Instantly memories of Ceridwen raced through my mind—picnics in the glen, hours of kissing as our hands raced over each other, tender promises made about how we’d share our future together, quiet moments, longing glances, and a love so strong it burned between us.
I gasped as the images tore through my head, ripping my heart to shreds. What did I do? I cheated on my beautiful Ceridwen, made love, and became bonded to another. I broke every promise I ever gave her—broke it all for a girl I barely knew.
I stared at Eirian. “You did enchant me.” It was a statement, one I was daring her to deny. “Otherwise I would’ve never gone through with all of this. You made me forget her.”
“I did,” she muttered softly, looking down to where her hands twisted together in her shift.
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t think you would want to be with me when you found out we were bonded. The first time I kissed you, I wiped your memories of Ceridwen away, so your heart would be free to love me instead.”
Spying my clothing folded neatly on the bench that was beside her, I threw the coverlet off and strode toward her.
“But you didn’t free my heart. You only buried what was there so I couldn’t feel it properly.” I grabbed my trousers and began putting them on. “Trust me when I say, I can feel everything just fine now. I’ve betrayed everything I ever promised to the girl I love!”
She winced at my sharp words, her tears falling freely now. “What are you doing?” she asked, her lower lip quivering.
I groaned at the sight, and my first reaction was to take her in my arms and kiss those lips. I quickly brushed that aside. There was no way I was going to allow her to manipulate me like this anymore.
“Just quit with your magic, will you?” I practically shouted. “I won’t be falling prey to your wiles again!”
She had the gall to look shocked at my words, and her mouth flew open. “But . . . ”
“I do not want to hear what you have to say anymore, Eirian.”
She moaned, and her eyes filled with hurt at my callous use of her name.
As soon as my boots were on, I turned for the door that led outside.
She stood and hurried after me. “Where are you going?”
“That’s none of your concern.” I reached for the knob and she placed her hand over mine, stilling it.
“I know you are angry—I would be too—but you need to be aware that you can’t leave Faery. As long as you are bonded to me, you are bonded to this realm as well.”
“Let me guess, there’s no way to break the bond, is there?”
She looked dreadfully hurt, and again I felt a stab of regret for my brusque remarks.
When she didn’t answer, I continued on a little softer. “I need some time away from you, so I can think. When you’re around, I feel confused.”
She removed her hand and stepped away from the door. “Then, please, take your time, but try to stay on the palace grounds. Though there is protective magic set up throughout the land, here is the only place in Faery that is truly safe from the Blood Wraiths.”
“Blood Wraiths?” I questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
“There is much I still need to tell you about Faery, Bran—when you are ready to hear more.”
I gritted my teeth against the use of my name, my body enjoying the traitorous reaction. I chose not to reply, instead leaving through the door and moving out onto the steps.
The castle was set upon a high hill at the mouth of a canyon that flowed with numerous waterfalls spilling over the edges from the lush forest that lined the rims. I could see for miles and miles.
“Where does the castle-land end?” I asked.
“The boundaries are clearly marked—you will know them when you see them.” She pointed. “If you wish, follow that path there. It will take you down into the canyon, to the area I first took you last night. I find it a comfortable place to sit and ponder.”
I knew she was trying to be helpful and make up for her mistakes. I could still see the guilt eating away at her—in her eyes and the way she held herself. She knew what she’d done was wrong, but she chose to do it anyway.
“That path there?” I nodded in the direction she’d just shown me.
“Yes.” She smiled softly.
“Perfect.”
I continued down the steps, and when I reached where the pathway forked, I looked over my shoulder to see if she was still watching.
She was, of course, and I tossed her a cynical grin before purposefully heading in the opposite direction she’d suggested.
There was no way I was going to let her control me any more.
Chapter Four
I don’t know how I managed it, but I still ended up in the place she suggested. Either I’d become totally unobservant and walked in a circle, or she’d anticipated me wanting to contradict her and had told me the other way just to get me to come in this direction.
Whichever it was didn’t matter. Both situations made me even angrier.
I stomped over to where the blossomed branches of the ancient tree were parted and made my way inside and found a soft lounging bench complete with pillows. Flopping down, I rested my elbows on my knees and shoved my hands into my hair, cursing slightly.
What had I done? Better yet, what could I do to fix it? I wanted to call myself every stupid name I could think of. People always warned of messing with the Fae, but I didn’t want to listen. I was mesmerized by the tales of them—always wanting to know more. Even Fergus had warned me before I left on this adventure.
Fergus. It was the first time I’d thought of him or the rest of my family. I wondered if they were frantic with worry. Would they be out searching for me?
I snorted, doubting it. They were all probably passed out from the honey mead somewhere. Knowing my luck, they wouldn’t realize I was gone for another whole day.
Ceridwen—her name came easily to my mind and with it a wave of memories and feelings that twisted at my heart. I almost felt panicky, like a prisoner in a cage. The thought of never seeing her again was excruciating and made me long for escape. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair, and kiss her breathless as she clung to me. I couldn’t count the nights I’d lain awake, dreaming of the time I could finally make her mine and start our lives together. She was all I ever wanted.
I wondered if there was a way for me to leave this place. Eirian said it was impossible while I was bonded. I believed her, knowing she couldn’t lie about things like that. Was there a way to break a bond? I’d assumed, because of the magic, it was infinite. Was it? Or was Eirian withholding something from me?
I growled in frustration. Even if I could flee, what could I say to Ceridwen that could fix this? There was nothing. She’d hear my story and be repulsed—forever doubting my honor. I could only imagine how I’d feel if she came and told me something like this had happened to her. I would be devastated—unable to recover.
On second thought, maybe it was best if they all thought me missing. Wouldn’t it be better for Ceridwen to think I’d been carried off by some wild animal, or killed in an accident, than to find out her love had willingly bonded and lain with another?
I groaned. Thinking of Eirian brought a whole new set of problems. I might not know her very well, but there was an abundance of physical attraction there. I was fairly certain—given my current state of anger at the situation—that I’d been released from all enchantment, too. That wasn’t a good thing considering I could feel my body reacting to even the thought her.
What was it about her that seemed so familiar? Why did I loathe the idea of losing her as much as I did Ceridwen? It didn’t make any sense.
I lay back onto the bench, placing an arm over my eyes. Eirian’s image floated there, and I sighed, realizing I already knew every part of her, almost as well as I knew myself. I wanted to be angry, but if I was being truthful, there was a closeness I felt with her that I’d never experienced with anyone else. That troubled me. I didn’t want to
be in love with someone who had tricked me.
Love? I almost choked and openly scoffed at the idea. There was no way I could ever fall in love with Eirian. Not after what she did. She betrayed my trust. I wasn’t sure how to learn to love someone like that. Things of that nature only happened in faerytales.
I laughed wryly at the irony. It seemed a faerytale was exactly what I was stuck in.
I got up and left the area under the tree, and walked to where the water from the river lapped the shore. I searched for a pebble, acquiring several, before I sat down in the tall grasses and began tossing them one by one into the shimmering surface. I could barely hear them hit the water though; the sound being drowned out by the waterfalls that tumbled down the rock faces farther down the canyon.
It was beautiful here; something my eyes had never dreamed of beholding. If I were ever able to go home, I would be sad to never see this place again. It was magical—part of a dream come true.
In all honesty, I wished I could share this place with my loved ones. My mother would be completely excited to know this existed. I don’t know what my father would think. His eyes used to light up when he told his tale of seeing the Fae in his youth; how he spied on them in the glen while they were dancing, unaware of his presence. But there was also a solemnity about him, as if such things should never be taken lightly. He never encouraged me to be frivolous in my thoughts concerning the Fae, nor did he build them up to be sought after. He just told his story and that was that.
I knew there were some people who didn’t want to believe him. They were determined to undermine the truth of his tale, but they couldn’t really refute him since he was known as one of the most honest and noble men in the area. He was too well respected. I wondered what advice he would give me about this situation.
Just considering that gave me the answer I needed. I sighed, part of me not wanting to acknowledge what he would say. I sat in silence, trying not to think about anything for a few moments while I came to terms with the new direction I would be heading.
I would be staying with Eirian and making the best of my current situation. Whether I’d been tricked or not, I was still responsible for the choices I had made. I’d chosen to seek out the Fae. I’d accepted her offer to dance, even knowing my heart was given to another. I’d kissed her, bonded with her, and consummated that bond. It was time to be the man my father had raised and accept my responsibilities in this new life and world I found myself. I would honor my family by being honorable.
It was the right choice, I knew, because even though it caused me heartache, peacefulness came upon making it. My heart still hurt over the idea of never seeing my family, or Fergus, and giving up Ceridwen completely. I felt awful knowing they would think I’d died some terrible death, and it would cause them all pain. I wished there was some way I could keep that from happening.
Maybe there was. I would ask Eirian if there was anything she could do for them—something to erase the hurt that my choice would cause.
As if thinking of her had conjured her up, she suddenly appeared down the shoreline from where I was. She wasn’t looking at me; instead, staring out into the water with a sorrowful expression. She was wearing a pale blue dress, and her hair was unbound in loose flowing waves. She paused at a tree near the water’s edge, leaning back against it as she stared wistfully out at the scene before her.
I was drawn toward her, feeling the need to apologize for my earlier outburst. She’d agreed to be honest, and I berated her because of it. There may have been some enchantment involved on her part, but I felt just as guilty. If we were going to have any kind of life together, I needed to try and fix things with her now.
Quietly, I rose and made my way toward her. I was sure she knew I was approaching, but she didn’t make any movement to acknowledge it. I continued until I was only a few feet from her, and she turned her head to stare at me softly with her big blue eyes.
“I love you,” she spoke.
It was all she said, but I was frozen to the spot, unable to look away from her dreamy gaze. We stayed that way for several long moments.
“Why?” I finally managed to choke out, and her lips curled ever-so-slightly into a smile.
“I’ve watched you for a long time. I fell in love with you long before I began setting the plan in motion to call you here.” Her eyes never left me, and I could see her emotions in the depths of them.
“How long have you watched me?” I swallowed, wondering what I’d ever done to capture the attention of a girl like her.
She sighed. “Since you were born.”
Wait. What? I was confused. “How is that possible?” I asked.
She smiled. “I’m much older than you are.”
I laughed. “Is that so? Because you look younger.” I’d wager she was around sixteen or seventeen summers.
“I’ve looked this way for the past two hundred years.”
“Two hundred years?” I couldn’t help my skeptical glance.
“Time works a little differently here than it does in your realm. It passes quicker for us, though we age in appearance much more slowly.”
I moved closer, not even trying to comprehend her remark. My glance traveled over her perfect form and back up to her beautiful face. “Well, time looks good on you then.” I turned away, looking out over the water. “Before you tell me anymore, I just want you to know I’m staying. I know you said I couldn’t leave Faery since we are bonded. You probably think there is no chance of me leaving, but I want to tell you that I’m choosing to stay—of my own free will this time.” I paused, searching her face. “It is of my own free will, right? You haven’t done any enchanting again?”
She looked happy as she shook her head in denial. “Your will is your own.”
There was a moment of silence between us as her reassurances sunk in.
“Then please, continue on with your story. Time moves differently in Faery,” I reminded her.
I couldn’t stop looking at her, suddenly feeling very content with my decision to stay. All I wanted to do was talk and get to know her better.
Experiencing a sudden urge, I swept her off her feet and carried her toward the hidden bench under the tree. She laughed in surprise and wrapped her arms around my neck. I caught a whiff of her sweet scent and my mouth watered. I swear I seriously had the urge to bite her, she smelled so good.
“Time moves differently in Faery, and that has allowed me to watch you grow from a child into the young man you are today,” she continued on.
“And that didn’t scare you off?” I chuckled as I ducked through the opening in the branches, and let her slide to her feet.
“Not at all. You were interesting. It was fun to watch you grow, and see what you would do. For whatever reason, I realized one day that I’d gone from being interested to caring for you, and that eventually grew into a longing. I knew the day would come when I was expected to take a mate, and I knew I wanted it to be you.”
“Why not mate with another Fae? You’re royalty here in this realm, are you not? Why would your people let you mate with a commoner like me?”
She shrugged, turning away and going to sit on the bench. “My people love humans. They encourage us to mate with them regularly. It’s actually beneficial to our bloodline.”
“Really? How come?” I leaned against the tree trunk, crossing my arms as I stared.
“The children that come from those relationships are much stronger than normal Fae children.”
“That’s interesting. I wonder why?”
“It has to do with the mixing of human and Fae blood during mating. I don’t know all the particulars, but I know it works.”
Something she’d said caught my attention and I couldn’t let it go. “Mixing of blood—what do you mean exactly? How is the blood mixed?”
She looked a little uncomfortable, and she glanced down, drawing with her finger on the padded bench. “I’ve consumed your blood before.” She glanced up, her face reddening slightly.
>
“That’s right. You’ve bitten me, I remember. It made me sleepy, but it was also very . . . it felt very good.”
“It’s supposed to. It’s binding us together even more. You’ve had my blood as well.”
Now I was confused. “I have?” I tried to remember ever biting her, but nothing came to mind.
“Yes. You probably don’t remember the first time since you were quite incoherent. It was also mixed in the drink I gave you this morning.”
Ah, the sweet tasting liquid I couldn’t get enough of. “That explains my craving, but why have me consume your blood?”
She really blushed this time. “It helps to prepare our bodies.”
“Prepare us for what?”
“For the final sealing of our union.”
I wasn’t grasping whatever it was she was trying to tell me. “Can you elaborate a little more?”
“It prepares me to receive you.”
I laughed. “I thought you already had.”
“No. I mean yes, we have done that, but this will help to ensure what you give me is not rejected by my body. It will recognize your contribution as part of its own.”
“My contribution?”
She stared at me while my mind scrambled to understand what she was saying. Finally the pieces clicked into place. “Oh. You want to have my baby.”
Chapter Five
I didn’t know why, but the thought both excited and terrified me. My emotions suddenly jumbled all together, and I had a difficult time sorting them.
“Is there a reason you want to rush into this right away? We have all the time in the world to start a family. Why not just get to know each other better first?”
She smiled slightly. “It is the custom of my people. Getting with child immediately shows the value of the relationship. It marks it as good and healthy. If a Fae does not conceive early on, she will be shunned by her people, and even her husband can leave her for not producing his heir.”