Neela

Neela

“I told you the frilly blue dress would have been perfect,” Liz hissed as we sipped our wine and spied on the fae arriving at the party across the street. “Pity you ripped it to shreds because you wanted to look pretty for your first trial.”

I shoved her playfully. “I love how you reinvent history. That is not what happened.”

She grinned.

I was glad I’d taken her advice this time, though I’d hesitated when she suggested the strapless pink gown. It floated down my body like an overblown rose, trailing the floor behind me, its asymmetrical petals clinging to my waist and hips.

“Maybe Ronan will rip this one to shreds tonight,” I said, imagining him clawing it from my body.

Almost two weeks had passed since my inner magic emerged during the third trial, and Ronan and I spent nearly every minute together. He’d made good on his promise to make long slow love to me, and I’d made good on my insistence for fast and furious fucks. Plus, there’d been a bunch of talking, which was almost as fun.

“Slap that stupid smile off your face,” Liz said, rolling her eyes. “Stay focused on the mission.”

I had insisted that Liz bring me to a bar where we could watch fae arrive at the party before we had to go in ourselves. This was the pre-Ascension party. My twenty-fifth birthday had come and gone, and my Ascension Rite would be the following week. Every realm in Arathay sent representatives to witness and congratulate the newly Ascended, and this was their welcome celebration.

I liked to think of it as a fancy twenty-fifth birthday party for me, too.

I sipped my wine. I was staying off the Fae Fizz tonight. “Who’s that?”

A tall slender female with a posture so straight you could use her in math class strode up the red carpet and into the marquee where the function was being held. Her silver-gray hair was swept back in a tight bun, making her look severe.

“That’s Arrow from the Realm of Fen. That’s the truth-telling realm.”

A spark of mischief bubbled inside me. “So this Arrow chick can’t lie? Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the information I could get out of her. I have to meet her!”

“Nobody can lie inside the borders of Fen, but out here, she can lie as easily as you and me.”

“Boo.”

“It’s not all bad. Fen fae have a habit of truth-telling, which they usually stick to. Arrow’s a direct bitch, though, so I’d steer clear if I were you.”

“Is she the Queen of Fen?” The female was elegant and regal, so I figured she probably was.

Liz put down her drink. Her green hair was styled in an outrageously high do that defied gravity, and her body had been squeezed into a tight red sheath dress that looked rockstar. “Nope. Most realms send heirs to the Ascension parties, not ruling monarchs. Every realm has one Ascension yearly, so it’s a lot of work.”

“A lot of partying, you mean. Do these guys ever do any actual work?”

Liz snorted a laugh. “Not as far as I can tell.”

Next to arrive was a couple with linked arms and a natural ease that spoke of decades of loving companionship. The male was tall, with dark hair that swept his shoulders and was shaved on one side to show off a lightning-bolt tattoo that glowed bright silver. She looked much older, like an aged movie star, still gorgeous, with sleek black hair.

Remarkably, their hair and eyes didn’t match. The male’s dark hair contrasted with his striking silver eyes; the female’s eyes were vivid green.

I leaned closer to ask and almost toppled off my stool. This wine was strong stuff. “Are those guys human? Who—”

“They are the King and Queen of Caprice. Bastian and Bree of House Athar. She’s human, he’s fae.”

“The king and queen? I thought these guys only sent their kids.”

“Bastian and Bree don’t have any heirs,” Liz said thoughtfully.

I was enjoying the show, and the display of flesh wasn’t too bad, either. Next to arrive was a handsome male wearing a flowing shirt and trousers with so many cutouts that there was more muscle on show than material. I couldn’t stop staring at his porcelain white skin and lavender hair.

I looked at my informant with wide eyes. “And who do we have here?”

Liz was caught in his mesmerizing presence too. “That’s Prince Jayke of House Sansett from the Realm of Caprice.”

“He’s hot.”

She nodded enthusiastically, still ogling him. “Yep. I wonder how flexible he is….” She tilted her head like she was trying to get him into a particular position.

“But not as hot as Ronan.” I wished my male would sneak up behind me, snake a muscled arm around my waist and carry me off to the back room for a quickie. But I was also glad to be here with Liz, who I could no longer doubt was, in fact, a friend. Who would have thought? I had a friend—that was weirder than discovering I was a fae princess.

Liz and I were peering so intently out the plateglass window that we both jumped when a head appeared between us. “Boo,” he whispered, and I turned around–but it wasn’t Ronan.

The hair between us was a vibrant blue, and the male it belonged to had tanned skin and a square jaw. “What are we looking at?” he whispered conspiratorially.

“Who the hell are you?” I asked.

Liz grinned. “Prince Colzan from House Blunt in the Realm of Ourea, meet Princess Neela of House Flora from the Realm of Verda.”

“So many damn Houses,” I muttered. “How do you remember them all, Liz?”

She dipped a little curtsy from her stool. “I’m a royal companion, remember. It’s my job to know this stuff.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Colzan said with a cheeky grin, reaching between us and grabbing Liz’s drink before she could stop him.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you always sneak up on people and eavesdrop on private conversations?”

He threw back the drink and banged the glass on the counter. “Of course not! Only when the conversations look interesting.”

I grinned. This dude didn’t seem too uptight, so perhaps tonight wouldn’t be a fizzer after all.

Liz pried herself from her stool and stumbled against Colzan, who caught her, admiring her tight dress. “Time to face the lion’s den,” she said.

We crossed the street and walked the red carpet. Inside the marquee was a rich girl’s quinceanera on steroids. It was hosted by House Dionysus, so enticing food and wine were everywhere, but I’d already eaten—I wasn’t going near anything Dion’s House had prepared.

This was not an uptight party. Most folks looked already half-tanked, and sweaty bodies bumped and ground all over the place.

Ronan stood out despite all the fancy frocks and fabulous fae flesh. Tall, dark, handsome, with fuck-me eyes that I couldn’t get enough of. He leaned against an archway that led to an outside patio, and I beelined for him and smashed my body against his, not caring if it hurt. He wore a jacket and pants, and I ran my hand inside his coat and over his soft silk shirt, feeling the contours of his hard body underneath. “Yum,” I murmured.

He looked me up and down, his gaze lingering on my breasts before turning to my mouth. “Yum yourself.”

He’d been waiting for me, and he pulled me aside to a small courtyard that lent a measure of privacy. Colzan and Liz followed us, so I supposed a screw was out of the question, but I settled down on Ronan’s lap, and he rested a hand casually over my hip. Man, I liked this one. I really, really liked him.

Dion and Leif joined us, bringing the lavender-haired hottie, Jayke from Caprice. Jayke frowned at Colzan and took a seat as far away from him as possible, making me wonder if Caprice and Ourea were enemies. I still had so much to learn.

Amazingly, Leif had opted for a suit instead of gray sweats. He was even wearing a shirt. “Looking good, wolf,” I said, and he tossed his long silver hair and winked.

Dion had dressed up too, wearing shimmering black leather pants and a button-up shirt, looking like a lothario.

I looked around for the missing heir. “Where’s Gabrelle?”

Ronan hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Busy.”

She was across the far side of the marquee in an exquisite white floating gown that exposed her lower back and hips while somehow covering her important bits. She was chatting with a slimly muscled, golden-haired male with onyx skin dressed all in black and standing at the edge of the crowd radiating piss-off vibes.

“She has a thing for bad boys,” Leif explained. “That’s why she won’t suck me.”

Colzan threw back his head and laughed. “She won’t go near you because she’s miles out of your league, dude.”

Leif leaned across and stole the Ourean Prince’s bubbling drink, which he downed in one.

The party wore on as smoothly as Ronan wore his suit. Nothing boring about it. It turned out I didn’t have to meet a bunch of dull diplomats, just this handful of heirs who didn’t want to talk bullshit politics; they just wanted to drink.

A small winged faery flew out from the archway to the main party, cartwheeling through the air, and tumbled right into the back of Jayke’s head.

She apologized profusely, then whizzed away again, cackling merrily, and Jayke looked after her with a scowl. “Who let her in?”

His scowl turned to a grin, which made me think he was joking. Either that, or he was a paid-up member of the Asshole Club.

“You’re just kidding, right?” I asked.

He leaned back, oozing charm. “Of course.” I wasn’t sure I believed him.

I spied Jayke staring longingly at Gabrelle, who was still chatting up the terrifying golden-haired fae in the corner. I couldn’t blame the guy—I wasn’t into tits and clits, but I might make an exception for her. That floaty white anti-gravity dress took my damn breath away.

Leif had brought a tennis ball, of course, which he tossed lazily in the air while the heirs swapped gossip about the different realms. Who had Ascended to what power, who was screwing who, and whether the Unseelie Fae would ever relax about their Father of Death stuff and come party with us.

Colzan snatched the tennis ball out of the air and bolted away, darting into the marquee and swerving through the crowd. “Come get it, wolf boy,” he taunted.

Leif licked his lips and then sprinted after the Ourean Prince, rushing into the crowd with a hungry expression.

Liz started chatting to Jayke, and I wished her luck—he was straight-up hot. They wandered off to refresh their drinks, and Double D, finding himself alone with Ronan and me, made some excuse to disappear too.

I slid off Ronan’s lap, landing on the bench beside him with a thump. I was drunker than I’d realized. I’d stayed away from the Fae Fizz, but apparently, the wine from House Dionysus was just as potent.

“Hey, tomcat. Don’t leave me.”

“I’m not! I just had to get off your lap because there’s something important I need to tell you.”

He leaned forward, and I got a whiff of his sexy strawberry scent. “Is it another secret? I know how you like to share when you’re drunk. Those perfect plump lips of yours just can’t stop talking. I adore it.”

I kneeled on the bench so our faces were at the same level. “Yes, it is a sssecret.” That last word came out slurred, so I tried again. “A ssecret.” Not much better, but it would have to do.

He placed a hand on my thigh. “Perfect. I love your secrets. Let me guess…You’re a fae princess?”

“Shush. It’s my secret, not yours.” I leaned forward and licked his jaw bone from chin to temple. “I want to have sex with you,” I whispered into his ear.

“Me too. That’s not a secret.”

“I’m getting to it,” I protested. “I like you.”

He laughed, a throaty rumble that vibrated through my hip. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“No, I really, really like you. I might even love you.” Shouldn’t have said that, but it was probably true. Still, I had to reel it in, so I put a finger over his lips and said, “Shh.”

He pulled me close. “Just as long as you don’t hate me, tomcat. Because I know I love you, and I’ll never let you doubt it. You’re mine. I’ll do anything for you from now until the end of time.”

He clutched me to him, dragging me onto his lap, and pressed his lips against mine in an act of worship.