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“Alasdair,” I groaned, knowing I couldn’t say too much from the one sitting beside me that kept caressing over the crotch of my pants.
“She’s helping me concentrate better,” he chided. Lifting his free hand, he put it back over his book. “It doesn’t help that mine is depicting an orgy scene. You can’t blame a guy for growing stiff when reading about several dudes fucking the same girl.”
“You idiot,” I growled before standing taller to reach his way. “This is what we need.”
Even with the pale green nymph’s hand on my crotch for him to see, I didn’t let it distract me before ripping the book from under his hand. Somehow, I was the only one with a brain. Bain looked equally frustrated, moving to come to my side to read the pages for himself. Alasdair took that as his cue to leave with the two nymphs to satisfy their dry days in Cian’s absence during his local hunt.
“What does it say?” Bain pressed, knowing how urgent this was becoming for our people. At least another of us understood the desperation of our task. Fergus did as well, but he was preparing us a proper meal that wasn’t dried meat and gruel. His job was equally as important from weeks of lessening rations.
“Cullen?” he reminded me that I was letting my thoughts spiral. After reading over it, I knew this wasn’t going to be easy to break to Briar.
“We all have to mate her in the old ways,” I told him, knowing he held the knowledge of our former kings.
“But it’s outlawed. We are no longer allowed to do such rituals,” he scoffed.
“In the final words of Áine, there is no more law.”
“So we’re doing…” his hands gestured to the pictures that told us how to do it properly. “This?”
“Unless you have a better plan.” I waited for him to drop his gaze from mine because he knew I was right. We were going to have to break the law to have the chance for a future under new ones.
With a heavy sigh, he shook his head. “It feels like a dishonor to our parents from how strict they were about it.”
“About what?” Briar moved toward us now that Alasdair left with the women.
“There’s a way that will call forth our primal forms that’ll also enhance your power to be less human, but it won’t be… enjoyable. It’s called the primordial ritual.”
“Oh? How hard can it be? Do we have to cut out an organ or something?” Her curiosity made my stomach churn.
“No,” I gagged. Yes, I could kill without a breath between the thought and action, but I didn’t like the idea of doing it to myself.
Bain rolled his eyes at my reaction. “It involves mating. You are going to have to share your bed with all of us and share blood during the climax in order for it to work.”
“W-what?” She grew flush and uncomfortable. The redness on the apples of her cheeks was alluring to me, but I didn’t understand why. Briar shook out her hands, coming to terms with what was being asked of her. Stepping away from us, we knew this would happen with the little virgin.
“Um, Cullen. I think I might’ve found a hiccup.” Bain called my attention back to the book for me to read over the passage that said each prince would need to be involved with the mating ceremony. Each would need to place their blood in her and taste hers. After completion, the men wouldn’t have any other partner from being mated to her, even after the rebirth of a Sidhe.
The commitment to such a thing was one we’d have to shoulder through. If we stood any chance at defeating Morrigan, this was our path.
“We have to,” I murmured to him. “Our people need us to do this.”
“I wasn’t referencing that part.” In annoyance, he pointed to the part where it mentioned the six princes had to mate the female of divine power. Six meaning Muir wasn’t here to fulfill his slot. A sadness swept through me, but Áine’s words hit me again.
“Just know she has…” I murmured out her words. Turning toward the princess, I pointed at her chest. “Muir, you’ve slept with him, yes?”
“Muir? I do not know a man by that name!” she shrilled in rage from my accusation.
Clenching my jaw, I dug out the ring Bain found on the corpse of her prince. When the crest flashed toward her, she greedily rushed to pick it up. It was that look alone that told us what we needed to know. “Your Prince Philip was not human, and that was not his name. He was Áine’s son, Prince Muir. He held dominion over light, just like she did.”
Briar’s ass fell into the chair as she let my truth sink in. Only the three of us would know his identity, but it also made the next step in this quest hard. Muir and Cian were identical twins. That might set us back on our path when she saw his face when he returned tonight.
“Bain, will you give us a minute? The ritual can still be done. Áine confirmed that Briar and Muir were lovers already.”
“But the blood?”
“Runs through Cian’s veins,” I finished. “Go out there and help Fergus with dinner. Share nothing of our words with them. I have a plan that requires less knowledge for a certain someone who might not so easily join our quest. And when Cian arrives, bring him directly to me to deal with.”
Dipping his chin to me, he knew I was about to fool the remaining prince into sealing this deal. Now, I needed to be alone with the female who was about to be fooled as well. There was no time for feelings or error on our pursuit, so I planned to use the one thing no human could break.
