Page 51 of Thief of Souls
“It is. Or it was.” A frown etches itself between my brows. The Court of Shadows is my father’s court, though the Seelie refer to it now as the Court of the Forbidden. And my father was thrilled when I began to Sift. It’s the one thing that’s stayed his hand all these years—my rare talent, and the way he can use it. “Court of the Moon and Stars?”
I’ve heard the name, but know little about it.
“It was destroyed nearly twenty or thirty years ago,” he says. “It bordered the Court of Dawn, but their king was beginning to grow ambitious, and the power of the Court of the Moon and Stars was growing. A new queen was rising to power within that court, and some say King Ryddhaen of Dawn couldn’t bear to see her come to power. The old queen died, and the night before Princess Zyra’s coronation, her household was attacked. The court was burned, Zyra’s sisters were slaughtered, and her body was never found.”
“Twenty or thirty years ago? That’s a large span of time, Keir. Your specifics are terrible.”
“What is time to a dragon?”
I tap my spoon against my lips. “If this Falion has the gift, then he had to belong to the Court of the Moon and Stars.” And was most likely of their royal bloodlines. “What in the Shadow Lands is he doing with Mistmark?”
“The territories of Mistmark abut the lands that belong to the Court of Moon and Stars.” Keir shrugs. “If someone survived the massacre then he may have sought refuge with an ally.”
Interesting. I know why I want to continue this train of thought—it’s personal—but it’s not the most pressing matter in play. “I’ll keep an eye on him then. Falion may be dangerous. And speaking of dangerous, I’ve heard of questing beasts before, though I’ve never heard of one obeying a fae master. What am I dealing with here?”
“We,” he counters. “And we are dealing with a creature that is both deadly and vicious. They have the neck and head of a dragon-like creature, the body of a leopard, and the legs of a hart. I believe they spit acid, and they’re impervious to mortal weapons. I don’t know a lot about them. They were conjured in the third age while I was hibernating within my court.”
“Whatever it is, it can breathe fire.”And thank you for reminding me precisely how old you are.
He shrugs. “So can I.”
“I’ve never… asked you about your other form.” But I’ve seen the enormous spines of dragons buried in the forests. I’ve walked within the hollow sockets where their eyes lay.
He stills, his attention focusing entirely upon me. “Would you like to see my big, scaly tail, Zemira?”
There’s something about the smile that touches his lips that makes me swallow. “No, I think I’m fine with not seeing it.”
His laughter sounds like a rough-edged purr. “I never took you for a coward.”
“Not a coward,” I point out. “Just careful.”
He laughs again.
I clear my throat. “Now, if that is done, I’m going to go see if I can discover why Belladonna wants Mistmark dead. Unless you have an objection?”
Keir drums his fingers on the table.
I can tell he wants to say something.
“Well?” I demand.
“You own me,” he says softly as our eyes meet. “Last night you said ‘you own me.’ You think I would force you into my bed as payment for your debt?”
His words steal the winds from my sails. “No. I don’t think you would do that.”
I’ve faced a dozen lecherous fae lords in my time, but there’s nothing about Keir’s mannerisms that make me nervous. If anything, the desire he inspires within me is the thing that makes me uncomfortable.
The wanting what I can’t have.
The temptation to start dreaming….
It’s all there. A future I can never live taunting me at night like a beckoning Will o’ the wisp leading me to my doom.
His eyes narrow to thin slits. “I would never do that. I want you in my bed, Zemira, but I want you there of your own accord.”
“Iknowthat.”
“But you hesitate.” He leans forward in his chair, his hands clasped between his knees as if he’s trying to solve a particularly complex equation. “You kissedme. You kissed me and then you pushed me away. Why?”
