Aiden and Tiago walked together down a winding path, holding hands. Warm contentment filled Aiden, and he pushed Tiago against one of the huge old trees. Tiago’s lips parted, welcoming and eager. Aiden kissed him, and their hands roamed over each other, alternately caressing and gripping. No one was around. Maybe they could…
Something bright caught Aiden’s attention, and he looked down to see an orange bird hopping along the ground.
Awareness rushed through him, making his head tingle. “This is a dream.”
“What?” Tiago blinked at him, then looked around at the forest. “This is…like the dream where I met your fae mom.”
Aiden gripped Tiago’s shoulders, as solid and warm as in real life. “Holy crap, you’re really here.”
“We’re dreaming together?” Tiago’s brown eyes were bright with wonder.
“How is that possible?”
Leaves rustled and branches snapped. Aiden tensed as he turned toward the sound. What if Morgan was coming after him? He should have thought to bring the dagger to put under his pillow. There were wards around the house to keep them safe, but Aiden had gotten used to sleeping without the dagger and he’d left his dreams vulnerable.
A figure appeared, partially obscured by the tall undergrowth, and Aiden held his breath. His magic answered him, and he put an arm out, nudging Tiago behind him.
The person crashed through the leaves, and Aiden sagged with relief. “Nuala!”
“Aiden. Are you all right?” Her face was full of worry.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” The lingering soreness from his injuries hadn’t followed him here. “This is Tiago. I guess you already met him.”
“Yes.” She still looked worried, but she smiled. “Your lover. Thank you for carrying my message to my son.”
“You’re welcome.”
The dream walker appeared on the path a few feet away. “Ah, you found him.”
“Oh, maybe you know,” Aiden said. “How are me and Tiago in a dream together? I know dream walkers can bring someone with them, but I’m not…” Or maybe he was?
Caelan came closer. “He is your lover, yes? If your bodies are in contact, then he can be pulled with you when I step into your dreams.”
“Like the flower.” Or the leaf he’d brought to Morgan. Holding those objects close to his body had allowed him to bring them into his dreams.
“Curious that this has not happened before,” Nuala said.
“This is the first time we’ve actually slept together,” Tiago said.
Her eyebrow arched. “I thought humans usually shared a bed with their lovers.”
Aiden’s face heated. “They do, but we’re young and I still live with my parents and I can’t just ask him to sleep over when I know they know and—”
“It’s complicated,” Tiago said. “It really doesn’t bother you that we’re both guys?”
“What are guys?”
Even with the weird old-fashioned way she talked, Aiden sometimes forgot she didn’t understand modern terms. “Men. Males.”
She frowned. “Why should this bother me?”
Tiago shook his head, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Maybe we should go live over there.”
“In the normal—uh, human realm, some people think it’s wrong to have lovers of the same sex,” Aiden explained.
“I have heard that humans have very strange ideas about sex.” A concerned look crossed her face. “You have not been harmed for this, have you?”
“No.” Only words. Sticks and stones…
“I felt as if you were in danger. That is why I came.” She brushed her hands over him as if looking for injuries.
“I was in danger. I’m safe for now, but…” Realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. “Maybe you can help us.”
Aiden told her about the breakout. “There aren’t enough wardens, and I don’t know how we’re going to fight Morgan and the others when they come back. Even without the help of dark fae, the extremists took out half the wardens. But if I can open a portal to Faery, you can come and help us.”
Nuala touched his face. “I would do anything for you, but this is a fight I cannot win.”
His stomach twisted. “Maybe you can bring help. Other light fae.” Although Aiden didn’t know why anyone else would be willing to come to the human realm to fight for people they didn’t care about and then probably end up stuck in this world forever.
“I will try.” Her jaw tightened, and she glanced over at the dream walker.
Caelan shook her head. “I am not unsympathetic to your plight, but I will not leave Faery.”
Nuala sighed. “I will find others. But you must start the potion immediately—”
“I, uh, sort of already did.” Aiden looked at the ground. “Just in case. But I’ve only been doing it for about a month. That means we still have to wait another two months.”
“With more blood, the potion would be ready sooner. The amount required to open the portal now would kill you. But you could take it from others—”
His head shot up. “No!” Cold dread gripped him. This was all a trick after all.
“No, Aiden. I do not mean you should hurt anyone. But if others with strong blood were to offer theirs, it would strengthen the potion. Your Shadow Valley is full of powerful beings. If they wish for the fae to help them against their enemies, then they must provide a way for us to cross.”
“You can have my blood,” Tiago said.
Aiden squeezed his hand. He hated the idea of taking Tiago’s blood, but it was also good knowing Tiago would do anything for him.
“You will need many others,” Nuala said.
Aiden took a deep breath. “Okay.” That meant talking to Mr. Johnson and explaining that he’d been secretly in contact with his fae mom. But if it was a way to save Shadow Valley, then the warden couldn’t be too mad. Right?
“I will speak to those I know. The Summer and Winter Courts have an uneasy truce, and I believe there are some warriors who would be eager for a chance to battle dark fae. Ah, but I must find a way to explain how I know this without revealing who you are.”
Or the queen of the light fae might come and kill him. God, his life was weird. “You talk to your people, and I’ll talk to mine, and we’ll meet again tomorrow.”
Hopefully that wouldn’t be too late.
* * *
“I can’t believe you were so reckless.” Mr. Johnson wasn’t shouting, but he didn’t need to.
Aiden swallowed and dropped his gaze to the polished wood of the desk. “I know, but she’s my birth mom. I had to know if it was true. I had to talk to her.” They were in Bryn’s study, which had practically become their secret meeting room.
“It could have been a trick. It could have been Morgan or some other fae trying to gain access to this realm.” Mr. Johnson paced on the other side of the desk.
“I know.” He explained the precautions he’d taken. Despite being nervous and guilty, his anxiety was barely there. Maybe yesterday had taken too much out of him.
Mr. Johnson sighed. “You should have talked to me about this.”
“You would’ve said no.”
The look Mr. Johnson gave him made it clear Aiden was right.
Aiden waved his hands. “Forget about all that for right now. She’s offered to help us against Morgan and the others.”
Mr. Johnson’s eyes narrowed. “And just how is she going to do that?”
There really was no good way to bring this up. “We can use the same spell Dylan used to open a portal to Faery.” Aiden tensed for the reaction.
“Of course.”
“I know what it sounds like, but it’s not like that. She didn’t bring it up until I told her about what happened yesterday. She’s worried about me. And she doesn’t want to use the spell, it’s just the only way she knows to come to our world.” Aiden had known convincing him wouldn’t be easy, but from the expression on Mr. Johnson’s face, this was hopeless. “You don’t understand. I felt it. She’s really my birth mom, and she wants to keep me safe.”
“Even if I agreed to this, the spell takes three months to prepare, and we likely don’t have that kind of time.”
Aiden squirmed in the chair. “Uh, well. She said we could speed it up by using blood from a lot of powerful supernaturals.” He definitely wasn’t going to mention the blood potion he was already working on. “So if you and Bryn and other—”
“How convenient.”
Frustration and worry combined to raise Aiden’s temper. “What else are we going to do? Do you have a better plan for defeating Morgan and the extremists? Those dark fae went through the prison wards like they were nothing.” The memories welled up, and Aiden pushed them back. “The extremists alone took out almost half the wardens and police. We’re sitting ducks.”
Oh goody. Here came the anxiety.
Mr. Johnson took a deep breath. “I’ll discuss this with the council. Given our current circumstances, it may be worth the risk.”
“You agree with me?”
The warden held up a hand. “Until they make a decision, I don’t want you to communicate with Nuala. Put the enchanted dagger back under your pillow and keep it there.” Half to himself, he added, “I’ll have to give one to Tiago as well.”
Aiden’s boyfriend had managed to sneak back out of the room without anyone catching him, so no one knew they’d spent the morning together. “Do you think the council will say yes?”
“I’m not going to speculate, Aiden.”
“But—”
“I’ll explain everything to them, including your assurance that this fae woman is telling the truth.”
If Aiden could take Tiago with him… “If you want to meet her, I could take you with me. At least, I’m pretty sure.” Even if that would be really awkward.
A flicker of something that might have been curiosity crossed Mr. Johnson’s face. “That won’t be necessary.” He stood. “And do not contact her until I give you permission. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Johnson eyed him for a moment. “Swear it to me.”
Hurt and anger made Aiden’s chest tight. Mr. Johnson didn’t trust him although in this case the warden was right not to. Aiden had no intention of staying away from his birth mom, especially if she could help. He had to word this carefully. “I swear not to contact Nuala until the council has made a decision.” Magic tingled through him, making the promise binding.
“Thank you.”
Aiden wondered if he’d made a mistake.