The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Fae Read online

  As the fabric from my dress swirled around my ankles, I mourned my decision to not snag a shirt and pair of pants from Olezka’s closet.

  “Olezka took me back to his room. On the way – sorry! – I told him about Plan Pina Colada. He took it pretty well, considering, but decided I’d had enough excitement for the day and insisted on having dinner brought to his room instead of going around the others. We had a nice dinner on his balcony. Then, he took me to see the gardens.”

  My eyes took on a wistful hue as I wrapped up the pleasant part of the evening and prepared to reveal the terrifying part. “As we were walking through the gardens, we were attacked by a small group of rogue paras who jumped over the wall.”

  When Ana’s eyes widened and her mouth opened to protest, I hurried to reassure her.

  “Olezka protected me, and I don’t even have a scratch. See? Anyway, then we headed back inside and went directly to Erebus’s office. Timur was already in there. While Z and Erebus were duking it out, yelling like an old married couple, I laid my head down and dozed a bit. After a while, they took pity on me, and Timur walked me back to the hallway that leads here. So here I am.”

  Ana shook her head. “Damn, you certainly had a more exciting night than I did! Are you sure you’re alright?” When I nodded and waved off her concern, she sat back and readied to tell her story. “Well, once Erebus showed up, he showed me how to taper my Lure down, and the other guys broke out of their trance.”

  Obviously frustrated that she’d needed help to do something considered basic by other fae, she shook her head. “I hate how hard it is to control my powers. The energy of this place fuels them more than what I’m used to, which makes me lose control. Kallan would be so disappointed,” she added with a wink.

  “Anyway, after everything calmed down, I kept trying to convince him to let me out of this room so I could come after you and let you know I was okay. He refused, though he did tell me you were with Olezka and you were safe. Then, he announced I needed more training to learn how to control my powers on this plane and even said he would be my instructor.”

  My head swam after hearing Ana’s story, the painful migraine throbbing at my temples making it difficult to focus.

  “When do you start?” I asked, reclining on the bed and trying not to jostle my head.

  “Tomorrow. I’m sorry, Sixx. I know I’ve been bouncing off the walls since I arrived.” Ana got quiet, and a contemplative look crossed her face. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my parents.”

  That woke me up. Ana told me when we first met that she’d never known her parents and Aunt Lola was her only family. I never pushed.

  “You think…?”

  “I’m certain Erebus knows more than he’s letting on, and probably Kallan, too. Here’s the thing – if the High fae in the Court can read someone’s magic signature, doesn’t that mean they can tell which side I belong to?”

  “They won’t tell you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Erebus waves my questions away and tells me not to concern myself with it, and Kallan said he would tell me when he knew for certain. But Sixx… unless my mom had blonde hair and baby blue eyes, I don’t think I belong to the Dark Court. And you met Aunt Lola, who was as brunette as they come.”

  The pieces started to click into place. I had to admit her theory had merit. I sat up and watched as Ana jumped up from the bed and paced the room. “Well, what do we know?”

  “What I did earlier with the Lure is a fairly rare but highly coveted power; same with my electricity. Not many fae have it. I know this because Erebus commanded both the other males to keep what they saw a secret. He seemed pretty annoyed.” Ana twisted around, pacing the length of the room again.

  It was amazing how much adventure the two of us had packed into a single day. “You know what we need?” I said with a smile.

  Ana narrowed her eyes at me. “I know that look on your face.”

  “Mmmhmm. Wine. We need wine.”

  Ana smiled with me and held a finger up then walked to the door. Flinging open the door imperiously, she asked the guard to bring her some wine. When he left without a fight, I gave her a puzzled look.

  “Erebus informed the guards to provide us with whatever we asked for. Within reason, of course. And he said something about not abusing my power. Having him get us something to drink isn’t abusing it, is it?”

  “Of course not.”

  We stayed in the room like good little guests until the fae guard came back with the wine. It was light and fruity, and we took turns swigging straight from the bottle. By the time the bottle was half empty, we had a pretty nice buzz going on. Ana and I were on the bed, laughing about nothing when she took another sip.

  I fixed her with a pointed look, suddenly nervous. “Hey, Ana?”

  “Yup?” Hic.

  “I think I might have almost told Olezka I love him,” I whispered.

  “No way!” Ana perked up and stared at me. “Have you guys…?” She waggled her eyebrows, the unspoken question hovering in the air.

  “No. We haven’t had enough time alone, you know? But I’m not gonna lie… The first moment we do, I might jump his bones.”

  We were both quiet for a moment, then we started to laugh.

  “Oh, please do! And you know what? I’m going to help you.” Ana handed me the wine bottle and climbed off the bed. Her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, the wine making its presence known.

  “You know who I need to – hic – jump?”

  I laughed and shouted, “Erebus!” then clapped my hands over my mouth because I didn’t mean to be so loud.

  Ana’s eyes got big, but she laughed and looked over at me. “Yes. Oh my gods, yeesss,” Ana slurred as she spun around to point at me.

  “We should go find the guys!” I suggested.

  “Didn’t you say they were working on something?”

  I furrowed my brows. “Did I? I don’t remember.” When I tried to recall things that happened earlier in the day, my head practically split open. I hissed, grabbing my temples and closing my eyes against the pain.

  “Oops, maybe we need to slow – hic – down on the wine. I think it’s stronger than we’re used to,” Ana said, climbing onto the bed and crawling on all fours to get to her side.

  I kept my eyes shut tightly and nodded. The headache didn’t seem to be leaving any time soon, so I gratefully ducked under the soft blankets Ana pulled over me.

  “Love you, Ana.”

  “Love you most, Sixx.”

  Chapter 17

  The moment I opened my eyes, nausea churned, and I groaned from where I sat. Maybe it was because she was half-fae, or it was just an Ana thing, but she’d already warmed up and changed into the soft fighting leathers Erebus dropped off when he woke us up at the butt crack of dawn. Neither of us was pleased to be awakened so early, particularly after a long night of wine.

  I’d hoped Olezka would be with him, but Erebus said he was dealing with details related to the ball, which signaled the end of the mysterious festival I still knew nothing about. Bits and pieces of last night came back to me in jagged bursts as the morning went on, but if I tried to think about them too much, pain would erupt in my head. I decided it would be much easier to sit and keep my mind blank, instead.

  Our room was large, and Erebus announced it would be safer to begin Ana’s training within that space. He waited patiently on the opposite wall from Ana, ready for her to finish warming up so they could begin their training. I was eager to see Erebus in action, but I could have done with another hour or two of rest.

  “You must be the master of your energy,” Erebus began. “The Veil is different from the human realm. Here, our magic flows from the very land. We draw energy from it. It sustains us, and it can overwhelm those who aren’t used to it,” Erebus explained as he watched Ana bounce on the balls of her feet. She stretched and continuously moved, unable to stand still for even a minute. “What are you doing?” Erebus finally snapped.

 
“Why don’t you try hanging out in a new world that makes your blood sing, only to be shoved into a room for almost a week, and see how you feel?”

  For a moment, a flash of regret crossed his features before he refocused his carefully blank look.

  “Allow your Lure out.”

  Ana’s gaze shifted to me uncomfortably before she folded her arms and stood perfectly still.

  “Not with Sixx in the room. I already did that to her once on accident.”

  Erebus looked over at me, and I bit my lip. Thinking of somewhere else I could be, I stood up and stretched.

  “I think I’ll head out to Tess’s garden. I should apologize and see if I can help her clean up the damage from last night.”

  “Allow the guard to escort you there, Sixx.” I opened my mouth to protest, but Erebus shot me a warning look. “That wasn’t a request.”

  I snapped my jaw shut and nodded. Moments like these reminded me that he was King here. His word was law. I walked out of their training session to see Isa standing outside the door, waiting for me. She didn’t say a word, just turned and headed down the hall. I followed without protest because I felt half-dead and incapable of rational thought. Yawning big enough to crack my jaw and bring tears to my eyes made me aware that the exhaustion lingered throughout my body.

  Isa didn’t speak a single word to me as we walked and then jabbed her arm at the side door Olezka and I had taken to the gardens the night before. Unwilling to show any weakness in front of this warrior woman, whom I suspected didn’t much care for me, I stepped through the doorway without a backward glance.

  While the garden was impressive in the starlight, in the daylight, it practically shone. Flowers that remained tightly budded during the night bloomed riotously, coaxed by the sun’s golden rays. Dew sparkled on the lush grass, and the blades sprang up like elastic with each step and glittered like emeralds. The heady aroma of so many blooms teased my senses and enveloped me as I stepped farther into the gardens, the colors enticing me to explore.

  This place wasn’t inherently scary just because I had a bad experience there, but it didn’t remove the bite from my memories. Though the attack lasted only minutes, it felt as if it had lasted for years. All of the events of the past week had taken a toll on me even if I tried to pretend they hadn’t. But now, in this space, the garden attempted to return a semblance of peace. I lightly ran my fingers over the velvety, crimson petals of an exquisite flower larger than my head, the stalk valiantly standing upright as I moved farther into the garden.

  I was drawn to the sound of a lyrical, soft voice singing within the labyrinthian jungle. I followed the sound, enchanted by the melody even though I couldn’t discern the words. Rounding a corner that contained a grouping of majestic purple flowers that seemed poised to reach the sky, I saw Tess in the middle of the garden, singing.

  Outdoors, her hair took on a more branch-like texture. Her ashy brown skin crackled and resembled bark as she sang through lips that moved as gracefully and subtly as any professional singer. Once she finished her song, a tree grew from where a scorched patch of grass had been. That was the spot where Olezka erupted into flames and fought last night to keep us safe.

  Guilt nipped at me. I should have stayed with him last night even if I was tired. With everything he’d done to protect me, he must have been exhausted. I resolved to find him after I was done here. My drunken conversation with Ana last night flashed in my mind, and my cheeks burned.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sixx. I didn’t realize you were here,” Tess said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “No, I’m the one interrupting you. Olezka told me these were your gardens to tend, and since we were part of the problem last night, I just wanted to offer a bit of help.”

  Tess blinked and seemed taken aback.

  “I have come to learn that humans are very different from the fae. Here, the lines between fae are clear. I try not to judge, especially since Erebus took over. A druid would not have been seen within the palace walls in the world before,” Tess admitted.

  “Can I help with anything?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable. Not only was I probably trampling all over their culture, but I didn’t like the way she spoke of herself as if she wasn’t equal to the others.

  “Yes. Come, we can plant some things the slow way, I suppose,” Tess said with a twinkle in her eye.

  I smiled in response, eager to be useful. Tess led me deeper into the garden. As we approached the wall that the attackers had jumped over, I saw the extent of the damage. It looked like a wildfire had erupted, destroying the plants and blackening the stone walls. Becoming unnerved by the silence, I asked, “So, why wouldn’t druids be allowed inside the palace walls?”

  “Before Erebus became king, Lower fae were not allowed inside unless they were beholden to the High fae and working to pay off their debts. But druids replenish the realm, and without our magic, the High fae would suffer.”

  “Oh, Olezka never told me about that. Is it the same for all other paras?”

  “Not exactly,” she answered kindly. “High fae syphon energy from the earth to strengthen their powers. Lower fae, as we are called, do not thrive off the earth’s energy. Druids feed it.”

  “That sounds like a lot of responsibility. Thank you,” I offered earnestly.

  Tess cocked her head to the side. “What for?”

  “Well, for one, feeding the earth. I hope the good you do in this realm bleeds into mine. Also, for not being upset about the destruction from last night.”

  Tess gave me a concerned look.

  “This was caused by the attack; remnants from the ifrinn,” she said quizzically.

  “The what?”

  She struggled to translate her words to ones I would understand. “The… beast. The hellhound?”

  I didn’t miss the shiver that traveled through Tess as she talked about Olezka. I frowned in confusion. While he could be terrifying, he was protective and gentle with me.

  “You mean…”

  “Yes, the King’s assassin.”

  The blood drained from my face. “What?”

  “Your fear is well-placed. Truthfully, I had dreaded encountering him at that first dinner when we met. The Dark fae breathed a little easier, knowing that the ifrinn had left the Veil to go into the human realm. Most are not happy he has returned, but at the very least, his twin is gone. The two of them together are ghastly.”

  My mind spun with Tess’s words. “Wait, did you say twin?”

  “Yes, I can hardly believe there are two of them. Half-breeds, even. Both sides as terrifying as the other. Olezka, the older twin, was the King’s right hand and his not-so-secret weapon. Our king had a hard time keeping his title. He enforced new laws on the High fae that they disagreed with, and many within the Court were flushed out or mysteriously killed. No one could pin the deaths on the King or his inner circle, but there were rumors he was behind the King’s eldest brother’s sudden death.”

  Tess began coaxing life into the grass lying singed and blackened where Olezka’s fire had destroyed it. I thought about what she said and tried to match it against the man I knew. My Olezka wouldn’t kill without reason, right?

  “Can you tell me anything about his twin?”

  She contemplated her answer. “Hmm, he was always the quieter of the two, slinking in the shadows and keeping to himself. He disappeared quite some time ago.”

  “But, I thought…” My head began to throb. I needed to learn more about the twin my mate never told me about as well as his life as an assassin in the Veil.

  We had been thrown into his world, and it would make sense that he’d reclaimed his mantle. Admittedly, he had been disappearing and going on secret missions he refused to talk to me about. And who knows what he did to the werewolf pack back home? I bit my lip. I remembered Ana’s words when she told me she saw a different side of him when they were out on missions.

  Was my kind, sweet mate actually a bloodthirsty beast?

  I could alm
ost feel his gentle hands on my hips and his lips brushing tenderly against mine. Lifting my hand, I brushed my fingertips over my lips. My stomach twisted, and my mind raced.

  Granted, there was a lot we didn’t know about each other, but I never considered that Olezka was hiding his family from me. His brothers – the ones I knew – treated me like their little sister. His younger brother Roman liked to play jokes on me, and his older brother Timur took me under his protective wing. Olezka told me about his parents, but he never once mentioned another brother, let alone a twin. Neither had his other brothers.

  Why would he keep it from me?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Tess said, patting my arm gently.

  “I’m fine. I promise. So, are you certain Olezka was responsible for killing all those fae you spoke of?”

  She looked at me shrewdly. “Humans have politics, correct?”

  “Yes.” I had a feeling I knew where she was going with this.

  “They are not so clean, right?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Our customs may be different from yours. Here, we fight with blood, not words. I do not agree with this tactic, but it is part of my world. Even so, I will admit it kept certain rebellious factions of the Dark fae Kingdom from attacking King Erebus for many years. Not all were pleased with his changes, but his hybrid muscles had been enough to keep most from wanting to attack. After Olezka left, the attacks started up again. But never this badly.”

  Tess paused to sing a short tune to the bushes nearby, and a dazzling array of magenta flowers blossomed. She stopped and looked over at me.

  “That reminds me… I never did ask why you were brought here or how you became a guest of the King.”

  “Oh, um…”

  “Sixx,” a deep voice said from behind us. Tess stiffened and moved away from the bush she had been working on. I turned to face Olezka, who looked utterly exhausted. The skin around his eyes was tight, and dark circles sat heavily underneath them. His hair was tousled as if he had been running his hand through it all night.