Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Beck strides into the kitchen along with his wife. He holds Meg’s hand, and the look on his face is that of a satisfied man. Meg is still yawning, but she’s adorable to me. “I’m afraid we have to cut our visit short, brother.”
“What’s wrong?” I sit up straighter, focused despite the slight hangover. Torin is always a threat. I would feel better if my cousins would simply move into the Dellacorp building, but they have obligations to their people.
Beck snatches the toast out of his brother’s hand, earning him a dirty stare. He merely smiles and chews gamely. Meg rolls her eyes and sets herself on Cian’s lap. She happily nuzzles his neck while Beck explains the situation.
“I got a call from Reeve at the auction house. He’s got a serious problem. The Planeswalker brought him a bondmate from a plane he is unfamiliar with. She’s causing trouble. She won’t talk or eat, and she’s attempted to kill the few men brave enough to come near her,” Beck explains.
“What does he expect?” Meg asks, sounding irritated. “Who knows what the poor woman was doing when a demon kidnapped her. Maybe she was about to buy a really nice pair of shoes. Now she’ll never get those shoes.”
“I’m sorry, lover,” Cian replies, running his tongue over the shell of her ear. “I can’t make up for your footwear. It’s a tragedy.”
She slaps playfully at him. “You know what I’m saying. It’s not easy to be in that position. I should know. It can be scary.”
Beck smiles down at his bride, his eyes lit with love. “Yes, you seemed entirely frightened by me. I remember you spitting bile at me the first time we met.”
Meg reaches up and touches her warrior husband’s cheek. “I remember that encounter differently, husband. But I was frightened. I didn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t even know there were other planes of existence. I want to help this woman.”
Beck nods, his face tight with emotion. “I understand, love. We’ll do what we can.”
“We’re going to the marketplace to talk to her. It might help to talk to another female,” Meg says. “They say she looks human, so she might talk to me. The gnomes aren’t threatening, but they seem weird if you haven’t seen them before. Reeve says she’s violent and should be put down.”
“He wants to kill her?” I’m shocked at the thought.
The woman didn’t ask to be brought to another plane and sold in the marketplace. Most of the consorts who are sold at the market request the sale themselves. It’s considered a reasonable way to find a mate. If a person has enough money to buy a consort, it probably means they can afford to support one. In the Fae world, outside of nobility, it’s a common practice. Only bondmates and consorts from other planes are brought in and forcibly sold. “Why doesn’t he let her go?”
Beck sighs. “For several reasons. He’s been contracted to sell her. Those demons are damned serious about their contracts. If Reeve simply lets her go, he’ll be in violation. There’s also the fact that he has no idea what he’ll be setting loose. He doesn’t know how to get her back to her home.”
“We’re going to find a way,” Meg vows. Her face is solemn. “I won’t let anyone put her down like an animal.”
“Of course not, darlin’,” Beck agrees, but there’s worry in his eyes. Sometimes it isn’t easy to be the king. “We’ll figure out some way to help the poor girl.”
“You say she’s violent?” My brain starts working overtime. A violent woman who can serve as a consort. A woman who frightens the gnomes. A woman who tries to kill the men who touch her. She sounds scary—and a little perfect.
“That’s what Reeve said,” Beck corrects. “He says she’s out of control. The women can’t get close to her cage.”
The words are music to my ears. “And you’re sure she’s a consort?”
“Again, according to Reeve, she is. The demon said she glows. I could tell you if she was a bondmate. Bondmates can usually pass for consorts, too.” Beck’s voice holds a note of suspicion. “Why? Do you want to come and help us, then? You could tell just by looking at her.”
Cian stares my way with narrow eyes, but he says nothing.
I shrug. I’ll be able to tell if the woman is a consort by her glow. It appears as a slight halo around the consort’s form. It’s a lovely, infinitely appealing sight to the royal vampire. “Sure, why not?”
It isn’t like I have anything better to do. It won’t hurt to go take a look at her. I get up to follow my cousins out. At the very least, I’ll meet someone who doesn’t know who I am.
It’s late in the afternoon when we make it to the marketplace. I follow behind Beck as he strides toward the biggest of the tents dotting the marketplace grounds. The door between the Vampire plane and this plane—a refugee plane—is easily accessible. There are hundreds of ways to get to different planes. Vampire scientists theorize that there are still thousands of planes yet to be discovered. Many scientists would love to work with the Planeswalker clans to map out all the different doors. Unfortunately, the Planeswalkers come from a plane called Hell, and they don’t have a problem with eating scientists.