Lion About: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Virgo

by Catherine Banks

  “I told you, she is very powerful. There were a dozen wolves not at the den when it happened, so they still live and want vengeance. I’m afraid, it’s kill or be killed. Are you willing to kill them to protect my niece?” she asked. “If you’re not, I will take her to Faerie with me, where she will have to spend the rest of her days.”

  “I’ll pack my things,” I said, and stood.

  “Wait,” Lucas said, grabbed my forearm. “Aren’t we going to talk about this?”

  “I don’t want you killing people who have every right to want me dead,” I whispered.

  “They don’t have a right to want you dead. You protected yourself. If they had seen what had happened, they would have never attacked you,” Logan countered.

  “I still don’t want them killed. They don’t deserve to be killed. If I can leave and save everyone, then that is what I’m going to do,” I said.

  “So that’s it? You’re just going to run and hide?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

  I turned and glared at him. “I’m not running and hiding. I’m protecting you and them.”

  “I don’t need your protection.”

  “Well, you’re getting it,” I snapped, spun, and marched to the bedroom.

  “Milena, please, let’s talk about this,” he begged, spinning me around in the bedroom. He pulled me close and asked, “Do you want to leave me so badly?”

  My heart constricted. “I don’t want to leave you, but I need to.”

  He shook his head. “Stay with me. I’ll meet with them and explain what actually happened.”

  “They’re not going to believe you,” I said, tears brimming. “I have to leave. It’s the only way.”

  “Milena, don’t leave me,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms.

  I choked on a sob, wrapped my arms around him, and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Lucas.”

  “Don’t leave. Stay with me. I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered, clutching me tightly.

  It was too early to love him, but I knew for certain that I could. If things had been different and I stayed, I would fall for him.

  “Logan,” I whispered.

  “You’re certain?” she asked.

  Lucas pulled away, turning to face Logan who was behind him.

  “Yes,” I sobbed. I grabbed Lucas and turned him to face me. I rested a hand on his cheek, which he set his hand over. “I’m sorry, Lucas.” I kissed him, conveying all of the emotions I felt. Longing. Fear. Regret.

  I stepped back, and Logan rested her hands on his temples. “I’m sorry, Lucas.”

  He snarled, and tried to spin around, but her magic was too fast, knocking him out before he could fight. His body fell, and I caught his head before it hit the ground.

  “Hurry, child. He’s strong, and my magic won’t work long on him,” she urged me.

  I grabbed my bag, which was still packed, and followed her out of the house. We stood on the gravel driveway, and she used her magic to trace symbols in the air that opened a portal to Faerie.

  “Milena!” Lucas roared from inside the house.

  “Hurry,” I urged her.

  “I’m going as fast as I can. Portals have to be perfect, or I might send us to the demon realm. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.”

  The door flung open, and Lucas leaned heavily against the doorjamb. “Milena,” he growled. “Don’t leave.”

  She made the last symbol, and the portal opened. “Come.”

  She stepped through, and I followed, looking one last time at Lucas.

  Chapter 9

  “Are you just going to sit in here and mope the rest of your life?” Aunt Logan asked.

  I peeked out of my blanket burrito at her. “Yes.”

  She sighed. “Child, you are too young for this. There are plenty of eligible fae bachelors out that door.” She pointed at her front door. “Go find one you fancy and let him screw you into blissed forgetfulness.”

  I groaned and pulled the blanket back up over my eyes. “You’re horrible.”

  “It’s been two weeks, Milena. I order you to get out of the house!” she snapped. No doubt, she had her hands on her hips right now.

  “No,” I replied through the blankets I was wrapped up in.

  The blankets suddenly disappeared, making me shiver. “Hey!” I hissed, glaring at my aunt.

  “Shower, brush your hair, get dressed, and get out of this house. You have one hour. If you are not ready by then, I will teleport you to the middle of the square no matter what state of dress you are in,” she said, looking down her nose at me.

  Shit. She was serious. She would totally do it, too.

  “Fine,” I said, stomping to the bathroom to do as she asked.

  I did feel a little better after my shower, but as I finished getting dressed, the sadness returned.

  There was no cell reception in Faerie, so even if Lucas had tried to contact me, he wouldn’t be able to reach me. Not that it mattered, since he couldn’t come here. Only fae were allowed in Faerie. Though, it didn’t matter what percentage of fae you were. If you had a drop of fae blood in your veins, you were welcomed.

  I finished getting ready and stepped outside, cringing at the bright light of the star that served as their sun.

  Aunt Logan lived in a suburban housing development, but the main gathering place, the square, was half a mile away. They had several vendors carts every day, a bonfire each night, and musicians around the clock.

  I made my way to the square, wishing the beauty of Faerie could ease the sadness, but it could only do so much. I felt better out, walking in nature, and Faerie had no smog inducing vehicles or smoke, aside from fires, to tarnish the air.

  A few dryads waved as I passed them, and I returned their wave, failing to muster up a smile.

  “Why so glum?” a male voice asked from my left.

  I turned my head and examined the fae male. He had pointed ears, straight silver hair, and a slightly pointed nose, which meant he was one hundred percent full-blooded fae. He was handsome, but most of them were, so that was no surprise. His teal eyes were pretty unique, and I knew better than to stare into a fae’s eyes for too long.

  “Don’t really want to talk about it,” I said, looking down at the grass I walked on.

  “Are you headed to the square?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “May I walk beside you?”

  The request was silly, since if we were both headed in the same direction. If I told him no, he would just be walking behind me.

  “It’s not like I own the path,” I said.

  “I’m Jaromil,” he said, holding hold his hand to me.

  I shook it. “Milena.”

  “Well met,” he replied, bowing his head slightly.

  I returned the gesture. “Well met.”

  “You’re new here, right?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I’m staying with my aunt until I get things figured out.” If I could ever figure anything out. I needed to find a job, get a house, and start life over here.

  “Aunt? Logan is your aunt?” he asked, his eyes widening slightly.

  I nodded, finding it funny that he called her Logan, even here. Logan wasn’t her true name, but fae were very secretive about their true names. I knew her true name, out of necessity, I knew she had a more fae-like name that she usually used in Faerie.

  “I’ve heard of you,” he said.

  “Good things?” I asked, doubting it.

  He nodded, which seriously surprised me. “She’s told us how powerful you are, and that you have issues with your power, since you’re such a high percentage human.”

  I sighed. Just like my aunt to go around blabbing my business. Truthfully, I didn’t mind. It wasn’t like she’d told them I murdered a pack of wolves.

  “I might be able to help you with that,” he said. “Tell me, do you find it easier while being in Faerie?”

  “You can help me? At what cost?” I asked. I knew better than to accept assistance
without discussing payment first. Fae were tricky beings.

  He smirked. “A single kiss on the lips from you to me,” he said.

  “That’s ridiculous. You’re telling me that you’ll help me with my powers, just for the price of one kiss on the lips?” I stopped and turned to face him, giving him my best, you’re-full-of-it look.

  “A kiss from you is worth much more, but I’m greedy,” he said, smirking still.

  I didn’t trust him. “I have to discuss this with my aunt before I agree to anything.”

  “Smart of you,” he said with a nod.

  “But, yes, I do find it much easier to be in Faerie,” I said, answering his earlier question.

  He nodded. “I figured as much.”

  We resumed walking, and I cast wary glances at him. He caught me and laughed. “I’m not going to attack you, Milena. Though, it is smart to be wary.”

  “I apologize, if I’m being rude,” I said.

  He waved his hand. “Not at all.”

  The trees were so much greener here, and I let myself admire them and the strange beasts that only lived in Faerie. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. There were nasty creatures as well, and on the other side of Faerie, there was a sickness that was growing. Aunt Logan said they were still trying to figure out how to stop the sickness and heal what had been damaged. But, it had been five hundred years, and the sickness was slow to spread, so they weren’t too worried.

  We arrived at the square, and I wasn’t surprised to find dozens of fae sitting around on the grass, drinks and food in their hands. There were also several carts around, where vendors sold their items. Aunt Logan stood from where she had been lounging with several fae males.

  She walked to us, raising an eyebrow at Jaromil. “What is this?” she asked.

  “I’ve come to strike a bargain,” Jaromil said.

  She folded her arms across her chest, her lips pursing. “Explain.”

  “I will help your niece with her magic issue,” he said.

  “In exchange for what?” she asked, giving him the same dubious look I had given him. It had to run in the family.

  “A kiss on the lips from Milena,” he said, smiling wide.

  Her lips twitched. “How do you propose to help her?”

  “I can’t reveal that, or I won’t get my payment,” he said with a chuckle.

  “You can tell me,” she said. “If it’s something I deem possible of working, I’ll allow it, and Milena can agree or disagree to the price.”

  “I feel like this is a set up,” I grumbled and folded my arms over my chest.

  “I swear we have never discussed this,” Aunt Logan said.

  “Fine,” I said with a sigh. “A single, chaste kiss on the lips.”

  He nodded, then strode to Aunt Logan, and whispered in her ear. Her brows furrowed as he spoke, but then they rose when he finished. She stared at me in silence a few moments, then turned to him. “You’re sure?”

  “Ninety percent,” he replied. “But, if it doesn’t work, there will be no adverse effects on her.”

  She went back to staring silently at me. After several torturous minutes, she nodded. “I’ll agree to it.”

  “Wonderful,” he said, smiling wide. “I will gather supplies tomorrow and can perform it tomorrow evening.”

  “Great,” she said. “For now, why don’t you and Milena join us for food and drinks?”

  I let out a heavy sigh and followed them, knowing there was no way to get out of this. Jaromil grabbed a bowl of food from one of the nearby vendors, and held it out to me.

  I accepted it, and then sat a bit away from my aunt, not wanting to witness her flirting with the men around her. I had never understood why she was still single, and she just shrugged it off when I asked. Clearly, she had suitors.

  “Do you plan on living close to your aunt?” Jaromil asked as he sat with is own bowl of food.

  I shrugged. “Probably. It’s safest when I’m near her.” Though, if his plan worked, maybe I could move to another part of Faerie. Knowing Aunt Logan, though she would follow me wherever I went.

  “She loves you as if you were her own daughter,” he said softly. “She talked about you all the time, bragged about how powerful you were. When you went missing a few years ago, she was distraught. I had never seen her so worried. She knew you weren’t dead, but she couldn’t locate you, which terrified her.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, lowering the spoon I had raised to my mouth. She had an ability to locate me based on the blood we shared. It didn’t matter which realm I was in.

  “Somehow, you’d blocked her ability to find you. She had almost gone to the king for help, but then you suddenly revealed yourself,” he explained.

  “I don’t remember any of that,” I told him honestly.

  He nodded. “I know you’re prone to memory loss because of your magic.”

  “You really think you can fix it?” I asked. While I had been in Faerie, many of my memories had returned. Not many of my bad ones, but many of my neutral or good ones. I didn’t think he could fix me, but I was hopeful.

  He nodded again. “I do.”

  “Know of any jobs?” I asked, chuckling softly. The weight of my reality was weighing upon me now. I would have to live in Faerie the rest of my life. Faerie wasn’t a bad place. I didn’t have an issue with living here. It just wasn’t the same. I missed Lucas.

  “I do, but I think serious talk should be for a different night,” he said, and wiped a tear that had fallen down my cheek. “Here,” he whispered, and held out a mug of nectar.

  I happily drunk it, sighing as the euphoric feeling of the nectar filled me.

  “Don’t let her drink too much,” Aunt Logan called over to us, she and her companions all looking at us. “She can’t handle it.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Jaromil promised.

  “That’s not reassuring,” I said and scoffed.

  He laughed, the sound like rain on a warm night. How could laughter be relaxing? Damn fae.

  “Jaromil, why don’t you tell me something about yourself?” I asked.

  The musicians started playing not far from us, making it impossible to talk.

  “Or not,” I mumbled.

  “I have a better idea,” he said, grabbed my hand, and hauled me up. Several other people were getting up as well, moving to the center of the square, around the pit where the bonfire would be lit shortly. The fae women mostly wore dresses, some barely wearing more than strips of fabric over their nipples. Fae were incredibly lax about nudity and sexuality. I’d been to a few nights where it had ended in a massive orgy. I’d left, but not after getting more than an eyeful.

  “I don’t know,” I muttered, resisting as he tugged me to dance.

  “Drink,” he ordered and put a mug of nectar in my hand.

  “You’re trying to get me drunk,” I frowned.

  He smiled. “I’m trying to help you forget.”

  Forgetting sounded great, right now. I drank the mug and then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Instantly, the pain, sadness, and worry disappeared. A smile lifted my lips, and I tugged on Jaromil’s hand.

  We joined the others, who had already begun dancing. There were several dances the fae preferred, all of which involved switching partners as you danced around the fire. I threw myself into the dance, letting the music take me, and muscle memory provide the dance moves.

  Aunt Logan joined the dancing as well, dancing with me a moment, before letting a fae male steal her away from me.

  I laughed as I danced, joy filling me for the first time in…I couldn’t remember how long.

  Jaromil came back to me, spinning me around, and making me laugh more.

  We danced until night descended and then continued dancing until the first rays of daylight brightened the square.

  I was a mass of jelly-like limbs, but the smile was still in place as Aunt Logan and I walked home, leaning on each other.

  “You’re trul
y beautiful when you’re happy,” she whispered to me.

  “Nectar is good,” I said and hiccupped.

  She chuckled. “Let’s see how you feel when you wake up.”

  We made it to our rooms, and I promptly fell into bed, having the first descent night’s sleep in weeks.

  Chapter 10

  “Are you sure we can trust him?” I asked Aunt Logan for the fourth time as we walked to meet Jaromil.

  “No, but he knows if he harms my favorite niece, I’ll obliterate him,” she said.

  “You keep calling me your favorite niece, but of course I am, since you don’t have any others,” I reminded her.

  “You’d be my favorite no matter what,” she said with a sure nod.

  I smiled but turned my face away so she wouldn’t see how much that pleased me. I was a damn adult, and yet her comment made me happy.

  “I really hope this works,” she said.

  “Me, too,” I chuckled.

  “If this does work, are you going to leave?” she asked.

  “I might find another city in Faerie to live in,” I admitted. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “But, you won’t go back to the human realm?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

  “No, I know that even with my memory intact, I can’t risk the wolves finding me,” I answered.

  She nodded. “Good. I was worried we might need to have a serious talk.”

  “No, Aunt Logan, we don’t need to have a talk,” I said with a chuckle.

  We walked for over an hour, until we came to the next suburban housing area. There weren’t as many houses here as Aunt Logan’s area, but it was still quite a few for Faerie.

  Jaromil stood in the center of a court, talking with several other fae. He saw us and smiled. “I wondered if you were going to back out,” he teased.

  I rolled my eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you,” I replied.

  “You’re sure about this?” Aunt Logan asked him, her brows furrowed as she looked at me.

  He nodded. “I talked with the others, and they think this will work.”

  “What are we doing?” I asked, still in the dark about this whole plan. I hated not knowing what was going on.