The Ruby Kiss by Helen Scott Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

as though they could be human if not for their weird clothes, but some of the individuals were the stuff of nightmares, all warty and wrinkled with claws and fangs. A few strikingly beautiful males had her craning her neck to keep them in view. Then a little shock of hope pulsed through: Might Nightshade be here?
    Her throat raw and aching, she didn’t waste any more energy. Instead she changed tactics and went floppy, trying to make herself difficult to transport. Her captors pulled her into a clearing in the crowd. In the center was a massive throne made of dark twisted branches set upon a rough wooden dais trimmed with sprigs of holly. Ruby squinted. The red-hot glow of a roaring bonfire silhouetted the throne from behind, making it difficult to get a clear view of its occupant.
    With the eerily swaying arcs of light from lanterns strung around the clearing, Ruby’s eyes gradually adjusted. At least the man on the throne appeared to be human shaped.
    “Sire, we bring you the woman you seek.” The beak-noses pushed her to her knees on a flat slab of rock and joined her on the ground before the throne.
    Faced with the architect of her abduction, all the anger and humiliation she’d suffered over the last few hours gave Ruby renewed energy. As soon as her captors let her go, she sprang back to her feet.
    “You have no right to bring me here,” she shouted. She took two strides toward the throne before a man the size of a small mountain blocked her path. She glared up at him. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the single large eye in the center of his forehead.
    “Strewth!” She lurched back. Her heart raced, and she swallowed shocked little sips of air.
    “It’s all right, Boulder. Move aside so I can see our guest.” At the command from the throne, the cyclops retreated. “I’m Twister, king of the Unseelie Fairy Court.” He crooked a finger at Ruby. “Approach.”
    Ruby’s burst of anger faded with the realization that she was totally out of her depth. She’d learned to stand up for herself as a short, chubby, redheaded child, always on the move from school to school, but attitude and a smart mouth wouldn’t get her out of trouble this time. She needed help from someone who understood the fairy world.
    “Is Nightshade here?” she demanded.
    Twister’s eyes flared an inhuman gold. The inquisitive mumbling from the surrounding crowd stopped abruptly. Tension thickened the air, tightening Ruby’s muscles. Belatedly she wondered if she should have phrased her question more politely to royalty.
    The sound of flapping accompanied by a sudden gust of air saved her from having to apologize. She threw an arm over her head and peered up as Nightshade dropped out of the dark sky to land at her side!
    “Ruby, I thought it was you I heard calling for help.”
    She was so relieved to see him, she stepped into his embrace as though that were the most natural thing in the world. For a few seconds she rested her cheek against his warm, solid chest, breathing in the smell of his skin. The fear twisting her guts slipped back a notch. It was almost worth getting dragged here by the beak-noses if it meant seeing him again.
    “I’m sorry I got angry and sent you away,” she said.
    “Don’t worry about that now. How did you get here?” he whispered.
    She glanced down at her three abductors who had nowprostrated themselves on the ground. “Those ugly morons kidnapped me.”
    His lips thinned into a harsh line, and the potential for violence she had only glimpsed before gleamed sharply in his eyes. He tucked Ruby protectively under one arm before leaning over the three creatures and a growl vibrated in his chest. “What did you plan to do with her?” When he kicked the closest one, it hissed. “Tell me, or I’ll beat the truth out of you.”
    “We want the reward,” it said.
    “Reward?” Nightshade frowned. “What are they talking about?” he demanded, turning to Twister.
    Before the king could respond, a spiral