Gilded

by Renita Pizzitola

  I glanced at Grant and his entourage of nymphs then back to Summer. Was she serious?

  She nodded.

  The ground beneath the girl-Grant-sandwich became my focal point. Bound to the earth, I siphoned emotion-fueled magic into it. The land rumbled. The more I concentrated, the harder it shook.

  Willow lost her balance and wobbled with outstretched arms. Lily grabbed a tree to steady herself, as did Laurel.

  Grant scratched his head and searched the area. He spotted me.

  Releasing the hold, I tugged at the bottom of my shirt. He wouldn’t be too happy with my behavior toward our hostesses.

  He looked to Summer.

  She shook her head and pointed to me.

  He studied me a second then grinned.

  The other girls, who must have put things together as well, glared at me.

  “Hey, sorry, girls. We were practicing,” Summer said. “I’ve been trying to teach Kylie a few new things and had no idea the magnitude of her power. She’s a natural. Who knew? It’s my fault. I should have explained things better to her.”

  I stared at Summer.

  The three girls studied us with narrowed gazes.

  “Guess we should be more careful around her.” Summer chuckled. “Who knows what she’s capable of.”

  The girls stiffened and exchanged suspicious glances.

  I suppressed the giggles building inside me. If only they knew I couldn’t even figure out how to make a flower bloom.

  “Well, she should be more careful,” Laurel said.

  “So should you,” replied Summer with a menacing stare.

  Willow, Laurel and Lily squared their shoulders and huffed off.

  Certain they were out of earshot, I laughed. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “It’s true.” She shrugged and walked away.

  As Grant approached the strong, sharp angles of his face softened into a boyish grin. “Well look at you, little miss earthquake.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. “Oh and by the way, I changed my mind about Willow. If she cooks you dinner, don’t eat it.”

  “Told you so.” I pulled him back to finish our kiss.

  * * * *

  The sun peeked over the horizon, and though we had a long day ahead of us, I wasn’t ready to give up one of my few alone moments with Grant. So, I remained snuggled into him, enjoying the gentle hum pulsing between us.

  A small thatched roof protected the hammock we slept on, but it offered no privacy, which was why we slept fully clothed. Always prepared to spring out of our make-shift bed at a moments notice, though typically, we were up with the sun.

  This bittersweet moment, lying here with the love of my life, should have brought so much joy, but today we would venture to a portal back to the human world. Leaving our current location put us in jeopardy of running into the king’s guards but once we crossed over, I risked discovery by The Rite of Purity, the brotherhood who tracked and killed all otherworldly creatures. As far as they were concerned, I was an abomination and heading home was sure to put me on their radar again.

  Even though it was dangerous, seeing my best friend Lexie, whom I missed terribly, stirred excitement. I also couldn’t wait to see my parents and my adorable little sister, Katelyn. For our protection, she and I had been swapped as babies, referred to by the fae as changelings. She had lived in the magical otherworld of Tir na nOg, while her human birth parents, the only parents I had ever known and loved dearly, raised me.

  While eighteen years passed for me in the human world, three had for Katelyn. People believed fae never grew old, but they did. Human time just ran too fast to see them age.

  Listening to Grant’s soft breathing as he slept calmed my restlessness. The moment we got up the day began, for better or worse. Still and quiet, I hoped we could stay like this.

  Somewhere in the distance was a soft rustling. It may have been Meadow, always the first to rise, flitting about gathering berries for breakfast. I twisted to see if she or any other girls had awoken. Instead of those of a woodland nymph, I stared into the brown eyes of an animal.

  I shrieked and jerked away so fast the hammock sent me rolling over Grant and the whole thing tipped. My back hit the ground with a thud.

  Grant, now wide-awake, tried to break his fall and managed to stop most of his weight from crushing me.

  Propped on one arm, he looked down at me. “If you wanted me on top of you, you could have just asked.”

  “As fun as that sounds, it’s not such a good idea. We have an audience.”

  Grant’s head shot up and he looked around. His gaze settled on a brown lab. He pushed himself to standing and helped me up. “Are you okay?”

  “Minor concussion.” I rubbed the back of my head. “I’ll survive.”

  He grinned then looked at the dog. “I’m guessing if you’re here, something’s wrong.”

  The dog sneeze-snorted and walked into the woods.

  Grant grabbed a shirt and jeans from his bag “I’m sure he needs these. Be right back.”

  What did this mean? Conor shouldn’t be here. My stomach wrenched.

  Oh God, where was Lexie?

  Grant emerged with Conor, now in human form, dressed in Grant’s t-shirt and jeans.

  “Where’s Lexie?” My best friend should be safe at home with her boyfriend, but he stood here in front of me.

  Conor ran his hand through his overgrown brown hair, exposing dark eyes framed with worry. “She’s safe, but there’s a problem.”

  “She’s here isn’t she? Lexie’s in Tir na nOg? You guys went to court?”

  Conor’s shoulders drooped as he confirmed my worst nightmare.

  The air stilled, time slowed and my knees weakened. She might be safe now, but for how long? The king had her, but wanted me. He would use her against me.

  “This is all my fault.” Grant paled and slumped against a tree. “We shouldn’t have stayed here so long. I should have risked it. We could have stopped you two.”

  Conor squared his shoulders. “No point in worrying about what ifs. We need to figure out the right now.”

  Around me, Conor never showed much emotion unless it involved his responsibility to guard those he was designated to protect. Lexie wasn’t assigned to him, but clearly, she topped that list.

  Grant took a deep breath, scrubbed his hands over his face, then asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Well, as you figured, we did go to court. We had no idea you two had taken off.” He gave Grant a thanks-a-lot look. He directed his last comment to me. “Lexie won’t be allowed to leave until you return.”

  “What have I done?” I spoke to myself as the realization sunk in. My best friend held prisoner until I returned. Alastar’s decision to keep her hostage wasn’t surprising, but it was still hard to accept. “Does she know what’s going on? Is she scared?”

  “No. They’ve charmed her. She has no idea about any of this, and just as well too. I’m sure the king expected me to come find you and pass his message along but I figured you’d also want to know.”

  “Of course.” Grant jumped in. “We’ll go back right now.”

  “Wait, are they still looking for Grant?” I asked Conor.

  He nodded.

  Grant looped his fingers through mine and, with a gentle tug, pulled me against him. “It’ll be fine.”

  “No. I can’t let anything happen to you. I’ll go. Just me. I’ll talk to Liam. Something. I can’t let them hurt you.” My throat tightened. Talking to Liam wouldn’t help. He hated me, and if by some chance he didn’t, he would never speak up to his father, but I had to think of something. Running away had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but had not been if it meant endangering him and Lexie.

  “I’m not letting you go back and face this alone,” Grant said, his voice holding a gentleness reserved only for me. “I’m involved as much as you.”

  I looked to Conor. “What if you tell them I’ll come back if they promise not to hurt Gran
t? Like give him some kind of immunity?”

  “It’s worth a shot. I’ll see what they say.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked down.

  If the king didn’t accept this offer, he’d threaten Lexie. What did the king have to lose? He didn’t need to bargain with us. We had no leverage. But, if Conor didn’t try to negotiate our return, it left Grant at risk.

  “I’ll go now and see what they say. I think you’ll be safe here for the time being. I shifted frequently so no one could follow me. I’ll do the same on my return and meet you here in a few hours.”

  We agreed, said our goodbyes and he disappeared into the trees. There was soft rustling then a dark bird appeared over the tree line and soared off into the sky. The ease with which Conor shape-shifted made me thankful we had a puka as an ally.

  The only time I’d ever seen Grant this upset was the night I’d been convinced, thanks to a little ambrosia wine, I wanted to be with Liam.

  “This is my fault.” He frowned. “We should have gone to Lexie and Conor right away. I worried so much about keeping you safe, helping you learn to protect yourself, I put everyone in even more danger. I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to be sorry. You couldn’t have known.”

  He embraced me and for the moment, his arms were my security. Even if Grant was given immunity, I wouldn’t be allowed near him. If the king suspected we acted together, he’d keep us far apart in the future. A life without Grant was no life at all. How could I function without him? I needed to put a stop to this marriage but, without him by my side, didn’t know if I’d be strong enough to find a way out of my betrothal to Liam.

  I hugged him tighter, clinging to the memory of our bodies meshed as one, safe, secure and full of love. As much as I didn’t want to believe it, this might be the last time we’d feel this way, and it left me broken.

  “No matter what the answer is, we go back tonight,” he said.

  I nodded into his chest. Returning was the right thing to do, but I knew what it meant. Once behind those castle walls I’d be subject to Alastar’s will. But what other option did we have?

  Somberly, we gathered our belongings and said goodbye to the girls. As much as I couldn’t stand them, being with them was a lot more pleasant than where we were headed.

  We tried our best to continue the day as normal but I often caught Grant staring at me. Our separation seemed inconceivable. He was my life. It was unfair it took us this long to come together only to be ripped apart in a fraction of time.

  Around midday, Conor came back.

  “King Alastar has agreed to give Grant immunity if he returns you today.”

  My heart leapt with joy, but Grant and Conor didn’t share my enthusiasm. “What is it? What’s wrong? This is a good thing, right?”

  “I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t like it,” Conor said. “The king isn’t one to do anyone else favors, but what choice do we have now? We have to go back and be cautious. Grant, you could choose to stay in hiding, but I know you won’t leave her.”

  “Absolutely not.” He shook his head and crossed his arms.

  “Then we go.” Conor’s voice wavered.

  I glanced between the two boys. This might be the beginning of the end.

  Chapter 2

  The all too familiar walk into town troubled me. It aroused too many memories. The fae came out of their cottages to watch the three of us proceed to the castle. Towers flanked the entrance, each topped with a flag. Moss-covered walls stretched left to right with windows, two high and eight long, creating a pattern which added to the perfect symmetry. The east and west wings wrapped around the immense garden hidden in back. Something this grand didn’t seem to belong in my life. My stomach filled with nervous butterflies, much like the first time Grant and Conor had brought me here.

  Once again, I stood between the two boys, and once again, they took me to my betrothed prince. The difference being, this time I knew Liam and what a great guy he was. We’d been betrothed without consent but eventually he’d fallen for me and thought I’d chosen him in return. He’d gone out of his way to make me happy and I did like him, but loved someone else. The damage had been done and though Alastar wanted me back, I doubted Liam did. He probably hated me for what I’d done, and I couldn’t blame him. I hated me too. I needed to right my wrongs.

  After passing the uniformed guards along the perimeter, we climbed the stairs leading to the castle entrance. Each step became harder than the one before, but I forced my leaden feet to move. We arrived at the threshold.

  Grant nodded, which assured me it would be all right.

  We stepped into the foyer and guards swarmed us. I reached for Grant’s hand but uniformed men tugged me away from him. My heart pounded as he was dragged further and further from me. Between us stood a few feet and several guards, but it might as well have been miles. I’d grown so accustomed to the electric tingling his nearness brought that now, as they separated us, it felt as if someone doused the flame and though buzzing energy fought against the distance and continued to spark to life, the inconsistency stole my sense of calmness. Every ounce of my being craved the security his presence brought into my life.

  Loud footsteps echoed off the concrete floor as King Alastar strolled into the room wearing polished, black riding boots. He buttoned his dark jacket as he spoke. “Ah, the trio returns.” He adjusted the cuffs of his crisp white shirt and signaled his guards. They stepped back, making me feel only slightly less like a captive.

  “Well, I’m glad to see you’ve made the right choice.” He puffed his chest out and stared down at me with a smile more threatening than welcoming. His shoulder-length auburn hair was pulled into his trademark low ponytail. Though considerably older than me, he didn’t look aged enough to be a king. His skin was free of blemish or lines, his tall frame was slight, carrying no extra weight, and, if I could actually stand the guy, I might even say he wasn’t half-bad looking. Unfortunately, I didn’t like him, nor did I trust him, and I definitely didn’t like our numbers right now.

  Liam stood in the distance, his head hung low, hands shoved in his pockets. His gaze met mine then returned to the floor. His hazel eyes didn’t look as bright as I’d remembered.

  Grant’s shoulders stiffened as he studied the king. His fingers curled into a fist then relaxed but his stance didn’t. Was it the guard in him keeping him on high alert? Or his ability as a grant to sense danger?

  “Sire.” Conor spoke with caution. “I have brought everyone back as promised. The journey was long. May we rest now?”

  “Yes. Tiring, I’m sure. You there.” He waved at a person standing to his right. The ruby ring on his index finger glinted in the rays of window-filtered sunlight. “Show Kyla to her room.”

  I craned my neck, hoping to find my one fae friend, Cara. To my disappointment, it wasn’t.

  A young girl, with blond hair hanging over most of her face, nodded but never made eye contact. She didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the court. A dark dress hung like a sack on her slim frame and her dull hair lacked any streaks of outrageous color the other fae wore. The girl peeked through her bangs as she waited for my approach.

  I looked to Grant for guidance. He encouraged me to go but I didn’t want to leave yet. I wanted to know where he’d be. At the same rate, I shouldn’t push my luck with Alastar. If I resisted it might backfire on my friends or me.

  The girl gave me an impatient look, and I caved. Not wanting to get her in trouble, I stepped toward her, but paused. “Can I see Lexie?”

  “Hmm, oh the girl. Yes, of course. Arrangements have been made.” He pulled a gold pocket watch from a small slit on the front of his coat, glanced at the time, then slipped it back in.

  For now, that would suffice. Satisfied to have earned immunity for Grant and a visit with my friend, I walked toward the girl but only after taking one last glance at Grant. Every step away from him caused my internal spark to fizzle a little more.

  A guard shuffled to my
right, followed by more movement behind him.

  Alastar shifted his weight.

  Worried my reluctance to leave would irritate the king, I trudged to my escort but while walking away my skin prickled and back tensed.

  I spun around.

  Alastar nodded at a guard and in seconds, even more uniformed men surrounded Grant.

  Conor was shoved to the side, and almost lost his balance. He raked a hand through his hair and shook his head.

  My heart sank and I raced back to Grant, slamming into the wall of guards. Clawing at the impenetrable barrier, I tried to find a crack to slip through.

  A large guard jerked Grant’s hands behind his back and shackled them, an unnecessary step. He’d put up no resistance.

  “What are you doing?” I screamed, not even caring I spoke to royalty. “You promised.”

  Alastar stood tall and his voice boomed. “Grant, you are charged and convicted with kidnapping the future princess of Tir na nOg. You shall be taken to a cell at once. Since I am a fair man and promised no harm–” He glanced at me, a smug expression plastered on his face. “You will not be sentenced to death but instead to lifetime imprisonment.”

  My world stopped.

  Though guards moved all around I saw nothing but Grant, stoic as he heard his sentence. Heat flushed through me. Tears formed as anger bubbled. I glared at Alastar. “He did not kidnap me. You know he didn’t kidnap me.”

  “Why, Kyla, are you saying you left of your own free will? You knowingly committed treason? You walked away from the court’s protection and your betrothal to the prince, betraying us?”

  How had everything become so distorted? If it meant getting Grant off the hook, the king could call it whatever he wanted. Gathering my thoughts, and prepared to take the blame, I opened my mouth.

  “Before you speak, dear Kyla,” Alastar’s tone deepened, “you are aware the punishment for treason is death and I hold no promises to you.”

  “Father…”

  Alastar’s stare-down silenced Liam. He looked back at the ground.

  “I–”

  “I kidnapped her.” Grant cut me off. “It was me. I acted alone. Kylie’s innocent.”