Temporary—the young man was keeping the store going while Caspian was in Annwyn. This man was fairy.
Her heart bounced in her chest as she slid her hand into her handbag.
She swallowed and tried not to panic. That was two fairies in as many days, not including the Greys. This man wasn’t a Grey. She was sure of that. He also didn’t have that same hungry air that Verden, the Hunter, had worn like a cloak.
Maybe this man knew something that could help. “Has he called, or said when he’ll be back?”
“He’ll be back before the three days is up.” The fairy considered her for a moment, his gaze flicking to her handbag.
Did he sense the iron? Surely not.
“Oh, I was hoping he’d be back sooner.” She faked a smile. “Never mind.”
She took a step back. She shouldn’t have been so nosy and insisted on checking out his shop. If his car hadn’t been there she wouldn’t have stopped. Who was she kidding? She totally would have, just to see what he sold in here and what the price tags were.
The bells on the front door chimed again, but there was no one there. Another fairy, one she couldn’t see. How nice it was that this one had made himself visible.
“I’ll let Caspian know you stopped by. And you are?” He smiled as if inviting her to tell all.
Dylis’s warnings echoed in her ears. She had iron, she hadn’t agreed to anything, she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything he’d offered, and she certainly wasn’t going to give her full name. She could do this and get out of here with her soul intact.
“Lydia.”
“Lydia.” Her name rolled off his tongue like it was made of silver bells. “Bramwel at your service. I shall pass your message on.” He gave her a half-bow.
Who did that? Fairies, apparently.
“Thank you.” She forced the words out.
“Do not fear, we always keep our word.” He flashed her another smile, but this one was more calculating, as if he’d known all along that she knew what he was and held iron in her hand.
Chapter 18
“Caspian ap Felan,” Felan intoned, “do you surrender your soul willingly to Annwyn?”
Caspian glanced back at the castle and all the things he hadn’t seen, but in that heartbeat he knew he could spend his whole life here and never see everything—that was the trap. “No. I choose to remain in the mortal world and live out my days there.”
“Very well, I shall ask you twice more before you die.” Felan moved his hand over the gap and the surface shimmered. “You are free to leave Annwyn, but be aware without your soul you are the equivalent of a banished fairy. You will weaken and die.”
“How long?” What would it be like to live without a soul? Would he miss it?
“I can’t say exactly, one turn of the moon or three? You had less magic in you to begin with and you won’t be able to resize like a Grey.” Felan touched the mirror hanging under Caspian’s shirt. “Find it fast and help me stop the poison corroding Annwyn.”
He looked his father in the eye. “Are you commanding or asking?”
“Both. I have no wish to see you die.” Felan offered Caspian his hand.
Caspian clasped it, but Felan drew him into an embrace. “Do not fail me, son.”
Then Caspian found himself in a cemetery in the rain. Water trailed down the back of his neck and he tipped his face to the darkened sky. The air wasn’t scented with flowers, just the tang of ocean and heavier smell of dirt. The plants were duller. Loss for the beauty of Annwyn cut through him like a knife. He couldn’t think past the pain. He wanted to be part of beauty. With each breath the fog that had enveloped his mind thinned. He knew he was in the mortal world for a reason. He touched the sliver of mirror hanging around his neck. Down the road was a house. That was where he needed to be. Beneath his hand his heart beat. It took a moment for him to register what that meant. He was alive, but not human—that part of him was still in Annwyn.
Which meant he didn’t have long before he’d start to wither like any other Grey.
Lydia jumped at the knock on the door. She peeked through the front window to see who was arriving so late. Caspian was on her front step, soaked through. She flung open the door and stared at him for a moment, not sure if she should throw her arms around him and never let him go, or tell him to leave because she couldn’t go through all that worry again.
She wrapped her arms around him before she could check herself again and behave a little more appropriately. She’d missed him so much. She’d worry about the consequences of falling for a fairy later. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek, then found her lips. He kissed her like he’d been starved and was hungry for everything she had. She let him steal her breath, his tongue slipping past her lips. She melted against him, not caring that the cold and wet seeped into her skin. Relief pushed every other thought aside.
“Oh my God, I was so worried you weren’t coming back. I went to your shop but there was some guy there claiming to be your assistant.” She kissed him again. “What the hell happened?”
He looked at her, but his pale green eyes seemed different somehow. There was a faraway look.
“Are you okay?” She touched his cheek, rough with stubble. Had he been drugged?
“I’m fine.” His arms were still around her as if he couldn’t bear to let her go. “What day is it?”
Her breath constricted but she forced her voice to be calm. “It’s Monday.”
He nodded like the day held great significance. “I missed you.”
“Me too. I mean I missed you.” She placed her lips against his again. His lips were sweet. Too sweet and too tempting. Yet cold. “Let’s get you in; your skin is freezing.”
He stepped into the house and Lydia realized he was still in the same clothes. His feet were bare and muddy. How far had he walked like that? Maybe he was just glad to be out of Annwyn. With a last glance outside she closed the door and locked it, knowing she’d be sleeping here again because the idea of letting Caspian out of her sight was unthinkable—what if he disappeared again? A frisson of excitement ran through her at the idea of sleeping with Caspian. Then she glanced at him; he looked like he needed to actually sleep.
“Why don’t you have a shower to warm up? I’ll put your clothes through the dryer.” Water dripped off his jeans and onto the rug. For a moment the wet splotting sound was the only noise.
“Lydia…” He reached for her as if he couldn’t live without the contact. His hand was cold. How long had he been standing in the rain?
“It doesn’t matter. Tell me later, if you can.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know; she already knew far more than any human should.
His shoulders slumped. “I feel like I haven’t slept in days.” He pushed the fingers of his free hand through his wet hair. “Like I’m not sure what’s real.” Then he looked at her again as if he didn’t know what to say.
“You’re in no shape to get home on your own.” But aside from looking drained he didn’t seem to be hurt, but then she didn’t know what kind of damage a fairy could inflict. They probably had much more subtle methods than humans. She suppressed a shiver. They’d let him go, for the moment that had to be enough. “Come on.”
Lydia led him upstairs. She fetched clean towels and put on the heater. He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt before shrugging out of it. She eased the sodden fabric away from his skin. Her fingers brushed over his arms, she let them linger on his skin for a moment, unable to pull away. It had been days and all she wanted was to have him in her arms and make sure he was really there.
She turned on the shower, but kept her gaze on him. He turned around and her tongue swept over her lip. Then she saw the necklace hanging against his chest.
A piece of mirror on a silver chain. It was nothing special, and yet… Maybe it was the curved shape or the smooth edges. She was used to seeing sharp shards when mirrors broke but this looked polished. Her face was
