But the wolves didn't respond. And to her dismay, they didn't seem in any rush to leave her there, either. Two of them sat down, a third flopping down onto its belly, while three more circled the tree, clearly waiting for any sign of weakness from her. She felt a chill run down her spine at how calm they all seemed, how ready for this behavior from her. Was she reading too much into it… or was it possible that the wolves had had this experience before? Had they chased a traveler up a tree then waited them out? How much human flesh had they had… was that why they'd started chasing her? They'd developed a taste for it? Travelers did go missing in these woods a lot, hadn't Galen told her that…?
One of the wolves, unexpectedly, took a sudden jump toward her, its jaws snapping shut a few feet from her heels. With a yelp, she pulled her legs up, instinctively, and felt herself wobble alarmingly on the branch. Stifling a scream, she grabbed it tightly, lowering her body instinctively to steady her balance… adrenaline pounded in her chest. This wasn't a safe position to be in. Sooner or later, she was going to lose her balance and fall… and these wolves seemed determined to wait for that to happen. All she could do was hope that someone found her before that happened…
Julia scanned the trees, hoping against hope to spot a torch in the distance, a Watchman riding to her rescue… even Galen, at this point, would be a sight for sore eyes. But she didn't see any torches. What she did see was… strange. A glow, almost like the odd after-effect of looking straight at the sun – like a halo on her vision that she was struggling to get rid of, no matter how she blinked. It was focused in one spot, though, and she stared at that part of the woods intently, blinking hard. The bright spot, whatever it was… it was getting bigger, and bigger. And to her shock, she realized what it reminded her of. It was like the long-limbed, glowing figures from her dream… the Sidhe.
Could it be…?
A flash of silver. Julia's eyes widened as she felt, rather than saw, the wolves react – all six were suddenly on their feet, growling and snapping, on high alert as a figure came leaping out of the trees. It was humanoid, but only barely – no human could have moved that quickly, could have whirled about with such a deadly purpose. She could barely make out what was happening – only that there was flashing silver and sudden yelping and whining from the wolves, three of whom were suddenly sporting bleeding gashes across their snouts and shoulders. The pack scattered, yelping as they ran into the trees, and Julia found herself staring down at a hauntingly familiar face.
"It's you," she breathed.
There he stood – just as she remembered him. His hair fell almost to the middle of his back, eerily smooth and well-groomed despite his recent altercation with the wolves – she found herself thinking, crazily, of the way hair and makeup people would adjust movie stars' looks in between shots so they always looked flawless. He was just as handsome as a movie star, too – that unearthly, androgynous beauty she'd noticed when she saw him in the clearing, those high, angular cheekbones, and that pair of shockingly green eyes. They'd seemed to glow from within in the daylight of the clearing… but now, in the darkness, they shone like distant green stars. She thought, briefly, of the book she'd studied in twelfth grade English, about the man who'd stand at the end of a pier, gazing at a green light on the other side of the bay… his eyes, she thought dizzily, looked just like she'd imagined that light would.
"It's me," he confirmed after a silence that felt like it lasted a thousand years… and his lips curled upwards in a smile that was breathtakingly beautiful. Julia felt her heart turn to warm mush at that smile – and, distracted as she was, too late she realized her grip on the tree was slipping. With a muffled shriek, she reached out for the branch – but it was too late. She was falling – and then, abruptly, she wasn't. Though the man had been at least six feet away, somehow he was right there to catch her and set her gently downwards… and her skin was tingling in every place he'd touched her.
"Careful," he said softly, as though what he'd just done hadn't been absolutely magical. "The ground's uneven."
"You just saved my life," Julia said blankly, feeling her voice shaking, her vision threatening to blur as the adrenaline thrummed in her body. Somehow, though, she kept herself upright… perhaps helped by the hand that the man hadn't taken from her waist just yet. He really was standing awfully close… but somehow, she didn't mind. "Twice."
That smile again… God, she'd do just about anything to see that smile a few more times. "And you saved mine."
She blinked, confused by that for a moment… until she realized that he must be talking about that moment a few weeks ago in the clearing, when she'd distracted Galen just long enough for the man to get away… she flushed crimson, deeply pleased that this man even remembered that moment, recognized her from that brief interaction… did it mean she'd made an impression? she wondered hopefully. She'd been wet and bedraggled… right now, at least she looked reasonably nice, if windswept, in her gown… but she realized with dismay that there were leaves and sticks all over her, and she brushed them off hastily, making a sound of alarm. The man laughed, a sound so pure and musical that it caught her breath all over again, and she stared up at him wide-eyed.
"No need to worry," he said softly, catching the hand that had flown to her hair to start picking the leaves from it. "I think the natural look suits you wonderfully."
"That's nice of you to say," she managed to stammer out.
"I could say a great deal more," he said, those glowing green eyes tracing her features thoughtfully in a way that made her whole spine seem to crackle with electricity… and then he turned, clicking his tongue. Sure enough, the wolves hadn't gotten far – they were lingering in the trees that surrounded the little clearing, their eyes glowing in the darkness. "Forgive me – we're not safe here. Would you accompany me? I know a place where we'll be protected."
She knew she should probably give the matter a little more thought. A strange man – a man who Galen had been trying to kill only a week and a half ago… a man she knew nothing about, not even his name… he was offering to take her somewhere. Did she dare risk getting even more lost with this glamorous stranger? She knew she was being reckless, knew this was an objectively terrible idea… but the more his green eyes shone, the more she knew she was going with him, no matter what her better judgment might say. After all – wasn't she already lost in the woods?
How much worse could it really get?
Chapter 24
Julia nodded, her breath still labored – and the man smiled, lightning-quick, lighting up the pleasure centers of her brain again. God, it was like a warm embrace, or a cool breeze on a hot day… something so profoundly pleasant about seeing him smile. She wanted to do whatever she could to get more of that smile… and if that meant going with him to wherever he was taking her, well, that was what she'd do. Carefully, he offered her one outspread hand – his skin was pale and cool, his nails perfectly manicured, even the bones of his hands fine and beautiful… they looked like the kinds of hands you saw modelling priceless jewelry in expensive magazines. Feeling a little embarrassed about her own short nails, complete with hangnails, she put her hand in his, ready to set out walking again —
But something happened. Something bizarre – something she could barely believe. It felt as though something… lurched, just slightly, as though the earth itself had been tipped off its axis for a moment. Her vision blurred and shifted as gravity re-established herself, and she took a sharp breath. The world around her had changed – gone were the wolves, gone was the tree behind her where she'd hidden from the pack.
Instead, they were in a beautiful little clearing, encircled by two narrowing semi-circles of trees that meant a heart-shaped piece of sky was cut out above them. A stream cut diagonally across the heart-shaped clearing, and Julia fought back a grin as an image leapt to mind – that old cartoony picture of a heart with an arrow stabbed through it. She realized she was still holding the man's hand in hers… but he didn't seem in a rush to change that,
and so she didn't draw attention to it. She just followed him as he drew her toward the water's edge, where two large stones sat for all the world as though they were waiting for them. He inclined his head toward her, gesturing toward one of the stones, and she sat down, smiling a little. They were the perfect height… and compared to trekking through the pitch-black woods, this was a very pleasant change.
"Introductions are in order, I think," the man said softly, his eyes shining. "For all that I've been thinking about you since I saw you, I don't have your name."
"We didn't get a chance, did we?" she said with a smile, thinking back to that day. She knew Galen had been there – he'd been rather a significant part of the scene, hadn't he? Strange… all she could remember was this man, his glowing green eyes, the way he'd disappeared into the woods like a phantom. Had he pulled the same trick then that he'd pulled to bring them both to this clearing? The knowledge that she was now more hopelessly lost than she'd ever been in her life surfaced briefly in her mind… and then she put it straight away. She didn't want to think about that. She just wanted to think about him.
"What can I call you?" he said, tilting his head. Something strange about the phrasing there.
"Julia. Julia Andersen." Funny – she'd had to think for a minute, to remember her own name. "And you?"
That musical laugh again… God, she'd happily sit here all night if it meant a chance at hearing that laugh again. "My name is unpronounceable in this tongue," he said softly… and as he mentioned languages, she realized with a start what was strange about his voice. She'd grown so accustomed to the Scottish accents around her – but this man didn't speak with a Scottish accent. She couldn't name his accent, in fact. It sounded… well, it sounded good, that was all she could think about it. Sure, she had a soft spot for the Scottish accent, but the way this man spoke put that entirely out of his mind. "It's also very, very long."
"Lots of middle names?" she asked, tilting her head. A friend from work often complained about having four middle names – a large family who'd argued considerably about what the first grandchild should be named was to blame. But the man laughed again.
"Lots of titles," he corrected her, his eyes gleaming. "But I suppose they serve a similar purpose. Do you have a middle name, Julia?"
The way her name sounded on his tongue was heavenly, and she fought the urge to let her eyes slide shut. "No," she admitted, wishing she did so she could hear him say it.
"More's the pity. I love middle names," he said softly. "Such a human trait. A secret name that only a close few learn… there's power in that intimacy, don't you think?"
Intimacy. She had a few thoughts about intimacy herself … that she was doing her level best not to think about, for fear that her face would blush so red that the blood would all run out of her brain and she'd pass out. Stranger things had happened tonight, hadn't they? It would be just like her to pass out during what was probably the most romantic moment of her entire damned life… "I never thought of it like that," she said softly.
"Forgive me. I've grown distracted again. You seem to have that effect on me," he said with a wink that almost stopped her heart.
What on earth did he mean? Surely a creature as exquisite as him couldn't have any interest in her …
"You'll need to call me something. How about… Glimmerbright. That captures a little of my true calling, I suppose."
It suited him down to the ground, she realized as she looked at him – for all that she'd never heard a name like it in her entire life. She'd never met a man like him in her life, either, had she? "Glimmerbright," she said softly – and his eyes seemed to glow when she spoke it, for all the world as though it was a spell she'd cast. "Nice to meet you. Thank you, again, for what you did back there. I owe you one."
That made a strange look come across his face… thoughtful, curious, almost hungry. "I'd have thought your friend would have warned you about saying things like that to people like me," he said lightly, tilting his head to look closely at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Just that fairies take debts and favors a little more seriously than humans," Glimmerbright said softly… and a shiver ran down her spine.
"So, you're…"
"I'm what you call a Sidhe, in this tongue," he said softly. "It's an oversimplification of my true nature, of course, and throws me into the same category as a number of creatures I'd as soon have nothing to do with, but… well, in the company of a beautiful woman I'd rather save the history lecture," he said with another of those smiles.
It took her half a second to realize that the beautiful woman he was referring to was her – she resisted the urge to look around the clearing in search of someone else, in case it was a mistake. Not that she didn't think she was pretty, but coming from a creature like him, it just seemed… absurd.
"But neither of us owe each other a thing," he said with a smile. "You saved my life a week ago. I saved you from the wolves. What do you say – equals again?"
There was a curious resonance to his voice when he spoke, and for a reason she couldn't name, she felt like she was casting a magical spell when she nodded agreement. He beamed, reaching out to touch her hand lightly with his own, making her skin tingle at the contact.
"Wonderful."
"I never did find out why," she said curiously. "Why Galen was trying to kill you that morning. I assume that was what he was trying to do?"
"Oh yes," Glimmerbright said simply, shaking his head with a look of grief in his pale green eyes.
She bit her lip, a little apologetic about bringing it up if it caused him pain – but he shook his head, reaching out to touch her arm again, just lightly. It seemed so natural when he did it – what was it about him that made every movement seem so graceful, so perfect?
"Had you not intervened, I'm certain that iron blade would have struck my heart within minutes." He shuddered gently.
"Iron… you're allergic, right?"
He laughed again. "What a delightful way to put it! Yes, dear heart, we Fae are – allergic to iron, let's say. Susceptible," he added, shaking his head. "It cuts straight through our defenses. Defenses like the ones I've placed on this clearing, by the way," he added, gesturing around toward the tree line. She followed his gesture curiously, and realized, her eyes widening, that the trees were shimmering with curious magic. "No wolf could step through those trees if he tried."
"Good to know," she said softly, shaking her head. "I was so lost…"
"Forgive me for prying," he said with a tilt of his gorgeous head, his blond hair falling across his shoulders. "But just what were you doing in the woods so late? I admire your courage," he added with a smile dancing across his features. "But without a weapon…"
"Yeah, it was stupid," she admitted, shaking her head.
But Glimmerbright stopped her. "Now, no," he said firmly. "I won't hear you insulting my good friend Julia like that. I've seen no evidence of stupidity from you whatsoever."
"I left the castle before the sun had set," she said, her chest glowing at the fact that he'd called her a good friend. "Like you said, I didn't bring a weapon… and then I got lost in the woods."
"Someone must have driven you to that," he said, tilting his head. "Why did you feel the need to leave the castle?"
"Galen," she said, teeth gritted. "The man who was trying to kill you, actually. He's been – well, he's been insufferable. Treating me like a child, telling me where I can and can't go, trying to control me… I just needed to get away from him."
Glimmerbright nodded in satisfaction. "See? Not stupid at all."
"Thanks," she said softly. "I – that's incredibly good to hear. It's been a long time since someone… trusted me, I guess."
"That baffles me," Glimmerbright said softly, reaching out to push a lock of hair back behind her ear and almost stopping her heart in the process. "I'd trust you with my life."
She couldn't help but laugh at that, as hard as her heart was pounding. "We only just met!"
"Yes," she said simply, unable to stop herself. "I do."
Chapter 25
There was a strange quiet in the clearing… it seemed that even the usual sounds of the forest were muffled here, and even the chill bite of the wind had been muted. Was it something to do with his protective magics? she wondered. Or was it just the pounding of her own heart, dulling her attention to anything that wasn't his beautiful face, his shining eyes, his thoughtful words?
"Can I ask you something?" she said softly, emboldened by their talk of trust.
He chuckled. "You just did."
"Something else, then."
"Anything."
"Why was Galen trying to kill you?"
A shadow passed across his head, and he sighed heavily, filling her with dismay for having brought up the subject again. "It's hard to say. Men have never trusted my kind."
"Why not? I mean… I know that some Fae cause trouble and do harm to humans. The Unseelie, right?"
He tilted his head, giving her a thoughtful smile. "I should have expected someone so clever to have done their research. It's true – the Seelie and Unseelie Fae… well, that's one way of categorizing us, I suppose, though of course as in all things, the truth is much more complicated."
"Is that what you meant about not liking to be categorized with certain Fae?" she asked curiously. A shiver ran down her spine. "You are Seelie, right?"
"I may as well ask if you're a good person or not." He chuckled. "It's a more complicated question than you might imagine. I do what I believe is right, as do we all."
She tilted her head. "But – I mean, there are objectively bad Fae, right? Ones that come to hunt and hurt people? I've heard stories about goblins and wild animals and all sorts."
"Are the wolves evil, who hunted you through the woods?" Glimmerbright asked, looking at her intently.
Woken By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance-Highlander Forever Book 7 Page 11
