24. Maeve

My heart hammered against my chest. Blake placed his back against the door so that I couldn’t escape the bathroom without getting through him. His bulk and hard muscles suggested that was unlikely.

With his other hand, he reached into my pocket and pulled out the knife.

“Nice blade.” He twisted it this way and that. He dropped my hand, but I didn’t bother to reach for Flynn’s coin or Rowan’s twig. Something told me they wouldn’t do any good.

“How can you touch that?” I demanded. “It’s made of bronze.”

“Please.” Blake’s crystalline eyes sparkled as he twirled the blade on his finger. “Don’t patronize me. I know you’ve figured it out by now.”

“You’re not fae.”

“The witches said you were clever.”

I gulped as Blake placed the knife against my throat. The cool blade slid over my skin. My whole body narrowed to a point as the world stilled, the only thing existing that cold metal and Blake’s shimmering eyes.

“Please…” I begged.

“It’s all out in the open,” Blake said, his voice casual, as if he was discussing the weather. “You know my secret, and after everything we’ve shared, I know all sorts of things about you. I know how you like to be kissed along your neck, right against this blade?—”

Bake took the blade away, and I let out a breath, only to suck it back again as he pressed his lips against my neck.

Against my terror, my own body betrayed me, brimming with hot desire at the soft touch of his fiery lips. It felt exactly the same as my dreams.

Lust ripped through my body, and that familiar ache throbbed between my legs.

What the hell is happening to me?

Blake kissed a trail up the side of my neck, his lips brushing my earlobe, sending delicious shivers through me. “I know how you writhe when that blond Viking runs his tongue along your inner thigh, and how you love the dreadlocked one to suck your nipple so hard you?—”

“Stop,” I choked out.

Surprisingly, Blake stepped back. The air between us sizzled with tension. I gripped the toilet roll holder to stop myself leaping against Blake, like a magnet seeking its opposite.

My chest heaved.

What the hell is going on?

Blake looked a little flummoxed himself, as much as a human pretending to be a fae could look flummoxed. His smirk faltered a little, and he scratched the back of his head. A black curl fell over his eye. “Your wish is my command.”

“If that’s the case, give back Connor.”

“That’s out of my control, I’m afraid. If it’s any consolation, Jane’s son is being well looked after.”

“He’s damn well not. He’s in the hands of the fae, and you’re planning to do something evil with him.”

“Evil, are we?” That smirk grew wider. “My, how you have got the fae all wrapped up in a lovely little package.”

“Your friend Kalen keeps trying to kill my friends.”

Blake’s eyes flashed with something that I might’ve mistaken for anger on someone with actual human emotions. “I took care of him for you.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say he won’t be barking up your tree again.” Blake snorted at my blank expression. “He’s dead, Princess. He’s pushing up the daisies. The Unseelie played footy with his severed head, and my team won. If that act of selflessness doesn’t get me into your good graces or your knickers, then I’ll just give up right now.”

“No, you won’t,” I sighed. “Why are you here? If you’re going to do to me what you did to Flynn, just get on with it. I’ll scream and bring the entire Briarwood coven down on your ass.”

“I’m not going to hurt you, Maeve.”

Why do those words make me heart flutter?

“Wait, how do you know my name?”

Blake’s smirk widened. “I see your friends have taken liberties with the story they gave you. It shouldn’t surprise me.”

“Have you come to steal me away to your realm, like Connor and the other baby?”

“I’ll steal you away wherever you want to go,” Blake growled, his voice caressing my insides, making the ache pound with frustration. “But I’m nowhere near strong enough to take you back with me, even if you wanted to go. I’ve come to give you a friendly warning.”

“You’re not my friend.”

“I’d very much like to be.”

“And this is how you start a friendship? By hurting Flynn and stealing babies and trapping me in a bathroom and invading my dreams?” I hadn’t meant to say that last bit, but the sensation of Blake’s lips on mine, of his cock pounding deep inside me, came back to me, as vivid and visceral as if they’d really happened.

And he knows about my dreams. That’s the only explanation, even though it makes even less sense than everything else around here.

“Is that what you think is happening?” Blake laughed. “Oh, Maeve. You don’t know what you are at all. I didn’t invade your dreams, sweetheart. You’re the one who pulls me in.”

He’s lying. It’s just some fairy trick designed to confuse me.

But something that he said made me hesitate. He said the guys hadn’t told me the whole truth. I knew he’s right, because Emily didn’t recognize me. But I’d been too distracted by croquet games and sword fighting lessons and Viking kisses and theoretical physics to make the guys tell me the truth.

A surge of anger flared in my veins. I’ve been an idiot. Letting the guys lie to me because of this stupid, schoolyard crush I had on all of them.

Well, not anymore.

I’m getting some answers, one way or another.

“What is your warning?” I asked Blake.

“Only this; the fae courts are now united. Their combined power will eventually break down the gateway between our worlds. And take it from someone who’s been there – you don’t want to find out what comes from beyond that gateway.”

“You almost sound like you want me to stop them.”

“That’s one thing that I want. The other things…” His finger traced a line of fire across my cheek. “Maybe you’ll find out one day soon.”

Oh, bollocks.

My body responded again, and I tilted my chin towards him. Blake tucked a loose strand of my bright pink bangs behind my ear, his fingers sending shivers through me.

“Why, though? Aren’t you a fae prince or something?”

“Appearances can be deceiving.” Blake withdrew his fingers, his lips pursing. “Until next time, Maeve Moore.”

“No, wait—” I grabbed for him, but he disappeared, his body shimmering in the air as his form dissipated into nothing. I swiped my arms around the bathroom, convinced it was some kind of trick, but Blake was nowhere to be seen.

I did my business, my whole body tingling, and went back into the house. “I’ve got to go,” I said to Jane. “But you’re going to be… I mean, that is…”

The corner of Jane’s mouth turned up a bit. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

I whipped my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll give you my number. Don’t forget to come up to Briarwood whenever you want.”

“Hey, if it you think it’ll help find Connor, I’m there.”

As soon as I shut the front door behind me, the guys peeked out from behind the primrose bush. Arthur took one look at my face, and frowned. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“What’s wrong is that Blake just appeared in the bathroom and held a knife to my throat.” I touched the blade, reassuring myself that I still had it.

“I’ll kill him,” Corbin growled, surging forward, his hands balled into fists.

“No.” I grabbed Corbin’s collar, yanking him back. “We’re leaving.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I’m not going after Blake until I know for a fact that he’s really on the wrong side of this. Right now I’m not sure. I’d be a damn sight more certain if you guys stopped lying to me.”

Corbin’s lip twitched. “We’re not lying?—”

I held up a hand. “Save it. We’ve going into town to get the equipment I need, and when we get back to Briarwood, you boys have some explaining to do.”