Across the Veil

by Lisa Kessler

  ***

  Keth slid his Ray Ban sunglasses over his light green eyes and pulled away from the airport. Talia, or Natalie Thurmont as she called herself on this side of the veil, was the star of Avalon Magic, the hottest show on television. After a quick internet search, he was on his way to the Arizona desert where she was filming a new movie. He could be there in a few hours if the traffic on the highway was clear.

  The irony that a real princess from Summerland was using human special effects instead of her true magic didn’t escape him.

  Not that he watched the show. All right, so he caught it sometimes, but not every week.

  He gripped the wheel tighter and gunned the Porsche’s engine. Until he knew why Talia summoned him and risked using Fae magic in the human world, he wouldn’t be able to relax.

  The last time he touched her was still etched on his soul. Her blue eyes sparkled with tears, her rose lips, still swollen from his kisses, and her soft fingers tracing over his mouth, yearning for words he couldn’t give her.

  Since he’d crossed the veil, he thought about reaching out to her. But what could he say? She was betrothed to his brother. His own kin. The ruthless bastard never deserved her, but Faldo was the first born son. He had the birthright.

  And he had proof of their betrayal.

  Keth used his glamour to gain access to the movie set, and quickly located her trailer. The oppressive heat and bright sun burned his pale skin. Waiting outside wasn’t going to be an option.

  Her door was unlocked, so he slipped inside, instantly assaulted by the scent of wild roses and lilacs. He took a deep breath in spite of himself. He couldn’t help it. Memories of summer evenings by the lake filled his mind. Talia’s red hair fanning around her like fire as he laid over her.

  He could almost hear her singing. She had a voice that filled angels with envy. He frowned and looked to the other end of the trailer. Another step closer and he realized she really was singing. Pushing open the door, he found Talia drenched in bubbles.

  “Keth?” She jumped, sending a wave of bath water out onto the floor.

  He drank in the sight of her bare shoulders, the gentle slope of her neck, her full lips and flushed cheeks, and finally her crystal blue eyes.

  “Were you expecting someone else?” The thought alone made him clench his fists.

  She settled back into the bath, but not before he caught her gaze sliding up his body. “I was expecting a polite knock at the door.”

  He held up his hand, showing the ornate vine tattoo that wrapped around his wrist. “You summoned me, remember?”

  She lifted her arm out of the bubbles, exposing her matching vine. “Yes, I do.”

  “We made this pact as children. The vine would call us back together if we were ever in trouble.” He scanned the small expanse of her trailer before meeting her eyes again. “You don’t appear to be in any danger.”

  Her hand splashed back into the tub. “Can I get dressed before we have this talk?”

  He shrugged. “Go ahead.”

  “Alone. You wait outside.” Her brow furrowed, and if he’d been in a better mood he would have found the crease in her forehead comical. Talia could never pull off a cross expression in his presence. He could always make her laugh.

  Those days were long behind them now.

  Talia emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white robe. Knowing she was naked underneath distracted him. Being this close to her brought back too many memories.

  “I didn’t know you crossed the veil.” She sat on her small sofa, tucking her legs under herself.

  He shrugged. “Faldo had a price on my head. In the beginning it was easier to hide in this world.”

  “He wants to kill you?” She shot off the couch. “Why?”

  “Because he knows I...” He stopped himself short of admitting his feelings. Clearing his throat, he added, “He saw us at the lake, Talia.”

  “He knew?” Her hand went to her neck, and her gaze moved over to her tiny coffee table. “He could have declared braitheann sí. I would have been cast out, or killed for my betrayal.”

  “No.” He stepped closer. “I gave him my word that you would marry him, and in turn he would not accuse you before the High Council.”

  “You did what?”

  He never saw the slap coming. She stared up into his eyes and lowered her voice. “How could you wish such a horrible fate on me? I loved you.”

  “If I had not given him my word. He would have told the council. Once he claimed braitheann sí, your fate would have been out of my hands.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Instead you broke my heart and promised I would marry a hateful man that I didn’t love?”

  “You would still be alive.”

  “But what kind of life would it have been?”

  He reached out to caress her cheek, his gaze following the trail of his fingers, before meeting her eyes again. “I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone hurting you, Talia.”

  “So you did it yourself,” she whispered.

  Her words cut into him, but he deserved every stab. She turned away and picked up something off of her coffee table. When she faced him again, she was holding up a tiny stone.

  “I summoned you because Faldo paid me a visit last night. He threatened to send the sentinel to bring me back to Summerland unless I found you and placed this enchanted stone in your pocket. He said he would be able to track you in any world.”

  Keth made no move to take the polished rock. His gaze remained steady on her face.

  “My jacket is in the car.”

  Her eyes widened. “You don’t expect me to put this anywhere near you, do you?”

  “If it means he will leave you alone to live your life in this world, then yes. Let him find me.”

  “No.” Her hand closed around the stone. And she poked her finger against his chest. “You don’t get to make decisions for me anymore.”

  Keth grabbed her hand with every intention of taking the stone from her, but once he drew her in close, her lips parted as she stared up at him. He swallowed his bitter regrets and tightened his hold on her.

  When his lips claimed hers, she stiffened, but she didn’t pull away. His arms slid around her, pulling her closer to his chest as his tongue brushed against the seam of her mouth. Her lips parted and he growled into the kiss, finally tasting her again.

  His entire body ached for her attention, his pulse racing while her hands moved up his chest and into his long dark hair.

  How many years had he longed for this moment, for another chance to love this woman? Too many.

  Breathless, he whispered as he kissed her over and over again, “Sainmhíniú. Curse me from the Light, I cannot stop loving you.”

  1

  Talia’s heart pounded in her ears. She’d been an actress in Hollywood for over five years now and had shared impassioned kisses with many of Hollywood’s hottest actors. But they were boys compared to the man who held her tight in his arms.

  He kissed her lips like she was water in a dry desert, like she was the sun to his moon, like she was the only woman in this world or any other who mattered.

  His fingers slid inside of her robe, sending electricity racing through her veins. Her skin was on fire, sensitive and hungry for his touch. But as his palm moved up, around her rib cage, teasing the side of her breast, her brain kicked in.

  She couldn’t survive loving this man. He’d pierced her heart so deeply that she’d run away from the only world she ever knew. If she allowed him to hurt her again, there would be no where left to run. No relief from the pain. No escape.

  Talia broke the kiss and stepped back, tugging her robe tight again. “I can’t do this, Keth. Not again.”

  He stood before her, his eyes on fire with passion, and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t?” She caught herself staring at his perfect lips and shook her hea
d. “You hurt me, Keth. My heart and soul were yours. I offered myself to you freely. I trusted you and you turned your back on me.”

  A tear spilled down her cheek. “The only thing holding me together was my new life here, and my anger at you. Now you walk into my life and turn it upside down and I’m supposed to be thrilled and bed you right here in my living...” She glanced around her tiny trailer, realizing it didn’t even earn the designation of a room. “Area? I don’t think so.”

  He raked his fingers back through his long black hair, every chiseled muscle of his biceps tempting her. She gnawed at her lower lip, fighting to protect what was left of her heart, but her body was doing everything in its power to betray her.

  “I already explained. My brother found out about us, Talia. He told me he was going to name you a betrayer. He would declare braitheann sí with the High Council. I didn’t want you to marry him. Just the thought of him touching you makes my stomach retch.” He took a step closer, reaching up to wipe her tear away. His thumb lingered, sliding along her jaw. “But I would rather spend a lifetime in jealous torment, than face a day in a world without you in it.”

  “So you lied to my face. You looked me in the eyes and said you didn’t love me. You told me to marry Faldo.”

  A muscle in his cheek clenched as he ground his teeth together. “I was protecting you, Talia.”

  “No.” She shook her head, tilting her chin up a notch. “You were breaking my heart.”

  “You don’t think it killed me to see you cry and know it was my fault? You don’t think it has tortured me for the past five years seeing you on television in the arms of other men?”

  “You watched me on television?” He nodded and seemed to relax a little, but he frowned when he realized she wasn’t smiling. Talia crossed her arms. “So you’ve been here all these years, and you never even attempted to talk to me?”

  His brow furrowed. “When you left me that night, you told me you never wanted to see me again.”

  “Of course I did. You had just broken my heart.”

  “I was respecting your wishes.”

  “No, you were being a self-centered jerk. You should have found me and apologized so I could have forgiven you.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “So by protecting you, I broke your heart; and by honoring your wishes, I was a bastard?”

  “Self-centered jerk,” she corrected.

  Keth growled, stormed across the room, all two steps of it, and scooped her up into his arms. He stared down at her as the corner of his mouth pulled up, hinting at a smile. “Woman, you make no sense.”

  She laughed in spite of herself. “I’ve missed you too.”

  Her smiled faded as she looked into his green eyes. Right now they were dark, like a forest after a storm, and full of emotion. He bent to kiss her, softer this time, slowly nibbling at her lower lip as he whispered, “I am so sorry for hurting you, Talia.” Breaking the kiss he growled, “An aimsir láithreach.”

  “I love you too,” she gasped as their lips fused together again. His tongue found hers, tangling together while her limbs ached to do the same.

  Keth carried her to the couch and lowered her without breaking the kiss. As he rested above her, his fingers sliding into her red hair, she could feel his arousal against her thigh. Talia shivered with desire and moved her leg, pressing against him.

  He groaned into the kiss, his fist tightening in her hair as his other hand slid down her side until he found the opening in her robe. With his fingers splayed, his hand caressed her skin, up her abdomen to cup her breast.

  She moaned; her back arching into his touch. Keth broke the kiss, nibbling his way down her neck to her shoulder.

  Suddenly, the door burst open. A huge man with gray eyes, draped in a blue cloak and carrying an iron staff entered her tiny trailer followed by Faldo.

  Keth’s brother pointed an accusatory finger at them and bellowed, “Braitheann sí.” Meeting her eyes, he growled, “Betrayer.” Faldo tipped his head toward the Sentinel. “Take her back to Summerland. The High Council can decide her fate.”

  The Sentinel pulled his hood back, revealing his blood-red hair. Sentinels were the muscle of Fae royalty. They couldn’t wield Fae magic. Troll blood existed in their lineage. So what they lacked in magic, they more than made up for in brute strength. The iron staff would weaken most Fae spells anyway.

  As the Sentinel stepped forward, Keth leapt to his feet. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  “With pleasure.” Faldo’s mouth twisted into a sick smile. “I have waited all my life for this.”

  Keth raised a brow. “No vampires to fight your battle for you this time, Brother?”

  “Vampires?” Talia got up to stand beside him. “Vampires aren’t real.”

  “This coming from a Princess of the Fae.” Keth shook his head. “Just because you haven’t seen one, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I can assure you they’re very real. My dear brother has been sending them to attack me regularly since I crossed the veil.”

  Faldo shoved the Sentinel. “Enough talk. Seize her.”

  The hulking troll lumbered toward him, but Keth dodged his big hand. He lounged forward and hit the creature’s knees. The sentinel waved his arms before toppling over. The entire trailer rocked and the supports squealed with the force of his fall. Putrid breath expelled from the Sentinel’s lips as Keth sprang back to his feet.

  “Let’s finish this, Brother,” Keth growled. “Just you and me.”

  Faldo’s smirk spread as his eyes flicked toward Talia. Before Keth could react, his brother had her by the throat. “Stay back or I will kill her now.”

  Talia’s blue eyes met his, but there was no fear in her stare. Instead he saw determination. She had a plan.

  Keth stalled for time. “Why do you want to crush such a precious flower? Talia has always been yours, Faldo, and you have never deserved her.”

  Faldo’s face flushed red. He grabbed her forearm and jerked it up, exposing the vine that matched Keth’s wrist. “She has never been mine. You saw to that when you claimed her for yourself…”

  His words ended abruptly when Talia jammed her knee into his groin. His face paled as he bent over in pain. She slammed the heel of her palm into his nose and followed it by bringing her elbow down between his shoulder blades. Faldo crumpled onto her carpet, blood trickling from his nose.

  “I don’t belong to anyone,” she huffed. “I’m not a sack of grain or a pretty piece of jewelry.”

  Keth started to smile, but from the corner of his eye, something moved. The Sentinel was struggling to stand.

  “Get behind me, Talia.”

  She did as he asked, and he steadied himself into a fighting stance, ready to counter the creature’s next move. While they circled each other, Talia suddenly ran past him and looped a large metal ringed belt around the Sentinel.

  “Diúltach,” she commanded, but the Sentinel kept swiping at her with his large hands. She dodged and glanced at Keth. “Sorry, my magic doesn’t ever work right on this side of the veil.”

  “Diúltach,” Keth growled at the Sentinel. “I am your master now.”

  The Sentinel quieted, his arms lowering to his sides. “You have to combine our magic with human commands. It’s still not as strong, but I can usually count on it to work.” He looked over at his unconscious older brother, and then smiled at Talia. “When did you learn to fight?”

  She pulled her robe tighter and lifted her chin. “I’m not a little princess anymore. I’ve taken self-defense classes. I can take care of myself.”

  He raised a brow and nodded. “I can see that.”

  “So what should we do with him now?” She pointed at Faldo. “We can’t just leave him here for the humans to find.”

  Keth clenched his jaw as he stared down at his older brother. “We can’t let him live. He’ll never stop hunting us.”

  “A
re you suggesting we kill him?”

  Keth mulled over the thought. Cruelty was Faldo’s specialty. Even before he found Keth and Talia at the lake, Faldo took pleasure in tormenting his younger brother. While Faldo’s physical features favored the light, bitter darkness tainted his soul. The world would be better off without Faldo in it.

  Keth turned to grab the stake from his coat, but Talia caught his arm. The gentle softness of her touch pulled him back from his dark thoughts.

  Her eyes met his. “We can’t kill him, Keth. If you let darkness win, then your soul will be just as empty as your brother’s.”

  “Do you have another plan? He won’t stop, Talia. And now that he knows where you are, he will send his vampires to call on you too. They lust for Fae blood. They’ll be happy to do his bidding.”

  Talia glanced over at Faldo, then back up at Keth. “I have another costume prop with iron in it. We can take him back across the veil. The High Council can decide his fate.”

  “Why would the council believe us over him?”

  Talia straightened up, her glamour lighting up her flawless skin as her eyes twinkled up at him. Even wrapped in her terrycloth robe she looked every bit the regal faerie princess. He couldn’t help but smile.

  “They’ll believe us because I am Talia, Princess of the Light, and I have returned home.”

  He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her skin. “We have been gone from Summerland for five human years; time passes differently there, remember? The kingdom may not be the same.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” She gave his hand a little tug as she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. No flower on earth smelled as sweet and Talia’s skin.

  He pulled Faldo’s arms behind him as Talia emerged holding another belt with iron links. He wrapped the belt around Faldo’s wrists, binding them tight together. Faldo groaned, but didn’t try to struggle.

  Once Talia was dressed, he yanked Faldo to his feet. “Come brother. It looks like we’ll be going to see the High Council after all.”

  Without incident, they made their way off the movie set and out into the arid Arizona desert wind. Keth stopped Faldo keeping a tight grip on his arm, and waited for Talia and the Sentinel to approach. Once they were together, he closed his eyes and opened his soul to the magic. Cool air, rich with the scent of springtime, whipped through his hair as he chanted, “Osclaíodh sé geata. Open the gate, lift the veil.”

  Talia added her voice to the plea. Crossing the veil wasn’t like a spell. It required the veil to welcome you.

  That was probably part of the reason Faldo sent vampires to attack him. The undead were from the world of man. Faldo could bribe them with magic or jewels or even the enticement of Fae blood, without ever crossing through the veil himself.

  The air around them charged with frantic energy as the desert warped and faded. Then as suddenly as the change began, they were home. Keth frowned, his green eyes narrowing as he took in the stark countryside. Clouds blocked the sun and the lush green grass was withered.

  All of Summerland was gray.

  “What’s happened?” Talia gasped.

  Faldo let out a bitter laugh. “Welcome home.”