‘And she’s beautiful,’ I said.
‘Every female is beautiful in her way. But what is physical beauty? My father found it a hollow thing in the end and I was determined not to make his mistakes. Haigen used to say, “Perhaps I am your betrothed Leif, and I will be Queen.” It was possible. But the moment I heard your name and knew it wasn’t so, I ended the romance with her. After that we fell back into friendship and it never occurred to me to make our relationship more. It only occurred to Haigen when after several months you still had not answered my calls. By that time, Classin had begun calling to her. As I’ve told you before, I only agreed to her proposal to forsake him if she would meet him first. I knew once she had, she would choose him. I knew also that she only made the offer out of care for me.’
‘What would you have done if she hadn’t chosen him?’
‘I would have told her I was not worth the sacrifice, that I could not be to her what he could.’
I smiled and he carried on. ‘The second time was when I thought I’d lost you to Jack. I honestly believed I’d underestimated the bond you two shared, that perhaps because you were raised in the human world something had caused damage to the betrothal connection—on your side at least. And I was determined not to force you. I’d tried that once before.’
‘I’m glad you brought me to Faera, Leif.’
‘Now, yes. But not then—and I could not blame you. So as much as it killed me, I accepted that you’d chosen Jack. The trouble was, as future king I had to marry. After the kingdom of Rynn fell, my father commanded it and even if he hadn’t, it was my duty. But I want you to know, if it had come to marriage between Haigen and I, it would have been Leif the prince marrying her, not Leif the man.’
‘There’s a difference?’
‘There is a universe of difference, Marla. As a king, there is nothing more important than doing what is right for my subjects. But as a man, there is nothing more important than doing what is right for me and the one I love.’ He leaned closer. ‘And that, Marla, is you. It’s only ever been you.’
Tears pushed at the backs of my eyes as joy surged in my heart. He loves me. I wanted to yell it to the sky. I settled on repeating it to him, my mouth soft around the words. ‘You love me.’
‘I love you … and I want you to know me. I want to know you—I want to spend the secret parts of my life learning everything about you.’
‘Really?’ My grin felt permanent.
‘Of course really … I treasure every detail I’ve learned already.’
‘What have you learned, Leif?’
He brought his lips to my ear, his breath hot as he kissed softly. ‘I’ve learned that when I kiss you so, you sigh and little bumps rise on your skin.’ He leaned over me and caught my wrist, lifted it over my head and trapped it there as he pressed me down into the grass—kissed a trail down my throat, across my collarbone, under my arm, his tongue darting out. I giggled and tried to wriggle away. He held tight to my wrist and blew on my skin, bringing shivers. ‘I’ve learned how to torture you, but sweetly.’
‘That’s not fair, you’re too strong!’
‘Ah, Marla, I love the way you make me feel it.’ His eyes were soft and dreamy. ‘But one word and I will stop.’ He kissed and nuzzled under my arm some more until I was giggling so hard that when I finally gave in, I could barely speak to plead with him to stop.
‘And see? I’ve learned how to make you beg.’ He grinned and released my hand, admitting he deserved it when I slapped him.
‘What else, Leif?’ I said, snuggling into him. I traced the slap mark on his chest with my finger, wishing this moment would never end.
‘I’ve learned that you’re greedy for me.’
‘Leif!’
‘What? It’s true. You want me, desperately—I’ve known it for a while.’
‘You have not.’ I wasn’t sure if he was serious or teasing.
‘I have. I feel a fool for ever believing you’d chosen Jack. It was my most stupid moment. My unwise moment.’
I laughed. ‘What makes you so certain of all this, Leif? I’m sure you’ve been avoiding me since you came out of your coma—until a few days ago anyway.’
‘I’ve known it for many months.’
‘You couldn’t have. I never told a soul.’
He grinned. ‘You confess it.’
‘I confess nothing, and where’s your evidence anyway? You can’t just make claims like that with nothing to back it up.’
‘I have evidence, but admit the truth of it first.’
‘Fine, it’s true,’ I said, slapping him again. ‘Now tell me.’
He laughed and caught my hand. ‘You’ve become vicious. And look at you, you’re blushing.’
‘Tell me.’
‘All right, all right.’ With a kiss he dissolved my frown lines. ‘What do you think kept me alive through the long months of my recovery?’
‘The healers,’ I said quietly, remembering how sick he’d been. ‘I thought you might die.’
‘I came closer than you know … In those early days, the treatments were relentless, and I wasn’t quite able to separate myself from the pain. I often felt myself slide free of my body, lured to the peace of death. But one thing kept pulling me back, pinning me to my flesh and encouraging me to endure. And it wasn’t the healers.’
‘What was it?’ I whispered.
‘It was a girl. She would tiptoe to me in the silence of night, stay for hours and tell me of her day. She would bend to kiss my hair, my eyelids, even my broken wing as though her kisses could heal.’ He smiled. ‘Perhaps they did.’
My heart raced as I waited for him to go on.
He brushed his fingers down my face. ‘I looked forward to the feel of her soft hands on my skin, on my shoulders, my arms. She would wash me gently and rub oil into my feet and calves. She would curl her fingers around mine. Sometimes she would sing. She told me all her secrets, whispering close to my ear so the guards wouldn’t hear. She told me of her love for me, and of her fears. Her biggest fear was of me dying. Every night she left me with a prayer. She made bargains with her God—she wouldn’t complain when this prince she loved married another, but would love him from a distance and try her hardest to be happy for him and his new family.’
Finally, I found my voice. ‘You were awake … You knew I was there.’
‘I would have died if you hadn’t come to me.’
‘But why would you only tell me this now?’
‘Trust me, I’ve wanted to tell you from the second I woke. But you shared things with me during those long nights—things you wouldn’t have said if you’d known I could hear.’
I recalled some of the things I’d whispered to him—my life, my pain, my weaknesses and desires. ‘What things are you referring to?’
‘The specifics don’t matter, it’s what I learned that’s important. Even before we met, I knew you’d faced challenges in the human world. What I didn’t realise was the extent of them. I didn’t know you’d been so sick, and so sheltered. It explained things to me— your insecurities, the way you leaned so heavily on your friends, the way Jack always rushed to take care of you. Even the way he tried to deny his feelings for Ameyah … I learned you needed time to just be you, to find the things you were passionate about and become confident … to get on with your life without me being at the centre of it. I knew if I told you all I’d heard, or even if I just spent too much time with you, you would put me at the centre—even if you didn’t mean to.’
‘Because your life is so big.’
‘Am I wrong in thinking you’ve learned yours is too?’
I shook my head. ‘You’re not wrong.’
‘I didn’t tell you because I knew not telling you was what you needed … I don’t like to think of the way I crashed into your life and made it about me. I remember Jack saying something about it. But I couldn’t see. All I could think of was getting you to Faera and making you mine. I barely considered the sacrifices you’d be makin
g.’
‘I was more than happy to make my life about you. For a while I forgot there was anything but you. I had my issues—but I didn’t worry too much until after … the thing. Then it all seemed so impossible.’
‘By the thing you mean the dark magic.’
He took my silence as affirmation.
Finding my voice, I said, ‘Maybe it had to happen to wake us up or something … I don’t know.’
He cupped my face in his hand. ‘We’re awake now.’
I grinned. ‘Pinch me so I’m sure.’
He laughed and pinched my nose. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how it looked in his hand. ‘Where did you get that?’
‘Jack got it for me,’ he said as he typed something into it. ‘He says it’s a necessity in the human world.’ He put the phone back into his pocket and stood. I reached for the hand he offered and let him pull me up. He gazed across the ocean. ‘Isn’t this a perfect day?’
I squeezed his big hand in both of mine, holding on tight. ‘I don’t know how it could get any better.’
He pointed to a paraglider, its rider carrying a passenger. ‘That one looks like it’s coming in. It’s a beautiful sight isn’t it, humans with wings?’ He smiled down at me. ‘We’re not so different to them really, are we?’
‘No, I suppose not.’ I tugged on his hand and together we backed up the slope, watching the aircraft fly closer. As it began to descend, I could hear the passenger whooping.
A minute later it was on the ground and another was coming in behind it, soaring across the sky. By the time it too had landed, a third was coming in and the rider and passenger of the first were shrugging out of their harnesses. ‘This is mad,’ I said, laughing at the sight. ‘I’ve never seen so many come in at once.’ The passenger of the first had left the rider and gear behind. He strode up the grass in our direction. I got ready to smile and say hey, then the smile fell away, replaced with surprise as I looked up to Leif. ‘What’s Jack doing here?’
Leif scratched his head. ‘I thought you might be able to tell me.’ He pointed. ‘But look, isn’t that Ameyah?’ The long sun-blonde curls were unmistakable as the girl from the second craft struggled from her harness.
‘Oh my God, it is!’
‘Imagine seeing you two here,’ Jack said, kissing my cheek as over his shoulder I watched yet another hang-glider land, this one carrying a girl with amber curls. I looked back to Jack to see him holding his arms open for Ameyah. Beaming, she said hello to me before giving my friend his hug. Then she turned to watch Ashleigh break free of her harness. My sister ran up the slope towards us. Leif and Jack were going on about what a bizarre coincidence it was that everyone had chosen today to check out paragliding when I noticed Mum and Dad coming across the grass from the direction of the car park. I stared from one to the other in amazement, unable to form a coherent thought, let alone words, when up the side of the mountain came a burst of colour, the dazzling wings of at least thirty faeries. Children ran towards them, tourists began to snap photos and all across Bald Hill, people were crying out in amazement.
I turned to Leif who was watching me, eyes sparkling. ‘What’s going on?’
He reached out and straightened my tiara. ‘You’re a magnet. They’re all drawn to you.’
‘No really, Leif.’
All he said was, ‘Strange isn’t it?’ And then I was being swallowed by hugs as both sets of my Fae grandparents, Finelle, Atara and Lysander as well as the members of the Most High and several friends flicked their wings away and joined us.
‘Marla.’
At the sound of Leif’s voice, I turned to him, my eyes still wide with shock.
Then right before me, he went down on one knee. I began to tremble as tears pricked my eyes. No amount of blinking could stop them coming. ‘Leif …’
He gave a lopsided smile. ‘I’ve done a lot of research so I hope I’m doing this right.’
A strangled laugh escaped my throat. Silence had fallen in the circle of humans and faeries around us, making them invisible to me. Leif lifted my hand and pressed it to his chest, held it to the insignia marking him King. ‘Feel my heart, Marla?’ A pause. ‘It beats fast for you. You ignite my imagination and fill my soul with fire … Once you told me that in the human world a man asks the woman he loves if she would like to marry him.’ He reached into his pocket as he went on. ‘Well, here we are in the human world. I am a man, and you are the woman I love.’ He took his hand from his pocket and held it to me. ‘I know we are young for your human world, and I would wait as long as you wish, but … would you like to marry me?’
He opened his hand.
Tears blurred my vision as I looked from Leif to the ring that lay on his palm and back again. For a moment, I could do nothing but stare down at him, the silence vibrating in the air around us. Then with a sob, I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around him, felt his come around me as I buried my face into his neck. ‘Yes, Leif, yes, yes, yes … I’d love to marry you.’
The breath went out of him as he brought me hard against him, cheers erupting around us. But I was near oblivious as against my ear he murmured, ‘I love you, my Marla Amy, my human faery. I will love you forever. Please don’t ever doubt it.’
Joy rushed through me like a windstorm. ‘I never will.’
Softly he said, ‘Now it’s time to send them away.’
His words echoed like the sweetest memory as just like the time he’d taught me to fly, everyone but our friends and family began to pack up and disappear. And after they’d all said their congratulations, they too left, the humans that I loved caught up in the arms of the faeries.
‘Where are they taking them?’
‘To get ready for our … engagement party? That’s an important meeting in the human world, is it not?’
Fresh tears sprang to my eyes. ‘I love you so much, Leif.’
He lifted my hand and made to slip the ring on my finger.
‘Other one,’ I said switching hands.
He smiled. ‘And I was doing such a good job.’
‘Nobody’s perfect,’ I said as I watched the ring slide home. I wriggled my fingers, the stone sparkling in the sun—pink, the exact shade as my wings.
‘And so, am I not fortunate to have you to help me?’ His voice was soft and full of reverence.
I looked up to see the most serene smile, as though it were sleeping on his lips, as though it might never wake. He reached to me, big hands gentle on my neck, soft against my jaw, fingers burrowing into my hair, the slow sweep of a thumb across my lips. He leaned down and kissed me—warm and sweet and soft, the taste of forest and sun and him. Fire smouldered low in my belly, bursting to life as his lips opened, his tongue sliding inside and dancing with mine. A hand trailed down my back, pulled me in, his body hard and strong and engulfing me completely. My legs went to water, small sounds lost in his mouth. When we finally came apart, my lips were burning. I touched them with my fingers as they stretched into a smile. ‘I’ve missed you,’ I told him. ‘And your kisses.’
His eyes sparkled merrily, more light inside them than I’d seen for a long time. ‘But, Marla, that kiss was only the beginning.’ Then he lifted me into his arms and we flew out to the horizon where we tumbled and played and loved each other in the sky.
Acknowledgements
First thanks to God—ever present, ever faithful, ever inspiring.
I would also like to thank:
My family, for your love and support, and for just being.
My good friends and first readers, Krystina Pecorari-McBride and Kerry Rogerson whose insight is more valuable than jewels.
The team at Xou Creative for yet another gorgeous cover. Desanka Vukelich for proofreading and helping tighten the manuscript.
My entire Pantera Press family—the best cheer squad an author could have! Susan Hando whose mini Faeras never fail to delight, Maddy who sure knows how to pick a Fae King, El
ly whose digital creations are always a perfect fit, Katy who seeks to bring Betrothed to the attention of the world, James who is always encouraging, my talented editor Lucy whose sharp eyes and clever mind helped make Telophy shine, and the amazing Green family for their continuing faith in me—John, Marty, Jenny and of course Alison whose radiance could melt ice-caps.
I also want to thank and dedicate Telophy to my readers who expand Marla’s world and make it more tangible. This book is for you Aleisha, and also for Alesha, Alyssa, Angie, Anna, Annie, Ashlea, Ashlee, Beckkaa, Bonny, Breanna, Brittany, Brynne. Carly, Cathie, Christine, Courtney, Cyclone, Dagmar, Dale, Deb, Demelza, Elise, Emma, Emma-lee, Georgia, Georgina, Hannah, Isabel, Jae, Jake, Janet, Jess, Kaysia, Kelly, Kerry, Kiara, Kristen, Kylie, Leanne, Lilly, Lisa, Lydia, Maddy, Mandy-lee, Megan, Melissa, Mollie, Nicole, Paris, Petra, Robyn, Sammy-Jo, Sarah, Sasha, Saskia, Shikara, Sonya, Sophie, Stacey, Stephanie, Suzanne, Teigan, Teri, Thusharini, Viktoria, Zoe and every Betrothed lover wherever you may be. Each one of you is a part of my faery world and I wish I could name you all!
Wanda Wiltshire
Wanda Wiltshire has always been an incurable dreamer and has found her passion for writing novels. Wanda puts her daydreaming to good use, spending many long and satisfying moments gazing across the sea—cavorting with faeries and other magical creatures as she develops scenes and storylines for her latest work.
Telophy is the fourth book in the six book Betrothed series.
Wanda loves to chat with her readers. Find her on Facebook at: Facebook.com/WandaWiltshireAuthor
Novels by Wanda Wiltshire
Telophy Page 28