Sometimes I wonder if that’s why she’s so lenient with me. Not gonna lie, I get away with a lot. She’s just too tired to stop me from running off to the woods every day.
“Gia hurt you.” Pressing my lips together, I inspect the injury, careful not to touch the raw area. “This isn’t right. She’s your family.”
“In her own way, she believes she’s doing me a favor. She thinks taking my place would make it easier for me.”
“Bet it really chaps her ass to get beat by a blind dude,” I quip.
Kirian chuckles. “And one-handed, no less. Don’t worry about me. It’ll be healed by the time we’re done with our dance.”
I sigh. As much as I want to baby him, he’s right. The big, scary fae king doesn’t need me to fix anything for him.
“Okay.” Awkwardly placing my hand in his, I put my other hand on his shoulder.
I don’t know how to dance, and there’s no music. But it doesn’t matter. This is way better than any homecoming at school could ever be.
Kirian closes his eyes, and I feel his power rise. The hair on my arms stand up, and there’s a prickly sensation on my scalp.
Suddenly, hundreds of fireflies blink around us, twinkling as the crickets start to chirp. Those chirps change and merge until it blends into a haunting melody.
Kirian’s ability to persuade nature is an impressive power, and it never ceases to amaze me.
Now I get misty-eyed for a different reason. “It’s so pretty.”
“Only the best for you, young one.”
I didn’t think it was possible for my crush on him to get stronger, but I was wrong. Because the way he makes me feel—beautiful and worthy—is like an addicting drug I’ll never get enough of.
In a soft voice I suspect he only saves for me, he teaches me the dance steps of the fae. It isn’t too dissimilar from a waltz, and I catch on quickly.
Before I know it, we’re moving together seamlessly. Aside from where our hands are placed, there isn’t much physical contact. I’m a little disappointed about that, but it’s probably for the best. Kirian doesn’t need a pathetic fifteen-year-old perving on him.
Even if I totally want to.
As we sway together, I think about how much Kirian and I have learned from each other, how close we’ve gotten. I read books to him, we hang out in my treehouse, and he often collects the honeysuckle from the field. We eat pudding and sometimes he lets me play with his hair.
Many times, I’ve confided in him about the bullying at school—to which he promptly threatens to behead someone. And he’s told me about the hardships in his kingdom, from the poverty-stricken peasants to the constant disputes with the Day Realm.
The peace treaty is still in place, but it’s on shaky ground. Kirian hasn’t gone into details, but something sketchy is happening in the Day Realm.
They still have a reason to get along, though—the curse is very much alive since none of the men have found their soul mates.
Kirian twirls me in a circle before lowering my body in a dip.
“You’re my best friend,” I say softly as I hover parallel with the ground.
His hand flexes on my back. I’ve never told him that before. I assumed he knew, but it’s always nice to hear it.
He doesn’t respond for several seconds, and my heart sinks because I don’t think he’s going to say it back.
But then he lifts me up and smiles. “And you’re mine.” Bowing, he ends the dance. “The portal calls. I have to go, young one.”
“Take me with you.” It’s an impulsive request. One I haven’t quite thought through. But in this moment, I mean it.
“I can’t do that,” Kirian replies, stroking my pixie cut. “I can only open one portal a year. That means you’d have to spend an entire twelve months in my world before you could come back to yours.”
“You only get one portal a year?” That’s new information. I was under the impression he could hop around to wherever he wanted. “And you use it to come here? To see me?”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather go,” he says, certain.
And just like that, I forget about my hair.
Kirian
Anxiety swarms my mind as I plunge through the portal, but calm blankets me when I catch the distinct sweet scent that only belongs to one person. Quinn is near.
Every time I visit her, I’m afraid she won’t show up—that circumstances beyond my control will keep us apart. It’s happened before. I can’t explain why this bothers me as much as it does. I just know she makes me happy, and when I can’t see her, I’m beyond disappointed.
As her footsteps come closer, the branches above tremble with excitement.
Nature loves her. The trees, the insects, the grass.
They wait for her just as I do.
I’ve never known a purer heart than hers. The only time I know true contentment is when I’m here.
Smiling, I reach into my pocket and close my hand around the gift I brought for Quinn. The smooth bottle is small—about the length of my palm—but it holds a powerful potion inside.
I wasn’t kidding when I told her fae hair is precious, and I traded mine for hers. It took me eight months to track down the wizard who gave me my portals. In exchange for a tonic that will make Quinn’s hair grow back six times as fast, I had to give him six inches of my own locks. Not that it made much of a difference to me. My hair was getting too long anyway.
“Hi,” she greets me, sounding much more cheerful than yesterday.
I’m glad. I hate it when she cries. When she weeps, I get an unnerving ache in my bones. My mind fogs with bloodlust, and I crave vengeance
