It was the stranger–the guy who tried to force her out of O’Brian’s and to some ‘winter court’. His friend was with him.
Gwen thrashed more violently, giving Ian no choice but to release her. She whirled around to face the three men, taking several steps away from them. Her face showing her fear and confusion.
Ian held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s alright, Gwennie,” he said, using her childhood nickname to penetrate her defenses. “I know you are confused, but we are heading to the apartment right now. I will explain everything. No one is going to hurt you.” She thought he sounded sincere, but Gwen couldn’t shake her unease.
“What are they doing here?” She asked her friend, jutting out her chin to the two men behind him. The gorgeous one stepped forward.
“I am here to learn of your story. This Summer Fae,” he waved his hand towards Ian, “has promised me information to satisfy my curiosity.” Gwen gulped as he used the strange words again.
“And him?” She pointed a shaky finger to the man who had first caught her attention back at the bar.
“I am the prince’s guard,” the man replied with a deep tone. “I go where he goes.”
Ian took a tiny step forward and startled Gwen so much that she reeled backwards into a blue mustang.
“Calm down, Gwen. Geeze.” Ian said, sounding more than a tad bit annoyed. “You know me. You know I would never hurt you.”
“I don’t know anything,” she snapped, “not with all this weird talk going on. That guy tried to kidnap me, and now you are bringing him home with us?”
The handsome man twitched. He turned to Ian. “You two live together?” Gwen thought he sounded displeased.
Ian waved the question away. “It is not what you think. As I said before, I will tell you all you want to know once we are back at our place.”
“What is there to tell them, Ian?” She asked, exasperated with her friend. “Why are you giving these weirdos the time of day?”
The blonde man glared at her, “For the one-hundredth time, I will explain it to you. But not in this garage. So, if you want to know, get your butt in the Jeep. NOW!” Ian turned on his heel and strode towards his vehicle in a huff. The two strangers followed close behind.
Clenching her jaw and mentally cursing Ian’s evasiveness, Gwen trailed after him a moment later.
This had better be good.
***
The drive home was quiet.
Gwen did manage to ask Ian about Kate and Sara, her concern for them overriding her desire to shun her foster brother.
Ian informed her he alerted them to her fall. The girls were aware that he had taken her home and said they would check on her soon.
Feeling a tingling sensation on her neck, Gwen turned and briefly met the eyes of the attractive, unstable stranger. She swiftly turned away, refusing to look back again.
“Might I ask, when was Gwenevere born?” Gwen visibly balked at the man’s odd question.
Out of the corner of her eye, Gwen saw Ian give the prince an odd expression through the rearview mirror; his mouth opened as if to answer. After a moment, Ian closed his lips, giving the other man a narrowed and contemplative glare.
Uncomfortable with the odd exchange, Gwen let out a puff of air. “December 7th,” she answered in a flat voice.
“I see.” The handsome man stated simply, not explaining the reason behind the weird inquiry. Not wanting to encourage a conversation, Gwen refused to ask about it. She felt his gaze the rest of the ride.
Pulling up the apartment complex, Gwen leapt out the moment Ian parked. She raced up the stairs, hoping to enter and lock the men out of her home before they realized what was happening. No way did she want the crazy people in her house.
Those plans were dashed as she unlocked the door and felt a presence right behind her. With a quick peek, she cursed when she saw the three men. How did they get there so fast? She didn’t hear them run.
Scowling, Gwen opened the door wide and proceeded to turn on the main space’s lights.
“Have a seat,” Ian directed. The two dark haired men complied, both sitting on the brown, polyester couch. Gwen took a seat at the kitchen table–as far away as she could be while still located in the same room.
Glad I cleaned today, Gwen couldn’t stop from thinking. Damn, she scolded herself, who cares what these whack jobs think? Stop being a neat freak!
“I am unsure of where to begin,” Ian confessed, standing in the middle of the room, facing the men on the couch.
“How about telling me why a Summer and Winter Fae are living in the Human Realm together?” The handsome man acted as if the words disgusted him.
Ian nodded as if it were a normal and logical question. Gwen wanted to run from the insanity.
Turning towards the kitchen table, Ian gave Gwen a pleading look. “Gwen,” he started, his voice laced with worry. “Please, don’t freak out at what I am about to say. I promise everything will make sense once I am finished explaining.”
Not knowing what else to do, the young woman nodded, thinking nothing he said could be more bizarre than the conversation that had already occurred.
Accepting her gesture, Ian returned his attention the men. Standing tall and looking the picture of authority, he began…
Chapter 8
“My name, as I’ve said before, is Eilian. I am the twin brother of Duke Aeron of the Summer Court, and I moved to the Human Realm over a quarter of a century ago.” Ian cast a quick glance to gauge Gwen’s reaction. She was still as a statue. Deciding the reaction was better than he could have hoped for, he continued on.
“I was great friends with one of Gwenevere’s parents and took her in upon the fae’s death. I have raised Gwen in the Human Realm, per her parent’s request.”
The Winter Prince narrowed his eyes in thought. “Why would any Winter Fae bestow the upbringing of their child to a Summer Fae?”
“And why would the child not have been raised in the Winter Court? She is clearly of noble blood,” the other Winter Fae added, crossing his arms.
“The Summer and Winter Fae have not always been at war, Your Highness,” Ian answered with care. He needed to be sure he did not reveal more information than planned–for Gwen’s sake. “And my understanding was that my friend’s family would not have welcomed the child into their lives. In fact, my friend feared for Gwenevere’s life. She was brought to me because I had established a safe, private place in the Human Realm.”
“Why can I not see through her glamour?” The guard asked, staring at Gwen as though willing his eyes to see her true nature. Even in civilian clothes, Eilian could tell the fae’s occupation by simply observing his actions. The prince’s companion was diligent in scanning their surroundings, assessing any potential danger to his charge.
“She was given a defalutar potion as a child, hiding her true nature from all fae and herself,” Ian offered Gwen an apologetic face. She did not respond to it. He started to worry.
“The potion was purchased for me by my brother,” he added. Ian did not think the detail would cause any trouble. It was not like the Winter Fae could find and speak to Aeron with the war going on.
“The girl has no idea of her kind? No knowledge of her people?” The prince asked with a thoughtful expression as he looked about the apartment.
“She does not.”
“Why hide her nature from herself?” The prince rose from his seat and began pacing. “What could be the motive?”
Ian shrugged and offered a truthful statement. “Her parent wanted her identity and existence to remain a secret. I managed to find the most effective way to ensure that it was so. For Gwen, that also meant her own ignorance.”
Gwen leaped to her feet at his words. Ian let out a relieved sigh, surprised her outburst had taken so long.
“You are all insane,” she accused, pointing a finger in their direction.
“He is my freaking age,” she added, gesturing to Ian. “Just ask yourself, how in t
he freaking world would he have known my parents? The answer is: he couldn’t have! You all need to stop messing around and end this idiotic joke right now!”
The males remained silent as Gwen stared them down, breathing heavily.
“Gwen,” Ian said, softly. “I know this is hard to believe, but I can prove everything.”
She glared at him.
“Let the prince touch your head,” he suggested, knowing by the flare in her eyes that she was furious with him for it. “He only needs contact for about ten seconds.
“Right?” Ian asked the prince, who was observing Gwen with more interest than the Summer Fae would have liked.
“I believe I can extract the spell from her mind with my powers, yes,” he responded, inching closer to Gwen. “Although, I have never done such a thing before. It might be longer than ten seconds.”
Ian shot the male a look of annoyance. Was that really necessary information to share?
“Trust me, Gwen,” Ian whispered, turning back to her. “You know, I would never do anything to hurt you.”
The conflicting thoughts and emotions showed themselves on her fair face. The prince, thankfully, had enough sense to not advance his position. He wisely waited for the girl to make her decision. Ian sent a silent prayer to Fate that she would allow the prince to approach and reveal the truth of his words.
***
Everything in Gwen said for her to refuse, to turn and run from the crazy dream she must be in. But she couldn’t dismiss the sincerity in her friend’s face. Ian truly believed what he was saying. That acknowledgement terrified her.
Would it be so bad to be touched by this gorgeous guy? Gwen wondered, letting her gaze fall on the subject of her thought. He was even more attractive in non-bar lighting.
“Fine,” Gwen allowed, not knowing what other option she had. They seemed too convinced in their beliefs to be dissuaded.
The man referred to as ‘the prince’ approached her slowly until he was standing directly in front of her. He allowed about one foot of space to exist between them. Cautiously, he raised his hands and placed them on her temples, his fingers curling around and landing in her wavy hair. The contact made Gwen gasp.
Smiling, but not in an arrogant way, the stranger let out a long breath, preparing for his task. “This should not hurt, but it might be… overwhelming.” With that, Gwen felt a freezing numbness that extended from his palm and fingers. She grimaced at the sensation, grasping the man’s elbows in an attempt to keep herself grounded. He continued on.
She felt as if all the warmth from her body was being doused by frigid water, causing an involuntary shiver. Closing her eyes, Gwen forced herself to remain calm. She was willing to do whatever to get the crazy men to shut up and leave her alone. She didn’t want to hear any more of their fantastical stories.
After a few minutes, Gwen felt the cold sensations recede. “You can open your eyes now,” the man informed her, still holding her head in-between his hands.
Slowly, Gwen did as he said. Her mind immediately started spinning as she took in the sight before her.
All three men, although looking much the same as before, now seemed to have more pronounced and…
How could she describe it?
Magical? Features. The change, no doubt, due to the soft light now emanating from their bodies.
Ian appeared to be more tan than usual, and his green eyes were bright orbs of light casting a glow on his face. His blonde hair looked white with its new brightness. Gwen couldn’t resist her curiosity and turned to see the differences in the man standing before her.
He was absolutely breathtaking. There were no words. All of his good looks were enhanced in such a way that Gwen did not think she would be able to look at any other man and find him attractive. Not with this image permanently burned behind her eyes.
A soft chuckle from his firm, pink lips caused Gwen to raise her gaze to meet his.
He gave her an amused and kindhearted grin. “Do you like what you see?”
“It’s all so different,” she managed, sounding winded. Gwen continued to stare, but the man did not seem to mind. In fact, he was using the opportunity to take in her features as well. She knew she should try not to appear so enamored.
“What is your name?” She finally asked, the curiosity and newfound fascination overruling her desire to appear uninterested.
“Kalan,” he answered with a handsome smile, “Prince Kalan of the Winter Court, and I am truly honored to make your acquaintance, Lady Gwenevere.”
***
From her seat at the kitchen table, Gwen watched as Kalan and Ronan (the prince gave the guard an introduction shortly after his own) left the apartment. Both promised to return the following day for further discussions. Gwen was still in a daze from her newfound vision and kept her eyes trained on the floor to relieve herself from the overwhelming sensations.
She heard the chair beside her as it was pulled out and saw when it was placed in front of her.
Ian sat down, bending to rest his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry, Gwen.”
She thought about ignoring him, knew that she could never speak to him again if she wanted to. But whatever he had done, whatever he kept from her all these years, Gwen couldn’t ignore the fact that Ian was the only family she had left. She needed him.
“Why did he call me ‘Lady Gwenevere’?” Gwen thought this was the easiest of all the questions currently floating through her head.
Ian let out a relieved sigh. “Because he knows you are a Winter Court noble.”
Gwen tried not to show frustration at his lack of detail. “How? Does he know who my parents were?”
“No, and we need to keep it that way.”
“How then?” Annoyance laced her tone. “And why do we need to keep it that way?”
Ian let his head fall into his hands for a brief moment, bracing himself for what he was about to say. He looked up. “He knows because of your appearance. In the Fae Realm, Winter Court nobles have blue eyes and Summer Court nobles have green. Everyone else has brown eyes.”
Glad to finally have received useful information, Gwen wanted to keep Ian talking. “So, if I had brown or green eyes, this guy wouldn’t even be interested in me? He might have left me alone?” The ease with which she discussed the bizarre topic did not escape her notice, causing her to wonder if she was becoming unstable from whatever the prince had done to her mind.
“Not exactly,” Ian shook his head. “He can see you are fae, and with your dark hair, he would assume you are a Winter subject.”
“My hair?” Gwen laughed incredulously. “I dye my hair, Ian. We can tell him that tomorrow and maybe he will leave me alone.”
Ian’s hands leaped out to grab ahold of one of hers. Surprised, Gwen’s eyes jumped and met his. They were wide and imploring. “You can never tell them you are blonde, Gwen. Promise. Promise me you will never tell them that.”
“Why?” She whispered, frightened by his intensity.
“Because…” He swallowed painfully. “Only Summer Fae have blonde hair.”
“But you said my blue eyes mean I’m Winter Fae. How can I have blonde hair? Oh…” Gwen let the information sink in.
“I’m both?” She asked, connecting the dots Ian had placed. “One parent was ‘summer’ and one ‘winter’?”
Ian nodded, looking grim.
“What’s the big deal, Ian?” Gwen asked, not understanding his expression. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Your mother’s name was Gwendolyn,” he admitted, his face softening. “She was my best friend. And she was the Princess of Summer Court.”
Ian continued on, revealing the long-hidden truth to Wendy’s daughter. He told Gwen about her mother’s childhood and all the escapades and memories the two shared. Moisture filled his eyes as he remembered things he hadn’t thought about for years.
Ian told of the Wise Ones, the fae who revealed prophecies and did their best to interpret them for all Fae. He told her
of the one predicting the downfall that would be caused by a mixed-court Fae. He also told her of what was done to offspring of inter-court liaisons.
The young woman’s heart thudded in her chest. Everything her foster brother, if she could still think of him that way, said sounded medieval and fantastical.
What monsters would kill children?
“Wendy brought you to me for protection,” Ian said, wrapping up his brief recollection of her mother’s arrival at his door. “She never told anyone but me of your existence.”
“What happened to her?” Gwen didn’t recognize her own voice.
The tears behind Ian’s eyes shimmered in the light, dangerously close to escaping down his cheek. “She died. The murderer was never found, but your grandparents believe it to have been the work of a Winter Fae. Her death caused a war that has been going on for over twenty-three years.”
Gwen’s heart ached for the tragic death of the mother she never knew, but the tear that rolled down her own cheek was not for her. The tear was for the best friend Wendy left behind; the friend sitting in front of her. Gwen had never seen such sorrow. It was then that she knew that, no matter how fantastical and utterly insane it seemed, all Ian revealed to her that night was true. She knew Ian would never deceive her with such a tragic story.
“Who is my father, Ian? Does he know about me?” She hated to ask in his moment of grief, but she needed to know.
Ian took a shaky breath as he shook his head. “No. Your mother was never forthcoming about her relationship with the fae, but she did tell me he knew nothing of you. She was unsure what his reaction would be and, given the dangers for you, decided it was best to keep you hidden. I only know he was a Winter noble.”
Gwen slouched in defeat. She hadn’t realized it, but she was hoping to learn something of her father. Growing up with no knowledge of her parents had been upsetting when she was young, but with Sharon and Ian as her family, Gwen managed to suppress those feelings and lead a fairly successful life. Nevertheless, the questions were always in the back of her mind.
Will of Fate (Dual Court Kiss Book 1) Page 6
