Taken by Fae (Humans vs Fae Book 1)

by Charlotte Royalin

  From his hand, the sensation of warmth blossomed further, encompassing my entire being. My body filled with a strange sensation like pins and needles, but it was pleasant rather than irksome like when a leg fell asleep.

  "There is much I'd like to discuss with you, but this form is hard to sustain with all the iron that surrounds me."

  "But why?" I questioned, shivering as his fingers tightened their grasp down my knee before sliding upwards to my thigh once more. His touch dominated me in an instant as he lorded himself over me.

  "I can see into your heart. You know more about us fae than anyone else in this stinking city. I could tell the moment I saw you, the empathy you showed to Eolandae when your friend brought him his death."

  I winced, thinking about the limp body that hung there, and the revelry that came from my fellow citizens.

  I shook my head, he even knew Alphonse and I had a connection. He could read into my thoughts, "Yes, it was hard to watch that. But Alphonse is blinded by his hate for the fae. I swear he is a good man in his heart. But it's protected by iron."

  "That empathy is why I would like for us to meet, face-to-face."

  "But I was told you were locked away. How could that be possible?" He leaned back, "I make the impossible, possible. You don't have much of a memory, do you?"

  My eyes narrowed. "You must be lying."

  He chuckled, leaning further against the walls as he turned his gaze away from mine to stare at the far side of this room.

  "Silly girl, fae cannot lie. Whether or not you believe me is inconsequential."

  "Calling me a silly girl will not make me want to befriend you, Vethari."

  His own lips pursed, brows turning upward in what I assumed was mock sadness.

  "Will this?" His irises flashed with light for a moment.

  "Unh!" I grunted, my head pushing into my hands, cupping my forehead as I found myself kneeling upon the floor in front of him. Confusion squeezed my thoughts, and I felt almost unable to formulate any on my own.

  The golden fae reached out to me, extending his shackled arms to grasp my face in his hand. Vethari's eyes swirled with intensity. Passion.

  "You want to come to me."

  "I-I do?" I questioned myself.

  "Yes, you want to. And you want me." It felt as though his lips brushed against my ear as he lowered his voice into a whisper, but he still stood tall. His face nowhere near mine. "If you do not, your desire will continue to grow until it swallows you up."

  "You are a beast." I glared, before wincing again.

  A heat rose within my core that was near unbearable. I was hot to the point where for a moment I thought I'd need to undress myself to escape the flames pooling between my thighs.

  I panted, looking up at Vethari. Now I was forced beneath his arrogant gaze, his face was cold. He didn't smirk and exuded none of the exuberant amounts of cockiness as he had when he first appeared.

  "Let's keep this civil, shall we? I dislike being spoken to in such a manner. Never in my hundreds of years of life would I allow a human to talk to a high fae as such."

  He bent over a bit, watching me as I shook, trying to keep myself together instead of giving in to the creeping instinct trying to consume me.

  "With only the tiniest bead of fascination, I can amplify the magnitude of your desire thousands of times over. I saw that attraction in you to seek me out, to speak to an actual fae instead of those storybooks you read. But human girl, with that bead of lust, I can make you experience different desire for me."

  As he said that, I sensed an intense pulsating, throbbing feeling in my center, and I gasped. Unable to get any words out of my mouth. Tears crept into the inner corners of my eyes from the sheer immensity of pleasure that flowed over me. It thrummed in my blood, each quick beat of my heart making it all the more unbearable.

  "If you'd like, I can stop. Unless the sensation's too sweet. I'm sure you've experienced nothing this pleasurable before."

  "Nnn ..." I moaned as the intense feelings of need faded away. In seconds, they had disappeared. I breathed in deep, finally able to cease my panting. He stared at me unfazed.

  Blasé.

  "How did you ... why did you ..." I still couldn't formulate sentences.

  "That was fun for you, wasn't it? I'm sure no human man has made you feel such a way."

  "How dare you!" I seethed, shakily rising to my feet. I faltered, grasping onto him, leaning against the fae for support. My knees seemed to be unable to stop quivering as they knocked together.

  Vethari clicked his tongue, unmoved, "You humans are too high-strung with your sexuality. Relax. Indulge."

  I made a move to pull away from him but found myself unable to. As embarrassed and fearful as I was, that last tingle of pleasure still danced around in my thoughts.

  No matter how much I wanted to deny it, what he made me feel was intense. Amazing, and I didn't want to leave his presence yet. As I looked back into those pools of silver, Vethari grew closer to me. Our noses but a hair's breadth apart.

  "Will you come to this beast, now?"

  I hated how he talked to me, but he was right. That drive, that pull, whatever he did to make me drunk with desire was still there, embedded in the back of my mind. Even still, I had to know something first.

  I hesitated, "Can I trust you?"

  He grinned, those sharp teeth glistening in the still flickering light.

  "If you choose to, you can. But I can offer you something much better than trust, my new friend." He leaned back, his lips moving though no sound emitted from them. Within the middle of us, a small bracelet of glass beads warped into view in a small flash of light. I caught it before it fell to the ground.

  "What's this?" I stared at it. The piece of jewelry was simple and understated.

  "A present. You can come to me by using it if you wish. And you can return home just the same. Choose carefully when you do, you've only a couple of uses."

  I continued to study it for a moment before Vethari grabbed it from my palms, taking it into his own hands and sliding it over my wrist.

  "I'll be seeing you soon."

  I could say nothing more, only watching him as he winked. The flames that lit the interior of the chamber all seemed to blow out by a large gust of wind that came from nowhere.

  "Now, wake up."

  I awoke in a sweat, panting heavily as I sat up from the bed. I ran a hand over my face and peered around. I wasn't in that prison-like cell, I was still in my room. I was safe and sound. But it had seemed so real. I still smelled the heavy scent of mildew, the cold breeze that floated across from a perpetual draft.

  I shook my head, gently standing from my bed, though my legs still seemed to shake. As I rubbed my eyes, that's when I saw it. What wasn't there when I had gone to sleep.

  I jangled the bracelet affixed to my wrist, the beads feeling cold against my skin. I counted the small glass globes curiously. One, two, three, four, five, six.

  "How does this work?" I pouted, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger.

  Use your imagination.

  The chuckling in my head sent a shiver down my spine.

  13

  I sat down the spoon I had been slurping my brunch with. A wonderful arrangement of porridge, honey, and dates. I snuck a glance at my father sitting down from the dining room table from myself, at the end—or head—of it. He was dipping his quill in the inkpot close to his hand, jotting notes down on a parchment while eating honey cakes with his other hand.

  It wasn't often we were around at the same time for us to share a breakfast meal, but today was one of those few days. He had said he wanted to speak with me, but the entire duration of our eating together was in silence. So, I cleared my throat and tried initiating conversation.

  "You seem like you'll be rather busy today, Father. What are you working on?" I inquired, trying to seem at least a little piqued in his work. The crumbs fell from his lips and onto his beard. He set down the last bite of cake he had to wipe it
away, swatting the pieces of bread out of his facial hair with a lack of gusto.

  "I'm working on a new proposal for the church. I'm thinking of expanding our searches further outward to continue our search for more Hartwood."

  I shrugged, staring at the now lukewarm oats that grew more unappetizing.

  "Sounds ... interesting."

  Father wheezed as he sat down the quill on the table, wiping his hands off with the damp cloth napkin that sat in a small dish in front of him.

  "It's what keeps you in lovely clothes and pays for your mother's medical care."

  I wanted to roll my eyes out of my skull. Like he even cared about mother. He kept her alive to maintain an image of being a caring man despite her illness and health. I knew the truth though. This conversation was already putting ire into my heart, so I tried to end what I started.

  "May I be excused?"

  "There is one small issue I need to speak to you about." My heart raced at his words.

  "What is it, Father?" I asked, my fingertips were tapping against my knees under the table, trying to work out the nerves that swarmed over me.

  "It's about Alphonse."

  I made a face, "What of him?"

  "You are out of your teens now, and his father and I have been discussing the possibilities of holding your wedding before he leaves to train as a Templar. It's been nearly half a month since Father Acaba announced him a hero at the gallows. His time here is short, and I think it good to discuss when a ceremony should be held."

  I wanted to scream, but instead I grabbed the bowl and pushed my seat back in, "Can we please discuss this another time. I'm not feeling so well. It must be the porridge."

  "Penelope, I don't think you realize the short time that we have to plan this!" he called, but I pretended to not hear him as I rushed towards the kitchen where James had been standing next to the cook. I never talked to her much, I think her name was Lilliana. She was chopping meats on the center counter of the kitchen as I walked past her and sat my used dish on the adjacent counter. I didn't want to interrupt her with conversation either, so I left and trotted back up to my room.

  I closed the door, making sure to lock it behind me as I sauntered to my bed, staring at the four dainty glass beads that hung from the bracelet. My lips pursed as I plopped down, rolling one of the globes around. Did I want to do this? So soon?

  I tucked my skirts underneath my legs, pulling my knees up to lay more comfortably onto the bedding rather than its wooden frame.

  The glass beadwork of the bracelet seemed to hum with energy as the early noon sunlight reflected off its surface. I raised the clear bead to eye level, rolling it between two fingers of my opposite as a bit of tension built up inside of me. With a quick glance at the door, reassuring myself I had locked it, I breathed in and out several times to steel myself and calm my nerves. Counting in my head to prepare myself.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  I pressed with all my might on that one bead I had, and it cracked with painful ease. It didn't dissipate into a myriad of glittering sparkles, like faerie dust. Instead breaking into small jagged shards of glass that embedded themselves deep into my fingers.

  At last, a rush came over me. My hair I had left down today swat at my face, flying above my head from some unknown force of air. I moved to block it from my eyes when that sinking feeling overcame me again.

  In seconds, I was gone from the bright daylight peeking in slightly through my window to utter darkness. Rewarded with a hard slam onto my rear end amidst darkness.

  "Oof!" I grunted, my butt now taking the stinging of pain away from my fingers. I winced as I moved to lean upwards and stand, rubbing my bottom to rid it of pain as I peered around.

  Nothing but cold hard stone.

  The familiar blue lighting of the torches placed on the walls lit at once, just as last time I had arrived within my dream.

  I glanced about for the missing fae before I noticed the bale of hay in the corner. The straws had been strewn across the floor, looking to be something like a makeshift bed for him to sleep on. And he was laying upon the stale straw, his arms placed upward above his head, straight in his shackles.

  "I was wondering when you'd come to see me. It was getting boring talking with these priests." He smirked, though it seemed more forced than the first time we'd met. I must have made a face at this observation as he frowned, looking away from me where he laid down.

  "You look ill," I told him. This was true. It'd only been days, and he seemed to have been suffering from sickness for months. Though I'm not sure what was making me so worried about him suddenly, I still felt sympathy for him.

  I took a tentative step towards the fae, gauging his reaction to my approach. He seemed not to care, so I continued until I was closer to his makeshift bed, sitting myself down upon my knees and tucking my skirts underneath them.

  With a sigh, I brought my hands to rest atop of my thighs rather than grasping the chiseled lining of his sharp jaw within my palm. If I touched him, I wasn't sure what would happen. So, I opted to give him a closer look with my hands to myself.

  "Like what you see?" His silvery eyes rested on my face, though there was no smile nor smirk to accompany his sarcasm.

  There were dark circles on his pallid face. His skin still seemed to hold an unnatural glow even in the darkness, but it didn't seem to draw you in the way it did at the gallows. The energy he had seemed to diminish.

  The ease of which he sat before me seemed strained. Forced, even.

  "Is it the iron?" I asked, my heart softening seeing him nowhere near as hardened as before. This poor creature, this hurting faerie.

  The lingering silence let me know he wouldn't answer outright, so I asked differently, "I thought fae were immortal."

  "We are not," he sighed, "It's a combination of many elements, or lack thereof." Vethari shrugged.

  I pouted at him, "Must your kind always speak in riddles and rhymes?"

  He chuckled, his pupils briefly darting around my face and taking it in. At least I got a laugh out of him. Vethari groaned as he moved to sit up, placing his fastened arms into his lap with care to avoid the iron shackles from touching his skin.

  "Would we be any fun if we didn't?"

  I smiled, giving him a side eye. Despite his sick appearance, he still had a handsomeness about him that was surreal. My heart skipped as I focused my gaze into his, "How do I get you to answer me properly, then?"

  His head tilted, leaning in closer towards me.

  "Maybe you're not asking the right questions."

  "I'm here, Vethari. I did as you wished and returned to you, so what are we to do now that I'm graced with your presence."

  "I told you true, I only desire your company. Though it is I who am graced with an opportunity to interact with a human of such succulence."

  A blush crept over me, the warmth coming to my face forcing me to break eye contact and instead look about the cold prison cell. There was naught but emptiness aside from the piss pot in the corner and the hay he slept upon. The smell of mildew was prevalent, and a small dripping of water from a crack in the wall. How a creature could survive in such conditions were beyond me.

  "This must be different to the accommodations you're used to, isn't it?" I finally said.

  "Indeed so," he stretched his sore legs out in front of him, "It is much more beautiful in the woods."

  Even if he wasn't as kind and helpful as the conventional faeries I'd read in my mother's books, this man; nay this creature, was still fae. He didn't belong here in confines underground. Every essence of him was a part of nature, where he belonged.

  "It must hurt being here, away from your friends and family."

  "I appreciate your empathy, but it's unnecessary."

  I bit my lip. Did that offend him? Then the thought hit me. He was the one who wanted to come here in the first place. Why would he subject himself to this torture. Empathy unnecessary, indeed!

  "Why i
n the hells did you want to come here? Why are you even still here? I'm sure you could magic your way out the same way you came to me in my dreams."

  Vethari stared at me. No emotion or facial twitch to tell what he was thinking or feeling. He spoke with a blank face, "I have ulterior motives if you couldn't tell."

  "How honest of you. Do those motives include an attempt on the heart of a human girl?" I scoffed, trying my best to hide a smile that wanted to show. He pulled the left corner of his mouth to the side, "I can keep talking in circles if that's more to your liking."

  Before I could retort, he spoke over me.

  "I have a proposition." He started as he turned his hips further towards me, facing me. He swung a leg up and placed it on my lap in a callous manner. I had to tighten the muscles in my arms to prevent myself from slapping him out of instinct. He had a lack of proper etiquette. Though I'm sure his life in the wild kept him from learning how to behave, so I would let it slide for now.

  "To keep things more interesting?" I asked.

  Vethari clicked his tongue in approval, his eyelids lowering, "For every question you ask, I want something in return."

  His voice was low, sultry, and I touched my face. The heat that radiated from it still was embarrassing.

  "Like what?" I stuttered, trying to recover by staring at him straight in the eyes. "A favor or two. Perhaps I'll ask you questions of my own." His bound arms bent upwards at the elbow. Before I noticed, both his hands were placed on either of my cheeks, the look on his face unreadable as he closed the gap slightly between our noses.

  "Or perhaps I want you. Just a taste."

  My eyes grew in shock of a man saying such words, and I pushed myself away from him against his bare chest. With no surprise, I moved nowhere from his solid frame, though his hands left my face.

  "Ahh, the innocence of humans. It is amusing." Vethari grinned, wiping an imaginary tear from the inner corner of his eyes awkwardly, "So do you accept my offer?"

  I nodded, without even giving it much thought. I wanted to move away from him right now before I made an idiotic decision. The urge to place my hands further upon his shapely muscles building up at that one touch to usher him away.