Mad Woman Rambles

The fall was unexpected. Plummeting through the dark void with distant twinkles of light–like millions of glittering stars–streaked past at my descent. I had stopped screaming a while ago, wondering if and when I might land. My curiosity was answered a moment later as my bare feet landed in the soft, black, shimmering sand below me.

Whatever this place was, it made me more graceful than I was in my real life. I didn’t even need to crouch or pick myself up off the ground. I whipped my head around, unsure of what was going to happen next. The tiny pin pricks of light surrounded me, looking like glitter that was thrown up and held suspended in the air by an invisible space.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Oath Breaker’s smooth voice cut through the silence. Sound was completely absent here, and I hadn’t realized it. I turned in the direction of her voice. She stood at my side; a flowing pale green dress shifted on an unseen breeze. Her raven hair almost blended in with the surroundings, making it shimmer as if made of stardust. All of this set against the pale blue of her skin. She was just breathtaking like a Godd–and it hit me.

“Gaia?” I questioned, taken aback by what this could truly mean. She smiled at me warmly and reached out her long, elegant fingers.

“I always knew you were smarter than you gave yourself credit for,” she commented, tucking a loose strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. My mouth gaped open like a big-mouth bass before I could form any words.

“How? Why me?” I blurted out not, believing for a moment I was standing beside a genuine Goddess. The mother of this planet, Earth. ‘Holy Hellballs!’ I stood there, realizing she still had her hand held out to me. She laughed a throaty laugh as I took her hand and felt such warmth. Like laying on a sidewalk at the end of a summer’s day watching the night sky take over. I melted right on that spot, but she pulled me along.  

“Come, child. It is time to get to the nasty business of removing the coercion,” she said, steering me towards a light that grew brighter the closer we moved towards it. “In order to break this,” she said, turning back towards me and waving at all of me. “We have to walk through your memory until we find the moment it was placed on you. Then snip, snip, and Bob’s your uncle.” She laughed again at her joke as she held up a pair of silver scissors that gleamed in the darkness, opening and closing it to mime the action of cutting. “I have always loved that saying.”

I was still at a loss for words, so I did the next best thing and continued following her. We quickly approached the bright light, which dimmed until it revealed a plain wooden door. There wasn’t anything notable about it, just a door with a brass handle. Gaia turned to face me, stepping beside the door. Light seeped around the edge, giving off a faint glow. She looked from the door to me expectantly. I returned a look, mine more confused than expectant.

“Well, go on,” she encouraged. Again, I looked at her, wholly confused.

“What am I supposed to do?” I questioned, not wanting to sound dumb but feeling it regardless.

“Oh, right, of course you wouldn’t know what to do.” She giggled. “Humans. So cute,” she said to herself. To me, “You have to open the door. I can’t. Well, I shouldn’t. It’s rude.” She explained.

“What’s rude?” I asked, shifting in the soft sand underfoot.

“Opening the door to your memories.” She replied matter-of-factly.

“Oh! Wait! Behind that door are my memories.” I paused. “We are really going to walk through my mind?” I asked, astonished. “Wait! Why can’t you just go in there?”

“Don’t be silly. We are not walking through your mind. Not like your djinn friend. We have to explore your memories. They are technically on a different plane of existence, and your mind accesses them as needed. However, your soul owns and controls access to them. No other being is allowed to access them without your expressed permission.” She explains, giving me a very patient look as you would give a child.

I frown, “Then how do psychics and other beings access people’s memories?” I think back to all the times I have shared memories with Korbin. The times Jona rifled through my thoughts. “Are there beings out there that access those memories even if you don’t give them permission?” I ask, fascinated and terrified at the same time.

Her perky disposition sours, and her smile dips. “Yes, there are beings out there that can manipulate or try to steal memories.” She gives me a serious look. “Those beings are very powerful and use a magic that is banned across the cosmos. The last ones who practiced openly have been banished to the 9^th Hells.”

“9^th Hells? Hold on. I thought there were only 7. What types of beings?” I asked rapid fire and then lowered my voice as if someone might overhear us. “Vampires?”  

At my questions, she gives another one of her beautifully throaty laughs. “Yes. They lied. Beings that no longer exist today.” Then she stepped closer and leveled me with a gaze that peered through to my soul. “Only with your permission. Blood never lies, and it is what ties us all together. Your allowing him to drink from you gives him permission unless you tell him ‘no’.” She gives me a warm smile and places a hand on my shoulder. “The fae no longer have the ability to access this plane anymore. They forfeited after the last great war.” She finished giving me a gentle squeeze and ushering me forward.

Shaped formed on the door’s surface the closer I came to it. Peacock feathers flanked a crystal ball with wavy lines flowing underneath it, giving off the impression of water. I smiled to myself as I placed my hand on the handle and 2 wolves howling flanked the wavy lines. Korbin. His house symbol. There was a great deal to unpack with that image. I file it away for later as I open the door and step through.

I blink as the light shifts, and I adjust to the scene before me. Gaia stands next to me as we take in the scene from the night I met Princess Kiera of the Water Court. We watch the earlier memory Kiera shared with me in the shop, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Can they hear us or know we are here?” I ask. Gia smiles at me.

“No, silly. This is your memory. A retelling of sorts. We can feel, see, hear, smell, and taste what’s happened to you, through Kiera, but it won’t change what happened.” I nod at her explanation and step closer to watch the scene.

A park.  No, not a park but a garden. A big one at that. The humidity hangs over us like a wet towel around our bare feet, sinking into the wet grass.  The stars were the only light that filtered through the trees and open air around my past self.  The pungent musk of roses and hydrangeas assaults our senses in the best possible way. Before us, the unbelievable sculpture of a woman bringing water to her mouth to drink.  The sculpture was completely done out of shrubbery, giving her long flowing hair and amazing features. 

We watch as voices draw my past self towards a gravelled sitting area among the Spanish moss that hung from a nearby arbor. Past Krystal ducks out of sight as she maneuvers closer to the action. She approaches the arbor as the murmuring voices become clearer; one of them was definitely the young fae from my shop.  Past Krystal pauses briefly as she listens to the other voice that was deeper, richer, and more insistent than hers.

 “Kiera, you knew what would happen if you followed me here,” the deeper voice whispered.  It was a low, steady humming, almost like the beat of the wings of a hummingbird.  My past self moved closer to see this stranger, crawling between two nearby shrubs for a better look. 

“Dacar, father knows what you have been doing. He sent me here to bring you back. He thought you would actually listen to me and come back willingly,” Kiera pleaded with her brother.  Dacar took his sister by the arms and looked at her sternly.  The conversation seemed to have been going on for a bit because he had a tired and worn-down look about his face. 

“Dacar, please,” Kiera whispered softly to him, his resolve seeming to falter.  He loved his sister and would do anything for her; that much was obvious by the smile spreading across his face as he looked at her. But he never got the chance to reply.   

“Dacar, your sister lies poorly,” announced another male’s voice. His voice was just as deep as Dacar’s, but it crept along my skin like spiders as it cut through the silence.  I had to fight not to rub my arms to remove the imaginary spiders. I knew it was a trick of his voice, just trying to scare Kiera, but what was scarier was I had not sensed his energy signature at all.

 He rose from his seat on the wooden bench and approached the siblings.  His movements were graceful and lithe but held a sense of menace and danger, almost like a tiger’s. I guess Dacar had sensed it too because he stepped in front of his sister to shield her from the stranger. 

Dacar’s facial features, pale skin, and platinum blonde hair were identical to his sister’s, with the exception of the broadness of his shoulders and obvious muscle mass.  She looked so tiny, peeking over his shoulder to look at the stranger.  Kiera and Dacar both wore bright blue colors, which clearly stated they were royals from the Fae Water Court. A lower court holding dominion over water. After spending time in Jona’s… company, I learned a little bit about the Fae’s hierarchy.

 “She is only lying because she knows that my father will accept me coming back on my own but if he has to come get me, there will be war,” Dacar defiantly informed the stranger as he turned to comfort his sister.  “Why did you come here by yourself, Naha?” he asks her, stroking away a loose strand of her hair.

“Father knows about him and your plans,” she announces, pointing to the stranger. He has already dispatched the Red Guard to find you,” the pleading look eliminated what remained of Dacar’s resolve.  “Please, come home with me, and father will have no choice but to accept you back. Please, Dacar, come home.” At the last plea, he smiled and nodded to his little sister, who smiled back up at him. 

“That’s a pity. I had such high hopes for you. Too bad you have outlived your usefulness,” the stranger says to Dacar as he cleans a bit of imaginary dirt from under his nails. Fae move quick but this stranger was quicker.  Dacar turns, sword drawn, as he pushes his sister back towards the gravelled path.  He shouts something at her in their language before Kiera regains her balance.  Silence follows the clank of Dacar’s sword hitting the ground. The stranger has Dacar’s back pressed against the front of his long red tunic. His eyes shone a bright blood red as his mouth opened, unhinging almost like a snake’s would before it ingests a meal that is too big to swallow. Fangs appear out of nowhere and easily rip the flesh away from Dacar’s alabaster skin.  One minute, Dacar struggles against the iron grip, and the next his body goes limp as he gurgles from the blood filling his mouth and pouring from the wound in his open throat. 

Kiera screams and runs as the stranger’s laugh taunts her.  Then, as suddenly as the scene had appeared, I was back in my shop, sitting there staring at my crystal ball.  Where I expect to see Kiera sitting across from me stares a red-headed man with a smirk playing across his lips.

“I don’t remember this part,” I mutter to myself.

“Vampires don’t play nice. This one is particularly nasty. He studies the dark arts, looking for something,” Gaia replies as we watch what unfolds.  

“Krystal, Krystal, Krystal, why don’t you tell me my fortune, hmmm?” Past Mallec taunts me in a sing-song voice.

“How? Where is Kiera?” My past self demands. I silently give myself a high five for my bravery. He is one scary piece of work.

“You are about to find out,” Past Mallec replies, blowing powder into Past Krystal’s face, and the lights go out.

“I don’t know what else to tell you, Nathan,” I sighed as exhaustion seeped further into my bones.  

“Tell me what happened again,” Nathan White, the high chancellor to the Fae High Court, responded, leaning his weight on the table currently between us. I narrowed my eyes at him. That smug bastard. I wanted to punch his gorgeous face. The fae were so annoying that way. He looked so much like his late father, the dead would-be King of the Fae High Court. All tall, broad shoulders, with that signature auburn hair and chestnut eyes.  

His uncle currently holds that title, making his cousin–my ex–a crown prince of Fairy. Frackin’ Jona. This whole family is annoying. I might be biased because it seems like every damn fae I run across always gets me in trouble. Case in point, why I am going on hour 12 with this dick. I jerk to attention as Nathan’s hand slams down on the table.  

“Again,” he demanded as Marcus walked to his side and touched his shoulder. Nathan rears up on Marcus, who just quirks an eyebrow, daring him to make a move. This wasn’t good. While I have been stuck in here, so have Marcus and Audrey, who was curled up on the green couch, slightly snoring away. I know Marcus didn’t need to feed often, but I also know that when tensions rose like this, it triggered his hunter’s instincts. His control is the only reason why Nathan was a sippy drink right now.  

Marcus’s control was legendary among vampires and other supes in our community. Korbin often sent him to do negotiations when things could be volatile. However, it seemed Nathan’s hot temper and antics were pushing Marcus close to the edge. It didn’t help that he didn’t care for the would-be prince.  

“She came into my store dripping wet and in clear distress,” I began again for the 5^th time. Both men stopped and stared at me, and the tension eased. “Her glamour was well constructed, but my spirit guide warned me about her. I didn’t listen, of course, because the sooner I got her what she needed and out of my store the better.” I paused as I looked at Marcus, who had moved away from the fae. Then I turned my gaze toward Nathan, who had crossed his arms.  

The expression on his face told me to continue, and that was the problem. I couldn’t tell him who she was or who her brother was or where we had gone or who we had met. That was the frustrating part. I wanted to tell him and be done with things, but the coercion curse I was under physically wouldn’t let me. If they tried to do that weird fae mind melt they did, it would kill me and the fae who would attempt to extract the information. Fortunately for me, Korbin has forbidden that practice in his home. I continued as best as I could.  

“I gave her a reading, and then she left like I said the four other times you asked,” I groaned.  

“Not the complete truth,” Nathan leveled me with a stare that would have melted a lesser man. Unfortunately for him, he has never been on the receiving end of one from Aunt Flo. You would think it would be Aunt Stormi, the retired portal enforcer. Nope! Aunt Flo was a force to be reckoned with. His glare didn’t bother me. It frustrated me to no end.  

Seeing my frustration, Marcus approached me, crouching beside me. “What do you need, Krystal?” He asked in hushed tones. I rubbed at my dry, red-rimmed eyes before glancing over at him.  

“I want to tell you all what happened, but…” I started. 

“You can’t, can you?” He asked, staring into my eyes. I nodded. Marcus sighed, and Nathan grunted.  

“This whole time you have been coerced?” Nathan asked. I nodded quickly, turning in his direction.  

“Fine, I will just extract what I need,” Nathan said, reaching for me. One minute, I was within a hairsbreadth of being touched, and the next I sat next to a wide-eyed Audrey who had sleep lines creasing her face. We looked at each other before turning our attention to where Marcus had Nathan pinned up against the wall.  

“I will remind you, Chancellor, you are a guest in our home. While I may not be the head of this kiss, I am well within my rights to defend it and its occupants when threatened,” he pushed his forearm further into the fae’s neck. “I’m begging you to cross that fine line.” Marcus growled, and for the first time since I had ever known Nathan, I saw fear flash across his eyes. ‘That’s new.’ 

“Now, Marcus, it would not be prudent if you killed one of the royal family,” Korbin’s voice cut through the tension. His French accent emphasizing ‘royal’ as he called for order in his kiss. Nathan inhaled deeply as Marcus relaxed, releasing him from the wall. Audrey squeaked as we both jumped at hearing his deep voice. Though I think we jumped for different reasons. ‘Down, girl.’ I admonished myself.  

“You aren’t supposed to be here.” Nathan demanded as he rubbed his neck, as he stormed over to the desk that Korbin sat behind. Shoulder checking Marcus as he passed him.  

“You are right. That is what we agreed upon,” Korbin agreed. Nathan crossed his arms and smirked at Korbin for acknowledging that truth, but quickly fell as Korbin continued. “That was until Krystal admitted to being coerced by one of your people.” 

“That breaks the blood accords,” Audrey piped up, finally doing something useful.  

“Precisely,” Korbin replied, his grin turning feral, his French accent slipping in again. Oh! He is pissed. “One of your kind, quite possibly the young lady mon grillon helped out of a dire situation.” Korbin rose from his desk, placing his palms flat on its surface before pinning Nathan with a dark look. “You broke your word, and I am well within my right to expel you from this place or feed.” He spoke the last with a raised eyebrow.  

‘How do all vampires know how to do that?’ I thought. ‘Is it like an automatic thing or did they learn over time?’ I shook my head. ‘Focus, Krystal.’  

Nathan’s arms dropped down to his sides. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as nervousness leaked from him. I would not want to be him in this room, and he knew it. Marcus has silently moved in behind him. Nathan was trapped, and even with his skills, experience, and age, he couldn’t take on two of the most powerful vampires in the Western hemisphere. The only reason the vampire council had any sway over the Peach Kiss is because Korbin decided he would fall in line.  

Nathan realized this simple fact and looked around the room, looking for an escape. His eyes landed on me, pleading to help. With a sigh, I knew what I had to do. I didn’t want to because none of this would get me released, but I didn’t have to say anything. Audrey saved me from intervening.  

“Gentlemen, please!” Audrey’s voice rose above the silent chaos. “Bring her to the oathbreaker,” she offered, scrambling up from the couch and inserting herself between Nathan and Korbin.  

‘Very brave or very stupid’.  

Korbin’s gaze never wavered from Nathan as he spoke to Audrey. “Bring them here. I am not letting Krystal out of my sight. If they can break the coercion over her, I won’t start a war.” Korbin declared.  

At that, I stood moving to Korbin’s side, gently touching his arm. He swiftly took my hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. My breath caught as his icy blue pools caught me in their grip. This man will be the death of me. Whenever I was in his presence, I forgot why I broke up with him. This moment had my heart in a vise. I knew I was safe as long as he was around. I would be stupid to demand to leave right now. The secrets I held were going to change not just my world but so many others. When the dust settled, I could return to my life, but right now it was not an option. I realized it as his free hand pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.  

“You must be exhausted. Cricket, go rest,” he whispered to me. His voice caressing my skin like silk.  

‘Bastard.’ He did that on purpose. He chuckled when I narrowed my gaze at him.  

“Marcus, take Krystal to my room and get some rest, my friend,” Korbin said, turning his gaze to the man hovering near Nathan. A silent communication went between the two vamps in the room.  

“Audrey, my dear, it has been lovely as always.” He turned to my legal representative with a smile, having not let go of my hand. “Your client is in good care. I even gave her the best room in the house.” He moved from around the table to assist Audrey with her things and moved back to his desk. I had moved over next to Marcus because everything had been really overwhelming, and I needed his calming energy.  

“Oh, Audrey,” Korbin called as she made it to the door.  

She turned his way as he sat behind his desk. “Yes, Korbin?” His smile returned as he steepled his fingers. 

“Take this riffraff with you. He isn’t welcome back in my home until this matter has been settled.” He waved his hand towards an indignant Nathan. “If this is how SNOB conducts business, I shall need to have words with your superiors.” He admonished.  

Audrey squeaked, shaking her head furiously. “Understood, sir. It won’t happen again. Come, Chancellor White. I believe you have a report to make to your King.” She gestured to Nathan as he picked up his stuff angrily.  

“This isn’t over, Korbin,” Nathan declared as he pointed at Korbin, who smirked in response. With a yell of frustration, Nathan stormed out of the room with an exasperated Audrey trailing him.  

“Well, that was fun,” Korbin mused as he picked up his tablet and started scrolling.  

“Too much fun,” I declared and followed Marcus out of the room to crash for several days. “Way too much fun for a psychic.”  

Again, I cursed Audrey with warts in the most unpleasant of places. ’What good is a S.N.O.B. legal representative if they couldn’t get you out of captivity without strings attached?’  I deliberated, agitated by the turn of events from the night before. Negotiations did not go the way I wanted. I sighed, chomping on a Snickers bar as I grimaced to myself. Korbin was infuriating with his need to touch me in front of Nathan.

“It’s to show ownership over you, cricket,” I mimicked his deep throaty voice. “I don’t remember you complaining this much about it before,” he added to be his usual, annoying self. I scoffed as I caught my hand drifting to the side of my neck where his thumb had played along my pulse point. I had to fight the urge to let my eyelids flutter closed and moan. That bloodsucker always got a kick out of my reactions to him.

Stupid, stupid girl, Krystal. I admonished myself, allowing my head to thunk against the wall behind me. Not only did he play with my freedom and emotions, but Korbin also threw me back in this funky cell. I should have known after he negotiated that I stay in his “care” that I would be relegated back to being less than.

Nathan had insisted that I be treated like a criminal and held in an area where I couldn’t escape until he could interrogate me. I guess it is fortunate it is here and that Marcus and Audrey would be allowed to be present. I get the opportunity to rest as well, since the negotiation didn’t conclude until dawn. So, I have an entire day to stew. I will admit Audrey was good for something; she was able to get me a bed here and better food. Though she commented that the food they had been serving me didn’t seem reprehensible.

“Moping is unbecoming, Krystal. Chin up,” Marcus’s melodious voice called to me, stirring me from my lament.

“Have you come to end my miserable life?” I asked, not bothering to look his way as I tossed the remainder of my candy on the half-eaten tray of junk food.  I could feel his eyebrow quirk up in surprise.

“You turn down gorging yourself on your favorite foods. This is dire indeed,” he mused.

“Marcus, it has been a long –,” I paused as I watched two other vamps drag a half-dead girl behind Marcus to the other cell beside mine. “Is she okay?” I asked, quickly moving to the bars to get a better look at the woman. Marcus turned his attention in her direction, but didn’t answer me.

“What did y’all do to her?!” I exclaimed as I took in her ragged state of dress and the dried blood and dirt covering her.

“We didn’t do anything,” Marcus heaved a heavy breath. His jaw tightened. “I found her half dead… I did what I had to do,” he finished through clenched teeth.

“Oh, Marcus,” I said, reaching out to touch his arm in comfort but thinking the better of it. It had been the better part of a millennium since Marcus had turned someone. It was adamantly against it after what happened to Yoli. Korbin had told me one night when he was drunk off of fae wine. Marcus had only sired two people in his long life. It looks like he now sired a third.

“It’s fine,” he tsked and looked back to me. “Come, let’s get you back to your room.” He unlocked the cell door as the other vamps took him to the side. Their conversation was hushed, but I picked up ‘dug’, grave’, ‘not drinking’, and ‘different’. I eyed them as my curiosity won out, and I slid over to the newbie vamp. I peered inside the cell, taking in her frame that appeared to be so small as she lay curled in on herself.

I knelt down to get a better look at her, but her long, straight hair covered her face. Her caramel skin was covered in bruises, scratches, and dried blood. One strappy heel hung off her ankle, and her dress was ripped in various places. She was a mess. Why would Marcus turn her, of all people? It looked like someone tried to make a meal of her and left her for dead.

“What happened to you?” I breathed more to myself than anyone in particular.

“I don’t know,” her rasped reply came, startling me.

“Sweet morning glories!” I exclaimed as I fell back on my ass. She stirred, then moving in the unnaturally quick speed vamps had. Unfortunately for me, baby vamps were supercharged, and everything was heightened. She grabbed my wrist and the bars of her cell.

I gasped as her death played out for me in 4D. Her and a man out for a night on the town. Celebrating. An unknown vamp making a meal of the man and killing him. Another unknown vamp sniffing her, Necromancer, he whispered before savaging her throat. All I felt was pain, fear, and the comfort of her final death before I was ripped out of it.

“Breathe, Krystal!” Marcus barked at me. “Breathe,” he said more calmly as I inhaled all the air my body had apparently forgotten it needed. “That’s it,” he said, trying to soothe me as he stared into my wide eyes. He shook his head as one of the other vamps went to reach for me. But Marcus shielded me.

“Don’t touch her,” he ordered, and the vamp backed up quickly. I stared at Marcus.

“Her hands,” I whispered, tears freely falling down my cheeks. “Why?” I asked, not expecting an answer. Marcus’s jaw tensed.

“Mind the trouble you are already in, Krystal. There is no reason to go borrow more,” he sighed, suddenly looking far older and more tired than he had been moments ago. All I could do is stare at him, then I turned back to the poor woman in the cell beyond him.

“Calily,” I whispered. “Her name is Calily.”   Marcus nodded and pulled me to stand up. His jaw worked as he tried to swallow whatever emotion he was trying to hide. It is a good thing we have known each other long enough for him to learn how to shield against my clairvoyant touch.

“Let’s go, cricket. You have a long night of questions ahead of you,” he said, guiding me back up the stairs. The funny thing was I didn’t think he just meant Nathan’s questions. He and Korbin would want to know what I had just seen. Unknown vampires in their territory and a necromancer. There had not been a necromancer left alive in over three thousand years. Vampires don’t keep their gifts after they have been turned. This one was not only alive-ish, but she was powerful, and her gift hadn’t disappeared with the turn.

Korbin enjoyed having this level of control over me. To be fair, he was a master vampire. He always had control over me. But most of the time, he allowed me to have my autonomy. He allowed me to fight back. Hells, I think he enjoyed it when I did. Unfortunately, this was the one time I happily acknowledged his power and wore it as the shield it was intended to be.

There were very few supes that could contend with a high fae–and a noble high fae at that. Vampires, some demons, a couple of demi-gods that I knew of, and… well, that was it. You could probably say angels, but they were always too busy to bother with us “lower beings”. Elitists’ bullshit, if you ask me.

“Krystal. Krystal, you there?” Nathan questioned, waving his hand at me. I blinked back from my thoughts, bringing me back to my current problem. I shifted uncomfortably in Korbin’s lap and attempted to get u,p but he held me firmly in place. With a sigh, I scowled at Nathan.

“Yes, I am. What was the question?” I asked in defeat.

“No question just yet,” Nathan replied, sitting down in the chair I had just vacated when I thought I could scratch out the eyes of a vamp. Korbin could be such an ass. I hated him sometimes. This is the precise reason I just stick to myself and try to stay under the radar. I dislike being the only human in a room full of supes that could crush me with a thought. Korbin knew it, and I knew he was enjoying my discomfort immensely.

“Korbin, could you please let go of my client?” Audrey asked, clearing her throat to take the scrutiny off of me. ‘Thank the Goddess for small miracles. I might just survive this debacle.’

“Oh, I don’t know, she seems pretty happy right here.” Korbin retorted, giving me a curious look like he was considering her request. One glance at his face and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I sighed and swiveled my most pitiful face to Marcus. He was always the wild card, but if I looked as if I was going to cry, he would help me.

Marcus had his fist covering his mouth, barely containing his smile. ‘Betrayal!’ I sighed in defeat because it seemed Marcus was backing Korbin’s play here.

“I’m fine, Audrey. Let’s get on with this. I would like to go home sometime soon. I have to check on Max,” I conceded, crossing my arms and pouting.

“See Audrey. She is fine where she is. Now, shall we proceed, Nathan?” Korbin said, turning his attention to the high fae.

“As I told you over the phone, we need to take Krystal back to Faerie so she can identify the fae involved with this drug operation,” Nathan stated logically as if the matter was a foregone conclusion. Korbin’s grip on my hip tightened–showing his irritation–while the rest of him remained relaxed.

“And as I told you, old friend, she is currently my prisoner because she broke one of the Kiss’s cardinal laws,” Korbin retorted, shifting me on his lap so that I was leaning back against his body. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, meaning he must have eaten before this meeting. Curious. He normally didn’t feed on a live human unless he was expecting a fight. Frack!

“What law would that be?” Audrey asked before Nathan could do so. Marcus cleared his throat, and Korbin sucked his teeth. The communication wasn’t lost on any of us. He was reeling in Korbin’s temper. It would not be a good look to kill the witch in the room.

“It really doesn’t matter because I need her for my investigation. I have obtained a written order from the Fae King himself and the cooperative agreement from S.N.O.B. to detain and question her based on her involvement with the drug operation,” Nathan replied, handing over the documents to Audrey, who read them and swore under her breath.

“So, you will hand her over, or I will go to the vampire council to obtain permission to remove her,” Nathan stated, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees as if he were saying checkmate. Korbin’s grip on me tightened to the point I squeaked at the pain. He quickly eased back the pressure and whispered an apology in my ear.

“You can’t take her,” Korbin began and held up his hand before Nathan and Audrey could protest. “She is my source and can’t be separated from me for any length of time.”

“You never said—” Nathan started to stand, and Audrey stood there dumbstruck.

“You didn’t tell me you went back to being his source,” Audrey hissed at me. I just shook my head at her.

“That is the law she broke. She went to Faerie without my permission,” Korbin replied, bending the truth. I was dragged to Faerie, and I hadn’t been Krobin’s source of food since we broke up.

“May I offer a compromise?” Marcus asked before proceeding to offer it regardless. “Nathan, Krystal is a flight risk. Question her here. That way, we can continue to negotiate with Audrey, her legal counsel, on her release to go back to her normal life, and you get to interrogate her.”

“I don’t like how you worded that,” I muttered. Then turning to Marcus and mouthing the word ‘traitor’. The corner of Marcus’s lips quirked up as he fought not to smile.

Nathan huffed. “Fine, I will conduct my questioning here, but neither of you can be present.” I held up a finger, and Nathan held up his hand before continuing. “Krystal, your counsel can be present during the questioning. As long as you haven’t done anything wrong, I won’t have to arrest you for crimes against the High Court.” He finished retrieving his documents from Audrey.

“Agreed,” Marcus replied for everyone else in the room. “If you and Audrey will come with me, I will show you where to set up.” Marcus gestured for them to follow him out of the room. Audrey turned to me to gauge how I was feeling about it all, but Marcus stopped her. “Korbin will bring her along shortly.” He finished ushering them out of the room. He gave Korbin a pointed look before closing the door behind him.

“You asshole!” I shouted and smacked Korbin’s chest. He released me to stand but turned me to face him. His hands gripped my hips. “Why would you say that? I haven’t been your source in years.” He leaned back in his chair with an amused look on his face.

“You’re welcome,” he replied and pulled me closer to him.

“I’m not thanking you for the mess you just put me in,” I retorted, crossing my arms across my chest. Uncomfortable with the fact that my nipples started to pebble being this close to him. Why did he still have an effect on my body like that?

“I didn’t put you in any mess. You did that all on your own. I am helping you, Cricket,” he replied, enjoying watching my ears turn red the more pissed off I became.

“You didn’t have to tell them that I was your source or that I broke a law. I didn’t, and you know it,” I said. It came out more as a pout than the powerful truth I wanted it to be.

Korbin sighed, sitting up straight and pulling on my hands so he could hold them.

“I did all that to ensure your safety. Technically, we broke up, but I never released you as my source. Also, I haven’t had another source since you either. This way, you have my protection. I can’t protect you in Faerie, but here I can. If they were to take you over there, I would need permission to go get you.” He leaned back in his chair and pulled me back on his lap.

“Oh,” I said, clearly taken aback by his honesty.

“Of course, I wouldn’t ask for permission, and then you would have started a war. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” he stated before pulling me into a kiss that stole my breath and every last brain cell I had. I was in trouble, and at the moment, I didn’t care.

Thank you for your patience in receiving my latest sacrifice to the literary gods. I have had some family and health-related items pop up recently that have taken me away from pen and paper. I hope this entry will be a fun interlude until next week. 🙂

All the junk food and Hearts Over My Eyes I can eat and watch. I must have died of inhaling dirt, and now I am being rewarded. If Korbin is going to hold me prisoner, this is the way to do it. Ahhhh, this is the life.

‘I loved you before I met you. You are a part of my soul, in this lifetime and all those come.’

“OMG! They kissed. They finally kissed,” Carmen sighed into the pillow she was squeezing for dear life.

“I was hoping she would have gotten to do a little,” Cecelia said, as a blush colored her cheeks. Carmen and I looked at her, shocked by her admission.

“Cece!” I exclaimed, fighting back my laughter. She sat up straighter, turning up her broad nose in mock insult.

“I may look young, but mother has had more lovers than you have years on this Earth,” she replied smugly. The air filled with our laughter as she broke character and joined us.

“While I do enjoy a good laugh, you all have something to be doing,” Marcus uttered from the door to the room.

“Oh, poo, Marcu,s you always know how to ruin a girl’s fun,” Carmen complained, picking up her tablet and scrolling through it.

“Carmen, you were supposed to bring Krystal to Korbin’s office 30 minutes ago,” Marcus replied, lifting one eyebrow. Carmen had the good sense to look chagrined and raised the tablet to cover her face as she sank down into the couch.

“We had to finish watching our show before … you know,” she said, jerking her head in my direction.

“You know what?” I asked, perplexed, looking at her, then turning to him. “I feel like there is something I should know,” I looked at Marcus. “What is Korbin up to?” I directed my question to Carmen.

“Who knows? He is a quiet, private man,” she gulped, gripping her tablet and using it as a shield. I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Oh really,” I said before I lunged for her arm. My fingertips are just able to brush her arm. Stupid vampire speed! However, it was enough to get just a glimpse.

“Krystal!” Carmen shouted from behind Marcus. “You swore you would never use your power on me,” she squeaked, clearly hurt by my action, but it didn’t keep my anger from surfacing.

“That rat bastard! Marcus, you knew, didn’t you?!” I shouted, jumping up on the couch cushions, at the two vampires standing by my door.

“That is my cue to leave,” Cecelia mutters as she gathers up our forgotten snacks and drinks. “I like my drama on T.V. not in real life.” The lanky woman slips out, pulling Carmen with her as Marcus crosses his arms over his broad chest.

“What do you think you know, Krystal?” Marcus sighs, steeling me with his gaze.

“Korbin is keeping me as a political pawn to get something from S.N.O.B.,” I huffed at him.

“You know Korbin’s reasons are his own. You also know he would never do anything to hurt you or put you in danger,” Marcus reassured me.

“So, what I saw in Carmen’s mind wasn’t true?” I questioned as I flopped back down on the couch, crossing my arms and pouting as the anger drained from my body. 

“Krystal, come,” Marcus replied, motioning me with his hand to come to him.

“You know your vampire powers don’t work on me,” I answered as I stood from the couch. His dimple in his right cheek appeared as he grinned.

“Krystal, you would be the death of me if I wasn’t already dead,” he sighed, tilting his head back. “Krystal, would you please come with me?” I relented, moving towards the door.

“Better,” I mumbled as I approached him. “I just don’t want to get hurt by him again. And it is just like him to use me to his advantage.” I could feel my bottom lip start to tremble. I cleared my throat and quickly wiped away a stray tear. Marcus’s face softened as I lowered my arms.

“I know, cricket,” Marcus replied, rubbing his hand up and down my arm. “He means well, and I will try to make sure he doesn’t get too ambitious.” Marcus could be so reassuring that I almost believed him when he said he could control Korbin. No one has been able to. I don’t think anyone has tried.

I followed him down the hall towards the grand staircase and passed it. I knew where we were headed, and my heart started beating rapidly. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. I hated how my body reacted to being near Korbin. I haven’t even laid eyes on him, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“Calm, cricket, calm,” Marcus reminded me, and I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I could do this. I could face… my ex. Marcus opened the door and ushered me in.

“Krystal, how good it is to see you,” his angelic voice called to me as soon as I entered the room. It rolled over my skin, caressing me, warming me. While I was immune to vampire powers, Korbin’s gift always got under my defenses. His power laid in emotional, not mental persuasion. His gift always found its target.

The shiver that rippled over me helped to quell the effect his voice was having on me. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them. Rubbing my hands up and down my arms, I cleared my throat and fixed my face.

“Korbin,” I squeaked, then cleared my throat. “Korbin,” his name spilling past my lips, stronger than the last time. “It’s good to see you, too.” I took in his blonde hair that touched his ears, and he brushed it back behind his ear, a look of irritation on his face because it had gotten too long. He liked it cut short and neat. I wonder what happened to his barber, Tisha. My eyes wandered to his velvety soft, full lips that I knew for a fact were indeed tender.

My mouth was suddenly dry, and I bit my lip as I caught his gaze. His ice-blue eyes were soothing in the most unsettling way. They always mesmerized me; that is why it took me a very long minute to realize those beautiful lips had been moving. They stopped as one side of his mouth quirked up in the beginning of a smile.

“Cricket,” he murmured with his French accent. He only brought it out when he wanted to tease me.

“Wha-?” I responded.

“I said, Krystal, have a seat. Your legal representation is here to discuss your terms of release,” Korbin smirked as I blinked back into the present. Marcus covered his chuckle with a cough.

“Oh,” I said, turning to the young woman who happened to be my legal counsel.

“It’s about time! Krystal, I have been trying to get in touch with you, but it seems your jailer here wouldn’t allow for this meeting without some ridiculous demands,” Audrey said, coming over to me and touching my arm, guiding me down into the purple chair next to hers. Warmth flowed over me, enveloping me. Her magic both comforting and soothing as it checked me over for injuries. Whatever she found, she seemed satisfied by it.

“What demands?” Her words caught up with me.

“You are going to give us the information my hapless cousin gave you, or you get to be the guest of the Fae High Court,” Nathan White, high chancellor to the Fae High Court, said as he entered the room.

My eyes went wide as the reality of my situation just went from bad to Hells. “You dirty motherfu–,” I shouted at Korbin as I tried to launch myself at his pretty boy face.

“My cricket has claws, hmmm,” Korbin purred as he caught me pulling me onto his lap. “If you are a good girl, I can get us both out of this without either one of us pissing the Fae off, hmmm.” He whispered in my ear, knocking the fight out of me.

‘This frackin’ sucks. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Problem is I don’t know which one Korbin is, and being this close to him, I didn’t care.’