Private Tales In the Dark of the Night

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener Nadir was determined to drink until he did not feel anymore.

Out of the hundreds of women that Rhaener had smuggled out of The Night Court, he had only lost two. Minera was the third. He knew all their names. Every single woman he had gotten to safety and every single woman he had lost. Mirena, Serafina, and Lyna. All three of them had been duanann that were escaping abusive relationships. They had been caught by the husbands or the husbands guard where the women were killed on sight and he was usually left for dead.

A message to the Red Ribbon Rotary Club and the reason he had several scars on his chest and back. They had left him so close to death that his magic could save him but not his pristine body. Those scars served as a reminder. The only thing that would ever identify him as the smuggler. Shyreen Lusce had chosen him for the most dangerous job because he had the ability to change his appearance.

He had lost Mirena the previous night and it took him almost the entire day to heal and make his way back to Unnuaq. He had not reported in. By now the news would have reached Ceilidh Trahan via the Winter Court man he was supposed to meet. Rhaener was never late. Ever. If he was late then the worst had happened.

So now Rhaener sat at the bar of his favorite tavern with a stack of shot glasses sitting in front of him. He had taken the corner spot that was practically his at this point and he drank while watching those around him. He ordered another shot and another ale. After taking the shot, he added it to his stack and looked out upon the room. He would be perfectly content if no one he knew found him here tonight. He just wanted to be alone and drink until he couldn't walk straight.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

Sadie was absolutely miserable. She'd much rather be curled up at home reading one of her many books and treatises. But against her better judgement, she'd agreed to go out with her two friends: Page and Priscilla. All females in the Night Court knew it was safer to go out in groups of two. Three were more ideal. More protection that way.

And for Sadie, it was just a way of life.

But holy pixies and brownies, she regretted this decision. And it clearly showed along her stiff-backed body language as she sat in the corner of the booth. Against the wall. The constant bump-bump of the music was giving her a headache. Golden-eyes flickered to the dance floor at Priscilla and Page. They motioned for her to join them.

She shook her head adamantly and let her eyes drift down to the cup in front of her. Her flash of classic Lusce hair made her stick out like a rose in a field of daisies. She just wanted to be here for her friends, get this night over with, and return home as soon as possible.

"Werl,werlwerl," a slurred decidedly male voice caused her to look up. "A pretty little Lusce right'ere." Not one male. Three. The look in their eyes reminded her of the hungry kelpies when they'd spotted their next meal. "Seat takern?"

"Yes, it's taken," she said firmly, chin sticking out. They ignored her and slid into the booth, trapping her against the wall.

One drew his fingers down her bare shoulder. "Don't think Singy-Saang General would mind if I played with one of his." One of the males across from her swallowed, thinking his drunken friend might be underestimating the General. But he didn't correct him.

"Please. Do not touch me," Sadie tried pushing closer to the wall. That same male's fingers snapped out, grabbing her by the chin with a bruising grip and forced her to look at him. His sour breath hitting her face full-on.

"Loveerly lips," he roughly tugged her closer.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

There was a certain point in the evening where his lovely tavern turned into a club full of loud music and dancing. It was not his scene and when it happened that is when he knew it was time to close his tab and leave. He would continue his drinking at home. He could still feel and walk. He found the latter out after he had paid his tab and got up to leave. He was building too much of a tolerance it seemed.

Rhaener looked around the now loud club for the redhead he had seen sneak in earlier with two other women. He left the Lusce sisters be out in public because no one wanted their older brothers best friend hanging around them. That didn't mean he wasn't going to keep in eye on them though. Saang would murder him if anything happened to a Lusce sister and he was there.

The fae male spotted her easily. The tell-tale red hair made it difficult for them to hide. Sure, there were other redheads in the Night Court but the Lusce's were different. You just knew when they were in the room.

Sadie looked extremely uncomfortable, pinned in the corner by three very drunk looking males. She growled low, ordered two rather fruity drinks, and started to pick his way through the masses of writhing bodies. Rhaener glowered down at the men especially the one that was currently holding her chin. He really didn't have it in him to murder anyone tonight but he would.

He set the two glasses on the table before finally speaking, his voice low and menacing. "I leave for a moment to get myself and my dear fiancé a drink and this is what I come back to? Sadie, dear, if you wanted to bring other people into the bedroom, you just had to ask." His smile was there but it was a smile that said he would rip them limb from limb if they didn't get the fuck away from Sadie. "I believe my lovely Sadie Lusce asked that you not touch her..."

 

[Sadie Lusce]

Her eyes darted to Rhaener's.

Rha? Reeree?

What was he doing here? She felt a flush of her pale skin at his words. She couldn't help it. He was like family and to say that. Red-orange brows lofted just subtly at the drinks with the brightly colored umbrellas in them as he set them down. The male holding her jaw tightly slowly turned his gaze to her family friend.

"That so?" He sneered at Rhaener. Hands that had been clamped around her jaw released her but went around her shoulders and neck instead. His arm around her as he tugged her close.

She scowled. While the Night Court was not favorable to females, there were strict laws about messing with another male's...property. But this fae male didn't seem to be bothered by them in the least.

"Fiance is such a tricky word, in't it? Feel like that still gives me and my boys plenty of room for a little fun," he turned back to Sadie and with a wicked grin and would slowly drag his tongue down her cheek. As the two other fae male sat stiff-backed, their attention on Rhaener. Ready to move if he did.

Sadie cringed, trying to pull away. But his grip was viselike.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener sighed. Saang was known. Saang was feared by smart men. Saang's best friend who was equally as deadly? No one cared about him, but that was how Rhaener preferred it. He liked his anonymity especially with his job now.

He had been known for drinking, spending too much gold, attending all the parties, and taking home the prettiest women for many many years. He had changed, he preferred his playboy reputation not. No one suspected him that way. No one expected him to be the man who stole women away to a new life in the middle of the night.

This jackass was going to make him show the side that he tried to keep hidden in public. Rhaener growled deeply and pulled the dagger from his belt. Option one: give the man and his friends a chance to fight their way out of this or option two: throw this dagger into the males heart and hope his friends got the message.

Option two is was. Rhaener flipped the dagger in his hand and sent it flying the short distance to the males heart. His voice was low and angry, "I suggest you both find another place to sit..."

 

[Sadie Lusce]

Sadie yelped in surprise as the male slumped forward, his weight pulling her down too. Her forehead smacked on the table. He was…dead. How had Rhaener…she’d never seen him like this. The other two males shot out of the booth. “What the fuck!?” One started toward him, his own knife drawn.

The other shook his head and ran. Perhaps the only smart’ish’ one if the group. With a heave, Sadie lifted the dead weight of the male’s arm over her head, yanking free. Her forehead ached where she’d face planted into the table.

She had to help Rhaener. Lunging across the table, she grabbed one of the fruity drinks and tossed the contents into the face of the charging male.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener cringed when the dead mans weight caused Sadie to hit her head. Of course, he was the one to cause her physical pain during his rescue attempt. He smirked as one man ran off and looked the other dead in the eye. He was about to lunge when Sadie threw one of the drinks at the males face. That was all it took. The idiot let out a cry as the alcohol made a new home in his eyes. He dropped the knife as he struggled with his face. Rhaener took the chance to grab the attacker by his shirt and sent him flying into the nearest wall. He slouched down, knocked out.

The patrons around them had stopped to watch the show but they quickly went back to their business. A man fighting for his woman - his property - in the Night Court was normal...especially when alcohol was involved.

Rhaener walked over to the bar and dropped a healthy amount of gold behind the counter for the owners. They would need to clean up this mess and forget about it. He did not retrieve his dagger. He would buy a new one in the morning. He turned back at Sadie with a half smile and the look of a dog who had just been caught doing something naughty.

"Hey Sadie," he started innocently. "May I walk you home?" He held an arm for her to take if she wanted to. Honestly, he was braced for her to slap him or just stomp off. There was nothing like your big brothers best friend rescuing you to ruin a good night...although those guys had already ruined it.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

Who are you?

She wanted to ask it of the long-time family friend. But she was too focused on getting out of this place as fast as she could. Her hand took his own as she used his strength for her balance as she stepped around the slumped body and managed to get out of the booth that had trapped her. Her grip tightened on Rhaener's arm as her feet hit the floor.

There was a slight ache along her forehead and she knew bruises would show along her jawline.

They wouldn't last long but they'd be there.

She remained silent next to him. Her posture stiff. Fingers flicked red hair over one of her shoulders. Nose scrunched up at the scent of the dead male that still hung around her body. Her two friends hurried up next to the pair gushing apologies and questioned if she was okay.

Sadie wished they could've done something. But she knew, they probably just would've been dragged into a position much like she had. And it made her sad and angry all at once.

She cut off the eager questions of her friends with her chin tipping to Reeree. "He is taking me home." Pointed gaze flickered up to him. "Let's go," she said quietly as they began to weave their way out of the club. Her grip remained tight on him.

It was clear that she was trying to fight off fear even with her shoulders back and posture straight. Even as she tried to hide that fear.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener didn't stop walking even as Sadie's friends approached. He didn't care what either party said because Sadie was leaving with him. He was more than a little relieved when she told the two women the same same thing.

He quickly led her out the door and into the cool night. The walk to her family home wasn't terrible but it wasn't a short walk either. His home was though. If they hit any trouble, he would bring her to his place until the morning. Saang would survive for a night.

Once they were walking down street, he slowed and turned her to face him. "Are you alright, Sadie?" His voice was little more than a growl as he gently touched her jaw. "Fuck, that'll bruise. I'm so sorry, Sadie. I should have been paying attention to you and your friends as soon as I saw you."

Rhaener had absolutely zero reason to blame himself but he would anyways. If he had been paying attention, if he hadn't been wallowing in self pity, if if if...there was always an if. He had gone through a list of at least two hundred over the last day.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

His voice brought her out of her numbed retreat. Eyes focused and she seemed to see him. Really see him even as the moon and a half shown brightly above them, the light flickering on the wet-slicked streets. She was the eldest sister. She was supposed to be an example to the others. And she constantly felt that pressure on her shoulders.

So why now, staring up at him. Feeling the light touch of his fingers on her cheek did she feel as though she would break? Feel like she could barely stop her eyes from welling with moisture.

"I'm fine. It's not your...," voice trailed off as she focused on his words. "Wait. You saw us earlier? What were you doing there?" She knew his reputation but he just seemed...there was something about him. He wasn't as carefree as he normally was.

She shivered as the Northeasterly wind picked up.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener could see that she was not alright and he wanted to pull her into a hug and tell her that everything would be okay. He didn't though. He didn't want to touch her after what that man had done. It may hurt her more than a normal hug between friends would.

"Come on, you can stay at my townhouse tonight," he said softly as he started to walk again. "I think you need a break from worrying about being the bravest sister for the rest of the night."

He had not gotten more than a step when he felt himself stiffen at her question. "I just needed a drink...or six...it was a long day..."

Okay, it wasn't a lie. It was a long day and he had needed a drink. "I enjoy going to that bar before it becomes," he flicked his hands in the air to mimic terrible dancing. "The terrible place it does when you younger fae come in."

"The real question is...what were you doing there? You aren't one to enjoy that sort of thing usually." Sure, she may have changed but he doubted it. He had known Sadie Lusce her entire life and that woman did not like people.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

"Bravest sister?" A light nudge of her shoulder against his own in mild offense.

She couldn't stop the twitch of her lips. Since she'd known him. Rhaener had always been able to make her laugh. Pull a smile from her usually stern-set face. Even now after everything she'd just been through. When he brought up his hands to mimic that terrible dancing, she couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from her throat.

Even if it was short.

Her grip shifted on his arm. She wasn't letting go until they were inside somewhere. "Priscilla and Page wanted a night out. I know it's usually safer in larger numbers and I just didn't want anything to happen to them," her voice trailed off. Frustrated gaze flicked upward to those moons for a moment then back to the street in front of them.

"You sure it's okay to stay with you tonight? I don't want to impose."

She didn't. But she also didn't want to go home tonight. If Saang was there, she wouldn't be able to hide anything from the empath. And she just didn't want the attention or to deal with it tonight. She was tired. And she just wanted a shower. A hot one, so she could burn away the other male's scent and the feeling of the touch he'd left behind.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

"You stayed at the table. They had the ability to corner you. If you were on the dancefloor or even the bar, there would have been a shield of people and one may have been able to you but the others wouldn't have. Also, Cynthia, the curly haired blonde bartender will always help you."

She is part of the Red Ribbon Rotary Club is the part that Rhaener didn't add. Cynthia the bartender and Marcus the owner were both part of the club. That was one of the reason they got his business.

He shook his head as he changed their direction to his home. It was a shorter walk. "No imposition, Sadie. Saang is home and I cannot deal with him right now..." He trailed off. His reason for not wanting to see his best friend was the same as Sadie's. That damn empath did not know about what Rhaener did and he did not need him picking up on his despair and pain right now.

"Did you at least have a good time before the assholes?"

 

[Sadie Lusce]

She bristled slightly at what he said and pulled her arm out of his as they neared his brownstone apartment with the dark green door, battered by the storms they constantly got. Hands fell to her delicate hips. "Are you blaming me for what happened?" Eyes narrowed as she gave him a look.

The Sadie. Lusce. Look.

She filed the other information away. She wasn't surprised he knew the bar tender's name. He'd probably slept with her more than a few times. Just like he probably had with half the other females in that place.

Arms then crossed beneath her chest as she waited for him to unlock the door and at his next question.

"No. It was very loud. The seats were sticky and there was a lot of gyrating." The dancing bodies.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener blinked slowly as he turned his head to look at the now upset Lusce. His sigh was more on the groan side before he spoke to her and that look. All the sisters had that look. "No, I am not blaming you, Sadie," his words were slow as he debated how much trouble he wanted to get himself in.

"You said that larger groups was better so that is why you went out with your friends. I pointed out that the reason the assholes were able to get to you was because the group split up..." She was going to slap him. He knew it as soon as the words came out. This is why he stayed single. Females were a pain in the ass.

The tall duanann unlocked the door and held it open for her. He let out a hmph at her description of the bar. It was accurate and the reason he usually left when it got loud. He did not like any of that. He didn't even like the word gyrating. It reminded him of the word moist. He grimaced at the thought.

Once the two were inside, he shut and locked the door behind them. His townhome was one hundred percent a bachelor pad. One couch, two chairs, low table in between them sitting near the fireplace. No rug or frilly pillows anywhere to be seen. The kitchen was to the left, the stairs were straight ahead, and the washroom was to the right of the stairs.

Simple. He liked simple. He had the ability to pack and get the fuck out in a moments notice if his fae smuggling was discovered. Better that way. No attachments. Person or otherwise.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

She was not going to slap him but she didi keep the look going as he explained himself.

"Would you rather I have been gyrating my body on the dance floor? Hm?" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just...nevermind. You risked a lot coming over to the table."

He could've been hurt. There had been three of them before he killed one and scared the other two off. SHe still couldn't believe that was Rhaener.

"Thank you," she managed in a meeker tone. "I'm taking a shower. Um, it's this way?" She pointed toward the only other door she saw. By the stairs.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener suppressed a growl and nodded at her question. "Yes, I will try to find you something to wear so you don't have to put those clothes back on." Rhaener disappeared up the stairs before she could say anything else. He went to his bedroom and pilfered his closet for something that would fit her. There was nothing.

"Fuck," he said. He did have some women's clothing that would fit her but those were for the women he got out of court. Some of them wore nothing more than rags. Rhaener rubbed his face and growled. She was going to think he just ran through women but wasn't that what he wanted her to think?

No. Not Sadie. Never Sadie.

Fuck.

Rhaener went to his office and pulled a long, simple blue short sleeve dress out of the closet. It would fit her. She would make it look beautiful. He stopped at his desk, laying the dress over the chair before he took a seat.

He opened the top drawer and pulled out a notebook. With a quill in hand, Rhaener wrote.

Minera Rinaldi. 1,476. Deceased.

Her name joined pages and pages of similar entries. The majority of which said delivered instead of deceased. He hated writing deceased. Rhaener closed the book and slipped it back into the drawer.

The black haired male walked back down the stairs and hung the dress on the door knob. It wasn't long before he was sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey and no glass.

He had killed a man. Three in less than a day. He would drink from the bottle.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

It didn’t take long for the bathroom to fill with steam. She let the shimmering dress fall to her feet and quickly stepped into the scalding water. She wanted it to burn. To wipe away any sensation that the male had left behind. Eyes closed and she stood there as the water pounded against her back and head.

She just needed a moment.

A long moment.

Finally, she forced herself to move. To scrub her skin. To rinse and rinse again. Numb hands eventually turned off the water and she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. A hand rubbed the fogged up near clear and she sighed. The bruises were all but gone now. Her head felt better. All that was left was her weariness at the world she lived in.

Opening the bathroom door, she let some of the steam out, eyes falling to the handle with the dress waiting for her. From one of his conquests? A spark of jealousy that she quickly snuffed out.

Golden eyes fell upon the drinking male. A small frown tugged her lips. When she saw him with alcohol he was usually laughing. An arms around different girls. This was not the Rhaener she thought she knew.

“Ree?” She spoke quietly, using one of the nicknames she and her sisters had lovingly given him growing up. Clutching the towel more tightly around her drying from, she drew closer. Wet hair tumbled down one of her shoulders as her head cocked to the side. “What’s wrong?”

Was being here that much of a strain on him? He said he hadn’t minded but maybe he’d had plans with bedding someone tonight and she was ruining it. She doubted he wanted his best friend’s little sister around and cramping his style.

“I’m sorry I probably ruined your plans for tonight.”

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener didn't hear Sadie open the door. He was lost in his thoughts. What could he have done differently? Nothing. There were five males waiting for them. They had been tipped off or her husband had grown suspicious and had her watched. One of the two. He had no chance against that many people. They were doomed. He was left alive - barely - to deliver the message to stop. That had been their mistake. Rhaener Nadir and the Red Ribbon Rotary Club would never stop.

He looked over at Sadie from his lounged position against the arm of the couch. His breath caught for a second before he steadied him. She was breathtaking. The most beautiful Lusce in his opinion. He would never say that out loud though. He did not need Saang or any of the other five coming for his head for daring to say one was prettier than another.

Rhaener threw her a withering look at the use of the nickname and then took another drink from the bottle. With a sigh, he answered, "work. Work was difficult today..." He forgot for a second that he did not have any official or public facing job. He partied and spent his deceased parents money. Fuck, he thought and hoped she would let the slip pass. Perhaps she would think he finally did get a job.

"I put a dress on the door for you. It looked like it would fit." He changed the subject quickly and brought it back to the fact he had multiple pairs of women's clothing in his home.

 

[Sadie Lusce]

A frown tugged at her lips. Her keen, golden gaze studying him silently. As if she were peeling back his layers, one at a time. She'd grown up with him. She could read him as closely as any other member of the Lusce family. Perhaps not as empathically inclined as her brother.

But that didn't matter here.

"I saw," she said quietly and turned. It would be hard for Rhaener to detect her tone. It sounded more...neutral. Perhaps distracted.

Turning on her heels, she slipped back inside the aired-out bathroom and quickly changed, hanging the towel on the back of the door and emerging again. Striding back out to the living room, she sat next to the high lord. She was a high lady in her own rights, if the Night Court ever recognized the title. But of course they didn't.

The outside of one of her legs brushed against his own on the couch as she reached over to gently pry the bottle of alcohol out of his hands. She'd take a sip herself, then hand it back. A grimace crossed her face as she swallowed the burning liquid. She didn't drink much. Ever.

"You got a job?" A quiet question.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

The dress did fit Sadie perfectly and he was struck with how she could look beautiful in anything. Rhaener also did not miss that she had let their legs touch but his admiration only lasted a second more. He let out a low growl when she took his whiskey from him and then laughed when she handed it back with a grimace. He didn't recall her being much of a drinker and it seemed that he was correct.

He brought the bottle back to his lips for a long drink before answering Sadie's question. He couldn't lie to her because he was fae but he also couldn't lie to her because she was her. He just didn't know how honest he could be. His job did not just put him in danger. It put him, the women, and everyone else in the operation in danger. One word to the wrong person.

"I am doing logistics and I am in charge of the delivery of products..."

His voice trailed off. Not a lie. It had become a very complex web of half truths and word changes. Ceilidh's art business did a lot of business with Night Court.

"It is a lot of traveling outside of Court and meetings. It is great most of the time but some nights are just..." He took another long drink and closed his eyes with a frown on his face. He had almost died yesterday. It was the worst beating he had gotten so far. "Hard."

 

[Sadie Lusce]

"That," she pointed at the whiskey bottle. "is awful." A fleeting smile passed on her lips when she said it. "Was bad-boy trustfund reputation getting boring?" She knocked the side of her knee against his own. A silly gesture.

Still.

She felt like he was holding something back. But unlike her brother, she wasn't one to push it. She would stand and head toward the kitchen and begin rummaging around in the cabinets or fridge for something else. "Do you have anything else to drink around here?"

Sighing, she kept her expression hidden beside an open cabinet as she asked the next question.

"What's it like...outside this court?" She'd read so much. Longed to travel more herself. But for females here...it was difficult.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener smiled at the beautiful redhead when she knocked her knee into his. He thought the first time had been an accident but it was clear that she was intentionally doing it. He didn't mind in the slightest. He set the bottle down and got up from the couch. He headed over to the kitchen to join Sadie because he, honestly, did not know what he had in his home.

"Water?" He said with an ashamed smile and opened a cabinet that she hadn't gotten to yet. "Or wine. I have not been home much lately. For some reason your mother insists on me coming to lunch and dinner at least five times a week."

He laughed as he pulled a bottle of wine down from the cabinet. He set it on the counter and began to open it as he spoke again. "I hope red is okay," Rhaener popped the cork out of the bottle and grabbed two glasses from a different cabinet. He poured some wine into each and held one out to Sadie.

Mmmm, he let out as he thought about her question. He forgot that so many women never left the Night Court. "Depends on the court, I suppose. Winter Court is beautiful. They have a terrifying queen and her best friend supplies the majority of the art to the different courts. That is where I go most often so that is really all I can speak on. They are very different than Night Court. Everyone has rights there."

 

[Sadie Lusce]

"Well, she's worried that you look too thin and don't eat enough," a light poke into his ribs as he came into the kitchen. She couldn't imagine being in Rhaener's shoes. His family no longer alive. Then again, perhaps he hadn't been as close to his parents like she and her siblings were with...well, at least with her mother.

Her father was a real piece of work.

At least he treated Saang well.

The rest of them?

He was a real prick all because they were born the wrong gender.

She took the cup of wine and took a sip. "My favorite." Wine was her alcohol of choice when she did drink. She liked the way deeper flavors came up depending on what was eaten with it. And she preferred the sipping variety of alcohol. Sipping and savoring.

With her back leaning against the counter, she swirled the wine in her cup slowly, golden-eyes looking up to her long-time friend. "It sounds like a dream," she said quietly. And it was hard for her to imagine. A place where females had rights, too.

 

[Rhaener Nadir]

Rhaener threw Sadie a look. "I am not too thin, Sadie Lusce. It is rude to comment on someone's weight," his tone was playful as he took a drink of his wine. He watched her as she swirled the red liquid before she looked up at him. Every time he looked at her...really looked at her...he was mesmerized by her beauty.

He did not stare long though as he started to walk around the kitchen to assemble some form of dinner. He got a tray out and then added a variety of cheese, sausages, and crackers to it before smiling at Sadie. "I do not have the cooking skills of your mother but I hope this will do. I doubt you got to eat at the club."

He did not wait for her answer as he grabbed the tray and headed back into the living room. He set the tray on the small table in front of the couch. "Grab the wine bottle," he called back to her.

Once they were both settled, he leaned forward to grab a cracker and some cheese. "What have you been doing as of late, Sadie? Any marriage prospects? I hear that Signe got engaged." Of course, he did not know about the Signe and Siobhan swap.