Faery Kissed (8 page)

We were now in a moat, traveling in what
appeared to be a perfect circle inside, channeled by a short stone
wall that ran nearest the castle. This time I noticed the guards
everywhere, standing by lit torches of burning faery fire, mounted
on both the low inner wall of the moat, and the high walls
overhead, with weapons ready at hand. We pulled up to a large,
stone landing platform jutting out from the castle wall. There was
a small detail of guards standing there, and what appeared to be a
few maids-in-waiting. The ladies quickly rushed to the edge of the
dock, carrying a robe and slippers. One of the guards leaned
forward to help Eirian from the boat, and I followed up behind
her.

“
You are dismissed,” she
spoke in an authoritative voice to the women. “I have no need of
your services this night.”

“
Milady,” one spoke with a
bow. “Your father requested that we prepare a special suite for
your arrival. He would like you to send for him as soon as you’ve
arrived.”

She held the regal robe and slippers up to
Eirian again. “Very well,” Eirian replied with a sigh, allowing
them to add to her wardrobe. “You may tell my father I am here now
and will see him when he’s ready.”

A distinguished looking Fae man approached
from the castle. “Milady, the king has noticed your arrival and
awaits you in the prepared chamber.”

Eirian nodded.

No one said anything to me, and other than a
few cursory glances, paid little attention to my presence. I
stepped closer to Eirian, grasping her hand. “You look divine, my
love,” I whispered, just loud enough for the others to hear, and I
bowed to kiss her wrist.

“
Welcome to Castle Naveen,
Bran of Glynshire.” Eirian smiled.

“
I am most happy to be here
with you, your highness.”

“
Please. I dislike all the
formalities. Call me Eirian.”

“
With pleasure, Eirian.” I
couldn’t help my sly smile at her maid’s attempt to disguise her
abrupt laughter when Eirian shivered.

She punched me. “You did that on
purpose.”

“
Yes, I did, and that was
not very well mannered.” I chuckled as I rubbed my arm, amazed at
how strong she was. “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it.”

She blushed, turning away to head for the
castle. I hurried next to her and slipped my hand into hers, giving
it a squeeze before looking over my shoulder at the guard detail
that was surrounding us. The guards stopped at the door, but the
ladies-in-waiting followed.

I couldn’t help gazing around in awe at the
vaulted ceilings, cavernous in their magnitude. The numerous stone
pillars curved into pointed, elegant archways and were intricately
carved to mimic the ivy-covered exterior walls. I wanted to lean in
for a closer look and touch them—to study their workmanship in
depth.

A soft pressure on my hand brought my
attention back to Eirian and her meaningful glance reminded me I
should be intrigued by her, not the castle. I would have to save my
exploring for another time.

Slipping my arm about her waist, I leaned to
whisper in her ear. “Your home is very lovely.” I kissed her
lightly on the cheek.

She nodded and smiled, turning to lead us up
a giant stone staircase. “It is. I’m glad you like it. I hope
you’ll be pleased by the rest.” She kept her voice low enough so
our words were only heard between the two of us.

I hugged her closer. “So I’m about to meet
your father. I’m assuming he was the fierce looking man sitting on
the throne next to you at the celebration. Is there anything I need
to know about him?”

“
Show no fear. He expects
you to be enchanted, so he will assume your actions before him are
of someone who is longing for his daughter. He’ll expect you to
stay close to me. Don’t speak unless he addresses you, and if he
does, only answer his question directly. Do not elaborate. Keep
your attention on me—mostly noticing what I do. If you’re observing
other things too much he may know that something is
wrong.”

“
Understood. Are we going
to your room then?”

She shook her head. “No. My maid said he
requested a special suite prepared. It’ll be in the highest tower
with the best views of the city.”

“
That sounds
nice.”

“
It is beautiful up there,
but I warn you, you’ll probably need a rest after climbing all the
stairs.” Her laugher tinkled in the air. “It’s not a trip for the
faint hearted.”

“
I’m up for the challenge.”
I released her waist, slipping my hand back into hers.

I quickly learned she wasn’t joking. We
climbed up three floors worth of steps before we reached the
circular staircase that wound through the center of the tower.

“
Which room will we be in?”
Eirian asked her maids.

“
The topmost, milady,” came
the reply from the lead maid, and I figured she must be in
charge.

I stared up the center, noting that the
stairs circled up into darkness so high that the farthest point
seemed the size of a small stone. We began climbing again in
silence—around and around—passing several narrow landings that were
lit with bright burning torches of faery fire. Our breathing was
somewhat labored from the exertion of reaching the top. Two guards
stood on either side of very large, carved, double doors.

Eirian stopped and the maids rushed in front
of us, dabbing our foreheads and face with cloth to remove any
sheen, and then fluffing and spreading Eirian’s dress. Once her
hair was smoothed and shining, one of them produced a beautiful
twisted wreath of intertwined vines and small flowers I didn’t
recognize and placed it upon her head.

She looked noble as she straightened herself
and nodded once. The guards opened the doors with a flourish.

I tried to keep my expression neutral, not
giving away that this was the most lavish room I’d ever seen in my
life. I briefly glanced over the dimly lit, plush surroundings of
fabric draped bedding, and furniture. The giant wall of sculpted
arches beyond those looked out to the fabulous view of the lit and
glowing canyon around us. My perusal halted as my gaze rested on
the king standing near one of the windows, looking out into the
night.

He was just as majestic as he appeared the
first time I laid eyes on him. His form was lithe and agile, and he
probably would’ve appeared much younger if it weren’t for his long
hair and lengthy pointed beard. He stared at us, his eyes narrowing
as he studied me.

I turned away from him and smiled at Eirian,
taking a step closer and brushed the side of her cheek with the
back of my free hand. She smiled at me briefly before returning her
attention to her father.

“
So, this is the lad you
fancy.” His voice was deep, but his words had a musical lilt to
them.

“
It is,” Eirian replied,
and I noticed her hand was trembling in mine.

“
And has he proven worthy
to your task?”

I found this to be an odd question.

“
He has.”

“
How many times have you
lain with him?”

“
Twice.”

He grunted and turned back toward the
window.

My body tensed, and I clenched Eirian’s hand
tighter. I wasn’t sure what custom dictated, but I couldn’t see how
this was any of his concern. My anger must have been noticeable,
because Eirian turned to me with an anxious look.

“
Bran, please go lay on the
bed and rest.”

It was a command. I struggled with the
desire to reply, but I bit back my words and nodded, going over to
the large wooden platform that was laden with an overstuffed
mattress and excessive amounts of pillows and fabric. I reclined,
tucking my hands behind my head in a gesture of relaxed ease, as I
continued to watch the exchange.

“
Have you bitten him?” the
king asked, still staring outside.

“
Yes.”

“
And you fed him your
blood?”

“
I did, mixed in the
contents of the drink as I was instructed to do.”

Something was off here. Things that had
seemed amazing were being spoken of in callous flat tones. I’d
expected some sort of celebration, or welcoming of the princess
after her marriage. Yet, other than this elaborate room, not much
else appeared to be going on.

The king looked at me before turning to
Eirian again. “You’ve chosen well. I can tell he’s a strong young
man. The child he will give you should be strong as well.”

Eirian nodded, keeping her eyes cast down.
“I concur.”

He walked over and lifted her chin until she
looked at him. “Listen to me. I know you fancy yourself in love
with him, and I can understand why he was your choice. He’s a fine
specimen, but you must remember what you are doing is a great
service to your people. He’s not for you though.”

It was all I could do to remain still and
unaffected. Something was terribly wrong. I struggled to appear
calm.

Eirian’s eyes glistened with tears. “I know,
Father. You needn’t speak of it any further.”

I wasn’t sure what was going on, but
suddenly things seemed to be very unstable.

“
It’s hard when we have to
sacrifice our hearts for the betterment of our society,” the king
said as he continued toward the open door. “I provided the best
suite I have so you could enjoy your time with him to the fullest.
Live your dream as completely as possible. His strength will make
him a formidable Blood Wraith later.”

Eirian stood still, like a statue, and I
could see her tears hit the stone floor in front of her, leaving
small, wet drops on the surface.

“
Carry on, daughter,” the
king said, leaving the room. The guards closed the doors swiftly
behind him, and the resonating sound made me feel as though I’d
just been sealed into a tomb.

I held my tongue for several moments,
clenching my teeth as I stared at the forlorn figure in front of
me. I willed her to turn and look at me, but she would not. I slid
from the bed and strode to her.

“
Tell me what is going on,
right now!” I ground out.

Chapter Eight

She lifted her red-rimmed eyes, and I could
see they were filled with sorrow.

“
I . . .
I . . . ,” she stuttered.

“
Speak to me now, Eirian.”
I watched her shudder over the use of her name. “I demand you tell
me what is going on. You told me Fae cannot lie, yet I seem to find
myself buried in the depths of deception.” My jaw twitched as I
clenched my teeth.

She shook her head. “I have not lied to
you,” she whispered. “I just haven’t shared the whole truth
yet.”

My heart fell with sinking dread. “Then tell
me why the king speaks of me as if I am nothing but a stud to
service you, instead of your husband? And what are these Blood
Wraiths you speak of? Why will I be numbered with them?” I resisted
the urge to grab her and shake the answers from her.

Eirian suddenly looked very tired—all her
sparkle had been drawn from her. “I never expected him to speak to
me of such matters. I wanted to reveal things to you myself, in my
own way.” She crossed the room to sit on the bed.

“
Reveal what? We are
bonded, yes?”

She sighed heavily. “Yes, we are, but only
for these seven days. When they are over, I’ll send you back to
live with your people.”

“
What?” the word exploded
out of my mouth in a ball of frustration.

“
Shhh. Please, Bran, the
guards will hear you.”

Once again, her voice caused an erotic
tremble to course through me, and I gritted my teeth against it.
“Don’t speak my name. I don’t want any more traps. I want the
truth.” I held my breath, staring at her while I waited to see if
she would come clean.

She sat there, silent for a few moments. “My
people are at war against an enemy we can’t defeat on our own. In
all our existence, the Fae have always had dalliances with humans.
Sadly, what you said before was true, the Fae enjoyed manipulating
them with their words. Humans were like playthings to my
people . . . a sport of fun so-to-speak.”

I went to the window, grasping one of the
stone pillars so hard that my fingers turned white. “So, is that
what I am to you? A plaything?”

“
No!” she blurted out,
wisely remaining where she was. “I’ve always loved you,
Br . . . I’ve always loved you. That’s the truth. My
people are in trouble though, and it’s my duty to help
them.”

“
How does being with me
help them?” I asked, my mind was a muddied mess as I tried to
understand what she was saying.

She clenched and unclenched her hands in a
nervous gesture. “Those creatures you dreamt of—the ones attacking
the Fae they are called Blood Wraiths. They were made during those
centuries of human dalliances. The biting and exchanging of blood
is very sensual for us, but it alters humans.”

“
What do you mean?” I was
sure I didn’t want to hear her answer, but I needed to
know.

“
It makes their blood run
cold, something about us changes them. They begin to crave our
blood, any blood really, but especially faery blood. It’s something
you already noticed when I gave you the drink which contained my
blood. It was sweeter than anything you’d ever imagined,
correct?”

“
Go on,” I said without
acknowledging her comment.

“
Midsummer’s eve is the
only time humans can penetrate our realm. They cannot stay any
longer.”