Enchanted Hearts

  Chapter Two

  Aithne

  The cool water against my skin felt luxurious. Skimming my hands through the crystal clear liquid, my mind wasn’t on the matter of relaxing or enjoying the last few moments of freedom before I returned to my chores. No, my entire being focused on the man I knew was standing hidden within the tree line.

  I knew if I turned all I’d see was the abundant greenery that grew around the village. Farnsworth Forest was as mysterious as it was beautiful and offered my home protection from the marauding thieves who liked to prey on innocent people. Rumors were plentiful—old wives tales about the Fae and how they also shared the woods. Depending on the person, most of the village regarded it as pure nonsense and superstition.

  Not me. I believed. I may not have been able to see the man who watched me from a distance, but I could feel him. His stare caused my skin to tingle with awareness. I should feel threatened, scared even, but it excited me.

  Dressed only in the light fabric of my simple shift, the sun warmed me and calmed my soul as much as sitting in the shallowness of the cool river soothed the tired ache in my muscles. A daily swim as a reward for the day’s hard work was one of my favorite rituals. But as refreshing as it was, it was soon surpassed by something even more favored.

  Him—the male hidden within the shadows. Always watching. Never speaking.

  He was the source of many day dreams and the focus of many wild fancies at night. Would he flee if I suddenly stood and searched for him? Or would he come forward and reveal his identity? He was a constant presence in my thoughts, and although I knew he was within reach, something held me back.

  Being the object of such scrutiny was an intoxicating feeling. For what seemed like the hundredth time since I first became of aware of him, I prayed he would finally leave the safety of the shade. My mind told me the mysterious observer was just one of the local boys too afraid to approach me. But my heart whispered he was Fae—one of the gentle folk, the Tuatha de Daanan.

  Leaning backward on my elbows, I closed my eyes as my head tilted toward the sky. Strands of my hair floated in the water as the sound of the trickling river’s current filled the air. Every now and then a small fish nibbled at my submerged toes and caused me to laugh. All the while, I knew his gaze never left me.

  A noise startled me. Darting out of the water, my hands automatically moved in an attempt to maintain some semblance of modesty. I scanned the area looking for the source. Everything was as it should be, but something told me he came.

  Not knowing where to look, my senses heightened as I turned around in circles. Goosebumps covered my skin when I suddenly knew where he was. Instinctively I turned and gaped when I finally beheld him, my hands stifling the gasp of surprise. It was as though the world stilled.

  He was magnificent, and he was staring at me with such intent. I didn’t think as I uttered the first thing that entered my mind.

  “Hello.”

  And with that one word I was lost.