Hidden Danger

by Amy Patrick

  Culley did an about face and stalked back toward Asher, his face stiff with fury, his eyes flashing icy fire.

  “You don’t even know her mate. She’s not who you think she is. She’s not like you, not like the old man there, not like anyone you’ve ever met. She’s like me—we belong together. Has she told you the truth about herself? No, I can see from your face she hasn’t. Ever wondered why? Because you’re not enough for her, man. You never will be. She’s too good for you, too good for any human, and when she’s done slumming she’ll leave you and come back to me. I’ll be waiting, and I promise you—I can wait longer than you can.”

  Asher shook his head. I wasn’t sure if it was in sympathy or disgust. “You smug asshole. You better get in this fancy car and get the hell out of here right now. And if I were you, I wouldn’t drive through town—they’re looking for somebody who fits your description for the tea plant bombing.”

  Culley laughed bitterly. “Oh that’s rich—my description. You know, while you’re pointing fingers, farm boy, you might as well turn one to your girlfriend there. We were in on it together, you know. That’s the kind of thing we do, and the factory’s not the worst of it. But don’t take my word for it—ask her.”

  My mouth fell open at his mean-spirited lie about me. Was he also lying about himself? He’d told me mind to mind he hadn’t been involved in the explosion, but now I didn’t know what to believe.

  With a wink, he shot me a silent parting remark. Good luck Angel. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled something out of it, and tossed it on the road. My wallet. Culley had it all along. He must have taken it from the crash site the day of the explosion, ensuring I’d need him and be forced to go with him. Sliding in behind the wheel, he peeled away, spinning his wheels in the gravel and kicking up a cloud of gray dust in his wake.

  Asher turned to face me, still standing in the road. “Ava?” His voice was as troubled as his expression.

  “No, Asher, he’s lying.” I started toward him, but his grandfather put a hand on my arm to stop me.

  “I don’t think you want to walk through that gate, young lady. Just wait for him to come to you.”

  Breaking away from Mr. McCord, I ran toward Asher. When I reached the end of the driveway, a wave of pain slammed into me, knocking me to my knees as if I’d run into a solid wall.

  Asher was at my side in seconds. “Ava, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  I shook my head, feeling disoriented and nauseous. “I... don’t know. I don’t feel good.”

  Granddaddy’s shoes came into view. He leaned down and slipped a hand under my arm. “Come on, son, let’s get her up to the house. She’ll be all right in a little while.” He sounded entirely unworried.

  “What is going on?” Asher asked. “What’s wrong with her? Why do I feel like everyone knows something I don’t?”

  The two of them helped me to my feet and supported me as we made our way up the drive. I couldn’t speak, fighting down wave after wave of nausea and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

  “Tell you what,” Granddaddy said. “Why don’t you two go on up to the apartment and have a chat? I’ll go fetch Miss Ava’s coin purse from the road and then tell your momma you two will be late for breakfast.”

  By the time we made it to the carriage house, my head was starting to clear, and my belly didn’t feel quite so fragile. I turned to see Mr. McCord’s knowing expression.

  “Thank you... for everything this morning,” I said, meeting his keen eyes. “Now I think I know why you said this farm is the safest place for me.”

  He nodded and gave me a wink. “You’re quite welcome, lass. I’ve always said... Deep River’s heaven on earth. Except for all the cursed Fae folk.”

  Then he turned and walked toward the house, leaving me alone with Asher and his open jaw.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Eternity

  “You feeling better now?”

  I nodded in response to Asher’s gentle voice, sitting in a chair in the apartment’s small living area. He’d offered me a glass of cold water, and I’d taken a few sips, wishing it was saol water instead. No doubt it would have been much more useful to counteract iron poisoning.

  He sat in the chair opposite me, leaning forward, knees apart with his elbows resting on them and his hands clasped between them. His body bobbed back and forth in a tight rhythm as if the questions inside were about to burst out of him.

  I couldn’t blame him, but I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say in response. Now that I was in the moment, saying these things out loud to him seemed incredibly stupid. He’d think I was nuts. And yet, I had no choice but to tell him the truth.

  “I’m okay now. Thanks.”

  “Good.” He stopped rocking. “What is going on here? What did Granddaddy mean? Why did you get sick?”

  “Remember when you drove me onto your family’s land through the back gate?”

  “Yeah. Granddaddy said to bring you in that way so you could see the property.”

  “Right. I think he was also trying to prevent what just happened a few minutes ago. Somehow he knew. The pipe your grandfather laid all around the perimeter... it must have been made of pure iron—and I’m guessing the iron gate at the back spans the only break in the underground line. The pipe obviously runs under the front driveway.”

  “Okay... that still doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on. What does all this have to do with you?”

  My heart was fluttering so fast it felt like a moth desperately throwing itself against a pane of glass with a light inside. “The Fae folk he mentioned. I... I am one. Of them. Iron affects us. It makes us sick.”

  He sat back up with his hands braced on his knees, powerful arms locked tight, and a baffled expression on his face. “What does that mean? He told me stories when I was a kid but... I don’t... are we talking like... fairies or something?” His tone showed his utter disbelief.

  “It’s... something like that. But different from what you might have read in the fairy tales. I don’t even know where to begin. I thought about leaving last night so I could avoid this conversation, but then I decided early this morning to tell you everything. Now... I don’t know how.”

  I started to rise from my chair. Asher’s hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. “Oh no. You’re not going anywhere. I don’t care where you start the story, just talk. Tell me, Ava. I love you. I just want the truth.”

  “You may not love me after you hear it.”

  “I told you last night—nothing will change the way I feel about you.”

  We’ll see. “Okay, well... I guess I’ll start with why I came here in the first place. I was on a mission from the Dark Court. They’re... we are... I am... Elven. The center of the Light Court is here, just outside Deep River. I was visiting there as an emissary, but also as a spy.”

  He nodded slowly. “Those people I met the day of the crash, the ones you and Ryann were talking to. They’re Fae... Elves, too?”

  I was surprised how easily the E-word had rolled off his tongue. I was surprised he was still talking to me. How could he be so cool with it all? So far he was acting as if our being from two different species was no big deal.

  “Yes. Lad and Vancia and Nox.”

  “I figured something was up—seeing you all together. And I knew there was something weird about that Nox guy, though I have to say, I never would have guessed this.”

  “You know you can’t talk about this to anyone, right?”

  “Of course. Although it seems like Granddaddy already knows something.”

  I glanced out the window overlooking the main house. “Yes. Seems like it. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Culley said something about you being too good for a human guy. I guess that means... you’re not human?”

  I shook my head. “Not even a little bit.”

  “But you look human—actually no, che
ck that—you look better than other people—all of you do. So... what else?”

  I blinked. Blinked again. “What do you mean?”

  “What else is different? I mean, other than being drop-dead gorgeous, what’s the big deal?”

  “Um... well, I’m immortal.”

  “Oh.”

  That one stunned him. He sat back in his chair and let out a long breath.

  “And I have an unusually strong ability to influence people—it’s called Sway.”

  “Is that what you were trying to do last night at Ryann’s house? Influence me to forget you?”

  I winced at the memory. “Sort of. Actually there’s more to it. Each of us has at least one special ability—a glamour. Mine is memory manipulation.”

  All the things I’d told him up to that point hadn’t seemed to faze him. But now—now his face hardened, and his brows lowered.

  “So you were trying to use your special ability to make me forget all about you?”

  “I tried. But it didn’t work. I’m sorry. I thought it was the best thing for you. And also... I was afraid. I still am.”

  “Of me?”

  “Of where this... this thing between us is going. I wanted to leave and make you forget me because there were all these things I couldn’t tell you and all these big feelings, and I was worried about Culley showing up—which he did.”

  Asher’s anger didn’t seem to be dissipating. The volume of his voice ratcheted up—not shouting but clearly agitated. “Yes, he did, and it turned out fine. All the other stuff could have been solved by simply being open with me, trusting me a little bit. We’re all afraid, Ava. I’m afraid of winding up a loser like my dad says. But I was willing to stay here—for you—to stay here with you. Forever. It’s scary as hell to take that kind of risk for somebody, but you’re worth it. I hoped you’d think I was worth it too. I thought you trusted me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I repeated.

  “Yeah well...” He got up and paced the room. He stopped. “What about now?”

  “Now?”

  “Do you trust me now?”

  “I... well, yes, but...”

  “But?”

  “I still don’t think you understand what you’re getting into. And you still don’t know everything I’ve done in service to Culley’s father. I’m not sure I want you to know. I wish... I wish there was a future for us, but I’m not sure you’re ready to live in my world—I don’t know how you could be.”

  Hands resting low on his hips, his head moved in a slow nod. Then he walked to the door of the apartment. One hand on the doorknob, he turned and looked back at me.

  “The problem isn’t that I’m human and you’re Elven... or that I’m not ‘ready’ to live in your world. I think the problem is you’re not ready to forgive yourself for your past and move on. You don’t believe you deserve love. And that—that’s the one thing I can’t help you with—that one you’ve got to do for yourself.”

  Then he opened the door and left the apartment.

  He left.

  I knew it. I knew he couldn’t handle it. It was too much to expect. Slowly rising from my chair, I went to my packed suitcase, taking the handle and lugging it down the stairs to the apartment’s outer door. The weight of the bag was nothing compared to the weight in my chest.

  It was over. The dream of being with him, of living in this peaceful place and being part of his perfect family. There was nothing left.

  It was too bad my glamour didn’t work on Asher. Not so I could erase his memories of our conversation and my revelation of the Elven secret. No, I would have used it to make him forget my mistakes, to make him let me stay.

  On second thought, no. I could never take advantage of him and take away his choices. That wasn’t love.

  My wallet was at the bottom of the stairs where Mr. McCord must have left it. Rolling my bag behind me down the driveway, I headed for the county road that would take me to the highway that would take me... where? To the airport maybe? I had cash—I could buy a ticket, and now that I had my license back, I could fly. Somewhere.

  Maybe I’d fly back to New York. Maybe Culley was right when he’d predicted I would come back to him. Why not? I couldn’t be with the guy I loved, and I’d heard misery loved company. Culley and I could be miserable together.

  No—I couldn’t do that to him either. Even after what he’d done, there was still a chance for him if he could ever manage to be true to himself, defy his father, and make his own choices. There was bound to be someone out there who could manage to break through the Kevlar body armor he’d strapped around his heart. It just wasn’t me.

  Reaching the end of the driveway, I first threw my suitcase into the street. Then I prepared myself for the agony I knew was coming.

  One... two... three...

  I drew on all my strength and leapt from the end of the drive into the road. And immediately crumpled to the ground. The pain in my head was blinding. My arms and legs felt drained of energy. It was a good thing I hadn’t had breakfast yet, because if I had, there would have been a mess on the road.

  At least I knew what to do about it this time. Struggling to my hands and knees, I crawled forward, away from the iron-reinforced perimeter of the McCord property, dragging my rolling suitcase along beside me. The further away I got, the better I felt. After a few minutes I was able to get to my feet and then to walk. How far was it to the highway? I couldn’t remember but it didn’t really matter. I had all the time in the world and no idea what I was going to do with it.

  Walking down the center of the narrow two-lane road, I listened to the birds, noting the colored leaves that would soon be falling, mentally saying good-bye to this place. I wouldn’t be back. My business with the Light Court was concluded. It was possible Lad and Ryann would need further help from me, but we’d have to talk by phone. Even being in the same state with Asher would be torment if I couldn’t be with him. I’d be too tempted to show up at his doorstep and beg him to take me back.

  I shook my head and kicked a rock that had made its way onto the road. Asher was better off without me. That was the real reason I was leaving. I loved him, and I was letting him go.

  It hit me then that maybe I should forgive myself—just a fraction. The fact I was willing to sacrifice my happiness for his had to count for something, right? I glanced back over my shoulder but the farmhouse was no longer visible.

  Maybe someday after I’d done enough good to counter balance all the wrong I’d done... maybe then I would come back. And if Asher happened to still be here and happened to be unattached—

  The sound of a vehicle approaching from behind made me move quickly to the left shoulder of the road. As brokenhearted as I was, I did want that shot at redemption—ending my life prematurely as roadkill would kind of put a damper on my comeback.

  The color red filled my peripheral vision as the vehicle pulled up beside me and slowed to a crawl. My heart went from a steady thump-thump to whipping like a flag in a tropical storm. I kept walking but glanced to the right when the driver’s window rolled down.

  “Excuse me, miss? Do you have a problem?” Asher put an elbow on the window frame and leaned out a bit. His smile was huge and sent a surge of hope and love through my heart.

  Fighting for enough air to answer him, I said, “As a matter of fact, I do. I’ve been a big jerk and blown my chance with the guy I love.”

  “That does sound like a problem.” He stopped the truck, leaned over, and opened the passenger door. “Why don’t you climb in and we’ll talk about it? I know a nice place in town where they serve a killer breakfast. I don’t know about you, but I could go for some grits.”

  I stopped walking and stared at my dusty shoes. Then I squeezed my eyelids closed, but it didn’t help—the tears leaked out anyway. Nodding, I walked around the front of the truck and climbed up into the cab.

  Asher put Big Red back into gear and resumed driving toward the highway.

  When I could finally manage it, I ve
ntured a glance over at his profile. He was still smiling.

  “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you this... what on earth is a grit?”

  His smile grew even larger and even sunnier. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, too. What the heck does all this swirly foreign writing say?”

  My jaw dropped as he extended his hand toward me and opened it. There in the center of his palm lay a familiar silver and gold braided band—with a notable addition. A beautiful diamond solitaire.

  “It’s the ring I gave you,” I said, my voice choked with tears. I took it from him and studied it, turning it so the sun sparked in a prism pattern on the truck’s interior.

  “I had the diamond put on there before I headed to New York City to get you. But I left it here with Granddaddy for safekeeping.” He winked. “Those big cities are full of shady characters, you know.”

  I let out a watery laugh, my joy competing with leftover tears. “They sure are.”

  “After we talked, I went to the house to get it from him—I wanted to show you that I love you and believe in you—no matter what you’ve done, no matter what comes,” Asher said. “But Granddaddy was already out in the fields. I had to go searching for him to ask him where he’d put it. You know what he told me when I asked for it?”

  I grinned, my vision blurred with happy tears. Shaking my head, I said, “No, but I can’t wait to find out.”

  He said, “Son, it won’t be easy, but the best apple is always on the highest bough.”

  “He’s a smart man, that granddaddy of yours.” I laughed and then took a deep breath, my stomach swimming with nerves. “My eternity belongs to you.”

  “What’s that?” Asher stomped on the brake and put the truck into park. He looked over at me, happiness and hope filling his eyes.

  “The engraving on the ring. That’s what it says—‘my eternity belongs to you.’ It’s an Elven eternity band.”

  His head bobbed in a slow nod as the pleased expression on his face grew. “You gave that to me way before you had any idea how all of this was going to turn out. So maybe you’re not as scared as you think.”