I stood looking over a cliff, at the water falling into a pool of unknown depth. I was in a world I never knew, a world only a few in my world knew existed.
I heard a squawk and when I turned toward the sound, the purple chicken I’d found the day before was back, but, my Goddess, he was huge! He was the size of a football linebacker, and he was headed right in my direction.
“Shit,” I whispered and took a step back. The rocks underneath my feet crumbled and I felt myself falling, plummeting toward the water below. It would be the death of me, and I wasn’t ready to die. The purple chicken looked over the cliff and tilted his head as if to say, “Where you going?”
My body moved in slow motion as I fell, it felt like it was minutes, not seconds. I looked behind me and the water was creeping slowly, but it was as if I were suspended mid-fall. I glanced back to the cliff and Greyson was there, not the foul who’d scared me.
He blinked and brought his hand down. Suddenly, it was right in front of me. I reached to take it and began falling again. I could feel the dampness of the water approaching and I screamed.
With a rushed breath, I sat up in bed, panting from the dream I’d just experienced. I looked around the room and found I was still in Greyson’s home, his bed, alone.
I let out a long breath and collapsed back onto the bed. “It was just a dream.”
“Cesha,” Greyson yelled out as he rushed into the bedroom. “Are you all right? I heard you scream and came running.”
“Ah, you do care,” I said and laid my arm over my eyes. I peeked at him from underneath, and he shook his head.
“Of course I care.”
I sat up and ran my eyes down his half naked body. He had on leather pants, boots, and nothing else. Damn, I could stare at him like that all day. “What time is it?”
“It’s still early yet,” he said and opened a drawer then pulled out a shirt. I noticed tattoos on his back and grew curious. I’m not sure how I’d missed these at the hot springs, but, then again, I was focused on him, not markings.
I climbed out of bed and padded across the floor to him. Just as he started to put on the shirt, I stopped him.
“What,” he paused and tried to turn around. I held onto his shoulders and held him in place. “What are you doing?”
I ran my fingers over the art, the tribal-like patterns that represented something to him. The tattoos I actually recognized from the books I had been reading.
“What are these? I saw them in the books, but I’m trying to remember what they mean.” As I drew my finger across his back, chills rushed across his skin. I smiled at the reaction he was having to my touch.
“The one on the top right, the one that looks like a lightning bolt, it is the rune Sowilo. It’s the character of the energy and the light. Sowilo represents the necessary powers to reach my objectives. The one below it, that looks like the letter X that has been closed on both sides, is the rune of Dagaz. It’s the awakening and the rise of the day. It’s the rebirth in the light. The one on my left shoulder that looks like a sideways arrow is the rune of Kenaz. It is the symbol of knowledge. This brings light into the darkness, it’s about learning and teaching. It was gifted to me once I came into my work as a historian. The final one, the large one that winds around my back, it’s the rune of the Light Fae. It represents the clan I belong to. All Light Fae have this tattoo on their body somewhere. Women usually have it on the inside of their wrists. Men normally get it on their backs.”
My fingers traced the outline of the Light Fae symbol. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. It was circular as if it were never ending, yet, it had thorns, sharp edges, and the promise of a fight. I loved it.
“The detail is so intricate.”
“Thank you,” he said and turned to face me. “Your touch is soft, nothing like the bite of your voice.”
I lifted my brow. “My voice bites?”
“When you want it to. Why don’t you stay here and get more reading done, or maybe take a nap?”
“Why? Where are you going? I want to go with you.”
“No,” he said, almost too quickly. “You need to stay here where it’s safe. It was a mistake to take you into the village yesterday. People talk, Cesha, and word will get out there’s a newcomer. As much as I wanted you to blend in and not be seen, I’m concerned someone still could have.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m coming with you. You brought me here for a reason, remember? Let me help.”
“I said no, and that’s my final answer on this.” He took me by my shoulders and walked me toward the bed, sat me down, then picked up the vial of blue oil.
“Stop, right now, stop. What is that stuff? The first night you used it, I didn’t pay any attention to what it was for, other than cleansing my hands. Then last night you used it on me again. Both times I fell asleep very quickly, which, to be honest, is unlike me. So, what gives? What’s in it?”
“It’s an oil to induce sleep.” He opened it. “We’ll get back to finding the missing princess soon, but for now, hold out your hand. You cannot go with me today. What I need to do I can do quicker on my own. And you need to stay hidden.”
“No,” I said and sat on my hands. “You’re not going to put me to sleep just because you think you can’t trust me to hang behind.”
He raised a brow at my words, then chuckled. “You’re telling me you’ll stay here even though you just insisted on going?” He corked the bottle and set it back down.
“Yeah, scouts honor.” I held up three fingers, but what Greyson didn’t know was I’d never been a scout, and he had no idea what a scout was anyway. I could tell as much by the confusion on his face.
“Right. I’ll be back before dinner time. Just continue to read your books, drink the wine, and eat no more than one dragon fruit.”
“Oh! Will you shift into your dragon form before you go? Can I watch?”
He shook his head. “For what I need to do, no, it won’t be necessary.”
“How many of your kind are dragons?”
“All of us,” he said, frankly. “Well, the majority of us are dragons, but there are a few that are able to choose the form of their liking. Like your purple chicken friend.”
The dream came rushing back and I made a mental note to stay away from any chickens, purple or otherwise. “People can shift into one of those creatures on purpose?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, I was only teasing.”
I grinned and laid on my side. My legs were exposed up to my hips, and I could feel the breeze just over my ass. His cheeks blushed, and I knew he was trying hard not to look.
“Are you sure I can’t go?” I ran my finger over the cover and pouted my lips. “I’ll be bored all alone, you know?”
He cleared his throat and tucked his tunic into his pants. “I’ll be home before dinner. You won’t even miss me.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that, but sure, I’ll absorb the words and drink and try not to eat too much of the amazing dragon fruit.”
Greyson didn’t say anything else on the subject when he left. He had a bag full of supplies and wore his winter coat. I sat up on the bed and crossed my legs under me. He’d hired me to find a missing princess, yet I’m no closer to locating said person than I am to understanding what it was Greyson actually wants from me. So, do I stay and be good and read like the little woman he wants me to be, or do I get dressed and follow him like the stealthy spy I am?
Obviously, the latter.
I quickly dressed, pulled on my boots and the new coat, then headed out the door. I followed his tracks in the snow and shivered slightly. It would totally suck nasty dragon balls if I were to get lost in the woods. I would be found by some lonely do-gooder, they’d turn me in to the Fae version of the police, and, my luck, I’d be tossed into some dungeon to live out my days.
No, thanks.
Just ahead I could see Greyson as he walked. The man was beautiful in many ways, and following him like a spy made him even sexier. Why? I suppose it was because I was breaking the rules he put in place.
Don’t follow. Stay back. Read books.
I was never good at following rules anyway.
Not watching where I was stepping, I broke a twig under my footing. I quickly darted behind a tree just as Greyson turned around. My heart beat rapidly in my chest and I held my breath. I gave it a moment before I checked, and I breathed a sigh of relief that he continued to walk.
Recognizing some of the area, I knew we’d been there yesterday and that the village was just around the bend. Arriving, I saw it was just as busy today as it had been yesterday. People bustled to-and-fro with items to trade. The hungry children we’d seen were sitting outside again, and one of them looked worse for wear. His eyes were sunken in, his skin filthy, and I wanted nothing more than to rock him in my arms and tell him it would be okay.
But it wouldn’t be okay, not while the big bitch and her boy toy, Prince Theo, were poisoning the water. What was next, the food supply? Talk about a coward’s way of ruling.
“It is much safer to be feared than loved because love is preserved by the link of obligation, which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage, but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.” The quote was from Niccolo Machiavelli. I’d read The Prince once for a school project and this quote had stayed with me. I never really understood what it truly meant until I’d come here to this world.
Anyone who would kill children just to gain the upper hand deserved to die.
Greyson pulled his pack off his back and began handing out loaves of bread to the families. The children stood and rushed to his side, hugging on his waist and legs. A part of me melted right there by the tree I was peeking out from behind. We fed families yesterday, but there were more to still feed. He was a good man to do this with the villagers.
I turned away from the scene and wiped at my eyes. Greyson was a truly honorable person, and I was nothing more than a sneaky piece of shit. I came to this world, paid to find a missing person, but the longer I was here, the more I began to find myself. I’ve wanted nothing more in my life than to feel accepted for who I was. Day in and day out, the coven never let me in, never gave me a shot, they just ignored me like I was a lost puppy hoping for a family to take it in. Now, in this new world, I wasn’t quite sure where I belonged yet, but I didn’t feel lost. I’d been hired to do a job that has transitioned into something more. The Fae princess, the kingdom at war with itself, and now a man whom I would love to dry hump every chance I had and take him every night in his bed. All these things have become obstacles, and I had no idea how to combat any of them.
I slid down and sat at the base of the tree, thankful the coat didn’t allow for splinters. I picked up a twig and poked the snow, the familiarity of being a loser overcoming me. I let out a long sigh and leaned my head onto my hands.
“What are you doing?”
I screamed and threw the twig at the man standing over me. I recognized the voice as Greyson, but he scared the ever-living . . . everything out of me. I got to my feet and dusted the snow off my ass.
“I, um, I wanted to hunt and put my skills to the test,” I lied. I hated lying, but what could I say? Hey, I wanted to follow you to see what you were up to.
He handed me a bag. I took it and was surprised it was empty. “You’re lousy at hiding and a worse liar.” He looked me over and shook his head. “Come on, let’s go. I want to teach you how to shoot a bow.”
“Really?” I asked, my nose crinkled. “I’m not much of a shooter or a hunter.”
“You should learn to protect yourself since you’re hellbent on not following orders. Now, tell me, why did you follow me out here?”
I sighed and figured it was best to tell the truth. “I wasn’t sure where you were going. If you were going back to the village or hunting, I was curious. I’ve never hunted for anything in my entire life. Well, except for sales at Neiman Marcus. That’s like a madhouse.”
“I need to know more about this Neiman then,” he said and motioned for me to follow. “We’ll hunt deer today. The meat is hearty and makes a great stew.”
“Bambi?” I asked. “We can’t hunt Bambi.”
“Um, what’s bambi?”
“Oh, honey, Bambi is a baby deer.”
He chuckled. “I don’t hunt the babies. I only hunt the bucks. The ones with antlers.” He gestured with his fingers, thumbs pressed to his head, like he was a deer.
I grinned and let out a soft laugh. “Cute.”
What felt like hours later, we were squatted down behind a tree. We hadn’t come across any deer, but there were a lot of the purple chickens. I kept my distance from the fuckers because of my dream. Then Greyson pulled an arrow from his quiver and placed it in the bow. He pulled it back and his jaw flexed, then he released it.
It hit something and he stood with a smile.
I jumped to my feet and clapped. “Yay, you got it!”
“Sh,” he said. “We don’t celebrate any victories until we leave. We’ll scare off any other potential animals.”
“Oh, good call,” I whispered and felt my stomach growl. “By the way, what did you hit?”
“A rabbit. Stay here while I check it out.”
I nodded and stood by the tree. He made his way over and bent down, then picked up a dead, black rodent looking thing. He brought it back and smiled. “Dinner.”
“That’s like no rabbit I’ve ever seen. It looks like a rodent but with long ears like a bunny.”
“If you’re hungry, are you picky?”
“Nope,” I said and crossed my arms over my body. “Don’t expect me to clean that thing though.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have you do that. It’s messy and I prefer my food without vomit.”
I shook my head. “He has jokes.”
Greyson tied the rodent slash rabbit to the tree. He was totally in his element out here, where I wished for a shower and a bed and breakfast, preferably breakfast in bed. He was easygoing and I was high maintenance. Well, I’d never really considered myself high maintenance until I met him and came here. We were in totally different worlds, yet I felt drawn to him. He was so different, and maybe different was good.
But did Greyson feel the same way about me?