Chapter Eight
It wasn’t a party. It was a spectacle.
I tried to keep myself from gawking as we made our way into a ballroom that looked like it belonged inside Buckingham Palace—although its size and opulence were the only similarities.
Chandeliers wreathed with ivy hung overhead, pillar candles in glass orbs sending warm light sparkling over silk-draped tables laden with platters of succulent fruits and vases of large, blooming flowers. A heavy perfume of rose petals and something sweet and herbal filled the air along with the melodic chatter of the gathered crowd and soft, luring music from unseen musicians.
Despite my best attempts, I kept catching myself staring at the other guests. The fae moving around the space radiated an ethereal unearthliness. Their skin was too polished to be human, their eyes glowing too brightly, their movements too graceful and otherworldly, making goosebumps ripple over my skin. My body instinctively understood that even with their beauty and grace, I was in the midst of predators.
“Stick close to me,” Ciara advised. I didn’t object, aware of the potential danger surrounding me. “Would you like something to eat?”
“I’m fine.” But my stomach grumbled at the lie, and she raised a coiffed eyebrow. I gave up. “Sure.” Then paused, thinking better of it. “I’m not going to be punished for taking your food, am I?”
“No.” Her forehead bunched like she was being tested. “You are my brother’s guest here.”
I didn’t bother to argue I was more of a prisoner. I’d lost that argument too many times already. But the mention of food had made me uncomfortably aware of how famished I was, the hunger gnawing at me for attention. I’d barely eaten breakfast. “Is it safe to eat?”
She only laughed and grabbed my hand as she led me toward one of the banquet tables. I stayed close to her as people watched us. I definitely didn’t want to get lost among the strange, beautiful creatures surrounding us.
Their attention faded as we approached the food. My stomach had been knotted this morning, making it impossible to eat, but there was something about Ciara that almost put me at ease. I refused to trust a Gage. But I was hungry.
If I managed to go through with this plan, I’d either be on the road by dawn or in a cell—because this place definitely had a dungeon somewhere, no matter what Gage said—and this might be my last meal. I grabbed a gold-rimmed plate.
Ciara dropped my hand and stepped to the side, seeming to sense she shouldn’t stand between me and the food. She chuckled softly and tipped her head toward the feast. “Help yourself.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. Some of the dishes were full of food I recognized. Bowls of ripe fruit, beckoning with their sweet scent, the aroma more pungent than I’d ever smelled. Chafing dishes full of roasted meats that dripped with juices. Bread and cheeses of every shape and variety. But among them were things I didn’t recognize. Fruit the size of an apple with nearly translucent skin that revealed purple veins in its flesh. Something that was definitely not chicken. And a sauce wafting a smell that was completely foreign. I avoided them all and piled my plate with the normal food I knew from the human world.
Ciara appeared beside me, picked up one of the strange fruits, and plopped it onto my already heaping plate. I gave her a questioning look.
“Trust me.”
No one else was eating. Maybe they were used to lavish buffets every night. Maybe food never ran out in the Otherworld. Maybe they never knew hunger. As I stepped away, I caught sight of the dessert table and whimpered.
Ciara tracked my gaze and laughed. “We can come back for another round.”
Appeased, I smiled. “Lead the way.”
She steered us to a small alcove off the main ballroom. She hadn’t bothered with a plate. Instead, she watched as I dug into my food. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted, like…magic. Each bite made me crave more, and I found myself eating so quickly that I was glad no one was near us. I made myself pause between mouthfuls. “Why is no one eating?”
“They will when they’ve had enough wine. There’s no rush. The party will go all night.”
Exactly like I expected. I just had to find Gage alone and hope they were all too drunk to notice he was missing until after sunrise.
“Do you want any?” I gestured to my plate, feeling a little rude for eating in front of her.
And for planning to kill her brother. Because honestly, Ciara was genuinely nice.
“I’m not certain it’s safe to take anything off it.”
I grinned at her and plunged on until there was nothing left but the strange fae fruit she’d added.
Ciara picked it up and held it out. “It’s not poisonous.”
A warning clanged in my chest. The last time a fae had offered me fruit, I’d wound up bound to him in a bargain. I shook my head. “I’m full.”
Her lips quirked, and she pushed it toward me. “The food here won’t ever fill you up. It’s nourishing,” she added when she saw my wide-eyed look, “but you can never eat too much.”
“Is this heaven?” I asked.
Her smile dimmed for the first time since we arrived. “Far from it.”
I accepted the strange fruit with some hesitation. Ciara was sweet, but there had to be other differences between the fae and humans. I just didn’t want to find out through my tastebuds.
She sighed. “Just try it. I promise nothing bad will happen if you do.”
I hesitated still, but that felt like a fae bargain I could live with—and curiosity was slowly winning over my reluctance. I braced myself and took a bite. It melted on my tongue, its syrupy sweetness oozing like honey but with a sharp, bright tang. Warmth flooded through me, flushing my cheeks, and I couldn’t help taking a second bite.
“It’s a blood apple,” she told me with a smug grin.
I nearly dropped it.
“Not real blood,” she assured me. “It’s just the extremely clever name some ancient fae gave it based on its looks.”
As unappetizing as the name was, I couldn’t deny that she was right. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
“It only grows in the Otherworld. It’s forbidden to plant in your realm. I’m not certain it would grow anyway. There’s so little magic in your earth.”
But there was magic. It was impossible to wrap my head around it. How would I look at my world the same after this? Especially if what she said was true about other creatures.
Before I could pry more information from her, a shadow fell over the table, and I looked up to find Gage glowering down at us. He wore a tuxedo, his tie knotted at his throat, and there was no sign of his holsters bulging under his arms—the guns I was going to need later sadly missing.
The suit made him look almost civilized, but there was something of that predatory fae that remained. I sucked in a jagged breath, struck again by that terrible beauty and that supernatural aura that called out to me.
Monster. I had to remember what hid beneath that perfect face.
I returned his glare. “Lovely impression of a caveman.” But his sneer faltered as I stood up, a momentary look of surprise ghosting across his face. “Do I meet your approval now?”
His gaze skirted along me as if determining just that, pausing a little too long in spots that told me he was definitely not a gentleman. What happened to not his type?
Gage arched a brow, lifting a long, tattooed finger and spinning it slowly. I scowled but turned, trying not to trip over my own feet. Maybe the glamour extended past the surface because I moved smoothly, gracefully, as the skirt of my gown fluttered around me like wings. He didn’t speak when I stopped and faced him. After a moment, he cleared his throat slightly and shrugged. “You’ll do.”
My cheeks burned, but I refused to cower. Instead, I scanned him from head to toe, sighed, and said, “I guess I can be seen with you, too.”
His lips twitched. “Is that so?”
I pinned a bland smile on my face. “It’s not like I have a choice.”
Ciara coughed politely, and her brother’s mouth drooped into a frown.
“Yes, dear sister?” he said through clenched teeth. “Is there something you feel you have the right to add?”
She rose to her feet, tossing me an irritated eye roll—but not before I saw a flash of hurt cross her face. “Try not to kill him,” she muttered to me, and I almost snort-laughed. But then she turned on him. “Lach, you can be such a prick. You should tell her she’s gorgeous.”
She didn’t wait for a response before she disappeared into the crowd.
I scowled at him. “Are you rude to everyone?”
Shadows darkened his eyes. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.” He crooked his arm. “My sister will recover. She always does.”
He sounded almost…jealous, which didn’t make sense. “You should be nicer to her.”
“And why is that?” he asked, arm still extended.
“She’s your family.”
His brows nudged together. “So?”
“Not everyone is so lucky.” I didn’t know why I was bothering. It was clear that Gage was blinded by his overly inflated ego.
But something flickered in his eyes at my answer. “Come on. I need a drink.”
I blinked. “So, go get one.”
That thing prickled and sharpened at the back of my neck.
He smirked. “You were saying?”
“Don’t even think about it.” I thrust my arm through his, keeping the rest of my body as far from his as possible. “I guess you don’t need to do a caveman impression. You are one.”
“Delightful,” he muttered as we made our way to the next chapter of this nightmare.
We wound our way through the crowd, Gage nodding at others as we passed but not pausing to talk to any of them. Many dipped their heads in slight bows, their eyes following us through the room. So much for avoiding attention.
“What exactly are you?” I murmured as I caught them whispering behind our backs.
“Fae,” he said tightly, as if he didn’t enjoy being here, either.
“I know that.” I frowned at him, even if I was still processing that fact. “Why are they staring at you?”
“Perhaps they’re staring at you.” His voice lowered. “The glamour suits you.”
My head whipped toward his. He couldn’t be serious. What happened to you’ll do? “Don’t flirt with me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said smoothly, aiming us toward the back of the room, away from anyone else. “It’s simply called a compliment. No need to get testy.”
“Testy?” He had not just said that. “I suppose I should be honored to hang on your arm?”
He paused to cast a sharp look at me. “It’s not exactly an insult to be seen with the Prince of the Nether Court.”
I lost my footing, but he was quick to right me, not even breaking stride as we continued to move through the room. Prince? I mouthed the word like I was chewing on it, not sure how it might taste. My confidence in my plan faltered. How was I going to kill a prince?
No choice.
Gathering myself back together, I forced my features into indifference. “I guess that explains your unearned arrogance.”
Darkness flashed in his eyes, but he leaned closer, so close that his lips nearly brushed my ear, his breath ghosting across its shell, sending goosebumps rippling along my arms. “It’s not unearned, princess.”
I jerked away from him, from the heady rush his nearness sent charging through me, and regarded him with cold eyes. “Stop calling me that.”
“Would you prefer queen?” Laughter coated his voice.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned.
“I believe that means I can call you whatever I want.” He chuckled at my glare. “Besides, I don’t think there’s a more fitting title for you. Not when you give orders so boldly. You’ll need that courage to survive here.”
It was almost another compliment, but I wasn’t about to let it go to my head. I couldn’t afford to let him get to me in any way. Because I suspected the thing that would be hardest to survive about the Nether Court was its prince himself. That was exactly why he couldn’t live, so letting him charm me… I couldn’t.
“But if you like, I could call you something else. Gertrude, perhaps?”
I blinked, a laugh spilling from me before I could stop myself. So far he had glowered and flirted and taunted, but that had been an actual joke. “Just call me Cate.”
He inclined his head, but from the mischief glinting in his eyes, I doubted he would.
Since he seemed to be in a good mood, I seized the moment. “Your necklace didn’t work. I was stuck here all day.”
I had to be certain of how the magic worked before I…
Gage didn’t look at me. “It works.”
It took effort not to attempt murder on the spot. “If you aren’t going to uphold the bargain—”
“The terms were set today,” he interrupted me. “Hence, they start today, and since you received the necklace after sunrise…”
“You’re unbelievable.” A few heads turned toward us, and Gage hurried me along.
“I swear it will send you home at sunrise. Happy?”
“Ecstatic.”
A slight rumble rose from his chest, his nostrils flaring, before he gestured toward the bar. “I really need that drink.”
That made two of us.
We were a few steps from the bar when he placed a hand on the small of my back. I opened my mouth to protest and found him staring over my shoulder, a frown deepening on his face even as his hand remained possessively in place, making me more aware of him, of the warmth and steadiness of that hand, of how every nerve in my body seemed to narrow to that point of contact. I wondered how many humans had unwittingly bound themselves to fae under the influence of that strange, seductive magic he wielded.
I was still preoccupied as we reached the bar. His hand fell away, and, instantly, my head cleared. Further proof of his magical, fae fuckery. He held up two fingers. I took a step back, needing more distance between us, and bumped into the man behind me.
“Watch it,” a rough voice said.
My blood chilled as I recognized the deep timbre and whipped around to find the man from last night glaring at me.
“Manners, MacAlister,” his companion said, a trace of London on his tongue as he adjusted the sleeve of his tux.
MacAlister continued to glower at me, but the other man nodded. He was both ruggedly handsome and infinitely bored, his white hair as icy as his light-blue eyes. Gage stepped next to me, pressing a champagne flute into my palm before moving his hand to rest once more on the small of my back. I didn’t shrink away from his touch this time, even if I didn’t know what he was playing at.
“Bain.” He spoke to the other man. “I’m pleased you were able to make it.”
Bain scoffed at the greeting. “Liar. I hear I missed out on yesterday’s fun.”
I swallowed as I recalled the fun he spoke of, but I must not have kept my disgust from showing. His companion returned my stare, his lip curling back when he recognized me.
I lifted my chin. “That’s your idea of fun?”
That caught Bain’s interest. He turned his attention from Gage to me, but I didn’t shrink under his glare. I returned it.
Gage’s fingers dug into my back.
MacAlister chuckled. “He deserved what he got.”
“For breaking a bargain?” I asked.
MacAlister’s eyes flicked to Gage. “Do you always let them speak so freely?”
Oh, he did not just say that.
“He doesn’t let me do anything,” I shot back hotly. “I’m a person. Not a pet.”
Gage tensed next to me but didn’t step in.
Bain did. “And how does your kind deal with rapists?”
The question rang in my ears, the floor suddenly unstable beneath me. Gage moved closer, his strong body bracing mine as if he sensed the sudden shift. A hand closed over mine like a warning. My attention riveted to the whorls winding over the back of it, the ink streaming down to where his skin touched mine. Gage cleared his throat. “As I’ve said before, scum like that deserve far worse.” The words sawed out of him. “Cate is new here.”
Something sparkled in Bain’s quicksilver eyes. “Ah. That explains it. Our ways must seem monstrous to you.”
I felt all their eyes on me as he dangled the bait and waited for me to bite.
Instead, I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know.”
Bain inclined his head. “And now that you do?”
“I agree. He deserved worse,” I said to everyone’s surprise, even my own. Gage glanced down at me, his expression unreadable.
Before we could debate the merits of the fae justice system further, Ciara sauntered over. “Why is no one dancing?” she demanded, then winked at me.
I breathed an inner sigh of relief, grateful for her interruption. Not only was I meeting more fae than I wanted, I was drawing attention to myself—so much for remaining anonymous. But my respite was short-lived.
Gage held out his hand. “We’ve been ordered to dance.”
I stared at his outstretched palm.
Ciara nudged me with her shoulder. “Go,” she whispered, and if I’d had any doubt about her timing, it vanished.
“We’ll join you,” Bain said, extending his hand to Ciara. Her throat slid at his implied command, but she smiled and dropped her hand in his.
I forced myself to do the same, giving my hand to her brother. I needed to get Gage to drop his guard. Dancing might help, I reasoned. But I barely registered anything as he led me onto the dance floor, every eye in the room following our every move.
His grip tightened on mine, and I tried to ignore the way my heart rate ratcheted up when he drew me against his broad chest. I slipped my arm around his waist only to discover the hard outline of his gun.
No holster tonight but tucked somewhere more accessible, as if he expected he might need to draw it more quickly. So, he didn’t trust his own guests. I couldn’t blame him for that.
His mouth tightened. “Careful,” he warned.
I moved my arm up, resting my palm on his strong shoulder, hoping I hadn’t given myself away. That gun was mine the second I found an opening.
“You’re thinking,” he accused.
“Is that a crime?” I asked. I didn’t dare look at him, didn’t dare risk seeing what was in his eyes. But looking at our audience was somehow even worse. “Do they ever get tired of staring at you?”
His dark laugh rippled down my neck and settled deep inside me. Up close, his scent filled my nose—the deep, woody aroma of cedar laced with warm spice. It smelled as dangerous as the rest of him.
“Can you blame them?” he murmured.
I snorted, determined not to fall under his spell, even if I was grateful for the distraction. “Cocky bastard.”
“There are many women who would be happy to dance with me.”
I turned my face up to give him a wolfish smile. “Why don’t you find one of them?”
“That would be rude of me. You are my guest.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “Don’t start in again about how you’re my prisoner. I did you a favor.”
“Do you expect me to thank you?” I shook my head at the arrogance. He could spin it however he wanted, but we both knew he’d tricked me. Had I known, I might have made a different decision, tried to find another way to help Channing. Or packed my brother up and run to the ends of the earth.
“You would do well to remember that I have the power to make your life pleasant…” Gage traced a finger up the length of my spine, sending an unbidden thrill fluttering through my body. He smiled down at me as if he knew exactly the reaction that touch had produced. “Or miserable, every night for the rest of your life.”
Defiance sparked inside me, and I refused to cower from that beautiful face or his cruel manipulation. “The way I see it, I can do the same.”
He studied me for a moment, and then he laughed. The warm sound cascaded down my body and pooled somewhere low and forbidden. He leaned closer, his mouth brushing my ear. “Should I be watching my back, princess?” I tensed at how close his words hit to the mark, but he didn’t seem to notice and I didn’t reply.
One dance led to another, until my feet hurt from the spinning. Normally, I loved to dance, but there was nothing normal about tonight. Even time seemed to slip away as he pressed me against his body, one song bleeding into the next. Until finally, Gage straightened, his eyes sweeping the room before they found mine. His next words sealed his fate. “Let’s get out of here.”