Dark Soul: A Fae Shifter Romance (Guardians of the Fae Realms Book 7) Read online

  Keyla hustles her sweet little ass to catch up with the silver-haired prince and reaches to retake her place at his side. The moment her palm slides against his, some of the tension drains out of his frame.

  I know how he feels.

  Kotah may be the omega and the one born with the calming power but Keyla soothes my soul the same way.

  When we exit the portal station, it takes a moment to orient my senses. The air smells like cinnamon and where the buildings in Dornte were steel and stone, like most cities, this one has pastel-colored buildings in a rainbow of uplifting colors.

  It’s like we stepped out of a metropolis and ended up in a painting of a seaside escape.

  “This city is so cute,” Keyla says.

  I’m not surprised she thinks so. It’s exudes positive energy.

  “Dornte isn’t at its best with Laryssa in charge,” Creed snaps.

  My bear lets off a rumble. “Easy. No need to take your shit out on Keyla.”

  Keyla meets my gaze and shakes her head. “It’s fine. My comment wasn’t meant as an insult to his quadrant, but emotions are running high.”

  “He still doesn’t get to snap at you.”

  “And you don’t get to growl at him on my behalf. He’s my mate as you are. I won’t have you defending me against him. We’re a team now. We are three.”

  That’s a bit of a sucker punch to the balls, but yeah, I’ve been told.

  Creed turns quickly and grabs Keyla around the waist. Spinning her behind the column of a glass awning, he pulls her from the stream of commuters waiting for a shuttle by the street.

  As before, the moment he claims her mouth, she melts against his muscled frame. The sudden PDA catches me off guard, but she doesn’t put up an ounce of protest. Does she trust him so implicitly that she’s at ease with him manhandling her like that?

  I rein in my bear’s protective response and look at the situation with a wider lens. The blood witch is hailing a car and scanning the area.

  Keyla’s wolf lets off a playful growl as he amps up the kiss from an act of distraction to diving down her throat with his tongue to see if she still has her tonsils.

  When her arousal hits me, I expect to lose my mind. Tightening my hold on my bear, I lock down and await the rush of testosterone and possession.

  Instead, my cock weighs in and decides the two of them macking like horny teenagers is fucking hot.

  “Your witch is getting away,” I say, my voice husky and deep. “If you’re still interested.”

  “Fuck,” Creed says, pulling back and looking dazed. “Where? What conveyance is she in?”

  Kotah and Rhylan arrive as I raise my hand and point. “That blue and silver car at the intersection. The one with its indicator on to go left.”

  “Shit, we’ll never catch it.”

  Keyla

  “Kotah and I might be able to run it down?” I offer, catching my breath. What started as a ruse to disguise our presence quickly got away from us and now, because we were unable to fight the attraction building between us, the key to Creed’s curse is driving away.

  Creed shakes his head and turns with a pleading gaze. “I know I probably don’t deserve your help but—”

  “You absolutely don’t,” Rhy snaps, his golden gaze feral with fury. “You’re a slecking asshole and I have a massive headache now, you prick.”

  “Please, Rhy. You can hate me later. Please.”

  Rhylan is still grumbling as he takes a few running steps and launches into the mid-afternoon sky. His body explodes in the air and what was a man a moment ago bursts into a scaled dragon a split-second later.

  As difficult as he and his twin can be, seeing their dragons in flight is breathtaking.

  “So, you blow up your prison guard’s brain cells and he does you the solid of chasing down the witch bitch who works for his boss?” Doc cants his head sideways and narrows his gaze. “What am I missing?”

  Creed ignores his question and presses his hand against the panel of a metal podium near the street. The screen lets off a beep and then a light on the top of the stand flashes green.

  The moment a car stops, Creed taps the screen again and the four of us get in. My prince slides into the driver’s seat with Kotah in the front and Doc and I jump into the back.

  The navigation screen of the car beeps as Creed taps his way through commands and adjusts the settings. “Release auto-drive. Manual control override.”

  “Releasing auto-drive is unadvised,” an automated voice says through the speakers.

  “Understood. Do it anyway.” The automated car lady drones on for a bit about the safety benefits of the auto-drive system, but Creed is already pulling away from the curb. “Someone find Rhylan in the sky and tell me where I’m going.”

  Kotah is leaning forward, looking out the front windshield. Doc and I search the side windows. Wow, the sky is littered with traffic. As strange as it seems, many fae in this realm have wings.

  “I’ve got him,” Doc says. “On the left. Ten o’clock. Take the next turn if you can.”

  I’m leaning to the side, bending low to look up through Doc’s window when he starts chuckling. He adjusts me as I hover over his lap and winks. “While you’re down there… if you’re bored.”

  I laugh, amazed at how much has changed in twenty-four hours. Yesterday at this time I was screaming and being raced to Creed’s suite. Now I’m mated to both of them, and we can laugh about it.

  At least a little.

  “There, I’ve got him,” Kotah says, pointing. “It looks like he’s readying to land on that purple building.”

  We drive along for a little longer and then Creed pulls the vehicle to the side of the street. We all lean to look out our windows to get the lay of the land.

  Growing up, I always pictured StoneHaven and the Fae Realm as being a dark, war-torn place with rubble and suffering. Clarinta blows my mind.

  It’s quaint and bright and judging by the dozens of different fae out in the open, it’s inclusive. Add that to the air smelling like Cinnabon and it’s a deliciously delightful place.

  And still, for all the differences, the foundation of society remains much the same. They have buildings and cars and pedestrians and it’s all very familiar.

  “Engage auto-drive,” Creed says, tapping the screen to close our use of the car. “Rental complete.”

  “Peace and happiness be with you,” the automated car lady says.

  “To you as well,” I say, getting out.

  Creed looks at me and blinks. “You realize that’s an automated recording, right?”

  I nod. “I’m not sure if you have AI sci-fi movies in this realm, but in our realm, it’s common knowledge that one day the computers will get fed up with humanity treating them badly and will rise in revolt and take over the world. Might as well make a few friends with the other side while we can.”

  He laughs. “You’re amazingly ridiculous for an educated female.”

  “Um… thank you?”

  Rhylan

  Creed and his mates will get me killed. At this rate, it’s not a question of if it’s when. There’s no way in hell he should be in Clarinta and if he confronts the blood witch and it gets back to Queen Laryssa, what do I say? I have a soft heart and a solid cock? That my masochistic need to fuck the wrong person made me do it?

  The midday sun warms the scales on my back, and I track the redhead into a thirty-story building. Descending for a landing, I angle to set down on the roof.

  It won’t matter why I let it happen. Laryssa will have me and Vik killed simply because it happened. Sure, I could out Creed and say he mind-fucked me again and left me on the ground.

  I think that hurts worse than the fear of Vik and I paying the ultimate price. That’s twice this week he’s used his mind guardian gift against me.

  Slecking asshole.

  A city rental vehicle pulls to the curb on the street below and I try to rein it in. I’m an idiot. I should fly down there, pick him up in
my talons, and fly his ass back to the portal station. That makes the most sense.

  So why aren’t I doing it?

  Because the shit between me and Creed has never made sense… to me anyway.

  When the four of them are out of the car and standing on the walkway in front of the building, I step over the edge and drop to the street below. The wind feels good against my scales and I extend my thirty-foot wingspan before I reach the ground to slow my descent.

  Touching down with Creed and his new mates, I give my wings a flap and push them with a gust of air.

  Creed reaches out to steady his female and turns to glare at me. “Don’t be a dick.”

  I shift back and flip my hair forward to cover my face. “Just following your lead, asshole. Thanks for the aneurysm.”

  Something dark flashes in Creed’s ebony gaze and I wish I could read the guy better. He’s always been so guarded and miserable. Maybe the shit with me at night was all about punishment and feeling powerless.

  Not that it matters now.

  He’s got two new shiny playthings to get him off.

  The bear comes jogging out of the building. “It’s a swanky, private condominium. Thirty floors with eight units per floor. If you give me the name of your witch, I’ll look her up on the directory list.”

  Creed frowns. “I was bound to a table being poisoned. We didn’t exchange contact information.”

  Doc holds up his palms. “Don’t kill the messenger. I was trying to help.”

  Creed curses and rolls those big, muscled shoulders of his. “My apologies. Everything about my curse brings out the worst in me.”

  The guy nods. “Good thing I was raised in a sleuth of angry hotheads. Being snapped at feels like home.”

  And just like that, Creed’s demeanor changes. The dark storm cloud that has hung over his head for as long as I’ve known him parts and he offers the bear a smile. “Lucky for me because I’ve been nothing but an angry hothead for the past two years.”

  “Match made in heaven.”

  Keyla rolls her eyes and chuckles. “What is the security like inside? Is there a concierge or a security officer we could ask about who just went inside?”

  “No. It looks to be a fully-automated building.”

  Keyla arches her manicured brows and makes a face. “That’ll be handy when AI revolts and takes over the world.”

  Creed rolls his eyes but it’s a sweet, teasing gesture. “You’re ridiculous.”

  Is it wrong to want to throat-punch the prince?

  Asking for a friend.

  “Can we get back to the slecking point? We don’t know if the witch lives here or is visiting someone. We don’t have any way of getting inside. And we do know Laryssa will kill me and likely have Honor brutalized if she finds out you’re moving on the witch.”

  Cue four sets of piercing, icy glares.

  Too bad.

  My security tablet vibrates in the thigh pocket of my fatigues and I pull it out. “Slecking hell.”

  “What?” Creed asks.

  “It’s Vik. He’s back from escorting the queen to the castle and wondering where we are. There’s no way we can get back to Dornte before he finds out we’re in Clarinta. I’m dead.”

  Kotah shakes his head. “Not necessarily. If our cover story was that I wanted to make inroads with the Clarinta delegates to establish the bridging of the portal gate, let’s get there and get started. Then you invite Vik to join us and he’ll verify our story.”

  I check the time and curse. “We’d have to get back to the station hub really fast.”

  “We can’t go now,” Creed snaps. “I need to find the witch and break this fucking curse.”

  Keyla lays a hand on his arm and offers him a soothing smile. “There’s nothing we can do on the witch front at this moment. There are two hundred and forty private residences in there and she could be in any one of them. Knowing she’s here is a start. As soon as Lukas and Hawk arrive, we’ll get them started on sussing out more. They are amazing at finding the hidden threads to pull on to unravel plots against us.”

  “Why would they help me? They don’t know me.”

  I don’t have time for Creed to get on board. With my datapad already in hand, I call up the shuttle app and order a conveyance.

  A moment later one glides to a stop in front of us.

  “Everyone in. We need to get back to the hub and invite the Clarinta liaison to meet us there.” Creed doesn’t budge and I’m about to have the second aneurysm of the hour. “Seriously, Creed. I need this. I’ve always tried to do right by you within the constraints of my position. Don’t screw me on this.”

  Kotah gestures for Keyla and Doc to get in the car and sets a hand on Creed’s shoulder. “I understand your hesitation to walk away from this. It’s your first glimpse of hope to undo what was done to you, but you know Rhy’s right. If this blood witch is as powerful as she seems, we need to formulate a solid plan and come back at this with strategic intent.”

  The Wolf King has some kind of magical touch because as impossible as it is, the tension in Creed’s body eases and he relents.

  I rush around the front hood and get in the driver’s seat. Tapping the navigation panel, I key in my payment details. “Take us to the portal hub.”

  “Estimated time of travel is six minutes,” the automated voice system says.

  It will be the longest six minutes of my life.

  “Contact Clarinta palace liaison, Paige Aristand, and patch through to the dash phone.” I pick up the handset and hand it to the passenger seat. “You arrange your portal gate meeting and I’ll respond to Vik.”

  And if the luck of the universe is with me, this won’t blow up in my face.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Keyla

  The car ride back to the Clarinta portal hub is almost as tense as the one with the queen this morning but thankfully not as bad as the one from the park to the castle yesterday when I was losing my mind. Huh, now that I think about it, I haven’t had much luck with car rides in the Fae Realm.

  Squeezing Creed’s hand, I try to let him know he’s not in this alone. “We’ll find her. We’ll track her down and figure out a way to rid you of the beast and not place Honor or anyone else in the crosshairs.”

  His jaw is locked so tight, I’m pretty sure he’ll need dental work after this is over.

  “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

  He lets out a long breath and lifts our joined hands to his lips. “Having you here helps. I’m fine.”

  No. He’s not, but there’s not much to be done about that right now.

  Kotah finishes speaking with someone on the car phone and hangs up the handset. “Ms. Aristand is headed to the Serenity Garden meeting room. She says she will portal there directly.”

  “That’s good news,” Rhylan says as the car pulls to the curb. “Now let’s get there before Vik does.”

  The five of us abandon our rental car at the end of the portal station walkway and hustle our butts back inside. Rhylan leads the way through the line of glass doors, veers to the left, and rushes up a set of stairs.

  We all do our best to get there quickly without flat out running and drawing attention to ourselves.

  A willowy faery with pink butterfly wings pushes the door of one of the meeting rooms open and bows her head. “Prince Thornebane, it’s an honor.”

  Creed straightens, projecting an air of calm I know he doesn’t feel. “Thank you. I’d like you to meet King Nakotah Northwood of the Human Realm.”

  She extends her bowed head to my brother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Majesty. I am Paige Aristand. Welcome to Clarinta.”

  As Creed and my brother head inside the meeting room with her, I notice five friendly—and one not so friendly—faces exiting another corridor. I point down to the main atrium and Doc grins. Pushing his fingers under his tongue, he lets off an ear-piercing whistle.

  Many heads turn, but most importantly, the sound captures the
attention of my brother’s mates and Lukas.

  The six of them jog up the steps and I welcome each with a hug… well, except Lukas—he’s not much of a hugger—and Vikarus—I think he’d rather stab me than hug me.

  “Welcome to the Fae Realm,” I say as if I have any idea what that means.

  Calli smiles and tilts her head toward Creed and Doc. “Big couple of days in the life of you, eh girlfriend?”

  I hug her again. “You know it. There are so many things I need to talk to you about. I’m glad you’re here. Thank you all for coming.”

  “There’s nowhere else we’d be, sweetheart,” Jaxx says, winking at me. “Now, where is your brother?”

  I gesture to the meeting room behind us. “He’s in there with the Clarinta liaison talking about establishing the portal bridge.”

  “That’s our cue.” Hawk gestures to Lukas and then the two of them continue inside to join the discussions in the meeting room.

  I open my mouth to let them know we need their help on the blood witch matter but with Vikarus staring at us, now is not the time.

  “Boys,” Brant says, addressing the twins. “If one of these other rooms is available, could we get out of the corridor and sit down? We’ve got a baby on board and our phoenix needs her rest and to stay off her feet.”

  “Good call, Bear,” Jaxx says. “And what about food? Any chance this terminal has a food court?”

  Calli rolls her eyes and chuckles. “Save me from well-meaning mates.”

  Vikarus makes no attempt to answer, but Rhylan presses his datapad over the electronic screen beside the door of the next room and opens it for us. “Feel free to take a seat.”

  I take him up on that, grab Calli’s arm, and tug her inside with me. “Thank you, Rhylan.”

  The look he gives me in return isn’t so much hostile as it is filled with an Arctic chill.

  We get inside the meeting room and Calli’s green eyes widen. “What’s that about?”

  I wait to see if we’re going to be inundated by mates but Doc and Brant seem to have taken up guarding the door and Jaxx and Rhylan have gone down the stairs in search of food.

  “Oh, I have so much to tell you but are you okay with keeping it just between us? Creed and Doc are both proud and volatile right now and I wouldn’t want things discussed among the group.”