[Creepy Hollow 02.0] The Faerie Prince

by Rachel Morgan

  The only problem now was that he was running out of time. He’d hoped to have the necklace by tonight so he could give it to Violet before graduation, but the ceremony was less than two hours away, and so far he had no necklace. Instead, he had an aching neck from hiding in the narrow space beneath a bed.

  The home belonged to a siren named Dahlia. She’d been given the necklace by one of her admirers. Lena had found out where Dahlia lived and led Ryn there. Then she’d taken her bottle of brandy and disappeared.

  Ryn knew how intoxicating a siren’s powers could be, so he’d waited until Dahlia left before going inside to search for the gold chain with the gold key. He’d been hunting for about half an hour when he heard the siren return. Furious with himself for not having found the necklace yet, he slid beneath Dahlia’s bed and tried to recall the training he had on sirens. There were charms he could perform on himself to protect his mind from a siren’s influence, and he’d done a simple one before leaving home that afternoon, but he hadn’t planned on actually running into her, so he hadn’t researched any of the more complex charms.

  Dahlia’s bare feet came into view as she entered the bedroom. Too close, Ryn thought. It would probably be better if he left. He could come back another time when she wasn’t here. Violet wouldn’t get her necklace tonight, but she’d get it soon.

  Carefully, Ryn stretched his arm toward his foot. He needed to get his stylus so he could open a doorway under this bed and make his escape. He stretched a little further, and his boot scraped ever so slightly against the floor.

  He froze.

  Dahlia stopped moving.

  Ryn held his breath and tensed, ready for a fight.

  “Come out, come out,” she sang.

  Dammit, not the singing! That was the hardest to resist. Before he knew it, he was rolling out from beneath the bed and standing up. His first thought was that she was beautiful. He didn’t know if the thought was his own or simply a result of her magic.

  “Well, what a delicious surprise to find you under my bed,” she said, her eyes gleaming as she beamed up at him.

  Ryn decided to pretend she was no different from any other fae. His hands reached into the air, each one grasping a glittering knife. “I’m already late, so let’s make this quick. You have something that doesn’t belong to you. A gold chain with a gold key. Give it to me, and I won’t hurt you.”

  She continued to smile at him as she dipped her hand beneath the neckline of her dress and pulled out three chains. And there it was. Violet’s tokehari from her mother.

  “Do you mean this?” Dahlia asked, touching the delicate golden wings of the key. She undid the clasp at the back of her neck and held the necklace out toward Ryn. “You can have it.”

  Ryn narrowed his eyes at her. This was definitely too easy. There was bound to be a trick here somewhere. Nevertheless, this was what he’d come for, and he wasn’t about to say no. He let go of one of his knives and took the necklace from her. He pushed it into his pocket, never letting his gaze leave her face.

  “You know, it isn’t fair if I give you something and don’t get anything in return.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ryn said. “Life isn’t fair.” He shifted his stance, getting ready to launch himself away from her and run as fast as possible.

  “Wait,” she said, and he found he couldn’t disobey her. “Just one kiss. Then I’ll let you go.”

  Definitely not. Even if she was telling the truth—and he highly doubted that—he didn’t want to kiss this woman. He might have done it in the past, knowing that it meant nothing to him, but not now. Not when he’d been dreaming of someone else’s kiss.

  Just … one … kiss, Dahlia’s voice whispered in his mind.

  He shook his head, trying to clear it of her spell. Trying to clear away the sweet perfume infiltrating his senses. What else had he been taught about fighting off siren magic? Focus on something. That was it. He needed to focus on something so completely that it would be impossible to be distracted.

  Violet. Her bright eyes. Her lips. He could easily focus on her for the rest of his life.

  Dahlia’s lips were more beautiful …

  No! Violet. Only Violet. He pictured her smiling face and imagined her laugh. He saw only her. He heard only her.

  But Dahlia’s smile was more enticing …

  She placed a hand on his chest and slowly pushed him backwards onto the bed. He didn’t resist. Why would he resist? She was the most beautiful woman in creation, and he wanted only her. He lay back and breathed in the sweet perfume. Dahlia bent over him and lowered her lips toward his. He closed his eyes.

  It’ll have to be one seriously impressive stunt to convince me he’s worth it, Violet’s voice whispered at the back of his mind.

  With a great effort, Ryn flung his arm out, knocking Dahlia into a sprawling heap on the floor. “I’m worth it,” he gasped, breathing in clean air. “Please believe me.”

  Without another look in Dahlia’s direction, Ryn ran from the bedroom. He half hopped across the living room as he pulled his stylus from his boot. He stumbled against the table, scribbled on its surface, and climbed into the darkness of the faerie paths.

  The graduation ceremony had already begun, but Ryn needed to make sure he’d recovered from his siren encounter before going into the hall. Being so out of control had shaken him. It was scary how close he’d come to succumbing to Dahlia’s influence.

  He stood with his back against the hall doors and listened as Councilor Starkweather began calling each graduate forward. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly and deeply. Listening to the words of the Guardian’s Oath calmed him. This was the big night. The moment he’d worked so hard for. The moment he finally became a real guardian.

  When Violet’s name was called, he opened his eyes. He straightened his suit jacket, smoothed a hand through his hair, and quietly opened the hall door just wide enough to slip inside. He leaned against the closed door and watched her as she repeated the words of the Guardian’s Oath after Councilor Starkweather. She crossed the stage and knelt to receive her markings. Then she stood, turned, and finally faced the audience. He was so captivated by her, he forgot to clap along with everyone else. Her dress was perfect and her hair was perfect, but the most beautiful thing about her was the joy she radiated. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this happy, and, as the thought came to him, so did the realization that it was partly his fault. He’d done his best to make her training years hell. She’d suffered because of him.

  It’ll have to be one seriously impressive stunt to convince me he’s worth it, she had said that night under the stars in the human realm.

  I’m not worth it, he realized. I’m so far from being worth it. But if she let him, he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

  He’d received the top graduate prize. So had Violet. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her right there on the stage in front of the Council members and a room full of guardians. He wanted to kiss her again now as she glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest while demanding to know where he’d been. She’d probably slap him if he tried, though. He could feel the anger coursing through her.

  “You had to fetch something?” she demanded as her anger morphed into frustrated disbelief. “Underground?”

  He nodded, a smile growing on his lips as he pushed a hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the chain. “I’m pretty sure that’s what I said.”

  She shook her head. “What could possibly be so important that you would risk losing your life and—more importantly—missing graduation for?”

  This. He drew his hand from his pocket and held it up in front of her, allowing the chain to slip down so that it and its key were visible as they dangled from between his thumb and forefinger.

  Shock. It was all he could feel from her, all he could see in her eyes. “Where did you get that?” she whispered.

  “Underground.”

  A sheen of tears formed over her eyes
as she stared at the small golden key. If Ryn had ever had any doubts as to how much it meant to her, they were put to rest in this moment. “But … when … how did you find it?” she asked.

  “It took a little while.” He moved behind her and looped the necklace over her head. “I went back to the singing well I threw the necklace down all those years ago and started there. A beautiful piece of jewelry like this always leaves a trail, especially Underground.” As he attached the clasp behind her neck, he allowed his fingers to linger against her skin for just a moment. “It wasn’t easy to track, but I figured it was worth the effort.”

  It was most definitely worth the effort.

  As he moved to face her once more, she said, “So … every time you’ve had a bruised eye or bleeding lip in the past few weeks, it’s because you’ve been Underground searching for my necklace?”

  He smiled, wishing he could tell her everything he felt but knowing she wasn’t ready to hear it. So he simply said, “I thought it was time I got it back for you.”

  For a moment, his desire to kiss her, hold her, feel her body against his, intensified, as if she were feeling the same thing and he was feeling it through her. But it was gone a moment later, and he knew he’d imagined it, as he’d imagined it on several other occasions. It was something he wanted so badly that sometimes his own emotions tricked him into thinking they were actually hers.

  By the time they reached the center of the dance floor about half an hour later, Violet’s joy at having her tokehari back had been replaced by sheer panic. Ryn could feel it thrumming in his chest, warring with his excitement at being able to do something as simple as dance with her. He pushed the panic away as best he could, focusing instead on his left hand clasping hers and his right hand touching her waist.

  “V, you have to stand a little closer to me if this is going to work,” he said. It wasn’t entirely the truth, but if this was as near to him as she’d ever willingly get, he wanted to take full advantage of the situation. He was also hoping the close proximity would distract her from her panic.

  The music began, wrapping its spell around his body. He relinquished control of his feet and let the spell guide him across the dance floor. He and Violet spun in circles, and she laughed as she twirled beneath his arm. “See?” he said, unable to keep from smiling. “This is easy. And you might possibly be having fun.”

  She spun behind his back and caught his hand. “You might possibly be right.”

  He pulled her back into his arms. Her radiant smile made his heart soar. He felt so much for her. He had to say something or he’d explode. “I forgot to tell you,” he said before he could change his mind. He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, “You are more beautiful than any other girl in this room.”

  Her hand tensed in his. Then emotion so strong it nearly knocked him down flooded her heart. It filled every part of her being like wine pouring into a carafe. He felt her longing, her want, her desperate desire for the exact same thing he desired.

  Breathless, he leaned closer to her and whispered, “I knew it.” He would have pressed his lips to hers right there on the spot if not for the sudden cold fear that shot through her.

  Fear. She felt the same way he felt, but she was afraid of it.

  He grasped for a way to his explain his comment. His eyes landed on his mentor and the woman beside him. “I always knew Bran had a thing for that library assistant with the blonde and purple hair,” he said quickly. “See him over there, chatting her up?” He twirled Violet beneath his arm once more, feeling her fear melt away.

  He let the truth sink into his being: She felt the same way he did. The same way.

  He couldn’t contain his joy a moment longer. “This is getting boring,” he said. “Let’s give the old people something to talk about, shall we?” He spun Violet away from his body, holding tightly onto her hand, then reeled her back in. He caught her before she could smack into his chest. Without warning, he dipped her down low and swooped her around. He pulled her up, twirled her again, and caught her by her waist. He lifted her into the air and shouted out his happiness for everyone in the ballroom to hear. “Woohoo!”

  “Ryn!” Violet gasped, looking over his head at the staring faces. “Are you insane?”

  Insanely happy, he wanted to say. He lowered her gently to the floor. “Insane enough to ask if you’ll dance a second dance with me.”

  She tilted her head to the side as she considered her answer. But he’d felt the spark of excitement ignite within her when he asked, so he knew what her answer would be by the time she said, “Apparently I’m insane enough to agree.”

  He gave her his most dazzling smile, and he felt a thrill race through her in response.

  Time, he thought. She just needs time. One day she’d be brave enough to tell him how she felt, and when that day came, it would be worth every moment he had to wait.

  Violet’s story continues in The Faerie War!

  Violet Fairdale is in big trouble. Her home is gone, her beloved forest lies in ruins, the guy she gave her heart to has deserted her—and she doesn’t remember any of it.

  The powerful Lord Draven is taking over, brainwashing guardians into fighting for him. No one is safe from the evil spreading throughout the fae world.

  As alliances are forged between the remaining free fae, Vi struggles to reclaim her identity and figure out where she belongs in this new world.

  When someone from her past shows up, life gets more complicated. He brings with him a long-forgotten weapon and an ancient prophecy that places Vi at the center of the fight against Draven.

  With the future of the fae world at stake, can Vi carry out the prophecy’s instructions before it’s too late?

  Get your copy of The Faerie War!

  Acknowledgments

  Once again, the number one thank you goes to God. I owe Him everything.

  Kittie Howard, here is a great big THANK YOU for your expert editing skills and your willingness to read my work no matter how tight the deadline. I am so grateful we “found” each other online!

  To Nicola Vermaak—thank you for your proofreading eyes and for always bugging me to hurry up and finish the next story so you can read it. You help me to keep writing.

  To everyone who read The Faerie Guardian and wanted to know more—you guys rock. Because of you, I now know what an amazing feeling it is to have people eager and excited for the next story in my series. My very own series! So to all the readers out there who contributed to that feeling—a massive thank you! You make all the hard work worth it.

  I don’t think any acknowledgements section will ever be complete again without a thank you to all book bloggers. Without you, dear book bloggers, my books would be review-less and lost amongst the millions of other books out there. Thank you for sharing your love of reading with the rest of the world.

  And to Kyle, my sunshine, my best friend—thank you for always being the biggest believer in my dreams.

  ABOUT RACHEL AND HER BOOKS

  Rachel Morgan spent a good deal of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making, crafting endless stories of make-believe and occasionally writing some of them down. After completing a degree in genetics and discovering she still wasn’t grown-up enough for a ‘real’ job, she decided to return to those story worlds still spinning around her imagination. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults and those young at heart.

  Rachel lives in Cape Town with her husband and three miniature dachshunds. She is the author of the bestselling Creepy Hollow series, and also writes sweet contemporary romance under the name Rochelle Morgan.

  Find more info on Rachel’s website

  www.rachel-morgan.com

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