Forever Fae

by L. P. Dover

  “I don’t know, Warren, there’s something about her. It’s like I’m connected to her somehow,” I say.

  At my words, it’s like a dark cloud settles over him and his eyes become dark and menacing.

  He turns to me hissing, “You can’t have her. She doesn’t belong to you.”

  Wide-eyed I stare at my friend and wonder what the hell has just happened. One minute he’s fine and the next it’s like a demon has possessed him.

  Clenching my teeth, I say “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t say anything about wanting her, and if I did, you sure as hell couldn’t stop me.”

  In all honesty I do want her, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I’m fuming and I look at him waiting for a reply, but he just sits there vacant, like he’s not even in there. A few seconds later he comes to and begins acting normal again. There is something seriously wrong with him. I’m going to have Heyflred take a look at him when we get back to the Winter Court.

  I look over to Kalen and raise my eyebrows in question.

  He shrugs his shoulders and whispers, “Ryder, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but we need to figure it out soon.”

  Warren seems calm so I ask him, “Are you OK?”

  He looks at me confused and says slowly, “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be OK?”

  I sit back in my chair, befuddled.

  I respond, “Nothing, I just thought I would ask.” He seems so normal, but that uneasy feeling of dread has made its way back into my stomach.

  King Oberon finally stands to make his announcement about the ritual and the fighting that will take place. It’ll be interesting to see how these warriors fight compared to my army. I train our army along with my brothers, Kalen and Brayden, and our fighting skills are immaculate. If I had a guess, I would say my army could kick these pansy asses any day of the week. I wonder if the warrior who couldn’t keep his eyes off of the princess will win. He looks like a love-sick puppy when he stares at her. I guess we will see how determined he is to win his place by Princess Calista’s side. The king finishes his speech and now the fight has begun.

  Chapter 6

  Calista

  The fighting has started and the clanging sounds of the swords echo throughout the Great Room, but that’s not what piques my interest. I take a quick look at the handsome guest with the piercing eyes and he seems to be arguing with his friend. He has two males with him, both have black hair. The one on his right looks kind of evil with all of his dark attributes. The one on his left looks playful and cute in a boyish kind of way. He resembles the handsome stranger so I would take a bet that they’re brothers. I wonder what they are arguing about.

  I decide to think about that later and concentrate on the fight. Merrick is the strongest warrior out there. He’s amazing with his swift moves in sword combat. The other warriors competing are Conall, Gideon, Evan, Finn, and Ashur. They are all wonderful warriors and I had enjoyed talking to them and watching them train. Merrick and Conall are battling it out. They are best friends so I know it must be hard on them having to fight each other. Conall is strong, but Merrick is fast. Merrick raises his sword and slices through Conall’s thigh. With a look of defeat he drops to the ground. He swiftly gets up and is tended to by one of our healers. Xylia is not going to be happy about it.

  My father leans over to say, “How are you enjoying the fight? I honestly think it’ll be between Merrick and Ashur in the end.”

  I turn to him and whisper, “I think this is just a show of testosterone, if you ask me. Whoever came up with this must have had some serious issues with his manhood. It would be much easier if I could just choose my own guardian and not put them all through this.”

  He sighs and grabs my hand.

  “Sunshine, you know this is tradition and we have to uphold the traditions. I wish there was another way, but there’s not. Plus, the warriors need to prove they can take care of you.”

  He glances at Merrick then looks back to me and says, “I think Merrick has his heart set on you, my dear, and I also noticed you staring at the young man over there.” He nods in the stranger’s direction and slowly begins to smile. He’s definitely curious to know why I was staring at the stranger. Hopefully, he didn’t pick up on the lustful vibes I was giving off earlier.

  “First of all, I was not staring, and second, why does everyone keep saying those things about Merrick? He hasn’t said one word to me about his feelings or anything like that, so am I just blind on the matter?” I pause and bite my cheek. Should I just ask and get it over with? Yes.

  I turn my gaze away from my father and ask in a dispassionate voice, “By the way, who is the young man sitting over there?” I hold my breath waiting for him to answer.

  “I say the things I do about Merrick because it’s true, and yes, you must be blind,” my father says, and then he points to the stranger. “The young man you are referring to over there is Prince Ryder from the Winter Court.”

  Shocked, I turn my head abruptly from my father to look at Prince Ryder. He sure does look like a prince, more of a Greek god, if you ask me. My heart flutters just looking at him and the way he’s staring at me makes my body tighten. It’s like he’s trying to devour my body with his seductive blue eyes. I can only imagine what else he could do to me. He smirks at me like he knows what I’m thinking and I quickly look away, squirming in my chair. I need to ask Elvena if this is normal because nothing like this has ever happened before. I’ve never felt this strongly for someone I didn’t know.

  My father looks at me, wrinkling his brow.

  “Calista, are you well?”

  Breathless, I respond, “Yes, father, I’m fine. It’s just a little hot in here.” I’m not lying about being hot. Watching Prince Ryder look at me the way he did sent the blood boiling throughout my body and it was definitely in a good way.

  I shake my head to stop thinking of the way Ryder makes my body feel and to concentrate on the fight. Merrick fights with such passion and it’s down to him and Ashur, just like my father said. Merrick is graceful with his movements while Ashur is aggressive and a little sporadic. Both warriors look tired, but I see the determination in Merrick’s eyes. What everyone says about Merrick having feelings for me pulls at my heart. I guess I’ve been in denial about his feelings. Thinking about Merrick and the way I’m feeling about Prince Ryder actually has me feeling guilty.

  A few minutes later, Merrick makes the final blow and takes Ashur down. The fae heal very quickly so Ashur and the other warriors will be as good as new by tomorrow.

  Breathing hard and sweaty from the fight, Merrick comes up to the dais and kneels before my father.

  “Your Highness, I have defeated my brethren, and ask to be awarded the title Guardian to Princess Calista.”

  He bows his head and waits for my father to speak. My father looks to me for approval so I nod my head for him to continue. My father stands and walks to Merrick.

  “You may stand, Merrick. Congratulations, warrior, you have won the title of Guardian to my daughter, Princess Calista. You are to guard her with your life and put her needs before your own. Once the ritual is completed, you will acquire some unique and extraordinary abilities. Your thoughts will become hers and hers yours. This bond is sacred and special and you are both very honored to be given this gift. Now go, Merrick, collect your thoughts and clean up. As soon as you return, we will continue with the blood ritual.”

  Merrick looks at me with the biggest grin I have ever seen, and I can’t help but snicker. He was cute when he looked like that.

  He turns to my father and says, “I understand my duties, Your Highness, and I shall return shortly.” He turns and walks out of the Great Room with his head held high.

  I lean back in my chair.

  “I am so glad that’s over,” I whisper to my parents. I finally look over at Drake and he’s trying to hold back his laughter. I give him a scowl so he will know that I don’t find it humorous.

  “Sister, you are the mos
t stubborn and strong-willed person I know. I’m sure the warriors appreciate your concern for their well-being, but they wanted to do this. You should have seen them before the ceremony started. I thought they were going to explode with excitement.” He pauses and lowers his voice. He can see the concern in my face so he continues, “They didn’t care if they got hurt, Calista. You need to stop worrying about them.”

  He passes down a beautifully carved wooden box to my parents so they could hand it to me. It is a box made by the dwarves.

  My mother takes this time to speak.

  “Durin made this for you. He took great pride in the metalwork and also with the carvings. He also wanted us to tell you that he hates he couldn’t be here today, but he and King Madoc had important business to tend to in Endelyn.” I understand he couldn’t be here and I’m kind of glad King Madoc isn’t here because if he was, I’m sure Prince Ryder wouldn’t be.

  I open the box to find the dagger Merrick and I will use to complete the blood ritual. It’s laid across a soft, purple, velvet cushion and there are lots of crystals and gems of numerous colors splayed across the handle along with intricate designs of vines and leaves. It must have taken Durin a great deal of time to construct the dagger. A tear escapes my eye as I stare at it. Durin definitely made this dagger to appease me. He knows of my love for color and he made sure there was a lot of color on it. I wonder how Merrick is going to feel carrying it around. I laugh silently at the thought of Merrick wielding a jeweled dagger. The look on his face is going to be priceless. I close the box and wait for Merrick to return.

  While I’m waiting, I see Prince Ryder talking to his friend and I wonder what his voice sounds like. I bet it’s deep and sensual, like a caress, and I bet it will sound even better in a more intimate setting. I will make it a goal tonight to hear his voice because one way or another, I will speak to him.

  Blood Ritual- Calista

  Merrick finally enters the Great Room, looking washed up and clean. He watches me the whole time as he makes his way to the front. He kneels once he reaches the dais and my father, mother, Drake, and I all stand as a show of respect and honor to the man who will become my guardian. My father reaches out and takes my hand. He leads me over to Merrick, who is still kneeling with his head bowed.

  “It’s time,” my father whispers.

  I take a deep breath and let go of his hand. I nod my head to let him know I am ready. I steal a quick glance at Prince Ryder and all I see is a blank expression on his face. That’s definitely a change from earlier. I inwardly shrug it off and continue with what I’m about to do. I carry the box with the dagger in it and position myself in front of Merrick.

  “You may rise, Merrick. My Guardian,” I say.

  He stands, bows his head one more time and then looks at me with his chocolate brown eyes. A look of nervousness passes across his face, but only briefly. I open the box with the dagger and pull it out.

  Merrick looks into my eyes and says, “Princess Calista, do you accept me as your guardian? I vow to keep you safe, to put my life before yours and forever be your protector. Will you honor me with this gift?”

  I know this is part of the ritual, but hopefully he knows that I would never doubt his capabilities and that I couldn’t have been happier. I’m ecstatic that he’s my guardian because if I had the choice he would have been it in the first place. He always watches over me no matter what we’re doing. He is one of my best friends and I care for him deeply.

  Now this is the part of the ritual that has had me nervous. I reach for his hand and turn it palm up. I slice the blade across his palm, and affectionately commend, “I do accept you as my Guardian, always.”

  Once the blood starts to flow, the dagger absorbs some of it into its blade. Now it is my turn and Merrick takes the blade gently from my hand and examines it. He shakes his head and looks like he’s about to burst out laughing. I knew he would find it comical and would think it was a girly dagger. Merrick takes my hand and hesitates. I knew this would be hard for him. Even though it’ll be a small cut, I can still see the turmoil in his eyes.

  I whisper so only he can hear, “Merrick, it’ll be OK. I trust you.”

  “I know, I just don’t like to hurt you,” he whispers back.

  He does go easy on me during our trainings and I scold him for it, too. He knows how strong I am and that I can kick some warrior ass, maybe not physically, but my affinities make up for it. He stops hesitating, takes a deep breath and finally glides the dagger across my palm. The blood slowly oozes out and the blade takes its portion of my blood.

  My father announces, “Now is the time to join hands, blood to blood, and seal the sacred bond.”

  Merrick and I look at each other. We join hands and are immediately thrust into a whirlwind of sensations. I can feel Merrick’s mind and soul open up to me and what I see is beautiful and pure. His power flows through me, giving me extra strength and I know my power is doing the same for him. Even though we are sharing power, our abilities will still be the same. He will still only have his affinity to fire. Hearing my name catches my attention.

  “Calista.”

  I jerk my head to look at Merrick. Did I just hear him say my name?

  “Yes, Cali, you heard me say your name.”

  I jump with surprise. He always calls me Cali when he’s in a playful mood. I can’t believe we can talk and no one else can hear what we’re saying.

  “Oh, Merrick, this is great. How’s your hand?” I look over his hand then back to his eyes. “You should never doubt how much I want you to be my guardian. You’re one of my dearest friends, and I’m so glad it was you who won.”

  His face fell when I said the part about being one of my dearest friends. Maybe there is something he’s not telling me. His pained expression passes and he is once again the playful, arrogant guy I’ve always known him to be.

  “My hand is alright, Cali. It was just a scratch. I’m doing perfect, if you must know, because I knew I was going to win. Those other warriors have nothing on me.”

  He laughed as he said it and I know our guests are amused at what we’re doing. They all know about the connecting of minds when a guardian is chosen.

  “You are such an arrogant ass.” I joke, and he just smiles and lifts his chin haughtily.

  “Yes, I am, and now you get to put up with me not only in the flesh, but in your mind, too. Maybe I can find out all your little dirty secrets in there.” He tapped my temple while saying it. I swat his arm playfully.

  “Don’t you dare go snooping in my head because I can do the same to you. What kind of secrets do you hold, Merrick? I might be tempted to find out.” He holds his hands up in mock defeat.

  “OK, I give up. A guy’s got to try.”

  He looks a little nervous because of my playful threat. I really don’t want to hurt him if he does have feelings for me. He’s a gorgeous guy and a wonderful friend, but I really don’t harbor any other feelings for him other than friendship.

  Our hands have stopped bleeding and are mending nicely. The cuts aren’t deep so the heal time is pretty fast. The ritual is finally over. One of our healers brings a wet towel to help clean our palms. After our hands our clean I walk back to take my seat beside my father and Merrick takes his place by my side. I notice everyone smiling as I look across the crowd, but once I reach Prince Ryder’s gaze my smile falters. His pained expression grips my heart and for reasons I have yet to know.

  Chapter 7

  Ryder

  The fighting was intense. The warriors’ fighting styles were very similar to ours. Their moves are more graceful, ours are more rigid and precise. I still think I am a better fighter than any of them and I would have definitely won. Princess Calista took a quick glance at me when she walked down to meet her guardian, but I kept my expression blank when actually my heart was thundering. I didn’t want to see her bonded to another man, especially when that man can enter her mind and feel her emotions. There’s no other closer bond a person can have ot
her than marriage.

  I could see the shock on Princess Calista’s face when she first heard her guardian speaking to her in her mind. I have never been so jealous over anything in my life. I don’t know where the jealousy is coming from, but it’s a very strong feeling. They playfully laugh at each other while silently conversing and all I want to do is shove my sword in my gut to put me out of my misery. Or better yet, shove it up her guardian’s ass. Now that would make me feel a lot better.

  The princess takes her seat by her father while the servants are moving away all the extra chairs and bringing in the food. The band starts to play a cheery melody to get the guests in brighter spirits. Not everyone enjoys watching the fights, including Princess Calista.

  Kalen elbows me in the arm.

  “Ryder, I’m going to go check out the food and meet some chicks. There are some pretty fine females here. You want to come with?” Kalen asks.

  “No man, you go ahead. I’m going to take a look around,” I respond.

  Not believing a word I’ve said, Kalen jokes, “Yeah, I bet. Taking a look around the princess is more like it.”

  I smack him upside the head and push him in the direction of the food.

  Laughing, I say, “Do me a favor, Kalen, and stay out of trouble.”

  He looks at me with a mock exaggerated expression.

  “Who me? In trouble? Never.” He laughs and walks off toward the refreshments.

  Still laughing about my brother I turn to Warren as I see him starting to leave.

  “Where are you going off to?”

  “I’ll be around,” was all he said and took off.

  That was fine with me. I don’t want him near me when I meet the princess if he’s going to be a dick. I watch the princess make her rounds. She talks to the king and queen of the elves for a while, and they share many laughs and embraces. I can tell they are close. She sees me watching her and she smiles. Her face looks so angelic when she smiles. Her guardian notices the interaction and gives me a scowl. I return the gesture in kind with the flip of a finger. She continues to make her rounds through the council and her other guests. I notice Warren in the far corner talking to the head of the Summer Court council. It’s the same guy that Princess Calista obviously doesn’t like. I wonder what they’re talking about. I need to make a point to ask him about it later. King Oberon catches my attention and calls me over. Princess Calista is with the two friends that she walked in with at the beginning of the ceremony. They all three turn to look at me and it is obvious the princess is talking about me. Good, I can’t wait to hear how her voice sounds when she says my name. I would love to meet her, but how can I do that without her guardian trailing along after her?