Forever Fae

by L. P. Dover

  I take the talisman off and slip it over the Calista’s head. This will be easier than forcing it on her after she’s awake. I slip off the bed slowly and exit the room. She can’t escape from here, so I have nothing to worry about. The power of the talisman should be siphoning her power as we speak. I know it’ll take longer since she’s a strong-willed person, but I’ll be patient and wait for her to awaken. With her wearing the talisman for as long as she has now, she should already feel the need to succumb to me. The hard part is done, which was getting her here. Now I can sit back, relax and wait for the power to come to me.

  Chapter 23

  Calista

  I feel a pillow beneath my head and my body is lying on a soft, comfortable mattress that feels like a bed of clouds. I must be home. I bet I will open my eyes and see my purple walls and the beautiful flower arrangements that Meliantha put together for me. I slowly lift my eyelids and my spirits deflate. I wanted this to be just a nightmare, but it’s looking like I’m not going to get out of it. I look around the room and it’s the same room that I slept in at the invisible house. Am I back at that house again somehow? I sit up in the bed and I feel a cold weight swinging between my breasts. I lift it up to see the talisman that…that Ryder was wearing before I passed out.

  Ryder

  How could that be? I remember seeing his cold blue eyes and the evil grin that sent chills of pure terror racking throughout my body. It couldn’t be him, could it? I swing my legs over the side of the bed and slowly stand to my feet. I feel light-headed and my heart is about to pop out of my chest. I try to walk a couple of steps, but my legs are sore and aching from travelling here. I make it to the door and twist the knob.

  It’s unlocked.

  I open the door and peer out into the rest of the place. I am looking back and forth through a small hallway, but I can’t see around any of the corners.

  “Shit, what do I do now?” I say, speaking to myself. I round the corner slowly and as I do, I see the dark sorcerer sitting in a chair with his back to me. The memories of the last time I saw him come flooding back and the realization hits me. It wasn’t Ryder that I saw, it was the dark sorcerer pretending to be him. How could I have been so stupid to believe that? What I see now is the shape of a man, but he looks like a dark shadow.

  His voice startles me and I gasp, “I will tell you everything my future queen, but first I want you to come here.”

  Future queen? What the hell is he thinking? He still hasn’t turned to look at me, but I must remember that I have to do as he says so he will think that the talisman is working. I take a deep breath in and let it out to calm my nerves. My stomach growls from being hungry and the energy loss from no food has taken its toll. I might not have to pretend too much. I walk over behind his chair and around to the front of him. The smile he gives me is terrifying and coming from a shadow makes it even more eerie. If he had a normal body, I would say he could be quite handsome, but I can’t seem to get over what he is. My hands are clasped behind my back so I can keep the ring out of sight.

  He motions to the chair behind me and I take a seat. I put my hands in my lap covering the ring. I make sure to keep quiet until he speaks. I don’t want to draw attention to myself, so I try to look drawn and distant. He doesn’t seem to find anything suspicious with the way I’m acting so I continue on in the same manner, appearing to not have any emotions.

  “How are you, Princess? I hope you like your sleeping arrangements. You looked very lovely lying there in my bed and soon when I make you my queen I will enjoy the sight of you in my bed every night with that soft, golden skin flushed with the heat and sweat of our passion,” he suggestively taunts.

  I keep my face blank, but my insides are screaming. My palms begin to sweat and my throat tightens up. I can feel the tears prickling the backs of my eyes, trying to make their escape. I have to hold them back, but the thought of being stuck here to endure this man forever makes me sick to the core.

  I get the feeling that he’s testing me, so I continue with my charade and say truthfully, “I am tired and hungry because I didn’t eat before travelling here. There’s a slight pressure in my mind that feels kind of strange. It’s like my life force is disappearing.”

  I make sure not to say anything regarding the part of his comment about the nights. I may be able to pretend right now, but there is no way I can pretend that I will enjoy him taking over my body every night.

  “That slight pressure you feel, my future queen, is the talisman taking your powers. Once I have enough of it I’ll take it off you and you will never have to wear it again because you won’t need it. Your body will partly become my slave.”

  “Why would you want a slave as your queen?” I ask.

  It would be great to find out what he has planned for me. Warren said I would find out everything from the dark sorcerer, so I guess that time is now.

  “Your power is stronger than anyone else’s power right now. You are the eldest of The Four and I have to begin with you. Once I have your power, I will seek out the other three and take theirs. Once all the power is combined, my body will become solid and I will have the power to defeat both courts. If you would have spread your legs for your precious prince, then we wouldn’t be here right now. Your joining was going to make you King and Queen of the Fall Court, but not anymore. I hear he’s pushed you off to the side because of your relationship with your guardian.”

  I flinch and he sees my pained expression. He decides to continue speaking and leans over to grab my hand.

  “But that’s why I’m here. I am going to help you forget about him and you will be happy here as my dark queen. You can seek your vengeance on him when we storm the Winter Court, and you can shed his blood and everyone else’s over the ground.”

  I sit there emotionless because with him holding my hand, I feel like I’m going to be sick. His hand has a slightly solid feel to it, but it’s cold and clammy as well and I’m thanking the bright stars that he grabbed the hand without the ring. Touching him makes me feel dirty and all I want to do is take a shower and scrub my hand a million times.

  He narrows his eyes at me and demands weakly, “Can you not stand to look at me or touch me like this? Your face shows indifference, but your body is saying something else. I can taste revulsion a mile away.” He averts his eyes when I hear his voice crack and he immediately tries to cover it up with a cough. I caught it though. He may be the big bad sorcerer, but he seems weak so I might try to use it to my advantage. I refuse to use my body in this plan, but I can work hard on his mind. I may feel like vomiting the entire time, but this is something I have to do to buy time.

  I mentally prepare myself and relax my face. I have to pretend his influence is affecting me, however, I can feel the strain on my mind pulling me toward him, but at least I can still think for myself…for now. I give him a smile and lean forward. My breasts have a good advantage in this position and I see that his eyes are distracted by them. He licks his lips and his breathing accelerates.

  In a low, seductive voice I admit, “I’m sorry if I seem affected by your appearance, but seeing you like this is different and a little overwhelming.” I take my hand out of his and rub it up and down his arm in slow caresses. The feel of him is revolting, but I’m working through it and trying to give off the scent of desire. I part my lips and take deep breaths to make my breasts move up and down.

  “I would prefer you to be in a real body because that way…” I slide my hand up his arm and down the side of his body. I quicken my breathing to make it sound like I’m aroused and I continue my hand down the path to his waist and over his groin. The intake of his breath is sharp and he closes his eyes. He grabs my hand and pulls me closer.

  “Not yet Princess, but soon. I don’t want to take the talisman off you yet, so instead of me using my real body I’ll use Avery’s.” I wanted to groan out loud in disgust at the thought of pretending with Avery’s body, but at least it’s better than the dark sorcerer’s oily black outline
of a man. He notices my hesitation and continues.

  “That way, you can touch me all you want and I want to hear you call me by my name, Alasdair. I want to hear my name cross your sensual lips while I devour your body.” The sinking feeling in my stomach is back and I’m trying hard to keep a smile on my face. I can tell the talisman is taking some of my power, but thankfully it’s not enough to do damage. I wonder when he’ll take it off of me.

  He motions toward the imp in the kitchen and she picks up a tray of food and flies over to where I’m seated. She gives me a genuine smile and lays the tray in my lap. The food smells wonderful and the feeling of hunger takes over all rational thought. I can’t fight it any longer. Fresh bread, fruit and cheeses are scattered across the plate in a colorful arrangement that only an imp would think to make. I thank her with a smile of my own and she flies off. Imps are small and very creative creatures that live in the forest. I wonder what she’s doing here because I can’t feel any evil in her at all. She’s a beautiful creature with short, green spiky hair and a green body. She looks to be about a foot tall with golden shimmery wings that are absolutely lovely. The dark sorcerer notices me staring at her and he answers all the questions I had been silently wondering.

  “Her name is Nixie, and I took her from an imp village in the Mystical Forest. She was stronger than anyone in her clan with some amazing capabilities and I could sense it. Her magic is one of a kind, so I took her in the middle of the night and brought her here. She was just a child then so I knew I could get her adapted to the ways of life here.” He pauses to look back at Nixie.

  In a deceptive tone he points out, “I also threatened to take out her whole clan if she ever decided to betray me and leave.”

  I see Nixie flinch. Her shoulders slump and I see them shaking like she is silently crying. If I am ever rescued, I am determined to get her out of here. She looks back at me through the kitchen door and I see a golden tear staining her cheek. I try to send a message to her through my eyes to let her know I understand and that I will get us help. She does a quick flap of her wings and I take that as she got my message loud and clear. I continue to eat and the dark sorcerer is now staring at me again. It makes me very uncomfortable and I can’t stop from fidgeting. I seriously hope I don’t have to do this for long.

  Alasdair tilts his head back and calls to Nixie. She pokes her head to the side of the door and asks, “Yes, Master?”

  With a gleam in his eye and wide grin he looks at me when he says, “I want you to fetch Avery for me. It seems my soon to be queen would like a warm body tonight.”

  Nixie hesitates for a second and tilts her head to the side, looking straight into my eyes. Her eyes are drawn together and I honestly think she can see the anguish inside me. The look she gives me is full of sorrow and worry.

  She lets out a sigh when she answers, “I will fetch Avery for you, Master.” She stops at the door, her wings are flapping a hundred miles an hour, and looks at me one more time before leaving to fetch Avery.

  Alasdair looks at me with satisfaction and grins.

  “Now that that is taken care of, I have something for you to change into and then we’re going to go down to the village.”

  “Very well, Alasdair,” I reply in a low voice.

  He closes his eyes at the sound of his name coming from my lips and he breathes a sigh of contentment. His cold, clammy hands fold down over my bare shoulders and it takes everything in me not to flinch.

  He tilts his head down to rub against my hair when he whispers in my ear, “Oh Calista, if I was solid right now, I would be hearing you scream my name.”

  He can’t see my face, but I bite my lip hard to keep from screaming. My heart is thumping wildly and I seriously feel sick to my stomach. Please let Ryder and Merrick get here soon. I don’t want to blow my cover and then really have my power taken from me because then, all hope will be lost. Getting traces of it taken away is enough and I really don’t want to know what it feels like to have it all taken away. Alasdair gives me a nudge, pushing me toward the bedroom. He said he picked out something for me to wear and I can only imagine what it is. We reach the bedroom door and I see a pair of brown leather pants and a brown leather halter top that looks like a bikini top but a couple of sizes too small.

  ‘Great, this is just what I need,’ I think sarcastically. It looks like it’ll barely cover my nipples. How people wear this shit is beyond me. It’s one thing to wear a bikini, but to wear this flaunting around is disgusting. I have never been disrespected like this and I am going to make sure this piece of shit gets everything he has coming to him. I can’t believe he wants me to parade around the village in that outfit. I grip my hands tightly in front of my body to keep from lashing out on him. I really miss my magic right now. I could blast him across the room and be out of here in a second. He starts to untie my dress in the back and I start to jerk away, but slowly move back.

  “Is there something wrong, Calista?” He asks curiously.

  I try to cover my mistake and laugh it off.

  “Oh no, it’s just your hand was cold and it startled me.”

  He removes his hand and steps back.

  “Very well, I will go and see if Avery is here and then I can come back and help you dress.” He bites his lip and trails his eyes over my entire body, lingering a little longer on my breasts before meeting my eyes again. He walks backward out the door and keeps his eyes fully on mine. As soon as he shuts it, I break down. I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around my stomach rocking back and forth chanting.

  “I have to do this, I have to do this, I have to do this.” The tears burn my eyes, but I keep them at bay. A light rapping noise on the door causes me to freeze. I look up as the door opens and I reflexively grab my chest in distress when all I see is Nixie entering in through the door. I think my heart is going to explode and grabbing my chest was just instinct, but thankfully it was only Nixie. She flies in and flutters up to me at eye level when she speaks.

  “I felt your distress, my lady, and I wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

  My eyes go wide at the thought of her knowing my feelings. Are they that strong of a beacon? I didn’t think anyone’s magic could work in here because everyone is surrounded by the corruption of dark magic.

  “No, Princess, they are not,” Nixie answers. “But I have a special gift of sensing these things. It’s one of the special gifts you and I both have. You could sense the goodness in me as soon as you saw me. Intuition is a strong gift in itself and no amount of magic the master gives off can stop us from feeling it. Even with the talisman on, you can sense these things and that shows how powerful you really are. You shouldn’t be able to do anything with that talisman on because most people die within minutes.”

  I notice how her voice has a twinkling sound to it when she speaks. It sounds kind of childish in a way, but I know she’s not a child. I instantly start to feel better with her company and the distress I was feeling a few minutes ago is subsiding. I turn away from her and start to change clothes as fast as I can. I want to be fully dressed before Alasdair makes his way back. I slide off my dress and pull on the brown leather pants. They fit like a second skin; they’re really tight and really uncomfortable. My skin feels sticky underneath them. The halter top ties at the neck and covers half of my breasts, just like I thought it would. Then I see something lying on the bed. The talisman weighs heavily on my neck. I try to take it off, but something is blocking me from lifting it from around my neck. I guess only the dark sorcerer can remove it. It’s an embarrassment to even be wearing this outfit, but I know I have to do it. I wonder what Ryder and Merrick will say if they see me like this.

  Nixie looks at me with her hand over her mouth and she abruptly turns away and snickers.

  “I’m glad you find this funny, Nixie, because I sure as hell don’t,” I snap. I look down at my breasts and I pray they don’t fall out.

  She giggles again and her eyes twinkle with mischief when she teases, “Let’s
just hope you don’t have a wardrobe malfunction.” She laughs and then calms down when she sees my death glare.

  She clears her throat and says, “Oh yeah, and speaking of special gifts, you pretend very well, Princess. I’m shocked the Master hasn’t picked up on it yet. You’re doing well, but I’m wondering what all you have planned.”

  She leans in close to me and whispers as quietly as she can in my ear. “I can help you escape, but I require two wishes to be granted upon your return home.”

  Wishes are taken seriously with the fae, as well as promises. They are held as a sacred vow that must be fulfilled. One must not go into this kind of deal lightly. I narrow my eyes and study her. She seems genuine and I still don’t detect any evil at all from her. She looks so lost and alone and if I can grant her wishes I will.

  “Tell me of your wishes and if I can fulfill them, I will,” I assure her.

  Her eyes go wide and she flitters across the room spinning and twirling while giggling in her twinkling sounding voice.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve heard so much about you and the prophecy, and I know you will have the power to grant my wishes. I’m just a little excited that you accepted.” One thing I have learned about imps over the years is that they are fun-loving creatures that excite very easily. They usually make good friends and are also loyal to those they trust. I think I just got lucky.

  She flutters in front of me and her excitement dims down into seriousness as she explains what she wants.

  “My family had talked about the prophecy for years before I was taken. When you return home, you plan to be with your prince, right?”

  I nod my head yes and prompt her to continue.

  “I know what happens when you and Ryder take the next step. I see already that you’ve started the change, but have not completed it. It takes more than the power of words to make this change so when you and Ryder become one, the Fall Court will appear from the magic of your union and you will become the queen of your own court. Your court will be a safe haven for those who seek shelter and since many fae creatures don’t really belong to the Summer Court or Winter Court, they can belong to yours. You can unite us and make us stronger.”