Valeria
and Merry leave with Okeanos. “ Obrigado ,” he told her. “You go on back now.”
She opened her mouth, but when he just looked at her, she closed
it again, and with a nod to them both, headed back the way she’d come.
Eliana slanted him a look. “You should go, Rui.”
He was tempted to snarl at her—what was with the women today?—but
he reined it in. Still, she must have felt his anger because she dropped her gaze.
“If you want to, that is.”
He blew out a breath. “Maybe I will.” He saw again Valeria and
Okeanos, the Greek fada pressing her against the wall, and that dark aggression
rose up in him, strong and hot. When he spoke, it was his animal talking. “Hell,
why not? Teresa is right—the earth fada would be out of their fucking minds to attack
us now. We’ll stay on high alert just in case, but take it in turns to go to the
party. I’ll send a couple of warriors back to spell you.”
Eliana’s eyes rounded. “You mean it?”
“ Claro .”
She did a happy little dance, ponytail bouncing. “All right .”
* * *
“Oh, Ric.” Marjani took in the scene with her mouth slightly
open. “This is—” She waved a hand without completing her sentence.
Adric followed her gaze to the huge, canopied dance floor and
neighboring dining area. The decorations were understated in a way that screamed
of wealth: enormous flower arrangements in blown-glass vases, delicately sculpted
fountains, unlit fae lights that danced like soap bubbles above the crowd. Through
it all, the sun fae moved like colorful fish in their shimmering clothes and glittering
gems, their hair every bright shade from gold to silver to copper. Threaded among
them were the Rock Run fada, no less beautiful with their dark, vivid coloring and
simple clothing in rich hues of river and ocean and forest.
“Who would’ve thought we’d ever be guests at a fae ball?” he
remarked.
Their eyes met in shared understanding. Marjani and her fellow
lieutenants were the only ones who knew how hard he’d worked to save the clan. And
if he’d been brutal at times, well, the end justified the means.
He crossed his arms and watched the dancers. It was mostly sun
fae until a young river female took the floor with a tall blond fae. She gracefully
followed her partner’s lead, her dress an iridescent blue-green, her wavy black
hair floating around her shoulders. The music changed to a samba and she
grinned up at the sun fae and started to move her slim hips with a provocative innocence
that made Adric’s lungs seize.
For an endless few seconds he simply stared at her, entranced.
Mine . The knowledge settled in some deep, primitive corner
of his soul.
And she damn well wouldn’t dance with anyone but him. He was
about to stride across the dance floor and take her from the sun fae when Marjani
nudged him.
“Ric? That river fada over there is staring at you.”
He frowned, not caring.
“Ric?” she repeated. “I said—”
“I heard you.” He forced his gaze away from the river girl—because
she was a girl, as much as his body was reacting to her as a woman—and glanced in
the direction his sister had indicated.
Ah…
The man could’ve passed for Lord Dion. He had the same shoulder-length
black hair and strong, hard face, although this man was younger, slimmer, not yet
fully formed. Adric knew exactly who he was: Tiago do Mar, the man who’d given him
Cleia’s location in the Rock Run base. Apparently the Rock Run alpha hadn’t yet
discovered his own brother had betrayed him.
He inclined his head in Tiago’s direction. The other man jerked
his gaze away and took a gulp of beer.
So he didn’t want anyone to know they were acquainted. That suited
Adric just fine. Tiago must be desperate to keep his brother from knowing—and a
desperate man was ripe for blackmail.
Other fae had started to arrive for the festival—walnut-skinned
sun fae from Africa and Australia, ice fae from the far north with their pale
and Merry leave with Okeanos. “ Obrigado ,” he told her. “You go on back now.”
She opened her mouth, but when he just looked at her, she closed
it again, and with a nod to them both, headed back the way she’d come.
Eliana slanted him a look. “You should go, Rui.”
He was tempted to snarl at her—what was with the women today?—but
he reined it in. Still, she must have felt his anger because she dropped her gaze.
“If you want to, that is.”
He blew out a breath. “Maybe I will.” He saw again Valeria and
Okeanos, the Greek fada pressing her against the wall, and that dark aggression
rose up in him, strong and hot. When he spoke, it was his animal talking. “Hell,
why not? Teresa is right—the earth fada would be out of their fucking minds to attack
us now. We’ll stay on high alert just in case, but take it in turns to go to the
party. I’ll send a couple of warriors back to spell you.”
Eliana’s eyes rounded. “You mean it?”
“ Claro .”
She did a happy little dance, ponytail bouncing. “All right .”
* * *
“Oh, Ric.” Marjani took in the scene with her mouth slightly
open. “This is—” She waved a hand without completing her sentence.
Adric followed her gaze to the huge, canopied dance floor and
neighboring dining area. The decorations were understated in a way that screamed
of wealth: enormous flower arrangements in blown-glass vases, delicately sculpted
fountains, unlit fae lights that danced like soap bubbles above the crowd. Through
it all, the sun fae moved like colorful fish in their shimmering clothes and glittering
gems, their hair every bright shade from gold to silver to copper. Threaded among
them were the Rock Run fada, no less beautiful with their dark, vivid coloring and
simple clothing in rich hues of river and ocean and forest.
“Who would’ve thought we’d ever be guests at a fae ball?” he
remarked.
Their eyes met in shared understanding. Marjani and her fellow
lieutenants were the only ones who knew how hard he’d worked to save the clan. And
if he’d been brutal at times, well, the end justified the means.
He crossed his arms and watched the dancers. It was mostly sun
fae until a young river female took the floor with a tall blond fae. She gracefully
followed her partner’s lead, her dress an iridescent blue-green, her wavy black
hair floating around her shoulders. The music changed to a samba and she
grinned up at the sun fae and started to move her slim hips with a provocative innocence
that made Adric’s lungs seize.
For an endless few seconds he simply stared at her, entranced.
Mine . The knowledge settled in some deep, primitive corner
of his soul.
And she damn well wouldn’t dance with anyone but him. He was
about to stride across the dance floor and take her from the sun fae when Marjani
nudged him.
“Ric? That river fada over there is staring at you.”
He frowned, not caring.
“Ric?” she repeated. “I said—”
“I heard you.” He forced his gaze away from the river girl—because
she was a girl, as much as his body was reacting to her as a woman—and glanced in
the direction his sister had indicated.
Ah…
The man could’ve passed for Lord Dion. He had the same shoulder-length
black hair and strong, hard face, although this man was younger, slimmer, not yet
fully formed. Adric knew exactly who he was: Tiago do Mar, the man who’d given him
Cleia’s location in the Rock Run base. Apparently the Rock Run alpha hadn’t yet
discovered his own brother had betrayed him.
He inclined his head in Tiago’s direction. The other man jerked
his gaze away and took a gulp of beer.
So he didn’t want anyone to know they were acquainted. That suited
Adric just fine. Tiago must be desperate to keep his brother from knowing—and a
desperate man was ripe for blackmail.
Other fae had started to arrive for the festival—walnut-skinned
sun fae from Africa and Australia, ice fae from the far north with their pale
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