Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Pixie wine,” he murmured, voice very low so no one could hear their conversation. She wondered why he spoke instead of using mindgazer magic.
He glanced around in obvious boredom. To let them know I talk to you. I share things with you. Things I am not allowing anyone else to hear. That’ll make them more suspicious of me, which will make them try to seek out the things I say. These royals—the court as a whole—are extremely paranoid, and I have more knowledge about the fringe than they do. It might buy me time, which should, in turn, buy you time.
“It is extremely potent,” he continued. “More than anything I’ve tried in the human world.”
“Have you tried moonshine?”
“Moon…shine? No. That sounds like something inspired by Faerie.”
“I think it’s more inspired by getting a kick while saving a buck, but sure. How about absinthe?”
“No…” he drew out.
She nodded. She’d tried those things and knew how her body reacted to them. It could help her gauge pixie wine if she ended up in a situation where it was served to her.
“It would’ve been nice to have a guide in the human world,” Tarian mused. Deep night rolled over the shining marble floor along the back wall. A few nobles gave it furtive glances and subtly shifted away. “I learned a great deal from the memories of humans, but that is nothing like experiencing it for oneself or getting the surprise of a new sensation.”
His eyes focused, looking straight ahead. Across from them, the shadow stretched across the floor, blanketing the ground. It reached under tables and caressed the feet and legs of various fae it passed. It seemed to engage with those who were the most twisted.
Tarianthiel, a voice said, winding between him and Daisy. Handsome Tarianthiel…
Blackness crowded around their feet. Licked at their legs.
What is it? dark and dank voices whispered. They were like that of the wylds, but…wrong. Nightmarish.
“Twisted magic taking root in the castle,” Tarian said, unperturbed. “Ignore it.”
It does not belong here… The darkness at their feet clutched Daisy’s legs and started to crawl up. The dank cold seeped into her bones. Her skin felt like it was changing, like mold was growing. It does not belong here!
Her heart picked up speed. She grabbed Tarian’s pant leg, barely stopping herself from curling her feet under her on the couch cushions.
“Be easy.” Tarian pulled his arm from the back of the couch and ran his fingers under her chin. He applied pressure to bring her face up, looking down into her eyes. “It won’t hurt you if you don’t let it seep in.”
“But it has seeped in—”
He shook his head before dropping his lips to hers. “That is the feeling of its touch, but it is just extremities.” His volume was normal. He was allowing people to see her uneasiness. Her differentness as a human. “Don’t open yourself up to it, and that is as far as it will go.”
“How do I stop myself from opening up to it?”
“By ignoring it.” He traced her lips with his thumb. “When you lean into its siren song, when you allow yourself to be hypnotized by its allure, it will seek to embed itself within you. That’s how it will twist your magic. Distract yourself.” His eyes sparked fire, and gold ran a river around his pupils. “Pleasure me, little human.”
She glanced at the ground, wondering how in the world that stuff could feel alluring.
“Maybe it doesn’t affect humans the same way,” Tarian said, his brow pinching as he looked at her. Reading her, more likely.
Or maybe it’s because of the chalice magic? she thought.
He didn’t answer, his gaze sharp despite his obvious desire. He didn’t know.
She ran her hand along his hard length through his trousers, certainly distracted, but not by him. The voices kept slithering around her like the shadow swirling around her legs.
It does not belong here. Kill it!
“That can’t be good,” she murmured, looking around the other seating arrangements, little groupings for the fae of high status and shared circular tables for those lesser. The shadow crawled across the floor there, too, pooling around ankles and reaching as far as waists on the more affected fae. “Why would anyone want to come to court and constantly have this annoying them?”
She freed him from the confines of his pants, and he breathed heavily as she ran her palm against him.
“Suck it,” he murmured, his lids hooded. He didn’t seem to notice the shadows at all. Indeed, a strange light sparked in his eyes, a little off balance, like when he’d come into the prison. Or when he walked the halls. “Suck it down deep, human.”
His fingers curled into the back of her hair before he dragged her closer, forcing a kiss. She opened her mouth to accept it, delighting in the strength and power of his dominance. Needing it to rip her attention away from those horrible shadows, now chanting, Kill it-kill it-kill it!