The Last Lullaby (The Spellsinger Book 1) Read online

  After focusing on each stone separately, I could better focus on the relic as a whole. And the collar was helping me along, so I knew I was on the right path. Learning the properties of each jewel would open up a world of possibilities. This knowledge, combined with my own innate talents, would make me the perfect partner for the relic.

  “Don't trust him.” The whisper startled me, and I stumbled.

  “What the hell?” I hissed at the empty hallway. “Who are you? And who shouldn't I trust?”

  “Trust misplaced,” the voice hissed.

  “Damn it; I got that part,” I growled. I was so hungry, and combined with my sudden frustration, I became hangry. “If you aren't going to tell me anything useful, then shut the fuck up!”

  “Do not . . .” The whisper faded away.

  “Good.” I nodded smugly, and headed down to the dining hall. “So many stairs,” I muttered as I held my skirts high so I could take the steps faster. “Fucking Shining Ones. They have magical hand-waving lights, but they can't manage an elevator?”

  I jerked back right before I slammed into someone.

  “Your Majesty.” The man flinched, his dark eyes widening. Then he bowed. “Forgive me.”

  “No, that was totally me,” I sighed. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don't trust him.” The rumble came back with a vengeance.

  “Son of a bitch,” I growled, swinging around like a crazy person.

  “Your Majesty?” The poor guy was trembling.

  “Sorry.” I shook my head at him. “I'm just really hungry. Don't mind me.”

  I rushed off before the guy questioned me further. Maybe my hunger was making the voice stronger. Cerberus had said that weakness made me more susceptible. Food was what I needed. Food and maybe some Torin. Not necessarily in that order. No, wait . . . yes, in that order. I wouldn't be able to handle Torin without some sustenance first.

  I headed into the dining hall with a hungry smile.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Did you study onyx yet?” Torin purred as he slid my dress off.

  “Not yet,” I was determinedly divesting him of his clothing too.

  His hands coasted over my skin carefully, then tenderly, stopping for a more thorough inspection in prime locations. I inhaled sharply as Torin's fingers tightened around my nipples. Then I paid him back by biting his earlobe. He only chuckled, and lifted me off my feet, carrying me to his bed.

  The silk was cool beneath me, emphasizing the heat of Torin's skin when he laid his body over mine. I sighed and wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him in closer. His mouth was at my neck, and then his teeth closed around the sensitive skin there. I dug my fingers into the thick muscles of his back, but he suddenly pulled away.

  Torin flipped me over onto my stomach, then pressed down over me, angling his mouth to my ear, “Relaxation is a property of onyx.”

  “Oh?” I looked back at him. “What if I don't want to relax?”

  “I know what's best for you.” He smiled, and shifted away from me, his hands sliding over my back as he did so.

  Energy pulsed beneath his fingertips as he drew them over my skin. I gave a gasp as the tingles went deeper, invading knotted muscles and unwinding them. Sharp pain slackened into relief quickly, and soon, my whole back was putty in his hands. I couldn't move; he had massaged me into paralysis.

  “That's better.” Torin sighed as if he could feel my relief. “Now your legs.”

  His strong hands kneaded my thighs, then up over my ass, performing the same magical massage he'd performed on my back. Torin swept down, all the way to my feet, then back up again, working on my arms. I was slipping away into a drug-like haze when his fingertips brushed against the sensitive flesh between my thighs.

  I inhaled sharply, a little shocked at the sexual sensation after so many innocent strokes. Torin chuckled low, and turned me over. His eyes were nearly black in the shadowy room, his thick hair falling forward to cast even more darkness over his face. He looked like a demon, a fallen angel sent to torment me. Except I wanted this torment. Wanted it bad.

  “Elaria.” He drew his hands over my chest. “You're so beautiful.”

  “It's dark in here,” I teased him.

  “Then I'd best judge by feel.” He pushed my thighs apart, and settled himself between them.

  The magic continued to tingle through his fingertips as he stroked them over my breasts. My head rolled as he replaced his hands with his mouth, sucking hard, as his fingers continued to quest downward. Relaxing then exciting, it was a head-spinning ride. I sighed into the pleasure, and then jerked as a magic-filled finger slipped inside me.

  Working steadily, Torin brought me over the edge of ecstasy, then once more, set his mouth to the task. I came with a screaming, but oddly relaxing, orgasm, clutching at his shoulders as he lifted above me. Torin licked his lips, then set them to my own, and slid himself inside me. I cried out, but it was lost to his gasp. I inhaled into his chest, my pleasure sustaining his.

  As he led us both back to that apex of desire, I clung to him, my flushed face pressed to his shoulder as my moans grew louder. Torin's hips were slamming my own apart, ensuring that his full length was sheathed, and the muscles of his biceps bunched with strain as he lifted himself to stare down at me.

  A strip of late afternoon sunlight streaked across his face like a mask, illuminating his eyes till they seemed to glow from within. Then they flashed, a spark of magic igniting in their ocean-like depths, and they held my own eyes hostage.

  “I love you, Elaria.”

  Those words meant so much to me, and I was delighted that he'd said them first. The sweet declaration that would take our relationship even further. I was about to declare my feelings back, when that rumbly whisper interrupted me. Shivers coasted over my arms and then through my heart.

  “Don't trust him.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “Fuck you, Mr. Rumbles,” I shouted.

  “And who is Mr. Rumbles?” Sara walked into my guest room, holding yet another gorgeous gown to add to my fairy princess fashion collection.

  “That voice.” I heaved a sigh. “It's talking to me again. If I'm not already crazy, it will soon make me so.”

  “You're still hearing it?” Sara frowned as she set the dress on my bed. “Tell me about it again.”

  “Whispers.” I shrugged. “Sometimes louder. It's deep and rumbly. Strong. Definitely male.”

  “And what's it saying?”

  “The same thing, over and over, 'Don't trust him.'” I rolled my eyes. “Who? Who am I not supposed to trust?”

  Sara put her hands on her hips and stared thoughtfully around the room. Then she walked over to a wall and pulled aside the silk. “Your Majesty, please come here a moment.” She motioned me over.

  “What?” I went over to her.

  “Place your palm to the wall, and ask that question again,” Sara nodded to the slab of onyx.

  “Okay.” I frowned and placed my hand to the stone.

  Before I could say anything, the voice roared inside my head, “Don't trust him!”

  “Holy wailing walls, Batman!” I jerked back. “What the flying fuck was that?”

  “Your language is lyrical, Your Majesty.” Sara rolled her eyes.

  “Yes, thank you,” I huffed. “Now tell me what just happened.”

  “Are you really so daft?” Sara gaped at me. “You heard a voice, I told you to put your hand on the onyx, and you heard it again, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “So who do you think is talking to you?”

  “Oh,” I looked at the onyx. “No way.”

  “Onyx speaks to King Torin, and now you hold power over all of the stones.” She waved a hand toward my collar. “So onyx tells you things as well.”

  “Cryptic things.” I glared at the wall, then slowly placed my palm back on it. “Who can't I trust? Is it Torin?”

  My heart plummeted at the thought. I was falling hard for the guy, and it
would be just my luck if he turned out to be a two-timing bastard. When I thought about it, I wondered how he could not be. A man that hot was bound to have women throwing themselves at him, and Torin was a king to boot. He must be up to his eyeballs in you-know-what. I wasn't up to the task of holding that kind of man's interest for long. I knew I was beautiful, but in my world, beauty was everywhere. I was technically part goddess, and I've known quite a few divine ladies. They're all gorgeous, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. And a guy like Torin could have his pick. His last girlfriend became a super model. Enough said. So what did he want with me?

  I had nothing special to offer him. Except for power. My stomach turned as I realized that I was most likely being played. Yeah, the passion felt real, and it was a little more difficult for a man to fake desire than a woman, but just because I was pretty enough to get it up for him, didn't make me special enough to keep him faithful. Torin was probably with me because the prophecy told him I'd make him stronger. I could only do that because of the collar, and I had no illusions over keeping said collar. I'd already sensed that it was with me for one reason only, to stop an attack on Earth. Then it would most likely return to its slumber, going into hibernation until the next idiot decided it was a good idea to rule the Human Realm. As soon as this whole thing played out, and I went back to being me, Torin would lose interest.

  “Stupid girl.” The voice rang out in my head again. I'd completely forgotten that I was standing there, leaning against the wall, as I mulled it all over.

  “Are you talking to me?” I asked the wall. “Like actually having a conversation with me? I thought you just spouted cryptic shit!”

  “The more power the listener possesses, the more strongly we can speak,” the voice said. Correction: the onyx said.

  “Damn,” I whispered. “All right, Onyx, then tell me why you think I'm stupid.”

  “Oh, where will it start?” Sara flounced off and sat on a lavender loveseat.

  “You are as lost as he,” the voice proclaimed. “So lost, for so long, that being found becomes suspicious.”

  “You like those riddles, huh?” I grimaced at it. “You're saying I can trust Torin?”

  “He is my king,” the stone huffed.

  “So you're saying that even if I couldn't, you wouldn't tell me?” I shook my head at it.

  “Stupid girl!” Onyx growled like the slide of mountain rocks. “I'm not as fickle as other jewels. When I choose a king, I make certain that he is worthy of my magic.”

  “Do you mean that the stones choose their monarchs?” I gaped at the shiny surface, and it reflected a shadowy, shocked image of myself back at me.

  “Of course we do!” Onyx vibrated against my palm. “The Shining Ones possess power that calls to us, but we decide whose call we answer. Like attracts like. I am a steady jewel. A stone of stability and balance. I am faith and protection, grounding spiritual energies into the Earth. I am prophecy, and I am relaxation. I am not flighty like Sapphire with its fertility properties. Or moody like Rose Quartz with its casual love. I don't have a greedy nature like Ruby or a nervous one like Peridot. I am the steadfast Onyx, and King Torin is my chosen representative.”

  “All right, I got it.” I rolled my eyes, but my heart was calming into a happy tempo. “Torin's a good guy. So who can't I trust?”

  “There is a spy in your midst.”

  “We kind of figured that,” I shrugged. “There are spies in all the courts.”

  “This particular spy is dangerous.” Onyx went deadly serious, I could feel its intensity. “He has human weapons with him. Weapons that recently destroyed my guardians.”

  “The explosives?” I gaped at the wall again. “There's a guy here, in the castle, who has more explosives?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, why the fuck didn't you just say so?!” I shouted, and then I turned to Sara, “Go get the king!”

  She gaped at me a second, then jumped up and ran from the room.

  “Who is he, Onyx?” I gave my attention back to the wall.

  “A tiger among men,” the stone growled.

  “A tiger among men? Seriously? That's what you're giving me? Have I just been magically transported to Oz?”

  Torin swept into the room, stopping short when he saw me standing with my hand pressed to the wall. I was half-dressed, still waiting on that gown Sara had brought me. So I probably looked as if I were leaning there in a saucy pose, hoping for Torin to come ravish me. I saw that the thought had struck him too, but Torin was too smart for that. He looked again at my hand, then closed the door behind him, and strode over to me.

  “What is the stone saying to you?”

  “See?” Onyx growled. “He is wise. I chose well.”

  “Yeah, yeah, good on you.” I rolled my eyes. “You are stability, yada yada.”

  “Are you speaking to Onyx?” Torin's eyes widened. “In that manner?”

  “Yeah, we have a rapport.” I waved off his concern.

  “And he is respectful,” Onyx added approvingly.

  “I'll respect you a whole lot more if you'd tell me who exactly has the explosives?” I snapped at the wall.

  “Someone has explosives?” Torin laid his palm to the onyx beside mine.

  “The tiger,” Onyx said, and Torin flinched.

  “Dear stones,” Torin whispered. “The voice is so strong.”

  “It's the collar.” I said. “Its power allows Onyx to speak more clearly. At least it did”-I growled at the wall again-“until Onyx decided it liked annoying me with riddles. What the hell does 'the tiger' mean? Give me a name, damn it.”

  “I know only the names of those I've connected with,” Onyx huffed.

  “Tiger.” Torin frowned. “Do you mean he bonds with Tiger's Eye?”

  “Yes, of course.” Onyx sighed. “Is that not what I said?”

  “See?” I said to Torin. “This is what I'm dealing with.”

  “Thank you, Onyx,” Torin said as he rubbed the wall affectionately. “I will take care of this.”

  He headed to the door, and swung it open with a determined air.

  “Hey, hold on,” I stumbled after Torin, and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”

  “There are very few Shining Ones within these walls who work with tiger's eye.” Torin's eyes dropped to my open chemise. His fingers trailed over the tops of my breasts and he sighed. “I hate myself for saying this, but get dressed, Elaria. We have a traitor to catch.”

  Then he left.

  “I chose well.” The voice was much softer without me touching the wall, but I could still hear the smugness in it.

  “Fucking, self-righteous rock.” I made a face at it.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The tiger's eye fairies were all investigated, their rooms searched, and the traitor was found quickly. He was a knight named Emmet. The same guy I had nearly plowed into on the stairs. Emmet's betrayal shocked and dismayed Torin, who had thought he'd chosen his knights carefully. But power can sway allegiances, and King Galen had offered Emmet his own little kingdom on Earth. All he had to do was blow up the spellsinger. Yep, the assassination attempts had transferred from Torin to me.

  Emmet had ten bombs in his room, all of them charged magically with the help of copper casings. It was pretty damning evidence, and he didn't bother to deny his guilt. He did beg for Torin's forgiveness though, and freely offered up all the information he had on Sapphire. That didn't stop Torin from magically interrogating him, using a combination of several of his knights, who employed their jewels to pull the truth from Emmet. Just in case he was holding something back. Fool me once and all that.

  It was a good thing Torin did go the extra mile, or put in the extra magic rather, because Emmet had even more to offer us. Like the locations of several bands of secret agents hiding in Onyx. King Galen and his supporters had been quietly infiltrating the Onyx Kingdom. They were coordinating an attack which was set to take place in four days.

  “Kill him,” Torin said tir
edly to Arnet.

  “Please, sire,” Emmet began to beg for his life again.

  “Son of a bitch.” Torin stopped, his jaw clenching, and turned back to Emmet. “You were going to kill the woman I love,” he sneered in Emmet's face as I gaped at them. “Do you think I have any compassion for you? In fact, tradition be damned.” Torin pulled his sword from its sheath in a dramatic swish of steel. “I claim this satisfaction for myself,” and he rammed the sword into Emmet's chest. Torin's eyes blazed as he pushed the blade farther in, watching every twitch of pain on Emmet's face, and relishing every cry from his throat. “May your soul find no peace, you fucking traitor.”

  Torin pulled the sword free and took the cloth Arnet calmly offered him, nodding crisply to the knight. The Onyx King wiped his sword clean, slid it back into its sheath, then extended his hand to me. His eyes were shaky with emotion, but his arm was steady.

  “Shall we hunt down the vipers in my kingdom, Song Queen?”

  “Absolutely.” I took his hand.

  “Deliver those bombs to Quinlan, and ask him to carefully analyze them.” Torin nodded from the stack of bombs to Arnet. “Stress the word 'carefully.'”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Arnet bowed.

  Torin escorted me out of the room, and we started to make our way upstairs, to his bedroom.

  “Are you all right?” I whispered to him, then nodded and smiled to the people we passed in the corridor. Sure, everything is fine here, your king just executed a traitor, no biggie.

  “I'm . . .”-Torin's jaw clenched hard enough to flutter his cheek-“angry.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.” I wrapped my arm around his, and leaned in. “I'm sorry your knight betrayed you. That's rough.”

  “You think my anger is about the betrayal?” Torin turned to me sharply, stopping us in the middle of the hallway.

  People gave us hesitant looks as they passed, but no one looked for long. It was better not to question a king. Especially one who looked upset.