Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal)

by Nicole Morgan

  “What kind of dreams?” He encouraged.

  “It’s silly really.” Hallie laughed a little. It was a light noise almost like bells. Faolin put his hand on top of hers as they walked. “Promise you won’t laugh,” Hallie demanded as she stopped walking.

  “Of course not,” Faolin brushed a stray hair from her face.

  Hallie looked away, “I had a panic attack a few weeks back. The only thing that got me through was imagining I was in this fantasy world. It was straight out of some fairytale complete with a castle.” She shook her head. “It’s silly really, but I swear I smelled the apples in the orchard behind me. The sun was so warm, and I heard the wind through the grass.” Hallie smiled.

  Faolin felt the pull of magic. The stone wanted to return to Underhill. It simply used Hallie’s strong emotions as fuel. She had no idea what she’d done. “It sounds like a lovely fantasy,” Faolin moved on. Hallie wasn’t a threat. He could return home. He’d be happier if the stone were in his possession. That wasn’t going to happen unless he forced Hallie though. For whatever reason Faolin was willing to do that.

  Faolin began walking again he’d been steadily heading back towards work. “So what’s your story?” Hallie asked dragging him out of his thoughts.

  He wasn’t sure how to answer. He didn’t want to lie to her “I’m here looking for something.” Faolin answered finally. “It’s nothing important really.”

  Hallie frowned, “You’ve come a long way for something that’s not important.”

  Faolin scratched his head, “The object was unimportant. The search, however, was a matter of honor.” Hallie stared at him in disbelief. “And I was bored.” He admitted finally.

  Hallie laughed slightly bringing the sound of bells with it. “I’ll never understand men,”

  Faolin was relieved to see the building. Hallie was every bit as enticing as Underhill. “Can I walk you home?”

  “No, thanks, I’ll just catch a cab.” Faolin waved a cab down for her. “Thanks, they never stop for me” She ducked inside the car but didn’t close the door. “Well, goodnight then.” She shut it and waved. The cab zoomed off a moment later. Faolin went into an empty alley before opening a gateway to Underhill.

  Hallie

  Hallie hadn’t seen Faolin for three weeks. He came to the photo shoot then disappeared. Human resources had no clue what happened to him. His manager had no choice. He had to fire him. Sharon was pissed now. She owed Faolin money and was hoping to deliver it in person so she could ask him to do another shoot. Sharon couldn’t do that, and somehow it was Hallie’s fault.

  All Hallie wanted to do at the end of another crappy week was sink into a hot bath and sip a glass of wine. It sounded simple enough as she went into the bathroom. Jenny was in the mirror with her headphones on finishing her makeup for a date. Hallie shook her head as she turned the handle for the hot water.

  The pipes rattled a moment then spit out rusty water. Hallie hoped it would run clear in a minute, but it only got worse. She tried the sink with the same result. To make matters worse, the water was cold when it should have been hot. Hallie groaned in frustration. She hated dealing with the building super. Luckily he responded to texts. At least she didn’t have to talk to him for a little while.

  Hallie’s first text explained what the problem was and she braced herself for the argument that waited. Instead, she received a very prompt response that he’d be right up. Hallie couldn’t believe it. Maybe her luck finally turned.

  No sooner had Jenny flew out the door than the super knocked. Hallie wished he’d have been a few minutes earlier. She hated dealing with him on her own. Squaring her shoulders, Hallie marched to the door and yanked it open. The person behind it was the last one she ever expected.

  Liam waited patiently on Hallie’s doorstep in jeans and a dark grey t-shirt. He held a toolbox in one hand and a phone in the other. What the hell was he doing here though? She was speechless a moment as his topaz eyes stared down at her. He seemed just ass shocked to see her.

  “This apartment is leased to Jennifer Ellis,” Liam said confused.

  “My roommate, Jenny. What are you doing here?” Hallie asked.

  Liam shifted under her stare. “The old super quit suddenly and I needed a job that came with a place to stay.” He looked away from Hallie “My situation is complicated.”

  “Oh,” Hallie stepped aside. “Come in then.” Liam stepped through. Hallie couldn’t help watching as he shoved his phone in his pocket. He turned suddenly facing her to confirm where the water heater was. Hallie stammered a moment before recovering. Liam didn’t seem to notice. Hallie breathed a sigh of relief.

  Less than an hour later, Liam, had the water heater and the pipes fixed. Hallie couldn’t believe how fast he worked. She’d given up on a bath and settled for sketching on the couch with a glass of wine. She was deep in thought when Liam tapped her on the shoulder. Hallie jumped. Liam apologized smiling slightly. “You’re pretty good.”

  Hallie set her sketch pad down as she got up. She hated when others watched her work. It was all she could do to get Liam out the door. As soon as she closed and locked it Halle cursed. She hadn’t even mentioned the photo shoot Sharon wanted him to do. Briefly, she thought about going after him. It could wait now though, she knew where he lived.

  Faolin

  Faolin smiled as he left Hallie’s apartment. He’d surprised her just as he hoped. She thought he’d left for good only to reappear in her life suddenly. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and he hoped it would work on Hallie. In this case, he wasn’t so sure. She was eager to get him out the door. That was never a good sign.

  Setting his toolbox down on the table Faolin plopped into a chair. This old building would allow him plenty of opportunities to see her. Thankfully in his years of self -exile he spent a lot of time learning to fix mortal things. Although, this was going to require a lot of work. He heaved a sigh as he made a list of everything he noticed so far. Faolin shook his head, a ton of work. Tomorrow was another day and another chance to see Hallie.

  The sun rose early the next day. It took little time to dress and eat breakfast. Things were so much simpler in the mortal realm. It was one of the few reasons Faolin liked it. He gathered the supplies he needed and went up the lobby. The paint here was cracked and peeling. The old super was far too lazy. Faolin would have to scrape before he could paint.

  An hour into his work the building tenants began passing him on their way out. Most of them were upset, and he had no idea why. They should have been happy he was fixing the building. Faolin shrugged it off as he continued to scrape the old paint away.

  Then he saw her. Hallie came down the hall in black slacks, pink and black striped shirt and pink flats. Her hair bounced as she walked. Hallie sipped her coffee absently until she reached him. Then Hallie stopped. Instead of a pleasant good morning, he received a scolding for starting work so early. Faolin protested, but Hallie didn’t stick around to hear it. She marched off shoulders squared. Faolin couldn’t help laughing. Hallie had no clue what she was dealing with. He wondered if it would change anything if she did.

  Chapter Three

  Hallie

  Hallie was looking forward to a quiet photo shoot in the park. No Jeff and no Liam. Both of them were wearing on Hallie’s nerves lately. Jeff was pushing her to move in, and Liam was always popping up in her building when she least expected it. Hallie couldn’t get mad though he was fixing the place up. The last super only cared about his paycheck. At least today she had the serenity of Central Park to cheer her up.

  Halfway through the shoot, the photographer started complaining about people in the background. Hallie groaned she’d have to convince them to move. So much for a relaxing day. Hallie trudged over to the soccer fields. She was surprised to see grown men there. Liam was in their midst taking long strides.

  Hallie watched Liam. He ran across the field in complicated plays that she didn’t understand. All Hallie noticed was the way he moved a
mong the other players almost like he was a hunter. She was sure he hadn’t been watching her, but somehow he’d known exactly where she was. He didn’t stop until he scored a goal though. His teammates patted his back as he jogged over.

  “Hallie,” He smiled in greeting. “Are you working here today?”

  “Hi Liam,” Hallie couldn’t help returning his smile. “We’re shooting directly behind you, and you keep getting in the shot. Would you guys mind moving one field over?”

  “I’m sure I could convince my mates,” He nodded towards the other men who were all casually glancing their way. “You’ll have to promise to make it up to me.”

  “How?” Hallie asked suspiciously.

  Liam inspected his nails. “You could dump that boyfriend,” Hallie started to say something. Liam laughed. “Just coffee Hallie, I don’t know anyone aside from those blokes.”

  “Fine, we’ll discuss it later, call the office.” Hallie started off.

  “I’ll just stop by your apartment then,” Liam called after her. Hallie sighed. Why did she agree to coffee? She glanced over her shoulder at the gorgeous man behind her. Yeah, that was why. She still didn’t know why he was interested in her. It did feel nice though, to be desired by an Irish god. Hallie giggled to herself as she reached the shoot. The model gave her a look of contempt. Hallie really didn’t care.

  Jenny was annoyed all week when she found out Hallie had a date with Liam. Apparently, she’d been trying to ask him out, and he wouldn’t even talk to her. Hallie couldn’t help it though, Liam asked her out. She pulled on a soft blue shirt and thought about it. Liam asked her out, repeatedly. He was interested in her.

  Hallie felt the panic attack hit her just in time to sit down. What was she doing going out on a real date with Liam? She had a boyfriend. Hallie forced herself to breathe. She thought about the last time she had a panic attack. The smell of the apple orchard and warm breeze was so soothing. Instantly it was there again. A cool breeze blew across her skin. Everything was dark. It was night, and the moon was half full.

  A couple walked hand in hand through the field ahead of her. They were both beautiful. The man was tall and muscled with angular features. The woman was slim with rounded hips and large breasts. Her dark hair fell to her waist in perfect ringlets framing a heart-shaped face. They cuddled close laughing but stopped when they saw her. Hallie said hello. They looked horrified.

  Hallie heard her name. Like last time as soon as she focused on it the couple and imaginary world disappeared. Blinking a few times Liam came into focus. He helped her stand and made sure she was steady before letting go. He looked really worried. Hallie insisted that she was fine though. Finally, Liam nodded, and they left for coffee.

  Faolin

  Faolin could smell the magic when he reached Hallie’s door. He was sure Underhill drew her in once more. There was no telling how long ago though. This could be really bad. He found the doorway open in Hallie’s bedroom. Jenny wasn’t home, so that was helpful. The last thing he needed was another mortal involved. It was a small miracle that the doorway concealed itself the first time Hallie called it.

  Pulling her back and closing the door wasn’t hard. She was groggy and out of it for a short time though. Fighting reality was common for mortals when Underhill called to them. Hallie was lucky Faolin came when he did. She roused shortly and acted normally through coffee. Faolin said nothing of the incident. Hallie seemed happy about it.

  Jeff was a common topic of discussion. That was fine by Faolin. He disliked the weasely mortal man. Jeff was always trying to control Hallie for his own gain. Faolin made a few comments here and there. It was enough to make his opinion known without looking like an ass. The last thing he wanted was for Hallie to think he disliked Jeff simply because he had Hallie and Faolin didn’t.

  Faolin walked Hallie back to her apartment then returned to his own. He had to go to Underhill and see what damage she caused. The gateway appeared when Faolin called to Underhill. As soon as he stepped through his Taise pushed his head under his hand. A guardian always missed their master when they were gone. This was more though. Taise looked up at him expectantly. Faolin groaned. King Oberon wanted to see him.

  Stepping from one place to the next was as easy as breathing here where the land was filled with magic. Another snap of his fingers and Faolin was dressed in a black tuxedo. While fitting the dress code, it would still irritate the king who preferred older fashions. He was in the main hall of the castle now with half the court. Faolin sighed. He hated coming here.

  King Oberon sat on his throne. His wheat-colored hair hung to his shoulders, and green eyes looked like leaves of the forest. His muscular body was evident even under his brocade jacket. A crown made of the points of stag horns standing on end was his only adornment. Queen Titania sat on his right in a deep blue silk with silver embroidery gown. Her silver crown looked like leaves and starbursts accented with blue sapphires. She was a stunning woman already with pale blonde hair and eyes the color of the ocean, but tonight she was more. Her power showed, and it made her that much more frightening.

  All of the court watched Faolin as he approached the King and Queen. King Oberon sneered at his tuxedo and Faolin smirked. He bowed out of respect then waited to be addressed.

  “Liam, the mortal your dealing with appeared in Underhill again,” Oberon growled.

  “I am aware of that sire. It was an accident on her part. The stone she carries wants to come home. I was trying to get it from her before I returned.”

  “Trying? Since when do you try to do anything Liam?” Queen Titania scoffed. “If you wanted the stone you’d have it.”

  “The situation requires delicacy, my queen. I must admit that is not my strong suit.”

  Queen Titania laughed. “No, Liam, it is not.”

  “She cannot be allowed to cross back and forth.” King Oberon said angrily. “A mortal in our realm without permission is unacceptable. She scared a couple witless last night.”

  “Yes sire, I understand.” Faolin turned and left the great hall. At the back of the hall, he called the gateway. Just before he stepped through, he heard his true name guarded against others’ by magic. Faolin knew who it would be.

  Queen Titania wrapped her arms around Faolin pulling him into a hug. She kissed his cheek. “I can’t bear you gone so long. Come home quickly.” She kissed his cheek then let him go. There wasn’t anything he could say. Faolin walked through the gateway without a word.

  Hallie

  Liam asked Hallie out the next evening, and Hallie couldn’t think of a good reason to refuse. Jeff should have been enough. When Liam asked though he was the furthest thing from her mind. It wasn’t like her. As soon as she hung up, she felt guilty. Hallie moved to call Liam back. Jenny stopped her midway. She pointed out that Hallie and Jeff never agreed to be exclusive. He’d also been pressuring her recently to move in together. Jenny insisted Hallie needed to test the waters with someone else first to be sure that’s what she wanted. It wasn’t a bad idea. Hallie reluctantly put the phone down. A few dates wouldn’t hurt.

  That evening Liam took her to another fancy restaurant that Hallie was sure he couldn’t afford. Somehow he walked past the long line of people waiting at the door to get in. They sat down in a quiet corner booth away from the crowd, and the waiter brought over menus. Liam ordered the wine and let Hallie order her own entrée.

  They talked the whole evening about everything she could imagine. Hallie had no idea Liam would know so many different things. She could have listened to him for hours though. Liam wanted to know about her life as much as she wanted to know about his. He kept steering the conversation back to that. Hallie thought her life was boring though.

  It was just Hallie, and her mom after her dad died when she was two in a car wreck. Her mom Jane worked as a waitress in a diner near their home in New Jersey. After school and on weekends Hallie studied in a booth at the diner until she was old enough to work part-time. Then she got a job at the same diner. E
ventually, she got a full scholarship to Pratt in New York where she studied art. Holidays and summers were spent working at the diner until she graduated and found a job.

  It wasn’t much, but they were happy. Hallie’s mom made sure she always had everything she needed too. Other kids had fancy cars or expensive trips. Hallie’s education always came first. Her mom made sure that. When she wanted to study abroad one summer that there was money set aside for her to do so.

  Hallie’s mom never re-married either. She dated a few times. She even had a long-term boyfriend. When it came to actually getting married though, she just couldn’t do it. Hallie thought part of her mom died with her dad. There was a new man recently, and Hallie hoped it would go somewhere now that Hallie was out on her own.

  Liam listened to everything with rapt attention. He asked questions now and then to clarify what he didn’t understand. It was great for someone to finally hear what she had to say and not try to fix everything.

  Hallie tried to get the same information out of Liam, although he was pretty tight-lipped. He said his parents died when he was young. It meant his aunt and uncle raised him. They never had children of their own, so he was like their own son. Then things went south when he got into a fight with his uncle, and they haven’t gotten along since. It wasn’t the whole story, but it was something.

  Liam walked her home after dinner. He held her hand the whole way as she leaned into him. Hallie didn’t want to admit how nice it felt. He was a solid presence next to her. He didn’t judge or push her for personal gain. Liam just wanted to be with her. She still hadn’t figured out why, although she loved every minute.