Cursed by the Fountain of Youth (Unnatural States of America Book 1)

by Holly Kelly

  She turned toward the sound and began to walk down a path, her bare feet padding over the hard, cool flagstones. Perhaps she should have put on her shoes. She dismissed the possibility of returning for them. She didn’t want to chance waking Nick. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be enthusiastic about her wanting to take a midnight stroll in the woods.

  The path meandered through the giant trees as the sounds of insects chirped around her. It sounded like crickets lived in the “between” too. Fae continued to walk for a long while, and the voice grew louder. It wasn’t really speaking; it sounded more like singing.

  She was almost there.

  The sounds of water drowned out the sounds of the insects. There must be a river nearby, Fae thought just as she stepped into a clearing.

  Bathed in moonlight stood the most beautiful scene Fae had ever laid eyes on. A fountain sat on top of a hill. Stone steps at her feet led up to the structure. Water flowed over the side of the fountain, as if someone had been filling it and left the water running too long. The water continued its flow down the steps and seeped into the mossy ground at her feet.

  Sloshing through the water, Fae made her way up the steps. Even though the air around her felt cold, the water warmed her feet. When she got to the top, she gasped at the breadth of the fountain. It was the size of a swimming pool, brimming with water that spilled over the side.

  The singing stopped, and then a voice spoke, filling her with inexplicable joy. Fontaine. You’ve returned to me.

  She’d heard this voice before, but couldn’t quite place where.

  Come join me in the water.

  “I’ll drown,” she said.

  There was a warm chuckle. You won’t drown, my child. You are born of my waters.

  “Who are you?” Fae asked, uncertain whether she should be terrified or not.

  I am the Lady of the Fountain.

  “Is that kind of like the Lady of the Lake? The one in King Arthur’s legend?”

  You speak of Freya, my sister. My name is Ester.

  Fae looked around at the forest of the Between and wondered if this was the place she was born, and not the bayou in Florida. Could her mother be buried around here?

  This is not my original home, Ester said, as if she could read Fae’s thoughts. I have been moved twice in my lifetime. My first home is in a place you call Ethiopia. I lived happily there for many centuries. But then I was stolen from my home and brought to the Americas. For many years, I was kept safe by my guardians, but then one betrayed me and wished to exploit my powers. I did not allow him to use me to further his evil designs. But then I was left alone—until a man named Conall found me and brought me here.

  “Why didn’t he return you to your home in Africa?”

  The elf informed me that my home had been corrupted and I would not be safe there.

  “I’m really sorry.”

  Don’t worry over me, child. This place is wholly adequate.

  “That’s good to hear.” Fae paused, the question she’d been dying to ask on the tip of her tongue. Finally, she asked, “Do you remember my mother and father? Do you know where I can find them?”

  I’m sorry. Where they are, you cannot go. Your mother’s heart ached from the loss of her husband. Her despair so poignant, it awoke me from my slumber. I tried to do what I could to comfort her. I attempted to use my power to lighten her aching heart. But, my influence was greater than I expected. Most humans cannot hear my voice, most are not even touched by it, but your mother not only heard me, she ran to me. And when she approached, my guardians perceived her as a threat and destroyed her. I am truly sorry. I never meant for that to happen. A woman such as her did not deserve to die. The least I could do to make amends would be to save her child.

  Fae’s heart sank. She truly hoped that Brigitte had been lying and her parents were alive somewhere. Fae could feel the remorse emanating from the fountain and felt the need to comfort Ester.

  “You did save me.”

  Yes, I did.”

  “Thank you,” Fae said.

  You are welcome, my child.

  Fae reached out her hand and touched the water. Her spirits immediately lightened. The water took on a green glow as a breathtaking face appeared just below the surface, haloed in long, black hair. The Lady smiled at her but remained beneath the water.

  “So, you can grant youthfulness?” Fae asked.

  Or take it, from anyone that touches my waters.

  “What happens when they drink?”

  They are not meant to drink. That is a theft. Youth stolen without permission. For most, the punishment is immediate—madness.

  An errant leaf drifted and landed on the surface of the water. Fae expected it would float, but it didn’t. It dropped like a stone. This water wasn’t like any other she’d seen. Fae wondered what those waters had done to her.

  The waters did nothing to you. I gave you my power. I saw what Lafayette had planned from the beginning. I could not stop him from destroying my guardians, but I could keep him from succeeding in his quest for eternal life. So, I gave you my power—leaving me weak and powerless. That act accomplished two things—it kept the power from Lafayette, and it saved your life.

  “Are you still powerless?”

  No, my dear. The Between is rich with power. I am now fully restored.

  “That’s good to know, but I’m sorry to tell you that Lafayette must have found out what you did. He came after me. He got his youth back.”

  That is unfortunate. I only meant to protect. Instead, I cursed you.

  “I wouldn’t call eternal youth a curse.”

  It can be. There is no fear as universal as the fear of death. Men will kill to stop it. They will do the most heinous and terrible things to avoid it. And giving you the power to grant eternal life will make you forever a target. Now, I would ask you again, will you please join me in my fountain?

  * * * * *

  Nick awoke with a start and leaped out of bed. He raced to Fae’s room and flipped on the switch to confirm what he already knew.

  She was gone. It wasn’t just a dream. Fae was at the fountain.

  Nick burst through the cabin door and hit the path at a run. He knew exactly where he was going, having traveled there just minutes before in a dream. The so-called Lady of the Fountain wanted Fae to take a plunge in the water. Nick didn’t know what that meant for Fae, but the possibilities were terrifying.

  The fountain came into view, towering above him. He could see Fae at the top, climbing over the side of the fountain and entering the water. He took the steps two at a time as he raced to get to her in time.

  “Fae, don’t do it!” he shouted. “Get out of the fountain!”

  She heard him and turned back—her eyes wide in surprise. And then he felt a tug at his feet. No, not his feet, Fae’s feet. The Lady pulled her down.

  Fae clutched the side of the fountain to stop her descent. Then the Lady pulled harder. The stones scraped against Fae’s arms as she did her best to hold on.

  You let him drink your blood?

  He heard the familiar sound of the Lady’s voice through Fae’s mind. She sounded angry. That was a mistake. Human connections only lead to misery. He can’t be trusted. Stay with me. I will keep you safe for all eternity.

  “No,” Fae shrieked. “I didn’t know you planned to keep me here.” Fae’s grip slipped just as Nick got to the top.

  He ran to the fountain as Fae plunged beneath the surface. He grabbed her outreached hand, and his body slammed into the stones as the creature pulled Fae down. This Lady was strong. Nick was half surprised that Fae’s shoulder wasn’t yanked from its socket.

  Nick pulled with everything he had in him. Fae cried out in pain, making his heart clench and his adrenaline to spike.

  Her face broke the surface, and he continued to pull, grabbing at her shoulder and then wrapping his arm around her body as he tore her from the water. When at last her feet were free, the resistance disappeared and they flew back, landi
ng in a heap at the precipice of the descending steps. Fae turned away and coughed the water from her lungs. When she’d gotten rid of most of the liquid, Nick’s arms circled her.

  “I trusted her,” she gasped between coughing jags. “I can’t believe…she planned to keep me there…forever. She’s no better than Lafayette.” She turned around in his arms to face him.

  Nick enfolded her in his embrace. They were both shaking, and Nick found he couldn’t speak. He’d just had the scare of his life.

  He’d almost lost her.

  Nick could hear the Lady saying some very unladylike things. She was furious with him. He could care less how that pond scum felt. She may have saved Fae’s life, but that didn’t erase the fact she wanted to keep her prisoner.

  Nick swept Fae up in his arms and carried her down the steps to the forest below. Fae shook her head where it lay against his shoulder and said, “I’m sorry, Nick. I shouldn’t have come here on my own.”

  “Fae,” he said and paused. When she looked at him, he continued. “I’m just glad to have you back.” He looked at her full, wet, quivering lips and leaned over, capturing them with his mouth. Kissing her now was a strange, elating mixture of feelings—both his and hers. The adrenaline in their systems fed their desire, and Fae moaned as she clutched his hair and wrapped her leg around him, driving him mad. She was too innocent to realize the effect her actions were having on him. He continued to make love to her with his mouth as his hands wandered the curves of her waist and down her hips, grabbing onto her leg and pulling her into him. He wanted this woman like he’d never wanted any other. He felt he would literally die if he didn’t have her.

  When he considered finding a patch of soft ground to strip her of her wet clothes, he stilled. What am I doing? A heartbeat later, he growled as he pulled away.

  Fae had planned to wait until she was married before having sex—heaven help him. Though the way she responded to him, he knew she wouldn’t resist his advances now. Still, there was no way he’d take her here on the forest floor. He loved this woman. He’d walk through red hot coals for her. And if he’d do that, he could find it in himself to marry her before he made love to her.

  He sighed over the impossibility of what he had decided. Before he could lose his nerve, he looked her in the eyes and said, “Marry me.”

  Fae blinked, stunned, her face still streaming with water. She was drenched and trembling. And here he was, proposing to her.

  “Did I hear you right?” Fae asked.

  Nick cracked a smile. “I wouldn’t have believed my own words either if I hadn’t been the one to say them.” He swallowed as his smile faded. “The link we have now…I can feel your emotions, hear your thoughts.”

  Fae’s eyes widened.

  “I know you feel the same way I do. You love me, and I love you, Fae. From the moment our eyes first met, I’ve loved you. And I know I always will. Conall told me we are fated to be together. I’d never believed in fate before, but it makes sense. I feel such a strong connection to you. Even before I drank your blood, I felt it. So why should we fight fate?”

  He lowered down on one knee. “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring to offer yet, but I’m asking you, Fae. Will you marry me?”

  Fae chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes wide. She searched his expression, trying to determine if he was serious. Finally, the shock melted into a smile, and tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re serious?”

  He sighed. “I’ve never been more serious.”

  Fae nodded as she touched her fingers to her lips. “Yes. I will.”

  Nick grinned as he rose from his knee and swept her up in his arms. He kissed her again and was filled with such joy and happiness he thought he might burst. He wasn’t sure where Fae’s feelings ended and his began, but he was too happy to care.

  Chapter 28

  Lafayette sat in silence as three idiots sat around his kitchen table and argued.

  “I swear,” Hunter snarled as he slammed his coffee cup down. The liquid sloshed onto the table. Even in his human form, this shape-shifter acted like a grizzly bear. “If I see Avira again, I’ll tear her arms off.”

  “Not if I get to her first,” Lavinia said. The tall, bony witch was all sharp edges and angles—not just her body, but personality too.

  Lafayette’s temper began to rise. It had been a mistake to ask them to help. These clowns thought they were the ones in charge. He’d just need to set them straight. “You three had a simple task. You were to bring me Fae Miller.”

  “Don’t you even start with us,” the witch snapped as she pointed her long finger at him. “You might’ve brought us in, but you don’t own us. You’re lucky we are letting you participate.”

  “Yeah,” Theon said. Lafayette had no idea what kind of supernatural creature Theon was, but he looked like someone who spent his life living in his mom’s basement playing video games all day. A typical nerd.

  What was he thinking? He thought by bringing in supernaturals, he would gain the upper hand. But abilities didn’t outweigh brains, and Lafayette stood head and shoulders above them in that department.

  “I’ll tell you what’s going to go down,” the witch said. “We’re going to follow the girl. Watch who she interacts with, and if other members of the Order show up, we kill them—plain and simple.”

  “I hope Conall makes an appearance,” Hunter said. His meaty hand wiped his mouth. He looked like he was practically salivating over the possibility of coming face to face with him.

  “You wouldn’t last three seconds against Conall,” Lavinia said, scowling.

  “I don’t care about what you do with the Order members,” Lafayette said, “but the girl is mine. No one is to harm her.”

  “You still haven’t told us why she’s so important to them,” the witch said. “I don’t know how we can work together if we can’t trust one another.”

  Yeah, right. These imbeciles trusted no one. This was just another feeble attempt to get information from him. “I’ve already told you enough. I want her, plain and simple.”

  “Where’s your bathroom?” Hunter said, lumbering to his feet. Lafayette wasn’t surprised he had to go. He was on his fifth cup of joe.

  Lafayette shrugged toward the hallway. “Last door on the left.”

  “But why do you want her?” Lavinia asked, undeterred.

  “Listen,” Lafayette said. “She’s one hundred percent human, nothing special, other than she’s the adopted daughter of someone who betrayed me. And you told me what her boyfriend is. A—”

  “Yeah,” she interrupted. “He’s got some faery blood in him. But that still doesn’t explain why the Order would go out of their way to protect them.”

  “How should I know?” Lafayette said. “Maybe Nick Chase has family in high places. Perhaps his grandmother is a member of royalty in the Seelie court. I don’t care what he is, I want the girl. I have special plans for her.”

  “She is pretty hot,” the Theon said, raising an eyebrow.

  “Hey,” Hunter shouted from down the hallway. “Did you know you have a dead girl in your freezer?”

  Lafayette rose to his feet, fuming. “What are you doing in my freezer?”

  “I smelled the blood,” the bear answered.

  Lafayette looked from the witch to the nerd, gauging their reaction. He paused at the nerd. His eyes were wide as he licked his lips.

  “Can I have her?” Theon said, drool pooling at the corner of his mouth.

  “She’s frozen solid, you idiot,” the witch said. “You’d break your teeth.”

  “What are you?” Lafayette asked the kid before he could censor himself.

  “You wouldn’t have to ask that if it weren’t for me,” the witch answered. “My magic keeps him fresh.”

  Lafayette frowned in confusion.

  “Let’s just say,” Lavinia said,” brains are at the top of his list of favorite foods.”

  Lafayette took a step back and grimaced. “Zombie.”

  The zomb
ie-nerd rose to his feet, glaring at him. “I’m getting tired of your condescending attitude. The difference between you and me is only one bite. One bite, and you’d be just like me. So, I’ll make you a deal. Stop insulting me and my friends and let me have the dead girl, and I won’t feast on your flesh. And believe me, I won’t leave enough for you to come back and torment us.”

  “You do know that if you kill him,” the bear said as he returned, “you won’t get paid, right?”

  The zombie turned to the bear and glared. “Shut up.”

  The witch chuckled and said, “It didn’t even cross the newbie’s mind. Not that zombies are much concerned with money.” She stood, an evil glint in her eye as she smiled at Lafayette. “I do have to say, money is not the motivator for me either, and I’m done with you too. I appreciate you giving us an opportunity to strike against the Order. And because of that, I’ll let you leave alive. Forget the girl. Don’t show your face around here again, and you won’t face my wrath.”

  The three of them stood over Lafayette as he sat, fuming.

  “I still get the dead girl, right?” Theon looked over at the witch with excitement in his voice.

  “This is my house,” Lafayette said, stunned at the turn of events.

  “Not anymore,” the witch said, sneering as she stepped toward him, her fingers sparking and crackling as electricity danced over her raised hand.

  Lafayette leaned back and frowned. “Can I at least take my backpack?”

  When the witch nodded, he stepped over to where it was propped. He leaned down and reached in. When he stood up, his hand flashed forward. A curved blade whistled through the air and stuck into the wall behind the witch’s back. Her eyes widened in shock. Her head rolled off her neck and landed with a thud on the wood floor—followed by her lifeless body.

  “That never gets old,” Lafayette said, smiling, and then turned to the other two as he clutched two more shuriken blades in his raised hands. “Do you two want me out also?”

  Hunter shook his head vigorously. “No, not me. I’m in this for the money. You pay me, and I’m happy.”

  The nerd couldn’t keep his eyes off the witch’s head bleeding on the floor.