Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court) (18 page)

Thin, sticky strands of magic clung to her. She used a bit of power and brushed them away, relieved when they crackled to the floor. She dropped her shield and crossed back through the room, not even glancing at the lure of the deep blue pool. Her heart sang as she climbed the stairs back up to the inhabitable area of Cairngloss, and left the malevolent cavern behind.

She would save Kian, and he would in turn help her save her family. She could do it. He had faith in her, she would have faith in herself. And faith that once he was free he would keep his promise. There was a flicker of doubt inside her heart. But it almost didn’t matter. Without him she would just be one more person lost in the wilderness, running from purple-striped tigers. Vulnerable to whatever Underhill had to throw at them. No, she needed him. She would have faith.

Her foot touched the top stair, and she heard an unfamiliar female voice and smelled the dank stench of trolls. She ducked behind the narrow door and peeked out. Trolls had come after her family before. They were mean, smart, and brutally violent. She shielded her lantern and quietly snuck down the hall and around corners, following the dank smell of troll until she found the source of the voices. Crouching behind the wall, she listened.

“Now Kian, be a good boy and behave for me, and we’ll have you all better by tomorrow.”

“You can’t do this, Agrona. You aren’t powerful enough to reverse the damage to the spell.”

“I can. See this?”

Bryanna peered around the edge of the wall. Two huge male figures in war gear stood on either side of Kian, not quite as big as trolls and not quite as brutish. Kian was weighed down with heavy manacles of iron, what the witches called elf’s kryptonite. His head hung low, and his mouth dripped blood onto the pristine whiteness of his shirt, the stain spreading out over his chest.

Beezel huddled against the wall, cradling an oddly bent forearm. He shuddered and shook as he whimpered and pressed against the stones. His eyes fixed on the creature that grinned cruelly at Kian.

Dressed in a shirt, riding breeches, and boots, Agrona was just as tall as Kian, topping well over six feet, with large teeth and wide, thick lips. Her golden yellow eyes, and those of her companions, glittered with the odd elvatian crystalline quality Bryanna found so mesmerizing in Kian’s eyes. Her ears were pointed, but her skin had an odd, lichen quality and a slight green tinge. Her features were broad and flat where his were fine and narrow. Mud-brown hair was pulled back from her face into a thick brushy tail. Next to Kian’s lean, muscular elegance, everything about her was rough and awkward, as if she were the model in clay and he, the final draft.

“The queen gave me this.” Agrona pulled a black diamond the size of her fist out of the pouch hanging from her sword belt.

Bryanna opened her sight. The stone contained the same dark amethyst signature as the spell that bound Kian and warded the cavern below.

“If I use it, you’re back to your old hairy self.” Agrona juggled the jewel back and forth in front of Kian’s face. “This will make your spell permanent, my love, but I don’t have to use it. It’s up to me. Or maybe it’s up to you.” She held the diamond’s glittering facets close to his cheek.

He flinched and turned his head.

Agrona lowered her voice to a near whisper that Bryanna strained to hear. “If you’ll marry me, Kian, you can be this handsome all the time. No more monster. No more curse. We can leave here right away and we’ll celebrate our wedding at court.”

Kian snorted. “What makes you think it will be that easy? The queen’s using you,” Kian said. “Once she has what she wants she’ll toss you away like she has so many others.”

“She’s already given me powers. Look at how easily you were caught.”

“If I had my magic, you would never have caught me.”

“So you say.” She relaxed against the wall across from him and tossed the gleaming, glittering gem from hand to hand. “So, what’s it to be?”

“You know my answer. I’ll never marry you. I’ll stay here and rot first.”

“Never is a long time to waste away, alone, here in the dark. Meanwhile, your poor loyal followers are rotting away, locked in the queen’s dungeon and thinking you’ve abandoned them to their fate.”

Kian lunged against his chains, straining his captors’ muscles as they pulled him back.

“Oh, did I strike a nerve?” Agrona laughed. “Well, think on this, lover boy. The queen grows weary of waiting for you to behave. If you don’t marry me, she might do worse than torture the ones that are left.” She leaned in and dropped her voice.

Bryanna craned her neck, but she couldn’t make out what she whispered in his ear.

Kian’s head drooped.

“Cat got your tongue? Well, that will be one of the first things to go on some of those lovely delicious men of yours. It’s so easy to remove, and it leaves them so much more pliable.” She laughed again. “Oh, come on, Kian. Let’s get it on tonight. You know I’ll make you forget about everything.”

She reached out and caressed the bulge in the front of his pants. He thrust away from her touch, dragging the men back with him.

“You’ll take all my memories, you mean.”

“Isn’t that what marriage is all about? Giving over all you own to your wife? What do you want with memories and power anyway? Power just gets you into trouble. Men are so much happier when all they have to think about is their dicks, and once you’re married to me, that’s all you’ll care about.”

The soldiers braced their legs, holding Kian still as she trailed her hand down his chest and belly. Dipping lower, she reached between his legs and squeezed.

“Back off, Agrona! I’d rather stay here as a monster for another millennium than marry you.”

“Think about it. Together, we could do so much.”

“You mean you and the queen could do so much with my powers.”

“Why Kian, whatever do you mean?”

“I know she’s figured out how to siphon the power you steal from your husbands. Look at poor Troy. He was nothing but a moving husk at the end. You killed him. You both killed him.”

“Troy didn’t have your stamina or your power. He didn’t have it in him to be a royal, but you do. Besides, look at what sharing his Gift did for me. The queen has promised you to me, and once we’re married I’ll be even more important at court. I’ll be someone to reckon with.” She caressed his chin.

He yanked his face back.

She dropped her hand to her side, arched her brows, and gave him a superior look. “And when I have power, I’ll do something for you. I’ll free your men.”

“The queen will never let you.”

“I’ll do it before I share the power. I’ll make it a condition.” Her voice hardened. “I’m not stupid, no matter what you and those fool Tuathan pure breeds think.”

“You’ll take my Gift and my soul, and then you’ll let my men rot.”

“Since I can’t lie, you must realize I’m telling you the truth. Your men safe, out of prison. And Kian, they are truly imprisoned.” She waved a hand at the walls of Cairngloss. “Not secreted away in some luxurious, abandoned palace.” She backed away and waggled a finger at Kian. “Think about it, lover boy. And if you’re worried about my following through, I’ll even swear a bargain with you. You married and willing in my bed, soul and powers included, and I’ll free your men. Or stay here and rot as a monster while the queen tortures your loyal servants for the next thousand years.”

Kian stared at Agrona’s glittering, citrine eyes. He’d never hated someone so much in his entire life, except his mother, the queen.

Agrona turned to Beezel, who had pressed himself deep into walls until Kian could hardly see the little grey gnome against the stones. “I want food.” Her foot lashed out and she caught Beezel in the ankle. “Now.” He moaned and pulled away from the wall. Limping, he led them down the hall and around the corner towards the dining room.

The troll-kin guards pushed Kian into his room. He stumbled, and they dragged him to the wall, chaining his wrists high to an iron sconce and leaving him hanging, his shoulder joints already protesting his position.

The door closed. He hung his head as the spelled iron itched and irritated his wrists. He’d failed.

In the morning, if he didn’t go with Agrona, his men would pay an even bigger price than they already had. He knew his mother, and her idea of increasing their torture would be excruciating. He couldn’t let that happen to men he’d already once failed.

If he married Agrona his mother would steal all of his power and put into action her plan to move into the Gold Court and take it over. Once she had the Golden King’s power, she would be unstoppable. Not that he’d care. He’d be a mindless zombie serving Agrona until he wore away to nothing and died. No ambition, no power, and no brain. So, he was left with the unbearable choice of both his balls on the blade of the sword, and which one to choose.

And there was no guarantee that, even if she’d follow through, Agrona could protect his men from the queen. In fact, there was only a slim chance that she could. Or would. She might not be lying now, but she could easily change her mind. Or just never lift a finger to fulfill her bargain. And he would never know the outcome. He would be worse than dead with his marriage to a soul-sucking troll.

Depression swung through him and the only thing he found to be grateful for was Bryanna’s escape. If she’d been discovered here, and Agrona put it together that she was one of the hated MacElvys, she would have been swept off to court to be executed. Or worse.

Hours later, outside the room, he heard a meaty thump. And then a second one. The door opened, and he braced himself for what was to come.

Slender fingers wrapped around the edge of the door, and in crept Bryanna.

Amazement, fear, hope.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Run. Get away now, while you still can.”

Bryanna crossed the room and placed a lantern on the floor. She tugged at his chains. “How do we get these off of you?”

“You can’t, they’re spelled on. Only Agrona can take them off now.” He gazed at her beautiful face and a strange sensation of gratitude swelled his heart. He’d been able to see her one last time. “What did you do to the troll-kin?”

“Is that what they are? I’ve heard of them, a cross between trolls and elves, right? Is that what the female is, too?”

“She’s more elvatian than troll, but yes, essentially. What did you do to them? How much time do we have?” He searched her face, anxiously checking to be sure she hadn’t been hurt by the brutal soldiers.

“I blew a sleepy-time herb into their eyes. Hope you don’t mind that I scavenged your magical supplies.” She tugged on his chains. “We should have a little while. I took the time to cast a charm on it. How are we to get you to the workroom so we can undo your spell?”

Gratitude soared through him. “You came back to cure me?”

“I came back because you were right. My family will do better if I have you behind me. Now help me figure out how to get you to the workroom.”

“It’s too late.” He’d made his decision. He would have to sacrifice his men and his integrity as a leader to save the rest of Underhill from the predations of his mother. “Tomorrow she’ll cast the next spell on me, and I’ll be a monster permanently. I’m not sure even you will be able to cure that.”

“What kind of power does she hold over you that you’ll sit there and take this from her?” Her forehead wrinkled as she struggled with the iron locks. “What is she?” She paused, and he became lost in the unique depth of her eyes.

Her earnest human values would never comprehend the complexities of the way he’d been raised, but under her gaze, he had no choice but to tell her the truth. “She’s my fiancée.”

“You’re engaged?” Betrayal chased itself across her face, and he knew he could never tell her all of it.

If she ever found out he was the queen’s son she would hate him. She wouldn’t understand he’d had nothing to do with the deaths of her family and tribe.

Her face went blank. “I guess you forgot to mention that when we were doing the bump and grind.”

“Don’t do that.” He nearly growled. “Don’t demean what we did by crudity.” He hoped she’d listen to him as he explained. “We’re forcibly engaged. It’s legal in my realm and binding. And it never would have happened if the queen had not realized that Agrona has a skill. She’s mixed race, part-elvatian, part-troll. She has no beauty and little magic of her own. But the Gift she does have is the ability to siphon magic from her mates, leaving them empty and pliable, soulless husks.”

“You didn’t ask her to marry you?”

“No, the queen did it all. And that’s why I’m here. Her Majesty, thinks to force my hand and marry me to Agrona. With her magic, once we have sex, I’d lose my will, and they could steal all my Gift.”

“Why would she even need your permission? Couldn’t she just take you?”

“You mean rape me?”

Bryanna’s eyes dropped. “Well…yes. I’m sure there are magical ways.”

“There are. But magic is tricky. Your Gift is such a part of you that you need to give your permission for someone to take it. I don’t know how she coerced the others, but she was unable to break me.” He rolled his neck and tried to give his burning shoulders a break. “Until now.”

And they’d tried. He’d been tortured. They’d hidden him away so none would know and spent days, weeks, months trying to break his will. But it hadn’t worked. His will, his hatred, had only grown stronger until finally, the queen had cursed him so no woman would want him, and thrown him here until he changed his mind.