“Why do you keep calling me that?” She looked at him curiously.
“Ah, Princess? Because you are of course. Why else?” He grinned.
“Of course, how silly of me to have asked. But the funny thing is that I am not a princess. I am merely a girl from the little podunk town of Troy, my parents who were definitely not royalty in any way are dead, bless their souls, and I am just a student at a university who can hardly remember to set the coffee maker most mornings. I am not intriguing in any way unless you count the fact that any time a boy gets near me tornados and lightning try to kill him.”
He smiled but refrained from laughing. “I am truly sorry to hear about your human family,” he said to her sincerely. “It figures Keiren would safeguard you somehow, but that she didn’t lose her sense of humor is lovely to hear. I wonder what should happen if I kissed you? Would we be struck down from the sky? And yes my dear, you are immensely intriguing to me.”
Her eyes went wide, “My human family? Who is Keiren and why would you want to kiss me?”
“Well, the why part of kissing you should be quite obvious I think,” he said as he stroked a heated hand through her hair. “And Keiren was your birth mother. You may put your feet down if you wish or I can continue holding you which would be my particular preference.” He grinned.
Her eyes were so wide with shock that she barely noticed that they had reached the ground and were in a canyon of sorts. She put her weight back down on her own two feet and looked around. An enormous waterfall cascaded in the corner and a gentle stream trickled slowly throughout it. He lifted his hand and a fire began burning in a pit nearby, illuminating what the moon could not reach around them.
Deciding to let the fire thing go since this was obviously part of her fantasy lover image, she went for the more obvious question burning in her mind. “M-my mother? But my mother and father have been dead for years.” She said wounded.
“Your human parents are dead yes, and unfortunately your paternal father is as well. But not your birth mother. She is very much alive. She just sleeps until the prophecy is fulfilled.”
She shook her head. “How did you know about my parents, and what are you talking about prophecy? This is all too much and turning into a bit of a nightmare at the moment.”
He looked at her intensely, as if debating with his words internally. That always made her irritated. If you have something to say to someone, you should just say it, not try to find the appropriate words. Meanings get lost that way.
“Well, I would be happy to alter that perception for you. And of course answer all the other questions that I can afterwards.” He said, a smile creeping into his emerald eyes.
“And how exactly would you do that Bodhe?”
In but a second he was against her body, his lips pressing against her own in a lingering soft kiss. She heard him growl and wasn’t certain that it was her or him that was trembling. He explored her mouth slowly, taking his time to linger in her sweet wetness. Just the feel of his hard smooth skin beneath her fingertips was nearly overpowering. Her hands reached up to the soft white hair that cascaded from him almost unaware. So many questions melted away beneath the fire of his touch. In fact everything melted away. Her breaths were short and ragged when she got one at all and his were all but consuming her.
“Isabel you have no idea how long I’ve waited for you, for that.” He whispered into her ear as his teeth grazed her neck.
“Mmm hmmm.” she managed to force out. “Wait until I tell Amele about this dream, she’s never going to believe it.”
He pulled swiftly away from her, uncertainty in his eyes. “Amele?”
“Yes, my best friend. Who thought it would be a hoot to get me smashed last night. I’m guessing that the mixture of starving for attention and excessive alcohol at Pete’s has created this surreal vision, as lovely as it is.”
He studied her face thoughtfully and swept an electric touch across her cheek with his fingertips.
“I’m sure Amele is a very good friend to you. Who is Pete, if I may ask?”
“Pete owns Pete’s tavern. It’s a bar that most people go to have fun. I apparently go to get poisoned, ridiculed and then hallucinate.”
The muscles in his face relaxed. “He is not a suitor then? And who ridiculed you? Shall I have them punished?”
She laughed. “No, Pete is definitely not a suitor. And no on the second account too though I’m almost curious enough to ask what you would do.”
He just smiled at her. “I would do anything to protect you. Physically and emotionally. Say the word and that person shall never speak against you again.” His face crossed a shadow as he spoke the words.
Interesting. “Could you turn him into a frog?” She grinned.
“Well, I probably could but there’s not much point in that. As a frog he would never have the brain power to remember he was human and suffer for what he’s done to you.”
Her mouth opened in shock. He was completely serious. Note to self, do not piss off the gorgeous Sidhe prince in this dream. Consequences could be very undesirable.
“You still don’t believe this is real?”
“Well, of course it’s not. If it were there would be lighting or tornados swarming this incredible landscape by now. Not to mention, well, there is no one like you in the real world.” She said glancing at the beautifully pointed ears.
“Would you feel better if I created some lightning?” He smiled.
“No,” she laughed. “I don’t want you to be struck down for kissing me. That was far too wonderful.”
“Lightning shall not strike me while I’m near you Isabel. Nor will a furious wind come. That will only happen when a human tries to bed you.”
“Tries to bed me?” She doubled over laughing while he stood there looking curiously at her.
“Gods, you really have no idea. She left nothing for you then? No way to know who you really are?”
“Who Bodhe? My mother? No, there is nothing that I know of her. The only parents I have ever known died in a tragic accident a few years ago. They never told me how I came to be with them but they loved me very much and that’s all I ever needed to know.”
She had searched for her birth mother of course after her parents past away but there were no records anywhere of her mother or of her actual birth. It’s as if she was never really born at all. She looked at him, beginning to get annoyed. Why couldn’t she just have a normal sex life at least in her dreams?
“Ok, I’m dreaming. So why not tell me about my birth mother and father?” She crossed her hands over her chest and stared at him.
“Come Isabel, I can show you. It may be easier than trying to explain.”
Before she could protest he gathered her up in his arms again and flew out into the night. She fought the nausea so she could see her surroundings though it was difficult to concentrate on anything the way he held her. Her head was cradled against his neck and she couldn’t help herself when she touched him with her lips because of the way he held her as they flew but then, then she licked slowly with her tongue, surprising herself even with her forwardness. He tasted like the ocean and the night. Salt and spice teased her when she pressed her mouth against him. He groaned and raised her higher against him so that she could feel the impact of her small touch. He was swollen with passion and she gasped at his size. Looking into his eyes she saw that they were glowing again, the color of the most beautiful green emeralds.
His head came down to hers again with more ferocity this time, nipping at her lips and letting his tongue dart into her mouth. Within moments she felt her back pressed against the soft grass and she moaned gently into his hair as he ravished her neck and licked her delicately.
“Bodhe,” she said trembling. “I’ve never.”
“Shhh, princess, let me savor you for a moment. I will not take what you do not know you are giving, I promise you.”
Well, what’s a girl to do when it’s proposed like that? She groaned and arched up into
his hands as they slid down the thin fabric, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His head bent down and she could see the veins rippling in his arms as if he were straining to be gentle. It was her dream! She didn’t want gentle. Through the fabric he teased her nipples into tight buds with his tongue and his hands ran the length of her dress sliding it up.
As he neared her upper thigh he squeezed and paused, seemingly fighting to continue.
“Please Bodhe, don’t stop. I don’t want you to.” She pleaded with him, eyes frantic and her body burning.
“I know you don’t, and I don’t want to either. But all is lost if you are not aware when this happens.”
He groaned as he pulled down her dress and reached up to kiss her again. “Besides, you are just a wee mortal right now and I could hurt you,” he grinned.
“Just a wee mortal!” Fighting to regain control of her flickering emotions she bolted up and pushed him off of her.
“Not even in my dreams.Ugh! I want to go home!”
“No Isabel, wait!” She heard as blackness overtook her.
Chapter 3
Oh God could her head hurt any worse? She groaned painfully as she sat up in bed as the pounding between her temples screamed in protest. The nutty aromatic smell of coffee swarmed around her. That was a plus at least. She would’ve been disastrous this morning trying to make it herself. Amele had made her coffee before she left last night, knowing how badly she would need it.
What the…? Where were her clothes? Even in her stupor she remembered putting on her pajamas last night. She scanned her room and saw them up against the far wall on her bamboo chest that held all her journals from the years past. Great, on top of having a faery lover in her dreams she was now sleep-stripping as well. Wonderful.
She sat on the bed a moment going through the all too real images of the dream in her mind and reached for her journal that was on the night stand and wrote it out. Well, scribbled nearly illegibly as her head pounded like a drum. She didn’t want to forget anything though since she had every intention of going to the library today to see how her subconscious had conjured this image. It must have been something she read at some point. Putting on her robe and deciding against the slippers she walked slowly to the coffee pot and noticed the small package that was sitting on the table. With slightly trembling hands and very hazy vision she poured a cup, spruced it with cream and sugar and sat down at the table to open the mysterious parcel.
Looking at it now, it was really quite the strange little package. The thick white paper was bound perfectly without tape on all sides and on the top was her name penned with gold letters. But her last name was missing. ‘Isabel’ is all it said. She turned it over a few times in her hands and then tore the paper open on one side. Her brows furrowed together and she bit her lip. What’s this? A book? And it looked to be an ancient one at that. It was leather bound but there were no words on the outside. Inside, the language was something that she had never seen before. Her heart began pounding in her chest and ears as her fingers grazed over the handwritten words. She almost didn’t notice the piece of paper that protruded from it just slightly in the center. Holding her breath she slipped it out and opened it up, scared to read and scared not to. With shaking hands, she gazed down at the perfectly penned words:
Dearest Isabel,
I am so sorry I was not able to communicate with you sooner my love but I am a bit bound at the moment. I do hope that the first years of your life have been wonderful and carefree for as you read this now, your world is about to drastically change. I don’t know if the dreams have begun yet but if they have then certainly you understand the dire need for us to have this conversation. The turning has begun Isabel and though I wish I was able to be there to help you through it, alas I cannot. I cannot tell you everything that you need to hear right now either though I wish with all my heart that I could.
You are going to have a very difficult decision to make soon. At the rise of the blood moon following your twenty-second birthday you will know who you are and you will no longer be able to remain in the world which I sent you. Please know that I gave you what I thought you would want so that you could make this decision after you have lived your human youth. I did not want you raised in the Realms because you would have been groomed to decide a certain way and though that is my home, or was until that terrible day when I was forced to make you safe, I thought it best for you to grow into your own person so that you may have more of a chance to do what is right. You will have to fight the charms that are going to overwhelm you and the only thing that I can tell you is that one of the men is the love of your eternal life, and one is not. Just as lightning may strike the earth, so shall your lover strike you with his touch. The laws of the curse are clear, however. I cannot sway you one way or the other and neither can the ones that will be seeking you now that you have reached the age that I bartered for. Watch for signs, they will be present. And know that even in my weakened state, I am with you in spirit. I long to see you grown my child, as I longed to see you every day since the day I gave you to the family that I knew would love you when I could not. I have hidden something beneath the earth of your home and I need you to put it on now. It is not much but it will prevent you from being be-spelled which is something that you cannot risk right now. Be very careful Isabel for the one that you consummate your love with by giving freely your body is the one that gains much. You are the daughter of a great healer and time sifter (me of course), and heir to the throne of Albequen because of your father Norgelon. If you do not know this yet you shall soon. The warrior blood in your veins runs powerful and deep. And once the blood moon rises you will turn so please consider wisely. The fate of 2 worlds rests in your small hands.
Eternally Loving You,
Mom / Keiren / Most Powerful Foresayer, Healer, and time- sifter of the Realm of Loveryn
PS. I do hope I am forgiven for the weather issues. They were only meant to keep you safe until the day when you could truly enjoy the act without killing your partner. You are stronger than you think! I also hope you will enjoy the comfort of my journal even though you can’t read it yet. Look beneath the porch, there is a loose board and inside you will find a box containing a very powerful amulet. Do not remove it for anything and please don’t be scared, it will act as a protectant but it will also take off the blinders a little bit earlier than the blood moon. Many things are not as they seem. Hugs and kisses!
Love of her Eternal life? Albequen? Time Sifter? What the hell kind of joke was this? She took a sip of coffee, put the mug down, looked at the paper again as her feet began tapping on the linoleum and then flew out her front door. Searching frantically for the loose board, hoping that this was just some weird, cruel prank she shuddered when she found it. How long had this been here? And how was the book delivered? This was too much, especially after the dream last night. Oh my God, he wasn’t a dream! She closed her eyes and opened them again, taking a calming breath. Ok, wake up Isabel, come back to the world of the sane!
Still, she pried the loose board aside and though she loathed reaching into the dark space where any number of critters could be waiting she closed her eyes and thrust in her hand with a small squeal. Her hand made contact with a long wood box and she yanked it out as fast as she could, her throbbing head completely forgotten by the throbbing of her heart.
She inspected the box, brushing off the dirt and turning it over slowly in her hands. It wasn’t wood as she first thought. It was some kind of iridescent almost pearl looking stone. How had it weathered under here for 22 years and not been altered in the slightest? It was long and thin and she held her breath as she opened it by its invisible hinges. Staring back at her was an ancient looking pendant that caged a deep red stone with a light silver brace and when caught directly in the sun it seemed almost like it was in motion.
Breathe Isabel, breathe.
The long silvery cord was thick and seamless, there was no clasp. If that is your mother, as crazy as she sounds, you
need to put this on. She is trying to protect you, a voice echoed inside her head. What the hell are the ‘blinders’ anyway? She took a deep breath and lifted the chain over her head.
It was as if a lightning bolt shot down into her chest and she fell back against the grass. She gasped for air and then felt the internal explosion recede. When she opened her eyes the world was different. Brighter. Well, brighter in the bright places and so much darker in the shadows. She thought she saw something scurry into the shadows behind the house but she shook it off as a stray cat.
Maybe I’m still dreaming? Or dead. Maybe I drank myself into a coma last night? There were those stories of people that woke up from comas and say that they astral projected and had out of body experiences and such.
Yeah right.
She reached down and pinched herself hard, wincing as tears pricked at her eyes. Pain doesn’t usually happen in dreams does it?
Just then the crunching of her gravel drive made her look up sharply. The familiar black BMW came sliding up the path, shimmering slightly in the sun. At least she thought it was the sun. She stood up and shielded her eyes taking a step up on the porch. What was Amele doing here so early?
The car stopped and Isabel waited for her to emerge, the dark tinted windows mixed with the sunlight made it impossible to see inside but it looked as if her shadow was rummaging through bags of some kind in the passenger seat. When the door opened and Amele stepped out Isabel gasped. Her friend, once a normal blonde haired, blue eyed bombshell of the cheerleader type now had flowing dark hair, pointed freaking ears and was dressed in some kind of cross between vampire Goth and new age leather get-up. She shrieked and barely made it inside the door before she slammed it shut and locked it.
Immortal Dreams Page 3