Read Online To Love a King (Court of Annwyn) by Shona Husk - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shona Husk
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proven he was fairy by holding an iron nail on his palm while she’d watched his skin burn. Then he’d vanished for two weeks and left her to dwell on what he’d said.
“His job is more important than me. It always was. Besides, he didn’t ask for a second chance.” And he probably wouldn’t. She hoped he wouldn’t. Would she be able to say no? “He doesn’t think of me that way now.” The words tasted wrong as she spoke them. He hadn’t sought her out just to learn the truth. Ash was right. He would be back. What did he really want from her? That she didn’t know scared her more than a little. She knew fairies always had an endgame in sight. What was Felan’s?
“Well, if you’re not interested, you won’t mind if I take a shot at Mr. Tall-Hot-and-Trouble.” There was a glint in Ash’s dark eyes that Jacqui didn’t like.
Her heart gave a nasty clench, and she had to bite her tongue and take a moment to make sure she didn’t turn an unflattering shade of green. Felan would’ve had lovers since her; she’d had lovers since him. But none had stolen her heart the way he had—none had ever destroyed it like he had either. And even though she’d thought he no longer had a claim on her heart, she had been wrong. She still wanted him—maybe even loved him. However, that didn’t mean they were ever going to work. Sometimes love wasn’t enough when there was a whole other world standing in the way.
Jacqui looked at Ash, trying to make her voice light. “How would you feel if I dated one of your exes?”
Ash shrugged. “If I was over him, what does it matter?”
She couldn’t argue with that. She couldn’t say no, unless she admitted she wasn’t over him, and she wasn’t ready to do that, not even to herself. “True. If he comes back, you can serve his coffee and see if he bites.”
And if he bit, she was sure that would end her attraction to the overly handsome Prince.
***
It was night when Felan stepped back into the mortal world. The air smelled different here—drier and ancient.
“Where are we?” Taryn, Lady of the Hunt, glanced around. She had her sword drawn, ready to fight as if she’d been wielding a blade for years.
Felan hadn’t been sure what they’d find when they stepped through the doorway closest to his mother’s grove. His sword was a comforting weight in his hand. He paused and listened before answering, but he heard nothing but the soft rustling of holly trees.
“Middle East.”
“Are you trying to get us killed?”
He’d been concerned that the trees would be damaged by a stray bomb, but they were far enough away from civilization and the fighting that the grove remained untouched. “Be more worried about my mother’s spies than human weapons.” He’d been here only twice before—once when he’d followed out of curiosity, and once when he’d filled a promise and freed Bramwel, who’d been trapped here as a tree. There was a very good possibility that his mother had upped the security since. “Guard the doorway.”
If that were destroyed, they would have a long walk to the next one—which would no doubt suit Sulia perfectly, as he’d lose precious days.
“Don’t take too long,” Taryn whispered.
“I don’t intend to.” He gave her a nod and moved away from the doorway. His soft-soled boots were quiet over the rocky terrain.
As before, the skin on the back of his neck prickled from both the magic in the air and the tension. They weren’t alone. Flitting along, almost hidden by the trees and darkness, were wild fae. The wild fae were what all fairies had once been—bound to nature and existing only in the mortal world—until millennia ago, when some had discovered Annwyn and claimed it as theirs. Now the wild fae and fairies were two different creatures, but they weren’t at odds. On this old hill, the wild fae were drawn to the magic of the grove and the trapped fairies. They’d watched him last time, their skin rough and dark like bark,
“His job is more important than me. It always was. Besides, he didn’t ask for a second chance.” And he probably wouldn’t. She hoped he wouldn’t. Would she be able to say no? “He doesn’t think of me that way now.” The words tasted wrong as she spoke them. He hadn’t sought her out just to learn the truth. Ash was right. He would be back. What did he really want from her? That she didn’t know scared her more than a little. She knew fairies always had an endgame in sight. What was Felan’s?
“Well, if you’re not interested, you won’t mind if I take a shot at Mr. Tall-Hot-and-Trouble.” There was a glint in Ash’s dark eyes that Jacqui didn’t like.
Her heart gave a nasty clench, and she had to bite her tongue and take a moment to make sure she didn’t turn an unflattering shade of green. Felan would’ve had lovers since her; she’d had lovers since him. But none had stolen her heart the way he had—none had ever destroyed it like he had either. And even though she’d thought he no longer had a claim on her heart, she had been wrong. She still wanted him—maybe even loved him. However, that didn’t mean they were ever going to work. Sometimes love wasn’t enough when there was a whole other world standing in the way.
Jacqui looked at Ash, trying to make her voice light. “How would you feel if I dated one of your exes?”
Ash shrugged. “If I was over him, what does it matter?”
She couldn’t argue with that. She couldn’t say no, unless she admitted she wasn’t over him, and she wasn’t ready to do that, not even to herself. “True. If he comes back, you can serve his coffee and see if he bites.”
And if he bit, she was sure that would end her attraction to the overly handsome Prince.
***
It was night when Felan stepped back into the mortal world. The air smelled different here—drier and ancient.
“Where are we?” Taryn, Lady of the Hunt, glanced around. She had her sword drawn, ready to fight as if she’d been wielding a blade for years.
Felan hadn’t been sure what they’d find when they stepped through the doorway closest to his mother’s grove. His sword was a comforting weight in his hand. He paused and listened before answering, but he heard nothing but the soft rustling of holly trees.
“Middle East.”
“Are you trying to get us killed?”
He’d been concerned that the trees would be damaged by a stray bomb, but they were far enough away from civilization and the fighting that the grove remained untouched. “Be more worried about my mother’s spies than human weapons.” He’d been here only twice before—once when he’d followed out of curiosity, and once when he’d filled a promise and freed Bramwel, who’d been trapped here as a tree. There was a very good possibility that his mother had upped the security since. “Guard the doorway.”
If that were destroyed, they would have a long walk to the next one—which would no doubt suit Sulia perfectly, as he’d lose precious days.
“Don’t take too long,” Taryn whispered.
“I don’t intend to.” He gave her a nod and moved away from the doorway. His soft-soled boots were quiet over the rocky terrain.
As before, the skin on the back of his neck prickled from both the magic in the air and the tension. They weren’t alone. Flitting along, almost hidden by the trees and darkness, were wild fae. The wild fae were what all fairies had once been—bound to nature and existing only in the mortal world—until millennia ago, when some had discovered Annwyn and claimed it as theirs. Now the wild fae and fairies were two different creatures, but they weren’t at odds. On this old hill, the wild fae were drawn to the magic of the grove and the trapped fairies. They’d watched him last time, their skin rough and dark like bark,
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