SPURNED: Elkridge Series, Book 2, A novella

by Lyz Kelley

  “Bailey! Pay attention to the road!” Kelsi braced her hands on the dashboard.

  I swerved to avoid hitting the car in front of us.

  “Damn you, that was close,” she said, elbowing me in the ribs. Hard. Not that I could blame her. She shook her head. “If you race like you drive, it’s a wonder you’ve managed not to crash your bike.”

  “Sorry,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Got a little distracted. And sometimes I forget I’m driving a car and not riding a bike where I can slip through narrow gaps.”

  After spotting the exit sign, I steered off the highway and headed into a grassy parking lot. “Let me know if you spot my team car. Coach Vinson said he was coming, and my teammates Mia and Shannon said they’re racing today too.”

  “I don’t know about your teammates, but somebody is here,” Kelsi teased.

  After parking, I exited the car. A sideways glance revealed Piran walking across the lot toward us. Trying to act cool and ignore the quivering in my stomach, I opened the hatch and pulled out my bike frame and wheels, connected them, and pumped up the tires. Then I peeled off my jeans and T-shirt, exposing the racing suit I wore underneath. Finally, I traded my flip-flops for cycling shoes and settled my helmet on my head.

  “Bailey, Bailey,” said an all-too-unwelcome voice behind me.

  “What, Jose,” I grumbled, adjusting my bike’s brakes. Did he have some sort of radar?

  “You were so close in Friday’s race in Caledonia,” he said, leaning against my car. He gave me a slow once-over. “Such a shame you choked in the finishing sprint.”

  “Oh, suck it,” I snapped without thinking.

  His lips curled in a disgusting leer. “Anytime, anywhere, baby.”

  Gagging, I turned my head. Enough with the gross come-ons! He sauntered off, but not before I noticed a curtain of black glide across his eyes.

  Piran kissed me on the cheek, and I whispered to him, “Did you see that?”

  “See what?”

  “Jose’s a dark Fae. I saw his eyes blacken!”

  Piran narrowed his gaze on Jose. “No. He is human, Bailey.”

  “I saw his eyes blacken,” I insisted, jerking my chin. “Somehow he’s shielding himself or using Fae magic to appear human. No wonder he wins every race! If he’s dark Fae, he can’t ride in human races.” I stalked toward Jose.

  “Stop, Bailey,” Piran admonished, guiding me back to my car. “You are overreacting. If Jose were Fae, he would need a powerful shielding ability, and I do not know of any dark Fae who possesses such magic.”

  My irate growl drew a sigh from him. “Nonetheless, if Jose is dark Fae, and using magic to appear human, he could become violent if you confront him. The dark Fae are unpredictable.”

  “I should have suspected he was dark Fae.” I stamped my foot. “His slimy come-ons. The way he looks at every woman. His stamina in races. I have half a mind—”

  “Hold on,” Piran said. “You have no proof of this accusation. You cannot go to the racing authorities and claim Jose is Fae simply because of his libido.”

  My breath hitched. “Why are you siding with him?”

  “I am not siding with anyone. I am simply saying you have no proof Jose is Fae.”

  A sickening feeling curdled inside me. “I know what I saw, Piran. You should believe me, and you don’t. Which means … what?”

  “What?” he repeated quietly, his eyes a calm blue.

  Was he hiding something from me as well?

  “I need to go,” I said, lifting my racing bike onto my shoulder.

  Trudging over the grassy hill to the start of my race, I noticed Piran hadn’t accompanied me. Couldn’t really blame him. I wouldn’t want to be around me today either. This racing tour had me so riled up. Was Kelsi right? Was I giving myself an ulcer over cycling?

  My anger at Piran faded into guilt. I had no legitimate reason to doubt his sincerity. He was a Guardian, for God’s sake. Honorable. Altruistic. Defender of the natural world. Although that probably didn’t include calling out cheats in minor human sports.

  Except … who was I to know the ways of the Fae? The dark Fae and their Guardian overlords had a long and complicated history, one humans hadn’t exactly been privy to until the Revealing.

  I hopped on my bike and rode to the starting line, but was unable to stop thinking about dark Fae, Jose’s eyes, and Piran. Struggling to find a good starting place among the other riders, I quickly fell to the back of the pack once the race started. Damn it. No more distractions!

  I shook off the haze clouding my concentration.

  Lap by lap, I forced my way through the throng of riders crammed together on the narrow road. Rarely was I scared in a race, but the punishing pace and sharp curves had me major-league on edge. Two women crashed in the first corner and another five in the second lap. The road was still slippery from an earlier rainstorm, the painted centerline particularly slick.

  The tight turns demanded my complete attention, yet by the last lap, I’d worked my way to the front of the field. Adrenaline shot through my veins. I had this baby nailed. Due to the short racecourse, riders jockeyed early for sprint position, and I was not about to be left behind.

  I rose out of my saddle and cranked down hard on the pedals. The snapping sound registered a microsecond later. Oh shit.

  Unclipped, my racing shoe slid across the top of the pedal into nothing but air, and my right foot dropped. Without the support of my body on the saddle, the bike sheered sideways, and the back wheel slid out from beneath me. I reached out to brace my fall, my mind zipping through the consequences. Some road rash, for sure, and I’d be out of the top finishers, but I could jump back on my bike and still turn in a decent finish.

  My hand scraped gravel at the side of the road. I had this totally under control.

  The beeping just didn’t stop. Was that my phone alarm? No, it sounded like the fryer at McDonalds. My God, would someone turn off that damn thing?

  Someone’s fingers touched my arm, and I opened my eyes. I recognized a nurse when I saw one. Not good. Acid churned in my stomach, threatening to erupt. The woman in the green, baggy top and a nametag clipped to her enormous chest smiled at me and removed something from my nose. An air tube.

  I closed my eyes, feeling the gurney beneath me moving. Someone murmured, “We’re taking you for a CT scan now.”

  Then a never-ending stream of questions. Yes, all my parts moved fine. Oh, and thanks for removing the gravel embedded in my knee. After that, they left me alone for what seemed like an eternity. Muffled voices drew closer. I recognized my sister’s voice and then my mother’s.

  This was not good at all.

  My mother’s voice rose in pitch. “I need to see her now. Bailey?”

  I tried to turn toward the door, but a tug across my arm stopped me. The nurse adjusted the IV drip tubing. “I’ll let the doctor on call know you are here,” the nurse said to my mother.

  Crossing the room, my mother sighed, wringing her hands. She was small, like Kelsi, whereas I took after my college linebacker dad. Sometimes it seemed she’d never forgiven my father for bestowing his jumbo genetics on their daughter.

  My mother’s gaze lowered, and her jaw hardened.

  I followed her line of sight to the bandages covering my right arm. “Just a bit of road rash, Mom. No biggie.”

  Her lips pursed. “This is exactly what I was afraid of.”

  I rolled my eyes. Thankfully, Dad was a lot less anal. At least he understood the excitement of competition and the need for athletic challenge.

  The doctor entered the room and without a word typed something into a computer terminal. Without glancing up, he said, “Your daughter has a mild concussion. No broken bones. Moderate skin abrasion on her right arm. No physical activity for at least twenty-four hours. Monitor her for signs of severe headache, dizziness, or memory loss.”

  The doctor continued staring at the screen.

  “Is that it?” my mom prodded. />
  He nodded, then looked at me. “Good thing you were wearing a helmet. Bicycle accidents are one of the leading causes of head injuries in children. Remember to pay attention to your surroundings when riding on the street.”

  Really? I almost laughed out loud. Thanks, Doc.

  Piran stepped into the room, and my mom’s eyes widened. Her head tilted back. “Tall,” she murmured.

  “Our mother, Gayle Meyers,” Kelsi said to him, gesturing with the hand holding my cracked bike helmet.

  Piran bowed to his knee while my mother fussed. The Guardian Fae fascinated her. That old-world style and classicism thing. Must be the artist in her.

  Rising, he smiled politely. Then his focus shifted to me, and his smile faded. His stride brought him to my bedside in two lengths.

  The nurse re-entered the room, holding a clipboard. She stepped abreast of Piran, and placed the clipboard on my lap. “As you are an adult, you can legally sign your discharge papers. You’re covered by your parent’s insurance, correct? Also initial here and here.”

  I dutifully signed before glancing at the clock on the wall. “How long have I been here?”

  “About three hours,” Kelsi replied. “I called Mom as soon as the ambulance arrived on the racecourse.”

  “Well, this has been fun, but I’m outta here.” I tossed off the blanket and noticed a tear in the hip of my racing suit. Crap. Team suits were expensive. I’d have to wear black riding shorts, and hopefully Coach Vinson would have a team jersey I could borrow.

  Standing, I smoothed the bandage that covered where the nurse had removed the IV needle from the back of my hand. “Looks like I’ll be missing tomorrow’s race, but Tuesday’s race is in Milwaukee.”

  “No.” Piran’s voice echoed in the small hospital emergency room.

  “Excuse me?” I narrowed my eyes.

  Mouth agape, my mom had that deer-in-the-headlights look. Then she clasped her hands together and smiled, no doubt thrilled to have a partner in crime to stop me from racing.

  “Look, Piran,” I said. “I know it must seem scary to see me like this, but crashing is a typical racing hazard. Every rider knows the risk.”

  Kelsi handed me my jeans and T-shirt, and I slipped them on over my racing suit.

  “I’m not gonna stop racing just because of a little concussion. The doctor said no physical activity for twenty-four hours. Fine. So I’ll rest for a day.”

  His eyes whirled an angry purple. “Your brain needs time to heal, Bailey. Your skull is weakened. If you crash again and hit your head, your brain—”

  “Then I won’t crash again,” I argued. “My shoe cleat broke. It was a freak thing. I’ve got another set of cleats at home.”

  “Bailey, honey,” my mother began. “Perhaps you should listen—”

  “Wait. Is he a doctor? I don’t think so. Mom, they gave me a CT scan. My brain is fine.” I hugged her. “I’m fine. Really, I am. I’ll stay at home, in front of the television. I’ll call you every hour tomorrow while you’re at work.”

  “If you have any symptoms,” she warned.

  “If I have any symptoms, I’ll take another day off. Mom, this racing tour is my big chance to make the nationals team and I already missed yesterday’s race. Okay? Please.” I gave her my best puppy-dog eyes.

  Behind me, Piran made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a dog growling.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “Ha, ha,” I said under my breath.

  “I will stay with her,” he announced, not even looking at me.

  Oh come on. I didn’t need a babysitter.

  But my mother nodded. What? She and Kelsi walked ahead of us to the elevator.

  Piran leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Then stop acting like a baby.”

  I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t care how un-friggin-believably gorgeous and sexy he was, there was no way I was going to—

  He spun around, a crook of a smile on his face. “You think I am gorgeous? And sexy?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh my God, Piran. Just walk to the damn elevator.”

  He did, and I waited a moment before catching up. Even as though he was going all “Guardian” on me, I wasn’t about to admit how thrilled I was he wanted to take care of me.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I said as we headed toward the underground garage. “I’ve heard Guardians can shield their minds. Is that how you block out all the random thoughts from others? I can’t imagine how horrible it must be to constantly listen to people’s perverted fantasies and rants against their jerky bosses.”

  Piran laughed. “Yes, we can shield our minds to some extent, although it is not as bad as you imagine. Most of us cannot read another person’s thoughts unless we are physically near to them and have forged a mind-connection. Although certain thoughts do plow through uninvited and some individuals are quite difficult to read.”

  He stopped walking and turned me around to face him. A crease formed between his eyebrows. “Is there something you need to hide from me?”

  Squirming, I shifted my gaze to the garage wall and began counting the bricks.

  “Bailey?”

  Twenty-six … twenty-seven …

  “Bailey.” Exasperation tinged his voice.

  I peered up at him and ignored his stubborn expression. “What was I thinking about?”

  “I do not know. You erected a brick wall in your mind.” He crossed his arms, clearly attempting to be stern with me, but he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Are we done with this?”

  “Yes.” I made a face at him. “So, I was testing how well you can read me if I’m concentrating on something else, but honestly, I have nothing to hide from you.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  Giving him a teasing smile, I nudged him with my elbow. “Yet …”

  Chapter 6

  I woke up Monday morning with a mild headache. Understandable. Nothing that a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and a cup of coffee wouldn’t fix. I plodded into the kitchen.

  Kelsi grabbed her keys off the counter top. “Bay, I’m going out with Noelle. I need to pick up some modeling clay and wax. Maybe some wire too.”

  “Uh-huh.” I plopped down on the couch with my bowl of cereal and grabbed the remote, scrolling through the television channels.

  “And then we’re going to the mall where that new spa store just opened,” she continued. “You know the one with the million brands of make-up?”

  Actually, I didn’t know, but since Kelsi sounded like a little kid in a candy store, more power to her. I waved my hand. “Have a good time.”

  A couple minutes after the door shut, the doorbell rang. I groaned. Why did she always forget something and then expect me to get it for her? The doorbell rang again. Sheesh. Kelsi could have just taken the keys back out of her car.

  I stomped into the hallway and unlocked the dead bolt. “There. Let yourself in.” Just as the front door creaked open, I continued into the laundry room to start a load. “What did you forget this time?”

  “Are you always this courteous to guests?” an accented voice asked from the foyer.

  I screamed. Wearing only pajama shorts and a skimpy camisole, I rummaged through the dryer. Towels, socks, my dad’s boxers. Nothing useful.

  “Piran, um, why are you here?” I asked, hiding behind the laundry room door.

  “I said I would stay with you today.” There was a pause. “And your attire is fine.”

  I took a deep breath. Carrying the basket of laundry in front of me, I stepped into the hallway. “I just need to bring these upstairs.”

  Piran eyed a pair of my dad’s boxers on the top of the pile, and I wanted to crawl inside the nearest available hole and disappear. He was looking at my dad’s humongous—could make a tent for pygmies—underwear.

  “Your father is a gifted man,” Piran said. “A large man is a gifted man.”

  I nodded as if I understood. Some Fae saying, no doubt.

  He l
ifted the laundry basket from my hands and set it on the floor by the front door. His head tilted as he gazed at me, and his long braid slid over his shoulder. For a moment, I visualized his hair free. Guardian men always wore their hair braided. No idea why.

  Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he cleared his throat. “Fae men in my land only unbraid for loving.”

  “For loving,” I repeated. “You mean sex?”

  He nodded.

  “Oh.” My mouth went dry. I waited for him to say something else, but he stood silently, staring off to the side.

  Finally, he held out a hand to me. “Is it not customary to sightsee?”

  I rubbed my forehead, trying to interpret his meaning. “Sightsee what?”

  “Your home.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “I misspoke. Tour. May I have a tour of your home?”

  I stared at his mouth as if drugged. His accent really was to die for. He could probably say the dog was crapping in the yard and it would sound sexy.

  Shaking off the spell, I took his hand in mine and led him down the hallway. Then it dawned on me. We were holding hands! Oh man, that was sappy. Doubly sappy. No, don’t think that. Nothing about sap.

  I groaned inside. I should just stop thinking.

  There was nothing super interesting or exciting about my parents’ home. Standard three-bedroom two-story. I opened the door to Kelsi’s bedroom and cringed. Clothes everywhere. We stepped into the bathroom I shared with her, and I gestured to the nearly bare side of the sink vanity. “My side.” My hand swept to the other side, filled with a multitude of tubes and bottles, my sister’s eyeshadow palette still open. “Kelsi’s side.”

  Piran laughed. “I like that about you. You are natural and comfortable with yourself.” He squeezed my hand. “You have no need to cover your beauty with oils and paints.”

  For the first time in his presence, I didn’t worry about what I was thinking, because my brain simply stopped functioning. Even my breathing stopped.

  “Bailey.” The way he said my name, low and full of meaning, set my heart racing.

  I couldn’t look at him even though I wanted to. Every synapse in my brain seemed stuck. He reached across and touched my cheek, and my skin tingled, warmth spreading over my face. A rant rushed through my brain. Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me …