16. Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Cooper
I intend to find out what conversation my father and Zel had. Something happened when my father looked down at Zel from the dinner table. He kept glancing toward her when he didn’t think anyone was watching, but I was observing him way too closely, and I know it had nothing to do with how sexy Zel looked. It was something more.
If I’m being honest with myself, I wanted to grab her and sit her down by my side the entire time at dinner. I didn’t want anyone looking at what’s mine. But she isn’t really mine. She doesn’t belong to me. She’s a killer, and that’s all she’ll ever be.
By now, everyone is already drunk off their asses. Zel had three drinks. I forgot to tell her not to consume so much alcohol. I’m actually shocked she handled that many. I made sure no one would offer her anymore after that last one. I saw her pouting when she was denied. I’m surprised she didn’t yank one from a waiter. She probably would have if she wasn’t so drunk.
She danced the night away, and so many people were enjoying her company. There’s a way about her. She attracts people. They all want to jump at the chance to be with her and be her friend. She doesn’t seem to notice she has that effect. She’s exactly like the fae, but she’s not one of us.
When she left me outside, I was so angry at her for not listening to me. As soon as she got a little attention, she left me there. I hoped she’d come back and stand by my side to let the other women know that I’m not available. She’s not mine, and I do know that, but I had hoped bringing her here would deter the others.
As the night continued, I lost track of her. She was no longer in the hall where she should’ve been. After a couple of minutes when she no longer returned, I went out to look for her. I asked the guards and showed them a picture of her, but none of them had any idea where she’d gone. I know I should’ve kept guards on her at all times. She’s slippery, always getting away. This won’t happen next time. I’ll have every guard in here keep an eye on her.
Every time I wanted to go look for her, another woman threw herself at me, and now I wonder if it was done on purpose. If my father wanted to keep an eye on Zel and didn’t want me around.
We walk down the stairs, exiting the castle. She hasn’t spoken a word to me yet, and it strikes me as odd. She’s usually a chatterbox that never stops. I signal for someone to bring our ride. A guy nods and heads out to where all the carriages are parked.
Her dress looks wrinkled around her breasts.
“Did you have a good time?” She looks startled like she has something on her mind. Was it a fae she met? Is that who she’s thinking about?
She faces me and then looks away quickly. “I . . .” She falls silent just as the carriage arrives.
“Did someone touch you without consent?” I ask sharply, outrage already rising within me. If anyone dared lay their dirty hands on her, I’ll end them. Only I can . . . No, I immediately stop that thought from finishing. She kills men, I remind myself harshly.
Her eyes widen. “What? No,” she says, startled.
“Then what happened to make you look . . .” Upset? Angry? Confused? Shocked? Instead, I say, “. . . like that?” I point to her wrinkled dress, and she looks down before looking back up at me. “Something obviously happened,” I say through gritted teeth, and I look away from her for a moment, composing myself before I look back.
She scrunches her eyebrows in annoyance. “That’s none of your concern,” she says while fixing her dress. “Anyway,” she continues, “I just found out you had siblings. I’m bummed that I didn’t get to meet them. I wanted to ask them if you’ve always been this uptight.”
She changes the conversation swiftly, turning the attention back to me. I roll my eyes. If she doesn’t want to tell me, that’s fine. As long as no one harmed her, then she can keep her secrets . . . at least for now. I’m going to uncover them all eventually, and that day can’t come soon enough.
Edwin steps out, signaling for both of us to get in. “Prince Valerian, Miss Zel. Fun night?” The man is always so cheery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry. Does he ever get mad?
Zel and I mumble in annoyance together, and the old man chuckles, but he doesn’t pressure us to say more. That’s what I like about Edwin, he understands cues about when to talk and when not to. He listens to me complain about my problems and has never spoken badly about anyone. He’s a good fae, and I love having him in my corner.
When she approaches the carriage, I extend my hand to help her up the steps, but she avoids me and climbs up on her own. I want to grab her hand and demand that she takes the help offered, especially from a prince, but I don’t. This woman really gets to me. All I can think of now is the way my father’s eyes trailed her every movement when he thought he was being discreet. I’ve brought a very small number of women home, and he’s never shown as much interest as he has with Zel.
After riding in silence for a while, I know we’re close. Once we get to the same place we entered my realm, I have to make another portal to take us back to the human realm. As I try to ask her what my father had to say, my skin prickles. I pull the curtain open to see what’s going on when the carriage jolts to the side, and the whole thing tumbles to the ground.
The entrance to the carriage now faces the ground. “What the hell is going on, Agent Cooper?” Zel shouts.
The horses screech loudly. I go to the other window and watch them sprint away. I take off my coat, wrap it around my fist, and smash the window. Pieces of glass fall on my hair and feet. I discard the coat and put both hands on the side of the window, careful to avoid the sharp pieces of glass, and lift myself out.
Once out, I look down to see Zel poking her head through the opening.
“Hang on.” I look around to make sure I’m not going to be attacked while I help her.
I don’t see anyone, which means they’re hiding, probably wanting to see who I pull out of here. I have to do this quickly. I hope she doesn’t try to put up a fight.
“Lift your arms.” She does as I say with no bickering, and I think she understands the seriousness of the situation. I pull her up and set her on her feet.
After jumping from the side of the carriage, I turn to help Zel down. Edwin’s pained noises draw my attention to where he’s crumpled on the ground. “Shit! Edwin.” As soon as I make my way to him, an arrow soars through the darkness and strikes Edwin with a sickening sound. He lets out a loud cry before his body goes limp.
“NO . . .” I shout, staring down at his still body in shock. I long to go to him, to see if by some miracle he still draws breath, but the sound of approaching steps snaps me back. We’re still in danger, and I need to get Zel to safety.
Blinking back useless tears, I turn away from my loyal driver’s body. “Forgive me, old friend,” I murmur, the words choked.
“Who are these people?” Zel’s eyes are alert as she scans our surroundings. “Is this your father’s doing?” she asks quietly. Whatever they talked about left an impression, and by the looks of it, probably not a good one.
“Definitely not my father.”
Are her eyes glowing? I can’t take a closer look because footsteps are coming closer. She looks afraid, but the dominant emotion on her face is survival. She’s looking at her surroundings to see what she can use to make it out of here alive.
“The prince is here,” one of the figures shouts.
It’s always risky for me to ride the forest trails near the castle without guards, but I can protect myself. I just didn’t think I’d have to take care of another person. I should have thought about this. I’m putting another person at risk just because I hate having a group of warriors watching my every move. The bandits creep closer, emboldened. My jaw clenches in irritation. The royal patrols tasked with securing the castle perimeter have clearly become lax in their duties if thieves feel bold enough to come this close to the grounds.
I brace myself, prepared to defend Zel. Next time I ride out, I will not go unaccompanied. One of them shoots an arrow, and I catch it with my hand. I look over at Zel’s wide eyes. As a group of men swarm us with weapons drawn, we stand back-to-back. I can sense a potent power, but I can’t tell who or where it’s coming from.
One of our attackers throws his bow over one shoulder and reaches for Zel. She lets out a pained cry as he rips her away from me roughly with a taunting glint in his dark eyes. I want to rip his fucking head off, but I try to center myself as I crouch, placing my palm against the ground. It rumbles against my hand as if telling me to call upon it if I need to.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Another one of our attackers moves closer, stepping over Edwin’s body with disregard.
The first man twists Zelyah’s arm behind her back, panting down her neck raggedly. He drags her roughly against him, his free hand roving over her body like he owns her.
“We came here for you, but she’d make a fine bonus, don’t you think?” He shoves her head down so she’s bent over, the slit in her dress revealing the curve of her hip.
“How are you doing, Zel?” I shout back from my crouched position.
“I’m doing just peachy, Agent Cooper,” she answers sarcastically, looking up at me through a sheet of copper hair.
“If it’s me you want, let her go.” I stand to full height, waiting for the right opportunity to make my move. Zel’s eyes shift from me to the four other men closing in on us. She’s telling me something, but I’m not sure what.
She sticks her ass out to grind against her captor, and when his eyes dart down in surprise, she rolls her body to the side and whips up, cracking his nose with the back of her head. I don’t have time to watch the girl move, but she throws a heavy blow to the man’s temple that sends him straight to the ground. The other men move in front of me like a barricade, keeping me from helping Zelyah.
The big man staggers back to his feet, and even though he was here for me, Zelyah just became his prime target.
“Look out!” I shout as he lunges for her again.
“I can hold my own!” she spits. I’ve clearly offended her.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot you kill men for a living,” I snap, still watching her rain hell down on her attacker over the shoulders of the men crowding me.
She growls, and that’s enough to know that I’ve pissed her off.
Just as a large set of arms reach for me, I fall back into a crouch and call on the power of my land. The powerful magic rushes into my body, vibrating, begging to be used. Everyone knows that I am powerful, yet there is another force within me, one that remains hidden from even my father’s knowledge. It whispers to me, a primal call from the depths of my being, urging me to embrace the ancient and forbidden. This other side of me, darker and more dangerous, has always lurked beneath the surface of my fae abilities. And now, it stirs with an insatiable hunger for destruction.
When I’d trained as a kid, my mentor Declan, an older fae who had a long black beard, told me to hide that hunger because it wasn’t normal. He was the only one who knew, and he’d cared for me so much. He was more of a father to me than my own has ever been. He was killed in battle, but I secretly think my father did it. Declan was too skilled to be killed in combat. My father had found out that Declan and I’d become close, and he didn’t like anything that could threaten his hold on me.
As more hooded figures close in on us, I will the ground to open wide and consume them. My faerie powers are strong on their own, but there are volatile aspects of my power that are difficult to suppress, and wielding these powers in front of Zelyah is a gamble. I’m facing off against one of the hooded figures who doesn’t seem afraid, but he’s too close to Zelyah for me to use my powers again.
He charges forward, a dagger glinting in the fading light. His arms fly in wide arcs, and the look of menace on his face tells me that he’s not planning to take me alive. Declan’s lessons run through my mind. My attacker relies too much on brute force, leaving himself exposed. I prepare to evade and counterattack. My body responds instinctively, and years of training kick in as I keep my stance wide and remain ready to strike. When the enemy lunges at me, his blade slices through the air toward my exposed chest. I sidestep with lightning reflexes, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of death, and seize his wrist in a vice-like grip. He struggles against me, but I’m quick to counter his every move.
I need to end this quickly. With a swift motion, I aim for his knee, hearing the satisfying crack of bone when I make contact. As he stumbles, I use the opening to deliver a sharp elbow to his temple. He collapses, unconscious before he hits the ground.
My muscles tense and my stance widens again as I prepare for more attacks. My eyes scan my enemies’ movements, watching for any signs of weakness. As an attacker swings a heavy axe toward me, I duck and roll, feeling the wind from the blade as it misses my head by inches. Spinning around, I deliver a sharp kick to the back of his knee. There’s a grunt of pain as he collapses, and his weapon clatters to the ground. I’m quick to disarm him and kick the axe away. Even as I restrain him with a firm hold, ensuring he can’t continue, my senses remain heightened, aware of every shadow and every rustle in the forest. The threat isn’t neutralized yet; another shadow detaches itself from the darkness.
He’s bigger, more cautious, observing the fate of his companions. Our eyes lock as he rushes me, not with a weapon, but with a force intended to overpower. Before I can act, an arrow suddenly sprouts through the man’s throat in a spray of crimson. His eyes go wide in shock, then dim, and his body crumples lifelessly to the forest floor. I whip around to see one of my warriors lowering his bow and looking behind him, signaling more reinforcements. Finally, my guards have arrived. I stare down at the dead man, bitterness rising.
“Seriously, Agent Cooper, I’ve taken down more men than you have, and that arrow wasn’t even yours.” She stands right beside me, panting, and it’s then I notice the bodies littered at her feet and the trails of blood and sweat trickling down her face like war paint.
She was too lost in the fight to notice the earth splitting and swallowing dozens of assailants, but that means she didn’t see how close I came to losing control. I’ve killed so many in training. The fae only have one power that they excel at using. Very rarely does a person have more than one. I fit into the uncommon category.
My men have taken over and are securing the area, and as much as I don’t want to leave them, I know how well they’ve been trained.
“We’re still a mile from the portal,” I mutter under my breath, calculating our chances. I don’t know if Zel can run that fast. She should be able to make the distance if she really is a shifter, but since I have doubts about that bit of truth she shared, I have no idea if she’ll be able to keep up.
“I can run,” she snaps, fire in her eyes.
I freeze. “How did you—”
“It’s written on your face,” her cheek is bleeding, and I want to grab my handkerchief and clean it up, but I stand still, not wanting to touch her unless I have to. “You were wondering if I could keep up over that distance.”
I hate that she can read me so easily when no one else ever has. It’s infuriating to feel so exposed.
“Let’s move then.” I cannot afford distractions or second-guessing. We either make it to safety or die out here. No other options left.
I grab her hand and ignore the electricity that shoots up my arm every time I make contact with her. None of them are paying us any attention. As we jump over the dead men’s bodies, I’m surprised by how many Zel killed. I mean, should I be surprised? She’s a killer, after all.
When we make it to the clearing, we’re ambushed by three more hooded figures with swords. I touch the side of my hip to make sure my sword is still there. I push Zel to the side when they come after me. One after another, they try to take off my head. I slice one of them through the heart and he goes down. You can’t tell who’s underneath the hood. It’s dark when you try to look at their faces. While I fight, the other two ambush Zel.
“Let her go,” I say. The harshness in my voice even has Zel whipping her head in my direction as she tries to fight back. I know that I sound different here than I do in her realm.
I swipe my opponent’s leg. While the other is too stunned to move, I bury my sword where his heart should be. With the assailant down, I take the opportunity to cut through his chest, slicing in different directions until the body no longer twitches.
“Take me, you don’t want anything to do with her,” I call out to the bandits.
I glance back at Zel, whose eyes narrow at me in irritation. “She’s not even fae, just a low-life human,” I add dismissively.
I know I’ve accomplished it when I see her slightly flinch at my words.
“She was in your carriage, so she must be important,” the one holding onto her says.
“She’s nothing special,” I say with a casual shrug, not bothering to look back at Zel. “But take her if you want. She makes for a good lay,” I continue dismissively to the faceless man.
I keep my tone bored and indifferent as if she is of absolutely no importance to me. I must convince these vile men she is worthless to get them to take me instead.
“Hey, fucking asshole,” she retorts, and I know she’s furious. I must have played my part well if I convinced her, too. She focuses back on the hooded figure restraining her. “Get off of me,” she shouts, “or you won’t like what I do next!”
There’s a threat and a promise in those words. I almost want to let him have her to see what she’ll do next.
“She isn’t going anywhere. She killed a group of our men.” She headbutts him hard, and his bones crack. The one in front of me flinches at the sound, and I use that to my advantage, taking him down quickly by slicing right through his neck.
“Well, that asshole had it coming. It was either me or him, and I clearly won,” she shouts back as the one holding her hostage lies dead by her feet.
I looked away for one second, and she already killed him. Who the hell is this woman?
“Let’s go,” I tell her as we make our way back out.
The land is pitch black with the exception of some trees that light up like neon green lights, but this is my land, and I know it like the back of my hand. I know the ins and outs, and I’ve traveled to nearly every place in Faerie. I will rule this land one day. I know where to go to escape the rest of them.
I recite a spell that opens the portal, and I grab her and bring her toward me in a hug as we step inside. We fall inside of my bedroom with her on top of me. She looks around, disoriented, and then she looks down at me, narrowing her eyes.
“You were going to let them take me?” She slaps my shoulder hard, and the hit packs a punch. “I’m a good lay?” She lands another punch on my chest.
Those words really got to her. It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize, but instead, I say, “I was trying to make you sound less desirable.”
She snorts. “Like that’s going to happen.”
Before I can delve into having Zel’s nearly naked body on top of me, something stops me.
“You know . . .”
“Shhh . . .” I say, putting my index finger against her lip.
“Hey . . .” She starts getting angry that I’ve told her to be quiet.
I lean in closer to her ear and whisper, “Someone’s here.”
As soon as those words leave my mouth, she freezes and looks around my room again, searching for an intruder. Her brown eyes light up, and there’s a speck of a different color like they want to change to a whole new shade, but they immediately go back to her normal brown. The way she bites her cheek tells me she’s trying to stay in control. It’s as though she’s barely keeping herself reined in. She’s no shifter. Zel is something else—something far more dangerous than she lets on. A chill runs down my spine at this realization. What deadly power does she harbor inside that delicate frame?
Maybe I should be afraid of her, not for her. The thought is as thrilling as it is unsettling. Can she be trusted, or will she turn that lethal power upon me? I search her shadowed eyes but find no answers there. For now, her secrets remain her own.