Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ruined Realms and Wrecking Balls

Well at least I hadn't passed out this time.  Of course I was bleeding all over the fucking place and it was pretty damned disgusting.  Oh except in Branuel Or De A'lanuel's case, he kept staring at me like he wanted to catch my blood in a cup and drink it down.  Yup, total psycho alert. 
   "You are bleeding badly, Annora darling," Walker comes up to me and strips off his shirt before I can say anything.  He presses his shirt to my side to staunch some of the worst of the bleeding.  Within a minute the shirt is soaked in blood.  I'm losing blood, and I'm losing it fast.  But it was worth it.  I got my answers, and I'd be damned if I passed out before I got the rest of the answers I'd come here for. I push his hand away.
"Stop, seriously I'm fine, Walker."
"Baby girl, you are defiantly not fine. You are bleeding all over the fucking floor. If you don't let someone look at this, you're going to pass out—again. And I know you don't want that."
I'm getting slightly light headed. SHIT. How many times had Branuel Or De A'lanuel stabbed me anyway? No matter. Again, the fuck if I was going to pass out again.
"The worse is the heart wound," Chamuel comes up to my other side. "He carved you up pretty good, my amour." He shoots  Branuel Or De A'lanuel a dark evil look. "You could have killed her, Were you going for the heart?"
"She survived, did she not?" Branuel says, shrugging his shoulders. "She is stronger than any of you give her credit for." His eyes narrow slightly, "Although that chest wound does look rather...painful. AMIRA! AMIRA come to your master now." And just like that there is a beautiful Fae women standing next to the Dark Fae King. Her midnight black hair falls like a waterfall to her hips, and her skin is beautifully pale but not sickly, pearlescent and lovely, Her eyes are slightly tilted, giving her an exotic appearance..
"You called my Liege Lord?"
I look at her. I look at her deeply and I see it. I KNOW that look in her eyes. This is a women in love. This is a women deeply in love. Oh, the Dark Fae King may not notice it, hell he doesn't seem to notice much other than torture and killing, but this Fairy, she loved him, she loved him desperately,
"Amira! You will heal my midnight queen."
"Your...your...queen?" She says hesitantly, and I almost feel badly for her, that is until she looks at me with such hatred in her beautiful eyes that all pity for her flies out the fucking door.  "I...I'm sorry...Branuel—"
   "Your Majesty, you will address me as such, Amira, or Liege Lord.  Though I prefer your Majesty."
And just like that, the pity is back, because this beautiful Fae girl's face is suffused now with color.  Again, who knew the Fae could blush.  Jeez, I want to rail at Branuel Or De A'lanuel, because just how dense can one guy be.  The girl was clearly PINING for him.  Had he slept with her? Was she an old lover...a current lover? She had to be. 
I feel a knot in my chest, like a hard ball of stone.  Of course that could just be from where Branuel Or De A'lanuel had tried to carve my heart out.  But I'm pretty sure it's a little ugly thing called—jealousy.
NO! I was not jealous over the psycho king's past...or even current...well, whatever they were.  We all had our pasts.  Heck I had a messy one with Garrett.  Who was I to throw stones.  And honestly I wouldn't care, except she was staring at me like SHE wanted to carve out my heart.  Yup, nope nopity nope.  I was't exactly "feeling" having her work on me in any capacity.
"You know what," I say, "I'm really just fine." I was sooooo NOT fine. But again, I was still standing upright and there was no way I was letting this girl touch me.
"Amira L'oria Demmin is one of the finest healers we have. She will fix you to rights, my beautiful midnight queen."
    I watch the girls face as he speaks to me, and where it had lit up when he had complimented her, it fell fast when he called me his beautiful queen. Yup, nope. she was not working on me.
"What about whoever worked on me before. Can we uh, just get whoever patched me up earlier?"
Branuel looked confused. "That was Desharra L'oria Demmin, Amira's mother. She is good, but she is not as good as her daughter. Amira has a true touch for the healing graces. It is her Goddess gift. And...Desharra is overseeing a birth right now."
"A BIRTH?" Terrenel shouts, shocked but clearly elated.
And Branuel's face softens and he nods. Two of my courtiers managed to spark life..." his face falls before he adds, "I truly, as did we all, believe that the babe would be lost, Lady Lorna couldn't seem to hold the pregnancy. We had all but given up hope. And then suddenly...just a few days ago it was like a light shone upon her, and suddenly the babe was stronger, stronger than it had ever been within it's mother's womb." His face gets this beatific expression on it and he turns to me. "And now...now I know why Lord Rickart and Lady Lorna's babe is safe and shall be born healthy...it is because of you, my beautiful queen."
"Me?" I squeak.
"Do you not remember, my amour, the Fae cannot breed unless their Leaders, their Kings and Queens have a true pairing and can breed successfully."
"But...but...we haven't."
Chamuel smiles sadly. "No, but HE has clearly blessed these unions. You are their match, my amour, and thus the Goddess is blessing their people early, in anticipation of you own union...and subsequent breeding."
"Eeeewww....okay, Chamuel, you ever say breeding in the same sentence with me, I swear I'll feed you your nuts. I'm NOT a baby making machine." God. I'd never even thought about having children. I'd anticipated dying before I was thirty. How horrible would've it been to have a child only to leave it motherless.
"But now you do not need to worry about such things," Chamuel says.
"Again, one step at a time, Chamuel. I haven't even had one date with that one," and I point to Walker. "You and I...we make out but not much else." I point to the Light Fae King, "Him...he's hotter than hell, but again, we haven't even been on a date." Finally I turn to the Dark Fae King. "Ad listen, I'm really really glad your people are able to have babies. But frankly I'm just not sure about you, dude. Your idea of sex...well I just don't know if we'll match up okay, uhmmm okay?"
"No, not okay," Branuel the Dark Fae King says calmly, "You were meant to be my perfect match! We will match up. The Goddess has blessed our union. Even the High Heavenly Host has said HE has designed this to be this way. Now stop being stubborn and let Amira L'oria Demmin work on you before you pass out from blood loss."
"Good. Maybe she'll die," Amira whispers so soft as she comes close to me. I stiffen.
"Get away from me." I spit out angrily.
"My beautiful queen. I hate to agree with anything the others say...but that heart wound is...it is not good. We must have it looked at."
    My head is beginning to grow hazy, and yeah, my chest hurts like a sonofabitch. But I wasn't going to pass out and let this bitch work on me. She'd probably kill me while I was passed out cold.
"Listen, I'll take healing...from SOMEONE ELSE, okay. That or let me go back to the human realm and I'll walk myself into the first hospital I find, okay?"
Four equal shouts of "NO!" Ring out.
I draw back. "What the hell is wrong with human hospitals?"
"BUTCHERS!" Terrenel shouts. "They will not heal you properly. And they will mar that beautiful skin of yours with those horrible stickies."
Stickies?? Huh?? OHHHHH. I laugh. But again, it was probably blood loss. "You mean stitches. Yeah I'll definitely need stitches." But it was worth it, I'd do it again. Hell, I probably would have to do it again.
"NO! You will have no stitches. Amira is the finest healer in our realm and she will make it so your skin is flawless once again. She has done so many times when I'm playing and need to begin aga—" He voice cuts off and I'm glad. God. He really is a crazy bastard. I'm pretty sure he was getting ready to tell me that he cut up his partners and then when they were near death he had his healer lover heal them so he could play some more. Oyyyyy...I wasn't sure I was ever going to get to a place of trust with this nutso—at least not a place where I allowed him to top me. How could I trust him not to kill me while we "played." Easy answer—I couldn't.
"Let me see your wounds," Amira spits out, her voice is so brittle I'm shocked it doesn't snap and break.
"Again, I'd let a Medusa touch me first before I allowed you to put hands on me."
"She is Lady Royal," Branuel Or De A'lanuel says coldly, so very coldly. "You are displeasing me greatly Amira. Must I show you what happens to people who displease me?"
I watch as she shudders and I swallow. I wasn't sure if she was shuddering because she was scared or because she was aroused. Both thoughts were entirely too disturbing for words. While I'm thinking I suddenly feel a warmth bloom in my side and watch as my skin begins to knit back together, and I shriek and jump back.
"Get the fuck away from me." How dare she touch me after I expressively told her not to.
"It's healing, is is not?" She looks at me with angry eyes. I'm pretty sure if she could spit fire, she'd be doing so right now, and incinerate me.
"Now the chest," Branuel Or De A'lanuel says.
I shake my head. "NO!" There was no way she was getting anywhere near my chest.
"Annora darling. You're bleeding horribly. I can see..." Walker gulps, "I can see inside..." You need help.
Oooohhhhh wow, how was I still standing? Sheer stupidly and stubbornness I guess. I had loads of that shit. "She is NOT getting anywhere near my chest."
"I didn't want to do this," Walker sighs, "Boys, grab her."
"WALKER!" I scream. "Don't you dare!" Suddenly Walker, Chamuel and Terrenel are surrounding me and holding me immobile. And unfortunately between the three of them I don't have a chance in hell of getting free. "I'm going to fucking kill you all. Do you hear me. I'm going to kill you!!!"
"Do what you need to do, fast, Fairy Healer!" Walker shouts, "We won't be able to hold her much longer, before she figures a way out. Trust me she's resourceful as hell."
    I struggle but it's no use. Amira-I'm-crazy (or just plain crazy)-in-love-with-psycho Dark Fae King, comes up to me and places both of her hands on my chest wound. The warmth suffuses me instantly, followed by ice, like shards of ice piercing my heart. But I watch stunned as the hole closes and the flesh knits back perfectly until its like I was never hurt in the first place.
"LET GO!" I say coldly. They immediately release me and I turn to the three of them with fire in my eyes. "You are all assholes!"
"Never admitted to be anything otherwise," Walker says dryly.
"And you, Chamuel, what's your excuse?"
"I could not bear to see you bleeding so badly, and your pain...you are so strong, you said nothing...but I kept picking up your pain and it was a terrible thing.
I sigh. Forgotten for a second he could pick up my feelings. "You ever do that again, and I'll fucking kill you, do you understand."
"No, you won't," Chamuel says sadly.
Ugh, stupid mind-reading angel. "Fine, I won't kill you. But I'll hurt you really, really badly!"
"There, the human is healed," Amira spit out.
    Ohhhh I'd almost forgotten about the bitch. I'm instantly abashed. Okay, just because she has a crush doesn't give me the right to call her a bitch, of course the looks she's giving me....that definitely warrants the 'B' word.
"AMIRA!" Branuel shouts, his fury is a tangible thing. "You are insolent and displease me greatly! My midnight queen IS not human, can you not see, FEEL her otherness? And, even if she were human, she would still be my queen, and therefore YOUR queen."
"She is not my queen."
"Go to the Wrath and tell Yuriel he may begin with you until I can join."
I'm shocked when Amira the healer rushes to Branuel and wraps her arms around him. "NO, oh NOOOOO....please, my Liege Lord, please please Branuel, not the Wrath, not Yuriel....he...he...doesn't play as you do...he only...."
"Tortures." Branuel says coldly, his hands limp at his side as she grabs him. "It is what you deserve for your impudence. No go. I'm tired of you already."
Amira pulls back, and a few crystalline tears roll down her pearlescent skin. I gulp when she turns and gives me a look that could fry a lesser person—I wasn't a lesser person. Go ahead, Amira healer, be a bitch, I bet I was a bigger one.  Once she's gone I turn to Branuel Or De A'lanuel and give him a cold and steady look.
   "Former lover? Current lover?" I say.  I don't care.  I don't care.  Yeah, Annora girl, you keep telling yourself that.
   "Jealous my beautiful queen?" Branuel asks with a broad smile on his handsome face.
   "Absolutely not.  Just want to know if I need to sleep with one eye open and my hands on my knives."
   "Well, you should do that anyway," is Branuel's crazy response, and I roll my eyes.
   "Listen answer the damned question."
   Branuel waves his hand carelessly.  "She means nothing to me, less than nothing, save for her healing skills."
   "God, you really are a bastard you know."
   Branuel narrows his eyes.  "Don't ever call me that, my beautiful queen, I will forgive it now, because I do not believe you truly understand the insult you just delivered to my person."
   "Listen we say it on Earth all the time."
   "This is not Earth, and I am NOT a bastard.  My parents were married, when they had me, therefore I am not a bastard.  Unions breathe life only if they are blessed.  Therefore my birth was a great blessing for the Dark Fae Court, and again you shall never call me a bastard again, less you like what I shall have to do to you."
   I swallow.  "Fine fine, I'm sorry.  I'm really sorry I called you that."
   "Pardon me?" He sounds genuinely shocked.
   "Listen, I can admit when I'm wrong.  I didn't realize how insulting what i said was.  And for that I'm genuinely sorry,  sometimes my mouth gets away from me.  Anyway, again, I'm sorry.  I'll work on it, okay."
   "You continue to surprise me, my beautiful midnight queen."
   I shrug.  "I'm just, me."
"And you're perfect."
Walker snorts, "She's far from perfect, but we love our darling girl anyway," I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs, "Yesss....very mature, very very mature."
   I turn my back on him.  Whatever.  This was me.  Take me or leave me, but I wasn't changing. "I need to know more about this nephew of yours, Branuel Or De A'lanuel."
"I believe you may call me Branuel now...have we not passed such formalities my Annora mine."
"Not yours," AND I still couldn't stop, could I?
"You are absolutely mine, Annora mine. You withstood my kiss, our bargain in blood and bone. If that was not the most telling thing to display how right you are for me, then nothing is."
"Again, we're getting off topic. I need to know more about this...this nephew or yours...Gargantuan Yul Brynner." I ignore Walker's burst of laughter, which is followed by Chamuel's laughter.
"Who is this Yul Brynner?" Branuel asks.
Walker busts out laughing even harder. He doubles over and finally gets himself under control and wipes some tears from his eyes. "The guy's name isn't Gargantuan, Annora Darling. AND, as to your question, Mr. Dark Fae King, Yul Brynner was an actor in old time Earth. He's probably best known for playing the King in the musical "The King and I," actually you'd probably like the movie a lot, the King was also a misogynistic, egotistical, sexist a-hole brought low but became better by the love of a good woman."
"Hmmmm....yes....perhaps I'll need to see this movie. You will bring me the movie," Branuel directs to Walker.
Walker snorts. "You don't get to order me about, Mr. King asshole. Find your own DVD player and movie, thank you very much."
Branuel narrows his eyes and I can see this could get really ugly really quickly. So I step between them and turn my attention back to Branuel the Dark Fae King.
   "So about this Gargantuan dude."
   Branuel snorts, "My nephews name is G'harna Yull Brennen."
   "What kinda stupid ass name is that?" I say before I can stop myself and slap a hand over my mouth the second I realize I spoke out loud and not in my head like I'd thought I had.  I'd expected Branuel Or De A'lanuel to try to bleed me again, but he only bursts out laughing.
   "Yes, yes, I like this expression....as long as it is not directed toward me...stupid ass..."
   I clear my throat, "Yeah, uh sorry.  That was supposed to be in my head, not said out loud. So about uh, the G'harna dude." I narrow my eyes. "Why did you pretend that it couldn't possibly be anyone in your court?"
Branuel gives me a Cheshire smile. "Why would I tell you anything. I didn't know your intentions. And...well...I wouldn't have had that delicious bargain if I had given you what you wanted immediately."
"Ugh," I roll my eyes, "Your reasoning stinks!"
   "No, I believe my reasoning to be quite sound."
   "Sooooo what can you tell me about this Gargantuan dude, I mean, G'harna dude."
   "Not much without another bargain my beautiful queen."
   I narrow my eyes.  "Wait, are you kidding? I already nearly died for a mere name....what the hell!"
   "I will give you what I can.  BUT...the rest will need to be bargained for."
   Too tired, waaaaay too tired for this shit.  But I nod.  "Fine, give it to me," And I instantly hold up my hand, "AND NO, I didn't mean it like THAT! Just tell me what you can."
   "My nephew is...troubled."
   I could think of another word for it, but okay.
   "He was cursed, in fact, his birth was a curse.  He should not have been born." Branuel must see the horror in my eyes because he sighs and adds, "...I say this NOT to be cruel, although you probably do not believe me, my darling midnight queen.  But his parents were not matched mates, in fact...G'harna was the product of rape."
    Now I truly AM horrified.  "Oh my GOD!"
   Branuel sighs, "Just so...just so.  I may like my play...somewhat spicy and perhaps a bit twisted...but rape, rape I would never do.  Rape is a high offense."
   I look to Terrenel who is nodding.
   "I did not realize that your brother raped his bana-mhaighstir, his mistress," he adds for my benefit.
"She was..." Branuel for the first times looks uncomfortable and upset. He runs a hand through his hair. "...she was not his mistress, at least not willingly."
    Everyone gasps.
"Presefini Lithia was extraordinarily beautiful, not as beautiful as you, my treasure, but beautiful nonetheless. She captured my brother's attention immediately and he pursued her. She resisted, you see...she was to be a handmaiden to the Goddess."
"How...how did I not know this?" Terrenel says quietly. "My spies are just as good as yours."
Branuel laughs, "No, no they are not, Terrenel Tir Oben. Just so, we did not wish the information out there, so the information stayed where it belonged...in our inner circle.
I feel like I'm missing something big and ask, "The fact that she was supposed to be a handmaiden to the Goddess was a big deal, wasn't it?"
"Yes, yes my treasure, it was. She resisted my brother, she would not have him. He..." Branuel swallows and runs his hand through his hair again. "...he refused to accept her refusal of him. He took her from the temple, and...and...you know the rest."
"Where is this asshole?" I ask. I'm going to fucking kill the raping sonofabitch.
"Dead," Branuel says without an ounce of emotion in his voice now.
"Dead?" I say
"Yes, my treasure. It was no more than he deserved for what he did to Presefini Lithia. However, his torment was not to end even in death. You see, Presefini, as a handmaiden candidate for the Goddess had magic strong magic. When she realized she was pregnant with her rapists child she cursed both G'harna and his unborn child."
"It was her child too," I murmur quietly. For even though I'm horrified at what this poor girl endured, the thought of cursing a baby makes me sick to my stomach.
"Just so, just so, my treasure. But Presefini did not see it that way. She couldn't see past her own pain and anguish. She cursed her unborn babe. His life force was tied to that of his father's, the man who took her against her will. He would be damned to never know the Goddesses blessing and gain no energy or power from Fairy. He could only sustain life force from his father."
"But...his father is dead now?" I ask confused.
"Exactly, my treasure." Branuel sighs. "While his father was a live he was always a lesser Fae, weak, and very limited in power since he could not draw from Fairy. Once his father passed, he needed to find a way to maintain his Fae Form, and not fade. He found a way..."
I wait but that's all he says. I plant my hands on my hips and glare at him. "Uhmmm annnnnd?"
Branuel Or De A'lanuel smirks at me. "That is all you get for now, my treasure. Honestly, it is more than you ought to have without another bargain. Soooo...do with the information what you will."
I look at my guys and sigh. "I need to go back to Earth," I ignore Terrenel and Branuel's roar of displeasure and continue. "I've got to fill Garrett and my Captain in on what I've learned. I've also got to see if anyone else has been...uhhhh murdered and turned into a fucking apple by your crazy nephew, Branuel Or De A'lanuel."
"You will not go."
"I am going," I hold up my hand. "I WILL be back. I promise."
"Hmmmm you promise," Branuel muses. "A promise is very important to the Fae."
I hold out my hand to him. "Let's shake on it. And I promise I will return after I've tied up a few things on Earth." I'm surprised when he pulls me into his arms and crushes his mouth to mine. He bites my lip and I taste the bitter copper of my blood.
    Yummy. Gah. His kiss is yummy as hell, full of wicked promise. When he releases me I feel the zap of electricity and know that Fairy has bound our promise through pleasure and pain.
"Much better way to seal our promise than this human handshake of yours," Branuel says. He nods his head. "I will see you, SOON. Until then good luck on your hunt. I have an errant, impudent healer to teach a lesson to...so I shall leave you." He gives me a heated look, "You have three days, and then I expect to see you again. Else I will take it to mean you have backed out on your promise. Do you understand, my treasure."
"But what if it takes—"
"—It won't. Do you understand, my treasure? Three days."
    Stupid, stubborn ass king. Fine. I nod my head curtly, annoyed.
    Okay. So three days. Three days to talk to Garrett, talk to my Captain, investigate several more crime scenes (cause there was no way that there hadn't been more murders since we'd been in Fairy) explain myself weird ass appearance to my squad, and get my shit in order for another crazy trip to Fairy.
    Hell. Piece of cake.
    Shit.