Desert Tales: A Wicked Lovely Companion Novel

When the Summer Queen’s mortal had returned from Faerie, changed into a faery for half the year, Keenan had realized he’d lost the battle for her affections. He could keep fighting, and maybe he would. Right now, he felt a bit like retreating and licking his wounds. He’d lost his advisor to the Dark Court, his beloved to the Winter Court, and his destined queen to a mortal boy. He wasn’t going to completely give up. He was the Summer King, but he had retreated to seek allies—not just to strengthen his court but also because it would feel good to have a victory.

But I failed at this too.

With an expression that wouldn’t reveal the morass of emotions inside him, he stared at Maili and repeated, “Talk to Rika.”

At that, Keenan walked past her. The desert wasn’t the only place where he could find allies. As he’d searched for his queen for centuries, he’d met a lot of solitaries, many of whom were organized into loose groups like those here in the desert. He’d done what he could here. Maili would talk to Rika, and then Keenan would follow up. With that in mind, he left the desert behind and headed toward the forests of California. Out there they had the tall redwoods and the wide sequoias. In the boughs of those trees and in the shadows of those forests, faeries made their homes. Perhaps some among them would be willing to join his court now that he was unbound.

CHAPTER 14

From the room where Jayce was waiting, he could see into the central opening of Rika’s cave. Through a fissure in the wall, he’d watched the glowing faery, the one Rika and Sionnach had called Keenan, leave. Jayce hadn’t heard every word, but he’d heard enough to know that this faery thought he had a right to Rika’s attention —and that Sionnach was acting like Rika was his. Despite everything that had happened the past couple of weeks since he had met Rika, Jayce still knew people. Faeries might have been a big surprise to him, but he’d come to understand pretty quickly that for all their differences, they still had the sort of emotions humans had. It didn’t take a genius to notice that Sionnach had feelings for Rika. She, however, acted like she was oblivious. Jayce didn’t know if that was because she was trying not to hurt Sionnach or because she had decided she didn’t date faeries. Either way, the emotions weren’t as hidden as either faery seemed to think.

What am I doing with her?

Jayce walked to the mouth of the cave where Rika stood. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, although he suspected that the smart thing to do was to leave. Rika didn’t look at him. Instead, she stood staring out across the desert. He wasn’t sure what secrets she hid, but he knew that the past was something she avoided discussing. As Jayce looked at the shadowy desert vista, he could see light radiating from Keenan as he strode across the desert like a ground-level meteor.

“How many faeries are in line for your attention?” Jayce forced himself to stand slightly to the side and behind her.

Rika glanced back and frowned at him. “None, why?”

“The one who left sounded—”

“Keenan’s a jerk,” Rika interrupted. Her tone and expression softened instantly as she looked at Jayce. She stayed like that, silently watching him for several heartbeats.

“What?” He didn’t soften; he couldn’t. He was only eighteen, not looking for a wife or anything, but he wanted a girlfriend. He wanted this girl in his life with a ferocity that had shocked him.

For the first time since the night they’d first kissed here in this same cave, he could tell that Rika had just decided to reveal more about herself. Her expression tensed, fear and nervousness filling her eyes, and then she relaxed visibly. “He was the one who made me this.”

“He made you a faery?”

“A long time ago. He thought I could be someone he needed. I tried. I failed. This”—she gestured at herself and the barren cave around her—“is part of the price. The worst part was that there were full decades when my body was filled with ice.”

Suddenly, she seemed vulnerable and very, very sad, and Jayce regretted pushing her to tell him about her life. “Rika . . .”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I’m trying to be open about everything like you asked, but it’s not easy to talk about it.”

“I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms and held her in silence.

She didn’t cry, but she did curl into his embrace, accepting his comfort or maybe forgiving him for wanting to know. He felt a flash of guilt at the thought. He’d dated a few girls, but he wasn’t sure how to truly date Rika. Part of dating was getting to know each other, but it was hard to do that when the girl in question was some sort of supernatural creature with secrets too big for him to truly grasp.

Moments of silence passed, and he wished he had a clue how to be in her world without asking for answers that she wasn’t willing to share. He didn’t want her to be unhappy, but he wanted to know her. He stroked her hair and kept her clasped tightly to his chest. Talking wasn’t the right way to grow closer to her right now. After a moment, though, he had to ask, “How’s Sionnach?”

He knew that the faery was obviously alive and alert; Jayce had heard his voice. That didn’t mean he was fine, however.

“Weak.” Rika pulled back a little and looked toward the tunnel leading to the cavern where Sionnach was resting. “He’ll be fine in time, but she poisoned him. He’s not going to be truly well anytime soon.”

Jayce nodded, trying to find the right words to tell her that he was there for her without asking any questions that would make her grow quieter.

But then Rika blurted, “There’s no one but you in my life.”

When he looked at her, she took a deep, shuddering breath and continued shakily, “I’ve been alone for . . . ever, really. Keenan left me when he realized I wasn’t who he hoped I was. Shy’s been my friend, but we’re not . . . we’ve never . . . been anything else.”

“He’s something to you.” Jayce wasn’t accusing, merely stating the obvious. He wasn’t the sort of guy to make a scene or be possessive, but he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t notice what was right in front of him either.

“Not what you are.” She blushed. “I’ve never felt like I do with you.”

Jayce paused before he said, “He’s in your life in ways I’m not.”

“And you’re here in ways he isn’t.” She looked back out to the now darkened and shadowy desert. He knew without her saying it that she’d been checking to make sure that Keenan had left. Now that the glowing faery was gone, Jayce could see her visibly relax. Quietly, she said, “I can’t change who I am. I won’t. I made that mistake once.”

Jayce stepped behind her and pulled her against him. His arms wrapped around her, and he rested his cheek against her head. “I don’t want you to change. I just want to know you. Everything seems like such a secret.”

He could feel Rika tense in his arms, but he didn’t let go of her.

“I want to be with you,” he added. “Just talk to me, please?”

She leaned back into Jayce’s arms. “Shy sent me to see you today. He stayed here, injured, while I came to you. He’s my friend. Until you, he’s been my only true friend.”

Jayce kissed her head. “And the other one? Keenan?”

Rika laughed bitterly. “He’s never been my friend. He’s never been my lover either.” She turned in Jayce’s arms, so she was facing him. “You can trust me, Jayce. There’s no competition for my heart. My attention sometimes . . . but not my heart. Until you, I’d never even been properly kissed. No one wanted to draw with me or hike in the desert. I watched you, wanting you, and now I have you in my arms. I want to be with you.”

Jayce leaned down and kissed her, meaning to be sweet, worrying that he’d been too forward after what she just admitted. He believed what she’d just said was true, too, because according to Rika faeries couldn’t lie. It seemed crazy that the beautiful girl in his arms had been alone for most of her life. It was a little scary.