Veiled Fae: A Why Choose Fantasy Romance (Fractured Fae Book 2)

by Jarica James

  Gerwyn leans down and kisses my temple. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I’d follow you anywhere Gerwyn,” I say softly.

  “Maybe make sure it’s actually me first,” he teases before letting out a sigh and giving the world around us one last look. “We should head back before the others worry."

  As we descended the endless staircase, a thought pops into my head. “Do you think we could find a way to create a portal that connects each castle to the others? It would allow you guys to live in your lands if you chose, and I could travel to all of them without slowly traversing the land each time. I’m not sure I could handle not seeing you guys for long periods of time like that.” He frowns and I quickly offer an alternative. “Or if you guys would rather, we could all live in the Neutral Lands and travel to the other courts when we’re needed. I just think having a presence in each of the courts would really help.”

  He falls silent after I finish rambling, hopefully thinking through my ideas. My heart clenches at his hesitation to answer. What if they don’t want to all live together. At this point I think I would get lonely without the four of them with me throughout the day.

  “Portals aren’t easy, but if anyone could research it, I would say Andras could. The idea has merit, but I don’t think Emrick will go for living apart," he says with a chuckle. “Nor will I.”

  “Thank the Spirits because I hated that thought. Did you guys live together on Earth as well?” I ask, curious about their life before I met them. The reality that we don’t know each other very well, other than our personalities, hits me hard sometimes. Now being one of those times.

  Most of our time together has been so full of challenges and trials that we don’t get much of a chance for the small things. It makes me feel like a bad mate that I don't know the small things about them.

  That changes now, I reassure myself. I will become a worthy Queen and a worthy wife to them someday. They go out of their way to make me feel comfortable and safe, I want them to get the same treatment as well.

  “We did. Maddox and Bowen both had gems we traded for money. We made an insane amount from that alone. We found a house in Chicago. It was the closest city to the portal we took. Adapting wasn’t easy,” he chuckles darkly at the memory. “Emrick scared people away, and I clearly stood out, no human has silvery white hair and purple eyes that isn’t cosplaying and wearing contacts," he explains and I chuckle. The man does look like he belongs in an anime. He’d fit the sexy super villain role perfectly.

  “Did you find jobs?” I ask, wanting more details.

  “We did. We all worked on a CEO’s estate as bodyguards and security detail. He worked for a pharmaceutical company and wasn’t a favorite among the humans. Emrick’s affinity for battle-magic helped him adapt to the weapons of Earth and he trained the rest of us. I researched and helped us adapt to modern life and maintained our finances. Bowen helped plan the security detail and coordinated our bosses’ events and schedule. Maddox was head of security, doing what he does best, ordering people around and making sure everyone was doing their job properly. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked for us and kept us busy. We didn’t get the treatment that other fae did, so that was a bonus," he explains. I’m impressed that they were able to find something so perfectly tailored to them. It makes sense that they’re so close. You can’t work and live together for thirteen years and not create a bond, especially when you’re a fae among unaccepting humans.

  “What about in your courts?” I ask tentatively. The question may not go as I hope, the realm wasn’t a happy place when they left, and they must have lost loved ones to the war.

  “I can’t speak for everyone, we didn’t go into details about our past because it didn't matter any longer. We all wanted to forget about our life here and move on. We never thought we’d see Faerie again and had to make the most of it. In Winter, family units lived together. I was unmarried, so I still lived with my parents. That was my favorite thing about Winter, the sense of community was unbeatable.” He speaks of Winter with so much pride, despite everything the king did. It only makes me want to fix this land for him, to re-establish what he’s longing for.

  “I bet it was amazing. I’d have killed to have family like that,” I say softly. He gives me hand a squeeze. That’s one thing I appreciate about his comfort, it doesn’t come with useless words, only a sense of solidarity.

  “We can have that again, don’t worry. You get a second chance, including getting to know your parents. But I’d love to see that community built up again, families helping families. If one person became ill, then others helped.”

  “I think we’re already on our way. Look at New Faerie,” I say. I’m proud of how well we’ve all worked together so far. Even new fae coming in jump right into life here.

  “But as for work, I was a historian. I documented current events and maintained the historical books in the school library. Our school wasn’t like Earth schools. Children stayed with their parents or family until they were thirteen, then they joined classes. Most leave school to start work at twenty, others who want to teach or be advisors need to stay longer, getting a more tailored education for their specialty," he explains. It’s interesting how each court had an entirely different system, we’d have to discuss as a council how to handle that in the future.

  By the time he finishes explaining how Winter operated, we’re back in the halls and almost to our suite. Just as we round the last corner, a scream echoes through the hallway. We glance at each other in alarm, pull out the daggers we never leave our room without, and run towards the chaos. Fae I don’t recognize are clustered in the hall and I hear Maddox’s voice booming above the crowd.

  “Let’s be respectful and give her space. We have healers, go back to your rooms or wait in the ballroom for news. She has everything she needs," he yells and the crowd thankfully obeys, giving us a chance to get closer to Maddox. His eyes relax when he sees me and he rushes forward to grab my wrist and pull me with him. “We could use an extra set of hands to help. One of the pregnant women is having her baby... right now," his words are punctuated by a shrill scream that has us hurrying.

  Ready to do my part, I take off and toss my cloak to Wyn before rolling up my sleeves. I pull my magic to the surface and take a deep breath before I enter the room. I’ve never been in a delivery room, but I have a feeling this isn't going to be pretty.

  The poor woman is on the table writhing in pain while two healers stand nearby. They’re bracing her legs and saying words of encouragement while another man rubs her forehead lovingly, though he looks pale and terrified. Yup, definitely the father.

  “I’m Queen Bella, is it alright if I assist you?” I ask, and her eyes go wide before she gives me a weak nod. I take her hand and she immediately crushes it. Her belly tightens with another contraction and I push my magic gently into her, a mix of calming and healing waves to try and ease her stress.

  Pain relief isn’t something we’ve discussed, but she seems to relax into the bed as soon as I send my magic her way, her screams now whimpers of pain as her belly seems to tighten with another contraction. I push my magic gently into her, sending healing waves of magic mixed with a touch of calm to try and ease her mind.

  She lets out a sigh of relief despite her belly tightening yet again, but the moment she does, horrific pain lances through my abdomen and pelvis until I nearly crumple on the spot.

  “Bella?” Maddox yells in shock, bracing his hands around my waist to keep me from falling. I open my eyes to check on the woman. She seems to be a lot less distressed than she originally was and that makes it worth it. I have to make sure her baby is well and they both survive. She’s suffered enough, and we have no clue what the king’s spell may have done. Not to mention, this baby is the first born in our new world and I refuse to let anything happen to either of them.

  “I took some of her pain, I’m fine," I grit out when Maddox asks again. As another contraction hits, I take a little more of her pain. She feels
some of it, gritting her teeth and breathing through it this time instead of screaming.

  “Time to push, Lilly,” the female healer states, instructing the two men to hold her legs. I don’t dare let go of her hand, in fear of the spell breaking and this getting worse.

  The labor seems to go on for hours, she’s exhausted and so am I. The moment the baby is out, we all hold our breath. As the seconds of silence tick on, I send prayers to the Spirits of Faerie, terrified the baby won’t make it.

  Please let the baby be alright, don’t let the evil king take this from his people too. Please!

  The beautiful sound of a shrill cry cuts through the room and Lilly sobs. I’m not usually a crier, but the moment is beautiful and I can’t help the tears streaming down my own cheeks. My heart warms at the sight of her soft smile as she watches the healers tend to her baby.

  “Now, let’s get you to your mommy,” the male healer says softly, moving to hand her over. Lilly’s arms are outstretched before they fall back to her sides, head lolling to the side.

  Fear slams through me. Could fate be so cruel? This baby needs its mom to survive.

  “She’s hemorrhaging!” The healer announces in a frantic voice. He hands the baby off to the father and Maddox escorts him out before coming back.

  As the healers get to work, I shut out the rest of the world and focus only on Lilly. I know nothing about labor or delivery, but I can push everything I have into healing her. Dropping to my knees at her side, I start pushing magic slowly into her. Since my pain relief worked, I focus specifically on stopping the bleeding and repairing any damage from the birth.

  My heart is breaking, but I refuse to let those thoughts take hold. Instead, I keep a steady flow of magic, knowing Lilly deserves everything I have to offer. Now that the baby is safely in her father’s arms, I no longer have to be gentle. Knowing my men are close, I increase my magic and keep my focus.

  My magic stores are wavering, so I focus on the warm tingle of magic flowing from me into her. We’re so connected now that I feel the healer’s magic pushing into mine, the pain subsiding and warmth flowing back into her body.

  She’s getting more stable, but still has a long way to go. Before I can worry that my magic supply is empty, the scent of spring rain and fresh cut grass washes over me. The moment Bowen’s hand rests on my shoulders, my magic replenishes.

  Maddox’s hands never left my waist and at this point he’s all that’s holding me upright. Even with the extra magic, my body can only take so much. But I refuse to stop, knowing deep down that she’d never survive if I abandon her now.

  “The bleed has stopped," the healer announces, her voice astonished. Even though hope blooms in my chest, I refuse to stop. I’m nothing if not stubborn and it’s too quickly. Though with that prospect, I do slow down so I don’t pass out on her.

  “Will she be okay?” her husband chokes out. The poor guy just had to watch and wait, snuggling his baby close as he prayed that we save her mom.

  The healer doesn't answer right away, instead checking Lilly’s vitals first.

  “I think she’s going to be just fine,” the healer finally answers. “Once her body gets its energy back, she will be alright. Thanks to our Queen’s healing, I don’t even have to stitch her now. We got lucky this time," she explains, and I let out a sob of relief. They all turn to me and give me a bow with their hands held over their hearts. It’s a sign of respect and right now it feels so monumental.

  I’ve not had the chance to really test the limits of my magic, using it so pointedly like I did here, but I’m so grateful that it helped. Her being alive, that’s enough thanks for me.

  “That means you can stop, darling," Bowen gently coaxes. I shake my head no and keep sending my healing vibes into her. She needs to be her best so her baby can have her mom back. If I have to be a bit exhausted to allow that, so be it.

  “The baby deserves a mom who is fully functioning and able to provide milk. Her body went into a traumatic labor after being frozen. She needs me.” I reply stubbornly, refusing to look at any of them.

  They don’t protest, though I can feel their frustration from here. As my magic wavers once more and I feel myself teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, I finally stop. My hand remains in hers even as I slump on the floor near her.

  My men don’t pull me away, instead standing vigil as my eyes grow heavy and I fall asleep feeling proud and grateful for my magic.

  Chapter 13

  When I wake up the next morning, I feel like I got hit by a diesel. If I hadn’t slowed my magic in the end, I’d be in a lot worse condition, but even so I know I’ll have to be careful today.

  Emrick is going to lecture me over this one.

  With a stretch, I sit up and glance around. I’m back in my bed with Maddox passed out next to me. Not wanting to wake him, but also needing to check in on Lilly and the baby, I quietly slip out of bed.

  The only one in the common room is Jacob. He’s curled up on the couch reading something. He looks up when he hears me, a grin taking over his handsome face.

  “Now you’re a labor nurse too? Damn girl, leave some jobs for the rest of us," he teases and I grab a couch pillow to throw at him before plopping down on the couch.

  “It wasn’t insanely stressful or anything," I say sarcastically, letting out a sigh.

  He stretches out and puts his head in my lap as soon as I’m comfortable. Dormy immediately runs up his body to snuggle in my hair again and I give him a few scratches before playing with Jacob’s midnight purple hair.

  “I’ve missed you, Queenie," he replies, closing his eyes and sighing happily as I run my fingers through his shaggy locks.

  “Life kind of went crazy on us. I can’t say I regret it though, look how amazing our life will be here one day.”

  He chuckles at my words. “What’s not to love? I’m a fabulous fae prince with an amazing man and a badass best friend. Plus, we are like fae animal whisperers with your crazy mouse.” Dormouse squeaks once and we laughed at his input. Apparently he’s not willing to be left out, snuggling onto Jacob’s chest. My best friend immediately starts stroking my furry companion. He’s become a spoiled little mouse.

  “Any word on the fae who were still unconscious? Or the baby and Lilly?” I ask. He scoffs like I’ve offended him.

  “Why do you think I waited here? You act like I don’t know you." He dramatically rolls his eyes before continuing. “Lilly and baby Elsie are both perfect. Lilly wants to see you by the way, when you’re rested. Everyone who was still knocked out, woke up either last night or this morning. So far everyone’s healthy, bathed, and fed. Though they’re a bit confused and disoriented still. I can’t imagine falling asleep then waking up years later. Maddox gave them a synopsis of what they missed and that calmed them a bit. They’re just happy the war is over.”

  “Is everyone taking the changes well? I feel bad I wasn’t there to greet them, but helping Lilly drained me and that was more important.”

  “Of course it was. We can call a meeting to introduce you after dinner or something. We need to find your stone as well. River and the council are going to murder us when we finally make it back, it’s been months.” I cringe at the reminder. It’s awful we’ve been away so long and I’m sure everyone is panicking.

  “They probably think we failed or died," he nods in agreement.

  “Remind me to always bring the communication stone from now on,” I say. At least if I had that they’d have peace of mind. Thanks to Jacob’s updates I actually feel better and more connected than I did. I have to start realizing that I don't have to do it alone, I can rely on them to handle things as well. “Thanks for being such a fabulous prince.”

  “It comes naturally, we all knew I was born to be royal," he laughs, trying to lighten the moment. I laugh and roll my eyes.

  “So modest and humble," I deadpan. Of course, he just laughs harder. Dormy gives a half-hearted annoyed squeak before falling back asleep.

  “How
are my parents?” I ask. It’s still so odd to call them that.

  “Your mom is still on bedrest. Sebastian said he’d come tell you when she was awake for longer than a few minutes. She’s got a lot more recovering to do than the rest of us. Iron is apparently not just a fae myth.”

  “No, it kept her weak, sick, and powerless,” I confirm. “I’m having such a hard time wrapping my head around all of this. How did I go from an orphan to having two parents? Part of me knows they did what they had to and I’m thankful to have them back. The other part of me still feels that sting of abandonment. They left me, Jacob. I was stuck with that woman for years, and yes she cared for me, but it was a loveless childhood. Why didn’t they just stay there with me?” A tear starts to run down my cheek and he wipes it away. My chest feels like it’s trapped in a vise that won’t let go, an old pain that’s never quite gone away, only stayed dormant until I was forced to face it again.

  “Ask them, Bells. Even if you don’t like the answer, at least you’ll know. Keeping that kind of baggage won’t do the three of you any favors, you’ll always hold yourself back. Plus, you have me and your kings forever.”

  “You’re right,” I agree. “I’m lucky to have you.”

  “Girl, same. We really need to set up a karaoke bar and relive some old times. I need some shots and karaoke in my life. We could sing our troubles away," he shimmies on the couch, successfully making me laugh and pissing Dormy off again.

  “I don’t think Faerie is ready for us to wow them with our amazing skills.” We’re both laughing now and my chest no longer aches. “How do you do it Jacob? You just know how to make me feel better. I will always be thankful for it," he grins and bats his lashes at me.

  “Tell me more about how fabulous I am," he laughs but rolls on his side and hugs me tight. “You save me, and I save you. It’s what we do.”

  “Ugh, are you two being sappy in here?” Emrick asks in mock disgust. I laugh at his attempt at sarcasm, he’s getting so much better at it.