Beauty (A Faery Story 3)

Shim stepped off the final step and into the small store, his eyes on his sister.

Gillian looked so different than he remembered her. Thinner. Older. Wearing practical clothes where once she’d preferred gloriously feminine garb. Gillian McIver was a few years older than he and Lach, but she’d always seemed much more mature. After their mother had died, Gilly had run the household. She’d taken care of everything, including certain political situations. The Unseelie plane had lost a valuable royal when Gillian had been caught here. His sister stood looking over maps, her eyes serious as she spoke.

“We will need to move out after dark. The guards are dead, but at least five got away. There’s no telling where they ran to or who they will tell. I can only promise that someone will talk and reinforcements will be sent.” Gillian straightened up.

Simon Roan stood in the small store. The floor had been cleared out, a large table brought in. Maps and vampire technology covered the table. And yet Simon Roan seemed to have eyes for only one person in the room. The vampire’s whole being was focused on Gillian McIver.

Fuck. He should have thought about it, but he’d been utterly overwhelmed by being close to his bondmate.

“The vampire wants our sister,” Lachlan whispered. “I didn’t remember how bright her glow was.”

Gillian glowed. He could see it because of his vampire blood. It told the royal vampire which beings contained blood that would elongate their lives. It called to the royal.

Shim’s protective instincts flared.

“Don’t. Not yet. Give Gillian a chance to deal with him. She’s done an amazing job here. She’s not a delicate flower. She’s survived and kept our Bron alive. She deserves our respect.” Lach stepped forward. “Sister.”

Gillian’s smile grew vibrant. She opened her arms. “Lachlan!”

Shim watched Simon Roan as his sister embraced his other half. The vampire watched her like a hungry predator, his eyes following every move she made. And Shim would swear the vampire’s fangs were out.

Gillian embraced Shim, hugging him to her. “Brother, I thought I might never see you again.”

“Yes, I thought the same,” Roan said, every word a silky threat. “Imagine my surprise when I went to wake you so we could leave Aoibhneas. You were gone, Lach.”

Lach let his sister go. He didn’t back down an inch from Roan. “I believe I mentioned that we should leave earlier. It was a good thing or our bondmate would be dead.”

Gillian straightened her shoulders. “His Highness, the Prince of the Unseelie Fae, is correct. Her Royal Highness, the Princess Bronwyn, would be dead if her mates had not saved her. You were late, mercenary.”

“I was attempting to keep the princes alive. Torin has guards on the roads. He has spies everywhere. I don’t doubt that the events of the day will reach his ears soon. His Royal Highness has created a huge cluster fuck for my men.” Roan leaned across the table. “There is a reason your father put me in charge.”

Gillian laughed, a short, sharp sound that made Shim wonder what the vampire had done to set his sister off. “Is my father paying you? He shouldn’t.”

The air practically crackled around them. Roan’s eyes got dark and big. The damn vampire wasn’t even trying to control himself. “Your father and I made a deal. I don’t get paid, princess. I get a boon. Your father intends to make sure I get what I want.”

“I’m sure someone of your stature will want gold. That’s what you poor vampires want.”

“If you think that is what a vampire cherishes, you haven’t spent enough time on our plane. Understand this, princess, I mean to get what I want,” Roan growled back. He shook his head and seemed to calm a bit. “Prince Lachlan, would you like to explain why you and your brother chose to run away from the guard your father sent?”

“I think they were jus

t horny.” Dante Dellacourt had a smirk on his face as he leaned against a wall.

“Well, you would know.” Lach seemed to be in a ridiculously good mood. Shim had never seen his brother so relaxed.

Dellacourt stood up straight. “Is my cos all right? Goddess, I can’t believe Bron’s alive. Can I see her?”

“Bronwyn is fine. She’s perfect. And she’s tired. She’ll be down in a little while,” Shim replied, though he wasn’t completely sure she was fine. She’d seemed very disconcerted. They needed to talk, but he would prefer to do so while they held her, bonding with her, skin to skin. It was necessary. They had been close to her mind for so long that she didn’t trust the physical presence. “Though she’s sure she’s lost her mind.”

Lach put a hand on his shoulder. “She was just confused by the potion.”

“Potion?” Dellacourt asked.

Gillian took her eyes off Roan and frowned Dellacourt’s way. “Your sweet cos was nearly executed today for being a witch. It was only my brothers who saved her.”

“As was right. We’re her husbands,” Shim pointed out. “And we knew she was in danger. We’re bonded. We can feel her. Dellacourt, tell me you can’t feel your consort.”

Dellacourt frowned. “Most of the time, though she’s good at shielding. It pisses me off. She tends to do it when she wants a spanking. But I understand what you’re saying. I can feel my Kaj.” He smiled a bit, his eyes losing focus. “She’s happy right now. She’s also curious about the village around her.”