Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Connal held zero trust for the little pixie pet who’d claimed his eldest brother as her protector.
After this insult to his pride, Connal doubted he ever would.
Avaneel’s instincts must be mistaken. Nothing remotely threatening appeared to be in this goddess-forsaken location.
She’d dragged them here for nothing. Besides, what creature would dare attack this strange human port of air?
And more importantly, why would a human require such a thing?
It seemed like hundreds, if not thousands, of them bustled through the place, eager to explore every inch of the glass and metal monstrosity.
Fires of Cnoc Si Ghabhna, Connal would rather explore the gaping maw of a riftwyrm than spend one more second in the echoing halls of the human travel center.
If the sigil on his wrist hadn’t glowed upon their arrival, giving at least some credence to the pixie’s claim, Connal would have abandoned the mission as another example of their magic not working correctly in the human realm.
Due to the immense size of the port of air, Connal and his brothers separated.
Connal remained on high alert, even if he doubted Avaneel’s assurance that something of fae origin lurked in this strange place.
It didn’t help that their King Consort forbade all weaponry when he learned of their new mission.
Connal hated being without his blades. Besides, he’d never seen a port that wasn’t swarming with all sorts of unsavory characters. Why would the human port of air be any different?
A loud voice, no doubt magically enhanced, boomed through the port. Attention passengers, Flight 1723 to Detroit is currently boarding at gate B23.
Humans were such odd creatures. Why would they board a gate?
Then again, humans and logic weren’t exactly kinfolk, as far as Connal could tell.
He still hadn’t gotten over the water demon that was not a demon at all.
They had to have loud screeching vehicles to carry water?
And why call it a fire truck when it spewed water? It made no sense at all.
Then again, humans didn’t have the ability to fly or use magical portals. At least they had some place to gather for their traveling needs. Perhaps they needed to congregate in the glass and metal structures to conjure enough power to transport each other?
Pitiful creatures.
Connal couldn’t imagine a life without magic at his fingertips.
He'd seen what happened to fae forced to live in the human realm too long.
Cut off from the fae realm, their magic slowly withered away.
It was a slow, insidious death of everything that made them fae, and one of the harshest punishments the Queen could inflict.
Well, perhaps "death" wasn't entirely accurate. They lived on, stripped of the very thing that filled their veins with joy. As far as Connal knew, there were only two ways to escape that fate. A fae whose fated mate was human retained their magic. The chances were slim, but it could happen.
Luckily, the Queen, in all her gracious wisdom, granted a boon when she sealed the fae realm from the human one.
She joined her power with that of their Goddess, the Lady of the Lake, to create a new Unseelie Realm hidden within the human realm.
Any fae who pledged their loyalty to King Silenus could live under his protection, restoring the magic drained by life among humans.
The process was slower than returning to the fae realm itself, but it was enough to survive.
Wise Queen Orfhlaith's strength and grace would be remembered for eons.
Statues would be built in her honor, and poems would be sung of her boundless generosity.
Many feasts would celebrate such thoughtful compassion for those under her reign.
What a sacrifice she'd made, even for the fae she'd cast aside.
Connal would also honor his queen by continuing the mission she’d given him and his brothers.
They would find what the thief had stolen and keep it safe in their care until such a time as she was able to reopen the realm.
If that meant Connal had to spend hours in this confounded port of air, he would do so with a happy heart.
Mostly happy.
Okay, not particularly happy at all, but Connal would carry out his mission with an honorable heart.
Connal scanned the many humans streaming through the port. The glow of his sigil had dimmed many minutes before, but Connal stayed true to his mission. Something had drawn them here, and the mischievous Avaneel had confirmed the presence of magic in the area.
If this was another of her pixie pranks, he would…Connal growled under his breath…do nothing. Zer’s wrath wasn’t worth the hassle.
Damned pixies.
Damned humans.
Damned ports of air!
Out of the corner of his eye, Connal caught a glimpse of a man floating down the magical moving staircase. Humans couldn’t fly, but they could enchant stairs. Confounding.
But this human—
Connal’s stomach fluttered in a way it hadn’t since he’d faced his first battle against a Dullahan. The headless beast fought with a dragon’s spine as its whip, and Connal had taken a few hits before he’d taken the beast down.
His heart pounded and heat rose from his middle to his neck. The annoying sounds in the airport dimmed, replaced by the staccato thumping of his heart.
What was this? Was this the magic they sought? Did the port of air have some strange human power Connal hadn’t uncovered?
Connal glanced to his sigil, but it remained dim. He quickly raised his gaze once more and found the man who’d captured his attention. He appeared human, without the telltale glow of magic other fae possessed. Connal couldn’t look away.
Then, the man reached the bottom of the floating steps. Connal had never witnessed such beauty, such perfection in male form, such—
The man moved his eyes, so subtly none other than a warrior of Connal’s immense skill would have noticed.
Was that the slightest flash of fear? The look disappeared before Connal could attempt another interpretation.
Humans truly were confounding, even if they contained beauty richer than the sands of the Lady’s lake.
Connal’s protective instincts flared to life.
He must protect this human, must fix whatever problem he faced, must slay whatever put that look into his perfect green eyes.
Connal started toward the man, holding back a purr of satisfaction when his human looked around again.
This time, his look was one of curiosity, not fear.
Good. He had no need to be concerned with Connal at his side. In fact, his human would never fear again.
Before Connal could reach him, though, his human moved, flowing into the crowd surrounding them. Not even one bumped into him as he made his way through one of the many long tunnels that led out of the port of air.
Unlike Connal, who nearly lost a toe when a group of women wearing strangely shaped dagger shoes stepped on his foot.
One glared at him, barking some obscenity or other.
Connal once more withheld a growl—the Consort assured him that humans didn’t respond to the sound with the sense of fear it should have conveyed.
Damned humans.
As if some ridiculously pointed shoe dagger would have any chance against Connal. One, the weapon was in plain sight, and quite frankly, looked extremely painful to wear. Two, the straps that held it in place meant by the time the woman reached for her weapon, Connal would have already struck.
Connal moved her aside, ignoring her squawk of displeasure, and followed his human.
A scent caught his nose, so clear amidst the normal overwhelming aromas of sweat and perfumes the humans usually exuded.
No, this one was sweet, musky, perfect. And he’d slipped into one of the many taverns in the port of air.
It was as if he’d read his mind. Connal wouldn’t mind a nice pint of ale. Then his human glanced around again, his gaze taking in their surroundings differently from the other humans Connal had encountered.
The look triggered Connal’s need to protect even further. Something in that sweet yet intense look alerted him to danger in their surroundings. Connal didn’t have to understand it to know it as true. Then, praise to the Goddess, his human’s gaze landed on Connal.
And stopped.
Connal smiled, unable to help himself. Of course, his human would be able to pick him out of the crowd. He was safety in a world of danger. What impeccable instincts this glorious man possessed. Connal paused at the thought, then hesitated for a moment.
Was this magic?
Could he be under a spell?
If so, he would never hear the end of it from his brothers. But no, surely his sigil would warn him of such danger.
His human returned his smile, and Connal’s heart pounded. Before Connal could find his breath, the gorgeous man stood before him, the sweet scent of him surrounding Connal in its bliss.
“Hello, hu—err, man.”
His human’s smile widened. “Hey, man.”
His voice was a song, a balm to Connal’s warrior heart, a…wait, his words implied Connal was a simple human. Connal grunted. He was no mere man. He was a warrior of the Queen’s Guard, feared by many and revered by many more. His feats were legendary.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“Why would a cat…” Connal froze when his human’s smile brightened. Humor flashed in his eyes, as if they held the magic of the realm in their depths.
Why would such a thought even cross his mind?
Had he turned into a romantic sap spending so much time around the King and his Consort?
Silenus and Cosmo were besotted with each other and clearly their condition was being transmitted like one of the so-called viruses Connal heard ran rampant among the humans.
“You aren’t from around here, are you?”
Connal shook his head. “Would a cat actually….no, it’s ridiculous to think such a thing.”
His human laughed.
Connal shuddered. “Your eyes are as beautiful as the Aenc Sul.”
“Is that a good thing?”