by Meara Platt
Mercy! It wasn’t.
Flames of sensation kindled within her, guiding her body’s response to Cadeyrn. She didn’t resist, nor did she understand why his mere touch resonated so deeply within her soul. Hers was no ordinary ache of desire but one that burned with a desperate, wanting heat.
She bucked against him, suddenly wild and frightened that he was casting an enchantment to enslave her heart to his forever. At the same time, she yearned to be held captive, to be bound by the touch of his hand.
“Cadeyrn!” she cried, her voice breathless and ragged, for his sweet, hot touch had conjured images of the passion that could be … of what was destined to be … she lying naked in his arms.
“I’ve hurt you.” He drew away at once, his expression serious.
“No,” she insisted. “The way you touched me just now … it felt …”
“Cold?”
“No … it makes me feel … I can’t explain it, but everything is intensified. Your touch doesn’t just feel nice, it feels wonderful. You’ve taken my memories, even the sad ones, and flooded them with warmth and happiness.” She struggled to maintain her composure, leaning against him as her legs turned to butter, for every part of her was in turmoil.
Was she fated to lose her innocence to Cadeyrn?
He put his arms around her in the unstudied, protective manner that seemed to come naturally to him. “You speak of sensations once known to the Fae, but only a handful of elders recall them now and their memories are dim, most completely faded. We Fae never touch one another.”
“Didn’t your parents hold you when you were a child?”
“I don’t think so. They died shortly after I was born.”
Melody felt a little tug at her heart. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why?”
“Their loss must have left an emptiness in your heart.”
He cast her a puzzled frown. “This emptiness you speak of is something only known to your kind. In truth, I do not understand it, yet it is this very weakness that protects you from far stronger enemies.”
She tried to draw away, but he seemed reluctant to let her go. “Your Majesty? Is there more to this test?” She realized there must be, or he simply would have told her it was done and released her.
“I have yet to kiss you on the mouth.”
Heavens!
“It is necessary, so I’m told by my council.”
Melody knew she had to refuse him, for he held the power to capture her soul with such a kiss. “I … I …” Yet she wanted to taste his warm lips on hers. Surely, one kiss would not bind her to him for all eternity.
No, it was impossible.
Love grew over time.
“It is also dangerous,” he continued. “Few humans can survive such a faerie kiss, for it requires the mingling of our life forces, yours and mine. Yours has existed a mere twenty years, mine for over five thousand. That is why I have not yet touched you on the lips, for fear of injuring you.”
“Kind of you,” she murmured, gazing up at him in wonder. He looked remarkably handsome for one who had survived thousands of years. A few hours ago, she would have thought it a jest, but she believed him now. “Are you really five thousand years old?”
“Yes,” he said with a wry arch of his brow. “It is common for a Fae being to live well beyond ten thousand years. I’m considered young, the equivalent of twenty-five of your years. Humans rarely survive beyond a century, but there are times in your brief lives when your souls—what we call the life force—are exceptionally strong.”
“And you believe mine is strong now?”
He nodded. “It must be, for you’ve suffered no ill effects from my touch thus far.”
Melody agreed, refusing to consider the white-hot swell of desire rushing through her body an ill effect. No matter that her knees were weak, cheeks flushed, and heart beating wildly out of control.
He’d kissed her on the neck, that’s all.
She’d liked it, that’s all.
Though it was odd that this splendid feeling could be brought on by the touch of an ancient faerie whose arms were big and muscled, and body hard as a warrior’s ought to be … in order to fight dragons, of course.
“My kiss won’t harm you if you’re destined to be my queen.”
Is that why she’d seen herself lying naked in his arms? Had it been a glimpse into their wedding night? “And if I’m not so destined, will I die?”
She noticed a throbbing cord of tension along his neck as he said, “It is possible. The choice is yours to make, Melody. I cannot force you to accept my kiss. The decision must be of your own free will.”
She pinched herself, certain she was either dreaming or deliriously ill and lying on her deathbed, but it didn’t work. Cadeyrn was very much here and awaiting her answer. His queen? It was ridiculous, of course!
“I must be mad,” she said finally. “I’m surely mad to consider it, for I’ve been warned about men and their not so honorable intentions. Though you’re not of man, but of the Fae … so it wouldn’t be quite the same thing, would it? You’ve said it is dangerous. Yet you haven’t hurt me. You’re just worried that you might.” She paused and smiled at him. “I appreciate your concern, truly I do. I’ve never been anyone’s queen. Would you be pleased if I were yours?”
“It would save my people,” Cadeyrn said, appearing as though he did not care one way or another. Melody suddenly realized that he didn’t. She had been the only one swept away on a tide-swell of sensations.
Cadeyrn was not purposely holding back.
He simply felt nothing, as he’d just explained, for that was the curse of the Fae.
But she felt everything.
Was this the test? That she should cure him of his curse?
She didn’t think she could, having never kissed a man before. He was her first everything—first man, certainly her first Fae—and he was no mere commoner. He was a king.
Still, she was glad Cadeyrn would be her first.
She wasn’t certain exactly when she had come upon her decision, but it felt right. “Very well, Your Majesty. You may kiss me.”
He let out a soft growl and lowered his mouth to hers, giving her no time to protest or reconsider her decision. She closed her eyes again as a scorching heat enveloped her body, a delicious molten heat that ebbed and flowed with the devouring press of his lips against hers, with the rise and fall of their entwined bodies as each took hungry breaths against the other’s mouth, neither willing to break away for fear this kiss might be their last.
Oh, goodness! She didn’t want this kiss to be their last.
How could a man be strong, yet gentle? Demanding, yet protective? Did only Fae men possess this remarkable ability to steal one’s senses? His hands roamed up and down her body, along her back, across her hips, heating her skin wherever he touched. His fingers grazed her breasts, and when she didn’t pull away, he cupped one of them and caressed the tip to a hard bud, his gentle touch purposeful and certain.
She put her arms around his neck and opened her mouth against his, allowing him to probe within, the sweet moisture of his tongue exquisite against her lips, his slow, powerful thrusts sending hot, shuddering waves of pleasure through her body.
She wanted him!
Dear heaven!
She gave herself over to the languid splendor of his kiss, to the devouring strength of his arms now circled about her waist. She sighed as he drew her body up against his, reveled in the smooth, hot feel of his skin beneath her palms.
Her head began to spin, the thoughts whirling faster and faster into a tight, hard ball until nothing existed but Cadeyrn … her and Cadeyrn together beneath a silver carpet of stars.
“Melody, Melody,” he said in a husky whisper, suddenly breaking off the kiss and taking a staggering step back. “This can’t be happening. It can’t be right.”
“It is right. You feel it, too. Don’t you?” Her lips were still tingling and her body floating on a wave’s crest that simpl
y refused to break against the shore.
Cadeyrn ran a hand gruffly across the back of his neck. “Impossible. It can’t be you. It takes great strength to fight demons. You’re … you’re soft as a lamb.”
“Who said anything about demons? I thought you were fighting dragons.”
“Dragons are the highest form of demon. You can’t possibly be The One … can you even lift a sword?”
She shook her head to clear her thoughts, for his kiss had left her dazed and half in love with him, which seemed to make him angry. Faeries were the most confounding creatures she’d ever met, odd and volatile, to be sure. She had expected him to be pleased by her response, not scowling. “Lift a sword? I’m sure I could, if I tried.”
“Pah! I knew it! She’s never tried,” he said, suddenly turning away as though addressing a throng of spectators in the church. They were alone here … weren’t they?
“Who are you talking to?” Melody stuck her chin into the air and looked about.
“My Fae council, of course.”
“Fae council?” Oh, goodness! She had kissed him and they’d all been watching! Were they angry with her as well for failing his test? “Does it matter whether or not I’ve ever lifted a sword? The point is, I think I can.”
“You think so? Even though you’ve never tried?”
“Well, no. I’ve never had reason to.”
“Then how are you able to fight dragons?”
Heat rushed into her cheeks. “Well, let me explain about that. I can’t fight dragons, didn’t know they existed other than in myth. You see—”
“You’ve never fought dragons?” He let out a grunt of disgust and turned back to the council that she couldn’t see. “I told you she is not The One! How can she be when she lied to me? How can she rule as my queen over those she does not believe exist? This evening has been a complete waste of my time. Get out of my sight! All of you!”
Melody heard a whirl of air and felt a cold breeze across her cheeks as the whirl spun away, leaving the two of them alone.
Cadeyrn took her none too gently by the arm. “I’ll walk you back to the vicarage. Farewell, Melody. I don’t think you and I shall ever meet again.”
*
Melody refused to admit she would miss Cadeyrn.
She held back her tears, determined not to cry, for he would only regard it as another sign of her weakness. They were still inside the church. Cadeyrn had dismissed his Fae council and was now glowering at her.
What did he intend to do next?
She refused to believe he would harm her, even while enraged.
“I can walk back by myself,” she insisted, wishing this day would prove to be a bad dream and Cadeyrn a concoction of her wayward thoughts. Yet in her heart she knew he existed and did not wish to part from him in anger.
She had lied to him, though with innocent intentions, and now owed him an explanation. “Your Majesty, when you first asked me about my ability to fight dragons, I thought you were the village drunk and having a jest at my expense. Had I known at the time that my answer was vital to the survival of the Fae—”
“I told you it was.”
She nodded. “You did. I was completely at fault for not believing you. I hope you will forgive me in time. It was never my intention to mislead you.”
He shook his head and sighed. “In time? Time is the one luxury I no longer have, Melody. Come, I’ll take you home.”
However, they had walked no more than a step before Cadeyrn stopped suddenly and drew her behind him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hush!”
In the next moment, she heard a low, snarling sound that echoed eerily off the rafters so that she could not locate its source. She blinked as dark shapes began to fill the church, at first believing them to be mere tricks of moonlight filtering in through the colors of the glass. But as the shapes loomed larger, as the air turned stale, as more sounds—soft, menacing snarls—continued to echo off the walls, she realized the threat was real. “Merciful heavens, what are they?”
“Demon scouts.” Cadeyrn silently withdrew his sword from its sheath and began to back her toward the door as the dark shapes attempted to encircle them. “Melody, I don’t think they can see you.”
“But I can see them. I don’t understand. Why—”
“Return to the vicarage. Now. You’ll be safe. It’s me they’re after.”
“But you’ve dismissed your Fae council,” she said, realizing he meant to fight these beasts alone. She couldn’t let him, for there was something in his eyes … not weariness, but a certain look of acceptance in facing death that made her heart lurch. He meant to see her safely away before he died.
“I’ll stay.” She recalled the brazier Vicar Axwell kept beside the altar to warm him on cold, wet days. There would be a sturdy fire iron beside it. She broke away from Cadeyrn and grabbed it.
“Melody, no!”
Her hands were shaking and heart pounding with thunderous force as she raised it defensively. “Have they seen me yet?”
In response, two demon scouts broke off from the pack and started toward her, their red eyes gleaming in anticipation of the kill. Cadeyrn dispatched them with two smooth thrusts of his sword. “Damn it, Melody! I’ll hold them off. I’m ordering you to go. Now!”
She intended to run. Truly, she wanted to run, but how could she leave him? Those creatures … there were at least ten prowling about the chapel, their sharp teeth and demonic gazes trained on Cadeyrn as they circled closer to him. She seemed once again forgotten, which proved helpful when the leader suddenly let out a terrifying roar and lunged at Cadeyrn.
Cadeyrn shielded her with his body, thinking only of her safety as the entire demon pack surged toward them. In that moment, Melody knew she could not let him fight them off alone. She quickly slipped under his arm and rushed forward, swinging the sturdy fire iron with all her might, hoping by the occasional soft thuds that she’d struck disabling blows to some of those dark shapes.
She knew better than to credit her success to her battle prowess, for these creatures were intent on Cadeyrn and paid her little attention. Cadeyrn appeared tireless, fighting valiantly as the attacks intensified, but the enemy force was too great and the demons soon had him trapped in a corner of the apse. They attempted to pile atop him, stabbing and thrusting their taloned hands at his chest, their distended jaws open wide to bite his neck.
Melody doubled her efforts, striking solid blows against their frog-like bodies and struggling against her own revulsion as a rancid ooze seeped from their gleaming skins and slicked the stone floor. “Get away from him, you villains!”
“Melody! Run! I command it!”
She swung again and again, striking blow after blow that sent several of those creatures reeling, some letting out blood-curdling shrieks. A few disappeared before her very eyes. Had she killed them? Or were they merely wounded and retreating?
As their numbers diminished, Cadeyrn was able to fight off the rest. He slew one … and another … and another. Melody drew back as Cadeyrn wielded his sword with deadly precision until the last demon fell atop his slain brothers, his taloned toes in a mad twitch as he took his last breaths.
A deathly silence filled the chapel.
Melody let out a sob as she sought Cadeyrn in the glooming darkness. He stood in shadow before the altar. “Your Majesty, are they gone?”
“For the moment.” He let out a pained laugh and fell to his knees with a labored grunt.
“You’re hurt!” Melody rushed to his side and knelt beside him on the cold, slick floor, her fright momentarily forgotten. She was determined to inspect his injuries, though her mind was in a frenzy and her hands were shaking too hard to control. She had to do something, for his arm was circled about his ribs and he seemed to be in utter agony.
“I ordered you to leave,” he said with a scowl, dismissing her attempt to tend him. “Why did you disobey me?”
She eyed him with confusion. “I couldn’t a
bandon you to those beasts. You were badly outnumbered.”
Her response appeared to confuse him. They stared at each other a long moment, each attempting to understand the other’s actions. “But you owed me no fealty,” he finally said.
“Nonsense, Your Majesty. I am deeply and forever in your debt. Isn’t it obvious why?”
He stilled her hand as she reached out to touch a rib. “No, it isn’t.”
She sighed and shook her head. “That delicious goose you prepared for us. If you’re gone, how are we to have it again?”
“Are you making a jest?”
“Not a very good one,” she admitted, her mind still in a whirl as she tried to make sense of what had just occurred and fearing she would turn into a blubbering ninny when she did. “Sit quietly while I treat your wounds. You’re a bit of a goose, yourself. Did you think you could take on those creatures all by yourself?”
He said nothing for another moment, regarding her thoughtfully. “You fought by my side and protected me. You saved my life.”
She dismissed the notion. “I hardly think so. You defeated them on your own. I merely slowed them down. Oh, dear! You’re bleeding. And your jacket and shirt are soaked through. Here, let me help you take them off. Does it hurt to lift your arm?”
He took her hand in a gentle grasp. “Stop, Melody. My council elders will heal me.”
It seemed odd that she should be so worried, that her stomach should be roiling and heart aching when he appeared so calm about his injuries. She couldn’t help it. He might have died tonight! He still might, if those injuries remained untreated. “But—”
“They’ll know what to do.”
“Are they here now? Have you summoned them?” She looked around, her eyes straining to make out any moving shapes within the chapel, but saw none. “Will they be here soon? I dare not wait. You have a broken rib, likely two. Your shirt and jacket have been slashed to ribbons. Let me see your chest. Were you stabbed? I think you must have been. That pool of blood on your shirt cannot be the result of mere claw marks.”
She choked back a heaving sob as the last of her composure fell away. “Look at me, my hands are shaking and my head is spinning. Oh, and that rancid stench! I think I’m going to be ill!”