“Redcap…” Drystan’s glower can’t possibly get any darker. “You cannot keep getting the Nicnevin drunk at under fae revels. It won’t always go unnoticed.”
He looks pointedly down the corridor, where an armoured guard is not-so-discreetly watching us.
“I have a better idea.” I remember Drystan’s suggestion and crook my finger at Lore.
He obliges me by bending down, stealing a deep, unhurried kiss that makes me want to moan.
“No, this is important,” I murmur, keeping my voice low. “I have a job for you.”
“Ooooh, do I get to stab someone? A bit of light maiming? Aha! It’s a murder, right? You’re finally unleashing me on your enemies…” His red eyes are glazed, expression dreamy.
“Not quite,” I hedge, wondering if he really wants me to ask him to do those things. “I want you to free the human who’s being kept prisoner by Princess Máel and take her to whichever portal she wants to leave the realm through.”
“Saving the humans now, pet?” He ruffles my hair.
“I wish there were more who could be saved…” I reply sadly. “She hasn’t given up her name yet…”
Lore is already gone. Swivelling, I look for Bree, but I can’t see the púca either. Strange, he said he’d meet us down here.
“Do you plan on outlawing the owning of humans?” Drystan asks, distracting me.
I swallow. “If I do that, all the ones who are already kept as pets will die. How many of them are there?”
For a second, I don’t think he’ll answer me. “Enough.”
“Then I’ll close the portals,” I decide. “I’ve done it before.”
Drystan tuts under his breath. “No one knows where all of the portals are, and there is a fair bit of off-world trade that goes on through them. Most of it is completely unregulated, of course.”
“You don’t think I should do it?” My hackles rise, but he shakes his head.
“I think that the majority of humans who wander into our world do so knowing the risks,” he answers tactfully. “And a lot of fae who are realm-hopping looking for their mates would be unable to return home. Cut off from Danu for too long, they’d probably go mad, or lose their power, or both. Freedom is a lofty goal, but there are deeper issues at play here. It would be prudent to consult those who know more about the subject once the Fomorians are dealt with.”
I sigh out a breath. “You don’t think I should do anything, do you?”
“I think it’s an unpopular idea, and you need to keep at least some fae on your side if you want them to follow you against Elatha. The fae trapped and enslaved by the Fomorians are your people, not the mortals.”
“I don’t know if I can make that distinction,” I admit. “It never feels like I’m doing enough.”
“You’re already addressing some of the biggest inequalities in our society simply by keeping the redcap and the púca on your Guard. You are young. You have hundreds of years to fight these battles. Expecting to solve all the problems of the realm overnight is ridiculous.”
We fall silent as I lapse into deeper thoughts. Our conversation has turned surprisingly philosophical. There are so many issues with Faerie, it’s overwhelming. I want to make changes for the good, but at the same time, my focus is supposed to be on defeating the Fomorians.
“I’m baaaack,” Lore singsongs. “But we might want to make a dash for it. I think the angry princess is on her way.”
As if on cue, Máel’s furious voice rises over the din, and I see the crowd beginning to part for her.
Winking at Drystan, Lore grabs my hand. “Good luck,LordDrystan.”
In the next second, we’re in the library, with me pressed up against a shelf and the redcap’s hat on my head. His hips pinning me in place as he smiles down at me, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Lore’s hands grab my ass, lifting me higher until the hard line of his cock is pressed intimately against my core.
“Lore,” I gasp. “Did you just leave Drystan to deal with—oh!”
He cuts off my laughing question as one hand closes over my breast.
“You look edible in this dress, pet,” he murmurs. “Summer Court fashion suits you.”
