Page 9 of Don't Fae With Dragons

His legs are shaky, but Kar manages to stay standing. I smile at him and say, “Look! You’ll be just fine, see?”

Kar laughs at my optimism and winces again at the motion. “Terrible not to be able to laugh.” I realize our hands are still entwined, and I drop them quickly, feeling butterflies rise in my stomach. He raises an eyebrow when I break contact, but doesn’t say anything. Then, he takes a step closer. “You seem like someone I can trust. Is that true?”

I stand taller, trying not to feel frightened of the intense question, and nod solemnly. Kar nods back, a focused expression on his face. I reassure him, “I’m a protector in these lands. While you are with me, no harm will befall you.”

“What town is this, if I may ask?” he says, head tilting slightly to the side.

I smile at his curious expression. “This is Ethelinda. We’re one of the Southernmost civilizations in the Realm. Faeries and other kinds of magickal creatures abound here, and kindness and peacefulness are the central values of our people.”

Kar nods once more, and slowly reaches to hold my hand. Although I’m shy, I let him. “It sounds beautiful. Like you.” I blush at the compliment, but don’t pull away. Something about him is drawing me in, and I want to know him more.

“Shall we go to the town?” I ask. “I can show you my home, and find you somewhere to rest while you recover?” ... Perhaps even my home, I think to myself, but only if youdon’task nicely. I immediately stop that line of thought. I try not to be too shocked with myself, but apparently, I like a sense of danger.

He smiles crookedly as if he can read my thoughts, then, we begin walking through the forest together. I hold an arm under his shoulder at times to help him balance, and he clutches my hand almost the entire walk. We talk quietly part of the journey, laughing here and there at little jokes, but mostly we travel in a sort of mysterious silence. It’s new and exciting with him, I realize.

–––

We walk through town, and more than a few faeries stare at Kar, beautiful stranger that he is. He ignores the attention (or perhaps doesn’t even notice it) and walks along, seeming to grow stronger with each step.

“How are you feeling?” I ask as we near my cottage.

He grins at me and shrugs, leaning over to brush a hair out of my eyes. My cheeks flush at the touch, and I look down as I smile. “Never better,” he replies. Then, we arrive at my home.

“Um, there is someone inside, just so you know.”

He raises an eyebrow. “A lover?” he teases. His words are light, but there’s some strange coldness in them; I shrug it off, though, since I may be imagining it.

“Her name is Aurora. She’s my companion.”

Kar glances at the door, and frowns. “You didn’t mention a companion.”

“She’s loyal, I promise,” I reassure him. “She will not harm you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he whispers on his breath, “and you know it.” He leans over to me and kisses my cheek fiercely, teeth grazing softly as he pulls away. I know my cheeksare burning red, but I pretend they’re not and move to open the door.

Once it’s open, I move aside to let Kar in. He steps over the threshold gingerly, looking almost-nervous. I tell him again, “You’re safe here. I swear it.” He nods, eyes scanning the room wildly, but continues in.

We make our way to the little loveseat by the small fireplace, and he sits. I offer him some soothing tea but he asks for something stronger. His request makes me smile so I quickly find some mulberry wine in the kitchen before returning to find him looking through my bookshelf. He’s thrown several books to the floor messily, and has his nose deep in one of my precious antiquity spell books. I gasp at the sight, and he looks up to me, caught.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “I was too curious not to look.”

I hate that I instinctively smile politely, although my heart is pounding at the strange intrusion. “It’s alright,” I say (too brightly to be genuine). I go quickly to the bookshelf and grab the ancient grimoire from his hands, hastily placing it back in its place. He helps me replace all the books from the ground, apologizing all the while, and I smile again and tell himit’s fine, nothing to worry about(damn, why am I so polite), all the while wondering who I’ve really let into my home. Let’s just say that the thrill of danger from a minute ago got old fast.

We sit, then, and have the mulberry wine without speaking. I say nothing out of fear I’ll just say somethingnice. After a few minutes, though, he breaks the silence and asks, “You’re quite magickal, then?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t remember if I am or not.”

I shrug cautiously. “Well, most everyone is magickal in some way. I’m sure you will remember, soon.”

“I hope I do.” He sighs mournfully and takes my hands in his. “Mili, I am truly sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I suppose I just hoped ... hoped that I would see something that helped meremember.”

“Ok, Kar,” I say softly. A single drop of saltwater falls down his cheek, and I can’t help it, my eyes start to feel like they might fill with tears of my own. In a way, I feel for him. He might be a handsome mysterious stranger hiding something that is possibly dangerous, but he’s also a pathetic creature clearly in pain. “I understand, I promise. I didn’t mean to be so alarmed, of course you want to try and find the answers that you need,” though not be too preoccupied with decorum, I think to myself.

He nods, brushing his single tear away so quickly that it reminds me a bit of Aurora’s waterworks when she tries to get something out of me. Then he says, “It’s alright. I suppose it’s been a hard day for both of us.”

At that, I nod readily, mustering up another smile. “That it has.” I rub his hand gently with my thumb, and he leans back onto the couch, brushing his silvery-white hair behind his right ear. He’s so unusual, maybe that’s why I’m suspicious of him, but he’s so handsome. I take one hand, then, and stroke the ends of his hair just above his shoulders. It feels almost like mine, smooth just shorter, and I smile. “What is it?” he asks.

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