“I know what I need to. Now fucking leave.” She shoved her hands toward him, letting the ball of magic loose.
He slammed the door shut and Toryn lifted his hand, drawing the ball into his palm before it hit the door. With a smirk he turned to Isa. “Nice work, Princess.”
The nickname he’d used from the beginning didn’t even register. Instead, she stood there, watching her piece of shit uncle get in his stupid little sports car and drive away.
Toryn went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of water, but she shook her head as she stared out the window.
Sometime during their lovemaking session, she felt a tension that increased until Remus showed up. Over the next twenty minutes, the feeling receded as he drove further away from the cabin. It stretched further and further, weakening until it finally snapped out of existence. She collapsed into the chair, shaking worse than she could remember ever trembling.
“He’s on his way back to Seattle,” she quietly confirmed.
Toryn dragged a stool over and handed her the water as he sat down. “How do you know?”
Feeling stupid, she shrugged. “It was kind of like a… a rubber band, stretching and thinning until it snapped.”
Chapter 19
“Now that is interesting,” Toryn murmured.
“What is?” she asked, distracted.
Things were starting to make sense. The way her eyes faded to silver, the flames, the rain, the earthquake, all of it.
The math didn’t add up, unless…
He rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s not something your line is supposed to do.” If her father really was Henroyld, there was no way she would have a rare fire trait.
Isadora half-shook her head and half-nodded. “Yeah, I have a theory about that.”
He raised an inquisitive brow. “Care to share?” She would know after all.
She pulled her fingers through her tangled hair and frowned. Her eyes trailed over him from head to toe, and back up. A slow smile curved her lips when her eyes locked onto his mouth. “I’m not sure we were done.”
Leaning forward, he ran his hands up her thighs. “As much as I would love to spend the next week making you forget every man you’ve ever laid eyes on, I think we better get some answers.”
“Tease,” she growled, and he couldn’t resist giving her a taste.
His fingers caressed down and wrapped behind her knees to yank her forward until she fell back. He leaned over her. Pinning her down, he kissed her deep and hungry but he knew he needed to stop before Remus came back with reinforcements.
In a fluid motion, he stood and strode to the bedroom, stripping his clothes off as he went. “If there weren’t more pressing issues at hand, I would start and never stop. You have to realize that by now.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “What should I wear?”
“Dress for a club, but keep in mind, it will take a couple hours to get there.”
While Isa was talking to Remus, Toryn received Scotty’s text. The meeting with the queen’s emissary was further east, toward Spokane. After meeting the emissary, he would figure out his next move.
He was dressed and ready in moments. She came into the bathroom as he was finishing up. “This work?” She gestured at her dress.
“Mmhmm.” He nodded with a grin. “Stunning, as always. Don’t spend too long. Remus won’t be alone when he comes back. I would prefer to avoid him until we have more answers.”
“Okay.” Her smile was tense but she went about refreshing her make-up. He took the brush to tame her tangled hair.
He was still worried about what she thought of him and his past, and had to know. “Everything okay, Isa?”
“Of course, you’re here,” she answered honestly.
“All right.” He kissed her shoulder. “But there’s one thing I don’t understand.” One more than the rest.
“What’s that?”
“You stayed here with me, but you still learned everything?” Because her trust hadn’t faltered, he had to wonder.
“Yes, but we weren’t exactly here. I mean, we were surrounded by an acid-induced forest. I think I got all of it though. My head is swimming with images and memories that aren’t my own.”
He didn’t bother to hide his doubt. “And you still trust me?”
She rolled her eyes at his reflection. “Isn’t that obvious?”
“Yes, but why? You must have seen the things I’ve done.”
“Doesn’t override a decade of friendship or love.” She turned, took the brush and set it aside before taking his hands. “I didn’t see anything damning in any of the memories.”
Taking her at her word, he pulled her closer, and asked another plaguing question, “If you weren’t done, why did you stop?”
She paled a bit. “I thought I would hurt you when everything went crazy. Besides, I knew someone was here.” She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. “I hurt him, didn’t I? He was bleeding. Right? So how did I not hurt you?”
“You did hurt him. What happened between us was different.” He swallowed hard and took a breath before answering. “It was a bonding of our powers. It’s rare, and a gift.”
“I like the sound of that,” she openly admitted. Her hand drifted down his chest and landed on his belt buckle.
“And you’re really okay?”
“Now that he’s gone, I am,” she purred as she tried to open his belt.
He stilled her hands. “Isa, we don’t have time for that right now. Trust me, I want to have the time, but we don’t.”
Nodding, she took a deep breath and stepped away, letting her hands fall. “We’re okay?” Her question was full of doubt.
“Better than okay. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.”
“Then you’re mine.” She turned back around and finished her hair.
“Not to bring the mood down, but what did you see about Remus?”
She shuddered. “He makes serial killers look tame. What he does to women—shit, he needs to be convicted.”
“He’ll never touch you. I will kill him before he lays a single hand on you.”
Isadora nodded with wide eyes. “Please tell me we aren’t related.”
He chuckled. “No, Princess, we aren’t.” Even if his suspicions were correct, they weren’t.
“Then I’m keeping you, and I’m yours,” she purred.
He pulled her into his arms, running his hands down her back and sides. Not enough time, he lamented. “I only hope you still have faith in me when it all sinks in.”
She pushed him away with a glare. “You seriously need to stop with that. There is only one person in this world I trust right now, and that’s you. Forget whatever bad you think is in you, I didn’t see a single thing to make me question you.”
He knew his past though, and she was on information overload. There was a very good chance she would stumble upon all of his wrongs later.
“See, I think you’re afraid you aren’t good enough. Don’t be stupid. You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count.” With a smile she placed her hand over his heart. “I know what’s here. That’s all that matters. So let’s get some answers.”
He pressed her against the counter to take a kiss before growling, “I wish there weren’t more pressing issues.”
“Me too,” she answered breathlessly.
“I’m still surprised you took control when the storm broke out. You were amazing and it makes it that much harder to resist you.”
She licked her lips, doubt clouding her eyes. “It didn’t freak you out?”
“Honestly? No,” he rumbled. “It was exciting. Not to mention, it was going on long before you noticed. You didn’t hurt me in the slightest. I’ve never seen anything like that tempest, and you aren’t the first faerie I’ve had in bed.”
* * * *
That comment stung. One of countless. She knew he didn’t mean it, but damn, it still hurt. She started for the bedroom to find her shoes.
“Isa, wait,” h
e called. “That wasn’t how I meant it. I’m older than you think. Sex isn’t a big thing in Faerie, or here for that matter.”
Her breath left on an exhale as she spun toward him. “So I’m a common slut?”
He shook his head and looked like he was searching for a way to extract his foot from his mouth. “Stop. That isn’t what I said. You’re the only one I ever want to be with. This wasn’t just sex, it was so much more.”
She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. He was right, she was overreacting. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I know I’ve been a whore, but if I thought for even a second you could feel the same love for me, I would have been a saint and never touched another person.” The pain and regret in his expression nearly broke her heart. “I was stupid and used sex to distract myself from what I couldn’t have. Obviously, that didn’t work.”
“I did the same damned thing, Toryn. If you don’t hold that against me, why would I hold it against you?”
“I misled you for years, Isa. Doesn’t that say something about my character?”
“The fact that you held me when I cried, that you came to my rescue, that you kept me company whenever I had a bad day, more than makes up for following your damned orders, which were to keep me safe.”
He gripped his pockets, his hands so tight his knuckles were white as he stared, but didn’t say a word.
She continued, “I love you, Toryn. I always have. So where does that leave us? What are we now? Because I can’t go back to how it was.”
His shoulders relaxed as his hands came up, taking her face gently. “There’s no going back, Isa. You want me, I won’t let you go.”
“Don’t, not ever. I won’t let you go either,” she promised.
Toryn groaned, “What I wouldn’t give to spend a month proving how much I have always, and will always, want you.”
“Right, but we don’t have time.” She let out a sigh and turned toward the bedroom. She only made it to the bed when she spun around. The connection snapped back into place, “Now, we’ve got to go now.”
She ran back to the bathroom and scooped everything on the counter into her bag before running out to the car.
Chapter 20
Isa slammed her door the same time Toryn did. He pulled onto the road and pushed the pedal all the way to the floor as he took off for Spokane. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her kick off the boots and curl her legs under herself to get comfortable.
“About your theory?” Toryn asked with true curiosity.
“The king isn’t my father. At least, not Henroyld.” She looked over nervously. “I’m pretty sure my father is from the Fire Kingdom. And you two were tight.” She sighed. “He thinks of you as his closest friend.”
Thinks? Toryn held back the snort. Reance had been dead for thirty years. “Well, that certainly explains a few things.”
“Like?” She glanced over with a raised brow.
“This.” He snapped his fingers, willing the fire to cover his hand.
Her breath caught, but a smile lit her face.
“Your mother took Reance and me into her kingdom after a great war. Reance was badly injured and lost most of his power. He never regained it, even after healing the wounds. Before your mother married Henroyld, she was engaged to my closest friend. They must have carried on their relationship in secret.”
Her smile was sad, but knowledgeable.
“Even if Reance is your father, you and I are not related. Reance was the king of our realm, but our kingdom was destroyed.” He looked back at the road. “Henroyld is from the Earth Kingdom and your mother from Air. However, this is where it gets interesting… your mother’s line is nearly half Earth and half Air and your father is nearly half Fire and half Water. That makes your potential for power incredible and extremely rare.”
“Explains why my uncle and Henroyld want to use me as a weapon. They suspected all along.” Glumly, she stared out the window. “So, I’m supposed to be able to control all of the elements? They want to use me to take control of the other kingdoms?”
“Not all of them.” Toryn shook his head and squeezed her hand. “Only what they consider true or light fae. He wants nothing to do with the dark fae.”
“What’s the difference?” Isa frowned, not bothering to access the new stores of information. Of course, with what she was processing, he let it slide. He wanted to ask what had her so stressed, but he had a good idea, and knew from experience that forcing information could be terrifying.
“Light fae are mostly human in appearance, only the highly sensitive can tell the difference. Our magic tends to be elemental and derived from our family tree. Your mother can wield air and earth, but seems to be more comfortable with air. Your father could wield water and fire, but was more comfortable with fire. I’ve only ever seen Henroyld use earth magics, and Remus air.” Toryn gave her a sideways grin, “Dark fae tend to be things like trolls, pixies, satyrs, and the more wild species.”
“Prejudiced bastard,” she muttered. “So the ones who look human are light? And anything not, dark?”
“Generally, though not all consider nymphs and siren dark fae. They tend to look mostly human, but stick close to their element. Wood nymphs like forests, trees, that sort of thing. It’s why Scotty lives out of town, at the edge of the woods. He looks totally human. Now, a water nymph will have… non-human natural hair colors and eyes. Purples, blues, even reds. Then there are sirens, who shift forms in water.”
She shook her head, “All right, all right. Got it, like Mathis and Paavo who are some combination of nymph and siren. Explains why I saw them all mermanish that night.”
“What night?” Toryn’s eyes narrowed. “They didn’t seduce you, did they?”
She laughed. “No, though I got the impression they would have liked to. I also seem to remember overhearing you forbidding them to do so.”
“Oh, it’s just that…” that Toryn did not want them to handle her awakening, or to touch her at all. Resisting the two of them was damn near impossible, and he knew how easy it was to fall in love with Isadora. He was afraid they would sweep in and steal her heart.
“Hey, I wasn’t interested in them. I knew they weren’t human.” She paused and shrugged. “Not that I am, either, but I thought I was. Besides, as gorgeous as they are, they aren’t you.”
He grinned back at her. “Ditto. Now back on topic. Henroyld and Remus are both light fae elitist.”
Her brow pinched. “What about my parents?”
“No, they aren’t. Aeryana took Reance and me in when anyone else from her kingdom would have slaughtered us. She is a brilliant woman, much more open-minded than her husband would like her to be. Reance accepted all beings as equal. I think you would have liked him.”
* * * *
Isa could see her father’s familiar face. She had seen it hundreds of times while growing up. Whatever Toryn believed happened to her father was wrong.
Reance had fine, almost feminine features. Tall and thin with wiry muscle. His crimson hair fell in a sheet, past his waistband. There was a scar that went from his shoulder down to his pelvis. She also knew it was Henroyld who had tried to slay him.
Breathing hard, she stared out the window as flashes of her father’s memory poured through her head.
Reance walked through the forest, toward the castle in the distance. He could hear bloodthirsty cheering, and smelled fire.
Picking up his pace, he ran full on, knowing what was coming. Death, carnage, payback for ripping the boy’s innocence from him, and then attempting to burn him at the stake.
Black smoke rose from the courtyard and the cheers turned to screams of fear and then pain. The scent of burning flesh filled his lungs as the last of the screams echoed.
He ran faster, knowing it was too late to save the ignorant humans. All he could do was take the boy home and help him find his way.
Then he saw the boy. Tall, lanky, and covered in silver flames that burned everything in his
path. Even from this distance, Reance could see the boy’s glowing blue eyes, flickering with silver.
Reance stepped into his path, scooping him into his arms, and whispered a spell to calm the fire.
Sobbing the boy cried, “Arrête! Je t’en suplie! Arrête!”
Not knowing the language, Reance captured the boy’s face and put him to sleep until he could get him across the veil.
She knew the boy was Toryn in his youth. He was begging for someone to make it stop in French.
Unable to catch her breath, she blurted out, “How old are you, exactly?”
“Are you sure you want that answer?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” she answered firmly, but was questioning her logic.
His age wouldn’t change anything. Right?
“Five hundred and seventy-six human years, but our time lines don’t exactly sync. We’re immortal. At least in the sense that age won’t kill us.”
She threw herself back in the seat and muttered, “I need a drink.”
Toryn squeezed her thigh and tenderly murmured, “Are you all right, Isa?”
“Yeah, just wrapping my head around the numbers. I know you were my father’s protector for centuries. Though, he didn’t seem to need one.” She remembered a time before meeting Toryn, where her father stopped five big assholes from attacking her when she was only sixteen. Reance had beaten the holy living hell out of four of them, while she fought one off by herself. He would have finished the last, but she had already broken his nose and was sitting on his chest throwing swing after swing at his bloody face. In fact, he had to drag her away before the cops showed up because she was beyond rational thinking.
Toryn’s response brought her back to the present. “Only after Henroyld tried to butcher him alive, though I was always his friend. I regret not killing Henroyld when I had the chance. Especially since it seems he and your uncle are involved in a plot against the queen.”
Toryn was revealing the pieces, but she was working with too damn many to put them together without help. “What plot is that?”
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