Chapter 28: 28: The Hefty Price of Magic

Fiona

The trip to Salcombe dragged on forever because of the snowy road conditions, but we passed the time listening to music and the bickering between Viona and Rian.

“How will Lucas know when we have arrived?” I asked Rowan.

“Don’t worry, he’ll know when to come to the pub,” Viona piped up from the back seat.

“Rowan, are you sure he’s fine with all this?” Kat asked, sounding nervous and unsure. “I’m not only a stranger, but the daughter of a dangerous woman.” She laid her head back on the seat, groaning.

“Lucas wouldn’t have told me where to meet him, Kat, if he wasn’t up for the task. Try not to worry, lass.” I watched Rowan glance in the rear-view mirror at her.

“This being a fairy princess seems like a bad dream.” She let out a huff. “I mean, if I’m the daughter of this mighty fairy queen, where are my powers? How come I’ve never felt different?”

As I turned in my seat, I watched Viona grab Kat’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “If I had to guess…” the witch said, “I would bet it has a lot to do with that rat bastard, Quinn. Children are a product of their upbringing and you were raised by humans. Not to mention that sick fuck, Quinn, removing your wings.” Viona’s face scrunched into a look of disgust.

I nodded, turning to smile at Kat while taking it all in, since I had the same questions plaguing me regarding my powers. “If we are successful at keeping Kat hidden, how will we ever find out who’s helping my father with Sexflex? How will we get Kyra back? Queen Celestria was clear that she wouldn’t assist us unless we revealed Kat’s whereabouts. As long as she has the entire court on lockdown, there’s no chance of another fairy helping us. You guys said they are loyal to their queen.”

“Just like any ruler…” Rowan placed his hand over mine with his eyes on the road. “There’s always a rebellious few or group who aren’t as loyal as they appear.” He glanced over, smiling at me.

“He’s right,” Rian said. “If we could contact the right fairy, one with a grudge against the queen…”

“She’s such an evil bitch. I’m sure there are many fairies who despise her in secret.” Viona sat staring out the window at the bleak scenery.

“We agree on something… Wonders never cease,” Rian announced.

“It’s a big ‘if’…” Rowan said. “Still, if we succeeded, we could gather enough concrete evidence and present it to the other races. The only way to stop Cormac Quinn is to have all the Creatures of Primordial on our side.”

“That would cause an all-out war,” Viona stated. “But it’s the only way to stop Quinn. I’d like to know why this unknown fairy is so keen to keep Sexflex on the market. I wonder if Quinn is blackmailing one of them?” She turned from the window and exhaled a long sigh.

“That’s a strong possibility. Make no mistake, it’s blackmail, or there’s something significant in it for the guilty party,” Rian responded.

Our drive to Salcombe lasted almost ten hours because of the weather, and although it was winter, the place had a rugged beauty that drew me in. I peered out at the seaside village and imagined what it must look like during the spring and summer months. An urge to roll the window down and inhale the salty air was strong, but I refrained. Instead, I gazed at the stone cottages, the sea, the rocky landscape, grazing sheep, and lonely trees. The view left me mesmerized.

Before long, Rowan stopped at the pub in the village called The Bitter Nightingale. “We’re here. Let’s get a bite to eat while we wait.”

Viona sighed. “Good, I’m famished, and my ass is numb. I never want to spend this long in a bloody vehicle ever again.”

“You gonna fly back home on your broom?” Rian snickered and hopped out of the SUV, stretching.

“Hilarious, little wolf.” She jumped out and threw him a glare accompanied by a smirk. “Just remember I’m doing you guys…” She advanced toward him, punching her finger with each word until she stood toe to toe with Rian. “A favor.” Viona slammed her index finger into his chest twice, scowling up at him. “I could have been here in seconds with the click of my fingers.” She snapped them for effect.

“So why didn’t you snap your little fingers?” Rian remained nose to nose with her, nostrils flaring and fists clenched at his sides.

I tried not to chuckle at Viona’s audacity. Rian towered over her, but she had no fear. Viona was an absolute badass, and I’d grown to like her a lot. I had a feeling that underneath her fierce exterior, and the vile words lay a wounded, delicate heart. Something was brewing between her and Rian. I just knew it. No way they spat that much vitriol at each other without an underlying reason. I wanted to ask Rian if they had some type of history, but feared his wrath. He seemed to take everything in stride unless it pertained to a certain fiery, tough, and gorgeous redheaded witch. Perhaps they had dated in the past… Yes, I was nosy and craving to know their back story.

“I think after we eat, we should ask about renting rooms here.” Rowan pointed to a row of six adjoining cottages beside the pub.

“Let’s talk to Lucas first. Perhaps we can crash with him.” Viona tore her gaze from Rian and glanced at Rowan.

“This looks like the perfect place to come and disappear,” I said, pulling my coat tighter around me.

“You’re cold. Let’s get inside!” Rowan placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me toward the door. “We’ll order something warm to drink and eat while waiting for Lucas.”

The moment we stepped into the pub, it was obvious that Lucas had been there, waiting for us. Only the barkeep and a tall, attractive man stood by the bar, his gaze fixed on the entrance. Rowan and Rian rushed to him and I watched the ‘bro’ hugs and several thumping pats to the back.

I felt relief wash over me, noticing how kind Lucas appeared with his mouth stretched in a broad smile, reaching his honey-colored eyes. His chocolate brown hair was thick and wavy, reaching his shoulders. Lucas was a looker with full lips, beautiful olive skin, and a buff yet slim build. Kat gripped my hand, and I heard her audible intake of breath and knew this could be a problem. “Kat…” I glared at her, frowning. “I know what you’re thinking and while I understand, don’t even think about seducing him.”

“He has to be the most magnificent man I’ve ever laid eyes on.” While she was speaking to me, her eyes stayed glued to Lucas.

A still-grinning Rowan approached us. “Ladies, this is my beta and best friend, Lucas.”

Lucas glanced at me with a smile, but his eyes kept shifting to Kat, and he seemed anxious. “You must be Fiona.”

I nodded, returning his smile, and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lucas. This is my best friend, Kat.” He stared at Kat and I watched his pupils dilate as he swallowed hard.

Oh shit, I thought. Looks like the feeling is mutual.

“Kat,” he muttered, taking her hand. “Or should I call you Princess Araqiel? I’ve heard about you.” His nostrils widened as he brought Kat’s hand up to kiss her knuckles, but I noticed he also smelled her hand.

Just fuckin’ great! I rolled my eyes. No way these two were not hitting the sheets at the first opportunity.

Rowan cleared his throat, and Lucas dropped Kat’s hand as if it burned him and I saw the smallest trace of pink on his cheeks.

“Please call me Kat.” She dropped her eyes to the floor, appearing timid. Kat was not shy, quite the contrary.

“And you already know, Viona…” Rowan tilted his head toward the witch.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Lucas said, his attention remaining on Kat.

Rowen placed an order with the barkeep and turned to Lucas. “Thank you for having us.”

“No problem, Rowen, you know I’d do anything for you…”

“Yes, but protecting Kat since she’s Princess Araqiel could be dangerous…” Rowen appeared to peer into Lucas’s eyes. “We can’t risk her mother finding her.”

“And I can’t risk being found yet, either.” Lucas lifted his brows. “I want to return to the pack with my mate in tow to squelch any rumors. I allowed my foolish heart to lead me astray and now I’m paying for it.” He shook his head, looking ashamed.

“Lucas, what makes you think you’ll find your mate in this one-horse town?” Viona asked, scoffing.

“I don’t…” he said, frowning at the witch. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m licking my wounds, so to speak.” He shrugged, dropping his head.

His humility must have struck a chord with Viona as I watched the smug expression fall from her face. But in pure Viona style, she was quick to armor herself against any vulnerability. “You should stop moping over this woman who left you in knots. Move on with your life already, Lucas.”

I feared things were about to get out of hand and watched Rian’s eyes narrowing and knew he was about to join this squabble. Rowan seemed to pick up on this as well and intervened. “Listen, Lucas, I assure you that none of us will betray your confidence.”

Lucas blew out a breath. “All right. I’m choosing to trust all of you.”

“Good. We just want to identify who the fuck is conspiring with Quinn. And once we know, I think it will help us get Kyra back.” Rowan frowned and my heart constricted in pain thinking about his baby sister.

“Yeah, and I want to know who my mother is,” I whispered and placed a hand over my mouth.

Lucas glanced at me, and his brow jumped to his hairline. “You don’t know your mother?”

I felt my cheeks heat with color. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to say that out loud…”

“Don’t apologize, lass.” Rowan grabbed my hand and explained to Lucas I was a hybrid—daughter of Cormac Quinn and a fairy that I didn’t remember. “Fiona’s father kept her mother prisoner, but she escaped, leaving Fiona behind. Quinn, the bastard, removed Kat and Fiona’s wings.”

The barkeep deposited our order on the bar and moved away, giving us privacy. “He’s one evil bastard,” Lucas said before taking a sip of ale and digging into his food. Rowan caught Lucas up on everything regarding Sexflex, Kyra, my mother, and our quandary with Queen Celestria as we filled our stomachs.

“It’s too bad that Tiana left,” Lucas said with a shrug. “She might have known your mother, Fiona. Tiana made an enemy of Queen Celestria when she ran away with me, abandoning the Fae Realm. For all I know, she may have begged the queen to allow her back into the fold.” He glanced at me with a sad-looking smile. “But Queen Celestria doesn’t strike me as the forgiving type.”

“Did she leave anything alluding to where she was going?” Rowan asked.

“Or a Dear John letter explaining why she was leaving you?” Viona leaned around me, looking at Lucas.

“Nope. I just woke up one day to find her gone without a trace.”

“I doubt she’s back in the Fae Realm,” I told him. “Queen Celestria clarified she has her kingdom on lockdown because of the Sexflex epidemic.”

“So where would an ostracized fairy go if she knew she couldn’t return home?” Rowan scratched his chin, appearing to ponder.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this.” Viona let out a dry laugh. “I used magic, bringing you to Lucas, and with a snap of my fingers, I could be back with my coven.” She shook her head, saying no more.

“And…” Rian glared at her, waiting for Viona to continue.

“Patience, young wolf.” She swallowed the last of her ale. “If it helps Fiona and Kat, I could find this missing fairy, Tiana…”

“You can?” Lucas turned to Viona, eyes widened in shock.

Viona rolled her eyes. “Get over this woman already, Lucas. I’m not bringing her back for you. I swear for such a big guy, you act like a pussy.”

“That’s not what I meant, you smart-mouthed witch! She’s not my mate and I’ve learned my lesson. Bring her back for Kat and Fiona’s sake, but I want nothing to do with her,” he roared and slammed his pint on the bar.

“Fine. I’ll find her, but just remember my earlier warning…” Viona hopped down from the barstool and glanced at Rowan and Rian. “Magic comes at a cost… you’ll eventually pay a hefty price.”