Page 24 of Wings of Snow

“Fiddlesticks in domal dung!” I crept toward the door, hoping nobody was in the hall so I could sneak back to the guestroom undetected, but a flash of something caught my eye. Frowning, I spotted a chest near the far wall. It was opened slightly, allowing me to see something bright and sparkling inside.

I was about to scamper out of the room, but voices coming from down the hall grew louder until thudding footsteps headed this way.

I hurried away from the door and flung myself into the only hiding spot available—the closet. I was in the process of sliding the door closed when Drachu entered the chamber.

“Have you alerted Priestess Genoova?” Drachu asked whoever he was with.

I stopped all of my movements, not making a sound.

“I have, Father. She’s expecting us this morning,” Tylen replied.

“Good, the last thing I need is another subject who displeases me.” Shuffling came from the room, as though Drachu was walking across the floor.

Tylen chuckled. “Sabreeny seemed like a friskytilamyin bed. I’m surprised you banished her so easily.”

Drachu chuffed. “I might regret it. That female knows how to suck a cock, but I can’t have a salivar whose jealousy controls her. I knew she wouldn’t like having Ilara and Cailis in these walls, but I thought she’d tolerate them, not attack one.” He released an irritated sounding breath. “It was probably for the best. If Sabreeny had learned that I’d planned to visit Xanimy in a few days’ time, she may have followed me there to claw the female’s eyes out.”

“Ah, Xanimy.” Tylen laughed softly. “I’ve had the pleasure of her ass on my cock a few times.” A growl came from Drachu, then Tylen said in a hurry, “I haven’t fucked her, but she likes to flirt during the times I’ve visited, and she seems to enjoy sitting on male laps and rubbing herself on them.”

A second growl came from the king. “I’ll have to speak with her about that,” Drachu muttered. “But if you think her ass feels good, you should feel her scales. She’s even more delectable to take beneath the waves.”

I blanched. Mother Below, these males spoke of females as though all we were good for was sex, and the number of concubines that Drachu had was so numerous it only strengthened that belief.

I held my breath as the males made no attempt to leave. One of them moved in the room again, and since the closet was dark with a sliver of light coming in through the cracked door, I shifted silently and peered out of it.

Drachu had walked to the chest near the wall and was leaning over it, its cover fully open. My eyes widened at the plethora of jewels and gems within the huge chest. The sparkling stones were so large that some were as big as his fist. He held one up, inspecting it, before he placed it into the necklace around his neck, right next to the green stone.

The large emerald seemed toswallowthe other one, and my eyes widened even more when a burst of magic puffed around the fae king. It stayed like that for a moment before the pulsing emerald dimmed. Drachu closed his eyes, his head tilting back.

“That’s better.” When he opened his eyes, a faint green light shone from his irises before they returned to normal.

My lips parted in surprise and curiosity. The necklace was magical, I knew that much, but as for its purpose, I could only guess.

“Do you think they’re ready?” Drachu asked Tylen. He grabbed another stone off the table near the bed, just a plain rock from the looks of it, before he slipped it into his pocket. “They’re certainly taking long enough, and I haven’t heard a word from either of them since they disappeared back into the guestroom.”

“Would you like me to check on them?” Tylen asked.

“Yes, we should really get moving. The gods are always easiest to appease midday, and Genoova will need to finish last minute preparations once we arrive.”

Tylen walked toward the hall, and my heart thudded that he was about to retrieve me from the guestroom, not realizing that only Cailis was in our chamber.

Mother Below!I closed my eyes, and panic made me tug on my magic so hard that a thick ribbon streamed through the netting. I concentrated entirely on mistphasing to my room just down the hall.

I disappeared much faster than I had when I’d ventured to the beach, thank the Mother.

Cailis let out a cry of surprise when I reappeared beside her a second before Tylen opened the door.

I plastered a smile on my face while Cailis looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“We should get moving.” Tylen glanced between the two of us, and I did my best to make my expression appear normal. “All ready?”

Cailis stiffly shouldered our pack. “Yes, whenever you are.”

“Excellent.” Tylen opened the door wider, and I knew any chance of telling Cailis what I’d seen the king do with his gemstones wasn’t happening. “The temple awaits.”

We followed him out of the house through the back door. Nobody was about except for Drachu who was waiting for us. The Lochen king’s long dark hair tangled in the wind, and he smiled wide, his canines so sharp they reminded me of blades.

I glanced at his necklace, toward the center stone, but it appeared of the same size and color as it had the first time I’d seen it.How strange.

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