by Jaime Marks
He chuckled against her neck as he kissed and nipped. “Is that so, caria?” He bit the delicate spot in the curve of her neck causing a soft pleading moan to escape her lips. He was kissing along the neckline of her dress when a soft knock sounded on the door. He groaned slightly but pulled back kissing her on the lips before stepping away and answering. “Come in.”
Steph composed herself as the door opened and Star entered. “Hey what’s up?”
“Hey, I hope I didn’t interrupt anything…” She trailed off tentatively. “I was just wondering if I could steal you away for a little while to help me pin up my hair? Like we did for the formal last year in that cool twist thing so it’s flatter in the front and cascades in the back?”
She glanced up at Mythos. “Go ahead, Stephynia. We are free until the banquet and the two of you wanted to spend time together today. I will come get you when it is time.” He kissed her softly. “Perhaps it will help to get your mind off of things as well.”
She drew a long breathe. That meant the two of them would be separating for the first time today. She was tempted to say no for that reason alone, but he was right. Just because she felt something coming didn’t mean she could stop living until it passed. “Yeah, maybe that’d be best.” She leaned up and kissed him softly. “I’ll see you in a few then.”
He nodded walking them out with his hand at the small of her back and kissed her head before taking his seat with the others. It was still weird for her how they stopped to acknowledge her presence even though she was just passing through the room. She shook her head at herself when they reached the hall and her breath caught. Leaving him right now for some reason felt like she couldn’t breathe.
“Hey, you alright?” Star asked studying her. “You seem, edgier. Kind of like you were when you first got here. Did something happen?”
“No, not really,” she sighed. “I just have this bad feeling that I’m going to be separated from Mythos for some reason. It’s probably nothing.”
“Hmmm, did you tell Marcus and Cymeryn?” She looked her over glancing around the hall nodding to Alaria, Tryxia and Meryn. “And just remember Steph we’re never really alone, we have them.”
“Yeah I talked to them. There really isn’t much anyone can do unless the feeling becomes more defined or something happens.” She shrugged, “I know that the Guards are always there, not to mention it’s not like I’d go down without a fight, but still it’s been driving me nuts all frickin’ day.”
Star nodded smirking at her. “Well, let’s go do the stupid girlie things I always used to torture you with and laugh and relax awhile ‘til we get your mind off of it then.”
She shook her head, “I’m not doing my nails.”
Star’s grin just got wider and she turned to walk towards her room.
“Star. I’m serious,” Steph contended but she wasn’t and she knew it.
She was giggling and feeling a little better. She still kept a close eye on her surroundings but it felt good to relax and Star was right. There were at least three Guardians in this hall at any given time, not to mention their family was all right across the way. Any noise and they would all come running. She just needed to stop stressing out over nothing. Eventually there would be something, there always was, but for now it was time to relax.
“I think I’m gonna check on Felycia quick,” Byryn stated as he started to get up to do so.
“Byryn a Grifyn, you will do no such thing,” Trina replied halting him. “She heard everything you had to say earlier and she should be getting ready for the banquet at this point. I know you are worried about the girl retreating into herself and I am watching her closely for it myself, but you have to give her time to adjust as well. Besides, she agreed to allow Devyn to escort her this eve. That was a huge step for her.”
He sighed running a hand through his hair considering it all. He was just nervous she was going to try to run. “Yeah your right. I just…I feel like I should be doing more to help her with this. Especially seeing how broken she was enduring all of the memories she had to face.”
“Your Mother’s right, son,” his Dad interjected. “You can’t start crowding her all of the sudden just because she’s awakened. She came to you on her own for help with it, she’s agreeing to attend events, albeit it begrudgingly, and she is accepting companionship. That is more than we could have hoped for. In truth, I half expected when the girl’s awakening hit one of the Guardians would have found her hiding in her room, suffering while trying to weather it out on her own.”
Cymeryn nodded. “She does want to trust you, Byryn, but she struggles trusting anyone and for good reason. Your shared past is a trigger for the girl. Give her time. And did I hear you correctly, Devyn is escorting her?”
Byryn nodded thinking back to his conversation with the Fae. He had no idea what was going to come of it but he didn’t think either of them had a choice. Once the bonding set in fighting it was like fighting breathing. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they’re bonding, though it’s confusing the hell out of both of them.”
“Is that what you two were discussing prior to the meeting this noon?” Mythos asked studying him a moment.
“Yes, my lord. I apologize I hadn’t planned on meeting with him and I intended to just mist down after, but he asked me to show him how to get there.” He shrugged. “We got caught up and I lost track of time. I’ll admit he isn’t as much of an ass as I thought he was.”
Mythos nodded. “He is a Fae of honor and he means well, but he is stuck in his ways and can be very reclusive. In truth, it surprises me to hear that he even asked to escort Felycia this eve, especially given how he is struggling to come to terms with the existence of the Gray. Perhaps this pairing will be good for both of them.”
“They both need a connection to this world, to us,” Cymeryn agreed rubbing his jaw. “Though they are both withdrawn in many ways their bonding will serve to bring them closer to us. Without one another neither of them may ever come around. They are both very…difficult.”
He knew they were right but she was still his baby sister. She had endured so much already. He couldn’t see her life with Devyn being an easy one. That Fae made it pretty clear that the war was all he knew. He wouldn’t walk away from the fronts even with them forcing leave on him and that wasn’t a life that he wanted for Felycia. Not that he had a say in it any more than he had a say in her hunting down her Mother.
He looked up studying Cymeryn a moment. “Do you know where her bitch of Mother is, Cymeryn? I’ve been avoiding it despite the fact that I promised her, but with her having awakened if I don’t follow through she’ll probably try to leave here to track her herself.”
“Language, Byryn. I know the situation with Felycia is starting to weigh on you but you are getting lax again,” his Father corrected.
He frowned not even realizing he’d been slipping into old habits, “Sorry Dad. I didn’t mean to. I’ll work on it.
Grifyn nodded as Cymeryn groaned and he noticed Trina visibly cringe. Byryn watched as he shifted uncomfortably near Reyana and met eyes with Marcus a moment. None of them really wanted to involve her. Her Mother was bad news and she really didn’t give two shits about Felycia. She probably had at one point, when she first took off with her, but drugs and her own freedom had been worth more. Hell, when Byryn had pulled her out of that party the first thing she did was offer his sister to him. She had been living it up getting high while Felycia was being abused and mistreated to pay her tab. She thought that Byryn was there to collect on the debts she owned her dealer and was going to have Felycia work it off for her. The things she had said…the bitch was lucky Byryn hadn’t killed her. If hadn’t promised his sister he would try not to hurt her Mother he might have.
Marcus stopped rubbing Reyana’s shoulders a moment as if he were considering something. “It isn’t your choice or even Byryn’s, brother and he’s right. If she feels that strongly about it she will attempt to find her on her own and then what? If she encounters
any Shade on Earth she will be lost.”
Cymeryn cursed under his breath, “I know I offered to help you with this, Byryn, and I will because Marcus is correct. I do not know that bringing her Mother here is something that will prove beneficial to anyfae however. That woman…” He shook his head. “Though there is more to this that Felycia perhaps has right to know.”
Byryn tensed, frustration and anger flowing though him. “Let me guess, Trevyn wanted another young to recoup the loss he suffered because of her running off with Felycia.”
“It is the only reason he left her alive,” Cymeryn replied levelly. “I do not know what became of her aside from that though. He held her in the cellar of the group home he kept many of his female young at. She was chained there last I accompanied him. I do not know if she conceived at any point or not. It is possible she may have bore a son but Trevyn’s decree was he would breed her until she gave birth to another daughter and he would ensure she suffered until she did. He wished to recoup his loss.”
“No, Trevyn wanted to punish her endlessly. If she didn’t entertain him he would have killed her and been finished with the entire ordeal. Don’t sugarcoat his actions.” The room fell into a somber silence as he considered what exactly he should do.
Cymeryn nodded seeming just as frustrated, “If she did bear him any young they would be held in that home. It is where he kept many of the Brood until they were old enough to be trained, especially your sisters.”
“Byryn, even knowing this…” Marcus hesitated. “I don’t know that we can move on that location yet. You know the Brood are trying to reclaim you. They know you will eventually try to free the majority of your sisters. They’re waiting for it.”
He didn’t really give two shits what the Brood wanted. Those girls needed to be freed and they were his blood. He tried to think of some argument that would persuade them but he knew Marcus was right. Finally he sighed nodding stiffly, “I understand. I want to begin trying to plan for it at least though. We’ll go after Staryana’s brother first, but I want start scouting the location if at all possible.”
Cymeryn nodded. “Just be aware that we may need to wait until the Securine are formed and in place, Byryn. With Alayne being able to access the realm, even with his abilities being limited, we cannot have both Protectors being absent and that may be what it takes to raid that home. As it is I am trying to determine if I can leave the realm at all for a while. I am the only one amongst us who can sense him directly.”
He couldn’t argue with that logic. They were all waiting for Alayne to strike again. Now that Staryana was awakened they had no idea what he would do. Byryn was hoping he fell back for a while since there was no urgency to get to her. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy though. If anything Alayne was taking time to heal and form a plan but it was doubtful that he’d wait too long to enact it. He would feel better after they completed the rituals tomorrow.
Cymeryn seemed certain that the Bonding should break all the links that Alayne had placed in Staryana’s mind aside from the one created by the blood. He had a plan for that as well but he needed to figure out how to discuss it with her. Marcus had already offered to claim her. He had a feeling that if she allowed it and renounced her bloodlines than it would at the very least weaken the bonds between she, Syneous, and Alayne. The connections were still there between he and the Brood but it was a lot weaker than it had been before his claiming.
Just one more day. One more day and hopefully the threat of this nightmare would be behind them. One more day and she would finally be fully and completely his.
Thank you for reading Connections. Here’s a sneak peak of
Choices, book 6 in the Mists of the Fae Series
Sneak Peak
John lifted his head as the door opened and Wytheryn came in with a gagged and bound Kylion slung over his shoulders. “We have to move quickly. The girls are all isolated in the hall where Staryana and Felycia’s quarters are located.” He rushed over unlocking his binds. “The others are out in the hall. We had to take out the Guard that was outside your door so we can’t pussy foot around. If we don’t pull this off before they find him we’re screwed.”
Tyson and Luke came in dragging the Guardian and propped him against the wall. They stood awaiting orders.
John nodded stretching his arms and legs quickly. They were still a bit sore from being restrained and the pain Star had inflicted on him earlier. Damn that bitch was hot. He would have to be sure to repay her at some point, but his main concern was pulling this off and reclaiming Steph. “Alright Wyth, you and Tyson go get Kyle. I think the two of you can handle it. There’s a weapons cash at the end of the hall hidden in a recess, take what you need. We,” he motioned to Luke, “will get the girls. Where are the guns?”
Luke tossed him one and an extra clip checking his. “Locked and loaded, John. We’re all set.”
John nodded. “I’m impressed. We pull this off and we’re set. You boys got it? There’s no room for mistakes. You still have two more to help?”
Luke nodded, “They’re in the hall.”
“Good, they’re with us. There should be at least three Guardians in that hall aside from dealing with Star and Steph which is gonna be a bitch. We’ll need to move quickly and quietly as possible. Felycia’s difficult but those two have power we need to get under control quickly. You all set.”
When they all nodded they joined the others in the hall and took the passages that had been carefully mapped out and explored by Tomas. Things hadn’t gone according to plan, they’d been fucked up from the start, but it looked like they were finally starting to work out.
Mist of the Fae Series
Revelations
Secrets Past
Shades of Redemption
Protectors and Kings
Connections
Choices
Dynamics (coming November 1, 2015)
About the Author
Jaime Marks lives in Pennsylvania but she’ll always be a Jersey girl. The beach and lakes are where she feels most at home and she heads for the ocean every chance she gets. She’s addicted to reading, mostly paranormal romance, and loves writing. She’s a mother, a wife, and generally just keeps to herself aside from her closest friends. Really I could keep going but I write this every couple of months so I figure if you’re reading it I’d prefer to try to keep it kind of fresh. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ve enjoyed the series so far.
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