Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 (39 page)

The awful heaviness that insisted on pinching her heart whenever she thought of him intensified until she thought she might be physically ill.

She loved him. And he was gone to her—forever.

“We’re almost there,” Ronan said, breaking through Mara’s morose thoughts.

Dropping her hand, she straightened in the seat. The aerocoach slowed, giving her ample time to stare at the looming gates of Rulach Palace in the distance.

“You ready for this?”

Mara shifted her attention to Ronan and his wary expression. “Yes.” Digging into her sweater pocket, she tightened her fingers around the small wooden box containing the Rhyann rune. Hopefully Nalia’s temper would be equally soothed by its presence.
It has to be.

The gates slowly swung open, granting them access. There was no turning back.

Ronan, bless his strange, misguided heart, tried lightening the mood by singing an off-key ditty about a one-legged sailor while he coasted the aerocoach around the driveway’s bend. When they reached the marble steps, the massive front doors swept open.

A sense of déjà vu hit Mara. She half expected Nalia’s bodyguards to come marching down the steps and drag her kicking and screaming from the vehicle. Shaking her head at the mental image, she reached for the door handle.

“Good luck,” Ronan said, his tone grave.

She pasted on a confident smile that mocked her jittering nerves. “Thanks.” Releasing a shaky breath, she grabbed her valise from the floor and jumped onto the graveled drive. She made her way up the steps and through the palace doors.

Loud voices carried across the foyer. Steeling herself, she crossed the expansive hall and stopped outside the rose parlor. Its ornately carved oak doors were propped open, revealing the occupants locked in a heated discussion inside the room.

Mara’s gaze skipped over Nalia and Finian, settling instead on the tall man standing with his back to her. Frowning, she took in the matted dark blond hair hanging well past his broad shoulders. The rest of him appeared no less filthy and unkempt. It even appeared his feet wore no protective covering.

She settled her valise down. Its metal hinges clicked against the marble, drawing the attention of the arguing trio.

“Ah, there you are,” Nalia said, brushing past the stranger in the raggedy clothing. “Perfect timing.”

Mara ignored Nalia’s approach. Instead, her focus remained riveted on the tall man who’d turned and was staring at her with flat, emotionless eyes. Her attention fell on the thick manacles binding his wrists. A heavy chain connected those restraints to the ones locked around his ankles. The sense of déjà vu returned, making her skin prickle. Heart pounding, she edged farther inside the doorway. “
Gideon
?”

Recognition flickered in the man’s blue eyes, momentarily banishing the bleak soullessness lingering in their depths. The air ripped from Mara’s lungs. “It is you.” She rushed forward but Nalia snatched her back.

Gideon released a roar and Finian stepped behind him, striking the back of his head. Mara cried out but her brother didn’t even flinch at the attack. It tore at her heart, witnessing how numb Gideon had become to the harsh blow of another’s hand. If Nalia weren’t restraining her arms in her talon grip, she swore she’d kill Finian on the spot for the part he’d played in her brother’s misery.

Despite the thickness of Mara’s sweater, Nalia’s fingernails got their point across as they dug into her skin. “This reunion is quite touching, but I believe we have some business to conduct first. I trust you’re in possession of the rune?”

“Yes.” After shooting a quick look in Gideon’s direction, Mara gave Nalia her full attention. She didn’t bother disguising the level of enmity she felt for the self-serving fairy queen. “And I trust you’ve signed the papers releasing my brother.”

Her skirt flapping around her long legs in a swirl of emerald silk, Nalia strode purposefully towards the cherry-wood writing desk angled against the west wall. She rustled through a small sheaf of papers before returning to Mara. “I have them here. Now where’s the Rhyann rune?”

“Let me see them.” Mara extended her hand. She wasn’t about to trust the backstabbing bitch.

Nalia reluctantly held out the papers and Mara snatched them up, on the lookout for any loopholes that might be hidden in the contract. Surprisingly, there didn’t appear to be any. Her heart rate jogged back to normal when she flipped to the second page and discovered Nalia’s spidery signature scrawled at the bottom.

Gideon is actually free
. Mara struggled to fight the tears welling up but eventually accepted defeat. Hell with it, she deserved a good cry after the emotional turmoil of the last few days. Crooking her elbow, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

“Satisfied?” Nalia plucked the papers from her grasp. “You’ll get these back once I get my rune. But first I want to check the condition of my other property. Bring Dashael to me.”

The painful thudding started in Mara’s heart again. Here came the moment she’d dreaded—the moment that would really test her acting skills. “I’m afraid there’s been a complication.” She returned to her valise. Yanking it open, she pulled out the slave collar and whipped it towards Nalia. It clattered near the fairy queen’s feet. “He won’t be joining us.”

Nalia tossed the papers she’d signed towards the desk.

Well, at least she didn’t rip them up. Yet. Mara mentally crossed her fingers.

“You let him go?” Nalia’s voice snapped with imperious fury.

“No, he’s dead. Courtesy of a bounty hunter named Ortis Baggins.” Mara slid a sidelong glance to Finian. “I believe your husband is acquainted with Baggins. Enough to hire him to commit murder, anyway.”

A laugh pealed from Nalia. “I’m expected to believe this nonsense?”

Mara dug inside her pocket. She bypassed the rune box and pulled out Baggins’ contract instead. “You might want to take a look at this.” Quite amazed by the steadiness of her fingers, she passed the paper to Nalia.

Finian took a quick step forward but Nalia stalled him with a raised hand. She unfolded the contract and her features went rigid inch by inch as she read the document. After a minute she jerked her head up and glared at Finian through slitted eyes. “What is the meaning of this?”

He visibly struggled to get his tongue to work and Nalia stormed across the room. Halting a scant few inches from her husband, she slapped him hard across the face. The sound ricocheted across the room. “He was
mine
, you son of a bitch.”

“Your devotion leaves me all warm and fuzzy inside.”

The oxygen rushed from Mara’s lungs at the sound of Dash’s deep baritone behind her. Faint-headed, she whirled and stared at him. Pasha and Merke had both his arms pinned behind his back. Other than a smudge of dirt across the knee of his impeccably creased trousers, he looked fresh and well rested.

Too bad I can’t say the same.
Mara blinked, trying to make sense of his ill-timed arrival. He’d followed her—that much was clear. How he’d managed it so fast remained a mystery. Not that it mattered. Bottom line, he’d destroyed her efforts to save him. If she didn’t love him so damn much, she’d throttle him for being the biggest idiot alive.

“Your Royal Highness,” Pasha said, shoving Dash past the threshold of the doorway. “We found this intruder inside the palace perimeter. He gave us his name, but I couldn’t find it on the guest roll.”

Dash grimaced at Pasha. “Good gods, your memory is deplorable. Allow me to refresh it—I’m the owner of the jaw you nearly broke last week.”

“Isn’t this an interesting turn of events.” Nalia’s skirt made a slithering noise as she crossed the room and stopped in front of Dash. “It’s believed you’re dead.”

“Crazy the rumors you’ll hear.” Despite the hired muscle restraining him, Dash managed a shrug. “This one isn’t quite as entertaining as the one about me joining a traveling circus, but I guess it suffices.”

Nalia looked far from amused. Mouth tight, she turned and speared Mara with an icy stare before stalking back to the slave collar lying on the ground.

“No!” Mara fumbled inside her jacket for the Rhyann. “I’ll give you the rune in trade for him.”

A high-pitched laugh trilled from Nalia. “You dare negotiate with property already belonging to me? I don’t think so.” She snapped her fingers and Zith pushed his way past his comrades.

Mara grunted. Should have known he wouldn’t be out of earshot.

“The girl has something of mine.” Nalia flicked her fingers. “Get it.”

Zith advanced the same instant Dash’s voice rang out. “She doesn’t have the rune. I do.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Silence descended on the room and Dash’s mouth curled in challenge. “Now I’ve everyone’s attention, perhaps you’d better pull out the rune box,
Sher ’tian
.”

Mara scrambled to do his bidding. Nestling the box in the palm of her hand, she flipped the lid open. She gaped at the rune, her heart plummeting. Crazy as it was, she’d almost believed Dash had managed to pull a fast one on her.

Lifting her head, she frowned at him. “It’s right here.”

“No, it’s not. Rub your finger over the stone.”

Not seeing the point of whatever game he was playing at, she pressed down on the rune, dragging her thumb towards her chest. The wing symbol etched on its surface disappeared. Gasping, she jerked her hand away. A small blotch of red appeared on the side of her finger. Mystified, she flipped her palm over. The red symbol had transferred to her thumb. “How…?”

“The heat of your skin absorbed the ink. Astor warned me that might happen. Believe me, I sweated the equivalent of my own body weight worrying you might fiddle with the stone and discover its little secret.”

Perplexed, Mara gaped at him. “Astor—your friend’s daughter?”

“She’s an artist.”

Mara’s memory tracked back to the mural painted on the walls of the little cottage in Skalage. Her fingers tightened around the stone in her grip. “You mean she made this?” Realization dawned and the missing pieces of the puzzle finally fell in place. “That night. You switched the rune on me.”

“Sweetheart, I hated deceiving you.” Tenderness and love softened his expression. “But even before we reached Skalage, I suspected you’d attempt to leave without me—that you’d think you were saving my life. Problem is, life without you isn’t in my game plan.”

Nalia stormed to Mara and snatched the rune from her grasp. She hurled it, box and all. Ignoring the shattering collision it made with the crystal vase resting on the writing desk, she glared at Dash.

Tearing his gaze from the bits of crystal littering the floor, Dash cocked one dark eyebrow. “Is that any way to treat a perfect example of Rittonnio craftsmanship?”

“Where is it?” Fury crackled in Nalia’s voice.

“First I believe we have some terms to renegotiate.” Dash engaged Nalia in a stare-down. Tension electrified the air between them.

“Do not entertain this scum’s demands,” Finian bit out, breaking into the pair’s mute battle of the wills. “Send him to the fairy prison. While you’re at it, return this convict to the cell he belongs in.”

Mara’s knees threatened to give out. “
No
. The papers are signed. You have to release Gideon.”

“I don’t have to do anything. My bitch of a wife plotted all this behind my back.”

Finian’s unflattering assessment didn’t seem to faze Nalia. Instead, she continued to size Dash up. “What is it you want?”

“I think you know. Additionally, I want the assurance Mara, her brother and I walk out of here without having to worry about any of you meddling in our lives again.”

The queen’s scarlet lips pulled back in a sneer. “It’s hardly an even trade. The rune is worth a million worthless thieves such as you.” She flicked a dismissive wave towards Mara. “And much as I’ve enjoyed Finian’s constant fear of you sticking a knife between his shoulder blades, my business with you is finished anyway.”

Nalia’s admission clobbered Mara dead center in her chest.
That’s why she made the deal with me—to torture Finian all these years
?

“Then it appears you’re getting a hell of a deal,” Dash said, breaking through Mara’s whirling thoughts.

“Very well.” Nalia tossed the slave collar onto the ground and smashed its controls beneath the spiked heel of her boot.

An angry protest sputtered from Finian. Everyone ignored the king while Dash bellowed, “Get your winged butts in here.”

Mara blinked when Piper and three other sprites streaked past Dash and the bodyguard’s heads. They shot upward, hovering a safe distance above the gathering. Each tiny sprite held a corner of the Rhyann rune.

“How did they get inside the palace?” Nalia demanded.

“It’s what we worthless thieves call a dummy distraction.” Dash’s grin turned cocky. “As in find a couple ass clowns to provoke into a tussle while your winged friends slip through the nearby unsecured window.”

Steam practically swirling from the crown of her head, Nalia shot her arm towards Pasha and Merke. “You’re both fired. Leave my sight.
Now
.”

The two ass clowns—as Dash colorfully dubbed them—banged into each other when they scurried to beat each other out the door. While everyone was preoccupied taking in the bodyguards’ comical exit, Mara hurried to Gideon’s release papers and stuffed them inside her sweater pocket.