Queen of the Underworld | Book 3

• thirty-two •

//Song: Sex & Candy - Unions

I recognized where he spectered us to as soon as I felt the sensation stop.

He didn't let my hand go, instead he pressed his lips to my fingers, closing his eyes.

I watched his expression as he did in stunned silence. I was right. He was relieved. There was no mistaking the sudden calm I saw wash over him now that we were alone together. There was no one to watch us, no one to judge and Asmo despite what happened between us, was relieved.

It should have moved me. To see him so relieved to see me alive and well, I should have been moved.

Instead, it did the opposite. Everything Julian and Damien had warned me against was brought screeching back to the front of my mind.

He thought I was dead.

And that I had at one point actually defended his actions made me furious.

"Thank you for meeting with me, my queen."

At that, I pulled my hand away harshly, stepping back and toward the large window that overlooked the city. As mad as I was, I still wanted information. "You wanted me here." I turned towards him, shrugging. "Here I am."

"I am grateful for that." His eyes darkened, seeming to burn into mine. Was he trying to intimidate me?

I stood my ground, crossing my arms, unwilling to show any sort of weakness. Even though I defended him and his actions to the others, I would be stupid to just trust him willingly. "Give me the information you promised before your new queen calls back for you."

He scoffed as if I had insulted him. "The girl," he said the word with malice, "is fine. She is not expecting me anytime soon." He waved his hands over a small table next to him. A small glass full of an amber liquid appeared along with a wine glass full of dark, red wine. "Drink?"

I only looked at his outstretched hand with the wine glass as he handed it to me. How did he know that it would probably be the only thing I would drink? "This isn't a social call, Asmo. I'm not here because I want to be."

"Yes," his lip quirked. "You're just like Persephone. Whisked to the Underworld kicking and screaming."

When I wouldn't take it, he shrugged, placing it back on the table. The sound of the glass clinking against the wooden table echoed in the small, quiet room.

I watched him as he moved from the table to the kitchen. He plucked grapes from a bowl in the kitchen. "Grapes, Alteaza?"

I crossed my arms. "Stop calling me that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you not queen? Is that not the stone from our sacred river on your finger? My mistake."

I tucked the large ring I was given when I was named queen out of view.

He noticed. "Yes, you are queen, Emylin. No child with a tantrum and some claim to the throne changes that. Silvertongue or not."

I relaxed only slightly but I hoped he didn't notice. I still didn't want him to think I truly trusted him. "You are on my side, then."

He chuckled looking at the bourbon glass in his hand. "That would be telling." He popped grapes into his mouth. "If I tell you what I know, you will leave and I am not ready to let you go just yet."

Indignation flared inside me. "What do you want?" I almost spat.

He set his glass down and leaned back against the counter he stood next to with his arms crossed. "I will give you the information you want. But it will not be free."

I frowned. "Money?"

He laughed, his broad shoulders shaking as he did. "Hardly." He smiled widely showing his perfect teeth. "I'm a prince. I have no need for anything like that."

I shifted my feet. "Then what do you want?"

He smiled. "For now? Just your time."

I tried not to show my discomfort. The way he looked at me, how he spoke. I knew there was something else he wanted. "And later?"

He smiled. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it."

I moved away from him, stepping away and back to the modest view of the city. I took a steadying breath.

My name. He knew my real Fae name. I never even considered that my name was given to me by my human parents. What had my Fae parents named me? Did I want to know?

It wouldn't change anything.

But I needed to know. To be so close to something so important--my heart burned for that knowledge.

And the rest of the information? Was I willing to trade my soul for information that could help us—that could lead to real peace at last?

I would be free of the throne. I could live with Julian, put everything behind me.

I had to be careful, I knew I did. "Only my time? Are you going to make me give you the title of King for the information?"

He smiled. "Darling, you can make whoever you want King if that is what you wish. My interest is not in the Throne."

Then what could it be?

"A human then? Damien said you were fascinated with...them." Them, I said, not us.

He smiled. "Not in the least, no."

"Then what do you want?"

He sighed, looking at his nails. "This small window is closing, Emylin. I'm being very generous with you and you're acting like I'm a common criminal."

I swallowed. "Fine. My time. I will give you my time."

He smiled and something about the way he looked at me, sent a shiver through me. "Take a seat, Alteaza." He motioned towards the couches. "Please do me the honor."

I steadied my pace as I moved around the leather couches. Each step echoed in the room as I did.

It felt like a study more than what I imagined what it was really used for, a living room. There was no television, no radio, only shelves and shelves full of books. They all looked old, but some were more worn than others. The leather bindings showed use on those that I imagined he would read more often.

"How do you feel?"

I frowned at his question. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Good," he said as he as approached. He sat down on the couch across from me. "I had been worried. I had to lace the knife I threw at you with dark magic to ensure you would recover."

"You laced it with dark magic..." the words were quiet.

He nodded. "I had to. It was the only way I knew to ensure you would survive that attack. Had I let Mal continue with her's, you would not be here now."

"You saved me," I whispered.

He nodded. "It was the only way I could save you and allow you and Damien to escape." He tilted his head. "I meant what I said before, Alteaza. I will bow to no one else."

I swallowed. I wasn't sure how to react. I didn't know where to put my hands or where to look. I'd been right. He did save me. Julian and Damien were wrong.

"She had to trust me, I had to prove my loyalty. What better way than to stage your death?"

I opened my mouth then shut it, looking away. Could he be lying? Was he only saying that to make me believe he didn't really try to kill me?

But no. Asmo wouldn't lie about that. He may have misled me in the past about Julian but I had never asked. I jumped to my own conclusions. Asmo wouldn't outright lie to my face.

He hadn't done that. At least, not so far.

My hands were sweating on either side of me on the couch. "I-Thank you." The words were more stumbled but I hoped my voice didn't waver.

He bowed his head graciously but there was nothing smug about the way he did it. He seemed relieved again. "I am only concerned about your best interests."

"Why?"

He chuckled. "I'd be a fool otherwise." He looked away for a moment and I watched his shoulders tense slightly. "You've been weakened. As you are now, it won't do against Mal. You have dark magic in you now, that will only help you if you embrace it."

I swallowed. I didn't want to. Not after what Leah said.

"You can manipulate emotions now," he continued. "What we first spoke about in Skryen. I can teach you."

I remembered that conversation. Manipulate emotions and bend others to my will. Tricky with high faes but would work on lower faes. That power scared me before--but now? If it could work, maybe I should use it.

He chuckled. "You're considering it. The girl you were before shuddered at the thought, but now? You didn't even flinch."

I ignored his comment. "What do you know about her?"

He crossed his leg, placing his ankle over his knee casually. "She is Robyn's daughter. Though I'm not sure if she is Tianna's. She was raised by a Light Fae, that man you buried. She knows their customs, their culture as if they were her own. She hates Tenebrous as much as you would. That man was practically the only father she's known."

"She never met Robyn then?"

He shook his head. "No. But she was told who she was and her position, hence why she was quick to get 'her' throne. She feels it is her right. She wants to live up to her real father's expectations."

I shook my head. "Who would tell her all of that?"

Asmo swirled the liquid in the glass in his hand. "You only saw one dead man in the cabin. There were more. They must have told her before killing the man that raised her. She killed them for that."

I looked away. "I can't say I blame her."

"Not at all." He cleared his throat. "The man-- he kept records. I imagine that he thought he was the last of his kind and took anything with him of any significance for the Light Fae. Culturally, historically. The secrets they kept, we have that now. There is a lot to learn."

My heart began to beat faster at that.

"She wanted them destroyed." He paused. "I kept them." He gestured toward an open door. I could see a large desk in the darkness. A large lamp sat beside it and even more books lined the walls. "They're in my study. Safe. It's where I found your name."

I met his gaze again. His dark eyes were soft.

"Would you like to learn it?" He asked softly.

Yes, I wanted to shout. More than anything.

Instead, I kept my composure, keeping a stoic gaze on his. I'd never seen him so vulnerable.

My throat ran dry and I was surprised my voice didn't crack when I spoke. "What's your price?"

He sighed heavily, shifting his position, then standing. "Come."

I didn't hesitate, following his large frame through the door and into the room. The small study warmed as we entered, greeting us with ample light to see everything inside. A fire roared to life on the far wall as Asmo reached the desk. My eyes fell on the stack of books and parchment on it and stopped when I saw a large parchment unfolded over the middle facing the chair.

"It seems he crossed off and gave dates to those he thought were dead. I'm not sure how he knew though."

I swallowed. "If I concentrate hard enough, I can feel someone's presence. But I would have to know them, then I can find their line, any children. Maybe that's how he did it."

His fingers touched the paper gingerly, tracing a branch until the end. I followed his fingers as they danced over the names. Some were blurred, others faded from age. But as the branches began to reach their ends, there were crossed out names.

So many names.

"Towards the end, there weren't many Light Fae," he said softly. "There were barely two thousand even in times of peace."

They murdered two thousand.

His fingers rested on a particular name. "This is the only one not crossed off. The date of birth matches yours if I were to estimate." He looked at me, and stretched his hand to me. "Come, see."

I took a tentative step closer and peered over his arm. I held my breath as my eyes met where he pointed.

I let out a shaky breath. "Lyra."

"Dawtree," he finished. "Lyra Dawtree. The Daughter of Ambassador Cassio Dawtree. He would have been one of the first to learn of the attack. It's why he was able to hide you so early and so well."

I felt the breath leave my lungs. "Lyra," I whispered. My thoughts swam through my head. "My name is Lyra. My father saved me."

"Your mother must have been one of the protectors of Elysium."

I nodded. "The women were taken out first," I added softly.

He nodded solemnly.

I placed my hand on his and met his coal, black eyes. "Thank you, Asmo. You can't know what this means to me."

He gave a small smile. "Of course, Alteaza."

I looked back over the documents, my heart beating wildly. Everything I could want was there. Everything. My heart was soaring.

A laugh escaped my lips. "Julian is going to love this."

"Julian?"

I nodded as I looked everything over, excitement bubbling. "Sometimes, we lie awake at night and talk about the Light Fae—he teaches me what he knows. What life was like, what they did and sometimes, we talked about who I could be." I laughed thinking of one of our nights together, tangled naked in the sheets, talking for hours. "I suggested that I was a princess but he laughed and said there were no princesses in Elysium." I smiled tenderly. "Can I take this with us back to Skryen when this is all over?"

I looked at him and froze. The vulnerability in his eyes was gone, erased like it was never there. Instead, there was anger.

Anger I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Asmo?" I almost breathed.

He stepped away, walking back to the living room from before. "The documents will stay for safekeeping at the Keep when this is all over. I am only keeping them away from her."

I frowned, his sudden mood swing giving me whiplash. "All right, that's fine. Will I have access to them?"

He nodded and he took a drink from his glass. It instant refilled when he set it back down. "Of course." He turned to me. "But we need to get this over with. We need to finish Mal."

I nodded slowly. "What did you have in mind?"

He gave a crooked smile and it instant sent shivers through me. "You need a spy." He looked at his nails. "Luckily, I am offering my services to you. But only to you."

I frowned again, not understanding. "O-Okay."

"Remember how well connected I am, how close I am to your enemy." He looked at me. "And I have never lied to you before."

I snorted. "You misled me about Julian and Vy."

"Did I?" He asked suddenly. "You jumped to conclusions on your own. Did you ever directly ask me?"

I opened my mouth then shut it.

"I will be your spy until she's overthrown, as close as you can get. I will also make sure the people of the Underworld are left untouched by her actions, as I have been doing. I will keep your subjects safe." He placed his hands behind his back. "I will relay information back to you. Pertinent information that you and your friends will need to overthrow her."

I cleared my throat, standing as straight as I could. I knew where this was going. I remembered his original bargain. "For what? To be named king, my consort, when this is over?"

"No," he chuckled. "Silly girl, being king has never held any sway for me. That was always Damien's destiny, not mine. I wanted to be king when I thought he was dead, anything to keep the crown from Robyn."

I crossed my arms. "Then what do you want?"

He gave a cold smile. "You with me, for the rest of eternity. That's all I've ever wanted."

I felt my cheeks warm.

He took long languid steps towards me shrinking the distance between us. "As Queen, as a Lady, as no one, as Fae or human, I don't care." He didn't stop there. "In whatever Queendom in Faerie you choose to live or in the human world, I don't care," he repeated.

I took a step back and too late realized I was pinned between him and the wall behind me. I wanted to shrink in on myself, to flee, to leave—but his eyes. They kept me from running. I couldn't give him the satisfaction. I wouldn't show my fear.

I squared my shoulders as I watched him tower over me. Even as he put his hands on either side of me trapping me against the wall, I wouldn't leave.

He still wouldn't touch me he didn't press his body against mine to keep me in place.

And for that, I was grateful.

"You need a spy. I could be that for you." His breath tickled against my cheek and I could smell the bourbon he just finished. "My price is just you. Exclusively."

I shook my head. "You're crazy. I love Julian. I am going to be with Julian."

He laughed. "You'll give up an easy victory for him?" He looked me over, his eyes measuring me. "You could have a true, powerful ally but you'll turn me into an enemy instead?"

"I have spies," I lied, lacing venom in every word. "You are not the only plan I have."

He raised his eyebrows. "The pretend queen? What's her name? Leah? Oh, yes," he said immediately after. "I saw her at the fair."

My heart sank.

"Is your spy Oren? Kymra? Julian's pregnant sister?" He chuckled. "Vyssen? I doubt she'll do you any favors. Especially one that will risk her life. The queens, then." He looked away but laughed again. "They won't risk war for you, girl. I am the only one you have and you know it." He smiled wickedly. "Refuse me and I will kill them all on sight whether they are your spy or not."

I was going to throw up. The heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach seemed to grow by the second. The large gaping wound in my middle seem to echo my sudden despair.

He had me.

He had me. I felt like cattle trapped in an enclosure with no escape.

He stepped away. "I am being generous, Alteaza. But this is only for a limited time. You cannot leave to discuss with your friends or counsel. You cannot tell them anything about this bargain. This decision is yours alone. You have ten seconds."

I gripped the bookcase behind me so tightly I knew I would bruise my hand. My mind was racing. We had options, I told myself. Julian had contacts. Asmo didn't name them. But what if it didn't work? What if they fell through? What if we were on a wild goose chase?

Would Asmo really kill everyone I considered a friend just because I refused him?

"I am getting impatient, Emylin," Asmo barked.

Gods, what would I tell Julian?

Asmo's eyes bore into mine. "Three seconds."

Gathering what little strength I had, I slowly nodded. "Y-You have my word."

He smiled again, this time in smug victory. He raised his hand to my cheek and I slapped it away. "Don't touch me."

He chuckled instead, placing his hands on either side of me again, resting his palms against the wall behind me. "Not unless you ask, darling," he conceded. "I have a condition. You will break things off with Julian. Not right away, he can't be suspicious of us or a bargain. You have to make him believe you don't want him in your life anymore." He looked wickedly smug. "Do this and I will be your spy, I will keep my word, I will not kill your friends. Do this, and I will do everything you ask of me." He made sure I understood what he meant. "Anything you ask of me except break this bargain, of course."

My heart felt like a brick. I wanted to cry. To scream, to throw things at him, to beat my fists on him as futile as it would be. My life with Julian was just beginning. We had finally known each other. We were happy. "Fine," I gutted out. "You're a monster."

He ignored my last statement. "Now," he pulled away from me and extended a hand. "Swear on the Styx, my queen."

I would find a way out of the bargain. Somehow. Asmo would not make a fool of me. I placed my shaking hand in his. "I swear on the Styx."

••••••••••••••••••

Well, finally. Took me forever to write this chapter. I think it still needs major work, though. I hope you liked it!

Two for one update? This basically has the same amount of words of my usual chapter x2!

And if you haven't already, watch this video! It's super amazing based on this story by lillisoleil and I'm in love!!