Ariana freezes when he pulls the knife, she ignores the pain and watches his eyes as he sees the wound. Her tears flow freely down her face and into her red hair.
“Tell me how this happened,” he says in a hoarse voice.
“I was betrayed by a Fae who turned dark named, Colin. He stabbed me thinking to use my body to enter the Vale and kill my brother, Drake. A human saved me, Reese. You know her as Queen Caderyn.” Her breathing becomes labored and she grabs his arm, “This is important because I will be gone soon. She thought I was dead, but I drew on her power to escape the shop and I ran. I knew she was the one! His Mate.” Falling back to the pillows she gasps in pain, “You should go before they come,” she says trying to cover her shame. Her arms cover her breast and she trembles as the pain eases. He covers her with a blanket and moves away from the bed.
“You will not die, my Queen. I will not allow it!” Reese snarls pacing by the bed.
Ariana starts to laugh, “You will not allow it! Who do you think you are?” she asks scooting higher up in the bed.
His blue eyes meet hers and he stops moving, “Ariana, I am the Shadow King.”
Ariana loses all her color and the room starts to spin. His voice echoes in her ear, Shadow King! “Oh no….” she whimpers and leaps from the bed. With the last of her strength, she slams a barrier around herself and calls upon her element. She reaches into the fireplace and whips the flame at him.
Reese snarls, “Culla Laoch!” blocking the flames he catches her before she hits the ground. The sleeping spell should give him time to heal her, or at least buy them some more time. Once more, he lifts her in his arms except this time, he finds he does not want to let her go. He kneels on the floor with her and pushes the hair away from her face. Again, he is in awe of her beauty. When he looks at the wound, he becomes enraged.
“I will find the Shadow that did this, and he will be judged. You will be free my Queen.” He places a hand on top of the wound and closes his eyes. He tries to use his magic to heal the wound, but Ariana begins to cough, struggling to breathe as the poison moves further up her chest towards her neck.
A wolf howls, followed by another. Reese hears what sounds like scratching at the front door. An answering howl sounds outside the bedroom window, and more respond as the house is surrounded by a pack of wolves. The scratching at the door intensifies and Reese picks up Ariana in his arms and leaps through the roof of the house, looking down upon the pack.
At the front door, a large white wolf looks up and stares at Reese with a flash of silver eyes. It howls and runs into the forest followed by its pack. Reese knows those eyes, they are Fairy! Excitement flows. Holding Ariana in his arms, he decides to trust his instincts. He follows the pack into the woods. As they run deep, he follows from above, soon he is forced to drop through the thick trees and follow on foot. He holds his Queen tight stopping only when a coughing fit overtakes her. Her pulse is growing erratic, her skin is pale and clammy, and her breathing is strained. The wolves surround him as he places her on a bed of green moss.
“Ariana,” he whispers. He is afraid. Afraid he will have to watch her die, as he did his wife, Wynn. One by one, the wolves shift in a brilliant flash of white light. Reese finds he is surrounded by Forest Fairies. They are cousin to the Fae. All have white hair and silver eyes surrounded by white eyelashes and beautiful silver wings. They are protectors of the forest and all living creatures.
“Do not fear, brother. We are close, bring her.” The leader calls and she helps him stand and urges him through some brush into a clearing.
Reese cradles Ariana in his arms and runs, following his cousins. He soon finds himself standing in a clearing, with a hot spring. The moon illuminates the spring, and each fairy takes their place on a stone until they circle the spring.
“Hurry, healing flows into this spring. It flows from the sacred well,” she reassures him.
He steps forward carrying Ariana, and the pack leader walks over and touches her forehead. Ariana opens her eyes; too weak to fight she simply stares in wonder. “Reese?” she questions.
“It is okay, Ariana, they want to help,” he promises her.
“My Queen,” the forest fairy says, “it is time for you to heal, and rest. You must not fight the healing; do you understand?” The white fairy smiles at Ariana’s nod, and tells Reese, “Carry her into the spring and hold her tight.” Her smile fades and her silver eyes flash, “Don’t let go, he will fight to keep her.”
“Very well.” He starts to step into the spring, but Ariana stops him.
“Wait, Reese, you do not have to do this. You owe me nothing,” she says struggling to get away.
He squeezes her and says fiercely, “I will not lose anyone else to the shadows!” He needs no more urging and he sheds their clothes and steps into the hot water.
It is deeper than it looks, and the water flows up over the couple as he sinks deep into the steaming pool. He finds a
