“Wait, what?” Aiden’s head spun. “You’re joking, right?”
“This is no jest. The queen would have killed you to preserve the throne for her next child.”
Aiden let that sink in for a moment. Or tried to at least. “But what about him?” He looked at his brother.
“Oisin has no magic and therefore cannot inherit. As he is no threat, his life is safe.”
I’m the son of a king. That makes me a prince. Holy crap, I’m a prince. “So you hid me in the human world?”
She nodded.
“Okay, I get that.” Although he was reeling from the news, his heart felt lighter at the knowledge he hadn’t been rejected. “But why take him?”
“Ever since the humans closed all the paths between our worlds, it has taken great magic to travel between them. The power from your birth fueled a spell to cross that barrier, but an exchange had to be made to allow you to stay in the human world once that portal closed. The balance had to be maintained—one male child for another.”
“So you just stole him and put me in his place?” She could have asked… but who would trade their child like that? Someone who didn’t want a baby to begin with, and that might have left Aiden with bad parents. Or he would have ended up in an orphanage.
Her jaw set in a determined line, but her eyes were full of sadness. “I did what was necessary to spare your life. The queen would have found you if I had tried to hide you anywhere in Faery.” Nuala closed her eyes. “It was the most difficult thing I have ever done.”
Aiden couldn’t imagine what that had been like. “Thank you for saving me.”
Nuala reached across the space between them and took his hand. “I have thought about you every day, hoping that you were well and happy.”
“I am.” His throat tightened. “You left me with wonderful parents. They love me and support me. They uprooted their whole lives when they found out I was a changeling and had to move to Shadow Valley.” Aiden explained the treaty and how it required him to stay in Shadow Valley or be certified to live in the human world.
“You live in an entire town full of magical people?” his brother asked. “Are there other changelings there?”
Aiden shook his head. “I’m the only one. I guess there hasn’t been a changeling, in America at least, for a long time.” There might be others out in the world. Aiden wondered if he might be able to contact them, maybe set up some kind of support group.
Oisin looked disappointed.
Nuala said, “I do not know of any other changelings in Faery either. There are rumors, and there are a few humans in the court who have been granted long lives, but they came to Faery in the time before the portals were closed.”
“Then how did you know the spell to switch us?”
“I found a very old, very powerful fae and begged her for a way to keep you safe. She told me of the spell and that it was the only way to ensure the queen could not find you. I am sure she must have done it before. There are other humans in Faery,” Nuala said, looking at Oisin, “but I do not know any of them myself. And it is safer to keep your identity hidden, for you and for Aiden.”
“Is that why you didn’t look for me before?” Aiden asked. “Because someone might find out?”
“Oh, child. I have been searching for you since the day I gave you up. I did not have the power to cross realms and had to be wary of who I asked for help. The king has a dream walker in his court, but I dared not contact him. I only recently found Caelan”—Nuala gestured toward the dream walker—“and dared to trust her with my most precious secret.”
Another weight slipped from Aiden’s shoulders. His birth mom had always loved him, had been looking for him all this time.
“We can only meet in dreams though, right?”
Nuala frowned. “The spell your dragonkin friend used to allow the dark fae into the human realm…”
Aiden sucked in a breath. “Blood magic.”
She nodded. “I have found information on this spell. I would be able to use it.” To Aiden’s relief, she didn’t look eager.
“But you don’t want to.”
Her finger traced a pattern on the arm of the chair. “I do not wish to use dark fae magic, but I would give nearly anything to be with you, son.”
His heart swelled, warmth spreading through his chest. Aiden looked at his brother. “Would he come too?”
“Oisin is old enough to make his own choices, but I would not abandon him.”
Oisin shifted, brows drawing together. “If I left Faery, I likely would not ever be able to return.”
Aiden had an idea of what that was like, leaving behind the only world you’d known. But once he graduated, Aiden could go back to the human world beyond Shadow Valley if he wanted to. It wasn’t forever.
Nuala took Oisin’s hand. “We have time to decide such things.”
Right. Even if Aiden started making the potion today, it wouldn’t be ready for three months. The spell Morgan had given Dylan required one drop of blood per day for three cycles of the moon. Should I start it now though, just in case?
If he changed his mind, he could just dump it out. No one needed to know.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The warning bell would ring any second. The hallway was full of kids chatting and grabbing things from their lockers. Aiden looked around. Maybe he should wait until the crowd thinned out a little. Maybe wait another day to gather his courage. Or a month.
It was way too easy to come up with excuses.
What was the worst that could happen? People giving him weird looks and making rude comments? Aiden could handle that. And he had plenty of people who would stand by him: Tiago and Dylan of course. Maggie. The whole LGBTA group.
He thought of Leah and how young the freshman seemed. What if there was a bisexual freshman in school too afraid to come out? Aiden didn’t think of himself as a hero, but a lot of people considered him one. What if he could be an example? What if seeing a local celebrity like Aiden gave a freshman—or even younger kids—enough courage to be themselves?
“You don’t have to do this today,” Tiago said.
Aiden closed his locker and turned to him. There were also selfish reasons for coming out to the school, like being able to hold Tiago’s hand, to not have to watch everything they said to each other or worry that a glance might reveal too much.
“I want to.” Aiden felt a smile spread across his face and put his hands on Tiago’s shoulders. “I’m ready for this.”
“Okay.” Tiago drew closer but stopped with a few inches between them.
It was up to Aiden to close that final distance, and he did. Pressing their lips together, Aiden kissed his boyfriend in the middle of the crowded hallway.
And it was wonderful.
He’d meant it to be a quick kiss, the kind of simple good-bye couples exchanged all the time before class. But the rush of emotions made Aiden even more aware of the soft slide of Tiago’s lips against his, and Aiden opened his mouth, his tongue caressing Tiago’s in a silent plea. His boyfriend answered eagerly, a low noise rumbling in his throat.
The warning bell rang, startling Aiden. Tiago laughed, a dazed smile on his face. Aiden was pretty sure he had a similar expression on his own face.
“Mission accomplished,” Tiago said.
Aiden reluctantly took a step away but held Tiago’s gaze for a moment, gathering the courage to look around.
When he turned, the first people he saw were Ellie and her girlfriend.
Kenzie put a hand on her hip. “Well I guess that means you’re out.”
Aiden laughed and couldn’t resist pulling Tiago into another kiss. Just a quick one this time.
* * *
Sakura dropped a kiss on Dylan’s cheek before joining him at the lunch table. He glanced over and saw a weird look on her face. Izume’s too. “What?”
“Did you hear?” Sakura asked.
“Oh shit. What now?” A dozen terrible possibilities flashed through his mind.
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“Not… anything like that.”
“About Aiden and Tiago,” Izume said, her expression wary.
Dylan blinked. “Do you mean the kissing thing?” Aiden had texted him between classes to let him know that he’d gone through with it.
Sakura and Izume exchanged a look.
“So you heard?” Sakura asked.
Just then Aiden and Tiago joined them.
“Hey, guys.” Aiden smiled as he slid into a chair.
Tiago sat next to him, just like every other day. Except this time he leaned over to kiss Aiden’s cheek. Aiden lit up. Dylan had seen that dopey look on his face before, but only when the three of them were alone. Now the whole world could see how happy Tiago made Aiden.
It was totally sappy, but Dylan was happy for him. For both of them.
“Wow. It’s really true.” Sakura stared at them.
Izume pointed a finger. “Ha! I thought something was going on between you.”
Aiden’s happy glow dimmed a few watts. “Really?”
“I didn’t know it was this, but there was a vibe.”
Sakura turned to look at Dylan. “You’re… not upset?”
Anger flared in his chest. “What? Did you expect me to… gay bash them or something?” Why did everyone think he’d have a problem with Aiden’s sexuality?
Sakura leaned back. “No. I just… I didn’t know.”
Argh. Now he was being a jerk and snapping at her.
“Dylan’s known for a while,” Aiden said. His smile brightened again. “He caught us kissing. Oh God, did I freak out.”
“I was ready to take Lizard Boy on if he said one bad word about it.” Tiago smiled as he cracked open his Coke.
Izume stared at Dylan. “You knew and you didn’t tell us?”
“I was sworn to secrecy.” With both Aiden and Tiago beaming, it was hard for Dylan to stay mad.
Sakura leaned forward. “How long have you been dating?”
“Since last March,” Aiden told her.
Izume threw her hands up. “This whole time?”
Aiden and Tiago burst into laughter.
In a calmer tone, Izume asked, “You hid it because you were afraid of what people would say?”
Aiden nodded.
“Well, I say you make a cute couple,” Izume told them.
“Thanks.” Tiago picked up his cheeseburger and took a big bite.
Dylan looked around, noticing a few kids glancing their way with varying expressions of curiosity. “I meant it when I said I’d kick anybody’s ass if they picked on you.” He’d mentioned it several times, most recently that morning when Aiden said he wanted to come out to the whole school. There were guaranteed to be at least a few idiots who thought Aiden and Tiago were gross or wrong or sinners or whatever.
“We will too,” Sakura said, Izume nodding her agreement.
Dylan’s heart warmed to know his girlfriend was so supportive.
“Oooh…” Her eyes lit up. “We should go on a double date.”
His automatic reaction was to say no to something so dorky. But as he watched his friends enthusiastically agree, he took a moment to actually consider it. Even if it was dorky, what was wrong with that? He’d gone bowling with Aiden, Tiago, and Hanna, and that had been fun. “Yeah, that would be cool.”
“Great!” Aiden beamed. Man, it was good to see him so happy.
They started discussing ideas, and Dylan wished things could have been like this all along.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Why did they have to go to a place that was so… public? If they’d gone to a movie, at least they could’ve gone to the back and sat in the dark where no one would look at them.
Tiago gave him a questioning look. Aiden’s fear was getting in the way again. He’d already made Tiago hide their relationship, and by extension his sexuality, for months. Aiden couldn’t ruin their first public date. Briefly he wondered if they should have gone somewhere on their own. But no, Aiden was glad to have Dylan and Sakura with them. It would make things less awkward.
Hopefully.
Heart slamming against his ribs, Aiden reached over to take Tiago’s hand.
Tiago’s bright smile made Aiden’s stomach do flips, and for a second he forgot about everything else.
“Come on.” Dylan held the door to the restaurant open.
It was the fanciest restaurant in town. Aiden would have been worried about how much it cost, but Dylan’s parents had promised to pay for everything and refused to hear any argument about it.
Aiden didn’t know what Dylan had told Bryn and Joe, but they’d called Aiden to let him know they supported him. Thinking about it gave Aiden enough confidence to walk through the door. No way would the restaurant owner want to make Bryn mad, so they wouldn’t be rude to Aiden and Tiago.
“It’s so fancy.” Sakura grinned. She wore a deep purple dress that came to just above her knees, and her hair had been tied back in a braid. The dress and makeup she wore made her look more mature.
Dylan wasn’t wearing a suit, but his concession to the dress code was a nice shirt and a tie. And he’d combed his hair.
Aiden and Tiago were both borrowing clothes from Aiden’s dad. After some arguing about who should get the nicer outfit, Tiago had agreed to take the suit. It was a little tight, and Aiden kept admiring the stretch of it across his shoulders. Aiden had taken the blazer, which was a little long on him but otherwise fit pretty well. Another reminder of how much he’d grown over the past few years.
“Yeah,” Tiago said. “I never thought I’d eat in a place like this.”
Dylan went up to the maître d’ and gave his name. The man looked the four of them over with a hint of curiosity. Oh God. The guy was looking at them weird because they were two boys holding hands. Tiago gripped Aiden’s hand tighter, and Aiden realized he’d unconsciously started pulling away.
The maître d’ grabbed a few menus. “Right this way.”
The restaurant was small, and Aiden was sure every other patron was staring at them. He forced himself not to look around as they sat at the table.
Dylan snorted as the maître d’ walked away. “I bet he was expecting my parents.”
“Is… is that why he gave us a weird look?”
“Well, yeah. Why else— Oh, the gay thing.”
Tiago laughed, and that sent Aiden into a fit of giggles. When the laughter died down, Tiago looked at him with a serious expression. “If you’re really uncomfortable, we don’t have to do this.”
“I’m fine,” he lied. But Aiden knew he’d feel worse if he gave up.
“If anyone is rude, I’ll make them sorry.” Dylan had said a variation of that several times over the past week.
Coming out to the whole school had been surprisingly… not bad. Aiden had gotten weird looks, especially when he and Tiago were holding hands and kissing. People whispered to each other, and one guy had muttered a slur as he walked by. But otherwise there were no big problems. A few kids had congratulated him and let Aiden know they supported him.
Part of the reason he hadn’t gotten much negativity had to be because he was friends with Dylan. People still talked about how Dylan had beat up Conner Mays freshman year, and even before then the dragonkin had boasted a fierce reputation. On top of that, Dylan and Aiden were local celebrities. It was easy for Aiden to downplay things, but so many people had commented on what he’d been involved in—fighting a corrupt warden, killing a dark fae, rescuing the people trapped at prom and then battling the extremists—that Aiden couldn’t deny it made a huge difference in how they saw him.
The four of them ordered after Dylan had snapped at them again not to worry about the prices. Aiden glanced around a few times, trying to see if anyone was staring. Beside him, Tiago looked stiff and nervous. After a while, Aiden realized he was probably nervous because Aiden was.
“Um, so you’ve dated guys before,” Aiden said quietly. “But did you have actual dates? In public?”
Tiago frowned. �
�Sort of? I went to the movies a few times, but we didn’t hold hands until the lights went down. I was worried about my parents, so I didn’t want to be obvious about it.”
Having met Tiago’s parents, Aiden completely understood. It was awful that some people had to hide their sexuality. He gave silent thanks that his own parents were so accepting. “So this is your first really public date?”
Tiago nodded, his full lips turning up in a little smile.
They were sharing something special. Not just their first public date with each other, but the first time either of them had been out like this with another boy. Aiden glanced over at Sakura and Dylan, and it suddenly occurred to him that they could be mistaken for a group of friends, not two couples. Aiden and Tiago had held hands walking into the restaurant, but since then they’d done nothing that marked them as romantically involved.
Gathering his courage, Aiden leaned over and brushed a quick kiss across Tiago’s lips. Then he took Tiago’s hand and squeezed it.
Tiago’s smile widened to a heart-melting level. “Staking your claim?”
Aiden’s face heated with embarrassment, but the rest of him was warm for other reasons. “I want you to have the best date possible.”
“Me too. I mean… you know what I mean.”
“And I thought you guys were bad at lunch.” But Dylan was smiling as he said it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As they drove up to the prison, Dylan’s heart beat so loud he was sure everyone in the van could hear it. He’d always known the prison was out here on the edge of town, but he’d never been this close. If the other wardens found out he’d let Morgan out of Faery, this is where he’d end up.
From the outside it looked like some of the prisons he’d seen on TV shows and movies: a tall outer wall topped with barbed wire and in the center a gray concrete building. It was two stories tall, but Dylan knew there were several levels belowground as well, each floor more secure in order to hold those with powerful magic.
Dragonkin Are from Mars, Changelings Are from Venus Page 8