Have No Mercy (20 page)

The wall dissolved into stone,
and I'm staring up at stars. I felt loopy and out of sorts. A familiar head
comes into view and peers down at me.

"Do you think I'm
ugly?" The words popped right out of my mouth.

Flynn chuckled. "Why would
you say that?"

And I can't face him when other
words form in my head with a mind of their own. I bent my neck back and saw the
familiar face of the lake house. Have I traveled back in time? The setting was
so right and everything so far I'd experienced in this room has been of events
that have never happened.

"Because you hit on every
girl but me." I wasn’t sure if this was exactly how the moment went. It
was so long ago. But it felt similar if not exactly the same.

He sat next to me, and I closed
my eyes not wanting to see him come up with an excuse for not liking me the way
he likes other girls.

To tell the truth, you are the
most beautiful girl in the world
.
Once I heard that, I opened my eyes but his lips never moved one inch.

"Kiss me," I begged in
response to his thoughts or maybe words. I was pretty sure I was drunk and
maybe he hadn’t spoken.

His knees were bent with his arms
perched atop them.  His head fell forward, heavy like I'd rested a weight on
his shoulders. 
What I wouldn't give to kiss you right now
?

"You can kiss me. I want you
too. No matter what the future holds."

His head whipped around and his
eyes narrow. "You don't know what you're saying. You'll only regret this
in the morning and hate me later."

"I'll hate you if you don't
kiss me right now."

It was hard with the dizziness I
felt, but I hold his gaze. He leaned back with his arms behind him to support
him. Then he angled his head to watch me.

"I've wanted you forever.
Maybe always. I think I hated you because I was never good enough for your
attentions. And then Luke came. Before it's too late, I have to know. I have to
know what it's like to kiss you."

The pressure in my chest
lightened. Even if this weren't real, I'd needed to say that for a long time.
He shifted to his side and used his free hand land on my hip. He watched me as
he moved it up my side pushing my shirt up slightly to expose skin. Then his
hand was on me with no barrier. His eyes never waver as his thumb makes its way
to stop at the barrier of my bra.

"Are you sure this is what
you want? Because this is all I have to offer."

I swallowed the lump in my
throat, yet a nod was given by my traitorous body.

His head slowly descended, and
butterflies leaped from my belly. When his lips touched mine, I fractured into
a million splinters.

"What the hell is
this?"

Flynn jerked back, and Luke stood
where Flynn had been moments ago. My eyes jumped out of my head and guilt
thrust me forward into the present.

I scrambled to my feet and picked
up my dress. With shaky fingers, I couldn't believe that I wanted my past
encounter with Flynn to go that way. This room was supposed to give us what we
wanted, but I didn't want that or did I?

The stupid clothes Madeline had
me wear took forever to get into. But I couldn't stay here any longer. Who
knows what the room would show me next? So I didn’t bother tightening the
corset. I gripped the dress tightly around me, and I silently vowed never to
return to that room again. I shuffled my way down the hall hoping I wouldn't
encounter anyone along the way.

By grace, I closed the door to my
room having luck on my side for once. The hallways had been free of anyone, and
no one had seen my shame.

When I turn around Tristrom was
there. A yelp escaped me.

"What are you doing in
here?"

He glanced nervously everywhere
in the room except at me. Then I remembered my state of dress.

"My father requests your
presence immediately."

My heart stuttered in my chest,
and it had nothing to do with Tristrom. I wanted to dissolve into the floor.
However, I turned my back on the boy in the room and fixed the ties on the
front of my dress. My future was so uncertain. But there were so many things
more important that my insignificant happiness. What I had I done to deserve
any of it?

I blazed a silent trail to
Tristrom and took a page from his book. I said nothing as I stood waiting. He
gave an almost an imperceptible nod and I followed him into the hidden passage
as we turn the opposite direction we’d gone the last time. There were a hundred
turns, and I barely cared if he was leading me to hell because it already felt
like I was there.

 When we entered a room, the only
thing I noticed was the floor. The thick carpet was the kind most would dream
of sinking their bare feet into. All I felt like doing was ripping it from the
base it was woven into it.

“Give us a minute,” a deep voice
murmured.

I assumed Tristrom left, but I
hadn’t looked up to check.

“You are the girl that has turned
the castle on its head.”

“I hardly think I’m worth any
trouble I’ve caused.”

I swallowed and finally looked
up. There was a time to fall apart, but it wasn’t then. The man that stood in
front of me was handsome, but he wasn’t the picture of arrogance I expected him
to be. He moved his hand to his head where he pushed sandy brown hair out of
his eye.

“I could be executed for this.”
He sighed. “I need your help and I think I can help you.”

“How?” I asked keeping it simple.
The thing was, I didn’t want to make any more bargains. I wanted out of Fairy
to lick my wounds and finish what I begun just like Flynn requested.

“My son.” His pause was weighty.
He reached up and released the top button on the collar of the identical
uniform all Fey males had worn including Flynn. His was ivory. I glance away
not caring to notice anything about him. He’d put his son into this situation
if I’d guessed right. “He doesn’t belong here. I need you to get him out. And
I’ll help you do it.”

That got my attention. “How?” I
asked again but for a different reason.

I was curious that time. He
obviously didn’t know that he son possessed gifts from both his parents.

“I can get you to a portal that
will send you back to the human world. Then if you could get him back to his
mother, he will be safe with her.”

A burst of laughter left me.

“What’s funny?”

Everything and nothing, I wanted
to say. “Queen Amavara is the one who sent me here.”

That got his attention. I hadn’t
told anyone, but I doubted he would tell Madeline. How would that conversation
go when he had to explain how we were talking about the Elven queen in the
first place?

He sucked in a breath. “Then I
imagine Tristrom’s in good hands. She would never do anything to harm him.”

There was no sarcasm in his
voice. In fact, it held reverence. Did he…

“If you could also pass on a
message, I’ll do my best to watch over your Flynn while he’s here with us.”

What did he know about Flynn
staying? Then again, he was Madeline’s husband. He likely knew a lot.

“What do you want me to tell her?
That you stole her son, and you’re sorry.”

My flippancy surprised even me.

“Yes, I am sorry. I also want her
to know that I did fall for her. And if I could do it all over again, I would
have been honest with her from the beginning.”

There was a light knock at the
door. Tristrom stepped in. “Sorry, word is Queen Mab is looking for Mercy.”

It was odd. It was the first time
I’d heard him use my name.

“We’re done,” he said to his son.
“Mercy, you let me know when you’re ready.”

I nodded and followed Tristrom
back through the maze of hidden corridors.

Shortly after we made it back,
visitors show up.

Rowen was first. He didn’t even
question why Tristrom was there. He came over and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m better. Thanks for
everything,” I managed to say. It was hard to look at him and not remember
everything that came after.

Rowen was heading out the room
when Flynn blew in without bothering to knock.

“Is she okay?” The question was
directed at Rowen. He didn’t bother once to glance in my direction. There was
no way I was having the conversation I needed to have with him in front of an
audience, so I made myself small not wanting to get his attention. If I saw
hate in his eyes, I didn’t think I could bear it.

In my act of becoming tiny, I’d
stepped backward into Tristrom who placed his hands on my shoulders to stop me.
The tenderness in his touch, almost undid me. He reminded me too much of Luke
and not. There was only friendship.

When Molly knocked and entered,
Tristrom’s hands fell away, and I imagined he had eyes only for her.

Then things got a whole lot
worse. The door blew open.

“Everyone get out!” Madeline
roared.

Rowen drifted over and whispered
words in my ear before he quickly left. Molly and Tristrom followed after.

“It will be fine.” Flynn still
hadn’t looked at me, but with no one left except Madeline and me, I was the
likely target for his words.

“That means you too.” She locked
eyes on Flynn.

He rolled his shoulders unfazed
by her fury. “Don’t forget our bargain.”

There he went again, still
protecting me. I wanted to say something, but I feared she’d take it out on
him. So I pressed my lips closed.

 “How can I? You keep reminding
me. Worry about your oath to me.” She snapped as her dark fury made the white
organza gown appeared to suck in all the light rather than reflect it.

He nodded and then he was gone
like so many times before. Although it felt like maybe that was the last time
I’d ever see him.

“Little bow turd who lost her
shepherd…” The rhyme was all wrong but tailored to me. I was obviously the
little shit who’d lost Flynn. “You seem to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, now
aren’t you? I know what you are little Mercy. And I can’t let you steal from
me.”

“I did nothing,” I backpedaled,
having no idea how to play this or what she thought I was. Rowen was a lot like
me from what I’d seen. Did she think me like him?

“Good try. I want you to return
what you stole from my son.” Her frosty words broached no argument. Unable to
endure her penetrating gaze in such a vulnerable position, I rolled over in bed
and scrambled to my feet on the other side.

“I don’t know what you’re talking
about.” But I betrayed myself. The rage that boiled beneath my skin for being
so vulnerable manifested itself. The crackling cold that jumped between my
fingers had me checking it out. There, my hand was a glow of blue. Ice formed
on my fingertips.

“Give it back,” she roared. I
could feel that Madeline was one step from destroying me with her mind.

Despite the power I’d taken from
Larrison unwittingly, I had no idea how to wield it. So I wasn’t ready for all
out war with the Queen of Winter. “I swear, I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t
even know I could.”

“Undo it.” Her teeth were
clenched so tight, I swore I could hear them clatter together.

“It’s not something I can do. At
least not when it happens on earth.”

There was no point in lying about
it. The evidence was written all over my hand. I wasn’t sure if she knew
exactly what I was. My ability to steal another’s power wasn’t something all
Cambions could do from my understanding.

“Then you will do something for
me to make this right.” I kept my mouth shut imagining the worst. “You will go
with Rowen to the Summer lands and retrieve the scepter. For some unexplainable
reason, males of all species seem to covet you. And I can’t have you here, or I
look weak.”

“What of Flynn?” I had to know
he’d be safe if he stayed there.

“He’s none of your concern. I’m
keeping my end of the bargain by sending you away. You will be safe from any
backlash. I can’t have my son face you every day knowing what you’ve done to
him.”

“Will Flynn be safe?”

“Bring the scepter back and we
shall see.” She was calmer. Her eyes were still calculating, but I understood
lies and bargains a little more.

“Why should I bring it back if
I’m not welcome here and I have no idea if when I come back Flynn will be
alive?”

Her smile was feral. “So, the
little girl learns. I’ll give you this. You come back, and I’ll free you of
Fairy. I’ll return you safely home. And I’ll promise that I’ll do no harm to
Flynn. If you don’t come back, but you stay in Fairy, you will owe me a favor.
You leave Fairy without returning and when the scepter returns to me, as it
always does, Tatiana and I share it in equal measure; I will send the Fey to
your home and destroy you and all you love.”

Well, wasn’t that peachy. Not
only would I have Sebastian, other demons, and maybe crazy Nephilim loyal to
Nina after me, but possibly Winter Fey too. Great.

“I need to talk to Flynn before I
go.”

“No!” She moved in my face and
bent down so her chilly words could brush against my skin. “I will not have you
plotting anything with him. The guards are outside this door. I will send Molly
in to fit you with a proper gown. Then you will leave at once.”

Her finger pointed at my eye with
a sharp nail of ice blue. I had a feeling if I spoke, she would accidently maim
me with it. As long as I could still see out the other eye, I wouldn’t be
irreparably harmed, would I?

When I didn’t speak, she rolled
to her full height and left the room. I had a glance to see the guards outside.
Molly came in after a quick knock. She held a dress of scarlet red. Something I
didn’t think would be allowed in Winter but would very much be received in
Summer as I remembered Tatiana.