Bad Fae | romantasy | Bad Fae #1

Chapter Twenty-Four

To say Feyrith wasn't pleased that we'd missed his little party the night before would be a gross understatement. Lammas was a big deal to the High King, apparently. And he took it out on me while Dain did nothing more than watch as though he couldn't care less. Venali was the one doing an awful job at hiding his annoyance at Feyrith keeping me by his side constantly.

"You will find, Yana," Feyrith said as he insisted on giving me a personal tour of Aena Dorei. "That there is more life in Henmar. A beauty such as yourself deserves the sun on their skin, the air on their face, the best of wine at their lips..." My arm was entwined with his, and his other hand trailed over it softly, seductively, sensually. "The most attentive of lovers in their beds."

As we walked, I watched fae clear up the massive bonfires that had raged all night to herald the beginning of the harvest season. Humans observed the Fire Festivals as well, but none I'd witnessed had compared to just the remnants of the High King's Lammas festival.

"I always preferred fucking in the dark," was my flippant response, and I heard Phin's failed attempt at hiding her laugh from where the Shaden followed behind us.

My eyes slid to Feyrith, and I saw him watching me with a twinkling amusement in his eyes. Well, fuck. Why did I insist on amusing fae?

"You are well suited to my nephew then. Tell me, is it true he only fucks in the void? Sapping all thoughts and senses as he takes his pleasure. I've heard tell of mortals whose minds he's shredded in that moment he loses all control."

Was it true?

The High King managed to make that sound incredibly sexy, and I fought to keep my breathing as steady as the stomach bottoming out my arse would let me. I was all poised to tell him the truth, when I felt the geas wrap around me and, "I haven't the experience to say," came out of my mouth.

Not a lie, but not the truth either. I resisted glaring at Dain.

"Hm," Feyrith mused. "Pity. Here I was thinking there was a reasonable excuse for you missing our Fire Festival last night. You weren't even making good use of her, nephew?"

I somehow felt Dain shrug despite not being able to see him. "Your disappointment is most unfortunate, Uncle. But I do spend my time in pursuits other than bedding hybrid bastards and Lammas is a holiday I can let pass by without observation."

"Then you wouldn't mind me inviting Yana to my bed tonight?" Feyrith asked and I hid the panic that lanced through me.

"Venali might have something to say about it," Dain answered, sounding bored.

"Shame if I spent your next festivity in gaol again, while you spent it in a shallow grave," Venali told the High King, all casually nonchalant.

I was interested in what their words implied without actually saying it. Here they were, suggesting that Venali might be jealous of me spending time in Feyrith's bed – or at least against it – and that he would kill the High King if he tried it. But none had outright said so and therefore not lied. Because I knew that Venali was no more jealous than he would actually kill the High King of Aegrath for my 'honour', such as it was.

Thankfully, Feyrith didn't take immediate offence at Venali's words. "A shame indeed. I have lost more than enough citizens by your hand, Venali of the Shaden. I wonder though if you are truly the more covetous of the two of you, or does your loyalty to my nephew see you claiming this hybrid bastard as your own?"

"It is not my loyalty to Dain that sees me covet her," Venali replied simply.

"It seems you have ensorcelled two of the Shaden, Yana Halfborn. And that is not taking into account that the others seem just as protective. What have you done to deserve it?" Feyrith's voice was lyrical and light. I felt glamour surrounding me.