Give Me (Wyrd and Fae #1)(36)

She looked at her ring. Galen and Diantha were still in there, but something was different. They couldn’t get to Elyse’s mind. It was as if the ring had gone to sleep.

“The ring has no power in fae.” Beside her, the man with yellow hair squatted on the ground. It hadn’t been a dream. “Nothing wyrdish can touch us here. All is well, Elyse. I’m so happy to speak to you.”

“Aubrey?” He didn’t look older than his mid twenties—except that his purple eyes betrayed too much. Too much knowledge. Too much experience.

“I’ve brought you home, Elyse.”

“Father!” She threw her arms around him and burst into tears. “Oh, Father, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve done something so terrible.”

“Not at all. Not at all.” He hugged her and stroked her hair. His touch was magical; relief and warmth rolled through her. “You don’t have to hide your true self here. You’ll never worry about humans ever again.”

The relief was lovely, but the way he said humans irked her—like talking about vermin or lice. She pulled back. How could he feel that way and have loved her mother?

“You’re free now, Elyse,” said another man sitting cross-legged on a fallen log. He wore an intricate crown of leaves and sticks that sparkled as if covered with frost in moonlight. So lovely. He smiled, and the warm satisfaction Aubrey had given her pulsed and intensified. The crowned fairy rose. “Welcome to your rightful home.”

His rust-red hair was streaked with flame orange. His eyes were the mystic green of the sea when a sunbeam shoots through the water. He was barely clothed, with smooth brown skin over his slender but muscular build. He wore the same gossamer material around his loins as Elyse’s scarf, still draped around her neck. She touched the fabric and looked at Aubrey.

He said, “I’m pleased to see you wear my gift.”

“Our gift,” the other one said.

“Yes, majesty,” Aubrey said. “This is Idris, king of the Dumnos fae.”

She saw then that they were surrounded by people, some in tree branches, some peeking out from behind foliage. They seemed fascinated by Elyse and watched as if she and Aubrey and Idris were performing a play for them.

Idris. So beautiful. She wanted to touch his skin. Touch every part of him, feel his muscles. Was every man like that under his clothes? He extended his hand to her with the grace of a dancer. “Give me your hand.”

When she touched his palm, a shiver of happiness coursed through her. When his gaze rested on her lips, she thought of Lourdes straddling Galen on the ground beside Igdrasil. She wanted to climb onto Idris right now and kiss him and run her hands over his chest.

Their surroundings changed.

“This is your bower.” Idris gestured with his free hand. They were alone in a sleeping chamber, the bed a giant half walnut shell filled with leaves in autumn colors. The pillows were made of dandelion flowers, millions of them held together by fairy magic. Idris tugged her hand, and suddenly they were lying in the bed. Elyse was on her back, and Idris’s hand rested on her belly. She was clothed only in the gossamer fabric—barely. Nearly all her skin was exposed.

The view above was clear of trees, and stars blazed in the night sky. But wasn’t it daytime?

A shooting star streaked overhead. “A good omen,” Idris said. He kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth as he caressed her breast. She trembled with desire and heat. What do you know? She heard Lourdes’s voice. You’ve never been in love.

“Galen and Diantha!” She blurted out the words as a reminder, a charm to bring her to her senses, and pulled away from Idris.

“You’re in fae now,” he said. “Let go of human things.”

“I have to go back.”

“But you don’t.” Idris chuckled as if the thought were absurd. “You’re free here. In fae there are no mistakes.”

He was so beautiful. Now she understood Lourdes’s feelings for Galen. Mother’s for Aubrey. Galen’s for Diantha.

“All your life you’ve struggled for happiness, longed to be recognized for who you really are.”

“How do you know that?” Had the fairies been watching her in the woods when she gathered botanicals? That life seemed so far away.

“It’s the human condition,” Idris said, with the same contempt in the word human. “You never have to suffer that again.” He kissed her again. “I’ll show you all the ways of fae, and for fun you can show me the little tricks your mother taught you.”

She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the feel of him, so warm. All her muscles relaxed and were alert at the same time. His mouth traveled down her neck to her breast. She was on fire for him. But it was no good.

“I’m so sorry,” Elyse said. “I can’t stay. I want to so, so much.”

A tear slid down her cheek. She’d found her true home. The mere smell here in fae was intoxicating. The pleasure in Idris’s touch was almost painful it was so good, and she wanted more of it. Almost impossible to think of losing this. Almost. She had to go back to Glimmer Cottage, back to the world. She had the power to do what no one else could: unravel the spell that had turned to curse. Free Galen and Diantha. And Lourdes.

“It’s your human side that wants to atone.” Idris still smiled, but he couldn’t hide his anger. “In fae, regret doesn’t exist. You’re here. You’re free. Come play with me.”