Siege And Seduction

2

I planted my feet firmly and straightened my spine. “Leave this place,” I growled back at the wolf, infusing my voice with as much aggression as possible. “Go on, get out of here! I’ll slice your hide straight from your back and wear your fur as a cloak,” I snarled as I lifted the small blade I’d brought with me. Undaunted, the wolf continued to stalk ever closer to where I stood. Each step it took was a steady, calculated advancement on its prey. The irony of the situation hit me, and a bubble of laughter burst from my lips. I was one of the most powerful Fae alive. I had waged war against the Erlking Arthur, first leader of the Wild Hunt. I’d mastered a way to circumvent the wards between worlds and traveled at my own discretion. Just a month prior, I’d been moments from leading an army of Unseelie against the Seelie Queen. Yet I now sat powerless as a simple human, about to be disemboweled by a wolf. I threw my head back and unleashed a howl of laughter. For a moment, the wolf stalled. The growling stopped, and it appeared to assess me for the first time as a possible threat. My peels of hysterical cackling subsided, and I wrapped myself with ferocity. “That’s right!” I raged. “You want me? Come and get me, but I won’t go down without a fight,” I bellowed at the overgrown dog. Unfortunately, my threats were deemed unworthy of retreat. The great white beast launched its attack. It lunged forward with a vicious roar, and I softened my stance to prepare for the force of its attack. Just when it was mere feet from reaching me, the air between us shimmered, and Merlin materialized. The wolf locked its legs and halted inches from the Fae man. Merlin bore down on the wolf with his arms held wide and spoke sternly. “You are confused, my friend. She is not one of them.” My friend? Was this Merlin’s rumored canine companion? I’d heard a handful of stories over the years about a dog but paid them little mind. It appeared I should have been more vigilant. The animal looked from the man back to me in an assessing manner, but as soon as its eyes landed on my form, its snarl returned, and it began to stalk in my direction yet again. “Merlin, do something! What was the point in bringing me here if you’re just going to stand there and let me be eaten alive?” I spat. Merlin seemed to ignore my insolence, swinging out his hand to cast a magical strike at the beast. “Morgan, take off your cloak, now,” he commanded sternly. I narrowed my eyes with confusion but did as he ordered. I removed the garment and cast it some feet away into the leafy shadows, leaving me in nothing but a thin nightgown. The wolf quickly recovered from Merlin’s assault and sprang into action. It dove at the lifeless cloak, snatching the red fabric into its clenched jaw and disappearing into the darkness. “What in the seven hells was that?” I asked on an exasperated breath. Merlin closed the distance between us, his features drawn with remorse and concern. “I apologize. My friend had come to check in on you, but I had not anticipated your wardrobe choice. I’m afraid he has a sordid history with the Red Caps, and your cloak seemed to dredge up memories of that dark past.” “I should have known he was sent here by you. First, you bind my magic, then you send a crazed wolf to attack me.” “Had I wanted you dead, you would be,” Merlin pointed out. “While you’re here, there should be no reason for the use of magic. As long as you don’t wear the cloak, Knight will not be a threat. No other dangerous creatures exist on the grounds, so nothing here will harm you.” I’d suspected as much, but my racing heart begged to differ. “That’s terribly reassuring, just a deranged wolf and me,” I muttered. “My friendship with Knight, as he’s being called these days, goes back centuries.” Merlin began to walk toward the house, and I begrudgingly fell into step beside him. “When I first found him, he was being held captive by a particularly nasty band of Red Caps.” His mention of the vile race of Unseelie brought to mind images of the creatures. They looked like withered old men, but their appearance was deceptive. They were inconceivably strong and had the ability to trace, something not many Unseelie possessed. Atop their large bald heads, they wore caps used to soak up the blood of their slain enemies—trophies of their violent exploits. The Red Caps were absolutely ruthless, known for their bloodlust and occasional bouts of cannibalism. I had formed a tentative alliance with some during my rebellion, but I never made the mistake of trusting them. The thought of being held prisoner by such soulless beings made me unbearably cold. Merlin continued as I shook the image. “I was able to secure Knight’s freedom and spent a good deal of time with him while he recovered from their mistreatment. It became clear to me that he was highly intelligent, and I wondered if he had truly been a wolf. I searched in vain for years to find a spell or counter curse that might turn him back to his rightful form. If magic was used on my dear friend, I have not been able to reverse it. He has remained my trusted companion all these years, and I assure you that you are not in danger by his presence.” “Are you implying he’s staying here with me?” I scoffed. “I think some companionship would do you wonders.” “If it’s companionship I need, locking me away from the world will hardly do the job.” “There are many worse places you could be. I’m sure Knight would have happily traded places with you rather than enduring his stay with the Red Caps,” he mused with a touch of reproach. “You’re never going to free me, are you? You’ll keep me prisoner here, just like you’ve done with my mother.” The words were more a statement of my own frustration than an actual question, but Merlin answered anyway. “Have you let go of your hatred, Morgan?” he asked, sounding tired. “Or are you still plotting ways to get your revenge on Guin?” The ancient man rarely sounded his age, but in this instance, weariness pulled at his words. “I know how deeply you cared for Lancelot, but his affair with Guin and her sentencing him to exile was ages ago. You must let it go.” My teeth ground together at hearing the name of the wretched woman who had caused me to lose everything I had loved in the world, or at least everything I’d had left after my mother’s death. For that, she held the distinction of being the person I hated most in the world. Her mindless minions worshiped her, but they had no idea how malicious she was on the inside and the atrocities she was capable of. I was no saint, but at least I owned up to my nature. Guin was the rotten core inside a shiny red apple. Swallowing the comment I wanted to make, I instead offered sweetly, “You’re right. After having weeks to reflect, I realize that I need to move on with my life.” Merlin’s eyes cut to me, and his lips spread into an amused grin. “Liar,” he chided. “You can’t keep me here forever,” I sulked.