The Fey King eyed Ginny a long moment.

"It seems we've much to talk about. Have a seat." He gestured to the bunk across from him.

Ginny looked at the door, considering bolting.

"I wouldn't bother." He calmly stroked the back of the small thing on his shoulder, peering at her.

She recognized it as the creature she'd caught a fortnight ago. When she'd first come here, to ready the chamber for Belle.

Ginny numbly took her seat. Sensing she was in grave danger. She noticed the fearful way the little creature peered at her then retreated behind the man's neck every time she looked at him.

"I didn't know what it was." She defended. "I thought he was a rodent."

"And he told you he was not?" The Fey King quirked a dark brow.

Ginny's head fell. "He did."

"And?"

"It scared me half to death! I thought it was surely possessed to talk as it did."

"And how did you come by his sister?"

"I caught her trying to wedge the lid off the jar."

"And why'd you recruit her to sway Dear Belle?" His voice dropped. His eyes flicking with rage. He was exuding it like a tidal wind in the small chamber. Making it hard for her to catch her breath.

"Because she can't be with Lord Charters!" Ginny said urgently. "I needed her stopped."

"From?" He asked quietly.

"Getting close to him."

"I doubt he'd appreciate your interference."

"He surely wouldn't have!" Ginny expostulated. "He could've had me beat. That's why I needed the creature to do it. She could pretend she knew dark secrets about him."

"She does know much. But there's nothing dark about him for her to know. He's always shied from the darkness he's capable of. I, however, do not." His brows descended in warning.

"I-I-I n-needed her help." Ginny stuttered in her defense.

"Why didn't you simply sway the Lady with careful words?"

"We're not close." Ginny chewed her lip. "Never have been."

"Have you tried?"

"No."

"Why not? She seems a sweet girl."

"Too sweet. She's a high and mighty girl, after all. Not for the likes of me to be friends with."

"I've known ladies quite close to their maids."

"What lady?" Ginny asked curiously. Stunned at the prospect of the higher class having any interest in wanting to talk to her.

He paused a moment. Hesitating for the first time since she'd found him here. He turned his head and gave the tiny creature on his shoulder a fond look. "A woman very precious to me."

Ginny's brow furrowed again in confusion. "Are you real?"

"Not to you, no." He said dryly. "I'm not of this realm."

"Then what one?"

He chuckled. "One you can't imagine."

He caught the little creature huddled to his neck and lifted him in testament of his words.

***

He walked to Ginny, ignoring the way she flinched. He held out his hand and pressed a tiny vial in it. "You'll use this when I tell you to."

"But..."

He put a finger to his lips. "Ssh."

"But-"

He lifted that finger to cut her off. Shaking his head slowly. "You've delivered such a thing before, now haven't you?"

She grimaced and visibly shrank into herself. Clutching the vial in her shame.

"So, when I ask you to use it, it should be no great effort..." His voice was coaxing but there was a dark note that terrified her.

He rounded and aimed for the door. Only pausing when he was just outside it. "I caution you in playing games with my son. He's immensely clever and highly shrewd and he will find you out. And I pity you then..."

Ginny gave him an anxious look.

"He'll not be anywhere near as kind as I."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"None of this. This is my business. But lay a hand on anything of my world again, and I'll light you on fire." The long look he gave her indicated he wasn't exaggerating.

"Please don't tell him what I've done!" Ginny pleaded. Rushing to the door and stopping herself just short of clutching his sleeve in her desperation.

"I won't." The Fey King was stroking the little animal in his hand. "My son has his concerns, I have mine. But you..."

He turned back. "Will apologize to my Vix, and never again bother her or him." He lifted the creature in his hand pointedly.

"Yes, My Lord." Her head fell. "Thank you graciously for your forgiveness."

He shook his head pitiably. "Oh, I've not forgiven you. Only bought you time. My son will do plenty to you when he finds you out. And besides...You're too late."

"For what?" Ginny's head shot up.

"For all your little games. Whether you want my son or have another motive, it matters not. You're too late. I heard them mere hours ago. As I waited for you. And whether she knows it or not, she already belongs to him."

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't." He slipped out the door and closed it. Gone as abruptly as he'd been there.

Nothing about him had felt right and Ginny was shaken beyond anything she'd ever been before.

She'd been instinctively afraid. A primal warning screaming through her. Something that had made even Randall Demetrius' cruelty seem at least human.

***

Ginny slumped walked to her dressing stand and tucked the vial into her clothing. Wanting to bury it deep enough she could pretend it wasn't there.

That it wasn't a favor that the man might call on her to do, at a later date.

Once had been bad enough.

She walked on leaden feet to her bed and was soon fast asleep. Relieved that she'd live to see another day.

But when she awoke it was to glowing orange eyes hovering over her.

"I'm not so kind as he." The voice was shrill and high, and Ginny knew it.

"Vix." She started to raise herself to see the little thing standing on her chest and leaning into her face in the dark. But she'd barely moved when she felt the jab of Vix's claws into her eyeballs and the drizzle of fluid down her cheek.

Ginny screamed and batted at Vix but couldn't see the little beast with her eyes clutched closed.

Her sobbing from pain and fear only salted the wounds, intensifying the pain.

"What have you done to me?" Ginny wailed. Stumbling around the small chamber.

"No more than you deserve." She heard from behind her.

Spinning around she flattened her hands along the top of a simple dressing stand but felt nothing there. Hearing the skittering of clawed feet along the stone floor around her.

Vix suddenly seemed everywhere at once.

"I'm sorry." Ginny cried.

"Not nearly sorry enough..." Vix said.

Ginny felt pulling at the back of her clothes and then suddenly teeth along her shoulder where she was bitten sharply.

She swung around but the biting animal hung on.

Ginny finally managed to clutch Vix and toss her. Sending the thing sliding into a wall.

Vix yelped and the door creaked as she, presumably, skittered out.

Ginny slid down the wall and dropped her face into her hands. Sobbing from both her physical suffering and the weight of all the things she'd done.

***

I didn't remember Bodin collapsing from atop me and falling to the side of me on the bed. Nor did I recall falling asleep. Merely that I had subsided into some sort of pleasant exhaustion. I glanced over at him. Stunned at how he looked as he rested.

He was on his side next to me. One hand strung out atop the coverlet over my hip. Resting along the curve.

I blinked blearily to focus on his face. The morning sun was just coming through the closed shutters. Framing it in glowing yellow. The room was warming for a day that would soon prove unbearably hot.

His breathing was soft next to me. Relaxed and easy. His dark brows which often seemed to be drawn together in frustration with me were flat along his straight brow bone. Hovering just above the sweep of dark lashes that would make most ladies in this day and age, envious. His straight nose was over those sensually parted lips.

For the first time, I registered that his whole body was a soft golden brown as though he was often out in the son without a shirt.

I've never seen that.

It would be quite out of the question for nobility to do so.

Except for down at the docks. I realized. There were a few of the merchants that would go down to the wharf and work alongside the sailors to load ships or remove cargo and get it on the carts.

He must do that.

Down there, they'd be lost in the mix of shirtless sailors, and no one would care whether they were properly garbed or not.

His sinewed arm was brown and beautiful.

My hand hovered over it. Tempted to stroke it and feel the ripple of muscles winding along it. Every part of him was well-honed like he did indeed spend much time down at the docks for his ships. I chewed my lip, opting to withdraw my hand and let him sleep.

I should just go.

Get back to my room before my maid notices I'm missing.

As I caught the bedding and went to move it off me, I glanced at him and met those warm brown eyes.

"Going so fast, are we?" There was accusation in his voice.