“I don’t need someone else to do what I’m perfectly capable of doing myself Landis, I’ll leave it to you to be waited on. I’m not interested.”

  He glared at her when she turned her back and kept right on caring for the horse. I just chuckled and walked over to Raife where he was waiting.

  Landis showed us to a room where we could sleep with another directly across the hall for the rest of our group. He didn’t speak to us again before turning and marching rigidly back down the hallway. The room was certainly bigger than I’d expected, and surprisingly clean if what Landis said was true, and no one had been here in decades.

  Chapter forty-six

  Jules

  After the evening meal of some kind of game bird with a bland white vegetable, we all sat in the large common room with Landis and River, a tense silence surrounding us.

  Raife broke it by asking, “Do you care to let us in on your plan, Landis? Why are we here, seemingly a great distance from your palace.”

  His vivid green eyes held mine, filled with anger and maybe some heat, before he pulled his gaze away to answer Raife.

  “We are not as far away as it seems, we arrived here by an indirect route to hopefully throw anyone off our trail, and yes, I do have a plan, though I will not be sharing it at this time.”

  He lifted his chin while he spoke, as if his nose could be anymore stuck up, and he settled back in his chair as if that was the end of the conversation.

  “So, you expect us to just sit around here and twiddle our thumbs like we did in your palace, and wait to be attacked again. I don’t fucking think so. We need to know what your strategy is here, or we have no way to prepare ourselves, and you definitely owe us that fucking much.”

  “We can’t be ready if we don’t know what we’re facing Lan”, Dallas added.

  Landis stood to his full height, which was pretty fucking tall, his posture rigid, stick obviously still wedged up his ass, then turned from us and left the room. His friend River exhaled loudly before standing to follow, but I spoke before he left.

  “Hey River, ask Landis if he needs some help pulling the stick out of his ass.” He snorted and flashed me a grin before leaving the way Landis had.

  I clapped my hands and kicked my feet up onto the table in front of the couch. “That went well.”

  The three of us found the small building where what looked like a natural pond was located for bathing, and needed no encouragement to strip down and immerse ourselves in the clear water. I floated on my back in the cool water, letting my mind quiet as I enjoyed the peaceful moment. Raife and Dallas sat side by side on the natural rock ledge, the water lapping at chest level, and I was definitely enjoying that view. I floated toward them and Dallas reached out, grabbing me by the ankle and hauling me onto his lap. He smirked at me, his hands running up my sides, stopping where his thumbs brushed the sides of my breasts.

  “I believe this is the only bathing pond for the camp, so we need to respect others who will want to avail themselves of the water”, Raife stated.

  Obviously we got his meaning, but I thought a bit of fun was in order. With my hands underwater, I raised a stream of water up from the center of the pond, asking it to arc over Raife, before splashing down on his head. He laughed so I broadened the flow of the water to encompass the three of us, turning it into our own mini rain shower.

  “That’s amazing love!” Dallas smiled warmly, rain still splashing down on us. “See what else you can make it do.”

  I thought for a minute, then created waves in the pond, the water rising up before arcing over and down into the pond again. Next I thought about small fish and created them with water, jumping in and out of the pond, swimming in circles, before letting them dissipate. Then, I had the water rise up in the shape of globes, the size of basketballs, and sent them spinning about the room, careful they didn't crash into one another before returning them to the pond. As I searched the room to be sure I had all the water in the pond, I noticed Lan standing in the doorway, looking completely astonished.

  “You absolutely amaze me”, he stated, a look of wonder still on his face. “You’re doing the impossible and making it look effortless.”

  “Well, it’s not impossible if I’m doing it, now is it Lan.” Not sure why I felt the need to needle him at every opportunity, but fuck if I could stop myself.

  “No, clearly not impossible, just unbelievable.”

  “You probably want to make use of the pond, so we can clear out and leave you to it then.”

  “I’d really like to see what else you can do with the water…it’s beautiful.” He looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, clear now, not rolling with tension like they usually were, and I was really annoyed with myself for thinking how much I wanted to run my hands through that silky blonde hair of his. Fuck that, I wasn’t going there, no matter how gorgeous he was!

  “Yeah, I’m not really feeling it anymore, so we’ll just go.” I started to get out of the water and Dallas immediately put himself between Landis and I, blocking me from his view as I quickly got dressed. Raife followed us and as we left the room, Landis still standing in the same spot, I threw back over my shoulder, “See ya”.

  “You truly can’t stop yourself, can you,” Raife asked when we’d finished dressing in our room.

  “Honestly no, I can’t.” I smiled at him and Dallas burst out laughing.

  “Fucking hilarious if you ask me,” he snorted.

  Raife sighed, looking at the two of us like we were his misbehaving teenagers. “We’re all on the same side here, so it would be a lot easier if we just got along.”

  “Yeah well, fuck that,” I answered. “He started it anyway.” I knew that I sounded like a petulant child, but I seemed to have very little control over myself when it came to the gorgeous Fae who was supposedly my mate, but I didn’t want Raife to be disappointed in me either. He was one of the two most important people in the world to me, so I did want to make him proud. Right now Landis wasn’t even on the list of important people to me.

  I stood in front of Raife and ran my hands up his chest, smoothing the material over his pecs before wrapping my fingers part way around his biceps…no they didn’t make it all the way around by a long shot. I laid my cheek against his chest and inhaled his smell, a scent that I could distinguish from any other person on this planet. My heartbeat slowed until it was perfectly in sync with his and I wrapped my arms around him, smoothing my hands up his back. Dallas stepped up behind me and enfolded both of us in his arms, his forehead coming to rest against Raife’s.

  “I’m scared,” I whispered. They waited.

  “I’m afraid that if I let Landis in, even just a little, the bond will take over and I will start to feel for him, and I don’t know if I can handle it. I know that he’s not a bad guy, he may even be a good guy, but the whole thing scares me, so it’s safer for me to keep him out.” I sighed.

  “Is it bad of me, to be selfish and want it to be just the three of us. I mean, am I really going to let people die, because I want to be a selfish bitch?”

  “You couldn’t be a bitch if you tried,” Dallas growled in my ear.

  “Sweetheart, I would be amazed if you weren’t scared. You’ve faced things that just a few months ago you couldn’t have imagined, and you’ve done it all better than anyone ever could. Of course you’re worried about changing things, I feel the same way, but I trust you and I know that you will only do what you truly feel in your heart. So, whatever you feel about Landis is okay with me, because I trust in you with every part of my being.”

  Dallas growled in my ear, the vibration swirling through my body and making me squeeze my thighs together.

  “Nothing will ever change my love for you.”

  The next morning we were all gathered in the common room, where we’d just had a breakfast of leftover game bird and some kind of mushy root vegetable. Landis had yet to speak to us, he’d merely inclined his head when we sat down. I guess it was up to me to break the proverbial ice and speak to him first…which was fucking pissing me off.

  “So Lan, what’s the plan for today?” It was the best I could do.

  He looked my way, piercing me with those vividly green eyes and heat swirled down below, which pissed me off even more. I ground my teeth together until Dallas looked at me. I knew that if I just got up and left, he’d follow me…Raife too. I blew out a breath.

  “Are we going to talk about it or not, because sitting around all fucking day doesn’t work for us.”

  Landis held my gaze, his green eyes burning with emotion, for a long moment before deciding to speak with us.

  “We are scouting the area between here and the palace to see if we have been followed and also to get a picture of what’s going on inside the palace. As soon as we have that information, we will formulate a plan,” he said, his voice very stiff and formal.

  “Isn’t that going to take a long time, considering the distance we are from the palace? How many days are we talking here?” I was truly interested now that he was including us.

  “Scouts are already at the palace and will be back here later today.” I held his gaze as we spoke, not willing to look away.

  “How the hell can they be there already? That makes no sense. What are you not telling us?”

  Landis sighed as though this was all too much for him and we were such a nuisance. Again, pissing me the fuck off.

  “There are fae who can see through the minds of other creatures, in this case birds. They have directed them to fly over the palace, allowing us to see what is happening, at least on the outside.”

  “Huh, that’s pretty sweet. Can you do it also? Can most fae do this, or is it a rare gift?”

  Landis regarded me closely before answering. “It is a very rare gift, one I do not possess. River is the only fae here who can see directly through other creatures' eyes.”

  “Maybe I can give it a try.” I looked at him hopefully, completely forgetting that I was pissed at him, but he just glared at me.

  “I would say that it was highly unlikely you would be so skilled, but given everything else you’ve achieved, that’s probably not true.” His shoulders slumped as if in defeat as he looked away.

  Raife spoke up, probably sensing that I was about to light into Landis.

  “Maybe Jules can speak with River about it when he has completed his task today.”

  “I will send him to you later today,” Landis said before leaving the room.

  Later that day we were outside and I was brushing Penny, after having managed to find some grooming supplies in one of the smaller buildings. She was enjoying it immensely, her eyes half closed as she lowered her neck so I could reach her ears. I was speaking directly with her mind, showing her how beautiful she looked, admiring her stunning copper color and her sleek but muscular body. It was a very peaceful feeling and I let myself sink into the relaxation. Dallas sat a bit away from us, the other horses still anxious about him, but Penny accepted him after I showed her he was a friend and wouldn’t hurt her. Raife was brushing his own horse, something he’d obviously done many, many times before.

  I was surprised when Penny showed me River standing by a tree at the end of the path, as he watched us. I rubbed down her neck and kissed the side of her face, thanking her for showing him to me.

  When I looked at him, River strode towards us and I noticed how much he resembled Landis. He had the same long blonde hair, though his was more golden, as well as piercing green eyes and broad shoulders. He wasn’t quite as tall as Lan, but he did look more muscular, his thickly muscled thighs on prominent display in the tight black pants.

  “Landis sent me to you, to offer my assistance. I understand you may be able to direct creatures, see through their eyes, as I do.”

  “Hi River, I would like to see if it’s something that I can do, yes.”

  “You are speaking directly to her mind, are you not?” He nodded at Penny and I replied, “Yes, I am able to project pictures into her mind as a way of communicating.”

  Raife came to stand at my side, while Dallas still maintained a small distance from the horses.

  “Landis tells me that the way of the Fae is all new to you, yet you have been able to master virtually everything that he showed you.”

  “Yes, that’s true, so far.”

  “To show you, I will use a bird, because I find them the easiest to direct, but you may wish to use your horse here, because you already have established a connection with her.”

  “There is no danger to her, right?” I asked as I stroked Penny’s neck and she leaned her head into me.

  “No danger at all,” he assured me.

  River called to a large black bird that flew down to land on a branch of a tree about twenty feet from where we stood.

  “I enter his mind just as you would to send him a message, but instead of a message, I allow myself to sink in further, and stretch my awareness to encompass his senses. Once I have achieved that, I can direct him with mere thoughts.”

  His face took on a blank look as the bird took flight and soared above the trees for a few moments before landing back on the same branch. River’s eyes refocused and he was back with us.

  Raife asked, “When you are in the bird’s mind, are you virtually incapacitated in your own body?”

  “I am to a degree, yes, but I can break the connection at any time. For the purposes of spying, I have guards with me the whole time, so I may stay with the bird for as long as it takes.”

  “I want to try,” I told them anxiously. “Will you hold my hand Raife?”

  “Of course sweetheart, I will not leave your side.”

  Dallas moved in closer as I continued to rub Penny’s neck, letting my mind slip into hers, asking if it was okay. I felt her slow breathing, heard with her exceptional ears, and then, I saw with her eyes. Her vision was different, she saw much further to the side and back than I could, but otherwise not all that different. I showed a picture in her mind of her walking around the small area, and she moved off right away. While I felt that I was moving with her, I knew that I was standing still, Raife’s hand firmly holding mine. I asked her to trot, then canter around us in a small circle, her movements exactly matching my thoughts. I had her stop right in front of Dallas so that he could rub her neck and I showed her how pleased I was with everything she’d done for me.

  I slowly backed away from her senses, while showing her a picture of me rubbing her and kissing her face as I withdrew from her mind completely.

  “Wow, that was amazing.” I smiled broadly at them, so happy with what I’d achieved.

  “Wow, is right!” River echoed my sentiments. “I thought Landis was exaggerating about what you could do, but he didn’t even say enough. That was amazing!”

  I didn’t really know what to say, so I settled with, “thanks”.

  “I’m the only one of Landis’ guards that can direct other creatures' minds, and very few Fae hold the ability.”

  Dallas put his arm around my waist and growled in my ear, “she’s not like anyone else”.

  Raife kissed the palm of my hand before placing it over his heart. I smiled up at him, not needing words to know how much he loved me, it was right there in his eyes.

  “How did you call the bird to you, River?”

  “I just picture the bird, then send a message out and whatever bird is in the vicinity will get it.”

  “Okay, I get it, and thank you so much for teaching me, it was very helpful.”

  He smiled back at me before adding, “I don’t think I did very much, and you probably would have figured it out on your own, but I was happy to help.”

  After River had left us, we headed off in search of Landis to see if he would share what his intelligence gathering had found.

  We finally located him at the rear of the property, behind all the buildings. He was with his guards and they were having target practice, going through very precise drills, each of them shooting their arrows at moving targets without ever interfering with one another. I really wanted to give it a try, but instead of getting into another argument with Landis, I sent Raife a message directly to his mind, suggesting he ask Landis for me.

  When Landis noticed us, he approached, stopping next to Raife.

  “Perhaps I could have a go with a bow Landis, it’s been many years since I’ve tried my hand at archery,” Raife asked him.

  Landis merely nodded, before motioning to one of his guards to give his bow to Raife. Raife stepped closer to the other guards before nocking an arrow and raising the bow. He started slowly, hitting the center of every target, then he kicked it up into vampire speed and the arrows left his bow with such speed they were barely discernible, every single one landing dead center of the targets.

  He lowered the bow and rejoined us, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “That felt good, it’s been a long time.”

  I just stared at him, totally amazed at the show he’d just given us, and I gotta admit, it definitely made parts of my body feel a bit hotter. Dallas wrapped an arm around my shoulders and chuckled in my ear.

  “Okay there love?”

  Raife smiled at the two of us before asking, “Want to give it a try, Jules?”

  “Well, I did, but now I’m going to look like an idiot,” I smiled at him.

  “You won’t, maybe we’ll just try a few with a stationary target.”

  “Okay, I’m game.”

  Raife pulled me forward a few steps before showing me how to hold the bow and nock an arrow. A guard had set up two stationary targets for me as Raife explained how to take aim. I pulled the arrow back, lined up the target and let it fly. I was definitely surprised when it not only hit the target, but landed in the center. Dallas grinned at me and now I definitely had to do it again!

  Raife strapped a quiver of arrows to my back and I moved quickly from one standing target to another, hitting each squarely in the center. I wasn’t sure why it was, but I almost didn’t have to think about aiming, just let my fingers direct the arrow to the target.