Lightness Falling (Lightness Saga Book 2)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “You are an awful liar.” He laughed, taking a sip of his beer, the foam sticking to the tip of his nose. I stepped up to him. My fingers brushed over his nose, wiping away the froth before I realized what I was doing. The action felt so natural, so comfortable. I dropped my hand.

  He hadn’t moved a breath, the intensity of his gaze wrapping around us like vines, blocking out the rest of the world.

  I stared up, his green eyes pulling me in like a reel. Kiss me. My body screamed over the objection in my mind.

  Lorcan inhaled sharply through his nose, like he’d heard my plea, his pupils dilating. His mouth inched down.

  I felt woozy, oxygen not quite reaching my lungs. As the heat from his mouth brushed mine an image slammed into my head. Usually it came with white light, pain, and loss of consciousness. But this one, similar to a few I had gotten recently, like the one with Zoey, was more of a video playing in my head. It was fast, but it jolted me back.

  Flash.

  A woman and man walked quickly past vendor stalls. The Freiburg Munster, with its lacy spires and cheeky gargoyles, dominated the background. They were dressed in casual, dark clothes, but I knew they were anything but tourists. Both were extremely beautiful with violet-blue eyes. Fairies. The blonde woman walked ahead and held the power, her dark-haired partner all brawn.

  They were coming for me.

  That I knew with certainty.

  Flash.

  The image cleared as fast as it came, giving me a sharp headache, but not coming close to disabling, like they could. I jerked my head around.

  “What? Did you see something?” Lorcan stiffened, sensing something wrong. Fae were everywhere here and with magic now a part of the combined world, I think it was harder for him to decipher the smells.

  “Fairies. Here.”

  “Yes. There are a lot of them.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “They’re here for me.”

  “No one knows you’re here.”

  My gaze landed on the top of a blonde ponytail and a man behind her heading our way. Lorcan followed my gaze to the couple. They spotted us at the same time, their faces darkening the moment they locked on us. They sped up.

  “Shit.” Lorcan grabbed my hand and yanked me hard to follow him. I stumbled, his grip on my hand clenching, the muscles along the slope of his shoulders rising as he slipped us quickly through the throng of people.

  He glanced over his shoulder, and I did the same. My heart slammed in my chest, seeing they were gaining on us, with only a few shoppers separating us. Tourists frowned at them as they rushed through the throng.

  “So much for staying under the radar.” Lorcan pulled me, picking up his speed. “Time to run, li’l Druid.”

  My fingers fastened around his as we bolted into a full-out run. I heard the fairy woman yell something sounding German, but I had no idea what she said. Nor was I going to stop and ask.

  “Bewegung!” Lorcan yelled as his shoulder rammed through the crowd like a linebacker, shoving people out of our way as we weaved through the market. Fear pumped into my veins, my legs kicking to keep pace.

  In trying to lose them, he zigzagged around stands and clusters of market goers, his head constantly flipping back to keep an eye on them. My body knocked around like a ping-pong ball, bumping into people. I ignored the shouts tossed at us, the back of my neck prickling with the pursuer’s magic.

  “Faster!” Lorcan yanked on my arm, diving between two families with their kids talking and laughing. With a snap Lorcan tugged me to the side, slamming me into the toddler. The little boy fell onto his behind, a cry already ripping across the cold air.

  “Oh no.” I twisted automatically to help the child, dropping my hand away from Lorcan. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Ken!” Lorcan swiveled around and reached for me again. “Come on!”

  My head lifted to see the blonde and her companion scarcely a few steps away from us. Terror kicked in, whirling me back around as we tore off again.

  “Hallo!” I heard the father of the child yell at me angrily, tugging at my heart. I felt awful, but I was sure the child would be fine.

  Lorcan curved us sharply around a cart, going in a circle, then pulling me into a booth.

  “Geh raus!” The shop man waved us back toward the exit. Lorcan held his finger to his lips, his eyes flashing red. The man inhaled, his next words dying on his tongue as he stepped back, his eyes wide with fear.

  Lorcan tilted his head, listening. He held me flat against his warm physique, our heartbeats pounding in unison. My lungs ached at the cold, sharp intakes. Even though every nerve was on high alert with the anxiety of being caught at any time, I felt safe. Content. The deep unrelenting restlessness I had felt for so long was quiet. I chewed on my inner cheek while looking to the side, shoving all thoughts from my head.

  When Lorcan pulled away, I twisted my head to him. He crept toward the opening and peered out. “I think we might have lost them.” He kept watch for another moment before his arm reached back for me. Lacing my fingers with his, I gave an apologetic nod to the vendor before sliding through the curtain with Lorcan.

  “Where are we going?” I kept close, both of us still searching the area for any sign of the couple.

  Lorcan didn’t answer, his focus completely on the space around him. His nostrils kept wiggling as he took in the scents; his eyebrows furrowed. I could tell he was struggling to pick up any particular smell while the market swam with aromas.

  He rushed us back the way we came, hopefully putting distance between the fairies and us. How did they find me? It shouldn’t have been possible.

  My mind reeled with questions when I felt Lorcan go rigid. At the same moment, a man jumped from around a booth, crashing into the dweller. The two large bodies slammed together, stumbling to the side, hitting a stall as they both fell. Ceramic souvenirs and trinkets smashed onto the ground and rained down on the two fighting men.

  Movement in my periphery snapped my head to the side. The blonde woman barreled toward me. Instinct fired through me. The spell lashed off my tongue like a whip, striking out at my attacker, searching to cut deep.

  My words exploded into her chest, her eyes widening as her body halted its forward movement, shoving it backward. She sailed back into a pastry stand, her spine hitting the wood display with a crack, sending the pastries into the air and slapping the pavement as they fell from the sky. Individuals around the booth also took the brunt of my spell, spreading out on the cement like a deck of cards.

  “Ken!” Lorcan screamed behind me, and I whipped around. He got to his feet; the fae he had been fighting now lay out cold on the ground. Lorcan snatched my hand, not hesitating before he took off at a full sprint, leaving hordes of villagers screaming or staring at us with terror.

  And this was only day one of being in hiding.

  Lorcan didn’t slow our pace as he weaved us through town before ebbing a little when we reached a park, every few steps glancing over his shoulder.

  “We’re not going back to the flat, are we?” It wasn’t a question. I already knew. My legs scissored double time to keep up with his strides. Lorcan’s grip remained unyielding on my arm.

  “Don’t tell me you actually learned something from me last time?” he said humorless, scanning around.

  “Not sure if learned is the right word. I merely know how you think.”

  He stopped dead, my body ramming into his then bouncing back.

  “Believe me.” He swung around, prowling up to me, his pupils vertical. “You don’t have a clue what I’m thinking.” He loomed over me.

  Savage. Wild. Raw. Lorcan could scare and excite with the same magnitude. And I seemed to have no immunity to either.

  “If I didn’t think it would cause more attention, I’d strip you right here.”

  “What?” I breathed out.

  He passed his hand roughly over his head, scrubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know how they know you’re here, but they do. For all we know s
omeone put a tracker on your bag or clothes.” He motioned to my outfit. “Someone will be watching that place, it’s not safe to return.”

  So the stripping wasn’t for fun?

  “But how would they even know to put it in my bag? Everyone still thinks I’m at the castle.”

  “Maybe it’s been on an item of clothing of yours for a while now. What better way for your enemies to keep tabs on you than know the best time to attack.”

  That actually made sense. Maybe that was how they found me when I went to Honey House.

  A constant parade of staff, visitors, and nobles had access to my rooms or me. At any time someone could have placed a tracker. Bumping into me. A brush of an arm. A staff member who secretly hated me put something on my clothes.

  “My favorite T-shirt.” I frowned, already missing my Firefly shirt, the worn, soft fabric.

  “I’ll buy you a new one.” Lorcan rolled his eyes, curving back around. “Actually screw that, you’re the fucking Queen, you buy me a shirt.”

  I laughed and nodded my head. “Fair enough.”

  “We can no longer use the doors either.” He picked up his stride, following the sign to the train station. “And without Lars’s phones, we’re on our own till Monday.” The way Lorcan said it, I knew he preferred it that way. He did not especially like to play with others. Unless he was in charge.

  Near the train station Lorcan got his wish, just not in the fun way. A clothing store provided me with a whole new outfit. Dark, stretchy jeans I could run in, new knee-length boots, a black sweater, and a black coat. This one came with faux fur trim around the hood. I also grabbed a daypack, telling the sales clerk to give all my old stuff to the homeless.

  We grabbed some sandwiches and got on the next train heading southeast toward Zurich. Lorcan found us an empty compartment, shutting the door firmly. A few people opened it to join us, took one look at Lorcan, and backed out, their eyes wide with fright.

  “What’s sad is you’re not even trying to scare people.” I watched the latest commuter retreat out of the space, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously.

  “If one more person opens the door, I won’t be so nice.”

  “You growled at that man.” I waved my hand toward the door.

  “Yeah, and compared to what I wanted to do, that was very nice of me.” Lorcan sat back in his seat, but his eyes stayed on the door. When the train departed from the platform, his shoulders barely inched down a hair. He was on guard, riled, his beast pawing at the edges of his human form.

  My energy on the other hand was crashing after the high of the chase and the overindulgence of food. My lids lowered at the rocking of the train.

  I heard rustling of fabric and cracked them open. He stood before me, taking off his jacket.

  “Sleep, Ken.” He eased my body down and stuffed the coat under my head. I sighed, taking in his familiar scent coating the fabric, snuggling into it. My eyes struggled to stay open. He sat back down across from me, his hand reaching over. “Rest. I got you.” He slipped my glasses from my face and ran his hand over my head, my eyes shutting at his soft touch.

  I was pretty sure I made a purring sound as sleep gripped my lids and pulled me down.

  TEN

  “Hey, li’l’ Druid.” A husky voice beckoned me from sleep with a smile. A finger brushed across my temple. My lashes lifted, and I almost forgot how to breathe. Even slightly blurry, he was unbelievable.

  He was the exact type of man I had never worried or thought about before because I wasn’t even a blimp on their radar. Not that I wanted to be. Most times, the extremely hot seemed to prove the cliché of being extremely shallow, boring, and self-absorbed. They were usually after women equivalent of themselves.

  I was the nerd-boy type. Jared being the first who was equally a dork and hot. His naiveté and sweetness made it easier to overlook how stunning he was. With Lorcan you could never neglect to see his rugged sex appeal.

  I sat up, brushing my long strands of hair off my face. “Are we there?” My hand went to my nose with the urge to touch my glasses, like they were a security blanket.

  “We’re in Basel.” He put out his hand, helping me up. He pulled my glasses from his pocket and slipped them back on my face. I instantly relaxed. “We’re gonna stay here tonight. Tomorrow head to Zurich.”

  I followed him out of the train station, not saying a word, taking in the city as we walked through. Based at the borders of Germany, France, and Switzerland, the influence of all the cultures blended cohesively in the city dabbling between its old culture and modern buildings. A dusting of snow coated the rooflines, crafting a storybook feel to it. I was in awe. Half-timber houses lined the cobbled streets, setting off the pillared, salmon-hued cathedral dominating the skyline. Walking through the old town of Basel, it was easy to imagine it centuries ago.

  As we moved through the city, the more I saw pictures... of me. And for once they didn’t seem to have big lines through them defacing me or the fact I was their Queen. I had to blink several times when I saw one store had a life-size cutout version of me in the window. It was from my coronation, the crown sitting proudly on my head. The first and last time I wore it.

  “Yeah, they actually like you here.” Lorcan nudged me playfully. “But to be fair, they don’t know you.”

  “Shut up.” I hit him back.

  Up one of the narrow cobbled lanes, Lorcan found a small B&B-style hotel. It was a simple en-suite, with two pine framed beds and puffy down comforters and an electric teakettle with a variety of teas, hot chocolate, and coffee. The two windows overlooked a splinter of the Rhine River flowing by.

  “You hungry?” Lorcan asked as he poked his head in any space someone could hide in, rechecking the windows were locked.

  “No.” Sitting on the bed closest to the windows, I watched him move. It felt strange to have no bags or personal items to busy yourself with unpacking.

  “What do you want to do?” The tiny room only took a moment to examine, but he seemed restless, not wanting to sit. “We should stay away from public places as much as we can. As you saw, Switzerland is pro-Queen. We’d have a serious problem if anyone recognized you.”

  “So that’s a no on the procession through the market?” I slanted my head, like I was actually asking. “Should probably cancel the trumpets, gymnasts, flags, and the cute little drummer boy.”

  “Not the gymnasts. They can stay.”

  “Of course.” I laughed, rolling my eyes. The ease at which we could tease actually turned the room awkward and quiet. Both of us understood how simple it was to slip back into our old ways. Lorcan and me on the run? It was like stepping back in time. And the one thing we used to do together was the one thing I had longed for. For once I had no business meetings or people wanting anything from me.

  “I know what I want to do.” I peered up at him.

  “What?” His forehead wrinkled with skepticism.

  “Magic.” I grinned.

  His boyish, mischievous smile upped the side of his mouth. “I think that can be arranged.”

  Thirty minutes later we stood in a park, trees blocking us from the world. It was freezing in the middle of February and off the beaten tourist path, so we had no worry of encountering too many people. Magic and fae were well known and out in the world now, but Druid magic was still highly rare. My first spell I set a protective circle around us, keeping people from getting near.

  Having Lorcan next to me, even if I surpassed his teachings, was nice. He always pushed me to do better, not letting me get away with good enough.

  “Again.” His demand echoed off the frigid air, but sweat beaded at my hairline. Like stretching when you’ve been cramped in the same position for a long time, energy spread out of me, feeling the bliss of being used again. But I was also out of shape and tired easily.

  “That was sloppy. Again.” Lorcan came beside me. He had me working on my protection spells. I was getting better at isolating whom I wanted to target, but not always. We
worked till I could feel my limbs sagging with fatigue. It was also getting dark, the temperature dropping fast.

  “You’re slurring and are going to fall over.” His “teacher” voice softened. “I think we need to get some food. Warm up.”

  “Fooood.” I exhaled with relief. “And dessert. Something chocolatey and warm.”

  “We are in the land of fondue.”

  “Oh my god, yes.”

  “That’s what I thought.” He snickered and turned to head out of the park. I kept pace with him, the silence comfortable between us.

  After a while I finally broke it. “I stopped a vision from happening the other day.”

  “What?” His head jerked to me.

  “Strighoul were going to attack Lars’s compound. They had Marguerite.” I gulped. “She was killed in my vision. I prevented it.”

  Lorcan stopped short, halting me, and turned to face me. “Ken, that’s amazing.” He clasped my face, a smile on his mouth. “Very rare.”

  “I know.” His smile was contagious, my cold hands sliding over his, absorbing their heat. “I still can’t believe I did it.”

  “Seriously, you are incredible. Most Druids can’t do that even after decades of training.” He pulled me in, his lips brushing my forehead. “Proud of you, little Druid.”

  Warmth and joy fizzed beneath my skin, my heart thumping with utter contentment. I wanted to stay here in this moment forever. Home. Mine. The words buzzed my conscience.

  All too soon, Lorcan realized what he was doing, his form stiffened, and he dropped his hands, stepping back, clearing his throat. “Do you remember anything from what you saw?” he asked coolly, staring down the cobbled street.

  “Hovek is their leader now.”

  “Seriously?” His head snapped back. “That fucker? He won’t be there long if I can help it.” Lorcan’s lip hitched up. “How did they even get Marguerite?”

  “I think they were going to nab her coming back from Sunday dinner with her family.” The vision was like a puddle of water. It reflected back, but when I grabbed for it, it slipped through my fingers. Something bothered me though, the conversation between Hovek and Lars. It was blurry, but my idea that Luuk backed the strighoul didn’t fully fit the bits of conversation I remembered.