FAE MARKED

CHAPTER ONE

"Comm. Check. Adam, come in?" I said over the traffic noise I was hearing through the small device hidden in my ear.

"Roger that," Adam said from his safe distance behind the old shipping warehouse a few blocks away.

I pulled the leather coat up tighter around my neck as a woman and child passed me on the street beneath the Dark Fortress. I'd been given an unusual assignment from Gerald, the leader of the Guild, where I worked.

Break in and steal the Dark Prince of the Fae's crown. Normally, given my history, I'd have walked away or given this particular assignment over to another from the Guild. But Gerald , the Guild leader, had demanded it be me who took it. It was an overly risky and stupid assignment as far as I was concerned, but I had no say in the matter.

Adam and I typically worked as enforcers and assassins for an organization of Witches that kept Otherworld creatures on the right track and out of the local newspapers. Thirty- some years ago, those of the Otherworld crept out of the shadows and made it known to the Human race that they were no longer alone here on earth.

Of course, Witches had always been among them, but we'd been content just to watch from the shadows. Until the Fae who, taking matters into their own hands, came out and let the Humans know they were no longer the top of the food chain. It had changed everything. Governments were now run with the help of the Otherworlders.

It had been a huge adjustment for the Humans, but, eventually, most had come to terms with it, and those that were considered royalty of the Otherworld creatures had been given safe passage, as well as diplomatic immunity. Even now, I was walking on sovereign land that had been legally declared a section of Faery.

Normally, my job was supposed to be easy-enforce the laws and protect Humankind from becoming food for the Otherworld creatures. Today, it wasn't that simple. I was stepping out of my comfort zone and into the realm of the Fae, where no Human rules could be applied. If I failed, they could kill me, and no one would ever know.

It was a small price to pay for what I had been given. When I was young, my parents had been brutally murdered by the Fae. I'd gone to live inside the safety of the Guild soon after and, while it hadn't been ideal, it had become my home.

I had more than what most orphaned children had, and I'd been trained to take my place among the Guild. We were taught that life wasn't about being selfish, it was about giving back to those who needed it or those who couldn't protect themselves from the deadly creatures who wanted to feed off of them. That's where I come in. I keep them safe, even if they never realize it. I'm not looking for payback or gratitude; I'm in it to keep this world safe.

I turned, watching the wide glass doors open as an entourage of Otherworld beings that guarded the Dark Prince emerged from the embassy. Ryan was reported to be a notorious playboy-right up until last week when he announced his engagement to the Heir of the Light Fae who had seemingly appeared out of thin air.

The Fae normally kept their lives out of the spotlight, but this story had hit every major newspaper around the world in a matter of hours. It wasn't every day that the Fae announced weddings, or anything for that matter, and this one was going up on a grand scale. Two royal houses combining together was big Fae business. The papers loved it.

"I've got movement; seven guards and a male in a dark leather trench. They're heading for the black limo, over," I said, pulling my magic around me and making myself look like one of the everyday Humans on the street just milling about for a paper or a look at the royal Prince.

One of the challenges for the Guild was how little we knew about the Fae. They were incredibly secretive, and what we did know came from rumors. The Dark and Light Fae were friendlier with the Humans. However, there was grapevine chatter that there were other castes of the Fae that we had less information on. There was even one caste called the Horde that was supposed to be the stuff of nightmares, and there were whispers that the Horde King had gone walkabout a little over twenty years ago.

Without a guiding hand on that group, who knows what kind of trouble could happen? As it was, there were hints coming back to the Guild of skirmishes within the Fae castes, and this was probably why we were experiencing such an increase in the Fae population in our world.

The secrecy just contributed to the problems. Some Humans were infatuated with the Fae; others were simply terrified. It was a mess and some just wanted the Otherworld creatures to pack up and leave our world, or be shipped to camps where they could be monitored. Bad idea. They're powerful, immortal, and, even with the sheer number of Witches being trained, it would be an all-out bloody war if we tried it.

The comm device in my ear hit static before Adam's voice came out clear. "Confirmed. It's the Prince. You are clear to engage, Clara. Chandra's in play now, as well. Good luck."

I let out a shaky exhale. No one had ever tried this before, nor should they. It was basically suicide. There was a reason this embassy was called the Dark Fortress.

Five hundred highly-trained Fae reportedly guarded this Fortress. Our sources told us the crown was inside a vault that had one of the most deadly security systems known to every Otherworld creature.

I placed my finger to my ear. "Are we sure it was the RP?"

"Confirmed, Clara-be careful. There's no contingency plan," Adam replied quietly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," I said with more bravado than I was currently feeling.

If I got caught, we cut ties. I would be stuck at the mercy of the Fae who were notorious for not having any. I waited until the door opened once more, slipping in as a tall blonde walked out with a radiant smile on her face.

The Fae were beautiful, ethereal creatures. Many had taken jobs as movie stars or models. They were the ideal creatures to be on the posters representing the Otherworld beings as they never aged. Timeless beauty frozen right around the age of thirty.

I scanned the room and found two sets of elevators against the far wall. There were guards stationed in front of the one I needed to get on. I scanned the faces of the Fae guards who were armed to the teeth and dripping with testosterone. I checked the rest of the lobby before heading to the front desk. I had on a long, flowing skirt that made me look similar to the only woman working in the lobby of the Dark Fortress.

CHAPTER TWO

"Hi! My name is Jolene. I should be on the list for the walk-through for the Embassy tour. I know I'm a little late, but the press outside today was crazy." My voice came out more calmly than I thought it would.

The busty blonde looked up and glared at me with annoyance. She probably wasn't a fan of the Fae groupies. "First elevator; here is the badge. Attach it somewhere security can see it, or you will be removed from the building." She handed me an identity badge that held the false name.

"Thank you so much!" I said with a bright, fake smile on my face, turning to make nice with the Fae guards-who didn't play nice back.

"Identification," the taller of the two said, holding his hand out without even looking directly at me.

"Oh, of course, sorry," I smiled and handed him the picture ID. "Here you go."

"Jolene Helen?" he mocked.

Adam was toast.

"My mother loved the actress," I said, over-emphatically shrugging my shoulders.

The guard didn't crack a smile. "Spread your arms and legs," he said with little interest in his voice. I spread my arms and my legs obediently.

His hands came up and patted me down, checking under both breasts as if I might have had a gun parked between them. When he was satisfied that I held no weapons on my person, he turned and hit the button for level 2 before moving back to his post.

The elevator doors opened with a small ringing noise and I silently slipped inside after one male had exited it. Inside, I scanned for cameras and found one in the corner. Two more were beneath the glass two-way mirrors they had embedded on the elevator's walls.

When the doors reopened again, I stepped out and surveyed the empty hall before heading in the opposite direction of the tour that would be rounding the corridor any moment now, if they stuck to schedule. The door to the next elevator opened, and a tall male Fae stepped out smoothly with a radiant smile.

"Are you on the tour?" He inquired.

"Yes, I was a few minutes late though. The press outside is crazy thick today," I gave him my best dumb-blonde smile and looked up and down the halls as if looking for the group.

"You're a pretty little thing. You sure you want the boring tour-and not something a little more personal?" His voice lowered seductively.

I fluttered my eyes and bit my lip. "You could do that?" I asked with awe in my tone.

"And much more, if you'd like." His smirk was all teeth.

If I hadn't planned on him falling for my act I'd be tempted to kick him into next week. I pretended to consider it for a moment, my teeth pulling at the fleshy part of my lip. "Are you sure we won't get in trouble? I would hate to get kicked out," I fussed, twirling a stray lock of my hair around my You Only Live Once OPI painted fingernails.

He smiled, his gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes lighting up at my uneasy performance. He was tall and well-muscled. His black pinstriped suit made him look older than most of the Fae normally did. His thick auburn hair sat in silky spikes along his forehead, framing his beautiful face. "Mmm, I promise you won't get in trouble. I'll take good care of you."

Oh, I just bet you would, lover boy!

I smiled wider and agreed. He took me silently down a hall, through another corridor and into what looked like a lounge of some sort.

The room held a long cream-colored couch and rich chocolate-brown walls. The carpet was plush, extravagant, and a matching brown.

"This room is where the Prince holds more intimate meetings," he said.

"Seriously?" I asked, letting the pleasure of the room show on my face. It really was a beautiful room with its rich, natural colors.

"My name is Collin. Yours is?" he asked, his eyes roving up my covered body. I removed my coat, letting his eyes travel over the tight black tank top I'd worn today.

"Jolene," I whispered nervously, playing it up.

He moved closer, his hand reaching for the jacket I still held in my hands. He gave me a reassuring smile as if I had no clue on his intentions. "You're beautiful. One would almost confuse your beauty for that of a Fae."

"Really?" I beamed.

"May I touch you?" He asked. His words sent alarm bells off inside my head, but I needed him close to me.

"I-I don't know-"

"I don't bite. I promise," he said, moving over and touching my arm.

He ran his long fingers over my forearm, moving up slowly. I gave a small, shaky laugh as my hand sank into the pocket of my jacket, finding the small flat piece of magic vellum. "Your eyes are beautiful, Collin," I said, blinking slowly as he allowed his eyes to change. The chocolate-brown turned into a mass of lime green, outlined by a deep emerald.

All Fae had double colored eyes and the ability to shield them when the need arose. He smiled as my eyes grew wide from the true beauty of his. "I want you to see me. All of me," he replied, roughly cuing me that it was time to move before I ended up as his dinner.

Fae were of the few creatures to feed from emotions. They had come to the Human world since Humans had emotions in abundance, unlike the other Otherworld creatures. The Fae's preferred method to generate the highest emotion in Humans was sex. Seems there was some truth to those old stories about Succubi and Incubi, and the Fae not only consumed emotions-they could also take all or part of the soul while feeding.

"You're beautiful, Collin" I inched closer as if I was being drawn in by his Otherworld attributes as some women were. I raised my hand, touching his cheek, and almost smiled as he tried for a seductive smile, but failed. The other hand holding the vellum came up and softly planted it on his neck before I allowed him to kiss me.

His lips were soft, his kiss gentle. He pushed me gently toward the couch, fully thinking he had me where he wanted me. His hands pulled against my skirt and I let him, since I was ditching it soon anyway.

His mouth started going slack, and his voice murmured like he had been over-indulging in spirits. "Somnus," I whispered, sealing the spell on the vellum against his neck with the Latin word for sleep.

I held his hand and it dropped like a rock. I stood scanning for cameras, knowing there wouldn't be any place where the Dark Prince held his personal meetings. Someone should tell the Fae that being secretive wasn't always a good thing.

CHAPTER 3

I moved, pushing the sleeping Fae from my body, and removed the skirt, revealing black spandex shorts. It matched the skin-tight tank top I'd allowed him to see. I quickly pulled my hair up and then removed the extra garments, tossing them into a wastebasket, along with the purse, and whispered the word for burn. "Exussum."

"Clara, are you still with us?" Adam's voice was loud inside my ear, but it pushed away the small ripple of fear that was creeping into my stomach at the job I had ahead of me.

"Copy that, Adam. It's raining men," I whispered with a smirk on my ruby red lips.

"Next floor. Twenty minutes on the clock," Adam replied.

"On my way," I whispered, looking at the sleeping Fae. I walked back over and pulled the small, special camera phone from my pocket before opening his eyes and flashing the device silently. "Thanks, Collin. Sorry," I whispered, before moving to the elevator and slapping another vellum onto the door.

"Open, patefacio," I said, adding the Latin to intensify the spell. When I was inside, I quickly kicked from the side of the glass wall and jumped to the top. Luckily, the glass double-pane elevator window didn't cave from my weight. I pushed the top open from where I stood, with two feet pushing against the glass, and removed it before making the small leap and grasping the opening with my hands to pull myself up.

When I was on the top of the elevator, I paused, checking for more cameras. I held my hand up to my ear and relayed to Adam. "Clear; heading up to the vault," I whispered.

"All is quiet outside, Clara. Good luck."

"Who needs luck?" I gave a soft, nervous laugh after the comm had gone silent. I looked around, still kneeling, since the elevator had yet to stop. There was an overhanging ledge from the top floor, which would mark his rooms.

When the elevator had finally gone up close enough that I could jump, I did, sailing through the air with no margin for error. My fingers touched upon the thick metal and held. I inhaled slowly, letting it out even slower. After a brief second, I pulled myself up and used the small picture of Dristan's eye at the sensor to gain entrance into the chamber.

I held my breath and, after a second that seemed to last for an eternity, it finally beeped. The doors slid open, revealing the Dark Prince's personal rooms. These were not warm and neutral as the other room had been. They were masculine shades and vibrant. The walls were a bright shade of red with artistic Celtic designs that seemed to encircle the entire top of the walls where they met the ceiling. Expensive white couches had been strategically placed throughout the room, the longest of which was placed in front of a wall bearing a large, ornate mirror that was actually embedded in it. By the look of it, I had a pretty good idea that it wasn't just for decoration. The elaborate frame held expensive double-pane glass so you could watch those who sat in the entryway without them knowing they were being observed. Shit.

I ripped another piece of vellum from my pocket. This one was designed specifically to look for hidden passageways, and slapped it on the wall bearing the mirror. Quickly whispering the same words, I watched as a small portion of the wall opened up. I quickly stepped back and took a fighting stance.

I didn't hear anyone approaching. I relaxed once I saw it revealed nothing more than a single walkway into the next room. I approached it cautiously, slipping around the large couch, my eyes searching for anything out of place. When I was satisfied that it was only a passage and not an actual portal into their realm, I stepped through. Thick, spelled walls moved, pulsing with a life of their own.

We had suspected that the Fae had brought parts of Faery into our world to bind the two and keep their entrance open, but this was more than we could have imagined. It also indicated that the Dark Prince probably had a Witch working with him.

The spelled walls were a dark blue, with a vibrant green that seemed to be pulsing, moving, and twisting as I walked beside it. It begged to be touched; calling out with a siren's song. I knew better, but even knowing it would probably lock me in place wasn't helping much. When I finally spotted another entrance, I took it.

This one opened up to his bedroom-not exactly where I would have chosen to go. The bed was huge; red silk sheets covered the entire frame snugly. Black pillows that matched the color of the walls were propped at the top of the bed and silver chains had been sewn into a few of them-so the Prince had a dark side. Go figure.

Pathetic. I scanned the room, noting there was only a single camera inside this room and it was aimed at the bed-yup, guy had issues. I left the room without a sound, scanning the few doors that were open to other rooms down the long hallway. I grinned when I finally saw the one I needed.

It was a thick type of wood and would take a few strips of vellum to open it. After I applied it and spoke the words very carefully, the door popped open with a small thump. I entered the room and cussed violently. It was not lost on me, the irony of it all. It had been relatively simple getting to this point.

Before me stood what appeared to be a torture chamber. And if that wasn't bad enough, a medieval obstacle course ran the length of the room up to the vault doors. It wasn't the torture chamber that had my knees shaking, nor was it the wicked looking tools either; it was the course. Whatever Fae had designed it had either spent way too many hours watching bad B-rated movies or had a perverse sense of humor thinking this would deter Humans.

Wicked looking curved blades swung from the wall in a synchronized pattern, while thick twelve-inch axe blades swung from another part and fire blared to life right after those nasty little bits. Of course, it had been crazy easy to get inside. No one in their right mind would try the damn course.

"Clara? How are we looking in there?" Adam's voice vibrated in my ear.

"Peachy," I growled, trying to figure out the pattern of the blades. I wanted to turn tail, go home and eat some chocolate just from looking at the damn thing. I'd live longer. My ass might not like me come morning, but I would be alive for it not to like me.

"Peachy as in smooth or, peachy as in you found something you didn't like?" Adam persisted.

"Hey, tell Larissa she can have my OPI collection if I don't make it out of here," I said, moving up to the course.

"Clara-"

"Enough, Adam. If you don't hear from me in twenty minutes, you need to head in and report to the Guild."

"That doesn't sound good," he said in a small voice.

"I need silence-no noise on the comm, Adam," I growled, trying to make myself grow enough balls to take the first step into the course.

I turned, eyeing the glass walls. What was it with these guys and glass? I noticed my platinum blonde hair looked darker inside the room. My azure eyes looked a little too big with the thick eyeliner covering them. I looked like a mess. My shorts were just that; very short. The tight tank top hugged my size Ds seductively, drawing my eyes to them instead of the star brands on my shoulders.

My mouth was actually quivering, and I was never afraid of anything-except the Fae. I turned away from the mirror, since it wasn't helping me. I needed to do this now, before the Prince returned. I re-pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail and stepped up to the gauntlet.

I inhaled, watching as the blades moved. I bit into my bottom lip and shook my head. There was no way to get past the knives. I was pretty sure the moment you tossed something into their space, more bad things would pop up. I let out a shaky breath and took off from a dead stop that would lock me into the deadly course.

The wicked looking blades shot out the moment I entered their path. One sliced through the small of my back, but it only drew a thin line of blood. Sure enough, as soon as I turned around, wicked looking poles shot up to keep me locked into the course.

"No going back now," I said to myself. I turned and ducked, rolling on my stomach as the blades whizzed past me. I was flat on my back as they swung mere inches from my face. I took a quick breath before I turned my head slowly, watching as the axe blade gouged two inches from the ground next to me.

I was skinny, but not that skinny. I counted and then rolled quickly to the next thing before standing effortlessly and twirling my body through yet more sharp blades and axes. When I had successfully made it past them, I barely avoided the flames that shot from the walls.

"Fire in front of me, water beneath me. Meet." I brought my hands together to give the spell more force without needing the ancient language.

Nothing happened. I hated his Witch, whoever it was-someone had used a lot of blood to ensure those flames were magic proof. "Aqua within, come to me," I whispered, allowing the magic to pulse through me. My body used the water inside to cover my skin, turning it slick and wet enough to quickly step through the flames and up to the vault door. "Take that, Witchy Witch," I growled, already tossing a few pieces of vellum onto the thick metal door. "Patefacio," I said, even as the thought crossed my mind that the course had been a little too easy.

I gave a wicked little grin at my success and stepped through the door-to a gun pointing at my face. I swallowed and looked around, calculating my chances of escape. I met a pair of eyes so golden that it startled me. The face they belonged to was harsh and beautifully masculine. Shit.

"Abort; that's a direct order," I said, with more calm than I was currently feeling.

"Clara?" Adam shouted.

"Run."