Into the Fire (The Unseelie Court Book 4) by Gwen Rivers (latest ebook reader .TXT) 📕

The chef drops his spoon into the pot with a clang then gives the nymph a reluctant smile. “Oh, all right. But only because it’s you asking.”

Jasmine beams and hurries into the larder where she retrieves cold ham, cheese, apples and a huge loaf of bread. “Thank you, Rask. You’re the best.”

The grumpy fey gawks at her haul but says nothing.

“Come on,” Jasmine gestures for him to follow her up another set of stairs. “I’ll take you to the garden.”

Aiden follows, relieved when they are aboveground once more.

This is taking too long, His wolf snarls.

Aiden lets out a breath. Food, then we’ll get what we came for.

Namely, a kiss from a king.

I wake up on a gurney. Naked, with only a thin, white sheet covering me from breasts to midthigh. My shackles have been replaced by a series of metal bands. One on each ankle, then above the knee. One on either wrist and then a large one over my midsection and finally around my neck.

There is something wedged in my mouth, forcing it open like a bit for a horse. I try to scream around it but it is muffled. Struggling, I attempt to wrench myself free of the cold metal bands. No use.

I look around the space where the gurney’s been parked. It looks like some sort of futuristic medical lab. All-white walls and white countertops, silver instruments and computer screens. My knowledge of medicine is limited to my Aunt Addy’s veterinary clinic, but something about this room feels more like a laboratory than a doctor’s office.

My gaze goes to the corner where, sure enough, the eye in the sky is pointed directly at me.

I clench my hands into fists, wishing I had access to my magic.

But it isn’t my magic, at least not anymore. It’s the magic of the Unseelie queen. My magic is limited to my deadly kiss. And my enemies have effectively neutralized that threat.

A woman wearing a blindingly white cleanroom suit appears over me, holding a needle. I shriek and the sound is muffled by the gag.

“It’ll go easier if you hold still.” She studies me a moment.

Terror makes my stomach twist. What exactly are these people going to do with me? The needle looms massive as it comes closer and closer. I whimper in fear, I can’t help it.

Contact. Then the overwhelming sting as the needle sinks deeply into my upper lip.

Tears spill over. The woman’s focus is on her work, her eyes completely unsympathetic. I can feel the sickening tug as blood is forcibly removed from my body.

She extracts a vial from the syringe and then adds another. Two vials later, the needle is withdrawn.

A sob escapes. I want to beg, to ask who she is and why she is doing this. But why ask questions I already know the answers to? The people who caught me know what I can do. They know how to contain me and they want to find out how I can kill with a kiss.

They don’t appear to care if I’m hurt on their quest for answers.

The medic returns with a fresh needle and repeats the process again. And again.

Return to the path you were on.

My mother set me up for this. Put me back on the course I’ve been destined for, the road that leads to this hell. A prisoner, a medical curiosity in FBI custody. Would they try to weaponize the toxin in my goodnight kiss? What will their tests reveal? I shudder to think of the outcome. Contained to me, my deadly kiss has only ever been used to take out murderers, rapists, people who prey on the weak. But if the feds find a way to weaponize the poison….

I shudder at the thought. It would be used for power, political gain. Magic unleased on the wrong side of the Veil.

Finally done using me as a living pin cushion, the medic collects her bags and vials and departs. There is a hiss as the door closes behind her. I am left on the table like a rotting carcass at Thanksgiving.

No wonder I’m a vegetarian.

Please, I implore the empty space. Anyone.

A mist gathers. It’s a strange sight in the closed room, but I see the little red light on the camera wink off. A moment later the mist takes shape.

A hideous shape. Part bird, part woman, all evil. She is a Valkyrie spirit. A wraith I’d secured to serve the Wild Hunt. To serve me.

And she hates me for it.

“Little Queen,” Nightweaver appears in the room. “What has been done?”

I glower at her. With the gag in, there isn’t anything I can say. Talk about asking a stupid question.

She drifts down and studies my mouth. A trickle of blood has curved over the bow of my lips and down past my gag. The coppery tang of my own blood makes my stomach roil. Would serve them right if I choke to death on my own vomit.

“That looks painful.” Nightweaver’s soulless eyes gleam.

I shudder at her nearness. The Valkyrie still smells slightly of carrion, even in death. My nausea grows worse.

“Nahini sends me with a message. Underhill has discovered the ruse.”

I close my eyes. Addy. She’d found out Addy is pretending to be Aiden.

“I’d ask if there is anything you would like me to tell her, but it’s obvious you aren’t up to conversation.”

I glare at the cantankerous spirit, who drifts off, silent laughter echoing behind her.

Trapped. I am trapped by the mortals. My magic is all but gone and I have nothing, nothing, nothing….

Including a plan.

You win, mother, I think tiredly. Kill them all, there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.

I can’t protect the fey. I can’t even keep mortals from tying me down and taking my blood. Most of the people I care for are on the other side of the Veil, but even if they were here, could they find this underground place and me within it?

Aiden could.

My heart cracks as I think