Free Claiming Valeria by Rebecca Rivard

trick a fada’s eyes and ears,” said Teresa,
“but our sense of smell is too good. They can’t fool us for long.”
    “True,” Rui said. “But Cleia doesn’t just draw energy—she can
direct it. They say she can incinerate a man where he stands. And right now, around
the summer solstice, she’s at her most powerful.”
    The other two nodded soberly.
    “So to recap,” he said, “a direct assault would lead to all-out
war with the sun fae, and might not free Dion anyway. Our best option is a search-and-retrieve.”
    Teresa rubbed her chin. “Justino and Ed were in the Rising Sun
compound at the time Dion kidnapped Cleia.” Dion had been there as the queen’s guest,
brought there to become her latest lover, but the other two warriors had acted as
Dion’s backup. It was they who’d helped Dion spirit Cleia out of the compound after
he’d rendered her unconscious.
    “Good point.” Rui hadn’t known that until tonight, when Luis
had chosen Justino and Ed as the fada’s advance scouts. It had brought home to him
how far he’d been out of the loop. Save for his interactions with Merry each evening,
he’d spent most of the time in his own little world. He hadn’t even known that Dion
intended to kidnap Cleia until he’d returned to Rock Run with her. “That’s why Luis
sent them to the compound tonight.”
    “They’re good,” Teresa said. “Last time the sun fae never even
knew they were there. But this time the fae have probably tripled their guards—both
physical and magical. Still, we need to know where they’re holding Dion and what
barriers we’ll have to go through to get him.”
    “Exactly.” Rui smiled grimly. He was the clan’s best tracker.
Being out of shape didn’t affect his Gift. He could find his friend even without
the others’ information, but it was imperative he got Dion out of there as quickly
and safely as possible.
    He came to his feet. “All right. Let’s give it a day, gather
all the information we can. Then we’re bringing Dion home—Cleia or no Cleia.”
    They nodded. He knew he could count on them. Any one of the tenentes would gladly give their lives for Dion.
    Teresa left, but Rodolfo lingered. “Are you going to be all right?”
    Rui met his eyes. “Yes,” he said firmly. “I promise, I won’t
touch a drop until Dion’s back.”
    “That’s good, then.” The big man clapped him on the back and
left.
    Rui shut the door and turned around, his gaze on the jug of wine.
He didn’t give himself a chance to think, just crossed the room and upended it into
his kitchenette sink. The scent filled his nostrils, enticing, seductive as a woman.
Mesmerized, he watched the dark red liquid swirl around the stone basin and disappear
down the drain.
    He was bending to catch the last of it in his mouth when he realized
what he was doing. Horrified, he finished emptying the jug and then dropped onto
his mattress to snatch a few hours of sleep.
    * * *
    Tiago went to the quarters he shared with several other
unmated males and shut himself in his room. He paced back and forth, a lead weight
where his stomach should be.
    What had he done?
    With each day Cleia had spent in Rock Run’s caverns, she’d grown
weaker, her energy drained by Dion’s insistence that she stay below ground so that
her people couldn’t rescue her. The only sunlight she’d received were the weak rays
that came through slits cut in the rock ceilings. Anyone could see she was slowly
wasting away. She was a sun fae; she needed sunlight.
    Tiago had felt torn between his love for his brother and for
Cleia. He’d always looked up to Dion. The oldest of his three brothers, Dion had
been more like a father to him, especially after their own parents had left to ride
the waves when Tiago was still a boy. Just the thought of challenging the much older,
very dominant alpha made his animal cringe.
    But meanwhile, Cleia got a little paler and weaker each time
he saw her. He loved her, believed she was his future