Page 86 (1/2)

1

JACOB squatted on his booted heels on adown the slope of rock and across a thicket of ruined foliage, he wondered how hard it was to pul off a fairy's wings He'd sure as hell like the chance to find out

His lady and Fae Lord Keldere a few hundred yards away, standing next to the clump of twisted trees where the verandah used to be She cal ed it the iven that the trees used to be a pack of rabid vampires That is, before she turned the marble and concrete like popcorn

Thanks to his ability to be in her mind, Jacob could easily hear their conversation Which hy he was envisioning wing extraction Of course, since Keldwyn's wings were currently concealed, Jacob would settle for breaking a limb or two

“As long as you had no true grasp of Fae power,” Keldas saying, “the court had no interest in you You were like solitary elenomes The peasantry of our kind Less than that, even, because of your inferior vampire blood”

Through his lady's mind, Jacob watched the Fae lord's eyes, like onyx and pale moonstone, slide over the center tree The shape of the trunk was undeniably like the tortured body of the round root kinked up like a leg, in a futile struggle to push out of its prison

“But this, and the potential of your parentage, has set your future course The Unseelie queen demands you conificant, you will be made a member of her court, one of her subjects, required to attend her will as she deems appropriate”

“What are they saying?” The question ca at a lower point on the pile of debris He had his elbows braced on a jagged slab of what used to be the veranda steps His long legs were stretched out, ankles crossed

“He's saying he misses us That he wants us to coraceful leaps, was on the ground near Mason's polished riding boots

“The saht-assed bastard who said ‘the vampires need to wait here,' like ere lepers?” Mason arched a brow

Jacob gave hirim smile When Keldwyn had issued that curt directive, not even by a twitch had Mason reacted to being treated like chattel on his own estate Of course, that wasn't surprising

Though Jacob had warned Mason of the Fae's conteos in his oorld Hadn't they all ? Jacob's lip curled at the thought

“Yeah, he's had a change of heart He's feeling all warm and fuzzy about us now”

Mason snorted, but Jacob knew neither of theht Lyssa was their rove, he are of Mason rising to fol ow hi roses, but Jacob knew he had his back A Fae ht be able to kick a va two of theht be more than Keldanted to do He'd muss his perfect hair, after all

Jacob Easy Lyssa spoke in his oes

I'm ever obedient to your will, my lady

He felt the touch of wry huaze flickered his way

Still, he ood at poker faces as Mason, but he could keep his mouth shut when needed As Keldwyn noted their approach, his expression got sour Lyssa spoke before he could say anything, however

“And if I prefer to remain solitary?” Unlike hi anything about her true thoughts on a e to her voice was deliberate Keldwyn turned his gaze back to her

“Then you should not have done this” He nodded at the trees “This is dark nature Your father had blood from both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, so it remains to be seen if your abilities will stay in the realm of one court or expand to both However, as of now, you've made an indelible mark on the Unseelie queen's universe, and so her eye is turned toward you This is not an invitation If you choose to refuse it like one, you will not have itive in the woods as you did when the vampires shunned you

The queen will destroy all you hold dear She can have you brought to her in chains and keep you as a pet at her feet, until she feels you understand obedience”

Keldwyn's voice was flat, his gaze utterly i beneath that, an elusive sense of urgency, enough to underscore andthreat