by Lisa Kumar
"It’s more than a trick," he said, a bit of reproof in his voice.
"Yeah, I guess it is." That freaked her out even more. What else could he do?
He gazed at her for a bit before nodding. "You know, it’s fine if you’re a little uncomfortable at seeing your first display of magic."
Ha, if he only knew. "I’m a lot uncomfortable with pretty much everything here."
"And that’s a fair feeling. It’ll take time to get used to —"
"I don’t know if I want to get used to it."
His brows lowered, but he merely shrugged. "We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll have to keep you on a leash so you can’t ferret out information from other unsuspecting people."
She snorted because she knew he jested about the leash part. "I don’t think you were unsuspecting."
Lorh contemplated that for a moment, then grimaced before nodding. "I should’ve expected something like this. I cannot place you like a piece on a chessboard and have you go where I want you. But please, don’t question others as you have me, especially the children."
She cocked her head to the side. "Where are the other people? I’ve been wondering about that."
A blank mien swept over his face, masking his true thoughts. "You’ve met my family and Malin."
Natalie sighed in frustration. "I see I’ll get nowhere with you on this subject. But I trust that you have people?"
"Yes, that’s safe to say."
"But that’s all you’re going to admit to?"
His lips quirked. "For right now." Then his face became serious. "I will have your promise not to seek information from my family. Hammer me with your questions if you must, but not the children."
"I’m not a monster." She paused. "Do they even approve of any possible relationship between us?"
"They do not mind."
She frowned. She was human, so was that an issue? But then, she really didn’t know what it meant to be human in a fae realm. "Really? Wh —"
He held up a hand to halt her. "That is all you’ll get out of me. Know that I will guide you to the best of my abilities and as much as I am able."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned from him. "None of that explains why I knew this place."
"That may be so."
Lorh’s voice sounded closer, but other than the snap of a twig, she sensed no movement. When fingers grasped her shoulders, she stumbled forward a step, seeking to put distance between her and the owner of those hands. He gently spun her around to face him. His hands didn’t settle on her shoulders, like she expected, but on her waist.
Her eyes clashed with his until she could no longer weather the intensity of his stare. The look in his eyes. The longing, the love.
Love? No, not possible. She was just seeing things that weren’t there.
Her pulse beat like a frantic hummingbird’s wings. She wasn’t ready for this, even though she didn’t know how to define what "this" was. Still, it was too soon, would always be too soon. But why did it feel strangely right?
Her gaze dropped, looking at the one foot or so of ground that separated them. He stepped closer, and she lost that coveted view. Now she could only see his tunic, which gave hint to the quite fit chest she’d been snuggling against only minutes before. Not a good place to be setting her sights on.
Long fingers glided under her chin, lifting her face. Oh, this sight was no better. His lips were way too close, his breath soft against…
His mouth landed on hers, the touch gentle yet sure. At first, she held herself stiff, determined not to give into this insanity again, but his increasingly demanding pressure melted her reserve. Her arms slid around his neck, and she found herself returning his kisses with the same fervor.
When she was in his arms, time peeled away. Whether she’d known him for one day, one year, or one thousand, none of it seemed important anymore. Even in this moment, seconds, minutes, even hours could have ticked by, and she wouldn’t have cared. Nothing else mattered but him.
At last, he pulled back, dropping a kiss on her nose. If she hadn’t been so giddy, she might’ve scrunched up her nose, for she’d often seen gestures such as his reserved for children and pets. When she peered up and noticed the look wasn’t one geared toward child or pet, any protest died. Passion smoldered in his eyes, making the purple irises even more startling in color, if possible.
She placed a trembling hand to her lips. "Why’d you do that again?"
He chuckled. "Think of it as part of your education."
Sputtering, she managed to choke out, "I don’t need that kind of education." She punctuated her words with a glare.
"Let us just say it is part of the guidance I promised you." His face remained entirely sober. "It’s part of my three weeks."
She closed her mouth, which had been hanging open. "I can’t believe your audacity, but I think you’re being halfway serious."
He merely gave her a grin before holding his hand out. After staring at it for a long bit, she took it. Together they walked up the grassy knoll to the waiting stream.
Oh, Natalie, what are you getting yourself into?
6
With gentle fingertips, Natalie touched the spine of a book in Lorh’s study. She couldn’t understand the silver words so painstakingly etched into the leather cover. But the lettering and leather made it a luxurious item, all the more exciting for its mystery. She stifled an ironic laugh. What the book represented definitely echoed what she felt at being in TirAnn. Good or bad, the intrigue of the situation and of Lorh couldn’t be dismissed.
Her smile died when she remembered all fairy tales receded in the light of day. She’d have to go back. Three weeks, no matter how intoxicating, couldn’t replace a lifetime of memories. Turning away from them, from her life on Earth, didn’t seem possible. How could he even ask it of her? She was human, for heaven’s sake, with no ties to this world, except for the ones he sought to forge.
At times, though, she wanted those ties. Desire warred with reason until she couldn’t decide which might be the true victor.
She sighed. This situation would be so much easier if he were a normal man. Natalie shook her head at the stupidity of her wish. Lorh wouldn’t be the same, then. He would be human, not fae. Such an alteration couldn’t have produced the male she’d come to know in the past five days. She wouldn’t change him even if she could.
Argh, none of this helped her with her so-called decision. She let her head fall back. With each passing second, it only became harder to separate her wishes from her needs. Unraveling their horrible tangle wasn’t only exhausting, but also nearly impossible.
She was playing a dangerous game, one she knew she’d get seriously burned from, but she couldn’t do anything else. Lorh insisted she play, and she was powerless against the pull.
Against her will, she glanced at the door. Where was he? A restlessness tugged at her, making her feel like she could scale the walls.
He had a gift for relieving that sensation and making her most distressing thoughts flee, which was strange since he was the cause of most of them. After lifting her head up again, she flexed tense shoulders, seeking to relieve some of the stiffness.
Her fingers caressed the row of books she’d been perusing. Such a simple touch grounded her and tethered her to the present.
A hand snaked around her waist, and a warm mouth nuzzled her cheek. She startled before relaxing. Lorh. His name was like a gentle caress against the skin.
The brush of his long hair against her neck caused her body to morph into pliant goo, wringing a sigh of contentment from her. He pulled her back against him, and she went willingly. She could never maintain her composure around him, especially when he was being romantic. To fight or accept it were her two choices, and at this moment, she didn’t want to battle it or Lorh.
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I feared you might not be able to meet."
"I always keep my appointments with you, if at all possible. You might have to wait a fe
w minutes, but arrive I will."
"It’s a good thing I’m blessed with patience, then."
He laughed against her neck. "That isn’t what I would call it. Patience never has been your strong area."
Her eyes closed as tingling followed the path of his lips. "And what do you know of it?" she murmured, slightly out of breath.
"More than you would ever expect."
Her eyes popped open. "Not a cryptic answer again. Don’t you ever get tired of them?"
"Ah, but I would never see you flounder so charmingly then."
She craned her neck and threw him an accusatory glance. Her reward was the gleam of white teeth, and she huffed. "I thought you were supposed to be ‘guiding’ me."
"I am, but who says I can’t have a little enjoyment while doing so?"
"Your mind shouldn’t be on fun." She turned in his embrace so she could jab him with a finger. He grabbed her hand, holding it flat against his chest. The beat of his heart thrummed through her fingers, making her palm pulse in a most peculiar way.
"Where should it be, then?"
She stared at him. "On our situation, on me."
"It is. You’re on my mind day and night, so I do what I must to keep smiling."
"Nice to know you need something to keep you smiling when you think of me." Her dry tone hardly hinted at the hurt his words caused.
One of his hands stilled on her back as he gratifyingly blanched. "I didn’t mean it like that. It’s the situation that pains me, not you."
"I know you refuse to answer many questions about the ‘situation.’ But outside of that, what do you wish to happen at the end of our three weeks? If I can’t know what’s driving you, at least tell me of your true feelings."
His face clouded, and he didn’t reply for a while. "I don’t…I don’t want to sway you by speaking too soon."
She pulled away from him before he could stop her retreat. "You don’t think you’ve already swayed me? That each embrace, kiss, and caress doesn’t influence me?"
He nodded warily, as if faced with a dangerous creature. "In this case, such physical affection is dangerous enough, but words are immeasurably more so. Trust me on this."
Crossing her arms, she shot him a considering look. "Words only play at being meaningful unless they’re backed by actions proving their worth."
"Maybe for humans, but for fae kind, words of emotion can be binding."
"So if you confess to feelings you don’t have, it can tie you to that person forever?"
He gave a wry smile as he walked toward her. "No, we can lie just as well as any human and not get caught in that particular trap. Only true words of strong emotion can tie two individuals together."
"Tie how?" She almost moaned in pleasure as his hands slowly rubbed up and down her tense arms before moving to her back to repeat their ministrations.
He shrugged. "It all depends on the situation and the people involved. Some bonds merely involve sensing the other person’s presence or feelings while others can lead to death under the right circumstances. Emotions can and do change, but the only assurance is that there will always be some emotion, good or bad, between the parties. Never just a mediocre or lackluster feeling."
"Ouch. I suppose a lot of enemies could be found that way."
He nodded. "It has happened. That is why we chose such words carefully."
She gently removed his hands from her so she could gain some much-needed perspective. A little distance was the only way to do that.
As she paced a trail in front of him, Lorh’s amused gaze tracked her every movement. She stared back. "So if you don’t want to tell me how you feel, your emotions must be strong."
He merely lifted an eyebrow at her statement. So he was still staying quiet? Narrowing her eyes, she thought of what to say next. "You don’t appear to have an intense dislike of me, if your behavior is any indication. So I think you like me, a lot."
He clapped. "Very impressive. You caught me, but did you ever doubt it?"
Thinking back to his actions, she had her answer. "Well, no. However, you could be a really great actor, though I don’t think that’s what you’re doing. Anyway, a girl likes to hear the words now and then."
"Do they now?"
She halted in front of him. "Yes."
"In that case, I would like you to stay here after your three weeks are up — for me." He reached out a playful hand and tugged a lock of hair hanging in front of her ear.
That was admitting his feelings? He had a long way to go. "That’s all you’re going to say?"
"You haven’t spoken of your own emotions."
She planted her hands on her hips. "For one thing, it’s only been four days. And another, you know exactly what’s going on. I don’t."
A snort, so at odds with his elegant appearance, left his mouth. "So the rules are different for you? I’m supposed to bare my feelings, and you’re not?"
"You know everything, and I don’t. What harm would it cause if I knew how you felt?"
"Possibly your freedom if you wanted to go back. I can’t send you home if you have a strong tie to me."
"And that is for you to determine? You can’t just choose your words carefully?"
He picked up a crystal paperweight from a table and turned it over in his hands. "It’s a risk I’m not willing to take."
She started pacing again. "The ‘right time this’ and the ‘right time that.’ Everything has a right time, except for me!"
"Even you do."
That stopped her. "When I’ll know what to decide?"
He dipped his head in agreement and replaced the paperweight.
"But what if I don’t want to stay here after those three weeks and decide to leave? You’re sure I’ll be allowed to go home?"
"Yes, though I was hoping you might start to see this place as home."
At the strained note in his voice, all previous arguments flew out of her head. The need to console him, reassure him, was strong, but she didn’t want to offer false hope, either. "I…do think it is a lovely manor, and I’m positive this is an even lovelier land. Earth is home, though. It’s all I’ve ever known. Even if I stayed here, I know I would miss it."
"Who said you couldn’t visit Earth? Admittedly, the trip isn’t always pleasant, but it’s possible."
She gawked at him. "What?"
"We have kin on your human Earth, holdouts that never wanted to leave. We don’t view one another favorably but try to not step on each other’s toes. Travel between our two worlds is heavily guarded and not easy. As I said, possible but not easy. Our kin doesn’t want human travelers spreading tales of this world — or of their presence in yours."
"Hmm." That made enough sense.
She knew she shouldn’t give any kind of encouragement or hope, but she had to know all her options, especially if they padded the deal a bit. "Say I stay — would I be able to return to visit family and friends?"
"Yes, but not with great frequency from our side. From theirs, our trips could appear quite frequent."
Huh? Even as her heartbeat rose at this explanation, so did her confusion. "Our trips? Why would the frequency appear different to them?"
"I’ll go into that shortly. But first know I won’t let you venture off by yourself, even if only to visit family and friends. Travel between our worlds isn’t a simple matter, and someone of fae kind who’s trustworthy should always be with you."
"But I came here by myself."
His mouth thinned. "That was a…special exception."
"Oh, yeah? How so?"
"I can’t tell you that."
She folded her arms across her chest and sent him a glower. "You mean you won’t tell me."
Lorh shrugged. "It amounts to the same thing."
She flounced away from him. "Pompous jerk."
His strong hands gripped her waist, and his breath shivered along her neck. "What did you say, my dear?" Pulling her flush against him, every sinew of his body pressed intimately against her bac
k and buttocks.
Heat built, but she willfully ignored it. So far, they’d only shared kisses, and she’d ensure they’d go no further. "You heard me."
She elbowed him in the side, trying to gain her freedom. His arms remained bands about her.
Huffing in frustration and knowing she needed to get them out of this position, she threw her hands up. "Let’s go sit down and talk about this frequency you mentioned."
Lorh ignored her attitude and drew her over to a sofa, settling her against his side. "Time passes quite differently between our two worlds. We have the ability to travel to Earth’s present and past — with stipulations, of course — to a limited extent. I say limited because once a fae visits Earth, a link for that person is established between the two worlds that controls the direction of time."
As she pondered his words, her body relaxed against his side. "Is time travel within TirAnn possible?"
"For those born in TirAnn, it is not. Time is linear here, and we cannot manipulate it. We’ve hypothesized this is due to TirAnn being our reality, as Earth is humanity’s domain."
"That’s certainly confusing. So your people can travel forward or backward in my world but not in their own?"
He picked up a strand of her hair and slid it through his fingers. "Yes, but when one of my people visits Earth, a link — the one I mentioned before — is established between our two worlds for that individual. What this means for you is that once we secure permission for travel, which might be restricted to every few decades, you’ll schedule the timing of our arrival however you like. But once that link is established, we cannot go back in Earth’s time, only forward. Understand so far?"
"Hmm," she agreed, enjoying the sensation of his fingers playing with her hair. "I think so."
"Good."
His fingertips slipped to her scalp and began a wonderful massage that nearly destroyed her concentration. Once he started speaking again, she marshaled her focus.
"However, once we’re back on TirAnn, the link becomes inactive, so our visits can resume without much lapsed time felt from those on Earth’s side. To family and friends back there, a matter of months may’ve only passed since our last visit, while a century could have passed here."
