Distracted. He was frustratingly distracted. What was Genevieve thinking, allowing Jane to return? And why? What purpose could she have here? She’d been clear this couldn’t be her home and that he wasn’t worth giving up hers. How did she think she could help?
After he’d spent enough time with the men that day, Axel returned to the tree, ignoring his parents’ house and moving right along towards his rooms. The last thing he needed now was this disruption. He’d tell his sister to get Jane back home pronto.
He opened his door and stopped short, surprised to find Genevieve already waiting for him inside.
“Well, I’ve got something to tell you,” he said, crouching over her on the sofa.
“Don’t you try to intimidate me like you’ve been doing with everyone else. I’m not scared of you. I’ve seen you run scared from a dog.”
“Dogs are not how Mother and Father described.”
“Whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re running from dogs again, and I’m not just saying that cause I think she’s a bitch. She is, but I’m starting to think she might be good for you. Only don’t tell her because she already thinks she’s all high and mighty.”
“I’m not telling her anything. You get her out of here. I mean it, Gen. She’s got to go. We will be warring soon and don’t need fragile human women getting in the way.”
“Hmm. Sounds like you’ve changed your tune. Weren’t you so happy to find a human wife last year?” She blinked repeatedly, a sarcastic grin on her face.
“I will have a human wife. It won’t be Jane. Case closed. Get out!” Axel opened the door and stood with his arms crossed in front of him.
“Wow.” She stepped through the doorway and he didn’t hesitate to slam it behind her.
Axel walked around the room a few times taking deep breaths. He tried to steady himself. It was like his head was exploding. Not only were his own thoughts a mess, but he was receiving messages constantly now about Jane. People were finding out and telling him about it. Some messages were congratulatory, some were concerns, others were simply curious. Blocking them wasn’t working.
13
Jane
It was ludicrous. Why did she do that? Did her good sense leave her the day she met Axel? Jane berated herself as she walked through the village with Genevieve. The stares. She felt like shrinking into her clothing and disappearing. Although she couldn’t read minds, she knew what they were thinking. She was the ex-fiancee to their future king, and she’d abandoned him.
Well, she’d never been his real fiancée, and none of them knew she hadn’t intended to come last time. This time, however, things were different.
Jane had a brief shock when she’d seen that vision of Axel kissing another woman. By the time she’d reached Genevieve’s house, Jane knew it had been the fairy’s doing.
“Well, that was easy. I should have done that from the start,” Genevieve had told her with a sly smile.
“Just tell me it’s not true,” Jane had responded.
“I couldn’t say. But he is a bachelor prince.”
Jane came through the portal expecting to find an eager Axel. He’d been so happy to hear her in his mind when he was being held prisoner and then when they’d finally reunited in her bedroom. Why the sharp change? Was he angry that she hadn’t wanted to leave her entire world behind for someone she barely knew?
“Go to him,” Genevieve said, suddenly taking a sharp right turn through the village. She didn’t even look back or wait for Jane’s reply. Jane gave a low “hmph” and wandered self-consciously the rest of the way. She tried not to make eye contact for the moment, not wanting to have to give explanations. Some of these villagers had become her friends, and she hoped she was done lying to them. But first she had to get Axel to talk to her.
The walk up the tree was so familiar. She couldn’t believe she was doing it again, taking those wooden steps. Each time she put one foot in front of the other it was like she was getting closer to those months she spent there in fear for Axel’s safety, agonizing over her betrayal of Andrew, and falling in love with this land. Every single one of those things haunted her, and that’s why she had to return. Maybe she’d get closure. Maybe her and Axel could find a way. All she knew was that she wasn’t finding any comfort in her world. What if she could find it here… with him?
The idea was so wild. Living in a fairyland, away from her family and friends—it sounded so crazy. And yet, she had walked right into the portal and out the other side where the brightness of the colors made her squint, the magic in the air made her shiver, and the sight of Axel had taken her breath away. Only when he’d been curt with her had she been able to breathe normally again. It was like a slap in the face.
She stood in front of his door, contemplating on what exactly she would say. Suddenly, it flew open, and she gasped.
“What?” Axel said, using a tone she’d never heard from him before. Well, maybe he’d used it when they’d both been captured and buried to their necks. Jane took an involuntary step back as she felt a warmth engulf her.
“Axel, I…” She stopped, noticing that the anger in him continued, and she felt a heat unlike no other. She walked away, the coolness of the air counteracting his emotions with distance between them. Jane looked back and flinched as he slammed the door. Who was this man?
She stayed on the verandah, not knowing where to go. Her back against the tree, she could feel slight vibrations coming from it. The magic. It was everywhere. The summer here was not like back home—a sticky humid mess. No, here it was just sunshine but with a comfortable temperature. In fact, she noticed she’d not once been either cold or hot in this land.
“I can show you where the portal is so you don’t get lost.” Axel had creeped up next to her. He didn’t say it in an angry tone, and there was no warmth emanating from him.
“I’m not leaving right now,” she told him, getting to her feet. Ever the gentleman, he lowered his arm to help her up, and she took it.
Color. Light. Kaleidoscope patterns showing her tangled with him. The blast of visions was unexpected, and she fell dizzily into his arms. Before her vision cleared and her ears stopped ringing, Axel had laid her on his bed. All at once, her body and senses returned to normal. Well, except for her beating heart, which continued to pound away while Axel stood against his bedroom doorway, arms folded.
“Had enough?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” She braced herself for another hurtful comment.
“I mean, there’s nothing for you here.”
“What’s changed? Why are you acting like this?” She tried not to let her feelings overwhelm her, but her voice cracked at the end.
“Nothing. I’m still here, on the brink of war and waiting for the dreaded moment when I will receive the message my father has died.”
Jane watched the despair on his face as he spoke. She wanted to run up to him and throw her arms around him, suck in the pain he was in and take it for herself.
“And it’s like you’re here to taunt me about all of it. How I created a portal for that sick fucker so I could get back to you. Who knows how many innocent humans have been drained because of my stupid choice. I was weak, I was foolish, and it will never happen again.” He said it with such finality. Her eyes grew in astonishment at what she was hearing.
“You’re mad at me because you cared for me? Axel, that doesn't make sense!”
“What doesn’t make sense is why you came back,” he said.
“Why do you think? I miss you. I wanted to see if we could give us a try.”
“Give us a try? Haven’t you been listening? I’m about to march on the citadel. I might not make it out alive.”
“You can’t go in thinking like that. Your people need you,” she reasoned.
“Everyone needs me. I’m being pulled apart in every direction, and now you’re here to add to it. Do me a favor. Go home. Please.”
The back of her eyes stung, and her throat hurt from the effort
of trying to keep the tears at bay. She stood up and walked past him, careful not to touch him. Her every intention was to do as he said—go straight to the portal. But as she hurried through the village, Jane stopped short when she saw Lili standing in the middle of the road.
“I have to go back home,” she told the old woman who held her hands out to her.
They held hands, and Lili said, “I have to tell you something.” She paused. “The other day I told the prince about a prophecy that was long buried in witch lore and that could be our salvation.”
“What is it?” Jane asked expectantly.
“When a daughter of the three realms becomes queen, the fairies will rule all.”
“So I was right. You are fairies.”
“I’m half witch, half fairy. I’ve lived my life with many secrets, but the prince asked me and I owe him fealty.”
“What other secrets did you tell him Lili? And who is this daughter of the three realms? What other realm is there besides human and fairy?”
“I only know of three besides human, but anything is possible.” Lili told Jane of her connection to the realm of witches. “And then there is the realm of vampires.”
Jane’s blood ran cold. Vampires? “They’re real too? I can’t believe this.” She took a step back, looking around as people watched but kept their distance from Jane and the witch.
“Vampire, witch, and fairy. Those are the three realms.”
“So who is this queen? Is Axel looking for her? Is that why he’s trying to get rid of me?” Jane put her hand to her heart and felt a growing sense of panic. Who was she to compete with this extra magical woman who would put fairies on top?
“It’s unfortunate, but I know none of this. I was not gifted with sight as some others in the witch realm are. It might not even be that she is alive yet.” Lili placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “But I believe the prince needs you.”
“Genevieve tells me that, you tell me that, but he practically threw me out of here. I don’t see how I can stay.”
“Do you love him?” Lili asked serenely. The calm smile on her face was a big contrast to the tumultuous storm the question caused inside of Jane.
“I can’t answer that. I’ve spent little time with him. When I was with my fiancée—ex-fiancee—we didn’t tell each other we loved each other until four months into dating.”
“And did you really love him?”
“I suppose, though now it seems so long ago that I can’t remember right. Lili, I’m so confused.”
“I will help you get unconfused,” she said. Jane laughed, putting her face in her hands. “Why did you come back here?”
“Because I missed him.”
“So he is worth you leaving your world. You know it is a risk to take, that the portal could disappear as it did last time. Do you think you would do this for someone you do not love?”
Tears spilled onto Jane’s cheeks. She couldn’t move from that spot until she was empty of them. Her feet were glued to the ground, and she sobbed into her hands.
“This is all too much. I don’t know how to deal with this. Or how to deal with him, especially if now he’s waiting for another woman to appear.”
“Again I ask you. Do you love him?”
Jane wiped the tears from her face.
Lili nodded. “Then you will find a way.”
14
Axel
This wasn’t supposed to happen. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts again. Axel paced around the verandah, moving from branch to branch. He had to get away from where she’d been standing. The air still smelled of her, her energy was still present. Axel felt himself standing on the precipice of losing control, and he had to win it back. He stomped around, trying to rid himself of her.
Jane. She was wearing clothes appropriate for a night out, and he wondered who she’d been out with. Trying to steer from jealous thoughts, Axel remembered the hurt look on her face. It wasn’t easy to ignore that. But he had to, for both their sakes. For the future of his people.
He was like a moth to a flame. Axel saw her in his mind just as vividly as when she’d been in front of him, and he couldn’t shake her away. He knew he ought to be strategizing or training his men. Forces inside him were contradicting each other, and he was afraid that his want of her would win.
She was present. She was willing. He could have her. She was beautiful and sexy as hell. And this wasn’t simple curiosity like it was last time. He knew what she was like when she was on the brink of orgasm—the wild sounds she could give him, the feel of her fingers gripping his arms, the way his own hands molded perfectly to every inch of her. He had experienced the glory of being inside her. Axel realized he was hard just thinking about it. “Shit,” he breathed.
Axel decided to try something a little human. He went for a run. After passing the edge of the forest, he started a light jog and then sped up to a full-on sprint. His speed was definitely inhuman, but he finally understood the appeal of getting his blood flowing. He rushed past streams and dodged trees, running directly away from the village. Soon, he was farther than he’d ever been before (well, except for when they took him to the citadel). This time he could look around him and compare the scenery to his village.
Not much changed—the lush vegetation was rampant. The colors were the same—much brighter and more saturated than the human world. The difference, he noticed was the proximity to the hills. Here, up close, the hills looked like mountains. As he approached the base of the closest one to him, he noticed the biggest difference. There were plants he had never seen before. He slowed and then bent down to examine them, plucking a few unfamiliar stems, flowers, and herbs to have someone look at them.
Lili. She was the only one in the village who might have knowledge of those plants. He balked at the memory of her telling him about some silly prophecy. Not that he didn’t believe all she said. But the prophecy didn’t specify a timeline. It could be well be hundreds of years into the future. He wasn’t going to bother looking for a daughter of the three realms.
Finding out that there are other realms out there besides his and the human one was definitely a shock. Vampires abounded in human stories. He’d also witnessed blood-drinking by the nobility of the citadel and now wondered how human blood affected vampires. He was curious about the witch realm as well and wondered if Lili would venture to travel there, being a half-witch herself.
The only problem was not knowing where the portals were. What if finding the portals would give him some insight into how to win this war? What if the daughter of the three realms was out there in those realms and he could put her in King Siloh’s stead to rule at the citadel? Peace. What would that look like after these months of unrest?
As he wandered about the foot of the mountain, Axel came to a reluctant conclusion. He’d have to trust in Tamus if he wanted to find these other portals. He knew nothing about him except what came out of the exiled prince’s mouth, but he was the only one besides Lili who knew of the existence of other portals.
The other conclusion he drew was that Jane must leave the homeland immediately. She couldn’t distract him further, or he might find himself running all the way toward the citadel.
He started on his way back and reached the outskirts of the forest when one of his men alerted him to a fight in the village center. Axel picked up the pace and his jaw dropped when he saw none other than Jane and Nayla wrestling and pulling each other’s hair, both women shouting and the gathering crowd standing back to witness the spectacle. Annoyed at their spectator nature (even more so than humans), Axel jumped into the fray.
“Ouch,” he yelled when a nail dug into his forearm. It was Nayla’s. He glared at her, and she backed off. Jane, however still struggled against his other arm, her hair wildly strewn about her in a tangled mess. The ferocity in her eyes was new and surprising to him. She looked delightful.
“What’s this about?” he asked as calmly as possible. Nayla, too, was a mess, and her hard breaths kept her
from explaining, but he saw tears welling up in her eyes.
“She jumped on me! I don’t know what it’s about, and I swear, Axel, I’ve never even so much as slapped someone in my entire life. But I couldn’t just let her pull all of my hair out!” Jane shouted.
“I thought you two were friends,” Axel said, remembering Jane had told him of the long conversations the two women had shared.
“That’s what I thought,” Jane said, rubbing a spot on her head.
Nayla stood up straight then and stated, “I cannot be friends to a woman who deserts our future king. Especially one who thinks she’s better than all of us. She doesn’t deserve you, my prince.”
Axel seethed at having to say the following. “What happened between Jane and I is none of your business, Nayla. Nor is it anyone else’s. Who I choose for our future queen will be my decision. Should I need any counsel, I will seek it. Questions?”
15
Jane
Jane: Chapter 15
She held her gaze up to him admiringly. Jane didn’t think she’d ever seen him so… so… royal. He projected his voice for all to hear, and he did so in such a firm and undeniably authoritative way, that the silence following his statement was deafening.
Nayla slipped away, and while Jane was not one to gloat, she couldn’t help the sides of her mouth give a slight turn upward. The crowd dispersed then, hushed voices discussing her and her opponent. Jane still had a sore spot on her head from the vicious hair pulling the other woman gave her.
“I think,” Jane said, approaching Axel, “that I finally figured out who one of your ex-girlfriends is.”
“She is not an ex,” Axel said, crossing his arms. He still had his boss-voice on.
A Touch of Summer: Spellbound Series Book 2 (The Spellbound Series) Page 5