by C C Solomon
I twisted on the couch and blew out a breath feeling completely lost. I had a goal but my plan to get there was a bit fuzzy. “Well, Misandre knew about my past, but she would never tell me much. I’m sure there are others in her court who might be more forthcoming since all the fighting has died down a bit.”
A loud chime rang through the house.
Nadia turned toward a small device on her side table that looked like a picture frame. She tapped it and the black screen became an image of a large man standing at her front gates.
She looked over to me with a sly smile. “Angel babe is here to take you away.”
Chapter 2
Felix Gonzalez sat on my queen-sized bed, inspecting my room as if he hadn’t been there before. This was not really the case. Since we’d first met several months ago, he’d come to Vegas from his town in Silver Spring, Maryland, many times. He’d kept coming by to convince me to move to his town.
I flopped down on the other end of my bed and gave him a doe-eyed blink, intending to have a little fun with him.
Felix shivered and looked away. “Don’t look at me like that. You know what those honey eyes do to me.”
I gave a wicked smile. “Whatever do you mean?” I knew exactly what he meant. I had a unique mix of bright topaz-colored eyes against warm brown skin that seemed to turn him on. I was certain my eye color came from the fae half of me.
Felix could have also been into my curves and the fact that I was tall. Who knew? I just knew that from the day I’d first met him—well, the day I first remembered meeting him, he’d professed his love and it didn’t end. Apparently, he’d had dreams of me before he’d got his own memory back and, when he did remember me, he said we used to be close friends who had been about to become more before our memories had been taken from us.
Why could the angels recover his memories but not mine?
Felix was hot as hell and hard to be bitter about. He was tall. I mean super tall. Like six foot five or taller. This girl liked a guy she could climb. He was built like a wrestler, but an in-shape one. He wasn’t just mass. He had definition as well. He had smooth, buttery, tanned skin, and long golden-brown hair that he often kept in a low ponytail or bun.
And he was always smiling. Like, for no damned reason. He was just in a jolly mood all the time, like some hot St. Nick. But it was cute.
Felix turned himself around on my bed so that he was fully facing me. He gave me a wide grin then placed his hands on my waist and pulled me towards him until I found myself sitting on his lap with my legs on either side of him.
Okay. I didn’t find myself this way. I did take part in situating my body in just this position. I was supposed to be keeping my romantic distance from him but it was hard. I actually did like him. I just wasn’t sure if I was right for him. I thought well enough of myself but I had to admit, an unemployed person, with bad relationship choices and no memory wasn’t the most datable. I didn’t want to ruin him. And yet, I couldn’t keep away from him. I really was an indecisive mess. I cocked a brow. “Why are we sitting like this? Do you want to kiss me?”
He looked down at my lips, biting his own. “Always.”
I moved in closer, but he leaned back. I pulled away and let out a breath of frustration. “Really?”
His gaze penetrated mine. “Do you remember me?”
Always this question. It was so frustrating. Sometimes, I didn’t want a reminder of how incomplete I was just so I could feel like crap and not get what I wanted. “You know I don’t. You’re being a tease.”
Felix knew that I didn’t remember him beyond a few months ago. It was because I still had magical amnesia that Felix refused to get intimate with me, claiming he wanted the full me when we had sex.
He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm. “I know. I just want you back.”
I smiled slightly at his gentle nature. It made me feel way too warm and fuzzy inside, which scared me. I stroked his hair, which was hanging loose today. “Do you really think that if I got my memories back, you wouldn’t be the first person I told?”
He looked down at our hands, still locked together, and I saw a look of uncertainty on his face before he looked away. “I’m not sure.”
Well, now I really did feel like garbage. Felix was the kindest person in my life. I hated to be the source of any pain for him. I tried not to live my life by being a jerk. “I don’t hate you, Felix. You’re my friend.”
He chuckled before losing the smile and tightening his grip around me until my chest smashed into his. His eyes seemed to almost glow with a desire that gave me flutters. “Just friends?”
I nodded. “Yep, buddy. That’s the way you wanted it.” I patted him on the head for extra emphasis. I didn’t want to hurt him but I didn’t mind throwing a couple of jabs at him.
He released me with a groan. “I’m a glutton for punishment. I just can’t let you go.”
I snorted. “You’re going to have to try.” Although I wasn’t sure I wanted to unwrap myself from around him. Really, he was just like a giant teddy bear.
“I guess I should tell you why I came here. I want you to come back to Silver Spring with me.”
Again. The man never gave up. I secretly thought it was an attractive quality but I wouldn’t tell him that. It was probably best if he actually did move on.
“But, as a leader. You want to lead something, start being a part of our town council.”
I scrunched up my face in surprise. “Why would they want an outsider as their leader?”
“You give a perspective that isn’t in our council.”
“They have you and Lisa if they want a fae and demon point of view.”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’m not into the whole leadership thing. I prefer to just teach. And Lisa’s in and out dealing with her own stuff. And she has her store. Not that she’d want to lead anyway. This can give you good practice.”
This really made no sense. I wiggled away from him in the least sexy way possible, much to my chagrin. “You’re just offering me this job so I stay away from the demons. You don’t really think I’d make a good leader. Did Carlos put you up to this?”
Felix leaned back on my bed, balancing on his elbows, and gave me a sleepy look. “Actually, I think you would be a fearless co-leader, which is what we need. What else you got going on? Ever since we defeated the first soulmates you’ve been kind of aimless.”
I rolled my eyes. Yes, I looked hopeless but I wasn’t a charity case. I didn’t want that path for myself. I wasn’t going to rush to the person who offered me the best job if I didn’t deserve it. I couldn’t be queen based on favors people gave me. I wanted to earn my path in life.
“Why do you even need more leaders?” I asked.
Felix gave a heavy breath and shook his head. “That battle took a lot of people. And Amina and Phillip are still in their sleeping coma.”
Amina and Philip were the new soulmates, and we all just had to hope they didn’t go down the rabbit hole of evil the first ones had. Amina seemed all right, but Philip? I wasn’t certain I wanted him waking from his coma.
“So you think your people are going to let a half-demon, half-fae tell them what to do?”
Felix lifted a shoulder. “We welcome people who are powerful and have a desire to help and not hurt.”
I pointed to my chest. “You think that’s me?” I could have laughed. Nothing about me said humanitarian or helper. I only aided them in battle because I wanted to kill Misandre, and because I owed Felix for getting rid of Alister.
Felix looked at me for a beat as if assessing me and then sat up. “I think that you need some good publicity, so to speak. Work with us. We have allies with the fae and the elves. You know, being friends with Joo-won might get you some points towards getting the throne you so desperately want.”
I poked my lips out in thought. He had a point. Joo-won was a neutral elven king who had a past alliance with Misandre. Although he’d turned on her in the end, it hadn’t seemed to harm hi
m. This was mostly because no one in Misandre’s court had been jumping up and down to work for the original soulmates when she’d aligned with them. That she’d fed some of their souls to the soulmates was something she’d tried to keep quiet.
Maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as I thought to win them over if I showed that I had some type of heart and loyalty to protect my people. I shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
He bumped my knee lightly with his. “Come back with me and hang for a while. See if you like it. Spend some real time there. It could be fun.”
I rubbed my hands over my face. I didn’t have a real plan to take over a fae court. Not really. And I didn’t know where to start in getting my memories back. I suppose if I had to start some sort of plan it would be the path that got me closer to running a court and that wasn’t here.
As if sensing my changing attitude, Felix pressed on with a twinkle in his eye. “Your apartment is still there.”
“I’d hardly call it mine. I didn’t stay there that long.”
Felix massaged the back of his neck, looking slightly tired. “Be that as it may, I made sure no one moved in there. The town’s grown a lot, so it wasn’t an easy task. I don’t think I can hold it much longer.”
“You should give it up then.”
He side-eyed me.
I smirked. “Fine. I’ll come for a visit. But I’m not staying. I want to lead fae, not vampires and witches.” Though, did it really matter?
“Why are you stuck on that goal?”
I flopped backwards, lying on the bed. “Because I am.” Yeah, I knew that wasn’t an answer. Some days I questioned myself as well. I’d just seen Misandre and Alister do it so wrong over the past five years that all I could focus on was doing better for others who looked to me to protect them. A passion was lit in me and I couldn’t shake it.
Paranormals could live hundreds of years. So, I had all this life I was going to live, and I needed something to live for. Even if I got my memories back, it didn’t mean I’d be satisfied. I still had a life to live and if I never got my past back, I didn’t want to die fixated on it. I also didn’t want to keep living as a low-level hitman or flunky in a fae court. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt like I was meant for more.
Maybe I couldn’t run a fae court yet, but I’d get there at some point and that would only happen if I kept moving upwards. I wasn’t sure serving as a council member would get me to my goal, but it could certainly be a step up.
Felix chuckled and patted my thigh seemingly unbothered by my lack of a real answer. “All right, future wife, pack your stuff. I’m taking you home.”
I lightly punched him on the back. “I told you not to call me that.”
Chapter 3
I packed pretty lightly. Just a large suitcase and a bookbag. I really didn’t have much anyway. I said goodbye to Nadia who seemed a little amused by my decision. She had been a fan of Felix even before our memories were snatched, or so she said.
We then teleported to the town’s entrance. Felix’s community was surrounded by a giant, steel wall that encompassed six square miles that made up the downtown area of Silver Spring. Although they were covered by magical wards, the wall also helped to keep out strangers. They were the by-invitation-only sort.
The town had everything you could possibly need or want; schools, a hospital, shopping, dining, entertainment, plenty of housing, a farm, and its own brewery. It really was impressive. Not every town had it all together like this, outside of government-run communities.
Those towns controlled by the reemerging government served more as a federation with individual governors that worked together to rule their towns. An opening in the steel wall appeared and a guard stepped out. He had a petri dish in hand and a small knife. He first went to Felix who held out his arm as if this was an everyday occurrence. Felix’s blood trickled into the dish. The guard then waved his hand over the wound, quickly sealing it with whatever healing magic he possessed. He then produced a small vial filled with dark liquid and added a drop. Satisfied with whatever he was looking for, he gave Felix a nod then walked over to me.
I leaned back with raised hands. “What is all of this?”
“Checking to see if you have the paranormal illness,” the guard replied in a gruff tone as he cleared the petri dish with a swipe of his hand. Now it was sparkling clean.
Felix had mentioned that his town had found a test–though no cure yet–to the new paranormal illness floating around.
I pushed up my puffy jacket and held out my arm, bare against the cold winter breeze. This world just never had an end to its surprises. An illness to kill regular humans wasn’t enough. Now we paranormals were at risk. Even if we paranormals could live long lives, it didn’t seem like Earth was going to let us get there.
Once the guard gave me the all-clear, he let us go with another nod, and I followed Felix into the city.
Many paranormals were trying to live here after they learned the town defeated the greatest evil we’d ever seen so far. It made sense. The Six, a special group of paranormals brought together by some mysterious being, were famous and they lived here. They had succeeded in killing a powerful fae Queen, a demon King, an alpha weretiger, and the original soulmates in less than a year. So, if there was a safer city to live in, I couldn’t think of it.
And it seemed that people were beginning to feel safe again after the battle. Everything appeared as normal. The apartments looked well-kept, the street was clean enough to eat off, and the restaurants and storefronts were maintained. A large snow-covered park on my right piled with kids running after each other, throwing snowballs before the last winter snow left.
Felix grabbed my suitcase. “I can teleport us to the apartment.”
I looked around as we stood at the entrance to the town. I could hear the presence of life everywhere around me. Kids laughing, dogs barking, neighbors greeting each other and cars honking. The feel of the end of our six-month supernatural winter welcomed me with a warm breeze. Nadia’s town was nice, but it wasn’t always pleasant. This place felt good. “Let’s walk. How far is it?”
“Two miles.”
I nodded. “We can stop and have an early dinner on the way.”
Felix grinned. “I like that plan.” He snapped his fingers and my luggage disappeared. “Sent it to my place. I can bring it down to your place after.”
Felix had conveniently moved me into his building when I’d first arrived. Not that I minded.
We strolled through town, and I tried to contain the stupid feeling of happiness growing inside me as I saw kids riding bikes and cars zooming past. People walked in and out of shops. Highrise buildings stood clean and well maintained. The sidewalks and roads were also smooth.
Most highways outside of the towns still weren’t repaired from the damage. The abandoned cars were starting to get cleared, but when giant monsters had erupted from the ground or had stomped down highways, destroying the pavement, it had been hard to put in the energy or costs to keep up with repairs.
The people of Silver Spring kept everything in order. There wasn’t even trash on the ground. The air smelled like honey dew. Birds chirped from branches, practically singing like we were in some fairytale cartoon. It was like the world had been untouched here.
Really, the town was in a great position to thrive. Having magic just made things better.
I looked over to Felix who walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his sunglasses over his eyes to guard against the bright sun. He seemed so content.
“You like it here.” But would I? “You’re just teaching?”
He nodded. “Yep, I like it. Seeing a kid’s face light up because they got a complex math problem right makes my day.”
I chuckled softly. This man was pure light. “You’re just a big old softie, aren’t you?”
He glanced down at me, although I couldn’t see his eyes. “You know it. But I don’t mind being a king by your side.”
I wasn’t so sure we lived
in the same world. He seemed so sweet and normal. Yes, he had this amazing magic, but it seemed he was fine living his life like he was a regular human. I didn’t see how we matched at all. How could he? I began to wonder if he was so sure of us because he was stuck on the memory of who we both used to be, and not who we were now.
He tilted his head towards an Italian restaurant on our right, just off the main road. It was one of several restaurants, bars, and lounges on that block, not far off the entertainment and shopping blocks.
We stepped inside the small, darkly lit space. It was moderately busy as people sat around the bar and high tables over drinks and light food. I could see a wider space towards the back with larger tables and more of a dining setting.
The host smiled at us with menus. “Table for two? We have happy hour still going if you stay in the front area.”
“That work for you?” Felix asked, removing his sunglasses.
“Always,” I replied, glancing over at the fully stocked bar.
Several flat screen TVs were showcasing a basketball game. The government had decided that the real return to normal would be to bring back certain televised sports. So, we now had basketball teams again that came from government towns, although non-government citizens could be recruited to teams. Basketball players didn’t make nearly as much money as they used to. No one did, but they lived an entirely comfortable life and were still treated like rock stars.
We sat down at a high table near the front window. Our waitress quickly appeared, and we ordered martinis.
Felix glanced down at his phone.
“Being summoned somewhere?” I asked, looking over the menu.
“No. Well, Faith wanted to know what I was up to. I texted her that I was here with you. Mind if she joins us?” He gave me a sheepish look, assuming my answer.
Faith was not only part of the Six, but she was also Felix’s best friend. They were almost like brother and sister.
I wasn’t jealous of them. If they were going to be a couple, they’d had years to have gotten to that stage. My issue with Faith was that she hated me. She was like some over-protective mother who didn’t like any woman sniffing around her Felix. She treated him like he was some idiot kid, not the intelligent, powerful man he was.