CHAPTER 21

"No. Stand close." Rune approached the trio. His surroundings faded and refocused in Hell a moment later. Faye swayed on her feet. He and the male both reached for her. The winged male paled but placed his hand at the small of Faye's back

Peel the flesh from his body. Slowly.The Ra'Voshnik purred through his mind.

Perhaps this spell would prove useful after he broke it. The Ra'Voshnik didn't compulsively fixate on every notion of fear it scented or tasted. He could repurpose it to calm the Ra'Voshnik. Let it be fixated with a charm he could carry with him rather than the problematic minx at his side.

"Why is the High Queen's estate in Hell?" Sparrow asked, tipping her head back as she gawked over his home.

The corner of Rune's mouth lifted.Because my mother's temper was a thing of legend.

"Before Lyssa, Belind was High Queen, and Michelle was Queen. Michelle was his mother, and they shared time between Hell and Necromia," the male answered.

Rune arched his brow. Not the story, but he wasn't about to volunteer information.

"There were two queens?" At Vashien's nod, Sparrow glanced over her surroundings. "What the fuck is that?" Sparrow asked, pointing off into the distance.

Rune glanced at the winged male, waiting for his explanation of Julian's palace. At his silence, Rune said, "Unimportant," and made his way to the tall bloodroot double doors of his towering estate.

They followed him into the great room. The large open space held two ornate staircases on either side of the room. Black marble made up the floor, reflecting the twinkling lights of two enormous three-tiered black crystal chandeliers.

"Faye's room is at the end of this hall." Rune pointed to the left and continued walking up the staircase on the same side.

The group followed him up the stairs, through a hall that opened to a large ballroom. Rune proceeded through it without comment and led them down another wide hallway. He stopped as the hall turned the corner.

"This is the south wing." Rune gave Faye a pointed look. "My study and rooms are off limits."

Sparrow peered around Faye to stare at Rune. "We're not here for you, in case you didn't get that." A growl emanated from Rune as he took a step toward the mouthy blonde. Faye took a matching step toward him to stand between them. To Rune's disbelief, the blonde continued as though nothing had happened.

"Where's your kitchen?" The male touched her shoulder, and she paid him no mind. Perhaps she was touched with madness. Sparrow came to stand next to Faye, hugging her arm to the side of her body. "Listen, I know we just met. But I eat a lot. So where do you keep the food?"

Rune narrowed his eyes. Definitely insane.

Sparrow's gaze lowered to his ring, and she snorted. "Am I supposed to be afraid of you?" She met his gaze unphased. "Lots of people wear a darker shade than me. You're not that special."

Darkness, he could only hope to find and break this spell tomorrow. He called his talisman to Obsidian and held the ornate stone encased in intricate metal work out to the winged male. "I take it, you know how to use this?"

"I know how to use that," Sparrow all but yelled, snatching it out of his grasp. "Is this to Obsidian? The Obsidian?"

Faye pulled her sister away from him and hissed, "What are you doing?"

The blonde harpy beamed at her. "Obsidian,the most exclusive restaurant in Necromia. You have to be nobility to get in."

Rune got the sinking suspicion he made an error allowing her his talisman. It mattered not. They would be out of his home and life soon enough. "My realm is closed. You will find it unpleasant if you attempt to phase out. I have some business I must attend to if you would excuse me." Rune vanished, leaving them in his home.

Faye threw her arms around Sparrow as soon as Rune vanished. "I'm so sorry you're here." Faye looked up at Vashien. "Both of you."

Sparrow snorted and thumped her backpack before pulling away. "Where's your room bitch?"

"Next to him."

"Douche in the black suit is making you room next to him?" Sparrow stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. "Gross."

Faye started walking back the way they came. "He put me in another room before I ended up in the one next to his. I heard you took out three guards at the High Queen's court.

"My greatest moment." Sparrow linked arms with her, leaning her head on her shoulder as they walked.

They entered what Faye imagined was a ballroom, the dark wood floors polished beautifully. Pillars lined the walls housing arched windows looking out over Hell's crystalline landscape. "I'm so hungry."

"You've dropped a lot of weight. Was he starving you?" Vashien asked as they walked into the next hall.

"No, I did that to myself. There's food in my room." Faye squeezed Sparrow's arm to her side. "The day he kidnapped me, I thought he killed you."

"That bitch ass can't kill me."

"Darkness, save me," Vashien muttered behind them.

Sparrow leaned back, still holding Faye's arm. "What? Tell me I'm lying."

Vashien grumbled, and Faye elbowed Sparrow in the ribs, getting her attention. "I thought you were dead, and I wanted to hurt him."

"Darkness, tell me slowly," she said in a breathy voice. "Did you knock his fangs out of his face?"

"I hit him with a candle holder." Faye looked away as the color drained from Vashien's face. "And stabbed him with a letter opener."

"You stabbed him and didn't tell me? Where!"

Vashien held his hand up at Sparrow.

"Darkness." Sparrow leaned on her hard, wrapping her arms around her shoulder and neck. "Tell me he screamed like a bitch."

"I shifted but not like you. I had wings and claws. I haven't been able to do it again."

"What?" Sparrow hopped, jarring her shoulder. "Bitch you lead with that. My Familiar senses were right. I knew you would be on my level when we were little. And you wanted me to abandon you for a court. Those courts will be wishing they took us now."

They entered the great room again, and Sparrow broke away, running to the stairs. She jumped up, sitting sideways on the railing.

Vashien dove over the railing after her.

Faye could only hold her breath as Sparrow laughed sliding down the banister, her hand trailing behind her. She twisted, landing on her feet on the bottom.

"Are you serious?" Faye hurried down the stairs.

Sparrow snorted. "I always wanted to do that. Doing it in Hell is just a bonus."

"What if you fell? You made Vash jump over the railing." Faye reached the bottom of the stairs and punched her in the arm.

Sparrow fluttered her hand in Faye's face starting toward the hall on the right. "I'm a cat. I always land on my feet."

Faye exchanged a look with Vashien and followed Sparrow.

Her sister stepped back to link arms with Faye again before asking, "So, you have powers now?"

"I don't know how to use them," Faye said as Sparrow jerked her to a stop in front of Rune's study.

"No." Vashien's voice boomed from behind them.

Sparrow stomped her foot, glancing back at him "I just want to mix all his books up and put them back with the pages pointed out instead of the spines." Sparrow pouted at Vashien, who remained unmoved. "Okay I'll just do one bookshelf. Look in there, he has at least ten of them." She outstretched her hand and hit an invisible force at the threshold. Sparrow narrowed her eyes. "This motherfucker." She flicked her hand, striking it with a lash of power.

Faye pulled Sparrow away. "Are you fucking crazy? It's probably tied to him."

"I'm getting in there," Sparrow grumbled as Faye pulled her along.

After a handful of steps, Sparrow stopped pulling against her. They approached the end of the hall. Faye opened the door. "This is huge." Sparrow ran into the room and immediately flopped on the bed.

Faye turned back to Vashien. His expression pinched as he surveyed the room. "What's the matter? I mean, besides the obvious."

He immediately went to the door separating her room from Rune's. He opened it, peering in, and reached out tentatively until he touched the shield barring him entry. He shut the door, turning back to Faye. "What cooperation did you promise? Is he trying to force you into his bed?" Faye hesitated for a moment. "What cooperation does he want? This is a consort's room. Does he know you haven't gone through your Ceremony of Blood?"

"No, he's not— This is what?" Faye looked over the room again.

"Adjoining rooms are for a queen and their consort. The larger room is the queen's, and this is the consort's."

"So, can I call him Shadow Queen?" Sparrow gave Vashien a toothy smile.

Vashien frowned at her and said, "Stay here. Stay together. I'm going to get a feel for the place. I'll phase back when I'm done."

"Tell me when you find the kitchen," Sparrow yelled after Vashien as he disappeared down the hall. Sparrow set the talisman on the table.

"Should we all stick together?" Faye asked.

"No. He used to serve as a guard, he's just doing his dark court stuff. Being able to phase all over is important." Sparrow rolled her eyes.

Faye picked up the bowl of soup from earlier and a hunk of bread. She dug into her meal, wondering if Rune meant to put her in the consort's room.

Sparrow touched two fingers to the obsidian talisman. "Take all this shit away. I need two of the most expensive things you have. Your best dessert and a bottle of whatever your best vodka is. Oh, and pomegranate juice. Make a batch of it and tie it to a craft I can keep here, please. Thank you."

"What are you doing?" Faye hissed.

Sparrow snorted at her, taking her bowl of soup and setting it on the table. Everything promptly vanished. "Payback for picking me up by my neck."

"I was eating that."

"You're about to be eating better shit." Sparrow inspected her room and walked into Faye's closet. She examined a few articles of clothing before turning to her. "Did fangs buy these for you?"

"He said my clothes were ill-suited."

"Well, I mean they are." Sparrow opened the drawer in the back of the closet and held out a lace thong, pinching it between her two fingers. "I think he fancies you a little. He is still poaching you or have you seen his—" Sparrow held her three fingers together and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't want to see his dick, and he says I was poaching him."

Sparrow fluttered her hand at Faye. "He's a lying bitch."

A pleasant chime sounded and a large, covered tray appeared on the table. Well, that's fancy. She turned to her sister. "Food hooker."

Sparrow danced her way to the table and lifted the metal cover in a flourish.

The plates were arranged beautifully. Two of them had medallions of steak over mashed potatoes shaped into a triangle. A splash of red and golden sauce followed the curve of the plate.

A chocolate cake was topped with candied fruits and had straws of chocolate lanced into it. Faye took a fork and stabbed a raspberry. She bit into it, pleasantly surprised. There was no tartness to it. It was sweet. Perfectly ripe.

Sparrow cut into the steak as Faye picked up the craft of dark red liquid. She filled a glass and poured water for herself and Sparrow as well.

"Bitch, you need to try this. Best meat I've ever had in my mouth." Sparrow held a bite of her steak out at Faye.

Faye bit the meat off Sparrow's fork. It was buttery and tender, melting in her mouth. "What is that?"

"What I'm ordering as every meal for the length of our stay." Sparrow scooped up another bite of steak with potato this time. She threw her head back, closed her eyes, and moaned.

Faye ate the candied fruits. Before she started her entrée, Sparrow pushed her empty plate away.

She stretched, leaning back in her chair. "I hope shadow dick is rich because your court is expensive." Faye giggled while eating her meal as Sparrow opened a bottle of vodka and poured a shot.

Faye dragged her fork through the sauce on her plate. "He's convinced himself our fate is a spell."

Sparrow turned uncharacteristically serious. "You can't fake that. You're fated to the Shadow Prince?"

Rejection sliced her deep, cutting to the bone. "But I'm mortal. He doesn't want me."