Fae (26 page)

A future with someone who cared for her, who understood her, who respected her – and someone who wouldn’t die on her.

“It’s okay, I like listening to you talk about it. It’s hopeful, it’s… beautiful.”

“I do have one more plan, but it’s something I have to show you and I can’t do that here, so let’s change the subject. Something lighter. What’s your happiest memory? The
truth
, and while it may be difficult, don’t just say something with me in it. I already know how awesome I am.” Kiernan grinned, and she laughed. He could be so freaking arrogant, but she knew that right now it was a show to lighten her mood. His eyes reflected the dim light around them and it made his face look softer, less stressed and concerned than he had in the weeks prior.

“Umm, something without you? Now won’t
that
be difficult.” She grabbed her wine, resting her lips on that glass as she brought her mind back to the question. When had she last been really happy?

Her father’s face flashed into her memory and it felt like a punch in the stomach.

She wished for a moment he could be there to see this place in her life, this good and peaceful place. He would have approved of Kiernan, someone who worked in the soil and had a respect for things that grew. Someone who was brave even though he was damaged, still good even though he’d been made to do terrible things, someone who was still able to care even when he’d lost everything. Her father had always said she’d find someone who respected her for her strengths, and protected her where she was weak, and Kiernan seemed to fit the bill. Which was both exhilarating and terrifying.

“My father is my happiest memory.” Fae smiled a bit, and he nodded to encourage her to elaborate. She took a breath and let the door of her memory open wide, and she was flooded with the incredible childhood she’d been given. Her eyes started to burn with tears, but she pushed them down and started talking. “There’s so much of who he was that made me who I am, it’s hard to even put into words.”

“He gave me a childhood to envy. I can remember one time, when I was maybe ten, it rained so hard that the village almost flooded. Tiny rivers were flowing through the paths. Everything was coated in slippery mud, and pools of filthy water clogged with branches and leaves and dirt were sitting in all the low spaces. I was
amazed
by it, by the power of it all. But my mother didn’t want us going out in it because if we ruined our clothes she’d have to mend them or make new ones. My sisters listened, but I stood at the entrance to our home watching the rain pour down as if one of the gods was emptying a giant bucket over us. My father had been grinding herbs into poultices, listening to my mother berate me for standing in the doorway, and he suddenly just got up, grabbed my hand, and dragged me out into the rain. My mother started screaming at him, but he just pulled me farther away into the storm until her voice faded into the thunder and the rain.”

“We were soaked in seconds, our legs were coated in mud, but we laughed and celebrated the power that nature,
Eltera
, was wielding in that moment. We ended up slipping and falling in the mud, and my hair was coated with it and matted down, and he helped me up. I remember starting to cry and being terrified of what my mother was going to do and he shook me and said, ‘
Clothing can be fixed, but you should
never
tame yourself.
’ And then he just hugged me. He hugged me even though both of us were filthy, and soaked to the bones from the downpour. I just – I felt perfectly, unconditionally loved in that moment.”

“He sounds like a great man.” Kiernan was watching her with a thoughtful look.

“He was.” Fae smiled into her glass. “I think you two would have gotten along. He always had his hands in the dirt too, and he always liked my attitude.”

“We could have commiserated on how we dealt with you, Glowworm.” Kiernan grinned and Fae threw one of the bread rolls at him. He caught the projectile, and laughed before taking a bite and setting it on a plate of mostly untouched lasagna. “You know, Branna was feisty too, and such a temper. She was never afraid to speak her mind to me, never afraid to slap me upside the head if I did something foolish. I think Lann would have been just as defiant given time.”

“So you’re saying you have a type?” Fae laughed and he joined her, nodding.

“I guess I do have a type.”

“Your turn. Happiest memory.”

“That’s easy, I think about it all the time. It’s the day Lann walked for the first time.” His smile faded a little as his eyes focused on some point in the middle distance while he reached for the memory. Fae tried to picture what a little boy with blond hair and Kiernan’s features might have looked like, then he started talking again. “It was a gorgeous day, I’d been digging up the soil to plant some things in our little garden, and as I walked back towards our house Branna was holding his hands so he could take steps with her. Then, all of a sudden, he just let go, eyes on me, and waddled towards me. I felt like my chest was going to burst with pride. Pride in him, and for how much I loved Branna for giving him to me. As soon as he got to me he just started laughing, and then Branna was cheering for him. ‘
A leanbh na páirte
’
,
my dear child
,
she said, over and over. It’s a good memory, and I’m glad to have it of them.”

“I’m glad you didn’t lose that memory.” Fae finished her glass and set it down.

“Me too.” He had a wistful smile on his lips, and Kiernan’s glass was empty as well as he twirled the stem between his fingers. There was a pause in the conversation as they both pulled themselves back to the present, leaving their memories in the dust of the past.

“So what’s next? I think the kitchen has been thoroughly exhausted by your orders.” Fae grinned, and Kiernan looked around at all the plates and shrugged.

“I don’t think the kitchen will mind the money, and this place donates food to the local shelter.” He stood up and extended his hand to help her from her chair. “Ready for the second half of the date?”

“Absolutely.” Fae took his hand and he pulled her up. “What’s the second half?”

“Trust me, it’s better to see it.” He didn’t release her hand as they walked out of the restaurant, and only broke it for a moment to pull on their coats. Once outside he gripped her hand a little tighter, but he didn’t lead her towards the parking lot. Instead, he moved them around the side of the building. Fae raised an eyebrow as they stepped under an old metal fire escape. His hands cupped her face and then his lips found hers and the fierce kiss burned her lips. The heat between them built and she clenched her fists into the lapels of his coat as her back hit the brick wall. She could feel the chill of it through her coat, but she didn’t care. His hands were moving down her side and they pressed against the curve of her waist as his body leaned against hers. Her heart was racing as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. When they finally separated, they were both gasping, breath intermingling in clouds between them in the cool air.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all through dinner.” Kiernan smiled down at her, his thumb tracing her cheekbone before moving down over her lips.

“No complaints here.” Fae smiled, trying to calm her heart rate and ease the blush in her cheeks. “Is this where we go to the movies?”

“We’re not going to the movies, I have something much better. You have to close your eyes though, so the surprise isn’t spoiled.” Kiernan placed another kiss on her lips and she closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. “Hold on to me, okay?”

Chapter Twenty

Badenoch, Scotland

Kiernan leaned forward and breathed in the scent of her hair; he loved how she smelled. He never wanted to wake up without it, without her, ever again, and depending on how she reacted to his surprise that might be possible. Fae’s arms tightened around his neck again and he focused on their homeland. The odd tugging sensation filled him as they shifted, and he had to take a deep breath to push back the temporary dizziness before he opened his eyes.

The sky was still dark in the early hours of the morning, and there was a fine mist falling that made the chill in the air a little stronger. Her blue eyes opened as she swayed in his arms from the aftereffects, but he shook his head down at her.

“Not yet, just a moment more.” He smiled when she closed her eyes again. Twisting his head around, Kiernan tried to pinpoint the place he had visited only a handful of times before, usually when she was sleeping, but he had studied it on maps carefully.

He turned Fae in his arms so she was facing the craggy mountains where the paler gray of the coming dawn made their outline evident. There were trees nearby but they were mostly in a wide open space that smelled as green as it was. It was even more beautiful in the daylight.

“You brought me somewhere wet.” Fae was smiling when she said it, but he could see that the mist was starting to make her hair stick to her skin and droplets were gathering to slide across her cheeks, down her chest and beneath the neck of her sweater. He pulled his eyes away, reminding himself why he was there.

“Yes, it’s raining a little, but I thought you might remember how much it rained in our homeland.” Her eyes snapped open and he felt her body tense against his. She shook slightly as she leaned down in front of him, and put her hands on the ground. He stepped away to give her space, and she pressed her fingers into the earth.

“This is our land?” Her gaze turned up to him and he could see the tears forming at the edge of her eyes. All he could do was nod. “I haven’t been back. I never got to come back. No one ever…”

“I know… I was thinking, if you want, this could be where we move next, since I need to move on from Seattle before people start noticing I look closer to twenty than thirty. I actually bought the land last week. I was trying to think of somewhere you’d want to live that’s a little less populated, less encounters with mortals, but there’s still a village a few kilometers away for things you might want or need, or for a little social interaction.”

“I used private funds through some shell organizations, the Laochra have no way to track it as mine, and as far as Cole or Eryn or any of the others popping in – they couldn’t get here because they won’t know about it. We have to have to be able to see a place, to picture the space to appear there. So, you’d be safe here. I promise.” Kiernan cleared his throat as he finished his ramble. She was looking at the ground again, grass springing from between her fingers. Then her eyes started to bounce between the mountains, the trees in the distance, the hazy sky, and the earth under her hands.

“Also, I, uh, I had a local contractor draft up some plans for two cottages on this land, although there’s more than enough room for an entire village. I just didn’t want you to feel trapped with me. Ever. And I can still build two if you want.” He was trying to talk but her eyes found his again and locked on, and in the dim light of the night sky it was hard to see her expression.

“You don’t need to build two, Kiernan.” Fae stood up again, stepping so close to him that her chest brushed against his. “I’ve actually grown quite comfortable being cramped into a small space with you.”

“Is that right?” He wanted to reach out for her, his hand twitched with the urge to tuck the damp hair behind her ears, but he knew he had to let her take the lead. He couldn’t push this.

“Yes. Even if you build two, I have a feeling we’d only use one.” Her fingers nimbly shifted the buttons of his coat until it was open and she slid her arms inside to hug him. Kiernan gave in and brushed her hair back before returning the hug. For a moment, this gentle side of her made her seem so fragile. He wanted to protect her from anything or anyone that would even think about hurting her. In an instant he felt the dark one that he kept at bay surge inside him as he thought of someone laying a hand on her again, and he had no doubts about the lengths he’d go to protect her, to give her the life he’d promised. There were flashes of blood coating his hands, of a sword clenched in his fist, of an unquenchable rage burning inside him and he jerked himself back from the edge.

No
. There was no room in this moment for the dark one. There wasn’t any more room for that person – he
never
wanted to be that person again. He cleared his throat and made himself smile as he pressed a kiss against her hair.

“You can choose everything for it. We might both live there, but it will be yours. Floor to ceiling. I just ask that you let me bring my TV?” When her laughter rang out it seemed to vibrate against his chest and the sound pushed the darkness back.

“Deal.” Fae looked up at him, slid her hands around to the back of his neck, her fingers moving into his hair as she pulled him down to kiss her. Her lips were surprisingly warm in the chill of the air and his body reacted instantly as she pressed herself against him. He poured his anxious energy into the kiss and she responded with a hunger that pushed him to keep up. When his hands moved to her waist again he tugged her towards him, and she made a sound of surprise that was so small and feminine he felt himself growl in response.

By the gods, he wanted her
.

Fae wasn’t shy though, and she untucked his shirt to slide her hands underneath the fabric and across his stomach. He gave in to the urge to hold her, picking her up so she wrapped her legs around him. The way her gasp for breath sounded in his ear, he knew he had to start counting backwards from, oh, ten thousand, or all of his well-meaning restraint was going out the window.

“Your choice, Glowworm. Stay here or go back to the apartment?” He spoke the words quickly, and she kissed him again.

“Apartment. Morning will come too quickly here.” She smiled at him and moved her hands underneath his shirt, around to his back where her nails trailed down over his skin.

“Hold on then.” He growled out the words as he tried to hold his concentration on his apartment, the mist disappeared and for a second he didn’t quite know where they had ended up until he tried to take a step to balance himself and bumped into the bed. He’d appeared in the bedroom.

Not like he had certain things on his mind at all
.

Fae recovered more quickly from the shift this time, noticed their location, and immediately shifted her body weight higher so he would lean back onto the bed. When he did she was neatly straddling his waist, and he didn’t mind that at all.

“Nice landing.” He grinned up at her, and he was grateful for the streetlights coming through the windows because he could see the smile on her face as she looked down at him.

“Thanks.” She leaned down and placed a kiss against his lips, and he could feel her fingers against his stomach as she started unbuttoning his shirt. He held his breath and clenched his fists to his sides. He wasn’t going to rush her in this, after all, they had forever. She pushed his shirt open and placed small kisses across his chest, even over the dark sword mark that represented Gormahn’s hold on him.

When she pulled at the arm of his jacket he sat up and slipped the shirt and jacket off and threw them both over her shoulder to the floor. Her grin was wicked as she dragged her nails lightly over his chest and down his stomach. Then she pulled her own jacket away dropping it behind her, and he heard the distinctive double thump of her shoes hitting the floor. He kicked his Converse off and laid back down, watching her reverently as her fingertips dipped under the bottom of her sweater and she slowly pulled it over her head.

Inch by inch her skin was revealed until it passed over her head and her auburn hair tumbled back over her shoulders.

His breath caught in his chest. “You are beautiful, Fae…”

Instead of the smile he had expected, she flinched, and fear swirled in his stomach that she’d changed her mind.

He was about to stop everything when she spoke softly. “Neala.”

“What did you say?” Kiernan propped himself up on his elbows to be closer to her, and she crossed her arms over her bare stomach.

“My name isn’t…” She winced and brought her eyes back to him. “My name isn’t Fae. It’s Neala.”

“Neala?” He repeated and she nodded slowly, looking away from him again. He grabbed her chin gently and made her look at him. “You got the name Fae from a master, didn’t you? Because you’re Faeoihn.”

“Yes, and I just thought before we did anything else, you said you wanted to do this right, and -”

“I’d love to call you Neala. Neala is perfect,” He smiled at her. Neala meant
female champion
and he couldn’t imagine that her parents could have chosen a better name. “I feel incredibly honored that you told me.”

“Can you say it again?” She smiled back at him, and he laughed quietly.

“Neala.”

“By the gods, it’s been so long since I’ve heard that.” Fae, no,
Neala
leaned over him, her auburn hair a curtain around them. “And it sounds better than I remember from your lips.”

“Oh really?” He tried to play it casual, but that was practically impossible with his hard cock pressing against the juncture of her thighs, still wrapped in tight fitting jeans. She leaned down and her hands moved up his sides, over his shoulders and into his hair. He could feel her nails on his scalp as she tilted her head and kissed him deeply, and he returned the kiss with every ounce of wanting he’d experienced since he’d first laid eyes on her. Kiernan’s hands slid up her waist and he suddenly appreciated their stop to buy the dark green lace bra that met his palms. His mind flipped back to earlier in the evening, to several days before, to the hundreds of years before that, and he was still in awe that she was there in his arms and her lips were pressed against his.

She pushed herself up, her hands splayed across his chest and she smiled down at him. “Yes, it really does…” Her hands moved down the muscles of his stomach to the waist of his pants, and his stomach tensed underneath her touch, his cock kicking against the zipper that confined it painfully.

“I am trying so hard to be a good guy right now.” Kiernan rested his hands on her hips, and she took that moment to grind herself against him. He groaned, and she grinned at him.

“Stop trying, Kiernan.” Neala took his hands, sliding them up her sides to cup her breasts. He took the invitation, rolling his thumb over the nipples pressing against the lace. He growled and sat up, sealing his mouth over the little buds through the cloth. Her back arched forward and she shifted in his lap, another growl escaping him against her skin as he was unable to keep quiet with her there.

“Little minx, you are about to make me stop playing nice.” He grinned as he sat up, pinching her nipple lightly between his fingers.

Her mouth spread into a smile. “I don’t need you to play nice with me.” Neala’s fingers slid into his hair, but this time she tightened her fist, making his scalp light up with a sting that had him hissing air through his teeth.

He growled and lifted her into the air again when he stood. She let out a surprised yelp as he dropped her back onto the bed and her hair fell around her in a halo. Her cheeks were already flushed making her blue eyes vibrant, and lips darker. He paused to let his eyes move over her, but he didn’t miss that she was doing the same. In moments they were naked and Neala moved back across his bed, and he followed her, climbing onto the bare sheet. He caught her thigh in one hand and yanked her back towards him, ending up under him as he leaned forward. Pushing her thighs apart, he growled low as her pussy was bared to him. Before he’d even thought about it he’d bent his head down and licked up her slit, parting her lips to let him taste her.

Neala gasped and arched off the bed. “Holy shit, Kiernan!”

He had to fight the urge to laugh as he settled down on his stomach, trapping his hard cock against the bedding because he was going to be here a while. When she tried to snap her thighs shut around his head, he grabbed her knees and spread them wide. There was no way she was going to keep him from doing this, from hearing her scream his name in pleasure as she came, and this time he wasn’t just going to feel her in his arms, he was going to taste her.