AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hundreds of miles of Tannisford mountains, I’m afraid.
The room itself served as both a sitting area and an office. A massive dark wood desk sat in front of the windows. There were papers everywhere. A large stone fireplace to the right was flanked by two couches in charcoal gray leather. On the stone floor was a strange floor-covering that looked like a hide of some kind.
Rez, what’s that rug made of? I mean it’s not really a rug.
Sweet Goddess, I think it’s skin.
She drew close to Rez and this time slid her arm around his waist. He was right. She could feel it now with her fae senses, that someone or several people had been skinned. Her stomach turned.
Don’t look at it.
Lanarae called out. “I need your ass in here.”
After a moment, a large, dark wood, sliding door opened with a slow, grating sound. “What do you want? I told you, I was not to be disturbed.”
“For this you’ll want to be.”
The vampire was rough-looking with long black hair and dark eyes. He tied the belt of his navy silk robe, but didn’t close the doors as he crossed into the living area. He moved to the small table to the right of the door, poured himself a whisky, then tossed it off.
Holly felt Rez’s back muscles tighten where her arm still held on.
You know who he is, don’t you?
Rez ground his teeth. Mastyr Cruce, one of the meanest sons-of-bitches you’ll ever want to meet. It’s all starting to make sense. Cruce and this fae are working together. They’ve found a way to create Invictus without wraiths. My guess is they operate Underworld as well.
~ ~ ~
Rez felt the power Cruce radiated, though he was surprised he could sense it through the blurred continuum walls.
Cruce had never been as gifted as Stone, though he’d had more natural ability than Rez. But if he was working with Lanarae, then something they’d done together must have changed things up for the mastyr.
A woman emerged from the bedroom looking rumpled and content. She had brown hair. His heart jumped then settled down. She was fae. Not a vampire. Not his daughter.
Rez breathed a sigh of relief.
He was adjusting to the sight of her, when a troll teenage female, with long blond hair and wearing a black leather dominance costume, also walked in. She hissed at Lanarae, levitated then flew at her.
The troll’s legs were perpendicular to the floor and aimed straight for the dark fae.
Lanarae merely waved a hand. The blond troll got hit with a boatload of power and started rolling through the air. She looked like she would hit the wall near the decanters, but she stopped herself to float in the air inches away. She sulked. Her mouth was bloody. She hissed again and this time Rez could see her teeth had been filed to sharp points.
Cruce turned toward the troll and jerked his thumb in the direction of the bedroom. “Get that damn fae bitch hauled out of there and send for clean-up. She didn’t last nearly long enough. And leave Lanarae alone.”
The troll immediately grew submissive. She landed on the floor, bowed to Cruce then headed toward the bed.
Lanarae gestured with a toss of her arm toward the bedroom. “I take it my prodigy didn’t fare so well.”
“She’s dead. She didn’t have sufficient power to fight back which leads me to the same damn thing. I want the female.”
“I need you to focus on the end game here. That female will bring us the real prize.”
“So you keep saying.” Cruce approached her, his lips turned down. He flared his nostrils and bared his fangs. He offered a couple of growls. “Why are you even here? I didn’t summon you.”
She curled her upper lip. “I don’t need a summons. We’re partners, remember?”
The troll returned to the room. “Housekeeping is on the way.”
The lovely fae crossed the room and stretched out on the sofa. The troll bounced along behind her, sat down close then put her legs across the fae’s lap. The latter began giving the troll’s feet a rub. The troll purred her contentment.
