by Payne, Jenna
It shifted its weight, looking almost nervous, long tail whipping and scraping across the stone floor. It snapped its teeth, fangs the size of Maisie's arm.
“Jesus Christ,” Maisie swore. “What manner o' creature are ye?”
The beast's deep, rumbling voice filled the room, making the cavern walls tremble. “Th' kind feared and persecuted by men. Th' kind that must hide in order to survive.” A soft growl, almost like the purr of a cat, lay under its words. “Do ye believe me now?”
Maisie made the sign of the cross. The beast chuckled and shook its great head.
“I willna' hurt ye,” it said. It sat back on its haunches and stretched out its wings, their span stretching across the width of the room.
Maisie took in the gleaming golden scales, the same color as Grant's hair, the undeniably human look in its eyes. "How did this come t' be?" she asked.
"'Tis simply who I am," Grant replied. "It has always been this way, since the start of my family's line. 'Twas a gift, though now it has become a curse. I cannae walk amongst mankind. I have been cursed as a monster, to live forever in th' caves beneath this damnable loch."
"Can ye change back?" Maisie asked.
Grant swung his great head down to see her better, one sharp eye focused on her. "'Tis nae a pretty sight," he said, "but aye. That, at least, is under my own control. Does this form bother ye, lass?"
"'Tis a frightening one," Maisie admitted.
Grant released something that sounded like a sigh and shuffled back into the middle of the chamber. The transformation was the same, though in reverse, and no less painful to look at. Within a handful of minutes it was the man Grant standing in the center of the room, his hands clasped in front of him to cover his indecency. He cleared his throat. Bathed in the light that shone down from the hole in the roof he looked almost like an angel, his hair spun from gold and his skin pale and perfect.
"If ye will close yer eyes," he said, "I will make myself decent."
Maisie complied, wondering why her heart was pounding. It must have been her instincts protecting her against what her mind perceived as a threat. The man she heard shuffling around wasn't a threat, though. He had saved her. She could have died down in that ravine, or been picked up by men far worse, or taken for food by a wild animal. She had thought he was holding her hostage, but now she realized that wasn't the case, and he had shared what was doubtless his greatest secret with her. Maisie didn't know what to do with that knowledge.
Grant cleared his throat. "Ye can look," he said.
Maisie slowly opened her eyes. Grant stood in front of her, his arms crossed protectively over his chest, as if that would shield her from his judgment. She held her blankets to her chest.
"Are ye th' reason why so many sheep have been going missing?" she asked.
"I have a great appetite," Grant replied. "At times I can control it, but sometimes th' hunger grows too great."
"I understand," Maisie replied. The look of sadness in Grant's eyes struck her deep in her soul. She let the blankets fall and swung her legs over to sit on the edge of the bed. Grant claimed the chair in front of her, watching her.
"I'm sorry," she said, and reached out for one of his hands. It was warm and soft and human. "Thank ye for helping me."
Grant's smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "I couldnae simply leave ye there. 'Twould be cruel of me, and yer far too pretty and sweet a thing t' leave t' the will of nature."
Maisie's cheeks warmed. Grant raised his free hand and touched his fingertips to her cheek. Maisie leaned into the touch, her eyes sliding half closed. Grant brushed his thumb over the bone and let his fingers slide into her hair. It was hopelessly tangled and in desperate need of a brush, but Grant seemed not to notice, or care. He combed his fingers through it, gently working out any knots he came across, and never removed his other hand from her grasp. He leaned in, slowly, and very lightly brushed his lips over hers in a ghost of a kiss so brief that Maisie didn't have time to register that it happened before Grant had sat back again and dropped his hand from his hair.
She blinked her eyes open to look at him, a slight frown on her face. “What-”
“I'll take ye home on the morrow,” Grant said gently. “'Twill give you an extra day t' rest and recover from tha' fever.
“Oh,” Maisie sighed. “Aye. My family will be glad t' have me back.”
“I thought as much,” Grant replied. “If ye feel th' need t' walk, be careful and try nae t' strain yerself overly much.” He stood and turned.
“This is yer bedroom, isn't it?” Maisie asked, more a statement of fact. She doubted there was a chamber specifically for guests. Maisie was likely the first one he had ever had.
“Aye,” Grant replied.
“Thank ye,” Maisie said.
Grant smiled over his shoulder at her and then left the room. Maisie carefully stood to test her weight and stretched her legs and arms, keeping one eye on the corridor, hoping that Grant would return. As she walked slow laps around the room she held her fingertips to her still tingling lips and wondered at the butterflies in her stomach.
*****
She only saw Grant again when he brought her some cooked mutton to eat. Maisie had lit all the candles she could find and the soft light from them made Grant's skin and hair shine gold. The butterflies returned to Maisie's stomach. He said nothing to her, and turned to leave as soon as he had set down food and drink on the bedside table.
“Wait,” Maisie said, reaching out to snag the corner of his shirt. Grant stilled at her touch and turned to face her, tilting his head to the side. “Will ye stay?” Maisie asked before she could truly think about the words. “Will ye eat with me?”
“Do ye truly want me to?” Grant asked.
“Aye, I do,” Maisie replied.
Grant hesitated, but tugged away and fetched down another cup then took his seat in the chair. He speared a chunk of mutton with his dirk and popped it into his mouth, but refrained from taking more until Maisie had eaten her fill. Once she sat back against the head of the bed he quickly finished what was left on the plate.
“Ye should have eaten more,” Maisie said.
Grant shrugged and drained his cup. “Ye need it more than I,” he replied.
Maisie sighed and hugged her knees to her chest, letting her chin rest on them. “Yer as impossible as my brother,” she said.
“Ye must be excited t' return to them.”
“Aye,” Maisie replied, “though I'm afraid what my father will do to restrict my wandering.”
“Maybe 'tis for the best,” Grant replied.
“Maybe,” Maisie said with a shrug, “but if not for my sense o' adventure I would ne'er have met ye.”
“Would tha' have been such a bad thing?” Grant asked. “Ye should stay away from the fae.”
“I know,” Maisie said, “but unless ye seek t' trick me...”
“I do nae,” Grant said firmly.
“Then I am glad I met you,” Maisie said. “I could have suffered a far worse fate than ending up in your kind hands.”
“Truly?” Grant asked.
“Truly,” Maisie replied and smiled at him.
Grant opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, then snapped his jaw shut again and abruptly leaned forward, bracing his hands on the bed and pressing his lips firmly against Maisie's. Shock delayed her reaction but once her brain caught up to what was happening she returned the kiss and let her hands rest on Grant's face. He brushed his tongue across her lips, seeking entrance that Maisie willingly, if awkwardly, granted, unsure what exactly the sensations zipping through her body really were. She felt hot all over just from his kisses. His weight shifted, one of his hands coming to rest on her waist, running up and brushing the side of her breast, curving around the back of her shoulder and scratching down her back. Maisie arched, her chest pressing against his. Grant's hand came dangerously close to her rear before he let it slide over her waist again and run up her stomach to toy with the ti
es of her dress.
He lifted his head, leaving her panting with lips red and swollen from his kisses and yearning for more. Grant shifted to sit on the side of the bed to pull at her laces with both his hands, his gaze never leaving hers. Maisie's heart thumped hard against her ribs, a flush starting at her face and spreading down to her neck. Grant leaned down to kiss the base of her throat, brushing his nose over her fluttering pulse, and tugged the collar of her dress aside just enough that he could slip a hand beneath the fabric and over her breast. Her nipples peaked at the brush of his palm and she squeezed her thighs together against a sudden aching warmth that bloomed between them, her gasp echoing off the chamber walls.
She felt his other hand on her ankle, gently caressing it before moving up, taking her dress with it. He moved achingly slowly, giving Maisie plenty of time to push his hand away, but she let him continue until her skirt was bunched around her hips and Grant's fingers were rubbing the inside of her thigh while he pinched and rolled a nipple between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. Maisie let her eyes flutter shut and her legs be nudged open. Grant peppered kisses along her jaw and sucked on her earlobe, giving it a teasing nip before he pulled back to watch Maisie's face. His fingers teased up higher, closer to the almost unbearable thrumming right at the apex of Maisie's sex. She could feel a warm dampness on her thighs, just above Grant's fingertips.
She couldn't figure out how things had gotten so heated so quickly, but she couldn't deny her body what it wanted, even if she knew what exactly that was. She let her hands rest on Grant's shoulders and trailed one down to grip his wrist and push his hand a bit higher, body tense. A noise caught in her throat at the first touch of his fingers through her folds. She let him tease through them, gathering her wetness, circling around the center of her ache in a way that soon had her thighs shaking. She knew what men and women did in bed, her mother had told her before her passing, but she had never mentioned this.
Heat coiled low in her belly, a tension spreading from her hips down to her toes. She wanted the sensation to last forever, of being just on the edge of a precipice and only a breath away from falling.
“Ye have magic in yer fingers,” she gasped out.
Grant chuckled low into her neck and sucked on her skin, pulling her blood to the surface and leaving what was sure to be an impressive mark. It was over too quickly, Maisie arching off the bed as her body tensed with pleasure, biting her lip through a sharp moan that sounded strange to her ears as it bounced off the walls. Grant coaxed her down and kissed her lips until she had the strength to kiss him back, wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could.
“Shift over, lass,” he said softly. She tried, but her body was too weak for her to do much, and he all but lifted her to the other side of the bed and slipped in next to her before drawing off his shirt and pulling her against his chest. Maisie brushed her lips over his skin, tasting the faintest hint of sweat, and breathed deeply of his fresh scent. He stroked her hair, his chin pressed to the top of her head. Maisie tried to keep her eyes open, but found herself unable to do anything other than nuzzle into him and let go.
*****
Dawn woke Maisie. She curled into Grant's body, wrapping her arms and legs as snugly around him as she could manage. The trip back to her village would begin shortly, and there was a large part of Maisie that didn't want to leave. She knew that marriage would be part of her future, but she had never given much thought to it or anything that came with it. Now that she had shared such things with Grant, she couldn't help but wonder about what would happen now. If her father ever found out that she had bed a man who she wasn't married to, then who knew what he would do. And if it somehow managed to circulate around the rest of the village then she would be lucky if she found a man who would be willing to marry her. Her dowry, such as it was, would certainly need to be increased, and that was something she wasn't sure her family could afford.
Grant stirred next to her and rolled onto his back with a deep, heavy sigh. Maisie pillowed her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand beneath the blankets to stroke his chest and stomach. Well, she had wanted something new and she had certainly gotten it. Even if she never saw Grant again, at least she would have an adventure to remember. A pang went through her stomach at the thought. He could have so easily hurt her or done whatever else he wanted, and he had been nothing but kind, and open, and honest. She didn't know of any man in her village, or in any of the ones around it, that was quite like him.
Grant made a noise in the back of his throat and covered Maisie's hand with his own. “Watch how low ye put yer hand, love,” he said.
Maisie blushed and pushed her face into his neck, her stomach twisting pleasantly. She hoped that Grant would forget that they were due to leave, but she had no such luck.
He gently pushed her hand away and sat up to reach down for his clothes, slinging his shirt over his head before he stood. Maisie rolled onto her side and watched him wrap his kilt around himself and tug on his boots. He was fully dressed by the time she decided it was time for her to get up as well and slip her simple dress over her head. Grant knelt and rolled her ankle, looking up at her face, and when she didn't wince he slipped her shoes on and slung her satchel over his shoulder.
“Shall we?” Grant asked.
Maisie wanted to say no, but she just took Grant's hand and let him lead her through the caverns and corridors towards the entrance of the system, a small hole so hidden away that Maisie would never have been able to see it from the outside. When they emerged into the fresh, damp morning air, Loch Morar stretched out before her, its waters still and silent.
“'Tis beautiful,” she said.
“Aye,” Grant replied. A small smile graced his face. “Aye, 'tis.” He took a deep breath. “Come. And watch yer step. I'll nae have ye repeatin' this incident.”
Maisie would gladly do so if it meant spending more time with Grant, but she listened to him and took great care as they made their way down the face of the hill.
It was a quiet journey. They stopped once at midday to eat before continuing on. Maisie kept her fingers laced through Grant’s. Her ankle began to hurt, but not so badly she couldn't walk. She almost wished it was so she would have an excuse to sit down and spend a bit longer with him. Soon after lunch they came to where Grant had found her, and they paused to drink from the clear stream.
“It was you I saw circling above that day,” Maisie said, thankful for a moment's respite to rub her ankle. “Before I lost consciousness.”
“Aye,” Grant replied. He had splashed water on his face and it dripped off his nose and chin.
“What were you doing?” Maisie asked.
“Hunting,” Grant replied. “Stretching my legs, so t' speak.”
Maisie smiled. “I thought dragons were supposed t' capture maidens, not help them.”
“Ye listen t' too many stories,” Grant said with a small smile. “Come, 'tis not far.” He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.
Maisie looked up at the side of the hill, the one she had tumbled down, and bit back a sigh. She wanted to be happy to be home with her family again, but she had had a taste of something different, something better, and she wasn't sure she would be able to give that up.
By the time they reached the top of the hill Maisie was breathless. Grant allowed her to rest and offered her a swig from his water skin. She didn't need him to guide her home, not from where they were, but she wasn't about to tell him as such. It didn't matter to her that he was fae. It was his human side she was growing to adore, and she was determined to keep his company for as long as she was able.
He dropped her hand, however, as they began to pick through the woods, and let Maisie take the lead. They passed by the small meadow where she had had her breakfast, and eventually found the hunting trail once more.
Soon, Maisie could hear the sounds of civilization at the edge of her hearing, and knew for certain that they were in the right place. Grant hung back, one hand
on the hilt of his dirk, the only weapon he carried. Maisie guessed he had no real need for a weapon if he could turn into a beast capable of ripping a man to shreds with his talons.
The knowledge should have made her blood run cold, but Grant didn't have the look of a man who had ever taken another's life. With a secret like his to keep, Maisie doubted he had much contact with humans outside of the absolutely necessary. She hoped her father and brother would be kind to him. After all, it was Maisie who had wandered away from what she knew and gotten herself hurt as a result, and Grant had brought her home, just as he had said he would.
He lingered in the tree line as the woods broke and the village spread before them. No one paid much attention to either of them, not even when Maisie took her first step back into the village and cut a path straight to her brother's forge.
Ramsay was making nails, no doubt for an order from one of the other villages, and didn't notice her approach right away. It wasn't until she held out the hammer he was searching for that he did a double take and stared at her with wide eyes before dropping everything and wrapping her up in a hug that near squeezed the life out of her.
"In God's name, Maisie," he said into her ear, "ye gave us quite the scare."
Maisie shoved against his shoulders until he loosened his embrace and let her feet touch the ground again. His joyous expression grew serious and distrustful when he glanced over Maisie's shoulder to where Grant was waiting, just under the edge of the awning.
"It's all right, Ram," Maisie said. "He dinnae harm me."
Ramsay's eyes, the same dark brown as their father's, skipped back and forth between her and Grant before he nodded once and his shoulders relaxed.
"Aye, well, I suppose I owe you my thanks then for bringing my little sister home."
"'Twas what any good man would do," Grant replied with a slight dip of his head.
Ramsay nodded and wiped his hands off on his apron. "Well, come then. Father is eager t' see ye both."