Chapter 15
A Palatial Gig
The pink glitter formed a cloud like swarm of maliciously pretty biting flies, hung in the air a moment, then swirled onto the gleaming wall as if sucked there by a giant’s inhalation.
They sparkled for a while, forming what could be the outline of a doorway big enough to admit a carriage, then gradually faded away, vanishing into the buttery surface and leaving no trace.
“Well, fuck me,” Cha declared. In disgust, she attempted to reholster the wand.
It stuck to her palm.
She held out her hand, fingers out flat, expecting it to fall. Nope.
She shook it hard. Nope. Stuck there as if glued—plus the shaking scattered even more pink glitter all over Katu’s once very nice interior. Infuriated, she held the wand outside the car and shook it harder, to no avail, then used her other hand to try to peel it off her palm.
That hand stuck, too.
Her situation had gone from comically irritating to lethally dangerous in a blink.
This was how humans died in the old tales.
Stuck to objects and unable to feed themselves.
Feet trapped in shoes that never stopped dancing.
She was a fool. Rule number one of dealing with the fae was not to mess with magical artifacts.
The problem was, there were an awful lot of Rules that qualified for the number one spot, with the one rule to rule them all being don’t mess with the fae, period, full stop.
Too fucking late for that.
To top off the current in-hot-shit sundae with a glaring red cherry of incipient disaster, Katu’s hold on the ley line began slipping.
The turbulent current at the wall began dragging them back toward the fast yellow going down.
Cha got a sudden image of them zipping backward down that roller-coaster of a ley line, completely out of control.
With that kind of uncontrolled surfing of the line, they’d surely be flung off to their deaths.
That seemed to be the likely result everywhere she turned at the moment.
Driving Katu up the wall and over the top was sounding better and better.
She could theoretically do that with her hands glued together around the wand.
She didn’t need her hands to ride the ley—but she did need her concentration and worrying about spending the rest of her natural life, which admittedly might not be all that long, welded to this fucking wand had her considerably distracted.
In fury, feeling Katu slipping even more as he tired, his panic rising, she fisted her hands around the wand and screamed out. “Open the fucking door already, you yellow-bellied faery twits!”
The pink glitter brightened to a blinding fuchsia glare, swirled up in a mini-tornado, and drove for the wall.
A door opened, revealing a park-like interior.
The ley line moved them graciously within, at a stately speed like a many masted sailing ship.
And they came to a halt where the ley line ended in a slow yellow swath beneath a golden-leaved tree, one of many dripping with apple- and pear-like fruit in enticing shades from freshly churned butter to deepest amber.
The wand squirmed—literally wriggled like a snake—and in instinctive revulsion, she dropped it, as if burned.
It fell to the passenger seat, shedding glitter on the way, of course, but otherwise lay there completely inert, reverting to its phony-looking aspect.
Just another child’s toy acquired at Santa’s Village.
Huffing out a breath and pointedly ignoring the treacherous implement of destruction—no way was she touching it again, even just long enough to slip it into its holster, instructions from the simple handbook or not—she took an extended moment to look around and just breathe.
Katu was panting gently, clearly tired, and she wanted to give him a moment to rest also.
She’d really like to find him some ambrosia.
In fact, she’d have to if Katu was to drive them out of this uncannily pretty place, hopefully with Azul in the passenger seat.
But, even if she could locate some, it would be a very bad idea to simply help herself.
The Citrine fae wouldn’t take kindly to that.
And that was if they didn’t annihilate her on sight.
So far, however, it seemed as if no one had even noticed her gate-crashing the palace grounds.
The parklike daffodil lawn spread out beneath more of the lovely golden-leaved trees that reminded her of fruit-bearing weeping willows.
Astonishingly large bumblebees collected on the “pears” and “apples”—she knew better than to think of them as equivalent to the human-realm fruits—filling the air with a steady hum.
The citrine version of bluebirds—yellowbirds?
—flocked about, like flecks of sunshine, singing sweet and complicated melodies that interwove with the harmony of the bees’ buzzing.
And butterflies fluttered in clouds of honey-colored wings.
After a moment, Cha realized that the rising birdsong heralded dawn. Indeed, everything began to brighten, the yellows taking on more lurid tones that would no doubt soon become eye-scorching. Maybe all-over flesh-scorching. No lingering under the pretty trees then.
Time to find Azul and get out of there.
She considered her choices. The ley line ended there, so Katu couldn’t continue in carriage form.
Potentially, she could leave him parked there in the shade, but she didn’t like the idea of him being alone and unprotected.
The fae (almost certainly) wouldn’t harm him.
Someone could, however, take a liking to him and impound him, as the Moonstone fae had done.
Who knew what would’ve happened to Katu if Azul hadn’t rescued him?
That didn’t bear contemplating, so no way was she leaving him.
Grabbing the Cinnabar sword and the wand—both safely holstered—she vaulted from Katu and onto the daffodil lawn.
It squished a little uncannily beneath her black boots, but otherwise seemed benign.
She triggered Katu’s transformation, the glinting magic bright enough to make her aware she was already squinting against the pervasive glare of sunlight.
After attaching the sword and wand sheaths to the belt that rode low on her hips, she fished her black, nearly opaque and reflective sunglasses from the pocket of her leather jacket, very glad she’d thought to bring them.
Katu, starkly and glossy black against the buttery landscape, sat on his haunches, panting gently still, pink tongue lolling and emerald eyes bright. She stroked his flat head, avoiding the ears he didn’t like having touched.
“I know you don’t love the collar, but…” she told him and crouched, buckling the collar around his neck.
“At least it’s the fancy one.” She adjusted it, smoothing the fur beneath, laughing when he licked the side of her face with his raspy tongue.
The amber jewels in the collar glittered nicely and matched his eyes.
They were paste, but oddly enough the fae didn’t seem to catch onto that from a distance.
And the fae loved jewels of all kinds. It was an easy and inexpensive way to impress them.
Or, at least, stall them momentarily from squashing you like a bug.
No, she wasn’t nervous about this at all. Why do you ask?
She attached his leash to the loop on the collar, which was mainly for show. Katu listened to her because they were friends and partners—and if the hundred-and-fifty pound jaguar took it in his head, no way would the slim leash and even her wiry strength hold him back.
They strolled through the park under the trees, for all the world as if enjoying a fine summer day, heading toward the glowing giant gem of a fairytale castle that shimmered like a mirage a surprising distance away.
The area inside the wall seemed much larger than it had looked from outside, or from the bottom of the mountain.
Like time, physical distances worked differently in the fae realms. Something to keep in mind, especially here.
Just because Citrine looked much more “normal” to her eyes—particularly in contrast to the topsy-turvy nightmare that was Moonstone—that didn’t make it any less intensely magical and deeply alien.
Especially since all of this was most likely that spikily nasty place she saw when Warg grounded her.
She’d take the glamoured version, frankly.
Nobody was about still, which made her uneasy.
Yes, it was barely dawn, so maybe they were all sleeping, but the fae she’d known had been largely uncaring of day and night cycles, with many species of fae decidedly nocturnal.
Maybe that wasn’t true of the Citrine fae.
Nobody knew much about them. She wasn’t even sure what one would look like…
On the heels of that thought, a tall fae appeared on the path before her.
Sweepingly lovely, with golden hair as bright as the leaves of the weeping trees, equally as tall and willowy.
And completely naked. She looked like a goddess of erotic love, her full breasts bouncing gently as she moved, nipples a hypnotic primrose dance, her hips swaying seductively, and the patch of hair like spun gold at the apex of her perfect, slender thighs.
Cha wasn’t into women. Sometimes she wished she was as she and Dy would’ve been the perfect couple, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from this ethereal and carnal creature.
Dy, faithful as she was to Phinny, would have found her restraint sorely tested. The brunette down the street wouldn’t have stood a chance. Such was the allure of the fae for mere mortal senses.
The fae woman smiled at Cha, a delicious curve of luscious lips that begged to be kissed. The smile illuminated her face and all around her, brighter than the waxing daylight. This fae woman was more beautiful than anyone she’d ever seen. Like sunshine.
“Hello there,” Sunshine said warmly, her dulcet tones shaming the birdsong. She sounded delighted to meet Cha, as if this were the best, most exciting thing ever to happen to her. “How enchanting to have a mortal visitor. Who might you be?”
Cha found herself opening her mouth to give her name and, fortunately, managed to retain enough wit not to speak her real name aloud. “Bandit,” she answered.
“Bandit,” Sunshine repeated in a reverent tone. “What a beautiful name.”
Cha knew full well that wasn’t true, but the fae couldn’t lie, which meant the woman believed it.
“And this gorgeous carriage cat!” Sunshine bent, golden breasts hanging like the ripe fruit from the trees, making Cha’s mouth water for a taste of them.
The fae patted Katu’s head, rubbing his ears, and the jaguar purred loudly, then flopped over and offered his belly.
Cha fully understood the impulse, wanting to flop on her back and offer herself for caresses too.
Sunshine laughed like golden bells and knelt on the daffodil grass to indulge him.
Glancing up with dancing molten gold eyes, she patted the ground beside her in invitation.
“Come and sit with me, Bandit. I think we shall be the best of friends.”
Flattered, Cha plopped herself beside the fae, who smelled enticingly of honeysuckle and sweet, yeasty dinner rolls.
Intoxicated by the scent, she leaned in closer, nearly pressing her nose to the satiny golden shoulder peeping through the shining glory of the fae’s silken hair.
Far from being offended, Sunshine smiled at her seductively and stretched out her long, glorious legs.
She patted one of those golden thighs, managing to make it look like a sensual caress.
“You must be tired after your long journey,” she purred. “Why don’t you lay down your weary head for a bit?”
Grateful for that mercy, Cha eagerly laid her head on that pillowy lap, her body melting into the daffodil grass as she folded her arms over her breast and gazed up at the dappled leaves and fluttering wings.
Sunshine slid delicate fingers through Cha’s dark curls, soothing and arousing at once, taking away all the minor pains Cha hadn’t realized were there until they’d vanished.
She gazed down at Cha, the luscious hair falling around them like a rain of light, Sunshine’s eyes glowing with affection.
“You’re such a beautiful, sexy human,” she said admiringly. “Such a honeypot, aren’t you? I’ve never met a mortal like you, Bandit.”
Cha blushed, terribly pleased. Those perfect breasts swayed alluringly just above, the heavy nipples so delicious that Cha’s mouth watered for them.
“You’re fascinating,” Sunshine crooned, trailing fingertips over Cha’s cheekbones, jaw, and throat. “I must know all about you. Every little detail. Tell me everything, Bandit,” she urged.
She wanted to. Words tumbled to her lips, rushing to give this incredible fae woman all she asked for. “I was born on a farm in Granite,” she began. “My father wore out early working the fields. My mother, she—”
Sunshine laid a honeysuckle-scented finger over Cha’s lips, gently stroking, slightly parting them.
She tsked in reproval, making a disappointed face.
Chagrined, panicking a little at having failed already with her brilliant new friend, Cha drew that fingertip into her mouth—the fae’s effervescent skin tasted of lemondrops and fine champagne—and eagerly suckled, showing her humble obedience.
Her mouth plugged, she widened her eyes, pleading with her mistress to show mercy.
Sunshine didn’t award one of her glorious smiles, but her frown dissipated like the sun burning through an overcast. With her free hand, she brushed the curls back from Cha’s forehead, the finger in Cha’s mouth pressing down on her tongue.
“You need to work harder to please me, Bandit,” Sunshine said sternly, emphasizing Cha’s handle.
A distant part of her recognized the magical coercion laid into the fae’s wielding of her name—and was relieved she’d had the wit to only give her handle and not her actual name.
Most of her mind, however, was fully enchanted and wanted only to please her mistress.
Cha nodded eagerly and slowly the fae withdrew her finger, painting Cha’s lips with her own saliva.
“Now, begin again, but tell me everything about why you’re here. ”