Fairy Unbroken (11 page)

 
“Hello! Pregnant.” Trillian
gestured to her belly.

“Actually, I am too,” Breena sputtered.

Well, that was a new way to give good news. “Um, congratulations,”
Trillian said.

Brook hugged Breena. “Go hide in the closet with the others. We’ll
handle this.”

“You’re fighting. So will I.” She lifted her chin.

The two pregnant women clasped hands and turned to Trillian.

“Yeah. Sure.” She placed her hand over theirs. “Let’s kill some
trolls.” She was going to fight them with two pregnant ladies. Trillian’s
sarcasm kicked in.
Best fucking plan ever
.

****

They were in the battlefield just outside the dark, dank cave
where the trolls dwelled. Keyn swung his sword wide, killing another troll. The
brown grass was speckled with spring-green slivers and black troll blood. The
fight was epic. Nearly twenty lay dead and the fairies fought as one. Keyn flew
into the air. He dove down and kicked a troll that had Thame pinned to the
ground. Thame rolled atop it and shoved his sword through its throat. The men
turned their attention to the others. The king was fighting beside Wick and
Mord. Where was Whisper?

Whisper swooped in from the shadows. He grabbed a troll near the
king, breaking its sword arm. The weapon dropped uselessly to the ground but
Whisper went high. He flew to the top of the trees and let his captured enemy
go. A scream rang out, and in seconds, there was the sickening splat of another
enemy defeated.

Keyn jumped back into the battle. Thame was beside him as they cut
through another cluster of trolls, who didn’t stand a chance. Their fighting
style was rudimentary and tactical skills were extremely slim. It’s as if these
were a distraction. Keyn glanced at the king. “This is too easy,” he yelled,
slicing at a troll that tried to ram him in the mid-section.

“I noticed that.” The king’s words echoed.

“Damn it. This is a decoy.”

“Get back to the women. Now,” he yelled. Carrick removed the
nearest troll’s head from his shoulders. In seconds, the air filled with bloody
fairies who knew they had taken the wrong path.

If anything happened to Trillian, he would cut off Mord’s head.
Keyn flew faster, pushing himself harder to get home to his mate.

****

“I told you this was a bad fucking idea!” Trillian yelled. Her
voice raspy and her heart pounded in her ears. They were surrounded. Breena had
hit her head and she was currently unconscious just inside the palace doors.
Trillian glanced at her with a sick feeling before turning to the very pregnant
queen.

“Stop your whining. You’re making us look like little girls.”
Brook hissed the words. “Back to back.” They spun so they each faced the horde
of trolls. “Without arrows, we’ll have to fend them off.”

“My ass.” Trillian dodged a meaty troll hand grabbing for her
weapon and she sliced the dagger across its face. Another approached and
dragged a blade across her arm before she could swing wide. The pain wasn’t
immense but it hurt like hell. She cried out, covered the wound with her other
hand, but kept the dagger outstretched. “What do we do?” Coming face-to-face
with death was a rather changing experience. Trillian felt her pulse wild
beneath her skin. Her breathing was uneven and she was constantly thinking of
Cameron and Keyn.

“We fight,” Brook said and stepped forward. She was swinging her
daggers like she was a professional fighter. She even clocked two of them
before another grabbed her legs. Trillian turned and jabbed at the troll. It
let go but before Trillian could turn around one of the captured her. She
screeched, kicked back, and struggled against its arms.

“Run!” The trolls were quickly overpowering them. If they caught
the queen...

“Damn it, Brook, run!” Trillian tried. She loosened the troll’s
hold by kicking his leg but couldn’t get loose. Of course, the stubborn woman
wouldn’t listen. Trillian felt a searing hot pain in her side and she stopped
struggling to look down. A dagger stuck from her side like a wayward limb.
Trillian looked up, catching Brook’s horrified expression. “Run.”

“Never.” The queen threw her dagger and hit the troll that had
Trillian square between the eyes.

Trillian fell to the ground. Blood formed a sickening pool beneath
her. She tried to stand. The queen was in trouble. The warriors were too far
away to help. Was this really the end? She’d never see Cameron’s green eyes
again. Trillian wanted to hear him laugh, just one more time.

“Damn it. Hold on!” Brook yelled. She fell and landed on her side,
blood springing from her thigh. Her eyes were wide as the trolls converged. The
queen of the fairies opened her mouth and screamed but it wasn’t her mate’s
name. “Valen!”

Who was that? Trillian felt her energy drain. She managed to
struggle to her knees but fell to her face. She rolled to her side, desperate
to get to Brook’s side. Trillian would shield the queen with her body if she
had to.

“Valen!” Queen Brook called out again, louder and shriller.

Trillian didn’t want to watch. Her eyes went wide, her mouth fell
open, and a troll stood above the queen with a sword. “No. Please, no!” she
said just above a whisper.

From the distance a yell echoed. “Broooook!”

Trillian was stunned as a man with swirling green eyes sprinted
out of the darkness. His red hair lifted off his shoulder from the sheer speed
he ran. His chiseled good looks held narrowed eyes. Tight clothes molded to his
body as he bolted toward the queen. He fought like a man on the warpath with
nothing to live for. This must be Valen. Was he human? He didn’t have any
wings. Who was he? At the moment, she didn’t care. He fought off the remaining
trolls. The palace doors burst open. Brielle, Breena, and Gran Abigail emerged.
They held bottles of liquor with rags burning and bottles of salt that they
scattered like acid. Trillian gasped, her side numb. She lay down, turning
slightly so she could see the queen. That man was approaching her.

Valen leaned over Queen Brook. Were those tears in his eyes? He
placed a hand over her swollen belly and their eyes seemed to lock. Trillian
could have sworn they were lovers the way they glanced at each other. There was
such heat and intensity. Valen was leaning closer, his lips parting slightly,
and the queen didn’t seem to fight the attraction.

“Do not touch my queen!” King Carrick’s deep voice rang out.

The trolls around them began to run off. The fairies came out of
the sky like angry angels. Trillian watched the king and this Valen man argue.
Carrick raised his sword but Brook blocked him. Trillian’s lids were getting
heavy but she saw their lips moving with heated words and then Valen took off.
He stormed off into the darkness.

“Trillian?”

She turned toward the sound. Her fairy man. Trillian smiled at
Keyn and then her lids were just too heavy to keep open.

****

“For stupid, smelly beasts, they come up with successful plans.”
Keyn knelt beside an unconscious Trillian. Brielle stood on the other side
using her ability to heal the near fatal wound on his mate’s side. “Your
research has failed.” Keyn surged to his feet and faced Mord. “You nearly got
the queen and my mate killed!”

“Oh, now you claim her,” Mord said sarcastically.

Keyn rushed forward but Thame was there to hold him back. They
struggled briefly before the king’s angry voice silenced them all. Keyn
returned to Trillian’s side. Was that Valen? Shit, all hell would break loose
if that guy was anywhere near the queen. What a history those two had.

“Mord, what happened?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” he stuttered, his head hanging low. “My
research was solid. I don’t know why the attack wasn’t successful. They must
have found out. That’s the only reasonable explanation. I never thought the
women would be in any danger.”

“I agree.” The king shoved his marred sword into its sheath. “That
can only mean we have a stowaway in the kingdom. I want a search team to go
through every section and weed him out. Thame, take care of your woman and the
queen.” The king gave his mate a quick glance and it was none too nice. “Keyn
take of Trillian and I want you to help guard the women.” Orders given, he
trudged off with the others.

Keyn carefully picked Trillian up. His skin crawled but no bumps
appeared. His wings fluttered as he flew them to the glass room’s balcony. Once
inside he placed her on the couch and sat beside her.

“You fairies talk a lot of shit.”

Her voice was a beacon of light. Keyn turned quickly toward her
and smiled when her eyes opened. She groaned and closed them again.

“‘Don’t worry, you’ll be safe’ he says. Warriors, my ass. Twice I
had to fight these things off in this fucking place and...” Trillian gasped and
quickly sat up. “The queen!”

“She’s safe and well.”

Trillian took a deep breath, nodded, and returned to the couch
while closing her eyes. “Everyone’s okay?”

“Yes. There were no fairy or human casualties.”

She cuddled closer to the couch and her breathing slowed but
before sleep could claim her, Trillian did the strangest thing. His mate
reached out and grabbed his hand. Keyn shivered but held his ground as their
fingers weaved and their palms pressed together. She was soon fast asleep and
he couldn’t help but examine the very human hand holding his.

****

Trillian woke alone. The sounds of distant sword fighting woke her
quickly and she ran to the balcony. She glanced out over the kingdom from the
glass room. Night had fallen. The moon was full and high. It shined down and
highlighted the empty pathways and the sunflowers that looked just a bit
perkier with the warmer weather. Where was everyone? Was Keyn with them? Yes,
she’d fallen for the moody bastard. It still made her frown to admit that. After
all the complaining and swearing, she fell for him anyway. Maybe Breena was
right, maybe they were fated to be together.

She yawned widely and stretched her aching arms. Between the fight
and the couch, she was so damn stiff. Her side, however, felt a hundred
percent. Whatever Brielle did healed everything. That gave Trillian such hope
for Cameron.

Trillian wandered off toward his room. It was dark and moonlight
layered across his sleeping form. Still out. She smiled at him and went to
light a candle to at least give the area some sort of light. Trillian found the
candle on the table but it was burnt down to the wick. So much for that plan.
She saw something flash out the window. Trillian jerked her head up, ready to
protect, to fight, but saw Keyn.

He was pressed against the glass. A fine sheet of rain misted his
bare skin and that was a lot of yummy flesh showing. Keyn pressed his palms
against the glass and quickly opened the door. A gust of warm breeze followed.
“I returned after the battle but you weren’t on the couch.”

Was that panic in his voice? “I heard it and woke. What battle? Is
everyone all right?”

He walked toward her but stopped a foot away. “More trolls trying
to flee. No injuries to our side.”

Trillian felt it, the wave of sexual tension that filled the room.
With him dressed in a loincloth, it was sort of a nonstop emotion whenever she
saw him. “Good,” she whispered, her eyes roaming his body.

“I’ll leave you then,” he said just as quietly.

“Please don’t.” She stumbled forward. Trillian was tired of being
alone, tired of handling life like a never-ending burden of chores. Her heart
called for Keyn, and for once, she was going to listen to the thing. Trillian
reached out and placed her hand on his cheek.

 
“I cannot.” His lips
pressed firmly together.

“I think you can.” Trillian advanced.

Keyn held his ground but closed his eyes and fisted his hands.
“Your scent is too strong. I will not be gentle and will find no release.” He
tried to push her hand away.

Trillian grabbed his chin and when his eyes jerked open, she
kissed him. It was quick, a press of lips to tease her ravaged appetite. She
placed a hand on his chest and he quivered against her palm. “Do you have a
home here?”

“Yes.”

“Does it have a bath tub?”

Keyn nodded slowly. “A bathing tub is in...”

“Good. Take me there.”

“Where?” His eyes opened to stare at her.

“To your home, to your bathing tub.” She grinned as she said it.
“I can help you.” Trillian glanced to his crotch and grinned. “I have many
skills you’ve never even dreamed of.”

His mouth flopped open only to close again. “I cannot.”

“Shut up and take me to your house.” Trillian would not take no
for an answer. She stepped closer and waited for his arms to wrap around her.
Once they did, her feet left the ground and they hovered in the air. She held
on tightly, confident he would let her go. Trillian closed her eyes, having no
desire to stare at the ground while they zoomed over it. Once she felt solid
object under her, she opened them.

 
“My
home.”