Read Online The Cursed (League of the Black Swan) by Alyssa Day - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyssa Day
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he’d wondered exactly what he would do to protect a woman like Rio.
Or, more to the point, what
wouldn’t
he do?
He’d learned on the third evening of stalking her nights just how bad it could have become. A man had accosted Rio at the Roadhouse, and if Miro hadn’t intervened when he had, Luke might have burned down the entire building and everyone in it. He owed the big ogre for more than Miro knew. But now—now Luke had Rio in his arms, exactly where he’d sworn she’d never be, and he knew, deep,
deep
in his soul, that he had no intention of ever letting her go. It didn’t make sense, but after centuries of living under the threat of a curse, he’d learned that nothing that mattered ever seemed to make sense at first. It just
was
.
Her courage in the face of everything she’d had to face the night before, her sense of humor—oh, yeah. Life was about to get very interesting.
“You’re smiling again,” Rio said, startling him.
“Hey. I was just about to wake you—” he began, but he let the lie fade away when she flashed an amused grin.
“No, you weren’t. You’ve been—” Rio’s amber-flecked eyes widened, and she abruptly moved away from him and sat up. “We—you—I was exhausted, and you wouldn’t let go of my hand, so I—”
He fought his instincts and won, letting her go. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Exhaustion and Grendel venom is a bad mix. I’m back to normal now.”
She stepped lightly off the bed, looking around almost frantically. “Um—”
“Through there,” he said, pointing to the bathroom door and then watching while she fled.
She could face down Grendels and a Fae princess, but pillow talk scared her. Even as it made him grin, he had to admit to himself that he was pretty much the same. Flirting, romance, and tenderness—what did he know of any of those? Not enough to attract Rio, certainly.
Not enough to attract a woman who’d been living on a deserted island for five years, either, probably.
He threw off both his self-imposed melancholy and the blanket she must have draped over him and stood up and stretched. His balance was restored, and he didn’t feel any aftereffects from the venom, thankfully. So now it was time to go find that little girl.
His bedside phone rang, and he stared at it for a beat before answering. Two rings. Three. Nobody ever called him on that line with good news. He listened to the sound of water splashing in his bathroom sink for a moment, and then he sighed and reached for the phone.
“Oliver.”
“This is Brock Dalriata. One of my associates mistakenly acquired a child yesterday, and I understand that you’re the man to help out with situations like this.” The man’s voice was low and gravelly, hinting of murky swamps and murderous intent.
Or maybe Luke just needed some damn coffee.
“Is ‘acquired a child’ code for
kidnapped
where you come from, Dalriata?” Luke snarled. “I don’t have much use for people who hurt children. Ask around Bordertown, and you’ll find out what happens to people when I don’t have much use for them.”
Dalriata laughed. “Oh, I know who you are. I also know you’ve been approached on multiple occasions about becoming the sheriff, and you’ve consistently declined, so other people’s welfare isn’t exactly the most important thing on your mind, is it? Perhaps you could spare me the righteous indignation, and let’s arrange a meeting. I don’t care to have this child in my custody a single moment longer than necessary.”
“She’s Fae,” Luke said flatly. “Call the High Court.”
Silence.
“She’s not. She’s human, or maybe a Halfling bastard, but she’s not a purebred Fae,” Dalriata said finally, the slightest hint of unease lacing his tone.
Luke closed his eyes and imagined reaching through the phone to rip the asshole’s throat out, which calmed him down enough to speak. Before he could say anything, though, the door to the bathroom opened and Rio hesitantly
Or, more to the point, what
wouldn’t
he do?
He’d learned on the third evening of stalking her nights just how bad it could have become. A man had accosted Rio at the Roadhouse, and if Miro hadn’t intervened when he had, Luke might have burned down the entire building and everyone in it. He owed the big ogre for more than Miro knew. But now—now Luke had Rio in his arms, exactly where he’d sworn she’d never be, and he knew, deep,
deep
in his soul, that he had no intention of ever letting her go. It didn’t make sense, but after centuries of living under the threat of a curse, he’d learned that nothing that mattered ever seemed to make sense at first. It just
was
.
Her courage in the face of everything she’d had to face the night before, her sense of humor—oh, yeah. Life was about to get very interesting.
“You’re smiling again,” Rio said, startling him.
“Hey. I was just about to wake you—” he began, but he let the lie fade away when she flashed an amused grin.
“No, you weren’t. You’ve been—” Rio’s amber-flecked eyes widened, and she abruptly moved away from him and sat up. “We—you—I was exhausted, and you wouldn’t let go of my hand, so I—”
He fought his instincts and won, letting her go. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Exhaustion and Grendel venom is a bad mix. I’m back to normal now.”
She stepped lightly off the bed, looking around almost frantically. “Um—”
“Through there,” he said, pointing to the bathroom door and then watching while she fled.
She could face down Grendels and a Fae princess, but pillow talk scared her. Even as it made him grin, he had to admit to himself that he was pretty much the same. Flirting, romance, and tenderness—what did he know of any of those? Not enough to attract Rio, certainly.
Not enough to attract a woman who’d been living on a deserted island for five years, either, probably.
He threw off both his self-imposed melancholy and the blanket she must have draped over him and stood up and stretched. His balance was restored, and he didn’t feel any aftereffects from the venom, thankfully. So now it was time to go find that little girl.
His bedside phone rang, and he stared at it for a beat before answering. Two rings. Three. Nobody ever called him on that line with good news. He listened to the sound of water splashing in his bathroom sink for a moment, and then he sighed and reached for the phone.
“Oliver.”
“This is Brock Dalriata. One of my associates mistakenly acquired a child yesterday, and I understand that you’re the man to help out with situations like this.” The man’s voice was low and gravelly, hinting of murky swamps and murderous intent.
Or maybe Luke just needed some damn coffee.
“Is ‘acquired a child’ code for
kidnapped
where you come from, Dalriata?” Luke snarled. “I don’t have much use for people who hurt children. Ask around Bordertown, and you’ll find out what happens to people when I don’t have much use for them.”
Dalriata laughed. “Oh, I know who you are. I also know you’ve been approached on multiple occasions about becoming the sheriff, and you’ve consistently declined, so other people’s welfare isn’t exactly the most important thing on your mind, is it? Perhaps you could spare me the righteous indignation, and let’s arrange a meeting. I don’t care to have this child in my custody a single moment longer than necessary.”
“She’s Fae,” Luke said flatly. “Call the High Court.”
Silence.
“She’s not. She’s human, or maybe a Halfling bastard, but she’s not a purebred Fae,” Dalriata said finally, the slightest hint of unease lacing his tone.
Luke closed his eyes and imagined reaching through the phone to rip the asshole’s throat out, which calmed him down enough to speak. Before he could say anything, though, the door to the bathroom opened and Rio hesitantly
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