Prince of Air and Darkness by Jenna Black Read Free Book Online Page A

far as Kiera knew, the only negative consequence of resisting him was the possibility of losing him as a client. When he resisted, he faced death by torture. He could hardly blame himself for his capitulation under the circumstances.
    Hunter took a deep breath in an attempt to settle himself down. He had time still. No need to rush these things. And after all, with her fey blood he shouldn’t expect her to fall for him as easily as other mortal women. But even as he thought these comforting thoughts, someone slipped into the chair that Kiera had recently vacated.
    Hunter looked up to see Bane sitting across from him, an ugly smirk on his ugly face. Hunter was really letting the mortal woman get to him if he had actually failed to notice Bane making an entrance. The goblin had a cup of coffee in each hand and pushed one across the table to Hunter.
    “Trouble in paradise, Boyo?” Bane mocked, sipping his coffee.
    Several patrons in the shop were staring at the table in distaste, for Bane’s ragged, filthy coat stank of sweat and alcohol and urine. His hands were wrapped in raveled knit gloves with the fingers torn off, and his hair was a snarled rat’s nest of oil and debris.
    Hunter hated the very thought that anyone might see him talking to this creature. If you had Kiera’s strength and will, you’d walk out. Hunter dismissed the thought as soon as it occurred to him. Free will was not a luxury he could afford, so he shrugged and leaned back in his chair, stretching out his long legs. “No trouble,” he said. “I’m just learning the lay of the land.”
    Bane snorted. “You’re supposed to be laying the woman, remember?”
    “I don’t interfere with your business. Keep out of this.”
    “Can’t. The Queen wants her progress reports.”
    Hunter had to fight to contain the stream of curses that wished to escape. Seducing Kiera was already turning out to be harder than he’d expected, and having his mother and her pet goblin breathing down his neck wasn’t going to make things any easier.
    “So,” Bane prompted, grinning in pleasure at Hunter’s chagrin, “got any progress to report?”
    “This is only the second time I’ve met her. I’m working on it.”
    The goblin put his cup of coffee aside and leaned his elbows on the table. “You’ve been here two weeks, and you’ve only met her twice?”
    Hunter shrugged. “I’m posing as a client for her web design business. I had to give her time to get the first assignment done.”
    “You’re living in her building, in case you forgot. You don’t need the client charade.”
    Hunter narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists under the table. “I know what I’m doing. When was the last time you seduced a woman?”
    The amusement faded from Bane’s face, and he replaced it with a look designed to freeze Hunter’s marrow. The goblin leaned even closer, his foul breath making Hunter’s eyes water. “When I want a woman, Prince, I don’t ask her permission.” The glamour slipped enough that Hunter could make out the flash of fangs behind the disguise.
    His whole life, Hunter had had to mask his disgust for the cruelties of the Unseelie Court. Only that long experience kept him from recoiling now. “Well I do need this one’s permission,” he said evenly. “I’ll have to bed her multiple times to make sure I get her pregnant.”
    Bane touched his tongue to one of his fangs. “We could just snag her and bring her back to Faerie. You could fuck her at your leisure until she’s pregnant, and you wouldn’t need permission.”
    Hunter’s stomach churned at the thought, but still he kept his voice calm and level. If Bane saw that the threat bothered him, it could be a disaster, both for Hunter and for Kiera. “She may be mortal, but she is Finvarra’s daughter. There’s a reasonable chance she’s got enough Faerie magic about her that she would not conceive if forced.” He had no idea if that was true, but it wasn’t impossible.
    Hunter waited