Affinity (Halfblood Club Book 2) Read online

  Only thirty minutes until the moment when she dropped the glamour. She really hoped that her friends were somewhere safe when it happened.

  Chapter Two

  She dawdled in the courtyard as long as she could, trying to still her shaking hands. When she could delay no longer, she walked into the fey hall and met her grandmother. Her dress billowed and swirled around her in the magical currents that filled the hall. It was a wild and frantic pulse in her veins. Gooseflesh broke out on her arms and legs as her personal magic tried to fight the invasive touch. It really didn’t like the touch of the strange magic, and she had to fight to control the urge to turn and run. Or burst into magical flame, whatever.

  One of the most fantastic and graceful of creatures ever created bore down on her and embraced her.

  “You’re right on time, sweetie. The council is just convening now. Are you ready?” Isowyn was stunning in a deeply cut midnight gown that left nothing to the imagination. Her silvery hair flowed down her back in a metallic wave. Every inch the elven lady, she was the picture of supernatural grace and breeding. Her eyes were warm as she looked over her human-seeming granddaughter though—she genuinely wanted full rights and acknowledgements for Esmerelda.

  “Yes, I’m ready.” With a deep breath, she dropped the glamour that she had held for the last twenty years and walked into the council hall. Isowyn’s gasp followed her back as she strode to meet her fate. She felt a frisson of guilt for deceiving her grandmother all these years, but it had been for her own benefit. The elves would have claimed her and her talents if she had been visible earlier.

  The walls of the council hall seem to flutter in reaction to her power. The delicate stone latticework and carved flowers moved as if in a summer breeze. The architecture was a crowning achievement for a species that had a short attention span.

  All eyes turned to her as she walked down the centre path cleared by the gathered assembly. At the far end of the hall was the triumvirate that she was about to face. Jaws dropped as she glided up the pathway and stopped in front of the councillors.

  * * * *

  “Esmerelda Hawks?” Councillor Wyx was astonished at the appearance of the woman in front of him. Her features were all fey. She did not match the description that Isowyn had given him, but with her puzzled grandmother trailing behind her, there was no one else she could be. Waves of midnight hair rippled in a magical current, her delicately pointed ears alternately revealed and concealed. Her glowing pearl skin framed the cat-like emerald eyes that almost seemed too large for her features. Her lips were pure human though, full and pouty, drawing every masculine eye in the room.

  She drew up her shoulders, looked him straight in the eye, and answered him. “Yes. I am Esmerelda Hawks, daughter of Erak Elsmeth. Like my grandmother, Isowyn Elsmeth has arranged, I am here to be tested by the fey council.” She curtsied deeply to the one male and two females sitting at the council table.

  * * * *

  Esmy assumed from the intent way they were looking at her that they were the ones about to take her magic apart. She wondered how they were going to deal with her special talent when it came up in the process.

  A murmur of interest behind her reminded her that it wasn’t a private matter, and she sighed in resignation. The audience in the chamber was a nuisance, but they would move back once the fireworks began.

  The male who seemed to be the spokesperson of the council finally made the introductions. Most likely, he was the elf that her grandmother had seduced to get this hearing. “Yes, of course. I am Councillor Wyx, this is Councillor Madeel, and to my left is Councillor Treyla. Treyla will be conducting your tests. Are you ready to proceed?”

  “I am.” Her gem green eyes were solemn in her pearlescent skin. This was not going to be pleasant. Treyla looked far too cheerful for this solemn testing.

  Looking curious, yet condescending, Wyx announced, “Councillor Treyla, will you please begin?”

  “Of course. Esmerelda, will you please step forward?” The councillor rose from her seat at the table and brought some instruments out of a rosewood box that was on a podium behind her chair.

  As the first test for her power level began, she took a deep breath and co-operated slowly. It would only extend the testing process and give her a few more precious moments until her special talent was exposed. She jumped through every hoop they gave her. Literal and figurative, several of the tests involved illusions inside circles.

  By the end of the testing, Esmy was sweating. Magic was swirling loose in the room, sparking against the walls and bouncing onto the floors. The magic returned to Esmerelda when it had finished its rounds then started its journey again. She shivered to the bone with each returning pulse of energy. Her magic was mixing with that of the fey in the room and returning to her supercharged. It was actually almost arousing, which wasn’t all that surprising as the bulk of her magic was sexual in nature.

  Greenery was springing up inside the hall, wrapping around tables and writhing over chairs. The building was delighted to have her magic within it and had begun to hum with the power.

  Spectators from the fey community had gathered in the gallery surrounding the hall. As her magic was taken through its paces, they oohed and aahed, clapped and whistled. Apparently, entertainment was in short supply. When it was all over, the councillors drew together and consulted for a few minutes. Wyx darted speculative glances at her while Treyla discussed her findings of Esmy’s particular branch of talent.

  She could only make out a few words here and there, but she thought she heard Wyx ask if Treyla was sure about the affinity. Affinity... huh. That would explain what happened when she got too close to a fey guy, or any guy, really.

  “Esmerelda. Would you object to a test of Treyla’s findings?” There was an unwholesome look in his eyes. This was too creepy. She had seen that look in human eyes before, but it wasn’t that... hungry. He had obviously heard of her talent before and was looking forward to testing it. Since this talent didn’t pop up frequently in magical circles, he wanted to try her himself. Definitely creepy.

  Her mind dredged up her basic self-defence classes as he approached. “No, but I would like you to remember that this is only a demonstration. Nothing further will occur.” Her voice was firm. She gestured for Wyx to come closer.

  As he moved closer, Esmy felt the change coming on. Her eyes were lightening, and her breasts were shrinking in size until they were pert B cups. Her skin took on a golden tone, and her hair began to ripple and twist into a shining green cape. She was turning into his fantasy woman right before his eyes, and his eyes were hungry.

  “That’s close enough. Councillor Wyx, that is close enough!” She sent a blast of power through one hand, and he was flung back against the wall. As soon as he was five feet away from her, her body returned to its normal state. Pale skin, blue-black hair, large breasts and rounded hips. She sighed deeply and looked at the other two councillors. They looked back with pity in their expressions.

  Applause and whistles were filling the chamber. Those who had seen her shift forms and had understood what they saw quickly filled in the rest of the masses.

  Affinity was a polite word for a female who had the talents of the ancient sirens. They had been able to draw in all men but not by singing as the legends told. When a male approached one of these creatures, she transformed into his ideal woman. It was a mating response that was out of her control. The ideal mate for one of those particular women was a man for whom she did not change. It was the holy grail for fey with this talent, she knew. She had been looking for it her entire life.

  Esmerelda pondered the ramifications of being outed as a siren. With the audience in the above gallery spreading gossip as fast as they could, there was no way she could go back to her non-descript life.

  She looked over at Isowyn and found her on her cell phone, talking urgently. It had always been a great mystery to Esmy that the cell phones worked in Realm. She hung up quickly, looked over at the councillor
still slumped on the floor, and the audience talking in a muffled roar in the gallery above.

  “May I take her now?” Isowyn was deferential to the female councillors. They nodded quickly. Isowyn grabbed Esmerelda’s hand and pulled her out of the meeting room in a flurry of skirts. She took her to the transportation chamber and keyed open a mirror. Esmy smiled for a moment—Jinx had created the mirror spell specific for the fey transport, Hex had tested it, and George had marketed it to the clans without anyone learning the origin of the extremely handy spell. Before that, only Warders had been able to use the mirrors.

  They stepped through the mirror as it rippled into a silver pool. On the other side, Esmerelda found herself at her grandmother’s house. The elegant proportions and graceful décor gave it away the instant that she saw it. That and the wards that kept visiting neighbours at bay.

  “I think that it would be a good idea if you stayed for a few days. We have some matters to discuss. And we want the fey community to calm down after the grand announcement being made tonight. It has been centuries since a siren walked the halls of Realm.”

  Chapter Three

  “I also need to tell you that your father has been invited here to help us come up with a battle plan.” Isowyn cringed at the words, even though she knew that Esmerelda needed no more surprises. “I called him from the council chambers.”

  “Why? Why does he have to be here?” Esmy had her arms crossed and was scowling at her, a face that Isowyn hadn’t seen since her granddaughter was five.

  “He knows the court, knows the warriors available, and as a parting note, he is your father.” Her arms crossed over her chest as well, and she glared right back at her granddaughter.

  “What would we need warriors for? We are not planning on staging a coup.” Her voice was still petulant, her lower lip was out so far, Isowyn was tempted to pinch it.

  “They will come in very handy.” That was the last time they spoke until the door chimed and Erak Elsmeth entered his mother’s home.

  She grabbed his arm and dragged him into her rooms to brief him on the status of his offspring.

  * * * *

  For a mature elf, he was rather petulant. He strode into his mother’s private rooms and grimaced at her where she sat at her writing desk, making a list. “All right, Mother. What do you want?” Erak stood scowling at the feminine room around him. His mother’s chambers were unmistakable. He walked forward and stood to glower at her as she primped in the mirror on her desk as she paused in her scribbling. There were mirrors in every room—Isowyn loved her own reflection.

  She pinned him with a no-nonsense look. “I want you to do your duty by your daughter.”

  That was the last thing that he had expected. “What? Why would I do that? She is perfectly happy in the human world, and she blends in perfectly.” He had only seen her a handful of times since her birth. She couldn’t have changed that much.

  “Not anymore. The council has ordered her to desist from using glamour to conceal her features. Apparently, she has been altering her appearance for years.”

  This was beyond strange. “Mother, why is the fey council giving her orders at all?”

  “She was tested today.” Isowyn looked down and fidgeted.

  He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to stare her down. “What was the result?”

  “You might want to sit down for this.” She looked a little sheepish.

  He sought out a chair and was going to take her advice. “Why?”

  His mother baldly stated, “She has Affinity, for males.”

  Erak missed the chair he had been aiming for and crashed ignominiously onto the floor.

  * * * *

  From two floors away, Esmy heard her father’s roar of rage. “Oh, goody.” She paused for a moment then continued to create the flower arrangement that she had been working on. She would have to face Erak at dinner, and that was soon enough.

  She didn’t see him until dinner was served, as she had anticipated. He stared at her throughout the evening meal, saying not a word. After dessert, he leaned back and began the inquisition.

  “Esmerelda, how long have you been concealing your appearance? I know it has been some time since we have seen each other, but you looked somewhat different five years ago.”

  “Oh, I went full time with it when I was about eleven. Right about when the hormones kicked in and I stopped looking human.” Her face was bland.

  He leaned forward intently. “What about the Affinity, how long since you developed that talent?”

  “When I was seventeen. I have had the pleasure of hiding from men for the last eleven years.” She shrugged and reached for her coffee. “I understand family members are immune, so lucky you.”

  “So, you have no lover at this time?” Erak met her gaze and waited for a response.

  “Uh, no. I don’t get out much. And this is getting weird for a father-daughter chat.”

  “How many lovers have you had, total?” He seemed resigned and vaguely amused.

  Esmy was reminded quite forcefully that the fey were very open about sex. “You honestly expect me to answer that?”

  “Yes, Esmerelda, how many?” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

  “Two. Only two.”

  “Were they both human?”

  “Yes. Of course.” What the hell was he getting at?

  Isowyn looked at her son. “That leaves a minimum of three. Can you choose three?”

  “Sure, I have had some in mind since you informed me. The first is a safe start at any rate.”

  “Three, three what exactly?” This was getting out of hand. What are they talking about?

  They both paused and looked at her as if she had no business interrupting their discussion.

  “Three candidates for your consort. If you are to avoid every single horny fey who wants a fantasy fuck, you will need someone in your bed.” Erak was amused. “Your grandmother called me in because we need to make a list of worthy males, contact them to see if they are willing and choose the candidates.

  “As your parent, I have the privilege of selecting the candidates. In fey families, the parents usually pick the first five lovers—you have had two—that leaves us three to choose for you.”

  Her head was spinning. She couldn’t believe it. Her father and grandmother were actually pimping her out for her own safety. She dropped her head into her hands and breathed deeply to stop the blushing. The fey society was a little too open for her peace of mind.

  With a chipper falsetto, she asked from her hidden position, “So how are you going to lure these specimens into my clutches?”

  Isowyn looked over at her like she was a slow child. “We will have a dinner party, of course.”

  * * * *

  After dinner, Esmy went for a walk in the garden out back. She had to admit, the fey knew their gardens. Flowers that never bloomed at night were shedding radiant fragrance through the still warmth of the night, and the night flowers had a soft glow to illuminate the pathways.

  “How is your mother?” Erak had slid to within a few feet of her without setting off her personal wards. It was something only her family and the club could do.

  “She is fine. She knew that I was going to be in trouble when I agreed to the appointment.”

  “Did she know about your glamour?”

  “Of course. She is my mother. That and the fact that Mom can smell magic a mile away, she has known for years. She even showed me how to cast my first illusion.” Esmy smiled in remembrance. She didn’t know why she had wanted to look like the sofa, but her mother had helped her to make it happen.

  Sarah had always been supportive of her daughter. Even when the elven blood had outed itself.

  “Father, why did you choose Mom? There must have been more attractive women there—it was a fey festival after all.” She had never asked that question before, and the fact that she had asked it now spoke to her unsettled state of mind.

  “Your m
other had a smile that brought the room to life and invited one to laugh with her. I wanted to bask in that light for that one time.” His hand reached out to ruffle her hair. “I had no idea that she was fertile at the time.”

  Esmy shifted from foot to foot. This was the hard question. “Do you regret my birth?” She turned to meet his golden eyes with her clear green ones. Neither of them looked away as they took the measure of each other.

  He answered, “No. I regret the circumstance but not the result. You have always been an honoured member of this family and have brought honour to us by your very existence.” A wicked smiled broke free. “Plus, knowing that I am a fertile male has made me very popular in the intervening years.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. This was the father that she had always known. Consumed with the pleasure of the moment.

  * * * *

  Erak spent the better part of a week finding males who were interested in being his daughter’s lover. Her human blood made it more difficult than it should have been, but still, he managed to lure the required three with images of his daughter sent via the mirror.

  He then had to face the inevitable—explaining to his daughter about taking feys as lovers.

  Chapter Four

  The first candidate for her affections was named Aegar. He was extremely dark and very handsome. His talent was speed. In battle, none could move faster than he. Esmy really hoped that he didn’t translate his speed to the bedroom.

  His eyes were black within black, and his hair was a rippling navy blue that wound past his shoulders to his hips.

  Across the length of the table, his midnight eyes met hers and smiled. She smiled back. The polite conversation worked on throughout the evening, and when Aegar announced that it was time for him to leave, he held out his hand for her to join him.