28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

NOVALEIGH

"Don't worry, I won't hit you!"

The courtyard at Convectus Castle is my favorite place to be, aside from the armory. Here, there are plenty of straw-stuffed dummies to practice with, but I prefer the breathing variety.

My fingers tighten around the handle of the blade, feeling its weight and heft before I release it in a smooth arc. With a satisfying thud, the sharp point embeds itself in the center of the apple lodged between the guard's teeth.

Tai's shoulders slump.

A smug grin spreads across my face as I meet the guard's relieved gaze. "See?" I taunt, savoring the thrill of my precise aim.

I've got to break him in gradually. Last week it was making him an accomplice to my breaking and entering into the royal armory. This week, it's target practice.

I love making grown fae males sweat. Especially this one, as it makes his uniform cling to his muscles.

The air crackles with a buzzing energy that pricks at my senses. The same feeling I get when someone sifts. No one but a royal fae can teleport in and out of the castle grounds, so I rush over to the guard, kicking up dust, and I take the apple out of his mouth before hiding it behind my back.

A split-second later, Bennett appears, looking as though he's run a marathon. And he's not alone. A very pretty girl is with him, though I can tell she's really nervous. And scared. Lopey, I think. He brought her to movie night. Her eyes dart around, taking in the area before landing on Bennett. His curly hair is a mess, perspiration dots his brow, and his chest heaves with labored breath. Despite his disheveled state, he runs over to me, grabbing my shoulders.

"Do you know where Mom put the bracelet?"

"The bracelet?" I narrow my eyes. There's only one he could be referring to. One that could destroy our entire family if the wrong person gets their hands on it. "Doesn't that have the ability to control a royal fae? What kind of mess are you getting yourself into now?"

He shakes his head. "Nova, I don't have time to fuck around. Where is it?"

I shrug him off me, crossing my arms across my chest. He doesn't see the split apple I toss behind me. "Why do you need it?"

Bennett runs his hands through his hair. "Fuck! Right now, Nova!"

His girlfriend flinches.

Oh, he's big mad. Never in my two years has he ever even raised his voice at me. He's gotten a little irritated, sure.

But I don't like his tone.

Ignoring his outburst, I take a step away from him, looking him up and down. I watch as his expression turns from annoyance to desperation in seconds. My curiosity piqued; I decide to tease Bennett a bit more. "Are you seriously expecting me to help you when you won't even tell me what's up?"

"Rose and her mates will all die in about thirty minutes if I don't do this, so fucking help me, Nova!" Benny roars.

Tears spring to my eyes, real fear squeezing my chest in a vice. "What?"

I've always pictured my sister and her mates as unbreakable. Especially now that one of them is a god. And Khi is the best with knives. What kind of danger could they be in? A bomb?

But Bennett would never fuck with me like this. It'd be too cruel. And he'd never yell at me like this for no good reason, either. Guilt seeps through my veins that I wasted precious seconds giving him a hard time.

I glance back at Tai, and nod to him. "Sift to get my trunk, upstairs attic. Back left panel of the wall." I'm strong, but the trunk is too wide and too deep for me to carry myself, and I haven't learned the magic to levitate yet.

Without waiting for a verbal response, Tai vanishes. He's only been my personal guard for a few days now, much to my parents' dismay. The guard is an incubus.

And he's cute.

A few moments later, Tai appears again, muscles barely straining as he sets down my giant trunk. I whisper my unlocking spell, flip the lock, and toss the lid back.

One-by-one, I place the contents of the trunk in Tai's outstretched hands. What doesn't fit there, I tuck in all of his various pockets, giving them a little pat after each one. I take out my nun chucks, fifteen blades of various sizes, six pairs of brass knuckles, a tiny crossbow I can tuck in my sleeve, fourteen smoke bombs, a bunch of throwing stars that nick my fingers, a set of lockpicks in a burgundy velvet case, three vials of poison, truth serum pills glamoured as candy, and a heavily bound book of forbidden spells.

I ignore the bug-eyed looks of Bennett and Lopey as they take in my cache of weapons. The last item is hidden in the false compartment at the base of the trunk, and I tap on it three times, whispering a counter-curse before it opens.

A ripple shudders through the air as the spell takes hold, nullifying the effects of the protection spell I have in place on this bracelet. After picking it up with the t-shirt it's wrapped in, I tuck it into my pocket.

"Hand it over." Bennett stretches his hand out towards me.

"No way, I'm coming with." I stand, nodding with my head at Tai, an unspoken command for him to put everything back into the trunk.

Tai, ever the dutiful guard, hesitates, his eyes darting between Bennett and me, weighing his orders against the plea in my gaze. Before he can voice his concern, Bennett's frustration boils over.

"Gods damnit, Nova," he mutters, reaching out to grab my arm in a firm, but gentle grip, his fingers wrapping securely around my wrist as if to physically anchor me to his decision. His other hand grabs onto Penelope's.

Simultaneously, Tai, driven by his sworn duty to protect, steps forward, his hand clamping down on my other arm. His grip is tight, protective, a vow to follow wherever I lead—even if it means defying future-High-King-of-the-Fae-Bennett's wishes.

Caught between them, the tension thick, I roll my eyes. "Really, you two?" I chide, though a part of me is touched by their concern. "We don't have time for this. We're all going, and that's final."

Benny lets out a curse, and the next thing I know, we're sifting.

Moments later, we emerge just outside a monstrous city with huge turrets filled with guards who are wearing all metal. Private guards? These aren't Bedlam-issue uniforms.

Tai steps in front of me, slipping me one of the many blades on his person from my trunk, its hilt cool and reassuring against my palm. I grip it tightly, the familiar weight a comfort as we stare up at the towering gates.

"Your Majesty," my personal guard whispers. "We shouldn't be here."

"Call me that again and I'll stab you," I bark back.

"We don't have time to flirt, Nova, let's go." Before I have a chance to stomp my indignation, Bennett takes the lead while tucking what looks like a dress into the bag slung around his shoulder.

"Where did Penelope go?" I whisper.

We fall into step beside him, warily taking in our surroundings. My brother taps his pocket, and a little mouse sticks its head over the edge, whiskers twitchy as big eyes stare at me.

I beam. "A mouse fae?" Her whiskers twitch again before she disappears inside his pocket.

I wish I were a shifter.

I wish I were anything. We don't know my fae order yet. Most people my age would've learned months ago. I'm probably defective on account of who my dad is.

Passing through the gates is easy, especially with how cocky these two walk, as though they belong here. I do a double-take when I see Tai is no longer wearing his standard issue royal guard uniform and is instead in civilian clothes.

A glamor.

The jeans are a faded black, the material hugging thick thighs before tapering down to boot-cut hems that almost brush the dusty ground. The tight black t-shirt hugs Tai's muscular frame, showing off broad shoulders and corded muscles, and if this is all real, I'm learning a lot more about him than ever before. His skin is covered in intricate tattoos, each one black, white, and red.

Interesting.

His nostrils flare and his lips betray a tiny smirk before he can tighten his mouth.

Bennett, too, has shed his regal fa?ade, going from future-high-king to an unassuming man in a blink. Brown trousers, loose white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair is neatly styled, and he has a five o'clock shadow on his usually immaculate face.

I didn't need to change my attire at all. I'm in leggings and a band t-shirt with worn-out combat boots, and my dark hair is in a messy bun on top of my head. My rebellious style has never been particularly royal, and it comes in handy in moments like these.

The city pulses with life, the air thick with the scent of spices, smoke, body odor, and the low hum of a market day. I keep my head low, and the blade hidden under the folds of my waistband, my fingers far from its hilt but ready to grab it if necessary.

"Ho there," a voice calls out as he stops us in our tracks. "This pretty little thing with you?"

A pale, seedy looking guard with too-bright, fanged teeth leers at me.

Tai's grip on my arm tightens and Bennett's weight shifts subtly as the man steps closer, his tongue darting out to wet his thin lips. Before I can grab my blade, my brother speaks.

"Just taking my sister and her boyfriend here to the market." He makes to step around the guard, but he's stopped with a hand cuffed around his bicep.

The guard grins, wide and unnatural. "How much you selling her for? I'll offer a few hundred dollars for an evening."

Tai stiffens next to me, stilling my hand by lacing it in his. "Nah, man." He smirks. "She's worth at least a few hundred grand." Heat flames my cheeks as I dig my nails into the back of his hand.

The guard's pupils flare as his tongue darts out to wet his lips. "She a virgin, then?" He steps closer to me, and Tai pulls me in tighter to his side. "Looks like she just fully matured. Handful of tits and ass. I like ‘em that way. Lemme rent her for an hour. Pop that sweet little cherry." His smell is all wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

"Sorry, man, I can't share her for what you're willing to pay."

The guard studies the three of us, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why would a brother want to let his sister be sold at the market?"

Bennett shrugs. "Need the money and he likes being cucked. Now if you'll excuse us?—"

"These two don't look all lovey-dovey."

I smile up at Tai, taking in the rage in his blue eyes. "Sure, we are." I hang my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his tanned cheek. The scruff tickles my lips. "Just because we don't flaunt it like most fae, doesn't mean we're not in love."

One of the guard's friends stops to see what the commotion is. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he takes a long measure of me. The other guard eyes us suspiciously, his gaze lingering on my form for a moment too long, causing a shiver of distaste to climb up my spine.

"I don't think you two are really together," the new one says.

I gain access to every ounce of courage within me, and my gaze drills into his. "And why is that?" I challenge, straightening to meet his scrutinizing eyes.

The second guard smirks, enjoying the chance to make us squirm. "You just don't seem like you'd be his type."

Tai's eyebrows ascend his forehead in a slow, arrogant arc. "Is that so?" He pulls me even closer, his arm wound around my waist. The firmness of his body against mine is both reassuring and unsettling. I can feel the heat rise in my cheeks once more. He clasps the back of my neck, pulling me in for a soul-searing kiss, his tongue tangling with mine.

This is my first ever kiss, and he's pierced.

His other hand cups my breast as he backs me into the alley wall, his knee driving between my thighs. An embarrassing whimper escapes my lips into his. I force my trembling hands to grip the front of his shirt, pulling him closer in a desperate bid to seem convincing. His lips trail from my mouth, peppering hot kisses down my neck and shoulder. I gasp as he bites gently at the sensitive skin, making me press myself further into my personal guard's knee.

Oh my gods. I'm drenched. It's going to get all over his jeans.

He smells so good, too.

Somewhere, I hear Bennett snarl, "No free shows, sister."

Tai breaks off just enough for our eyes to meet, his gaze intense. "Is that convincing enough for you?" he asks, his voice rumbling deep within his chest. He's asking the guard but he's looking at me.

My breath seems to have escaped me, because I can't find any words. I don't think I know a single one.

The guard stutters, taken aback. "I … well … I suppose?—"

"Good," Tai mutters, finally breaking eye contact to look at the Espero guards.

There's a dark spot on the knee of his jeans. I want to crawl into a hole, bury myself, and never see the light of day again.

But then one of them breaks out with, "How much to let me watch you two fuck? I'll double it if I can join."

Whipping my head towards them, I scowl up at the fae. But before I can open my mouth, a low growl rumbles from the direction of Bennett. This is going to get ugly, fast. We're wasting time.

Inclining my head ever so slightly, I widen my eyes just enough to send my brother a message. He clenches his jaw tight before giving Tai a good long stare and slipping away while we distract the guards.

This is for Rose.

Tai hooks an arm over my shoulder, chuckling. "About bit my cock off the first time I put it in her mouth, this one." He tilts my chin up to look at him. Motherfucking fucker. "Don't think she's quite up for giving a show. Not yet, anyway."

I nip at his fingers and smile sweetly up at him. "That's okay, though. I much prefer when I peg you. I think you do, too, don't you?"

The Espero guard rears back, laughter erupting from him in hacking coughs. "A feisty one, I see."

Tai, without missing a beat, grins down at me. "You have no idea."

"We really must be going, shouldn't we, baby?" I lean into him.

The first guard leers at me. "Look at her, got her all horny and still haven't taken care of her."

The other one inclines his head to a doorway. "You can ease her tension in there." His nostrils flare. "Probably slide right in with how soaked she is." He gestures towards the wet patch I left on Tai's jeans.

"Excellent idea, thanks!" I grab Tai's hand and drag him away from the asshole guards I will gut someday. As soon as Rose and her mates are safe.

Greasy chuckles follow us as we pass through the doorway, and I slam it shut. I turn around to give Tai an earful when a small sliver of light from under the door behind us shows me that we're actually in some kind of small storage room. Not the corridor leading to a different part of the alley like I expected.

"Fuck," I whisper harshly.

"Yeah," he breathes, taking in the cramped space.

"What are we going to do?"

"You're the one who dragged us in here, Your Highness." He chuckles as he blocks the knife I've pulled from my waistband, and he pulls me against his chest, preventing me from shanking him for calling me that. "They're right outside the door trying to listen in."

I still. "How can you tell?"

"I'm feeding off their arousal now."

Can he differentiate between whose arousal it is? I hope the fuck not.

"We need to go find Bennett, now," I whisper.

"If we go out there right now, they will call our bluff, princess."

"Well, for fuck's sake, let's get it over with, then," I snarl. "Follow my lead."

"Oh, Cletus," I moan, holding in a giggle. Figured I should probably use a fake name so they can't trace it back to us. "You like that, don't you?"

Tai snorts quietly behind me, his chest shaking with silent laughter. "Yes, Bernadette," he groans back using an equally ridiculous name. "Keep that up and I'll feed you this cock."

He's playing along. Good. I sheath my knife back in my waistband and turn around so I'm facing him. Though I can barely make out his features in the dark, his grin is huge.

I shuffle closer and let my fingers whisper over the front of his shirt, tangling in the fabric as if deeply engrossed in our faux fucking. "We've gotta hurry, Cletus," I whisper huskily, pressing my cheek against his rough and unshaven jaw. "We don't want to miss the market. I know how much you love watching me get fucked, don't you?"

His breath hitches as his heart thumps against his chest like a war drum. He smacks his palms together, fast and hard, enough to echo around the room. "You ready to take this load, Bernie?"

"Give it to me, please," I moan, voice dipping for extra effect. "I need it so bad, baby." Pressing myself up against his chest to stifle my laughter, I bite down on the front of his shirt, breathing in the scent of his cologne.

Gods damn, he smells so good.

Once under control, I start to moan. Loud and obnoxiously.

The plaster walls amplify our voices, making them bounce around the room in a humiliating echo. I keep it up, drawing out every vowel as if my life depended on it. "I'm going to come," I wail.

"I'm filling this tight pussy right now." Tai lets out a guttural groan that vibrates through his chest and against my body.

As our raucous performance continues, the two of us locked together in a riveting pantomime of pleasure, I can't help but indulge in a small smirk.

We have everyone fooled.

He grins down at me, and the charade seems to fall away as I focus on his heavy breathing and the heat that lingers between us.

Suddenly, the thin veil of humor seems to dissipate, replaced by a tension that is as undeniable as it is unexpected. We stop our game and simply stare at each other, our bodies still intertwined in pretense as laughter fades away into the silence. The echo of our fake moans hangs in the air, but the room is hushed with a fragility that wasn't there before.

We separate slowly, his hands still cradling me, my breath hitching as his eyes lock onto mine. We stand in amiable silence staring at one another, no longer playing a game of make-believe.

Whoops and hollers from just outside the door crack the tense silence.

"We've gotta find Bennett now." I gesture for him to lead us out.

He nods, swallowing. "Right."

The small crowd disperses as we barrel through the door. We launch ourselves in the direction we last saw my brother heading towards, sweeping our eyes up and down every alley we pass.

He's only been gone about ten minutes. But in the heated air of the market, those ten minutes seem to stretch into an eternity. Crowds, vendors, and sketchy looking denizens make up the city.

"How the hell are we going to find him?" I spin around to face Tai.

He looks around, eyes on the roofline before gesturing. "Up there, we can get a better look."

A bell tower stands in the distance, looming over the sea of market stalls. It's the highest point in the city and will allow us to see all ends of the market.

"Good idea." I nod my agreement before we both weave through the crowd, making a beeline for the tower. We pass a drunken brawl, cat callers, a brothel, and a drug den before we find the little alcove with a set of winding stairs leading to the bell.

We take the stairs two at a time, the echo of our footfalls swallowed by the cavity of the tower. The wooden steps protest under our weight, and sweat trickles down my back as we climb higher and higher.

When we reach the landing, we take opposite sides, scanning each section of the market below. My eyes flit across the sea of vendors, searching for any sign of Bennett. I strain my sight, trying to pick out his familiar gait, his stand-out figure, anything.

"Anything?" Tai's voice echoes my thoughts. He's scanning the west end of the city, leaning far over the railing. But then he shouts, "Over there!" pointing toward a dense circle of onlookers near an exotic spice stall. Even from this distance, we can see a figure that's unmistakably his, creeping along a back alley.

"He'll take them somewhere quiet before using a portal stone to get them out of here," I whisper. "We've gotta go get him before they leave without us."

"Come here." He stretches his hands out for me. "We'll sift to the end of that alley."

Without hesitation, I rush towards him, placing my hands in his. His palms are warm, confident, and for a moment I forget the urgency of our situation as soothing energy courses through me. The world around us blurs for just a moment, and I stumble into his arms just as we touch down at the end of the alley.

Tai blasts a current of wind at Bennett's back, just a few meters away.

My brother glances back, relief lighting his face when his eyes land on me. He whispers something into his shoulder, but I can't make out what he says.

"What?" I whisper as I rush to him.

He shakes his head, eyes pointedly glancing next to him. It's there, in the faint shimmer in the air, that I realize he hadn't been whispering to me at all. There's an invisibility glamor—this must be the humans.

"Do you need me to throw up a diversion spell so we can portal out of here?" Tai glances down the alley, watching as people pass from stall to stall.

"Hurry." Benny glances back at us with a sharp nod.

With a swift twirl of his fingers, Tai performs the incantation. Energy, thick and heavy, pours from him in waves, manifesting as a gleaming aurora borealis that fills the alley with shimmering light. Anyone intending to walk down this alleyway will think better of it and head in the opposite direction.

Diversion spell in place, Bennett pulls a portal stone out of his pocket, and chucking it down the alleyway while whispering its destination.

Huh, never seen it done that way. Mom usually holds the stone when she does it.

A tear in the fabric of reality starts as a small pinprick in the air, then yawns open into a swirling vortex of shimmering colors. It pulses with a raw energy, colors contorting and swaying like waves on a sea. Even from twenty feet away, I can feel the tug of it, an invisible force drawing me towards it.

Bennett grabs my hand, and I hold tight to Tai's as we rush towards the portal. The soft patter of feet follows behind me.

The humans.

We reach the portal just as it reaches its maximum diameter. There's a split second of hesitation, where Bennett's gaze locks onto mine in a question of trust, and I respond with a tight nod. Then we leap, our bodies swallowed by the swirling mass of colors and energy. The world spins out of control; left becomes right, right becomes left, and somehow, I end up pressed to Tai's front, my face buried against his chest as we leave Bedlam.

I just hope we're not too late.