Dark Alpha's Redemption--A Reaper Novel, page 4
Bradach snorted. “Balladyn knows a lot more than anyone gives him credit for. He has his own agenda against Usaeil. He and Xaneth are also friendly, so he wants Xaneth found, too.”
Maeve raised her brows as she began putting pieces of the puzzle together. “Balladyn was a general in the Light army and is now sitting on the Dark throne. With what you’ve told me about Usaeil, assuming I believe you, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think that the queen had something to do with Balladyn becoming Dark.”
“Balladyn’s story isn’t for me to tell. I can see why you would be hesitant, but I will do whatever you ask in order to gain your trust.”
“But you know Balladyn’s story.”
“I do.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, then she asked, “The simple fact that Usaeil is a Dark masquerading as a Light says a lot about her. Again, assuming you’re telling the truth.”
“There are those who have seen her eyes flash red when she gets angry. Yet, as much as I need your help, I should warn you that getting tangled in this could mean the end of your life if Usaeil discovers what you’re about.”
Maeve hadn’t had such a challenging job in a long time. She wanted to shake up her life some and get out of the rut she currently found herself in. A lot of her desire had to do with the sexy Fae sitting across from her that she couldn’t stop looking at.
Or imagine kissing.
“I can handle myself,” she said.
Bradach grinned. “Assuming I’m telling the truth.”
She couldn’t help but return his smile. “Precisely.”
The longer she was with Bradach, the more comfortable she was. As if she had known him for hundreds of years instead of for just a few minutes. She’d never had that kind of connection with anyone. Usually, she was much more guarded.
“You look worried,” he said. “Wondering how I’m going to prove all of this to you?”
“Now that you mention it, yes.”
“That will require you to use glamour while we visit the Light.”
She jerked back. “Have you lost your mind? We’ll never get away with that.”
“Yes, we will. Unless you aren’t up for the challenge,” Bradach said, his red eyes sparkling with the dare. “I thought the great Maeve would never back down from anything. Especially nothing so . . . calm . . . as using glamour to walk among the Light.”
She regarded him for a full minute in silence. Somehow, he knew exactly what to say to get her to do what he wanted. Leon didn’t even have that ability, so what made Bradach different? There was a fair amount of danger in joining Bradach in this. Usaeil could see it as Maeve taking sides. But Maeve was so bored, maybe this was just what she needed.
“As if I could let something like that go,” she said. “All right. I’ll join you. And you better hope for your sake that what you say is true. Otherwise, favor to the king or not, I’ll exact my revenge on you.”
“Sounds intriguing,” Bradach said with a crooked grin that made her heart beat double-time.
She’d wanted her life shaken up, and she was getting exactly that with Bradach.
Gods help her. Because she liked every second of it.
Chapter Five
The idea had come upon him unexpectedly. Bradach didn’t regret his plan to bring Maeve to the Light. If he could walk among the Dark, she could do the same with the Light.
Not only would he have a good chance of convincing her that he was telling the truth, but she might also see another side to the Fae that she didn’t know.
Bradach didn’t want to think why that seemed important. He knew it was rare for a Dark to turn Light, but it did happen. Is that what he wanted? Would he then feel better about being attracted to her?
Fek, but it was all so damn confusing.
“I suppose you want to go now?” she asked.
She shifted her legs, causing him to look down at the slender limbs. He imagined running his hand from her ankles up to her thighs and shoving the dress aside to see her. His cock hardened.
“Aye,” he said and then cleared his throat as the picture of his thoughts took root.
Maeve gave him an odd look before raising a brow. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s perfect.”
She got to her feet and looked down at her gown. “I believe I need to change.”
“A shame. You wear the dress well.”
A pleased look filled her features. “I’ll return shortly. Make yourself at home.”
Bradach watched as she turned and walked away. His eyes followed her through a doorway that he suspected was to her bedroom. He then got to his feet and looked around the chamber. It appeared they were in a living area of sorts.
Besides the doorway Maeve had disappeared through, there was another on the opposite side behind him. He wondered what was through there. It would take but a second to discover the answer, but he didn’t check.
It was a good thing because, in the next moment, Maeve returned. She was in a pair of white pants that molded to her shapely legs. He noticed the white heels, but it was the black and white horizontally striped tee with gold lettering that said Lady Boss that made him smile.
She shrugged on a short black jacket with three-quarter-length sleeves as she asked, “Do you approve?”
“I do. Don’t forget,” Bradach said and motioned to his eyes and hair.
A brief frown flashed across her face. “Right. I’d forgotten.”
She snapped her fingers, and the silver vanished from her hair. He’d thought he would like it better, but somehow, the silver added something that made it distinctly hers. Then there were her eyes. The black-ringed deep red was gone, replaced by silver.
Though there was nothing plain about her orbs. They were bright, as if she were lit from within.
“You look almost disappointed,” she replied with a chuckle.
He quickly shook his head, masking the distress he felt at his thoughts. “Not at all.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, making him take note of the gold bangles on her wrist. “And you?”
As if he could forget. He let his glamour fall away to reveal his true self, all the while never taking his eyes from Maeve’s face. She didn’t so much as twitch.
He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he’d thought she might do . . . something. Or maybe he was just so wrapped up in his lustful thoughts that he wasn’t thinking clearly. That had to be it.
Bradach’s tux fell away to be replaced by a green button-down, dark denim jeans, and his favorite boots.
Maeve walked closer to him, her gaze running up and down his body. “Hmm. I’m wondering if there’s something you can wear and not look good in.”
His body was on fire with need as her gaze raked over him. No one had ever complimented him in quite that fashion before. He liked it. A lot.
“Thank you.”
“You appear comfortable as a Light,” she pointed out when she stopped before him. “You’ve done this many times before, haven’t you?”
Bradach shrugged in answer. He didn’t want to lie to her. It shouldn’t be an issue, but it was. And he didn’t know why. He’d never had a problem lying to a Dark before. Why did it have to crop up now?
Maeve reached behind her, gathering her long hair high on the back of her head before securing it. “You intrigue me. I’m beginning to suspect you’re like Xaneth and move between the Light and Dark with ease.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Mmm,” she replied. Then she inhaled quickly. “Where are you taking me?”
“There are a couple of places actually, but we’ll start with Dublin.”
Her brows came together. “Dublin? There are plenty of Dark and Light there. Why that city?”
“I plan to show you.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.
She hesitated a moment before she met his gaze and placed her palm in his. As soon as she did, Bradach teleported them to Dublin.
He didn’t remember why the Fae had chosen Ireland as theirs, but he couldn’t imagine another place on the realm where the Fae could be happy. And just like in their home world, they split the land. The top portion was Light, and the bottom Dark.
Dublin was near the invisible border that had been drawn eons ago by the Fae. And while that divide kept most of the Light and Dark in their respective areas, there were those who ventured to the other side. Dublin was a city that had plenty of Light and Dark Fae wandering the streets, mixing in with the humans.
As soon as they arrived, Maeve pulled her hand from his. Bradach instantly missed her touch. He looked around the city. There was something about it that he liked. It kept him coming back again and again.
“Come,” he told her when he spotted what he was looking for.
Maeve fell into step beside him. “You know I’ve been here before, right? Why do I need to look like a Light?”
“How much do you pay attention to the human world?”
She shrugged as she glanced his way. “Some.”
“Do you watch their movies?”
“Of course,” she said with a bark of laughter.
He stopped before the newsstand and faced her. “Then you know.”
“Know what?” she asked, confusion lining her face.
“About Usaeil.”
Maeve blinked. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
Bradach pointed to one of the magazines. Maeve followed his hand to read the headline. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back in shock. He quickly put his hand against her back to steady her and prevent her from running into a man.
“That’s a picture of Usaeil,” Maeve whispered while staring at the magazine cover.
Bradach moved them closer and looked around to make sure no one could overhear them. “You said you watched movies. I naturally assumed you knew.”
“I’ve watched some. It’s not something I do all the time.” She turned her head to him. “How didn’t I know that Usaeil had immersed herself with the humans?”
“It’s easy to miss,” he said with a twist of his lips.
Maeve read one cover after the other, each one with a different picture of Usaeil, all asking where she had disappeared to. Maeve picked up one of the magazines and flipped to the story inside to read it. Bradach stood beside her while scanning the area for any Fae.
He spotted two Dark and numerous Light, but no one seemed to have noticed them yet, which he was grateful for. Maeve was well known. He didn’t want anyone seeing her masquerading as a Light or be asked questions neither of them could answer.
“I have no words,” Maeve said as she put away the magazine and faced him. “Do the Light know?”
Bradach shook his head. “A few in her Queen’s Guard know, but no one else.”
“How did you find out?” Maeve pressed. “Are you as immersed with the humans as she is?”
He jerked back, offended that she would even say such a thing. “No.”
“Then how did you learn of this?”
Bradach looked away, clenching his teeth. How did he tell her without lying? What could he say that would be the truth? Then he found it. “I’ve a source who gives me such information.”
“You trust this source?”
“Absolutely.”
She flattened her lips briefly. “Now that I’ve learned this, what’s next?”
He held out his hand again. She took it instantly, and he teleported them outside the Light Castle.
“You can’t be serious,” Maeve stated.
Bradach grinned. “Very much so.”
They began walking toward the entrance. Not a single Light Fae looked twice at them. If Maeve was nervous, she hid it well. Then again, a woman in her position would’ve learned to mask such things long ago.
“How did you meet the Seeker? Xaneth, I mean,” Maeve asked.
“A mutual acquaintance. He ended up helping us.”
She quirked a brow. “Us?”
“My friends and I.”
“Right,” she said with a nod of her head. “To save someone Usaeil wanted to kill.”
Bradach smiled at her as they passed through the large double doors into the castle. Maeve’s gaze moved from side to side, taking it all in. She smiled and nodded to others who looked her away. If Bradach didn’t know any better, he’d believe she was a Light.
“Care to tell me who this person was that you saved?” she asked.
Bradach waited until there weren’t so many around before he leaned in close and said, “I don’t think I can.”
“You’re not sure you can trust me, you mean.”
There was no heat in Maeve’s words, which surprised him. He nodded. “There is a lot at stake and I—”
She stopped and faced him as she held up a hand. “There’s no need to explain. I understand. You’re trusting me enough to tell me the things I need to know in order to help you.”
“And you’re trusting me to take you where we need to go.”
“Don’t think I’m not prepared if you try anything to harm me,” she warned.
Bradach frowned, affronted. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to try.”
She had no idea that he was a Reaper, or that his magic and power far exceeded hers. To her credit, she believed he was just a normal Fae, which meant she knew she could best him.
He cocked his head to the side. “If you feared I might do something to harm you or take you somewhere to trap you, why did you come with me?”
“Normally, I wouldn’t. But . . .” She sighed loudly. “I haven’t quite figured out why I agreed. I’m no fool, though. As I said, I’ve dealt with enough assassination attempts to know how to handle myself.”
The thought of her continually looking over her shoulder unsettled him. It made her joining him even more special. “I think you’re far from a fool. You’ve amassed an empire. No one does that by being reckless.”
“That’s right,” she said with a confident smile.
If he hadn’t already had the hots for her, he would now. Damn, but he loved a self-assured woman. “Since you’re still alive, that means you’ve thwarted all your would-be attackers.”
Her gaze darted to the right. “I’m still standing, yes.”
It was her lack of an answer that alerted him. “How close have you come to dying?”
“As if I’d tell you that,” she said with a laugh and began to walk away.
He couldn’t decide if he was furious with or worried about her. Bradach grabbed her upper arm in a light hold to stop her. He moved closer and brought his face within inches of hers. “You should never have agreed to come with me.”
“Why? Because you plan to hurt me?” she demanded, her eyes glittering dangerously.
“Never. But you don’t know me. I could have.”
She lifted her chin. “I follow my instincts about people. Balladyn’s endorsement would have meant nothing if my gut had told me you were something other than what you presented.”
That’s when Bradach realized that despite not wanting to lie to her, he’d been doing so from the very beginning. And that bothered him greatly. His gaze dropped, and he found himself staring at her plump lips.
In that instant, he comprehended just how close their bodies were.
And how easy it would be to lower his head to take her lips.
Chapter Six
He was going to kiss her.
Maeve held her breath, waiting for Bradach to close the short distance between them. She forgot about being in the Light Castle, forgot about the discoveries being made about Usaeil.
Everything faded until it was nothing but Bradach and her.
As she gazed into his silver eyes, she saw the band of white around his irises. It looked like a starburst. She had the insane urge to run her finger along his chin and delve into the dimple there. Being near him made her forget all the rules she had made for herself.
Indeed, the gut-wrenching attraction made her reckless.
The sound of someone approaching caused Bradach to glance in that direction. The spell around them was abruptly broken. She stepped back, pulling her arm from his hand, distancing herself physically and mentally from him.
“Maeve,” he whispered.
She looked at him, waiting . . . hoping . . . She didn’t know for what exactly, and that made everything worse.
“Why are we here?” she asked after clearing her throat and inwardly giving herself a shake.
Bradach stared at her without answering.
She waited until the Fae they’d heard walked past, then she looked expectantly at Bradach. “You brought me here for a reason. What is it?”
“I wanted to show you the Light.”
“Why?” she demanded.
He looked away. “It’s another way for you to get to know Usaeil.”
“I know her.”
“You think you know her,” he stated, his gaze jerking back to her.
Maeve crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s a queen. She was never going to let me know the real her. Parts, maybe. But not all.”
“Just like you don’t let anyone know all of you?” Bradach retorted.
“No one wants to know me.”
“Some might.”
Maeve held up a hand to stop their insane conversation. She wasn’t even sure how they had gotten into it. “This isn’t about me. I’ve had dealings with Usaeil. And, yes, I asked questions earlier because I like to know what I’m getting into. But the simple fact is, I’m Dark. I couldn’t care less about the Light. My king introduced you and me and asked me for a favor.”
“You don’t care about any Light?” Bradach asked softly, something sparking in his eyes.
“You heard me correctly. My loyalty lies with the Dark.”
He blew out a breath, a flash of disappointment in his silver eyes. “Then we’re wasting time. Tell me what you know about Usaeil.”
Maeve fought not to roll her eyes as she pivoted and retraced her steps out of the castle. She didn’t even try to teleport out. Most likely, the building had wards to prevent that.
Once she reached the place where Bradach had brought them initially, she spun to look at him. No anger showed on his face, but she felt it nonetheless. She didn’t know what she had said that had roused his ire, and she didn’t care.
