Romancing Austin

by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan

  “It’s late. Let me give you a quick tour, and then we’ll go to bed,” he said with a shake of his head, then added, “To sleep.”

  “It is a wondrous night up here,” she envied the human his castle. How could one man be so lost with such a sight to see every day? She admitted it was too dark now, but during the day the rolling hills must be a beautiful sight.

  Inside, he flipped something on the wall making the room fill with light. The sudden brightness hurt her eyes, and she blinked rapidly while Manuel draped his undamaged wing over his face.

  “This is the living room. Over here,” he gestured to another room, “is the family room and the fireplace.”

  “A fireplace? As in a place for fires?” She turned a smile up at him. Perhaps his mother had had fairy blood and needed the fireplace for bonfires and stories?

  “Yes.” He frowned until her smile drooped. “This is the only place for fires. If you want to start a fire, ask me, and I’ll start one for you.” What was he so worried about? It wasn’t like her fires ever got out of control…much.

  They took a few more steps into a room covered in marble and metal. “This is the kitchen. Would you care for a drink?” He opened a wall and removed a glass.

  “Nectar, if you have it?” Thank the goddess. She was so thirsty.

  “I could get some juice while we’re in town tomorrow.” He opened up the belly of the largest metal beast. It was full of containers, boxes, and rotting plants. “I have water, tea, and wine.” Judging by the smell coming from inside the beast, it had been dead for a while. She wasn’t eating any food from that thing.

  “How about wine?” He closed the belly and located a smaller metal animal near the floor. She could see through the belly and make out various bottles in there. He pulled a green bottle out and opened it for her, pouring a pale golden liquid into a glass and giving it to her.

  She took a few cautious sips and raised her eyebrows. It wasn’t as sweet as nectar, but seemed to have the same effect. Liquid sensation pooled in her belly, creating a blossoming heat in her cheeks. Warm and liquid all over.

  “And where do you sleep?” Why did her voice sound huskier than normal all of a sudden? She put it down as exhaustion. It had been an interminable day, starting as one of celebration–and ending in panic and terror. Her throat turned to dust with the memory, and she gulped down more wine.

  He stilled. For a few beats she worried he hadn’t heard her, but he clenched his jaw. The muscles in his face jerked and a burnished reddish glow appeared on the tips of his high cheekbones. Did she say something wrong again?

  “Upstairs,” his gravelly voice brushed against all her new sensitive round bits making her warmer, bordering on feverish. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard enough for the muscles to bob. “Let me show you the upstairs.” He flipped a few more things on the walls and most of the lights turned off leaving them alone together with the moonlight flooding in the windows.

  She loved all the large windows throughout the house. His mother must have wanted to be as close to nature as other fairies. He brushed past her, and another wave of heat rolled over her human form. Perhaps her body was defective? Maybe she didn’t do the spell correctly? Best to keep it from overheating until she completed her mission.

  Aurora followed Dallas through the shadows and upstairs to a long hallway. “I think you’ll be comfortable in this room. My sister uses it when she’s here, and she’s left some clothes you can use until your luggage gets here. There’s also a collection of soaps and bathroom stuff you can choose from.”

  He turned on the light again, and she made a note of everything he touched. She needed to become familiar with all the human things. His hands were fluid and moved smoothly over the housewares as easily as they moved over the black and white keys at the church. Would they be as confident running over her human body? Where did that thought come from?

  There was a big, black square resembling a rock on a table. What was this thing supposed to do? He reached next to it and pulled out a small black box. “Here’s the TV remote, if you want to watch any.” Was TV the thing with the moving pictures?

  “Thank you?” Her response came out more of a question than a statement. She wasn’t sure how to respond. He pointed out another wall opening, revealing a small cave filled with clothes. “Are you sure your sister won’t mind?” Zephyr and Aurora never had the same taste in clothes to fight over any, but they always shared what they had with others.

  “She’d be happy to help out.” They stood there while Aurora tried to take in everything he talked about. “Let me show you the bathroom. It’s rather tricky.” He strode to another door and opened it to another marble room. Aurora placed Manuel on the soft bed and followed Dallas. The sudden change from the thick rug to cold rock beneath her feet made her gasp and jump onto a piece of cloth on the floor.

  “Why is it tricky?” Perhaps there were spells ensorcelled in the things here? She leaned in further waiting for him to teach her how to defuse any traps.

  “My mother used modern equipment throughout the house, energy savers or re-using water, particularly those found in the kitchen and the bathroom. The toilet is low-flow and even though the shower is a rain shower, the water is collected, cleaned, and re-used throughout the house.” He pressed a button on the wall and water came down from a square patch in the ceiling…like rain.

  “It’s amazing. There’s a square cloud dropping water on us?” She put out her hand to capture the warm wet drops.

  “The rain shower also has several settings for massage and even has a radio if you want some music.”

  “I do,” she said while trying to keep track of all her new human toys.

  “If you’d like—you can also use the tub.” He moved further into the room. Lightening bugs of excitement fired up in her as she glimpsed a sunken pool in the floor. “You have your own lake? Inside?”

  He chuckled and she relished the sound of his low rough laugh and the spark of pleasure it ignited throughout her body. He should laugh more. “It is certainly larger than a tub, but perhaps smaller than a swimming pool.” He leaned down and pointed to more controls. “There are some jets over here.”

  Suddenly, the dirt and grime on her body began to itch. It had been a long day, and the fluid water reminded her of how taut she was all over. Her shoulders ached and all she wanted to do was sink into Dallas’ pool until all her troubles melted away. She reached for the tattered hem of her dress and pulled it up over her thighs.

  “Wait until I’ve left.” He spun away from her. All she could see was his back. Oh, she forgot humans were shy about their bodies. Oops. How did she get out of this one?

  “I’m sorry, it’s been such a long day. I just want to bathe and slumber for days.” The great weight upon her shoulders made her want to hunch from the burden.

  Muscles under his clothes bunched as he crossed his arms. Aurora wondered how Dallas would look unclothed. Perhaps he’d appeared like a rock when she first saw him, but she’d quickly learned his hardness was tempered with a passionate heat she wanted to learn through her fingertips and…her tongue.

  Yes, taste him all over.

  He turned his head until he could peek over his shoulder, making sure she was still dressed before turning fully. His face fell when he took in her covered thighs. That’s what he got for going all prudishly human on her. “Rehearsal starts at ten, so be ready to leave at nine-thirty.” He must’ve realized how imperious his tone sounded because he tacked on a, “Please,” at the end and left the guest room without looking back.

  Aurora stayed in the bath until the water turned cool and her fingertips began to shrivel. Left to her own devices, she fiddled with the small black box until the TV pictures appeared. It was truly magical. There were lots of stories, and she moved through them until she found one about humans who had no problem with their nudity and were constantly touching each other. And the touching! Maybe her human body wasn’t so bad. Perhaps she could do touching wi
th Dallas? She was surprised to realize she really wanted to.

  5

  The next day, Aurora left Manuel on a plump pillow and made him promise to rest his wing until she returned.

  She and Dallas traveled to the church for their first rehearsal with the choir. He let her out of his beast then went to ‘park’ the animal. The church appeared more welcoming in the daylight. Humans walked in groups of twos and threes to the entrance of the church, smiling and laughing with each other. It resembled a fairy gathering in the meadow. She was struck with joy at the memory and a pang of homesickness. She’d only been gone for a single day, and it already seemed like weeks.

  The memory of the forest and all her friends appeared in her mind’s eye, but they were hazy as if she gazed at them through a thick fog. She didn’t want to forget about any of them. Not Elder Rahmi or Ursula—who was going to help them to their seats and get them nectar when their throats got dry from spinning tales? Who was going to organize all the musicians and lead the parades? And what about mischief? Her favorite job was stealing clothes from unsuspecting humans and getting them lost in Hippy Hollow.

  “Are you Aurora?” The female voice so near behind her made Aurora jump and spin. She didn’t see anyone at first, then looked down. A diminutive sized woman smiled up at her with bouncy golden hair and cold eyes.

  “Yes. And you are?”

  “I’m Fern, the production manager here. I organize the show before, during, and after, and if anyone needs anything, they can let me know. Dallas mentioned you were helping him out.” Fern made no move to hide the fact she was looking Aurora over. Aurora agreed her human appearance took some getting used to—she seemed a giant now and everyone stared. Earlier she’d borrowed a pair of tights and a long t-shirt and hoped she fit in with the other humans. How did women walk around with these things on the front of their chest? She didn’t like them. But at least her hair was still the same shade of blue.

  “How long have you known Dallas?” Fern said.

  “I met him last night.”

  Fern hmm’d as if struggling to make up her mind before saying, “We heard he was an equal opportunity employer…if you get my meaning.” The woman wiggled her eyebrows.

  Aurora didn’t get her meaning but forced a smile at the human. Best not to upset any of them while she was here. “He’s an excellent employer.”

  Fern’s eyes widened, and she stepped closer to Aurora, “Oh really? What have you heard or is this from personal experience?” She didn’t think humans enjoyed gossip as much as fairy folk, but obviously it was a universal pastime. The other woman certainly wasn’t as subtle as Elder Ursula in getting the information she wanted, but what gossip was she trying to learn about Dallas? What was an equal opportunity employer?

  “I think I hear him calling my name. Will you excuse me?” Aurora glanced around and saw the object of Fern’s inquisition striding toward them. He was much taller than all the other human males. Definitely tall and lean like a fairy prince with his shoulders pushed back and his chin a slight angle above parallel. All that was missing was his crown and court doublet and hose. She sighed to herself. Dallas’ muscular thighs would look very fine in a pair of tights…or perhaps nothing on at all.

  “Hi-o, Dallas,” Aurora said with a jaunty wave and skipped over to him. She’d rather run away from Fern. He put his arm around her waist and led her away from the crowd.

  His smile sent honeyed warmth flowing from her chest to pool between her legs. Just her luck to get a malfunctioning female body.

  “Aurora, ready for more?”

  The female body only seemed to glitch when he was around. Perhaps she was being foolish, but she hoped seeing her put the smile on his gorgeous lips. The urge to touch them with her own and taste them made her stumble. “Glorious, I can’t wait to get started. Are you going to play on your pipe organ again?”

  “I heard that’s what he’s good at…playing his organ,” Fern caught up with them and started snickering to herself. Aurora frowned and watched the tips of Dallas’ cheeks turn rosy. He tightened his arm on her waist and rushed her to the entrance to the church, leaving Fern behind.

  “I apologize for all the gossip. That’s a side-effect of working with this choir.”

  “She asked me if you were an equal opportunity employer. What does that mean?” She kept her gaze on his face and winced when his jaw clenched. Whatever it meant, he wasn’t keen on being gossiped about.

  “And what did you tell her?”

  “I said you were an excellent employer,” she said. He roared with laughter and hugged her to his side attracting attention from other choir members who made no pretenses about staring at the two of them.

  “I’m sorry, Aurora,” he said after getting his laughter under control, “but if you don’t give these people anything to talk about, they’ll make up their own stories. I’m sure there are bets placed on my sexual preferences, and as you heard from Fern, there’s speculation I’m bisexual.”

  “Sexual preferences? Like the birds and the bees?” The one human subject elders kept to themselves. Perhaps it explained all the human touching.

  “And the flowers and the trees,” he agreed.

  Once they settled behind the organ, Dallas took some time practicing and greeting a few of the musicians who cast curious gazes in her direction. Aurora was thrilled when he introduced her. “Dallas is such a gifted organ player. We’re lucky to be working with him,” said one woman singer. She ran her gaze over him like he was the last drop of nectar in a carafe. Aurora narrowed her eyes to slits for perhaps the first time in her life. What was this sensation making her want to push this female away from her…human? Did the female want Dallas? He did not return her interest, and she quickly moved away.

  “A lot of these people speak highly of you,” She tried to find something to say to fill in the silence. Usually there was always something going on with fairy folk, chitter-chat, giggling, playing merry, but never this silence. She wasn’t sure quite what to make of it.

  “Not a lot of people can play the pipe organ.”

  “Why not? How did you get started?”

  “I started when I was twelve. My father was a church minister…” His voice trailed off toward the end, and she leaned in to hear him. He sounded like he didn’t want to talk about his father. Why not? Her father had died in the Great Fairy Wars before she was born. She’d give anything to have known him.

  “In a church like this?” She gestured all around her.

  “Similar to it.” He shrugged and rifled through some music. The black dots and lines began to make more sense to her now. Perhaps she knew of music a long time ago and just forgot?

  “Your father must be proud of you, too.”

  He said nothing. Perhaps he didn’t hear her. The singers milled about and appeared to be practicing…like Dallas was, but with their voices.

  “Your father must be proud of you.” She repeated in a louder voice. Not loud enough to grab the attention of anyone nearby, but she caught the muscle twitch right below his eye.

  He’d heard her.

  He took his hands off the keyboard and turned toward her until their knees touched. “For your information, he was not proud of me. As soon as I told him I was going to quit my job and play professionally, he disowned me.”

  She put a hand to the top of her chest where the hollow pain radiated the most. Is that what these round things were for human females? To rest a hand on when confronted with such pain? How could humans hurt each other? How could a father disown his son?

  “But why?” Being a musician was an honorable call among fairies. It was certainly a nobler job than hiding human clothes at Hippy Hollow or stealing ambrosia from a neighbor. Aurora was always accused of listening to ‘human stories’ too much or dreaming when she should be attending to her boring princess duties.

  “It doesn’t matter. Lots of people have troubled childhoods and go on to live meaningful lives. I’m sure your childhood wasn’t exactly a
fairy tale.”

  Fairy tale? “It was actually.”

  He shrugged again and pursed his lips. “He never thought being a musician was a ‘real job’ so I worked hard in DC, making lots of money, meeting a lot of influential people, but it was killing me. I wasn’t happy.” He met her gaze. “I can’t remember the last time I was happy.”

  The pang of his words made the edges of her vision blur until she thought she was going to swoon. She’d never swooned before in her life. Experiencing many things she never had before seemed to go hand-in-hand with her human transformation. However, she knew from the bottom of her fairy heart what true happiness was…but how to explain it to Dallas?

  “Why…why…true happiness is the first rays of sunshine on a dewy field.” She clapped her hands together then interlaced her fingers. “Happiness is the first lightning bug of the night and the skip of moonlight across a rippling pond.” She could tell by his frown he didn’t understand her. Oooh, these humans. She reached over and grabbed his hands and pressed them together in front of the round things on her chest. They felt… good there…perhaps this was a better reason for women to have them? “Happiness is the smile of welcome on a loved one’s face or rolling around with your best fighter corgi.”

  Surely, humans had corgis.

  “Happiness seems so easy for you.” His lips quirked up at the ends, but she couldn’t see the smile light up his eyes. He still didn’t understand.

  “Just you wait, Dallas. I will show you happy. I swear it.” She pressed their joined hands closer to her before letting them go. A fairy’s word was a promise no magic could break. She’d spoken out before she’d thought about it, but as they settled in for rehearsal, she knew it was the right thing to do. She would give Dallas some happiness before she stole off with …the other male…Dex Reed. Whew, she still remembered what she was doing here. Yes, happiness would be her payment to him for helping her find Dexter.