With a soft smile, she says, “You should stay with them, Jazmin. You will be safe here, but I have to find him.”
Jazmin puts her body in front of Bastian, to protect Caderyn. “You can’t be serious! They don’t want me here. I’m staying with you!” She tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder and glares at the large Fae.
“My Queen,” Bastian says not bothering to hide his disgust, “If you will not stay, then I will be your guard.” He turns to the Vale, gives a wave, and the mist begins to fade.
“We do not need an Elf to protect us. Besides, you will stand out like a sore thumb,” Jazmin says with her hands on her hips.
“I am no elf, human! I can show you the difference if you wish!” he quips back.
“Okay, children, let’s play nice,” Caderyn says hiding a smile, as she begins walking back to the car.
Bastian watches as the mist slowly fades, and when the first note floats through the mist, Jazmin turns and stops. Caderyn steps beside him feeling the music in her soul.
“What is that music?” Jazmin asks softly. He turns, and the pain in his eyes strikes her heart.
“It is called Ode to the Fallen. They mourn the passing of our Queen.” He turns away, closing his eyes, and lifts his face to the music.
Caderyn listens to the music for a moment, and hears the King’s voice, “Thank you, for not letting her die alone.” Sadness fills her heart, and she doesn’t know if it’s his or hers. The loss she feels is gut-wrenching. Her tears roll freely, and Caderyn walks fast, trying to escape the pain.
Jazmin watches her friend and faces the Fae in front of her. His beauty is shocking, and she feels drawn to him. Tall, and lean, long dark hair, and dark eyes, and she wonders for a moment what he would taste like. ‘Jazz he’s from another… God, she doesn’t even know what he is! Cadie needs protecting, and she has no one else. Time to set some ground rules’, she thinks.
“Bastian, I am sorry for your loss, but Caderyn is special, she feels things deeply. I will not let you hurt her.”
His dark eyes pierce hers, and he looks her over. His eyes start at the ground and flow up her body, and she reacts as though he were touching her. Her desire is intense. “What could you possibly do to me, human, I am immortal.” As he flows past her, he stops beside her and whispers in her ear, “Do not threaten me, you are impotent against my race.”
Her hazel eyes fill with outrage, “Who...”
Caderyn’s scream splits the air, and they both run. Bastian is gone in an instant, and Jazmin struggles to make her way through the brush. When she pushes through the brush near the parking lot, she finds Bastian with his sword drawn, trying to locate the source of his queen’s fear. Caderyn is on the ground.
“Cadie, what is it?” Jazmin asks falling to her knees beside her on the ground.
“He’s hurting him again. I can feel it.” She moans doubling over in pain.
Bastian is stunned. “You can feel it? You’re linked to him?” He picks Caderyn up and looks at Jazmin, “Hold my arm Jazmin and picture your home.”
“Wait! Jazmin, get my bag!” Caderyn says desperately. Jaz runs to the car and grabs the bag from under the seat. When she turns, she finds Bastian waiting behind her.
“Oh my God! Stop flashing around! I could have shot you!” Jazmin snaps.
“We must go, grab my arm!” The moment her hand touches his arm, they are surrounded by light. He moves quickly through space, arriving in her living room.
Jazmin gasps and clutches his arm as time and space swirl around them. “Amazing!”
They arrive in her apartment, and Jaz quickly lets go, embarrassed. A blush covers her cheeks, and she avoids looking at him. “Put her down on the couch, I will get a blanket.”
Bastian watches her move away and gently places the Queen on the couch. “My Queen, how long have you had this connection?”
Jazmin comes back in and helps prop her up and gives her a cup of water. “Here, this should help.”
“Thank you, Jaz. The pain is fading now,” Caderyn hesitates not sure what to tell him. Can he be trusted?
“Tell me his name. I don’t even know his name,” she pleads, ignoring his question.
“His name is Drake. He is the King of the Fae. The first and the only,” he replies.
“Drake,” she says, trying the name out, then smiles. ‘Drake, can you hear me? Caderyn calls.’
“I hear you, my queen,” he replies. “You can trust Bastian, he is pure of heart.”
Caderyn sits up and puts the cup down. She leans forward and says, “Drake says to trust you. So, I will.”
Shock flashes across his face for a second, and then his immortal mask falls back into place. “Where’s he being kept?” Bastian demands. She’s shaking her head before the sentence is finished.
“I don’t know, Bastian. I only get feelings, images, and dreams.” Frustrated, she tells him about her dreams. “Each time I get close, I wake up. The last time he was so close, I could almost touch him.” She reaches out a trembling hand as if he is standing before her.
“I don’t understand any of this!” Caderyn says to both of them, jumping up in frustration. “Why me? I am not a queen! I’m a landscape designer, that’s all! Now, I am seeing things that can’t be real, and hearing voices in my head!”
“Drake is your mate, Caderyn. The Fae only have one soul mate. We are immortal, and some never find their match. Your connection is
