14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Zelyah
I ’m out of breath, realizing that the one thing I tried really hard to avoid is now a huge possibility. If I can’t leave Faerie, then I’ll be used as a weapon. Or there’s a possibility that he may also try to kill me. I don’t think I’m more powerful than a Fae King, I’ve never really used my power to test out how strong I am.
I take a few breaths to calm down before speaking. I don’t want to give myself away. I fix my dress quickly. As soon as the king spoke, the people surrounding me, including the woman with the purple hair, left.
“Oh, what do you mean, King Roban?” I laugh nervously, and I hope he doesn’t pick up on it. I have to tread carefully. I don’t want to make any deals with this man. I’m still drunk and can’t function as well as I could sober, so there might be a huge possibility that I get the short end of the stick.
“You don’t have to hide, Zelyah.” How does he know my name? We haven’t been properly introduced. He picks up one of my copper locks and rubs it between his fingers before letting it fall.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It’s a lame response, but my nerves are getting the best of me. One of my worst nightmares has come to life.
Suddenly this place becomes hot, and I need to leave. This is not where I want to talk to my captor’s father. I get up and start walking to the door. Maybe he’ll take the hint and let me go. I look for the nearest exit that leads me outside. I need the fresh air, and I hope the king gets distracted by something else.
Wrong. He’s close on my heels, walking beside me. Every time I stumble, he’s there to pick me up with quick swiftness and grace. One of the times I almost kissed the floor, I felt how muscular his body is. The man is well-built, stronger than I’d like.
I open a few doors and get nothing, only more people fucking. What the hell is this place? Is that all they do here?
“Where’s Agent Cooper?” I ask nervously, trying to change the conversation, hoping that I can find the sour patch before his dad tells him what I am—if he hasn’t already. Maybe he already knows. My hands grow sweaty just thinking about how he might already know about my deepest, darkest secret.
“Prince Valerian,” the king emphasizes his son’s name, “is entertaining a couple of women at the moment.”
He watches me carefully as if he’s trying to see what emotion I’ll show. I keep my face neutral, at least I hope I do. I don’t want him to know how much I dislike his son. That might give him a reason to kill me on the spot.
“Where’s Radnor?” I should have looked for the only kind fae I’ve met here. I might’ve found him.
“He was only here for dinner and left long ago.”
Shit, shit, shit. I need to get away from this old bastard and his plotting ways. I can already see his wheels turning. I’m alone, no ally in sight. The predatory way the king studies me makes my blood run cold. I can almost see the schemes churning behind those ancient eyes. He’s not going to kill me. No, he’s much smarter than that. The possibilities flashing through my mind are far worse than death. A cold sweat breaks out across my skin as panic rises.
I need to escape the king and his plotting gaze. But I’m trapped here in his court, his web, completely at his mercy. What sinister plans does he have in store for me? I finally open the doors to the outside. I want to breathe a sigh of relief, but I can’t, not when the king watches me so closely. I end up in a beautiful garden lit by low-floating orbs. I want to explore, but that just seems dangerous to me. That’s one of the many ways I lure my victims, catching them alone at night with no one around to see what I do. The night breeze feels good on my skin. It’s not too cold or too hot; it’s the perfect temperature. With all its beauty, I have to wonder why Agent Cooper wanted to leave Faerie.
Not many people surround us. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. I finally stop walking, and the king stills behind me, running his fingers over my bare back. He inches closer to stand next to me. This man is flawless just like his son. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was his brother.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly.”
I don’t know what game he’s playing here. Is he trying to be friendly so I can cozy up to him and tell him all my secrets? Because that isn’t happening.
“My name is King Roban Hunt,” he introduces himself with a slight bow. I stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. “It’s very nice to meet you, Zelyah Gomez,” the king continues.
Hearing him say my full name startles me. How does he know my last name? Did Agent Cooper share that information with him? He signals to someone behind me and smiles. I can’t keep my eyes away from the king. He looks so similar to Agent Cooper that it’s almost as if I’m staring into the agent’s turquoise eyes instead.
A waiter shows up with another flute.
“I tried asking for more, but they wouldn’t give it to me,” I say looking at the glass on top of a fancy crystal plate.
“Ah, it seems you were cut off by my son.”
I fucking knew it! Agent Cooper always cock blocks my fun. Just like the date I was planning for tomorrow . . . or is that today? Ugh . . . I can’t tell anymore.
He picks up both drinks and hands me one. I shake my head. I don’t want any more of this. I’m already drunk as it is. I’m semi-glad Agent Cooper put a stop to it, I just won’t ever admit it out loud.
“Take the drink, Zelyah,” he demands. The power in his voice shocks me, and I do what he says. How the hell did I get myself into this mess? I knew it was a bad idea. Fucking Cooper. If I make it out alive, I’m going to kill him. Well, not really. The king will probably come after me if I do that, but it’s a nice thought.
“Now be a good girl and drink it,” the king commands.
My hand shakes as I take the offered drink. The mysterious elixir glitters as if containing crushed gems. He watches me closely as I take a tentative sip.
“More,” he demands, leaving no room for argument.
Reluctantly, I do as he says and take a larger swallow, feeling the liquid burn down my throat. As soon as I finish the glass, clarity returns to my senses. The Faerie wine’s cloying mental fog lifts, along with the reckless desire it kindled. My thoughts realign and muscles relax as sobriety seeps through my veins. The king’s cunning gift has freed me from intoxication. I probably have a confused expression because he starts to speak up.
“I’m the only one with this particular tincture in my possession, and it’s rare that I share something so valuable,” the king says.
“Am I . . . am I your prisoner?” I stutter, and I hate how small and vulnerable my voice sounds.
“I’ll make you a deal, Zelyah,” the king continues, seeing the transformation in my eyes as the magic takes hold.
No, this is exactly what I was trying to avoid, and if I fuck this up, I can only be mad at myself because I’m no longer drunk. It suddenly becomes hot out here too. I look around for an escape, but there are too many guards around. I’d get caught before I even make my first move. My gaze wanders to him again, and the way he looks at me, I already know I’m not going to like this. This screams bad idea, b ut what choice do I have? I’m in his territory.
“Please, call me Zel,” I insist.
“Why? Zelyah is such a beautiful name.” I want to tell him that the only person who called me Zelyah was my abuelita, and I want to leave it that way, but I don’t correct him. Why bother? The king does whatever the fuck he wants.
“If you seduce my son—”
What the fuck did he say?
“—we’ll keep what you are a secret.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting this at all. As much as I dislike the agent, I don’t want to do that to him.
“And if I don’t?” I dare ask. I must be stupid for even voicing this out loud.
“Well, Zelyah, you aren’t going to like that option,” the king warns.
He doesn’t have to explain. I know he won’t turn me in; he’ll use me.
“Six months, Zelyah,” he states as he walks away. “You have six months to get my son to propose to you.”
I stand frozen, his words hitting me like a physical blow. Six months to get a proposal from the asshole prince? The king couldn’t have come up with a more impossible task. He looks out into his garden and picks up a stunning blue rose. Oddly, it matches the way my eyes look when I feed.
“Six months?” That’s going to be a challenge. He stands beside me again. “He hates—”
“Use your powers.” He tucks the elegant petals behind my ear. As much as I’ve been itching to use my powers, his words leave a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve never wanted to seduce a partner this way. It’s unlike me.
“He’ll know,” I tried to reason with him. Agent Cooper is too smart for me to fool. I’ve tried to look for ways to use him, but I can’t, and now I know why. If this man is his father, he’s probably always had to be on high alert.
“No, he won’t. He’s already smitten with you.” I want to cackle at his words. He’s definitely got the wrong idea. “This task should be easy. I expect you . . .”
He suddenly stops talking. No longer looking at me. What the hell is wrong with the king? I look around, but there isn’t anyone close to us. Maybe that abrupt stop was a sign for me to leave. I take a step back when—
“There you are, Zel.”
Agent Cooper approaches us, and it all makes sense. The king didn’t want his son to hear our conversation. How did he know he was approaching? I can never hear Agent Cooper.
Agent Cooper steps between his father and me, eyeing us curiously. “What are you two doing out here?”
His gaze falls on the enchanted blue rose in my hair, and his frown deepens.
“I just wanted to get to know the woman who’s been staying with you in your home.” He speaks like he didn’t just threaten me a couple of minutes ago.
“How do you know about that?” Agent Cooper asks defensively. He fists his hands in anger before he lets them loose. His body betrays his face.
“I have spies everywhere, son, just remember that.” But instead of looking at Agent Cooper, he’s directing those words to me, letting me know that if I don’t comply, he’ll find me.
“My life with the FBI doesn’t concern you.” He clenches his jaw.
“Everything you and your siblings do concerns me.” Siblings? Cooper has people that are related to him. I need to meet them to see if they resemble Agent Cooper.
“We should get going.” He doesn’t have to tell me twice.
“It was nice meeting you, Zelyah,” the king says, emphasizing my name. “I can’t wait to see you again.”
A shiver runs through my entire body. There is a threat and a promise behind those words. I look over at Agent Cooper, unsuspecting of his father’s plans and of the secrets that have been exposed.