Revealed

by Riana Lucas

  The look in his eyes makes my heart beat faster and my stomach flutter. I smile a bit self-consciously as my cheeks grow hot under his gaze. His statement flusters me, wreaking havoc within, so much so that I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

  “I will take you to see your mother.”

  His eyes widen, and his grip on my hand tightens almost painfully. “Really? You’ll really take me to see her? When? Can we go soon? Tonight?”

  His excitement and babbling reigns me in enough to realize what I said. For some reason I spoke before thinking and made a promise that I am not sure I will be able to keep. I should have asked the queen before making such an important promise. When I was working for the Unseelie king, I was able to travel between worlds but only because he wanted me to. Now, I am not sure if the queen will allow it.

  Before I can speak up and explain everything to Reed, he jumps up and begins to tug me up as well. Even though I am concerned about my ability to keep my promise, I cannot help but to smile at his sudden enthusiasm and happiness. I do not wish for that to go away, so I decide no matter how difficult, I will make this happen for him.

  The moment my feet are under me, my thoughts scatter as I am engulfed by his two strong arms. His scent wraps around me as well, and I inhale deeply while trying to keep myself from melting completely into him. After a moment of relishing in the feel of being in Reed’s arms, I gather my composure and pull away.

  After taking a step back to put a bit of distance between us, I smile up at him. His happiness makes me happy, too. “I will have to speak with my mother first.” At my words, his smile falters. In a rush to keep his happiness from fading, I speak another promise I am not sure I can keep. “But I am sure we can go either today or tomorrow. I will talk to her as soon as we get home. Okay?”

  “Perfect! Oh, Poppy, thank you so much! I can’t wait to see her again. You are going to love her, and she is going to love you!” He grabs my hand before I can respond and starts running toward the castle, dragging me behind.

  The rest of the way home, Reed tells me stories about his mother and himself as he grew up. He reveals funny and embarrassing stories, and all I can do is laugh at his tales of her taking him to the beach and him learning how to surf but how he fell off the board more times than he stayed on at first. He tells me of trips to the zoo, getting into trouble at school, and some of the friends he grew up with. A small part of me wants to be jealous that he grew up with his mother in such a loving home, but my happiness for him eclipses that jealousy and reinforces my wish for him to see her once again.

  A small smile tugs at the corner of the guard’s lips when we make our way through the castle doors and enter the Seelie Court once again. I am sure it is because Reed is still tugging me behind him and has not let go of my hand since he first took it. Usually my heart would be fluttering at the contact, but it is obvious this is not a romantic gesture. This is a man on a mission. I smile at the guard as we pass, ignoring the small amount of hope that blossomed in my heart at the guard’s knowing look.

  Not wishing to raise more eyebrows, I try to tug my hand from Reed’s, but he holds tight and continues to drag me down the corridor, chattering away about how much fun it will be when we visit his mother. I finally clear my throat and say his name a bit more loudly than I normally would to draw his attention. Unsurprisingly, it takes more than a few tries.

  Finally, he hears me calling his name and comes to a stop. Turning, he glances around as if to see what has stopped us then turns to me when he sees nothing. He looks at me blankly for a few moments, his grip still tight on my wrist. I finally raise an eyebrow and glance down to where his hand is holding my wrist hostage. He looks down as well, and a faint blush begins to stain his cheeks.

  “Sorry,” he mumbles as he lets go. I open my mouth to tell him it is okay, but gasp instead when he takes my hand. His grip is much gentler as he softly slides his fingers between mine and interlocks our hands together. His other hand comes up to my wrist, his fingers reaching out to softly rub it as if to soothe me. I can do nothing but stare at our joined hands. My heart rate triples; my breathing is irregular, and my stomach won't stop dancing. When I finally work up the nerve to look at him, he is not looking at me. He is mesmerized, too, by the sight of our fingers twined together.

  He finally looks up at me when we hear the sound of voices coming from around the corner. There is a soft smile on his lips, and he gives me a wink before we both turn to see who is walking toward us. Just as we do, the queen turns the corner. I immediately pull my hand from Reed’s and try to regain my composure. I glance over at Reed to see him do the same. His face becomes blank, and as I watch, a shadow moves over his eyes. The look startles me but the queen is standing before us now, and I have no time to ask Reed why he looks so distant.

  Saving the question for later, I look up in time to see a sly look in my mother's eyes. She saw our hands joined and is probably pleased. Although I shake my head at her, a small smile touches my lips. I may not be sure of what this means, but it is significant. Excitement bubbles inside of me, and I forget everything else going on.

  Reed does not. He clears his throat beside me. When I look at him, he looks pointedly at me and then at my mother.

  “Oh. Sorry.” I shake my head, letting out a small laugh, but Reed does not do the same. His face is serious and my brows draw together in confusion. He appears to be angry, but I cannot understand why. He looks pointedly at me again, and I realize that he must be eager to hear if the queen will allow him to visit his mother. I can understand the intensity of the situation, so I pull my thoughts from him and turn back to my mother.

  “Hello, Mother. Are you busy?”

  “Hello, darling. How was your walk in the forest?” She raises a delicate eyebrow as she asks.

  Ignoring her look, I answer, “It was lovely. Are you busy right now? I have something very important I would like to discuss with you.” Reed softly clears his throat, and I amend my words. “I mean Reed and I would like to discuss something with you.”

  Her sly smile widens, and my face heats with embarrassment. How I know her so well already is a mystery, but I am very aware of what she is thinking. It is something I am not comfortable talking about now, so I shake my head once and hope she understands. Thank the Faeries she does. That would have been a very embarrassing conversation.

  “Of course, my child. The two of you, come with me. We will talk in my parlor.”

  Reed and I fall into step behind her. I look over to give him an encouraging smile, but he is staring straight ahead with that serious look on his face. This is the first I have seen him look like this. Even if he is hurt or upset, he still manages some sort of smile. He told me himself that he liked to find the humor in everything to make life better. The only other time I have seen him this intense was when we first rescued him from the Unseelie dungeon. A shiver works its way up my spine at the thought of that night.

  Thankfully we reach the doors to my mother’s chambers, and my thoughts drift back to the situation at hand.

  We follow my mother into the sitting area and both take a seat on the couch. Once we are seated, I notice he sits on the other side of the couch, as far from my side as possible. My mother notices as well. I feel a bit hurt but realize I am being selfish. Reed is focused on being able to see his mother right now.

  “What can I do for you?” my mother asks politely as she takes her seat in her favorite chair across from us.

  “Well, it is a bit complicated, but I need you to trust me when I say that it is extremely important.”

  My mother straightens in her chair at the seriousness in my voice, worry creeping into her eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen when you were out this afternoon? I knew you needed to keep a guard close. I should never have allowed you to go into the forest alone…”

  Holding my hand up, I stop her from asking any more questions or freaking out any more than she already is. “Everything is fine with m
e. Nothing happened.” I glance over at Reed, remembering something significant did happen, as far as I am concerned, but he is still looking at my mother. I take a deep breath then continue, “I would like your permission to take Reed to see his mother in the human world.”

  My mother closes her eyes and lets out a deep sigh. She leans back into her chair before opening her eyes once again. “You scared one hundred years off of my life just then. Don’t you ever do that again.” She takes another breath, and I cannot help but to smile. I look over at Reed and see that he is finally relaxing just a bit. She is going to let us go.

  We go over the details with her for a few minutes, as well as the rules she intends for us to follow. Two guards must go with us, and they are to stay within listening distance at all times. It is okay for us to go today, but she would like us to be home by tomorrow. We must be careful, etc.

  I also give her a few instructions of my own, which apparently is amusing. She will instruct Gideon on what is going on and give him my orders to start training the Seelie army. Not a minute can be wasted or taken away from that task. Thankfully Gideon and the others know what to do, and the Seelie army will be very quick studies. My absence should not cause any delays in our plans.

  When we finally leave her chambers, I turn to Reed with a smile on my face, excited for him. “Well that went better than I thought it would.”

  A small smile is on his face, but the earlier excitement is banked. “Yeah, it did. I need to grab a few things, and then I’ll meet you at the main entrance. Okay?” He is not meeting my eyes, which concerns me.

  “Umm…okay. Is everything okay, Reed? You —”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, Poppy. Just thinking. See ya in a few.” He turns and takes off down the hall toward his room, still without ever making eye contact.

  I stare after him in complete confusion, not understanding what is going on. Shaking my head, I go to my room to grab a few things as well. Soon Reed and I will be on our way to the human world.

  Chapter Eleven

  Reed arrives at our meeting spot just moments after I do. He still does not seem as excited as before about his return home, and it bothers me. I try to ask him what is bothering him, but he once again deflects by changing the subject.

  “So, how does this work? The one time I shimmered between worlds, I wasn’t exactly focused on the process,” he says wryly.

  The time he speaks of flashes in my head. While I fought members of the Unseelie Court, Reed was snatched from behind by Damien and jerked against his will into the open portal. His voice, yelling for me the entire time, still makes my stomach drop in guilt. “I am so sorry for that, Reed.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” he says kindly, but then shakes his head and looks away. When he looks at me again, his eyes are devoid of any emotion, and his voice is rough and detached. “So what do I need to do?”

  I watch him for a moment, waiting for some sign of the easygoing Reed I am used to. When nothing changes, I ask, “Reed? Is everything okay? You are acting odd.”

  I get my wish. Emotion enters his eyes, but it is anger, and it is directed at me. “Yes, Poppy, everything is fine. I would like to see my mother, though. Do you think we can get going?” His voice is harsh and just short of yelling. I cower back from him as I turn my head so he cannot see the tears forming in my eyes. This is a side of Reed I have never seen before, and I do not like or understand it. My only reasoning for such behavior is that he must be anxious to see his mother, and it is causing him to be upset. Putting my confusion and hurt aside, I focus on opening a portal.

  Focusing on the wide expanse of beautiful forest before me, I use my magic to pull in some of the magic surrounding me. As I do, I sense a little of Reed’s magic as well, but I pull away, not wanting to feel a connection between the two of us right now. When I close my eyes, I hear Reed suck in a quiet breath. The shimmering portal has opened in front of us.

  I assume Reed and I will take the portal together and the two guards that my mother assigned to shadow us will follow behind us in a portal of their own. So, without looking at him, I hold my hand out for Reed to take. He does not. When I look over to see what has his attention he is standing rigid, looking at my open hand.

  I can sense something is wrong, my body humming with the feeling, but I cannot pinpoint what it is. Then I remember that he has only transported through worlds once, and he must be uncertain.

  Hoping to ease his fear, I quietly reassure him. “It will be fine, Reed. There is nothing to be afraid of. You have to grasp my hand, though. If you do not, you will be unable to shimmer to the human world. I promise no harm will come to you, and I will not leave you.”

  His eyes jerk up to mine, and there is still a shadow of something I cannot identify. Reaching out with my senses, I try to find out what is bothering him, but I am blocked. It is as if Reed is keeping me from his emotions. I shake my head at the thought. Reed and I have not discussed my suspicions, so I am not sure if he is aware of our abilities, but even if he were, there is no way he would know how to block it. I do not even know how to do that.

  Finally, his hand reaches for mine and a bubble of excitement starts in my stomach, but it bursts when he grabs my wrist instead of my hand and looks back to the portal. I take a deep breath, remembering that Reed is nervous and excited. I try not to take it personally.

  With only a few steps, we enter the portal. Just as quickly we exit, standing in the human world where I entered the first time I came here to retrieve Reed.

  It is just as repugnant as I remember. The stifling smells of the human world, the sounds of human chatter and technology, and the feel of the salty stickiness of the ocean on my skin invades my senses. When Reed releases my wrist, I turn to look at him, wondering if he will have the same reaction I am after being in Faery Land for so long.

  He takes a deep breath and immediately begins to cough and I smile. “It is not as great as you remember it, is it?”

  “Ugh! No! It’s awful. The smell is horrible, and my skin feels grimy and gross. I feel like I need a shower and I’ve only been here for a few minutes. How do you stand it?”

  “I cannot. That is why I always hated coming here. Faery Land is so beautiful and clean. The air is fresh and free of all the human pollution. There is no salt in the air to cover our skin, and it is free of all the commotion and congestion that is here. I will admit I hated the humans for it as well, but after I met you, well…” I look away a bit shyly.

  Reed clears his throat as if to say something, so I turn to look at him. He looks confused, so I try to reach out to him again with my mind, but still there is nothing. After a moment passes, he clears his throat again and looks down the street. “How far are we from my mom’s house?”

  A small part of me is relieved when he does not call it his home any longer. Although he has not spoken it aloud, he thinks of Faery Land and the Seelie Court as his home now. As selfish as it may be, it makes me hopeful he will not want to remain here with his mother.

  “We are just a few blocks away. When we get to the corner, you will probably recognize the area and know your way from there.”

  He turns around abruptly, and there is a look of unease on his face. “You aren’t coming with me?”

  I look at him in confusion. When we first met, I had such a hard time understanding him. Now I feel like I am reliving that all over again. “Of course I am coming with you. Why would I not?”

  “Oh. I just thought…the way you said it…well whatever, never mind. Do we have to wait for the guards, or can we go?” His quick relief has turned once again into impatience, and I have to remind myself that he is not angry with me, just anxious to see his mother. Now having my own mother, I can understand his feelings.

  “No, we do not have to wait for them. They will be able to sense us and follow at a safe distance. We probably will not see them the entire time we are here. They are only here in case we need them and they are using magic to shield themselves from humans.” I motion for
Reed to begin walking. “Ready?”

  With a nod, he starts down the road to the corner. He walks a step or two in front of me, keeping a quick pace, but not noticeably irregular. I use my own magic to help us blend in better and follow along behind him. When we reach the corner, we both stop and look around. I see recognition instantly in Reed’s eyes, indicating that he does indeed know where we are. It is the same place I shimmered into when I first came for him. We are only a few blocks from his home and where he grew up.

  We turn left and begin walking down a road that is parallel to the ocean. From the sidewalk, we can clearly see the water in-between the houses as we pass. Most of the houses look similar to the one Reed lived in, but they all lack the one thing that made his unique. None of them have the lush grass, vibrant flowers, or beautiful trees that Reed’s home had, reminding me of a potential problem I had forgotten.

  Reed’s mother knew, in some way, that he was different. I am unsure of how much she knew, or if she is aware of the Faery world, but having raised him the way she did, she must have known something. Making sure he was surrounded by as much nature as possible and that he maintained a natural and healthy diet, including sugar water, is much more than a coincidence. No one in the human world would do that. Although I am happy to make sure Reed is able to see his mother again, I also need to find out how much she knows and make sure she is not in any danger.

  Lost in my thoughts, I continue to follow Reed along the tree-lined sidewalk. In the back of my mind, I can hear the waves crashing and feel the cool ocean breeze on my sensitive Fae skin. It is the only thing enjoyable about being this close to the ocean. As horrible as the rest of it is, any Fae would admit to the calming effect the breeze and sounds have on them. I glance over to gauge Reed’s reaction again in time to see him wrinkle his nose at the smells, even as he smiles a bit at the familiarity of his surroundings.