Shadowspell

  I swallowed hard and tried to tell myself I was being a sissy. A kiss was nothing to be afraid of, even when the one delivering it was a cold-blooded killer. I didn’t say anything, and the Erlking took that as agreement.

  “You will feel the magic beginning to gather as soon as I speak the terms of our agreement,” he said. “It will intensify when I kiss you, but it won’t hurt you. It will also make the kiss … quite pleasurable.”

  I suppressed a shudder. I didn’t want to enjoy it. “I don’t want you screwing with my head.”

  “I won’t. It’s merely a side effect of the magic. If we sealed the deal with blood, it would intensify the pain instead, so you see why I prefer the kiss.” He grinned at me, an almost boyish expression that looked all wrong for his face.

  I could tell from the heat in my cheeks that I was blushing again, and I hated it. “Fine. Whatever.” If the magic was only going to intensify what was already there, then I’d just have to make damn sure I didn’t let myself take any pleasure from the Erlking’s kiss.

  He bowed his head graciously, amused by my surly answer. “Then I vow that if you will pledge to me your virginity, I will release Ethan from the Wild Hunt this very day and release Connor on the day you fulfill your pledge.”

  The magic prickling over my skin made me gasp. It was stronger than anything I’d felt before, and all the little hairs on my arms stood up. I wouldn’t have been completely shocked if the hair on my head was standing on end, too. If it was going to get more intense than this when the Erlking kissed me, I wasn’t sure how I’d live through it. It already felt like I’d stuck my finger in an electric outlet.

  “Be warned,” the Erlking continued, “that if you fail to preserve your virginity until you fulfill the pledge, Ethan will join the Hunt once more, and no force in Heaven or on earth will free him again. Do you agree to the terms I have spoken?”

  The magic was so thick I could hardly breathe, and my skin crawled with it. I wasn’t sure how I could force words from my mouth, but the Erlking was looking at me expectantly, waiting for my reply. And the faster I replied, the faster this would be over.

  “Yes,” I said, not sure my voice was even audible. The magic was now a roar in my ears in addition to a prickling on my skin.

  The Erlking’s eyes sparked with triumph, and he slid his huge hand up the back of my neck until he was cradling my head in his palm. He leaned down, and it took every ounce of my will not to break free of his grip and run for my life.

  His lips were surprisingly gentle when they touched mine, and I felt a moment of relief, thinking this chaste brush of lips would do the trick. Then the magic speared through me. Suddenly, I no longer felt the prickling on my skin—it seemed to be coming from inside me instead.

  I gasped, and the Erlking gasped, too. Then he crushed his lips down on mine and pulled my body against his. I went unresisting into his embrace as the magic tingled in my chest and belly. I opened my mouth, almost begging for the taste of the Erlking’s tongue, and he gave it to me.

  He kissed me so hard it almost hurt, and I hadn’t even the faintest thought of resisting him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him, feeling the hot, hard evidence that he was ready and eager to fulfill the bargain right this moment. I moaned into his mouth as pleasure zinged from my head to my toes and back again. It was the most glorious thing I’d ever felt, and I wanted more. There was no part of me, mind or body, that remembered I was kissing the bad guy and that I didn’t really want to be doing what I was doing.

  The magic reached a crescendo that would have made me scream if the Erlking’s tongue hadn’t been in my mouth. I grabbed a double handful of his hair, holding on to it like it was a lifeline and I was drowning.

  Then abruptly, it all stopped.

  My knees buckled, and I would have collapsed if the Erlking hadn’t held me up. His lips lingered on mine just a second more before he broke the kiss, his hands on my shoulders steadying me. I felt dizzy and weak, too dazed to remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I had trouble untangling my fingers from the Erlking’s hair, and I didn’t resist when he guided me over to a chair and sat me down.

  My lips felt bruised and swollen from the force of the Erlking’s kiss. He squatted in front of me, looking up into my eyes as he stroked my hair away from my face.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, and he sounded like he really cared. “Did I hurt you?”

  His pupils were huge and dark, his breaths coming in short gasps. I suspected those tight leather pants of his were still bulging, but despite his obvious enthusiasm, he made no move to take advantage of me.

  “I’m fine,” I managed to say, though I wasn’t at all sure it was true.

  He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry I was so rough. That was more intense than even I expected.”

  I’m not sure why, but I believed him. Maybe just because he looked so concerned right now.

  I was still trying to pull myself together and remember which way was up when Connor entered the room, carrying an unconscious Ethan, and all thoughts of the kiss vanished from my mind.

  chapter eighteen

  I think that subconsciously I never expected my plan to succeed. Otherwise, maybe I would have put some thought into what to do after I got Ethan back. The Erlking had warned me he’d be incapacitated, after all. I’m stronger than a fully human girl of my size would be, but I certainly wasn’t strong enough to carry Ethan anywhere.

  Connor crossed the room until he came to an antique-looking sofa, then gently laid Ethan down on it. My legs still weak from the overdose of magic, I made my way to Ethan’s side, hardly daring to believe I’d actually won his freedom.

  “Don’t fear for him,” the Erlking said from right behind my shoulder, and I jumped. A guy that big had no right to move so quietly! “Being released from the Hunt has weakened him, but he will recover his strength over time.”

  “How much time?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “He is the first man I have ever released. I cannot say exactly how long his recovery will take.”

  On the sofa, Ethan groaned softly and his eyelids fluttered like he was trying to open them.

  “Ethan!” I said, sitting on the sofa beside him and taking one of his hands in mine. “Can you hear me?”

  His lips moved a bit, but no sound came out, and he didn’t open his eyes. How the hell was I going to get him home?

  And how was I going to explain to everyone how I had managed to win his freedom? No way was I going around advertising that I’d agreed to give the Erlking my virginity! I also wasn’t too excited about the idea of letting my dad or Finn know that I’d managed to sneak out of my safe house.

  But first things first: I had to get Ethan out of here, and the Erlking wasn’t volunteering to help.

  “Can I use your phone?” I asked him.

  He plucked a cordless phone off of its charger and handed it to me without comment. I tried to pretend my hands weren’t shaking as I dialed Kimber’s number and prayed she’d pick up. It was still pretty early in the morning, and she wouldn’t recognize this number on her caller ID if she checked before answering.

  To my relief, she picked up and said a groggy-sounding “Hello?”

  “Kimber. It’s Dana. Are you awake?”

  She made a sleepy, puzzled sound, and I heard her moving around in bed. “Dana? Where are you? Is everything all right?”

  “I’m fine.” I crossed my fingers as the words left my mouth, an old, childish habit I sometimes reverted to in times of stress. “I’m, uh, at the Erlking’s house.”

  Kimber gasped. I suspected she was now wide awake. “What?”

  “He’s agreed to let Ethan go, but Ethan’s too weak to walk and I don’t have any way to get him home.”

  “Wait a minute. What? Did you just say the Erlking let him go?”

  “Yeah. But I need your help.”

  “So the Erlking actually went for the offer we came up with?” She sounded incred
ulous, and I couldn’t blame her. I guess neither one of us had really believed it would work. It had just made us feel better to have the illusion we could make a difference.

  “Er, no. We came up with something else. But I don’t want to talk about it, not now. Can you help me get Ethan home?”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” she said, and I heard her footsteps as she got out of bed and started hurrying around.

  “Hold on a sec, I’ll get you the address.”

  “Don’t bother. I know where it is.”

  I guessed it made sense that the people of Avalon knew where the Erlking lived. It wasn’t like he and his Hunt were inconspicuous. “Okay. See you soon.”

  “Yeah,” she said, then hung up.

  I hugged myself to suppress a chill, even though the fire made the room cozily warm. For a little while, Kimber was going to be so happy to have her brother back that she wouldn’t bug me too much about what kind of deal I’d made with the Erlking. But I knew that wasn’t going to last, and eventually she’d start pushing me to tell. I just didn’t know if I was willing to share the details, best friend or not.

  I decided this was a case of “cross that bridge when you come to it” and tried to push those thoughts aside.

  Ethan looked paler than usual, and there were shadows under his eyes. The Erlking’s mark was startlingly dark against his skin. I wondered if it was a normal tattoo and Ethan could get it removed, or if he was stuck with it for the rest of his life. Not that it looked bad, in its own wild and exotic way, but I imagined Ethan would prefer not to be constantly reminded of his time in the Wild Hunt.

  The Erlking sat on a straight-backed chair, crossing his legs as he watched me holding Ethan’s limp hand.

  “I told you on the phone earlier that it’s in my best interests to protect you,” the Erlking said. “Even more so now that we’ve reached our agreement. In light of that, I should warn you that I have been given permission by Titania to hunt your aunt Grace.”

  “What?” The statement came from so far out in left field that at first I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.

  “Word reached the Queen that Grace had ambitions to take the throne. She did not take kindly to the information.” His lips curled in a wry smile.

  It wasn’t like I felt even remotely bad for Aunt Grace. If she got herself killed because she took it into her head to use me to kill Titania, that was just tough. I didn’t know if I was mean-spirited enough to say I’d be glad if Aunt Grace died, but I wouldn’t shed a tear.

  “What does this have to do with my safety?” I asked.

  “Grace is doomed. If she is clever, she may be able to evade me for a fair amount of time, but, powerful though she might be, I will catch her. This is assuming the Queen’s people don’t catch her first, naturally. Your aunt knows that. Even if she were to succeed in kidnapping you and forcing you into Faerie, the Queen’s guards will be alert to the danger, so Grace could not get close enough to make the kill.”

  “Okay. I still don’t get what this has to do with me.”

  “It has always been my experience that when a person has nothing left to lose and nothing left to gain, he or she can be expected to lash out.”

  He gave me a significant look, and I remembered his earlier suggestion that Grace was no longer trying to kidnap me but was trying to kill me instead. I couldn’t say I knew Aunt Grace very well, but I had no trouble believing she was capable of it. My arrival in Avalon and her failed attempts to make me into her own pet Faeriewalker had driven her off the deep end. And she struck me as the kind of person who would hold me responsible for the mess she’d made of her life.

  I sighed. “If she wants to kill me, she can line up behind all the other people who want the privilege.” If I wasn’t careful, having all these people wanting to kill me was going to make me bitter.

  He nodded in approval. “I admire your courage, Faeriewalker. Very rare in one so young.”

  “Er, thanks. And I thought you were going to stop calling me that. My name is Dana.”

  “My apologies, Dana. And my name is Arawn. Few would dare use it, but you may do so with my blessing.”

  I was saved from having to answer when the doorbell rang. Kimber was here.

  The Erlking—Arawn—picked Ethan up and carried him as easily as if he were a baby. Without another word to me, he headed for the door, and I hurried to catch up.

  * * *

  My mind kind of numbed out a bit after that. Kimber was both thrilled and panicky when Arawn handed her brother’s limp body to her. As a full-blooded Fae, she was able to handle his weight, though not as easily as Arawn could. Tears streamed down her face, and there was no sign of the crankiness she usually displayed around Ethan. Probably just as well he was only sporadically conscious, or he’d never have let her live it down.

  She was distracted enough by her relief over Ethan’s release that she didn’t ask me how I’d managed it. I felt like I’d dodged a bullet, but I fully expected her to start shooting more bullets than I could avoid when she’d recovered her composure.

  We went our separate ways after that, Kimber taking Ethan to their father’s house, while I returned to my safe house. I’d hesitated a long time before doing it, afraid there might be consequences Arawn had failed to mention, but eventually I pricked my finger on the brooch he’d given me. With no bodyguards, and only about half my wits available, I was a sitting duck for anyone who wished me harm, so I figured it was absolutely necessary that I hide myself from sight.

  My sense of direction sucks, but I’d traveled back and forth from my safe house often enough that I was able to find my way without assistance. I didn’t have the stag to light my way this time, but Arawn had thoughtfully given me a flashlight.

  Finn was being very bodyguard-like when I stepped into the guardroom, his head bent over a gun he was meticulously cleaning. Several other guns lay on the table, as did a couple of silver knives. I held my breath as I walked by, but he didn’t see me. I hated to admit it, but the Erlking’s gift made a nice get-out-of-jail-free card. As far as I could tell, Finn never even knew I was gone.

  Once I was safely in my suite once more, I debated between drinking massive amounts of coffee and collapsing into bed. Collapsing into bed won, and I was so exhausted I fell instantly asleep.

  Unfortunately, it was not a dreamless sleep. The moment I drifted off, I found myself held tightly in Arawn’s arms as he kissed me. It was a kiss as deep and passionate as the real one we’d shared, only this time it wasn’t influenced by magic. I pressed myself against him, letting myself feel the intensity of his arousal against my belly. It should have alarmed me, but it didn’t.

  I opened myself to him with abandon, letting his tongue explore my mouth, not protesting when his hands slid down to my rear and pulled me even harder against him. I was mindless with pleasure and need.

  Arawn broke the kiss, and I let out a mewl of protest. He smiled down at me, his eyes dark and glittering, then picked me up and laid me down on my bed. A small part of me registered the fact that this couldn’t be real. The rest of me didn’t care.

  Arawn positioned himself on top of me, careful not to crush me under the weight of his huge body. Somehow, my legs ended up spread, one of his thighs pressed between them. I arched my back and let out a moan. I could hardly breathe through my need, and my hands lifted of their own volition to the buttons on his shirt.

  I don’t know how far the dream would have gone if I hadn’t been awakened by Finn pounding on my door.

  “Dana!” he shouted, like it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name. “Answer me now, or I’m coming in.”

  Groggy and disoriented, I sat up. “Be out in a minute,” I managed to answer.

  “Your father wants to see you,” Finn said. “Now.”

  Ugh. That didn’t sound good. “I’ll be out in just a sec.”

  I rubbed at my crusty eyes and made my way to the bathroom. I wanted to at least brush my hair and thr
ow some cold water on my face before facing my dad, who must have heard that Ethan was free and known I was somehow responsible.

  I froze when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My face was flushed, and I belatedly noticed my cheeks were blazing hot. My pupils were dilated so much it looked like I’d been doing drugs, and my hair was a snarled, tangled mess.

  The flush deepened when I remembered just what I’d been dreaming about. I did not want to think about the Erlking that way. Yes, he was gorgeous, and he had that special bad-boy appeal—real bad boy, unlike Keane—but he was dangerous, and cruel, and about a zillion years too old for me. Absently, I rubbed my fingers over my lips, remembering the bruising force of his real-life kiss. I had enjoyed it at the time, but remembering now made me squirm. I’d been kissed a total of twice in my whole life, and both times I’d been under the influence of mind-altering magic. I wondered what a genuine kiss would feel like, and worried that the sensation would pale in comparison.

  I shook myself out of that line of thinking and shoved the memories—both of the real kiss and the dream one—to the back of my mind to be dealt with later.

  It was time to face the proverbial music.

  chapter nineteen

  There was exactly zero chance I was going to tell my dad what I’d had to do to win Ethan’s freedom, and by the time I’d gotten myself pulled together enough to leave my bedroom, I’d concocted a cover story that would get me out of having to tell anyone the embarrassing truth.

  Dad was waiting for me in the living room, pacing restlessly in front of the couch. In the second or so I had before he noticed me, I saw that his face was tight with strain, his cheeks unusually pale even for him. I’d expected him to be furious with me, but he didn’t look angry. He looked … scared.

  I didn’t have a chance to examine that revelation for very long, because he looked up and saw me. He wiped much of the expression off his face, although whatever was wrong bothered him enough that he couldn’t manage his usual blandness. His eyes met mine, and he shook his head.