by Karen Lynch
She smiled wistfully. “Violet and I have already talked, and we both know this has to end. I am going home to Seelie when she returns to her movie. This is our last week together, and we plan to make the most of the time we have left.”
My throat tightened. “She didn’t tell me.”
“I am not surprised. She loves you and does not want you to worry.” As if sensing Violet’s presence, Lorelle looked in the direction she’d gone. “She is a beautiful person.”
I followed her gaze to Violet, who beamed at us as she made her way back to our table. Tonight, she wore a jade green Fae dress – a gift from Lorelle – that fit her like a second skin and drew admiring looks from everyone she passed. She looked every bit the celebrity she was on the verge of becoming.
Lorelle stepped toward Violet when she reached us and took her hand. Without a word, she led Violet to the dance floor, and they began a slow, sensual dance, completely lost in each other. They looked so perfect together. It was cruel of fate to let them find each other only to tear them apart.
I averted my eyes because it felt like an intrusion to watch them like this. My gaze swept the club and landed on a dark-haired man on the other side of the dance floor who was watching me. He smiled when our eyes met, and I looked away because I didn’t want to encourage him. I was here to spend time with Violet and to try to forget the one male I thought about way too much.
My phone vibrated from my tiny purse. Unlike Va’sha, Navi didn’t prohibit phones or cameras, except on the VIP level. It was one of the reasons I’d chosen this club. Less privacy meant less chance of running into high profile celebrities and certain Fae royals. Cowardly, maybe, but I didn’t think my heart was ready to see Lukas with someone.
Pulling out my phone, I was surprised to see Tennin’s name on the screen. I hadn’t seen or heard from him since the day he took photos of Lukas and me. That felt like a lifetime ago. I’d called him weeks ago to tell him I was sorry about what happened to his friend Angela, but his voice mail said he was in Faerie. Why on earth was he calling me at this hour?
“Tennin, hi. It’s so great to hear from you.”
“Jesse, listen to me very carefully,” he said in a voice that was all business. “Go to the VIP section of the club. The stairs are behind you to your left.”
“What are you talking about? Are you here?” I craned my neck to search the crowded club for him.
“Yes. Don’t ask questions. I’ll explain when I meet you up there.”
Something in his tone told me to do as he said. “What about Violet?”
“I’ll bring her to you,” he said. “Go. Now.”
“Okay.” I grabbed my purse and stepped back from the table just as I spotted the man who’d caught my eye approaching. He looked harmless enough, but Tennin’s call had unnerved me. I gave the man a curt smile to discourage him and turned toward the stairs to the VIP section.
“Jesse James?” someone called in a friendly, disarming voice.
Hearing my name made me stop abruptly and frown over my shoulder at the man. Did I know him from somewhere?
His smile broadened. He was a good-looking guy, mid-twenties, nice eyes. There was nothing exceptional about him, but I would have remembered if I’d met him before.
“Mark Jansen.” He held out a hand, which I took out of politeness, a second before he blindsided me with his next words. “So, Jesse, how do you feel since your conversion?”
I stared at him. “W-what?”
He flashed a press ID. “I’m with The Fae Chronicle, and my readers want to know all about you. Who did your conversion? Are they here with you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Excuse me. I need to –”
A camera flashed in front of my eyes. It was followed by a second and then a third.
“Jesse, have you been to Faerie yet?” someone yelled.
“How did you survive the conversion?”
“Why did they change the rules for you?”
“Is it true your Fae lover changed you so you could be together?”
“Who is he, Jesse? Is he here with you tonight?”
The questions came at me rapid-fire from all sides, punctuated by the blinding camera flashes. I shielded my eyes with my arm, but it was impossible to see through the throng of paparazzi surrounding me. Panic choked me, and I tried to back away, but escape was blocked from all sides.
A few paps shouted angry words at someone who shoved past them. I jerked when an arm was thrown across my shoulders.
“Stay close. I’ll get you out of here,” Tennin said in my ear.
I clung to him like a lifeline as he tried to push through the mob. His fellow paps weren’t having it, swearing at him and calling him a traitor. Tennin was unfazed by their insults and didn’t falter, even when one of them snatched his camera and threw it to the floor. This was insane. Why wasn’t the club’s security doing something to help us?
Two paps directly in our path suddenly disappeared as if they’d been picked up by a strong wind. The rest backed off with expressions that ranged from fear to excitement. I saw the reason for their reactions when three of Prince Rhys’s stone-faced personal guards appeared before us. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or unhappy to see them.
“Come with us,” growled Bayard, the blond, fearsome head of Prince Rhys’s security.
The other two guards took up positions behind us, and they ushered us through the crowds of paparazzi and onlookers to the VIP section. The muscled security guy at the bottom of the stairs took one look at us and moved aside to let us pass. I stayed glued to Tennin as we ascended the stairs, acutely aware of the hundreds of eyes following us.
At the top, people scurried out of our way, making it easy to see Prince Rhys and his two other guards waiting for us at a corner booth. As soon as we reached him, the five guards formed a scowling wall between us and the rest of the club.
“Jesse, are you okay?” the prince asked. “Did they harm you?”
“I-I’m fine.” My legs felt like rubber. How did celebrities deal with that every day?
I took some deep breaths to regain my composure. Tennin kept his arm around me, and I was grateful for his solid presence.
“She’s a little overwhelmed,” he said. “Thank you for your assistance.”
Prince Rhys looked at my savior as if noticing him for the first time. “Tennin, right? Aren’t you a paparazzo as well?”
Tennin laughed. “When it suits me. Jesse is a friend of mine, and her welfare is more important than a few photos.”
The prince nodded approvingly. “Jesse chooses her friends well.”
My phone rang, and I blew out a breath when I saw it was Violet.
“Jesse? Jesse, can you hear me?” she yelled when I answered. I had no trouble hearing her over the background noise.
“Calm down, Vi,” I said with more composure than I felt. “I’m okay.”
“Oh, thank God! Where are you? I couldn’t get to you, and then you were gone.”
I grimaced at the panic in her voice. “My friend Tennin and Prince Rhys’s guard got me away. I’m upstairs in the VIP section. Can you and Lorelle meet us up here?”
She huffed loudly. “Yes. As soon as I give these asshole paps a piece of my mind. They don’t know who they’re messing with.” There was a slight scuffle followed by Violet’s muffled, “That’s right. I’m talking to you.”
I rubbed my temple. “Vi, please don’t start a fight with the paparazzi.” But she’d hung up.
Tennin and Prince Rhys laughed, and my glower did nothing to stop them. I turned to push through the guards, but Tennin put up an arm to block me.
“You are not going down there,” he said firmly. “I’ll get your friend for you.”
“You’ve never even met her. She won’t listen to you.”
He grinned. “I can be very persuasive, and I’m the best one to deal with that mob down there.”
He had a point. I stepped back, and he tapped one
of the guards on the back to let him pass. As soon as he was gone, I realized I was alone with Prince Rhys – my brother – for the first time since I’d learned his real identity. I had no idea how to talk to him now, and I was afraid of saying something I shouldn’t.
“Please, sit.” He waved at the plush leather couch behind me. “Would you like something to drink?”
“I’d rather stand, but water would be nice.” The initial shock of the incident was wearing off, and embarrassment was setting in. I couldn’t believe I’d gotten so frazzled because of a few paparazzi. Those guys would run screaming if they came face-to-face with some of the things I’d seen. It was a good thing Faolin hadn’t been here to witness this. He’d never let me forget it.
Prince Rhys poured a glass of water from a carafe on a small table and handed it to me. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I guess it had to come out eventually.” I’d wondered what it would be like when the press got wind of it, but this was worse than what I had imagined.
“When I first came to this realm, the cameras and shouts were disconcerting,” he admitted. “I still don’t like them, but my guards shield me from the worst of it.”
“As a prince, you must be used to being in the public eye at court.”
He smiled. “Yes, but we have no cameras in Faerie. And no one there would dare to shout at the crown prince that way.”
“You have a point.” I relaxed a little and sipped my water.
“I have a confession to make,” he said. “I’ve been hoping we would run into each other, although I wish it had been under different circumstances.”
My fingers tightened around the glass. “Oh?”
“I enjoyed meeting your father very much, and I’ve been reading the books he recommended to me. I’d love to talk to him again and hear more of his bounty hunting stories.” Prince Rhys sighed. “I cannot explain it, but you are the only people in this realm with whom I feel a real connection.”
I tried to think of a response, but I had nothing. Was it possible for someone to be drawn to the family they didn’t know existed? What would he say if he knew the truth?
“Now I’ve made you uncomfortable.” His smile fell, and his expression turned sheepish. “I won’t impose on you and your family. It would not be appropriate for me to seek out a new Unseelie faerie.”
Bayard gave a low snort, reminding us Prince Rhys had done exactly that a week after I’d come home. Something told me the head of security was the real reason the prince hadn’t come to call on us again.
My ears picked up a small commotion from the other side of the VIP section. I could feel tension build in the wall of guards blocking us from view, and my first thought was that some of the paparazzi had managed to sneak upstairs. I braced myself for a confrontation, but not for the arrival of the last person I expected to see.
When the guards parted to let Lukas through, I took an involuntary step backward. I hadn’t been this close to him since the day he’d brought me home, and his presence was almost overpowering. The hard set of his jaw didn’t help. I couldn’t tell if he was angry at me, Prince Rhys, the paps, or all of the above.
“Rhys.” Lukas gave a head tilt in acknowledgement. “Thank you for coming to the rescue of my ward.”
His ward? What was I – ten years old? I glared at him, but he either didn’t notice or he didn’t care.
“I am glad I could help,” Prince Rhys said without any of the arrogance he’d had the last time I’d seen the two of them together. “The paparazzi were quite aggressive with her.”
Lukas’s gaze finally met mine. “Did they hurt you?”
“No.” I bristled under his demanding tone. “How did you know about it?”
“Tennin called me.”
I pressed my lips together. My favorite photog and I were going to have words later.
“Come. Let’s get you out of here.” Lukas took my arm in a firm grip, and I nearly jumped at the spark of electricity that shot through me. I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t going anywhere with him, but his whole countenance said this wasn’t up for negotiation. The last thing I needed was to create another spectacle, so I held my tongue. For now.
I smiled tightly at Prince Rhys. “Thank you for your help.”
He started to extend a hand toward me and dropped it. “Anytime, Jesse. However, you might want to avoid the paparazzi for a while.”
“She will,” Lukas said before I could reply. I clenched my jaw so I didn’t embarrass myself by telling him he wasn’t the boss of me.
Prince Rhys’s guards moved aside to let us pass, and I wasn’t surprised to see Conlan and Faolin waiting for us. I expected us to walk to the stairs, but Lukas steered me toward a door on this level.
I walked with my head up, pretending not to be aware that every person in this section was staring at us, but it was impossible not to hear the whispers. They all wanted to know about the new faerie who clearly had more than a passing acquaintance with the Seelie prince. One comment about the sexual nature of our relationship was so ugly that only my pride kept me from breaking into a run.
Lukas made a sound deep in his chest, and the whispers died as people averted their eyes. He opened the door and ushered me into a small private lounge with white leather couches. I expected Conlan and Faolin to join us, but they took up positions outside the door. As the door shut behind us, I felt a moment of panic at being alone with Lukas. For over a month I’d thought of all the things I’d say to him if I saw him again, but I couldn’t remember a single one of them.
Instead of sitting on one of the couches, he held up his hands and murmured a few Fae words. Within seconds, the air shimmered as a portal began to form.
“What are you doing?”
“We can’t exactly leave by the front exit.” He lowered his hands, and I saw what looked like a stone wall beyond.
I took a step back. “What about Violet? I can’t leave without her.”
“Violet is with Tennin and Lorelle. They will protect her from the paparazzi.”
“Who will protect the paps from Violet?” I could imagine my best friend unloading on the mob of photographers.
Lukas chuckled and pressed a hand to my back. The next thing I knew, we were in an open stone courtyard filled with flowering vines and a view of glittering stars in a dark sky. I didn’t have time to wonder at the fact that there were stars in Faerie before another portal opened and we were in the living room of his Williamsburg building.
I whirled on him as the portal closed. “I thought you were taking me home.”
“I will. First, we need to talk.” He walked toward the kitchen, tossing his jacket onto one of the bar stools. “Would you like something to drink?”
I threw up my arms. “Oh, now you want to talk?”
He poured a glass of ghillie juice from a carafe on the counter and brought it to me. When I didn’t take it, he sighed softly.
“I know you’re hurt and angry with me, and I’m sorry.”
“I’m not hurt.” I snatched the glass from his hand and went to sit in a chair. I forgot I was wearing a dress and had to hurriedly adjust it when the blue material slid precariously up my thighs.
He took the chair across from me. “You are, and you have every right to feel that way. You’ve been through a traumatic experience, and I should have been there for you.”
My chest squeezed, and I looked away from the sincerity in his eyes. Only pride kept me from asking why he hadn’t been there and why he’d finally shown up tonight. If he told me he’d come to the club for me out of obligation, I wasn’t sure my heart could take it.
“Do you know how many successful Fae conversions there have been?” he asked.
“Nineteen.” I frowned at him. What did that have to do with anything?
“Twenty,” he corrected me with a smile. “Out of billions of humans, only twenty have become Fae, and it’s been a learning experience for us as well as the new faeries. We’ve made some mist
akes, but most have settled happily into their new lives.”
I met his eyes directly as a tiny knot formed in my gut. “Most?”
“The first two faeries had trouble adjusting, and they formed a deep attachment with the one who performed the conversion.”
I relaxed a little. “They were children, so it makes sense that they would bond with the faerie.”
“Yes, but these were not normal, healthy bonds. The children became attached to the point of obsession. They followed the adults who converted them everywhere and became distraught and inconsolable when separated from them. It was like a drug addiction that caused severe withdrawal symptoms.”
I sucked in a breath. “Are you saying that’s going to happen to me?”
“No. I would never allow that.” He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “I’m telling you this so you’ll understand why you haven’t seen or heard from me until now. After I brought you home, my father’s advisors warned me of the consequences of not staying away from you during the first month of your adjustment. Even the sound of my voice could have affected you, which is why I never called you.”
I remembered the night I saw him across the street in Manhattan and the strange physical pull I’d felt toward him. A shiver went through me. That had been a brief encounter from a distance. How powerful would the attraction have been if I’d had normal contact with him? The thought of having no control over my mind or body, of having an unnatural bond with anyone, terrified me.
“What about Conlan and Faris and the others? They’ve been to see me multiple times, and it didn’t affect me.”
Lukas shook his head. “They took part in your conversion, but we used my blood.”
“Your blood…is in me?” I stared at him. The conversion process was so secret that no human knew what it entailed. I had no recollection of it because I had been close to death when it happened.
“My blood is the strongest,” he said matter-of-factly.
This was too much. I got up to pace the room. “You couldn’t tell me any of this before? You let me think…”