9. Marius

Chapter 9

Marius

" T his is unexpected, Commander Marius."

Growling into her deliciously soft-scented neck, he pressed himself against her and savored her little moans of delight. His body rose to meet the challenge and he rubbed his length along her center. She gasped and lifted her hips. Pleasure coursed through Marius and his blood pounded in his ears.

Tahlia licked the tip of his ear, sending shivers of want down his neck and back. Gods, he wanted to ram himself into her with no regard for missions or crowns or humans with their heads up their arses. He longed to feel her warmth surrounding him in full.

"Another contact will be here shortly, won't he?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"Don't care," he muttered as he moved her carefully to the floor. There was a carpet lining the flat stone and it would keep the chill from her, not that he truly worried she might get cold with what activities he had in mind. "Be good, Tahlia. You want this, yes?"

He pulled away, suddenly worried he might have assumed too much. But she smiled saucily.

"Oh, yes, Marius. Yes, I do."

She helped him shuck off her Midhampton special guard trousers and his as well. Just the scent of her skin made his head swim…

His tongue licked its way down her bared stomach and she squirmed under him, her fingers digging into his scalp. Pinning her hips with his forearm, he brushed his mouth over her navel. He longed to take his time, but time wasn't something they had much of. At least one very tiny part of his mind was cognizant of that fact.

He met her gaze and she nodded, permitting him to continue. Rising up onto his elbow, he used his free hand to lift her leg. He drove into her and his body lit up with pleasure. The sensations roared through his blood. He kissed her hard and her mouth opened to him just as her body had. She felt like an afterlife he could never, ever deserve. Perfectly created for their joining.

"Perfect. You're perfect," he gasped out.

Her head fell back against the floor and she cried out, bucking her hips as she found her peak. He gripped her low around the hips, his hands squeezing her fine backside, and he thrust and thrust and thrust again until his climax claimed the last shred of his mind.

Falling gently onto her, feeling the movement of her blessed lungs and the beat of her darling heart, his pulse beat out one truth. "Mine. My mate. All mine."

"Aye, Commander Marius, and you are mine as well." She kissed the top of his head as he rested on her chest.

He hadn't realized he'd said the words aloud. A smile tugged at his lips and he held her close.

A fuzzy demon approached. It mewed directly into his face and marched onto his back. Marius growled and shifted his shoulder to dislodge the kitten, but the beastly thing held on with its foul claws. It curled up between his shoulder blades.

Tahlia dissolved in a fit of laughter. "The kitten…" She could barely speak and her laughter jostled his head. "Loves you."

A knock sounded, loud and so insistent that it had to have been going on for longer than they had noticed.

Removing the kitten from Marius's back, they hurried to clean up. In the water closet at the back of the house, they dressed while the knocking continued. Tahlia tucked Fara's letters under her tunic and into the waist of her trousers. They would be hidden, so he figured that was all right. If they were captured, their potions would fade and it wouldn't matter if the letters contained information that exposed Tahlia and Marius as Fae.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into lovemaking," Marius said.

"Don't apologize. I'll go again if you're up for it."

He froze in buttoning his trousers and eyed her smiling, beautiful face. "Do not tempt me, my mate. It's this city…" Moving on to fixing his tomato hat— save me from this day, great Old Ones —he continued his explanation. "With all these people around you, I feel the undeniable urge to mark you with my scent."

"Even though the humans won't detect it?"

"Yes. I know. I'm a beast."

She giggled and picked up the kitten who had befriended him. "A feral beast like this fellow?"

"Not that bad."

Her laugh eased his nerves and now that she smelled of him, of their union, his Fae blood cooled. Not completely, but some.

When Tahlia finally opened the door, the contact—a short human man with the same stupid costume they were wearing on his portly body—blinked at them.

He scowled at their faces, which were surely flushed. "I'm no Mist Knight," he whispered as he pushed past them and into the safe house's living room area, "but even I know that wasn't in the plan. Also, that hat is a lot on you, my dear man."

They followed him, Tahlia snickering. "It is." Her gaze traveled up to Marius's head.

Marius shut his eyes and begged all the powers of the world to make this day move more quickly from here on out.

The contact's gaze snagged on the pile of kittens that had dozed off in a square of sunlight near the hearth. He blew out a breath. Then he faced them again. "Your disguise spell is certainly working."

The way he said spell sounded akin to someone talking about a tragedy, but that was no surprise. Humans distrusted magic, and they believed the Fae were drenched in it. That was wrong, but perhaps they viewed some normal attributes as magical when indeed they were not. Marius wasn't sure.

"There is a change in plan," the contact said.

Marius crossed his arms. "Explain."

Tahlia bent to check the knife she had tucked into her boot. "What's happening?"

"Because of an incoming storm and the flooding that will likely be a problem in the Star Quarter of the city, King Durniad shortened the parade and will present himself, wearing the crown no doubt, in the morning. He will likely be at the fortress while you are attempting the heist. Once the tomato throwing begins, go to the fortress's southern entrance. Get in and get out. Use the name Edward Newlington, and once you're in, ask them if a storm is coming. If they're with us, they'll say, ‘the sky and ocean are tricky.' Oh, and I meant to tell you that as hired guards, you'll fit in best if you participate in some of the foolish activities going on during the parade and so forth. Dance a dance if you're asked onto a stage. Have a drink, not five of them, mind you, but an ale or two will be expected on a festival day."

"Even from guards?" Tahlia asked.

"Yes. The guidelines for your behavior are up for debate. It'll all depend on which captain is bossing you about at the moment."

A spark of unpleasant heat sizzled under Marius's breastbone. "About what I would expect from humans who tolerate pirates," he said very quietly, unable to restrain himself.

The contact's gaze flicked to Marius's face, but he didn't say a word in retort. Perhaps he agreed.

"The crown is still hidden in the same place though, right? That hasn't changed?" Tahlia asked.

"As far as we know, the crown is still locked up somewhere under the fortress. You heard about the labyrinth and the potential traps, correct?" The contact removed a waterskin from his belt and sipped loudly. Sweat shone on his wide forehead.

Marius nodded as he and Tahlia packed their clothing into a sack left for them on the table. "But no details. Do you know anything further?"

"No. Only that building out one of the traps resulted in the death of Durniad's right-hand man and a few people he viewed as less important."

"Details, please." Marius attached his dagger to the uniform's broad belt, using a loop with a long metal button.

Tahlia did the same and he appreciated the fact that she remembered to tuck an extra blade into her borrowed boot.

The contact replaced the waterskin at his belt, then mopped his brow with his loose linen sleeve. "Of course, yes. But we have little time. What I was told was that Durniad commanded his team to house something incredibly dangerous down there. His right-hand man told him it wasn't a good idea. When the trap or whatever it is killed the man, Durniad claimed the advisor deserved the death for his disloyalty, then Durniad murdered those who had agreed with the advisor."

"Really nice guy, hmm?" Tahlia shook her head, her cheeks going pale.

"An absolute pig."

Tahlia nodded. "So no other clues other than generally very dangerous?"

Marius pressed his lips together. Going into this blind was not what he had in mind. He'd thought the contact would at least know something of Durniad's wild plan to house the crown.

"And no mention of the tools they used to set up the trap or any visiting experts?" Marius asked.

"Well, now that you mention it…" The contact bent at the waist as a sleepy-eyed monster with tabby stripes trotted up to his boot. He picked it up and stroked its back—he'd get fleas for sure. "Aside from the usual engineers employed in construction that close to the sea's edge, Durniad brought in a smithy."

"A blacksmith?" Tahlia asked.

The contact nodded as he returned the kitten to the floor. "One who is known to specialize in locks, doors, custom carts for hauling livestock. That sort of thing."

"Hmm." Marius tapped his chin. What was Durniad hoping to contain? The crown, obviously. But anything else? Would there be an elaborate trap that they could trigger upon entering the area where he had the crown hidden? Or perhaps a mechanism that made it so sharpened spearheads or blades set into the walls of the structure could be loosed from outside the building if they were seen entering?

"You know, it might not be a terrible idea to attempt to get information out of Durniad's brother, Jovanyth. He drinks too much, so Durniad basically ignores his existence," the contact said. "I tried to get him to talk to me when he was deep in his cups four days ago, but a friend of his spoiled my attempts."

"Where is this brother now?" Marius asked.

The contact waved his hand all around. "He's with everyone else. In the streets, celebrating."

"We will find him," Marius said.

"But—" the contact started, but Marius held up a hand.

"Information is the key to success. What tavern does he frequent?"

"The Siren's Grotto."

Tahlia raised her eyebrows, and the mischievous glint in her eyes brightened. "Sounds fun."

The contact snorted and Marius pondered what the sound meant to him. That the tavern wasn't fun? That Tahlia was being foolish? Marius felt his lip curl, but because of the Witch's potion, his Fae fang wouldn't show and properly threaten this fellow for insulting his mate.

Tahlia tugged on his guard uniform sleeve. "Eh, Commander, are you listening? You all right?"

Marius shook off his growing irritation with the contact and forced a smile. "You were saying…"

Swallowing, the contact dragged his gaze from Marius's fisted hand to look instead at Tahlia.

"Head up this road," he said, giving directions to the tavern. He went on with little details to look for and where to go, including a trip through the city's catacombs. "There is a torch or two sitting down there from our last use of the passage. A small bag should be beside them with flint and stone. It will only take a small spark to ignite the torch because it's doused in the same stuff Durniad uses in sea battles. Do not, and I repeat, do not get any of it on your skin. You might be powerful Fae beings, but I think it would still give you a pretty nasty wound to deal with in the middle of all this."

Marius nodded.

"The catacombs might be a little damp with the tide high," the human said. "Follow the crown symbol etched into the wall on each turn…" His directions continued, telling them how to get to the Siren's Grotto exactly. He told them to join the parade once they were finished with Jovanyth.

Marius crossed his arms. "Perfect. The tomato throwing begins at the sound of the explosions, yes?"

"The fireworks, yes. You'll hear some horns too."

"Do humans detonate fireworks often?" Tahlia asked. "Our king does, but the everyday person doesn't have access."

"No. Special events only. They're too expensive for most to purchase."

"Interesting. Thanks!"

The contact started to frown at Tahlia.

Marius stepped closer and stared down at the human. "Anything else?"

He coughed. "Ah, uh, no. That's it. But take this." Turning back toward the front door, he shoved a key into Marius's hand. "I nabbed it from one of the guards at the fortress's old gate. I'm not sure what it unlocks, but it can't hurt to have it."

"Thank you."

The contact left, and after a count of twenty, they did the same.

It was time to find a drunkard and squeeze him for information. If they missed their timing to get into the fortress, they would be caught. Their potion would wear off while in holding cells, no doubt, and then they would be at the mercy of Durniad.

Marius wasn't about to let anyone capture Tahlia even if he had to give his life to keep that from happening.