I stretched out in the tub and stared up at Griff, waiting for him to elaborate on his plan to get the faeries to break his curse. Instead of speaking, he stared down at me, his eyes hooded.“Griff?” I tilted my head.He swept his gaze from my face, down the tops of my breasts, and into the opaque, pink liquid. Steam rose from its surface, as did a small covering of bubbles, obscuring his view of my body.“Is there room for one more in that tub?” he asked, his voice husky.The muscles of my core clenched with need, but I wasn’t going to allow myself to get swept up away by Griff’s animal magnetism.I sank further into the warm water, so it covered my collarbones. “If you want a bath, you can wait your turn. Now, what were you saying about the faeries?”Griff sat on the edge of the tub and placed his hand in the water. “Without your title or the Supernatural Council’s backup, entering faerie territory will be dangerous.”“All right.” I sat up a little straighter.His fingertips grazed
For the next several hours of our journey, we focused on acquainting ourselves with 2021 and how Logris had split itself into eight villages, each occupying different locations across London. We also searched Supernatural Media and found the casino where his father had gotten into trouble with the faeries.We arrived at London Central station at six in the evening, which was peak rush hour for both humans and supernaturals. Everyone disembarked, flooding a platform that was equally as grand as the one in Atlantis Central.Brass lights hung down from above, looking like tiny balls of sunlight, and some of the pillars supporting its vaulted ceilings contained tiles that formed part of the murals that decorated the station. Artistic renditions of angels flew above us, with demons, vampires, and faeries occupying the walls.I glanced around for images of the so-called lesser supernaturals—mages, witches, and shifters—but there was nothing apart from a few ordinary-looking people on the mu
She replaced the underwear with a nude variety without the fake bikini line. “That won’t be necessary. Please accept my most sincere apologies.”Over the next few minutes, she placed a selection of clothes on our reflections. Griff’s outfits were easy. Men only needed to wear tuxedos, and with his perfect body and golden skin, everything he tried looked breathtaking.My situation was trickier. Even in this smaller body, I was still taller than the average woman with broad shoulders, and I had boobs that either gave me too much cleavage or looked awkward in the high-necked dresses. I glanced at the shop assistant, whose puzzled features indicated that she wasn’t trying to put me in unflattering outfits.“Do you have a catalogue?” Griff asked.She reached into the pocket of her smock and extracted her phone. “Our selection is quite extensive, but the Seelie Casino has a very strict dress code, which limits our options.”As Griff stood beside the assistant and watched her tap commands in
When we stepped out of London Central station, the Euston Road was chockablock with black cabs, red double-deckers, and scooters trying to weave their way through the traffic. The last vestiges of sunlight colored the sky a deep crimson, but it was nothing compared to the acrid stench of smog.A familiar silver Überwald awaited us on the curb, its window winding down. My gaze darted to Griff, who I expected would make a comment about Wulfie, but he glanced from side to side, his eyes wide.“Since when did London get so busy?” He shook his head. “And the cars…”“They’re like bubbles compared to what they were like in our time.” I looped my arm through Griff’s and nodded in the direction of the silver vehicle. “Our cab’s waiting.”Wulfie did a double-take as we confirmed our booking, his mouth gaping open. “You two scrub up well.”Eyes brightening, Griff offered the driver his hand. “Thanks, man.”The other man’s brows furrowed, and he drew back. I guessed he was so used to hostility fr
“Thank you.” The ogre helped me exit the Überwald, and I stepped out into the crisp evening, my lungs filling with pristine air.Griff stepped out behind me and placed a hand on the small of my back. “I’d like to see the Administrator of Bad Debts.”The ogre’s features fell. “Have you come to settle a balance?”“That’s a confidential matter,” Griff replied with a bit of bite.Up ahead, his much larger colleagues turned their attention to where we stood. I placed a hand over the dagger in my thigh, checking that it would be ready if we needed to fight our way out.The smaller ogre placed a hand on his ear and mumbled something in another language. From the loop hanging down one side of his face, it looked like this was another kind of communication device.I stood closer to Griff, who remained relaxed and confident, as though he was accustomed to attending gambling establishments.Beki’s sad bark reminded me of something he’d told me when I’d been Katie. Griff’s father had moved him ar
“We always went through a mediator from the Fae King’s court,” I said. “And we never once rescued someone who made a bad bargain.”His eyes widened. “What?”“We were advocating for their families,” I said with a sigh. “It’s one thing to sell a thousand years of your own labor for some frivolous reason, but we couldn’t allow our villagers to trade living people without their consent.”The bartender returned with two tumblers and six bottles, each containing brightly colored liquids. He tapped on their metal lids, releasing puffs of air that covered the glass in ice. I reached into Griff’s pocket, pulled out his phone, and tapped it on a reader, making it beep.As the satyr left to serve a green-skinned faerie, Griff visibly sagged. “When I signed away my first-born, I never thought I would find a mate.”“Why not?” I asked.“Life in my old pack was brutal. Having a mate meant having a weakness.” He reached for the bottle containing the indigo-colored drink, flipped its lid, and poured a
We followed the faerie in the silver tuxedo out of the disco bar and back into the casino’s domed entrance hall illuminated by starlight. My heart slammed against my chest at the impending confrontation. If Griff had armed us for battle, then I’d better be ready to fight.The faerie paused in the middle of the reception area, turned, and swept his gaze up and down our outfits, as though checking us for concealed weapons.My hands clenched into fists. “Is there a problem?”“We’re just awaiting a routine scan.”Light flashed above us, followed by a tingle across my skin. I glanced up to the ceiling to find the stars swooping down. My gaze darted to Griff, who gave me a reassuring nod. I hoped for both of our sakes that the weaponsmith he had purchased from kept his concealment methods up to date.“Thank you,” said the faerie.I placed a hand over my mouth. “What happens next?”The square beneath us descended, making my stomach lurch. I grabbed Griff’s shoulder, and he wrapped an arm ar
I glanced at Griff, who shrugged. After getting the runaround, I was in no mood to miss the opportunity to meet this administrator. Taking his hand, I walked with him to the widening gap in the shelves and stepped into a thirty-by-thirty-foot clearing with a wooden desk in the middle with three matching stools.Shadows emerged from the tall shelves, forming the shape of dogs twice the size of elephants. They glared down at us through red eyes and bared sharp, white teeth.My lips formed a tight line. If we got out of here alive, it would be a miracle.“Please take a seat.” A five-foot-tall man poked his head out from behind one of the dog’s front legs. He was dressed in the kind of pale tunic, breeches, and homemade shoes people wore in the twelve century. “My name is Edmund Harefoot, and I am the Administrator of Bad Debts.”Griff and I walked to the two stools in front of his desk and sat.He shuffled out from behind the dog, his features tight. My gaze dropped to the chain attached