Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 6

C h apte r 6

Th e Claiming

“I n our world,” Timothy began, his face carefully neutral, “there is a … hierarchy. Everyone has a place.”

“That’s not exclusive to you,” Margot declared. “That happens ev erywhere.”

“Not like this,” Ash added. “You will need to find and accept your place.” He looked away, clearly wanting that to be the end of the di scussion.

“What the hell does that mean?” she snapped, not liking the sound of i t at all.

Tobin broke the awkward silence, his words blunt. “It means someone will Claim you, and you have to se rve them.”

“Serve them?” she echoed, hearing him but not under standing.

“And you no doubt will take servants of your own, given your likely standing,” he added helpfully.

“I’m not taking servants!” Margot yelled. “That’s ridiculous!” She whirled on Ash. “And what does he mean that someone will Claim me?”

Ash’s reluctance was palpable. Margot was tiring of his hot and cold approach to the situation: one second all caring concern, the next coldly distant. When he acted like this, she was so sure he was into her, and just as sure he barely toler ated her.

“Everyone in our world owes fealty to someone else,” Tobin explained. “We all have o ur place.”

“And where do you belong?” she asked, turning on him. “Who Cla imed you?”

“Lord Rebinus,” Tobin replied immediately, and Ash glared at him, eyes dark with old anger and a long-feste ring sore.

“Oh,” she said simply, not knowing who that was. “Wait. That’s why you called him vassal earlier. He’s a vassal to that lord. Regulus.”

“Rebinus,” Tobin correcte d gently.

“Whatever!” she snapped. She turned her gaze to Ash and Timothy. “And you?”

Ash opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Timothy seemed to wait another moment to see if he would try again, but when he didn’t, Timothy said, “We cannot say. We do not have such liberties with our s ituation.”

“I have no idea what that means,” Margot deadpanned but moved on. “Okay, so how does this Claiming work? Do I get a letter in the mail or what?”

Tobin snorted, then covered his mouth. “Not quite. Your Claiming will likely be more … dramatic.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, not liking the tone. “Dramatic how? What happened to you with your Reginald?”

“Rebinus,” Tobin corrected again. “And mine was different. I was claimed as a child. There was a small ceremony when I was taken into his household. As I said, your situation is d ifferent.”

Margot shook her head, too tired to think much more. She’d had a long day getting the show ready, and while her night had started out good, she was ready for it to be over. “Look, as long as I don’t have to sleep with a stranger, I can work this out.”

Ash’s face blanched, and Timothy looked quickly away. Tobin alone continued to stare at her, his face waiting for her to figure it out. As she stared at him, he slowly raised a delicate eyebrow, chin dippi ng lower.

“No fucking way,” she whispered, then turned to Ash and Tobin, who both refused to meet her gaze.

“It is expected for such a late manifestation to be claimed in the old ways,” Tobin explained, voice soothing.

“And what if I don’t want to be Claimed? What if I want my freedom?” s he asked.

Tobin shrugged, but there was little sympathy in his expression. “We all want such things, Margot, but there is a price to this new power of yours.”

“The price is my body?” she asked. “Fuck that. No.”

“The price is your free will,” Ash said quietly. “After that, no doubt you will not care so much about y our body.”

“And who fucked you?” she demanded, whirling on Timothy as the easies t target.

Tobin chuckled. “She sees you well, Timothy,” he commented, “assuming you would be Claimed and not the other way around.”

Timothy’s expression was bland as he looked at Tobin, then returned his attention to Margot. “I was very young when I was Claimed,” he explained, jerking his chin at Tobin. “Like him, there was a ceremony.”

“And you didn’t object?”

“I did not object,” Timothy said quietly. “I am happy t o serve.”

Margot looked at Ash. “And you?” she asked. “Who o wns you?”

Ash stared at her, face blank, but he said nothing. “Whatever,” she grumbled, turning back to Timothy. “There has to be a way…” she began, but he shook his head.

“We all answer to someone, Margot,” the drummer said. “It is the way of t he world.”

“No,” Margot said, determination filling her. “Not my world. There is no way I am going to let some strange fae come in here and steal me away. What is this—a fa iry tale?”

“A rock star fairy tale,” Tobin said, smirking at Ash and Timothy.

“How can you be so calm about this?” she asked him, glad to find an easier aim for h er anger.

Tobin shrugged, pushing a strand of white-blond hair behind his ear—which Margot now saw was slightly elongated. “You will be just fine, Margot,” he said. “No need to worry.”

“How will this be fine? You just said some stranger is going to k idnap me!”

“It’s not like that,” Tobin explained. “You will be courted… mostly.” He frowned, possibilities moving across his expression. “Probably.” Cocking his head to the side, he added, “It doesn’t have to be a stranger,” Tobin said, then glanced at Ash. “He cou ld do it.”

Margot sputtered. “What?!”

“It’s easy enough. Before another arrives to Claim your new powers, Ash can Claim you as his own. We all know he’s strong enough for it.” Tobin raised an eyebrow. “And I’d wager neither of you would mind the physical part of the ceremony.”

A burst of hope shot through her at Tobin’s words. She tried to think of the important things—her free will, her freedom, her bodily autonomy—but that faded before the incredibly wicked image she had of Ash standing before her, shirtless. She’d seen his chest before, of course, plenty of times on stage, especially when he launched into their hit “Heart of Stone” at the end of the show. But this was an older memory, Ash back when he’d helped her fix the TW bus, the two of them both comfortable and awkward in turns as they used the common goal to focus their attention. Margot still didn’t know if he had helped her out of obligation, something about taking care of her since her mother had died, or if he legitimately wanted to. Her mind snagged on the random detail, and she stare d at Ash.

“You don’t have to,” she blurted, trying to quell the heat she could feel rising in her face. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“He owes you protection,” Timothy supplied helpfully, giving Ash an appraising look. “We both do.”

“What does t hat mean?”

“We promised your aunt Maddie when you first arrived that we would always look out for you,” Timothy volunteered. Margot glanced at Ash and quickly away. She assumed it was something like that. They didn’t really want to be around her. She was an obligation, a burden. But Timothy was still speaking. “We will not abandon you, Margot. Not when you need us.”

“That’s curious,” Tobin commented, looking Timothy up and down. “I mean, you could technically Claim her, but then you’d expose yourself to those who no doubt seek you and your master. And for what?” He frowned. “The next fae would only Claim you both.” He narrowed his eyes at Ash. “He has to be the one, and we all know it. What will it be then, Ash Stonewall? Rock star or the fae I know y ou to be?”

“You have no idea who I am,” Ash replied, voice distant, aloof, and suddenly authoritative, like when he threw himself into the chorus and made the audience members swoon, wishing for his touch. “You walk in here, Awaken my Go, and think I will jump to take your suggestions?” He scoffed. “You may be here by the leave of your Lord, but I answer to a different power, and I will not be bullied into a foolish Co nnection.”

Margot frowned. It was one thing to be a burden, an obligation, but worse to be seen as a foolish connection. She took a step away from them, clutching her dress to her chest, not wanting to hear any more.

But he said you were his Go! Margot ignored the small voice, the ridiculous obsession she hadn’t been able to dismiss in all the years since she’d first met him. It doesn’t matter. He will never want me the way I want him.

Something broke inside of her, a part that had been slowly shattering for a long time. She felt it crack, the pieces tumbling free, and suddenly she was angry. Heat flooded her chest and face.

“Stop,” she said, voice quiet but powerful, and all three men looked over at her, seeming to notice that she had moved away. She pierced Ash with her glare. “Don’t do me any favors,” she told him. “I would never want to be one of your foolish connections .” She hissed the last words, then turned to Timothy. “And no more about promising Maddie you’d protect me. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” Before he could speak, flashing that charming smile that disarmed her so, she cut Tobin off, “And you. Obviously you have an agenda here. So here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going back to my bus, and you’re all going to leave m e alone.”

When Tobin opened his mouth, she continued, “Alone. And I don’t want to hear anything else about fae or powers or Claiming bullshit.” She looked at Ash and Timothy in turn. “You know where I’ll be. If you want anything, send Nik to ask. At least I can trust him not to l ie to me.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out of the room. Very aware of her torn dress, she hurried down the stairs and over the rope blocking off the Employees Only area. The hour was late, and the bar had emptied, especially since Ash was no longer entertaining his harem on the couches. She could see a few women lingering, hopeful as they glanced around. A few of them spotted her quick exit from the stairwell and glared, their eyes hot with jealousy.

You wish, she thought, knowing they all wanted to be tangled in a rock star’s arms for the night, and pushed open the door to the outside, glad her home on wheels wasn’t too far away.

No, I wish. And I need to stop.