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“Remember, you must go immediately when you are able to move your body. Everything is timed specifically around your healing. There will be others on their own missions, but you will not know them. You are not to speak to any of them if you should meet.” Seamus felt the straps around his body disappear. “Oh, and Seamus? Do try not to get caught. We will not come for you again.” As suddenly as he had appeared, the Shepherd disappeared.
Seamus relaxed back into himself and smiled in his mind. He began to think of the way he would exact his vengeance on the demon whore once they were alone. He had many glorious ideas. Her life would become filled with pain the second he had her. He was coming for the witch, and she would beg his forgiveness. Seamus would make sure she begged.
Twenty Six
KesandAninarrivedin Ciaran’s study last, but it couldn’t be helped. Anin had come out dressed in nothing but a wide black leather band which wound around her body, barely covering her, and Kes thought he might kill everyone for seeing her mostly naked. Even though he didn’t want others looking at her, Kes drank his fill. She made flowers bloom on the vines that always wrapped around her, and she had left her hair down; wild golden curls cascading down her back, streaked with tiny strands of sparkling lime green. She looked every bit of the Day Court she was.
He couldn’t stop finding reasons to touch her and then turn that touch into a caress which made her gasp in pleasure. That was until she remembered herself and would use her vines to push him away while he howled with laughter. It didn’t keep Kes’s hands away from her for long, hence the reason they had run behind. Kes wasn’t sorry for it.
Before they left his chambers, Anin had tucked her wings around her to make a sheer shimmering gown. Every day she tucked her wings in different ways to give her a never ending wardrobe. Kes approached Anin and reached out softly to tuck one of the nymph’s wild curls behind her ear. He had never seen any creature as beautiful as she was. Her wildness was captivating, and her eyes were like the deepest abyss. Kes would love nothing more than to explore every bit of that abyss. He briefly thought about not going to the festival at all, but then he didn’t want to deal with the backlash from his cousin.
“Do you wish for me to bind your power now, my darling nymph, or wait until the very last moment?”
Anin sighed, and she looked like she was preparing herself for death.
“I wish to not have my power bound at all, but I suppose if I must, I would rather wait till the very last minute.” She shuddered at the thought of not having access to her magic. Unlike Etain, Anin had used her power her whole life. She didn’t even realize when she was using it half the time. It would be like having to learn to walk immediately after losing a leg.
He frowned. He had never considered how cruel it actually was to bind someone’s powers. Kes supposed he would rather like the fact it was cruel, if it was anyone but Anin.
Kes stepped behind Anin and lightly dragged his fingers down the intricate folds of her wings. He said in a voice heavy with lust, “Do you suppose you’ll be able to keep me away when your little vines can’t help you, nymph?”
She sucked in a gasp. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see tonight – won’t wedarling?”
He groaned when his spelled parchment materialized in front of them, a message from Ciaran to hurry up. Kes hung his head against Anin’s shoulder for a moment, willing his body to cool off.
“Oh! I almost forgot.” A simple black obsidian circlet appeared in his hand.
Anin furrowed her brows at the sight.
“Technically, I am considered a prince as well, because we share the same great-grandfather and my power’s strength matches Ciaran’s. He happens to have a better claim by blood.” He reached up and pulled the circle down upon his forehead.
He hated wearing the stupid thing, it made his feathers stick out ridiculously, which he assumed was happening if Anin’s smirk was anything to go off of. Then, he pulled out of his pocket a slim black obsidian collar with the nearly invisible lead attached to it. Etain would be wearing the same one. Ciaran and Kes had chosen them specifically for the spell which allowed only Kes to touch Anin’s lead and only Ciaran to touch Etain’s. Of course, both females could touch their own as well.
Anin looked at him wearily. Not only was she going to have her magic bound, but she was also to be collared like a pet. Kes saw the look of surprise when the collar locked into place and Anin realized she could barely feel it. Kes showed her how the lead drapes in such a way to look like a beautiful necklace; she looked a bit less apprehensive.
“Time to go, my darling nymph.” Kes grabbed her hand, and as he kissed her knuckles, they ported to Ciaran’s study.
Surprisingly, Ciaran didn’t seem too bothered by their tardiness. Typically he would have broken half the objects in the room, hurling them at Kes while berating him for wasting his time. Nothing about the past few days has been typical. It seemed Ciaran was as put out by the Lunar Ball as Kes was. Instead, his cousin just grinned at Kes with his arms crossed.
“Took you long enough. Did you get lost?”
“You know how these things go, cousin. Sometimes you just end up with a view you simply must explore.”
Ciaran barked out a laugh as Anin rolled her eyes. Not many were immune to Kes’s charms, but the way she acted like such a haughty high fae made him want to make her submit to him even more. She was a challenge he gladly accepted.
“You know what to do. Wait for the signal, then appear standing directly behind my throne.” Then he looked at the two females and said, “I don’t think I need to tell you how important it is you do exactly as you’re told. My court is volatile and unpredictable. None will think twice about killing you, even if it costs them their own lives. Many of them do not care about anything, including staying alive. All they want is to cause devastating pain and depraved debauchery.”
They both drained slightly of color after Ciaran’s words.
Ciaran leaned in close and whispered softly to Etain. He spoke too low for Kes to hear it all, but it must’ve been something reassuring; she relaxed marginally. He stepped away glancing at Kes, the two nodded at each other confirming their plan – a silent agreement to help watch over both females. Then, he was gone.
Several minutes passed. Etain and Anin whispered to each other with nervous energy.
“Anin?” Kes summoned.
She turned her head towards him, and her face became unreadable. He grabbed her hand and kissed it again, something he was finding he enjoyed doing. Partly due to the look of surprise she wore each time, but mostly he enjoyed the feel of her skin beneath his lips.
“Are you ready, darling? It’s time.”
