by Shona Husk
“This is it,” she said as much for herself as for Isaac.
The church was a new building, not like the cathedrals of Europe, but the principle was the same. The ground had been blessed, the dead were buried here and faith gave the place its own magic. That was enough to make a doorway through the veil and into Annwyn, the place between life and death, where souls were judged by the King and sent either into the river or over the river and into Elysia. Some were given a chance to redeem themselves by serving the Court as a shadow servant.
“You don’t sound that excited.”
“It’s been a long time. My father used to be the Hunter of Annwyn, it didn’t end well for him and I left in disgrace. I’m hoping for a new start with the new ruler.”
He studied the church for a little longer. “Then we’d better find out who the contenders for the throne are. And hope I know what I’m doing.”
“I trust you.” The words were alien on her tongue. Had she ever trusted anyone before? If she had, she couldn’t remember. If Isaac had seen a future with them together, and put his faith in it, maybe she needed to do the same. She wanted more than the hollow affairs she’d once had at Court and more than the passing liaisons she’d had in the mortal world.
Was Isaac the man she’d been waiting for? She hoped so. They could have a lot of fun together.
He flicked her a smile. “I’m glad one of us does.” Then he pulled his beanie and gloves out of his pockets and put them on. “So this is it.”
“Yes.” She turned and took one last look at the mortal world. How much would it have changed by the time she came back? Time moved differently in Annwyn. A few days there could be weeks or months here.
“Will you miss it?”
She nodded. She would, but she was longing to go home. “I’ve lived here for a long time, but it was never my home.”
“I’m not sure it was truly mine either. I’ve been dreaming of Annwyn for as long as I can remember, fighting the battle in my dreams for over a decade.” He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the streetlights, his eyes as pale as ice. He looked like a dangerous fairy ready for war. “If it’s destined to be; I might as well show up and be ready.”
She didn’t know if she’d have had quite as much bravado.
He took her hand, and she took him across the veil. It shimmered and there was a temperature change. One moment they were in the warm L.A. night, the next, they were in daylight with snow falling all around them.
“How deep is the snow in your dream of the battle?”
“Mid-shin,” he said breathlessly, his head turning as he took it all in.
She’d never seen Annwyn in winter. The castle was bare of leaves but still imposing. Built entirely of trees that had grown together, it was enormous. In summer it would be crowned with green; a living castle. Now it seemed kind of desolate and sad. The magic was failing. This was the cold she’d been feeling in her blood and trying to ignore. Around her the forest was shadowed and her breath clouded in front of her. The field she remembered as grassy was now coated in a thin layer of snow that had been churned into mud and slush in places. But the snow wasn’t deep. Yet.
“It’s prettier in summer.” Usually there’d be games on the field as people watched the comings and goings from court. Today it seemed rather unwelcoming, as if no one wanted to party and everyone was thinking of war.
“I bet it is.”
“Don’t make bets here unless you know you can win and get what you want.”
He glanced at her, a frown forming.
“Your word is all you have. Oath breakers are not looked on fondly. Be careful with what you say and whom you speak to at first. Even I don’t know the way the dice are falling yet.” She didn’t want any harm to befall him.
Snow dusted his beanie, and he wasn’t making any move to head toward the castle.
He was watching her and waiting. Snowflakes caught on his eyelashes. He was beautiful, like a fairy made for winter with his ice blue eyes and blond hair. He looked like he belonged here. She leaned in and took a kiss while his lips were still warm and before she took his soul and he became fairy. He responded, but she felt the tension in his body.
“Take it.” He rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing it in a cloud of warm air. He opened his eyes. “I’m ready.”
Was she? It had been a long time since she’d taken a soul. Anticipation squirmed in her belly. It was too late to back out now. He’d offered it willingly and knew it had to go. Taking his soul was the only way to protect him now that he was here. She placed her hand over his heart and a soft kiss on his lips. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
“I hope so.”
She’d never taken a soul in Annwyn before, but she knew how it was done, could feel it beneath her hand like a flame, all flickering and bright. Before leaving the mortal world she had put her favorite jewels in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out a sapphire ring, one she’d won from a Duke a long time ago. It was gold and dark blue and once she’d considered it gaudy, but when she’d looked through her jewelry for something suitable, it was the one that had spoken to her.
“Give me your soul, and I’ll keep it safe while you’re in Annwyn.” She could barely say the words aloud. Her mouth had gone suddenly dry.
“It’s yours,” he said without hesitation.
True to his word, his soul came free. It filled the sapphire with heat. The gem glowed for a moment then looked like any other pretty bauble. Isaac looked the same…no, not quite. The edge in his eyes had been sharpened.
He covered her hand with his as if checking he was still alive, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He blinked a few times and frowned as if trying to locate the change, but didn’t speak.
Had she done something wrong? “Are you all right? Did it hurt?”
He shook his head and sent tiny flakes scattering. “I just felt breathless for a moment. Now…I don’t know. I’m sure I don’t feel different and yet…”
“You’ve lost a part of yourself. You’ll feel the loss.” They stood there for a little longer as if breaking the moment would set into motion the next part of his dream. She wasn’t ready to choose sides. She wanted more time with Isaac without the pressure of the coming war.
It was so tempting to suggest they head for the villages, away from the castle, but he wouldn’t go with her. He knew he had to fight and had been waiting for this. Because she wouldn’t leave him to fend for himself in Annwyn, she would stay with him.
He glanced at the castle. “We’re being watched.”
“This doorway is always watched. Come, we’d better head toward the castle and figure out what’s going on.”
He nodded and kept his hand around hers. “We’ll get through this together.”
Ella smiled. She’d never had someone on her side before. It was something she could get used to.
Hand in hand they started the walk across the field to the Castle Annwyn.
Epilogue
Watching Isaac fight had been the most heart-wrenching thing Eletta had ever done in her almost seven hundred mortal years. If he’d died…it was a thought she still didn’t want to entertain.
Yet when she’d thrown herself into his arms at the end and the words had slid from her lips, he hadn’t been shocked.
He’d simply kissed and said, “I love you too.”
She’d realized then he’d known all along what she was going to say. She hadn’t known until the words had tumbled off her tongue in a wave of relief that was how she’d even felt. And yet she didn’t think she’d ever spoken a more truthful sentence in her whole life.
She didn’t even know when she’d fallen for him. There was no one moment…perhaps it had been the way he maneuvered around the tense Court before the battle, or the way he listened when she spoke of how it had once been, or the way he’d calmly trained for the battle as at ease with a sword as any fairy.
And yet he brou
ght with him a heart that no fairy could ever have because he’d lived as a mortal. It was that heart that had earned him a place on the new Council. She didn’t even begrudge that it was him who’d gained power and not her. She was happy that he had found a place to belong—and after learning more about his life he truly deserved that.
She walked through the castle to the Hall of Mirrors, aware of every single new blade of grass pushing its way through the dirt and every new leaf budding on the trees. It was going to be a long spring. But she didn’t care. Some things were better not rushed, and she and Isaac would have centuries for their love to grow and deepen.
She’s shown him how to use the mirrors here to watch the happenings in the mortal world, knowing he’d want to check on his sister. And he had. Several times. His sister’s fame had been at the price of her sanity. Her break down had been public after her arrest for kidnapping and murder. While neither Eletta nor Isaac were sure what had actually happened Melody was now locked up where she couldn’t hurt anyone—fairy or mortal.
It was a waste of a life and another reminder why she’d vowed to make no more deals with humans. Fairies, however, were fair game, it was expected here and no one had a soul to lose. Although the new Court discouraged the scheming and backstabbing that had marked the end of Gwyn’s reign.
Isaac looked up from the table where he was learning how to play dice with the new Hunter of Annwyn. As Eletta approached, he glanced up and smiled. The ice of his eyes was bright with desire for just a moment before he stood and kissed her on the cheek. Once she would’ve backed away from such an obvious sign of affection. Now she slid closer, her fingers lacing with his.
The one thing she hadn’t told him was while it might be hard for fairies to fall in love, when they did they fell hard and forever.
Thank you for reading The Changeling Soldier. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Annwyn.
If you’d like to find out when my next book will be out you can sign up to my newsletter http://eepurl.com/lySiD, follow me on twitter @ShonaHusk or like my facebook page www.facebook.com/shonahusk
Reviews are the online word of mouth and I appreciate all reviews readers leave.
If you are looking for more Annwyn stories there are several others in the series already out:
The Outcast Prince (#1)
Lord of the Hunt (#2)
To Love a King (#3) will be out in October 2014
Excerpts from The Outcast Prince and Lord of the Hunt follow.
There’s also a deleted prologue from To Love a King.
Thank you!
Shona
Excerpt from The Outcast Prince
He turned and leaned against the edge of the desk. “You know this would be quicker without the twenty questions.”
“But it wouldn’t be as much fun. Don’t you want to know something about Callaway House? People always want to know what went on.” She walked over and put the book on the desk next to him. If she put out her hand, she could run it down his arm. Her fingers twitched.
He looked up from the screen. “I’d rather know about you.”
She automatically put up her defenses, then stopped herself. Wasn’t this what she wanted—a chance to get to know him better? The only way she could do that was if she let him get to know her. “Ask something then.”
“What is your favorite room?”
Of all the questions he could’ve asked, he’d picked that. She wasn’t sure what to say. Was there even a wrong answer? “It depends. In winter I used to like sitting in the kitchen. It was always warm and smelled of homemade treats. But in summer evenings Gran would open up the glass doors and the scent of jasmine would fill this room. I’d sit and read and pretend I was a princess in a palace. Do you have a favorite room yet?”
He blinked. His dark lashes rested against his skin for a heartbeat before he opened his eyes again to look at her. This time there was almost a sadness in his eyes. “Your gran might have let me in, but I couldn’t afford a drink in here. My mother’s a nurse. My father’s a mechanic descended from French pirates. I don’t have class, money, or artistic talent.”
Lydia titled her head. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? That she was out of his league? She would’ve laughed except he looked deadly serious.
Her hand covered his. Skin to skin, her breath caught.
“Callaway House was never about the money or mistresses. It was about the party. Sure, the rich spent up big when they came to play and make deals, but without the struggling artists and the musicians who played for a meal and drinks—and to say they’d played here—Callaway House would’ve been no better than the motel that charges by the hour. It was about atmosphere. People had to want to come here.”
“But they stopped coming.”
“Nightclubs and bars took over. No one wanted to spend a weekend listening to poetry and getting high, or hearing some up-and-coming blues guitarist work on his next album. I wish I’d seen it in action.”
“It would have been some party.” His hand trailed up her arm.
Before she could second-guess herself again, she leaned in and kissed him. Her lips brushed his, testing to see if she’d like the feel of his mouth. She did. She liked the way he smelled of soap and that his cheek was rough because he hadn’t shaved before coming around.
He didn’t respond. His lips didn’t move. She pulled back. Awkward. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually kiss men I’ve just met.”
“I don’t usually kiss while on the job.” This time there was only heat in his eyes, like someone had lit a match and held it to his soul. She couldn’t move away as she waited for his next move. If he made none, that was it. She’d go and sit in another room while he worked and pretend as if it had never happened. Then he placed his lips to hers. Softly as if the kiss was something he shouldn’t be taking. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened, letting his tongue slip inside. Tasting and teasing. Her hand snuck around his waist, drawing him closer.
In return his hand swept over the curve of her butt. Pressed against her he felt good, his body was firm as if he spent his spare time keeping fit, not sitting. She relaxed into his hold as heat spread through her body. It had been too long since she’d had a man in her arms. He ended the kiss with a couple of slow ones as if he couldn’t bear to pull away. That made two of them. His breath caressed her lips as he took a final taste and then released her. Neither of them moved. All she could think about was her body and the way it melted in his hands like he’d seduced her with just a touch.
“That’s going to complicate things,” he murmured as he tucked a strand of her dark blond hair behind her ear. His lips still felt the pressure of hers, and his skin was hyperaware of every subtle move she made, her body pressed against his in a way that was far too intimate. He wanted her, he couldn’t remember wanting anyone quite so much, and he was sure she would have noticed his attraction.
A look of surprise lifted her eyebrows. “That’s not what I was expecting to hear.”
He let his hand fall away from the silken strands of her hair. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Caspian’s hand touched the desk and his head was filled with images of another night years ago and what had happened on the desk. Skin and sweat. Clothing being peeled off in a rush to find satisfaction. Driven by lust his heart pumped a little harder.
It was the house.
It was what he was seeing.
He looked at Lydia.
Hell, it was the woman.
“Will you get in trouble?”
He paused before answering. She meant with work, but he was thinking about the Grey who’d been making threats. Not that he could explain how he was mixed up in a deadly game of fairy politics. He hadn’t lied to her about his lack of social standing… in the human world. The fairy world was a whole other festering kettle of fish.
“Depends. Are you seducing me to get a favorable valuation?”
That could be a problem if someone thought he was fiddling the figures. Sur
ely no one could contest a will that left the estate to the only child and grandchild?
“I didn’t seduce you.” She gave him a half-hearted push. “I merely took advantage of an opportunity.”
Had he looked like he wanted to be kissed? Had it been that obvious every time he looked at her?
“Okay then.” He nodded, then placed another kiss on her mouth, taking the opportunity to kiss the beautiful woman in his arms, before she changed her mind and realized that he was not the kind of man she wanted. His tongue traced her lower lip just once, then he drew back before the temptation took hold. The echoes of what had happened previously on the desk still filled his mind with possibilities he hadn’t wanted to explore in a while. That he shouldn’t be thinking about exploring now. He didn’t want to risk dragging Lydia into his problems. Maybe it was too late. He was here and for all he knew Shea had followed him. He was sure there was a Grey in the house, not that he’d seen it… but there was something. Something more than a photo of a fairy in the living room.
“Okay.” She didn’t move away.
He didn’t care. If he had to come back here every night for the next year because they kept getting distracted, it would be worth it and much better than being in his empty house. Lydia’s childhood had been odd like his, and while he couldn’t talk about it, she could and it made him feel a little less strange that even humans without fairy blood could have bizarre families.
The pause stretched out as if neither of them was willing to end the moment and yet neither was sure how to move forward.
He tilted his head at the laptop. “I should keep going.”
“Right.” She looked at him as if she was about to change her mind. He knew if she offered he wouldn’t refuse. She was under his skin and he wanted her to dig deeper. Then he remembered what would happen if she did dig deeper. He’d have to tell her about his real father, about psychometry and fairies. The heat in his blood cooled. He didn’t know how to tell her the truth. He’d never told anyone.