Forever Fae

by L. P. Dover

  I furrow my brows in confusion and say, “I understand that, but how does this help you?”

  She flaps her hands in the air and says, “I was getting to that, Princess. My first wish is to let me come with you. All I want is to be taken away from here and protected. For the second wish I want you to let my family take refuge in your court…the Fall Court.”

  Out of all the wishes she would want granted, she wants me to keep her family safe. I place my hand over my heart and promise to grant her wishes. My heart feels full of joy when I look up to see her golden tears of happiness. She flies over to me and hugs me around my neck. Her body is fragile and delicate as I try to hug her back.

  Curiosity gets the better of me and I have to ask.

  “How do you plan to get us out of here?”

  “Your prince isn’t going to let you stay here so I know he’ll be making a rescue attempt, and when he does, I will be there waiting to give you a hand. Face it, Princess, coming here is a suicide mission. I can guarantee your exit out of here so just make sure you stay close together when he comes. Our window of time will be very short.”

  Nixie didn’t have any more time to elaborate because Avery walked through the door as soon as she finished speaking. I could tell this wasn’t the real Avery, though. The dark sorcerer is in there because I can feel the evil emanating off of him. I’m staring at his face and I know I’ve seen this look before, a long time ago in my court. I finally figured out why Avery was acting so odd all those times before. It wasn’t really Avery in that body, but the dark sorcerer. I didn’t know he could do that. I wonder what everyone back home is going to say about it. Protection from the dark sorcerer has just now become more complicated. There’s no telling how many times he’s spied on us and done things behind our backs.

  Nixie leaves the room and the fake Avery gives her a smile. He turns to look at me and his lips part with a lustful grin. He lets out an appreciative sigh and walks toward me. He takes my face in his hands and leans down to take my lips with his. I kiss him back with a forced eagerness. His tongue intermingles with mine and his hands caress down my back to cup my ass. He squeezes tightly to press me up against his growing erection. A groan escapes my lips and I meant it as a groan of annoyance, but he took it as one of passion and deepens the kiss.

  ‘Think, Calista! You have to stop this!’ My inner monologue is screaming at me to put a stop to this, but what can I do?

  I slightly push against his chest and make my breathing sound frantic like I am really turned on, when actually I am disgusted with myself because of what I had to do.

  Sounding breathless I ask, “I thought you had plans to take me into the village tonight.”

  He steps back, looks up at the ceiling and then breathes a sigh of annoyance. I have to make him leave this room. I try to persuade him that I really want to go into the village.

  I bounce up and down with excitement and plaster a fake smile on my face.

  “I really want to go into the village. It would be nice to meet some of the people.” I run my hand down his arm and ask softly, “What kind of queen would I be if I didn’t take care of our people?”

  He narrows his eyes and holds his hands up in defeat. He smiles at me and seeing the evil smile on Avery’s face is just disturbing, but he’s obviously amused at my excitement.

  “Okay, you made your point, but we have a stop to make at the prison first. I want you to see how I work and I also have a surprise for you.” He looks down at the talisman resting between my breasts and touches it tenderly before he says, “By the way things are looking, I should be able to take that talisman off of you tonight. Your power is going to make this night magical for us because power exchange is the ultimate orgasm and this night will be one you will never forget.” He winks and then bends down to give me one last possessive kiss. Both of his hands grab my face in a fierce grip and he pulls me forward to meet my lips with his. I breathe a sigh of relief when he lets me go. He turns to walk out of the room, expecting me to follow and as I do my smile quickly diminishes. He says he has a surprise for me, but do I really want to know what kind of surprise it is? No, but unfortunately I have to find out. My body goes cold and my steps are heavy as I walk behind the dark sorcerer in Avery’s body.

  He turns to grab my hand and walks me to the door.

  “This will soon all be yours, Calista. After tonight, when I take you to my bed it will all be yours.”

  ‘I don’t think so!’ I want to scream it at the top of my lungs, but I seem to have lost my voice because no words are making themselves come out of my mouth. My throat tightens up and I look up at him with a forced smile. Please let this be the end tonight.

  Chapter 24

  Ryder

  Merrick and I arrive at the Black Forest by sundown. I dismount from Artemis and give her some water. I couldn’t have taken this journey without her speed and agility. Even though the journey through the valley was long and tiresome, the thought of being this close to Calista has sent an adrenaline surge throughout my body. My body trembles with the need for action and my heart feels like it’s about to pound out of my chest. I look over to see that Merrick is stretching out his limbs and pacing back and forth. It seems he’s just as restless as me.

  Neither one of us has spoken to each other yet. The entire journey here I could tell he was deep in thought with his brows furrowed and his mouth in a constant frown. I turn back to Artemis and I see that her head is lowered and she’s looking at the ground. Artemis is extremely smart for a mare and her feelings have always been in tune with mine. With her head being low she knows what I’m going to ask her to do, and I know she doesn’t like it. I gently caress her neck and scratch behind her ears. She loves to get her ears scratched. She lets a throaty huff and I know that is the equivalent of a laugh. I move over so she can see my eyes and how serious I am when I command her softly to do as I say.

  “Listen to me, girl. I want you to stay here until I return with the princess. Do not follow me in there,” I say as I point to the oily dark trees of the Black Forest. “If you hear someone coming, run as fast as you possibly can out of here. Are we clear?” I demand as I raise my eyebrows and tilt my head waiting for her to answer. She blows out a puff of air that definitely tells me she’s not happy with me and then she lifts her muzzle up and down to accentuate that she understands and she will obey.

  “Good girl,” I murmur softly. I kiss her muzzle and pat her back. I leave her to walk over to Merrick, who has Calista’s silver locket resting in the palm of his hand and his guardian dagger in the other. His red, watery eyes meet mine for a quick second before he turns away. His shoulders slump, he takes a deep breath and his voice breaks when he speaks.

  “I spent this whole journey in denial. I have loved Calista ever since we were children, and I knew it was never going to be enough. When you came along, the pieces fell into place and I knew then that I had lost her. I just wanted to hold on for as long as I could.”

  He stares down at the locket and his chin trembles.

  “I hated you for taking her away from me and I still do, but you both have an important role to play for the survival or our lands and I can’t come between it. I see that now, but I am her guardian and I will always be there for her. I will protect not only her body, but her heart, and I know it belongs to you,” he sadly replies. He looks at the locket for a little while longer and then he looks up at me with a small smile forming and a smart ass expression. I realize how strong of a character Merrick is. He accepts defeat and comes rearing back with humor. I can see why Calista befriended him.

  “You may have won the girl, but I will be there every second I can to bust your balls,” he says, grinning wickedly.

  Leave it to Merrick to make something like this funny. He reminds me so much of my brother, Kalen. They both like to joke and play around.

  I reach my hand to grasp his forearm in the traditional warrior greeting and say, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. She cares f
or you and I know she wants you in her life. Other than me, no one could protect her better than you.” I watch his reaction as everything I’ve said sinks in and I see respect showing in his eyes. Maybe things will work out after all.

  “Now let’s go rescue our princess,” I command while motioning toward the Black Forest.

  Merrick looks at me and shakes his head no.

  “It’s time to rescue our queen.”

  He takes the dagger and with a slight hiss he pricks his finger to draw a drop of blood. He opens the locket and the drop of blood falls silently inside it. Merrick closes the locket and clasps it around his neck. A few seconds pass and then his form begins to fade. When he completely vanishes, I become invisible as well. Turning invisible is very easy for me because all I have to do is imagine it and it happens instantly. I get a feeling of feathers floating across my skin as I change appearance. I also have the ability to make different parts of my body visible while the others stay unseen. I have scared numerous people in the mortal realm by using this trick.

  “Ryder, are we ready?” Merrick asks impatiently.

  “I believe we are. Stay close and stay quiet,” I answer back.

  Our steps are silent as we make our way through the Black Forest. It is completely dark, but because we are fae, we can see pretty well. It’s been eerily quiet other than the sounds of our breathing. The smell of death and decay burn my nose, making it hard to breathe, and the stench makes my stomach churn. We continue on at a fast pace for about an hour before we finally see some light. Up ahead must be the village. We get a little closer and see little dwellings and different types of houses scattered around the grounds and in the trees. I see the biggest tree ahead, toward the end of the village, and I know that must be where we have to go.

  We walk along the outskirts of the village to avoid the various fae creatures. We can see the dark sorcerer’s army consists of thousands of trolls, brownies, red caps, giants, and even different types of animals that I have never seen before in the Land of the Fae. I could see the various Summer and Winter Court fae that either must be traitors or were forced to join. Everyone is scattered through the village, celebrating and enjoying a massive feast which must be in celebration of the princess being here.

  I can tell by their appearance which fae are from each court. Most look like local villagers from the courts, but there are some that look like warriors as well. How dare these people turn on their courts? The villagers I imagine were forced to follow, but the warriors had to want to do it. Any honorable warrior would have sacrificed his life before following the evil of the dark sorcerer. Seeing all the fae that belonged to my court bowing down to a dark sorcerer makes me furious. I wish I could storm through and kill every single one of them, but I can’t. I don’t recognize any one of them because they probably switched over before I was born. The time will come to strike, but for tonight I am here only for Calista.

  Merrick breaks the silence with a whisper, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

  I let out an angry breath.

  “Yes, unfortunately, I see what you’re seeing, but we can’t think about them right now. We need to get to the big tree and get Calista before I turn all ice boy on these fuckers.”

  Merrick laughs quietly.

  “I see I am rubbing off on you, huh? Ice boy.” He can’t see me flipping him off since we’re invisible, but I do it anyway.

  We walk for a couple more minutes and then we get to the big tree. It’s massive in size so the house inside of it has to be huge as well. The door opens and I see Avery walk out with Calista in tow. A hiss escapes from both Merrick and I and Calista pauses for a brief second like she’s heard it. Does the connection to Merrick work out here? Why the hell is Avery holding her hand like that? Where is the dark sorcerer? I also want to know why she is in those clothes. Her breasts are about to pop out any second. They look like lovers going on a midday stroll, but in this case it would be lovers going to the brothel. I turn my eyes away to take a deep breath. I need to stop overthinking things and stop letting jealousy cloud my vision. Elvena says to trust her. I almost lost her to doubt and I won’t do it again. I have to believe that she knows what she’s doing, even though it’s painful to watch. I’m dying to rip out his fucking throat.

  I hear Merrick shuffling beside me and he whispers as quietly as he can.

  “She’s talking to me, Ryder, but once she gets into one of the dwellings she’ll lose the connection. Apparently our magic works outside of the dwellings, but not inside. The dark sorcerer is inside of Avery’s body. It seems that he can take hold of other people’s bodies somehow. I told her to stay outside as much as possible to give us more options on how to rescue her.”

  I can’t believe the dark sorcerer is inside Avery’s body. I wonder how often he’s done that and if he’s ever done it with Warren’s body. It would explain Warren’s odd behavior. Merrick goes still while I watch Calista walking through the village. She’s smiling and talking to the various people as she walks by us. This must be so hard for her to do. I knew she was strong, but having to endure what she’s going through takes great courage. They disappear into a scraggly looking building and I turn back to Merrick.

  “What else did she say?” I ask.

  “She says she’s sorry for us having to see her like this, but it’s all an act. The ring Elvena gave her is protecting some of her magic, but not all because she can feel the talisman draining her essence. I told her earlier that we were invisible and we plan on getting her out. She also made an imp friend called Nixie who’s going to help with the rescue.”

  “That’s right!”

  I turn quickly, startled.

  “What the hell?” I hiss quietly. My chest hurts from jerking around so fast but what I see in front of me must be the imp Calista was talking about. She’s green with green spiky hair and her wings are fluttering so fast with excitement I can’t tell what color they are. She holds her hand over her mouth to keep a laugh from escaping. I think she finds it amusing that she startled us. I wonder how she knew we were here.

  “Who are you?” I order.

  Her voice has a twinkling sound when she speaks.

  “My name is Nixie and I am the one who is going to help you escape. I knew you would arrive sometime to save the princess so I kept my senses open to find you.”

  The imp can’t see my looks of suspicion since I’m invisible, so I ask curiously, “Imps don’t freely offer their help or magic without some sort of payment. What did Calista promise you?”

  She floats in the air with her wings flapping silently. She looks off into the distance and her smile fades. Her features soften when she speaks.

  “The princess has promised to take me with her and my family will seek refuge in the Fall Court when you both rule it. She has promised to keep us safe and that is all the payment I need. I was taken from my family as a child and was threatened with their deaths if I ever decided to leave. We will be safe with you and the princess under the protection of the Fall Court. She will be an amazing queen, just like you will be an amazing king.” Her eyes are bright and she seems to take on a peaceful glow. Her actions are genuine and if Calista trusts her, then I will, too.

  “Thank you, Nixie. What do you suggest we do?” I ask softly.

  She flies and looks around the area quickly and then replies, “Your power works out here, but once you enter one of the dwellings your power will stop. The power is too strong surrounding the buildings so it’s basically a prison when you’re in them. I suggest you make your move outside and somewhere out of the path of the village and the other creatures.”

  Merrick cuts in and says, “Calista knows about the magic and I told her to get outside as quick as possible. Once she’s out I can tell her to take a walk with the body snatcher and get her to separate from the village so they can be alone.”

  Nixie nods her head in concentration and then quirks her brow.

  “That might work, but I think he’ll get suspicious of jus
t taking a walk. You both are not going to like this, but he is extremely vulnerable when it comes to Calista and her… body.”

  At my sudden hiss Nixie cuts me off and raises her voice to interrupt the tirade I am about to go on.

  “She’s had to do what is necessary, and no, she hasn’t been hurt physically, but emotionally she is hanging on by a thread. The Princess is strong, but this has worn her down greatly. Not to mention he is stealing more of her power each minute she wears the talisman. She won’t be able to get that power back once it’s gone, but once you come together and form the Fall Court, she’ll be more powerful than she is now because your power will help her gain all she’s lost. Most people die within minutes of wearing the talisman, but she’s been wearing it for over a day now. The sorcerer has already succeeded in gaining the essence of one of The Four through her, and now he plans to make her his dark queen. Once he completes this, he’s going to start planning ways to capture the others of the Four.”

  “If we destroy the talisman he won’t get Calista’s power. Do you know how to destroy it?” I ask Nixie.

  She shrugs her shoulders and answers sadly.

  “No one knows, but many have tried and failed. The talisman could be thrown in a pile of lava and it wouldn’t be destroyed.”

  ‘Well, shit, there goes that idea,’ I think. When we get back home we need to research on how to destroy it and how to kill the dark sorcerer.

  Nixie falls silent as her focus shifts to a building. Calista emerges, covered in blood and smiling. I can tell the smile is forced. I can see the trembling of her body and the sadness in her eyes. She’s doing good pretending, but she must have had to do something awful because by the way she looks, it must have been brutal.

  The Avery body snatcher has his arm possessively low around Calista’s waist and he leans down to whisper something in her ear. He pulls her in tighter to his body, takes her earlobe into his mouth and begins to suck it. She feigns a giggle and pushes him off. He is so dead after this.