Five

by Christie Rich

I stretched long and languorous. The sultry scent of sandalwood filled the air. Birdsong wafted around me. I yawned. How long had I slept?

  My arms prickled in the cool evening breeze. When I reached for the covers, my exposed thighs slid over satin.

  “Let me,” Luke said softly.

  I bolted upright. The top of my head was only a foot from the fabric ensconced ceiling. My jeans and sweater were gone. When I shifted to scowl at him, a glittering spaghetti strap fell from my shoulder. I yanked it up. His gaze traveled over my bare legs. I pulled the hem of the barely-there nightgown he had apparently put me in toward my ankles. “How dare you!”

  An innocent expression slid across his face. He smiled boyishly. “I have not done what you have imagined, although I hope to one day—”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re a pervert.” I rummaged under the sheets. The entire carriage was a bed. I was not staying here like this. “Where are my clothes?”

  He stiffened, obviously offended. “I have not molested you in any way regardless of how much I wanted to.”

  “Yeah, right. Who undressed me? Your invisible servants?”

  He ran a hand through his wavy locks while his gaze roamed over my body.

  “Stop it!” I screeched. I clutched the covers to my chest, but it didn’t take away the feeling of being violated.

  Luke frowned at me as though I was the one with the problem. “You are a curious one. Most women crave this sort of attention.”

  I glanced over at him, trying to ignore the fact that his sculpted chest was bare. “I am not most women, and I don’t know a thing about you. You have no right to look at me that way.”

  His brows rose and fell before the teasing nature went out of his expression. “Very well.”

  He didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t even blink, but where silk and satin caressed my skin moments before now rested the comfort of cashmere and linen. Even though I was modestly covered now, I still felt exposed.

  He shrugged. “You see. I did not touch you; nor, to my dismay, did I see anything other than what you just did.” He smiled fully. “You, I think, might be worth the wait.”

  I glared at him. “Never going to happen.” It just hit me that I could actually see without any pain. I pulled the curtains back. The whole world was aglow, although it wasn’t what I had imagined: a land with no night.

  The atmosphere had been replaced by the dark stretches of space. The moon shone overhead surrounded by stars twinkling brightly in the sky above us.

  My cousin Travis painted his room black a couple of months ago. I know, weird. He had also scrawled strange designs all over his walls. He begged Aunt Grace for a black-light, and of course he got one. His room was pitch black except for the swirling patterns. I hated to admit that the effect was really cool. When the lights were off and the curtains closed, I had felt as though I were floating in space. This was like that, only way more awesome.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Luke whispered. He settled behind me, reaching around me to point at the stars. “See there? Orion’s belt.”

  This didn’t feel like Earth. Was he attempting to get me comfortable? That was not happening. “Why are we on a bed, Luke?”

  He chuckled. His soft breath sent a shiver through me. “I had nothing nefarious planned if that is what you have imagined. I thought you would rest more comfortably. You have been through much lately.” He brushed my hair back from my face. “I want to take care of you.”

  He sounded absolutely sincere. I wasn’t about to look at him.

  He tugged on my shoulder. “You are not fully recovered. You should sleep some more before tomorrow.”

  When I turned to scowl at him, his lips were inches from mine, inviting me. Why was he so beautiful? I scooted toward the back of the carriage. “What happens tomorrow?” I didn’t want to do it, but I yawned anyway.

  “I wish I knew for sure. Zach has claimed you. Jett has claimed you.” His cerulean gaze lowered. “I tried to bond with you, but that failed dismally.”

  I picked up a pillow and threw it at him. “You’re such a jerk. Why did you lie about it?”

  He sat opposite me, resting his back on the wall. His long legs stretched out next to mine. “Not once did I consider you might reject me. If I had known, I would have waited. I feared one of the others would try, so I took the opportunity when it presented itself. The bonding is not usually done outside of Lombarda, but it isn’t technically forbidden. The ritual is sacred to my people. We celebrate each and every union.”

  I shifted away from him slightly. A pained expression crossed his face, but he hid it quickly.

  I wasn’t going to feel guilty for protecting myself. “Why do you want me so badly?”

  He laughed. “I am no fool.”

  I blinked pointedly at him. “Not an answer.”

  He gave me a wary expression. I wasn’t the only one that was exhausted.

  “Although we have resided here for millennia, Altasians are considered newcomers. It wasn’t until our arrival that the fae achieved greatness. We changed it all, but they do not recognize this. We need your power to gain the respect we deserve.”

  I settled against some pillows. “So Faine followed one of your people into the borderlands?”

  He narrowed his eyes, studying me. “I am not sure how you know that name, but I was the one she followed. I was also the one she wanted, but she was given to another.”

  Given? Didn’t she get to choose either? “Who?”

  A cold façade replaced his previously neutral expression. “Jafan of Eldrea insisted the strongest from each nation be considered. We cast lots. Ammon of Eirie won that one.”

  Where had I heard the name Jafan before? “Why wouldn’t they let you have her? You found her.”

  He crossed his arms over his massive chest. His muscles bulged under his tight cable sweater.

  I gulped, studying him. My gaze locked with his.

  He smiled, flexing. I looked out the window, reminding myself it didn’t matter that I was attracted to him.

  He chuckled. “Gabriel gave us the sacred rights of the bonding ritual, but we did not fully comprehend what the connection would do to our power. Ammon was already one of the strongest of our kind, but he became more powerful than any fae. He never abused it, but none of us liked knowing he held an edge over us. That was when Tabitha suggested we start the tournament of lords.”

  “Like jousting and stuff?”

  He shook his head. “The elements are difficult for most of us to command fully although we practice daily. Every year, we compete. The strongest claims the right of the hunt. The rest get to choose from the crop.”

  I frowned at him. “What the heck is a crop?”

  “The Order provides a multitude of Elementals. All are eager for the bond. Some of us like the chase more than the idea of being in court again.”

  “That’s what you guys were doing when you found me?”

  He shifted his weight as though uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired, or if he didn’t want to discuss this with me. “We had been tracking an Elemental for some time when your energy sprang into existence. You were different. Ammon must have felt you, as well. He has not participated in the hunt for a very long time, although none of the lords in his land have ever been able to best him in the tournament. The only time any of them get a shot at the hunt is when Ammon is bonded.”

  I thought I knew, but I had to ask. “Which one of you is Ammon?”

  Luke’s eyes flew wide. “I had not realized I had used his given name. I should not have done so. Please don’t say anything.”

  I chuckled. “Relax. I was just curious. What’s the big deal?”

  “We have learned to adopt different names for protection.” He eyed me warily. “I should not be telling you this.”

  I gave him a sincere smile. He was being so open with me. I liked it. “Protection from what?”

  His shoulders stiffened before he looked me in the eyes. “I wil
l not discuss this further. I have already revealed too much.”

  “Fine,” I said, holding up my hands. “I understand. But why hasn’t Ammon been on the hunts with you?”

  He shook his head. “You would have to ask him that question.”

  I smirked. “That’s kind of hard to do when I don’t know who he is.”

  “Exactly.”

  Zach had to be Ammon, but I was still getting nowhere down the road of useful information. I wasn’t about to give up yet. “Is Jessica the Elemental you were tracking?”

  Luke stretched, his fingers curving against the tufted ceiling. He nodded. “She was hard to find. It took us longer than it should have.”

  Poor Jessica. She almost made it. To go nearly five years without being detected and then to be taken at the last minute anyway had to be horrible. It just wasn’t right. It was probably for the best that she didn’t seem to remember what she had lost. I hoped it would stay that way. I found myself getting angry again, but I tried to keep my tone from reflecting my emotions. “Why don’t you just take the Elementals that want to go with you? You said you have plenty to choose from.”

  Luke gave me a curious expression. He reached out and touched my leg lightly. “Those provided by the Order are dampened. They claim nothing is being done differently, but there has been a distinct difference in Elemental potency over the past century. It takes more bonded fae to accomplish our tasks.”

  “What are those exactly?”

  “I can’t discuss it with you now. You will learn first-hand soon enough anyway. I honestly don’t know why I have revealed what I have.”

  I did. He was trying to get me to trust him. And I was trying to not let it work. It was hard. There was way more depth to Luke than I had originally thought. Sure he had an agenda, but who didn’t?

  I had so many questions. Now if I could just figure out how to get him to answer them. I shifted slightly. We were nearly touching.

  He looked at me curiously. I smiled letting my eyelashes flutter. He frowned. I clearly wasn’t good at seduction.

  Luke caressed my leg. I had to stop myself from purring under his touch.

  He spoke softly. “What do you seek, Rayla? I will openly give you what I can.”

  I looked at him through my lashes then looked away because I just couldn’t stand to stare at him. “I sort of know how the Order came to be, but I don’t understand its purpose other than to give your people easy access to Elementals.”

  A cold expression crossed his face. “We should have never agreed to their terms. We didn’t see the harm until it was too late. Humans can be very useful to us, but they can also affect our power if we are not careful. As I told you, I have already seen a decline in our power that I am not sure we can fix.”

  Speaking of power. “Luke,” I interrupted. “What happened in the tunnel? Why did my hand light up like that?”

  He studied me longer than I was comfortable with. “I have never seen anything like it. I cannot tell you what happened because I don’t know myself.”

  I didn’t like his answer. He was hiding something from me. “If you had to guess?”

  He looked away from me. “Fae do not speculate.”

  “Try?” I reached out and touched his calf. “For me.”

  He sucked in a breath, gazing at the sheets. When he looked up, his eyes were intense. “I will if you promise to do something for me in return.”

  His expression was hard to measure. I couldn’t quite place it. “Okay,” I agreed. “But only within reason.”

  “Of course.” He smiled broadly as if he had just won a battle I hadn’t known we were waging.

  He looked down as he came toward me. His blond waves framed his softly glowing face. I didn’t want the distraction of him being this close to me. He glanced up, a teasing light shining in his eyes. “Don’t be nervous. I must be near you to show you the answer to your question.”

  I pulled my knees to my chest to get some kind of barrier between us. He was not acting like I had assumed he would. He sat cross-legged in front of me with his head cocked to the side and reached out a hand.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, rubbing my aching neck. What was he up to?

  His tone was commanding. “Rayla…” A puzzled expression slid across his features. “Are you sure that’s your right name?”

  I scoffed out a laugh. “It’s the only one I’ve ever had. Why?”

  He shook his head and smiled. “No matter. It feels odd on the tongue. I noticed the sensation when your friend gave us your name, but the subtle wrongness is magnified here.” He leaned forward and took my hand.

  His touch was soft, comforting. His expression was unguarded. The longing in his gaze made my heart ache. This man had genuine feelings for me.

  I looked away, and I heard him swallow. He released my fingers and sighed. I had hurt him. I knew it, but I couldn’t let myself fall for him too. Life was complicated enough.

  His voice drifted softly around me. “It will make more sense if you can feel this.”

  Why did it have to be Luke here with me? Any of the others would have been easier to fight. Even Zach. I was still mad at him.

  I studied Luke while he gazed out the window. A defeated expression hid under his casual facade. He looked over at me, smiling briefly. “Ready?”

  I missed his real smile. I nodded and held out my hand. His warm fingers encircled mine before his tropical gaze slammed into me. My skin tingled under his touch. A bubbling sensation flowed between us.

  Tiny specs of blue light streamed through the open window, swirling around us like a cosmic dust-storm. Every shade of blue I had ever seen or could ever imagine danced around me.

  A spicy scent filled the air. Soft and pleasing. Cedar and cinnamon? I couldn’t be sure.

  The illuminated stardust gathered between our hands. It tickled. My chest swelled with anticipation. Luke closed his eyes. His jaw was set firm but his body was relaxed.

  Power surged through my frame like a tidal wave. I swayed from the impact. Then the power coiled around my heart and ricocheted outward. Light exploded from my palm, radiant as a cloudless sky. Everything around me glowed. I giggled.

  At that moment I knew I could command a thunderstorm or a light drizzle. I could have made the clouds disappear. I could have filled up an entire desert with one thought.

  One thought. What if…? Cool snowflakes melted against my skin, sinking into my jeans.

  Luke grinned at me, blinking dime sized flakes from his shining eyes. “You’re a natural.” His voice held the rapture of a kid discovering the joys of eating ice cream. He leaned over and whispered, “Now, make them disappear.”

  I expected it to take effort, but with my command, they were gone—everything as it was before. Well not really. I wasn’t. “What else can I do?” I asked greedily.

  Luke chuckled. “You better not right now. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and using your power will drain you in the beginning.”

  I frowned. Was he telling me the truth, or did he want me to remain unaware of my potential?

  He touched my chin. “I would gladly spend the next millennia teaching you about who you are…showing you what you could do for your world and mine.”

  Oh yeah. I had forgotten about the chasm between us. It grew wider with every thought of home, of family, of Cassie, of Zach.

  Luke grunted, leaning into me, his face mere inches from mine. “Don’t leave me, Rayla.” His expression held a pain that tore at my heart. “Please. Give me a chance.”

  Where was the cocky lord I met in the gift shop? The man in front of me held no arrogance. If anything, he seemed meek at the moment. Almost human. And way more attractive than I was comfortable with.

  What was I doing? How could one heart feel so many things?

  He laced his fingers through my hair. His sigh tickled my lips. Why were they so dry? He gazed into my eyes for what seemed an eternity. The reflection I saw in them was not how I see myself. That girl could
do anything…be anything she wanted. She had the entire world at her command. She was queen of all. Capable and sure. If only I could be that person.

  His lips touched mine, the kiss of a fleeting hummingbird’s wing. He brushed my cheek and sat back. “That is who you are, Rayla.”

  I shook my head, looking away. I couldn’t live up to that image.

  Luke moved opposite me again. “You will see, in time.”

  I meant to glance at him, but our gazes locked. He studied me. I didn’t look away. There was no point. He had already seen what I didn’t want him to. I could tell from his expression. He knew I was vulnerable to him now.

  The carriage shifted under me. My stomach turned over as I fell. Luke had his arms around me in an instant.

  We sat next to each other on a velvet bench. I gazed up at him unsure what to make of what just happened.

  He grimaced as though embarrassed. “I should have warned you. We have much to discuss. Since you didn’t seem to want to lie down anymore, I thought this might be more comfortable.”

  I shifted away from him, and, to my relief, he released me. He moved back over to the opposite bench, pulling an ankle up to his knee. “I want you to know all of the facts before you make a final decision. The counsel is hung up on old traditions. They believe we have given humans too much knowledge. They think we should pull back.”

  I leaned against the wall, needing the support. “And you don’t.”

  His expression grew hungry. “It is in our best interest to work with humans. We should petition for integration. There is so much we can do to benefit one another.” He took a deep breath. “Humans dream of immortality without realizing the consequences of a state that has no growth. We live inert lives, Rayla. Humans could bring much needed change to my realm.”

  “But I thought you were forbidden to interact with humans.”

  He sat silent, staring at me then he looked at the ceiling, his gaze darting all around. Before I could speak, he flung himself to the floor in front of me and clasped my knees. I recoiled away as best I could in the enclosed space. He took my hands greedily into his, not letting me claim any distance from him. “That is why I need you so badly. You could change it all. You could make a new agreement with your creator.”

  I gaped, sure I had misunderstood him. “You want me to petition God to let you into the human realm for good?” He was insane. I could see his vision now: invasion stories flooding every media source, conspiracy theories like never before, complete chaos. We were already doing a great job on that front without any help from the fae.

  Luke clamped his eyes shut, shaking his head. “I am going about this the wrong way. I apologize. Forgive my rudeness. I don’t know what came over me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Stop groveling and get to the point.”

  He inhaled sharply. “That is exactly what I am asking of you. It is the only chance my people have at a real life.”

  “What do you mean exactly?”

  He searched my eyes. “What we seek is the right of every living thing: to live without restriction. It has happened before, but there has to be a champion, someone willing to take on a whole system.”

  He couldn’t possibly think I was that person. Could he?

  He clasped his hands in front of him. He was still on his knees, and I was uncomfortable in a myriad of ways. I lowered to the floor beside him.

  I touched his strong jaw, not able to help myself. “I am no savior, Luke.”

  A look of despair crossed his eyes, but he hid it quickly. He covered my hand. “There is an expression that was popular in your world some time ago. Something about setting a carriage before a steed.”

  I smiled. This guy was getting to me, and I didn’t like it. “I think it was ‘don’t put your cart before your horse’ or something like that.”

  He grinned boyishly. “Yes, well. That is what I have done. I need to explain this better, but I am rushing. I will attempt to put it all in the right order.”

  He lifted me to my seat and moved across from me again. He seemed to be thinking. I waited. And waited.

  I cleared my throat.

  He spread his hands. “I have no idea where to begin.”

  His vulnerability made mine easier to bear. I know. Ridiculous. “Tell me about how you came to be on Earth.”

  He nodded. Hope shone from his blue eyes. “Five million of us were banished from the presence of our creator.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  He wouldn’t look at me and his voice was ragged. “Arrogance. We thought we knew more than he did. We went to what you would call his wife and asked for her help in persuading him. She had pity on us and started a campaign. Eventually, he agreed to our terms with the stipulation that if we failed, we would have to leave his presence.” A pained hurting creased his face. “You can guess the outcome.”

  “Did you come straight here?”

  He let out a puff of a breath. “I wish. All five fae races have a similar story to tell. We wandered the expanses of space for a while, hopping from universe to universe in an attempt to find a home.”

  I purposely ignored that he said there was more than one universe. I didn’t want to get distracted. “So how did you end up here?”

  He gazed out the window. I wasn’t sure what exactly he was searching for out there, but he didn’t seem to find it. “We learned of your world and sought refuge right away, but we were not the first to arrive. Those who were already here didn’t want to share this sanctuary. They insisted we leave. We fought to stay. Battles were waged. We won the right to be here, but they still treat us as less.”

  “So there haven’t been any more fae come to Earth since you did?”

  “They arrive all the time.”

  I gasped. “But I thought you said—”

  “We were among the last to claim any power. The rest gladly serve to have a place to be.”

  I squinted at what he had just admitted. “You guys don’t sound any different than humans.”

  He smiled radiantly. “That is my point. We have much in common.”

  “Why don’t you petition God yourself?”

  He lowered his head. “We tried once.”

  Oh. Okay. “And I am supposed to get a different result?”

  “I have to believe you could. We grow weary of this half-life. Even if integration is impossible, just having open relations with humans would help dramatically.”

  I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to delve into his story anymore. I already felt sorry for him. I felt other things too, but I wasn’t going there.

  My stomach grumbled. Fae in the next province probably heard it. I was hungry, but for some reason, it wasn’t as bad as the day before. Had Zach been right? Zach.

  I missed him. I didn’t want to.