Otherworld Tales Volume 1 Read online

  Instead, he chose a bench off to one side and slumped against the wall, alternating his gaze between the door through which he had come, and a door toward the back. If she didn’t come out in the next ten minutes, he was leaving, summons or not.

  Throughout his life, Vanzir had been at the beck and call of entirely too many people, mostly enforced. There were times he just wanted to walk away from it all, to leave his past behind, and go somewhere and create a new life for himself.

  Life had been a lot easier before he’d switched sides, at least in some ways. Back then he was a slave and he knew it. He had his place in the world, even if he hadn’t liked it. Now, though, he felt like a man without a country. He was a demon fighting against demons. He was a slave set free in body, but in his mind he still remembered the agonizing days he spent in servitude to Karvanak, the Rāksasa.

  After he’d turned sides, after Iris had bound him to the D’Artigo sisters, his life had still depended on the whim of others. And while they had never taken advantage of him, and never forced him into an uncomfortable situation, the fact was he had still been their property and his life was forfeit if any one of them had decided he needed to be put out of commission.

  Now though, Vanzir was free. Sticking around was his choice, but sometimes he wasn’t sure why he had. True, the only place that had ever remotely felt like home was in the D’Artigo household. And true, he fully believed in the cause against Shadow Wing—the Demon Lord was the doom of everything sane that walked in the three realms, and Vanzir couldn’t just walk away and ignore the threat. But sometimes…sometimes he thought about hitting the road and seeing where it took him.

  A voice interrupted his thoughts. “Demon, the Queen will see you now.”

  The guard flashed him a disdainful sneer before leading him back to Aeval’s personal meeting chamber. Essentially a private parlor, it was where she greeted guests she knew weren’t going to try to assassinate her.

  Vanzir had been here a good many nights over the past months. Ever since he had aided Aeval during Camille’s initiation into her Priestess-hood, the Fae Queen had taken a liking to him. And, he had to admit, he enjoyed her company, and more than in the bedroom. They had a surprising amount of fun together, and a surprising amount of conversation had passed between them.

  The guard dismissed herself, shutting the door behind her. A door opposite, leading to Aeval’s bedchamber, opened, and out stepped the Queen of Shadow and Night in all her glory. Instead of her robes, she wore a sheer blue nightgown, and though her crown still encircled her head, her hair was long and flowing, and she had taken off her jewelry.

  “Vanzir…” Her voice husky, Aeval swept forward to lock the door.

  Vanzir opened his arms and she walked into them. His focus immediately narrowed to the warm, welcoming woman in his embrace. Aeval could be vicious, she could be heartless and ruthless but with him, she let her guard down. She had cried in his presence, and she had laughed—neither of which she could do in public without being aware of who was watching.

  Aeval pressed against him, her breasts full and ripe beneath the gown, unfettered by bra or corset. Vanzir let out a soft moan as he slowly reached up to press his hand against her right breast, the nipple stiffening as he leaned down to take it between his lips and suck hard, giving it a little nip through the sheer material.

  “What did you want?” His words were muffled by her chest, and she hooked one of her legs around the back of his own, her arms draped over his shoulders. They were about the same height, but she seemed so much taller, her power boosting her aura to tower over the room.

  “You. I needed you. Did anyone from your home follow you?” Aeval leaned in, nipped his neck, licking the flesh then biting lightly.

  He glanced up. “No, they never do. Nobody knows about us. Nobody’s seen us.” Each time, it was the same routine. She would fret, and he would calm her fears, and then they’d fuck so hard they’d both pass out. He wasn’t complaining—there was something addictive about Aeval and he found it hard to turn away from her, but was getting tired of trying to find excuses for why he had to come out to Talamh Lonrach Oll. He had a feeling they were getting suspicious. And if Aeval was so worried about anybody finding out, then he wasn’t sure how he felt about being the ghetto she was slumming in, so to speak.

  As if reading his mind, she pushed him away, panting lightly. He found it hard to take his gaze off her breasts. They were magnificent, round globes that he could lose himself in. And the rest of her body was a pretty sight too. Though, he had to admit, she wasn’t a demon and that was one downfall. He liked his own kind, though he wasn’t averse to taking a header into bed with a number of other species and races.

  She let out a long, slow breath. “How do you feel when I ask that? When I ask you if they suspect anything about us?”

  He caught her gaze. Unlike the majority of other people, he wasn’t afraid to look her in the face. He’d stared down far worse, and survived far harsher masters. “Like your private vibrator.”

  A beat…then—“That doesn’t reflect well on me, does it?”

  “No, but it’s what you choose. How long have we been…what would you call it? Fraternizing?”

  Arching her eyebrows, she snorted. “Point taken. We’ve been…fraternizing…since shortly after you ended up screwing Camille in the sewers. You’re lucky that dragon of hers didn’t toast you up and gobble you down, you know.”

  “Camille will be the first to tell you, that was an isolated incident. And she stopped Smoky from tearing me to pieces.”

  “But did you like it?” Aeval wasn’t acting coy—that wasn’t her nature, but he knew she was baiting him for some reason.

  He shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. She’s hot and she’s sex incarnate. But I didn’t set out to get in her pants, and she would never have offered herself if I hadn’t been in danger of feeding on her mind. So I’d say that’s a fair tradeoff, wouldn’t you? And Lizard Boy was an idiot. The price for his temper tantrum was so high that I doubt he’ll ever throw another one that big. He learned the hard way what harm possessiveness can bring.”

  Aeval nodded. “The big lug worships her.”

  “Well, he almost destroyed her with his anger. It was his fault she was out in the woods. It was his fault Hyto was able to catch her so easily. And that dragon was one huge old ball of fun and toys. I’m just surprised Camille didn’t ask for him to be flayed alive at the tribunal. I would have. She’s definitely a better person than I am.”

  “If I had been there, he would have suffered. Trust me.” Aeval shook her head, sobering. “But what is done is done, and he is dead.”

  Vanzir nodded. After they’d rescued her from Hyto and she was safe at home, Vanzir had invited Smoky to step out in private. In fear of his life, the demon had confronted the dragon and taken the idiot apart, dressing him down to the point where Smoky was in tears by the time they were done. They had never spoken of the meeting to anybody else, but Smoky had apologized to Vanzir and even though they maintained their surly relationship publicly, in private they were actually becoming friends.

  Aeval sighed, and Vanzir opened his arms.

  But Aeval shook her head and languidly stretched out on one of the benches, crossing her legs beneath the sheer panel of her gown, leaving nothing to the imagination. “You care about the family, don’t you?”

  Vanzir didn’t really want to answer that. He wasn’t comfortable admitting to emotion. But he knew Aeval, and he knew better than to try to distract her. “Yeah, I guess I fit in there. I’m a misfit among misfits.”

  “You’re a part of their life now.” She leaned forward. “You know what I’ve told Camille?”

  He glanced over at her. “No, what?”

  “You mean she hasn’t said anything yet?” Aeval looked puzzled.

  Vanzir cleared his throat. Sometimes the Fae Queens were out of touch with the real world, that was all he had to say on th
e subject.

  “Aeval, we just finished shafting a psycho Viking warrior out of an ancient sword. Nobody’s had much of a chance to rest up this past week. With Shade losing some of his powers, it’s been even more chaotic. And I know what he is feeling, so I’ve been trying to be there for him.”

  Vanzir stared at his feet. He knew exactly what losing one’s powers was like—it had happened to him. More than once he’d been tempted to take a walk with the half-dragon, to bring it out into the open and face it square on. They always said that was the first step in healing. But for one thing, there hadn’t been any time to do so…not yet. And secondly—Vanzir wasn’t entirely sure what to say. It was a little like going up to someone and saying, “Hey, how’s it feel to have that arm cut off?” Nope, much better idea to let things settle before approaching a touchy subject. Especially a half-dragon.

  “Yes, I can imagine,” Aeval murmured. She let out a short, hard sigh. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this because it’s her news to tell.”

  Subterfuge and secrets. Vanzir wanted to know what she was hinting about. Knowledge meant power. But the demon also had a peculiar honor code, one he’d slowly built up over the years of abuse and humiliation spent as a sex slave. “Don’t tell me.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t tell me. If it’s her news to tell, then don’t. I’ll wait to find out till she’s ready to say something.” He paused. “Does it involve me?”

  “Indirectly.”

  “But not immediately?”

  Aeval shook her head. “No. Not immediately.”

  “Then I should wait.” If there was one thing Vanzir respected, it was the right to privacy. He’d had so little of it throughout his life.

  When he was born, his mother had sold him to a trader in the Sub-Realms. From the time he was barely able to walk, he’d been trained and used as a weapon. Then he was traded to a general in the demon army. There he was both weapon and pleasure boy. After that, he’d been used as a bet in a poker game and Karvanak had won him. Life had become pure hell then. The Rāksasa liked it rough and enjoyed inflicting pain. Vanzir had watched the tiger-shifting demon rape woman after man after woman, then shift and tear them to pieces for dinner when he was done.

  Aeval smiled softly. “You are an interesting man, my sweet.”

  “I’m not a man, I’m a demon.” Vanzir caressed her cheek, then flashed her a soft smile that he reserved for very few people. Aeval intrigued him. He was wary of her—she had far more power than even the girls realized—but he also respected her.

  “You aren’t afraid of me. I like that.”

  “I’m cautious…but afraid? I reserve that for the true horrors of the world.”

  And then, he took her in his arms. His lips pressed against hers, as she dropped her head back, gasping.

  “Feel me. Touch me. Make me remember what it’s like to be a woman.” Aeval rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes wide.

  Vanzir stared at the Fae Queen, then pulled her tight. Her hair cascaded down to her knees, the silken strands shrouding her back. She was the Queen of Night, the Queen of Shadow and Darkness, and she had walked the hidden paths of the world for thousands of years. He was holding a goddess in his arms, and he could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. She had lived through the splitting of the worlds, had fought against the Great Divide and been frozen in crystal for her efforts. She had led armies, protected her people…and now once again she was a rising power in the world.

  “Why me?” he whispered softly in her ear as he pressed his lips to her neck.

  “Because you understand what it means to be trapped. You were a slave…I am a slave to my power and position. There will never be a respite for me, not until the day that I die. I carry the weight of the night on my shoulders. So many—even of my own kind—have forgotten what that means. What that entails.” She stroked his face, searching his gaze. “The moon rises as it will, but I am part of the power that summons the night and shadow to the world so that it might rest. I am the silent hollows, the dust of the graveyard, the barren fields of winter, and the harsh snows that blanket the world.”

  Vanzir nodded. He understood—she wasn’t speaking in metaphor. If the Dark Fae Queen were to die, the world would be compromised. Same thing for the light. “What happens now that Morgaine is dead? What will happen to the world of twilight and dusk?”

  Aeval gazed into his eyes. “I was trying to tell you that, my sweet. Camille will be taking the post. Titania and I…along with Derisa…the Moon Mother has touched us all with the decree. Soon—on Samhain—she will undergo her initiation and we will bring her into our fold.”

  The news hit like a sledge hammer. Vanzir stepped back a moment, caught short by the news. “Camille will be one of the Fae Queens?”

  “So as the Moon Mother decrees, so it will be. We told her a week or so ago…I don’t think she’s confided to anyone but Delilah and Menolly yet.” Aeval smiled cunningly. “She’s the right choice, and will be a far better queen than her cousin was.”

  “I never realized she aspired to power such as this…” Vanzir frowned. The Camille he knew would be terrified by the news. But she hadn’t seemed any different to him. Then again, he hadn’t really been paying attention.

  “She doesn’t, and that is precisely why she makes such a good choice. She will also be an excellent bridge between the human side of affairs and the world of the Fae. Times are changing and we must adapt. The world can never go back to what it was. The Merlin will be returning to our shores for the initiation, and we believe he means to stay here.”

  Aeval turned to him. “And this brings me to you. You must make a choice. Once her initiation is complete, she and her husbands will be moving to the Barrow of Dusk and Twilight. You will have the choice whether to stay with her sisters, or to join us here, as my official consort. You will wield no power over the Sovereign Nation, but you will be accorded all the respect that the position is due.”

  And the explosions just kept on coming. Vanzir thought he was immune to surprise but the past few minutes had proven him wrong. He gently let go of Aeval and, shaking, took a seat near her. “You want me to come out as your lover? To officially announce that I’m your consort?”

  “We’ve been together for some time. I am tired of hiding my lover.” Aeval winked at him. “Nobody is going to counter my choice—they’re too afraid of me.”

  “But…surely they’ll expect you to choose from the men here—” Vanzir trailed off. If Aeval had wanted a lover from the men of Talamh Lonrach Oll, she would have chosen one already. She wanted him, and she was willing to tell the world he was hers.

  She shook her head. “They expect me to choose the lover I want. If they object, you will never hear it in your presence. Far too dangerous for dissidents.”

  Pausing, she tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think you understand yet. As worldly and jaded as you are, I truly don’t believe you understand the scope of my power. Add in this bit of information: The war against Shadow Wing is closer than you think. All my seers predict it. If we win it, the world will forever change.”

  “We?”

  “We. The Fae will stand alongside the D’Artigo sisters and the dragons and the daemons. Humans will realize the demons exist. The governments will have to learn they are far less powerful than they think. Their biggest and most nightmarish weapons only strengthen the creatures. Anything radioactive is basically a steroid shot for the damned demons. The dragons will be outing themselves, and the mortals will see that they exist. After the war, the human world…won’t be so human-centric.”

  She paused. “Surely, you’ve thought about what it will be like.”

  Vanzir shook his head, speechless. Truth was, he hadn’t. He had always assumed that the war would be fought out of sight, out of the reach of humankind, but what she said made sense. Unless they took the fight directly into the Sub-Realms, mortals were going to get an eyeful and realize
that the Fae and vamps and Weres were only the tip of the iceberg.

  “Yes…you begin to see now.” Aeval trailed a finger along his shoulder, the silk of her gown shifting with a gentle hush as she moved to stand beside him. He found himself staring through the sheer material directly at her torso, and at the soft V where her thighs met. His body responded, his cock rising hard and insistent.

  “Fuck me.” Her voice was throaty, with a trill of laughter behind it.

  Vanzir took her hand in his. It was delicate and small, so unlike the nature of her power. As he raised her fingers and kissed them one by one, pressing his lips to each pale tip.

  Aeval let out a short, harsh breath, then inhaled deeply, her breasts rising full as she shuddered. Vanzir slid his hand beneath her gown and trailed his palm up the outside of her thigh, rounding over the curve of her hip. She moaned gently and slowly spread her legs, just enough to make him harder than ever. The dark thatch of hair shimmered against the slight rise of her mound, curly and promising every hidden secret he could think of.

  “Will you?” Her voice was husky. She stepped back, pulling away to stare down at him with a haughty, teasing smile. “Will you come out and live with me, and join me as my love? Will you learn what it’s like to be consort to the Queen of Shadow and Night?”

  Vanzir stood, stripping off his T-shirt. He began to back her up toward the door leading into her bedroom. “I already am your consort. But yes, I will come and live with you and be your lover, as long as you never try to control me.”

  “There will be rules—there are always rules.” Aeval backed away, light on her feet, a gleam flickering in her eye. “You know that if you are with me, there will never be total freedom. But you will always be free to leave. I will never stop you if you want to go. Not even now. Not even if you turn away from me at this moment. I will never enslave you or bewitch you.” She was pressed up against the wooden door, her eyes glittering.