War of Hearts(94)

Outrage swelled out of the fae as I turned to stare at my love. “Andraste,” I whispered, terrified of never seeing her face again.

She burrowed into me, silver tears falling down her pale cheeks. “I cannot lose you.”

I shook my head in denial. This could not be happening.

“However, I am not so cruel …”

We whipped around to stare in hope at the queen. My heart thudded at the devious smirk on her face.

“I am not so cruel as to deny our children a chance to live here forever. As I close the gates, I will cast a spell out into the human world. In time, that spell will come to fruition in the form of seven children, born to human parents, but fae-borne.”

Everyone gasped at the idea.

Aine smiled. Smug. “Yes. Seven children and with them the ability to open the gate. They and their companions will enter Faerie. If they succeed, I grant them leave to remain here with us forever.”

Then the world shimmered, my head spun, and before I could kiss her one last time, Andraste was ripped from me.

I stumbled into the darkness of a familiar forest, the smell of pine and earth filling my nostrils.

No. I whirled to find my bearings and instead found Eirik standing with … Fionn.

But … I sniffed the surrounding air.

He was no longer human.

“Did we …” I looked around, frantic.

“We are home,” Eirik said flatly. “The bitch sent everyone back to Earth and closed the gate. Good riddance.” His gaze drew up Fionn. “What the hell happened to you?”

Fionn glared at my brother. “Aine made me fae.”

Eirik raised an eyebrow. “Immortal?”

“Yes.” He sneered. “She intended to keep me on Faerie with her. But a princess of Samhradh owed me a favor. She cast an illusion spell over me so I could find my way to you in the crowds. The queen’s seer, she told me if I held onto someone who would be glad to return to this world, I would be transported back with them. You are the only bastard I know who hates the fae almost as much as I do.”

“Then it is true,” I whispered, feeling like my heart might crumble within my chest. “The gate has really closed.”

“Yes.” Fionn nodded.

No, no, no.

“What now?” my brother said to the queen’s consort.

“Now, I return to my home, to my family. Where are we?”

“Germania. You are some ways from éireann. How do you know the queen will not open the gate to return you to her?”

“She will not risk it. Her seer saw much bloodshed between the fae and human world if the gate remained open.”

My brother grinned. “She fears us?”

“No, you fool.” Fionn glowered. “She is trying to protect us. A war with the fae would wipe out this world. Aine might be a selfish, self-indulgent bitch, but she would not see to the destruction of an entire world. Especially not one that bears fae children. And whether you like it or not, vampires and werewolves are fae children.”

“This is not happening,” I murmured.

“Well,” Fionn said, clearing his throat, “thank you for the transportation. I will take my leave.”

And then he was gone. A streak of movement through the forest, faster than even Eirik or I could move.

“The children,” I whispered. “The children she spoke of. We must find the children.” They were the key to opening the gate. They were the key to delivering me back to my mate.

“Yes,” Eirik had muttered. “The children must be found.”

I did not know then that it was the beginning of a war between my brother and me, as he sought to destroy my only hope of returning home.





“Interesting read?”

Thea blinked, coming up out of Jerrik’s story to stare at Conall. He gave her a sleepy smile. Her heart beat a little faster. “It wasn’t just about his love for the fae world.” She tapped the book. “Jerrik was mated to a fae princess. He wanted to use the children—me—to get back to her.”

“You believe then?” Conall’s brows pulled together.

“I believe he was mated.” She dropped her eyes to the pages. “He describes it so realistically.”

“And the rest.”

Thea shrugged. “It sounds like a fairy tale.”

“Ironically.”

Thea met Conall’s gaze. “He describes the fae as contrary, often brutal. They thought themselves superior to other races. Why would the Blackwoods want to open a gate to that?”

“Magic,” Conall replied. “It’s purported to be a place of pure magic. Witches can only tap into a certain energy here. Faerie is something entirely different.”

She nodded and sighed, closing the book. Their eyes locked. “We live in a very strange world, Chief MacLennan.”

He grinned, shaking his head. “I hate to tell you this, lass, but you and I … we’re two of the very beings that make it a strange world.”

Chuckling, Thea lifted her legs off his lap and then scooted into his side so she could snuggle against his chest. Conall put his arm around her and drew her close. Stretching out her long legs—though nowhere near as long as his—she tried to quell the nervous fluttering in her stomach.