“You mean she’s not awake yet? How is she ordering those guys around then?” I asked after wiping my tongue off with the back of my hand.
“With dreams,” the Eldest said. He gave me one of those looks that made me think that he suspected I was very dull indeed. I sighed and sat down on the floor.
Honestly, I didn’t know a whole lot about the Sidhe. That wasn’t my fault though. They were one of those mythical creatures that no one really liked to mention because to talk about them was to invite disaster. Even amongst the Dioscuri, mentioning the Sidhe was not done.
If the Sidhe were so scary you couldn’t even talk about them, how the hell was I supposed to track them down and save Kishi? I was twelve inches tall, and it wasn’t like I could go to the local gas station and ask for directions. What was I supposed to say anyway?
“So where are those that can’t be named, and how do I find them?” I asked feeling pleased because I had thought to refer to them that way.
The Eldest narrowed his eyes at me to show how little he was amused by my antics. “Once you destroy the Scáil, I will help you find your friend… and not a moment before,” he said.
He waved his hand, and a large tome appeared in it like, well, magic. Without another word, he thrust the volume at me. I took it from him and nearly screamed. My face stared back at me from the cover. It really was me. That wasn’t good… wasn’t good at all. I’d almost forgotten about Boppy and his silly stick figure prophecies, but now, with my own face looking at me, I was pretty sure he was right… even if he was a pretty terrible artist. That meant I’d have to face whatever horrible monster the prophecy referred to. I had not come here to do that. No, I’d just wanted my house repaired.
“That doesn’t look a thing like me,” I said, trying to hand the book back to him so I could go find Kishi, and resume our trip to find the pixies who were supposed to be fixing up my apartment.
“You know,” the Eldest said with a smirk, “that is exactly what it said you would do on the very first page.”
I glared at the tiny blue elf and rifled through the book. He was right, the first, and only, line in the book said “and she will make a joke about it not being her and try to give it back so she can go after her friend.” The rest of the book was completely blank. I snarled and turned it back to the first page and stared at it. More words appeared.
“If you’re reading this,” it said in flowing calligraphy, “then you are the prophesized one. These pages will fill in as you complete your tasks. Beware for they are innumerable and immeasurably difficult, but you will succeed… or die trying. Whatever works for you.”
“Why couldn’t you just tell me what I have to do?” I growled at the book.
“Because that would ruin all the fun,” it replied.
I slammed the book shut and glared at the Eldest. Of course, he would have a stupid book of prophecies that refused to actually give me useful information. Still, the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could get the pixies to repair my home.
“So what do I need to do first?” I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.
“Visit those who cannot be named and restore balance to Fairy.”
“Awesome,” I said, glaring at the Eldest. “And where might I visit them?”
“Oh that’s easy,” the Eldest said, spinning on his heel and gesturing at one of the other crystals. Images began to swirl inside of it, and as it did, a doorway appeared in its surface. “Just step through the gateway and you’ll be there lickity split.”
5
The Court of the Hot and Bright was, to put it mildly, hot and bright. Wavy lines of heat wafted off the giant, gilded door guarding the entrance. It was a massive thing, standing over twice my height, and I was instantly grateful I’d been returned to my full size by the Eldest.
Softball-sized rubies glittered along its silver-inlaid surface, but there didn’t seem to be any particular design to their placement. Rather, it seemed as though they were set into the door more as an afterthought meant to convey great opulence and wealth.
There were six guards total, three on either side of the door, clad in luminous golden armor from head to toe. Brilliant sapphires gleamed in place of the eyes, noses, and mouths on their Kabuki-esque masks. A large, coppery fin ran from the top of their heads down to the center of their backs.
Each one held a small, golden roundshield in the hand closest to the door and a long, silver spear in the other. Vivid blue and red feathers trailed from the spears’ hafts and, near as I could tell, the tips were encrusted with diamonds. Scabbarded short-swords were strapped to each of their legs, and I could just make out what looked like a crossbow slung over each shoulder.
“Well, you guys are certainly loaded for bear,” I muttered with my hands out in front of me in that universal, I mean no harm way. “I mean, here I am clad in only my underwear, and you guys are wearing full body armor. I feel like we are progressing some very bad female adventuring stereotypes.”
“Our lady wishes us to be prepared for all things. She did not dictate how you are to dress in her lands, Dioscuri,” said a voice behind me.
I whirled around to face another similarly dressed guard. The only difference was that this one was wearing a maroon cape that fell to his ankles. It was cinched tightly around his neck by a silver emerald-encrusted medallion.
“Good thing too. We don’t wear capes because this one time a Dioscuri got his cape caught on a doorknob, and the vampire he was after disemboweled him before he got himself untangled. Since then, we haven’t been allowed to wear loose-fitting clothing.” I grinned at him. “It’s why the Dioscuri fighting suit is skin tight.”
“Your chosen style of dress will not be very effective at defending you from attack,” he deadpanned with only the faintest hint of annoyance.
I glanced down at my barely-covered body, “I was wearing a bit more, but it was too hot,” I said with a sigh.
“So you took off all your clothes?” he asked.
“Pretty much.” A blush spread across my cheeks. Great. Now this guy was going to think the only thing keeping me from stripping down was a little sunshine.
“You should have known that the Queen of the Hot and Bright has decreed that only one layer of clothing can be worn in her lands,” he replied with a shrug.
My mouth opened slightly as I processed the info. I could put my chainmail or, better yet, since that would chafe, my enchanted overcoat back on. I narrowed my eyes at the guard.
“You’re not wearing anything under that armor, huh?” I asked.
“Layers are the domain of winter. Glistening, sun-kissed skin is the domain of summer,” he said and more annoyance crept into his voice.
The thought of going commando beneath my skimpy overcoat was a bit too stripper-esque for me. If only I’d known this prior to coming here. I could have put on one of the enchanted Dioscuri cat-suits or something. They were pretty much designed for exactly this situation…which was probably why we were required to wear them in the field. Instead, I’d come here in normal clothing. Man, if I had a nickel for every time I’d ignored orders put in place for my own good and regretted it… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be living in a crummy apartment, that’s for sure.
I glanced back at the guard and was glad I’d returned the prophecy book because I was relatively sure it’d say something like, “And Lillim had a long, pointless conversation with a red-caped guard where she learned information everyone and their mother knows.”
“So I heard that you guys arrested one of my friends. I’m here to bail her out. What do I need to do?” I said, smiling and batting my eyelashes in a somewhat pathetic attempt to use my feminine wiles. I was really going to have to get better at the whole charm thing. Maybe when this was over I’d ask Kishi for some pointers.
“You convince the Prince of the Burning Ash to give you an audience with the Magistrate,” he said.
“Okeydokey,” I replied with a shrug. “Where do I fi
nd him?”
The guard raised one gauntlet-covered hand and tapped his chest with his index finger. “I’m right here,” he said.
“You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me,” I snapped before I could stop myself, and I got the feeling that the Prince’s eyes were narrowing beneath his mask. “You aren’t going to just be a nice guy and take me to the magistrate, are you?”
“No,” he said and waved one of his hands in a bored gesture. “It is my job to keep riffraff from entering our gilded halls. Besides, you are hardly dressed for the occasion.”
“Well, unfortunately, I left my ball gown with my other pair of panties,” I said, glaring at him.
“A ball gown would be perfect. If you had one of those I would let you in.” His head nodded toward me. “I have just the thing,” he added, sweeping past me to the door. It opened, sliding upward into the archway above without a sound before thundering back into place behind him.
“Swell,” I murmured to myself. I didn’t exactly relish the idea of letting some stranger pick out a dress for me, especially since I’d never worn anything formal before. Would I look good in it? Then again, anything would be better than walking around in my underwear, right? Wait… I was going to be wearing a dress without panties? Isn’t that how bad romance novels and late night television shows start?
The Prince returned a few minutes later carrying a shimmering, blue-sequined dress that reminded me of a mermaid. I could almost envision myself wearing it, which I guess was the idea. Something about the dress made me think that it would hug my body in just the right way to make me look as good as possible given my non-Kishi proportions.
“A gift for you,” he said holding the garment out to me.
“Wait a second… aren’t you not supposed to accept gifts from fairies? I’m pretty sure that’s a rule,” I said, eyeing the dress carefully.
“It won’t be a gift if you provide me with something of equal value.” His voice held an edge of surprise to it, as though he didn’t expect me to know Fairy 101. Then again, given our situations, I suppose he had a reason to think I was a little dull.
“You can see quite clearly that I have virtually nothing on my person. What do you expect me to give you?” I asked.
“A kiss.”
“You expect me to kiss you?” I squawked. A blush rushed across my face as I stepped back from him in disgust. “I don’t even know you, buddy.”
“If it’s because you think I’m ugly beneath this mask, then let me assure you that will not be a problem.” He reached up and pulled his helmet off. Silver hair cascaded down to his ankles in a shimmering wave as he shook his head, tucking the helmet beneath his arm. How did that much hair fit beneath his helmet?
He took a step toward me, eyes gleaming like silver coins with flecks of sapphire and emerald. The Prince of The Burning Ash smiled at me, and it was like the first rays of sunlight following a storm. I swallowed, my mouth having suddenly gone dry as he leaned down toward me. His lips were so full, so lush, that for a moment, I wondered what they would feel like pressed to mine.
“We can’t… I can’t kiss you,” I whispered, and the words sounded pathetic even to me. “I have a boyfriend.”
“I won’t tell him if you won’t.” His voice was like warm honey on my lips, like silk brushing along on my skin. It wrapped me up and dragged me down with it.
“Still…” I murmured, but it was getting a little hard to think. “Still I don’t… I don’t…”
“The lady doth protest too much.” He pressed his lips against mine and warmth spread outward through my body in a wave. The taste of him was like melting chocolate. My knees shook as things tightened low inside me. The smell of roses filled me as I leaned forward, wrapped my arms around him, and pulled him into me.
He stepped back, breaking the kiss so suddenly that I staggered forward slightly dazed as he held the dress out to me. I looked at it in his hand, and for the life of me, couldn’t figure out what he was doing.
“What’s that for?” I asked, and my voice was low and husky.
“For you to wear inside.” He grinned at me, his perfect teeth flashing like little stars. “You need something to leave on the floor by my bed.”
6
Following the Prince of the Burning Ash through the gilded halls of the Court of the Bright and Hot was a bad idea, but I wasn’t quite sure why. He had changed out of his armor and was now wearing a silver tunic that fell to mid-thigh. It left his toned arms and legs pretty much bare. The tight muscles rippled beneath his flesh as he moved. His skin had that suntanned look that usually meant long days at the beach, but I suspected his coloring covered the entirety of his body… even places untouched by the sun.
He held my hand in his, and the feel of him made me want to leap on him and ride him to the floor. All I could think about was pressing my body against his, but I hadn’t done it… yet. I wasn’t that kind of girl, and even though I really wanted to be that girl, I didn’t want him to think I was that kind of girl.
My dress swished around me, casting blue-green sparkles about me like silver fish flitting beneath the waves as I padded down the long, silver corridor after him. I ran one hand through my hair, brushing a stray lock back behind my ear. The Prince had asked me to unbind my hair, and it now fell to just below my shoulders in a wash of lavender.
I wasn’t wearing anything beneath the outfit, which was good because it fit me like a second skin, tight in all the right places and pushing other things into more pleasing positions. I didn’t know how the fabric managed to work its magic, but I was definitely keeping this thing when I went back home.
Home.
I had to return home. Where was that? Where was my home? I knew it wasn’t here, but I wasn’t quite sure where else it could be. I shut my eyes for a moment and tried to concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing. I came here for something… right?
“What is it, love?” The Prince’s voice trailed across my flesh like satin ribbons, sending shivers down my spine and making me almost lose my balance.
“N-nothing,” I stammered, opening my eyes. He was peering at me, silver eyes sparkling, mouth cocked into a smirk.
My heart felt like it was going to jump through my chest, and without thinking, I covered it with my hand. A wry grin spread across his mouth as he watched the movement, eyes flitting back and forth.
“Are you sure it isn’t something?” he asked, reaching forward with his free hand and placing it over mine. Heat washed over me, and I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. His hand squeezed mine, not hard, but just enough to press my fingers around my sensitive, dress-covered flesh.
“I… I don’t remember.” I shut my eyes as a blush turned my cheeks crimson. His hand slid up over the top of my hand so that his fingertips rested against the bare skin above my neckline. It took everything in me not to tell him to move his hand lower, to move beneath the fabric.
His breath was warm on my neck, sending little tingles dancing across my flesh. His lips touched mine as his other hand cupped my chin, turning my head to him. The taste of raspberries and rich cream filled my mouth as I leaned into him, my free hand kneading into his back. He was so warm, even beneath the thin grey fabric of his tunic.
The feel of his hand slipping lower, fingertips just disappearing under the neckline of the dress made me moan into his mouth
“Please…” I murmured my voice throaty and low.
“Please what?” he asked. His breath was hot against my neck as his lips touched my skin. Things in me tightened, and my knees went a little weak as I nearly fell into him.
“Please… not here…” I said, though I wasn’t quite sure how because everything in me wanted him to edge his hand lower and touch me like no one ever had. “Not like this… not for the first time.”
He pulled back so suddenly that I stumbled and fell to the floor at his feet. A look of horror crossed his face. “You mean… you’re a virgin?”
I nodded, looking up at him, w
orried that he wouldn’t want me anymore. No… no he had to want me. I reached out to him touching the smooth, tan flesh of his thigh with my hand. “It’s okay. I’ve done things in my past life. I remember what to do,” I said, smiling up at him, running my hand farther up his thigh until it was just below the hem of his tunic.
He stepped back and pushed my hand away. “No, you don’t understand.” He gulped and a tremor shook him. His silver eyes were open wide with fear.
“It’s okay,” I said, rising to my feet and reaching out to touch his face. “I want you to be my first.” Even saying the words made me feel a little… dirty. Why did I want him so badly? I stopped. My fingers inches from his face and shook my head slowly. I hadn’t slept with anyone… not Joshua, and not Caleb.
Caleb.
I should be saying something like this, doing something like this, with Caleb. Not some random person I didn’t even know. If I wanted someone to be my first, shouldn’t it be my boyfriend? Shouldn’t everything we’ve been doing have been done with my boyfriend?
I tilted my head to the side, staring at the beautiful face before me as the Prince took a hesitant step back. I was pretty sure good girls didn’t kiss men who were not their boyfriends. I was also pretty sure I was a good girl. So why was I about to do a whole lot more with a guy I’d met less than ten minutes ago?
“I’m not normally like this.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Something wasn’t right. Not at all. As I tried to figure out exactly what was wrong, I found my mind mushy and blank. “What did you do to me?”
“Nothing!” he screamed before turning and sprinting away from me down the corridor.
I watched him go and while part of me was relieved, part of me was really angry. Did that guy just run away so he didn’t have to have sex with me? Had that really just happened? No, surely not.
The urge for someone to help me filled me up, and as I looked around for someone, I realized I had someone with me, someone who could help me.
The Lillim Callina Chronicles: Volumes 1-3 Page 43