Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(2)
“When do I get to meet him?” It was a normal sisterly request: meet the boyfriend. It’s what before-Scarlett would have asked.
“I don’t want to freak him out, so not yet.” Ashleigh grinned. “But soon. Promise.”
A surge of anger fluttered through Scarlett. It wasn’t her own. It came from the waitress, who had just placed a pizza on the table of the teenage boys sitting across the restaurant. All the boys laughed. One emanated lust.
“Nice ass,” he said.
He must have touched the waitress because she startled and dropped a stack of napkins. What a jerk.
The rage from the waitress fizzled inside Scarlett and turned into her own. The cocky grin the boy wore poked a sleeping bear inside of her. She envisioned the hot pizza sliding onto him, sizzling his skin. When it did, the boys at the table grew silent. The cocky boy screamed, burned from the pizza now in his lap.
Shock mixed with joy filled the waitress.
Scarlett pulled her attention away, fearful someone might spot her watching. “Well, I’m excited to meet him when you think the time is right.”
Ashleigh’s eyes were glued to her phone, too busy to notice the commotion at the other table.
Scarlett really shouldn’t have done that. It was dangerous and petty. But it felt so good, so right. She absorbed the waitress’ satisfaction, the boy’s humiliation, and the confusion of the others who saw.
Power grew within her.
She wasn’t the old Scarlett anymore.
It had been more than two weeks since Kaelem had teased Raith with knowledge of his mother and Raith still hadn’t learned anything more.
“There, there, Summer Prince,” Kaelem, dressed in a charcoal gray suit with platinum cufflinks and a thin black tie, said as he jabbed his fork into the turkey on his plate. “Patience is a virtue.”
“Your clichés won’t make me forget what you promised,” Raith retorted.
“I said I knew things about your mother. I made no promises as to when or if I’d tell you.”
“And I’m not a summer prince anymore.”
“No? My mistake.” Kaelem shoved a big bite into his mouth.
They sat at a long, white table surrounded by sleek, red chairs. Where the Summer Court was luxurious and formal, the Unseelie Court was cold and modern. It lived in the mortal realm, and, though it was heavily protected from the mortals with fae magic, the decor had been influenced with the changing styles of the humans. Three metallic chandeliers dangled above the table, lighting the room with bright round bulbs at the ends of silver rods. Bold pictures, all black and white photos of scenery with bright splashes of color, hung around the room.
The high ceiling had a large skylight that showcased the moonlit sky. While much of the human world was going to bed for the night, the Unseelie Court was just getting started.
A brownie, short with a large nose and wrinkly brown skin, brought in a large cheesecake topped with cherries. “Master.” It bowed.
Low fae were common in the Unseelie Court, held back by their lesser status, some more than others. Brownies were at the bottom, kept as servants by many of the Unseelie high fae.
High fae or not, Raith had never liked the idea of servants. But he wasn’t there to change Unseelie traditions. He wanted information and wouldn’t do anything that might interfere with him finding out what he needed to know.
“Dessert, mmmm.” Kaelem pushed his dinner plate away. “A slice for you?”
“My appetite is gone.”
The Unseelie King had been toying with Raith too long. He was sick of it. He wanted answers, not pie.
“It’s cheesecake, not pie,” Kaelem said. “And we treat our brownies far better than humans are treated in the Summer Court.”
“Get out of my head.” Raith had let his guard down. Again. He focused on his mental wall, fortifying it to keep Kaelem out. He’d been a mess since the Battle of Heirs. His mind shields had always been strong before, but lately, in moments of anger, he’d allowed them to lower just enough for Kaelem to sneak through. It didn’t help that Kaelem was king of the Unseelie Court and a strong mind reader.
“I’m just teaching you to keep your guard up, always. You never know who will go fishing inside your head.”
“How kind of you.” Raith lifted his wine glass and sipped. As the fruity liquid slid down his throat, a tingle spread through him.
“It’s rude to turn away a perfectly good cheesecake.” Kaelem cut two slices, put them on separate plates, and pushed one to Raith. “Dessert always makes a day better.”
If eating the fucking cheesecake would shut Kaelem up, then fine. Raith took a huge mouthful. He couldn’t deny, it was delicious: a perfect blend of creamy and sweet. But he was sick of the Unseelie games. Kaelem could wait years to tell Raith what he knew. What were years to someone who could live centuries?
Raith had more important things to do than to be a pawn in some royal game. If the desire to learn more about his mother wasn’t so strong, he’d already have gone.
All he’d left Scarlett with was a note saying they’d meet again. Could he have been more vague? If he’d known he’d be at the Unseelie Court so long, he’d have given her a proper goodbye. But what would that have been? A hug? A kiss? Passionate goodbye sex?
What were he and Scarlett? The bond between them kept them attached, but what if that went away? Neither of them could deny their connection, bond or no bond, but who knew what the connection meant?