War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,109
murmured.
Eirik’s hungry eyes studied Fionn. My brother could not hide his desire for the warrior. I was inclined to think it was his obvious passion for the warrior that had Aine so taken with Eirik. She had something he wanted. Aine did so delight in bargains.
Yet I think my brother and I both knew she would only push Fionn so far, and the warrior was not interested in taking any male to his bed.
Much to Eirik’s disappointment.
“He will never attempt to kill her,” Eirik replied. “She will kill his wife, and if she is no longer alive, his children, and if they are no longer alive, then his grandchildren. He is stuck with her. Until his mortal life ends. Such a waste.”
“I doubt Aine sees it as such.”
My brother scowled. Aine had a penchant for men, human or supernatural, who were not under her thrall. She seemed to delight in the novelty of it.
Ignoring Eirik’s foul mood, I moved through the crowds to bow at Aine’s throne. My eyes flicked to Andraste who watched me with impatient hunger. Soon, my expression said.
Eirik reluctantly bowed beside me.
“The Mortensen brothers. You do add a rough sort of beauty to any room.” Aine smiled down at us. Her own beauty was almost too much. The golden hair, the golden eyes, the golden skin. She was like a fallen sun. In comparison, my Andraste had silver-blond hair, pale moonlight skin, and silver eyes. Like a single fallen star.
The sun burned.
A star was something to place a wish upon.
All my wishes were bound up in my star.
I adamantly did not look at Andraste again. A mating between a fae and a vampire was unheard of, and Andraste was terrified of Aine’s reaction. So far, we’d been lucky. No one had detected the mingling of our scents. Except for my brother and her sisters. But not one of them would put our lives in jeopardy by sharing our secret.
“No beauty could eclipse yours,” I answered.
She gave me an amused smile and turned to Eirik.
He stared stonily up at her.
“What say you, Eirik Mortensen?”
“Your captain is torturing a human female out in the Royal Square while his men fuck another against her will. An interesting way to announce that the queen is in residence.”
I could feel the disapproval of the queen’s subjects at my brother’s lack of deference.
Yet I was not surprised when Aine scowled. “How vulgar of him.”
The queen of the fae was an odd, complex being. She could be benevolent and kind and then wicked and cruel within the space of a mere thought.
Suddenly, Captain Lir appeared at my side. Outside his shirt had been unbuttoned, sweat dotted his brow, and his hair had been askew. Blood had flecked his face. There was not a trace of that in his immaculate appearance. He bowed low. “My queen.”
Aine dragged her eyes down his body and back up again. “We do not visit Réalta only to make a spectacle of ourselves in their marketplace, do we, Captain?”
He inclined his head, a flick of a dangerous look at Eirik.
“Do you have a reason for your attentions upon the human females?”
Lir shrugged. “They refused to pleasure me and my men. So we took our pleasure from them.”
“They are not slaves to your every whim,” Eirik bit out.
Lir raised an eyebrow. “Are they not?”
“No,” Aine answered.
The room hushed.
Lir straightened, his expression flattening. “My queen?”
She stood. The golden dress she wore clung to her beautiful body, but the train flowed around her feet like golden water and as she moved down the dais, the sound of it was like a gentle stream.
Aine drew to a stop before Lir. “Humans are not slaves to your every whim, Captain. They are my guests in this world and therefore friends who bow to my every whim. I did not give you leave to take your pleasure from them.”
He bowed his head deferentially. “My queen.”
“You have embarrassed me, Lir. To be scolded by a vampire for your behavior is not at all how I envisioned my visit to the lands of eternal night. What say you?”
“My apologies, My queen.” His gaze flicked to Eirik again. “Do you wish me to cut down the vampire who would scold you?”
“No,” she answered immediately. She smiled at Eirik, devious and wicked, beautiful and sparkling. “He amuses me greatly.” She turned her golden eyes to the watching crowd and pouted prettily. “Pity he does not want me.”
The room gasped at the idea, outraged on behalf of their queen.