My Fair Traitor Read online

  Before Jareth could respond, Nuallan apparated right next to me.

  I jumped and let out an undignified shriek that had both Jareth and Nuallan laughing their heads off. Glaring at both of them didn’t seem to help.

  “Nuallan, doors are for knocking. I have one. Please use it.” I pointed at the door, indicating he should go out and try again. House training faeries was about as bad as house training puppies.

  “It’s just so time consuming,” he muttered as he disappeared.

  The sound of heavy knocking immediately followed. I was about to open the door, but Jareth, without lifting his eyes from his book, flung his hand in the air, said one indecipherable word, and quirked a finger, causing the door to swing wide on its hinges.

  Neat trick.

  And kind of counterproductive. I would have liked to make Nuallan work for it a bit.

  “There, you see,” he said as he stomped in. “Total waste of time.”

  “That’s not the point,” I said. “What if you apparate in here when I’m walking around in my underwear?”

  Nuallan looked mortified as he turned to Jareth.

  “Does she do that?”

  “No, unfortunately. If she did, I would have put a stop to you apparating inside her apartment weeks ago.” Jareth snapped his book shut, set it on the table, and stood. “She’s the most prudish eighteen-year-old I’ve ever encountered.”

  He gave me a teasing grin, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

  “Considering how old most of you faeries are, I doubt you’ve ever encountered a eighteen-year-old.” I said.

  Jareth ignored my barb.

  “I’ve never seen a hint of underwear since the day I came for a visit.”

  “Broke in,” I corrected.

  “I’m not even sure she owns any underwear.”

  “And you’ll be lucky if you ever find out,” I shot back, giving him a playful smirk.

  He grinned and took a step forward.

  “Oh, I’ll find out. You can’t keep me out of your…er…room forever.” He gave me a naughty eye wiggle that brought heat to my stomach, and then made me nervous at the mere thought. Yeah. We had a few things to cover concerning that particular topic.

  Nuallan chuckled and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the coffee table. Then he sat down and bit into it while Jareth stalked toward me.

  I did not like the mischievous glint in his eye. I dodged to the left, but he anticipated me and snaked an arm around my waist, lifting me into the air and tickling my sides.

  “You…are the absolute…worst,” I shouted in-between giggles.

  “But you still love me.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He set me down so I could wrap my arms around his shoulders. I gave him a sweet kiss and pulled away once I heard Nuallan making gagging noises.

  “I’m still here,” he said.

  Jareth sighed goodnaturedly and stepped back.

  “I guess it’s just as well. Time for more practice anyway.”

  “Seriously? You’ve already burned through every scrap of paper in the house and half my sock collection.”

  “What in the world are you two talking about?” Nuallan asked around a mouthful of apple.

  “He’s been setting things on fire to try and get me to put them out with my magic. So far we’ve netted a fat zero on the putting out fires thing.”

  Nuallan appeared puzzled.

  “Really? Even a faerie with no training should have enough power to put out a fire. In fact, with zero training you would most likely summon too much snow and ice and freeze your entire apartment.”

  I narrowed my eyes as Jareth gave Nuallan an annoyed look.

  “Well, that certainly hasn’t happened.” I turned to Jareth. “Was that even a remote possibility?”

  “Maybe? But if it had happened even once we would have practiced somewhere else.”

  I shook my head, thoroughly disgusted with these two faeries.

  “You guys are reckless and crazy.”

  “I wonder why she is having such a difficult time summoning her powers,” Nuallan said. “I suppose eighteen years worth of inactivity will be difficult to undo.”

  I pursed my lips into a thin line. It’s not like I’d spent my adolescence doing absolutely nothing.

  “Thanks for that uplifting thought, Nuallan. You’re welcome back here…never.”

  After a few more minutes of good-natured teasing between us, Nuallan reported on events in the Fae realm.

  “King Moridan has been especially quiet as of late. It bothers me. I truly believe he is up to something.”

  Jareth gave him a searching look and some kind of communication passed between them.

  I didn’t like it one bit.

  “Just say it,” I groused. “If you both know what’s going on, the last thing I need is to be kept in the dark about it.”

  Nuallan sighed, “The Fae realm has just felt a little off over the last two weeks. There have been stirrings among the nobles. I overheard Lord Elsly discussing strange movements among the Stargis. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

  “Lady Rhoswen’s father is concerned about the Stargis?” Jareth said. I looked on in confusion as Jareth’s eyebrows narrowed in concern. “The Stargis are a peaceful race. Benign in every way imaginable.”

  “Who is Lady Rhoswen?” I asked, feeling a little tense at the mention of another woman, especially from Jareth.

  Geez. Did I have to be so insecure all the time? It was such a powerless feeling.

  “No one. Just a noblewoman from the Seelie Court.” Jareth lifted his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug while Nuallan gave him a measured look. It seemed like Nuallan was wondering at Jareth’s evasive answer.

  Which made me wonder too.

  Gah.

  Paranoid much?

  “I don’t believe the activity among the Stargis race have anything to do with Crysta,” he told Jareth. “I was just concerned at your father’s supposed inactivity and some of the rumors circling round the court. He’s got to be planning something, and I don’t think whatever he is planning will be good for Crysta.”

  A gnawing pit of anxiety developed in the middle of my stomach. I had an awful feeling whatever King Moridan planned would somehow destroy everything I’d just placed all my hope and faith in.

  “I promise to keep you updated should I discover anything concrete.”

  Jareth held out a hand and Nuallan clasped it, their serious expressions making me feel even worse.

  “Thank you for the help, old friend. I appreciate any news you can bring us.”

  Nuallan bowed his head in a rare moment of formality.

  “Of course, Prince Jareth. I’ll take my leave and allow you both to continue on with the training.”

  Nuallan gave me a sardonic smile as he walked to the door, made a great show of opening it, and then made an even grander show of walking through it, closing it behind him.

  “Smarty pants,” I muttered under my breath.

  Jareth gave me a puzzled look, grabbed his dictionary from the table, and opened it. After finding what he was looking for his eyes lit up and he let out a loud laugh.

  “You’re absolutely right. Nuallan definitely talks and behaves like someone who knows everything about everything. Smarty pants.” He nodded in satisfaction. “I like it very much.”

  “Lovely. Glad you’re expanding your verbal horizons. So when are we going to head to the library?”

  “After lunch. I’m absolutely famished.”

  “Will the entire IHop menu be apparating within my living room?”

  “Nope. I’ve become quite fond of the Farmer’s Market.”

  I smirked and followed him out the door, wondering if his world would be as foreign and awe-inspiring to me as mine was to him.

  Or maybe it would be terrifying.

  Turned out the visit to the library was exactly that.

  Absolutely terrifying.

  The San Diego Central Public Library was n
ot a place I’d ever considered creepy. I’d never considered it a death trap either, but the aisles of bookshelves didn’t provide much cover, and I had no idea which end of the bookshelf I needed to inch my way toward.

  My breathing was so labored I was afraid the wheezing noise my panicked inhalations produced had helped the things stalking me to pinpoint my exact location.

  These monsters didn’t exactly need the extra help.

  I glanced left, then right, cursing the fact that the long bookshelf I hid behind left me so exposed.

  The attack had come from the domed roof of the library. Three creatures with reptilian skin crashed through the sky, raining fragments of glass and steel down upon the unsuspecting patrons in the massive reading room. I’d watched in horror as people scattered while the green monsters slashed their long claws and flashed their jagged teeth at anyone who didn’t get out of their way fast enough. I’d remained immobile, mouth hanging open in utter shock until the creature in the middle laid its slanted black orbs on me and pulled back its scaly lips to reveal a horrific smile.

  Running from the room, I’d tried to remember the library’s set-up and hid behind anything and everything available, but these monsters were fast, and my physical weaknesses were a huge problem.

  Namely, I was so freaking slow.

  And Jareth, the person who actually had the power and skill to diffuse the situation, was taking a quick coffee break in the cafe below. That darn faerie had developed a serious caffeine addiction in the last few weeks.

  I tried to keep to areas where crowds were sparse because anyone in the way of these creatures was in danger of injury and possibly death. I had to get to the escalators and out the door before they pinned me down, but I was now on the second floor at the very end of the wing. Reaching my goal would be challenging, and once I hit the first floor I would be completely exposed. The lobby was enormous. I’d be seen immediately, and I wasn’t about to enter the children’s learning center to take cover. Keeping these monsters away from the kids was a no-brainer.

  Not a great day to visit the library.

  I grabbed my cell and dialed Jareth’s number, but he still didn’t answer. Curse him and his obsession with cappuccinos. I had no idea if he’d heard the commotion from his location, but if he didn’t get here soon and disapparate us out of the building, more people would be hurt, and I’d probably end up dead.

  Hearing the panicked, pain-filled screams of the patrons, I decided giving myself up was a much nobler option. A screeching sound to my left had me leaving the safety of my bookshelf. I reached the end and turned the corner, swallowing my own dismayed cry as I beheld one of the monsters pinning a little girl to the wall.

  Fury washed away fear.

  “Hey,” I shouted. I reached for that frozen core deep within me and sent a blast of ice careening toward the Gollum-like creature. My anger and outrage at the little girl’s predicament helped my force and my aim. The thing opened its teeth wide to hiss at me and dropped the girl just as the frosty wave of power hit it full in the face. A large icicle lodged itself in the thing’s thigh and the rest of the wave froze the body in place. I looked at my hands in amazement, my fingertips still fringed in blue.

  I had never been able to summon that much power before. I’d kept running into wall after wall when it came to harnessing my core magic, but this time my emotions must have barreled through whatever blocks I’d been dealing with because…damn!

  That freaking rocked.

  The child’s small whimpers brought me out of myself. I raced toward her cowering frame, picked her up, and moved down the hall toward the escalators, praying that the other two monsters hadn’t heard the commotion.

  If wishes were fishes…

  I stopped short of the escalators as another reptilian freak growled at me from the second floor banister just ahead. Worried about a confrontation with the creature while the little girl was in my arms, I slowly handed her off to a cowering woman hiding behind another bookshelf to my right.

  Fortunately, she wasn’t so scared out of her mind she couldn’t understand my intent. She wrapped the child in her arms and scooted even deeper down the aisle. I moved with deliberate slowness as I turned back to face my inevitable demise.

  To my surprise, the creature spoke.

  “No innocents need die today, Changeling.” Spittle flew from its mouth, its shards of teeth glistening in the library’s natural lighting. “Surrender to us and the rest may go free.”

  My thoughts flew in a flurry of directions, but one impression became immediately clear. Jareth was drawing closer. My awareness of his proximity always became more focused with less distance between us.

  Stalling was now in order.

  “I’m more than happy to turn myself over to you, but just so you know, King Moridan is not the safest being to jump into bed with.”

  The creature scratched its bald, green head in confusion.

  “My kind have no need of frivolities such as beds. Your meaning makes little sense to me.”

  I rolled my eyes in frustration. Did the entire faerie realm and all its inhabitants suffer from literal translation syndrome? It was like talking to Jareth.

  “King Moridan is dangerous,” I elaborated. “If you kill me, he won’t need you anymore.”

  I had no idea if that was true or not. Seemed smarter for the king to keep these lethal monkeys around since they were capable of so much destruction, but planting seeds of doubt in an enemy’s paranoid thoughts could only help my cause.

  Hopefully.

  The creature made a snorting/guffawing noise that rang suspiciously of mirth. It was a little disturbing.

  “Do you truly believe Moridan would risk the life of his precious heir for your sake? We are not here on King Moridan’s behest. The being we answer to is aware of your soul link with the prince. If you perish, Prince Jareth perishes as well. It is the exact outcome he desires.”

  My eyes widened in surprise. It had never occurred to either Jareth or me that this link between us might benefit Jareth’s enemies. Mainly because we had no idea he had any enemies amongst the faeries.

  Son of a one-legged boggart!

  The creature’s skeletal structure pushed outward from its body, stretching the skin forward as the ribcage widened a few inches.

  Whoa! This is gnarly.

  I took a few wary steps back, preparing myself for…who knew what. The creature made a coughing sound and then gurgled deep in its throat. A gray residue shot forward from its chest, heading directly toward my face.

  Had he just hocked up a loogie and spit it out through his chest?

  Ew!

  A firm body knocked me down from behind and landed on top of me, protecting me from the slimy gunk.

  “Jareth?” I said. “You have got to start answering your phone.”

  “I can’t ever figure out how to unlock the screen,” he said, his tone defensive.

  I turned my head back a little to look at him.

  “You can summon magic capable of blocking bullets, but you can’t figure out how to use your cell phone? I never want to hear another crack about human ignorance and our sorry educational systems ever again.”

  He didn’t respond as he leaped to his feet, held out his hand, and murmured a few unintelligible words. A silver sword appeared in his hand. My eyes widened to the size of saucers.

  He’d never done that before.

  With his sword at the ready, he charged toward the balcony and launched himself more than ten feet into the air, slicing at the creature’s head. It didn’t have time to hiss in pain before its head was severed, rolling over the balcony edge to land right before me. I hurriedly scooted back, but sharp claws dug into my shoulder and pulled me to my feet. My screams drew Jareth’s attention.

  I’d forgotten about the third one.

  My fated mate gracefully jumped from the balcony and landed several feet away. He appeared calm, cool, and collected. The tightening of his jawline the only indication of hi
s extreme displeasure. He brandished his sword high in the air and brought it down in a wide arc.

  The creature behind me was soooooo going down.

  “You have exactly one second to remove your filthy claws from my wife before I not only remove them for you but from you.”

  I quirked an eyebrow at him in reference to the wife comment. Despite the fact that I had repeatedly stated the appropriate term until our marriage was girlfriend, he insisted on the wife label since our union was a foregone conclusion.

  Whatever!

  I may be Fae, but I was raised human. What happened to my romantic proposal on the beach? Where was my diamond ring? I’d planned on the whole hand fluttering thing and acting surprised even though I knew it was coming.

  I deserved my girlie moment, dammit!

  I supposed life-threatening situations such as these took precedence. I so needed to gain some perspective at the moment.

  “If I fail to accomplish the task assigned me, I’ll be dead either way,” the thing behind me hissed.

  Jareth’s steely blue eyes darkened in anger. An unnerving stillness overtook his frame as he prepared himself for action.

  Oh, snap. He was in full-blown assassin mode now. I hadn’t seen him like this very often, but dang if it wasn’t frightening.

  And hot.

  Focus, Crysta.

  I suddenly became aware of all the people surrounding us and realized they weren’t moving. They weren’t screaming. It didn’t even look like they were breathing. When I focused a little more on the way some of them were positioned, as if they were in mid-run, it finally hit me. The patrons of the library were frozen in place.

  Had Jareth done that?

  Once again, neat trick. I sincerely hoped he had a method for some sort of mind swipe because none of them were gonna forget about three, dark green monsters tearing apart the public library.

  The timbre of Jareth’s voice sent a delicious chill down my spine when he said, “You will release Crysta and you will tell me who sent you. Don’t make me repeat myself, Stargis. Your behavior is unprecedented. The Seelie Court has never taken issue with your kind, but I promise you I will make it my one goal in life to eradicate your entire species if you so much as harm one hair on Crysta’s head.”