“Did I do that? Did I create the wind that pushed you here?”
Hilly nodded.
“But how?”
“You’re a powerful Halfling,” Dwennon said softly. “Only I didn’t see it. Not at all.”
Rose stared at him and shook his head. “I thought you were the best seer of all the fairies.”
“I was,” Dwennon said. “I am. Change in a fairy’s powers sometimes negate a seer’s abilities, temporarily. I saw … I’ve seen for the past few days that all will be well. I don’t think your powers should change that. But, given that you said you were tired, you should probably rest as you wanted to. It’s close to four o’clock. Have a rest, and we’ll prepare for our journey tonight.”
Rose wasn’t sure she could rest after what just happened. “But what about my magic?” she said. “I did something powerful without even realizing it.”
“But you felt it at the end?” Dwennon asked.
Rose nodded.
“Then you’ll feel it next time,” he assured her. “You’ve got a slight feel for it, and once you return to your parents, we’ll be able to help teach you better. We just need to get through tonight. Some peace in your room should be good.”
Rose nodded again. “Alright,” she said. “I’ll rest.”
* * *
Rose went inside, leaving Hilly and Dwennon outside. After a few minutes of silence between the couple, Hilly asked. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure, Hilly,” he said. “But I think she may be my blind spot.”
Hilly gasped. “Surely, no,” she said. “You’ve never had a blind spot before. And never with her.”
Dwennon hobbled over to an outdoor chair that had been blown over and picked it up. He sat and sighed. “Every seer has a blind spot, one soul whose future they can’t access.”
“But you’ve seen her before,” Hilly said.
“Have I?” asked Dwennon. “You know how seers work, love. We connect with the world around us, with the people around us, and we use those connections to construct the future path of those people. But what if I have never connected with her? What if I have been constructing my visions for her based on the other connections I have — the connections to Blissa, to Edmund, to Maurelle, to myself? What if it was never her?”
Hilly bit her lower lip and leaned on the wall of the cottage. If her husband was right, that wasn’t good. It meant he could be wrong. It meant Rose might not be safe from Maurelle. “Should we take her back early?” Hilly asked. “Would she be better protected at the castle?”
Dwennon closed his eyes, searched the future. “I still see her fine. I still see her fine if she stays with us. She’s gone to rest. We’ll let her rest, and I doubt anything will go wrong. She’s safe here with us.”
Chapter 10
Rose went to her room and lay on the bed. She did want to rest a moment, to consider what had happened. She’d never felt anything like that. Yet, it had felt almost like nothing. She’d created significant winds without feeling it. Or maybe she’d just marshalled the wind. She wasn’t sure.
Regardless, it was startling and even scary. She wondered if what she did with James in her dreams had been because of the fairy magic. She thought it had just been the whimsy of dreams that allowed her to control them. But perhaps not. Perhaps it was a sign of her magic emerging in the human world.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed thoughts of her fairy magic from her mind. Right now, she needed to see James. More than anything, she wanted to see him in the flesh, to touch his skin and know that he was as real as she was.
She took some of the extra pillows that lined her bed and shoved them beneath to blankets to make it look as if she were sleeping. Then she went to her dresser and found the box that contained the remaining fairy stones. Scooping one up, she let it settle in the palm of her hand, then wrapped her fingers around it and whispered, “Take me to James.”
She closed her eyes as the process began. This time she knew not to scream, for that is what she had done earlier today when she and Hilly had used the stones. It felt a bit like being set afire. There was a sensation of intense heat starting in your core, and then it spread to the rest of your body. If your eyes were open, you’d see your body slowly falling away, as if it were ash, and disappearing into the wind. Only, a moment later, your parts seemed to reform where you intended to go, and the fiery sensation prickling your entire body melted away, leaving you whole and complete at your destination.
Rose had expected something called a fairy stone to leave one with a more pleasant sensation. But that is why you needed to be a fairy to use one. Hilly said humans actually burned away if they attempted to use one.
While Rose had been concerned about getting away without being caught, as she arrived in a little thicket of trees in the wood, she realized perhaps she should have been concerned about something else: how she looked. Yes, her dress was fine for a trip to the market, and spending time with Dwennon and Hilly. But to see James? It wasn’t the best. It was a simple pale pink dress that, in retrospect seemed rather girlish as opposed to womanly. She frowned, wishing she’d thought to change into something more elegant. Even the new dress Hilly had bought her would have been nice.
Her thoughts were interrupted by voices nearby. She took a step forward, peeking around the side of a tree and saw two young men walking in the clearing. It was him: James. And he was walking with another man, one similar in looks, chestnut hair, athletic build, friendly smile and nearly the same height.
“James,” said the other man, slightly stern. “You cannot keep denying father’s request. He wants his heir married. And many of the women you’ve been introduced to are incredibly fetching.”
James scowled. “Peter, I’ve told father I will find a wife in my own time.”
The other man, whom Rose now presumed was Peter, shook his head. “You’re the eldest. You don’t get the luxury of your own time. Father wants his affairs settled, lest he pass away.”
“Only they’re not his affairs,” James said, his voice jovial, despite the serious nature of the conversation. “They’re my affairs, and I know exactly the girl I wish to marry.”
Peter’s mouth popped open a little wider and he said, “You sly devil. You have a girl in mind. Just tell father. He wouldn’t even care if she was a commoner. He just wants the matter settled.”
James sighed and shook his head. “It’s not that easy,” he said, stroking his chin. “I haven’t exactly met her yet. Not in real life. You might say she’s more of a dream girl.”
Peter patted James on the back. “I’m afraid it’s time to wake up then, because father isn’t interested in dream girls. Not unless they step right out of your dream and into the castle.”
James looked down at the ground and sighed. “I know,” he said.
Peter smiled at him. “Don’t look so down, brother. Why don’t we go back to the castle and have a treat?” Peter raised an eyebrow mischievously. “I heard that cook was making a cake.”
James shook his head and said, “No, I think I’ll sit here for a moment.”
“Very well,” Peter said, and he headed off in the opposite direction.
Rose smiled as she watched James, now alone, settle himself on a rock and look out toward the evening sun. Her heart was giddy, and she could wait no more. She ran from her spot hidden among the trees, straight toward him.
The look of surprise on his face as he stared at her barreling toward him was worth every bit of trouble she’d be in if Dwennon and Hilly discovered her gone. James blinked twice, a smile breaking over his face as he watched her, but he said nothing.
She slowed as she reached him, stopping just short of colliding with him. She was breathless as she stood before him, a huge grin on her lips. “I was tired of waiting around for you to come find me, so instead I came to you,” Rose said.
James still seemed uncertain, blinking one more time, then reaching out a hand and touching her arm. “You�
�re real,” he said, wonder on his face. “You’re really here.” And then he pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her and kissed her. His warm, soft lips pressed hard against her mouth, a desperation in his touch, as if he’d never kiss her again.
Rose felt the same, her body yearning to be close to him, tingles of joy running through her as she pressed close to him, his arms cradling her, and her mouth wanting only to gently caress his, to linger there, warm and happy.
He pulled away from her finally, and said, “How? How did you find me? Especially since I’ve looked for you everywhere.”
Rose eyed him curiously. Everywhere? “You’ve been looking for me?”
James sat back down on the rock and pulled Rose into his lap. He stared at her as if she were the only human being on the planet. A robust smile made his face look even more handsome. He took both her hands in his, and said, “I have gone on traveling delegations to all the nearby kingdoms,” he said. “For the past year, I’ve done nothing but visit the monarchs, telling my father I wished to extend a hand of friendship to our neighbors. I’ve learned much about the neighboring areas, about customs, kindness, even the traits that seem to make the best rulers. Yet, I have not found the one thing I’ve actually sought on these trips: you. For everywhere I went, I hoped to find you. I toured their kingdom, seeking a place that looks like the place of our dreams, hoping to find you in a field picking the flower that bears your name. I was starting to think I would never find you, and yet, somehow, today, you’ve done just as my brother suggested: stepped out of my dream and into my arms.”
He pulled her close to him, and Rose felt at peace in his strong, loving embrace. She was amazed that he had spent so much time searching for her. He hadn’t forgotten her. He was real and he had been trying to find her.
“Well,” she said, her arms wrapped around him. “I’m so glad you looked for me, but sorry you didn’t find me.”
“But how did you find me?”
Rose laughed. “It’s going to be hard for you to believe.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Given that a girl from my dreams, the girl I’ve been searching for more than a year, just showed up in the woods behind my home, I’m apt to believe anything.”
Rose explained about the fairy stone, and how she’d been given it as a birthday gift.
“It’s your birthday?” James said, disappointed. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gotten you a gift.”
Rose shook her head. “But don’t you see?” she said. “This is my gift. Being here with you is my gift.”
He kissed her, but this time lightly, softly, a lingering kiss that was all sizzle and left Rose wanting more. “Let’s celebrate your birthday. My brother tells me the cook made a cake. Why don’t we go in, get a picnic basket, then find a pleasant clearing to have a birthday picnic?”
Rose could think of nothing she’d like more. James stood and extended a hand to help her up. “But I have to go home after the picnic,” she said as she rose fully. James frowned.
“I’ll explain everything as we walk,” Rose said.
James and Rose walked to the castle and she told him of how she’d been raised by Dwennon and Hilly because she’d been cursed to fall asleep for a hundred years on her seventeenth birthday.
“A hundred years,” James said. “But how? Wouldn’t you die after not eating for a week?”
Rose grimaced. “Yes, my sweet but practical James. If it were a normal sleep, yes. But it’s an enchanted sleep, so I suppose my needs will be met by the enchantment.”
“And you’ve been hidden all this time to avoid this, but you decide to come out on the day it is to happen, just to visit me?”
“Well, the fairy stone was a birthday gift. Who else would I want to visit on my birthday?”
“Your parents,” he teased.
“I told you, Dwennon said I couldn’t go there. Not until tomorrow.”
James sighed. “I can’t believe your parents are King Edmund and Queen Blissa. It was the final kingdom on my last journey. But they said nothing of a daughter.”
“I suspect it’s hard for them to speak of it. My mother feels awful that I have yet to see my father.”
James stopped walking, surprised. “You’ve seen your mother?”
“The way I see you. In dreams.”
He nodded, and they continued walking.
They stopped in the kitchen, where their presence seemed to grind things to a halt. The head cook ushered the staff back to work, and Rose found the scene enchanting, watching so many people about, measuring flour, cutting vegetables, and readying that night’s meal. James offered a few kind words to cook, who packed them a basket full of breads, cheese, wine, salted meat, and fruit. The cook joked with him kindly and only asked a few questions about the prince’s “new friend.”
Rose and James left in good spirits, James snaking her through the manicured castle grounds and out the gates to a nearby forest. Rose took in the lush greenery and trees, marveling at how beautiful his kingdom was, as they walked, talked, and laughed.
Rose let James lead the way, but after a bit, things looked familiar. The foliage, pretty white flowers hanging from the treetops had a quality that seemed comforting. “What is this place called?” Rose asked. “It’s so beautiful.”
James, the picnic basket tucked in his hand, stopped and turned his head, taking in the entire area. “You know,” he said, turning back to the area they’d just come from. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.” His eyebrows squished together, and he set the basket down and walked over to the trees where a white flower hung. He picked one and handed it to Rose with a smile. “Still, it feels like I’ve visited here before.”
Rose took the flower, gently nestled it in her hair and smiled. “I know,” she said. “It feels a bit like home.” She peeked ahead, to a narrow path through the trees, a shady path that looked like it opened up into an area of light. “Let’s go this way,” she said as she darted down the path, not waiting for James’ response.
The foliage was thick and overgrown on the narrow path, with vines and tendrils snaking onto the trail. Soon, though, Rose burst from the path and into a clearing. Her legs slowed to a halt as she took in the sight that left her awed. There was a pleasant grassy knoll, and at its center, a pond. Not just any pond, but a beautiful, clear, crystalline pond whose waters shimmered beneath the afternoon sun.
She heard the crunch of sticks on the ground and heavy breathing behind her and turned to see James coming from the path and into the clearing. His annoyed scowl gave way to the awe the pond seemed to induce. Recognition filled his eyes as he looked to Rose, then the pond, then back at her again.
“It’s just like the pond in our dreams,” James said.
He’d spoken what she’d been thinking. And as he did, she realized where they were. “Of course,” Rose said, as she looked around. “It’s a crystal pond.”
James dropped their picnic basket in the grass, squinted curiously, and walked toward her, taking her hand. “A crystal pond?”
“Yes. They’re entrances from the fairy realm to the human world. There’s usually one in each kingdom and they look very similar. But humans can’t find them.” Rose raised a hand to her chin in thought. Then she giggled. “At least, most humans can’t. Hilly says they can only be found by fairies and lovers.”
“Fairies and lovers?” James asked, moving toward Rose, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. His strong chest pressed against her bosom, and she could smell his earthy, clean scent as he slid his hands down her back, causing tingles to shimmy down her spine. “Is that why we found it today — because we’re lovers?” he asked as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
He tasted of berries, and his kiss took her breath away. Her hands caressed his back as she lingered in his arms. She pulled free for air and grinned at him. “Yes, I believe we are lovers,” she said, looking into his entrancing blue eyes. They seemed to sparkle here, as if he was
meant for her.
A light breeze came along and rustled her hair. James leaned forward; his warm breath caressed her neck, and she shivered with joy. The thrill of that moist, heated breath on her neck was ecstasy. More pleasure came as his mouth gently swooped upon her neck, kissing along her collarbone, tracing her neck and then up to her earlobe, where he gently suckled the tip. She let out a breath as her body came to life, every sense suddenly awakened by his touch.
It was so much stronger than any sensations she had felt in her dreamscape. Real. Yes, he was real, and this was real. Real was hot, fervent, tingles upon every part of her flesh that touched his. Real was a yearning that could only be quenched by him.
She peppered her own kisses along his neck and her fingers found the hem of his shirt. She slid her hands beneath the loose thin fabric, finding purchase on his back. She fingered the smooth, thick muscles there, pulling him closer, his hard body pressing deeply into hers. His mouth took hers, and everything else seemed to fade away. All that mattered was being with him, his touch, his taste, his musky scent driving her wild.
He guided her down to the soft grass, her back and then head gently falling to the earth. He was on top of her, looking down, and it was like she was getting to stare at an angel. A smirk crossed his lips as his eyes took in her face. “You’re real,” he said, his voice firm, though with a hint of playfulness.
“So are you,” she whispered.
“I love you,” he said, the words carrying with them both serenity and fire. Her heart thumped in her chest as he reached a hand out and slowly began to disrobe her. He started gathering her skirt of her dress, drawing it up the length of her body. She felt the grass nuzzle her legs, the fabric shield now gone. His eyes never left hers as he fiddled with her clothes. His eyes saying he wanted to see her, to know how she looked as he took her.
She eased herself up, to help him pull the dress over her head, leaving only a thin camisole beneath. His shirt rippled in the breeze and she realized how overdressed he was. She gripped the edges of the shirt, and pulled it over his head to reveal his bare chest, a sculpted glory. His smooth, sun-kissed skin glistened just slightly, and the gentle breeze brought his thick, musky scent to her nose. She closed her eyes to revel in it, and she heard the sound of rustling fabric.
Dream Trysts: A Sleeping Beauty Story (Passion-Filled FairyTales Book 4) Page 5
