Fae's Fate: Fated Mates of the Fae Royals (Summer Court Book 7)

17. Malachi

Nerita had fluttered about me the entire time I’d been in this place. Her attention had kept me focused on her and not the fact they had separated me from Ciara. I should never have let her go into the Water Sprite Master’s house alone, but I didn’t have a choice. We needed his help. He was our last hope.

The house Nerita had taken me to was charming, and she’d insisted I bathe and dress more fittingly for their realm. Not wanting to insult her, I did as she asked as quickly as possible because the scent coming from the bath water was so pleasant it made me want to stay in the bathroom and forget everything. Once I’d dressed in a flowing teal shirt and tight black pants, she led me to this enormous building. It was a vast ballroom floating in the middle of their village. Twinkling blue lights hung from the ceiling above the timber beams above our heads. The Water Sprites filled round tables seating a dozen people at each with blooming flowers, gold plates, and silver cutlery. They chatted amongst themselves as they devoured the plates of food on the tables.

Nerita insisted I sit at a table with her. The rest of the table was empty though, and I scanned the room looking for Ciara. Where was she? Was she all, right?

“Drink. Eat.” Nerita slid a glass and a plate toward me.

“No thank you.”

My stomach was tied in knots not knowing where Ciara was. The thought of eating when she might be in danger didn’t sit well with me.

Nerita scowled. “The Master won’t be happy.”

I flicked my gaze toward her. She was beautiful. Her flowing hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. Her eyes were alight with desire. She had plush lips she kept licking with her tongue. It would be easy to kiss her. Lose myself in what she was offering. Her come-on was blatant enough, but all I’d think about was Ciara. I didn’t want to kiss anyone but her. We’d once kissed other Fae in the Summer Court after daring each other to do it when we were young. I didn’t like it then, so I knew I wouldn’t like it now.

The room quietened. Every head turned toward the door. I followed the directions and at long last saw Ciara. Dia, she was beautiful. She took my breath away as she walked into the room on the Water Sprite Master’s arm. The colorful dress swirled like a living eddy of water about her body. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her even if I wanted to.

“Looks like the Master has a new toy,” Nerita said.

I scowled. No one would treat Ciara like a toy. She was a princess and deserved to be treated like one. People should bow at her feet. Worship her.

Each step carried her closer to me and my heart pounded harder, faster. I rose from the chair.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“I’m fine.” She squashed her lips together and glared at Nerita.

If she’d been my mate, then I would have let my imagination run wild she was jealous I was with another woman.

“Good. What are we doing here?” I directed my question to Sir Axis.

He drew a chair away from the table and motioned for Ciara to sit. She did so and the fact another man did that for her made my blood boil. I shoved my hands into the pockets of the black pants to hide the fact my power had glowed in my fingertips.

“You’re meeting with me,” Sir Axis said, sliding out of the chair beside Ciara and sitting at the table.

I scowled and reclaimed my seat. “At a party?”

He smirked. “Wherever I say. This is my kingdom. These are my people you’ve put in jeopardy by coming here and I’ll do whatever I see fit is necessary to protect them.”

Nerita clapped her hands as though his words deserved applause. Around us, the conversation started again. Perhaps she’d signaled for the party to recommence.

“We don’t mean your people any harm,” Ciara said.

“But you discovered a way in. If one comes, so will others.”

“My brother and his mate traveled here before us, but your darts prevented them from venturing beyond the statues,” she said.

“Your brother was the one who attempted to enter recently?”

“Aye.”

“Young Lorcan? I remember the time he and your sister Saoirse snuck into one of my balls when we used to live in the Everglades many years ago.”

“No, Rian.”

“Ah, the heir to the throne. Interesting, he’d put himself in jeopardy. I’m sure your father had a lot to say on the matter.”

“Father isn’t himself.”

The pain in her eyes hit me like a slash to the heart.

Sir Axis rested his arm behind the back of Ciara’s chair and the empty one beside him. It was as though he was marking her as his. Surely, he wasn’t her fated mate? If he was, there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

A server in very little clothing hovered at the edge of the table. Sir Axis clicked his fingers, and she rushed forward. He said something to her, but my focus was on Ciara. The server hurried away and in what was only seconds, she returned with a tray of unusual beverages. Tall glasses rose from the silver tray. The liquid inside was a glowing blue and from the top, a mist rolled down the sides of the drinks, onto the tray, and over her hand. She placed a glass in front of the four of us one at a time and smiled at Sir Axis. The smile could only be described as sultry. She wiggled her rear end as she walked away confirming my suspicion she was flirting with Sir Axis.

“To new friendships,” Sir Axis said, lifting the glass into the air.

Ciara’s expression didn’t look too sure, but she lifted her glass. I wrapped my hand around the one in front of me. The mist drifted over my hand and curled around my fingers.

“Is this a potion?” I asked.

“Smart young man you have here, Princess.”

“What does it do?” Ciara asked ignoring his comment about me, which smarted a bit since she was always smarter than me.

“A little of this. A little of that.” He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “Enough with no answers. I’m not drinking unless I understand what it does.”

Nerita smirked too. “Nothing bad will happen. Trust us.”

“I’m sorry.” Ciara shook her head. “But we don’t know you.”

“Yes, I know your parents. Your mother used to sing at my balls in the Everglades. Your father used to accompany her. They trusted us.” Sir Axis peered into Ciara’s eyes. “I miss our old kingdom of the Everglades. The Trappers hurt a lot of people when they attacked the Fae.”

I wanted to dig his eyes out with the spoon on the table sitting beside my hand.

“Then you should trust us enough to tell us what is in the potion.”

Sir Axis sighed. “Such is the drama.” He clicked his fingers in the air and the lights dimmed. Above our heads tiny particles of luminous blue floated, and I did not comprehend what they were. “Very well, I’ll tell you. It’s a happy potion. It makes you happy. Free to do whatever you wish.”

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Ciara murmured peering into her glass. “And you’ll consider helping us?”

I wanted all those things for her, but drinking a potion wasn’t the answer to our problems.

“It’s not bad,” he said inclining his head. “Most find it good.”

Most? I was about to ask, but Ciara sipped the potion before the word escaped my mouth.

She licked her lips and said, “It tastes like blueberry.”

“They are your favorite, no?”

“Aye,” she said with a smile.

Damn, the Water Sprite Master for making her smile. Was it the potion already working on her? Or was she happy this man was her fated mate? If he was, I still wasn’t sure what was going on between them.

Nerita placed her hand on my arm. “Drink up, handsome.”

Her palm slithered up my arm and nudged my elbow. Ciara nodded at me, so I picked up the drink and placed the lip of the misty glass to my mouth. We shouldn’t be doing this. We should ask for their help. Nerita urged my elbow upward until the liquid hit my lips. They tickled as though a feather was being traced over them. I opened my lips and let the liquid fill my mouth. Delicious flavors exploded over thousands upon thousands of tastebuds on my tongue.

“See, blueberry,” Ciara said.

I nodded but didn’t tell her the glass I held tasted the way I’d always imagined her to taste. Desire swamped me so much that I tipped the glass up and gulped the entire contents in one go as my cock throbbed an insistent beat in my pants to take Ciara in my arms and pleasure her until she was truly happy.

Sir Axis laughed and clapped his hands in delight. “Wonderful. Let’s see where the evening takes us now.”

Wait. What had I done?