by Lisa Kumar
One of her questions had been answered—a male servant stood by the table, apparently waiting for them. His heavy perusal weighed on her, so she stared back until his eyes snapped elsewhere. Were humans such a rarity here, or was it something else?
The soft scrape of wood against stone sounded as Lorh pulled out a chair and seated her. Chivalry lived on, at least in his house. That pleasing thought caused a smile to flit over her lips until he spoke.
“Malin, we will not need your services.”
The manservant gave a shallow bow. “As you wish.”
As she contemplated the looming conversation that awaited them, her smile slipped. She should be happy to have the chance to find out why she was here. But the sick feeling coiling in her gut told her that the truth would be anything but simple. Sometimes ignorance bred peace of mind.
Such a luxury didn’t exist in this case. Natalie could see it on Lorh’s face as he seated himself across from her. A subtle tension that should’ve been hard for her to spot wasn’t. Biting her lip, she studied him. While she wasn’t an expert on his facial expressions, she would bet her last smidgen of sanity that stress had him all twisted up inside—much like her. No, it wasn’t that she projected her own emotions on him. She could just read the signs…his body language. Like she’d known him for years.
“Would you like something to eat?”
Startled out of her reflections at the mention of food, she felt her stomach protest. While the entrées smelled delicious, she couldn’t imagine eating until he offered up some explanation.
Watching her face closely, he sighed. “I guessed not, but I had to try. I suppose you want to know why you’re here.”
“I’ll first settle for knowing where I am.”
“Fair enough. TirAnn.”
She bit her lip. “Tír na nÓg and Annwn combined together?” Her brow furrowed. Where did she know those names from? From Celtic and Welsh mythology. That knowledge was not reassuring because she couldn’t remember a time when she’d actually learned them.
He shook his head, and his face relaxed while discussing this apparently familiar subject. “Mortals have never gotten the name right. But that is to be expected, for we have our own devices to ensure they do not.”
“I’m mortal.” So what would that make him?
“Yes,” he agreed quietly.
“You just told me the name.”
“That doesn’t mean you will remember it if we do not desire you to.”
She scowled at him. “No one has the right to mess with my mind.”
He shrugged. “We do it out of necessity, but take care with its application.”
“But not with its frequency?” Her voice contained a bite.
“The mortals in question often influence that number. If they comply with the stipulations, there is no need for memory charms and spells.”
“Stipulations?” There was a price for everything, it seemed.
“Of a varying nature, in accordance to each individual. One rule is uniform, no matter the person or situation: the secrecy of our world.”
“But how could you trust that all keep their word?”
“We can’t, but our charms and spells can.”
“Ah.” Such magic would come in handy if someone tried to spill the proverbial beans.
Though her memory was fuzzy, hadn’t he said something about her forgetting in three weeks? If she didn’t remain with him, that is? An irascible part of her mind added that last part, though she would rather have ignored it. She surely misunderstood what he’d said. “So will I forget?”
“That is up to you.”
His vague response whetted her frustration. “How so?”
“By your choices.”
“And what do my choices consist of?”
“Staying in TirAnn, with me, or returning back to your world.”
“But wh…why would I stay with you or here at all?”
He focused his eyes over her head, not meeting her gaze for untold seconds. “I believe you know the answer to that, if you search within yourself.”
She found without much search she did know the answer. For some strange and odd reason, he wanted her. Swallowing a nervous laugh, she tried to reason with herself. Lorh couldn’t want her romantically. He’d just met her. Besides, she was human, and he was…something else. Clearing a suddenly dry throat, she pinned a mystified gaze on him. None of this made any sense.
“I know you don’t understand any of this. But I do want you here. You only have three weeks to decide whether to remain or return to your...world. If you return, you will remember nothing of your stay here for your own good.” A question formed on her lips, and he held up a hand. “I cannot tell you more than that for now.” His voice grew strained. “I know you suspect I’m leaving out many details, and you would be correct. But again, I cannot offer you more than already I have.”
“Why not?” was on the end of her tongue, but she knew he wouldn’t answer her. She could only hope he would reply to her next question. “When? When will I find out the truth?”
“When the time is right. When you’re ready.”
“And when will that be? Three weeks, three months, or three years?”
He gave a despairing shake of his head. “I don’t know. But you only have three weeks to make a choice.”
For some reason his hopelessness hit her with all the force of a moving car. Her face crumpled, along with her heart. She felt so alone, adrift in some foreign land without a clue as to why she was there. Oh, other than Lorh wanted her, though he couldn’t say why. Three weeks were finite, not long at all in waiting for this ordeal to be over. But she couldn’t fool herself into thinking that nothing important would happen during those weeks. Something would happen, something that would change her life. The certainty of that lay coiled in her stomach.
Hastily swiping at her cheeks, she glanced up when she heard a muffled sound or curse. Before she knew it, strong arms slid around her shoulders, pulling her from the chair and against a firm body. The spicy smell of sandalwood and some other indefinable fragrance filled her nose. Her breath caught in her throat. She would recognize that scent from anywhere. Lorh. His scent hadn’t intruded upon her senses before, even when she’d fallen into his lap. But now that it had, it all felt so familiar and right.
He felt familiar and right. Panic flooded her, and Natalie’s eyes flew open. As if sensing her mood, his arms tightened around her and warm hands drifted up and down her back. She sighed, and the tautness flowed out of her body until it rested boneless against his.
But when lips trailed over her temple, she snapped back to life with gusto. Tension sparked through her veins as his mouth caressed her. Down her cheek. To her chin. Up to the other cheek. Taut with anticipation, she rejoiced when he nuzzled his way over to her mouth. Natalie almost huffed with annoyance when he didn’t capture her lips, but that soon seeped away as he rubbed his nose against hers. His eyes glowed stronger than ever, their purple light shocking her into reality.
Pulling back abruptly, she placed her hands on his chest in an effort to put some distance between them. Things were moving too quickly, even if she did only have three weeks. Lip locking with him wasn’t the wisest choice when she didn’t even know what he was. Or why he brought out the oddest sensations within her.
He held himself back, only the barest hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes. But was it there because of the kiss or something else? She had the strong conviction it was the latter.
****
Lorh swirled the wine around in its goblet. The clear ambrosia wasn’t having its desired effect on him, though he knew better than to seek it at the bottom of a bottle. No, what ailed him would soon take care of itself, one way or another. In three weeks’ time, to be exact. But till then, he found it hard to pretend. Yes, every day of those three weeks would stretch out like an eternity before him.
A slight smile spread over his face. It might all be manageable if he could but steal a
kiss or two from her every few hours. His lips firmed as he remembered her response. She had pushed him away, though he didn’t think she found his advances objectionable. No, she knew not of the past and would be hesitant of becoming romantically entangled with a person not of her kind. But her defenses would drop. He would ensure it, as would the unfolding events.
A knock sounded on his study door, snapping him out of his reverie. His expected company had arrived. “Come in.”
Aeron, Nara, and Aiya filed in, with the youngest, Sirina, carried on the hip of her elder brother. Favoring them all with a smile, Lorh waved to the chairs in front of his desk. His family always lightened his heart and made his worries recede for a while.
The three eldest sat down, murmuring greetings to Lorh. Sirina, however, was not content with any one person’s lap for long and crawled from brother to sister and back. Lorh sent an amused grin her way, as he was long used to such behavior. “All of you, except for Aeron and Sirina, have already met her.”
Aeron scowled. “I’m older than they are. I should have met her first.”
Nara rolled her eyes. “It has nothing to do with age, but maturity, which you lack in spades.”
When Aeron’s elbow threatened to make contact with Nara’s side, Lorh called a halt to their antics. “Enough, you two. Can you not be in the same room and refrain from fighting?” he asked wearily.
“No.”
“Never.”
He sent them an icy glare. “Well, learn.” Both teens gave each other dirty looks, but quieted. Lorh sometimes thought they argued just to frustrate him. Shaking his head, he set his mind to other matters. “You all will soon meet her. Remember your stories and stay consistent as possible. Be vague, if you have to.”
Aeron drew himself up, stepping into his role as leader of the children. “We will.”
“Any questions or observations?”
Aiya raised hopeful but wary eyes. “How soon will she know?”
Chapter Four
Gripping the doorknob, Natalie’s eyes widened at the sight of the male standing in front of her. If those two young girls had been Lorh’s sisters, then this definitely had to be his brother. Nearly as tall as Lorh, but a little lankier, he had the lighter violet blue eyes of his sisters. And like the females of his family, his eyes didn’t glow quite so brightly as his elder brother’s. His hair, like his sisters’, also didn’t hold quite the multitude of shades that Lorh’s did.
The teen appeared decidedly uncomfortable, and she supposed her staring didn’t help. Recalling proper social behavior, she forced a smile on her face. “Hello.” She motioned for him to step inside her chamber.
Mumbling a greeting, he glanced around and didn’t meet her eyes. She frowned. This trait seemed to be prevalent in the males of Lorh’s family. For some reason she wanted to ease his nervousness and apparently a smile wasn’t going to do it. He didn’t look much older than Nara, maybe fifteen or sixteen. “I’m Natalie.”
The boy finally got a grip on his manners. “I’m Aeron.”
“Lorh’s brother?”
He twitched, crumpling the fabric of his fine tunic between restless fingers. “Yes.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’ve come for you, to take you to my brother.” Just like Aiya, he spoke with an odd inflection that caught her off guard.
A question formed on her lips, but she killed it. She probably stood a better chance of learning something from Lorh than from his recalcitrant siblings. “Lead on.”
Aeron held out a courtly arm, which she took. As they strolled along, she made small talk. He wasn’t as tongue-tied as she first assumed.
“That sculpture over there? My father always attributed it to the pompousness of the subject, not to any deficiency of the artist. The poor sculptor had no choice but to make my illustrious ancestor look insanely flamboyant because, alas, he was. He wanted to capture all his glory in stone so everyone could remember it furthermore. Or should I say, forevermore?”
She giggled at his slightly wicked and sardonic tone. He had much of Lorh’s teasing charm, and like Lorh’s, it came shining through when it wasn’t being buried under seriousness. What was weighing this family down? Natalie couldn’t pinpoint why, but felt the answer had something to do with her. But what could it possibly be?
Then a horrible thought trembled in her mind, and a chill stole over her. What did she really know of Lorh’s background? For some reason the thought of him having a girlfriend, or worse, a wife burrowed within her. Tugging on Aeron’s arm to slow their walk, she fixed him with an anxious stare. “Lorh—does he have a betrothed…or a wife?”
Aeron stiffened. “That is a discussion better taken up with my brother.”
Her heart plummeted, and dizziness attacked her. “So that’s a yes?”
“He hasn’t had one for many years.”
Natalie stopped all pretense of walking. “Many years? Just how old is he? He can’t be more than thirty or so.”
He shook his head. “Looks can be deceiving. You are not on your Earth anymore.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“The only one you’re going to receive, at least for right now.”
She flinched. That response had come from Lorh’s mouth yesterday. “You sound like your brother.”
His mouth twisted. “Yes, I know. And I should.”
Natalie stared at him, her mind trying to assimilate all this diverse information. “You’re family, so I guess you should.”
“Yes,” came his soft answer.
“Does he have any children?” She held her breath, not expecting a reply.
“The only family he has you’ve already met, except for our sister Sirina.”
“Oh.” So no children.
Just as she considered trying to finagle more information from him, he stopped before a door. “This is Lorh’s study and inner sanctum. Only family and close friends are allowed in.”
She glanced nervously at the door. Was that supposed to make her feel better?
He gave her a ghost of a smile. “He will welcome you in. Just knock.”
As she raised her hand to the wood door, she heard a childish giggle from within. She turned questioning eyes to Aeron.
“That’s Sirina, our youngest sister.”
“How old is she?”
“In human years, three.”
“Hum—” She saw the expression on his face and grimaced. “I know, discuss it with your brother.”
He motioned to the door, indicating she should knock. She did, and Lorh’s voice told her to enter.
Once in, she was greeted with the sight of a small girl cuddled in Lorh’s lap, jabbering away in a melodic language. The adorable girl, a miniature version of her sisters, held tightly to a blanket with one hand, and with the other, to his tunic.
Lorh glanced up, giving Natalie and Aeron a smile. He gently tried to disengage the youngster’s hand from his person, but the toddler met this endeavor with a whining noise. “Aeron, please come and take Sirina.”
Aeron rolled his eyes. “If I must.”
Lorh’s tone was firm. “Play with her for a bit, then take her to her nursemaid.”
“Yes, Father.”
Lorh narrowed his eyes. “Remember who you’re talking to.”
“I do.” Walking over to the seated pair, Aeron held out his arms for Sirina, who shook her head obstinately. Sighing, Lorh leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She squealed and held her arms out to her waiting brother.
“Aeri take me to see the ponies!”
Shooting his older brother a dirty look, Aeron picked Sirina up and stalked toward the door. But the child, upon seeing Natalie, pointed and made a bouncing movement in Aeron’s arms.
“Lady pretty like Momma.”
Aeron let out a strained laugh. “Love, you only remember her from pictures and say that about every lady you meet.”
The little girl’s bottom lip quivered, and that obstinate shake of h
er head was back. Aeron shot a look toward his brother.
Lorh cleared his throat. “Quite right.” He settled a steely look on his younger brother. “You two enjoy the horses.”
Sirina squealed again, all drama forgotten. Aeron whisked her away to the door, shutting it with a bang.
Lorh folded his arms across his chest. “Children.”
“If you would rather we wait?” Her chaotic mind wouldn’t be sorry for the reprieve.
“Please have a seat.” He pointed to a chair in front of his desk.
Taking a hesitant step, she all but fell into it. Silence reigned in the room. But when Lorh spoke, his voice reverberated through her body, making her want to pop out of her seat.
“Once Aeron stops pouting, they will have fun together. They always do. Though it may not look like it, he loves his little sister. It’s just that he’s…how do you humans say it?” Lorh tapped a finger to his lips. “Ah yes, going through his teens. Unfortunately, those years stretch much further for fey kind than they do for humans.” He frowned in dismay. “He still has many years to go until he achieves complete adulthood.”
