Forever (Book #3 in the Fateful Series)

by Schmidt, Cheri

  “We know of a place,” said the first male fairy, completely ignoring his question.

  “Why must we go across water?” Ethan asked again, with irritation rising in his chest like a bad case of indigestion. He pressed a fist between his pectoral muscles as he tried to soothe it.

  The fairies shared knowing looks and then Alora sighed. “We know of a place that magical creatures avoid.”

  “Why,” he repeated, because he wasn’t getting the kind of answers he wanted.

  “Will we be able to accompany them if beings like us avoid this place?”

  Ethan angled an annoyed glare at Cedric for interrupting, because he really wanted to know why this place was avoided.

  “Yes, although the curse will be weakened while you’re there.”

  Ethan opened his mouth to insist they answer him when Richard asked, “How much time do we have to pack them up?”

  “Until the next full moon.”

  “So a month,” said Casanova.

  The fairies nodded.

  “And how long will we need to live with you?” Ethan asked feeling like the situation was spinning out of control.

  “This is a temporary solution.”

  “We’re on top of it,” said Richard in a poorly masked attempt at regaining command.

  “But—”

  Again ignoring him, the fairies began to leave, as did the vampires. It was as though they’d decided the best course to keep him and Danielle safe, and his opinion just didn’t matter. Frustration caused Ethan to lunge to his feet. “Please tell me why this is the safest place for us?”

  Alora paused about halfway between them and the door. She looked over her shoulder and peered at him through her fluttering lavender wings as she hovered in midair. “Derry Glen Cove is our place and it is heavily enchanted with fey magic.”

  “I still don’t see—?”

  In a flash, the fairy was in his face. He tried to focus on her but he couldn’t because he wasn’t wearing his glasses. “Do you wish to stay mortal and alive?” she asked in a deadly voice that didn’t fit the beauty of the fairy before him.

  Ethan swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Then you will live there, and you will stay away from the water’s edge, and well within the boundary of our grounds.”

  Lovely—just what they needed—another limitation to this new and now mandatory holiday from reality. This was supposed to be a simple weekend getaway. Ethan had to admit to himself, as he dragged a hand through his hair, this experience had disheartened him to fairies. For Danielle’s safety, he would make the same choice ... but....

  “Why can’t we just stay here?” Danielle asked, unexpectedly. She’d also risen from the sofa. Ethan felt her fingers slip between his, and in return, he gave her fingers a squeeze. Apparently, while he was tired of dealing with fairy trickery, she was still charmed by them. Deep down he knew she wouldn’t see living here for an extended period of time as a bad alternative to their home.

  Seeming to be flattered by Danielle’s question, Alora expelled a soft, regret-filled sigh and said, “I’m sorry, my sweet, but many of the magical beings know of this place. They do not know of Derry Glen Cove. Plus, you were followed; the werewolves know you’re here.”

  “Are they close by, then?”

  “No. They left and will probably wait until the next full moon to attack.”

  “And they won’t be able to follow us there?” Ethan asked.

  The kindness dropped from Alora’s face like a mask. He got the impression she didn’t like his tone and, he would admit, there had been a tone to the query, but he was getting sick of the vague answers and the lack of control he had in the situation. All of the guards, aside from Cedric, had already vacated the cottage like there was nothing more to discuss.

  “We will take you there, so that we can make certain no one discovers our path,” Alora said as she looked at him with anger visible in every line of her petite body, and he knew it was time to stop the questions. In the back of his mind, Ethan still wondered why they must stay away from the water, but he also knew better than to doubt the fairies, or argue with them.

  “Ethan, we’ll leave first thing in the morning.” Ah, so that’s why Cedric had lingered. Without waiting for a response from Ethan, Cedric continued, “Alora, we’ll take Danielle and Ethan home to pack. Then where should we meet you?”

  Turning in unison, Alora and Cedric left as they discussed a way to get to Derry Glen Cove without the werewolves following them. For a moment, Ethan’s jaw tightened at the poke at his male pride. He felt rather like a child who couldn’t care for himself, but he also knew he had to let ideas like that go. As a mortal man, perhaps it was true; perhaps he couldn’t care for his wife as he wanted. His ego was brought down another notch.

  The door shut and once again, he and Danielle were alone. Dragging his eyes from the strange organic door, he gathered her into his arms. He used his thumb to nudge her face up so he could bring his mouth down onto hers. The place still reeked of flowers, but he didn’t mind too much. They were alone ... and, even more importantly, safe. He may not be pleased with how everything had turned out, but he believed without question that nothing could touch them while they lived with the fairies. Ethan wanted to tell her without words how he felt about her and hopefully make them both forget about the dangers stalking them. He also wished to make them both forget about fairies and vampires and pixies and werewolves. In fact, he’d rather not exchange any words with her for now.

  He guessed that she felt the same when their kiss became almost frantic, with her fingers grasping at his hair, and his arms tightening around her waist. As his mouth moved over hers, he drew his hands around to the knot in her shirt. After fumbling with it, he finally managed to loosen the knot and push the fabric off her shoulders. He let it drop to the floor when it fell free of her wrists. Ethan gathered the hem of her t-shirt next, and forced his lips away from hers. Their gazes locked in silence as he drew the soft material up her torso, his fingers grazing the bare skin of her hips and ribs. She shivered when the top was discarded, leaving her in a white lace bra and jeans.

  Smiling, Danielle removed his t-shirt as well. Her eyes traveled the length of his chest before returning to his face. A shuddering exhale drifted past his lips, and he thought perhaps he could feel her gaze as well as the palm she’d flattened against his abs before dragging it upward. Ethan lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

  Funny how the message expressed in a kiss, or in a look, or in an expression, spoke volumes to one’s soul. He genuinely believed she understood how much he wanted to try for another baby now. Forget the risks. Somehow he would keep her safe, even if it meant living with fairies for the rest of their days. Ethan wanted to become a parent with her, and he wanted to hold the child he’d fantasized about for so long.

  The dream vision rose up in his mind as he lowered her to the bed. He preferred the first part when she’d been laughing. There’d been happiness in her eyes that he’d seen before, but not often enough, as of late, to comfort him. His shadow fell over her as she lowered onto her back. Bracing one elbow beside her, he touched the pillow of her bottom lip with his forefinger and pressed down gently to part them. The action revealed her teeth and her pink tongue as it reached out to touch his skin. He moved the digit to make way for his mouth. Soot-colored lashes lowered. Their breath mingled. Ethan kissed every inch of his wife until he’d completely lost track of time and he’d proven, without the use of words, how much he cared for her.

  While snuggling as they drifted toward sleep, he decided to accept this trek to this unknown place, especially if it meant they could enjoy a quiet bliss alone. Perhaps they could even send the guards away too. A smile hitched up one side of his mouth as he imagined life without handsome vampires gawking at his wife.

  Chapter 6

  Side Effect

  When they’d returned home from the fairies, Beon, Seth and several more guards were there, as well as Max and Nad
ia. Due to the events putting Danielle and Ethan in greater danger, the rest of The Order feared the werewolves could try to use the now-mortal Max and Nadia as a way to get at Ethan and her. So now they had to go with them to Derry Glen Cove.

  Danielle could feel the pout forcing down the corners of her mouth. She really had tried to hide what she was feeling for Nadia’s sake, but it seemed she couldn’t help it. Nadia was watching her too closely and Danielle’s bottom lip slid between her teeth. She really wanted to explain everything, but they were waiting for Ethan to join them, and she didn’t want to do that without him.

  Nadia’s round, green eyes touched on all of the decorative accents they’d added since her last visit to their home. She and Ethan had done their best at pretending this was their space by decorating it, even though it sometimes felt more like Order Headquarters with numerous guards coming in and out at whim. They’d found the French grandfather clock that was painted in a pretty shade of bluish-green at a flea market. The new drapes with the pattern scrolling the fabric were from Harrods. The ornate and Victorian candlestick holders on the fireplace mantle flanked the painting she’d done. It was of the beautiful and lush landscape visible from the front door. Danielle had picked up the colors of the drapes and the clock when she’d chosen the paints.

  A stale silence stifled the air in the people-filled room. Danielle sat on the sofa across from Beon, and nervously smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt while they waited for Ethan. The sounds of china clinking against the serving tray could be heard from the kitchen as Ethan prepared tea and scones for those of them who were mortal.

  Max sat on the left side of the loveseat, his arms folded over his broad chest. Nadia sat next to him. She was leaning forward with her chin propped on the palm of her hand. One might think the pose was a bored one, but it wasn’t. Nadia was clearly worried about why she’d been summoned here. They were being snatched from the comfort of their own home too.

  While Danielle absolutely loved the fairies, even after the antics of their last visit, she’d never imagined they’d be stuck living with them for safety. Sinking into the comfortable chair she knew she was going to miss this, miss their home, even when it was usually overrun with vampire bodyguards. She could always shut a door, or crank up her music when she was painting. They rarely bothered her when she was sketching out a landscape or a fairy. She crossed her legs, deciding that she’d better pack a lot of art supplies so she could make good use of this time with the fairies and draw them a lot. At least they’d been allowed a few more nights at home before they were expected to move to this enchanted cove.

  Ethan finally stepped into the living room carrying a tray laden with tea service. The lid on the teapot stopped rattling with his steps when he settled it on the coffee table in front of her. As he sat next to her, she paused when she realized her favorite teacup wasn’t there.

  Obviously noticing her hesitation, Ethan whispered, “It broke.”

  Attempting to mask her disappointment, she gathered the teacup closest to her and one of the peach teabags. His tone said enough, and she knew exactly when it had broken without him explaining it. She wasn’t surprised the shattering glass had struck her teacup, even though she hadn’t noticed at the time. She removed the teabag from the package and dropped it inside the white teacup. Nadia was preparing her own tea and scone as Danielle reached for the teapot.

  “Where was it you said the fairies planned to take you?” Beon asked Ethan.

  She felt Ethan stiffen at the question and she measured his expression for the reason. Was he worried Beon would still try to turn them? “The fairies wish to keep that a secret.”

  It appeared as though Beon was grinding his teeth at that.

  “We’re going with them,” said Richard, “You need not worry about their safety.”

  The comment earned him a nod from both Seth and Beon. “Very well then—”

  Seth was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Danielle watched as the vampire fished the device out of his pocket and murmured a greeting. His dark gaze lifted to her and then danced away. As she wondered what that was all about, he turned to Beon and said something she couldn’t hear.

  Beon rubbed his neck like it pained him and also looked at Danielle before he sighed and said, “You have a visitor.”

  “What?” she asked, her eyes rounding.

  “Who?” Ethan asked, a note of worry rising in his voice.

  “Celeste.”

  “Why?” Ethan bit out. Worry had replaced the tone in his voice with angry suspicion.

  “She said she has information for us about Lucas.”

  “We’d best hear it then,” said Richard.

  Seth nodded and one of the guards went to the door.

  “Is she here now?” Danielle asked, feeling shock at the sudden intrusion of another villain from her past.

  “It was one of the guards outside who gave me a ring just now.”

  “Oh,” she said, trying to decide if she really wanted to see Celeste or not. She’d almost died the last time she’d seen the mean-spirited.... Danielle took a bite of her scone, hoping to enjoy it while it was warm, even though the mention of Celeste had spoiled the taste of it anyway.

  A tall black-haired vampire opened the front door and ushered a hat-wearing woman into the house. Was that Celeste? It couldn’t be. The woman who entered looked too skinny to be her. When the woman’s head lifted, Danielle gasped and nearly choked on her food. Celeste didn’t look very ... healthy.

  “Frisk her,” ordered Richard.

  Hate-filled blue eyes clashed with Richard’s hazel ones, but Celeste still maintained a cocky lift of her chin in defiance, even as she lifted her arms for the guard to pat her down.

  Having not found anything, the guard stepped back and nodded to Beon.

  Beon acknowledged the guard with a slight nod and then he watched Celeste in open curiosity as she moved forward. “I need your help,” she murmured in a meek-sounding voice. Was she faking it? Danielle wondered about that when Celeste said, “I’m very sick, and it’s terminal.”

  Sadness flickered within Beon’s gaze, but it was quickly replaced with anger when he shot to his feet. His arm swung out to halt Celeste’s advance. “Is it contagious?” Beon snapped, his eyes landing on Ethan’s glasses as horror overtook his expression. “Has the Black Death returned?”

  It took a moment for Danielle to understand Beon’s panic, and then it struck her. She remembered Ethan saying that both Celeste and Nadia had been turned because they were dying of the Black Death. Had that deadly illness returned when she’d returned to being mortal just as Ethan’s need for glasses returned to him? Her eyes met with Nadia’s shocked ones. Clearly Nadia was worried about the same thing as she studied Celeste’s condition with growing green eyes.

  Celeste groaned and rolled her eyes like they were all a bunch of morons. “My illness is not related to the Black Death. I’m not contagious. I have an extremely rare blood disease. I can’t even remember what it’s called.” When Beon didn’t lower his arm, Celeste took another breath, her bony torso heaving in and then out with it. “Seems I didn’t know about the problem with my blood because it hadn’t manifested itself yet, but I do recall my aunt dying from something like what I have. They just didn’t know what it was back then.”

  Danielle shared a surprised gaze with Ethan. She noticed a small tremor in his hand when he adjusted his glasses.

  Beon finally lowered his arm. “What you have isn’t viral then?”

  “No.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve been diagnosed.”

  Beon ran fingers through his hair. It was obvious Beon was trying to analyze what this meant by the look on his face. His eyes widened a fraction when he said, “Bloody hell! I hadn’t thought of this. So it seems viruses, or bacteria, die off when one is turned into a vampire, but... ” Beon’s dark eyes fixed on Ethan, his glasses in particular. “Things like vision and diseases that are subject to h
eredity, which is a problem within the body, return.”

  Celeste folded her arms over her slim torso and glared at Beon. “I need your help,” she demanded.

  “How bad is it?”

  Fingers lifted to the strands of blonde hair sticking out from under her hat. “Treatment is not working.”

  “What is the treatment for what you have?” Ethan asked.

  After heaving another sigh, she said, “I’d rather not talk about it. The symptoms are bad enough.”

  A look of panic filled Nadia’s face. She looked from Max, to Beon, and Seth, probably hoping for more explanation. “It’s all right, darling. Don’t you see? Both of our problems had been viral,” said Max, obviously noticing her growing fear.

  “But what if—?”

  “What if we have something in our family history too?”

  Nadia nodded.

  Max shrugged his shoulders. “Then we just go back to being vampires, I guess.”

  “But I can’t do that!” complained Celeste in a snobbish tone Danielle thought she would have lost by now. Apparently not. “I need you to contact Lilith for me so that I don’t die!”

  Richard scowled at her tone. “I doubt Lilith will help you, so why should we?”

  Celeste was playing with her hair rather nervously at this point. Frail-looking fingers rose and latched onto her hat. Celeste drew it off, twisting the stiff fabric as though she meant to wring water from it.

  A round of surprised gasps filled the room. Danielle’s hand slapped over her mouth. Huge chunks of Celeste’s brittle tresses were missing, leaving large, bald spots of pale, shiny skin visible. Her blue eyes shifted to Danielle. Danielle’s inner voice screamed out a warning at the look of desperation there.