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crowd now underlined what his watch told him; time was running out. And he for one hadn't had any
luck.
Zeke scanned the crowd; the elf was tall enough to be visible over most people's heads. He didn't feel
the presence behind him until a heavy hand fell on his left shoulder. "Well, well! Ruadrí's pet, all alone!"
Whaaat. . . Zeke looked around at the owner of a hand that was now squeezing uncomfortably hard.
The coldly handsome Dark Elf smiled, and Zeke shied back from the malice in the inhuman eyes.
But I'm not The skull earring moved as Zeke's head turned, and he realized hewas , in fact, back in
theglamourie Colin had used the night before to disguise him. Instinct made him pull away, and the grip
tightened to pain. Enough was enough; Zeke gathered power to blast himself free, when a second hand
fell on top of Senn-fáelad's.
"Mine." Colin Ruadrí? tightened his own hand on top of the Dark Elf's, and for an instant the
pressure increased to agony. Then both hands fell away. "I told you that last night, Cousin."
"Ah. Too much to hope you'd already finished with him." Senn-fáelad laughed, and took a long swallow
from the extralarge waxed-paper cup he held in one hand.
Finished with me?
Colin gave an exasperated-sounding sigh. "Senn, instilling a taste for the darker pleasures in a Bard takes
years. And even were my pleasure done, Cousin, he would not be for the likes of you."
The idea of being turned into a Dark Bard, a willing servant of the Unseleighe, made Zeke shiver. Colin
would never do that to me. And wouldn't I be able to tell if he ever did try somethin' like that?
"Do you offer this banquet as part of his training?" Senn-fáelad waved a languid hand at the Mardi Gras
crowd, which had grown denser everywhere except in their immediate vicinity. A bubble of space
surrounded them, but no one seemed to notice.
Colin lifted Zeke's fingers to his lips and brushed them, murmuring, "My beloved shall indeed feast."
Earlier, Colin's mix of truth and lies had bothered Zeke. This was worse. Every word was true.Did
Colin really intend for him to feast on human disaster?
"I should have known your presence last night was no coincidence, Ruadrí. Is your pet going to assist
that mortal fool's plan?"
"What mortal fool?" Colin asked, his stranger-face a mask of indifference. He ran his thumb down
Zeke's cheekbone and caressed the jaw line. Without thinking, Zeke leaned into the gentle touch.
Senn-fáelad looked sharply at Colin, then shrugged. "Keep your own counsel, if you will. But I am the
one my Prince trusted to select thecaplata ; thisfeast , Cousin, is of my providing."
"We were promised a banquet fit for my darling, but my information was sadly lacking specifics. Where
will this feast take place, Cousin?"
No need to ask when, Zeke thought.Colin, we're running out of time. Part of him wondered if the elf
cared.
"Why, we've front-row seats!" Senn-fáelad waved his cup at the crowd. "Thecaplata has a now what
did he call it?" He took a sip. "Ah, apawn shop. It lies but a stone's throw in that direction."
"How fortunate." Colin sounded almost bored. His fingers traced Zeke's ear gently, and Zeke shivered.
The intimate gesture felt indecent under Senn-fáelad's amused gaze.
"You seem to have his bonding well in hand, Ruadrí."
"But you see, my dear Senn-fáelad, he loves me already. Already he would do almost anything to please
me." Despite the ice-edged smile, Colin's lips were gentle as they brushed across Zeke's own.
He moved back no more than a few inches, and tilted Zeke's chin, locking eyes with him.
"Do you love me, my sweet Bard?"
Although Zeke no longer knew who Colin really was, he gave the true answer. "Yes."
Impossibly gentle hands stroked the side of Zeke's face and smoothed his hair, while crystalline green
eyes continued to bore into his own. "Do you love me more than mortal words can express?"
Zeke found he could only whisper. "Yes."
Colin kissed Zeke's forehead, each eyelid, and finished with the lips, a softly languid kiss. "Will you sing
for me, sweet Bard? No. Such delicacies are for more private moments."
Thank God.For a while, Zeke hadn't been certain any of his emotions were still private. By now Zeke
barely knew the crowd or Senn-fáelad were there.What did Colin, assuming this elf in front of him
had anything to do with the lover Zeke had known for a decade, wantfrom him?
"No, not singing. No mortal words." The gentle lips brushed his once more.
Senn-fáelad stumbled against Zeke's shoulder. "Mor'al wordses." The Sidhe was almost slobbering in his
ear. "You. Cous'n. Aregood. "
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