Bloodthorn

by Tamara Grantham

  “That is good. You were very brave to confront him. And you are wise beyond your years. If not for your intuitive nature, we would have never discovered his treachery.”

  She nodded. “We must go. We’ve much to attend to in my village and many repairs to make, but we will not forget the sacrifice you and your companions made for us. We will remember you, Olive.”

  “I understand. And your wings are quite lovely,” I said with a wink. “I see why it was so hard to do without them.”

  She fluttered her wings gently, making sparkles of magic dust the air. With a polite curtsy and another smile, she lifted into the air. I watched as the fairies disappeared over the horizon.

  “I’ll miss her,” I said.

  “I won’t,” Heidel answered. “She cried too much.”

  I tried not to laugh, mainly because it hurt my sore abdomen.

  “When you are ready,” Fan’twar said, “I shall fly you back to the dragon caves, if that is what you wish.”

  I hesitated. I debated asking Heidel where her brother was but thought better of it. He’d made his decision about me. I was sure he’d gotten back to Danegeld as soon as possible. With Rolf still acting as king, I didn’t blame him.

  “Of course,” I told Fan’twar. “I’ll pack my things, and then we can make the trip. After that, I’m going back to Earth. My cat needs to be fed, I’ve got to pay my rent, and I need to make sure my ex-boyfriend is still alive.” I sighed. It all sounded so tedious and boring, even the ex-boyfriend bit. Besides, he was most likely just fine.

  “I’m also hopeful I can prove to Doc Hill that I’m still sane. With luck, he’ll have a whole slew of clients to send my way.”

  “Very well. I shall wait in the valley until you are ready.” Fan’twar flapped his wings several times, then leapt into the air. With a long roar, he soared into the valley below the village and out of sight.

  I started toward the cabin as Heidel followed. “I shall have clothing brought,” she said, “and food and water. Do you require anything else?”

  I met her gaze but then shook my head. “No. I don’t need anything else.”

  “Very well.” She gave me a curt nod, spun on her heel, and walked away.

  I limped to the cabin, my feet now numb from the cold and my last reserves of energy quickly draining. Grabbing the door latch, I heard footsteps behind me and looked up to see that Heidel had returned.

  She sighed, seeming to hesitate before she spoke up. “I wanted to wait until you were dressed and well-rested, but I suppose it can’t hurt to tell you now. My brother has been waiting for you. He’s down that hill,” she pointed past me, “sitting under the tree. He’s been waiting rather impatiently, so you might consider making haste.”

  I stared, confused. “Waiting for me? Why didn’t he travel back to Danegeld?”

  She shook her head. “I try not to understand my brother’s motivations. That is a task I will leave up to you.” She gave me a quick wink, then turned away.

  I stared down the hill, wondering what in the world was going through the man’s mind. Why had he waited? It was a foolish thing to do, considering he had a whole kingdom that needed his attention. Without entering the cabin, I turned and started down the hill. The sun was now above the horizon and the dew had turned warm. I found I could feel my toes again.

  My heart fluttered with nervousness. Shouldn’t I turn around? What would he say to me? It couldn’t be good. It never was. He was merely waiting on me out of respect, as any good king would do, and then he would be off.

  A tree stood at the bottom of the hill on a small precipice overlooking a stream. Water gurgled as it passed over the smooth stones beneath.

  Kull stood as soon as I approached, his eyes wide. His white shirt was open at the top, revealing a hint of his chest, and he wore his hair down. His eyes caught me off guard. For once, they weren’t filled with pain.

  I stopped, not sure if I should go any further. He is the king.

  I’d known it forever, but only now did I understand it. Here stands the king of Wults, ruler and lord of them all.

  I needed to go away. I needed to turn around and walk straight back to the cabin right this minute. He’d been trying to tell me for so long, and only now did I understand. He was king. I would never feel worthy of being called his queen.

  “Olive?” he said. “Are you well?”

  “I, umm… sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave.”

  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I turned away. I focused on the hill as I climbed up. His hand gently grabbed mine, and I tried to pull away.

  “Can’t you stay for a moment?” he asked.

  “No. I’m sorry. I never should have come.”

  “But I’ve been waiting to speak with you.”

  I turned to face him, not wanting to meet his gaze. Please don’t hurt me again. Don’t you dare do it again.

  He released my hand but didn’t speak. Finally, I looked up at him.

  “I’m leaving with the dragons soon,” I said. “Whatever you have to say, please do so quickly.”

  “I… I’m not sure how to say this.”

  He was at a loss for words? This was a first.

  Being in his presence was more difficult than I realized. He’d told me we couldn’t be together. Once was enough. I didn’t need to hear it a second time.

  “Kull,” I said. “What do you want to tell me?”

  “I only meant to tell you good-bye. I realize we may not see each other for a long while, or ever again…” He blew out a breath of air. “I did not wish to leave you the way I left last time. At least, I wanted to make sure we parted on good terms.”

  “Fine,” I said curtly. “Then good-bye and good luck with being king. If our paths ever cross again, I hope we shall maintain peaceful interactions with one another. I shall make sure the dragons respectfully maintain their boundaries with the Wults. Should you ever need their help, you have but to ask.”

  I turned away, but again, he tugged on my hand. I rounded on him, ready to give him a piece of my mind, when I stopped.

  Tears shone in his eyes.

  Tears.

  Wasn’t it rumored that no being could make him cry? If the queen of fairies had known about this, would she have been healed? If one of the tears landed on the ground, would another dragons’ forest sprout in this very spot?

  He pulled me to his chest.

  “I will not let you go,” he said. “I cannot do it. You were meant for me, Olive. We were never meant to be apart. I would have traveled through both our worlds and eons of time to bring you back to me, and I will no longer let my duties as king stand between us. I know I have wronged you. I gave you my oath and then broke it. I understand if you will not have me, but I swear to you, on this day, as the All-Father is my witness, I will never again let you go.”

  I stopped breathing. I blinked to keep the tears away, but it only made a huge knot form in my throat. He expected some sort of answer, but I was too shocked to form words. He gently took my face between his hands.

  “Olive?” he asked. “Will you forgive me?”

  “I… I don’t know.” This was all happening so suddenly. I’d already resigned myself to spending the rest of my life without him. What if I took him back and he broke my heart again?

  “Please?” he whispered. I heard the pleading in his voice, and it was then that I understood how much I meant to him.

  “Yes,” I finally whispered. “I forgive you.”

  I took his hands in mine, and only then did I notice the deep cuts and bruises on his fingers and palms.

  “What happened?”

  He paused before answering. “Tearing through the side of the mountain was the only way past the shield. I no longer had Bloodbane to aid me, so I was forced to improvise.”

  “You tore down a mountain with your bare hands? For me?”

  He nodded. “I would have done it a hundred times over if it meant I got you back.”

  “A
nd what if I’d rejected you? What then?”

  He smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t.”

  I reached up and wiped a tear from his eyes. “No, you didn’t.”

  “Fine,” he said, no longer smiling. “I may have doubted somewhat that you would ever again take me back, but it didn’t matter. Knowing that you were safe and unharmed was all that mattered.”

  Safe and unharmed? I didn’t want to admit to him what Theht had done to me. I felt her presence in the back of mind, lingering like a dark specter waiting to take shape. I also didn’t want to admit what had happened with my magic. It scared me worse than Theht, if that were even possible.

  Shaking off my unease, I instead walked up the steep hill with Kull at my side, slipping on the wet grass until Kull gently picked me up and held me in his arms.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Don’t argue,” he said. “You killed the bloodthorn, then faced Theht and survived, which, as far as I know, no one in the history of either of our planets has done. You endured more injuries than any human could possibly withstand, yet now you are out wandering the meadow in your dressing gown and bare feet. It’s my duty to carry you.”

  “Fine. If it’s your duty, then I won’t complain.”

  “Also,” he said, “it gives me an excuse to keep you close. I’ve missed you, Olive.”

  I ran my finger along his jaw, still in the habit of memorizing the details—the pronounced cheekbones, the rough feel of the stubble—although now that he was mine again, I supposed I didn’t need to remember every detail. Yet, it was all too surreal.

  “Did you really miss me?” I asked.

  “More than you realize.”

  His eyes shone with an intensity that I’d only seen a few times before. In that one look, it was as if I experienced all the pain he’d felt in the past year—the pain of losing me, the emptiness and heartache. Had his pain been worse than mine? It was a difficult emotion to comprehend, something I would never fully realize. How could anyone feel pain at losing me?

  “You don’t believe me?” he asked.

  “No, I do believe you. I just find it hard to understand. Why me, Kull? When you could have anyone else, why me?”

  He didn’t answer immediately. We crested the hill with a warm breeze gusting around us, bringing with it the woodsy scent of his hair and skin. Far below us, the small stream flowed over worn stones. A few fairies and nobbinflies danced over the water, their glow reflecting in the glassy surface.

  He looked out over the mountains, his voice distant. “I do not have an answer. I cannot fully comprehend love. It is an emotion that breathes life. It gives joy and happiness beyond description. You are life to me, Olive. You are wholeness and beauty. I do not know how to live my life without you.”

  “Really?” I whispered.

  “Yes.” He smiled. “Really.”

  He held me tight against his chest, his chin resting on my forehead, his heart so close to mine that I felt it beating against my breast. Here was happiness. Here was joy. Here was an emotion I’d never fully experienced until now, because he loved me for who I was—flaws and all—because he’d seen me at my absolute lowest point and still he wanted me.

  No.

  He loved me.

  After he carried me back to the cabin, he placed me in the bed, and then tucked a warm blanket around me. Even with Theht’s specter looming in the back of my mind, I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt so peaceful.

  I once again believed in true love, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have the power to defeat Theht, and it was the only advantage I had over her.

  * * *

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank everyone who brought this book to life, starting with my husband, David. He tirelessly listens to every outline and up-and-coming plot, even during our long road trips, and he somehow manages to stay awake through my ramblings.

  I also want to thank the wonderful ladies of Clean Teen Publishing, who make me feel welcomed and appreciated: Rebecca Gober, Courtney Knight, Marya Heiman and Melanie Newton.

  This book would be a disaster if it weren’t for my awesome team of beta readers: Erin York, Carlee Boccacci, Leah Alvord, Ann Jones, and Julie Woods.

  I want to give a huge and very heartfelt thanks to my PA, Courtney Whittamore. She goes above and beyond and my life would be a scary, stressful place if not for her.

  I also want to thank my editors: Chelsea Brimer and Cynthia Shepp, and my proofreaders: Kelly Risser and Pamela Renfroe.

  To the fans of my Facebook page: You are all amazing! I’m humbled by the support you’ve shown me. I look forward to keeping up with all of you. When I started writing, I had no idea how lucky I would be to find readers from the US to the UK and Australia.

  Lastly, I want to thank the amazing people who have taken time out of their busy schedules to leave a review of my books. It means more than you realize, and I am deeply humbled and honored at your heartfelt generosity.

  About the Author

  Tamara Grantham was born and raised in Southeast Texas. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. After marrying her husband David, she followed him through his training to become a burn surgeon, which consisted of moving from Vidor, Texas to Galveston, Texas, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma, back to Galveston, and they finally settled in Wichita, Kansas. Tamara and David have five active, sweet, and almost always well-mannered children, ages zero to ten years. Their two pets, June—the Jack Russell Terrier, and Chester—a black cat, help to keep the house lively (in addition to the children.)

  When Tamara isn’t writing or tending her children, she enjoys taking walks through the woods, eating chocolate, and very infrequently, she enjoys a good night’s sleep.

  Tamara would love to hear from you!

  @TamaraGrantham

  tamaraclairegrantham

  www.tamaragranthambooks.com

  Also by Tamara Grantham

  Olive Kennedy, Fairy World MD Series

  Book 1: Dreamthief

  Book 2: Spellweaver

  Book 3: Bloodthorn

  Book 4: Silverwitch

  Book #6 (Novella): Goblinwraith

  Book #5 Deathbringer

  Subscribe to our newsletter so you can be the first to learn about the upcoming release of the next book in the Fairy World MD series by Tamara Grantham. Plus, get access to exclusive giveaways, insider information, and more!

  If you enjoyed Bloodthorn, we recommend you check out Lightning Kissed by Lila Felix!

  Colby Evans can leap from one country to the next in a heartbeat. She can see every sunset in every time zone in the same day. She can travel across the world in a flash. She defies gravity and physics with every breath she takes. She's tested her abilities and found them limitless.

  She is the lightning. She is Lucent. And nothing can stop her.

  Except him.

  Theodore Ramsey isn't supposed to be able to flash like Colby. The power of travel is passed on from mother to daughter in their people. Except once in every hundred generations.

  Theo is the one.

  He can flash like Colby. And it makes him a target to their enemies and to himself. His abilities change everything he knows about life and throws his future into an uncertain tangent. In fact, the only thing certain in his life is the love he feels for Colby.

  Their love defies time and space and has been the only constant thing in their lives since childhood. But even their infallible love will be stretched to its limits.

  She will risk her life to protect him. But he will risk everything to protect them all.

  Get your copy of Lightning Kissed for FREE on all platforms!!!

 

 

 
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