Read Online Prince by Blood and Bone: A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court (Tales of the Black Court) by Jessica Aspen - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Aspen
Ads: Link
and under that beast lurked something worse. Fae. The MacElvy’s sworn enemy.
“Do you think it will work?” he asked, and once again, she thought she heard a strange misplaced vulnerability.
“I…I don’t know, it’s written in a language we don’t use anymore. I know a little.” She reached out and touched his hairy paw lying on the table next to the book. “I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t touch me.” He growled and snatched his arm back, lurching away from the table.
Bryanna cowered and hit her hip hard on the table. “I think…”
“Don’t think! You don’t need to think, just use your magic and do the fucking spell.”
He scooped up the book, and paper, and ink and shoved it into her arms, pushing her out of the room and into the hallway. The door slammed behind her leaving her in the absolute darkness of the underground passage.
“Kian?”
Something large inside the room crashed and roared. Bryanna held still, afraid to move in the total blackness. A soft slithery touch brushed her ankle, and she screamed.
“Miss?”
Far down the pitch black hall, a small glow appeared.
“Beezel,” she said, relieved to see the glow grow and the little gnome appear, lantern in hand.
“Come along, miss, I’ll take you to your room. You’ll be wanting a rest.”
Whatever had been holding her up since the morning suddenly gave way, and exhaustion overtook her. “Yes, thank you.”
Off through the bewildering series of hallways and short passages, small up-and-down stairs until, her fatigue dragging her down, they reached her room.
“All of these rooms on this hallway look the same, how am I ever supposed to know which one I’m sleeping in?”
Beezel gave her a puzzled look, his grey skin wrinkling in a frown.
“How do you find your way?”
“I don’t know, miss, I just do.”
Heaving a frustrated sigh, she entered the room. He handed her the lantern and backed out the door.
“Beezel, who lived here…before?”
“The goblins have been here for a long time. The gnomes before that.”
“Have you always lived here?”
“No, miss.” The little man’s globular eyes glassed over. For one horrified moment, Bryanna thought he would cry.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hastily.
He swallowed, the large lump in his throat bobbing up and down. “Not to worry, miss. If you need anything, pull the cord in the corner and wait. I’ll come as soon as I can.” His funny flat face turned hard. For a moment, she glimpsed, under the weak pathetic exterior, something dark that grew inside the gnome. “Don’t leave the room. The hobgoblins won’t bother you, but the others, well, the others are interested in things you don’t want to know.”
A trace of a shudder fingered up her spine.
“What others?” she asked, but he’d already turned to leave.
“Wait!” she ran and pulled the door open. He turned.
“Beezel, thank you.”
He hesitated, his lips working, his crepey eyelids fluttering in agitation.
“What is it?” she bent over and held the lantern closer to him.
“Miss, you can’t stay here,” he hissed, his mossy breath landing damply on her face. “He’s unstable. And worse…” His glance darted up and down the corridor, searching for unseen spies. “The queen will find out. She always does. And when she comes for you, we’ll all be lucky to end up dead.”
Shivering, Bryanna stared into his nearly colorless eyes, searching for the truth. “Why are you telling me this? Kian said you work for the queen.”
His eyes flew wide, and he backed up into the wall, bouncing off and moving quickly down the hallway. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Beezel, wait!”
His little figure disappeared into the darkness, a last whisper echoing down the stone corridor. “If she comes, she’ll take it out on us all.”
She closed the door and placed the lantern on the bedside table. Kian had warned her about Beezel, but the gnome seemed terrified of not just the
“Do you think it will work?” he asked, and once again, she thought she heard a strange misplaced vulnerability.
“I…I don’t know, it’s written in a language we don’t use anymore. I know a little.” She reached out and touched his hairy paw lying on the table next to the book. “I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t touch me.” He growled and snatched his arm back, lurching away from the table.
Bryanna cowered and hit her hip hard on the table. “I think…”
“Don’t think! You don’t need to think, just use your magic and do the fucking spell.”
He scooped up the book, and paper, and ink and shoved it into her arms, pushing her out of the room and into the hallway. The door slammed behind her leaving her in the absolute darkness of the underground passage.
“Kian?”
Something large inside the room crashed and roared. Bryanna held still, afraid to move in the total blackness. A soft slithery touch brushed her ankle, and she screamed.
“Miss?”
Far down the pitch black hall, a small glow appeared.
“Beezel,” she said, relieved to see the glow grow and the little gnome appear, lantern in hand.
“Come along, miss, I’ll take you to your room. You’ll be wanting a rest.”
Whatever had been holding her up since the morning suddenly gave way, and exhaustion overtook her. “Yes, thank you.”
Off through the bewildering series of hallways and short passages, small up-and-down stairs until, her fatigue dragging her down, they reached her room.
“All of these rooms on this hallway look the same, how am I ever supposed to know which one I’m sleeping in?”
Beezel gave her a puzzled look, his grey skin wrinkling in a frown.
“How do you find your way?”
“I don’t know, miss, I just do.”
Heaving a frustrated sigh, she entered the room. He handed her the lantern and backed out the door.
“Beezel, who lived here…before?”
“The goblins have been here for a long time. The gnomes before that.”
“Have you always lived here?”
“No, miss.” The little man’s globular eyes glassed over. For one horrified moment, Bryanna thought he would cry.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hastily.
He swallowed, the large lump in his throat bobbing up and down. “Not to worry, miss. If you need anything, pull the cord in the corner and wait. I’ll come as soon as I can.” His funny flat face turned hard. For a moment, she glimpsed, under the weak pathetic exterior, something dark that grew inside the gnome. “Don’t leave the room. The hobgoblins won’t bother you, but the others, well, the others are interested in things you don’t want to know.”
A trace of a shudder fingered up her spine.
“What others?” she asked, but he’d already turned to leave.
“Wait!” she ran and pulled the door open. He turned.
“Beezel, thank you.”
He hesitated, his lips working, his crepey eyelids fluttering in agitation.
“What is it?” she bent over and held the lantern closer to him.
“Miss, you can’t stay here,” he hissed, his mossy breath landing damply on her face. “He’s unstable. And worse…” His glance darted up and down the corridor, searching for unseen spies. “The queen will find out. She always does. And when she comes for you, we’ll all be lucky to end up dead.”
Shivering, Bryanna stared into his nearly colorless eyes, searching for the truth. “Why are you telling me this? Kian said you work for the queen.”
His eyes flew wide, and he backed up into the wall, bouncing off and moving quickly down the hallway. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Beezel, wait!”
His little figure disappeared into the darkness, a last whisper echoing down the stone corridor. “If she comes, she’ll take it out on us all.”
She closed the door and placed the lantern on the bedside table. Kian had warned her about Beezel, but the gnome seemed terrified of not just the
Similar Books
