Chapter 8

Izael was about to make things more complicated.

The sun would set within the hour, and he would return to Earth to reclaim his songbird and slap her in irons. He was almost shaking with excitement. But first, he had to set his plan in motion. And that required speaking to the one person in the world he would rather not disturb.

But there was no way around it.

He had to cut a deal with the Unseelie King.

This time, he did not barge in on the sleeping monarch. He ensured that one of Valroy's servants went in to announce his arrival. It would not improve Valroy's mood at being woken early, but it might keep all of Izael's limbs and scales where he preferred them. Namely, attached to the rest of him.

He walked into Valroy's chambers on two legs. He felt more protected wearing a suit, even if he knew it would do him little good if Valroy decided to start a brawl. But it felt safer, silly as it was.

Valroy was awake. And in just as foul of a mood as Izael expected. The King was sitting at his table, tapping his long nails on the wood surface in a slow, meticulous pattern.

Izael smiled as he approached, not letting his dread of the conversation show. He was nothing if not a creature of appearance, after all. "My liege."

"Make it quick, snake."

"Don't be cross," Izael crooned as he leaned against the back of the chair across from Valroy. "I come with a proposition. One I think might brighten your mood."

It was clear Valroy was not intrigued, judging by the withering stare he was shooting at Izael.

"I have a secret." Izael smiled, deeply proud of himself for coming up with his scheme on such short notice. "One that will ensure this treaty that vexes us so very much is put to an end."

That succeeded in capturing the King's attention. He sat forward. "Tell me."

"Ah, ah, not so fast." Izael let his smile turn into a grin. "I need something in exchange."

"How about this—you tell me this secret of yours, and I will not rip your arms off." Valroy bared his teeth. "How is that for an exchange?"

"Well, because this secret requires me to be alive to be useful. Alive and intact," he amended quickly.

"The secret has something to do with this witch of yours, then." Valroy sat back in his chair again, attempting to work out what it could be for himself. "Something to do with this wish."

That was half right. "The wish is not important." Izael waved his hand. "And we cannot rely on that to end the treaty. Alex has proven herself to be a rather stubborn and bullheaded witch. I'm sure you know what that's like."

The flat stare he received in exchange told Izael that Valroy knew and was not interested in commiserating over the subject.

Izael paused before continuing, lifting a crystal goblet from the table and studying it. It was a human creation, part of Valroy's collection of stolen earthly goods. He placed it back atop the wood surface with a tink. "I have a way to ensure she is the destruction of the treaty, and the Seelie, without having to rely on whatever her fickle heart decides. But, in exchange for telling you, I want two things in return. One, that you will listen to my next proposal that will follow this secret. Two, that you will leave Alex to me. That you will not seek to harm her, or take her, or influence her. I shall be her…keeper." It took every ounce of self-control for him not to lick his lips at the notion.

Valroy watched him. For a moment, Izael worried that the King would say pass and find another way. Izael held his breath but did not dare let his grin falter. He would not show his hand. Not yet.

"I would dismiss this bargain of yours, save for that my wife has insisted on intervening on behalf of your mortal." Valroy grimaced. "This may allow me to…circumvent her efforts. Very well. Tell me this secret, and I shall not touch that witch of yours."

Izael let out the breath he was holding. "Fantastic! Well." He sauntered around the table, trailing his hand across the tops of the chairs as he passed them. "Allow me to whisper it to you. It is a secret after all. And the forest has ears."

The look of revulsion that crossed the King's face was nearly comical. Izael leaned down to do just that, telling Valroy of his witch's unique magic. When the deed was done, he straightened.

Valroy looked furious for a moment. But then he laughed. "Of course. Of course, you would be so foolish."

"Foolish or genius. Or perhaps both. For now, we have a weapon at our disposal, do we not?" Izael shrugged. "Your wife wishes to rob her, and us, of her advantage. She bade me to convince Alex to surrender her gifts of her own accord." He headed back to the other end of the table before pulling the chair out and flopping down in it, sitting sideways, dangling his legs over the arm. "I think that is an insult and robs us of our opportunity to shatter that damnable treaty."

"I thought you did not care what happened to it?"

"I wish to traverse Earth at my will. I do not want it to burn. But, perhaps, when it comes time to invade the mortal plane, we will find another game to play." Izael stretched lazily, turning his attention to the sky. The sun was nearly set, and it cast the sky of Tir n'Aill in hues of gold and crimson, masked as it was by the haze that always seemed to dampen the sun within the Maze that Valroy commanded. The Maze that he was. "I will not concern myself with such things when the short term is in such upheaval."

"Hm. Very well." Valroy pressed his fingers to his temple. "Now…what of this bargain of yours? You realize I cannot leave this ‘secret' untouched."

"Of course." Izael could feel Valroy's gaze boring into him. He ignored it. This was too important a moment, and besides, if Izael let other people's irritation bother him, he would have long since torn out his own eyes. "Alex must be mine to control if we are to wield her gifts. I will have her soul within the end of three days' time. But that will not be enough. You know how mortals can be."

"Indeed."

"She will not simply obey me because I own her. I must make her want to obey me." His grin turned devilish. His favorite kind. "I will have her heart."

Valroy arched an eyebrow. "You will make her love you in three days." He scoffed.

"No. I will not make her love me. She will make herself love me." Izael kicked his feet as he laughed. "I will make her use her wish to give her heart to me. Think of it! How beautiful it will be!"

For a moment, the King did nothing. Izael expected him to mock his plan. To tell him why it would not work. But instead, Valroy smiled. A sick, cruel expression. "And how will you convince her to use her wish in such a way?"

"Leave that to me, my liege." Izael stood with a dramatic flourish. He let the next words leave him in a purr. "You know how…convincing I can be."

The King lifted a finger to command Izael to wait. "But we must ensure the scales are balanced. You say you will make her love you by the end of the three days. What if she does not?"

Izael's grin faltered. "I will not fail."

"But if she is not bound to you, if she wishes for some other paltry thing, she will slip from our grasp, and you will be allowed to end this game with nothing lost. That is hardly fair." Valroy's sadistic expression seemed to only come more to life as he smiled wider, his eyes flashing with vicious glee. "No. If you fail to make her love you, Izael—she must take something of yours."

"She already has my heart." It was a weak argument, but it was an argument.

"Yes. Which is why she shall have your soul, instead."

"What?" Izael's eyes flew wide. "But my King?—"

"Possessing the soul of an Unseelie will ensure she is bound to us. She will be within my right to command. Should you lose, you will become the fae plaything to the mortal girl. And as such, the deal we just struck—your secret for her safety—will be void. She will dance on my strings, and you on hers." Valroy stood, unfurling his wings to stretch them before folding them at his back like a cape, the claws that sat atop the peaks clasping in the front. "Do you object?"

No. No, no, no, no!

Oh, he very much objected. He objected with every fiber of his being. A mortal owning his soul? Bad enough the girl had his heart, and he did not have hers in return. But that? That was unthinkable.

Enslavement to a human.

How disgustingly backward.

"Well?" Valroy sneered. "It is this, or we are back to where we began."

Izael could not hide his anger. He had come in hopes of securing a situation where he himself could not lose. Now that was very much not the case. With a growl, he bowed stiffly. "I do not object, King Valroy. I accept the terms of your game."

"Good. Now begone. Fetch the witch from the mortal plane. I will keep this…arrangement secret. I suggest you do the same. You are running out of time, after all."

Izael found himself very eager to leave. He would have to tuck his fury away somewhere deep. It would do him no good. Valroy could not be overthrown or undone. And he was right—Alex was almost back in his grasp.

Seven days that had felt like seven centuries.

Without another word, Izael left, disappearing through a portal and returning to his home. He wanted to have everything just right for Alex's return.

Abigail would think that Izael was attempting to convince Alex to willingly surrender her gifts.

While Valroy knew the truth.

Two games to play at once. Two chessboards, side by side.

Ah. But that was not true, was it? There were not two chessboards—there were three.

For the Seelie Queen, Izael would have to play the reluctant ally. He would keep Alex in chains of iron for those three days, ensuring she could not use her gifts. Perhaps he would even devise a way to bottle away her magic on a more permanent basis. A bottle that he controlled, of course. Let's call it a security measure.

Yes. That would be his approach. Find a way to contain the power that was more hidden than chain and shackle.

As for Valroy, the second chess board was laid out and the match had begun. Izael would convince Alex to use her wish to love him. He was not about to admit it to the King, but he did not have a plan just yet on how to approach that subject. But it would come to him, he was certain. She would simply have to believe that it was the most sensible option—her way out of the misery ahead of her if she did not.

Misery for both of us. He could not stomach the idea of his soul belonging to her. What an insult!

And there was the third board. The third and most important game. The one between him and his songbird. Love me or surrender your magic. Love me or I shall be your slave. Love me, Alex, for now you shall never be rid of me.

What a complicated mess.

Unless Alex won her original contract—and wished for nothing at all. What a fascinating situation that would place her in. She would be sent back to Earth, never to be bothered by the fae again. But with her magic and his soul in her possession? How would that work?

Izael honestly did not know.

Nor did he want to find out.

He shoved that thought from his head. No, it was not possible. Alex would spend her wish and give him her love. That would ensure everything remained as it should. She would spend her mortal years with him. He would take her soul and her heart. And she would be the dread weapon that would destroy the Seelie and perhaps the mortal race.

He lifted the iron collar he had fashioned just for her, turning it over in his hands. It was a delicate piece, looking more like a decorative piece of jewelry than what it was about to be used for. The only hint that belied its darker purpose was the ring that sat in the front and center of the twisted, vinelike and complex knotted braids that made up its design.

She would look absolutely mouthwatering wearing it.

Even better when it was attached to the length of iron chain that he had lashed to his tree.

Games of chess be damned. He had something far more entertaining—far more tantalizing—to amuse himself with this night.

For one week, Alex had hidden herself away. She had run from him.

And now, he would ensure that she could never run from him again.

"We will be leaving now."Bayodan bowed to Alex.

She sighed. She was watching it grow slowly darker outside—it was almost sunset. Not like she could see the sun behind the oppressively bleh weather. "I'm sorry to see you both go." She walked up to Bayodan and Cruinn. "As much shit as I was giving you, I…really enjoyed our time together."

"As have we." Cruinn reached out and hugged her close. The pieces of glass that made them up smoothed out wherever she touched them to keep from cutting her or pinching her. She hugged them back, careful not to squeeze too hard. "This was wonderful."

Alex let them go after a moment to hug Bayodan, who wrapped his one arm around her in return. "I appreciate the advice, Goatula. And the company."

He kissed the top of her head. "You will be all right. You are clever. You will find a way out of this—I am certain of it."

"Yeah. I hope you're right. I'm not feeling particularly clever right now." Chewing her lower lip, she glanced back at the window. "You should head out before he shows up. I expect he's going to be in a mood."

"To put it mildly, I suspect you are right." Bayodan frowned.

Cruinn turned Alex's head toward them with a gentle touch of translucent fingers. Before Alex could say anything, they kissed her. The touch of their lips was shockingly soft, if strangely cool. She was too stunned to move.

When they retreated, they smiled. "We will see you again soon, pretty witch."

With that, they both disappeared in a swirl of smoke, leaving Alex touching her lips in confusion.

Pumpkin was watching her from the back of a nearby chair. She shrugged. "Fae."

And as if she had summoned the devil himself, the music in the air shifted. No longer forlorn, introspective strings, there was a rumble of a pipe organ that turned it into a dirge.

Hands settled on her shoulders. They tightened. When breath pooled against her cheek, she shivered. Lips hovered there, grazing her ear.

"Did you miss me?"

Oh, shit.