Discord (Bound to the Fae Book 1)

by J. Kearston

  We barely make it two steps before I hear some of the guys whistling and shouting in a crass attempt to get her attention. I grimace, regretting bringing her here already. It seemed like a good idea at the time, a way for each of us to get one on one time with her, but a part of me disregarded the way the guys would act until I actually came face to face with it.

  “’Ey! Knock it off, you lonely bastards. Show a little respect, why don’t you?”

  Cambria snorts in amusement. “Trust me, Atlas. This is hardly the first time I’ve been around these kinds of guys, I’m used to it.”

  I frown as it suddenly dawns on me just how absolutely depressing that fact is. Why the hell should she learn to just accept and get used to people acting like pigs? Why should she have to be the bigger person instead of someone calling them out on their shit?

  “You shouldn’t have to accept people talking down to you; they’re the ones that need to learn to grow up.”

  She turns to face me and gives me an odd, faraway look. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” she sighs before clapping her hands once sharply and shoving it all under the rug. “So, where do you want me? I’m pretty good at nailing things. Screwing, too.” I narrow my eyes as she rolls hers. “Trust me, Atlas. It’s okay. Really.”

  I grit my teeth and get her a hard hat and a belt, towing her over to work with me when my supervisor stops me. “I really don’t even know where to start, Atlas,” he growls. “The fact that you dragged your fuck buddy to work and thought it was alright might be a good place, though.”

  I open my mouth to object, but Cambria beats me to it. It’s clear that she’s using her abilities, because I’m starting to understand that indescribable pull when she does. It took me a bit to work it out, but seeing her in the crowd last night and having to shove Dorian to get his attention cemented the fact for me.

  “You didn’t get my transfer paperwork?” she purrs. “Richard sent it over yesterday. He knew you needed more help banging this one out and sent me over to get you back on schedule.”

  Her words wrap around him as much as they do me, and Cambria presses a pair of earplugs into my hand subtly. It takes a second before I snap out of it enough to shove them in my ears, but as soon as I do, I can think clearer. Sure, her words still beg me to hang on them, but the desire is more muted, easier to fight against. My supervisor doesn’t have the same protection and unconsciously leans towards her, but she gracefully steps back into me so that he can’t touch her.

  “If there’s nothing else, I think we’re behind enough already, don’t you?” she finishes and he blinks several times, looking like he’s in a fog.

  “Yes, yes. Get back to work already, you two, and don’t let me catch you screwing around,” he barks. “Atlas, if the others can’t keep their heads on the job, report them to me.” He snaps the last part before storming off and I look at Cambria in equal parts shock and awe.

  She smirks mischievously before turning to climb the ladder in front of us. I follow right behind, shamelessly checking out her ass the whole time like a damn hypocrite, and pull myself up onto the second floor we’re currently working on. She walks farther across the floor before frowning and stepping to the right, onto a metal beam.

  “That section is dry rotted,” she frowns, pointing. “Much more weight and someone will fall through.”

  My smile falters as I go to check it out, cursing when it’s clear she’s right. “How did you notice that so easily?”

  She laughs. “Fae are connected to nature. It’d be hard not to.”

  As I work on getting the boards changed out, she easily walks across the open beam to another section and out of sight. I have to fight my instant reaction to chase after her, knowing that she isn’t helpless. Still, the thought of her falling and breaking an arm doesn’t sit right with me.

  What the hell was I thinking, bringing her here?

  I finish up and make my way to the next section, finding her with a power drill in hand and hard at work. Sweat trickles down her temples as she hauls pieces into place, two other guys working with her and sending admiring glances her way when she isn’t looking. I’m rooted in place, just staring at this woman like a damn fool for a minute before snapping out of it and helping.

  By the time the whistle blows for lunch, we’ve gotten more done than we typically do in a day and are fast approaching getting back on the targeted schedule, despite me thinking everything Cambria said to my boss was bullshit. Something about her just inspires all of the guys to show off, knocking out their work in some macho bid to get her to notice them. It’s as ridiculous as it is useful, and if she were to come to work with me every day, we’d get this project done in half the time.

  Someone brings back sandwiches and passes one to Cambria without her even having to ask. She sits on a stack of metal beams, swinging her feet in time to an imaginary beat only she can hear and chomping away happily at yet another free meal.

  “So, A, what’s a girl like that doing with a bum like you?” Charlie teases, casting wistful looks at Cambria that she doesn’t see, lost in her own world.

  I grit my teeth, hating the way everyone’s thoughts are blatantly clear on their faces. I ignore him, hopping up to sit beside her and tear into my food.

  “What’s got your panties in a twist?” she mumbles around a mouth full of food, pulled out of her musing.

  I sigh. “Nothing.”

  Not two minutes later, Derrick is there asking a similar question, probing to see if Cambria’s single or not, and it’s clear the moment things click into place for her. She smirks before stowing it away, dragging out the silence by finishing her food before she answers.

  “Atlas was kind enough to take me in. I was losing my apartment and couldn’t even put food on the table, but he stuck his neck out for me and let me stay with him until I can get back on my feet.” She dabs at fake tears and Derrick is already pulling out his goddamn wallet and slipping her twenty bucks to help her out.

  I narrow my eyes at her as she thanks him profusely, batting her eyelashes and smiling sweetly. When he leaves, she turns to me with a thumbs up and a grin. I scoff, finishing up my lunch and heading back to the ladder. She skips after me, cocking her head quizzically.

  “Hey, what’s going on with you?” she asks, pulling me to a stop at the base of the ladder.

  I turn to her, letting loose a heavy sigh. “I don’t like seeing them fawn all over you, okay?”

  She grins, and it’s then that I realize she already knew, she just wanted to torture me by making me say it. “So you can go to a club to try to get a piece of ass, but I don’t get to do the same?” she purrs coyly.

  My chest rumbles as I pull her closer, practically tossing her up the ladder. “Don’t be cute. Daylight’s wasting, so get your ass in gear if we want to be out of here before nightfall.”

  She laughs and takes my avoidance in stride, the rest of the day flying by in a sweaty blur of hard work. She never once complains or lazes around, might even put the rest of us to shame. When sunset hits and we call it, she’s looking a far cry from the girl I brought here this morning; exhausted and just overall thoroughly worn out.

  “Hey,” I ask in concern, leading her back to my bike. “You going to be able to hang on for the ride back? You kicked ass today, but you look ready to fall asleep standing up.”

  She gives me a small smile. “Yeah, I’m alright. I just haven’t gone this long without going back before. I think three days might be my limit.”

  After she points it out, I look at her in a new light. Her color is dimmed, not only in her cheeks, but even her ridiculous hair and the overall happy aura that usually surrounds her. She seems washed out and worn down, and now I’m way more unsettled than I was before.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” I snap, more hostile than I intend to, but I’m worried. “What happens if you go too long without going home?”

  I climb on my bike and she settles in behind me, but her grip isn’t nearly as tight as it was t
his morning. I shoot off a text to the others before firing up the bike, making sure my movements are as smooth as possible to make the ride easier, lest she slip off.

  “Not too sure, honestly,” she admits, resting her cheek against my back. “I’ve never tested it out and growing up, they warn us off from staying in the mortal realm so we don’t fade away. They always made it sound like a story to frighten young children, like the monster under the bed. I am feeling pretty burned out though, so I guess there’s some truth behind it. Who knows?” she jokes with fake levity, sounding tired and resting her cheek on my back. “Maybe I’ll explode in a shower of glitter. Poof. Good luck getting me out your hair then.”

  “Don’t joke about that shit. You act like no one would care if you died!”

  She remains silent as I park my bike at the club. Dorian and Lucien are already there waiting for us; Dorian pacing and Lucien leaning against his car with a blank mask in place. When they see us, Dorian rushes over in concern while Luce grabs two backpacks from at his feet.

  “Why would you push her so hard?” Dorian instantly snaps, coming over to wrap an arm around her waist and is halfway across the street towards the park without waiting for a response.

  Lucien falls into step beside me. “So we should plan for a three day rotation,” he muses, all practicality and sounding distant. “I wonder how long she needs to stay over there to recharge? A day in each of our homes, or three per side?”

  It’s like he isn’t even talking to me, just rambling and trying to pull structure out of nothing so he has a plan to fall back on. He always does this when he’s unsettled and it’s just more pronounced when Cambria misses a step and Dorian picks her up.

  She rests her head on his chest, and though she argues, she doesn’t struggle like she did the first time he attempted to help her. We make our way to the fairy ring and cross over, despite my sudden flair of anxiety. It’s still surreal to think of this as actually happening and our lives instead of a drug induced delusion.

  When we appear on the other side in the fae world, I still have to take a minute to accept it’s real. These things...they just don’t happen outside of books.

  We reach the edge of the forest where it turns to their city, and Dorian carefully sets Cambria on her feet. He hovers, waiting to make sure she’s steady before reluctantly giving her space. Even now she’s looking better, though her color hasn’t returned yet, but it’s enough to make me less concerned.

  We walk slowly, ensuring she can do so on her own to save face around her own kind, despite the fact that it’s grating on all of us. The initial walk of shame was painful enough to watch, but back then I was still in a relative state of shock. Now? I know this woman, and watching her struggle needlessly when I could help her just makes me that much more infuriated.

  Thankfully, the walk back to her apartment seems to re-energize her instead of wear her down further. Each step gives her strength and by the time we’re walking up the stairs to her shitty apartment, she’s nearly back to her old self.

  “Just toss your bags anywhere and we can rock, paper, scissors over who has to come with me to get some groceries,” she declares, changing her clothes.

  “We’re all coming with.”

  She looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”

  Lucien interjects, “You seem hardly able to take care of yourself, let alone three additional people. We can at least carry the bags.”

  She stares at all of us for a long moment. “You’re sure you wouldn’t rather stay here where it’s safe?” she asks slowly, and each hesitant word out of her mouth makes me that much more unnerved.

  “It’s grocery shopping, not like we’re volunteering to fight a lion here,” I laugh awkwardly.

  She holds my stare for longer than is comfortable before shrugging. “If you insist.”

  I’m ninety percent sure that I’m going to regret trying to be a gentleman.

  Chapter 9

  Cambria

  “They just keep...staring,” Atlas complains, looking around uncomfortably at all of the fae openly gawking at them as we make our way to the grocery store.

  When a beautiful woman with long ebony hair and violet eyes that pop dramatically against her dark skin gets too close to Dorian, trailing a hand down his shoulder, I yank him away and bare my teeth at her with a hiss. She rolls her eyes and trails her tongue across her teeth.

  “Honestly, Cambria, like you aren’t selfish enough already? You just love to take anything that isn’t nailed down, don’t you?” She flips her hair over her shoulder and saunters away without looking back.

  We keep walking as Lucien pipes up, “So, it’s a dominance thing here?” as he tries to understand the dynamics of a completely different world.

  I try to laugh, but it sounds more forced than I’d like. “No, but people are the same no matter where you go. Act like a crazy bitch and they take a step back.”

  Dorian grins, still holding my hand from where I jerked him away and rubbing his thumb over his mark. I know logically I should pull away, know he’s testing the waters, but what can I say? It’s been far too long since anyone has shown me any real affection that isn’t fake. I’m a lady of simple pleasures in a world of assholes, so sue me if the hot guy showing some interest doesn’t immediately get the boot.

  “I thought you said we were free to make our own choices?” Lucien presses, pinning me with a look.

  Tucking my hair behind my ear to steady my hand, I act like his words never sting. “And you are, so long as they’re free choices. As I told you before, while you’re here, part of my job is making sure no one uses their abilities to manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do. And the chick pawing at Dorian here is notorious for compulsion and mind fucks.” I pat his hand. “I might have killed my turtle, but I’ll do better this time with my humans.”

  Luce’s lips twitch as he fights a smile. “Who’s protecting whose virtue now?”

  I flip him off, but wink so he knows I’m not actually upset. We press closer to the building beside us since there isn’t a sidewalk, just an extra-large street, as a horse and open carriage pass by. The beast appears solid black with a mane and tail of living flames, and each stamp of his hooves sends a shower of sparks flaring out.

  “What in the world?” Atlas asks, craning his neck as it passes.

  Dorian and I continue to walk past him, slowing our pace so that he doesn’t get left behind. Because despite the several pets I accidentally killed growing up, I can keep my humans alive, thank you very much. And to be fair, I’m still convinced my cousin Piper poisoned them behind my back.

  “Don’t look so impressed,” I warn. “Nearly everything here is fake or enhanced to look more impressive than it is.”

  We make it to the grocery store and I count out my money before grabbing a basket. “Okay, if we play our cards right, we can make things stretch to next week for the four of us.”

  I only make it a few steps before Atlas is plucking the basket out of my hand and replacing it with a cart. “Don’t make this into a thing. I’m not starving for a week for your pride.”

  If he thinks I’ll be annoyed about that, he’s so wrong it’s comical. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they want to pitch in for food, that’s fine by me. I usually scrape by as it is, and I’ve seen the way these three eat. There’s a reason I worked the crowd extra last night as well as skimming a little from Atlas and Dorian’s friends at work; how else was I going to make ends meet with three new mouths to feed?

  “We can only stay a max of three days,” Lucien argues. “That should be more than enough time for you to get back to normal and if it’s sooner, all the better.”

  This time, I do narrow my eyes in annoyance, biting the inside of my cheek, but I don’t argue. I’m not trashy enough to start some huge argument in the middle of the grocery store when we’re already the talk of the town, I just hate his flippant barbs. I’m not even sure
he’s aware of them, or if he means them to come across as insulting as they do, more focused on logic and thinking aloud instead of before opening his mouth. I’ll save the theatrics for something worthy of a scene if it comes down to it, but grocery money doesn’t fit into that category for me so I try to shrug it off, while considering throwing a marker in with his laundry.

  “It just looks so,” Dorian trails off, looking around in almost disappointment, “normal.”

  I shrug, because I get where he’s coming from. “Well, fae have to eat, and it’s not like we snort glitter. There really isn’t any processed junk, but beyond that you should recognize the majority of what’s on the shelves. Some of the produce is different than what you’re used to, but it’s pretty clear what’s a fruit and what’s a vegetable.”

  Picking my way through the aisles, I load up on extra staples since the guys are pitching in. By the time we’re done and pay, it’s pretty close to a month’s rent. I grab several of the tote bags, since we draw a hard line against plastic around here, and the guys divvy up the rest.

  “Do you really just walk everywhere?” Atlas asks, not even looking fazed at lugging around all of the extra weight.

  “Not like I’ve got wings, and a horse can’t exactly fit into my apartment.”

  Lucien sighs. “What a depressing way to live.”

  “Oh my gosh!” I gasp in mock horror. “You’re right! I just hadn’t realized how sad and pathetic my life was until you pointed it out just now.”

  Dorian glares at him. “Do you always have to be such a dick?”

  The squabbling is cut off as Rickon comes around the corner with two of his soldier buddies. “Ah, the littlest Lark,” he drawls, looking down his nose at me.

  I have no choice but to stop with them blocking our way and I mentally just groan, but knew a trip out with the humans could never end without some sort of confrontation by someone or something. Though I’d prefer to be mauled by a fuckin’ tiger at this point over this constant thorn in my side.