Bloodline (14 page)

“Why are you doing this?” Micah asked.

Ryn crouched and rubbed his head against the wolf’s. “Because I love her. I’ve been crossing the Divide to be with her for more than a year. Jayne came over to this side a few times, but I told her not to do it again once I had to leave East Land. She ignored me, was caught and given to the king. My sister, Maryse, has kept her safe until now, but you have to get her back to her family before the king decides to turn her into a fur coat.”

“Your sister’s the queen?” Micah asked.

“Yes.”

“You come too,” Inigo said.

The wolf whined and nuzzled Ryn until he stood. “I can’t. I’ve sworn to protect Maryse. But you can do something for me. Find out if Oberon’s missing relatives are alive, and if they’re living on the other side, persuade them to return. They’re proof the king is not pure fae. The faeries of West Land will rebel if they know their king doesn’t have a pure royal bloodline.”

“But they already know he’s a monster and have done nothing,” Inigo said.

“Blood is everything,” Ryn told him.

Inigo raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Oh yeah.” Ryn gave him a little smile.

“If you told your father, wouldn’t he step in?” Inigo asked. “He wouldn’t want his daughter married to Oberon.”

“His interference would lead to war. Better that West Land sorts out its own problems.”

Micah wanted to know more, but they couldn’t afford to waste time. “Do you know a safe way out of the castle?”

“Can you swim?” the faerie asked.

Micah nodded. As long as it wasn’t a raging river, he should be able to manage it, but he was weak. Inigo’s blood and maybe the swig from the flask had taken away some of the pain in his back, but he refused to think about his wings. Neither he nor Inigo were in good shape. He could barely believe the vampire had survived a bolt through the chest. Not just survived, acted as though it was no problem.
Had the unicorn’s blood helped that much?

“Wait for my signal.” Ryn peered out of the door and beckoned them.

He led them to a lower level, and when the aroma of food signaled they neared the kitchens, he held up a hand. After indicating they were to cross the open doorway as soon as he’d engaged the occupants, Ryn strode inside.

Once Micah heard him talking, he sent the wolf across, then Inigo, and he followed. They waited farther down the dark corridor, and after a few moments Ryn joined them. They moved in silence past several locked and bolted rooms, descended three flights of stone steps, and finally emerged into an area stocked with barrels. Beyond a wooden grid, a tunnel flowed with water.

“It’s the castle water supply. This empties into a river but almost immediately tumbles into a waterfall,” Ryn said. “It’s not a long drop.” He pushed open the gate.

“Thank you,” Micah said and tied the shifter’s dress around his arm.

Ryn bent and hugged the wolf. “Soon,” he whispered.

Inigo leaped into the flow, followed by the wolf and Micah. Micah shuddered as he submerged in the cold water. When he surfaced, he turned to look at Ryn, who stood watching. As the current carried them into the darkness, he saw two faeries sneaking up on Ryn, but the tunnel swallowed him as he shouted a warning.
Shit.

When Micah heard the deafening roar of the falls, he knew they had problems of their own. Within yards of emerging, he was falling, tumbling through the air until he dropped into the plunge pool and was carried down and down and down.

Oh hell
. He tried to kick for the surface, but in a moment’s confusion wasn’t sure which way was up and which was down. No guide from the bubbles, he was surrounded by churning water and weak as a newborn foal. As he twirled over and over, Inigo jerked him free of the water’s hold, and they broke the surface together into daylight.
Oh God, the sun
. Micah spun to check on the vampire, but he seemed fine.

The wolf was already on the bank, shaking her coat, a rainbow shining in the arc of water droplets. Micah struck out for the side, and he and Inigo heaved themselves from the river.

Inigo patted his pocket and sighed with relief. “I could have lost that. Hadn’t quite expected Niagara Falls.”

Water glistened on the vampire’s long, dark lashes, and a surge of lust slugged Micah in the stomach.
Shit, I’ve got it bad
. The sooner he got Inigo out of his system, the better. Once they’d fucked a few times, they could go their separate ways—assuming they ever made it as far as fucking. The wolf stood watching expectantly, and Micah almost told her what he’d seen happen to Ryn, but changed his mind. She’d go back, and it was his job to get her home.

“Take us to the portal you came through,” he said. “Fast as you can.”

As the wolf loped off, Micah caught Inigo’s arm and held him back. “Ryn was caught,” he whispered. “They’ll be after us.”

“Shit.”

They hurried after the wolf, followed her into a wood, and eventually emerged into an area of open fields where workers toiled in the distance. She kept close to the hedgerows and dry stone walls, and Micah wondered if she knew they were being followed. He felt bad he hadn’t told her about Ryn, but three of them were no match for Oberon and his guards. Hopefully, Ryn’s sister could keep him safe.

By the time Jayne stopped next to the remains of a derelict building, their clothes were dry.

“The portal’s here?” Micah asked.

The wolf nodded.

Micah turned to Inigo. “Your vampire senses tell you anything’s wrong?”

“No. Your faerie senses do?”

“I’m not sure. Be careful.”

“I always am. Well, nearly always. Sometimes I get carried away.”

The vampire’s smile acted like a vicarious stroke of Micah’s cock.
Oh hell. Does he feel the same as me?

“I better go through first,” Micah said. “Then Jayne, then you. If it’s daylight on the other side of the Divide, you could be in trouble. Richmond Park’s a big open space.”

“What choice do I have? I can’t stay here. I’ll risk it.”

Micah threaded his fingers with Inigo’s. “I don’t want you to risk it. I nearly killed you last time. I shouldn’t have made you leap before I’d looked.”

“Hey. No one’s fault. If you’d gone first, you’d have been burned. The portal had been rigged with fire. I’m fine. Just get through to the other side before they find us.”

“Let me return to get you if it’s dark.”

Inigo shook his head. “Just push me back again if I start to smolder.”

The wolf sniffed at a pile of broken stones and indicated
up
with her muzzle. Micah climbed and, as he reached the top, fell into nothing.

Chapter Nine

Oberon’s heart pounded as he pulled his shirt back over his head. Now that the court and the Elders had seen the tattoo, his coronation would take place in a week’s time. That was the good news. The bad news—Cavan had just whispered the vampire and faerie had disappeared. Oberon could feel his cheek twitching as his stress level rocketed.

He smiled and waved to the idiots in the throne room, but the moment he was alone with Cavan, his smile flatlined.

“What’s happened?” he demanded.

“I have Ryn restrained in the Blue Room,” Cavan said. “He told me he showed them the river route out of the castle. The wolf went with them and is leading them to a portal in the ruins of Lane Farm.”

“An open portal?” He gritted his teeth. “Why didn’t we know about that one?”

“I have no idea.”

“Take a team of hunters through the same gateway and find them. Then locate every member of the fucking Norwood family. Use your…admirable powers of persuasion to get the bill of sale from them. Then kill them all.”

He didn’t miss the rise and fall of Cavan’s Adam’s apple. There was nothing the deviant bastard liked better than killing. Oberon enjoyed playing far more. In many ways they were a perfect match. If Cavan had been interested in sex, maybe they would have been a completely perfect match.

“I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that if I fall, you fall too,” Oberon said. “Everything I promised, I’ve given you, and will continue to do so. Go quickly, and don’t let me down.”

After Cavan had gone, Oberon stalked to the Blue Room.
Fucking Ryn
. What the hell was the runt thinking? As he turned into the corridor, he spotted Maryse assisting her battered brother away from the room.

“Why was my brother restrained and beaten?” she snapped.

“He helped traitors escape.”

“He was trying to stop them escaping.” Her eyes blazed. She looked more animated than she ever had while he’d fucked her. “They’d forced the wolf to tell them about the portal she came through and dragged her with them. Ryn tried to stop them, but they threw themselves into the river. Rather than go after them alone, he turned to get help and was accused of being behind the escape. Ludicrous.”

“That’s not what Cavan told me.”

“Cavan.” She spat out his name as if it was a piece of corn caught in her teeth. “Ryn told him exactly what happened, and he beat him anyway. Cavan’s a liability. He’ll say and do anything to make you happy.”

Ryn lifted his bloodstained face. “Why would I have let Jayne go?” he mumbled. “I’m in love with her.”

“Who the fuck is Jayne?” Oberon snapped.

“The wolf,” Maryse said. “Ryn’s girlfriend.”

“What in the four kingdoms are you talking about?”

“I knew her from before,” Ryn said. “She was visiting me when she was captured.”

“So she lied when she said she stumbled across the Divide by accident,” Oberon said.

“I don’t care how she got here. I want her back.” Maryse stomped her foot. “I find her pleasing in her wolf form, and Ryn likes her as a woman.”

I wish like hell I could get rid of both of you whining idiots
. “Of course, my love. I’ve already sent my hunters after them. All will be well.”

“I’m going to tend to my brother. My father will be most upset by the way you’re treating him. Really, Oberon, why would Ryn want to help traitors escape? He’s loyal to you.”

She and Ryn made their way along the corridor, and Oberon clenched his teeth. Maybe Ryn could meet a sticky end sooner rather than later.

Time for some damage control. Back in his bedchamber, he retrieved the bag containing the Kewen from where he’d hidden it but, on his way out of the room, turned and put back a couple of pieces behind the loose stone before he left. As he walked down the corridor, he snapped out orders for faeries to gather in the throne room. He had to make sure as many as possible knew about the Norwoods’ attempted blackmail.

By the time he sat on his elaborate silver throne, the room was full of inquiring faces wondering why he’d ordered them back so soon.

“Thank you for returning.” On the advice of his father, he was always polite in court. Nearly always. “I’m sorry to have to call you back, but a situation has developed.” He unfastened the bag and, leaning down, tipped the jewelry on the floor at his feet.

There were gasps of astonishment from the older faeries who recognized the Kewen.

“For those who don’t know,” Oberon said, “this is the Kewen, a queen’s dowry, stolen from the kingdom and taken across the Divide many years ago. The Norwood family was responsible for protecting the jewels, and when the Kewen was lost, the eldest child was tasked with finding it. Until they succeeded, the Norwoods were banned from Faerieland, apart from one visit by the eldest child to find a bride or groom to ensure the search continued from one generation to the next.

“A few days ago, Micah and Ellie Norwood returned with the Kewen, although they did not bring all of it. They also came with demands and tried to blackmail me in order to avenge their banishment. The eldest daughter, Ellie, escaped across the Divide with a ring and a few other pieces, but I was able to restrain Micah, the youngest son. Cavan and I have been interrogating him to determine the whereabouts of the rest of the Kewen.”

He looked round at the faces of the faeries and could see no signs of disbelief.

“In what way did they try to blackmail you?” asked Serge, one of the Elders.

Of course he’d have to ask. Serge and his ugly wife, Elisa, were no friends of his.

“They made the ridiculous claim that the Kewen was sold by my grandfather in exchange for three mortal children.”

It was a huge risk to tell some of the truth and claim it was a lie. He wasn’t going to add the extra detail that those three snatched were to replace his grandfather’s three dead faerie offspring. A buzz of conversation traveled round the room.

“Where is Micah now?” Serge asked.

“He’s escaped across the Divide with the queen’s wolf and the vampire who did my tattoo. I’ve sent hunters after them.”

“But how did they get out of the kingdom?” Elisa asked.

“A portal that was unknown to us. The queen’s wolf had used it in order to see her lover, Ryn.”

He held back his chuckle at the wave of dismay that flashed around the room. The thought of a faerie consorting with another species was likely to cause some to foam at the mouth. Personally, he couldn’t see the problem. It wasn’t as if they could have children. It was just sex, and until the vampire had escaped, he’d been considering fucking him.

Oberon fielded a few questions, but it seemed what he’d said had been believed. Or perhaps it was their knowledge of the price for not believing him. The day he replaced his father, he’d come down hard on every faerie who’d ever annoyed him. There’d been a long list, and the point had been made. Repeatedly.

* * * *

Relief that it was dark on the other side of the Divide made Micah weak at the knees. The wolf emerged at his side, and then Inigo tumbled after. They were at the foot of a tree with a worrying lack of leaves, and Micah shivered in the icy wind. They’d only been gone a few days. How could it be winter already? Jayne tugged at her dress where it was tied around his arm, and he shook his head.

“Stay as you are. It’s cold, and you’ve no shoes.”

She gave a low growl but backed off.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Micah told her. “Just behave if we come across anyone, because if they recognize you’re a wolf, they’ll freak out.”