Page 12 of Secret Origins
“It is only I,” the creature thundered as if it was offended by my carefulness.
“Oh, look Fen,” I chirped, unable to help myself. “Shakespeare got out of his grave to pay us a visit.” Even my hound turned to give me a glare at those words.
I grinned at him like a fool.
“So”—Swinging my arm front and back to assure my wound was closed and I could actually move, I took hold of the hilt of my sword with my other hand, making the chain clink together like chiming bells—“how do you want to die?” The words were accompanied by the singing of my blade leaving its sheath. “The easy way? Or the messy, screaming way?”
“It is not I that is needed to die, oighre air a ‘chathair rìoghail.” The ground under my feet trembled from his deep voice.
The creature lowered his head like a bull and charged me. I was so shocked it called me the heir to the throne that I barely missed being impaled on his damn horns. At the last second, I danced away, spinning sideways from his body and coiling the metal chain around his feet. Fen jumped to the opposite side as if anticipating my move, then together we yanked with all our might. I was lifted a foot off the ground when the creature faceplanted, his momentum making him slide a few feet over the sidewalk before stopping when his head hit the lamp post. I’d bet my sword that if it wasn’t for the shadows hiding his features, his face would’ve been scraped to shit from that fall.
“What did you call me?” I held the tip of my sword pointed at his prone form, which was still sprawled on the ground. “You have things mixed up, buddy. I am a nobody. Definitely not an heir to anything.”
The hound grumbled something that suspiciously sounded like he was calling me an idiot, but I ignored him. Supernatural or not, he was a dog. What did he know about anything, besides pooping and eating of course. I jumped back when the creature roared and shifted to his knees. He punched the concrete, and it cracked open as if a meteor had hit the ground. Then, he turned his head and glared at me over his shoulder. The glyphs on his body pulsed brighter when he climbed to his feet. Everything in me was screaming that I should run, but I never listened to that inner voice and I had no intention of starting now. Planting my feet firmly beneath me, I braced for an attack.
It never came.
“Donn Cúalinge, what brings you to the human realm.” Fenrir stepped into the light of the now-crooked lamp post.
“This does not concern you, rìoghail an unseelie.” The bull creature snarled, spittle flying through the shadows covering his face as if calling Fenrir a royal of the dark court left a bad taste in his mouth. For some reason, I felt the need to defend Fenrir.
“It’s a concussion.” When both of the males looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head, I bristled. “He is spitting titles left and right like a king throwing gold coins at kneeling peasants.” Waving at sword at the creature, I lifted an eyebrow when he glared at me. “He nailed his head pretty bad on the lamp post.”
The creature took a step towards me but stopped in his tracks. A freezing wind blasted the empty street, frosting the breath in front of my face. Fenrir moved further into the light, dropping his illusion. Black-as-midnight hair replaced his platinum strands, pale skin stretching over cheekbones as sharp as my blade. His black eyes with white pupils pinned me in place, cutting off everything I wanted to say, like how I didn’t need him fighting my battles for example.
Under his illusion, Fenrir was a sight to be seen.
But Fenrir in all his natural glory was simply breathtaking.
The monster inside me purred at the darkness wafting off him in waves. It scratched and clawed to be released so it could join him. It craved blood and violence, and the way Fenrir was at that moment promised that and more. It took a long moment to wrestle it down. The hound bumped his head on my side, snapping me out of the pull.
“You will not be taking anyone’s life tonight.” Fenrir’s voice changed tone, whispering over my skin like a seductive song, and I knew I’d do anything if he only asked. When I had goaded him to be himself, I forgot the power of the voices the Dark Court Fae possessed. I’d be rethinking my choices in the future.
The bull creature swayed, shaking his horned head.
“You will go to your master and tell them that if they want her life, they’ll have to go through me first.” Another step placed Fenrir between me and the creature.
“I shall tell her, rìoghail an unseelie,” the creature grumbled, his thundering voice drowsy as if drunk.
Having Fenrir turn his back on me was enough to wake me from the influence of his words. Anger boiled in my chest that he felt it was his place to get involved in things that had nothing to do with him. As the creature turned to leave with his hooves scraping the pavement, I dashed from behind the annoying Fae and raised my sword over my head, slashing it down and cutting off the creature’s head. It dropped on the sidewalk with a wet sound, the shadows disappearing to reveal a grotesque face with pure white, unseeing eyes. The body hit a second later, spraying blood all over my pants. Some of the droplets were sprinkled over Fenrir’s pale skin and across his high cheekbones.
“He will not die.’ Pinching the bridge of his nose as if I was giving him a headache, he closed his eyes shaking his head. “Not unless his head is attached when you rip out his heart.”
“Now you tell me these things?”
“I wasn’t aware Faerie was up in arms looking for you, Myst. Anything you’d like to share?”
“I’m a hot piece of ass and everyone wants me?” He glowered when I smiled tightly at him. “No? Not buying it?”
“Why was the bull of Dannu trying to kill you?”
“How should I know, Fenrir?” Snapping at him, I found my sword very fascinating. “Maybe he doesn’t like chicks with swords.” Shrugging a shoulder, I started cleaning the blade on the dead creature.
“If you don’t share what you know with me, I can’t help you.” I wished he would yell or growl, anything other than the affection he had swirling in his words. “I can’t keep you safe.”
“You are under the illusion that I want your help. Go crawl into the hole where you came from. I’m doing just fine on my own.”
“He will be back.” The blood curdled in my veins hearing that.
