Forever Fae

by L. P. Dover

  He says, “Sunshine, I believe your mother and I will take our leave. Don’t forget the meeting is midday tomorrow.” He leans down to kiss my cheek. “Good evening, and enjoy the rest of the night.” He winks at me and looks toward Ryder. “I’m sure there are plenty of people wanting to dance with you.” With this last comment he turns to find my mother and they both leave the Great Room.

  Now that my parents are gone, I’m left with Merrick and Ryder. The tension is unbearable and thank goodness my friend Xylia takes this moment to ask Prince Ryder to dance. I spoke to her and my sister, Meliantha, about him earlier. He caught us staring at him so I know he knows that I was speaking about him. Not being very subtle, Xylia practically drags him to the dance floor. She looks a little wild with her purple highlights and purple dress, but I like that about her. I watch them dance for a few minutes when I hear Merrick enter my mind.

  “Will you dance with me, Princess?”

  I give him a warm smile and hold out my hand. “You don’t need to ask, Merrick. I would love to dance with you.”

  He takes my hand and we make our way to the floor where we begin dancing to the slow melody the band is playing. He pulls me close and rests his other hand on the small of my back. It’s a little lower than what is considered polite, but I get the impression he’s doing it for Ryder’s benefit. Annoyed, I casually lift his hand up a bit and narrow my eyes at him.

  He looks down at me seriously and asks, “Why did you move my hand, Cali?”

  I look at him incredulously. “You know why, it doesn’t look good for my reputation if you are practically grabbing my ass.”

  He shakes his head clearly not believing me. “I don’t think that’s it at all. What’s going on between you and Ryder?”

  “Nothing is going on. I just met him,” I say hastily.

  “It didn’t seem like anything and I really don’t like the way he looks at you.”

  I can see that he’s clenching his teeth and I follow his gaze to where Ryder and Xylia are dancing. I lift my hand to his face and move it so he has to look at me. His expression is serious, so I give him my goofy grin to cheer him up.

  I reply, “You worry too much, Merrick. Are we going to train in the morning before the council meeting?”

  He finally gives me a cocky grin.

  “Well, of course. You know I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get my ass kicked by a girl.”

  I laugh and smack his arm.

  “After I talk to Elvena in the morning I will be more than ready to kick your ass.”

  He holds me close, but not too close, while we dance in silence for the next song. I’m lost in thought when Avery, the head of our council, asks Merrick if he can cut in. Merrick gives me a pitying look then hands me over to him. I silently groan and hate the fact that I have to dance with him. I really do not like Avery.

  “How are you enjoying your evening, Princess?” Avery asks.

  I put on a fake smile and respond dryly, “Very well, Avery, how about you? I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

  “I’ve been around, taking care of some business,” he says.

  I wonder what kind of business it is because he shouldn’t have had to deal with anything tonight because of the ceremony. I still can’t get over the strange vibe I get when he’s around. I can sense something is not right with him. I dance with Avery for the duration of a whole song and I know I look miserable the entire time until finally my rescuer comes.

  “Do you mind if I take over?” Ryder asks Avery.

  Avery looks over at Ryder and narrows his eyes at him. I can tell he’s clenching his teeth when he gives Ryder a forced smile. Avery reluctantly hands me over and says, “Of course, Your Highness, you may take her.”

  Ryder has a concerned look on his face as he takes my hand. It’s like my fire to his ice. He must either be feeling the bad vibes, too, or he’s thinking about the vision. It would be great if I wasn’t the only one worried. He leads me away from Avery and pulls me close so we can begin our dance.

  “I could tell you needed someone to rescue you. You looked miserable dancing with him,” Ryder states.

  I nod in agreement.

  “Thank you, and yes I was miserable. I don’t really like Avery, but he’s my father’s counselor, and a good friend of my parents. It’s strange, but I get bad vibes when he’s around, and he always looks at me weird. I seem to be the only one who can sense it,” I confess.

  He shakes his head and responds, “No, I can tell something is off about him. I saw him talking to my friend Warren earlier. I don’t know what it was all about, but I’m going to find out.”

  We dance in silence and our bodies are swaying together in a sensual rhythm. It doesn’t make any sense at all, but I feel like I belong in his arms, like we were made for each other. I breathe in his scent, which smells like a winter snow, clean and pure, with a slight hint of pine. We all carry the unique scent of our own court.

  Ryder breaks the silence and says humorously, “You know, your friend Xylia told me a bunch of things about you. She’s quite the talkative type. She happened to tell me of your magical affinities, favorite hobby, your favorite food, which is my favorite as well, and the wonderful things you do in secret every morning before sunrise.”

  He chuckles at my look of astonishment. His laugh is sexy and deep. His hand caresses my back and it makes me want to feel his hands on other parts of my body. I will really need to take a cold shower after this. The connection I feel with him is so strong and I instinctively move closer to him so my body is flush with his.

  “What the fuck?”

  I glance across the room quickly and see Merrick watching us. His expression is one of pure anger and hate. Shit, I forgot to shield my thoughts. How am I ever going to get out of this one? I take a deep breath and pretend nothing is wrong when I turn back to Ryder. I’ll just have to deal with Merrick later.

  I move back from Ryder’s body so I can look at his face when I speak.

  “One thing about Xylia is that she doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. I love her though, and we’ve been best friends since birth. I spend most of my time in my library because I love to read. Spaghetti is my favorite food, and I’m shocked it’s yours as well. The cooks here won’t fix it, so Xylia and I have to travel to the mortal realm to be able to eat it. There’s this little restaurant in Italy that makes the best spaghetti.”

  I look around the room to find her and I see that she is dancing with Ashur. She looks a little disappointed because I know she wanted to dance with Conall tonight, but the cut on his thigh is really bad. I hope she can forgive Merrick for it.

  Curiosity piquing, I ask, “Now what exactly do you know about my morning secret?”

  He smiles and leaves me stewing for a few seconds. Xylia knows I don’t want word spreading around about my training, and if she’s said something I might have to use her for a practicing dummy.

  “I hear you are quite the accomplished fighter. You know, I could help you train in the morning so you can see how the Winter Court Army trains. I saw how your warriors fight, but we use a few different techniques, and I would be glad to show you.”

  My heart accelerates with the thought of Ryder training me. I would love for him to show me some moves and I would love to show him some, but I know Merrick would be livid if I asked Ryder to join us.

  “I would love for you to, but Merrick trains me and I don’t think he would appreciate you being there. It would most likely end up you two fighting each other rather than training me.”

  A gleam sparkles in his eye and he gives me a wolfish grin.

  “I might show up anyway. That sounds like a good time to me,” he says.

  I smack his arm playfully and he twirls me around the dance floor. We both start laughing and I know we are drawing attention to ourselves, but at this moment I don’t care. He’s an amazing dancer and I wish I could dance with him all night.

  He dips me low and whispers in my ear, “Oh yeah, and
I cook my own spaghetti. You wouldn’t have to travel to the mortal realm to search for the best,” he says and winks.

  My mouth drops open. I’m shocked that he actually cooks his own food and best of all, he can cook spaghetti. I would love to be able to cook, but the brownies that prepare our food refuse to let me help and they won’t make anything from the mortal realm. Brownies are very prideful and they consider it an insult if you try to help them.

  “I am amazed, Prince Ryder, of your cooking abilities. I might have to take you up on your offer someday, but out of curiosity, what are your affinities?” I ask.

  He laughs.

  “I thought you would never ask. I can control the weather and I can also,” he looks at me and smiles wagging his eyebrows. “Make myself invisible.”

  Wow. That’s a rare gift and I can only imagine the kind of trouble he has gotten into because of the capability. I wonder how many naked women he’s spied on. A feeling of jealousy spikes in my gut, but I let it go quickly. I do not want to know about him and other women.

  “Those are some interesting affinities and I bet you thoroughly enjoy being invisible. You better not try spying on me,” I say playfully.

  “I wouldn’t do that. Contrary to what you might think I do have a little more respect for women than that,” Ryder says.

  I can tell he is being honest with his statement. Maybe he doesn’t spend his time spying on naked women, so I decide to change the subject and ask about the men he travelled with.

  “Who are the companions you travelled with? I know you mentioned a man named Warren. Is he the guy over there?” I say and nod my head in the man’s direction. I noticed him staring at us the whole time we’ve been on the dance floor.

  Ryder turns to look and shakes his head, “Yes, that’s Warren. He’s been acting a little strange recently and he actually told me to stay away from you.”

  It got my attention.

  “Why would he say that? That makes no sense.” I turn to look at Warren sitting off by himself. He does seem a little odd, he’s all by himself with a brooding expression on his face.

  “That’s what I thought, but I’m going to have my advisor take a look at him when we get back to the Winter Court. Heyflred, my advisor, is very good at figuring things out.”

  I nod my head in understanding because I consider Elvena to be the same way. I look around to find Ryder’s other companion when I see him flirting with my sister. I bet the guy is his brother. They look so much alike and Meliantha seems to really like him. He looks like he would be a heartbreaker though, and I wouldn’t want Meliantha’s heart to get crushed.

  “Might I ask who your other companion is that is so graciously flirting with my sister?” I ask.

  He inwardly sighs before looking in the direction I am pointing.

  “That would be my brother, Kalen. He’s a good man, but an obnoxious flirt. I might need to steal him away before he puts your sister’s virtue at risk,” he groans.

  I nod my head in agreement.

  “That may be a good idea. Well, I guess this is good night, Prince Ryder. I do have other men that I must dance with. You can’t keep me all to yourself, you know,” I tease.

  “I wish I could keep you all to myself, Princess,” he whispers. I take in a sharp breath because I wasn’t expecting to hear him say it.

  He continues, “We need to talk about the vision. I know you remember everything about it, as do I, but I don’t have much time here tomorrow. Is there any way you can meet me tonight? Pick the place and I’ll be there.”

  I would love to spend more time with him. My heart is beating so loud that I know he can hear it. The whole room can probably hear my heart pounding. I know the perfect place we can meet.

  I make sure my mind is shielded when I whisper, “There is a big willow tree by the lake, and we can meet there. I always go there to think and read sometimes. My kelpies are in that lake and they sometimes come ashore to sit with me, but they don’t seem to like anyone else other me and my sister, Meliantha. Be careful when you get there and do not approach them. To get there, go around the south side of the house and continue on the path until you reach the lake. You’ll see the tree I’m talking about. The real problem here is that I don’t know how I’m going to get away from Merrick. He’ll be so close to my room.” His eyes narrow at the mention of Merrick being so close to me.

  “If I can get away, can you meet me there at midnight?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there, and I will wait for you.” He pauses. “I think Merrick enjoyed patronizing me earlier about staying close to your room. I believe he might be in love with you.”

  Not again. I take a deep breath and let it out.

  “I have thought about that and many people have told me so, but he’s one of my dearest friends and I care for him deeply,” I say warmly.

  Ryder’s face falls.

  “Do you love him?” He asks.

  I look in his eyes so he can see the truth.

  “I don’t love him in that way. He would be the perfect person to love. He’s strong, caring, loyal and the sweetest person I know, but my feelings just don’t go beyond friendship.”

  Ryder breathes a sigh of relief and bows.

  “Well, on that note, good evening, Princess Calista. I had a wonderful time and I will meet you by the willow tree at midnight.”

  I curtsy and reply, “Good evening to you, Prince Ryder, at least until midnight.”

  He leaves to save my sister and I laugh at the thought. The rest of the evening is spent dancing with several of the warriors and council members and carrying on with Xylia and my sister. My mother and father do not come back to the party, which is not uncommon. They miss their own parties all the time. I save my last dance for Aelfric, the leader of the Elvan Kingdom. We talk about my upcoming visit to his land in a few days and all the wonderful things he and Rhoswen have planned for us to do. The elves are wonderful people and I enjoy my visits there so I make it a point to visit any chance I get.

  The night is winding down and the party is finally over. I bid farewell to all the guests. Merrick and I make our way to my part of the palace since he’ll now be living there with me, but in a separate room. The entire time we’re walking I try to figure out a plan to get away from him without alerting him of my absence.

  Chapter 10

  Ryder

  The vision with Calista was both amazing and confusing. I knew it was me in the vision, but the woman I was with appeared blurry. I have no doubt that it was Calista because I could feel that it was her. Our surroundings were different from anywhere I have ever been. I don’t think a place exists in the Land of the Fae like the place in the vision. The leaves had color and the air was cool, not hot like the summer days and not cold like the winter days, but somewhere in the middle. It felt nice, and I felt like I belonged there. I belonged with her and with the land; it was ours.

  In the vision, we lay on the grass together and I want to take her right then and there. Her body lying halfway underneath mine is so tempting. All I want to do was run my hands all over her and explore every inch of her golden skin. The vision went by quickly, but as soon as I lean down to kiss her, the vision stops and I am sucked back to reality. Everyone was going crazy trying to figure out what happened. I can tell Calista doesn’t want to reveal what was in the vision so I go along with her and say I can’t remember as well.

  The king announces to Calista and Merrick that I will be staying as a guest in their house until tomorrow. Calista seemed shocked and happy about the news, but Merrick, on the other hand, was livid. He tried to get the king to reconsider where I was to be staying, but the king waved him off and told him not to worry. My triumph only lasted for a second because the king then offered Merrick the right to stay in Calista’s wing of the house. This infuriated me, but I know he is her guardian. He also has feelings for her, and with him being that close to her, especially at night, sends a fire blazing through my veins.

  I am saved from bringing a s
now storm down on Merrick’s ass when Xylia, the princess’ best friend, asks me to dance. Xylia is a great dancer and I enjoy her company. Calista is dancing with Merrick, but I know I am going to cut in at some point.

  I ask Xylia questions about Calista so I can see what she’s like. She sounds amazing coming from Xylia and she tells me something I am not expecting. It seems that the princess is a skilled fighter. I would love to see her in action. I look over at the Calista dancing with Merrick and I see that he has his hand resting extremely low on her back. Merrick smirks at me over Calista’s shoulder and I scowl back at him, secretly wishing he would fall on his sword. What a jackass. He’s obviously trying to claim his territory, but I can already tell Calista is a stubborn female and no man will be laying claim to her.

  The man that Calista doesn’t like cuts in to take Merrick’s place. I can see the look on her face and she’s not happy. I can’t help but wonder why she doesn’t like him. Xylia smiles and lets me leave to rescue the princess. Calista thanks me for saving her and tells me she doesn’t like the vibe she gets from their counselor. I could sense the bad vibe as well because it’s the same vibe I get around Warren. I really hope Heyflred can help us figure out the problem with Warren when we get back to the Winter Court.

  Dancing with Calista feels natural. It’s like our bodies fit together perfectly. Her hair smells lovely with the arrangement of flowers throughout and her dress is stunning on her curvy figure. Her body is amazing and I wish I didn’t have to keep my hands in a respectful position. I tell her all the secrets Xylia has told me and she isn’t surprised one bit. We discuss our love for spaghetti and I tell her that I can cook an amazing bowl of spaghetti. She is shocked that I can cook at all.

  I mention to Calista that we need to talk about the vision. She agrees and arranges for us to meet in secret by the big willow tree out by the lake. I hope she can get away from Merrick, but if not I might need to devise a plan to ensure that she gets away. I’m looking forward to meeting her in secret and being alone with her.