Enchanted: A Fae Fantasy Romance (Fae Magic Book 3)

by Jessica Aspen

  “Let her go.” Bosco’s voice sounded behind her. A fierce elation surged through her and she struggled harder.

  The satyr was jerked away. He stumbled and fell, a heavy “hunh!” sound coming from deep in his chest. Without the support of his hold, Cassie crumpled to the floor.

  Her vision swam into focus. Bosco stood a few feet away, his body braced for a fight. Her attacker got to his feet, He bent his head, aiming his sharp horns at Bosco’s belly.

  “Look out!” She used the wall to stand, her vision blacking in and out. But Bosco didn’t need her warning. He sidestepped the charge. His magic flared into shields and he waved them like a bullfighter’s cloak. The satyr ran past, narrowly avoiding hitting the opposite stone wall.

  Bosco didn’t wait for him to recover. He gathered energy into a glowing ball and threw it at the satyr. It hit his shoulder, flaring hot white light. The satyr howled and charged again. Bosco’s magic shield grew large, covering the entire width of the corridor. The satyr hit the shield, bouncing off and slamming into the wall.

  He sank to the ground, cradling his head. “Why would you do that to me? She’s just a nymph. Nymphs are for sex.”

  Bosco stood over him, waiting to see if he got up again. “She’s a Tuathan lady and a princess.”

  The satyr laughed. “Why else would she be down here, other than to fuck with the rest of us?” He moaned and threw up on the floor. “Now take that tease and leave me in peace.”

  Cassie stuck close to the opposite wall, edging past him and meeting Bosco. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  She pulled off her remaining heel. They walked in silence, Bosco striding in front, Cassie struggling to keep pace.

  “Why aren’t you talking to me?” She sped up and touched his sleeve. “I said thank you, and you’re essentially ignoring me.”

  He turned to her, his face hard and angry. “You’re like a walking invitation out here.” He glared at her bared breast. “Just look at you.” He ripped off his jacket and threw it around her shoulders.

  “Why are you mad at me? I didn’t go out like this.” She indicated her torn gown and dangling shoes, even as she gratefully pulled his jacket on. It smelled like him, citrusy and clean. She resisted the urge to close her eyes and take a deep breath. “I told you, there’s something wrong with my Gift. I don’t have the magic I should. I’m a princess, I should be more powerful than anyone. At least I should be able to defend myself.” She pointed to a fluttering group of sylphs. “Even the sylphs can defend themselves,” she added, the frustration twisting in her gut. “But I can’t. I’m weak and defenseless, and it pisses me off.”

  His dark eyes turned sympathetic. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want your pity. I want your help.” They’d reached a brighter part of the castle, away from the dark hallways and bare stone corridors. Here the lights were closer together and the walls were covered in wallpaper and paintings. And there were more people giving them curious glances.

  She took his hand and led him away, down a dim side hallway to a quieter location. His palm was warm in hers. Licks of sexual energy sparked along her skin.

  “We can talk better here.”

  “I don’t see how I can help you.” His face went hard again and he pulled away.

  She missed the warmth of his touch, the feeling of intimacy between them. But she couldn’t worry about that now. She had to stay focused on finding out the truth.

  “For months I’ve been stagnant,” she said. “I can access my Gift but it’s hit or miss. And I can’t do any simple magics, like forming a shield, unless I am totally alone and the room is quiet.” She shook her head, frustrated at months of practice that led nowhere. “I’ve less magic than a child and nothing defensive.”

  He took a step closer. “And you think this happened when you lost your memories.”

  “That’s what the queen and Haddon say—the trauma from the attack stole my memories and my magic. That I’ll just have to be patient,” she added bitterly. “Well, screw them. I’m done being patient. Today I’ve realized my dreams might be real. I might have memories of something terrible from that time. You say I don’t exist outside of this castle. That I didn’t exist before a few months ago. If that’s true, then help me figure it out. Help me figure out who I am and why I can’t remember. And maybe I’ll get my magic back, princess or not.”

  She reached for him, her hand held extended in the air between them like a peace offering.

  He hesitated. Then something in his face softened and he took her hand, stroking her palm. His touch shivered along her skin. “You might not like what you find.”

  “I’ll take that chance. If the queen and Haddon are right, I’m blocking my parents’ death, the loss of everything I hold dear, and horrible memories of torture at the Prince’s hands. If you’re right, I’m blocking an entire lifetime. Or maybe I didn’t exist prior to three months ago. Can someone make a fae out of thin air? Why would anyone want to do that?”

  “I don’t know.” He tugged her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. “But I’ll help you find out. You remind me of someone I knew long ago. She was lost, but maybe you’re not.”

  She wondered what was behind his far away expression. “Who was she?” she asked, feeling a surprising stab of jealousy.

  “Someone who I should have rescued long ago.” He shook his head, his eyes coming back into focus. “There’s nothing to do for her tonight.” His expression became determined. “But you, you’re defenseless like this. If you have more magic secreted away, we’ll find it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was a few hours before dawn and the gardens were still and dark. Cassie stripped off her dress, the cool night air caressing her skin. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” She handed her clothes, shoes, and the marble sized ball to Bosco. She stared into the black water of the pond, wrapping her arms around her torso and staring into its depths.

  They were going to see if they could open up her Gift and the only place they could be sure of not being disturbed was outside of the grounds. So they were going swimming in the dark pond and under the castle wall. Haddon had said he’d tried to repair her Gift, but given what she’d overheard, she no longer trusted him. She had to know if he and the queen had betrayed her and hidden her Gift away, or if it truly was a problem with her memory. What if everything else they’d told her was a lie? What if she really wasn’t a princess, like Bosco thought? Then who was she? She wiggled her feet in the cold damp grass and shivered.

  Bosco placed everything inside his giant’s bag then shrank it back down to the size of a walnut and re-tied it around his neck.

  “Cold?” He rubbed her back and shoulders and she leaned into his massage, her body softening. “We could forget about all of this and just work at getting you warm.” He pressed his half-formed erection into her hips and waggled his eyebrows.

  She laughed, like she knew he meant for her to do and reluctantly moved away. “Thanks, but I’ll take a rain-check. I take it you’re not mad at me anymore?”

  His face got serious. “I’m not used to having relationships deeper than something casual. Sometimes, even for me, my past comes up and bites me in the ass.” His grin reappeared. “But that doesn’t mean that I can’t get over it.”

  She grinned back. He still had a shadow behind the fool’s facade, but now wasn’t the time to ask. Later. After they were done with this and were safe and dry back in her rooms. Then she’d ask. And she’d find out what lay behind his casual smiles.

  “Are you ready?” he asked. “We don’t have to do this.”

  “I’ve known something was wrong but this is the first time I’ve been given a real chance to find out.” The moon had set and she could just make out his face in the light from Underhill’s bright stars. “This might be my only shot at finding out the truth. I’m not stopping now.”

  “There’s always later.” He gave her a last caress, winked, and picking up the roast goose they
’d loaded with tranquilizers, waded into the pond. “Give me a moment to work my magic with the moat monster and I’ll be back for you.” He dove under the surface leaving her alone.

  The silent dark filled with the risk of being caught. She rubbed her hands over the goosebumps covering her upper arms, no longer feeling the remainder of Bosco’s touch on her skin. The queen would be livid. Haddon would be furious. Suddenly she just didn’t care. Screw the queen. Screw Haddon.

  She’d spent months trying to be a good girl for them. She’d re-learned how to be a princess. And now she was considering that maybe it wasn’t re-learned. Maybe it was all learned for the first time. The enormity of what she might discover outside of the castle walls awed her. Danger and excitement buzzed through her veins in a song of freedom and she laughed out loud. She couldn’t wait to begin.

  “Ready?”

  She jumped at the sound of Bosco’s voice. “You’re too quiet,” she hissed.

  “Come on.”

  She joined him in the water, pond-weed tickling her feet. “Is it asleep?”

  “Yes.” He swam close to the wall. “I don’t think it’s very smart or it wouldn’t gobble up the bait so fast every time.”

  She pushed off the bottom, the soft mud of the pond squelching between her toes, and swam to him. She was light as a waterbug, skimming across the surface of the water. A giggle escaped her.

  “What’s so funny?” His face was a pale blur in the darker shadow of the wall.

  “I didn’t know if I could swim.”

  “Now you tell me.” He indicated the heavy grate that blocked the passage into the moat. “I’ll go first. Take a deep breath and dive. You have to go deep to get under the gate. Kick hard and count to thirty, you should see the surface light by then.”

  She took several deep breaths and watched him dive under the grate, feeling like she was already running out of air. And then she dove. She opened her eyes, trying to orient herself. It was so dark she couldn’t see anything. She felt for the bottom of the grate and her fingers touched its slick surface directly in front of her. She grabbed it and pulled herself under. How much longer?

  Damn it. She’d forgotten to count. Panic made her tight lungs release some air and she thrashed in the black water. She wasn’t going to make it. She should back up. Get out.

  Then she saw it, a slight glow ahead. Kicking as hard as she could she made for the light and burst to the surface, her lungs aching from a lack of air.

  CASSIE’S HEAD EMERGED from the water next to the slick stones at the base of the moat wall and some of Bosco’s tension drained, until he realized she was gasping for air, her arms churning the water’s surface. She flailed and sank under. He cursed under his breath and swam over to her, kicking hard. Where was she? He caught sight of her pale form under the water and he dove down, reaching for her. He got a grip on her slippery arm and she clawed at him, nearly pulling him under. Kicking hard he forced them both to the surface.

  “Easy, easy. I’ve got you.” He guided her hands to his shoulders and her fingers dug in.

  Her eyes were huge. The sound of her sucking in large gulps of air was loud in the empty moat and he checked above for any guards on the wall. But they were alone.

  “I’m going to swim now, just hang on to my shoulders and I’ll take you in.” He swam them both to shore, keeping her in front of him so he could be sure she was alright. It was awkward, but the distance was short and he was a powerful swimmer. They reached the edge and he half-carried her out of the water to the grass. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” she gasped. “Just need some air.” She collapsed dripping on the shore.

  “I should have brought some towels. I’m sure I have something in here.” He untied the bag from his neck and searched through it. “Damn it, I thought I had something in here. You can use my t-shirt.” He held it out to her.

  “I’ll dry.” She waved him away.

  Her nude body was limned by the bright starlight. “Goddess, you are beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “I love that you’re so honest.”

  He’d conned many people in his life. Making a living from deceiving, in a world where deception was an art, he was the furthest thing from honest. But looking at her face shining in the starlight he knew he could never tell her. “Here.” He thrust her dress at her. “Let’s get moving.”

  Her smile faded and he felt like a jerk. They got dressed in a now awkward silence, and he cursed himself for caring. He couldn’t afford the luxury of worrying about her feelings, he owed a debt. A debt that was coming due—soon.

  “Come on.” He walked down the slight slope, heading for the edge of the forest. “We’d better get started. We may not have much time before someone finds you missing.” He’d been all over the grounds and the castle, poking his nose everywhere he could. Cassie was the anomaly in the castle. Maybe she held the knowledge inside her missing memories. He was banking on it. There was no sign of the human psychic anywhere. And he was running out of time.

  At the first trees, he created a small light, using his body to shield it from the castle up the hill. They entered the edge of the trees and the glow grew so they could see. A few feet in and the presence of the forest lifted the hairs on the nape of his neck. “Stop here.”

  “Don’t you think we should go in a little deeper? What if someone finds us?”

  “This is the Dark Forest. It’s full of magic of its own. We’re reasonably safe here on the edge. If we go in too deep, though, we run the risk of waking something up.” A chill ran along his spine and he dropped his voice to a near whisper. “I’d rather face the queen than some of the things that lurk in here.”

  She glanced around and gave a nervous laugh. “You sound like you’re telling a tale to scare children.”

  “I remember the tales my parents told us of the woods. Children lost here are never found. The ground itself will eat you up, leaving nothing but a few pretty flowers for your loved ones to find.” A sudden feeling of foreboding sank into his bones. “Promise me, Cassie, if you ever find yourself in the forest you’ll stick to the paths. Don’t follow temptation, no matter what the form. Predators, vagabonds, and worse live in the forest.” He leaned in. “And for the Tuathan, it’s even more dangerous. It’s the home of a renegade group of elvatian, the Fir-Bolg. They’ve fought the Tuathan for thousands of years and they’ll only see you as a threat.”

  Her face was serious and pale in the starlight. Then she laughed. “More children’s tales. Help me get my memory back and I’m sure I’ll have my own tale to tell.”

  A surge of hopeless overwhelmed him. He’d failed to protect Siobhan. He’d be damned if he’d fail Cassie.

  He grabbed her wrist. “Listen to me. I can’t stay too much longer. Once I find what I’m searching for you’ll be on your own. If we don’t get your memory back tonight you’ll need every ounce of cleverness you have to survive. You have no memory, no magic, no protection. No idea of why the queen has put you near the throne as a false princess. If for any reason Kian takes this castle and breaks the spell, no one will protect you. You may need to run. The forest is the only thing out here besides the wild mists. If the spell doesn’t break, even the thought of an extra heir to the throne will be a threat to the prince.”

  She stared at him. He watched her eyes as his words sunk in. There was real fear on her face. She shook her head and pulled away from him. “Well then, we’d better get my memory back.”

  He let her go. “I don’t know why the hell I even care.”

  She flinched as if he’d struck her. “Why are you here, Bosco? What is it you’re looking for?”

  “It’s nothing to do with you.”

  “It must be, or you wouldn’t be out here, helping me. What is it?”

  “I told you earlier, I’m looking for someone. A human the queen has taken prisoner.”

  “Why is that so important?”

  “I can’t tell you, but maybe, if you get
your memory back, you’ll understand.” And maybe he would be screwed. Maybe once she had her memory back she’d call the guards down on his head.

  He could still walk away. Forget about her. Forget about getting the last payment. He almost had enough. He’d be able to get into the Winter Court, maybe do what he needed to do. Maybe what he had would be enough power to face the White Queen directly, but would it be enough to save Siobhan?

  He knew the answer to that. It wouldn’t be enough. He needed to find the psychic and hand her over, then he could face the Winter Queen. “Let’s get started.” He blew on the glow light in his palm and it split into a hundred more that rose around them, lighting up their section of trees like a cloud of lightning bugs.

  “No.” Cassie faced him, hands on her hips. “Before I let you into my head I need to know: are you helping me? Or just yourself?” One of the tiny glow lights floated close to her face, illuminating her raised chin and the direct focus of her gaze.

  “Yes, I think you can help me. And yes, I’m a selfish bastard using you for my own needs.” Her chin dipped as the blow of his words hit home. “But Cassie, I think you’re a victim here. And you remind me of someone I knew long ago. Someone I was powerless to save at the time.” He moved closer to her, reaching out to stroke her face. But she stepped back. His hand dropped to his side. “I couldn’t save her back then, but I can give you a fighting chance against whatever the queen has planned for you.”

  “And by helping me, you think I can help you?”

  It was a relief to be honest with her. He hadn’t realized how much the deception wore on him. “Yes. I do. Is that a bad thing?”

  She sighed and shook her head. “No, it’s what I should expect, I guess.”

  The resigned tone of her voice hurt. He was a spy. He hadn’t had any real friends for years. No emotional ties that could bind. She shouldn’t be able to hurt him. But he could see Siobhan’s face in her disappointment and after all the years that had gone by, he knew he’d failed again.