The Ruby Kiss (10 page)

Nightshade waited until Boulder the cyclops was occupied, then he circled to the side of the dais. He balled his fists when Twister swung around to face him. Past talking, Nightshade advanced, his jaw set, ready for a fight.

With a resigned sigh, Twister stepped back, leaving a clear route to Ruby. Nightshade hurried forward, and after a brief check to ensure she had no physical injuries, swept her into his arms. To protect himself from a surprise attack, he sat on the throne, cradling her on his lap, not caring if he offended the Unseelie king.

“Ruby, love.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, shocked that she already meant so much to him.

She was limp, unconscious. A chill ran through him as he
stared down at her pale face. Her normally rosy cheeks were milk white, making the freckles scattered across her nose stand out. But, thank the gods, the regular beat of her heart still pounded.

Troy materialized in front of the throne without a fight. He extended a hand toward Ruby but hesitated. “May I touch her?”

Nightshade nodded. Twister grimaced.

Troy brushed his fingertips across Ruby’s cheek. “Her energy is greatly depleted,” he said.

Twister offered reluctantly, “She passed out when she touched the Blackthorn Throne. She hasn’t learned to channel life force yet, so it must have taken her energy.”

“Why in the Furies did you let her touch the throne?” Nightshade demanded. “Why was she even here? She was dead on her feet. You should have given her a place to sleep.”

Twister’s expression hardened, his eyes shuttering. “I’m glad she came here; otherwise I’d never have realized she was the Unseelie queen.”

“I gather you haven’t informed the Mistress of her new honor,” Troy said, his tone laced with irony. “Don’t you think you should let her decide her own future?”

“She has a duty to me,” Twister hissed.

“She won’t want to be Unseelie queen.” Nightshade stared at her deceptively peaceful expression. When Ruby woke, she was going to be horrified. She hadn’t even wanted to be Mistress of the Beasts!

“Anyone who manipulates life force would be able to awaken the throne,” Troy pointed out. “Both the old Mistress and the Bride of Light would have done so if they’d had occasion to touch it. I don’t believe the event proves anything.”

Twister shook his head. “I don’t care what you think. Once she’s visited the Bride of Light for instruction on using her power, she’ll assume her place as my queen.”

Nightshade ground his teeth but let Twister’s comment pass. When Ruby woke, she’d cure Twister of his illusion herself.

Troy seemed to fixate on a different aspect. “So, you’re going to see Aila,” he said, releasing a protracted breath. “Don’t let Devin accompany you. The moment he lays eyes on her, his heart will overcome his good sense. He might get you all killed.”

Ruby woke in a shadowy room, the flicker of an open fire dancing at the edge of her vision. She drifted in a sleepy haze before it occurred to her she didn’t have a fireplace in her bedroom; then her eyelids snapped up and she gazed around at unfamiliar surroundings.

She was in a large bed. Nightshade sat in a wing chair beside a fireplace, his legs slung over one arm, his wings over the other. It seemed they were alone.

At the sight of him, memories of the terrifying experience in the Assembly Room rushed back. Ruby pushed herself up on an elbow. “Nightshade,” she whispered, tentatively. Would he still be angry with her?

He didn’t stir, but a pale patch on his lap moved, separating into two hairy heads with topknots.

“Ares, Apollo? Come here, boys.”

Her two Yorkshire terriers leapt to the ground and scampered over, yelping with excitement. She dangled a hand over the side of the bed and they jumped up to lick her fingers.

“Ruby, you’re awake.” Nightshade rose and strode across the room to halt beside the bed. “You gave me a scare, woman. How do you feel?”

“I’m sorry, Nightshade. I didn’t mean to upset you.” She sat up against the pillow, hugging the covers to her chest. She ached to reach for him but after the way he’d stepped back from her touch earlier, she held off, waiting for him to make the first move.

“I overreacted. I should never have left you to fend for yourself,” he said.

“You weren’t to know that Twister would . . .”

“Twister would what?” he prompted.

If she described what Twister had done to her, Nightshade would probably call him out for a duel or something equally archaic. She wasn’t sure how that would end, but the idea didn’t seem good.

“That Twister would take me to the Assembly Room,” she finished, hoping the answer would satisfy him.

“You’re safe now. That’s what matters.” With a smile, Nightshade scooped up a tiny hairy canine in each hand and deposited them on the bed. Ares and Apollo leapt at her, shivering and yapping with excitement. Ruby gathered them in her arms, her throat tight with tears of gratitude for this one small piece of normality.

Once her pets had calmed down and curled up together, she patted the blankets at her side. Nightshade perched on the edge of the bed, and stroked the dogs. She petted the dogs as well, letting her fingers brush across his hand.

Much as she wanted to be independent, she needed him while she was embroiled in this fairy world. She could admit that. But she would never let him rule her life like her mother had.

“I’m not sure why I passed out,” she reflected, thinking back to what had happened. Perhaps the stress had affected her. She didn’t normally keel over in times of trouble.

Nightshade shrugged. “Twister’s throne flowered at your touch. He thinks it drained your energy.”

Ruby shook her head. “Stuff often grows when I touch it. I’ve never lost consciousness before.”

“Maybe this took more energy because the wood’s so old.”

Ruby’s eyelids drooped. The thrill of seeing Nightshade and
the dogs had already exhausted her. She plumped the pillow against the massive wooden headboard and leaned back. Her gaze roamed over Nightshade’s magnificent torso, limned by the firelight. There were definite advantages to having a man shirtless all the time.

Her attention snagged on what appeared to be a fresh wound on his chest. She leaned forward, squinting, and examined him more carefully. Numerous welts marked his chest and ribs.

“My God. Did the Whips give you those?”

Averting his eyes, he touched the raw flesh on his chest. After a few moments, he gave a grunt of affirmation. “When I arrived at the Assembly Room, Twister tried to stop me from seeing you.”

“He what? That doesn’t make sense. Twister wants me to form a blood bond with you.”

He glanced at her, his silver eyes reflecting the firelight. “I don’t want to worry you with this until you feel better.”

“Oh, come on.” She slapped her thigh in frustration. “I won’t be able to rest until you explain.”

He heaved a sigh. “Okay, the latest thing is that Twister’s claiming you’re his new Unseelie queen.”

Queen? Her? If Nightshade had told her that Doctor Who and the Daleks had taken over the Bunker, she wouldn’t have been more surprised. She actually spluttered in disbelief. “You’re kidding me.” She stared at Nightshade, waiting for him to laugh. He didn’t. “Strewth, you’re not kidding.”

“No, I’m not. When you made the Blackthorn Throne flower you fulfilled an ancient prophecy that means you’re the Unseelie queen.”

Ruby flopped back against her pillow and stared wide-eyed into space. She would never agree to become Unseelie queen. How could Twister expect her to contemplate the idea of a relationship with him after the way he’d treated her?

“What are you going to do, Ruby?” Nightshade asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Don’t tell me you think I’d consider this for even a nanosecond.” She’d hoped he already knew her better than that. “I don’t want to be the Mistress of the Beasts. Why would I agree to become the Unseelie queen?”

The tension in Nightshade’s shoulders eased, and he ruffled his wings. “I knew you wouldn’t agree. I was worried you might get upset. Twister wants to know the moment you wake up so he can speak with you about it.”

Ruby made a dismissive sound. “Order me about, more like. Twister can damn well wait until I’m ready to see him.” She slid beneath the bedcovers, her temples throbbing. Her encounter with the throne had left her feeling bushed.

Nightshade started to rise, but she grabbed his hand in a moment of boldness. “Stay with me.”

A smile caught the corners of his mouth. He stretched out atop the covers beside her and laced his fingers through hers.

“I might be persuaded to oblige.”

* * *

When Ruby had first thrown him out of her home, Nightshade never thought he would see her again, let alone share a bed with her. Yet, now, a few days later, here he was snuggling up with her. The peculiar thing was that he no longer wanted to rip off her clothes and mate with her.

Well, he did—desperately—but he wanted to take things slowly. For her.

As he stared at her face, gentle contentment flowed through him. He’d been frantic with worry when she’d been hurt. Now he wanted to make sure she was safe and comfortable. The mating could come later when the danger was over. He just wanted her to be happy.

He drew her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles. When she grinned and returned the gesture, he chuckled.

“Twister’s going to be so put out when you turn him down,” he said.

“I hope so.” She grinned. “He’s not my type. I like men with wings.”

“Ruby . . . .” Nightshade wanted to say more, but he couldn’t translate his unfamiliar feelings into words. Instead, he grazed a fingertip across her lips. Her grin faded, and the air prickled with tension.

He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. Her arm slid around his neck, her fingers spearing into his hair as they kissed. He wanted to mate with her and bite her, but he also wanted to hold her and keep her safe. Such conflict! If he protected her in the Seelie Court, perhaps she’d learn to trust him enough to form a blood bond.

When he trailed his lips along her jaw onto her neck, she tensed.

“I won’t bite you,” he whispered against her skin, and gradually she relaxed. The tip of his tongue found the rhythmic pulse of her carotid artery beneath her soft skin. He stifled a groan of longing. She would taste sweeter than anyone he’d ever bitten. Yet perhaps it was a good thing Ruby would not let him bite her for the moment. He needed to face his father Dragon and settle the matter of his brother Rhys. Would drinking from her dilute the power Troy’s blood had given him?

He eased the bedcovers down, and his lips glided over the top of Ruby’s breasts. Her heart pounded beneath his kiss. He circled his tongue over her skin, imagining the sensation of sinking his fangs into her plump flesh.

The door rattled with a knock, dragging him back from his fantasy.

Ruby groaned. “Fantastic timing.”

“Bloody Twister,” Nightshade whispered, drawing up the covers to make her decent.

“Don’t answer. Perhaps he’ll go away.”

But Twister was unlikely to be fobbed off that easily. The two of them stared at the door in miffed silence, and eventually it opened and Twister put his head through the gap.

* * *

“Get the hell out of here,” Ruby said. She was still mad about the Assembly Room incident. Now he’d interrupted her private time with Nightshade, just when things were getting interesting.

Totally ignoring Ruby’s comment, Twister stepped in. “Good, you’re awake. Lights,” he said. Small golden globes on the walls flared to life.

Nightshade sat up, while Ruby yanked the bedcovers up to her neck. “She’s only just woken up. She’s not ready to see you yet.”

Twister moved to the foot of the bed, followed by a host of brownies carrying bags and boxes. They deposited their loads on the floor, then scampered out, shutting the door behind them.

“I’ve brought you some clothes and things,” the Unseelie king said, indicating the clutter on the ground. He’d changed into a fancy leather shirt, loosely laced up the front so his chest showed. He flicked back his dreadlocks with a little rattle of skulls, then opened a bag and held up a laced-front leather dress that matched his shirt. The frock had obviously been made for a woman at least ten pounds lighter and six inches taller than she was. “This will suit you,” he said with the hopeful air of a man who hasn’t a clue about women’s clothes.

Ruby groaned inwardly. If this was Twister’s attempt to court
her, it was embarrassing. She might as well put him out of his misery.

“I’m
not
going to become the Unseelie queen,” she announced. Her tone brooked no argument.

Twister stiffened, and his golden gaze settled on Nightshade. “You told her?”

“You outed him about the fangs,” Ruby retorted. “Don’t like it when the boot’s on the other foot, do you?”

Twister’s diffident manner disappeared and his expression hardened. “You satisfied a prophecy that’s stood for centuries. You brought forth blossoms on the Blackthorn Throne. You have a duty to fulfill.”

Ruby levered herself up on her elbow, narrowing her eyes. “If you think I’ll even have a relationship with you, let alone marry you, after the way you treated me, you’re in need of a reality check.”