Chapter Seventeen
Oleander
Rowan’s wings are folded in, though her spiked tail thrashes behind her in a wild way. She was always half-feral, from what I know of her and what Vale told me of growing up. I like that energy about her.
She should technically be ruling the air Fae and Guivre, given she is the oldest female of Narisa’s line.
Emma, Rowan’s mother, having preceded Narisa in death with Rowan still young, Balthazar, the greedy dragon, had claimed the throne as ‘regent’ the moment Narisa passed the Veil.
He’s been spinning the city as a non-monarchy for centuries as a manner of keeping power.
As the tunnel widens out, we enter her living room, essentially.
I’ve been here thrice before, but the cavern still impresses me.
The walls are the soft orange-red of the bedrock here, just a shade darker than the sands above.
Candles are tucked into small, carved alcoves, casting flickering light throughout.
An oven is dug out and lined with stone with a small chimney that vents to the surface.
There is a wire rack over it for cooking, but it functions for heat too, though neither Rowan nor Vale are as sensitive to cold as me.
Near that is a long wooden table and a small cavern into the rock, serving as a basic ice-box.
Most of the space is open, except for a large rustic bookshelf, filled to the brim, and long, low cushions that act as couches and guest beds.
A hallway leads back, further into the cave, but I’ve never been past this room.
Vale says there is a Fae-sized bedroom, her hoard cavern—where she likes to sleep in dragon form—and a secret back entrance large enough for a dragon.
“Come, sit,” Rowan says, pulling a jug from the ice-box. “Let me meet my son’s lovers.”
Kai coughs uncomfortably.
Vale frowns. “Ollie’s lovers, mother. Well...” he pauses, obviously remembering that he’s fooled around with both Lo and Finn.
I smirk and Rowan catches it. She grins at me. “Uh huh.”
She pours the drink into mugs and Vale and I take them to pass out.
“I’ll add some smoked fish and extra greens to the stew I have going, make it go far enough for such big, strapping boys.” Her eyes are firmly on Kai and I struggle not to grin.
I take my mug and sit on the couch, tucking myself under Vale’s arm as I hear Rowan putter around her kitchen. Lonan, Kai, and Finn sit on another couch across from us, all looking nervous.
Suddenly, Vale’s hand is on my cheek, his firm touch turning my face upward to him and he kisses me. It’s intense and possessive and full of emotion. When his lips finally part from mine, he kisses my nose. “You have been neglecting your job, treasure. I’m tempted to put you there right now.”
I shake my head firmly. I’m not about to get stuffed full of dragon cock while trying to convince his mother to come back to the Court with us.
“Mmm,” he rumbles, deep in his chest, causing need to spark inside me, “Later then.”
His tone sounds so pleased that I’m immediately suspicious but before I can ask what he intends, Rowan sits down near us, swinging her braid out of the way as she tucks a leg under her.
I turn to her, and gesture, “Lonan, Kai, Finnick. My lovers.”
“Hmm,” she responds, eyes gleaming, “I know my son does not share well with others, so surely he must...”
“Mother,” Vale states firmly.
She chuckles.
“Alright,” she says, taking a drink of the hard cider and raising her hand. “So now, tell me, what brings you here?”
I smile. She’s always been straightforward and I adore that about her.
I take a deep breath but Vale starts.
“Uncle Balthazar wants your return to the Ivory Rotunda.”
“Oh, I’ll just fucking bet he does. Eighty-twenty odds are it's to kill me.”
“Sixty-forty, tops,” Vale responds flatly. “More importantly, mother, I need you to do this.”
She sits up straighter. “What is that grubby-pawed old codger after now? Your inheritance?”
“It’s not that,” Vale looks at me, his gaze soft, “Ollie needs his help. He’ll only grant it if you return to talk to him in person.”
She shakes her head, eyes darting between us. “What help is it that you need, Ollie sweetheart?”
Lonan clears his throat and Rowan turns to give him a thorough once-over. He’s silent until she inclines her head to him, indicating he can speak. I force down a smile.
“Ollie, as it turns out, has a claim to the high throne of Faery. In order for her to have a chance at the throne, we must take out Monkwick. Balthazar will send his full thunder against them, if we can convince you to meet with him.”
She turns to me, maroon eyebrows drawn, her sharp, pink face serious. “You’ve never seemed the type to want to rule.”
I shrug. “What I want is revenge. Since I’m not a shitheel, I can’t leave the realm in a lurch after I kill Alder, so I’m going to have to rule.” I shrug, “Can’t be worse at it than him.”
“A blind goose would be better at it than him,” Rowan snorts. She rubs her face and tosses back the rest of her drink. She stands and returns to the kitchen silently.
I look between Lo, Kai, and Finn as Vale holds me firmly against him. She pulls out bowls and spoons, and transfers the soup from the caldron, the sounds loud in the silence.
“Hatchling, love, pour more drinks, please,” she says in a somber voice. Vale stands and does as bid, before helping her bring us each a bowl of steaming stew.
When Rowan finally comes back to the couch and sits smoothly, she looks at me, regret written on her face. “I cannot do—”
“I’m calling in that favor,” I cut her off flatly.
I had expected it would come to this.
Rage dances in her eyes and her tail lashes back and forth. Finnick hurriedly crosses his legs up, out of the way.
“You would never, you knew that was a joke.”
“I would. And you spoke the words aloud, making it binding, joke or no.”
She snarls and Vale’s wings start to open. I squeeze his thigh.
“What favor? What joke?” he asks, anger coloring his tone.
Rowan looks at me murderously and I know what she is about to do. Dragons are gonna dragon, petty creatures.
“Remember the one time I snuck into Guivre to visit?” Rowan starts, staring at me victoriously.
Vale nods stiffly. “We got sauced at that dive tavern, The Lush Rat.”
“Mmhmm. And after me, Ollie, and that bird friend of yours drug ourselves back to your flat, and we got your sorry ass in bed...” She pauses, looking malicious, meeting my eyes.
She grins, “I fucked Ollie.”
“What!” Vale squeaks, tail wrapping around my waist tightly.
I glare at Rowan and Lo starts to laugh uproariously. Kai pinches his nose. Finnick stands gingerly and crosses to sit next to Vale’s other side, his hand landing upon his thigh.
Vale looks to me, eyes wide in horror. I pinch my lips together and press them to the side as I shrug a tiny bit.
“She’s a great lay,” Rowan continues, poking Vale. “Loved riding my tail. I think she said something about you not having spines.”
“Are you fucking serious, Oleander?” Vale hisses at me.
“Uh...” I swallow, “Do you remember what happened earlier that day?”
He blinks, thinking. “You got on my case about leaving tails around from my snacks. In the house.”
“Yes!” I blurt. “Ugh, it was like the twenty-seventh time I’d asked you to make sure you got rid of the tails, not leave them on the coffee table like a heathen! The last thing I want to do is pick up squirrel and deer parts!”
I take a deep breath as Vale’s big sapphire eyes stare at me. “Anyway, I guess I was still a little salty about it.”
“So you fucked my mother?” he blurts.
Rowan helpfully adds, “She eats box like a fucking champ.”
Vale lets out a long breath, still staring at me. “Oddly enough, I’ve heard that about her before.”
Lonan’s chuckles cut off sharply.
“She made me promise not to tell you. I extracted a favor in return,” I shrug again.
Vale blinks quickly, “This was all a part of your plan. Your revenge. You were collecting favors from powerful Fae and fucking anyone you thought could help you. And I didn’t even know an ounce of it.”
All I can do is shrug, because he’s not exactly wrong.
He stands and paces, wings out.
Finn glares at Rowan, before sparing some of that ire for me, as he stands and goes to Vale, taking his arm firmly. They speak softly for a minute.
I sit, straight backed, refusing to be cowed. I did what was needed. And I loved Vale. I still do. But I won’t be shamed for finding an avenue to killing the man that raped and tortured me.
Finn turns to us. “We’re going out, we’ll be back around nightfall.” His hazel eyes bore into me. “Don’t wait up.”
I LAY ON THE COUCH, a knit blanket pulled over me as I toss and turn. Lo and Kai are snuggled up on the other couch, both breathing evenly. It had taken me pretending to sleep to get them to relax, but they’re well and truly asleep now.
Rowan had retired to her rooms shortly after Finn and Vale left.
Lo had been breaking into chuckles randomly throughout dinner.
As soon as Rowan was gone, Kai had dug his hands into his red curls and asked me forlornly how many dragons he was going to need to kill. I assured him it was just the two.
I wasn’t trying to stay awake until they came back, but I was feeling a teeny, tiny bit of regret.
What would have happened if I had revealed to Vale during our time together my true identity?
He knew I had been abused, tormented, my sanity miraculously intact.
And he suspected it was the king, or someone powerful at Court, but he never pushed.
How would things have gone if I had told Vale I was Alder’s half-sister and I was going to kill him and take the throne?
I hear footsteps. I close my eyes and even my breathing.
“Thank you, Finnick. You helped.” Vale’s words are simple, but carry a lot of meaning for him.
“Of course, Vale. We’ve got each other, remember?”
I can hear the smile in Finn’s voice and my heart melts at my sweet husband.