All Drugged Up: Part I: Haven, #3

By Lil Hamilton

Raylien served the former Queen of Faerie on earth as her ambassador by sitting on the Accords Council and helped hold the truce between all the races. A position that suited her fine since she's a demon-fae half-breed and not comfortable in either realm. It's her job to protect all the fae in the District and ensure they don't get into any mischief within the city of Haven.

After she wakes the fae High King from his slumber he comes to the earthly realm insisting she's his rightful Consort. Having manifested the ability to Bridge worlds, although an immature ability, she doubts his sincerity. She's an asset to both her demon father and the Faerie King and she's well aware of that fact. While she can she will try to remain neutral knowing soon she will have to choose who to be loyal to.

The Faerie King must renew alliances. He's pulling the fae back into Faerie through the Haven portal. The influx of fae in the city has drawn a lot of attention and the human Inter force is none too pleased with being disregarded by the King. A new witch drug targeted to the fae crops up on the market lowering the fae inhibitions to do magic and riling up vampire hunger for fae blood. Ray questions the timing of the drug given the King's return. Soon she battles her instability while trying to get the drug producer off the street as tensions between fae and vampires reach a boiling point.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nikki M Albert
• Release date: Jan 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393062554

Book preview

Also by Lil Hamilton

Haven Series

White Witch

Where Art Thou?

All Drugged Up

Part One

Part Two

Coming Soon: The I of Me

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Chapter 1

The Old Ball and Chain needs to learn about feminism

THE EMBASSY WAS A FORTRESS of stone perched on the rim of the District, partly outside the wall so humans would be welcome within it and not be exposed to the spells protecting the District. Across the street, also quite imposing was the White witch House looking like a lofty parliamentary building, ever watchful of the fae and their antics.

Two trolls stood sentry outside the gates to the main courtyard. I always thought they were more handsome than the stories told and they didn’t live under bridges either. They had been used to guard portals for eons; bridges or crossroads were often used for portals so they could be found to linger around them. They sort of reminded me of the creatures from the Predators movies, except for the faces, but they did have olive-green skin and dreadlocks gone wild. They also had swirling, raised tribal tats all over in slightly darker green. Made themselves through the process of scarification. But saying that they were slimy, ugly bastards that ate babies was a bit excessive in my opinion. They looked like barbarians, green ones, with rather large noses and jaws and stood seven feet tall. I was thinking of hiring one.

They bowed to the King of Light and Illusion deeply and I think I mentally rolled my eyes into an alternate dimension. The gates swung open and somewhere inside bells started to ring.

Good fairy blue balls, was I in for a treat. Bugger it, not like I could turn around. Or could I? I looked back and the King was smiling widely stepping up to me, hand on my back to propel me forward.

The courtyard was relatively small. It had been designed to receive visitors on horseback, which was still common among our folk who were averse to technology even when buffered, or feared it even when buffered, so there was a holding stable to the side.

Today it was cluttered with about twenty brownies. Brownies were just the damned cutest little buggers I’d ever seen. If I tried to snuggle one I was sure they would claw my eyes out and bite my face off, but I was still tempted. They reminded me a little bit of Ewoks given they were short, with fine furry hair that covered them making them look like upright teddy bears, with little beady eyes. Unlike Ewoks they had no fur on their faces, little nose, their ears were on the sides of their head with no lobe and just a small firm ring of cartilage. Their mouth was thin-lipped and wide with plenty of teeth.

They were an exceptionally loyal breed of Unseelie, but you never wanted to see their bad side because their grudges lasted forever. Seriously that’s saying a lot of fae breeds but these little guys had grudges that spanned families of fae. I had one cleaning my house and he did a fine job and I kept my end of the bargain to a T. My brownie liked things in my house a certain way and I simply had to agree with his organizational skill; they were insanely stubborn about such things. It seemed very OCD to me but in like a genetic trait sort of way.

I had never dealt with one before regularly but when Lan moved into my house the brownie fellow had upped his game one day with a list of demands. I gather there was some sort of grand design they functioned under when it came to the District. When I lived by myself, it had been fine. More people, not fine. Order had to be imposed on my chaos. I didn’t ask too much about the why of it all, to be honest. I rather enjoyed the result.

Frankly, a cluster of them was sort of freaking me out. That is until we strolled into the doorway and I was faced with about fifty more of them in the pristine marble lobby.

"I think I had a nightmare that started just like this," I whispered as to not get their attention.

I eyed five gray-clad Embassy workers trying to keep the brownies organized thinking they might be having the exact same thought. It appeared as though they were attempting to get the brownies to form a line. I repressed a shiver of pure horror. Fae being warped by bureaucracy; that there was even worse than being mobbed by a herd of brownies. Whatever was going on it was already in progress which meant by the King’s order. This was beyond whatever plan he had for me. Unless it was a brownie migration or a brownie revolution. Either would likely be preferable.

I tried not to acknowledge the fact that I felt everyone’s eyes intensely on us as we passed by, burning with curiosity but it made me twitchy, to say the least. I was damned infamous for my role in the King’s awakening and most thought I had intentionally plotted the whole thing. I might as well let them think so since it made me sound far more brilliant than I was, rather than a blundering idiot who was thrust into the situation by the King’s heir. It made some people quite thankful I had awakened the King who then was able to subdue the out-of-control Queen. Those who weren’t thankful were at least wary of me because obviously, I had a devious and strategic mind to have come up with such a game plan.

As we walked up the winding circular staircase I asked, ever so casually, So how is that son of yours anyway?

He slanted me a look. Gilliad is quite well and surprisingly unrepentant I am afraid.

Figures. Inform him that I’m thankful he saved our child’s life, but I rather don’t appreciate having my memories stolen from me. I’ll forgive him for it because obviously, the Queen would have plucked them from my head anytime she pleased. Not that he’d care if I forgave him, but nevertheless, he’s forgiven that.

He did not enjoy the necessity of it, Ray, but he protected his blood kin. I believe had he realized the significance of your being able to conceive under those conditions at that time, he might have designed a way to protect you the same way.

I doubt he would have succeeded in that venture had he tried. The point being, I understand why he did what he did and she survived because of it.

He stopped abruptly and I paused and mid-step to face him. Do not lie to me, Ray. Your breeding permits you the privilege of using false words but do not tempt the wild magic with them. Even if your demon essence was not pulsing with the rage of my son’s act I would know you find having your memories taken from you to be the deepest of violations. One that is not easily forgiven, no matter the reason. He invaded your mind, turned your will against you and took from you the memory of carrying our child and giving birth. Of her very existence. Do not deny it. It was necessary for her survival, but you do not forgive the act.

I flushed and looked away from his intense eyes.

I know you. I know you hate that I know you, but I do. I know you loathe beyond anything losing control of your inner mind. Your sacred realm of what is real and your memories of what truly happened. To have that reality altered or taken from you is a deep wound, he said.

How could he know me so well? What sort of enchantment had the Queen placed on me when she immersed me in his world that I would open up to him when I would never have done so to anyone else? Or how wounded had I been when she put me in there, to begin with?

You’re right, I admitted finally. I began to take the steps slowly until he followed. He’s not forgiven, but I won’t act on any such grudge. Not when he saved my daughter. I just don’t like how he did it. Nor do I like that he can.

We climbed another flight before I continued, I had a mission to find her for her demon mate in the beginning you know. When I was led to believe it was Gilliad that was the father, not you, and before I learned she was mine, and he said he would owe me a court favour if I found her I was tickled pink. So, tell him, I won’t be forgiving anytime soon how I went to him after our daughter was taken by the Queen, looking for his assistance to get her back, only to have him knock me out, drag me to the Queen so she could toss me into her torture Chamber. I get that he found out I had manifested my Bridge talent and combined with what I had done to conceive our daughter, to begin with, might... might have suggested I could awaken you and being in the Chamber made me adjacent to you, but he didn’t ask did he? He didn’t offer me the choice. Or bargain with me like he would have an equal. He treated me like a pawn. I could have gone mad in there. I almost did.

Yes, he agreed his voice chill and sharp. I have not quite forgiven him his methods there either. He was... impatient. My son had been plotting my release for centuries. Long after my daughter failed to succeed and the slaughter that ensued. My former Consort descended into madness after that rebellion. He had to be far more careful. He had several long-term plans. You were, in fact, one of them. You had a daughter by me, which means he could have used you to his advantage. Or her. He knew there was something, some gift maturing for that to have happened. When he discovered what it was, he acted hastily, sending you down a path that would lead you into a situation where you had no choice but to act or become the Queen’s slave with a broken Name. He felt the time constraints made the decisions necessary as well. I did not like the risks he took with your life.

Neither did I, I said dryly.

I felt your agony, Ray, when the Queen took you from my chamber to punish you and your comrades. I felt her torment you. I heard your screams. Each cry brought forth my awakening. The Chambers are a revolting place designed to drive her victims mad. It is unfathomable he thought it just to leave you within hoping you would win free of that torment sane enough to release me.

He was very fortunate, let’s just say that. I almost went with getting the hell out of there to go hunt his ass down.

That brought a smile to his lips.

Perhaps the whelp would have deserved it.

To have a half-mad fae-demon go crazy on his ass? Likely. Your English is superb by the way. The spell you’re using to translate the Old Tongue into it isn’t necessary. I may be young but I know the Old Tongue, I said.

He laughed. Most do not even notice it. It is not for your benefit but for the humans and for mine. I must pick up the language quickly. The spell translates and teaches at the same time. It will not be long before I am fluent in it.

Well then I will make sure to keep up with all the slang then just to make sure, I said. It’ll be awesome, man, to hear you speaking like a local, eh?

I am afraid Kings are expected to be a little more formal, but around you, I assure you, I will keep it awesome, he said with a small smirk.

I gave him a serious nod. See that you do.

That earned me a grin and I found myself accidentally grinning back.

Chapter 2

Cup o’ tea, milord?

I WAS IN ONE OF THOSE situations that felt surreal. Even while I sat in an overly opulent office having tea with the King of Light and Illusions a part of my mind failed to grasp it was happening. I admit a part of my mind also was all for the idea of screaming and running like a little girl. Who wouldn’t have that inclination? If gods existed, then it would be like meeting one.

In Faerie some beings were truly what humans would call immortal, given no one had any idea how to kill them and were far too intimidated to try. The King of all Faerie ranked up there to me. He was ancient beyond comprehension and glowing with power. There was a sort of hazy glow around him that suggested my eyes didn’t really want to focus on him. Or wanted to linger too damn long. I remembered all too well how much I had loved the Queen, while in her presence. I would have done anything for her because her presence was that overwhelming and her will overpowered my own.

The room was the one reserved for high ranking officials coming to the embassy and also for any Lords or other important fae who came in to pass on orders. It was done in a stark white style that was almost blinding. White marble with pieces of jade and gold in a pattern on the floor; white every damn thing, but with gilded gold edges trimming desks and tables. Then there were the mini statues galore. Carvings of centaurs in all their glory about to fling a spear in, yes, white marble on the table before us. I saw several more featuring a nymph, dryad, brownie and a few of the lesser-known fae done as well. I’m sure there were even more in the room I had not seen.

The King was actively trying not to influence those around him and that was assisted by the border realm. The fact was though he wasn’t Seelie fae like most were; he was an entity, a force of nature that bent Faerie and magic around him in ways he couldn’t entirely know with his conscious mind. Most Court Seelie fae could overwhelm me swiftly enough if they were over a certain maturity with very little effort. Ancient fae could do so without meaning to, as in, they could be affecting their environment and I could simply be a part of that and get swept away. The King could control his Court like a puppeteer if he felt like it, which meant really, I didn’t want a stray thought directed my way.

I could fear being influenced without noticing; those light subtle influences that slipped under the radar. Which I did fear. I didn’t know how compromised he was in the border realm. I didn’t fear so much outright spellcraft because I would rather notice that and I had no problems fleeing. I had that down to an art form. Nor did I honestly fear he would crack open my shields down to my inner core until my Name broke like the Queen might to make a mindless slave out of me. For one, that would take all of my me-ness from me. You can’t fix broken. With my gift not matured I would never be able to learn to use it and hard to order a brain-dead slave to do something she never learned.

There is a lot of power in taking someone’s Name though as long as you don’t break them in the process but that’s a difficult task to do. Often what remains is someone that is half-assed insane even if you do control what remains. It would be too unpredictable and wasteful. Besides whatever he wanted from me, he wanted my willing participation. Consort rites required that at the very least. I could be influenced but not enchanted or compelled.

We sat across from each other in uncomfortable chairs, chatting over cups of tea and biscuits. I wore a fine plum-coloured velvet waistcoat, with black embroidery along the hem, a pale purple satin fitted blouse and loose slacks. My nicely rounded hat was the exact shade of plum to my jacket. I had my ambassador image to uphold after all.

Anyway, he had bigger things on his mind than this Consort business. Much bigger. He clearly and calmly explained it to me.

I wished my tea into vodka.

It didn’t turn into vodka.

I wished more adamantly.

You can’t be serious, I said finally. I stood up and began to pace. Is this a threat? Is this to show that you can keep everyone in line?

If it was, I bet it was going to work.

No, this is an immutable fact. Why are you so surprised, Ray?

I winced when he said my nickname. It implied intimacy or at least trust. Seelie fae honoured people with their names; it was to be granted not assumed. He expected me to treat him casually, to use his name with no bowing and so forth. In his mind, not even a week ago, we were lovers and blissfully happy.

I granted him the familiarity to some extent because I didn’t know what to do. I knew knowing I had a rare valuable ability had to be one of the reasons he wanted me to be comfortable with him, so he wanted to encourage familiarity. That was just the way fae relationships worked. Everyone brought something to the table. I wanted to know what his game was, but certainly not enough to be caught in it. Yet I sure as hells didn’t want to insult him by denying his insistence we knew each other well enough to be so casual. I made it a general rule not to piss of monarchs of any kind. Except for my father of course.

I flung my hands up. Why does it surprise me? After the foothold, the Queen established here and for good reason, you’re completely tossing that. The fae needs a presence here if only to ensure Faerie is held as it is. I get some of the activities the Queen indulged in need to stop. But Faerie needs a presence here and the humans welcome us, to an extent. That’s a good thing. You can’t just take all that away. Take away the bad but keep the good. We can work with that.

I can. And I will.

I paused to look at him. I shouldn’t even be questioning him. My entire claim in Faerie amounted to about a couple of acres of secured land. He didn’t need to explain himself to the likes of me and just questioning his judgment could be a death sentence. Yet here he was calmly letting me speak as though he cared what I thought. Or at least was willing to pretend he cared enough to listen to me blather on about it. Since clearly, I was an idiot, I kept opening my yap.

And yet... he wasn’t going all Crazy King on me either. Not like the Queen who would never tolerate being questioned or insolence of any kind. I would already have been punished severely for just questioning her. He was permitting me the freedom of my own mind in his presence without his influence and letting me speak freely as well. Was it just me? Or is this how this king acted with all his people?

Damn it. He was confusing the hells out of me.

You’re recalling all the live-in fae to Faerie, I stated, trying to be calm.

In some sense, it was a little funny. I felt like giggling a little, but that might be mild hysteria. The Queen, who he rightfully dethroned, had spent such effort in presenting mortals with this warm fuzzy impression of the fae. Making us look mysterious or mischievous. It was like humanity ignored the more realistic myths on our race in favour of a few glitzy movies. She bargained with humans so the fae had land rights to live in the earthly border realm, as long as they followed the rules set out in the Accords treaties. She had arranged the union between her court and Other races in the border realm to create useful half-breeds and treaties.

I think she was placing half-breeds, mind-wiped and programmed, into strategic locations and jobs. I think she was laying the groundwork for a far more extensive fae occupation of the border realm. Nothing I could state for sure other than the fact she was letting her minions kidnap useful peons, enslaving them, programming them and selling them. But we had stopped all that. That was done. No reason for doing what he wanted now.

I began to pace again my mind whirling with the consequences. And there would be consequences.

My former Consort enjoyed making connections within the earthly realm, I do not. I know what she has done. She has made our people a spectacle. To be followed around and worshiped by some. She has enjoyed mating our people to the diluted races of earth. I cannot allow this to continue. Every thread of the web she has woven here I untangle I find something fouler than the last. Our daughter nearly killed in such a web. Our own faelings, who she left to fend for themselves most of the time, she took to experiment on, destroying their minds and used as puppets. For what end? I still discover more such ventures. More threads, he said.

I get that. I do, I said doing my damnedest to concentrate. Most Seelie fae in the border realm led high profile lives. Youngsters, teens and even some adults dressed up like us, had posters of us and tracked us like movie stars. Thankfully, we kept a rein on that in Haven but even I couldn’t keep the tourists out of the city. There were plenty of them in the spring and summer. Even tour buses. Our people made a fine profit from it one way or another. The District was off-limits, though. It wasn’t like we permitted humans or any other race within the District. And the government rather preferred that segregation policy.

Then you understand the scope of her planning. She established firm connections to humanity, she began tracking the cross-breeding between demons and fae and then she began to actively promote this breeding. You know why as well as I do.

I know. She was thinking long term. If she bred certain characteristics she could use the offspring effectively against the Hells in the border realm and in Hells itself.

Also, I suspected the Queen wanted to establish a stronghold in the border realm in case the power of Faerie unravelled into wild magic. Now that she was gone there would be no point in mentioning Faerie had been weakened and damn insulting if I suggested he didn’t have the power to hold it.

I bet he knew the damage had been done better than I did and I wasn’t about to point it out. If anyone knew how to repair the damage it would be him as it was his father and him that had constructed Faerie so long ago. I believe the Seasonal kings and queens were involved with the magic but Oberon and his father were the core of Faerie. It was why the Queen had not killed him and also why she couldn’t hold the High Court herself. She would have had to release it to one of his children but that she certainly had no intention of doing so she kept Oberon alive.

She actively worked against the truce with the demons and the Accords with the humans, he added.

I had to wonder if he really cared about that. Of course, any fae would hold true to the letter of any agreement signed. The Queen was no different. She had simply had ways around it and others to do the acts for her. Some of her agents in the border realm had been faelings and witches and they were under no obligations to hold to any agreements in any way which made them perfect for more aggressive operations. However, most of her operations were very much sidestepping the rules. If she wanted to establish this peon regiment of half-breed slaves who was to say that was to be used against demons in the future?

I believe she was establishing strong bases of operations in this realm, yes. That’s over now, I said, hoping that was true. However, we live among humans now. In the open. We have agreements with them. Hard-won agreements that permit us to live here.

Permit us to live here if we follow human rules and laws.

I pursed my lips. No. Well, yes. Mostly if we follow the Accords laws we’re fine. That’s a truce of preternatural races signed to end the open battle. And as long as a representative of each race on the Council helps police their own. We have our justice system and police forces as humans would say and our own laws. Humans understand that. The Accords representative is charged to ensure that runs smoothly, handle any trouble that needs extra attention and works with humans on any case that involves their race and humans.

But of course it did not work, did it? Your diplomatic position was to find those that broke the rules and send them homebound for one hundred earth years. That was nothing compared to what her operatives were doing. You were simply making the fae look like they did no wrong, but they did plenty wrong to these mortals. Your role was useless. The Accords is useless as a result.

Well, that stung a little, but the truth hurt didn’t it? Sure I did my part to ensure fae who didn’t play by the rules were sent home but when the Queen’s agents ran free and did far worse what difference had I made in the end? She had after all oathbound me to not be able to interfere with her agents, to not kill them and she had never given me any agents to assist me with my job. Like that had stopped Myra from trying to kill me via other people. If I had wanted to I could have bypassed my oaths too. They weren’t that restrictive. After all, I had interfered with her games by sending Inter after her.

Alone my job would have been impossible so I sought aid and set up an investigative firm as its cover. Not that we didn’t do investigative work as well, but when I needed extra research or aid they were there for it. I would have needed ten times that to do my job well, though.

But that was the Queen. I did return those that didn’t obey the rules and I did it damn well. I just could do nothing about her plans. If I found out about them or her agents I was oathbound to not interfere. Not within my specific bounds. But a skirted them pretty well. Without her, it will work better. Or we could police ourselves better. The Queen didn’t permit that.

He leaned back in his chair and gave me a slight smile. I couldn’t help but notice how sexy he was. Downright edible. Of course, I didn’t know if that was me thinking it or him influencing me to think it. Ah, yes, the Accords Council. I have been updated about this by the Lords. We will no longer have a seat at such a council. It is not an agreement I made and thus I am not oathbound to uphold it. I do not know these leaders. I do not know these races.

I stopped my pacing and stared at him. What the Hells was he up to? What did he hope to gain by removing an open fae presence in the world?

We need to have a seat. If we don’t, then we breach the treaty. No fae will be welcome here if that is so. My King, they will be killed on sight as invaders. We will be at the mercy of the human force that handles these crimes and we cannot anticipate how they will react or what they will do to our people. Humans are fickle at best.

That is the point. We can be here without them being aware of it and that is what I wish. Only those that I desire to be here. You must understand, Ray, I have to consolidate my power in Faerie. I need the Lords to renew their oaths to me. They must all be recalled and then assigned back as I see fit.

I sat down and slumped back into my chair. This was not good at all. I had at least five live in Seelie in Haven who wouldn’t be pleased and fifteen others in the broader area. That was the least of my concerns. The Interracial Department Force wasn’t going to like the breach of the treaty at all.

He had a point. So many millennia out of the game and with a Queen recently dethroned it would be in his best interests to ensure some loyalty. And ensure some deaths.

You’re going to mess with a fine system we have going on here, I said and sighed.

He spread his arms. So you see there is no point for you to remain here. You have no position on the Accords to serve. No diplomatic role to uphold. You are free to return with me, as my Consort, and together we will consolidate our power.

How romantic.

Most fae women would kill for that. Kill me in fact. He was offering me a great deal of power. An insane amount really since our monarchs were tapped right into the fabric of Faerie. Some would say I was downright stupid to think of declining it since power also meant safety. Never having been one of the purebred Seelie with more power at their disposal I had learned to hide rather well. Hide, avoid and if needed flee to bolt holes.

But, when it was all said and done, I didn’t equate power with safety. It meant I would have to be more devious, clever and manipulative than my enemies, which would of course multiply. Sounded like a whole lot of work. And, man, stressful. Then there was the fine clause in there that I would have to be linked on an essence level to the King and that sort of bond wasn’t easily broken. As in, it wasn’t a breakable bond until he said it was. I wasn’t ready to dance on those puppet strings.

You’re mistaken, I said, equally calm and expressionless. My fae façade came in useful in these situations. Otherwise, he would know how freakin’ pissed off that he essentially fired me. Or worse, how much I wanted to reach out and caress his face.

Damn it.

How so? he asked, manufacturing a slightly puzzled look by furrowing those perfect brows of his.

"I’m a