Leo motioned toward the remains of the mirror. “Josephine’s sister is a halfling. Just like her. The longer Celeste was in the Fey realm, the more she forgot.” His lips thinned. “She forgot you, Merius. I’m…sorry. There was no point in telling you about her when Celeste had no memory of you at all.”
No. No. He’d longed for her, ached for her. “No, she could not have forgotten. She came back when I needed her. She transformed me.” Leo was holding back on him, dammit. There was more to this story.
“I have to take certain steps now. For everyone’s safety.” Leo exhaled slowly. “In case this whole Fey realm shit doesn’t work out the way I expect, I need to bring in some big guns.” His eyes turned to slits as he seemed to consider options. “A Medusa I know, a witch who owes me—whether Valerie wants to admit it or not—and maybe even a shifter king.” He nodded. “Yes, they should work. Gonna bring in my A Game. And, in case you’re wondering, that does stand for Asshole Game.”
He hadn’t been wondering. He’d been fixed on one very important thing. So Merius drove his fist into Leo’s jaw. As hard as he could. “You knew where she was!”
Leo didn’t hit back, the sonofabitch. He did rub his jaw, then muttered, “I don’t have Fey blood. I couldn’t get to her. And until recently, I didn’t exactly have any pull with anyone who might be able to gain entrance for me.” He rolled back his shoulders. Lifted his chin. “I do now. That shifter king I mentioned? His family made an old deal with the Fey. He might be able to help us.”
“Liar,” Dorrin announced. “Don’t believe any shit this guy tries to sell you, M!”
Merius stiffened. Since when was he M?
Dorrin stepped closer and drops of water fell from his claws. “The shifter king is Griffin Bastien. And the witch this bozo is talking about? The one in his so-called Asshole Game? That witch is none other than Valerie Storm.”
Oh, hell, even Merius knew that name. The Wicked Witch.
“If he’s calling her in, he’s doing it for one reason. And it’s not the reason you want.” The fur had faded from Dorrin’s face, but his teeth were still decidedly sharp. “Only Valerie is strong enough to totally seal the Veil.” He pointed at Leo. “That’s the plan, isn’t it? You want Valerie to lock them all inside. To lock all the Feys in their realm. And to lock Josephine and Malik inside, too. Because if Malik is inside—”
The mask fell away from Leo’s face. Grim determination and twisted fury remained. “If he’s inside, then Malik can’t lose control and kill every human in sight. Yes, that’s my general plan. Sorry if you don’t like it, but it’s the only shit I’ve got. Luke thinks that Malik is stronger than us both. I don’t want to test that theory, so sealing Malik up when I have the opportunity is my only shot. It’s the only shot that humans have.”
Merius’s fangs had sharpened with his fury. “I thought Luke was supposed to be watching the humans now.”
Leo’s gaze cut to him. “And you saw how fast he jumped into action to help them.”
Luke hadn’t seemed to give a shit.
“I will do what’s necessary to save this world. If it means getting Valerie to permanently close the Veil, so the fuck be it.” With that, Leo vanished.
Rage and bloodlust tore through Merius. “I can’t let them close the Veil.” Not if his vampire was on the other side. He had to find a way to get to her.
Dorrin cocked his head. “How do you think you’ll stop them?”
He had absolutely no clue.
Chapter Nineteen
“Josephine!” Malik hurtled through some kind of insane black void, wind whipping in his ears, his insides feeling as if they were being ripped apart and then spun back together. His wings flapped hard, trying to fight against the overwhelming pull, but he wasn’t strong enough to stop, couldn’t even slow down. All he could do was crash.
He crashed hard.
His body slammed into a gleaming, marble floor. There were gasps all around him. A few screams. He looked up and found himself surrounded by guards. Tall, muscled men and small, delicate woman—all armed with swords. Very sharp swords.
He thought about killing them all. Absolutely could see it in his mind. It would be so easy. They’d attack. He’d let his flames loose. The fire would rage—
His flames vanished. Disappeared into a puff of smoke.
The woman closest to him, a blond-haired Fey with slightly pointed ears, gave him a grim smile. The smile showed off her perfect, white teeth. “I’m afraid that’s not going to work here. Outside magic is no use in the Veil. Only magic found from within this realm works here.”
Well, fuck.
But…
His mind was clearing, too. The rage he’d felt before, the terrible desire to let his powers loose—it had all calmed down. It was as if a fog had been swept from his brain. He could think rationally again.
And Malik realized he was in trouble. “I’m looking for Josephine.”
The blond female arched one brow. “Don’t think I know her.”
Probably not. How big was the Fey realm? What if she was hundreds of miles away? “She would have come in moments before me. I, um, I think we used the same portal so I was hoping she’d be near here.”
No response.
Malik kept trying. “She’s a vampire—”
All of the swords immediately shoved toward him.
Apparently, the Fey didn’t like the V word.
“Kill him,” one of the men urged. “Take his head. He could be a vamp.”
“No, I’m actually—” But Malik stopped. Saying he was fallen probably wouldn’t be viewed in any sort of positive light.
“You know what happened the last time we let a vamp in here,” a red-headed woman added darkly. “We must learn from our mistakes.”
Malik’s shoulders squared as he realized that he might have to fight them. Might have to kill them. A terrible way to make a first impression.
But the blond woman gave a shake of her head. She seemed to be in charge. “The queen makes the call. It’s her decision.”
The queen? He tried to be polite. “I don’t really have time for a chat with your queen. I’m looking for my Josephine—”
She lifted her brows. “Do I give a shit? You see the queen. She decides if you live or die.”
Maybe Josephine had been sent to see the queen, too. Maybe that was the drill for all visitors.
“Bring him!” she snapped imperiously.
Swords poked at him.
Swords that vibrated with magic.
The blonde was obviously the leader of the guards. She turned away from him with a roll of her hips and didn’t glance back to see if she was being obeyed. Confidence and attitude poured off her. “If he gives you trouble,” she threw over her shoulder to the others, “stab him in the ass.”
Well, hell. He looked at the men behind him. “Try it, and I’ll use the sword to cut your throats in the next second.” And it wasn’t bullshit. That was a warning.
Then he was marching after the blonde. Going through some sort of fancy palace—was there any other kind? Lots of marble. Lots of gold. Lots of silks hanging everywhere. And music was playing. Soft, harp music. He could even see the giant, golden harp to the side. A guy sat there, strumming it with his fingertips. The guy was mostly naked.
Actually, the majority of the people in that place were mostly naked. They were clad in silks—the parts of their bodies that were clad. The Fey females were similar in size, but some were fair, some had dark, mocha skin, some had short hair, and some had long hair that skirted their hips. Same deal with the men—physically, they were all tall and muscled, but the similarities ended there. Different skin tones, different eyes, different hair, different—
“On your knees!” the blonde suddenly bellowed.
Malik was shoved to his knees. He went down but only because he let the guards shove him. He was playing along, for the moment, and trying to figure out how many people he’d have to hurt before he got to his Josephine.
“Lower your head before our queen!” Blondie snapped.
He rolled his eyes and lowered his head. Enough of this game. He’d be kicking ass in five…four…
“He crossed the portal,” the blonde announced, her voice seeming to echo in what had to be the throne room. “That means he must have some Fey blood in him, my queen.”
Three, two—
“Oh, he does,” a familiar voice responded. “He’s got my blood.”
His head whipped up. Malik found himself staring at a massive throne—one made of gold and diamonds. The stories had always said the Fey enjoyed sparkly things, and the throne definitely counted as sparkly. But he ignored the throne and focused on what mattered.
Her.
The queen. The woman with the dark tumble of hair, the deep, chocolate eyes, the curving, red lips—and the massive, golden crown on her head.
Josephine. His Josephine.
“Hello, fallen,” Josephine said with a wide grin. She winked. “Did you miss me?”
He bounded to his feet—and found half a dozen swords jabbing into his throat.
“Stop!” Josephine bellowed.
The swords didn’t draw blood, but they also didn’t drop.
“You know this being?” Blondie demanded.
“Yes, sister dear, I do.” She rose from the throne. She was wearing one of those silky outfits that revealed far too much, and Malik’s body immediately reacted, despite the sword points at his throat. Josephine smiled at Malik, straightened the crown that had just fallen over her brow, and sauntered toward him. “He’s my consort.”
Her what now?
“He’s. Mine.” She waved the swords away. Put her hands on his chest. Glared. “Even though I am pissed as all hell at him.”
Malik glowered at Josephine’s sister. “When I asked about her, you said you didn’t know Josephine.”
“I lied. Deal with it.”
He’d deal—later. Right then, he had other priorities. He focused on Josephine again. She was the priority. He didn’t care about anything but her. “They said you’d forget me.”
But she was staring at him with warm eyes. With a faint smile on her lips.
Josephine laughed. “I’ve barely been here long enough to change clothes and snag my crown. It will take a lot longer than that for me to ever forget you.”
He locked his arms around her. Crushed his mouth to hers. Desire beat in his blood. Lust, love, so much need. An eternal need, for her. For her, always her. His Josephine, his—
“I challenge the consort!”
Now who in the sweet hell was yelling? Malik wanted to ignore the shout, but Josephine pushed hard against his chest. Her eyes had gone wide with surprise. No, with what looked more like shock.
Then that rumbling, intruding voice blasted, “A challenge to the death!”
Malik glanced over his shoulder as a tall, broad-shouldered, redheaded fellow bounded from the open doors of the throne room.
The man’s face was twisted with hate as he glared at Malik. “I have not waited all of these long decades for my love to return, only to see her go to another.” He had a sword in his hand, but he tossed it toward Malik’s feet. “I challenge you, bastard.”
“Normally, I’d love to kick your ass,” Malik fired back. Mostly for that ‘my love’ bullshit. “But I’ve got other issues right now.” He caught Josephine’s hands in his. He focused just on her as he warned, “Luke and Leo said the real threat to you is here. That’s why I followed.”
Some of the light dimmed from her eyes as she glanced back at him. “That’s…why you came after me? Because of what they said?”
He’d come to protect her. “The threat is here. Someone here wants you dead.”
Her shoulders rolled. “They all do. Just look around. The ruler is always in danger. Not exactly news, but what is news…” Her gaze darted to the redheaded man. Her lips parted. She blinked a few times. Squinted her eyes. And then…
Then she pulled away from Malik as she walked slowly toward the jerk. “You’re dead,” Josephine told the stranger.
The redhead straightened his shoulders. “No.”
“You drowned.”
Murmurs from the onlookers. Whispers.
The redhead swallowed. “I did. I sank with my ship. But you know what happens to a human with Fey blood when he or she dies. No matter how small of an amount of blood is in the person’s body…The human is given a second chance in the Fey world.”
“You never drank my blood.”
“I didn’t need to. My great-grandfather was Fey. He crossed over to be with the woman he loved.” The redhead lifted his hand toward her. “And I’ve been waiting, all of this time, to be with the woman I loved.”
Malik glanced between them as jealousy raged. He had a terrible idea of just who that redhead was—
“Jason?” Josephine whispered.
The redhead nodded. “I’ve been waiting for you, my queen. But you didn’t come back. Now, though, you’re here, and I will never let you go again.” He stepped forward, as if he intended to pull her into his arms.
What had that guy yelled earlier? “I challenge the consort!” If he wanted a challenge…
Malik scooped a sword off the floor. Leapt between them. And he put that sword tip at the ex-pirate’s throat. “Challenge fucking accepted.”
***
Breathing was hard. Mostly because everything in that realm smelled like lavender. Josephine was about to hyperventilate on the stuff.
“My queen?” Celeste asked. “Are you going to pick a side?”
They were in the royal quarters. Just her and Celeste for the time being. Only Celeste was staring at her as if Josephine was a complete stranger.
Oh, right. Because I am.
They’d only met outside of the Fey realm. And their last meeting had been a long time ago. Right after Josephine killed Vlad.
The Fey could always recognize their ruler, though. Because the royal crown immediately flew to the head of the king or queen. Since Josephine had been the one to off the last Fey King ten years ago…
To the victor go the spoils.
She’d become queen. A queen who had never come back to collect her bounty.
“How does Jason remember me?” Josephine muttered, rubbing her temples. “You don’t remember me. You stare at me as if I’m some freak—”
“You are a vampire Fey. It’s quite unusual.”
“No, it’s not! You’re the same damn thing!” Josephine threw back at her sister.
Celeste blinked. “I am?”
Oh, for shit’s sake. “Yeah, you are. Try rubbing your tongue over your canines the next time you feel pissed. You’ll notice that those teeth of yours sharpen up real fast.”
Celeste ran her tongue over her canines.
“And by the way, you might not remember it, but you were out using my identity the last time you crossed the Veil. That shit’s not cool.”
Celeste frowned at her. “Why would I use your identity?”
“Because I’m a badass and you wanted that badass protection.”
Her sister’s gaze swept over her. “You don’t look like a bad ass. You look like a Fey who doesn’t have wings.”
Oh, she had not just brought that up—
Celeste let her wings out. “See? They look like this. Aren’t they beautiful? Looks like they have flecks of gold in them.”
“I know what they freaking look like.” She’d always wanted wings, dammit.
Celeste’s wings immediately slid down, folding behind her back.
Josephine huffed out a breath. “This realm is so messed up.” And she could feel her thoughts starting to get foggy. “How did Jason remember?” That one question pounded at her. “He should have forgotten me after he crossed over.”
Now Celeste shrugged. “Maybe you’re just unforgettable.”
“I wish.” That was hardly the case. There had to be more at play. And if Jason could keep his memories, then maybe…maybe the
re is a way for all the Fey to keep their memories when they travel back and forth. “Tell me the rules for this place, will you?”
“But…you’re queen. The crown chose you.” A sniff. An unhappy one. “It left my head and went to you. If you’re ruler, then you know—”
“I know that our mother—my mother, your mother—I know she was a Fey. We’ve both got Fey blood running through our vampire veins.”
Again, Celeste ran her tongue over her teeth.
“No fangs yet?” Josephine pushed. “Don’t worry. They’ll come.”
Celeste’s jaw tightened.
“I killed the Fey King. He was a jerk. A total asshat. But when I killed him, because I was part Fey, I got some sort of magical fast pass to the crown.” This was all stuff she knew. “Since I wasn’t in the Fey realm, the crown then went to my next blood relative. That’d be you.” The lavender was starting to give her a headache. But…she also liked the smell. If she wasn’t so ragey right then, it might have soothed her.
Celeste glowered at her.
“Tell me the rules!” Josephine practically screamed. Help me out! “I know memories get wiped here, and I need to understand—”
“You will forget the people you left behind. That’s the rule. There can be no attachments beyond the Veil. So anyone you loved back there, you will forget. You forget the ones you loved first, and then, eventually, you have no memory of anyone from that world. It’s just a matter of time.”
Her heart was drumming too fast. “And if the person I…loved…isn’t back there? If he came over with me…” Or just a little while after her because he’d been a jerk and tried to send her away on her own…?
Celeste frowned. “Then you will remember him. If he is here, then you will remember. You remember everything that happens here. You remember the people here with you, unless they leave. Once they cross the Veil, you start to forget them. The longer they are gone, the more you forget. Even if the individual returns later, it’s as if you are meeting a stranger.”
Josephine pressed a hand to her chest. “Right. That explains why you stare at me as if we’ve never met.” She started to pace. “But it doesn’t explain Jason.” The guy she’d mourned. The guy she’d been so sure had died. The guy she’d…loved? “He shouldn’t remember me.”