Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely 2)

Neither of the summer regents moved.

“To think of all the years he’s wasted with you…” Irial shook his head. “What do you suppose it’d take to call him home to me?” Then he waited, looking forward to sating his hungers well enough to buy Leslie a few more hours to adjust before he started funneling the full weight of his appetite through her.

As the burst of Keenan’s emotions seeped into Irial, the Dark King walked toward an open table. Keenan and Aislinn followed, as he knew they would, and sat down across from him. He traced a finger over the names—signs of mortals trying to leave a mark of their passing—that were carved into the surface. A waitress paused to offer them drinks, calling Aislinn and Keenan by name.

Irial accepted. “Whatever they usually have and coffee for me. Dark black.”

The girl left, smiling a little longer than necessary at him.

If I could feed on them without an intermediary, like Gabriel’s daughter had… He paused at that thought. Had I known about Ani sooner… But he hadn’t. He was on this path, had found a solution. He’d look closer at Ani later.

First he’d get things with Leslie settled. If she was strong enough, she’d survive awhile, but in the end…in the end mortals always expired before faeries. They were such finite creatures. Their first heartbeat and memory were but a blink from death. To add the weight of nourishing his insatiable court in a time of peace was to hasten that unconscionably. Peace would kill his Leslie too soon, but war was never wise. It was a balance he needed. Being on the edge of violence but not down in it was what the Dark Court needed.

Irial returned his attention to the pair across from him. Aislinn was murmuring to Keenan, soothing him. “Calm down. Niall’s not going anywhere…especially not to the Dark Court. He’s safe—”

“Precious, you wound me.” Irial laughed, immensely pleased by such naive belief, a true rarity in the courts. “Niall and I were close, if you will, before the young kingling was alive.”

Keenan’s anger flared. His fists were clenched so tightly, he was hurting himself. “And he’s spent centuries suffering for it.”

Irial leaned across the table. “Do you know how he struggles to deal with his yearning for Leslie? How very difficult…” He paused, pleased to see the tightening expression on Keenan’s face. “But perhaps there’s a reason he didn’t tell you? Perhaps he’s still more my court than yours. Perhaps he’s been mine all along….”

“Stay away from Niall,” Keenan said. Waves of desert heat radiated from him, pulsing against them all.

Beside him, Aislinn absorbed that heat as quickly as Keenan released it. “Keenan. Damn it. We need to discuss Leslie’s situation. Calm down or take a walk.”

What a nice idea. Irial smiled at Aislinn. Then he turned back to Keenan, holding his gaze as he said, “He could reign in my court. What do you offer him? Servitude? Faeries? He’s a Gancanagh, Keenan. He needs mortal touch or some focus to assuage the yearning. He has denied himself for centuries to protect you. What’s he to do without a cause? Play nursemaid to the Summer Girls?”

Keenan struggled—and failed—to hide a flash of despair. A tiny rain shower began on the dance floor. The patrons squealed and laughed, no doubt explaining it away with a mundane answer—a faulty sprinkler head or leaky pipe.

“Niall is better off with me. His loyalty is to my court; that’s cause enough,” Keenan said.

“Did you know that he has seen Gabe of late?” Irial lowered his voice conspiratorially and added, “He’s been under watch by Bananach. Do you think she’d bother with him if he weren’t a part of my court?”

The heat radiating from Keenan’s skin made the water in the room hiss into a steam. “He’s not Dark Court. He belongs among faeries who don’t torment him. He’s happier—”

“No. He’s not. The best we can hope for, kingling, is to find ways to be at peace with what we are. You understand that, don’t you? He’s teetering on the edge. You’ve given him the keys to his own destruction.” Irial watched Keenan, saw the acknowledgment he knew he’d find if he pushed hard enough.

“Don’t go there.” Keenan was carefully not glancing at his queen, carefully not admitting that he’d manipulated Niall and put Leslie at risk.

“Walk away from this, kingling,” Irial warned. “This isn’t a conversation you really want to have. Is it?”

The Summer King lashed out, a sharp wind that burned across Irial’s face, drawing blood to the surface. The intensity of the fury made it all the more nourishing for Irial.

Aislinn kissed Keenan’s cheeks. “Go on. I can deal with him.” She waved her hand at the crowd of mortals. Too many of them were watching, curious and eager. “They don’t need to see this.”

Keenan made an abrupt gesture toward several of the rowan-men, and the guards—who looked like nothing more than the ominous young men in the dark alleys of most cities—moved closer. They leaned against a nearby wall, shooting menacing looks at Irial. It was a charming little show, their posturing—as if any Summer Court fey could daunt the head of the Dark Court. Without another word, Keenan vanished into the half-drenched crowd on the dance floor.

Irial smiled at the young Summer Queen. “Now that he’s gone, let’s you and I get to know each other.”

Aislinn gave him a smile that was caught between mortal innocence and faery cunning.

I could grow fond of this one. She was a more challenging adversary than Keenan right now.

“You shouldn’t try Keenan like that. I’m not sure what secrets you two were exchanging, but this is my court now. Needling him isn’t going to help.” She didn’t bother to keep the heat out of her voice, but unlike her king’s, Aislinn’s temper wasn’t a concentrated slap. Instead the blistering summer heat pushed against Irial like a sudden gust, causing him to swallow hard against the taste of sand on his tongue.

Delicious. He drank down her acrid temper with relish. “Secrets? Keenan was brought up longing for power—power I took from him under the will of the Winter Court. We have a history…not quite as fulfilling as my bond with Niall, mind you, but the kingling has impotence issues with me.”