Faery Kissed (2 page)

After we had danced around the circle
several times, the crowd parted, and she pulled me away toward a
small grouping of trees. I couldn’t help but think how beautiful
she was as the wind ruffled her silvery hair slightly, and her
bright blue eyes seemed to glow with a power of their own.

“
Welcome to Faery, Bran. I
am Eirian,” she whispered with a smile, and I realized her voice
seemed familiar. My body responded when she called my name, sending
a tremor through me, but I didn’t know how that was
possible.

“
You know my name.
How?”

“
I know lots of things
about you, Bran.” Again the sound of her speaking my name caused a
pleasant sense of lusty turmoil to ripple through me. She leaned
forward and wrapped her unbound arm around my neck, pulling me
toward her, lightly kissing my lips.

I was undone. Everything I knew or cared
about fled from existence. There was only her. I lived solely for
her. I wanted only her, and I knew I would do anything she
asked.

The vines binding us together loosened and
fell to the ground as she stepped away.

“
How would you like to see
Faery, Bran? It’s more beautiful than you could ever
imagine.”

I groaned at the sound of my name on her
lips, noticing that her eyes glittered like unfathomable jewels,
and her smile lit the night. I wondered if she knew what she was
doing to me.

“
I don’t care what we do,
as long as we’re together.” I squeezed her hand tightly in
mine.

“
Perfect,” she
replied.

Chapter Two

We walked along in silence, and I allowed
her to lead the way while I stared at her in wonder. She was so
beautiful that looking at her was like taking a long drink of
refreshing water on a hot summer day, only the water wasn’t enough
to quench my thirst. The more I drank, the more I needed to drink.
I felt consumed by her presence.

“
Here we are,” she said
after a while, gesturing to the area around us.

It was then I realized that I hadn’t paid a
bit of attention to where we were going. I had no idea where we
were, but it was breathtaking.

All around us were tall mountains with
waterfalls that tumbled hundreds of feet over multiple sections of
sheer cliff faces into a sparkling lake of water in front of us. An
amazingly crafted stone bridge crossed the center of the loch from
one cliff side to the other, standing so high out of the water that
full sized ships could’ve passed through its many elegant arches
beneath.

The vegetation was in wild abundance, the
mountain surfaces covered in lush foliage and twisting vines that
crept everywhere. Where we were standing, the grasses were tall
enough to hide in, and the branches of the giant tree next to us
swept the ground under the weight of the dripping lilac
blossoms—which perfumed the air.

Eirian led me over to where the flowered
branches split apart from one another, creating an entrance into a
hollowed out space under the tree. She sat down in front of them,
gesturing for me to do the same.

I didn’t sit though. Instead, I stared down,
marveling at her beauty. “It’s strange, but I almost feel as if I
know you somehow. But that’s not possible, is it?”

“
If you’ll sit with me,
Bran, I’ll tell you many things.”

Fire rushed through me when she spoke, and I
clenched my teeth, closing my eyes for a moment while I tried to
control myself.

“
Will you also tell my why,
when you speak my name, my body goes crazy?” I opened my eyes to
look at her.

She smiled, never breaking contact, and I
noticed her pale skin flushed a little. “Yes.” She nodded and again
gestured to the seat next to her.

I joined her and immediately felt the need
to touch her, so I laced my fingers with hers. “All right, tell me
all your secrets.”

She paused for a moment, before lifting her
free hand to stroke lightly over my brow, tracing around the sides
of my face to run her fingers over my lips.

“
I brought you here. I’ve
been watching you for a long while and placing suggestions in your
head, preparing to meet you tonight when the magic is strong enough
to temporarily blend our two worlds.”

“
What do you mean, placing
suggestions?”

“
When you were asleep, I
often brought the memories of your father telling his Fae tales to
the surface, keeping them in your subconscious mind. I told you
where to find the seeds at the proper hour that would make you
invisible to the Fae sentinels.”

“
So I really was
invisible?” I asked in surprise.

She smiled, and it caused my heart to beat
faster. “In a sense.” She didn’t seem inclined to explain anymore
about that. “I also made sure you knew this was the proper place
and when the time was right. Everything went perfectly.”

I released her hand, reaching to fondle her
silver white hair. “How did you watch me? Surely I would have
noticed you in my room.”

“
I was never physically
there. The Fae can’t leave Faery for too long. I used magic to
follow you.”

“
Magic?”

“
Yes, I watched from a
water mirror. It allowed me to see you whenever I wanted. It also
allowed me to give you suggestions when your mind relaxed enough to
hear them.”

“
Why would you go to all
this trouble?”

She looked away, staring at her feet.
“Because, even though I told you where everything was, the decision
for you to come here had to be your own.”

“
And what difference did
that make?”

“
By coming here of your own
free will, you answered my call for you. By the customs of my
people, it gave me the right to bond with you.” She glanced up,
locking eyes with me.

“
Bond?” I wasn’t sure what
she was saying. “I don’t understand.”

“
You and I were bonded when
we danced together with the others. The ceremony was
completed.”

“
Ceremony?” I asked,
confused.

“
I’m sorry. I forget you
say it differently in your world. We were fasted together …
married.” She smiled softly.

“
We were married?” I
couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, blushing again.

“
How do I know this is
true?”

She blushed harder. “You can hear the truth
in my voice.”

“
I don’t
understand.”

“
Bran,” she whispered my
name again, and I groaned at the sensation it caused.

“
What you’re feeling is
something that only happens between couples who are truly
bonded.”

I couldn’t believe what she was telling
me—or what I was feeling. It was incredible to think this creature
had chosen me to be her mate. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“
Bran, are you
okay?”

I gritted my teeth, balling my hands into
fists, my breath coming fast. “Let’s get one thing clear right now.
You’re going to have to be careful how many times you say my
name.”

She laughed, the color of her skin growing
even brighter. “But I like watching what it does to you.”

I shook my head and fell backward into the
grass, placing an arm over my forehead. “I’m sure you do.”

“
Are you saying you don’t
like it?” She frowned as she leaned over me, her long hair falling
around us like a curtain.

I could hardly breathe as I stared up at
her, her closeness making me feel intoxicated. “I’m not saying that
at all. But I would like to know a little more about you before I
completely succumb to whatever this is between us.” I wanted her
badly, and my mind felt increasingly foggier the longer I stared
into her eyes.

She smiled, her head dipping closer to mine.
“Patience, Bran. You will get your answers, but I need to do
something else first.”

I growled again pulling her body against
mine. She snuggled into the cradle of my neck and bit me.
Instantly, I could feel her, as if she was under my skin, inside of
me. When she pulled away, I saw my blood staining her bottom
lip.

“
What did you do?” I heard
the tremble in my voice, and I fought the lethargic feeling that
was settling into my limbs, making them heavy. I didn’t want to
sleep—I wanted her to do it again.

She stared at me, looking a little sad at
first—then her mouth curved into a small smile. “Now you’re mine
truly and I can answer all your questions. But later—for this
moment, I need you to sleep.”

She lifted her dainty hand and trailed her
fingers over my eyelids, but even as I drifted off, I could see her
image burned there.

And then I dreamed—savage dreams of multiple
wars and terrifying creatures battling each other to the death;
killing in all sorts of horrific manners. It was unlike anything I
had ever seen, and I didn’t know how to name the images I was
observing.

There was a race of beings that fought the
Fae. Blood-dripped fangs protruded from their mouths—long, slender,
pointed teeth—that when combined with their muscular frames and
fighting skills made them extremely lethal. They fed on the Fae,
sucking them dry and turning them into screaming, ghost-like
creatures that evaporated, to near nothingness, becoming helpless,
drifting beings.

The Fae, despite all their magic, appeared
to be unable to stop the advancing army, and I was sure their
society was about to be obliterated. I wept for the destruction I
saw, unable to believe such cruelty existed. But I could do nothing
to help. I was a silent observer, a lone individual in a vast plain
of inhumanness—until I saw her.

Eirian. My Eirian, geared for battle in
sleek armor and weaponry, standing ready as she faced an onslaught
of the terrifying creatures flying toward her. She looked so brave
and fearless, until she cast her gaze to the tree line where a
small figure huddled.

I didn’t have time to inspect things further
because the attack was imminent.

She lifted her wickedly crafted bow and
arrow.

“
Eirian!” I called out
desperately, and she turned.

“
Bran!” she whispered,
paling in disbelief, right before the creatures fell upon
her.

I groaned loudly in reaction to her speaking
my name, sitting up abruptly to find myself half-naked, my torso
exposed and sheets twisted every which way from my waist down in
the bed I laid in.

I gritted my teeth, trying to calm both my
racing heart and labored breathing. I was sweating as if I’d run a
race.

Looking around the stone-walled chamber, I
noticed Eirian sitting on a cushioned bench beneath a large,
arched, glassless window, clothed in a thin, white shift. She was
staring out with a solemn look upon her face, a few strands of her
long hair mimicking the movement of the white, sheer curtains that
blew in a soft breeze. She looked ethereal, like something so
beautifully frail it might break if you held it too tightly.

She turned her head to look at me. “What did
you see?” she asked, her gaze traveling over my body.

“
War. A terrible battle
between the Fae and some other creature I didn’t recognize, though
they resembled the myths and lore that my people call
Vampires.”

She nodded, but didn’t reply.

“
You were there as well,
armed and ready to fight.”

She arched her eyebrow, and I couldn’t help
but notice how attractive the lines of her face were.

“
What does it mean?” I
prodded, trying to get some answers.

She shook her head slightly. “Who knows for
sure? It sounds like you were dreaming of the future.”

“
I thought you were about
to die.” Just saying the words aloud made me shudder, and I
marveled over how much her safety meant to me. I didn’t even know
her, yet she was already a part of me.

“
We all die,
Br . . .” She caught herself before she actually
spoke my name this time. “Death is but a door to another
existence.” She turned back toward the window.

She looked so sad, and my first reaction was
to go and comfort her, but I realized I was wearing nothing under
the sheet.

“
How’d I get here?” I
asked, taking in the elegant though simplistic bedroom I was in,
minimal in furniture, but the pieces were carved with the most
amazing craftsmanship I’d ever seen.

She smiled now. “I’m very strong.” She
turned to face me once again, her gaze raking over me. “Would you
believe me if I said not all strength lies in large muscles?”

I glanced down at my work-chiseled form
before making eye contact with her. “What’s wrong with large
muscles?”

She smiled even wider now, and I swore the
room grew brighter with its radiance. She moved across the room
toward the bed and sat on the edge next to me. “Absolutely
nothing.” She reached out, tracing her finger lightly up my arm
onto my shoulder, then over my chest and down to my stomach. “I
think you’re  . . . beautiful, a masterpiece.”

I grinned and chuckled. I was pretty sure no
one had ever called me that before. An image of a girl tried to
fight its way into my mind, but I was unable to grasp onto it so I
let it pass.

“
A masterpiece, huh? How
did you come to that conclusion?”

“
Your physique is very
wonderful—all valleys and ridges, each area so . . .
defined. I find it to be . . .
inspiring.”

“
Don’t the men of your race
appear the same?” I was curious.