A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1) Read online

  “Who’s her father?” He nodded at the closed door.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I cut him off nervously and hastened to return to why he was actually here. “As soon as I use magic in the presence of your brother, he’ll feel that I’m influencing him. How did you sense it today anyway?”

  “Ah, but here’s the interesting part — he won’t feel it.” He smiled confidently. “Xanor has its own, let’s say, quirks, and this is one of them.”

  “Why did you choose me for this role? Because of the incident with your fiancée this morning?”

  With a flick of his fingers, Garanor brushed back the dark strands of hair that had fallen on his face.

  “Elenia, I’m not blackmailing you. I’m offering you a job. Beneficial for both of us. Forty-four fairies live in Kadris, beside you. Fifteen of them are minors, twenty-five are either happily married, or at the wrong age for my brother to take interest in them. The rest make their living by showing their wings, and everything else, to everyone who’s willing to pay for it. And Xanor has already managed to get closely acquainted with all of them.”

  I wasn’t interested in local gossip, but some of it still reached me. Including the stories about Xanor’s unquenchable love for women, and fairies in particular.

  Love? No, it’s lust and nothing more. He just used them. Just like his older brother is trying to use me now...

  “And, most importantly, you’re the only one who, I don’t know how, manages to use her gift.” He rose, put the cup on the table, and came closer to me.

  With each new step he took toward me, his silver eyes darkened more and more, turning into the color of his magic. I knew this mischievous look very well, and I saw thirst in the now black eyes. He lifted my chin, slowly running his thumb over it, which gave me goosebumps, and quietly said: “We’ll return to the question of your uniqueness later. Now I want to hear your answer. Do you accept my offer, Elenia?”

  Gods, I really wanted to shout “No!”, push him away, or even better, slap him. He behaved like I was his property. A slave he could easily boss around and who’d never disobey.

  I jerked my head away, trying to shake off the burning sensation his touch left on my chin. I hastened to move away. We stood separated by the counter.

  “You’ve described my responsibilities to me very clearly, but you didn’t say a word about what exactly should make me happy here. It certainly isn’t spending time with your brother. Or should I just be glad that you haven’t turned me in? But in that case, this would definitely be considered blackmail.”

  “A fairy with claws?” My tirade made him smile. “This is something new. It’s even funny...”

  The last thing I wanted to do was be funny. But I didn’t want to seem helpless and defenseless either. But that was exactly what I looked like before him. It was within his power to destroy my life. The law was on his side.

  “You wanted to work on this wedding, right?” He asked nonchalantly. “You can have it. Tomorrow, Felicia will sign a contract with your agency.”

  “I don’t work there anymore.”

  He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  “Did you get fired? It doesn’t matter, actually. It won’t be a problem to get you back there.”

  But I didn’t want to go back there. No. That was a lie. I did. I wanted to arrange unforgettable celebrations, make people happy, do what I really liked. But working under Aurora again was the same as being dependent on Garanor. What would guarantee that she wouldn’t order me to use my gift again after some time and that she wouldn’t fire me again if something went wrong?

  “And that’s not all.” Garanor’s voice became almost velvety and I had a hard time looking away from his eyes in which darkness was appearing again. “Your daughter, Marisel, does she have the Sarah syndrome? She’ll need surgery soon, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to afford it. You don’t have that kind of money in your account.”

  “I see you did your homework.”

  This condition was named in honor of the first doctor to have performed a successful surgery to extract dark power from a child’s body. The girls of human women, born of the dark, died in infancy, but the children of the Light Ones survived thanks to their light. It protected them, although such a life could hardly be called normal. Endless attacks, one force constantly clashing with the other. Even if they didn’t kill the child, they made its existence unbearable. Lita would be two years old soon. This age was considered safe for surgery. I wanted her torment to end as soon as possible, as my heart broke every time she cried. I wished I could transfer her suffering from her to me.

  “The connection between the dark and the light is a very rare phenomenon,” Garanor added for some reason, returning to his cup of tea.

  Now we were standing on opposite sides of the counter — which was an insignificant barrier between me and him.

  “Because the Dark Ones consider such a relationship immoral,” I said.

  They would never refuse to sleep with a fairy, but to marry us... It would be a scandal, a shame, a disaster. Three centuries ago, they despised us, and at the same time, they wanted us. It was because we were born with a gift, given to us by the Gods, while they were the result of experiments and vile rituals.

  Over time, the hatred passed... But contempt? It was still very present in people like Garanor. Desire? They were still drawn to us, but such relationships didn’t end well.

  I knew that very well.

  “I’ll pay for the surgery and all future expenses. Your daughter will be healthy.”

  For a moment, my heart stopped, and then started beating frantically.

  “I agree,” I said immediately. To save Lita, I was ready to make a deal with the devil himself. “I agree, but I have one condition.”

  Finally, some emotion appeared on his face — surprise, distrust, interest.

  “You do understand that you are in no position to make demands?”

  “I do. But I still have to insist on this.”

  “If need be, you’ll sleep with him,” he said harshly. His gaze became heavy and sharp again.

  “I’m not talking about that. I’ll plan your wedding, but I don’t want to return to the agency.”

  “Do you think that you can handle it alone? You already know how much work that is.”

  “I do. I can assure you that I can handle it.”

  “Well, you can try,” he shrugged indifferently. He didn’t seem to care much about the ceremony. However, he wasn’t the bride dreaming of a perfect wedding. “But if Felicia isn’t happy with you...”

  “She will be.”

  He chuckled.

  “So confident... The main thing is that Xanor and I are happy with you.”

  My thoughts again ran to dirty diapers and how one of them would look great on this jerk’s head.

  Garanor put his hands on the countertop.

  “Elenia, I’m very glad that we have come to an agreement.”

  I could feel his gaze moving across my face, slowly moving down, making me want to pull the lapels of my jacket up to my throat or dive under the bar.

  Especially after his next demand.

  “Now, Sonorina Lei, I’ll ask you to undress.”

  Chapter 5

  Elenia

  For a moment, my eyes darkened. I was still holding on to the cup. Garanor, obviously guessing my intentions, put his hand on mine and gripped it slightly. I shuddered from his touch and hastened to pull my hand away, and even put it behind my back before I actually threw something at him.

  “I’m not interested in your charms, Elenia. I just want to see who you belong to.”

  “There’s nothing there,” I answered, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks and them starting to burn.

  “That can’t be true,” Garanor squinted and sharply added: “I insist.”

  I glanced back at the bedroom door, and at the front door, behind which the bodyguards were waiting for him, and clenched my fists. We were alone, but to undress in
front of him... It would be more bearable if I was naked in front of the entire country than in front of this vile man!

  “Believe me, I—”

  “I won’t take the word of a fairy who almost turned my fiancée into a puppet,” Garanor interrupted me sternly. “Take off your clothes, Elenia. Or I might change my mind and do what I was going to do this morning — hand you over to the police.”

  I should’ve been grateful to him for the generous offer to pay for the surgery, but instead, all I could think about was how much I hated him.

  “Turn around.” I gave up, cursing him in my head.

  “False modesty!” Garanor snorted dismissively but still turned around.

  “The fact that I have a child doesn’t mean that I led a wild life and that I got naked in front of every other man!”

  “I’m not every other man.”

  “You’re worse!”

  I hastily pulled off my jacket. The sooner I satisfied his curiosity, the sooner he’d leave. With trembling fingers, I unbuttoned my blouse. Cool silk slid off my shoulders, settling on my hips with a soft rustle. Grasping my belt, I lowered it a little, releasing my wings.

  “You can look now.”

  I turned my back to him, feeling his greedy gaze with every fiber of my being. I heard his steps, each of them as heavy as my heartbeats, and I swallowed softly, feeling the touch of his fingers.

  “You’ve been banished,” he whispered.

  He was in no hurry to leave me alone, tracing his fingers down my skin, barely touching the place where my clan mark had been. In its place was now an ugly scar left by a burn.

  He didn’t remove his hands from my body, and I didn’t have the strength to move. I could feel the weight of his palm and the bitterness of shame form a lump in my throat. No one had ever seen me like this.

  “Are you done?” I finally found my voice.

  One, two, and the burning touch disappeared. I exhaled quietly, folded my wings, and rushed to put my blouse back on. But my hands were shaking, and it was difficult to deal with the buttons.

  “You lost the patronage of the clan because of your child?”

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t try to avoid answering him. Better to answer than to make him dig further.

  Before he had time to ask another tricky question, I turned around and asked him one.

  “How long will I have to be with your brother?”

  “Till the elections. After that, you’ll break up with him or make him break up with you.”

  “And what if he doesn’t even pay attention to me?”

  “Impossible,” he said, grinning.

  “It’s late,” I said quietly. “It’s time for me to let the nanny go home and put Lita to bed.”

  His eyes were shining. I sighed with relief when he picked up his jacket.

  “I’ll send you the contract, Sonorina Lei,” he said in a completely different manner, without hoarse, frightening tones. “Go through it and sign it. If you have any questions, please contact me at the number that has already been entered in your phone.”

  I was stunned.

  It felt like my whole life had suddenly become the property of this snob.

  “Tomorrow, you’ll have lunch with Felicia at Alvita,” he continued giving me instructions as he was putting on his jacket. “By pure coincidence, my brother and I will also be there. Felicia will introduce you to him, and from that moment on, everything will depend on you. And yes...” He looked around. “You’ll have to move. Xanor Horos’s girlfriend cannot live... here.”

  There was so much disdain in that here, as if we were in a junkyard or a cesspool.

  I bit my lip.

  Calm down, Elenia, he’s about to leave. Give free rein to your feelings the moment the door closes behind him, but now stay silent and endure.

  “Good night, Sonorina Lei.” Garanor looked at me one last time and opened the door.

  I had no desire to see him off — he could do it himself, but when I saw Jamie trying to get through the bodyguards at the stairs, I rushed to him.

  “Let him pass. He’s my friend.”

  Noticing Garanor, Jamie’s eyes widened. For some reason, Garanor winced. This grimace flashed across his face only for a moment, and in the next second, it turned to stone again.

  He came closer to me and whispered: “No friends starting tomorrow, Sonorina Lei. I’ll add this clause to our agreement.”

  Only thoughts of Lita stopped me from cursing.

  Garanor left, and Jamie continued to stand on the stairs and stare at me confused.

  “Was that really Garanor Horos?”

  “Come in.” I moved, letting Jamie pass.

  “No friends starting tomorrow, Sonorina Lei.”

  Poor Felicia. She somehow fell in love with that monster. However, it probably wasn’t love, but politics. Only someone out of their mind could love him.

  “Am I missing something here?” Jamie handed me a large paper bag with the logo of the Mercadona, a 24-hour hypermarket located a few blocks away from my place.

  “Don’t ask...” I quickly took the bag to the kitchen and peered into the bedroom. There were no sounds.

  That room wasn’t big. Most of it was occupied by a double bed and a playpen. There was also a wardrobe and a shelf that doubled as a vanity, with a round framed mirror above it. On the bed, there were numerous embroidered pillows and a couple of plush toys. A night lamp was lit on the bedside table, filling the room with soft, dim light.

  I tried very hard to make our apartment cozy, and I succeeded. But the neighborhood was still not good. There were no parks, no playgrounds, and most importantly, to get to the nearest hospital, we had to fly over half of the city.

  “She’s sleeping,” Dina whispered, getting out of the bed.

  She was a wonderful girl with a huge heart and kind blue-gray eyes. She adored children, and I adored her. She was ready to stay with Lita until late in the evening when I had to work overtime. She would never leave Lita in the moments when her illness flared up, staying until the darkness inside her hid its poisonous claws. I usually felt numb at such moments, and then I would start to panic. I’d end up angry with myself, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Dina became my savior.

  “This early?” I asked.

  “She hardly slept during the day, and then we played until the evening.”

  “She didn’t sleep because...?”

  “She’s fine.” She quickly calmed me down. “She was fine the whole day, don’t worry.”

  I felt relieved, but I still went to check on her. She slept so peacefully. Blond curls framed her round face while she was hugging her beloved doll. I loved the dimples on the rosy cheeks that appeared whenever she laughed or smiled like she was doing now. She must’ve been dreaming of something very nice.

  Having straightened her blanket, I left the bedroom.

  “Thanks for staying late.”

  “No problem.” Dina smiled, but her smile quickly faded. “Lenny, is everything all right? I opened the door because I thought it was you. And when I saw him...”

  “Everything’s... just fine.”

  It was all very strange, but it felt alright. For now.

  Dina waved to Jamie, who was already working his magic in the kitchen, laying out the food he brought on the plates.

  “Maybe I should see you off? It’s late and dark,” I offered.

  “My boyfriend will pick me up, we have class at nine.” Dina grabbed her backpack, threw a cardigan over her arm, and waved goodbye. “Have a nice evening!”

  “Bye, bye!” came from the kitchen.

  “Don’t tell anyone about what happened tonight,” I asked her quietly when she was already leaving the apartment. “About this... About my guest. I’ll give you a bonus for your silence.” I added.

  “Silent as a grave,” Dina assured me and hurried down to her boyfriend.

  Looking out the window and making sure that the guy on the aerocycle was really her boyfriend,
I returned to Jamie. In the kitchen, a glass of wine and a plate with my favorite sushi rolls were already waiting for me.

  I armed myself with chopsticks, took a big gulp, and just as I was about to put a roll into my mouth. Jamie took the plate away from me and demanded some answers.

  “Lenny, what’s going on? First, Aurora fires you — she told Norah to collect all your things, just so you know — then Garanor Horos shows up at your place. Are you in trouble?”

  I saw uneasiness mixed with bewilderment in his hazel eyes. Then again, why wouldn’t he be confused? Garanor Horos came to visit me. I was still confused and afraid to think about what I had just signed up for.

  Or, rather, what I’d sign up for tomorrow. I had no choice. Not because of blackmail — but because of the surgery. For Lita’s sake, I was willing to take the risk.

  I wasn’t afraid of the Horos brothers (although, if I was being completely honest with myself, I was), as much as I hated thinking about the attention from the press. I would have to try very hard not to end up on page six. But even if that happened... He had been behind bars for a long time. And I had moved from Creut to Grassor a long time ago as well. Also, if Xanor didn’t do anything stupid (which I would have to make sure of), the press wouldn’t be interested in him.

  “Lenny?” Jamie continued to gaze into my eyes. “I’m a patient person, but even my patience has limits. What have you gotten yourself into? How can I help you?”

  Sometimes it felt like there was something wrong with me. Jamie was wonderful. No. He was perfect. And I should’ve fallen madly in love with him long ago, but I didn’t. There had to be something wrong with me... I didn’t have any feelings for him, not even a hundredth of what he felt for me, so I didn’t deceive myself or him.

  Therefore, we were just friends, even though I knew that he wanted more. Even though I was a single mother. So how could I tell him that we wouldn’t even be able to see each other in the near future...? I couldn’t imagine his reaction.

  “Aurora fired me, but Horos offered me a job.”

  “What kind of a job?”

  “To organize his wedding.”