Free Fae by Jennifer Bene

in her hair, “And I’ll check the security footage to see who helped you finish all those rooms, because I know you didn’t do them alone. Then I’ll have you watch as they get exactly what they’ve earned.”
    Ebere .
    He knew exactly who had been helping her. Hell, Ebere had tried to confess to him. She wasn’t going to let Butler go after her too. Fae reached up and swiftly undid the button on his pants and tugged the zipper down. Then she slipped her fingers into the band on his boxers and paused, “I’ll do whatever you want, sir.”
    “Show me.” He pulled her head forward and she yanked his pants down.
    “Yes, sir.”

Chapter Four
    Rannoch Moor, Scotland
    Appearing in the middle of Gormahn’s great hall was disorienting, because from the moment Kiernan arrived he was overwhelmed with the light of the fires and the sound of people shouting over each other and laughing. As his head adjusted to the sudden change of scenery, Kiernan lifted the duffel bag he held over his shoulder.
    “Kiernan!” Phelan clapped him on the back hard enough to knock the air out of him. A big man with red hair and a thick beard on his face, he looked like he should be at a modern day renaissance fair with his kilt and a broadsword strapped to his back. Some of the Laochra hadn’t been too interested in updating themselves to modern times, and Phelan looked several centuries behind and proud of it.
    “Hail, Phelan. It’s been a long time.” Kiernan gave him a smile and gripped his shoulder.
    “A long time? That’s what you say after over a hundred years?” Phelan’s bellowing laugh shook the rafters and drew the attention of others who were eating and drinking and gambling.
    “I’ve been out seeing what the world has to offer. It’s changed a lot in the last century, you know. They have technological marvels you wouldn’t believe, but you’d have to actually leave here to see them.”
    “I leave to fight, and return to celebrate!” Several of the men cheered at Phelan’s response, and he gave a belly laugh and returned to drinking.
    Kiernan turned around, taking in the huge hall he had been avoiding for more than a century. Gormahn was not interested in modern conveniences, and the huge castle that served as the base of the Laochra could have been pulled out of ancient Europe. There were even rushes on the floor, and a pair of huge wolfhounds running the length of the hall snatching at scraps thrown down.
    Gormahn had only acknowledged modern technologies in one way – the base was hidden from humans by his power.
    On late nights, when he woke up in a cold sweat, Kiernan often that it might have been the effort it took to keep it hidden that had his hold finally waning. It could also just be the way the world had mostly forgotten him and the rest of his pantheon – either way Kiernan didn’t care. He had woken up from that vision of blood and gore, and he did everything he could not to return here where it lived.
    Shaking his head at the men around him, he walked to the end of the room where the doorway to the sleeping quarters was. A lot of the Laochra had found places of their own out in the world, but some refused to leave the base, and all of them still acted like the days of conquest were alive and well. It was strange how much it bothered Kiernan that they still wallowed in their bloodlust, and he knew living like this only made them worse.
    Sitting in a chair against the wall Kiernan settled his duffel bag across his lap and waited. He watched the Laochra cheering, and drinking, and singing, and drinking some more. Some of them waved him over, but he just held his hand up to say he was fine and remained where he was. It was almost two hours later when Eryn swaggered in through the door from the sleeping quarters. Kiernan tucked the book he had started reading under one thigh as he took in the form of his old friend. Eryn was in a black t-shirt and cargo pants, his long hair was pulled back into a pony