Fevered: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance (The Carnal Court Book 1) Read online

  I don’t notice that both Kaya and Merina have gone still until I look up. “Did I say something?”

  Kaya cocks her head to the side. “Can we ask you what happened?”

  I take a breath to speak, and pause. Should I tell them? There’s a tiny whisper inside that says I should trust no one. But Kaya gave her promise. She cannot harm me so long as I am here. And she is right. If any of the men suspected I was in danger, I doubt that I would be alone.

  “I was attacked,” I say softly. “By a fae.”

  The two of them stare at me with supernatural stillness. I go on. “A fae female. I own a magic shop in the human world. I don’t have much magic, just enough to make some charms and potions. She was a customer—or so I thought. I was on the way to a party, and she must have followed me. She attacked me with magic. I don’t know why, but it’s still inside me.” I press a hand to my gut, where I can sense the core of that darkness. “It’s killing me.”

  Merina looks at me like she’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “And how did you come across three fae males?”

  “They came across me,” I say, scrubbing the dirt from my skin. “They sensed the magic and saved my life.”

  I’d forgotten what it’s like to feel clean. Something so simple that you take for granted.

  “And the human man is your lover?” Kaya asks, handing me a glass bottle filled with deep red liquid.

  That color matches the blush on my cheeks. “Yes,” I say. “No. Not really. We wanted to—before everything happened…It’s complicated.”

  Kaya puts her hands on my shoulders and turns me around in the water, pouring some other substance on my hair and proceeding to wash it. “You don’t have to—”

  She shushes me, continuing to wash it. I can’t remember the last time that someone played with my hair, and it feels nice. Even though these aren’t Carnal Fae, clearly they’re not shy. And they don’t have the same kind of boundaries that humans do when it comes to touch. I’m going to have to remember that.

  “So where are they taking you?”

  I pour some of the red soap into my hand, distracted by how much it looks like liquid rubies in my palm. Even their bath products look like jewels. “Their Court. There’s a healer there they think might be able to break the curse that’s killing me.” Kaya pours water over my hair and rinses it out. “It’s only been today that I haven’t been in pain, but it will come back soon.”

  Using the soap, I rid myself of the last of the dirt that’s build up on my skin and under my nails. I dunk under the water and rinse out the last of the shampoo. God, I could stay in this bath forever. I feel shiny and brand new.

  When I surface, the corner of Merina’s mouth tips up into a smile. “How did you get rid of the pain?”

  My whole body flushes so quickly that it almost burns, and they both burst into laughter. Kaya is grinning and looks at her friend. “I told you.” Then she looks at me. “You’re a lucky girl.”

  “Why?”

  “To have three males of the Carnal Court as your lovers? Even the most loyal fae could be tempted with an offer like that.”

  “It’s not like that,” I say quickly, even though I can’t say that I wouldn’t want it to be like that. “They’re just trying to keep me alive. The curse absorbs a lot of magic.”

  Kaya reaches for my hand and helps me out of the bath so that I don’t slip, and Merina wraps a large, warm towel around me. “I have no doubt that that is true,” Kaya says. “But what I saw between you was more than obligation.”

  I blush again. It can’t be true. No matter what I’ve seen or heard, the hunger in Aeric’s eyes and Verys’s words, Brae’s pleasure. I’m just a human. Four men can’t want me. Especially three fae gods of pleasure. “It’s impossible.”

  “It’s not,” Merina says lightly. “And you should know that things here are not like the human world.” She pulls me around the pool and sits me down at the table with all the make-up.

  “What do you mean?”

  Merina perches herself on the edge of the table. She shrugs. “There are less female Fae than male Fae. Sharing a partner is more normal here.”

  She says it so simply. Sharing a partner. As if it’s that easy, just to decide that you can be with more than one person. There’s a little piece of me that asks why it shouldn’t be that easy? But even if it’s common here, it’s not real. It’s not like that. They don’t feel that about me.

  Kaya makes a frustrated noise. “I swore the last time that I was here there was a beautiful green fabric.”

  “The one that Amaya took for herself?”

  “No,” she says absently, “though that was beautiful as well. This one is much richer, and it’ll be perfect with her coloring.”

  I realize that she’s going to make me clothes. “Oh, you don’t have to make me anything,” I say. “I can have whatever is lying around. I’m sure it’s going to get dirty as soon as we leave.”

  Merina starts to laugh as she’s looking through different pots of color on the table. “That’s a fight you will not win. Kaya is one of the best designers in the Crystal Court, and she’s always wanted to make something for a human to wear. And trust me,” she whispers, “whatever she creates for you will be stunning.”

  “It will!” Kaya says, flying out of the mountain of fabric victoriously. She has a shimmering emerald fabric in her hands, and I’m stunned by its beauty. So much that I barely hear the rest of what she’s saying. “But I’m not going to just make you a dress. Especially after the way your last one ended up—which looked like it was amazing when it wasn’t battle-scarred—I’ll make you some travel clothes too. Which will of course be fabulous as well as functional.”

  A laugh flies out of my lips so fast that I pause. It’s been forever since I’ve really laughed. Or at least it’s felt that way. It feels good, like my soul is a little lighter.

  I can feel that pain in my gut. It’s growing, but for this brief moment it doesn’t matter. “Why are you making me a dress?”

  “Because you’re going to meet the Rialoir and Rialoia—the King and Queen,” Merina says. “You’ve asked for aid, and the Rialoir must hear what’s happened to you. Especially if whoever is chasing you has followed you into our Kingdom.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hold still,” she says, starting to paint my face with something pale.

  “I didn’t realize that fae used make-up. Can’t you just use magic to look how you want?”

  “We could,” Merina says. “And sometimes we do if it’s something big. But glamours are both difficult to do and more difficult to hold for a long time. It ends up being much more fun to create make-up in the colors you want that won’t fade no matter how many times you decide to fall into the mead fountain on Beltane.”

  There’s definitely a story there, and Merina winks at me when I raise my eyebrow in question. “That makes sense.”

  “Stand up for a second,” Kaya says, “and drop the towel.”

  I hesitate, and she rolls her eyes. “Humans and your modesty. I already saw you naked in the bath.”

  She has a point, and I place the towel on the chair I was sitting on while she stares at me clinically. I whisper to Merina. “What is she doing?”

  “She’s memorizing your measurements and figuring out what looks good on you so she can make your clothes.”

  “All done!” Picking up the fabric, which shimmers and shines, both dazzling and subtle. “I’m going to make you a dress that proves me right.”

  I blink. “What are you proving?”

  “That those delightfully handsome men that are protecting you have far more on their mind than just your safety.”

  I blush, and my stomach flips, but I don’t say anything. I just turn back to Merina, who has the same conspiratorial smile on her face, and let her continue to paint my face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ________

  AERIC

  Through the walls I can hear the muffled sounds of the fema
les and Kari speaking. Even better, I can hear her laughing. It’s a sound that I’ve never heard before, and everything in me reacts to it. That tide pulling me toward her is lit up with that sound, and for a second, I allow myself to believe that this is true and that everything will be fine.

  But only for a second. We’re still being hunted, and as much as the thought feels like a sword is being punched into my gut, the chance that Kari could die before we reach Urien is high.

  Please.

  I release that prayer to the Goddess. It’s been on my lips and in my mind, and I don’t pretend that I know what I’m asking for. If it’s for her survival, or for this bond we share to be a dream, or for her to want it too. There’s too much, and all I can find in myself to ask is please.

  Kari’s laughter slips through the wall again, and I see Brae smiling across the room. I’m not the only one who feels lighter hearing it. It reminds me of all the things that we don’t know about her and have yet to discover. We feel so connected because we’re running, and we’ve been trying to save her, but I don’t even know her favorite color.

  Brae now knows what it feels like to kiss her, and the way her face looks like when she’s lost in pleasure. Lucky bastard.

  “They’ll give her her own room,” Verys says.

  I look up from the water where I’m sitting. The pool we’re sharing is huge and steeped in natural magic that is slowly sinking into my skin. Even if we hadn’t been running from a sadistic bitch-fae this bath would make me feel on top of the world. “What?”

  Verys looks towards the wall that’s separating us from Kari. “We’re safe here, as far as alliances go. We’re not going to be attacked from within the Court. But this female isn’t exactly afraid. She’s brazen. She attacked Kari on the street.”

  Brae nods. “We’ll watch her room then.”

  Kent is looking back and forth between us from the corner of the pool. He hasn’t said much to any of us, which is not exactly surprising. But he hasn’t bitten our heads off either, which some would consider progress. “I’ll take a watch too,” he says.

  I look at him, and he meets my eyes. There’s determination there, not the possessiveness that I expected. “All right.” Kent is a capable human, and on more than one occasion he’s shown his strength. I know that he’ll fight to protect Kari with all of his will, and he’ll be able to rouse us quickly enough to make a difference.

  “Are we going to tell them everything?” Kent asks.

  I’d been thinking about it, weighing both the pros and the cons. “I think we should. There’s very little risk in doing so, and if we’re followed here after we leave, they can be aware and possibly pass us more information.”

  He nods, accepting that verdict without any struggle. I know that he and Kari spoke before we left the cave. Whatever she said to him must have had an impact. I can’t say I that don’t sympathize with him. Were I in his position, I would struggle similarly. It’s definitely for the best that he doesn’t know about the way we’re connected to Kari. He might be doing better, but there’s only so much someone can take.

  The door opens, and we all go to attention. It’s simply a male fae with some clothes that he leaves for us. Brae speaks, mostly to Kent. “We’ve been extended the hospitality of the Rialoir. Not only does that mean that no one of the Crystal Court can harm us while we’re here, but he’ll provide everything that we need to continue on our journey.”

  “Why would he do that?” Kent’s voice sounds genuinely curious.

  Verys stretches and exits the water. “The Carnal and Crystal court have been close allies for a very long time. It’s one of the most stable relationships we have with an external court. If someone sought help in the Carnal Court, our Rialoia would extend the same courtesy.”

  It’s true, though people who visit the Carnal Court aren’t often looking for supplies and protection. They’re looking for pleasure, which we’re more than happy to provide.

  I’m loath to leave this bath, because the water is replenishing my magic, and it feels excellent to be clean and whole. But we must. Hospitality or not, the Rialoir is expecting us, and we should not keep him waiting the whole night.

  The clothes that have been left for us are of the highest quality—of course—and they fit perfectly. We’ve all been given a similar style, colors varying between us. The clothes I’ve been given are black, the fabric of the shirt and vest shimmering with crimson in the light. I like it.

  Then I see the back of the vest, and I grin. This should be entertaining. The vest has laces in the back, and the body is structured, with boning in the material. To Kent’s eyes, when he sees it, it will appear much like a human corset, though the style of clothing was worn by Fae far longer than it was worn by humans. And it’s a male custom here, which I’m sure will be strange to him.

  Dressing quickly, I send a sliver of magic up my back, tightening the laces and tying them off. Brae and Verys do the same and begin buckling their weapons back on. It is not customary to appear armed before royalty, but in this circumstance, it’s necessary.

  Kent picks up his vest, which is a rich turquoise, and there’s plenty of confusion that he doesn’t want to show us. He turns away, trying to figure it out, but it doesn’t work well and his first attempt has him tangled in the laces. The second attempt goes better, though the vest is hanging off loosely, as he cannot reach the laces.

  I shoot a conspiratorial glance at Brae, who’s already smiling, and I send a burst of magic towards Kent. He jumps as the laces cinch tight at his back, forcing him to stand tall. Whirling on us, there’s fire in his eyes. But all three of our expressions are blank and uninterested. What he doesn’t know about who laced him into the corset, the better.

  “How do you breathe in these?” He asks.

  Verys covers a smile with his hand. “Your body will adjust, and it will loosen as the night goes on.”

  Kent mutters something under his breath. I didn’t catch it all, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with us being bastards.

  More laughter flutters through the wall, and my chest tightens. I want to hear that sound again without a wall between us. “Do you think she’s ready?” I ask.

  “Only one way to find out,” Brae says.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ________

  KARI

  “I think you’re just about perfect,” Kaya says, adjusting a fold in the skirt of the dress she’s wrapped me in. It’s formed of that shimmering fabric, shot through with another cloth that is so black it could be made of void itself, and I think it might be the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen.

  The skirt falls from my hips in flowing waves that at once look like leaves and water, the bodice twists around my body and up, leaving one shoulder bare, and finishes by twisting down one arm and wrapping around my middle finger.

  Merina’s work can’t be ignored either, because the make-up she’s done is stunning. My eyes are smoky and sexy, and my lips shine with a gloss that smells like fresh lilacs and is so light that it feels like nothing. My hair is loose, pinned back so that it tumbles down behind my shoulders in softly curling waves. I’m left standing in front of the mirror, gaping at their handiwork.

  Both of them are grinning, waiting for me to say something. Anything. “I—” I clear my throat. “There aren’t words.”

  “I knew this color would be perfect,” Kaya says. “Didn’t I say?”

  Merina is laughing now. “You did.”

  “And,” Kaya steps up next to me and takes my hand, sliding it inside a fold in the fabric. “Look.”

  “You gave me pockets?” My chest lights up with pleasure, and I slip both my hands into them. “Why?”

  “I hear things,” she says. “And one of the things that I heard is that women in the human world are never given pockets. Is this true?”

  I nod, but I’m laughing. “Yes, for the most part it’s true.”

  “Well,” Merina says, picking up a small box from the table of
make-up. “Since you have the pockets, you need something to put in them.”

  She hands the box to me, and it’s tiny. It’s made of a blue, iridescent material that looks like it could be pearl or even opal. There’s a small silver clasp on the front, and I pop it open. Inside is what looks like finely ground potpourri, or maybe a mixture of cooking spices. The scent drifting up from the box is amazing, apple and vanilla and a hint of oak. “What is it?”

  The two females share a knowing glance, and the light shines off of Merina’s raven and turquoise hair. “It’s medicine,” Merina says. “To prevent pregnancy. One pinch is all you need after a night.”

  I snap the box shut. Suddenly I’m so hot that I’m sweating. “You don’t understand,” I say. “I’m not sleeping with them.”

  “But they are giving you pleasure, are they not?” Kaya asks.

  “Yes, but—”

  “In our experience,” Merina cuts me off, “pleasure leads to more pleasure. Take it, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.”

  I have to keep my eyes on the floor, because this is so strange. In the heat of the moment with Brae, everything seemed so natural, and my arousal after was connected to all four of those men. Even so, I’m not used to talking about the possibility of fucking multiple men like it’s normal. There were plenty of people in the company that slept around and talked about it. Odette and Emma were never shy about their sex lives.

  But I was.

  Maybe because I honestly didn’t have a regular enough sex life to speak of. Boyfriends were few and far between, and those I was with were normal. It wasn’t like this.

  A fresh blush stains my cheeks, and I snap the lid of the box closed and tuck it into my pocket.

  “You’re embarrassed?” Kaya is looking at me in distress.

  “Yes,” I say. “No. I’m not sure.”

  Merina reaches out and takes my hand. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You are in Allwyn. No one will shame you for taking your pleasure or asking for what you need. You do not need that kind of shame here.”