Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Riona flinched at the knock on her door. Three sharp raps seemed so innocent sounding, but they were anything but innocent. They portended the beginning of a very important event in her life. Tonight she was going to the Unseelie Court with Aiden. Her feelings were all knotted into a jumble. Untangling her feelings about Aiden alone was complicated, but adding in going to the court made her feelings impossible. As if the weather was mirroring her feelings, thunder cracked loudly, followed by a flurry of lightning.
Getting to know Aiden had been a surprise. A wonderful, unexpected surprise. He was kind, attentive, patient, and welcoming of her in his home. The biggest surprise of all was his wicked sense of humor. The house was always filled with laughter, and the sound of his rich baritone laugh never failed to send tingles down her spine.
His sharp wit had them talking for hours in a way that she’d never been able to speak so freely with anyone before. She never ran out of things to say to Aiden. They could talk for hours. Sometimes their conversations devolved into heated debates, but they always ended with laughter and one or both obtaining new perspectives. He challenged her with every conversation and encouraged her to speak her mind, asking for her opinions and thoughts. Something she’d never experienced before.
Aiden’s personality and devastating good looks were quickly chipping away at Riona’s resolve. She found herself more often than not wanting to tangle her fingers in his long black hair or say something to make that dimpled smile appear. When he smiled, she melted a little each time he turned that smile on her. And those golden eyes of his... Her heart always sped up when he looked at her with those piercing golden eyes like she was the most important person in the world to him.
There was no doubt that he was attracted to her, but any time they crossed the imaginary line, he put distance between them. Anything deeper than attraction and he pulled away. What scared her was that she didn’t want him to pull away from her.
Last night, things got complicated. But if she was honest with herself, things had been complicated before. Everything had just finally been laid bare last night. She was starting to have feelings for Aiden, and she’d confessed that to him.
They hadn’t said much to each other after the kiss. The return home had been filled with words unsaid, and then he’d left her at the front door, telling her he needed to see the queen. Whatever that meant. She wasn’t sure and hadn’t questioned him. Instead, she’d gone to her room and fallen into a fitful sleep. Ava had woken her at sunset with purrs and snuggles. Her kindness had almost sent Riona into tears again.
Aiden knocked at the door again, and Riona stared at the polished wood, her voice stuck in her throat. When that door opened, he would walk through it, and not only would she have to face him, but she would also be going to a place that scared and excited her. Her future could potentially be changed drastically in the next few hours. She was afraid. She twisted the golden locket’s chain, holding the portrait of her mother around her neck nervously.
As if reading her thoughts, the cait butted her head against Riona’s hand. A smile played on Riona’s lips. She scratched her companion’s furry chin. The moment helped ground her. Her eyes settled on her reflection in the mirror across the room, and she quickly appraised herself.
A stranger stared back at her. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders except for the small golden baubles woven into red strands. The beads twinkled in the light, small flames in her hair. They were so small and delicate, but they helped emphasize the intricate golden embroidery on her dress.
Riona had never seen a dress so fine in her life. It had been waiting for her after she’d woken, a pool of silken green laying across the trunk beside her bed with a small box containing the hair baubles. Riona ran a hand carefully down the dress. It clung to her body as if it had been made for her. She’d been worried at first. The dress wasn’t anything like the voluminous gowns with long sleeves she was used to seeing. Her dress had no sleeves, just straps, and the neckline plunged to a low V, almost to her navel. There was nothing billowing about this dress. Every detail of her body was on display, and oddly enough, she didn’t mind it at all. She loved how the dress fit her body. The skirt of the dress fit snugly around her hips and then flared outward at the knees, reminding her of a mermaid’s tail.
She traced the whirl of the thread and examined the pattern of the golden skeins created across the dress. Small leaves were placed throughout the dress, starting at her waist and ending at the hem of the fabric. Somehow, they had the effect of flying through the wind. Whenever she stole a glance at the dress, the leaves seemed to shift as if they really were swirling around somehow. When she touched the embroidery, she felt something. There was just a touch of magic in this dress.
A knock sounded again. This time, she could hear the impatience in it. Ava jumped down from the bed and sauntered to the door. Her little paw pressed against the door, and like magic, it swung open. Riona barely had time to register the smug look on the cait’s face before Aiden caught her attention.
He was always handsome, but the way he looked tonight sent warmth flooding through her body. The black jerkin and fitted pants tucked into his knee-high boots made him look like a villain from one of the stories her mother read to her as a child. He was dark, mysterious, and almost sinister. Her fingers twitched at the sight of his long dark hair pulled tightly back in a queue that rested at the nape of his neck. She wanted to reach up and pull the ribbon that held his hair in place and then tangle her hands in his hair and kiss him until the end of time. If the villains had looked anything like Aiden, none of the princesses would have wanted to be saved.
His golden eyes smoldered when he looked at her, traveling up and down her body in appreciation. She couldn’t help the heady laugh that escaped her.
“I clean up well then?” she asked.
“You are beautiful,” Aiden said, staring at her like he wanted to eat her.
“So are you,” Riona blushed at her own response, but Aiden’s eyes only became more intense.,
“Thank you,” He broke eye contact, and Riona felt like she could breathe again. “Shall we go?”
“I think so...”
She walked with Aiden down the hall. Each step sent chills of anticipation down her spine. She glanced up at Aiden, but his expression was calm. Of course he was. This was another night for him. He’d been to the court. He knew his place there and was confident. Riona let her mind wander at what the future held until she almost ran into the closed front door.
“Nervous?”
“Do you have to ask?” Riona let out an anxious laugh.
Aiden didn’t respond but instead knocked on the large wooden door four times and then said something under his breath that Riona didn’t catch. The door shimmered, and in its place, a black obsidian door with silver trim appeared.
“What is that?” Riona gestured to the door.
Thunder crashed again, and Aiden was haloed by lightning.
“I don’t think either of us would enjoy flying in this weather, so I thought we could just walk right in.”
Riona reached out and ran her fingers over the smooth door. “Wow.”
Aiden leaned in and pulled open the door, revealing an opulent hallway on the other side. Silver and black checkered tiles sprawled out in front of them. The black walls of the corridor were decorated with portraits of imposing Fae. All of their eyes glittered in the dimly lit hall. Aiden gestured Riona forward. She paused and then stepped through the threshold.
There was a feeling of pressure, and her ears popped. Her thoughts were suspended by the feeling of dizziness. Riona stumbled, but Aiden caught her. The door behind them swung closed and shimmered out of existence.
“Are you okay?” Concern laced his face.
Riona blinked a few times, clearing her vision, and tried to ignore how nice it felt for Aiden to hold her. The dizziness abated quickly, and she was normal again. She smiled at him reassuringly.
“I’m fine.” Riona stared at the wall where the door was only seconds ago. Her burgeoning sense of security had vanished along with her only known exit. “I guess we’re not returning that way?”
“No. Leaving a portal open would be a breach of security and not allowed even with my magical signature. We can use the central portal for our return.”
Riona wanted to ask questions, but Aiden held out his arm and ushered her down the quiet hall. She couldn’t help stealing glances at the Sidhe in the pictures as they walked. And they were clearly Sidhe by their long, willowy limbs and angelic good looks. They weren’t just ordinary Fae. All of them were imposing with purple eyes and the same disdainful curl of their lip. Even though she didn’t know who any of them were, she recognized royalty when she saw it.
They reached the end of the hallway and another door. This one was hammered silver, complete with whirling details that told a story. Men on horses and all types of Fae faced off with each other in a long-forgotten battle. Riona didn’t pay close attention to the door’s details. Her eyes were drawn to the last portrait.
The frame wasn’t ornate like some of the others. It didn’t need to be. The beauty of the Sidhe woman in the picture was almost too much. Her vibrant amethyst eyes glowed with unshed mirth against her dusky brown skin. Her lips were ever so slightly twisted into a secretive smile. Long, intricately braided raven tresses curled around her lush body. Her heart-shaped face ended in a cute, pointed chin that made her look less imposing than the others gracing the wall. She was mischief incarnate. She was someone who could captivate an audience with just that mesmerizing smile alone. This woman, whoever she was, knew her self-worth. Riona envied her confidence.
She shook herself and turned to Aiden, worried she’d been wasting time. He leaned against the wall, watching her as if he had all the time in the world, completely unconcerned with their stop.
“She’s very beautiful,” Riona said to fill the silence of the hallway.
Aiden let out a small laugh and swung the door open. Music and voices drifted into the corridor. Ahead, myriad Fae milled around in a giant foyer. Riona’s eyes were drawn to a tall green woman with antlers who had what looked like moss for hair and was completely bare-chested to the waist. She was so busy staring at the partygoers she almost missed Aiden’s words.
“She’s a handful. When you meet her, don’t agree to anything she asks of you.”
“When I meet her?” Riona broke her gaze from the crowd and glanced up at Aiden.
“Yes, that’s Queen Siobhan,” Aiden said, jerking his chin toward the picture.
“Wow...”
Aiden laughed and guided her through the door into the foyer. All around them the Fae clustered. Riona stopped walking and stared. She couldn’t help it. She’d never seen anything like the people of the Unseelie Court. None of them could pass as human. Not a single one. They were all hauntingly lovely and terrifying at the same time.
Riona was able to identify many of the Unseelie from the books Aiden had shown her. Here at court, the illustrations and sketches had come to life. Squat goblins with vivid green skin clustered in a small group, laughing and sipping from glasses of liquid too dark to be wine. A wispy woman whose feet didn’t quite touch the ground floated between a couple. The man had moss for hair and skin textured like tree bark. Despite his earthy features, his clothing was so vivid in color that it hurt Riona’s eyes. His companion was a woman with massive bat wings that sprung out of her mouth and feline features. When she spoke, white fangs flashed.
Aiden pressed his hand against the small of her back and sent them walking again.
Some of the Fae were casting speculative glances their way. Others didn’t even bother. A troll with the head of a horse let out a peal of laughter so high that the glass his partner, a painfully thin woman covered in shimmering scales, was holding shattered. Riona rubbed her ears, and Aiden scowled at the offending Fae, who held up his hands plaintively.
A small flash of light sent both Aiden and Riona skittering to a stop when it hovered inches from their faces.
“What do you want?”
“This the one that has you all twisted up in knots?” What did that mean? The small light flickered with each shrill word. A fairy. It had to be. She’d always wanted to meet a fairy, and now here one was. She was so excited she couldn’t speak. Riona squinted, and she could see a tiny man with wings haloed in the bright light. She tried to focus to get a better look, but her eyes wouldn’t cooperate.
“None of your business if she was.” Aiden swatted at the fairy, and the little creature flew away with a giggle. Aiden shook his head, and they continued.
“What did he mean?” Riona asked, the fairy’s question penetrating her overstimulated mind.
“Wilby was just teasing me,” Aiden said simply.
They’d left the foyer and moved to a larger room that wasn’t as loud and so dimly lit it was hard for her eyes to adjust. Riona wished she’d gotten a better look at the previous room, but she’d been so overwhelmed by the Fae occupying it. She could only remember it was silver and black. Maybe there were roses? It was hard to focus on the place when the people were so different from any she’d encountered. Her interactions with the Fae aside from Aiden were so few, she could count them on one hand.
Moans of pleasure stopped Riona. She swung her head towards the noise, and her eyes widened in surprise, now fully adjusted to the darkness. Tucked into an alcove were three Fae. All of them were in various states of undress. It took Riona’s mind a minute to wrap around what they were doing in such a public place.
A completely naked female dryad with shimmering golden skin and long wavy white hair was on all fours amongst a small sea of red velvet pillows. A horned man with red eyes and skin that could only be a demon was positioned behind her and thrusting into her so hard that her flower crown flew off her golden brow and landed at Riona’s feet. He dug his long, clawed hand into her wild hair, pulled her head upward at an uncomfortable angle, and bit into her neck with jagged teeth. The dryad’s eyes closed, and she smiled with pure bliss. Red eyes met Riona’s, and the demon lifted his head, smiling at her, blood pouring down his chin.
Sitting off to the side, the other Fae had been watching them. Huge ram horns protruded from his brow. The upper half of his body could have passed for a human, but his lower legs were covered in fur and ended in hooves instead of feet. Riona realized she was looking at what could only be a satyr. His chest was massive and muscled. Everything about him was large. He held his thick cock in his hand and worked a rough hand up and down over its length, then stood up.
The demon with the jagged fangs pulled out and then rammed himself into the woman’s ass. She let out a scream, and the satyr stuffed his cock into her open mouth. She gagged, and her eyes teared up, but she didn’t stop him. Instead, she pulled him closer. The demon pounded into her, and her head bobbed forward against the satyr. The satyr buried his fingers into her hair for better control, and the three found a rhythm. With each movement, the dryad cried out in pleasure. Her cries were mirrored by her companions. All three of their expressions were of pure ecstasy.
A hand came down on Riona’s shoulder, and she looked away from the trio. Embarrassment and something else made her face flush. Lust. Her body was on edge and throbbing from watching the three. She refused to meet Aiden’s eyes. She didn’t want him to see how much it affected her to watch the threesome.
“Let’s not keep the queen waiting.” There was a catch to Aiden’s voice.
Riona still couldn’t meet his eyes, so she just let him lead her out of the room. A cry sounded behind her, and Riona couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder. The demon’s head was thrown back, and his body was convulsing as cum dappled the dryad’s back.
Riona looked away and picked up her step. The feel of Aiden’s hand on her lower back burned into her body, and she wondered for the thousandth time what that same hand would feel like caressing her in other places like the demon had been doing to the dryad.
She cast her eyes downward, trying to ignore what was happening behind her. It had been too long. She chastised herself for letting the scene affect her so much. Get it together. You’re about to meet the queen. A frustrated noise escaped her lips.
Aiden laughed softly, and Riona scowled up at him. He smiled at her knowingly. “I was affected the same way the first time I came to an Unseelie revel. Nothing like the Seelie parties I grew up with. We’re a free-spirited and fun-loving lot, us Unseelie. Tonight some of us got started a little earlier than usual, it seems.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, this is only making things more embarrassing.”
“You’re allowed to have those feelings.”
Riona frowned, and Aiden stopped her. They were on the outskirts of a bright room filled with loud music and dancers. She probably would have gawked at the dancers and the beautifully decorated room if she hadn’t been so mortified. No matter how free the Unseelie were, she’d been raised by humans. Sex wasn’t something that was openly talked about in Loch-Gaar. Sex was something that people did behind closed doors in the dark of the night. She was ashamed that a part of her wanted to stay and watch. She ignored the fleeting thought of doing something like that with Aiden.
“I don’t. Drop it.”
Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but a lyrical voice calling Aiden’s name stopped him. The voice halted everything actually. The revelers ceased their dancing. The musicians stopped playing. It seemed like even the candles no longer flickered. Silence. Everyone was focused on the speaker. The Unseelie Queen.
She was sitting on a raised dais, so it was easy for Riona to get a look at her. The queen was more beautiful than her portrait. She was wearing an all-black dress that was made of multiple layers of shimmering silver fabric that were so transparent, Riona could see the lines of her body. Her hair was piled on top of her head and woven into many braids of different sizes and styles. She was a study in elegance tonight. There wasn’t a sign of mischief. Just pure Sidhe elegance. The queen’s gaze pierced Riona, and then they slid to Aiden.
“Bring your companion to me, Aiden. I would like to meet her.” Queen Siobhan flicked her wrist for emphasis, but Aiden didn’t immediately start forward. He glanced down at Riona, concern etched on his face.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. Riona looked at the crowd watching with rapt attention and the queen on her high throne. She swallowed and straightened her shoulders.
“Yes.”