by Maya Daniels
“To look pretty?” She lifted both her eyebrows at him before she grinned. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop joking. It’s just that every time a situation gets intense, my mouth spits out whatever comes to my mind regardless if it makes sense or not. It’s my way of dealing with stress, I guess.” Fern didn’t smile or look away from her. “Fine! I will follow your lead, just don’t be a jerk.”
“Thank you!” A heavy sigh escaped Fern at her promise, and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “As I was saying, we will do our best to avoid them and to not be seen.”
“A little late for that,” Darion murmured, and a chill passed over Iris’s spine. Fern’s eyes glowed as he glared at Darion. “They kind of saw me lurking in the shadows.”
“And you came straight here where my mate is?” Fern yelled and punched him in the face.
Darion stumbled but stayed standing. “As much as that was deserved, I would never lead trouble to your mate, old friend. I lost them through the tunnels before I came back.”
Fern felt horrible for acting on his anger and grabbed his hair in both hands, looking at Darion. “So, what do we do now?”
“Now we make them sleep.” Iris grinned.
On silent feet, they moved through the tunnels. Darion led the way, and Fern took the back so that they had Iris sandwiched between them. She tried to protest, but when they pulled their weapons out of thin air again, she had no argument about who was a better option to take point and rearguard. Her fingers twitched as she did her best not to allow her thumb to move from finger to finger. If her magic built inside her, eventually it would have to come out. If there was no need for it, she might give away their position.
Darion stopped, and she bumped into his back stumbling back a step. When he looked over his shoulder at her, Iris gave him a sheepish smile. Fern’s breath tickled her skin and his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her to his chest.
“I need you to pay attention, little flower. You can get lost in your thoughts later when we are away from danger.” Fern’s lips touched her ear with his whispered words, and the nickname he gave her turned her into a puddle at his feet.
Iris felt a sappy smile stretch her lips a second before his lips moved into a grin on the skin of her ear. Turning her head to look at him, she didn’t miss the satisfied smile he tried to cover up with a reassuring nod. She gave him a frustrated glance right before she elbowed him so hard he grunted, bending down slightly as the air whooshed out of his lungs.
“You think giving me nicknames will allow you to manipulate me? You ass!” she hissed at him, glaring. “I am paying attention!” Straightening up, Iris lifted her chin and walked away from him jerkily. She passed Darion as well, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.
“Iris!” Fern growled, but she turned around, placing a finger to her lips to shut him up.
Fern and Darion both went very still, straining to hear any sound to indicate that someone was headed their way. They were so tuned into their other senses that it took them a moment to notice Iris waving a hand to get their attention. When they turned their full attention on her, with a sweet smile, she twirled her hand in the air, flipped them her middle finger and walked into the shadows of the adjacent tunnel.
Closing his eyes, Fern shook his head and huffed a deep breath. Darion chuckled under his breath, slapping Fern on his shoulder as he followed behind Iris. Fern took a few more moments to just stare at the ground before slowly walking after them. The witch will be the death of me, and I’m immortal. He chuckled under his breath at that thought.
Slinking through the dark tunnels illuminated faintly with a few glowing crystals here and there, trying to avoid the area where the other Fae were waiting, was not an easy task. Fern wanted to get them away from that area, but Iris was having none of that. Before they left the safety of the pool cavern, she informed him that she would make sure they didn’t need to look over their shoulders the entire time they were in the caves. The air thickened with the stench of wet rock and mud the deeper they went. It was getting warmer too, and their skin soon glistened with beads of sweat, their hair sticking to their skin. All three of them stopped at different times at the sound of a rock falling or the ground under their feet trembling slightly.
Uneasiness built in Iris’s chest the longer it took to maneuver around those that meant them harm. She had to take slow steps, fitting her feet between fallen rocks and avoiding puddles in case they were deeper than they seemed.
Unclasping the cloak, she folded it over her left arm to give her hands something else to do. It wasn’t the time to gather her magic yet. And then, she heard it. A low murmur of voices filtering through the air made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and her heart speed up. They were getting close, so she pushed her arm back, stopping Fern and Darion from moving. They stood there for a long moment, all three holding their breath, trying to decide which way the sounds came from.
Looking over her shoulder, Iris hoped that the two men behind her could see her well enough to read her lips as she mouthed, “To the left.” In two steps, she flattened her back to the wall of the tunnel, creeping up slowly towards the bend at the end so she could poke her head out. Fern and Darion followed suit, but Darion placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her movement and took his place in front. It annoyed Iris that they kept doing it as if they thought she was stupid and would give them away. If anyone knew how to not draw attention, it was her. She’d stayed away from people and blended in the background her entire life.
Stopping when they reached the bend, Darion slowly leaned out, checking the way ahead as Fern stopped so close to Iris, she could feel his body heat seep into her bones. Since they’d had sex, her entire existence seemed tuned into him, as if she could tell every twitch of his body no matter his distance from her. It was as distracting as it was exhilarating. Darion snapped his head back to look at them with wide eyes. Some unspoken words passed between him and Fern over her head, and she clenched her fists.
“Stupid elves!” Her words barely passed her lips as she seethed. She was tired of them acting like she was some clueless little girl. They didn’t have time for this. The urgency that something would happen soon pushed Iris to irritation at their overly cautious approach.
She slid down the wall, crouching with her back pressed to the wet rocks. Ignoring everything around her, she took a deep breath and started humming under her breath. Fern wrapped his fingers around her upper arm, maybe to lift her up, or tell her to shut up, Iris was not sure which. But when she looked up at him, he froze in place. Iris didn’t stop humming, even when the low murmur of voices went silent, indicating that they’d either heard her or were wondering what was going on. Her voice became louder, the melody passing her lips haunting in its beauty as her soft, sultry voice carried and echoed off the tunnels.
Darion and Fern swayed on their feet, and Iris pointed frantically for them to cover their ears, so they didn’t get affected as much. As soon as they followed her directions, awe replaced their frowns. Iris didn’t miss a beat as she continued humming, her thumb moving from the tip of one finger to the next as her magic swirled around her in tune with each note.
Snapping out of his trance, Darion stopped, staring at the human crouched at his feet. Never in his long life had he heard something so beautiful as the sound coming out of her, as she looked as if she attempted to lull herself to sleep. Purple tendrils pulsed around her in time with the song, and they began floating forward, passing through the tunnel as if searching for something.
He still felt the effects of her voice; his heart had slowed, and his body felt more sluggish, but having his palms pressed firmly to his ears helped a little. If Iris hadn’t told them to cover their ears, Darion knew that both he and Fern would’ve been on the floor sleeping by now.
Fern stumbled slightly, passing Iris and Darion as he walked closer to the curve in the tunnel. Carefully, he leaned around to look ahead of them. The tunnel continued into the
belly of the cave, but on the right side, a few yards away, was an opening to another cavern. Light flickered from inside like someone had a fire going, the yellow, orange, and red shades dancing on the gray walls of the opening. Iris’s shimmering purple magic pulsed along with it, entering the cavern without the slightest change in direction.
With a frown, he inched around the bend and crept closer, careful not to make a sound so he didn’t disturb the melody still echoing around them. His heart thumped in his chest when he reached the entrance and looked inside.
Over thirty warriors were fast asleep wherever they’d been standing. The purple mist shimmered around their bodies, cocooning them, while weapons, food, and other items lay dropped carelessly around them. In the vast cavern, not one person stirred. Pulling back his head, Fern hurried back to where Darion and Iris waited.
“You can stop now, Iris.” He raised his voice so she could hear him. Her lashes fluttered before lifting to reveal green eyes that took his breath away. They glowed just like his when he used his power, only hers were green with purple specks through them.
The song cut off and Iris took a deep breath, slouching further towards the ground. Fern was next to her before she could see him move, lifting her up and cradling her to his chest.
“I need to see,” she told him weakly, and sluggishly waved her arm in the direction of the cavern.
Fern carried her there with Darion close on his heels. When they reached the entrance of the cavern, Darion gave a low whistle as he looked around with interest. Iris did too, trying not to miss any detail in the ample open space.
“I must say, you surprise me more with each passing moment, Iris,” Darion mumbled next to her. “I’m thrilled you are on our side; I’ll say that much.”
Lifting her face to look at Fern, Iris narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re welcome, elf.” When he frowned, her lips twitched before lifting in a smile. “Not bad for a helpless little flower, huh?”
“Now what?” Darion asked stopping whatever Fern was about to say. Iris wiggled, and Fern let her slide down his body to stand on her own two feet. “How long will they sleep?”
Looking around, Iris smiled wider. With confident steps, she walked inside the cavern followed by Fern and Darion. “They’ll be out for a while, but just in case”—winking at Fern, she pointed at the coiled ropes sitting to the left next to the wall— “I say we tie them up.”
“You are a lucky man to have a mate like her.” Darion’s laughter made Iris giggle. Fern tried to keep his frown, but his twitching lips betrayed him, so he laughed too.
It took some maneuvering to make sure everyone was tied up with the rope they had available. Iris stood to the side, eyeing Fern as he moved around, muscles bunching while he expertly tied the sleeping Fae to each other. His eyes glowed slightly from time to time as he reinforced the knots with his own ability. Flicking her gaze to Darion, she saw him doing the same.
"They won't wake up anytime soon." She assured them, impatiently shifting from one foot to another. The urgency increased, but she pushed it down the best she could.
"We better make sure we have as much time without dealing with any of them as possible." Not looking away from his task, Fern flexed his arm as he pulled on the rope he held. "Not that I don't trust your power, Iris." Finally looking up, his attention was entirely on her. "I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it in my life. Not even Lazarus could control so many at once."
"I didn't control them." Iris huffed crossing her arms over her chest, but she couldn't hide her defensiveness. "I just wanted them to sleep and not give us any trouble."
"What Fern is trying to say," Darion butted in, glaring at Fern, "is that it takes great power to have an effect on so many at once. It's a good thing, Iris." He smiled at her reassuringly. "Fern just hasn't used words for anything other than barking orders in a long time. I'm not sure he remembers how to talk like a normal male."
"I know how to talk!" Fern snapped at Darion, annoyed with him. Darion just lifted both eyebrows as if saying “you just proved my point” and Iris laughed.
"I think you are right, Darion." She laughed harder when Fern turned his frown on her. "He is just a grumpy old elf." Darion released a deep belly laugh.
"If we are done here, we should go and not waste any more time." Looking around to make sure they hadn't missed anything, Fern pointed towards the entrance of the cavern. "The sooner we find what we are looking for, the faster we can get back to safety."
Darion picked up a few daggers and small weapons, stashing them in little holsters that Iris hadn't noticed before. The man was like a magic bag. He seemed to pull stuff out of thin air without anyone noticing where he’d kept them in the first place. Fern watching her reaction, smiled.
"It's one of his gifts." When Iris looked at him in confusion, he jerked his thumb towards Darion. "He can manipulate objects to be smaller so he can fit many in a few small pockets.” Darion grinned at her and winked before stuffing another dagger in the same holster as the one before it.
"And what are your gifts, Fern?" Curiosity got the better of her, and she looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"I feel the energy of objects, that's why I'm a good tracker. If you need to find something, I can do that faster than anyone else in this realm." Walking up to her, Fern placed his large hand on the small of her back, guiding her gently to exit the cavern. The warmth of his hand sent a thrill through Iris, and she had to lock her muscles to suppress the shiver.
"Can you find what we are looking for here?" Iris looked across her shoulder at him.
"No, unfortunately, I need to know what we are looking for to find it." Frowning slightly, he tilted his head in thought, making his long hair slide over his shoulder onto his broad chest. Iris tracked the movement of the silky strands, her fingers twitching with the need to touch him and push it back. As if reading her mind, Fern looked down at her, and a wolfish smile stretched his lips.
"You can touch me if you like, little flower. I am your mate, and that means I'm yours to touch."
They walked through the tunnels, Iris lost in her thoughts about what he’d said, hoping that Fern knew where they were going. Darion kept a few paces behind them, giving them some space to talk. In theory, Iris knew that after everything they'd done, she could touch him if she wanted. She had read enough books to understand what being mates meant in fiction, but those were only make-believe tales about eternal love that every woman dreams about. This, on the other hand, was real life, as crazy as it turned out to be in her case. Eyeing Fern from the corner of her eye, she steeled her emotions and decided to ask. If she looked like an idiot, so be it.
"So…" her voice trailed off as she tried to ignore him staring at the side of her face. "Being mates is like what? An uncontrollable need to be with someone, and no one else will do for you? The gods taking your free will to choose and picking someone for you?" She dared to glance at Fern, but at his horrified expression, she turned to look at him thoroughly.
"No!" Stopping in his tracks, Fern grabbed both her hands in his. "Is that what you think? That I had no say if you would be my mate? Is that why you asked if it bothered me to have the same symbols marking me as yours?" He searched her face. Unable to answer him from the lump in her throat, Iris nodded.
"I'll scout ahead, so you two can talk." Darion squeezed her shoulder as he walked past them and disappeared through the bends of the tunnel.
"Those that have powers"—with a sigh, Fern released one of her hands to rub his face—"those like me and you, could always mark each other as mates. Until the queen cursed the portals, and us along with it, it was a normal occurrence. It's the greatest honor to be seen worthy, to be marked. The fates, or gods as you like to call them, don't do it for us, little flower. We make it happen ourselves."
"I sure as hell didn't mark you on purpose. I swear I didn't. I would never do something like that without asking." Now Iris was horrified that Fern would think she'd try to trick him into something.
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Throwing his head back, Fern laughed, and Iris watched with her lips parted as his beautiful face lit up from the inside. When he looked back at her, his eyes were crinkled at the corners, and his smile stretched his full lips, making Iris press her thighs firmly together and squirm.
"Just like humans, we find some people more attractive than others. When you are physically attracted to another like you were to me"—he winked at her his smile growing, and Iris wanted to punch him—"your power, your magic, tests their power to see if it's compatible. The main reason for mating links is to make both parties stronger. When the link forms and the mating is completed, it's an unbreakable bond. But it's not made if we don't want it. You chose me, as I chose you. Our powers just agreed with our choice. They formed the marks linking us together, making us a strong, unbreakable unit."
"That's very strange." Still a little confused, Iris chewed on her lower lip.
"What's strange?"
"I honestly thought you didn't like me." Fern opened his mouth to say something, but she placed a hand over his lips. "You acted like an ass, elf, and you know it! I didn't know what the symbols were. I just assumed they were some crazy manifestation of my magic after I came to this realm."
Kissing the palm of her hand, Fern removed it from his mouth. "I owe you an apology for that, Iris. I hope that one day you will forgive me for acting like an ass. I knew that Lazarus was an evil creature intent on hurting us all. The oath I had no choice but to give almost killed me. Instead of dying, I found myself in two realms at once, my physical body in your realm, my spirit in this one thanks to Ivy. Secrets came out left and right about Lazarus, the Queen, even about Ivy and her powers. And then when I was finally back in my body... there you were. Your power radiated from you in waves while you kept claiming to be human. Even as a changeling, as Artemis assumed, you couldn't be that powerful. I'm ashamed to admit that I feared you more than anything else."