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  I do and I won’t let you down.

  And now, my lovely wife is calling to me.

  Davido? She had one more thing she needed to say.

  Yes, sweetest queen?

  I want you to know that as hard as the past several weeks have been and despite how frightening the immediate future seems, I’m so grateful you taught me how to become Aralynn. These changes have helped me to experience a kind of freedom I’ve never known before.

  I am gratified that you’ve found pleasure, my dear. You’ve deserved it for a long, long time. And now, I must go.

  Good-bye.

  Though nothing in particular had been resolved, Rosamunde felt infinitely better after speaking with Davido. Essentially, she must ride out this storm. But how to do it without losing her heart completely to Stone, was not something she could yet see.

  ~ ~ ~

  Stone had been sorry to see Aralynn leave. He felt the need to talk this out with her, but she’d been profoundly overcome, something he still wasn’t sure he understood.

  For himself, he was beyond grateful to be free of his chronic blood starvation. Yet, he couldn’t see how he could take any extra time to be focused on a blood rose. He had an Ancient Fae to put in the ground.

  Joseph appeared in the doorway, levitating so that he was eye-level to Stone. “So, you ready to bargain for some Guardsman apparel? I’ve got a couple of coats and leathers you can take a look at.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  He pursed his lips. “Follow me.”

  Joseph levitated and led the way up the tunnel in a direction Stone intuited was fairly west with slight jogs to the north. Before long he flew in front of what proved to be a host of small rooms full of junk. As Stone moved, he had to keep his head lowered several inches and in some places lower still. Gremlins being as small as they were didn’t need ceilings of any particular height.

  When he reached the space Joseph gestured to, Stone drew to a stop, turned to survey the available garments, then dropped his jaw. “Sweet Goddess, what the hell is this?”

  “Exactly what you need, right Mastyr?” A gravelly, high-pitched chortle left Joseph’s throat.

  Stone planted his fists on hips. Hanging on what had to be dozens of racks, in a very large space, were the traditional black leather, calf-length sleeveless coats the Guardsmen wore.

  He snorted. “You think you have something in my size?” As in half the coats he was looking at.

  Joseph levitated to Stone’s shoulder height. He stroked his chin. “For the right price, I’m sure we can find something that fits.”

  Stone glared at the gremlin. “You are aware that these uniforms are stolen property and I could turn you over to the queen and have you jailed for this.”

  “But why would you do that to the one who saved your life? As in me? I was the one who brought Kaden here to heal you. My good man, you’d be tits-up except for what I did for you.”

  Forest gremlins lived a reclusive life apart from all other realm-folk and stole anything they could. In the past, if Stone caught sight of one, by long habit he usually fired off a blast of battle energy hoping to be rid of what he’d always thought of as a useless, thieving race.

  To his knowledge, however, he’d never hit even one of the quick bastards. “Fine,” Stone said. “I owe you and I need to get out of here. What’s your price?”

  Kaden called from a distant cavern room. “Give him what he wants, Joseph, or you’ll have Margetta tearing through your dwelling the moment she takes over Ferrenden Peace. This man is all that stands between you, your people, and the evil golden one. I have it on good authority she makes footstools out of your kind.”

  “Kaden,” Joseph shouted in his shrill yet gravelly voice, “You’re cramping my style, which is to say if I don’t meet my nightly quota, my cock will not be happy.” He nudged Stone’s shoulder with his small elbow. “The little woman has the heart of a miser.” Maybe he meant it as a dig, but his eyes shone with pride.

  Goddess, save him from gremlins.

  But Stone waited quietly for the gremlin to acquiesce or not. Kaden was not exactly someone any realm-person could challenge, at least not without serious consequences. Even separated by a few walls, Stone could feel the man’s energy vibrating along the tunnel.

  “J-o-s-e-p-h.” Kaden’s voice carried a resonant warning. “I mean now.”

  Joseph finally huffed a sigh and blew the air from his cheeks. “Oh, very well. You’ll find your size there at the east end of the racks.”

  Stone went to the right of the doorway, in the direction of Joseph’s waving hand and could see at a glance that the Guard coats were suited to the breadth of his shoulders. He’d pushed three aside when he came across one with special silver studs that looked remarkably familiar. “What the hell! Joseph, this is my coat and I know exactly when it disappeared. I went swimming in my lake one night and got out of the water to find my clothes gone. And how the hell did you even get past my security shields?”

  He turned, intending to glare at his forest gremlin host, but Joseph was nowhere to be seen. Stone’s turn to puff out his cheeks, then sigh.

  He grabbed the coat and it didn’t take him long to find the matching leathers and black boots with star studs down both sides. After foraging among stacks of woven shirts, he also discovered a cache of several with his name stitched along the inside neckline. One of his doneuses had been making these shirts for him for decades. Not that he always wore them, but dammit, these shirts were his.

  He muttered under his breath as he dropped his towel and got into his uniform.

  When he’d pulled up his boots then ran his fingers down the familiar studs on his leathers, he started to call out for Joseph. But his sensitive vampire hearing detected two voices toward the west end of Joseph’s home: Kaden and Joseph were squabbling.

  Stone heard Kaden snort. “I’m not using ‘keylap’ because that’s not a word. You made it up.”

  “I did not. And it fits. See? Six letters. All right. I see you still don’t believe me, so let me explain. I was at a gremlin strip club near the Vermed Sea and that’s what the dancer called it, but you had to be in a private room and pay extra: Keylap. Now do you see?”

  “Did you get one?”

  Stone heard the shudder in Joseph’s voice. “I was tempted. That woman had breasts the size of plums. Now that may not seem big to you but for a woman only a foot and half tall, they were hefty honkers.” Another shuddering sound ensued.

  “I’m telling your wife where you went.”

  Joseph blew another fatty sound from between his lips. “You do and you won’t be welcome back here anytime soon, then where would you be? And I’d like to see another realm-person anxious to open his dwelling to a Goddess-be-damned elf-lord.”

  Stone fell very still and a terrible chill went through him.

  Elf-lord?

  Holy fuck.

  Several questions ran through his head. Was it true? If so, how had an elf-lord survived all this time without detection? And what was he doing in Ferrenden Peace? Did Aralynn know what Kaden was?

  In ancient Realm history, the elf-lords had subjugated the entire population of the Nine Realms and a reign of terror ensued. Over the centuries, a resistance movement arose that eventually wiped them out.

  If Kaden really was an elf-lord, then Stone had an obligation to turn him over to the Sidhe Council, but that hardly seemed like a just recompense for a man who had healed him of an otherwise mortal wound. Stone would have died without Kaden’s healing touch.

  He turned the issue over in his head several times eventually deciding that he’d keep his mouth shut for the time being. Joseph was so full of horseshit, Stone thought it possible Kaden was no such thing. For now, Stone had a war to win against someone clearly more dangerous than this particular elf.

  Putting his feet in motion, he arrived at the doorway and finally understood the nature of the discussion about the word ‘keylap’.

  Kaden sat in a la
rge comfortable leather chair, a lamp lighting up his right shoulder with Joseph perched on his left. Kaden had one leg balanced on the other at the ankle and he held a crossword puzzle book on his knee, a pencil in hand.

  Both men glanced at him, their eyes dipping to take in his uniform.

  “I see it still fits.” Joseph lifted a brow. His lips turned down at the same time. “I could get a couple hundred at least, on the black market.”

  “Give it a rest.” Kaden snorted.

  Stone stepped into the room, dipping below the arched doorway. Because Kaden was a tall man and clearly a frequent guest, Joseph must have shaped a few of his rooms for him.

  Stone frowned as he met Kaden’s gaze. Now that he’d heard the words ‘elf-lord’, he was tuned into the man. He was definitely of elf origin. He had a strongly pointed chin and with both ears exposed, the curled points were dotted with small diamond piercings. Many of the elves he knew liked to adorn their ears. His wavy brown hair was loose to his shoulders, yet styled. He had a rich, immaculate look. If he was an elf-lord, he definitely looked the part.

  The elven and fae species were cousins, though with enough differences to be separate lineages. Fae had softer elf-like features and a gift for seeing the future. Elves were highly industrious and enjoyed the physical world, as opposed to exploring other more mystical aspects of life.

  Whatever his suspicions, however, Stone owed Kaden a debt. “I want to thank you again for the healing. Much appreciated.”

  “You’re welcome. But I only got you halfway. Aralynn took you the distance.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  Kaden shifted his gaze to the side of the room, his right ear twitching. He then angled his head toward Joseph. “We’ve got company and I’m liking it a lot. Go let her in.”

  Stone hoped to hell it wasn’t the queen.

  Joseph levitated off Kaden’s shoulder, frowning. “I didn’t invite anyone here and my wife knows not to disturb me in my place of business. But if Rosamunde has come back—” He let the words hang as he rubbed his hands together. “She’s always good for a few gold pieces or sometimes she brings me rubies. But Kaden, don’t interfere this time. Think of my cock.”

  Kaden grimaced. “This may come as a shock to you, but I try not to.”

  Joseph chortled. “Good joke.”

  So, Rosamunde knew this odd forest gremlin as well. Of course, she did. She was the queen. But if Rosamunde was here, Stone wouldn’t be staying long. With Margetta’s latest attack in which she’d intended to kill Aralynn, Stone didn’t want to be anywhere near a woman who could have made a difference in the war a long time ago.

  Then again, maybe Aralynn had returned.

  Joseph whipped out of the room. For a forest gremlin, he had a lot of power and moved like lightning. Stone was impressed.

  Kaden said nothing more but rose to his feet.

  Stone turned to extend his hearing. He recognized the woman’s voice right away, then met Kaden’s gaze. “Vojalie’s here?”

  Kaden nodded and licked his lips. “Yes, she is.”

  He hadn’t seen the powerful fae in a while, not since he’d started running missions with Aralynn. She was on the Sidhe Council so Stone had a few questions for her like did she or any of the other gifted fae have an inkling that Margetta had meant to attack Aralynn at Charborne? The Council had been remarkably unhelpful over the past several months.

  He realized it was likely Margetta had somehow blocked their ability to see the future, but it pissed him off that except for Aralynn, he had no real access to the future. He moved farther into the parlor, off to the right side of the room. The air felt suddenly itchy to him and that’s when he realized the elf was glowing, that white, misty light of his. He seemed revved up.

  As he stared at Kaden, Stone knew that the light he emitted was what Stone had perceived when he’d started coming back to consciousness. Damn, Kaden had power. Maybe he was an elf-lord.

  When Vojalie appeared in the doorway, she let out a soft slow gasp at the sight of Kaden.

  Stone immediately sensed her interest in the tall elf. Sweet Goddess, where was Davido? Stone felt a profound need to warn the ugly old troll that he had competition for his woman.

  “I didn’t know you’d be here,” Vojalie said, her gaze glued to Kaden.

  “It was the only way to get Stone the healing he needed. It’s good to see you, Vojalie.” Kaden’s lips curved as though his words carried a hidden meaning. Had Vojalie been involved with Kaden prior to wedding Davido?

  The most powerful fae in all of the Nine Realms continued to levitate. She floated across the room and extended her hand to Kaden, barely noticing Stone’s presence.

  Kaden took her hand and while holding her gaze pressed his lips to her fingers.

  Stone kept his amazement to himself. If Vojalie’s husband, Davido, had been here, the ugly troll would have attacked Kaden for this piece of seductive insolence.

  “It’s been such a long time, Lord Kaden.”

  ‘Lord’ Kaden?

  So, Joseph hadn’t been kidding: Kaden was definitely an elf-lord.

  Stone decided to address the issue. Now that he knew what Kaden was, he had obligations to protect the Nine Realms. What he couldn’t know was exactly how much of a threat Kaden posed.

  He took a step forward. “There aren’t supposed to be any of your kind left. I felt your power, Kaden, and I heard Joseph use the term ‘elf-lord’, but it seems Vojalie’s has just confirmed your true identity.”

  Vojalie turned to him then glanced quickly at Kaden. “Have I said too much?”

  But Kaden shook his head. “No. The truth was bound to come out over the next few nights. Might as well be right now. Stone should know. And yes, I’m an elf-lord. Or rather, I was at one time. I’ve since renounced the power that corrupted so many. ”

  Stone shook his head. “But I thought your kind was extinct. Our ancestors killed the last of you thousands of years ago.”

  For a moment, Kaden looked both serious and despondent. “If it’s any consolation, Mastyr Stone, I am the last of my kind.”

  “Good to know.” Stone could feel the pinch of his own brows. This was a terrible conundrum for him. “I should turn you over to the Sidhe Council.”

  Kaden’s lips twisted into a wry smile. He inclined his head to Vojalie. “The Council knows of my existence. Vojalie runs interference for me and so long as I remain in Ferrenden Peace, I’m allowed to exist. But I keep a very low profile.

  “With that said, Mastyr Stone, I wish to assure you that I am a friend to the Nine Realms. Long ago, I supplied power to the resistance movement that allowed the ruling lords to be brought down. I’ve lived quietly and respectfully for thousands of years.”

  Stone was relieved to learn that the Sidhe Council already knew about Kaden. Historically, elf-lords were half-gods in terms of power, probably at the level Margetta had achieved in recent decades.

  Kaden added, “There’s one more thing. If I’d had the power to counter Margetta, I would have done so. I want you to know that. Also, I have assisted Vojalie and Davido in supporting the mist that has kept Margetta out of Queen Rosamunde’s kingdom, thereby preventing her from gaining access to the elf-lord power.”

  Stone thought this through. “So, the power of Ferrenden Peace is also known as elf-lord power.”

  “It is. It’s the same power each of us has utilized to sustain the veil of mist around the kingdom.”

  “I don’t understand why, if you’re an actual elf-lord, you don’t have sufficient power to battle Margetta. That makes no sense.”

  He shook his head. “I am forbidden to access the elf-lord power in that way. It’s a degree of engagement with the power that would turn me into a monster as it does everyone who gives in to its seductive call. But there’s more. If I ever do fully engage, I’ll be executed. I’m bound by very strict rules lest I become a worse threat than the Ancient Fae.” He glanced at Vojalie, holding her gaze. “And I’ve worked hard to fulfi
ll my vows to the Council. Nothing else is more important to me.”

  Vojalie smiled, a look of affection on every feature. “I know you have.” She lifted her hand and for a moment, Stone thought she intended to run her fingers through Kaden’s hair.

  What the hell?

  Kaden was a good looking man and taller by an inch than Stone. He could be a real threat to an ugly, small troll like Davido.

  Though Stone knew Vojalie quite well, Davido was like a father to him. He’d been Stone’s mentor from the time he was a boy. So like hell he was going to let Kaden, and all his extraordinary abilities, become a wedge between Davido and his woman.

  Stone crossed the space in two long strides and gripped Kaden’s arm. “You need to step away from Vojalie right now. You might have saved my life, but Vojalie’s husband is a man I admire and trust and I won’t have you interfering with their bond.”

  Kaden’s lips curved for a moment. He looked supremely amused which only made Stone tighten his grip around Kaden’s arm. “Let her be.”

  Vojalie quickly moved away from the elf-lord. Kaden in turn, lost his not-taking-this-seriously expression and nodded. “I accept your rebuke, Mastyr. I’ll mind my manners better. And you’re right.” His gaze shifted to Vojalie. “Davido doesn’t deserve to have any man disrupt his domestic harmony.”

  “No,” Vojalie added sincerely. “That he does not.” But even Vojalie’s eyes danced as though sharing a joke with the elf-lord.

  No doubt Vojalie had known Kaden a long time, but Stone wasn’t about to condone this kind of familiarity, not in his presence.

  Stone released Kaden’s arm aware that his hand was vibrating from the man’s energy.

  Vojalie crossed to him suddenly, a warm smile on her lips. Though she was a tall woman, she had to lift up on her tip-toes in order to kiss Stone’s cheek. “How grateful I am that Davido has a friend like you. But you don’t need to worry about Lord Kaden. He will not cross the line. I promise you.”