Tempest in Disguise (Darkest Faerie Tale Series Book 1) Read online

  Okay, next step to trust.

  He pivoted, turning his back on her and walked over to the wall where the crank for the chains was mounted.

  Still no movement from her—Mya was entirely too docile.

  It made his muscles tense, as if ready to jump into action. Why isn’t she fighting back? He looked over his shoulder at her. “You may stand up.”

  “Is it an order or merely a suggestion?” She taunted him.

  Compliant, but still provoking me? The female was an enigma. No wonder the Elders wanted her, no wonder he lusted for her. “Whatever is more comfortable for you. I thought you might want to stand up and give your shoulders a rest before you are strung up on your toes and stripped naked.”

  “How nice of you to put some thought into my comfort.” Mya took a deep breath and pushed her perfect, mouthwatering breasts out as she arched her back. A pink flush swept over her chest. Gripping the chains overhead, she readjusted her footing and surged to a stand. She rolled her shoulders in relief while keeping her hands clasped to her chest. A feverish desire burned in her eyes and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

  After the graceful way she stood while bound, he couldn’t resist her anymore. This was supposed to be a work exercise—training her for the Unseelie Court. He’d trained so many other’s in the past, he’d felt sure he could handle the duty, but as ideas of domination took over, all he could think about was disciplining her, mastering her—taking her.

  His patience snapped as he caught a whiff of her arousal—was she wet for him? Crossing the floor to her, he inhaled her titillating scent, with every intention to find out how she tasted. He wound a fist into her hair and pulled her face to his. Her lips parted breathlessly and he devoured her mouth, giving her a punishing kiss.

  Mya moaned against his lips as his tongue sought out hers, demanding complete surrender. Melting against him, she splayed her palms against his chest and dug her nails into the muscle.

  Hell fire and damnation, he needed to slam his cock deep into her wet and wanting pussy.

  She kissed him back with the same fervor he delivered to her and he couldn’t hold on any longer. He slipped his hands under her shirt, going beneath her bra to capture her sumptuous breasts, kneading and torturing the sensitive areas.

  Her body trembled underneath his touch. “Cole,” she screamed, throwing her head back and pressing into his palms harder. She needed the pain as much as he needed to deliver it. “Don’t stop.”

  He squeezed her hardened nipples and pulled. She moaned in pleasure and his balls tightened with the sound. “Who do you belong to, Mya?”

  “You, Cole. Always, you.”

  “Good girl.” He pushed her shirt and bra up until both luscious breasts exposed themselves to his view. Mouthwatering, he bent down and took one in his mouth, flicking his tongue against her bud. The taste of her skin nearly drove him insane.

  She slipped her arms around his head, down to his neck, pressing in closer, suffocating him to her.

  Tightness swelled around his neck until breathing became a chore. Fuck. No. He struggled with the chain wrapped around his neck. Choking. Rage roared to the surface. He seized her wrists and ripped her hands away from the chains trying to take the life out of him, sucking in a breath. Ducking out of her hold and away from her, before she could do anything else, red covered his vision. “What the fuck, Mya?”

  Panting, she said, “Go screw yourself.”

  He growled, turning around and punching the wall. The damned female was going to undo him—already had. Eyeing the crank to the side, he yanked on the lever to tighten her restraints. He didn’t stop until she balanced on the balls of her feet. “I warned you,” he yelled, running his fingers through his hair, calming himself, gaining his control back. He slipped up. Trusting her so soon, what was he thinking? That one night could really forge them together? Cole turned to face her. “Last night at your house, you said you were mine. You said your body belonged to me.”

  “Yeah, before I learned what a sadistic son-of-a-bitch you were. You burned my house down and then kidnapped me, only to tell me that you want to beat me into submission.” Her eyes turned grave, menacing. “I will fight you to the bloody end before I give in to you again.”

  The truth of her last statement, unraveled him piece by excruciating piece.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “What did you do, Michaela?” Gavin closed in on her. The bitch knew something about Mya’s disappearance and he would get to the bottom of this.

  The electricity had been restored and the court building cleared an hour ago—with no sign of Mya present. Currently, the Elders reviewed the security feeds, looking for any answers. The entire court set into panic mode and her sudden disappearance made Mya look even guiltier. He knew she hadn’t set fire to her own house, but someone else was really trying to nail her to the wall.

  Shit, where is she?

  “I didn’t do anything.” Michaela jutted her chin in defiance. “You think I planned this? The evidence against her is pretty damning in itself, so I wouldn’t need to push the issue further.”

  Yes, and the evidence she spoke of was a picture of Cole, dressed all in black, leaving Mya’s house from the backdoor—complete with a date stamp on it from last night. Rumors had already begun spreading around the court when they arrived earlier.

  Then, how freaking ironic her house burned down right after Cole’s appearance? His timing seemed impeccable—the fucking Unseelie bastard, Gavin would kill him anyway. He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated, trying to figure out why the electricity got cut—and where in the hell Mya went. “Michaela, what did she say to you, before she walked out? I saw her come up to you and the girls.”

  She shrugged. “Not much. She mentioned my bangs and told me they looked great.”

  Gavin rolled his eyes. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Her house burned down and she’s put on trial, but you talk about your stupid hair?”

  “My bangs are not stupid.” She cocked her hip to the side and placed a hand on her waist. “It’s the newest style.”

  “Do you ever stop thinking about yourself for one minute?” He strode past her down the hall. “You really are a piece of work.”

  “Thanks.” She caught up to him. “Look, she probably ran. I mean you know she’s never been one of us, not really. There’s no telling what she—”

  He whirled around on her and gripped her shoulders, giving her a shake to get her full attention. “Shut up.” Lowering his voice, so only she could hear he warned, “You will not speak one more word about who she is. We aren’t supposed to know and if word got out that we knew the truth about her, everything could come crashing down.”

  “It’s not like the others don’t have an idea. She doesn’t smell the same as us. They know she carries a different scent than just Seelie.”

  “Yeah, but she doesn’t smell like Unseelie either and you know it, so keep your mouth shut. Got it?”

  “Fine,” she huffed.

  Michaela grated on his nerves, but he needed her help to find Mya, so he couldn’t discard her. The fact Michaela wanted to be with him was his ace and he used her crush on him to get her to bend to his will. Plus, her mother is a court Elder and it would help to have some power on his side.

  Bells sounded from the tower above, signaling everyone to congregate inside of the court. The Elder’s must be calling the meeting to start. He took Michaela’s hand and pulled her through a set of double doors. “Come on.”

  Michaela didn’t resist, rather she twined their fingers together, and he let her.

  He leaned down to her ear. “Why were you watching Mya’s house last night?”

  Jealousy flared in her eyes and she nibbled her bottom lip. “Someone has to keep tabs on who might be with her.”

  Ah, she’d been following Mya, watching her every move. Making sure I wasn’t spending time with Mya.

  Michaela’s mom, Janice, stood up at the end of the nave on the altar wearing th
e robes of the Elder’s. She pounded her gavel. “Let the meeting commence. Seelie members take your seats.”

  Gavin shuffled into a pew and took Michaela with him. Her little brainless lackeys filed in next to her. Everyone in the Seelie court in Austin was present and elsewhere in the world, they were on face time. As a rule, every member needed to be present when one of their own race went on trial.

  Waiting for everyone to sit down, Gavin restlessly stirred in his seat, remembering the Seelie story his father told him as a boy.

  Once upon a time, there was a female child born of the Fae—one made of two mixed races who should never have bred with one another. Rumors and whispers from far and wide carried throughout all the kingdoms about the little faerie girl, the one who would curse all the Aos sí of Sitnalta once and for all.

  One kingdom knew the shameful child should to be put to rest and sent back to the spirits of the Tuatha Dé for the safety of all the Fae. However, the darker kingdom saw a menacing promise in the little girl and they wanted to exalt her wickedness.

  Infighting between the kingdoms ensued, causing great chaos and numerous Aos sí lost their lives—all because of a child who never should have been. To cease the civil wars claiming the Fae people, the kingdom that upheld light and virtue agreed to take the child under their care, so they could watch her closely. For they knew one day, her dark magickal powers would arise and they would be ready to finally end the abomination once and for all.

  The hybrid must be sacrificed, or like the Great Atonement before, the Aos sí will lose everything they have left—their magickal powers stripped, becoming mere humans—and then the Fae…will be nothing more than an ancient faerie tale.

  Loud banging from the end of the nave caught Gavin’s attention and he focused on the Elders on top of the dais.

  Janice pressed her shoulders back proudly. “You were all gathered here to discuss the issue with one of our own. Mya Johnson’s house burned down this morning. Coincidentally, the morning after one of our much esteemed generals was found dead.”

  Hushed murmurs broke out throughout the room.

  Shushing the crowd, Janice held her palms up. “I know. It is with a very troubled heart I formally announce the passing of Brad Davis. As you are all aware, the Unseelies have begun targeting us and I’m convinced his death was at their hands as the other untimely Seelie deaths before him. Now, we face another problem. We have a photo and evidence to support our claims. The Elders of the court have held a secret for decades and I fear by doing so, we have placed the Seelies in grave danger and now we must act.” Janice dropped her head and shook it side to side with a dramatic flair. “One of our own is a traitor.” When she raised her head, her face feigned sadness.

  Gavin knew better. According to a conversation he overheard, Sitnalta, the ancient island the Fae gods and goddesses lived on five thousand years ago, was slowly rising from the depths of the ocean. Though he didn’t know the island’s location, he paid attention to the secret whispers of the rumor mills and the Elders were waiting to out Mya. It’s why Gavin wanted to protect her. During his research over the last year, he learned Mya harnessed a dark and strong magick. In the wrong hands, who knew what would happen to her. The Elders wanted her destroyed.

  Janice raised her chin to the audience. “Mya Johnson is an Aos sí hybrid. She is the first ever born of an Unseelie and a Seelie.”

  Gasps, shouts, anger and betrayal rang out through the room.

  Gavin watched Janice soak it up. She’d been waiting for this moment—the moment to bury Mya. Just like her daughter, Janice craved drama, gossip and destruction. All of them were jealous of Mya. Fear of something greater than them had become their driving force.

  Hell, maybe Gavin was even a little jealous of what Mya could really be capable of. If she was as powerful as he assumed.

  “Twenty four years ago, the Seelies and Unseelies factions erupted in war,” Janice spoke out louder to hush the voices, “No longer could the Elders let the two races commingle in any fashion. I know many of you remember this time and wondered what happened to cause such an issue. The day Mya Johnson was born is the day she sealed that fate for all of us.”

  Fear, anger, confusion shot through Gavin and he ground his jaw. He remembered the forced division all too well. He’d been only ten years old. His best friend was an Unseelie. They’d known each other since they were babies, raised side by side, like brothers. When the decree had been made, it tore him apart, but like the good Seelie he was, he stuck by the rules.

  His Unseelie brother had not however, constantly breaking the rules to sneak over and visit—or to catch Gavin at the park and try to play. Gavin was beaten by his father for every single indiscretion. He had to make a choice, obey the Seelie law and cut his friend out of his life for good, or deal with the consequences of severe punishment.

  Janice lifted her arms, a large picture in her hand. “Now, the Unseelies have basically declared war with us. We have a photo taken last night of an Unseelie Elder leaving Mya’s house, before it burned to the ground.” She lowered the picture to the table and picked up a remote control. The lights dimmed in the court and an overhead projector clicked on. “We also have video footage of the same Unseelie Elder coming into our court this very day and taking Mya with him before her trial. We have every reason to believe she is working with them and is tied to the Seelie deaths, most namely Brad Davis’s untimely passing.”

  Voices rose in the room.

  Gavin watched the video in a fascinating horror as Cole slipped out a back door of the courts with Mya following him. Son of a bitch. His eyesight turned red. Seeing her hand in Cole’s, made Gavin rage, wanting to kill anything in the room with a fucking heartbeat. He knew the asshole had something to do with Mya. Blood boiled in his veins and his heart thundered in his chest as he remembered the Unseelie scent in Mya’s house. Now, there was only one thing left to do—find Mya first and kill the prick once and for all. Nobody would take Mya from Gavin and live to see another day—particularly Cole.

  The gavel echoed through the room, quieting the outbursts of the Seelies throughout the nave. “Mya Johnson is our enemy and by order of the Seelie court she is sentenced to death. The Elders are placing a five hundred thousand dollar bounty on her head. Seek and destroy with any means necessary, be it by magick or human weapons.” Janice narrowed her eyes on the crowd. “But if you do kill her—you must bring her head in to collect the reward.”

  Fuck. Half a million dollars? That’s a lot of money to put up for one girl who really was harmless. Gavin knew Mya didn’t commit any murders, he knew without a shadow of a doubt she hadn’t started the fire in her house. Mya was innocent in all of this, but he would save her.

  Janice banged the damned gavel on the table again. “War has been declared between the Seelies and Unseelies.”

  ~* * * *~

  Cole settled in at his desk in the office. It was late and nobody else seemed to be around, but he needed to stay occupied to keep his thoughts from Mya, so he tried working on her case. In addition to finding a link to the arsonist on her house, he needed to figure out who in the Seelie court was killing their own members while pinning it on the Unseelies.

  No doubt, the Seelie court knew Cole took her by now and it was only the beginning of his problems—the biggest being the way his body and mind as well as his cock responded to Mya.

  Then…the cherry on top of his fucked up sundae? Mya tried to fucking choke him. Cole rubbed his throat. One day, she would trust him—and hopefully not too late. He needed to find a way to get her to break. With her tremendous magick, she was the only one who could restore power back to the Aos sí.

  Tom, the other investigator, came strolling through the door. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

  Cole kicked back in his chair and rested his feet on his desk. “Me either, but I got your text about the lab report coming back on the fire this morning. I wanted to see the results for myself.”

  Tom handed him a
manila folder. “The chemical sprayed in between the walls was a mixture of an oxidizer and fuel—a combustion modified foam—used as a decelerator like in pyrotechnics.”

  Cole snapped his feet off the desk and sat up. “What? To keep the fire from spreading faster?”

  “Yep. That’s why the house went down in one swift heap after the insides incinerated.”

  “Makes no sense. If you’re going to set a house on fire, why burn it slowly?” Cole rubbed at the stubble on his chin.

  “I don’t know, a form of torture—to suffocate the victim in smoke, but the strange results are from the piece of wall we took as evidence.”

  “Did something come back in the paint?”

  Tom nodded. “Yeah. It’s saturated with a salt water mixture.”

  Salt water? This intrigued Cole. Per the Texas fire code, teachers were required to spray their walls with the mixture when they hung up artwork or papers to decelerate everything from going up in flames should a fire happen. “The whole house had to be coated in it from the inside.”

  “Which means, someone had to have an ample amount of time to get in there to get the job done.”

  Cole wrapped his knuckles on his desk. “And they’d have to have an exorbitant amount of saltwater to coat the walls.”

  “The mixture is sold at Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. We can run a check and see if someone bought the supplies in large amounts,” Tom offered.

  “No. Whoever did this is cunning. They could’ve learned how to mix it on their own through internet tutorials. How accessible are the chemicals that were used in the combustive modified foam? Can we run a trace to see who manufactures them and get a list of buyers?” One name in particular Cole would be looking for, one belonging to the Seelie court.

  Tom pulled out a sheet of paper and showed it to him. “Two of the ingredients on the foam require Q security clearance, but I should be able to send out search warrants tonight for their records. We need to run a thorough background check on Mya Johnson, see if there might be someone after her.”