A Whisper of Rue (The Trouble With Elves Book 5) Read online

  Rue pulled out the paper and read it aloud, “Travel to the Forgotten Meadow. Use the mask in order to see what can’t be seen. The fairy dust is the key. The full moon your enemy. “

  The paper fell into her lap and she asked, “When’s the full moon?”

  “Tonight.” Gage replied.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Son of a nymph!” Her eyes stung and watered with frustration, she gave them a quick rub and took a deep breath. “I can’t go without sleep, how much more is there to these quests and what’s the point of making them all timed? And for the same elfing day?”

  Gage sighed in her ear, as if he were sick of explaining things to her. “I don’t know why they are all timed.”

  “Well for someone who’s calling the shots here, you sure don’t know squash.” She clenched her jaw. The mask and dust were all the way back at her house and she’d already paid for the room. “I don’t suppose you could magically blink me back to my place?” She rolled her eyes and exhaled slowly, hoping to contain her runaway emotions. She’d been under stress before and some elf talking in her ear shouldn’t be enough to tip her over the edge...but those screams, that pain. Rue shuddered.

  “No. Try asking one of the drunks. I’m of no help to you.”

  Toad farts. “So I’ve noticed.” Rue glanced around the bar. People had stopped paying attention to her a while ago; most were involved in their own conversations. But she did spot the young elf who tried to pick her up. She suddenly regretted asking for a fight. Perhaps he would be too drunk to remember...

  “Hey, what was your name again?” Rue asked walking over to him.

  He looked up at her, his eyes glossed over and cheeks reddened with drink. “Why yous care? You wants a fight again?” He chuckled.

  “Actually I was hoping you could blink me home.” Rue bit her lip to try and look a little less intimidating. She hated to ask, but she was elfing tired, tired of this whole damn day. She needed a break somewhere and if she had to ask some dumb drunk for a little magic so be it.

  The elf’s face grew serious. “What do I get out of it?” His slur stopped and his eyes narrowed in on her. He slid a finger up her bare arm.

  Disgusted Rue flinched away. “I can pay you for the...” She thought about saying ride, but it suddenly seemed like terrible phrasing.

  “What kind of payment we talking about here?” His eyes slid up and down her petite form.

  “The kind that jingles.” Rue pulled out a handful of a copper and gold. She tilted her hip to the side as if bored. “Unless of course you’re not interested…. Hey any one here want to blink me a couple places for uh...” She looked in her hand. “Four gold and three coppers?”

  Nearly every elf head turned toward her.

  “All right. I’ll do it. A couple places?” the young elf asked.

  “Yup, my house and then Forgotten Meadow.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “And before you get any wise ideas. My home is booby trapped and I don’t like males.” Which wasn’t entirely true on either end but he didn’t know that. The last thing she wanted or needed was some idiot poking around thinking he could get anywhere with her.

  “That explains a lot,” Gage said in her ear. She didn’t acknowledge his comment. Instead, she kept eye contact with the young elf.

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  “My name’s Rue. Yours?”

  There was a huff from Gage in her ear. “He can call you Rue and you hardly know him, but I’m stuck with your last name.”

  Rue shook her head. The young elf would think her crazy if she said anything to Gage so she kept her mouth shut.

  “I’m Oaken.”

  “So not going to talk to the guy in your ear, huh?” Gage chuckled. “That’s quite all right. I had a dream about you earlier. And since you can’t say anything, I think I’ll tell you about it. You, naked...Mmm.”

  Rue bit her tongue and nodded at Oaken. She quickly gave him instructions to her home. “Trust me, you can’t miss my tree.”

  Oaken put his hand out. She took it and little pinches broke out all over her skin as his magic took hold, moving them through space, blinking them right outside her tree.

  “I had a hard-on when I woke and you didn’t even do anything in my dream. Though I wished you would,” Gage continued. Amusement laced his words even as his voice lowered, sounding almost seductive.

  Rue didn’t waste any time. She dashed in, grabbing the mask and fairy dust. When she walked out, she ran a hand along the doorframe pretending to slide something into place. There was no such thing as too careful.

  “Forgotten Meadow please and then I’ll give you your money.” She needed Oaken gone so Gage would stop his horrible ramblings. How would he picture her naked if he’d never actually seen her face to face?

  Oaken yawned and took her hand. They blinked to the middle of a huge glen. The sunrise barely peeked as gold hues spread over the horizon creating a soft glow across the green grass. The area was completely open, nothing for almost as far as she could see. They called it forgotten because there wasn’t much out here to bother remembering. Rue dropped the coins in Oaken’s eager hands. “Now get lost.”

  Oaken didn’t bother to look up as he blinked away. Good riddance.

  “Oops, guess I’m in trouble huh?” Gage chuckled in her ear.

  “Stop trying to bait me. I’m doing everything you want. Quit thinking about me naked, picturing me naked, or any other sort that involves either of us with our clothes off, or either of us together at all. You sick, twisted bark rot. It will never happen.”

  His laughter rang out and grated on every nerve Rue had. She growled in warning. For the love of snails she wanted to hit the male and she smiled at the thought of bloodying his nose.

  Chapter Five

  “There are things I intend to do to you.” His voice husky.

  Rue raised a brow and found a male hiding in the shadows. He stepped out, his face shrouded, she couldn’t see who he was, but he stood before her very male, very naked. Why couldn’t she see his face? “And what makes you think I’ll let you do anything to me?” The words came out husky. Why did they sound so seductive? She hadn’t intended for them to.

  “I think you want me to, and I will. I’ll kiss down your neck first.” He took a step closer. He sounded like Gage. Had he finally come out of hiding? Rue didn’t move. She stood her ground.

  “Keep coming closer and see what happens.” Rue’s threat still didn’t sound right, more like a promise a sensual promise. Her heart fluttered in her chest when he closed the distance between them, grabbing her arms and pinning them back behind her. The feel of his naked skin against her...naked skin. She looked down and she was completely clothes free, when had that... she lost her thoughts as his mouth found her neck as promised. She arched into his strong form, not wanting him to stop. He sucked that little area between her shoulder and actual neck and she whimpered.

  He pulled back. “I’m going to take your nipples into my mouth, suckle them until you beg me to make you cum.”

  His blunt words had her wet for him. “Don’t just talk about doing it, do it.” She dared.

  His hot lips burned across her skin until he found a taut nipple and she inhaled sharply when his teeth pulled it and then his lips, soft, wet, warm, sucked it inside. He pulled her arms back and she arched further for him. He flicked her nipple with his tongue and electric want sizzled down her body causing her clit to throb. She no longer cared why he didn’t show his face. She closed her eyes and took in the feel of him against her, his cock rubbing along her leg. He sucked harder and her breath came in short quick gasps as the electric feeling kept bolting down increasing the throbbing. She needed him to do more.

  As if he read her thoughts, he pulled back. Was he trying to tease her more? What did he want her to say? He placed both her wrists in one hand. “I want my fingers inside you, I want to feel you clench around them, around me...” His words trailed off as his hand slid over her
back, cupped her ass and then slowly inched toward her breasts. She didn’t want him there; she wanted him between her legs, just as he said.

  He pulled her other nipple, making it hard for him and she squirmed in his hold, not that she could do much. His fingers softly, slowly made their way dawn her stomach. Yes! Over her mound and he hovered by her opening, waiting. His head dropped as his finger slid in so slowly she thought she’d die until he took her nipple again between his teeth and pushed two fingers, spreading her, filling her, inside and she almost climaxed, her orgasm just out of reach. A haze filled her as she bucked trying to claim it, wanting it desperately...

  Rue hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until she heard him say her name. A sweet masculine voice. She rolled over to cuddle up to whoever was on her left side and something tickled her nostril. She sneezed and her eyes shot open. “Oh crap.” Her clit throbbed and she squeezed her legs together trying to alleviate the feeling.

  “Afternoon, Moonbeam.” Gage sounded amused. His amusement was starting to get on her nerves. Had he been talking dirty to her while she slept? The slug slime piece of bark rot!

  She sneezed and rubbed the grass from her nose. Irritation at his words set in. “Don’t call me that either.” The sun had dipped. She’d slept nearly the entire day away. Her cheeks heated at the memory of her dream. She scanned the open area around her. Lots of green, lots of sky. What could possibly be here? Rue patted herself down. She’d put the fairy dust in her pocket, but where was the mask? She rushed up and turned in a circle. Gone. Her heart dropped. There was no one for miles, who could have taken it, and why would they?

  “Right. Miss Devore.”

  “Were you awake and listening the entire time?”

  “I was awake but there wasn’t much to listen to, other than you talking in your sleep. Did you have sweet dreams?” His voice dropped to a husky tone and she knew he was toying with her.

  “That’s elfing great.” She shook her head and began pacing. Who knew about the mask? Gage did. Oaken did.

  “Oh come now. It’s not like you said anything personal. Mostly it was cute mumbling. I’m hoping little mewls lust.”

  She was not going to respond. Her heart quickened and anger bubbled up, he’d pay for that too. “I wasn’t talking about my mumbling. Did you send someone to take the mask while I was asleep? Because if you did, well that will suck for you. I’m not going to go chasing after people too. I swear these little tasks are getting more and more ridiculous––”

  “You lost the mask?” His voice turned cold. So different than her dream or the playful tone he had mere seconds ago, reminding her who he was and just how much she shouldn’t be dreaming lusty things with him or about him.

  “I didn’t lose it; someone had to have taken it. I don’t lose things.” Rue huffed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had lost something whether it be someone she was investigating or any kind of object, Rue just didn’t lose anything.

  “It’s nearly sunset...”

  “You think I don’t know that? You and Oaken knew about the mask, but why in all the realms would Oaken take the mask when he knew squash about it?”

  “To sell.”

  “It wasn’t worth anything.” Rue crossed her arms and looked at the ground as if the mask would be there. She clenched her fists, partly because of frustrated sexual need and anger mixing together.

  Silence.

  “Even if it was him, the elfing tavern is miles and miles away and I don’t have magic to blink anywhere. It doesn’t matter that someone stole it does it? You’re going to hurt the poor sap anyway and there’s nothing I can do to change your mind?” She half hoped he might be leaning toward her side, sometimes she found Gage entertaining and a little sweet. Still the bad guy, but perhaps he’d warmed up to her and might go easy on whoever he held hostage. After all, he did just try to seduce her in her dreams.

  As if lightening had struck, a thought popped into her head...what if Gage had her father? Why hadn’t she even thought about it before? Any kind of lust for the man left her in a quick horrified rush.

  “Fraid not. You know the rules...” His low voice sent chills down her arms like tiny snakes.

  “Heartless.” He probably did have her father. She kicked out at the grass, as if it would help, and resisted the urge to scream. She didn’t want him to know how much all of this affected her. How much she had wanted him and how much she now hated herself for even toying with the thoughts.

  “Honest.”

  His remark almost sounded disappointed. Not that she should care a single ball of wisp. “Well then have any bright ideas on how I’m supposed to figure out what happened to it?”

  Silence.

  “Of course not. Guess I’ll figure it out on my own.” Which was the way she preferred it anyways, he just wasn’t helpful in the least. She couldn’t wait to find his yellow belly ass. She’d kick him, and then do it again when he fell to his knees before her. Oh how he’d pay for all of it, the invasion of privacy, hurting someone, even if that someone was a stranger or her father. No one deserved to be punished for someone else’s mistakes. Ha! Mistakes, as if she’d been the one to make them. Rue hadn’t made any mistakes and was forced into the tasks. She scowled and wished he could see it.

  With a heavy sigh, Rue set about heading back toward the tavern. She hoped Oaken would be there and if he had her mask, she would twist his young pointed ear off. If he didn’t have it, well she’d figure that out when it happened. One thing at a time.

  Every step she took away from the meadow made her gut tighten, as if she was doing something wrong. A tingling sensation hit her thigh when the glass ball of fairy dust touched her from the pocket of her pants. A few more steps and it warmed, turned hot, and with one single step further felt like it would burn through her pocket and sting the hell out of her leg. She reached in, grabbed the ball, and pulled it out as quick as possible. Without thinking too much on it, her body began to retreat as she stared at the fairy dust––moving. The purples, blues, and white all swirled around each other, creating a spiral effect inside the ball. The glass cooled as she continued her retreat, but the dust stayed in motion. Something had brought it to life. A magic strong enough to awaken ages old fairy dust.

  Rue halted once the ball had completely cooled. It clearly didn’t want her to leave the Forgotten Meadow. If she couldn’t leave, how would she find the damn mask? “Gage.”

  “Yes, Miss Devore.”

  “The fairy dust came to life.”

  “What! Thank Mother Earth!” His voice went shrill momentarily. He cleared his throat. “I mean, it did?”

  “You knew this would happen?”

  “Not exactly, I suspected. The fact that my suspicion was right...” His cocky voice didn’t go further, the slug slime. He could have warned her and he chose not to.

  “My dislike of you is quickly turning to hate.”

  Gage chuckled in her ear. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. What about the mask?”

  “Well that’s a neat trick, see the fairy ball doesn’t want me to leave and I can’t get to the damn mask unless I do.” Her voice sounded a great deal more sarcastic than she originally intended.

  “Sounds like you’re in a pickle.” He sounded bored and Rue seethed, trying to swallow her anger. She clutched the glass ball so tight in her hands, her fingers turned white.

  “Now you listen here, you...you... bark rotted toad puss. You want me to do all these tasks for you, but you refuse to share all the elfing information with me, then when I fail, you will hurt someone. Somehow it seems like you are setting me up on purpose. What for, fun? Is this a joke to you?” The colors in the ball merged and everything turned a solid red.

  “This is no joke.”

  She waited for more, but he didn’t continue. “That’s all you’re going to say?” Her temper roared inside, trying to claw its way out and she almost threw the damn glass ball. She wanted to be done with all of this and kick the living hell out o
f Gage. Perhaps once she figured out what he’d already done to the person he tortured, she would return the favor. She was about ready to tell him that when she felt a warm breath along the back of her neck.

  Chapter Six

  Rue slowly turned. The dragon she had watched come to life in the Elder’s hands hovered. It had grown more than triple in size and its flapping wings sparkled in the afternoon light. She swallowed and took a tentative step back. The dragon’s nostrils flared and smoke leaked out. Despite the size, the dragon looked sick. Eyes sunken into his skull and Rue could see ribs. Were dragons supposed to look so thin? She’d never seen one in real life. Large obsidian eyes stared at her. She could see her reflection in them.

  “Very inconvenient. Undeniably inexcusable. What have you done to it?” The Elder appeared beside the dragon, out of thin air.

  “To what?” Rue clutched the fairy dust to her chest.

  “The mask, child. It doesn’t work.”

  Gage chuckled in her ear. Rue remembered his words about her being the one to use the items. How did the Elder know about them?

  “That’s because only a female in my blood line can make it work. It’s not broken. You are unqualified, old man.”

  His eyes glared, yet he smiled. “Well work it for me then.”

  “And what do you want with it?”

  “Why to help you of course.”

  Rue didn’t believe him. “No.”

  The dragon huffed beside him and the Elder said, “I can make you, elfling.”

  “Do you see these ears?” Rue pointed to her head. “That’s right, complete points. Not rounded like a human. I’m no elfling.”

  “Ah... what is this?” The Elder snatched the glass ball of swirling fairy dust from her.

  Surprised, Rue reached out for it. But he had it high above him in his fingertips, scrutinizing the glass.

  “Fairy dust...” His voice slithered out.

  The dragon roared at the Elder.

  “I told you not to trust the old man,” Gage said.