Cadence of Ciar (The Fate Caller Series Book 1)

by Zoe Parker

  “You were having a nightmare.”

  “Thanks for that stunning observation, Rime.” I sit up and barely give him a look, cringing at the foot of the bed. I’m amazed he didn’t sit on Zag whose head is out of his blanket nest and watching Rime carefully.

  “Why are you in my room?” I ask him, turning around to get a drink out of the glass of water on the nightstand. I always keep water close at hand. These nightmares are more familiar than I like admitting.

  “I came to ask you a question.”

  “What?” Not that I’m in the mood for them but at least it’ll distract me from those horrific images. Catching myself rubbing the scar on my chest, I tuck my hand under my leg to keep me from doing it again.

  “Can someone tamper with that book your friend gave me?”

  “You know they can’t. You’re Fae, Rime—you should know the stories about those books.” Fighting the urge to look at him, I stare at the glass of water in my hands, at the film of frost forming on the top of it.

  “Unlike you, I didn’t grow up in luxury.”

  I laugh, luxury? “I grew up in the Dark Forgetful Forest with the Sluagh, it’s not what I’d call luxury.”

  “Oh, well… I didn’t know that, did I?”

  “You know, I didn’t ask for this anymore than you did. It’s not my fault that your life isn’t what you wanted it to be or whatever, as welcome as you are to stay here, you and her—you can’t treat people like shit. Especially me. Understand?” I look over at him this time. His eyes are on me, looking at me like I’m something he hates and wants at the same time.

  I wonder if I ever looked at Ciar that way? After staring at him staring at me for a few seconds, I’m assuming I did.

  “I grew up in an orphanage.” Yeah, I don’t like him but that hurt my heart a little. To me that word represents being alone because I was almost there growing up.

  “Sorry.” And I am, but that doesn’t change anything I said.

  “I don’t want to leave, in case that’s what you’re going to say.” Okay, that’s surprising.

  “You can leave my room though, so I can go back to sleep.” He sits there staring for a bit, before standing up and walking out without a backward glance. Him and I won’t be doing any secret best-friend handshakes any time soon but we made it through that entire conversation without saying something rude to one another.

  That’s a win. Crawling back under the covers I flip around until I find that sweet spot.

  When sleep finally claims me again it’s to the gentle music of a violin.

  Come away, O human child!

  To the waters and the wild

  With a Faery hand in hand,

  For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

  ~ William Butler Yeats. The Stolen Child

  Morning starts out disappointing. Gertie had an appointment so no hot breakfast. Totally spoiled now, I dig around in the fridge for something.

  “You need to mind your own business.”

  The voice jerks my head up and right into the shelf above it. Rubbing it, I straighten and look at the glowering Penelope. Hungry, caffeine-less, I’m not in the right frame of mind to deal with her.

  “Good morning to you too, Penelope.” I’m pretty sure my teeth are clenching, but I persevere.

  “If you don’t back off you’ll get your ass kicked.”

  Gritting my teeth even harder, yeah, I’m gritting them now, I try to smile and fail. Fine. “By whom?” I look around the empty kitchen.

  “Me.” Her hands swings out and I simply duck out of the way.

  “That sucked, Penelope. Can this wait until I get my coffee?” The next swing I catch her hand in mine and squeeze just a little teeny tiny bit. This won’t hurt the baby, right? “Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s rude to hit someone who can hit harder than you can?” I release her hand when she tugs on it.

  “I’m a Mage and that means that—”

  “That I can hit harder than you, in case you weren’t understanding that bit.” I sigh and step back away from her. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove right now, but all its making me do is want to throw you out of my house. Is that your goal?”

  Penelope looks towards the stairs. “I think your puppy is calling you,” she spits out. With a dirty look to beat all dirty looks directed at me—no shocker there—she turns and struts off.

  Ciar pops into existence in front of me, his hair still wet from the shower his skin glowing. He’s looking at me in confusion and I’m so flipping happy to see him. I throw my arms around his waist and bury my face in his shirt. He smells so flipping good.

  I want to crawl all over him until I smell like him.

  Leaning back enough to see the surprise on his face, I stand on my tip toes and, grabbing his face with both hands, pull him down to me. Before he can say words, because I can see the movement of his lips, I cover his mouth with mine.

  For a full five seconds he’s shocked enough for me to be in charge of the kiss, for me to explore his mouth that tastes like mint. Sliding my tongue along the tip of his and then half-way down the side I repeat it on the other half. With caution for his sharp teeth, I lightly graze the points of them with my tongue.

  As I pull away I suck his bottom lip into my mouth and release it, satisfied that it’s a little plumper and still shiny from being in my mouth.

  “I want you to know that I love you and I am thankful that you’re such a big part of my life.” Hugging him again tightly, I slide my hands across that incredibly toned butt and then release him and step away, and head upstairs without another word.

  Smiling as I slowly climb the steps, I count down in my head.

  Five, four, three—as my feet leave the ground, I laugh. Turning me and tossing me over his shoulder he smacks my butt and takes the steps two at a time. He stops abruptly, and I feel the happy drain right out of him. Levering my upper body enough to be able to look around his shoulder, I see Rime standing there his blue eyes glowing white.

  “Did you put your hands-on Penelope?” he demands.

  Oh, heck no. Kicking my feet until Ciar releases his grip, I slide down his body to my feet and turn on Rime. Closing the distance between us I stalk toward him. Poking him in the chest, I let him see the anger on my face.

  “First off, you’re a flipping idiot. A destined Triad member can’t impregnate anyone, ESPECIALLY a human, until AFTER the bonding with his/her Awakened. I suspect you already know because I heard your little argument last night. Second, she’s using magic to keep you interested in her—something I’m starting to think you suspect, as well, but haven’t fought too hard to prove. Zag told me this morning that its connected to something you keep in your pocket. Quite possibly your idiotic ding-dong.” He opens his mouth to speak but I poke him in the chest again, hard. “Being raised in an orphanage is no excuse for ignoring your instincts, Rime.”

  “You’re jealous he doesn’t want you,” she taunts over his shoulder at me.

  “I have yet to find anything about him I even like, let alone enough to be jealous over.” My temper rising brings forth the magic that always seems to be churning inside of me now. My eyes burn, and I know that they’re doing that weird glowy thing they do when the magic is working.

  Turning towards Penelope I see her fate playing in front of me like a movie. Quick as a snake I grab the amulet around her neck and pull ignoring the stinging pain in my hand. I hold it up in the air as Zag appears out of shadows at my shoulder and blows a small stream of magical fire over it. With satisfaction I watch it catch fire and burn to nothing.

  The dreamy look that was previously on Rime’s face when he looked at Penelope is completely gone now. I see the guilt in his eyes, but also his anger and although I’m a bit curious about what happened to make him feel guilt like that related to her, I don’t ask.

  “There, now take your darn rose-colored glasses off and see her for who she is.” Dusting my hand off on my pajama clad thigh, I
turn back to Ciar. “Where were we?”

  Ciar stares at me for so long the smile on my face starts to fade. “What?”

  He looks over my shoulder, I’m assuming at Rime, and says, “This is what you could have in your life, Rime.” The emotion in his words… the world distorts as tears fil. I blink them away because I refuse to let them fall in front of them.

  Ciar turns those intense eyes back to me and leaning down, so softly that it feels like a brush of wind, kisses each cheek. Then, without warning, he bends and puts me over his shoulder again.

  This time I smack his butt. “Yee-haw, horsie.”

  Snorting, he walks around Rime who is watching me with an intensity I’ve not see on his face since he came here. So, I do what comes naturally, I wink at him.

  The corner of his mouth twitches and slowly starts to lift. In a blink he’s smiling and my heart rate increases. Gods bless it, why’d he have to go and smile? The smile that is barely there falls and he turns to Penelope with thunder in his eyes.

  Glad I’m not her. Ciar smacks my butt again and this time rubs the sting away. Oh, yeah, I’m totally glad I’m not her right now. Especially when Ciar’s hand dips lower to rub along my inner thigh and then to the heart of me, reminding me why I like his hands so much.

  We the Fairies, blithe and antic,

  Of dimensions not gigantic,

  Though the moonshine mostly keep us,

  Oft in orchards first and peep us.

  ~Thomas Randolph

  The next morning Ciar wakes me up with those light teasing kisses that tickle but still feel good, all along my stomach. Giggling, I roll over to avoid them, to find that they are just as bad on my back.

  “Wake up, monster girl. We’ve got things to do today.” Frowning, I roll back over and give him a look that I hope transmits the depth of irritation at being woken up to go somewhere.

  Unless. “The beach?”

  “That’s in a few more days. There’s somewhere else I think you’ll like.” What can I possibly like to do when I can be sleeping instead? “There’s a Fairy Festival.” I’m out of the bed and pushing past him before the last syllable leaves his mouth.

  “Excited, are you?” he asks, dryly.

  Ignoring him I head to the bathroom for the got-to-get-ready-to-go-to-the-awesome-Fairy Festival routine. While brushing my teeth I try to squeeze into a pair of jeans and, failing miserably end up propped against the wall next to the sink to finish brushing my teeth, with both legs in one pant leg.

  I love festivals and the Fairy one is the one at the top of my list. The food alone is worth going for. There’s no time to waste on dumb things.

  “You realize that putting your pants on one leg at a time won’t make the festival disappear?” He’s leaning against the doorway, looking at me with that sexy amused look on his face. You know, the one where their lips twitch a little and even if you don’t want to, you think something dirty? Yeah, that.

  “And thinking thoughts like that won’t help you get there any faster either.”

  Smiling through the toothpaste I’m sure covers my mouth, I spit and rinse my face off while balancing on the balls of my feet. Drying my face, I finally turn to the pants situation and remedy it as quickly and gracefully as possible.

  Throwing my hair into a loose bun I clip it and turn to him.

  “Not that I mind the view, monster girl but you might want to put a shirt on,” he suggests, eyeing the goods. Horrified that I almost left the house like that, I run out to the closet and grab a random shirt.

  Tugging it on I slip my feet into my shoes, sans socks, and head out the door with Ciar close behind. Gertie tells us to have a great day and I’m only able to keep walking when I see Rime waiting for us on the sidewalk because Ciar pushes me forward.

  “Do you want to come with us to the festival?” I blurt out before I can catch myself. He looks as surprised by the question as I feel about asking it.

  “Uh… sure?” His eyes widen, he’s doubly surprised he accepted.

  “If you two are done being awkward together, can we go?” Ciar teases.

  “You weren’t complaining about being awkward last night when I was doing that thing with my tongue.” Sticking my tongue out at him I wiggle the tip of it to emphasize that thing.

  Ciar laughs and drags me along with him, with Rime pulling up the rear.

  “What thing?” Rime asks, breaking the silence. Shocked, I look over at him and his beet red face.

  “Do you really wanna know, Rime?” Wiggling my eyebrows suggestively I can’t help but pick on him a little.

  “Oddly enough… yes?” He sounds so unsure that it gets a reluctant laugh out of me, easing the awkwardness Ciar accused us both of having.

  “You see… she has you bend over and touch your ankles…” I smack Ciar’s arm. He’s not as funny as he thinks he is.

  The sounds of the festival reach my ears, laughing children, the ohs and ahs of those on the rides, and the general chatter of happy people. I pick up my pace. I don’t want to miss anything and these two are walking too slow now while they talk about the principles of magic.

  Who does that?

  “I hope you like Festivals, Frosty. Because we’re going to be here all day.” Ciar cautions, as we pay to get in.

  Grabbing both of their hands I drag them along, eyeing the first booth in a long line of them. This one is a game booth and the prizes are stuffed animals. Lots of stuffed animals. I eye a pink dragon and realize that Zag isn’t here.

  “Where’s Zag?”

  “He’s running an errand for me,” Ciar says, giving money to the Fairy vendor for the bright red balls to throw at the moving cups.

  “I’ll admit that I really want to know what these “errands” are that you keep sending him on. Are you sure he isn’t your familiar?” Taking aim, Ciar throws one of the balls and it’s a direct hit. Somehow it remains on its stand.

  “Now, this isn’t one of those games where there’s cheating involved, right? Because cheaters end up on the wrong end of sharp teeth.” He sounds bored, but I know he’s anything but, because Ciar hates cheaters.

  The red-haired Fairy catches on quickly. The cup mysteriously falls.

  “How many cups do I need to knock over to win that pink dragon?”

  “For you sir, one,” the Fairy stammers fetching the dragon for Ciar who promptly hands it to me. Cuddling it, I smile in happiness thanking Ciar for winning it for me.

  With one last dark look at the vendor we move onto the next game.

  This one is where you pick a random rubber duck from the small stream of water going in a circle inside of the booth. The number on the duck tells you if you win or not. The prize is a Water Fly and its number is one. Water Flies are a lot like goldfish, minus the fact that they’re not fish or gold. In fact, they look more like dragonflies with people’s faces.

  For the most part they’re harmless but can attack in swarms. I want one.

  Tossing some money on the counter I start selecting random ducks. But none of them match the number for the Water Fly. Sighing in disappointment I take the balloon and stuffed snake I won and turn away from the game.

  Rime steps around me and hands the vendor some cash. On the first pick he gets the Water Fly number. With a rare smile directed at me and my overactive hormones—because that smile gets to me—he takes the globe containing the Water Fly in it and hands it to me.

  Looking at Ciar I feel a bit guilty about my reaction to Rime. He pats my lower back in comfort.

  ‘My place in your life is secure, monster girl.’

  Holding my prizes close to my chest I race off to the next booth, but not before pausing long enough to give Ciar a kiss on the mouth and Rime a quick peck on the cheek.

  Squealing when I see what’s in the next booth I almost drop my stuff.

  Clothes, clothes everywhere. Fairy made clothes, oh my gods, I’m in heaven. My precious bundles are gently removed out of my numb arms, and now I’m free to touch things
versus contorting myself in weird ways to graze them with my fingertips.

  Spider Silk, Fairy Velvet and holy crap they have Dragon Shell Silk.

  “She looks like she’s going to have a heart attack, is this a concern?” Rime asks from beside me, a pink dragon tucked under his arm.

  “This is her on overload. In a few seconds she’ll blow her top like a pressure kettle and start making weird goo noises while rubbing the fabric between her fingers like an old miser does a gold coin,” Ciar adds, holding the Water Fly globe.

  As predicted I start making weird noises as I rub the edge of the Dragon Shell Silk between my fingers, and as I get to the fur selections I squeal again.

  No matter how much I yell in my mind to stop or not do it, I still bring his predictions to fruition. How come I didn’t realize how well he knows me? Because I’m pretty sure he knows me better than I know me. That thought makes me smile so hard my face hurts.

  After buying a couple of sleep sets and some dresses—I love dresses—we head on to the next booth. Looking back and forth between the two men I hide a smile.

  Rime’s arms are full of packages now and Ciar is balancing the globe on top of a box and I’m about to add to it. This is what they get for being gentleman and carrying things for me. Rime is starting to grow on me after all.

  After a few hours we’ve managed to work our way through all the booths and have finally hit the food vendors. About half way through Ciar runs out of room and rents a wagon to tote our things around. I say our because they end up buying things too.

  Fairies cater to their customers exceedingly well and Fae males are a big part of that. Ciar picks up some shirts and a package he tucks away out of sight and Rime gets a leather jacket and some T-shirts, one of which is in a baby size.

  “You know, after today you’re going back to your training schedule, I mean it this time too. All of these sweets are not good for you.”

  Pausing I level a glare at Ciar. “Are you saying I’m fat?”

  “Uhm.”