Queen of the Fae (Book 1)

Four

"Perhaps all women are part faerie, for what woman can deny her faerie blood when the portals to her own land are open; when the full moon sings its insistent song; when sorrow and passion and rage pulse through her body at moon times. This is why women are the chosen ones of Faerie, pat of the vibrant, fluid, emotional soul of the world..."

-Brian Froud

Minefields

By: Faouzia & John Legend

"Where are we going?" I asked for the what had to be the thirtieth time. Her response was to glare and jerk me forward, hard, the rope that she had bound my hands with cutting into my skin. Figures, she hasn't spoken to me since we left Queen Mara's castle. We were in the lower part of the Unseelie Kingdom now.

The Queen stole my shoes. I frowned, worrying my lip ring between my teeth. The crazy Fae must've liked the style so much she thought they'd look better on her. But seriously, who steals shoes from someone?

I swallowed a wince and stumbled over the jagged cobblestone, trying not to lose my balance, but she was walking so fast. All around me hundreds of little houses rested, chiming merrily and tinkling with laughter. As we passed, a few curious faces looked back at me, running over my body in a way that felt like I was being sized up, and yet assessed in the same moment. Hysteria bubbled at the back of my mind and a threat rested on the tip of my tongue. The words were flung out of thought however when Kaisa yanked me to her side, the rope wrapped around in her clenched fist and her gaze glued to the fae who'd been eyeing me. When they noticed her looking, however, they were gone so fast I wondered if I'd seen them at all.

I released a way-too girly yelp when I made contact with her body, the sick part of me loving it. Tucked almost completely into her side, I managed a glance up at her from under my lashes, nervously taking my bottom lip into my teeth. I found her watching me, her sharp features and galaxy eyes centered on mouth so intensely it shocked all the breath from my lungs.

Her full lips parted on a leisurely grin when she finally noticed me staring back at her, revealing pristine white teeth that I was sure were meant to be a threat.

"Heel." She commanded, the low raspy tone of her voice was doing all sorts of things to my insides.

I wrinkled my nose and stuck my tongue out at her, ire burning in the pit of my stomach.

No. Bad Claire.

Kaisa's eyes narrowed and she started to step towards me, wrapping the rope tighter around her knuckles. My confidence fled at the deadly grace she exuded while prowling towards me and I nearly tripped over myself scrambling backwards. She backed me up into the wall of a darkened house, and then she pressed the length of her corded body to mine. My breath seized to exist when her head moved down, her lips brushing my cheek. The hand that wasn't holding the rope braced along side my head.

"I'd stop there, love." She warned, her eyes half-lidded and frustratingly unreadable. Her lips parted slightly and a flash of fang caught my eye. "Or I just might put that sharp tongue to use."

I recoiled immediately, my face paling. I could handle a lot of things, but if she ever put her hands on my body in that way.......I shuddered, fear curling down my spine. I had no where to back away from her, and I knew no one would help me. I was her property, she could do what she wished and I would be forced to die or take it.