by Amy Patrick
“How your little brain works, I will never understand. No, Macy—I did not feel tricked. And the possibility of a plague cure was not the only reason I came looking for you. It wasn't even the primary reason. I’ve been… keeping my distance today because I don’t want to overstep bounds.”
“What? What bounds?”
“You buried me in your mind a year ago. Since then you’ve created a new life for yourself. I don’t want to interfere or cause you problems.”
“Interfere? How can you possibly think like that? You’re the one with the indecipherable brain.” I reached out and touched his hand.
A jolt passed through his entire body. But instead of pushing my fingers away in repulsion, he grasped them inside his and squeezed.
“Nox tells me Anders is a good person. And he is Elven. Which means the two of you could have an eternal future together, as nymphs are also immortal Fae.”
Now the thunderbolt passed through my body. “They are? I mean, I am?”
“You are. And if you and he have bonded, I would not try to—”
“Stop right there.” I cut off Nic’s sentence, touching a fingertip to his mouth, not wanting him to think for one more minute that I’d bonded with Anders.
I was crazy about Anders, and he had been a true friend to me, but the instant I’d seen Nic’s face—or rather the instant I’d finally accepted that he was real and not some figment of desperate imagination—I’d sent rocket ships of gratitude to the stars for keeping Anders and me from taking that step together and upgrading our relationship from friendship to something more.
Conscious of the intimacy of the touch, I removed my finger from Nic’s lips before explaining my interruption. “Anders and I have not bonded.”
His chest rose and fell in an abrupt inhale and exhale. “But you’ve been traveling together for two months. And there was only one bed in the room.”
I nodded. “Yes. That room had only one bed—because we were exhausted when we checked in, and they didn’t have a double room available. It’s the first time in two months we’ve slept in the same bed. And we slept.”
Nic looked puzzled. “Does he not like girls, then?”
I laughed. “No. Anders likes girls. A lot. He and I are just friends. Well, we thought about taking it beyond that, but neither one of us really wanted to.”
He shook his head in denial. “I don’t believe that. He must have wanted you.”
“Because I’m an irresistible nymph?” I smirked.
“Because you’re you. Look at you.” He reached out to cup my face in his hand. “You are even more beautiful than you were before. Everything about you is… perfect. No man alive could fail to see that.”
“Oh Nic.” The words were a sigh.
“He cares for you,” Nic insisted. “And… I saw you kissing.”
I let out a breath, wondering how much to tell him. “Yeah. About that. When I believed you were dead, that I’d lost you, it… affected me deeply. I was barely alive myself. I wasn’t fit company for anyone, so I went out on my own again. But Nox got information that the Ancient Court was after me and some agents had gotten close in New York City, so he assigned Anders to watch over me. At first I was angry. I didn’t want him around. I didn’t want anyone around. But after getting to know him, we became friends. Good friends. And then…”
“And then you started falling for each other. I understand. He’s very… handsome, if you go for that golden god look.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his surly pout and his attempts to be a good sport about this.
“Let me finish please.” He nodded, and I went on. “And then we had a discussion about whether to take things beyond friendship. Anders thought it was a good idea to go ahead and bond because—”
“I knew it,” he snapped.
Silencing him with a warning glance, I continued. “Because he believes himself incapable of love, and he knew I would never feel about anyone the way I felt about you. He said it made sense for the two of us. Knowing that a love match was impossible for both of us, he thought a permanent friendship-with-benefits was the next best thing.”
“And you?”
“I considered it,” I admitted. “But I kept putting it off. It felt wrong to me, and honestly, Anders feels more like a brother to me than a life partner. Besides, I believe everyone is capable of falling madly in love. I think someday he’s going to meet a girl who blows his little surfer-boy mind.”
“I think someday might have been today,” Nic said.
“What?”
“I didn’t get a clear picture because I was so focused on you, but Anders had an extreme reaction to meeting my sister. Even a glimpse in his direction revealed it to me.”
“Really?” I asked, a swell of delight lifting my heart.
He nodded. “What’s especially interesting about that is I read her greatest longing the day before when we were discussing him. She’s always wanted to meet him. It actually quite annoyed me when I thought you were in love with him, too. I sort of hated the guy.”
“Oh Nic, that’s wonderful. I am so going to enjoy telling him I-told-you-so.” I giggled.
“Then you’re not upset about the idea of him reacting to another girl?”
“No. Not at all. I hope something works out between them.”
For a few moments he said nothing, then he lifted his gaze to mine. The look in his eyes was guarded. “You said… Anders knew you would never… feel about anyone the way you felt about me.”
“That’s right.” I smiled softly, watching the realization take hold in him. “He knew you were the love of my life. That I’d never fall in love with anyone else—because no one could ever compare to you.”
“Macy…” His hand enclosed mine. “Is there… a chance you could feel that way about me again? Because nothing has changed for me. I still love you desperately. I came to America to find you—not to help anyone else or save humanity, but to help myself, to save myself. Because I need you, and I love you, and I want you more than ever.”
He sat back and blew out a breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say all of that. That’s putting a lot of pressure on you.”
Unbuckling my seatbelt, I crawled across the seat and into his lap.
“Crazy boy,” I murmured affectionately. “I’ve spent a hundred nights dreaming of you saying those words. I always woke up crying because I knew my dreams would never come true. You’ve just given me my future—my whole life—back. I’ve thought about you constantly, taken you with me everywhere I’ve been for the past year. I want to be with you forever. I love you, Nic. I never stopped loving you.”
He stared at me in wonder. “I’m afraid to believe my ears. It’s too good to be true.”
I smiled slyly. “Use your glamour on me.”
Nic took me up on my offer, focusing intently on my eyes. Air burst from his mouth in a gasp of emotion, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly to himself, bringing his mouth to mine.
All my senses swelled wth the glorious reality of him, the sweet taste of his mouth, the solid strength of his body beneath me, the enticing and entirely unique scent of his skin.
I inhaled deeply, melting into him, saturated with relief, and happiness, and overwhelming love. My heart wasn’t dead. It had just been in a coma while waiting for Nic to emerge from his.
As our lips met for the first time in more than a year, the world slipped back onto its axis and began turning again. And in the place of bleak despair, the future once again held promise.
18
Nic
Our passionate reunion was interrupted by the driver’s voice. “We’re here.”
Feeling like I was coming out of a daze, I raised my head and pulled away from Macy, taking in her soft smile, her loving eyes.
She loves me. Not him. Me.
When I’d accepted her invitation and used my glamour, I’d been overwhelmed by the power of her desire for me. What sh
e’d said was true—I was her greatest longing.
It was hard to release her and attend to the business at hand, but there was no choice. We were guests of the Light King. It wouldn’t exactly do to send word that we were busy making out in the car and would be there when we were good and ready. Besides, I’d never be ready to let her go.
The car had come to a stop in front of a rambling log cabin surrounded by tall pines and numerous other species of trees and underbrush.
“This is Altum?” I had expected the Light Elves’ home to be somewhat… grander.
The driver laughed. “No. This is the closest place one can drive a car. We’ll get out here and walk the rest of the way.”
As we passed the house, a middle-aged couple sitting on the porch lifted their hands to us in greeting. They sat, drinking iced tea and looking wholly unconcerned about the two exceedingly tall men and one very short girl traipsing across their property.
I lifted a hand in return, feeling strange about the intrusion. “Hello… thank you,” I said awkwardly then looked away and focused on our guide’s back, taking care to follow in his footsteps and make sure Macy didn’t step into a hole—or on a snake. This place was rather rustic compared to what I was used to.
I never let go of Macy’s hand as we made our way through the dense woods. Every time I glanced at her face, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. And her expression took my breath away. I could only describe it as pure happiness. She was the loveliest thing I’d ever seen.
“What are you grinning about so big over there?” she asked. “It’s my hair, isn’t it? I know it’s weird. I’m going to dye it back to my natural color as soon as possible.”
“It’s not that. You are beautiful no matter what color your hair is. I’m smiling because of you, piccola. Us. The fact that my greatest longing has been satisfied—forever.”
She nodded in understanding and squeezed my hand. But a trace of worry creased her brow. “There won’t be much of a forever if we don’t figure out how to stop the Plague.”
“It won’t affect you. You will be immune,” I assured, addressing the concern that was first and foremost in my mind. “You have never been sick, have you?”
Glancing off to the side then up at the treetops, she said, “No. I guess I haven’t. The only times I’ve ever been treated by a doctor were when I had injuries from gymnastics, and even then I healed quickly. I thought I was just really healthy—and that my parents were always on the ball about getting me and Lily flu shots and vaccines and stuff.”
She took a quick breath and threw me a miserable look. “Oh Nic—my parents. Lily. What does it matter that I’m immune if they die, along with all the other innocent humans who’ll be wiped out? I have to stop the Plague for them. I don’t even want to imagine a world without them.”
“I understand, and I agree. That’s what we’re doing here.”
Before meeting Macy, I might not have been all that concerned about the humans who would die without ever being aware of the immortal intrigue behind the scenes. Terrible to admit, but it was true. I had been selfishly wrapped up in my own little miseries. But now—now I understood exactly what was at stake. I was determined to do whatever was necessary to save the humans who were so important to the girl I loved.
“These are the people who can help us.” I hope, I added internally.
I didn’t have much experience with Light Elves, but Nox assured me the Light King was completely trustworthy and had more reason than most Elvenkind to care for the human race. If I hadn’t been confident in that, I would never have agreed to bring a nymph into the presence of so many Elves.
After walking for what felt like miles, we came to a stop at the base of the biggest tree I’d ever seen in my life, in a photograph, anywhere. It was a magnolia with a trunk like a grain silo and branches spreading overhead like a giant, fragrant green umbrella.
“This is it,” the driver/guide said.
“What is it?” I looked around us.
“You’ll see.” He gestured for us to follow then squatted and disappeared from view, sliding into a hidden opening in the ground, tucked beneath one of the tree’s mighty surface roots.
“Wow,” Macy said in a whisper.
“You said it,” I whispered back. Loud voices seemed inappropriate as we followed the man down a long, winding tunnel slanting deeper and deeper into the earth.
It was dim but roomy enough for me to walk upright. Macy, of course, had plenty of head room. The earthen walls were studded with some sort of glowing stones—the source of the light we navigated by.
The tunnel ended, and we emerged into a vast, wide-open space. It was an underground cavern like nothing I’d ever seen. It sort of seemed impossible that something like this could stand without caving in.
But when I looked at the ceiling high above, I understood. The whole thing was interwoven tree roots and rock, and interspaced throughout the cavern were mammoth columns stretching from the roof to the stone-and-earth floor. I was filled with admiration for the Elven architects responsible.
Not only had I never seen anything like it, I never could have imagined such a place. This was worthy of being the headquarters of my people’s counterparts in the Light Court on this continent.
I knew little of them, save for the fact they shunned human contact and were the craftsmen among our race. There was evidence of that all around us as we traveled through the underground kingdom toward the royal residence, where the Light King and his bride lived. It was also where we’d be meeting with the Elven healers who would study Macy and try to produce a miracle cure from her blood.
Cave-like openings in the cavern walls revealed men and women hard at work, and a number of huts in the center of the cavern floor housed what appeared to be workshops or perhaps places of business.
Throughout the whole cavern ran a wide, clear river. Bridges crossed it at regular intervals, and on the far side of it I spotted workers drawing water and carrying it away.
As we made our way down the path, most of the Elves I saw minded their own affairs, but a few looked up and observed our party, showing keen interest.
Glancing from them to Macy, I realized many of the residents here had probably never seen someone so small, except for children of course. She was smaller than the average human, and Elves were much taller and more powerfully built than most humans, so she was a novelty for certain.
Macy noticed the staring as well.
“Don’t worry about it,” I whispered, bending to her ear. “They don’t get out much. The Light Elves don’t mix with the rest of the world. They keep to themselves. They also speak mind-to-mind only, so get ready for the silent treatment.”
She nodded, clearly fascinated by everything she saw. “I remember you telling me that.”
The palace was even more captivating than the rest of the kingdom. Tasteful and obviously very old, it was decorated with elaborately carved art objects and hand-made wall hangings, more glowing colored stones, and tall, heavy doors with intricately carved scenes from ancient Elven life.
A man greeted us inside the great hall. He had wavy, shoulder-length hair and wore leather breeches and a gauzy-looking shirt. He was typically Elven in his build and bone structure but looked quite different from the Dark Elves I’d spent my life around.
While my people adhered to the standards of fashion admired by the human world and “wore our wealth,” so to speak, this man looked very primitive and yet elegant at the same time.
He didn’t speak aloud, but to me he said, Welcome to Altum. I am Langnon, personal guard to the king. He is occupied at the moment and will greet you later. I am to escort you to the offices of our healers. Would you follow me please?
He turned and led us down a corridor, and I filled Macy in on what was happening. “Langnon is taking us to the healer now. We’ll meet the Light King later.”
She nodded, continuing her perusal of the fantastical surroundings. “The human population of the world would b
e in complete disbelief if they had any idea this place existed. Of course, some scumbag would probably lock up the residents and turn it into a tourist attraction, complete with a ‘freak show’ of Elves in captivity.”
She shivered at the mental image. “I think I’m starting to get why you all protect the secret so closely.”
We finally reached our destination, a warmly lit room featuring floor-to-ceiling shelves holding bottles of various sizes and labeled earthenware jars.
Several empty beds stood in a row, covered in crisp, folded-down sheets, ready for anyone who might need the services of a healer. Of course, Elves didn’t usually suffer from illness, but I supposed since I’d been injured from time to time in my life, injuries occurred here as well. And perhaps there were some maladies that were exclusive to Light Elves?
Waiting inside the room were not one, but two healers, a middle-aged man, and a guy about my age. He was unique-looking with black hair and brilliant turquoise eyes. If I wasn’t mistaken, he wasn’t full-Elven but a hybrid of some sort.
“Hi Macy. Hi Nic.” He shook each of our hands. “I’m Asher. This is Wickthorne. He is Altum’s healer. I’m his apprentice. Like you, I grew up in the human world, so I can relate to the way your head’s probably spinning right now, Macy. I remember the first time I saw this place. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”
I liked the guy instantly. He had a nice way about him and a thick Southern accent that was fun to hear.
Macy laughed, visibly relaxing as well. “Yes. It is all a bit overwhelming. And I’ve had an overwhelming day. Nic and I were reunited after a long separation.”
“Yes, I’ve been informed,” the young healer said. “I’m happy you found each other again. And we’re happy you’re here. There are many people I care about in the human world—my mother and grandfather, for instance—all my friends in town. Many of us here in this kingdom care deeply for the human race and don’t want to see it wiped out. We’ll do our best to try to stop it.”
“Thank you,” she said with sincere gratitude.
