Shades of Human (Faerie-Tail Awakening Book 1)
Page 16
I laughed to hide my underlying fear of dangerous talking plants and to give myself a few moments. That same voice had come again, male and rugged, foreign and yet somehow familiar, and my heart had taken off like a start gun at hearing it again. “Ah…” My eyes darted, looking past Killian to find the source.
“I wouldn’t, you know. Even if I could, which I can’t.”
“Can’t what?” There was no one there, just a garden that was magically set to Fall like it was controlled by a hidden switch somewhere.
“Turn you to dust.” Killian frowned and draped his arm around my shoulder, forcing me to walk along the dirt path with him. “The seasons are part of our life here, giving most of us an affinity for one of the four of them.”
“S-so you have an affinity for Fall?”
The corner of Killian’s mouth twitched. “And you have an affinity for Spring.”
I spun out of his directing arm and faced him head-on. “You’re shitting me, right?”
Killian’s frown returned with a vengeance. He glanced down at himself in dismay before looking back up. “Shitting you?”
I instantly felt crass for my language and so totally confused. The words had come so easily, like they were something I would normally say. But I was here in the Shaede and I was an effing princess. Maybe I needed to go to potty mouth school. Maybe my bad language was part and parcel of being Unseelie. They were the bad half of the race, weren’t they?
“I ah, I meant me? How can I have an affinity for Spring?”
Killian hiked his chin back down the garden path we’d walked. “Haven’t you noticed?”
I followed his line of sight and my jaw fell. The yearlong blossoms no longer faced the cloudy sky. Instead, they pointed at me, their tiny faces watching my every move. “You see that too?”
“Of course I do.” Killian caught my hands and pressed them to his chest over his steady beating heart, bringing his body to within an inch of mine. He looked down at me with bedroom eyes. “You’re Fae, Ca…” He cleared his throat, “Clementyne. And being royal, if you didn’t have a seasonal affinity, I would be concerned. You’re one of us, you belong here.”
Liar.
I stepped back abruptly at hearing that same male voice. It sounded far away this time, quiet and yet shouted as if it had been carried on the gentle breeze.
A muscle ticked in Killian’s cheek, but then he grabbed my hand. “Come, I have something you need to see.”
Before I could anchor my feet or say a word, Killian pulled me forward, jogging down the dirt path. The path diverged around a giant toadstool before coming up to a long border of thick maple trees. We leaped over a cobblestone path that glimpsed back up to the castle. Another archway shrouded with naked brown vines ended the path, and we shot through at speed.
Heat and humidity skyrocketed as we passed through, and we followed a winding, sandy path that snaked along a babbling river. All around summer ruled, bringing a severity to the conditions that had sweat sprouting across my nape. Romantic gazebos dotted the rushing river line, setting a nice scene for a late afternoon reading by the lake. Rainbow colored fish jumped from the water, swimming against the current to follow as we rushed on.
Another archway made out of palms appeared, and even though I saw what was coming, the leap from one side to the next was amazing. Humidity evaporated and so did the heat. Sounds of tranquil water trickled from fountains portraying winged Fae, their upturned hands spilling water into a man-made lagoon. Gardens with not-quite-regular but far-from-giant flowers dominated the lush grounds that stretched out to shallow rolling hills. Birds chirped and bees buzzed, flitting from one flower to the next as they stirred up the aroma of pollen and the promise of new life.
Killian kept onward, but at the sight of a cluster of pale blue flowers, I unlaced my hand and skidded to a halt. Forgetting that I wasn’t alone, I stepped forward with hesitation. Something about the wide round petals and that soft pastel blue color stirred my subconscious.
Remember me. Remember them.
I somehow managed to hold onto my gasp as that male voice returned, bringing with it a flutter of sensations. Sea air, a smiling middle-aged man, and a version of me, only a little older. The sensations dissipated all to fast, and when I shot a glance over at Killian, he only seemed curious about what I had stopped for.
“We should keep going if you want to see what I have to show you.” When I still hesitated, now reaching for one of the blooming flowers, he added, “We can come back later, if you like?”
I couldn’t remember anything more, but maybe if I listened to the voice in my head, I might figure something out about who I was—said the crazy girl to the voice in her head.
You are not crazy.
And now I was having open discussions with said crazy voice. “Um…yeah. I, ah…” I snagged one of the dewy blue flowers and snapped the stem before holding it up. “Just wanted to replace your flower,” I said with an impish grin, threading the stem over my ear.
Killian shrugged off my weird behavior and held out his hand. “Time for a new trick…and a bit of memory coaxing,” he said with a wink. “Come.”
Taking his warm hand, I followed him through the next archway and into the most magical place I had ever seen. Snow crunched under our bare feet while ice crystals danced in the air. All around we were enveloped by a winter wonderland. Pine trees were dusted white while a slate sky sprinkled delicate white drops from above.
“Hold out your tongue. You’ll love it.”
I shot a look at Killian, wondering if he was suddenly getting a bit aroused. But there was nothing alluring about the look he flashed me, it was all in good fun. So I did it, poking my tongue out as his smile turned wicked. The snow started to fall faster, dotting Killian’s black hair and the shoulders of his black shirt. I started to feel silly for standing here with my tongue hanging out, but then I understood as one of those delicate ice crystals landed and flavor danced across my taste buds. It was sherbet, literal sugar-filled sherbet. And Killian was right, I did love it. I’d finally learned something about myself.
“Are your feet cold?” Killian smirked at me, looking like the devil himself.
Feeling a tickling sensation between my toes, I shot a glance down and gasped. Not only were my bare feet not cold, but they weren’t even embedded in snow. Two holes had melted around my feet, keeping the cold away as renewed blades of grass poked up around my planted soles.
“Did I do that?”
Killian caught my hand and squeezed. “Who else? You are everything I am not, the Yin to my Yang. We are the same and yet the opposite, two pieces of the same puzzle. He stepped closer, brushing my hair back from my face and taking hold of the flower I’d plucked.
Stay away from her.
Holding the flower close, Killian’s brightening eyes focused on the dewy petals. The colors of his aura intensified, ribbons of crimson mingling with earthy colors. A crackle emerged from his pinching fingers, making the flower tremble as the phenomenon grew. But this time, the flower didn’t turn to dust, it simply dried right before my eyes, stealing the pale blue from its petals. With the golden glow fading from Killian’s eyes, he gave the flower a gentle brush, removing the dried drops of water.
Cal—
The voice vanished and Killian smiled at me. “Your turn.”
“What do you mean—” I stopped myself as the flower met my palm. It was light and delicate, a litter of confetti waiting to happen should I drop it to the icy ground. But its fragile state wasn’t what stopped my words, because the flower was reviving in my palm, beige and brown receding further and further from the edges of its petals until the pale blue flower was once again alive and soft as silk. “That’s amazing.”
“You are amazing.” Killian caught my face in his hands before I could react, and his lips captured mine.
I jerked back in shock, dropping the flower as heat blazed across my face. “I’m sorry, I…”
Killian flashed me a crooked s
mile. “I’m not.”
The prince leaned in closer, moving slowly this time to gauge my acceptance over my reluctance. I froze like a statue, my heart speeding up. Warmth attacked my cheeks, and as his smiling lips parted, the heat speared down my body too. The moment his hand curled around my hip, all thoughts of seasonal affinities and strange voices fled my mind. Gold rippled through Killian’s aura, and as his wings unfolded with his broadening smile, my lips parted in awe.
“I’m right where I need to be.” Killian brushed his lips gently across mine, taking my ready mouth with painfully slow seduction that made my toes curl. He pulled away too soon and gazed into my eyes. “And so are you, Clementyne. You’re home.”
. . ☆¸.•°*。☆。*。☆。*°•.¸☆. .
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About the Author
As a child, Jessica’s vivid imagination and quiet demeanor led her to the imaginary worlds of books. Even at a young age, her love for the supernatural was strong, with her first loved books being R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. Following that she took an interest in other non-fantasy fiction, including Virginia C. Andrews series Flowers in the Attic.
In her teen years, Jessica spent many school hours writing poetry and dark short stories. She also took up sketching some of the terrifying things that came from the graphic nightmares she’d grown up with.
As an adult and after meeting the love of her life, Jessica moved to Brisbane, Australia, got married and started a small construction business with her husband. With the birth of her son, Jessica suffered PPD and found escape in her books and their imaginary (real!) characters and landscapes. It was at this time that her need to write flourished. In 2009 the decision was made and the first words to her Coming of Age Paranormal Romance novel What Lies Inside were written.
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