I turned to look at him, standing above me, his tongue lolling out. I had never really gotten a good look at him before, in those dreams I had where he acted as a guardian of sorts to my very young self. He was solid white, except for his ears. I couldn’t tell their exact color in the moonlight, but my guess was that they were light brown or even rusty colored. Or maybe that was blood from the fight. Of course, upon further inspection, I saw no other dark marks on him.
The dog huffed out a breath and then lay down next to me. I wanted to pet him, let him know I was thankful for his help, but some movement out of the corner of my eye distracted me.
The man in the trench coat had pulled his eyes away from the trees and moved closer. I panicked, kicking at the ground in an attempt to scoot farther away, but the dog kept me still, looking at me with curious eyes.
“Who-who are you?” I asked. My voice sounded weak and harsh.
The man didn’t answer, but dropped into a sudden crouch, his elbows resting on his knees.
I squeaked and pulled away, afraid he might be one of the crazy people my mom had thought lived down here. What if he had a knife? What if he was a serial killer? All of a sudden, those zombie dogs didn’t seem so frightening after all.
The man sat back on his feet, then hunched his shoulders over. His hood was still up and I couldn’t see his face, but something in his stance was familiar.
“Hobo Bob?” I blurted.
I immediately cringed. I had never liked that nickname but that was the first inane thought that popped into my head, and honestly, I was a bit traumatized at the moment. I had just sleepwalked into the woods in the middle of the night only to be attacked by monsters. I think I was allowed a little slip of the brain for the next few hours. Or days.
“Sorry, I mean,” I fumbled my words, worrying that I had offended the poor man. What was he doing here? Is this where he lived when he wasn’t perched on the outskirts of the school campus? And furthermore, how on earth had he moved like that? The homeless man who had been hanging out around my school for the past few weeks was old and arthritic.
I was surprised when the man laughed. A light, easy sound that suggested youth. “Is that the title you have awarded me?”
I started in surprise. That wasn’t the voice of a crazy old man. There was a strange accent to it, Irish or Scottish, and like his laughter, it was the voice of a much younger man. I tried to remember if I had ever heard Hobo Bob speak before, but I couldn’t say for sure that I had.
And like the brilliant teenager that I was for the time being, my answer to him was a bland, “Huh?”
He laughed again, straightening up once more to his full height. I glanced up and gaped. He had to be close to six and a half feet tall, maybe taller.
“I often heard the spoken insults of the young people attending your school, but I never paid them much attention.”
It was at that moment he decided to lower the hood of his coat. I felt my jaw drop again. Luckily, he was glancing off to the side, so he didn’t notice my sudden gawking stupor. From what light the full moon provided, I could gather that my rescuer was a very good looking young man and all the names of the boys Tully, Robyn and I had listed off earlier that night seemed like ugly ducklings in comparison. His hair was dark and his face well-sculpted. I couldn’t see the color of his eyes, but I could tell that they were dark, calculating even as he considered a stray stone on the ground beside his foot.
The light wind from earlier picked up once again and my body felt suddenly chilly. I looked down, only to discover that my night gown was hiked practically up to my waist, showing off my pink, polka-dot underwear. Flushing with embarrassment, I quickly pulled it down and wrapped my arms around my torso once again. I suddenly felt very vulnerable.
My movements caught the young man’s attention and he glanced back at me. His sudden gaze made me blush even more. I hoped he couldn’t see my red face in the moonlight.
“Forgive me,” he said in a serious tone, “you must be very cold.”
Before I could so much as blink, he had unbuttoned his trench coat and had thrown it over my shoulders, pulling it closed in front of me. His touch was light and careful, the opposite of what I had seen him do with those dogs. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, I tried to study him a bit more now that he was closer, but all I could make out in the moonlight was what he was wearing: jeans, a designer t-shirt, and what looked like utility boots, the kind my dad often wore to work, the ones with steel toes.
After draping his coat over me, he backed away. I caught a glimpse of something metallic around his neck, but it was only a glimpse. I had no idea what it might be. For a while, I simply breathed and enjoyed the warmth of his coat. It smelled strange, not in a bad way, but like something vaguely familiar that I hadn’t smelled in years. I read somewhere once that scent was one of the strongest senses in recalling memory, but for now I couldn’t place those memories. I only wrinkled my nose, thinking of these woods after a rainstorm.
At some point in time I managed to find my voice again. Clearing my throat, I said, “What were those things, those dogs?”
The young man grimaced and glanced off into the trees again. “Cumorrig,” he answered, “hounds of the Morrigan.”
“What?” The Morrigan? Like the Celtic goddess Robyn had dressed as for Halloween?
He ignored my question. “Most modern day folklorists would call them hellhounds.”
“Hellhounds?” I’d heard of those before. In one of my literature classes last year we had read some stories of mythology. I vaguely remembered a mention of hellhounds but I couldn’t describe them. Guess I didn’t really need to anymore.
I looked back up at the tall stranger, and feeling one of us needed to say something, I took a breath and said, “Thank you for helping me, and I am very grateful, but who exactly are you?”
He smiled, forcing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. I had to look away. Why couldn’t the boys at school be this attractive? It might make their taunts more bearable.
“You were right in guessing who I was earlier,” he said, standing up once again.
I had to crane my neck to keep an eye on his face. Even though he had the charm of a well-versed movie star, there was no way I was going to trust him. To wake up from a dream and find myself in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the living corpses of dogs, then to have him appear out of nowhere and chase them off with superhuman speed? Yeah, that was normal. Right.
He took a deep breath then ran both hands through his thick hair. I watched him carefully, not sure what his next move would be.
“Meghan, I’m afraid we’ve met under unsavory circumstances.”
He glanced down at me with those dark eyes. “Our first meeting wasn’t supposed to go this way. Those hounds,” he paused and grimaced, “let’s just say it was my job to take care of them earlier, and they slipped past me.”
I blinked, feeling myself return to my previous stupor. What was he talking about? He knew about those horrible dogs? It was his job to take care of them? What did that mean? And most importantly, how did he know my name?
I felt ill, as if I were going to throw up. I tried to stand, letting the trench coat slip off of me. All of a sudden it felt like a net meant to trap me like a bird.
“Meghan,” he said, reaching out.
But I cringed away from him, and offered him his coat with a shaky hand.
“Thank you again, but I really should get back home.”
“Not on your own Meghan, not with those hounds still lurking around these trees somewhere.”
His voice had deepened and that only made my stomach churn more.
“Please,” I whispered, feeling the first prickle of tears at the corners of my eyes, “please, I just want to get home.”
Suddenly he stiffened and his gaze intensified. “You are afraid of me.”
It was a statement, not a question. I knew I was doomed then. Wasn’t it true that if a victim revealed to her attacker just how
terrified she was, then she had already lost the game? Sure, he had chased off those dogs, but maybe only to keep me whole so he could take me off to some bomb shelter somewhere to torture me slowly. I shivered both from the return of the autumn cold and from the knowledge that I was completely at his mercy at this point.
The man merely sighed deeply and said, “I fouled this up completely, but I’ll make it up to you somehow. Right now, however, I think it is best if you forget most of this.”
He held up his right arm, palm out, as if he was planning to hit me with some kung fu move.
“What are you doing?” The panic in my voice matched the racing of my heart.
“Tomorrow, this will seem like a dream, but in a week’s time I will send Fergus to you. Follow him, and I will introduce myself properly, at a more reasonable time of day. Then I’ll explain everything.”
I stared at his hand as he moved closer, wondering if I should try and fight him off if he reached for me. My mind seemed to grow fuzzy, my vision blurred.
Just before I passed out, I managed a barely audible, “Who are you?”
“You can call me Cade, but you won’t remember this, so it doesn’t matter.”
And then I was swallowed by darkness.
~*~
~FAERY TALES CONTENTS~
THE MORRIGAN
THE SWAY
HOW TO BABYSIT A CHANGELING
ARRANGED
WITHOUT ARMOR
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FAERY WORLDS
FAERY REALMS
ARRANGED
Copyright 2015 by Julia Crane
All rights reserved.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission of the author.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events; to real people, living or dead; or to real locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.
“Arranged” edited by Claire Teeter
Cover art by Eden Crane Design
Chapter 1
Daughter, it’s time for you to join me on Earth. I’ve found a human mate for you.
Groaning, I threw the covers up over my head. I really hated when my mother woke me up with her voice in my head. Maybe if I pretended I didn’t hear her she’d go away. Yeah right, like that’s ever worked.
I know you’re awake.
Kicking the blankets off, I rose to my feet, stretched my wings while stumbling toward the bathroom. Grasping the sink I leaned in and studied my face. My eyes were a bit puffy from staying up too late with Aiston. But other than that I looked fine. A quick glamour fixed the small imperfection. After all, a princess always had to look her best. I rolled my eyes.
Tulupea did you hear me?
For a brief moment I debated not answering her. But I knew all that would accomplish would be her guards storming into my room to make sure I was safe. Being daughter of the Fairy Queen sucked at times. I had no privacy. No choice of my life path. My mother wanted me to mate with a human. So I had to do it. She didn’t care that I’d already given my heart to another. Or that I’d be the laughing stock of the faery realm. Duty came first. Always.
Is he good looking at least? I grumbled as I padded across the cool marble floor back into my bedroom.
Even before she spoke I could sense my mother’s disapproval. Looks are not important. What is important is repopulating the earth. So sacrifices will have to be made.
Great. He’s a loser. Why was this happening to me? I flopped back down on my bed. All my life I’d dreamt of marrying a prince and someday becoming Queen after my mother was no longer able to fulfill the role. Now any hope of that had been derailed. My only saving grace was the fact that fairies aged very slowly. Basically we were as close to being immortal as you could get without actually being immortal. So my human’s life would be but a flap of my wings. However, during that time I’d have lost my chance of merging with Aiston. He’d never have me after I’d mated with another, let alone a human. Not that I could blame him. Once I returned, my mother would arrange a pairing of her choosing—one that she felt would be the best arrangement for our realm. Neither me nor the male fairy would have a say in the matter. If I was lucky, I would grow to care for him. If not, I would have a very long unhappy life. And there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
When will the ceremony take place?
I’ll give you till moonrise and then you must come to me. We’ll discuss the particulars then.
Fine. Anything else?
I know it may seem like I am asking too much from you…
You don’t say? I thought bitterly. Don’t worry mother. I will do as you ask. Like always.
I never doubted you. Please believe me. I understand the sacrifice you are making. If there were any other way I wouldn’t ask this of you. Once you arrive you will see. Magick has been returned to it’s rightful place on earth, but the cost was crippling. There’s only thirteen percent of the human population left. We must do what we can to preserve their species.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Tulupea to save the day. I groaned. None of this made any sense to me, at all. I wasn’t sure what one fairy could do to change the fate of humankind. Hopefully it would make more sense once I got there. But then again, my mother only told me what she thought I needed to know, which could be very frustrating at times.
I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you at moonrise.
My mother didn’t bother to reply which was fine with me.
It was weird to think I’d be seeing her soon. I’d lost track of the amount of time that’d passed since I’d last seen her face. The moon had risen and set many times since her departure. A part of me looked forward to being with her again. But mostly, I didn’t want to leave our home realm. I would miss my friends and, of course, Aiston.
On the plus side, now that magick was restored, I could show myself freely. The few times I’d been to earth before the wars, I had to glamour myself to appear human. I hated the discrimination. If only humans had accepted that magick wasn’t evil, the wars would never have started to begin with. In their fear, they caused their own deaths, almost to extinction. Very sad.
I laid in bed staring through my skylight. The sun shined brightly down on me making it nearly impossible to fall back asleep.
Who was I kidding, even without the sun I wouldn’t have been able to fall back asleep. My mind raced and my heart hurt. Today I would have to say goodbye to Aiston, the faery I thought I would spend the rest of my life with.
Touching my temples, I closed my eyes and called for him. Aiston. I must leave at moonrise and I don’t know when I will return.
Nice of your mother to give you some notice. Came the curt reply.
I want to see you.
Meet me by the healing tree. I’ll be there shortly.
Just the thought of seeing him had me instantly wide awake. I rushed to my closet, and pulled out a long flowing green gown. His favorite color. It was light and airy and made me feel beautiful.
After brushing my hair and teeth I jumped out of my window without telling the guards where I was going. They wouldn’t be thrilled if they realized I’d left without telling them. But sometimes I needed privacy. Hopefully they’d think I was sleeping in like usual.
The soft breeze greeted me as soon as I dropped to the ground. I breathed in the rich, damp air and straightened my dress. Oh how I was going to miss this world.
“Why are you so sad?”
Turning, I glanced back to see a pixie float
ing through the air. “I must leave today and join my mother on Earth.”
The little pixie flapped her wings faster. “Today?”
I knew she was excited to have gossip to pass on to the others. Before I even made it to the tree, half the realm would know I was leaving. That was one thing I would not miss about this place. Everyone knew everything about everyone.
Picking up my pace I continued down the winding pathway while the pixie flew off in the opposite direction.
Thankfully the healing tree wasn’t very far from my home. I didn’t think I could wait much longer to be in Aiston’s arms again. I was surprised to find he wasn’t already waiting for me. Maybe he’d been held up by his parents.
I grabbed a piece of fruit off the tree and sat down, leaning my back against the enormous trunk. Instantly a jolt of energy shot through my body. I knew it was pushing out any negative energy and clearing my aura, which was something I was in desperate need of at this point.
“Thank you,” I whispered before biting into the juicy goodness.
A soft hum radiated throughout my body as I waited. We didn’t have clocks, so I watched as the sun rose higher in the sky and wondered what in the world was taking Aiston so long. He knew today was the last day to see me. It upset me that he’d left me hanging, today of all days.
Although, I was sure he’d have a good reason. Maybe something came up with his family or he was stopped on his way to talk.
After some time had passed, I finally heard him approaching. My heart rate kicked into overdrive.
Faery Tales: Six Novellas of Magic and Adventure (Faery Worlds Book 3) Page 31
