Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(138)

This wasn’t the time or place for public sex. It’s sad that I’ve started to think there actually is a time and place for that, but I’d been with Dev for too long. We still had a few issues to work out, so I gave him the next best thing. I put my hand to his mouth, shoving my finger in, and he sucked it, drawing the blood from my skin. He fell to his knees at my side, carefully cleaning each finger as I ran my free hand through his hair, trying to bring him down to earth.

Zack took his place next to Daniel. Lee and Neil, who had changed back to his animal form, rested at my side. The wolves preferred to stay in their strongest form until they were absolutely sure the danger had passed.

“Oh, thank the goddess,” Miria proclaimed, allowing her tears to flow freely. She hugged her son close. “I was told you were dead. Your brother?”

“Is well, Mother,” Declan announced, pushing his way through the crowd. “Surely you couldn’t believe I would allow myself to be murdered.”

Miria held her arms open for her eldest son. I don’t think she noticed how Dev pulled back from his brother.

“As you can see, Miria, your boys are alive and well,” a booming voice with a thick Scottish accent said. “I didn’t have them brought to my palace and executed as your so-called intelligence suggested.”

I followed Miria’s eyes and caught my first sight of the Unseelie King. Angus dominated the scene. He was at least six foot seven with a broad muscular build. He was dressed savagely in animal skins and leather boots, likely all of which he’d killed himself. His face was covered in scars from previous battles and like his ancestor, Balor of the Evil Eye, there was a place on his forehead that was covered by a patch. His third eye. It was said that if Angus wanted to, he could kill a man with a single glance from that eye.

I couldn’t look at the man and not think “yargh, me mateys.”

“I can see that,” Miria allowed. She frowned as she looked around at the crowd. It seemed to be finally sinking in that she had a traitor in her midst. She glanced back at Padric. “Have the Duke of Ain brought to me, by force if necessary.”

“I will, my queen,” Padric promised. He flicked his hand and five warriors followed him.

“I was so worried,” Miria said to her eldest son. “I knew you were going to the Unseelie homeland to save your brother’s goddess. I was told Angus had caught you and executed all of you.”

“Nothing so dramatic, Mother,” Declan explained, looking nonchalant. “It was simple. Zoey had been taken prisoner by the Unseelie traitor, Con. I was forced to rescue her and Angus’s daughter Chima, who turns out to be my bride.”

“What?” Miria’s eyes widened as she took in the king’s daughter.

Declan shrugged. “I might have been having a secret affair with the Unseelie princess. That affair might have produced a lovely, strong boy. I would not have named him Sean, but I suppose since the boy is used to it we shall have to keep the name.”

Angus was rolling his not deadly eyes and looking down on his daughter. “Are you sure we shouldn’t have lied and said Sean was the priest’s son? I would have preferred him as a son-in-law. I’ll most likely kill that one.”

Dev made his way back to me. Daniel was still luxuriating in the blood on my skin. I heard him sigh every now and then as he moved from finger to finger and up to my wrist. I tried not to look at the Seelie warriors who watched him with unconcealed distaste. He might look like a monster to them, but he was a monster I loved dearly. Dev reached down and set his hand on Daniel’s shoulder to let him know he was there. We were starting to take after our wolves. We preferred physical contact when we were together.

“There was one disaster I have to report, Mother.” Declan’s gaze turned to his twin. He didn’t even try to hide his contempt for Daniel. “Devinshea chose to sacrifice Bris to save his wife’s vampire.”

A collective gasp was heard throughout the crowd. All eyes turned to us and even Daniel stopped what he was doing. The only person who looked vaguely happy with the turn of events was Angus. There was a small smile on his rough face, like he knew something the rest of us didn’t.

Miria gasped, turning to Dev. “Is this true, son? Is the god truly gone?”

Dev cast his eyes down. “He is not gone entirely, but he was weakened. It might be a while before he is able to take a host again. My goddess still feels his presence. He will bide his time and attempt to reintegrate with me in the future.”

“Of course Zoey feels his presence,” Declan said, showing his skepticism. “Zoey is the reason you betrayed your people, brother. I hardly think I can believe a word she says.”

“It was not a betrayal.” Dev looked to his mother, willing her to understand. “I was saving someone I love. You would do the same.”

“No,” Declan said with great certainty, shaking his head. “She would sacrifice. She would do what is best for her people. She would never have chosen a monster over her family.”

Now Angus’s smile wasn’t even small. He was deeply enjoying the prince’s current occupation of deep hole digger. Miria, however, frowned and didn’t deny what Declan was saying.

Dev bent down to help Daniel up. Daniel was in control again, and I could see that Declan’s words were pulling out his sense of shame. He looked around, feeling the condemnation from Dev’s people.