by Alex Temples
“Before she left this world, the goddess charged Adhamh and Eabha with erecting a wall between the worlds, and creating a people to ensure the wall stands. The Keepers were born. For centuries, the Keepers performed solstice rituals designed to fortify the wall. The seven women live in the shadows, ever watchful. Each Keeper is gifted with an amulet, infused with magic from the goddess herself. It is a duty passed from mother to daughter. Because they are part Fae, they age very slowly. They live many more years than mortal woman, and possess special abilities, just like fae.”
I stared intently at Aiden. Energy crackled in the air between us.
“Over time, Adhamh’s tribes have watched their magic fade to nothing. Legends have arisen – fairy tales, as you call them. The Celts told tales of the wee folk, the old ones, tales of leprechauns and trolls and many other creatures. These are all names for that which they couldn’t name. Those Edenites who visited earth through the portals kept these tales alive and well.”
I began to feel nervous. Aiden was a very good storyteller. He spoke as if lecturing on history, as any of my many professors would have. His voice was clear and sure, ringing with the echo of truth. As he spoke, his eyes blazed, flickers of blue fire dancing as he measured my reaction.
“You tell amazing tales, Aiden.” I said carefully. “I’m not sure what to say.”
His gaze ran over my face. “You have a question.”
I gazed back, nodding hesitantly.
“How?” I mimicked the hand gesture he’d made in the direction of the tree with newly sprouted branches.
Aiden’s laugh was a deep rumble and sent chills up my spine. “I tell you the story of my people, of your people, and you want to know how to do a little green magic?”
He smiled down at me, but there was something dangerous there.
I didn’t know what to say. My grandmother had told me of the old ones, the magical people who lived in the hills. I wanted to laugh in his face at the same time I wanted to turn and run. I had so many questions.
I didn’t know where to start, so I nodded in response to his question. “Yes, I’d like to see how you did what you did to that tree.”
He gave me a sly smile and took my hands into his larger ones. “Your wish is my command Brinmar.”
My hands grew warm under his, tingling with a sensation entirely foreign to me. The feeling rippled through me in waves and I jerked my eyes to his, imploring him to explain what I was feeling.
“Now, hold your hands in front of the tree and think about the branches growing, then pull them towards you with your mind.” He instructed.
I laughed at this, but did as he instructed. Holding my hands over the patch of tree trunk, I focused on some tiny branches, envisioning them growing bigger. Without warning, a pulse of energy shot from my hands and the branches exploded forth from the trunk, growing six inches.
The blood drained from my face and I jumped, dropping my hands to my sides and backing away, my body pulsing with a glowing energy I didn’t understand.
“Oh my god.”
I looked between the tree and Aiden. “What happened? Did you see that?” My voice came out choked and hoarse.
Aiden remained silent, watching me with interest.
What just happened? I felt the magic in my fingers. I had done that to the branch. I’d made it grow. I felt the otherness glowing inside me, just as it glowed around Aiden.
His lips stretched wide, eyes glittering with blue fire.
“You’re strong, despite your lack of knowledge, Brinmar.”
He reached out and took my hand in his. He meant only to comfort me, but I shivered as our fingers met and our energy pooled. I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. The intensity I found there was too tempting and I felt myself leaning into him. Impulsively, I pressed my lips to his, and the energy exploded between us.
It raced through me and into him, filling us both as I kissed him. Aiden kissed me back hungrily, twisting his fingers in my hair, his tongue sliding into my mouth, dancing with mine.
Our kiss was hot, passionate, exhilarating. I pulled away suddenly, staring into his eyes, my own reflecting the blazing passion I saw there. I’d never felt with anyone else what I felt kissing him. It was electric, life-giving, right. My eyes slid over him, seeking something. I shifted as if to move backwards and he stopped me, grabbing my face and pulling it towards him.
“Brinmar, you can’t keep teasing me like this. I man be more than a mortal man, but I share the same weakness for beautiful women. You are playing with fire and no one controls fire. Fire is ruled by the elements – a gust of wind and all is lost. Do you understand?”
He stared hard into my eyes, cocking an eyebrow in question. He grasped my face gently with one hand. I swallowed, feeling the ever-present danger he radiated, nodding slightly.
The corners of his mouth turned up in amusement, but his eyes didn’t soften.
Still holding my face, he cocked his head to the side.
“Do you understand what I am, Brinmar?” His accent was heavier on my name. The sound of it rolling off his tongue made my stomach do flips.
There was something ancient in his eyes, something both terrifying and enticing. They glittered as they assessed me.
“Do you even understand what you are?”
“You are one of the old ones.” I said, answering his first question in a breathless whisper. I stood deathly still, prey trying not to provoke the predator.
He nodded, his smile dangerous, his eyes boring into my very soul. “That’s right, Brinmar. I am fae. Those for whom the tales were written.”
My cheeks warmed at his gaze, but I couldn’t find words to defend myself with as he leaned in, gaze intense, tracing my jaw with a finger.
“I am that which walks in the night, that which whispers on the wind. I am the footsteps behind you in the woods, the breath on the back of your neck that makes your hair stand up.”
He ran his hand gently through my hair and the hair on the back of my neck did stand up.
“You know that special feeling in the air in the early morning, just before dusk?” He asked, arching an eyebrow.
I swallowed and nodded hesitantly, mesmerized by his words.
“That feeling that there is something else, something greater out there, something beyond these mortal beings. It’s a feeling of transcendence .”
His brows were furrowed, his gaze intense. He dropped my chin, turning away for a moment.
“You stare out at the rising sun and you can almost grasp it. It’s so close you can almost hold it in your hands. That otherworldliness. Perhaps during a heavy fog or a grand thunderstorm…”
“Yes.” I said, breathless. I understood exactly what he was describing. I stared at his back, hungry to learn more. He didn’t turn around, but kept talking.
“Our worlds collide, Brinmar, unable to remain entirely separate. We’re all connected, you see, all from the same seed. Even now, the mortals who walk the earth see themselves as singular vessels moving through the vast world alone. They each feel unique, that they are somehow extraordinary, but in reality the poor man is no different than the rich man. The African no different than the American. The Christian no different than the Muslim.”
He spun back around, the blue fire of his gaze gripping me. “They all came from one and to one they will all return, in the middling span of time your mortals call a life.”
His eyes raked over me, setting me on fire.
“You are different, Brinmar. You are extraordinary, but you are also not a mortal.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I stood, frozen in time. Deafening silence settled around us for a moment before springing back to life with a fury – dripping water, rustling leaves, insects chirping, a bird calling into the night.
I frowned at him, chin up, shoulders squared with a courage I didn’t truly feel. I stepped towards him, unsure of why. His intensity called to me.
I walked towards him, watching as surprise
registered on his face. His expression wavered, settling into something bordering on compassion.
“You and I, we aren’t so different. You’re uncertain because you’re afraid of what the truth might mean, but I think you’ve known for a long time you aren’t one of them.”
My eyes prickled and I fought the truth of what he was saying, not yet ready to accept it. He seemed to sense my unease, his face softening further.
“Haven’t you ever had those moments when you’re going about your everyday activities and suddenly you have this strong sense that you’ve done that very thing in that very place at the very same time? Have you ever heard the phone ring and knew who it was without looking? Or, perhaps you were thinking about someone and they suddenly call or show up because they were thinking of you?”
His words seduced. They spoke to something inside me. I knew I was different. He was offering reassurance that being different wasn’t a bad thing.
“Mortals have many words for extra senses they can’t explain with their limited scientific knowledge. They always feel more comfortable when they can put a name to something, so they call it déjà vu, or gut instinct, and dare not consider it further. They dismiss those with abilities they don’t understand as being crazy or stupid. Most of your mortal world is an ugly place, Brin. I’ve have walked your earth many times. I’ve visited many places, and am deeply saddened by the atrocities perpetrated by man – children starving on the streets, places where girls are not allowed to go to school, where they are treated like chattel, used for breeding and cast aside. Mortals long ago lost any connection they had to their Edenic side. They’re disconnected from the earth. They live on it an die apart from it, and more and more often, even apart from each other. People pass on the street, headphones covering their ears, staring down at their phones, trying to block out everything around them. But that’s not you, is it? You’ve always felt different, haven’t you?” His eyes were serious. He was waiting for me to answer.
I was struggling to absorb everything he was telling me. I considered his question. Yes. I’d always felt different.
I nodded slightly, not taking my eyes off his face.
His lips stretched into a satisfied smile.
“You are closest to Eden when you stare at the sky just before dawn. The portals are most powerful at dawn, as are you, because the portals are yours to protect. You are a keeper of the gates, part mortal and part fae and therefore more powerful than I, because you possess the strengths of both worlds and none of the weaknesses.”
My eyes widened at his revelation. The thought of me being more powerful than him was laughable.
“You, Brinmar have the power to save your precious mortals from certain doom. You were bred for this.” He said, fumbling with something in his pocket before pulling out a necklace and dangling it before me.
I gaped at the pendant in his hand.
“Why do you have my necklace?” My hand flew to my throat and I felt the cool turquoise pendant still nestled against my breast. My head shot up. “Where did you get that?”
Aiden’s eyes glittered dangerously. “It’s the necklace of a Keeper, Brin.” His eyes lowered momentarily and sorrow flashed across his face. “The necklace of one who has fallen.”
I shook my head. “The necklace of a keeper…” My voice trailed off in confusion.
He nodded.
I glanced down at my own necklace and swallowed.
“Let me see it.” My hand stretched out and Aiden dropped the cool pendant into my waiting palm.
As it hit my flesh, the stone grew warm. My fingers grazed over the smooth surface. I examined the piece closely, marveling at the exacting detail. It was identical to my own necklace.
I tried to make sense of what I’d just heard, of what I held in my hand. I examined Aiden with equal parts horror and excitement.
I should run. I should laugh. I would have done both, if not for the resounding ring of truth dripping from his every word. They echoed in my soul. I knew this was the moment I’d been waiting for. This was right. This was true. I had a purpose.
“You’re saying I can do more than the thing I just did with the tree? There’s more magic?”
Aiden rumbled with laugher, moving cautiously towards me.
“Ah, there she is. Not a moment of hesitation, an inkling of doubt. She is ready to embrace her gift.” His eyes glittered intensely as he slid his hands over my forearms and pulled me to his body.
I held my chin up, meeting his gaze. I would not let him see me rattled. Wouldn’t let him see how he’d rattled me to the very depths of my soul. My body quivered as his hands slid over my heated flesh.
“Why do I have this gift?” I thought I’d spoken the words, but nothing had come out. Instead, I found myself leaning into Aiden’s caresses, overwhelmed with questions, uncertainty, and excitement.
I felt like I was trapped in a dream. I needed to feel grounded, to feel some reassurance that everything I’d known was not lost, so I did the only thing I could think of. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, delighting in his shock. Something inside me sung as our lips met. A vibration echoed within me. My body hummed with pleasure.
I kissed him deeply, winding my hands into his silky hair and pulling him against me. If he was shocked, it didn’t last long.
I gasped when his arms tightened around me and he began kissing me hungrily, his tongue probing. He twisted a hand into my hair and held me to him. There was no need. I was on fire, lust coursing in waves over my body, warming me from head to toe. He made me feel like a goddess. Never, had a man kissed me with such longing.
Aiden slid his hands over my backside and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, still kissing him with an insistence bordering on frantic. He met my kisses, my caresses, with a passion equal to my own, trailing kisses down the side of my neck and whispering his desire in my ear. He carried me to a cluster of boulders alongside the trail, settling me onto the biggest one.
I protested when he pulled away, but was soon quieted as he reached for the edge of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. The cool air hit my skin and I sighed with relief.
I turned my attention back to him. He was drinking in the site of me, an appreciative expression on his face.
“You are a beautiful woman, Brin.” His voice was husky, filled with what I knew to be the same anticipation I felt myself.
I smiled, reaching behind my back to unclasp my bra. It slid off, hitting the ground with a soft plop.
Aiden’s eyes burned brighter as he reached for me.
I scooted backwards, shaking a finger at him.
“No. I want to see you first.” I gestured to his clothing from my perch on the rock.
He laughed.
“So demanding.” He said playfully. “Very well. I wouldn’t dream of disobeying you.”
He pulled his shirt over his head.
I groaned in anticipation. He was a masterpiece. An absolute work of art. Seeing him shirtless at his apartment was one thing. Seeing him standing shirtless against the backdrop of wild, tropical foliage brought out a primal instinct I’d never felt before.
I watched as he stripped off his shorts and boxers, stepping out of his hiking boots until he stood naked before me.
His thighs were thickly corded muscle, smooth and tan and strong. I wondered how he managed to stay so fit. My stomach fluttered nervously as I took in the trail of dark hair running in a line down his flat stomach. My gaze drifted lower and my cheeks flushed.
I kicked my shoes off, lifted my hips and wiggled out of my pants, pulling my panties off with them. Then, I sat back on the rock, naked as the day I was born and cocked a finger at him.
Power and confidence surged through my veins as his jaw dropped. Again, he was speechless before me.
“You aren’t just going to stand there staring at me, are you?” My lips turned up in amusement.
Aiden stared back at me, a look of amazement of his face.
He only hesi
tated for a moment, before accepting my invitation. He stepped between my legs and took my head in his hands, pulling me towards him. His lips met mine and I shivered with delight.
Our tongues dueled, probing and hungry. A cry escaped my lips. He rained kisses down my neck and over my shoulders. He worked his way lower and I gasped as he took my nipple between is teeth, biting it gently and suckling it in his mouth.
That was my tipping point.
“Oh, Aiden.” I moaned, writhing as bolts of pleasure shot through my limbs.
His eyes darkened, filled with a promise of something that both thrilled and frightened me. He loomed dark and dangerous, unearthly even. His hair and eyes echoing the feeling of a thunderstorm rolling in. Attraction shot thought me like a lightning bolt..
“Do you like when I touch you, Brinmar?” He asked in a low timbre, his voice sliding over me, smooth as velvet.
“Yes.”
I hardly recognized the husky growl as my own.
“Please.”
His eyes flashed and he pushed my knees apart. I felt lust surge through me, stealing my common sense. Any lingering feeling of doubt fled along with it. There was only one thing I wanted and I wanted it now.
Aiden’s blue eyes glistened with the same power I’d seen earlier, blazing with desire, yet he just stood there teasing me.
I stilled, understanding settling over me.. Like me, he enjoyed the pursuit. He relished the power he had during the chase. The best way to get what I wanted was to stop demanding it and simply accept what he offered.
I closed my eyes and embraced the sensation of his hard length pressing into me. Pleasure echoed through me, making my toes curl. There was nothing better than this. I was sure of it now. I’d never felt before what I felt in this moment. There was a connection between us that I hadn’t experienced with any other lover.
“Brin, are you sure this is what you want?” His voice was sincere, though we both knew we’d gone too far to turn back now.
