There were no railings or walls at the edges, but fairy lights glittered all the way up, floating in the air.

  We began to climb, staying side by side. About a quarter of the way up, vines suddenly sprouted between the stairs, wrapping around Cora’s legs. It happened so quickly that she stumbled.

  Two more vines wrapped around my ankles, and I drew a dagger from the ether.

  "Shit!" Cora hissed. She sliced at the vines with her blade, moving so swiftly that her hands were almost a blur. "They're getting stronger the longer they stay on!"

  She was right. The ones that clung to my legs had grown tighter and more persistent. Cora was so quick with her blade that she managed to free herself and leap up the stairs to escape. Her knife skills were phenomenally good, almost otherworldly.

  "Here, let me help.” Cora stepped down the stairs to rejoin me, but I threw out a hand.

  "No! Get back." I didn't want her to get hurt on my account. I gave up with the knife and gripped one of the vines in my hands. Carefully, I sent a tiny bit of my fire magic into the thick stem. It shriveled away, crumbling in my grasp.

  Thank fates.

  Within moments, I burned away the rest of the vines and joined Cora on the steps above.

  “Let’s hurry,” she whispered, turning to run up the stairs.

  We encountered no more obstacles until we reached the top. Two guards stood at either side of the door, their hands clasped in front of them and their stony gazes straight ahead.

  As soon as we appeared at the top of the stairs, they stiffened, their eyes widening. They lunged into action but were too slow. I sent a persuasive blast of magic directly into their chests, a difficult bit of magic that I didn’t often use. They stopped dead in their tracks. Eyes rolling back in their heads, they collapsed.

  “Nicely done,” Cora murmured.

  “Let’s hope I don’t need much more magic. That sapped a lot of it.” I’d need to rest before I attempted anything so difficult again. Sometimes, the subtlest magics were the most difficult.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” She grinned at me. “Now let’s go get the queen.”

  Cora

  * * *

  I crept into the queen's room, my footsteps silent on the thick rugs. Talan finished binding the guards, then followed close behind me.

  With the guards subdued out in the hall, we were alone with the queen. She lay asleep in the bed, still as a statue.

  I moved to her side, staring down at her. Honestly, this kind of thing gave me the creeps. I felt like a stalker. But we needed our answers, and if she was to blame, people could die because of her. I drew the anti-magic cuffs from my pocket and handed them to Talan, suddenly grateful that my old boss had sent the accountant after me. Having these things was going to turn out very handy.

  Talan took the cuffs and nodded, moving to stand by her waist. I drew a bottle of truth potion from my pocket and uncorked it, catching his gaze. We’d need to time this perfectly.

  The queen lay on her back, glowing with an unusual, ethereal beauty. She slept with her mouth closed, which wasn't ideal, but I could fix that.

  Ready? I mouthed.

  Talan nodded.

  I tickled the queen’s lip with the tip of my finger, and she gasped. When her mouth opened, I emptied the contents of the vial between her lips. She sputtered and sat up, blinking wildly in the gloom. Talan slapped the cuffs around her wrists, suffocating her magic.

  Her gaze landed on us, rage flashing in her eyes. “How dare you sneak into my quarters and accost me.”

  I shrugged. "That was a truth potion I just fed you. We won’t hurt you, but we will be asking questions. Don't even try to lie. The potion will make it impossible.”

  I stepped aside to let Talan move forward. He would be the one asking the questions since it was his home at risk.

  "Guards!” she screeched. Her eyes were fiery with anger as they landed on me. “When they get here, we’ll string you up and watch you hang.” She sounded so vicious that I believed her.

  "There are no guards outside to hear," Talan said. "But don't worry, we didn't kill them."

  “I don’t care,” she hissed. “You’re dead for this. I swear on my kingdom that I’ll have your head, no matter what it takes.”

  I shot Talan a glance, a bit nervous about the vehemence in her voice. She really would kill us, that was for sure. I’d never seen anyone so enraged or determined.

  "There are more guards in the castle." She glared at us. “They will come.”

  "Then we had better be quick," Talan said. "Is it your magic in my house that’s manipulating the Well of Souls?”

  The queen pinched her lips closed, but her face darkened until it was nearly maroon. Finally, she spat out the word, “Yes. But if you think I want to steal your part of New Orleans, you’re sorely mistaken. We have no desire to live there.”

  Well, that was more information than I’d expected to get. It also confused matters more. But the truth potion wouldn't work indefinitely. Depending upon how strong the queen was, the truth potion would only get three or four questions out of her. Maybe less, maybe more. Talan had to focus on the most important things first.

  "How do we stop it?" Talan asked.

  "You can't stop it.” She gave an evil grin. “At least, not that I know of."

  "How is that even—“

  I gripped Talan's arms to keep him from finishing the question. From the harsh, frustrated tone of his voice, it was clear he wanted to ask how it was possible she didn’t know how to break her own spell. That wasn’t the information we needed.

  "Who can break the spell then?" I asked. “Because someone has to be able to.”

  "The one who cast it." She said the words so easily that I knew the truth potion was starting to wear off. She could likely feel it weakening, and she wasn't afraid of saying too much.

  "Who cast the spell?" Talan asked.

  “One of your kind." She grinned. “I think the potion has worn off. But don’t bother running away. We will hunt you. Save me the trouble and stay until the guards get here.”

  "Who deployed the spell?” Talan demanded.

  She pinned her lips shut, desperate not to answer. Though her face turned red, she didn't reach the deep shade of maroon she had before.

  "She's fighting off the potion. I think it really has worn off.“ I looked toward the door, wondering when her backup would arrive. Even though the guards in the hallway were unconscious, her confidence made me wary. She knew that her scream had reached someone. "We need to get out of here.”

  "Fine," Talan said. "But she's coming with us."

  I gasped, and the queen squawked.

  Talan plunged a hand into his pocket and withdrew three glass vials, then handed one to me. "Here, drink. It's an invisibility potion."

  He uncorked one of the bottles and moved toward the queen to pour it down her throat. She thrashed, trying to break away from him, but without her magic, she wasn't particularly strong.

  I uncorked the bottle and was about to toss the liquid down my throat when the door was shoved open. Four fae guards rushed into the room, raising their hands, and blasting us with a bright white light. We were thrown back against the wall, and the glass vial flew from my hand, shattering against the ground. Every bone in my body ached as I rose up on my elbows and stared at them, my vision hazy from the force of the magic.

  Next to me, the queen was unconscious, and Talan was staggering to his feet. She’d clearly been hit by mistake, and I dreaded to think what would happen to the guards who’d screwed that up.

  Before I could rise, the guards threw another blast of magic straight at me, and it was the last thing I remembered.

  14

  Cora

  * * *

  I awoke in a cell, head aching and vision blurry. I blinked, and my surroundings came into focus.

  What the hell?

  This was like no cell I’d ever seen before. There were no stone walls, no rats, no putrid water dripping from the ceiling. Instead, it was a wooden platform high amongst the trees. The arched windows revealed a view of the forest beyond, which was cast in the shadow created by a partial moon. Magic sparked around the edges of the window, a sharp prickling that promised death if I so much as touched it.

  I tried to draw my knife from the ether, but a spell blocked it. Damn it.

  Next to me, Talan lay unconscious on the smooth wooden floorboards. The anti-magic cuffs bound his wrists. Fear spiked, and I leaned over to shake his shoulder. “Talan, wake up.”

  He groaned low but didn’t open his eyes. What had they hit him with? It had to have been something powerful. They knew how strong he was—they would have made sure to take him out.

  Thank fates they hadn’t known what I was capable of.

  Talan moaned again, then opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused. He blinked to clear his vision.

  “Cora?” His voice was rough with worry and pain. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. How are you?”

  “Fine.” He rubbed his head and sat up. “Whatever they used was strong, though. How long was I out?”

  “No idea. I was out, too.” I looked out the windows again. It was still full dark, so it couldn’t have been that long. “We’re in some kind of weird cell. Did the queen mean what she said about killing us?”

  “Absolutely.” He frowned. “Especially with the state the queen is in. There’s something off about her. She’s more unhinged, and her power is more intense, though I can't put my finger on why.”

  I swallowed hard. Attempting to kidnap the queen was pretty damned bad. Probably the worst crime one could attempt, short of murder. She was definitely going to kill us.

  And we were totally trapped. The magic that sparked at the windows and door made it clear we weren’t getting out until someone came to get us.

  I drew in an unsteady breath as the walls seemed to close in on me. It didn’t matter that the cell was airy and spacious--it was being trapped that bothered me. I shivered, memories of my time in captivity making anxiety claw at my skin.

 

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