Chapter 12
“So, what did you think of the sinful dark court?” asked Levos, plopping down onto Gaelin’s bed.
“Dark, rebellious, scary, and intimidating...yet beautiful,” I said, lying next to him.
He laughed at me. “Now do you understand my fascination with getting a peek behind their evil curtain?”
“Uh, no. There is nothing that would possess me to want to go to the dark court. Maybe if there was a way to get Lily out, but I would still be scared as hell to step foot in their little court of horrors.”
“Each to their own, I guess.”
“Can I ask you something?” I said hesitantly.
“Stop asking if you can ask. Just ask!” he snapped playfully, pinching me in the arm.
“Is there a chance that I could have…powers like you all do?”
Levos looked at me curiously, chewing over the question. “Most alfar show signs of their gifts before their fifth year of life. If you had our gifts there’d be no question about it, sweet Genevieve.”
I exhaled disappointedly. It was just a dream, Gen. Just a dream.
“Who is Ambassador Lyklor? Is he King Drezmore’s son?” I asked.
“Ha,” he scoffed. “No. King Drezmore doesn’t have an heir yet. Erendrial Lyklor is a conniving fox who shouldn’t be trusted by any means. He came from nothing. His parents were lower class. From what our spies have told us, they died before he turned eleven. Somehow, he found favor with a family who had money. He got a proper education and then slowly ascended to the table of the king. He is smart, devious, and will do anything to get what he wants.”
“And what does he want?”
“Power, station, the crown…who knows? Not our court, not our problem.”
“If he becomes king, won’t it be your problem then?” I asked, pushing him for more information.
He looked at me and smiled as if I were a child. “Erendrial Lyklor will never be king. The dark court would never allow a lower-class bastard to sit on their throne. King Drezmore will eventually have an heir. It’s just a matter of time. For now, stay away from Erendrial. He’s the very image of what the dark court stands for.”
I smiled at him and nodded in compliance. “He’s the very description of Lucifer Morningstar if you ask me.”
“The fallen angel? You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t become smitten with him, sweet Gen.”
“I’m not smitten. I am just saying. He is?—”
“Devious, malicious, deadly, yet surprisingly hard not to stare at. Yeah, I know. You aren’t the first female here to think so,” he said, winking at me.
“I didn’t say that.”
Levos shook his head and settled back into a pillow. I continued to fold the laundry as my mind fixated on the dark court. There was so much I still wanted to know, to learn. Now that they were here, maybe an opportunity would present itself to get me closer to Lily.
Levos had gone by the time Gaelin came back to his chambers to change before dinner. He was tenser than usual. I drew him a hot bath and filled it with lavender. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face into the crook of my neck.
“Will you join me?” he asked.
I smiled, turning to face him. “If that is where you wish me to be, then that is where I shall be,” I said, kissing his lips softly.
“It is. I need you,” he said as he tore at my dress, slamming me into the bed like I weighed nothing. My dress ripped down the seams, falling into pieces. He unfastened his belt buckle and slammed into me with force. I let out a loud moan from the instant pleasure that rushed through my body. He took me on his bed harder than he ever had before. He engulfed my mouth with his, devouring every part of my body that he encountered.
He let out a deep groan, slowing as he came to a finish. He leaned against me panting and out of breath. I trailed my fingers along his back. He pulled away and looked into my eyes. I gave him a small smile, unsure of where his head was.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken you like that,” he said.
I laughed, wrapping my arms around him. “It’s okay. I enjoyed it a little rough.”
He smiled back, lifting off me, then taking up my naked body and carrying me to the bathroom. He set me into the deep bath water and stepped in himself. I got the sponge and began to clean his flawless skin. His muscles were tense from the day’s negotiations. I scrubbed my fingers through his hair as the soap foamed.
“I’m here if you want to talk about it,” I whispered.
He looked back at me with his golden eyes, arching one eyebrow. He let out a long exhale as he leaned back against the other side of the tub across from me. “The dark court is unreasonable and selfish. I hate working with them no matter what the threat is,” he admitted.
“Planning didn’t go as you expected?”
“It went as I expected…long, unfruitful, and pointless. They are in our territory and yet expect to claim Otar’s body when he falls, since they brought the impending attack to our attention. That is not the terms we agreed upon, yet Lyklor somehow has spun his web of deception, making it sound as if the treaty favors his claim.”
“Is that his power…deception?”
“Ha, you would think the way he operates. No, he can inflict pain with a single look. He also can manipulate his pheromones to affect others in a way that favors his ambitions. The deceptions, scheming, and negotiation are all something he, unfortunately, taught himself. And though I hate to admit it out loud, he is good at it…too good.”
I slid across the bath, crawling onto his lap, pressing the fullness of my naked chest against him. “He may be a fox, but you are the hunter. You will catch the fox and skin him alive. Never forget that no matter how hard he tries to undermine you. The battlefield is your court, not his.”
He cupped my bottom with his hands, rubbing himself against me as he peered into my eyes with a smile. “Our conversation last night. I didn’t like talking like that with you. I know I hurt you and I’m sorry,” he said, kissing my chin.
“As you said, it’s the way of the world and I have to learn to adapt,” I whispered, dropping my head as my heart throbbed in pain. He caressed my face with his hand, pressing his forehead against mine.
“I love you, Genevieve,” he said slowly.
I pulled away, looking at him with confusion and shock. “What?”
“I love you and I am sorry I forced this life upon you. I know you wanted something different, someone different, but?—”
I took his face and kissed him passionately, sliding myself onto him until I felt his hardness hit the top of my insides. I arched back, enjoying the feeling of being filled by this male. Take the small pieces of heaven where you can, Gen, I thought. He pulled my mouth back to his as the rhythm of our motion splashed the water out of the tub onto the floor.
“I love you, Gaelin,” I said in between pants. He smiled, still holding me close to him.
I got dressed just in time for the knock that came at the door. Expecting it to be Levos, I rushed over, swinging the door open freely with a smile on my face. Erendrial Lyklor stood on the other side of the threshold. My face dropped to the floor as my eyes averted his. I stepped back, remembering my place.
“May I help you, Ambassador Lyklor?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, you can look at me, I won’t tell,” he whispered, leaning into my ear as he passed into the room. A sharp shuttering feeling crawled up my spine from being this close to him. I couldn’t decide if it was fear or curiosity. Gaelin came from the bathroom, back straight and shoulders broad in a defensive stance.
“What is the meaning of this visit?” said Gaelin.
I closed the door, moving off to the side of the room.
“Sorry, was I interrupting?” Erendrial said, inhaling deeply. “Sure does smell like it.” He turned and winked at me.
“Your purpose, Lyklor?” demanded Gaelin.
“Ah, yes. I think I’ve come up with a solution to our little Otar problem.”
“It couldn’t wait until our next meeting?” Gaelin asked, continuing to dress.
“Call me nosy, but I wanted to see how the other half lived,” Erendrial said, acting as if he was assessing the room. “Anyways, I propose that we both have our own teams of people examine the body together. We choose a secure, neutral location for the examination to take place. This way, anything the other team finds will be noted and we both can understand what creature Otar is just in case he isn’t the one controlling the rift.”
Gaelin stood for a moment, contemplating. He nodded slowly, with a stern face. “I will bring it to the king tomorrow and report back when a decision is made.”
“Excellent. See, that wasn’t so difficult, was it? This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship, Lord Atros,” Erendrial smiled smugly. He turned back to me and then made eye contact with Gaelin. “Is she a favorite or are you in a sharing mood? Since we’re friends now and all.”
Gaelin growled, his hands clenching into fists. “She is my concubine. No one else touches her; especially not filth like you”
Erendrial clicked his tongue before turning back to Gaelin. “And they call us selfish. I will see you at dinner, Gaelin.” He moved to the door without another word and left.
I relaxed, moving through the room, trying to distract myself from the dark court’s presence.
Gaelin took my arm and pulled me into him. “He will not touch you; I promise.” He kissed me on the head before leaving for dinner.
Ten minutes later I followed him into the throne room, taking my place against the wall. The dark court sat among the light, laughing, and eating their fill of food and wine. They acted as if they weren’t among enemies but friends. I didn’t know if it was a way to mess with their opponent’s minds or their legitimate perception of reality. The light alfar looked at them as if they were gunk on the bottom of their shoes.
Dinner felt like it dragged on longer than most nights. I rushed off to the kitchen to help with cleanup before heading back towards Gaelin’s chamber. The halls were quiet, even more so than usual. I guessed the light alfar didn’t want to have any unexpected run in with the dark court members. I thought back to my dream, trying to catalog the similarities of the day’s events. Not everything in my dream had happened, but there were too many coincidences to simply look past as if it meant nothing.
If I did have magic, there was no way of ever finding out without outing myself. If that happened, I wouldn’t have a head attached to my shoulders to understand my magic anyways. I turned down the main hall past the throne room. Crews were still inside, cleaning up after the feast. I entered, not wanting to go back to Gaelin’s chamber yet.
“Do you need an extra pair of hands?” I asked the other human servants inside.
They looked at me and laughed mockingly. “Go crawl back into your lord’s bed, whore. You’re no longer one of us. You’re a disgrace to our race,” a man said, spitting on the floor in front of me.
My smile fell as I backed away slowly from the group. The embarrassment and shame I felt when they looked at me was like a dagger to the gut. I didn’t choose this, but I could no longer say I didn’t enjoy it.
Gaelin had told me he loved me, and I had said it in return. Did I love him? I cared for him, but how could I ever truly love someone who kept me as a glorified pet? Our relationship could never be real. At least not in the way I needed. My job was simple. Keep him happy and keep myself safe while still trying to figure out how to get Lily out of that nightmare.
I went to the linen pantry at the end of the hall to gather fresh towels and herbs. As I exited, shutting the door behind me, I knocked into a cold broad figure. I looked up to see Erendrial Lyklor looking down at me with his striking, devilish grin. He slid one hand into his jacket, holding his position in front of me. I was blocked between him and the door behind me. I swallowed heavily, debating if I should scream or not. I dropped my eyes, playing like passive prey.
“What can I do for you, Ambassador Lyklor?” I asked softly.
He huffed in amusement. “First of all, never ask a male that question, you won’t like the answer or the results you’ll get from it. Second, my name is Erendrial, you may call me Eren if that is easier. Third, didn’t I tell you, you could look at me? I won’t report you, I promise,” he said sarcastically.
“And why should I trust you?” I snapped a bit too aggressively.
“A female with some fire...I like it. And honestly, you shouldn’t, but I will say you can if it makes you feel better.”
I ground my teeth together in annoyance. “Unless you need a clean towel, I really should be getting back to Lord Atros’s chambers.”
“Ah, right, so he can fuck you until his ego is sated.”
My eyes snapped up to him as I felt my heart slam against my chest in anger.
“Is that fury I see behind those eyes of yours, little one? It’s a good look on you.”
I pushed past him, trying with all my might to hold back my tongue.
“Aren’t you going to ask me how she is?” Erendrial said in a low tone.
I stopped dead in my tracks, turning back to him slowly. My breath quickened. Act like you don’t care, I thought. Put on a mask, don’t let him see. “And who should I be asking after?” I said, with my head higher than it should have been.
He smiled, walking to me casually. “Adorable Lilian Thomas of course. She’s the one you had your master asking after during his last visit, was she not?”
My heart dropped into my stomach. How did he know? Damn, he was clever, but what was he after?
“You’re not going to ask?” He said, shrugging as if it was nothing of importance. “Well, I will do you the courtesy of telling you anyway. She is doing well. She is regularly fed. We let her out to play with the other humans and bathe her occasionally when the stench starts to linger. Her little body is well cared for. Well sought after by the male alfar, I should say.”
“Do not—” I yelled, taking a step towards him, but stopping myself before I could sign my own death warrant.
He cocked his head in a predatory way with that devious smile stretched on his face. “Ah, so you do have some bite to you after all. I just have to strike the right chord.” His silver eyes roamed over my face for a brief moment. He leaned in, placing his lips close to my ear. “She has taken a lover, you know. Very seductive, the little human is.” He circled me as I stood grounded to the floor. I could feel my blood begin to boil. “His name is Zerrial. They fuck day and night. She’s quite the squealer, that one.”
“Stop talking about her like that,” I said, gritting my teeth.
He was taunting me, that was all. He was trying to get a rise out of me, and it was working.
He stopped in front of me with an eyebrow arched in amusement. “What? You don’t like the word fuck, is that it? Isn’t that what your master does to you whenever he feels like it?”
“No. It’s not—” I stopped myself, realizing he was goading me.
“It’s not what? Like that between the two of you? Would you rather I say making love? Isn’t that what humans call it? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news little one, but an alfar can’t experience love. We live too long, and we care too little. Believe whatever you need to, to get yourself through the encounters, but he does not love you…he can’t.”
I closed my eyes in an attempt to shut him out, holding the towels tightly against my chest, trying to calm myself. I heard him huff a small laugh before he walked around me down the hall. His words replayed through my head, then I heard his footsteps stop.
“Oh, and by the way,” he said, turning halfway back to me. “You have his eyes.” The corner of his mouth turned up.
My head went into a frenzy trying to make sense of his comment. “Whose? Whose eyes do I have?” I said too quickly.
He gloated at me over his shoulder. “Your father’s.” Then he was gone.
My heart skipped a beat. No, he didn’t know my father. This was a trick. He couldn't. He was a conniving fox, after nothing more than his own elevation.
I shook off the comment as best as I could, but he had gotten to me in more ways than one. He knew my weakness, Lilian. He knew too much about my relationship with Gaelin, and now he was dangling my father in front of me? Which would infer that he knew I was a half-breed. I made my way back to Gaelin’s chambers, trying to act normal. To my surprise, Gaelin was already asleep, which honestly, I was thankful for. I sat on the balcony and looked up at the stars, trying to come up with my own defenses against the ambassador of horrors.