very nicely.”
“One more thing,” Krall said. “I need a moment alone with her.”
Even J.C. seemed surprised by the request. I froze. Archer’s low growl vibrated through the room.
“No,” I said. “The wolf goes where I go.”
Krall waved a dismissive hand. “Fine. I don’t care. But you do exactly what I tell you. Understand?”
“Yes,” I gasped. Archer got closer. Moren deferred to him. Whoever this Krall was, I felt his power. It nearly took my breath from me.
He was so strong. Ancient. As he got closer, I stared into his opal-like eyes and knew him for what he was. Likely the most powerful member of the Ring any witch had ever encountered.
This was crazy. Even I knew that. But as Krall took my hand and Archer fell in beside me, I had the makings of a plan.
15
Archer
Fucking fae magic.
It clouded my vision. Got in my damn lungs. I tried to keep my eyes on Phaedra, but there were three of her.
“This isn’t what I agreed to,” J.C. said. For the first time since I’d known him, he seemed scared.
Krall took charge. The other fae, Moren, hung back. When Krall moved toward Phaedra, I leapt down from my platform. No way in hell I would let any of them put me in Dragonsteel without a fight.
I guessed right. The Phaedra in the center was the real one. She reached for me through her own cage bars, letting her fingers sink into my fur.
I would kill. I would die. I would not let them touch her.
“Easy, wolf,” she whispered. “Don’t ruin my big chance.”
She smiled at Krall, but her words were meant entirely for me. I could do nothing more than growl a warning.
“You answer to me,” Krall said to J.C. “I need to see what she can handle for myself. I’m not interested in what you can give her.”
Krall reached out. He caught Phaedra by the wrist. The cage around her melted away. My head buzzed from the magic. It made my stomach flip. But Phaedra stayed steady as a rock. Her eyes glistened with fire. If anything, she seemed to thrive off the challenge Krall represented.
“Careful,” I thought. She couldn’t yet read my mind, but she knew it anyway.
“Krall, this wasn’t the deal…”
Krall waved a hand, sending a ball of light shooting from his fingertips. It sent J.C. reeling backward. He landed against the wall with a thud but quickly recovered.
“The dog can stay with her,” Krall said. “It might get interesting.”
Before I could take a step, before I could react at all, the walls disappeared and reformed. We were in J.C.’s suite. Krall still had a hold of Phaedra. He took her to the couch. He loomed over her as she sat. She kept her eyes slightly unfocused, as if still under the influence of J.C.’s stolen magic.
“You’re a pretty thing,” Krall said. “I can see why you create such a stir downstairs.”
“I just like to feel good,” Phaedra said. “J.C. said you can make me feel like I can fly.”
Krall laughed. “Indeed. What about him?”
He acted so quickly I almost didn’t see it. But Krall sent a shock of lightning straight up Phaedra’s arm. She gasped. Her eyes turned golden. She let out a sultry laugh.
Was she pretending still?
“Wow,” she said. She kept a simple smile on her face and bit her bottom lip. Oh, yes. She was still pretending.
“Do it again?” she asked.
I growled and went to her side. I bared my teeth and snapped at Krall. She put a hand on my back.
“Interesting,” Krall said. “He seems very attached to you. You know what that means, don’t you?”
“More,” Phaedra said. “Please? Whatever that was, it was wild.”
What the hell was she doing?
“Do you think you’re going to kill me, dog?” Krall laughed. “You think she’s yours? If you behave, maybe I’ll let you taste her again. I can already smell you all over her. You’ve been sampling the merchandise, haven’t you? Bad dog.”
“You’re a real fae, aren’t you?” Phaedra asked. “I’ve never seen one before. Whatever that was, it was pure. It was better than the stuff J.C. gives me. Do you want me to dance?”
Krall laughed. “You’re strong. And I think you’re lying about something. I think you’ve known exactly what you were doing since you came here. So, we’re going to find out just how much you can handle.”
I pushed him back, barreling into him with my entire body. Krall might have had magic inside of him, but he was no physical match for me.