The Imp Prince

by Kat Lind (ed)

  “I have never known my parents either,” said Gentille. “It is rare for my kind to have attachments to their children. It is mostly the elves and the Sidhe who have strong family bonds like those of the humans. I have had to learn my way around this world on my own and have craved to have a mate of my own ever since—ever since I was able to understand anything.”

  Leander placed a warm hand over her’s. “Well, you’re no longer alone. You can visit me anytime you please.”

  A smile lit up her face. “I can’t wait to see the special place.”

  He drove them through the morning hour traffic rush as they went toward the town center. He stopped in front of a tall building. Gentille’s head was raised up as she counted the number of levels in the structure. Leander smiled as he watched her confused face.

  “We find the most unexpected things in the most boring places. This way,” he said, leading her through the revolving glass doors. Entering the elevator, he pushed the knob that read ‘20’. The sudden movement made Gentille clutch onto his arm. He patted her shoulder to reassure and calm her. The gates opened up to reveal an unused floor. Most of it looked like a storage area with stacks of boxes and broken stuff all piled together. Taking her hand, he led her through the garbage until they reached a narrow flight of stairs. At the top of it, they came across a door, but it was locked.

  “What do we do now?” asked Gentille.

  “Not to worry. I have the key,” he said with a smile.

  When he unlocked the door, Gentille gasped. On the other side of the doorway, lay a beautiful garden under a glass roof. As she stepped there, she turned around the spot slowly, taking in the site. Flowers were growing in every corner. Thick vines grew all around the glass house. If one looked closely among the large, flat leaves, they would see glimpses of fat pumpkins peeking out.

  “What is this place?” she asked with wonder. “It looks like a garden in the sky.”

  Leander chuckled. “It’s a greenhouse. When I was fourteen, I came to one of the offices in this building with my uncle. For some reason, I ventured up the stairs and found myself here with a man placing potted plants on this roof. It was such a quiet and lonely place with nothing around it. I really felt like he and I were the only ones in this world. That same year, I bought this floor for my birthday. I asked for the same man to come here and work to build up a garden for me.” Walking toward a plant with brilliant orange blooms, he said, “Sometimes I come up here and look after them. No one knows of this place other than the building manager.”

  “It is beautiful,” she said, coming to stand beside him. “One thing that we fae like the most is flowers. Some of our kind can make them bloom just by their magic.”

  He walked further inside and stopped in front of the door leading out to a patio. Opening it, he gestured for her to go through. There was a bench placed there. Taking a seat, he asked her to sit beside him.

  “It’s really nice after dark when the sounds of traffic disappear, and the stars come out,” he said, his voice almost dreamy.

  Releasing a sigh, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Can we stay here until then?”

  Bending his head on top of her’s, he said, “If you want to.”

  They remained that way for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. Little did they know that their hearts yearned for the same thing.

  <<<>>>

  Later that evening, Leander spoke to her. “Since tomorrow is the last day that you have to be here, do you want to come back here with me?” Taking a deep breath, he rushed on. “Like, on a date with me?”

  “What do you mean ‘on a date’?” she asked, eyeing him curiously.

  Clearing his throat, he tried again. “In our world, if we like someone, we try to see if things can get deeper between them. Like, if they can be more than friends, you know?” He waited for her to refuse him like she’d rejected Fredrick earlier that day.

  To his surprise, she blushed furiously and dipped her head. Then to his complete astonishment, she gave a short nod. “I’d like that.”

  They had dinner at a posh restaurant where he ordered her a cheese-stuffed hamburger and chocolate milkshake. It made him happy to see her looking delighted as she tasted each of the food items.

  After driving themselves back home, Leander saw Gentille to her room. Lingering by the door, he wondered if she would allow him to kiss her. As he looked at her, she seemed nervous as well, as she tried not to look at him but seemed reluctant to say good night. Taking a deep breath, he took a step toward her. When she did not make a move, he leaned in slowly, giving her ample time to move away. To his surprise, she closed the sparse distance between them and kissed him.

  It was not his first kiss with a girl, but it was the only one that seared his mouth as soon as they touched her’s. She tasted of honey and lavender, making him flick his tongue around her lips to taste her more. They were completely unaware of the dark figure that lingered in the shadows as they remained in their bubble of bliss.

  Leander had no idea how much time had passed when their lips parted. She looked out of breath and panted heavily as she raised her golden eyes to him.

  Kissing her lightly on the lips again, he said, “Good night.”

  He waited until he closed the door to his room and then did a goofy little dance. Happiness and excitement coursed through him, making him feel drunk and giddy. Taking his cell phone from his pocket, he dialed a number.

  “Mr. Sanchez? I need you to do me a favor,” he said.

  “Anything for you, Mr. Leander,” replied the voice on the other end.

  “I am bringing a date to the garden tomorrow night. Do you think you can make the arrangements for dinner and music on the patio? Maybe have some more lights there, so it’s not so dark?”

  The old man snorted. “I cannot believe how old you’ve grown! I’m sure Gina will like to help. She’s the one who reads the magazines on this kind of stuff, but you don’t worry. I’ll handle everything. You just be there with your special lady by 6 P.M.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Sanchez. She really is special.”

  Leander heard more sniggering through the phone and felt a chuckle escape his own lips as he disconnected the call.

  He was about to remove his shoes to get to bed when he heard a sudden thud on the other side of the wall. Alerted, he pricked his ears. Now he was able to hear sounds of cursing and noises of more things falling on the floor.

  “Gentille,” he breathed.

  He rushed out to check on her. To his dismay, the door to her room was thrown wide open. Entering through it, he was met with the most repulsive sight. Fredrick held Gentille by her throat, while he pushed her against the wall. Struggling against him, she cried loudly. He blocked her mouth with his hand as he threatened her. “Shut up!” he hissed.

  Rage flared through Leander. All his life, he had chosen to ignore Fredrick’s vile manners, but at that moment, he felt unforgiving fury at his cousin. Crossing the room in long strides, Leander gripped him by the shoulders and pulled him away from Gentille. The surprise was clear on Frederick’s face as he faced Leander. Before he could react further, Leander’s fist had collided with his face.

  “How dare you touch her?” bellowed Leander, throwing another punch at him. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on her?!”

  Meeting Leander’s enraged eyes, Fredrick spit out blood. “I told you to let me share her with you. You can’t have something that I want under my father’s roof,” he hissed.

  “She’s a person! Not something to share,” spat Leander. Taking him by the collar of his shirt, he pushed Fredrick out of the room. “Get out! If you come back, I swear I’ll kill you,” warned Leander.

  Giving Leander a look of pure loathing, Fredrick stumbled away.

  Turning around, Leander saw Gentille on the floor, leaning on the wall. The sight of her bruised face suddenly drained him of all anger as he went near her. Sitting down beside her, he gingerly touched her hand. Her top
az eyes were widened in fear as they looked at him.

  “I’m so sorry, Gentille,” he said. “I’m so sorry that this happened to you while I was so near you. I’m so sorry that I failed to protect.” He wanted to say more but felt his voice caught in his throat.

  Tears poured from her eyes as she moved closer to him and broke down completely, laying her head against his shoulder. Bringing her to his chest, he held her until her sobs quietened down.

  “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m here as long as you want to be here.”

  Her grip on his shirt tightened. “Don’t leave me tonight.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll go close the door. You can shift if you need to or just sleep. I’ll be right here on the sofa.”

  Give a slow nod, she allowed him to get up.

  <<<>>>

  Fredrick had gone to his mother for comfort. His bruised ego could not take the double hit of rejection and his cousin’s fist. Frieda fussed and cried at the sight of her son’s bloodied mouth and promised him vengeance.

  “I’ll make sure the bastard never lays a finger you,” swore Frieda. “He’ll meet the same sticky end as his parents, perhaps, even a worse one.”

  “Thank you, Mother,” crooned Fredrick, his cold blue eyes glittering with malice. “Can I have her as my prize?”

  A surprised look came into her eyes. “You really like the girl that much?”

  “Yes. She’s pretty.”

  She giggled. “Then she’ll not be touched. She’ll be kept whole for you. I’m so glad your father is not in town now. Makes everything so much easier.”

  “Yes,” growled Fredrick, his eyes alight with anticipation.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning Leander woke up with his hand feeling stiff. Opening his eyes, he saw that Gentille was lying beside him with her head resting on his arm. Shifting slightly, he moved into a more comfortable position that allowed him to hold her as well as gaze down at her. The soft morning light fell on her face, giving it a golden glow. Taking a deep breath, he wished the moment to never end.

  A loud chirping of birds outside made Gentille squirm and sigh. Blinking her eyes open, she caught Leander looking down at her. A smile lit up her face as she said, “Good morning.”

  “Ready to get up?” he asked.

  She nodded and sat up.

  “How about we freshen up and head out for some breakfast? Since you won’t have to return here tonight, we can pack all your things up. I’m sort of glad for you that you won’t have to stay here any longer,” said Leander.

  “It was not your fault. You cannot hold yourself responsible for what your cousin did last night.”

  “Still,” he said in a tight voice. “He should not have hurt a guest of mine. Perhaps, it’s time that I move out of my uncle’s home. I am almost eighteen anyway, so it should not be a problem. This way, you will feel safer when you visit me again.”

  Stretching her hands over her head, she fixed him with a mischievous smile. “It is only now that I am weak. Once my powers come back, it will be his turn to fear me.”

  “So when do your powers come back? Today at midnight or tomorrow at sunrise?”

  “Tonight,” she said as she rummaged among her shopping bags.

  Getting up from the bed, Leander headed toward the door. “Come to my room when you’re done,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  Entering his room, he headed toward his closet. Choosing a shirt that was more formal than the others, he laid it on his bed. He spent a good amount of time in the bathroom, applying gel to style his curly hair.

  Gentille entered after he had finished spraying some lemon-scented perfume on his shirt.

  “You look very handsome, Leander,” She said, with a light blush on her cheeks.

  “You look pretty yourself,” he complimented her back as he took in her beautiful golden dress and matching shoes.

  After enjoying breakfast at a restaurant, Leander showed her around the main attractions of the town. They visited a war memorial, a small museum that housed artifacts from the Civil War, and the local amusement park.

  They had the most fun at the park, trying out different rides and filling up on junk food. The last time that Leander had visited the place was when he had been a child, and his mother had brought him during a weekend. With Gentille at his side, he felt the same joy and cheerfulness that he had felt years ago.

  When evening fell, he took her to a quieter part of the park.

  “Are we still on for our date tonight?” asked Leander.

  With a light laugh, she said, “I thought we were already on it.”

  “I guess we were but, I wanted to do something special. I arranged for a dinner on the patio of my rooftop garden. Would you go there with me one last time before you go back home?”

  “I would go anywhere with you, Leander,” she said, gazing up at him.

  Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips. “Thank you for coming into my life.”

  By the time they reached the office building, the area around it had become deserted and quiet. It was easy for him to enter the place because of his access card. When they reached the top floor, they were surprised to see that it had been cleaned of all the debris that had littered the space yesterday. Now, it presented a well-lit corridor that led to the garden.

  Leander blessed his friends, the old Mr. Sanchez and his daughter for completely transforming the glasshouse into a fairy garden with golden lights strung over the plants and climbers. Gentille gasped in surprise and delight as she took in the sight.

  As they headed toward the patio, they saw a small roundtable with two chairs around it. On a separate table in the corner, they found pots and casseroles filled with delicious food for the dinner. A large basin with ice chips contained a bottle of red drink for them to share. Picking it up, Leander saw that it was sparkling grape juice and not real wine. Smiling at the thoughtfulness of Mr. Sanchez, he invited Gentille to take a seat.

  The evening melted away as they enjoyed the food and talked about the adventures that they had in the last few days. Neither wanted the day to end, but as the night grew longer, a cold mist began to settle around them. When he saw her shivering, he handed her his jacket.

  “How about we go back home and wait until tomorrow? There is no need to hurry tonight,” said Leander.

  She took a moment to consider his words and then nodded. “As long as you promise to stay by my side.”

  Her request made him feel the flush heating his face, and he was glad of the darkness. “That is not a problem. Let’s go, then.”

  When they stepped out of the building, a group of men approached them. Something about their gait alarmed Leander. Taking Gentille by her hand, he increased his pace to reach his car, but before they could get near it, they were surrounded.

  “Is that the kid?” asked the guy leading the group.

  “Yes, boss. Looks like the boy in the picture,” said his companion, tapping on a photograph in his hand.

  Shielding Gentille behind his body, Leander asked, “What do you guys want from me? If it’s my wallet or phone that you want, just ask for it. We don’t want any trouble.”

  “Leander?” questioned Gentille, her grip tightening on his arm.

  “It’s all right. I’ll protect you,” he said, placing his hand on hers.

  The main guy guffawed loudly. “What a Romeo!” Swallowing his chuckles, he said, “Give the girl here.”

  “No. I’ll give you guys whatever you want but leave us alone,” said Leander.

  “Get them,” said the man.

  At once, five men approached them. Leander began to fight them off, but their numbers proved to be too much for him. Within minutes, he had been beaten down to the ground. Gentille screamed as one of them grabbed her. Eyes screwed shut in pain, Leander struggled to stand up.

  “The lady was right. This one is hard to put down,” said the leader. “Get the bats and finish this quickly.”

  Before Leander coul
d comprehend what was going on, he felt the sharp and painful hit of a baseball bat on his back. Within moments, he was showered with more strikes. He could feel the snap of his bones as they continued to beat him. Blood poured out of his battered body as he remained on the ground, barely having the strength to move anymore.

  “Is he dead?” voiced the lazy drawl of the men’s leader.

  “Think so, boss. He ain’t moving no more,” said one of them.

  “We have to make sure. Someone take the boy’s pulse.”

  “Get away from him,” screamed Gentille, struggling against a large man’s hold.

  The strike of a faraway clock on a tower in the town’s center signaled midnight. Suddenly, the man holding Gentille yelled in surprise. As the others turned to look at him, they saw that both his hands were on fire. Two of them rushed forward to help him put it out, but as soon as they touched him, they were wrapped up in flames too.

  “What’s going on?” shouted the leader in panic as he watched the three men howling in agony as the flames devoured their bodies.

  The remaining two men turned around to look for the source of the threat. As they did, their eyes caught sight of the girl hovering several inches off the ground.

  “How is she doing that, boss?” they asked, their voice quivering at the eerie spectacle of the girl hovering in front of them. Her hair blew around her head without any breeze, and her eyes glowed yellow in the dark.

  “All of you shall die,” she said in a cold voice.

  Before they could even think of running, they were lit on fire like their companions. As they shrieked and ran in pain, Gentille lowered herself on the ground and ran toward Leander’s fallen body. Crouching down beside him, she raised his head to rest it on her knees. The sight of his mangled body brought tears to her eyes. Ignoring the shouting men around her, she cried for her love.

  All of a sudden, she felt a slight movement under the hand that was on his heart. As she looked closer, she could see the feeble rise and fall of his chest.