The Faye's Secret: A Keepers of Light novel

by Sarah Beth

  Abby sighed but smiled slightly, “Right, and piss off an ancient Faye who’s agreed to help?” She looked back out at the pond, noting that the house had moved closer to them. “No, we talk to him and we stay as long as we have to.”

  They climbed out of the truck at the same time. Wesley once again walked to the front of the vehicle and waited for Abby to meet him there. He started walking towards a small wooden dock, surrounded by so many reeds and bulrush, that she hadn’t noticed it.

  Or maybe it hadn’t been there at all.

  She decided she wasn’t going to ask. At least not as the house definitely did move closer to the shore. The wood of the dock looked just as ancient as the glade. Worn and cracking, moss growing on the edges. But it felt sturdy under her feet — much more than she expected it to be. It wasn’t until they reached the edge, the house still a good fifteen feet away, that Wesley put his hand on the small of her back. She tried to ignore the pleasant burning sensation where his hand met her sweater, as he leaned closer to her and whispered, “Watch this.”

  At first she thought he was going to jump to the house or something equally as ridiculous. But a moment later something unexpected happened. The water in front of them started to bubble and before her eyes, large stepping stones appeared out of the murky surface of the water. Flat and a deep gray tone, the water seemed to evaporate from the surface. Leaving a dry walkway to the house, a few inches between each stone. She must have been standing there with her mouth hanging open, because Wesley started to laugh before he bumped her shoulder with his own.

  She looked into his face and tossed a hand out towards the stones, “I mean...seriously?” She really should be in a mental hospital or something.

  His eyes only danced more. Even though his laugh had died down, she knew he was still laughing inside, could feel it in her own bones. “Better get used to it, this is your life now.”

  And with that, he lightly brushed his hand across her back as he began to walk across the stones. She watched him for a moment before following carefully, not fully trusting the stones to not disappear and send her for a swim.

  As she followed Wesley across the stones, the house grew bigger the closer they got. What had looked like a small floating cabin had grown into a three story house, a small stone covered yard all around it. A tiny porch lined the front of the house, windows allowing a peek into a space much larger than she had expected. But when she tried to look closer the light inside seemed to get darker until she couldn’t make out much of anything. Vines grew up the front of the house, around the banisters on the porch and around the chimney in the middle of the roof. It looked like something right out of one of those fairy tales she had loved to read as a child.

  She tried to gain control over her mouth, so that she wouldn’t still be standing there fish-mouthed when the Faye answered the door. Wesley glanced at her when he got off the last stone step and stood in the yard.Extending a hand, he waited there until Abby reached him, and grasped her hand tightly. A strange bubbling sound behind her made her turn just in time to see the stone steps disappear, back into the depths of the pond.

  Wesley smiled at her when she turned back around, before leading her to the front door. She half expected it to swing open on its own. But Wesley knocked politely before standing on the porch, his hand letting go of hers and reappearing at the small of her back again. A few minutes passed before the door swung open and Abby worked very hard at holding her mouth closed. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but the man — the Faye — before her wasn’t it.

  She half expected to see a stout little man, pointed ears and maybe even wings. Although he did indeed have pointed ears, nothing else looked even remotely “fairy” like. He was tall, a few inches taller than Wesley, with pale skin, piercing blue eyes and long white hair. His skin looked so perfect, she found herself wondering if it was made of stone or actual flesh.

  But where Wesley’s blue eyes were comforting and warm, the Faye’s were as cold as ice. His gaze made her back straighten on its own accord and made the breath halt in her lungs. Elazar was both stunning and threatening. His face was all hard angles and sharp edges, not the softer notes of Wesley’s. His chin came to a point and his nose was probably twice as long as her own. But it was those angles and porcelain finish that made his face seem almost too-perfect, like it had never seen a blemish in its life. It all made her instantly anxious to not say the wrong thing or act inappropriately. Not like she knew what was appropriate for a meeting with a Faye, but she hoped her good manners would be enough.

  “Wesley O’Bryne, it has been quite some time since your last visit.” His voice sent a shiver down Abby’s spine. It was both beautiful and yet sounded like it could kill someone with one syllable. It cut like a dagger through the air. She reminded herself quickly that he could definitely kill her with a word if he wanted to.

  Wesley offered a bowed head and small smile, “It has been, Lord Elazar. I would apologize, but I know how much you like visitors.”

  The Faye raised a brow at him before he offered what Abby guessed was as close to smile as he would ever give. Then his icy eyes fell on Abby and she did her best not to let any of her apprehension of the man show on her face.

  “And this is the little witchling your Alpha sent word about, hmm? You are a little thing, aren’t you?”

  Seriously, was her height — or lack thereof — really what this guy was going to comment on? Trying hard to not sound annoyed, she bowed her head, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Elazar.”

  He looked down his nose at her, his eyebrow still raised, and made a noise in the back of his throat. He then turned on his heel and walked into his home, back straight and shoulders back. “We shall see, child. We shall see.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  ❖

  Abby

  They followed the Faye through an entryway, the stone floor cool compared to the warm vines still covering the walls inside. They took a short right and entered a room about the size of Alex’s whole first floor. How that tiny cabin on the outside turned into a mansion on the inside, Abby chose not to question. Lest she hurt her brain even more than she already had. There was a large dining table in the center of the room, six chairs around it. For someone who spent most of his time alone, why he needed a large formal dining table was a mystery.

  Lord Elazar turned to a small table on one side of the room, “Would either of you like any refreshments?”

  Wesley walked over the table, pulling one of the chairs away and made a gesture at Abby to take the seat. “That would be welcomed, Lord Elazar. Thank you.” He offered her a brief smile as she took the seat he offered, before his face became more serious as he took the seat beside her.

  With Lord Elazar busy, Abby took the opportunity to look at the Faye more closely. Her original observation of his height wasn’t unwarranted, but what she didn’t see upon first glance was his grace. Anyone that tall should look uncomfortable with their stature, slumped at the shoulders to make them appear less of a threat. Lord Elazar owned his appearance. He was intimidating, that was for sure. But Abby guessed he hadn’t lived as long as he had by being a friendly kitten. Just as she was admiring his long moss green cloak and wondering if he had made it himself, he turned around and carried a small tray to the table. Three copper goblets filled with a clear liquid perched on top.

  Abby took her offered goblet with a small smile, “Thank you.”

  The Faye looked at her a moment before turning to Wesley, offering him a goblet, before taking a seat across from them. “Now, I hear you’re looking for information on the missing girl from down the mountain.”

  Abby and Wesley exchanged a glance. When they looked back at Lord Elazar, the Faye raised a brow. “What? I do know what’s going on in the world, I’m not a recluse.” He nodded in Abby’s direction, “I knew this witchling wasn’t the only reason for your visit today.”

  Leaning forward in her chair, Abby looked at the Faye with a different kin
d of interest, “Do you know anything about it?”

  He gave a vague hand gesture, “Do you? It would appear to the untrained eye that a witch is to blame.”

  This time it was Wesley who leaned forward, “But you don’t think it is.”

  The Faye smiled thinly, apparently pleased that Wesley had said the right thing. “Do I think it is a child pretending to be a witch? Perhaps. But there are only a handful of truly dark witches in the world these days, and they know better than to go murdering mortals with Faye heritage.” He glanced at Abby, “They usually stick to the poor furry creatures who are easier to overpower.”

  She could tell he was watching her for a reaction, and although her insides were cringing at the thought of someone torturing a poor defenseless creature, she sat perfectly still on the outside. She met his gaze with a raised brow.

  Approval flashed in his eyes before he turned back to Wesley. “These mortals have been murdered over the course of a year, yes? Then it’s unlikely that this was for any sort of ritual, they would have taken place closer in time. No, I think whoever is behind this, is looking for something in particular.” He looked at Wesley pointedly before shifting his eyes in her direction.

  She couldn’t stop the shock on her face, “Me? You think they’re after me?”

  The Faye made another vague hand gesture, “Perhaps. Or simply trying to draw out someone with real magic in their veins.”

  Lord Elazar and Wesley continued to speak, but Abby had tuned them out as she stood and wandered the room. The room itself was sparse, only the table and chairs in the center and bar-like table against one wall. Deep greens covered the walls, making the vines growing all over them hard to see, the light blue of the floor had a calming effect on her. The Faye hadn’t seemed bothered when she suddenly stood and began wandering. He hadn’t even glanced at her. She did notice, however, that Wesley’s eyes would follow her around the room every once in a while. The third time she caught him doing it, she glared at him and pointed at the Faye, pay attention. He got the message, turned back at Lord Elazar and hadn’t looked back up at her again.

  So the person behind the murders was trying to draw out a more powerful witch, or maybe even a Faye. But why would they be looking for her, specifically? She wasn’t anything special. Except maybe she was. Everybody kept saying she had this crazy amount of power inside her, even though she hadn’t witnessed this power herself. What had Claire said? Dark witches gained power from suffering and pain. Was that what these murders were about, a witch trying to gain more power?

  She ran her hand gently over the wall, glancing at the table to see Wesley and Lord Elazar still sitting, deep in conversation. The walls were strange in this place. They looked solid, like the stone beneath her feet, and yet when she touched them they seemed to give a little. As she walked, allowing her fingers to run along the wall, she watched in fascination as the wall seemed to glimmer in the wake of her touch. Was the wall...breathing? She was so focused on her inspection that she didn’t hear Wesley and the Faye stand from the table.

  Lord Elazar stood beside her, “Intriguing, isn’t it?”

  She startled slightly before recovering. Looking at the Faye beside her, she pulled her brows together, “Is it alive?”

  He looked at the wall and then back at her, “What do you think?”

  “I think…” she looked at the stone floor and back to the strange looking wall, “I think the stone beneath my feet is solid, but the wall isn’t...exactly. It moves...it changes?”

  He reached out a hand, his long slim fingers just barely touching the wall. It shimmered under his touch. “It changes when I ask it to. This room was not here this morning when the sun rose, but I thought it would serve our meeting well.” He tilted his head to the side slightly, “It changes when it pleases occasionally, but not often.” His eyes fell on her again, but they weren’t as cold as they had been when the front door had opened. They had calmed, warmed as much as ice blue eyes could. “Is it alive in the sense that you and I are? No. But is it alive like the vines covering my home?” He shrugged elegantly, before angling his body to reveal Wesley standing a few feet from them. Wesley’s eyes were only for Abby when she saw him, but his small smile was full of admiration. He came to stand beside the Faye when Lord Elazar said, “Your Mate tells me you’ve been having much difficulty with spirits lately.”

  She felt the heat rising in her cheeks when he referred to her at Wesley’s Mate. Although it had been alluded to, and she was fairly certain Wesley knew more than he had let on, Lord Elazar was the first person to say it like that. Hoping to recover from her embarrassment, Abby glared at Wesley.

  The wolf chuckled and raised his hands in surrender, “Hey, the whole reason why we came here was to speak to him about your powers and training you. The fact that you’re having spirits bother you daily is an important piece of information.”

  Before she was able to open her mouth and say anything, Lord Elazar spoke. “I will help you to control your magic enough so that the spirits can’t bother you anymore, but that will be all for today. I suspect you won’t have enough energy after that for much else.”

  Abby looked at him then back at Wesley, “What about the pack? What if they need our help?”

  The Faye rolled his eyes, a very pretentious action coming from him, “If you faint from a spirit sighting again you won’t be much help to them, now will you?”

  Glaring up at him this time, she crossed her arms. “It’s not fainting. And it’s not like I can help it.”

  His eyes seemed to sparkle as a thin smile stretched his lips, “Exactly.”

  Wesley put a hand on her shoulder, “Alex will call if anything happens, or if Kyle and Warren learn anything useful. The whole reason why we came here was to help you learn about your magic, and who you really are.”

  Who she really was, right. Because being an orphaned freak wasn’t enough, apparently. She sighed — he was right, of course. There was a lot she didn’t know or understand. And if she wanted to be of any help to the pack and the missing girl, she needed to figure out this magic thing.

  Looking at the Faye, she unfolded her arms. “Alright, I’m ready.”

  He nodded, “Good, but your Mate has to leave.”

  “What?”

  They had spoken at the same time, but she would deny that her voice had gone up an octave or two. The sudden anxiety that set into her bones at the thought of Wesley leaving her there almost made her stumble. Her heart felt like it might beat out of her chest, or simply give out, just at the thought. Where the sudden reaction came from, Abby had no idea. But somehow, in the last forty-eight hours, Wesley’s presence had become an anchor for her. One she wasn’t so sure she was ready to go without. Wesley clearly didn’t like the idea either, his eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit room.

  Lord Elazar seemed unbothered by their reactions, “He is nothing but a distraction to you. If you want to learn anything from me, it will be without any distractions present.” He nodded his head at Wesley, “I will send word when you may come and get her.” He walked away from them, stopping in the open doorway of the room to look back. “She is safe here, wolf. Know that.”

  She watched his back as he left them alone in the room. She couldn’t be sure if the room got colder when he left it or if it was just in her imagination. Her skin felt like it was crawling under her clothes, her heart still beating too fast to be called normal. She wondered if this was her own reaction or if she was sensing Wesley’s.

  A low growl beside her made her look at the man in question. His eyes were glowing in earnest now. His fists were clenching and unclenching, clearly trying to gain some sort of control that he had lost. Abby set her hand on his chest, right where his heart was beating hard, a jackhammer trapped in a bony cage. The feeling of his heartbeat under her palm did more to calm her in that moment than she thought anything else ever could. But she needed to calm him down, too. They couldn’t afford to have him lose control of his wolf in Lord Elazar�
��s home. And maybe Elazar was right — he was a distraction to her. Her thoughts cleared and her skin settled. Staying worked up would only make calming Wesley down harder, she had learned that much already. If she didn’t calm her heart and her breathing, she could lose the only teacher she had. “He has a point, Wes.”

  His wolf eyes snapped down to her face, a growl escaping his lips. His eyebrows drew together, like he was immediately sorry that he growled at her.

  But she wasn’t bothered, she understood why the wolf wasn’t happy. She wasn’t happy either. “It’s okay. I may not like it any more than you do, but he’s right.” She looked at her hand on his chest, felt the beat of his heart against her palm, “You’ve been nothing but a distraction since the moment I woke up in Alex’s house.” She didn’t know why she said it, why she didn’t shut up her own brain but his heartbeat was beginning to slow. She didn’t look up to see if his eyes had stopped glowing yet. She kept going, she couldn’t stop. “You have to understand...I... I’ve never had anyone in my life who hasn’t left me.” A humorless laugh escaped her lips, “My own father apparently didn’t want me enough to keep me. Who knows about my mother. I just — I’m not good with this sort of thing.”

  His hand came to cover hers on his chest, the other one rising to her face. “I’m patient. I can wait.” His voice was soft; the wolf was at rest again.

  She looked into his eyes and the amount of love she saw there threatened to stop her heart. She didn’t think that would ever change, either. How was it possible to feel such emotion for someone you just met three days ago? She couldn’t help the smile that came to her face, “You might be waiting a long time.”

  A chuckle, his hand squeezed hers, “Well if you ask Alex, we’re young. We’ve got hundreds of years to figure it all out. I can wait two hundred years if I have to.” He lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers. She was hyper aware that this was the closest they’d been. Him carrying her around unconscious didn’t count. “But I really hope you don’t make me wait that long.” They stood that way for a few moments before he sighed. She felt his lips brush her forehead softly and she swore all of the air in her lungs evaporated. His lips were warm against her chilled skin before he straightened and took a step away from her, her hand falling from his chest. “I’ll be back by sundown, I promise.”