by Hannah West
My gaze slides to where my darkness is coiling around his hands on my shoulders. ‘What the hell am I?’
‘We’re fae,’ he answers.
‘I, I don’t know what that is,’ I say meeting his gaze.
‘Your mother called our kind faeries,’ he tells me.
I feel my brow crinkle at his explanation, struggling to understand. Aren’t faeries cute, little flying creatures that live in the woods? My thoughts turn to Zephyr and the purple glow in the hedgerow. Events from the last few days start clicking into place and making sense. Zephyr can appear from thin air, like Aric, and I feel him in the same way I feel Aric.
‘Is Zephyr fae, too?’
Aric’s brow crinkles. ‘Zephyr?’
‘I’ve always been different,’ I admit gesturing to the flowers on the floor. ‘But nothing like that happened until Zephyr kissed me. My darkness is different and he left tattoos on my skin.’ I take a deep breath through the anger boiling up from my insides with each realisation. ‘Zephyr did something that changed me. It hurt like hell and I almost died.’
Danger flashes through Aric’s features. My skin prickles at the acute rage suddenly filling the space between us, as his hands flex on my shoulders.
‘He marked you?’ Aric asks in a deceptively soft voice.
Holy crap, and I thought Zephyr was scary?
‘I don’t know. I don’t know what that entails.’
Aric’s eyes bleed to black, shadow misting into the whites, until they’re pure onyx, like mine on the day of Mum’s funeral. There’s so much rage pouring from him it’s difficult to breathe. It’s raw and feral, and speaks to the wild entity in my middle.
‘It means he tried to claim you,’ Aric explains seeming unable to keep the snarl from his tone. ‘But you can’t do it to Halflings. Their bodies are too fragile in human form and they mostly don’t survive the change into fae.’
‘He did snarl mine at me, before he left me to bleed out on the kitchen floor,’ I admit.
Aric’s hands flex against my shoulders again. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, his power swelling around us. A series of fine, black lines web out from his eyes, like cracks in an oil painting. They’re like fissures opening in his skin, allowing dark matter beneath to leak out. He has darkness inside him, just like me, only his feels so much more than mine.
Aric releases my shoulders then turns and stalks to the doorway across the room. ‘Stay here,’ he orders.
The doors blast open just before he reaches them and I panic.
‘Where are you going?’
He glances at me over his shoulder, midnight gaze spearing mine. ‘To arrange for Zephyr’s mark to be removed,’ he answers.
The doors slam shut, leaving me trapped inside his room. I stare at the doorway able to breathe now the oppressive weight of Aric’s rage is gone. I take a cleansing breath and assess what just happened. A faerie? Laughter bubbles in my throat then turns to acid in my mouth. The need to be sick overwhelms me but I swallow it back down. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the ridiculousness of it.
I sigh and lean against the mirrored wall behind me. There’s no way I’m sitting on Aric’s bed and there’s nowhere else to sit in here, except the floor and it looks like compressed dirt. I grow annoyed that he just left me in here to stew over everything he’s told me. He said he’d show me the way home if I stayed and talked for a few minutes, and he renegaded on his promise. I can’t deal with this right now. I just want to go back to Drew’s garden and go out dancing. I want to pretend I’m normal and none of this stuff is happening.
I squeal when the mirror disappears behind me, and blink to find myself sprawled on Drew’s garden. I stare at the darkening sky wondering what the hell just happened.
‘Do you want sauce with your toasty?’ Drew shouts and I sit up to see him hanging out of the doorway to his student digs. ‘I like mine smothered in brown sauce, but I know you’re classier than me.’
‘No sauce,’ I murmur, trying to slow my racing heart.
He frowns. ‘Are you okay? You’ve gone really pale.’
I force a smile. ‘Just disorientated, you woke me up.’
Drew snorts. ‘You can’t sleep on a train but outside on the grass isn’t a problem?’
I shrug and Drew goes back inside. I stare after him for a moment then look down at the grass to see flowers blooming around my bare feet. I reach over and snatch my shoes up, pulling them on before Drew comes out and sees it happening. It hits me that I’m not human and I choke back fresh fear. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the first thing about fae, or why Zephyr is trying to claim me.
I think of Aric and my fear is momentarily eclipsed by the revelation that I just met my father. The abandoned little girl inside delights in the fact he seemed pleased with how I turned out. And he should, seeing as I’m not entirely human yet made it to adulthood without being certified crazy. That thought renews my confidence and I calm the hell down. All the changes I’ve gone through don’t mean I’ve changed as a person. I’ve navigated my way through some weird stuff growing up, but I’ve done it with no help from anybody, and I can bloody well do it again.
I shuffle away from the edge of the pond, now edged with pretty blooms. The flowers really are beautiful, and growing them isn’t exactly a super power. Nor are the markings now covering my shoulders and back. It’s not like I can suddenly shoot lasers from my eyes or throw cars around. So I can sense the emotions of others in a new way. I’ve always been able to do that to some extent. And my hearing is better, but that’s nothing really. Nothing has changed to a degree I can’t handle. I start to feel a little bit silly for freaking out.
‘One cheese and tomato toasty,’ Drew announces as he steps from the house. He plonks down on the grass beside me and offers me a plate.
‘Looks delicious,’ I tease.
‘It’s going to be the best toasty you’ll ever eat,’ he says as he smothers sauce over his own toasty.
‘Do you want any toasty with that sauce?’ I ask.
‘Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,’ he answers then takes a giant bite.
‘Pig,’ I scold him then hold my hand out for the bottle of sauce. ‘Challenge accepted, hand it over.’
Drew grins and passes me the bottle. He watches me squirt a blob on a small corner of toasty then take a bite. I wrinkle my nose despite the fact I think it tastes good.
‘Well?’
‘It’s not unpleasant,’ I admit.
‘It’s awesome and you know it,’ he scoffs.
Drew takes another huge bite, smearing sauce all over his face.
‘You know you’re disgusting, right?’
‘I’m a guy,’ he argues around a mouthful of food. ‘I’m supposed to be disgusting. It’s the law.’ He swallows then says, ‘You wouldn’t want me any other way.’
I touch his hand with mine. ‘You’re right,’ I tell him. ‘You’re perfect just the way you are.’
Emotion flashes through his sapphire gaze in the same moment his desire spikes through me. I pull my hand back but Drew snags it and holds it firmly in his. He leans in close and panic flares in my stomach. If Drew kisses me it will ruin everything.
‘Drew, I-
He cuts me off by mashing his lips against mine. I start to freak out but he pulls away and grins at me like a loon.
‘You’ve got a little sauce around your mouth,’ he laughs.
I stare at the sauce on his face, which he just smeared all over mine.
‘You dick,’ I say but relief blasts through me.
Drew shovels more food into his mouth. I take another bite of mine and look away. I’m not in love with Drew, but I do love him. I look back at him and ache to tell him the stuff that’s happening. But Drew has a safe, normal life and I don’t understand what being fae means. I think of the agony Zephyr caused when he tried to claim me. I can’t risk Drew over my need to confide in someone.
CHAPTER 7
Base vibrates the air and shakes the floor, in a way I’ve never felt. It’s not that I’ve never been clubbing, just that it feels different this time. Drew pushes through the crowd, pulling me along in his wake. His hand around mine anchors me against the many emotions misting the air. My darkness is in a state of ecstasy, soaking in the collective emotion of those we pass. The sensation is warm and tingly, like I’ve had too much wine, yet I don’t think it’s got anything to do with how much I’ve been drinking.
Drew turns to me as we make it to the bar. His blond hair and blue eyes look so pale in the flashing lights of the club, like they’re made of ice. There’s a glittery hue to his irises that I find transfixing.
‘What’s your poison?’ he shouts over the music, even though I can hear him fine. It’s strange how I can hear so much better, yet the loud music doesn’t hurt my ears. I don’t understand it, but I’m grateful.
I blink to focus on what Drew’s saying. ‘You promised me gin,’ I shout back.
He leans in close, so he can hear what I’m saying. He smells fresh, like ice and cold things. I’m confused by how much I like it. Drew gives me a puzzled look as he pulls away and orders our drinks. I can feel his confusion, matching my own, and give myself a shake. What the hell am I doing? Why am I so drawn to him all of a sudden? The need I feel to be close to him feels instinctual, and I have to force myself to ignore it. I’m acting weird enough for Drew to notice and I need to stop.
I take a sip of raspberry gin and look out into the club, curling the fingers of my free hand through the spirals I’ve put in my hair. The vibration of the music mixed with the emotional cloud inside the club is hypnotic. It’s calling to the wildness in my middle and I can’t ignore it. Drew gives me a quizzical look when I hand him my drink. The pretty brunette flirting with him glances between us, like she’s worried we’re a couple.
I lean in so she can hear me but Drew can’t. ‘He’s my brother.’
She glances between us when I pull away and studies my blonde hair then Drew’s and seems pleased. I decide Drew can thank me later, and push into the crowd. I hear him call after me but don’t turn back. I make my way to the dance floor and squeeze between people to the centre. Emotion shoots through me in sharp blasts when I brush against those around me, and my darkness drinks it in. My arms are covered by the long-sleeve dress I’m wearing, but I can feel dark swirls curling over my skin. My eyes tingle and I feel the peculiar sensation of them bleeding to black. Part of me knows I should be worried that someone will see, but I can’t ignore the consuming need to move in time with the music. My body sways with the sultry beat, the sound becoming a physical presence, guiding me into each move, until I feel it wrap around me in a heated caress.
‘Anya,’ a deep, accented voice purrs in my ear.
I realise I’ve shut my eyes, when they snap open at the sound of Zephyr’s voice. What I thought was music wrapping around me is actually Zephyr. I’m plastered to the hard planes of his front, his hands spanning my lower back to keep me against him. He’s the one moving us to the beat, our bodies flowing together as one.
My scalp prickles as I tilt my head back to look at his face. I suck in a breath when I meet his amethyst gaze. His eyes are stunning, dark pupils ringed with a jewelled corona. Black lashes frame each eye, making the purple irises extra surreal. I drag my gaze from his, taking in the rest of his features. Ebony hair frames an achingly beautiful face. It’s almost too perfect to look at, and for a moment I just stare. His carved, kissable lips pull into a grin, displaying a set of white teeth. I see a flash of fang and sanity returns.
Fangs?
Zephyr has fangs!
I start to struggle, my flight instinct kicking in. Part of me can’t believe that my imagination was right about his teeth. Okay, so his fangs aren’t vampire sharp, but all the dangerous animals have teeth like that. Zephyr can easily take a chunk out of me. Maybe that’s his plan.
He chuckles at my futile attempt to escape. ‘Did you think to escape me, my Rose?’ he purrs. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t find you?’
‘Let me go!’
He strokes a spiral of hair from my face and leans closer, until his lips are by my ear. ‘Never.’
I start struggling again and he chuckles against my ear. The sound and his scent do crazy things to my insides, but I shut the sensation down before it can take root. His lazy amusement at my fear terrifies me.
‘Prim?’ Drew says from behind me and I stop struggling, the fear for myself forgotten.
I look over my shoulder and meet Drew’s furious gaze. He looks from me to Zephyr then back to me. The pretty brunette has followed him onto the dance floor and looks on with wide eyes.
‘Get your hands off her,’ Drew snarls at Zephyr.
I turn back to Zephyr when a strange vibration starts up between us. My eyes grow wide when I realise he’s growling, but the other’s can’t hear it over the music. Static fills the air and my gaze drops to growing heat beside my left thigh. Zephyr’s right hand is clawed, a ball of crackling, purple light forming between his fingers and palm. Power radiates from his hand, as the ball grows brighter. Realisation dawns on me and I stare up at his face in horror.
‘No,’ I whisper.
Fierce, amethyst eyes turn from Drew to me. ‘Mine,’ Zephyr snarls.
‘Don’t hurt him,’ I plead.
Zephyr opens his mouth as if to answer, but a girl grabs his right wrist and hisses something at him in a language I don’t understand. I glance between them, noting their similar features. She has Zephyr’s golden skin tone, and her hair hangs in ebony waves down to her waist. She’s as beautiful as he is, the lines of her body ultra feminine to the masculine lines of his. She glances my way and I glimpse purple irises. Zephyr glares at her then down at his hand. I follow his gaze in time to watch the amethyst light fade into his palm, the girl’s body blocking the sight from those around us. She snarls something else at Zephyr and his grip on me tightens. He growls words at her in the same strange language she spoke to him, but she answers whatever he said with growled words of her own. Zephyr looks at me then glances around him. People are looking at us, and it’s as if he only just realises.
He meets my gaze and his irises flash bright purple. Then he lets go and I stumble backward, until I feel Drew’s reassuring presence behind me. Drew wraps a protective arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. Zephyr growls again, but Drew doesn’t seems to hear it. My dark-haired rescuer uses her hold on Zephyr’s wrist to keep him at bay. I don’t know how she’s handling the immense energy I feel pouring from him, but she seems to manage him with ease.
‘I want to go,’ I tell Drew.
Drew doesn’t argue, his survival instinct apparently intact, as he turns me away and pushes me through the crowd gathered around us. The weight of Zephyr’s stare sears the length of my spine. That non-physical part of him brushes against my skin. The darkness inside me rises to meet it then surprises me when it goes on the defensive, my skin going prickly as the wild thing coils to strike in my middle. My darkness didn’t help me the last time I saw Zephyr, but maybe his attacking me made it realise he’s a risk. If I die then so does my darkness.
The brunette realises Drew’s a lost cause and disappears before we make it outside. Drew’s too busy texting to notice, but doesn’t take his arm from around my shoulder. His anger pulses through me at the skin-on-skin contact, but it gives me the strength to keep moving. He puts his phone in his pocket, and I realise who he was texting when another of his housemates appears from around the corner.
‘Everything okay?’ Max asks looking us over.
Max is tall with mocha skin and gorgeous, brown eyes. I’d kill for eyelashes like his. His hair it jet black, and has a wave to it, which he styles with gel and looks amazing. He plays rugby and is built all over, which is why I think Drew asked him to meet us. Max’s nose is crooked from being broken more than once, but I don’t think it would deter a majority of women.
‘I’m taking P
rimrose home,’ Drew answers. ‘Are you staying out, or do you want to share our taxi?’
‘I’m ready to head back,’ Max says then winks at me.
Drew’s anger fades in the taxi on the way home but I can’t relax. I’m too busy wondering how Zephyr found me, miles from home, in the middle of Liverpool. Drew’s a little too drunk to realise how quiet I’ve gone. He’s sharing a pizza with Max, and they both think the danger has passed.
Drew goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth when we get back to his house. I tug off my dress and stuff it into my bag. Onyx swirls curve over my body, in a restless pattern. The sight relaxes me because it’s what my darkness does when it’s on the defensive. And at least I know it’s on my side again where Zephyr is concerned.
I spin to face the door when someone sucks in a breath behind me. Drew stands in the doorway with his mouth hanging open.
‘My face is up here,’ I snap when his gaze remains fixed below my neckline.
His eyes snap up to meet mine, and he offers a guilty smile. ‘I was just checking your ink out.’
‘The ink is on my back,’ I drawl then pull my pyjamas on.
‘Won’t you let me take a look?’ he asks.
‘I’m tired,’ I complain. ‘Besides, standing around in my bra and pants, while you gawk at my back, isn’t how I envisioned the night ending.’
‘You could always take them off,’ he suggests with a cheeky smile.
I throw a pillow at him. ‘Behave.’
‘A gorgeous girl is sleeping in my room tonight,’ he answers. ‘Can’t blame me for trying.’
‘You’re a drunken idiot,’ I answer and climb into his bed.
Drew turns out the light then dives across the room and lands on the airbed on the floor. I burrow under the covers and curl into a ball, rolling my eyes when Drew starts to lightly snore. The boy can fall asleep faster than I can blink. The sound is weirdly reassuring, though and I find my eyelids drooping. I shut them for just a moment.
Muffled tapping pulls me from the hazy world of sleep. I crack an eye open to see it’s still dark then frown into the room. I sit up at the outline of a person in the mirrored door of Drew’s wardrobe. A scream builds in my throat, until I recognise the amused gaze staring back at me, and huff in relief. I push from the bed and tread carefully over Drew’s sleeping form. He’s facedown on the airbed snoring so loud I wonder how I heard Aric’s tapping over it. Aric’s grin flashes white in the mirror as I step up to it.
