Nor did he concern himself with Darcy siding with the Kings. She wasn’t just the most powerful Druid he knew, she also had a mind of her own. Darcy made her own decisions, which meant she was rarely swayed in any one direction.
That was the first thing Ulrik had learned about her. He didn’t try to convince her he was in the right. In fact, he didn’t say anything. All he did was ask her to free his magic. Darcy made the decision to help him, and to continue helping him.
The few times she asked questions, he answered. She wasn’t interested in his past—or his future. He suspected she wanted to see if her magic was capable of helping him. Of course, she hadn’t realized how perilous it was until after the initial attempt.
Ulrik’s second step would be to kill Mikkel.
Then … Con. There were a dozen ways Ulrik had thought about attacking Constantine. Any of them would work, but it wouldn’t be easy. Con knew he was coming. It was a battle that was many millennia in the making.
Ulrik drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. He focused on Mikkel and waited as his uncle continued to flirt with the Dark Fae. The female was good. Not once had she looked Ulrik’s way since he came to the table. She kept her focus solely on Mikkel, slowly seducing him with her smiles and flirtations.
Mikkel leaned back and took a sip of wine. Once he’d replaced the glass on the table, he turned to Ulrik. “I want you to end my problem. For good.”
Ulrik felt the weight of Mikkel’s stare. His uncle thought he had him by the balls. Just one more instance that Mikkel underestimated him.
He stood and adjusted his suit jacket. “Consider it done.”
*
Taraeth rotated his left shoulder. There was just a stump left after Denae had used a Fae sword and chopped off his arm. Taraeth snorted. A Fae sword. The sword belonged to Rhi.
The same Rhi who Balladyn had captured and attempted to turn Dark. Though Balladyn assured him that Rhi would come to them and become Dark, Taraeth had his doubts.
Rhi was stronger than Balladyn realized. And she still held the love of a Dragon King within her.
The one crucial mistake the Dark made in coming to Earth was in misjudging the Kings. None of the Dark, especially the idiot who had led the Dark into war with the Kings, realized how formidable they were. Every Fae—Dark and Light—assumed their magic was even with the Kings’ or greater. How wrong they had been.
The Fae learned their lesson well. It was one of the reasons once Taraeth took over as king that he didn’t attack the Dragon Kings.
They were a hindrance. More than that, he’d had to watch his back since he aligned with one and helped another on occasion.
His intention had been to refuse Ulrik. Until he met with him. It only took one look for Taraeth to see the hate Ulrik had for the Kings. If there was one who could bring down the Dragon Kings—it was Ulrik.
There was a knock on the steel doors of his private chamber. Taraeth walked to the door and opened it to find one of his guards.
“Ulrik is here to see you,” replied the Dark.
Taraeth smiled and walked from his chamber. He turned the corner to a corridor where he spotted Ulrik standing in front of a painting of the capital city of the Fae realm.
“Every time you come, you stare at that painting,” Taraeth said as he stopped beside him.
Ulrik lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I find it hard to believe with everything I know about the Fae that both the Light and Dark once lived together.”
“That was a very long time ago.”
Ulrik turned away from the picture and faced Taraeth. “You doona seemed surprised that I’m here.”
Taraeth chuckled. “I’m never surprised by your visits, as infrequent as they are. You come to me with unusual requests that only further both of our interests. PureGems has given us a glut of humans with which to satisfy us.”
“Ah, but I wasna the only one with my hand in PureGems, was I?”
Taraeth had wondered how long it would take Ulrik to piece things together. “So, Mikkel finally came to you.”
“How long have you known?” Ulrik’s face was completely devoid of emotion, just as his voice was.
It was enough to make Taraeth wary. Ulrik might have his magic bound by the other Dragon Kings, but as Ulrik proved—things could change. “Long enough.”
“What is your reasoning in sending a Dark to seduce my uncle?”
Taraeth hadn’t seen that coming. He might not want to like Ulrik, but it was hard not to when he was as devious as a Dark. “Her glamour is too good. There’s no way you saw through her magic, nor would she tell you who she is.”
“I recognized her from your court.”
At least Taraeth knew that Ulrik couldn’t see through glamour like Kiril could. Damn Dragon Kings and their magic.
Then Ulrik’s comment registered. In the thousands of millennia since the Fae came to Earth, Ulrik had been at court only a half dozen times. That made Taraeth realize that there were few things Ulrik didn’t see, and even fewer that he forgot. It would behoove Taraeth to remember that.
“Why did you send her to Mikkel?” Ulrik asked again.
“I wanted to see if your uncle could spot one of my best.”