by Brenda Trim
I’ll be honest, I thought discovering I was some hybrid would make the aches and pains go away. Sadly, that was not the case. I will say I didn’t look my age. The fine lines around my mouth and eyes hadn’t increased since I was in my early thirties.
Unlike most of my friends who had to dye their hair to hide the copious amounts of gray hair, I had found less than a dozen strands on my head. And, yes when they start to appear you count them until they overwhelm you. Seemed I took after my grams in that respect. She never looked her age. Even when she died at eighty, she easily looked like she was a couple decades younger.
My symptoms were all in relation to my body. Hot flashes, loss of muscle tone, aches and pains. You name it.
I laid my head back and soaked in the rays of the late morning sun. Fall in England was crisp and cool. I loved it because walking outside could invariably lower my temperature when the hot flash hit, making it less likely that I’d pass out from heat stroke.
Shivers wracked my body. It was suddenly much colder. I cracked an eye open and noticed there were dark clouds covering the sun. The skies might open at any moment. The rain here was something I hadn’t gotten accustomed to yet. It seemed like it was always drizzling. I refused to let the threat of rain force me inside. Once the water fell, I’d have no choice. I don’t like my clothes soaked through.
A snap echoed from the forest across the road leading to Pymm’s Pondside. I never went over there and explored. Perhaps Grams had moved a family of kobolds or pigwidgeons.
Deciding to check it out, I rose from my chair with a groan and crossed the yard and dirt driveway to the forest. The chill increased as I walked, and I wrapped the sweater I was wearing closer to my body.
There was nothing obvious along the edge of the trees, so I passed between two massive sugar pine trees. The instant I was off the road and into the trees the ground cover became thick. Ferns and other plants were everywhere.
The scent of dirt and mold increased as I walked. It was colder under the cover of the canopy of trees and I started shivering. My stomach roiled and I battled nausea. I had one leg over a fallen tree when a creature stepped out from behind an oak.
I fell off the tree, landing on my ass when I tried to turn and run. The newcomer gave off an evil vibe. It looked human for the most part. Except its skin was white-blue and its hair was as white as snow. Its eyes were scary as hell. They were black with no whites around it like those of a shark. And he was tall. Easily seven feet, but he wasn’t as muscular as Sebastian.
I scrambled backwards on my hands when I noticed the fog coming off his fingertips. It reminded me of a dry ice when liquid was poured over it. It was like some ice giant
“I’m so glad you came to me.” The creature’s voice was rough and gravelly, but not in the sexy kinda way. “You’re going to do me a favor and bring me your family grimoire.”
Ah, so this was the fucker that tried to buy the book from Filarion. Was he the one killing others in town? “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m not giving you a damn thing.” Using the fallen tree, I pushed to my feet and started backing away.
“I think you will.” He tilted his head to the side and pointed a finger at me. I had no idea what he intended, but I wasn’t going to stick around.
I’d just turned around when ice hit my back. A scream left me as I arched, and my vision blinked in and out. Agony was a living being inside my body. I’d never felt anything so excruciating.
I stumbled forward and made it two steps when a band of cold wrapped around my throat. My hands flew up and it felt like shards of ice sliced through my fingers when they landed on Ice Giant’s arm.
I had to make it to my house. My gut told me the family protection spell I had added to would repel him. My skin stuck to his when I pried my grip free. Ignoring the blood that trickled out of the wounds, I formed a fist and punched behind me. I wanted to claim victory when I hit his face, but it was like hitting a block of ice. Hurt me more than it did him.
Ice Giant chuckled in my ear, letting me know I was doing no damage. It was infuriating. I just needed to make it to the driveway. I crouched as much as possible and managed two steps before he stopped me again.
There was a stick in front of me that was covered in frost. He must have stepped on it to lure me out here. Reaching down, my fingertips scraped over the branch. After three tries I managed to pick it up. Shoving it over my shoulder, I poured all my strength into forcing it through his skull.
I didn’t hit as much resistance as I expected. His shout of pain bolstered my confidence and I let go and ran for my house. He hit the back of my head and sent me sprawling to the ground. I was less than ten feet from my driveway at that point. Just a little farther. C’mon you got this!
Rolling to my back, I kicked out and immediately wished I hadn’t. He cast some spell or did something because my foot froze the instant it made contact with his body. The branch sticking out of one eye was highly satisfying and made it easier to deal with the discomfort.
“I said get me your family grimoire. Now!” He was shaking with his fury.
“Why do you want it? What’s in mine that isn’t in any witch’s?” I had to assume every magical family had such a book.
“That’s not of concern to you.”
I had been inching my way toward my property the entire time. I was now less than seven feet. Could I lunge and reach it? On the cover of trying to get up, I crawled toward a tree next to me. “Ow!” I yelped when the missing flesh scraped over the bark.
Once on my feet, I panted as he watched me with a confident smirk on his face. I was even closer now and could definitely dash for safety. My foot was defrosting and was numb which might be a problem, but I couldn’t let that stop me.
“Enough stalling. We are getting your grimoire now.” When he reached for me, I jumped toward my driveway. It was awkward and I ended up stumbling rather than executing a graceful dive for the dirt.
When my face hit the drive and I got a mouthful of sand, I wanted to cry out in victory. Instead, I cried out in agony when his hand latched onto my frozen appendage. My gaze shifted and I snarled while kicking and screaming. The heel of my tennis shoes connected with his face. I saw a fine line appear in his skin, but he didn’t let go.
Think, Fi. There has to be some way to hurt him. A smile spread over my lips as I calmed my frantic mind and stopped fighting. He was dragging me back into the woods, but it was obviously difficult for him.
“Liquescimus.” The second the words left my mouth, the grip on my foot disappeared. Without hesitation, I tucked my legs to my chest and moved every inch of my body through the protections around Pymm’s Pondside.
The Ice Giant howled, and his skin darkened while the fog turned to smoke. He glared at me and tried to step through the trees and grab me, but he wasn’t able to cross the edge of the forest. When his skin bubbled and blistered he turned and took off.
My head was pounding as hard as my heart, but my foot was no longer frozen. I needed to get up and get inside. Violet and Aislinn were due for lunch soon, and I should text Bas and let him know what just happened.
Every cell protested movement and I worried I would have to crawl to my back door, but Theamise hurried to my side and helped me to my feet. “Are you okay? I heard the noise and saw the ryme attack you.”
I tried to catch my breath and settle my racing heart, but nothing was working. “That’s what that is called? A ryme?” I shook my head. That didn’t matter at the moment. “I’m okay now. I shouldn’t have gone into the forest when I heard the branch snapping. I assumed it was another of Gram’s friends living in our forest. Thank you for helping me.”
Theamise kept her arm threaded through mine and walked with me as I headed toward my house. I was so scared I was shaking. I had almost been killed just now. There was nothing as jolting as that.
My life was no longer recognizable, yet I wouldn’t want to give it up for anything. I felt like a new woman now. Gone was the heartbreak. I wa
s no longer a walking corpse. But that shit I could do without. While the adrenaline rush was undeniable, I didn’t want it if it meant being attacked and nearly killed.
“Will you be okay on your own?” Theamise’s dark skin was regaining its color but she was still chewing on her lower lip.
I bobbed my head up and down once then patted the wood nymph’s arm. “I’ll be fine. Violet and Aislinn are on their way. You’re welcome to have the muffins I baked. Oh, and why don’t you offer some to Kairi. Wait. Do mermaids eat regular food? Do you?” I was learning, but there was still so much I didn’t know.
Theamise laughed and it blew away the lingering evil that surrounded me. I still needed to scrub my skin, but it was better already. “Yes, we can eat your food. I haven’t talked much with Kairi, but I know she will enjoy the treats. If you need me just call out and I’ll be here.”
“Thank you, Thea. You’re a true friend. It’s reassuring to know I’m not alone at Pymm’s Pondside. I’m not sure I would be able to stay if you guys weren’t close.” The wood nymph smiled and bounded over to the table and picked up the plate. It wasn’t until then that I realized the set wasn’t wrought iron like I believed. Aislinn told me Fae were afraid of iron or something and Theamise showed no hesitation or fear. I should have known. Grams would never have anything that would hurt her friends.
I went into the house and picked up my phone then sent Sebastian a text warning him a ryme was nearby. He lived in a cabin not far from my house, so he could be in danger.
I had showered an hour ago, but I needed to another one. My skin was sensitive as if I’d gotten a wind burn and my fingertips were raw. Fortunately, my foot seemed to be unharmed.
The adrenaline vanished completely about halfway up the stairs, leaving me wasted. A nap sounded great, but the girls would be there soon for lunch. The hot water felt great, but I didn’t linger in the shower. Once dressed, I decided to put my thick soled boots on before I went downstairs.
“Ah! What are you doing here?” My hand shot out and braced me before I fell when Sebastian startled me.
He was standing in the living room. For a second all I saw was a figure that was too large to be one of my friends and I panicked. I thought the ryme had discovered a way to enter my home.
“I got your message. What happened?”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Do you want some tea? I’d rather tell the story when Aislinn and Violet arrive.”
He watched me for a couple seconds before shaking his head. “Do you have any scotch? I have a feeling this day is going to require one. Or ten.”
“I think Grams left some above the fridge.” I grabbed the step stool then placed it in front of the appliance. I had to go to my tiptoes to reach the back of the cabinet. My fingers curled around the bottle and I picked it up.
When I went to step back, I slipped and fell. The air rushed past me for a split second before steel bands wrapped around my shoulders. My face was inches from his and I suddenly wanted him to kiss me and make me forget the awful experience with the Ice Giant. This man could make me forget my own name when he kissed me.
The clearing of a throat broke the spell. My head turned and my cheeks heated instantly as Bas let me go. I wasn’t entirely steady and ended up stumbling off the step stool.
I smiled at Violet and Aislinn even though I wanted to sink through the floor and die. They would never let me live that down. “Hey. What have you got there?”
Aislinn held up the bag she was holding. “Lunch. I was craving tacos.”
“Yum. Thanks.”
“Now tell us what happened with the ryme,” Bas demanded before anything else was said.
Setting the whiskey down, I grabbed a rocks glass then ice from the freezer and poured him a drink. I leaned against the counter and told them what had happened while I got a platter for the tacos.
“Why did he want the grimoire so bad? My mom never warned me I needed to guard ours with my life.” Violet selected two crispy shells and brought one to her mouth.
Sebastian nodded. “I never gave the magical tomes a second thought. I mean all Fae know a witch’s grimoire has power unlike anything we’ve been taught. Lore is that the most powerful of your kind have spells we can use, as well. I don’t think it’s that thought. Your family is special. It must have something to do with the portal.”
“Unfortunately, that’s what I was thinking.” I walked into the pantry and moved a sack of flour aside and grabbed the massive book. “One of my ancestors along the way must have suspected the danger and spelled it so no one but my line can read the thing. Let’s see if I can find what they are searching for.”
Aislinn finished a taco and wiped her hands. “Do you really think there is a spell in there that has to do with the portal?”
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. “They had to have documented something in the event your line dies out. They wouldn’t want to leave the thing unguarded.”
I noticed most of the early pages had to do with witchcraft and at some point, there was a shift and it started mentioning how to call on the elements to balance the magic. Fae were fueled by nature and the elements found within. I wonder when Fae blood entered the line.
“This book is so freakin big. When did my family take over the portal?” I looked at Violet then Aislinn. Both shook their heads.
Bas poured another drink and took a sip. “It was many centuries ago. The previous King fell in love with one of your ancestors and they had a daughter. It was difficult to travel between realms at that time. There were two maybe three sites, but none close to Cottlehill, so he created this portal.”
It was fascinating listening to how life worked back then and the events that lead to my existence. “Let me guess, he and this ancestor of mine decided they didn’t want just any Fae crossing, so he made her the Guardian.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Not exactly. They didn’t worry much about it until one of his enemies crossed and killed her in her sleep. That event weakened the King and eventually led to his downfall.”
Looking up from the book, I gaped at him. “Holy shit. That’s awful. Losing a spouse is one of the hardest things you can go through. Especially if you loved them. Losing a child is a close second. But your husband or wife is the person you decided to spend your life with. Every plan you made for your life includes them and when they’re gone you have to refigure your entire existence without your best friend by your side.”
I lost my appetite and set the half-eaten taco down then went back to my search. “I see the change when Fae magic mixed with ours. The spells and considerations changed. But I don’t see anything…no wait. Here’s a spell to shift the portal to another being. We were right. They are trying to take control of the thing. It says here the spell requires the blood of all Fae.”
“We need to protect that book at all costs,” Violet announced.
Aislinn grabbed a glass and poured herself some iced tea. “Can the ryme get to Fiona here?”
Sebastian looked at me and I swore he was gazing into my soul. “Not with the layered spell surrounding Pymm’s Pondside. But, just to be safe you and I will reinforce the protections together.”
I swallowed and fought back the desire raging through my blood. This man was addictive, even with his grumpy expression. Maybe the spell with require it to be cast sky clad. There will be no naked times. It was a distraction I didn’t need at the moment.
Chapter 15
I leaned against the door for a few seconds after Violet and Aislinn left with a promise to meet at the bookstore the next day. I should leave with them. I was alone in my house with the Bas. He was too sexy for his own damn good.
The energy of the house had shifted during the lunch I shared with my friends. Ever since he caught me, the tension between Sebastian and I was sizzling. And nothing had made it better. Now we were supposed to cast a spell together to protect my property so the ryme and any other dark Fae couldn’t get through and take my family grimoire
.
Focus on that. You can’t let it fall into malicious hands. That should help calm me and keep me centered, but it didn’t. Footsteps made me lift my head to see Bas staring at me with one eyebrow arched.
“You doing alright? We can wait to do this another time. You aren’t completely vulnerable. They’d have to use significant magic to break through and that would alert me and you.”
I opened my mouth to latch onto that promise but didn’t say anything. “Let’s do this. I don’t want to risk the others that live here. Theamise and Kairi escaped torture and were given a safe place to stay. I won’t risk that.”
Bas closed the distance between us and placed his arms on the door by the sides of my head. His body caged me in. Being surrounded by him was nothing short of alluring. His heated blue eyes tracked my movements as I licked suddenly dry lips.
He lowered his head and paused with his lips an inch from mine. His breath smelled like whiskey, yeasty and cereal-y. That’s not an actual word, I know, but it’s the only thing that came to my desire addled brain.
I was silently encouraging him to press his mouth to mine when I realized I didn’t need to wait for him. I was a grown ass woman, not an insecure twenty-something. Lifting my chin, I closed the distance and pressed my lips to his for the second time.
My arms slid over his shoulders and wound around his neck. The groan he made was punctuated by him picking me up with his arms behind my back. My heart picked up its pace and I swore it would burst from my chest.
His lips were soft and firm and full of electricity. The zing turned my blood to champagne in my veins. My legs wound around his waist and I gasped when his erection hit the sensitive area between my legs.
Desire flooded my panties and I started writhing while his tongue traced a path over my mouth, seeking entrance. I opened and let him in. His arms tightened on me. Everything but getting this man naked fled from my mind. I’d never wanted anything so much in my life.