Dark Promise by Annika West

8

“How are you here?”I demanded, voice hollow in this dimension.

His smile was sharp. “Marigold has informed me that you are intelligent. Yet you cannot devise your own answer?”

Alright, now he was just being a dick.

“You have this power too,” I surmised, completely irritated. “Why can’t you just let me be the special one?”

His chuckle echoed in my head. “You have to come from someone special to even qualify for the title, daughter. I’m going to give you something that very few people have given you in the past. A choice, Aster. I won’t force you to come to Faery. However, many answers lie in wait for you.”

There wasn’t enough time in the universe to properly school his ass on the ways he took my choices from me. He had Marigold block my magic. He withheld my heritage and let me wander around Earth without a clue about what I was.

And he’s pressuring me to leave with him right now.

A faint, tiny tug urged me to say yes.

It surprised me.

The chance to get away was right here in front of me.

But did I want to go to Faery?

“Say I agreed to go with you. Just for funzies. Like when Aunt Francis lets her senile cats chase the neighbors. If I go to Faery, will I be free to leave when I please?”

“Yes.”

“Is there some kind of fae-fucked blood promise we have to make in order for you to be held to your word?” I asked.

“Ah, so you are intelligent after all.”

I muttered, “Pretentious piece of shit.”

“I heard that.”

“Aw, I didn’t realize. Whoopsie.”

One thing I could say about my biological father was that he was a single-minded bastard. He wasn’t held up by my antics. He didn’t rise to the bait or argue with me.

He sparred. A little. Mostly with banter that was just enough to deflect and get a rise out of me.

How could Mom put up with this moron without staking his eyes with wooden chopsticks?

The faery held a hand out and flicked a silver ring on his finger. A thin claw snapped out from it, and he dragged the point down his palm.

Blood welled.

I swallowed, totally concerned. Not at all nervous.

“Your turn, daughter,” he prompted.

“I still haven’t said yes.”

“You have already decided. Haven’t you?”

Ugh. He’s annoying.

I processed my options.

I could hide out in Southern California, but it wouldn’t take him long to track me down and drag me back. Hell, he’d probably come up with some way to pull me out of the energetic realm.

I wouldn’t put it past him.

That left going on the run.

But what place on this Earth would be enough to hide me from Huxley Cayne? I’d likely have to live like a gremlin in an arctic cave.

However, if I really wanted to get to my arctic cave, that involved travel. I’d use my power to help me move about the planet, sure, but I’d never been in the energetic realm for longer than an hour at a time.

If I could rely on my magic to move around, that meant money wasn’t an issue, either. Besides, it would be stupid to pull from my bank account, since the Indentured Employment contract gave Hux access to my entire life. He’d be able to see if I use any of those funds.

But hey, I’d lived on cookies and old coffee before, and I could do it again.

No way was I going back to Vulcan Corp. Not conscious or alive, anyway.

So, I had to choose.

Faery… that sounded interesting, didn’t it? And I do have questions on questions…

The pit of resolve within me hardened.

A small part of me was scared shitless, but the badass part of me sacked up, grabbed his finger, and dragged the silver claw down my palm too.

It hurt like a bitch. But you know what? So did a Pap smear. And I didn’t wince through either one.

No one wants their skin cut, and no one wants a metal crank in their vaginal canal.

He declared, “This is the first of the lessons you’ll learn with me. Watch the imprint form around our blood and take hold. I, Lord Adair of the Spring Court, swear to protect Aster King II if she sets foot into Faery with me on this night. She is free to return to the mortal realm whenever she wishes. Her will is her own.”

A pause, and then he asked with a quirked brow that almost appeared boyish, “Is that sufficient?”

Thinking for a moment, I added, “Lord Adair of the Spring Court is required to provide snacks at my needed levels.”

Whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t the playful, delighted laugh that came from him next. “Agreed.”

I smacked my bleeding palm to his.

A gasp caught in my chest. As our hands met, there was a tingling sensation in my hand. Hot and cold. Sharp and soothing all at once.

Around our joined hands, a cloud of purple shimmered and grew to a blinding white. It pulsed and then popped, almost like a bulb after a fuse blows out.

We fizzled into physical forms once more. The ocean roared back to life, and the fog seeped into my clothes. In the distance, some teenagers laughed. Beyond them, a siren echoed through the city.

My hand still bled. Annoying. Why couldn’t I have the fae power of fast regeneration? All of the other fancy full-bloods did, and if I had two of my dad’s powers, then shouldn’t I be strong enough to regenerate too?

His was already closed.

Still, the healing rune I had on my hip kicked into gear like usual. It wasn’t as fast as full-blood regeneration, but it was better than my stupid human-level nonsense.

I looked down, ignoring the thrill of fear as I took in Willow’s unconscious form.

She better not be fucking dead. I’ll be so pissed. Didn’t she know that already?

Really getting tired of repeating myself.

I nudged her hand with my boot. “Yes,” I said.

“Yes?”

“I want to go to Faery. You’re going to take me there.”

“That’s an odd way to accept an invitation.”

I shrugged. “I’m not much of a groveler. Besides, I’m in the mood to do you a favor. Despite that belt,” I added with a shudder.

Come on, Willow. Wake the fuck up, you pretty piece of gothiness.

He stepped toward the glowing portal, irritation showing on the smooth planes of his face. “That is not my own opinion.”

I threw up my hands, making sure I sounded as exasperated as possible. “Dude! Stop the lying! You need me alive, and you need me to come with you for some reason. Don’t act like this is a sudden gesture of fatherly love. I’m a little too old to play catch in the park, you know? So, yes, I know I’m doing you a favor.”

Willow’s hand twitched against the side of my boot. It wasn’t much, but any form of wakefulness would be sufficient.

“The portal will attract attention, Aster. It’s time to go.”

“I need her to heal,” I blurted. “She has to know that I went with you willingly, so you don’t get a murderous dragon smashing through a faery portal and burning up your pretty house.”

His eyes lifted to the sky. “I assume you mean that one?”

Willow’s hand closed around my ankle. “Cut…” she croaked.

I pivoted and looked up to the sky.

My stomach flipped.

Hux. The image of his huge body and unearthly wings spread wide was stark, even in the night sky.

He was coming for me. How did he find me that quickly? And here I thought I was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. First, Willow found me in no time, and now this jerk with the god complex followed.

I really needed a win. And a nap.

“Willow, I’m choosing to go. Make sure he knows that.”

“Cut!”

I took the faery’s outstretched hand and charged toward the portal. The beach suddenly was washed with an orange glow.

Was that backstabbing, lying, manipulative idiot going to burn us all down? Really? Talk about a tantrum. You’d think a man over two centuries old could manage his negative emotions with a little more skill. Embarrassing.

I, on the other hand, was still only twenty-two. I was allowed to be as immature as I needed because… well, just because.

Right before we jumped through the portal, I lifted my fist to the glowing sky and proudly erected my middle finger to the beast flying toward us.