I looked down as a silky soft chemise flowed over my chest to the top of my hips. It breathed like my most expensive negligees, light and airy, beautiful eyelet work over top of my breasts and down the sides with a complicated set of laces that looked impossible to unweave. Functionality didn’t seem to be the point.
“That’s nice,” I mumbled, feeling inadequate with the praise, but Kheelan was still an ass more deserving of a kick than a clap.
My jeans, hoodie and t-shirt got tied together and rubbed with leaves, then a couple of the smaller twigs shoved into the jeans pocket before Kheelan tied it all around my waist like a really big bum pack. What the heck?
“Close your eyes,” he said.
I’m sure it had nothing to do with the magic, but then, with Loren’s breezy power to change my glamour, I didn’t want to risk a flying stick in the eye. I closed off the sight of Kheelan’s focused gaze. He really looked like he was measuring me with his eyes.
This time the feel of magic was everywhere. It was like walking through a mist, reminding me of one summer when the twins had convinced me to hike out with them to a small waterfall and the best part had been standing next to the cool spray. Even when we had all stripped to our bathing suits and swam a little further down where the water was calmer, that initial refreshness of the mist wasn’t replicated.
Kheelan’s glamour magic felt like a rejuvenation, not covering me up but washing away a layer of dirt that had dulled my senses. I came away feeling energized and fresh.
“You can open your eyes,” Kheelan said.
I popped open to see him standing closer than I had expected. There was a glow around him that previously I had only seen when the Fae were touching metal. It made me miss Aeric for a moment.
Both of the brothers had been prickly towards me at first, but something had changed between the younger brother and I between arrows and getting one over Falin’s arrogance.
I shook off the maudlin remembrance. The Light Fae heir and I were worlds apart.
“Am I a perfect princess?” I asked with a great deal of sarcasm.
Kheelan’s blues didn’t even bother looking over the outfit he had created for me. His gaze focused right on my own.
I could get lost in that storm.
“The dress is a perfect disguise for where we’re going,” he finally said. “Give me your feet.”
He squatted down as he spoke and reached for my first booted foot, pushing my layered dress up out of the way. I shivered at the cool touch of his hands on my calf.
“Does the dress come with glass slippers? I’m not sure they’re appropriate footwear for running for my life,” I said, feeling like a fake Cinderella with her prince trying to see if the shoe fit.
“Do you doubt my protection?” Kheelan said, his misty magic playing with my boot.
“I doubt your allegiance,” I retorted.
“Other foot.”
No denial, then. I stepped down and it felt like a nice, solid boot, except it didn’t squeeze my too-big Fae feet any longer. My other foot went up.
“So, am I a prisoner?” I asked.
Cool magic seemed to be my only answer until Kheelan’s fingers started trailing up the back of my knee, boot already made. I was incredibly ticklish there, the one secret place worse than my feet that the twins hadn’t discovered yet.
“Omigod Kheelan, stop!” I screeched, collapsing down as my legs gave way to try and close off the sensitive torture.
He caught me in an armful of lacy green fabric, nearly smothering me against my new dress. “You’re being guarded, not a prisoner, princess,” was said to the top of my head.
I leaned back and tried to look him in the face. I wanted to reach up and bring him down to me for a kiss, soothe the worry and annoyance I caused.
It was a terrible idea.
“I feel like the shackles would have given more freedom,” I said, busying myself with patting down my fluffy dress. It was like something made by weaving thousands of downy feathers into an incredibly soft fabric. How did Kheelan fashion it from my rough jeans and debris?
“Cuffs might have drawn less notice, at least. You’re too tempting in this dress,” he said.
“Easier to trip?” I teased as Kheelan rose with me in his arms. Now he really was carrying me like a princess.
“Too soft,” he replied. “It hides all your hard edges and leaves you looking ripe to be nibbled.”
I hid a blush, looking down. I think Kheelan had given me a backwards compliment.
It was difficult being stripped of my armor in order to pass more freely in the Faerie world, but I understood the necessity of it. I was over being kidnapped and thrown into cages. Kheelan was right about the softness. My disguises had always been about keeping everyone away, a prickly defense. This new disguise was more a honeytrap, which meant that Kheelan thought I had weapons worth disguising.
I preferred this to being considered a mouse.
“If there are any problems with the dress it is all your fault,” I said, deciding I wouldn’t let him change my disguise anyways. I may as well enjoy being in a fairytale.
“Princess, do you know why Fae prefer their ladies clothed in dresses?” Kheelan asked as he started carting me off in another direction. I wasn’t sure if this was the way we came, already turned around in the woods.
Kheelan’s question stumped me. I couldn’t think of a single reason for trapaising around in a dress. I had always thought them impractical myself, which was reflected in my wardrobe.
“It’s traditional?” I finally guessed.
“There is a traditional reason tied to it, but that’s not quite the reason on its own,” Kheelan replied. “Do you want a demonstration?”
“Not really,” I said. His tone made it obvious he was up to something.
“I was only asking to be polite,” Kheelan said, then switched my position in his arms, hefting me over one of his shoulders. This was how most of my Marks preferred to carry me.
It was undignified.
“I can only see problems with dresses in this position,” I complained. All I needed was one of Loren’s misdirected breezes and I would be showing the world my bloomers.
“Actually, dresses are quite a simple solution to the inconvenience of needing to apply immediate correction to wayward young ladies,” Kheelan said.
Oh.
“Don’t you dare,” I shrieked, patting my stupid dress over my butt so it couldn’t be lifted.
“A little flick of your skirts up and your bottom is ready,” Kheelan explained. I hardly needed further detail.
“You’re saying Fae culture created clothing around a sexual kink? I had no idea Fae were so deviant. Loincloths are vulgar next to crotchless bloomers and featherlight skirts that flip over your head with barely a thought. Classy sleaze,” I commented.
Kheelan kept walking. Ha, my victory.
“Do you always speak whatever comes into your mind, or are you purposefully picking things to say that are most likely to get your bottom into trouble?”
“A combination of both,” I admitted. “Minus the spanking. That’s your kink, not mine.”
Kheelan brought his hand under my skirts and gave my upper thighs a little squeeze. His cool magic lingered as if he had planned to bind me but didn’t finish tying the magical knots.
“Are you so sure about spanking?” he asked as I shivered. “Loren spanked you to orgasm not that long ago, princess.”
I squeezed my thighs together.
“I was putting on a show for the guards,” I protested.
“So you don’t know whether you like it or not yet?” he said, calloused fingers trailing up my skin, close to where I was so soft and wet. His hands roughly parting my thighs before he fucked me flashed in my mind.
Bad idea.
“Other than spanking girls, what do you do for fun around here?” I said to distract him and myself from thoughts of a sexy spanking.
Kheelan chuckled. “We fight, fornicate a
nd drink, mouse. What else did you expect from uncouth soldiers?”
“I thought you were a prince?” I said.
“Aeric is the rightful heir,” Kheelan replied. “I told you that I’m from the stables.”
Barracks. His crazy father had said he let Kheelan grow up in his barracks with the other soldiers. Eloden had told me that Selvyth had many Halflings armed to fight even though they were still children. How many battles had Kheelan seen?
“You’re still as arrogant as your brother,” I said. “I’m sure the two of you were thick as thieves and that’s why you’re in this mess together.”
Kheelan stopped. “Get down and walk,” he told me.
As soon as my boots touched the ground, Kheelan took off. I hurried after him.
“If you love Aeric so much then why did you leave him?” I shouted after Kheelan.
This got a bitter chuckle as a reply.
“What questions will you answer?” I said.
“You ask a lot for someone that won’t say much herself,” Kheelan replied.
I was closed mouthed? “I told you off plenty of times, it just isn’t effective,” I said.
“We are in Light Fae lands. You were kidnapped by human slavers and your small caravan was the fifth we destroyed to find you. There was a magic blocking spell over your wagon that prevented us from tracking you by your Marks.”
Whoa. Kheelan was talking.
“So you normally can track me using magic?”
“Yes,” Kheelan said. “The blocking spell has been removed so anyone that has Marked you can track you once again.”
“Do you think Dain is coming after me?”
Kheelan gave me another bitter chuckle. “Oh, much worse.”
He was trying to scare me. Also, Kheelan had no clue what I had done to Dain.
“I doubt that highly,” I said.
“Loren said you haven’t talked to Aeric yet,” Kheelan pointed out.
“If you think Aeric is my biggest worry then I’ll manage. He still owes me two favours,” I reminded Kheelan.
Something was said in Fae. I stopped, pulled by my dress.
“Slow down,” I complained, yanking my skirt off a branch that had snagged it. “I’m dressed for kinky Fae sex, not running through the woods.”
Kheelan halted and turned around.
“You’re dressed like a proper lady. One high enough to be allowed freedom by her Lord to travel with servants and her human slaves into town.”
The disguise was starting to make more sense. I knew it wasn’t all about baring my ass.
“Who will I be meeting there?”
“You are meeting no one,” Kheelan replied. “I expect you to behave like the lady you are dressed as and keep your sassy mouth shut for the duration of the visit.”
“Seen, not heard?” I mocked.
“Exactly,” Kheelan said, pivoting and taking the lead again.
“Are all the ladies lap dogs here?”
“Light Fae females are delicate and sweeter than their Dark counterparts,” Kheelan said. “You chose Light, princess.”
“I bet your females had their spines ripped out by King Asshole.”
“Selvyth would try to make an example of you,” Kheelan warned. “I will tie you up to a tree and fetch you after our trip into town if you don’t think you can behave.”
Play nice or I wasn’t going to get to play at all.
“Just know I will be thinking all sorts of nasty insults the whole time I’m politely sipping tea and not saying a word,” I told him.
“It’s a pub. You won’t be drinking anything but watered down ale.”
Kheelan had to go ruin my setdown.
“I’m a cheap drunk anyway,” I retorted.
“You’re wrong about Light Fae females,” Kheelan quietly said.
“I have yet to meet any so I’ll withhold judgement,” I said, but I sounded doubtful.
“Strength isn’t only in how much you can hold before you snap,” Kheelan said. “Learn how to bend and live to stand up another day.”
“Is that what you’re going to do at the pub, bend over and take it?” I said, angry because this was what he was asking me to do.
“No,” Kheelan replied, sounding weary. “Females can bend but males only snap. Perhaps it’s pride or arrogance as you like to call it.”
Kheelan has stood silently under his father’s vicious whipping. He didn’t give but he bled the price of that pride. I understood it even if I might not like that Kheelan wouldn’t allow me to make the same choice. He was protecting me in the way he knew, giving me the same concessions he would his own Light females.
“I won’t cause trouble,” I softly said.
“That’s good to hear because I won’t hesitate to do whatever is needed to keep you safe while you are under my care, princess.”
It sounded like a declaration.
“As long as you understand it goes both ways,” I said, thinking of how I had kept Kheelan safe from Dain’s vengeance.
“The kingdom doesn’t depend on me,” Kheelan retorted. “Save the heroics for my brother. He might just be amused enough to allow you to ask for one of your hoarded favours.”
Not only did I feel as if I barely knew Kheelan. Now, I was wondering if my impression of Aeric was equally mistaken.
What would this masquerade be like when we all took off our masks?
Chapter 11:
A low whistle greeted our return to camp. I looked over as Loren stood up from his fireside watch and gave my new dress a slow perusal.
“Kheelan is going to have to put an arrow through at least three Fae when we get to the pub just so the rest won't get any ideas about his Mistress,” Loren said.
It seems the lady and servant plan had been decided by them earlier. At least Kheelan had opened up more and talked like Loren had promised, although not quite what I had wanted to hear. He had spent as much time talking about spanking me as explaining Fae customs.
“Kheelan says the dress makes me look too soft,” I complained.
“You don't need to look hard, only we do,” Kheelan said. “This plan will work much better if you just sit there and look pretty,” he suggested.
Kheelan called me pretty. I tried not to gag and failed, doing it behind Kheelan’s back as he faced Loren. Brown eyes met mine with amusement.
Loren laughed. “She is lovely. However did you manage to stuff so much attitude in her corset?” he asked Kheelan. “Are you holding your breath, kitten?”
I wasn’t wearing a corset but I got his joke. “You’re the one full of air,” I retorted to Loren.
“I would defend you but you are rather long-winded,” Kheelan agreed. “Eve had plenty of questions you promised I would answer.”
Uh oh, I sensed trouble. I didn’t care if they fought. I just didn’t want to be stuck in the middle. I tried inching towards the tent and my brothers.
“Stop,” Kheelan said, not even looking over to me.
“Of course she has questions, Kheelan. She didn’t even know about a dragon’s magic and her impression of Prince Aeric is of a spoiled bratling barely outgrown his britches. She even held the wrong end of the walking stick when trying to attack me.”
“Gee, Loren. Is there anything else you would like to point out about my lack of knowledge?” I muttered.
“You kiss like an Elf Priestess,” he replied.
“What?” I said.
“They’re lifelong virgins. Makes for stronger healing magic,” Kheelan explained.
“Newsflash Loren, I’m not that innocent,” I said.
“Your dragon did mention your recent introduction to the sensual arts but from his difficulties sheathing his cock, I assumed you haven’t had time to practice,” Loren replied.
“Kissing is not sex, and you were ripping my heart out at the time,” I said.
This got an arched brow from Kheelan. “Losing your touch, Loren?”
“Her glamour was bound as tight as her lips,�
�� Loren replied.
What a liar. Loren had stuck his tongue in my mouth even if I had nipped him for it.
“Maybe you should have left my glamour alone. I don't see why you have to drag us along with you to this super secret meeting. My brothers and I should be able to make the trip back home with a little of your glamour to assist us. We can wait for you at home,” I said. “You do remember how to break into my room?”
“The way back is a few days ride, kitten. The glamour you have on right now is quite complex. It isn't a snap of your fingers to fix it if anything happens along the way, either,” Loren said.
“My brothers have school. I have a job and a life, and a mother that needs me back home as soon as possible.”
Okay, I was down a couple jobs but I would be finding a new one pronto.
Loren met my eyes but he didn't say anything to Kheelan about what I had revealed to him as to the real reason we came back to Faerie. If it was just me, then I would have stayed glued to their sides despite the pub trip sounding like an exercise in suppression and annoyance. My brothers didn’t need more time as slaves. I was afraid that someone would kidnap them and it wasn’t as if there was a ‘missing person’ milk-carton program to get them back.
“All of those are reasons why you never should have come here,” Kheelan said. “I thought you different from the hen-witted females Aeric usually prefers, but you keep pecking the ground in futile effort.”
“If I'm so much trouble, why did you even come after me?” I asked.
Kheelan stepped towards me, sneer on his lips. “Did you think we were done with you?” he said. “All of your Marks are tied to you now that you’ve completed your Claim.”
Wow. He did not sound grateful. I probably shouldn’t point out I did it for him.
“Does that work like a leash?” I said. “Show me your collar.”
“You can call any of your Marks at any time,” Loren softly said. “It is rather inconvenient for Kheelan to have such a connection right now.”
“Everything is so damn inconvenient for you guys. Did you ever think how my life has been torn apart?” I said, getting louder and more animated.
Falling Into Faerie After Page 18
