It wasn’t the right time for dusk, was it? As I looked up at the sky, I had the sense that Salem and Mag Mell were linked. The dying evening light and the gold of the fire blazed over the bodies of the dancers. I felt like a moth moving toward the fire, drawn by its brightness.
I scanned the crowds, trying to stay alert. Revelers were having sex against the trees, dancing naked around the fire. Where was I supposed to find the weapon?
When I turned back to Salem, I found his eyes burning with coral and blue hues that matched the skies. He looked at peace here. I thought if he only had his cat and his little tree house, he might have some semblance of happiness.
And there it was again, that empty cavern opening in my chest. When I took in his broken wing, I felt an overwhelming urge to heal him. The instinct to press my hand against his chest and fill him with my magic was almost overpowering.
Why heal someone I was about to kill? Dizziness slammed into me, a feeling of wrongness. It was like an iron thread was tugging me by my middle, forcing me closer to him. His seductive magic skimmed my body, and I wanted to wrap my arms around him.
But if I was going to find this weapon, I needed to get away from him.
My silent prayers were answered when a woman with gleaming platinum hair ran for us, interrupting my thoughts. Apart from a sheer thong, she was practically naked. Gossamer wings swept down her back. She smiled at Salem, then slid her arms around his neck.
I felt a bizarre pang of jealousy. “I see what you mean by hedonism.”
Salem pulled the woman’s hands off him. “You fail to spark my interest.”
Undeterred, she moved closer. Her body glowed. “King. Mate with me. It’s Anamfel. Fill me.”
More of these nymphs were now running from the festival, drawn by his smell or his magic. They were laughing, eyes bright.
“King!” one of them shouted. “The fallen king!”
“How do they all know you’re the king?” I asked. “Are they all a billion years old as well?”
He shot me a sharp look. “They smell it on me, and they feel it in my magic. My soul is bound to this land.” His gaze slid down my body, and I knew he was imagining me naked. “But you are the one who lured me here, and I have no interest in the rest.”
Before I could reply, the silver-haired woman danced over to me, then grabbed me by the hands.
She pulled me toward the fire, and I didn’t object. At last, I had a moment away from Salem. Quickly, I got lost in the throng of half-naked dancers. The music swelled in the air, a deep and sensual song that nearly made me forget why I was here. I nearly tripped over a couple rutting on the ground, the woman on all fours.
Life surrounded me, but death was my mission.
I scanned the revelers, trying to stay alert while my mind was growing increasingly delirious. With the music and the golden light, the air swelled with an erotic heat. Around me, fae were kissing, writhing, and stroking each other.
We wove between bodies that glowed golden in the flickering firelight.
Remember your mission, Aenor.
Over the flames, I glanced at Salem. His hungry eyes were on me. Even with the nymph-like women draping themselves on him, their bodies demanding, he was looking only at me.
The heat of the flames warmed my skin, and I searched frantically for a messenger or a sign of the sea glass.
But as soon as I started pulling away from the silver-haired woman, she grabbed my wrist. All the delirious wildness was gone from her eyes, replaced by a keen awareness.
She pulled me in closer in a hug, and then whispered in my ear, “The Merrow sent me from his prison. Lure Salem away from the crowd, and then plunge this into his heart.” She slid a piece of glass into my palm.
Excitement and fear crackled over me, and I slid the glass into the pocket of my skirt. “How am I supposed to overcome someone as powerful as he is? He can control my mind.”
“It’s Anamfel. Everyone wants to mate. You’re overcome by the music, or at least you can fake it. Seduce him until he lets down his guard. Do this, or the world turns to ash. You have no choice.”
My mind was ablaze. I glanced at the fire, a reminder of what lay ahead of us if Salem succeeded.
The silver-haired nymph snatched a silver goblet out of the hand of a dancer. Then she handed it to me, moving in close again to whisper, “Get rid of your inhibitions. This will help. Do it, now.”
My hands were shaking as I took a sip of the wine, steeling myself for the assassination that would come next.
As soon as the wine hit my tongue, I realized it wasn’t ordinary wine. When I swallowed it, a wave of ecstasy rippled through my body. My panicked thoughts grew quieter, and I felt connected to the earth beneath my feet. The music pulsed in my mind, dulling my worries. I touched the shard of sea glass in my pocket. I knew what I had to do.
“Good,” she said, smiling now.
I drained the glass, then the nymph snatched it from my hand. “That’s enough.”
Not a care in the world…
I danced away from her, my bare feet padding on the soft earth.
With the wine in my system, I felt the urge to pull off my clothes, to let the forest air kiss my bare skin. We were wild creatures here. Heat warmed my cheeks. That nymph had been my savior, and now I’d save the world.
When I reached Salem, the women surrounding him fell away from him, like a sea parting. It was all coming together. This was my destiny, and I’d been born for this.
When I reached him, I grabbed his hands. I smiled at Salem, lowering my chin with my seductive morgen look. Desire sent my pulse racing.
It was hard to truly seduce someone without actually being turned on.
I traced my hand down my body, then toyed with the hem of my skirt, lifting it a little. “I like Anamfel.”
His eyes were on my thighs. His magic, stroking my body, had a dark, erotic feel.
With the way he was looking at me, like he wanted to rip my clothes off and fill me, I could feel the hot blush spreading on my cheeks, my heartbeat racing. “Like you said, I hate just about everything about you. But maybe you’re right. There’s something in the air with this festival.”
“I don’t recall saying that.” His voice had grown husky, eyes burning. “But you have my attention.”
I licked my lips, and his eyes locked on my mouth. “And maybe we hate each other, but you are right here.”
“Right here? Is that my most appealing attribute?” he purred. “Not the fact that I have the body of a god, or a perfect face? I find that hard to believe.”
I let out a shuddering breath. “We have a few minutes, don’t we?”
“A few minutes? I’m afraid you still underestimate me.”
I was so close to him now that my breasts brushed against his muscled chest, and his muscles went completely taut. When I looked up into his eyes, I felt like he was peering into my very soul. He could take me apart with erotic torment, then slowly piece me together again.
The wine and the heat from his powerful body lit me up, and my thighs clenched. But he was broken, and I wanted him whole. Without thinking about the consequences, I pressed my hand against his chest to heal him. When my palm made contact with him, a wave of hot pleasure rushed through my body. Every inch of my skin felt sensitive, my breasts peaking.
The hungry look he was giving me was stoking a need I wanted to ignore.