Page 10 of The Nephilim's Finesse

He stepped closer, pressing me into the bookcase with his hands on either side of my head.

His breathing was heavy. “The temptation to be in your presence and feast upon your beauty is unparalleled.”

He kissed my neck, a sensation which made my head swim. I had expected him to make an attempt when given the opportunity, so the feeling of anticipation grew strong. Might he be a kinder sort of gentleman than I have experienced in the past? Perhaps it would be possible for him to make me feel something beyond fear. He pressed himself into me, the pressure of his manhood evident through our garments. My breath hitched in my throat, and I closed my eyes, trying to quell the sudden feelings of panic, making themselves known deep within me.

“I desire to give you every pleasure that could be offered,” he whispered, his hands exploring my curves. Could he truly give me some small measure of happiness? His hands lovingly caressed my bosom while his lips still moved across my throat. He smelt so delightful, and I knew that his blood must surely taste delicious, too; maybe he could make me feel things that all those fair maidens spoke of with such delight.

The door creaked open, and someone harrumphed. Lord William spun away from me with all haste but not before the newcomer beheld us in this most misfortunate circumstance. It was none other than Lord Bute, whose face was a mask of displeasure.

"She practically pounced upon me!" Lord William feigned outrage at his own declaration. "But I'm a man of honour and would propose marriage to Miss Greenwood."

"It wasn't like that!" I protested in vain.

"Miss Greenwood, do you accuse Lord William of assaulting you?" Lord Bute's eyebrow arched towards his hairline. "To me, the situation seems quite clear."

So, he'd support Lord William if I would accuse him and mark me as a liar. The only way to protect my honourable name was to wed him. I kept silent, and Lord Bute gave me one last stare that made me wish to be invisible before they both turned away to leave me in the library. As if it were all my fault. As if I had been the one who beguiled the man of scandalous reputation. Mortification spread through me like wildfire. What would Lady Greenwood think of me?

I could discern them conversing about our engagement from across the hall: Lord William desired an immediate announcement, while Lord Bute proposed to discuss this with another male relation of mine first. This was my final chance. Before nightfall, Lord William would meet his sudden demise. I'd make certain of it.

But his misconduct had sullied my esteem with the marquisate: no agreement could arise between us now nor with anyone else in the upper classes; he himself would guarantee it. No gentleman wanted a bargain with a woman, much less one so tarnished.

4 Raph

I sat in our shared office on a rainy November morning and looked over our numbers. Accounting wasn't my favourite pastime; however, it had to be done. Asasel had an assistant, and Gina did a brilliant job, but I wanted to have an overview of our income and expenses.

Suddenly, I heard a faint knocking against the glass. I turned around but saw nothing outside the window. The moment I went to spin back, I noticed a flicker. Inquisitively, I moved closer and squinted my eyes for any slight motion. Then it fluttered again—unmistakable now. In front of the window pane, a tiny fae, a sprite with luminescent wings and purple hair about the size of my palm, hovered outside. I opened the window and bobbed my head in greeting. The fae took a bow but didn't make any signs of flying through the window. The wards around the Nephilim headquarters made it impossible to penetrate the barrier for any magical being except for the Nephilim. Every magical community had those safety measurements. The sprite held a letter in his hands, almost as big as himself. I held my hand up, and the sprite lay the paper in it. Then he turned around and flew away. Only a few seconds passed before I couldn't see him anymore.

I looked at the letter in my hand; it was simply addressed to “The Nephilim”. Opening the envelope, the scent of flowers escaped from it.

We, Queen Tourmaline of Purpleglade, ruler of the fae and their realms, apologise for our imprudent attack. It was foolish, and the culprit, Victorija, tricked us. We now see our mistake and want to suggest a new alliance. Thence, we propose a meeting to reunite and form an alliance of fae, witches, warlocks, and Nephilim. If you agree, please send a representative from your community to discuss the content of our pact.

We are hoping that this newly formed alliance will bring peace to all of us.

The paper crackled in my hands as I walked over to the wooden desk. I carefully placed it on the desktop and read the words again. My face broke into a wide grin: this, indeed, was good news.

I sent a message to my fellow leaders to share the news and convoked a meeting in the afternoon. When Puriel and Nate sat with me in our office, I showed them the letter.

Leaning back, Puriel laughed. “It’s the only sensible thing the fae could do. Their former ally is in our custody, and they stand alone against us. Wonder why it took her so long?”

Nate nodded. “You’re right. However, I think it cost her quite an effort to take the first step.”

Puriel's gaze flickered around the room as she fingered her long braid, the jet-black strands shining in the dim light.

"What demands should we make from them?" she asked finally, her voice firm with conviction.

Nate flinched at her words, and his eyes widened. “None! If we demand anything, we suppress the fae again. I thought we would try to treat each other equally?”

A wry twist tugged at the corner of Puriel’s lips as she raised an eyebrow. “And let them get away with a slap on the wrist?”

“Let’s see what they have to offer first. I'd want every side to agree to help each other if need be,” I added.

Nate and Puriel nodded in agreement. “Which of us should go to the negotiation?” Nate scratched his dark beard.

Puriel crossed her arms, her black braid falling over her shoulder. “I’m out. Negotiations aren't my strong suit if they don’t include less prison time for information.”

I looked at Nate. “You claimed that we should form alliances.”

He looked away, rubbing his neck while searching for words. “I know. But… to be honest, this is a big thing. I don’t know if I can handle this. I’d sleep tighter if you’d do this.” His eyes found mine, and I bobbed my head.

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