Blood and Redemption (Cassandra Myles Witch Series) (15 page)

As we made our way towards Mab, her face lit up like a candle and all eyes turned towards us. I’d never seen a goblin this close before
. They constantly blinked, using a translucent viscous lid that gave them a reptilian quality. Their skin was like hardened leather and most had numerous scars all over their bodies. Every one of them was cruelly misshapen and under four feet tall. The thought of one of them touching me was too repugnant. I could feel their black eyes over every inch of my body.

“Killian, I’m so glad you have arrived. My dear little witchling
, you look lovely. My, your legs do go on forever, don’t they? Come join the feast. It’s made up of food from your realm, Cassandra. We brought it in just for you.” She waved her arms around like a game show model.

“Thank
you, your majesty. Everything looks very tasty.” It did look very good, but between the corset and the terror, my stomach was rejecting the idea of eating anything.

The dark queen’s chair was bigger than all the others and looked like it was made from black marble. On one side of her sat a tall
, lithe woman on a tiny stool. She had her head in Mab’s lap, who was stroking her long, pale pink hair. That had to be the Queen of Light. On the other side, standing chained to the chair by his neck, was a tall man who looked like Na’min. That had to be his brother. He was only wearing a short loincloth and his chest was full of scars.

Na’min had told me once that only iron could scar a fae. Conal was to her right and Dominick was next to him. Next to Dominick were two ancient
-looking women.

They were conjoined twins, joined at the torso, giving them only one arm each. Both of them turned their heads towards us as we approached
. Their eyes had a milky film over them the color of the last few sad wisps of hair on their heads. It seemed impossible they could see. They smiled at us and each revealed a toothless mouth. Killian and I took our seats and it felt good to have something solid holding me up.

“Please drink the wine and tell me what you think.
” I sipped it, expecting the worse, but it was delicious. I loved it. “It’s amazing.”

“The wolves were hoarding it like it was gold. Drink up
; there’s plenty.”

I ate my food very slowly
, pushing it around on my plate. Killian would take my hand every now and then and kiss it. I would smile each time like his very touch made me happy, when really all I wanted to do was bitch slap him into next week.

“Where are my manners
? I have not introduced you to Babba and Yagga. These are my wise women. I always consult them before any decision.”

“Nice to meet you.”
I tried to put on a genuine smile.

Twin heads turned my way, their sparse
, wispy grey hair hanging limply to their shoulders. Sightless eyes took me in. I felt like they had touched me somehow and I couldn’t hide the shiver that ran down my back.

“We think she is scared of us. We think she finds us distasteful
.” Their mouths moved at the same time. Then they laughed a high-pitched cackle.

“Babba, Yagga don’t tease our guest.” Mab pretended to scold the two women.

“This beautiful being on my right is Queen Oona. She is an exquisite specimen, is she not?”

“Very.” My voice was hoarse. My heart was broken for that woman. I squeezed Killian’s hand under the table.

“This fine specimen is Prince Lochlan. Have I not improved his appearance? The seelie are so proud of their perfection. I have shown him humility.” She ran her hand along his chest. He sneered at her.

I promised I would kill her. I would do whatever it took to kill that fucking psychopath. I really wanted it to be slow and painful. I wanted her to beg me to let her die and I would not until I was satisfied that she had suffered enough.

“Prince Lochlan, nice to meet you.”

His eyes were not dead like the Queen’s. “Is my brother alive?”

“Yes, he will be glad to know you are as well.”

He nodded, and then looked away when Mab pulled on his chain.

“Drink up. It is almost time for dancing. I have wanted to have a party for so long.” She clapped her hands like an excited child. I really couldn’t imagine hating anyone more. What had Killian been thinking when he hooked himself to this lunatic?

I drank another glass of wine. I looked to Killian as Mab talked with the twins. He leaned in and kissed my neck. “I am sorry this is so horrible.”

“She is a sweet little thing, my Queen. Is she yours?” The old hags cackled. If I got any closer to Killian, I would be in his lap.

“No
, Cassandra belongs to the dead one. He will tire of her and then I will have my fun.”

My heart started to beat faster and I saw Dominic
k staring at Mab. His eyes had turned an amber color. He was not very happy. I squeezed Killian’s hand. He whispered “I’m sorry” into my ear. He could put his sorries in a sack for all I cared.

I didn’t eat much, but I did have a few more glasses of wine. I knew it was a bad idea, but it felt good to have a little haze over my reality. The table and chairs were moved to the side and a band was brought in, all acoustic
, of course. A fast-paced tune was played and the ladies and goblins at the other table started to fly around the room. It would have been beautiful if it weren’t clear that every man and woman was being kept against their will.

Then a waltz came on. “Killian, will you dance with me
?” Mab formed it as a question, but there was only one answer.

“Of course
, my Queen.”

“Cassandra
, why don’t you dance with the wolf? I hear you like them.”

I almost lost it. I almost ran at her and tore her apart with my bare hands. Dominick came to my rescue and pulled me on
to the dance floor. He held me firmly in his arms. “I know it’s hard, little sister, but she would kill you, and then where would your vengeance be?”

“How do you see all these things and stay sane
?”

“Who says I am
?” He sounded serious, but he smiled at me.

“I promise you I will figure out how to get us out of here.”

“I’ve hated you since my brother’s death and before for being a human. Now that we have met, I see why he loved you.” A sob caught in my throat. A little piece of guilt I had kept tucked away was released.

I closed my eyes and leaned against his warm solid chest. It was bare and his skin felt good against my cheek.

“Thank you.” The heat of his hand on my back was very distracting. Being held by him was very comforting.

I wasn’t confusing him with Declan. Except for a family resemblance, they really weren’t very similar. Dominick had a mature calm that Declan never had.

“Okay, everyone time to switch up partners. Killian, you may dance with your date. I want a dance with my son.”

She continued to pair everyone up. I cringed when I saw Dominick dancing with the hags.

“That woman makes my skin crawl.” Killian shuddered against me.

I bent down and kissed his ear. “Then help me get out of here. Quintus will forgive you if you rescue me.”

“No, he won’t. He would kill me. If you think otherwise, you don’t know him. I have made my decision and I have to live with it.”

He actually looked sad. I had a small hope I could change his mind. The more people we had
, the better our chances of getting out of this crazy zoo. When the music stopped, he looked at me and gave me a gentle kiss. Then his confident smile was back. He led us back to our table.

The dance went on for a while. It was terrible to see the tall
, beautiful fae partnered with the deformed goblins. They pawed at them the whole time. I wondered where the rest of the dark fae were.

“Your
majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask you a question?”

Mab seemed to love the deference in my tone. She smiled sweetly at me. “Of course
, my little witch.”

“Where are the other unseelie
? You and Prince Conal are the only ones I see.”

“I’m afraid to say that we don’t have a very large number as we didn’t do as well in the prison as the goblins and other dark fae, but what we do have are guarding us. We don’t want anyone getting in or out who shouldn’t.”

It might have been my paranoia, but I was pretty sure that was directed at me. Another waltz came on. “Cassandra, why don’t you dance with Conal? It’s a treat. He’s an excellent dancer.”

“It would be my pleasure.” It was the first thing I said to her
that I meant until I realized it was going to be just the two of us on the dance floor. Conal was not fazed by being the center of attention.

It was more floating th
an dancing. Conal moved me around with a skill that could not be matched. If they let him in
So You Think You Can Dance,
he would win hands down.

“You are an amazing dancer
, Prince Conal.”

“You look very striking tonight
, Cassandra. Would you come to my bed tonight? I am quite skilled there as well.”

This guy never gave up. “I am very flattered, but I am committed to another.”

“Killian doesn’t deserve you. You were made for a better man.”

“He isn’t perfect
, I agree, but I take my vows very seriously and I am committed to him.”

“Then I look forward to the day when you are not.”

We danced the next song too. I didn’t mind. Conal was so good I hardly felt my feet on the floor. When it was over, he bowed deeply and kissed my hand.

“My son seems fond of you. Perhaps you would like him as your husband. I could arrange it.”

“Prince Conal is an exceptional man and I would be lucky to be his wife, but I am very happy to be with Killian.”

I kissed his cheek and he turned and kissed my mouth. He was skilled, but I hated him so much for putting me here
, I couldn’t enjoy it.

“Well
, I’m afraid the night is at an end. One last dance and there has been a request for your hand, Cassandra. The King of the Trolls would like to take you for a spin.”

Oh God. He approached our table and from what I saw of the goblins
, he had lucked out. He was a good foot or so taller and he was more proportioned. He was not handsome in a human sense, but a lot less repulsive.

“My pleasure
, your majesty.”

His eyes were right at my cleavage. “If I had known the view was so magnificent
, I would have asked you earlier.”

I just giggled. I didn’t know how to act or what to say to keep me out of trouble. I did know that somehow I was getting his blood to help cure Lucius. So I concentrated on how much fun that would be while his repulsive hands ran up and down my back. “You must be quite important. I would have thought Mab would be knee deep in either pleasuring you or killing you.”

An ice-cold chill ran down my spine. “I am lucky, maybe.”

“Maybe, but the queen is as shrewd as she is evil and my guess is she has a plan for you
, young one.”

“I am here to help.”

He laughed a very disturbing wet gurgle laugh. “Don’t lie to the King of Trolls, my beauty. We smell them from miles away.”

The song ended and we parted ways. I was using the extra hot shower tonight.

“Dominick, escort Cassandra home. I have things to discuss with Killian.”

“Of course
, your majesty.”

As soon as we were out of the room
, I took off my shoes. “Those things are like torture devices. My feet will never be the same.”

Chapter Fourteen

We walked in silence all the way back to the compound. Dominick followed me into my cabin. “You know, my brother wrote me once about you.” His voice was deep and hollow.

I swallowed hard. Hearing about Declan was painful, but I wanted to know. “He told me you were beautiful, smart
, and a thousand other good things. I was hung up on you being human and I wrote him back a very nasty, unflattering letter. That was our last communication. I regret what I said and that it was the last time we ever spoke.”

“Family
is often hardest on each other. I fought with my mother all the time. She didn’t like the fact that I was a witch, but I knew she loved me. I’m sure he knew you cared about him.”

“I just wished I’d been here.”

“Then you would be dead and who would avenge the pack? I wish Declan hadn’t saved me from those daggers. I hate that he traded his life for mine.”

“That was his duty as your mate
, Cassandra. His wolf could not do otherwise. He loved you.”

He was still behind me, close enough that I could feel the heat from his body on my almost bare back. It felt so familiar and comfortable. I fought the urge to throw myself in his arms. It would be so nice to have him hold me, relaxing in his arms, a moment of respite in this crazy fucking place.