Licked by the Flame

by Serena Gilley

  His eyes had been shut but he cracked them open enough to look down at her. He smiled, his fingers trailing over the sensitive skin at her shoulder and collarbone.

  “Sometimes we need a little help from Sizing Powder to fit entirely perfectly,” he commented.

  “I know,” she whispered, kissing his ear. “I saved us just a little bit of it.”

  “By the Skies, I do love you.” He pulled her more tightly into his arms and brought her lips up to meet his.

  She kissed him with all of her soul. “Now that sounds entirely perfect.”

  About the Author

  Serena Gilley grew up reading fantasy and fairy tales, and believing there was a distinct possibility that both of them were real. Somewhere. Even all these years later, Serena’s belief in magic and mystery hasn’t diminished. In fact, she is living out her own happily-ever-after with a handsome prince in a beautiful castle, taming dragons and granting wishes every day. Okay, so the prince is a regular guy, the dragons are really just teenagers, and the wishes she grants are as spectacular as frozen pizza on Friday night, but it’s a fantasy world just the same.

  Learn more at:

  SerenaGilley.com

  Twitter @SerenaGilley13

  Facebook.com/SerenaGilleyAuthor

  Please turn the page for a preview of the next novella in the Forbidden Realm series,

  By the Enchantment of Moonlight.

  Available early 2016

  Chapter One

  It was good to be back in the familiar Fairyrealm. Summer was lush and green here, a far cry from the cold, bleak terrain Swift had encountered in Iceland. As a fairy, Swift had not been negatively affected by the harsh weather in that desolate land, but his recent assignment had been unsettling, to say the least.

  Swift had seen far too many disturbing things…felt too many disturbing things. He was still not quite sure what to do about them, either. He had devoted his life to serving the Fairy Council and what he had been taught that they stood for. Now not only had his perception of that changed, but his body seemed to have been altered as well.

  These new, unusual sensations concerned him. Had his unexpected close proximity to humans on his assignment caused some damage to his system? Perhaps it was only temporary. Perhaps being home, away from corrupting influences, would purge his mind and his body of the unwanted thoughts, the vile urges that had crept over him lately. The last thing he needed was to be a fairy who struggled with the most forbidden of flaws—a fairy who knew passion.

  His promotion to full agent within the Department of Restraint and Obedience had been something he’d long worked for. He hadn’t questioned the council when his first assignment had seemed somewhat out of the ordinary. He probably should have, though.

  By the Skies, what had he discovered? He couldn’t make sense of it, but he knew what he had seen: fairies secretly working with humans and strange machinery that affected the very fabric of magic. Even the ancient and illusive dragons had been involved! Yet the council assured him it was all perfectly safe and necessary. If only he could believe them.

  But he couldn’t. It was nearly impossible to know what he could believe anymore. He’d thought it a high calling to serve the council, to track destructive behavior and rogue fairies like Kyne and his sneaky little friend Raea…but nothing was certain now. Swift was unaccustomed to questioning himself or the council. Today, though…

  “I can see that you’re feeling a sense of inner conflict,” Dorn, the Council Leader, was saying as his regal, gray aura emanated around him.

  It was an understatement, of course, but Swift dodged the question. “There is no evidence to prove that Pimma helped the fugitive Kyne escape. You’ve questioned her enough, Dorn. Why has she not been given back her magic?”

  “The council is restricting her magical privilege for her own good. We’ve not taken away her wings, simply her access to Fairy Dust.”

  “Which she needs to go about her daily life. How is she to protect herself if humans wander into our Realm?”

  “The usual safeguards will protect her, as they do all of us.”

  “And if they don’t? You forget, Dorn, that I was made privy to some of the council’s concerns.”

  He was careful not to speak any specifics, but Dorn would know exactly what he meant. Something was happening; magic did not have the strength that it once did. The powerful Veil that kept the human world separate and unaware of their Forbidden Realm was failing. The council had tried to keep it a secret, but with their drastic decision to involve certain humans in an effort to bolster the magic that kept the Veil in place, every day they were in increasing danger.

  “The council has decided that Pimma must be considered a suspect. There is simply no other way that renegade Kyne could have broken free from our custody,” Dorn said with firm finality.

  Swift was careful not to let his disgust show on his face. If anyone in this Realm was innocent of wrongdoing, it was Pimma. The very idea of holding her on suspicion was ludicrous. And very likely illegal.

  “Who is her advocate?” he asked.

  “She’s not been formally charged with anything, Swift.”

  “Fairy Code specifically states that any fairy who is held under suspicion by council will be allowed an Advocate for the Accused. I believe Pimma is the designated advocate for our Realm, but she can’t very well advocate for herself, can she? So who have you assigned to be advocate for her?”

  “By the Skies, Swift, these are tenuous times. Exceptions must be made.”

  Exceptions? All the years Swift had defended the council, danced to their bidding without thought or question, not once had he seen Dorn allow for any exceptions. Now Dorn was calling for the council to be exempted from their own law? No, Swift couldn’t go for that. Things had gone too far; he couldn’t convince himself the leaders knew best. He’d seen what had come of their secret plans and unquestioned alliances.

  It had led to humans playing with magic, veiled creatures battling among themselves, and fairies dallying in passion and desire. No wonder the Veil was shredding around them. Magic was mingling with the mundane, and the Forbidden Realm was falling apart. Clearly, until he knew where things stood here in his own local Fairyrealm, Swift could not allow for exceptions. Of any sort.

  “I would like to see her.” He met Dorn’s eye and waited for an answer.

  “You want to see Pimma?” the leader questioned.

  “Yes. Now.”

  Dorn scowled. He clearly did not like having his judgment or his actions questioned, but he knew Swift well enough to obviously not bother arguing.

  “Very well. I’ll take you to her.”

  “No. You’ll have her brought to me. You’ve had more than enough time to determine that she is not a threat, not a part of Kyne’s rogue activities. If you have cause to pass judgment on her, then you would have assigned her an advocate and followed procedures.”

  “But she could be in league with—”

  “She isn’t, but if she is, I will take full responsibility. Bring her here and set her free, Dorn. Prove to us all that the Fairy Code still means something here, that our leaders have not given up on the stability of our Realm.”

  “Fairyrealm will go on forever. We are the very heart of the Forbidden Realm.”

  “Exactly. So what could any of us possibly have to fear from some junior advocate who was betrayed by one of the first fairies she ever represented?”

  “Unless she had a hand in that betrayal,” Dorn added.

  “Then we will learn that when she tries to contact him. I promise you, Dorn, if there are things we can learn from her, we won’t learn them while you’ve got her locked up in some magicless room.”

  Dorn clearly wasn’t fully convinced, but he’d obviously lost the battle. He cocked his gray head to one side and scowled at Swift. “You will assume responsibility for her?”

  “I will. Now send for her and let’s make this right.”

  * * *

&
nbsp; The door to Pimma’s subterranean holding cell swung open. She’d been stretching her wings and wondering if she’d ever actually get the chance to use them again. The interruption caused her to jump. It wasn’t mealtime. What was going on? The young fairy who served as Dorn’s aide peered in at her and announced that she was being requested.

  “What does the Council Leader need with me now?” she asked.

  The aide shrugged and simply ordered her to follow him, so she did. He led the way up the narrow, muddy steps into the neat interior of the Council Hall. Pimma blinked when sunlight through the tall, narrow windows met her eyes. Her wings fairly vibrated as warmth and magic slowly seeped back into her body. It felt so good to be aboveground and to feel the familiar tingle of magic and freedom. She wasn’t ready to be too optimistic, though.

  “Good afternoon, Dorn,” she said as the Council Leader met her in the main corridor. “Or good morning, or whatever it is. Sorry, but I haven’t exactly been keeping track.”

  “The sun has not yet reached zenith,” Dorn replied. “I’m glad to see you’re looking well.”

  She knew she did not look well at all. Her skin was pale and practically translucent, without a hint of her opalescent sheen. Her wings were sagging and crumpled, and her usual blue glow had faded to practically nothing. Dorn had just added “liar” to the long list of things about him that she’d recently found horribly disappointing.

  “Have you brought me up here to finally charge me with something?” she asked, squinting into the brightness and trying to discern the identity of the other fairy in the corridor with them. She could see his colorless silhouette against the glaring light through the high windows above the grand entrance to the hall, but his broad-winged form was unfamiliar to her.

  Until he spoke. Then she recognized him immediately.

  “You are being released,” he informed her.

  Swift. He stepped forward and now she could make out his features. Well formed and powerful, he was the pride of the Department of Restraint and Obedience. He looked her over, top to toe, but she would be wasting time if she tried to read any emotion into his expression. He was too careful to give away anything that might be in his thoughts. Likewise, every inch of his solid body was a study in control. His deep, emerald-tipped wings were poised for instant action, yet Swift’s movement was smooth and relaxed.

  As always, he set her completely off balance.

  “I’m being released?” she asked, just to make sure she’d heard correctly.

  Dorn replied rather grandly. “Yes. I’ve determined that you pose no immediate threat. You will be returned to regular duty, so long as you cooperate with us should we have any future questions for you.”

  “Of course I’ll cooperate,” she said and probably wasn’t quite as successful as keeping her tone perfectly measured as Swift would have been. “I’ve been cooperating, Dorn, even though you’ve handled me like some sort of criminal.”

  “We had to be certain you weren’t involved in Kyne’s escape,” Dorn replied, as if that was any sort of explanation for the uncivilized treatment she’d gotten.

  “So what finally convinced you?” she asked.

  “I did,” Swift said. “But until I’m totally convinced, you and I will be spending some time together.”

  Together? Oh no. That would not be good. She didn’t like Swift. He annoyed her, with his smug confidence and overly cool attitude about everything. He made her feel…small, incompetent, a little bit silly, even. She hadn’t been forced to work with him often in her short tenure here before all this mess, but the time she had spent with him was unsettling. He made her feel something very strange inside; something she didn’t know and couldn’t understand even a little bit. Together was not something she wanted to be with Swift.

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” she informed him.

  “I hope that’s true,” he replied. “It shouldn’t take me long to verify everything you’ve told the council. Then we can all rest easy and get back to our business, right?”

  Somehow, she doubted getting back to her business would be so very easy for her. Dorn may have suddenly come to his senses and realized that she knew nothing about how her client, Kyne, escaped confinement here, but it wasn’t going to be so simple for Pimma to forget being locked up—without magic—for days on end. Underground, of all places! She hadn’t even known the Council Hall had subterranean areas. Now she knew them too well.

  “How about if I get my Fairy Dust privileges back, for starters?”

  Dorn smiled at her like she was a petulant child begging for another honey drop. “Of course. Swing by distribution and collect what you need for your next assignment.”

  “And just what is my next assignment?”

  “In the city,” Dorn replied. “We have a report of unusual Fairy Dust usage and possible detection by humans.”

  “Not another complaint about that Wish Fairy again,” Swift grumbled.

  “No, not this time,” Dorn replied. “My associate Wain received a report of unusual activity and has gone to investigate.”

  “Wain? He’s not a qualified agent. What’s he investigating?”

  “I don’t have the details, but he’s been watching this business for some time. It’s a human organization…something called Sandstrom Industries.”

  Pimma noticed Swift’s lip twitch just a bit. Did recognition flash over his face when Dorn mentioned that company? Pimma couldn’t be sure. Swift was such a puzzle to her it was impossible to know what he might be thinking. Maybe that dark gleam in his eye was nothing more than excitement at the prospect of heading out to hunt down another wayward fairy.

  “Look into this matter with him,” Dorn was saying. “If there is a fairy out there acting carelessly, help Wain find him. Bring him—or her—into custody. Pimma, this will be a perfect opportunity for you to prove your loyalty and get back to work. As you know, the council is taking all Forbidden Realm infractions very seriously right now. When we find this offender, the sooner he’s assigned an advocate, the sooner we can process him.”

  Process him? More likely Dorn really meant convict him. Obviously their esteemed Council Leader had already decided the guilt of this unnamed fairy he was sending them after. Pimma had a pretty good idea just how Dorn expected her to prove herself, and it would not include assuring her newest client a fair and impartial hearing. What on earth could be going on that Dorn was so willing to ignore proper procedures?

  She bit her tongue and listened quietly as Swift got the details on this situation. There weren’t many. Dorn’s associate Wain seemed to have given him little more than suspicion, yet he was proceeding as if a proper determination had been made. This was all highly unorthodox.

  No formal investigation had been made, no report was on file, and Wain was in no way qualified to be hunting fairies out in the human world. Pimma felt more than a little bit awkward taking part in this, but obviously she didn’t have much of a choice. To argue with Dorn now could very likely get her stuck in the basement again. Not much of an option either way.

  Swift didn’t seem to be quite as conflicted over the ethics of the situation as she was. He gathered the information they’d need to go locate their target and didn’t even bat a wing when no item of proof could be offered to uphold Wain’s supposed suspicions. Apparently he was every bit as willing to ignore rules and procedures as Dorn. That surprised her.

  She’d thought better of Swift. All those things that made him off-putting and smug also made him kind of noble. Of anyone she knew, Swift seemed the one she would have most expected to question Dorn’s hasty assignment. She’d even respected him for this, just a little bit. Now she didn’t very much like him and she didn’t respect him. How disappointing.

  She kept her feelings to herself, though, and wisely pretended to be in complete agreement with Dorn’s direction. She even smiled sweetly for Swift and gave her blue wings a little flutter when he held the door of the Council Hall to invite her out into the fresh a
ir and sunshine for the first time in weeks. It was wonderful—almost enough to make her forget all the anger and wariness.

  “Don’t get any ideas about leaving me,” he said firmly, a healthy reminder that the mistrust she felt was a mutual thing.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied. “At least, not until after I collect my new Fairy Dust.”

  “Dorn expects me to keep an eye on you, so that’s what I intend to do,” Swift warned her. “You’d be smart not to balk at that.”

  “Would it make any difference if I did?”

  “No. For your own good, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  “For my own good, huh?”

  They’d been walking silently over the thick moss that carpeted the ground here in their protected little village deep in the undergrowth of a humanless forest. The few little buildings needed for the daily management of fairy life circled the little mossy clearing, tucked up against the roots of ancient trees and hidden by nature as well as by magic. Humans rarely made it this deep into the forest, but if they did, magic would blind their eyes to the tiny village and the glittering creatures who lived there.

  At least, fairies were supposed to be glittering. Pimma was sadly dull and lackluster right now, having lost her Fairy Dust and being separated from magic for so long. She didn’t care about Swift’s warning to stay by his side. If he wanted to keep an eye on her, he’d just have to pick up his pace. She couldn’t move fast enough to get to the bark-covered round hut that served as the Dust Distribution Office.

  “The best way to get Dorn to leave you alone is to let me assure him you’re on his side,” Swift said, matching her step easily.

  She paused, glaring at him. “On his side? What other side is there? Aren’t we all on the same side?”

  “No, Pimma. We’re not. Soon you’ll have to decide where you stand on things.”

  “You mean, on things like this so-called assignment we’re being sent off on? I can’t believe you’re not questioning the justice of it. Dorn thinks some fairy was a little bit sloppy with his dust and he’s treating it like a crime.”