by Jaye Shields
Slowly, he retreated from her. But he didn’t go far. Silence hung in the air, but the unspoken dynamic still buzzed in the air. Gently, he pressed kisses along the trail leading from her belly button, up her chest and to her neck. And there he laid next to her, as they rested in bliss.
Staring up at the brilliant blue sky, Sparrow breathed deeply. Maybe this fairytale wasn’t so screwed up after all.
“You know, you’re pretty much the perfect guy. Gorgeous. Brave. Incredible in bed. Gentleman. And you don’t get clingy.” Feel free to cling to me, hot stuff.
“You don’t like a man who’s honest about his passion for you?”
“ Sure. It’s just awkward when I have to say I’m not interested.”
Rowen leaned in close. So close she could smell the sunlight on his skin, and the warmth cascading in waves off his body. He whispered in her ear and the voice was a sensual dare. “What if he knew you were interested?”
“I wouldn’t be.” But a blush crept into her cheeks.
“What if he could prove you were?”
She leaned away from the whisper that turned into a nibble on her earlobe. He didn’t have to prove anything. She was already convinced that he’d turned her into a lovesick idiot just waiting to get her heart stomped on. Like her mom.
“Well then, I’d tell him to put a ring on it and learn how to cook.”
Rowen laughed, and her heart fluttered. “You just got a ring and now you want another one?”
“Shut up.” She slapped him, but he took it in stride.
• • •
As she lay in the crook of Rowen’s muscular bicep, the tall grass tickled her naked skin. The wind gently swept by and her hard nipples puckered at the sensation. Rowen was quick to notice, and moved down her body, tracing kisses from her neck down to her chest. He took one of her nipples within his hot, wet mouth. The wet heat enveloped her skin and sent a shiver down her spin. Goose bumps of desire flooded her once more.
“I was right. You’re a beast.” She couldn’t help but smile at her own admission of his sexual prowess.
Rowen gazed up at her from where he still suckled. He grinned, and then nibbled on her gently before beginning another slow descent of kisses.
“Again?” Her voice was more of a breathless pant, but she couldn’t help it. With Casanova going all sensual god on her, there was no way to pretend she wasn’t excited. She had never been so excited.
He halted his soft kisses. As the subtle wetness dried against her skin, soaked up by the gentle breeze, the sensation left soft tickles down her stomach. “I learned the hard way, Sparrow. One orgasm simply won’t drive those Quetzalem-induced dreams away. I promised myself that the next time I had you, I would give you too many to ignore. Even in your sleep.”
The gaze penetrating her was sensual, loving, and determined all at the same time. She had no doubt he could make her forget every other man in existence. “You know, it’s kinda a buzz kill to mention another dude’s name after a bout of incredible sexing.” The words she heard escape her lips were slow and breathless. Just like the incredible sex they just had.
“Incredible, yes.” Intense aqua eyes held her gaze. “Buzz kill?” He slipped a finger deep inside her and she gasped at the sudden pleasure. “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Her head lulled back against the grass-covered ground and she smiled at the sky. “You’re right, the buzz definitely hasn’t been killed.”
“Good.”
And then he dove into her once more, this time with his tongue. In an instant, her body shattered from the onslaught of bliss. “Oh, Rowen!”
Chapter Sixteen
Egret scrubbed the dishes in the sink with a fury that would rival a UFC fighter. She had said she would work while her family was gone, but the truth was, she’d just wallowed in her tub. Rarely did she let herself relax, for when she did, she had visions. The magick that she denied in her veins was practically bursting at her seams. She could feel it. And she didn’t want it.
So she took her frustration out on the dishes. If she hadn’t been busy trying to block out her visions, she would have seen the trouble her family had been in. And her healing abilities wouldn’t have been so damn rusty.
A glass shattered beneath her grip and sliced her skin. A couple drops of blood trickled into the soapy dishwater. She didn’t even think about healing herself. But the desire to take a peek at her daughter’s whereabouts gnawed at her.
Unlike her sisters, Egret didn’t need to get smashed to embrace her natural-born abilities. Her calm demeanor had always been her greatest asset as a Wiccan. So now, Egret glanced down at the bubbly water. The rainbow-tinted beads swished around until slowly, they began to create an image that only Egret could read.
The puzzle of watery molecules became a clear picture, and Egret saw her daughter smiling in the arms of a dashing man. Grass surrounded Sparrow and her lover. Egret inhaled, but she didn’t smell soap — she scented something more unique … and familiar.
Shaking off the scent of lavender and feeling of nostalgia, Egret concentrated on the swirling image of her daughter’s happiness. She was in love. She’d recognize a smile like that from a mile away. Egret had the same love, but only in her dreams.
The dream visited her often. She was on a beautiful emerald green island, laying in the tall grass just like Sparrow. The man looking down at Egret had gray-blue eyes, just like the Irish sea. And as his eyes smiled, they glittered with affection of a man who had found something worth living for.
Egret didn’t waste time pretending the dream could have been real. Instead, she simply let the dream replace any thoughts that Sparrow’s father was most likely a drunken rapist. The reality didn’t matter. She had her angel of joy.
And it seemed that her angel of joy had found her own dream come true.
• • •
Sparrow smiled across the gigantic wooden table. The object of her affection was a tall, muscular drink of water with fluorescent silver hair and opaque aquamarine eyes. A stunning picture of masculinity and beauty. In the few days she’d gotten to know Rowen, he’d shown her both strength and softness. Sparrow’s heart was quickly melting for the man.
But daring to love was a tricky thing.
Rowen caught her gaze and smiled at her. The flash of brilliant white teeth sent a shiver down her spine and warmth straight to her soul. She was a goner.
“So, King Breasal, how long have you reigned?”
Morgana threw an elbow at Melissandra. Sparrow and Rowen both chuckled, but they never took their eyes from each other. As a matter of fact, Sparrow didn’t care if anyone noticed she only had eyes for the handsome knight across from her.
“Please, call me Brennus. To summarize a long story, I was once considered the High King of the World.” The subtlety in the king’s voice caused Sparrow to glance his way. Brennus was a very modest man. “The world was much different back then. It was a live with dragons and other creatures that have since died off. Greed took the world I once lived in. The earth that was once praised was reviled. The forests that were once havens became war zones. As magick became deemphasized and even hunted, normal humans took over. Their intolerance forced the forests and creatures within to flee. Not even the oceans and skies were safe.
“There became no use for a magickal king, a peacekeeper. Words and magick became obsolete in the human realm, traded for war and technology. And so here I am, afforded a magickal kingdom by the higher Gods. Only once every seven years does the island fade back into the earthly realm.”
A brief silence followed his explanation.
“Wow.” Morgana spoke the words they had all been thinking.
“I think I’m too depressed to eat my … um, dinner.” Melissandra fumbled to acknowledge the strange, foreign meal on the plate before her.
“I’ve
never known you to be too depressed to turn down any meal,” Sparrow teased. Despite the ominous story, she hadn’t felt this light-hearted in the weeks since Tera was nearly murdered.
“Pshh,” Melissandra swatted Sparrow from the seat over.
The king and other knights smiled but withheld their laughter. She supposed it was a chivalry kind of thing.
“Once every seven years?” Morgana asked.
“Yes, for only a mere twenty-four hours. We rarely encounter guests. But when we do, they often struggle to find us again as their memories of this place return — of course, to no avail since we fade back into the realm of Hy-Breasal. Here we are a mix of mortals and immortals, creatures and beasts of old, as well as earthly animals. Magick and technology both reign here. But you won’t find avarice or shame. There is only peace and bliss in the Hy-Breasal kingdom. And when we do have visitors, we try to introduce them to this concept.”
“And if that doesn’t work, we subdue them,” the knight Zeth spoke up for the first time. He looked wicked and capable of subduing for sure. A scar was etched across his cheek, and Sparrow briefly wondered how it got there if he was immortal. Looking across the table, she wondered how many men Rowen had subdued.
The night passed by in a rush of laughter and incredible conversation. Sparrow learned about the history of the Knights of the Fog, and how the king had come to be their leader. Although the conversation wasn’t actually focused on Rowen, she was discovering more and more about him.
“I am sorry that I will have to see you ladies depart tomorrow.” The king sighed. “But I can only hope that your rings will guide you back here soon. Only with those rings can you visit our kingdom in its current state. After all, I’d prefer to see you more often than once every seven years.”
Her aunts fawned over the king and reassured him they’d be back. Sparrow personally planned on returning sooner rather than later. After all, she hadn’t quite gotten her fix of Rowen yet.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever have enough.
• • •
Rowen watched Sparrow laugh, her smile radiating a blissful beauty that none could rival. The good news was she didn’t hate him anymore. The bad news was that he was falling in love with her.
The words of the soothsayer haunted him. If what the Menehune warned him was true, he couldn’t take the chance of falling for Sparrow. Even if she was immortal now, he wouldn’t stand for any harm to come to her. “I flew the perimeter of the island the other day. It’s absolutely incredible. Hy-Breasal is a place that will linger in my dreams every day that I’m away. The centaurs and pink lakes, the yellow fish and — ”
“Handsome knights,” Sodor finished for her. He grinned at Sparrow, but Rowen didn’t feel defensive this time. The urge to punch Sodor had drained away as soon as Sparrow had melted in his arms. She was his.
Never before had he experienced such heaven.
A knife seared through Rowan’s heart as he contemplated leaving Sparrow. He wanted to gaze at her face for hours. He wanted to caress her soft flesh for days and pleasure her for weeks on end. He wanted the sound of his name on her tongue to echo through his senses for forever.
Indeed, he was falling hard and fast. And so he would have to make the break with her sure and swift.
And then she’d be gone. And she’d be safe.
• • •
Later that evening, Rowen went for a ride on Rhiannon. He needed only the stars for company tonight, because he was in no mood to disguise his feelings. He wanted Sparrow, but he’d never have her. Someone else would. The thought had him gripping his reins so hard, they cut lines of blood into his palms. He barely noticed. Darkness like the night sky roared within him. Rhiannon reared up on two legs, as if she sensed his sadness, and she lurched forward with greater speed.
Suddenly a hawk tore down from the sky and circled around Rhiannon’s neck playfully. Rowen knew instantly that it was Sparrow. Rhiannon slowed and when Rowen halted her, the hawk became a flash of light, and then a beautiful young woman.
“Sparrow.”
She was dressed in a silky golden nightgown. The color shined in the night, and she looked like a fallen star. Her eyes were sapphires glittering with excitement and life.
“Hey, handsome.” Her hands went to his bare chest. In the formality of dinner, the knights had been clothed, but for his ride, he’d craved the feel of the wind against his skin. “Looks like you’ve done most the work for me. Now I just need to remove these pants.”
Gods help him.
“Sparrow.” He grabbed her wrists with enough force to keep her tiny fingers from his leather. If she made any more contact with him, then he’d be done, a slave to her touch. “You leave tomorrow, and then this is done.”
She continued to try to get to the thread of his pants. “Yeah, I know. I agree, long-distance relationships are a no-no. I’m cool with an open relationship.”
“No Sparrow, not an open relationship.” His voice was cold and short, not a voice he’d ever desired to use with her. “Our ties sever this night.”
Confusion twisted her face. Even in the dark, he could make out the glisten of tears leaving a shine over her eyes. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she stared down at the ground. She was embarrassed. He wanted to kneel before her and shake her. Tell her not to feel ashamed that a man like him couldn’t have her, didn’t deserve her. That she was the most brilliant creature ever made in any of the realms.
Finally, she dragged her eyes back to him. Her stormy glare was laden with lethal intent and she hailed her fists against his chest. The dampness from her tears became tiny knives against his skin. Her voice lashed out at him with sadness and anger, an icy coating for his breaking heart.
“So you don’t want one last fuck then?” she screamed, pushing him away with determined hands. He let himself stumble backward from her force. She deserved at least that much. He’d readily fall if he thought it would ease her pain.
She threw her last words at him like poison when he didn’t answer her. “I guess I picked the wrong knight then.” With that, she turned her gaze from him, and became an owl taking off into the night.
Being immortal, Rowen was immune to pains of the body. But nothing could have prepared him for the agony in his heart.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning, attendants were assisting the special guests in preparation for departure. Rowen planned to stay behind in Hy-Breasal. So far, he had not seen Sparrow, and he imagined ‘it was better that way. He’d let Sabin and Sodor return them to the human realm.
Rowen arrived in the hall where the king had summoned him. Brennus had a look in his gaze that Rowen had not seen often from his king. The usual joy and calm serenity was replaced by a distant worry. Uneasiness settled over Rowen as he approached the man who had been his mentor for so long.
The King’s young face had seen eons, but the man was immortally stuck in his late thirties. Breasal was wrapped in thick golden fabrics, and an intricately embroidered belt carried the infamous sword called Excalibur. Rowen had seen the king use the lethal blade many times. Breasal had seen war, but also centuries of peace, and now his kingdom was protected. So Rowen had to wonder what could be wrong.
“Rowen, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Not a favor, sire. It will be my pleasure. Whatever you need.”
The king’s eyes were wary — not afraid, but as if he was shutting out a hope that was roaring to break free. “It is a strange thing to ask, but I need you to keep an eye on someone for me.”
Rowen nodded. In all of the centuries he had known the High King, he had never been asked for such an endeavor. But he would readily die for the king. “Who shall I watch for you, Brennus?”
“Our new immortal, Sparrow.”
He was confused. “Is there a danger that I should be aware of?”
Instant worry slammed into his gut like a sledgehammer. It had been hard enough to see Sparrow in pain that night at the portal, and that was before he even knew her. He would rather die than witness the same sight now that he had held her, so close to his heart. “You know I would do anything for you sire, no questions asked. But I admit that I am readily curious. Is Chaos not in Tartarus?”
“Chaos will always be a problem. She’s in Tartarus, but how long she will remain there, who knows? This is why I awarded the courageous women with immortality. Your assignment is for another purpose, which I’m afraid I cannot share at the moment.”
Rowen watched a distant glaze cover Breasal’s sight, as if he were lost in thought, or perhaps was having a vision. “Of course, sire. It is done.”
“And please, Rowen, do not let her know that I have commanded you to keep watch over her.”
“Of course.”
The thought of keeping company with Sparrow was a bittersweet assignment. He wondered if he should be honest about his presence, or keep to the shadows of nearness. The thought of hiding his true purpose gnawed at him. He was already hiding so much of the truth from Sparrow Reed. This was just one more to add to the long list of his deceit.
“Thank you, Rowen.”
Bowing to the king, Rowen met his gaze one last time before departing.
“I won’t let Sparrow Reed out of my sight.”
• • •
What an asshole. I can’t believe he thinks he’s coming on this boat.
“Didn’t you hear? We’re over capacity,” Sparrow grumbled as she drudged past Rowen on the Skioblaonir. He didn’t reply. Good. She didn’t want to hear his voice. “Jump off the ledge, knight.” She glared at him to drive the point home.
