Chapter 14
REDVYR
The gods hated me. That was the only explanation. I stared at the red-haired beauty across the campfire, her face soft and sweet in sleep. When she was awake, her defiance and wickedly alluring eyes had my body hard and my temper at a feverish pitch.
I’d purposely set my furs on the opposite side of the campfire to keep her at a distance. This burning desire was becoming a monster I couldn’t tame.
Then there was what my chief and closest friend had said.
I looked over at Bezaliel, a giant lump in the furs next to his female and child.
Of all the fucking things for him to say to me, that she was meant to be mine by the gods.
That she was my mate, and that I should take her to my bed to find out.
Fucking bastard. Now that was all I could think about.
For a beast fae, there was only one way to know if a lover was your gods-given mate.
And though I longed to bury my cock inside her, that wasn’t an option.
I had a feeling that if I did, I’d never let her go back to her own kind, whether she wanted to stay or not.
A few of the clan accepted her, but they all knew it was a temporary situation. Many didn’t want her with us at all, she was too much of an outsider. It wasn’t like she was a wraith or shadow fae, a dark fae who needed our help. She was a princess skald fae from a kingdom far away.
Her brow pinched in her sleep. Her hand twitched.
The council deemed she would go at the end of winter. If I took her for a lover, I wouldn’t let her go. I would defy the council. But worse than that. It would lead to my ruin in so many ways.
First, it would prevent me from finding my own mate.
It would also make me more like my father, keeping a woman who didn’t belong to me.
I knew that led to heartache, not just for myself but for the entire clan.
I refused to repeat the wrongs of my father, to repeat a tragic history that has damned my family name.
The only reason I was chief was because I’d beat all opponents, and I’d pledged that I would never be my father, that I would not disappoint the clan but help it to rise above my father’s failings.
Only over time had I proven that pledge true. And here I was, staring at this sorceress across the fire who seduced me even in her sleep.
She twitched again, this time crying out. She was having a nightmare. I contemplated whether to wake her, but considering I slept without wearing any clothes, I wasn’t about to do that. It would only be more of a nightmare for her, I imagined.
Suddenly, she gasped and jolted awake, sitting up and breathing quickly.
I didn’t say a word, hoping she’d simply lay back down and go to sleep.
She turned her head and found me. Blinking awake, she shimmied out of her bedroll, wearing that ungodly thin gown she called a chemise.
Picking up her furs, she walked around the campfire, stepping softly over Leifkyn who didn’t move a muscle.
Without even looking at me, she unrolled her furs next to mine.
Though the embers were merely red coals, I could see her body far too well beneath the thin material of her nightgown.
Not that my cock needed any encouragement.
He’d been at attention from the moment I saw her swimming in that pool, for fuck’s sake.
She wiggled into her furs, facing me, but closed her eyes and sighed.
I considered asking her what she was doing, why she needed to move herself so close to me, but then she’d likely become angry and snap at me with a hundred questions, the worst being, why don’t you want me near you.
I wasn’t about to start lying to the woman, and telling her the truth would be madness.
Heaving a sigh of my own, I spoke in a low voice. “What did you dream of?”
Her lips pursed, her eyes opening to slits, finding mine in the dark. “That I was that fae on trial in Hellamir,” she whispered. “That I was being burned at the stake before a cheering crowd.”
My entire body tensed at the thought and at the fear shaking her voice. “It was a dream. Nothing more.”
“For me, yes. But he’s done it before. I know he has.” She sniffed, curling farther into her furs. “And he’ll do it again.”
I rolled to my back, staring up at the stars. I couldn’t look at her. “You are speaking of Gael.” I was no longer going to give him the title of lord. There was nothing noble about this light fae prick of Mevia.
“Yes.” Her voice was so small. It stirred my anger.
“How do you know this?”
“I just do. I can’t explain how.”
“Part of your witchcraft?” I turned my head to see her reaction.
She tilted her head up, frowning, until she caught my smile. “It’s not funny.”
“Why isn’t it?”
“Because that moon fae from Naevhail Glen was targeted as a witch. Any female who holds rare or unusual magick is deemed a witch by some imbecile in charge.”
Her defiance and strength were back. I hummed in approval.
“But beast fae have no magick. So any female with magick is a witch in my eyes.”
She stared at me then arched a brow. “Are you teasing me?”
“Yes.”
She huffed and rolled to her back, a small smile curling her pretty mouth.
“You’re an idiot.”
I couldn’t stop from laughing. “Please tell me why.”
“If that were the truth, then Lorelyn, your seer, would be considered a witch.”
“Who says we don’t consider her one? My question,” I stopped her before she could snap at me again, keeping my gaze on the glittering stars, “is why you believe the word witch, or witchcraft, is something terrible. Perhaps, we revere it.”
She was quiet, but she shifted her body. She was staring at me again, likely wondering if I was teasing her again or telling the truth.
“Do you?” she asked softly.
Rolling to my side to face her, I shifted up onto my elbow and forearm. “Do I what?”
“Do you revere magick?” She leaned up on her elbow, mirroring me. The line of her delicate neck was utterly beguiling, drawing my gaze.
“Of course I do.”
She went silent again.
“Does that surprise you?” I asked.
“Yes. But I’m glad to hear it. I thought it would make you sad.”
“Because I have none?” I smirked. “I have never had, it so there is no loss to feel when it comes to magick. I am content living my life without what the other fae have.”
She pushed up, sitting straight, her face closer to mine, a serious expression tightening her face.
“You do have magick though, Redvyr. It may not be the same kind that I have or even the other dark fae. But I see it, in the way you lead your people, the way you treat them, protect them. And in the way you treat strangers.”
“I was not kind to you,” I reminded her, my heart galloping faster at her praise.
“You were, actually. You could’ve left me in the snow and moved on. But you killed that poor deer and tried to feed me.” She laughed, and my heart falling further into the wonder that was Jessamine.
“All my efforts were for nothing.”
“Not for nothing.” She reached over and put her hand on mine which rested on the edge of my furs.
“You have been far kinder to me than,” her voice broke, and she shook it off with another light laugh, “than my own family. Than most nobility I’ve known, who were born and bred to be civil and compassionate.
You’ve shown more care for me than anyone I’ve ever met. ”
Gods in the heavens and all of the hells, save me from this torment.
She removed her hand and laid back down, tucking herself under the furs again. I couldn’t respond to her little speech. Either she was still delirious from her dream, maybe even half-crazed because all she’d eaten was cheese and bread and jam since I found her, or…
Or she was telling the truth, and that is what she sincerely thought of me.
“You best get some sleep,” I commanded gruffly, needing to be rid of all these damned, soft feelings. “We have one more day of travel to Ghasta Vale. Then we’ll be hosting a visit from King Goll.”
“What?” she nearly shrieked.
“Quiet. You’ll wake the others.”
“Why will we be getting a visit from King Goll?” she whisper-yelled.
“Because of the threat Gael has made public in Hellamir. He’s rallying men in his favor to start a rebellion. Or rather, he has already started one. King Goll is the king of Lumeria now as well as Northgall. He needs to know.”
“How soon will he come, do you think?”
“I sent Hallizel to his castle, Windolek, after supper. He could be here in a day or two. It depends if that sprite goes directly to Windolek or if she gets distracted along her way.”
“Goddess above, I’ll never get any sleep now.”
“Looking forward to meeting the wraith king, princess?”
“No. I’ve heard he’s terrible and violent. And he was the one I was supposed to…”
The mere thought of her approaching Goll with her syrenskyn glow, naked and luminescent, had a growl rumbling from my belly up my throat.
“Don’t worry. He’s no more terrible or violent than I am.”
She huffed a laugh and snuggled deeper in her furs, muffling, “Goodnight, Red.”
I smiled. She must’ve heard Bezaliel call me that earlier. “Sleep well, Jessa.”
She sighed contentedly and drifted off much sooner than I’d thought she would.
As for me, I lay awake staring at the stars, wondering why the gods would bestow this challenge on me.
Having her near me was torture, but the thought of her leaving me was a worse agony. One I already knew I couldn’t bear.
It must’ve been near dawn before I finally fell asleep.