Steal the Sun (55 page)

“There was one disaster I have to report, Mother.” Declan’s gaze turned to his twin. He didn’t even try to hide his contempt for Daniel. “Devinshea chose to sacrifice Bris to save his wife’s vampire.”

A collective gasp was heard throughout the crowd. All eyes turned to us and even Daniel stopped what he was doing. The only person who looked vaguely happy with the turn of events was Angus. There was a small smile on his rough face, like he knew something the rest of us didn’t.

Miria gasped, turning to Dev. “Is this true, son? Is the god truly gone?”

Dev cast his eyes down. “He is not gone entirely, but he was weakened. It might be a while before he is able to take a host again. My goddess still feels his presence. He will bide his time and attempt to reintegrate with me in the future.”

“Of course Zoey feels his presence,” Declan said, showing his skepticism. “Zoey is the reason you betrayed your people, brother. I hardly think I can believe a word she says.”

“It was not a betrayal.” Dev looked to his mother, willing her to understand. “I was saving someone I love. You would do the same.”

“No,” Declan said with great certainty, shaking his head. “She would sacrifice. She would do what is best for her people. She would never have chosen a monster over her family.”

Now Angus’s smile wasn’t even small. He was deeply enjoying the prince’s current occupation of deep hole digger. Miria, however, frowned and didn’t deny what Declan was saying.

Dev bent down to help Daniel up. Daniel was in control again, and I could see that Declan’s words were pulling out his sense of shame. He looked around, feeling the condemnation from Dev’s people.

“Daniel just saved you,” Dev said to his mother. “If it hadn’t been for Daniel we would never have been able to make it across the field. Neil wouldn’t have been able to keep the assassin off you long enough for Zoey to kill him. That’s your monster, Mother. We all risked everything to stop this bloodshed and save you.”

Miria’s green eyes took in her son. “I understand, Devinshea. I truly do. I do not think the vampire is a monster. He is your partner and you have forged a life with him and your goddess. But Devinshea, the only reason the nobles were willing to take you back as our priest was Bris. While we need your power as a Green Man, it is inconsequential compared to what Bris could have brought us.”

“I disagree,” Angus interrupted. “I’ve had reports that since the priest bound himself to the vampire and his companion, he’s left a wide swath of pregnant females wherever they sleep.”

“Humans.” Declan discounted the notion entirely. “They are intensely susceptible to sex magic.”

Chima stepped forward. “It’s not just humans.”

Miria shook her head. “They will not accept him without the god. Hopefully, Bris will reintegrate soon and all will be well. You can take your place and the nobles will accept you.”

A bitter laugh huffed out of Dev’s mouth. “Fuck your nobles, Mother. I’m done with this place. My home is on the Earth plane now. I shed the title of priest and consider myself Seelie no longer. I’m Zoey’s husband. I’m Daniel’s partner. Goddess willing, I will be father to our children, but they won’t be Seelie either. As soon as I finish my final task, I will trouble you no more.”

“Devinshea,” Miria began and I could see her heart was aching.

“Feel free to call upon me if you ever find yourself in Dallas,” Dev said. “I don’t seek to cut you entirely from my life, but I understand that you’re a queen and must hold your standards high. I love you, but there is no place for a freak like me in your world.”

“Ah, Your Grace, let’s talk about my world.” Angus’s accented voice was pure honey. “Your mother might not have a place for you, but I certainly do.”

Dev looked at the Unseelie King. “I meant what I said, Angus. I intend to stay with my family on the Earth plane.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t visit your people and bless them with your magic from time to time,” Angus reasoned. “Any children you have will be faery children. We Unseelie have no problem with mortals. Many of us are mortal. I’ve found it just makes us tougher. You don’t have to be born Unseelie, son. You just have to need a place to go.” He turned to Daniel and there was great admiration in his eyes. “As for this beastie here, oh, he’s more than welcome. My only worry is that he might fight me to take over, and the damn bastard might win.”

Daniel’s lips tugged up slightly. “Your throne is safe, Your Highness. I have my own waiting for me at home.”

“Aye, King of the Vampires,” Angus acknowledged with a solemn nod. “Now, you see, I’m thinking we could have ourselves an alliance. A man like you, Mr. Donovan, I think would make a powerful ally. You will find our nobles, that fucker Con aside, will have no problem with your fangs and your bloodlust. It’ll match their own.”

“Devinshea,” Miria said firmly, “you cannot possibly consider his offer. You are my son. The nobles will accept you once you have ascended again.”

“And my nobles don’t give a shit if you ascend at all, Your Grace,” Angus countered.

Miria pointed at Angus. “He is only making the offer on the gamble that you will reintegrate with Bris. Can you not see that, son? He is playing the odds that you will ascend again and then your primary loyalty will be to the Unseelie. Your own people shall be secondary then if you choose to take their High Priest post.”

Dev looked at me, his eyes asking the silent question as they switched between me and Daniel.

“I’ll go along with whatever you want, Dev,” Daniel said. “They’re your family. I can handle being called a monster. It’s not the worst I’ve heard. I won’t think less of you for wanting to wait to see if Bris comes back.”

Dev snorted. “Like I’m going to do that. I meant what I said, Dan. I’m done with the Seelie. I was asking if you minded being considered Unseelie. They would consider you both Unseelie. Our children would be Unseelie
sidhe
.”

“I know where I’m comfortable,” I said sincerely. “I like wearing pants and being able to defend myself. Besides, I want our kids to know the faery side of their nature. I worry the Seelies would be even less welcoming to kids who have a human for a mother and a halfling and vampire for fathers.”

Chima bowed formally our way. “I assure you, Your Grace, that I am looking forward to Sean having a cousin to play with. Tell us you accept, Devinshea. Allow us to be blessed once again with a true high priest.”

Dev walked forward and placed himself in front of King Angus. “I promise to be your good priest,” he said formally, even as his mother bit back a cry.

Angus bowed as well, the high priest the only noble the king showed that respect to. “And I will be your good king, Priest. I’ll never deny you aid. You have merely to ask and the Unseelie will be there. Though we might have called the battle off, it seems to me the Unseelies have won this day.”

The love fest was interrupted by Padric, who returned with the struggling duke. The duke fought the warrior, but Padric wasn’t about to let his quarry go. He hauled the traitor to the queen and forced him to his knees.

“Braden.” Miria looked at him as she might look at a worm. “Would you like to explain how my sons stand before me alive and whole when you swore they were dead? You set me on the course to this battle.”

The duke’s voice was tremulous. “I was obviously mistaken. I had bad intelligence. It was an honest mistake.”

“Mistake?” He was going to try to play it that way? I wasn’t about to allow that to pass. “Was it a mistake when you had your daughter sell me to the Unseelies as a sex slave? Was it a mistake when you cursed my unborn child? How about attempting to assassinate the queen?”

Miria turned to me, her skin going pale. “These are grave accusations. Are you certain, daughter?”

“I will prove our certainty, Mother.” Dev glanced around until he found who he was looking for. “Hunter?”

A gasp went through the crowd and even Angus pulled his daughter close as if to protect her. Everyone around held their breath in bated anticipation of what was going to happen. Everyone, that is, except the Duke of Ain, who started to beg and struggle again. His eyes were wide with horror.

“Yes, Your Grace,” the Hunter answered with a sly smile. His dark eyes glittered, his whole body seeming to swell with power.

Miria put a hand on her son’s sleeve and even Declan looked pale. “Son, if you are wrong…”

“Dev,” Declan said, “don’t do this. We can just behead the bastard and be done with it. We don’t need a hunt.”

“Oh, brother,” Dev said with great relish. “I prefer Unseelie justice.” He turned and pointed at the duke. “I am Devinshea Quinn, High Priest of the Unseelie Fae. I accuse the Duke of Ain of crimes against me and mine. He plotted against his queen, betrayed my goddess, and cursed my unborn son. I demand justice, Hunter.”

The Hunter strode forward. Even as he walked, he raised an arm and I could feel the sky above me opening up. “And you shall have it. We ride!”

Now there was panic as the crowd around us broke up and ran for cover. Padric released the duke and he began to run. He could run as fast and far as his legs would allow and it wouldn’t matter. The hunt would find him. The hunt would have his blood.

A huge black horse, who I would have sworn was on fire, descended and the Hunter mounted in a graceful, fluid motion. The horse reared back and the heavens above seemed to open, unleashing a great army. All the monsters of the world, it seemed, had wings and teeth. They blacked out the sun as they moved toward us.

Dev pulled me close and Daniel covered my back. I was safe and secure between them, but I could hear the screams. I caught glimpses of wild nightmares come to life. They flew past with one thought in their collective brain—kill the Duke of Ain. Bring justice forth by spilling his blood.

“Don’t watch,” Daniel said, pushing my head against Dev’s chest. “You don’t want to see it, baby.”

I wrapped my arms around Dev and let Daniel’s body drown out the screams that seemed to go on forever. The sounds alone would haunt my nightmares. After the longest time, the cries died down and I felt the rushing of winged creatures as they went back to wherever they had come from.

Dev didn’t release me even when the Hunter returned.

“Are you satisfied, Your Grace?”

There was darkness in my faery prince’s eyes as he nodded. He didn’t regret having called the Wild Hunt. “I am.”

The Hunter bowed and dismounted. The horse took off to wait in the sky for his master to call him again.

“Come, Daniel. Let’s return with King Angus and let our wife rest,” Dev said. “It’s been a hard few days. I would like to take you up on your previous offer, if it still stands.”

Danny had offered to lay in bed together, warm and safe, and discuss our future. “It is always open, Devinshea,” Daniel affirmed with a smile. “Though I’ll need a bath before you let me into our bed.”

Dev grinned down at me. I was every bit as filthy as Daniel. “I think we can all use a bath.”

I perked up. I remembered how our last bath went. I stopped when I had a sudden, horrible thought. “Oh, god. The Blood Stone. Did that bitch get my stone?”

Daniel reached into his pocket. “They weren’t brave enough to search me. It’s been in my pocket the whole time.”

“Then let’s get to the part where we practice the whole baby-making thing. I could use a break.” I looked down to make sure the wolves were following. I was sure Lee, at least, was looking forward to a nice long nap.

“I think you will like your temple, Zoey,” Chima said with an eager smile. “I’ll have everything in readiness for you. I’ll make sure there is a great feast to welcome you home.”

“Dev!” Miria shouted as we began to follow Angus and Chima.

Without looking back, Dev replied. “You should take care of Gilliana. She was in on the plot with her father. I’ll be satisfied with her speedy execution. Please send her head to me with all due haste. If you do that, I won’t call the hunt down again. I’ll talk to you soon, Mother, but not today. As for Chima’s husband, I prefer not to talk to him at all.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

“What do you think it does?” Dev stared at the Blood Stone. It was strangely beautiful in the midday light. He lay on his stomach and I stared at his completely perfect ass.

“I have no freaking idea, man,” Daniel admitted, kissing the back of my neck as he let his hands wander across my breasts. Even though he’d just come, he was already getting hard again.

I lay back against Daniel’s chest, fairly exhausted. It had been hard keeping up with the two of them since we’d been safely ensconced in the Unseelie temple. We’d tried our hardest to bring Bris back to us but so far we’d had no luck. However, despite Declan’s dark warnings, our fertility rituals had seemed plenty powerful. We’d performed several over the last two weeks and Angus had been pleased. Our volume might not be at a hundred and fifty like it had with Bris, but we were a solid ninety-five, and the Unseelie seemed thrilled with their priest. Tomorrow we would be heading home. I was going to miss this big, comfy bed we had barely left for two weeks.

“Goddess, Daniel,” Dev said with an admiring smile. “I thought I was insatiable.”