Page 160 of Fated or Knot

He shook his head. “I left some space for my Always. And the stars blessed me, since you’re a dream warden too. We could have a matching pattern.”

My breath caught. “That would be amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so. I was hoping you’d let me start painting your wings as soon as possible.”

I barely let him finish that statement before my lips were on his for an enthusiastic kiss. That explained how he intended to mark my wings with his magic. I’d mourned losing the silvery lavender tones on my wings as his essence faded. They’d since fully darkened and glowed like amethyst gems. Pretty on their own, but missing that special something that’d made me feel so close to my Always.

He let me go at the end of the kiss, so I was flying on my own. I righted myself so my belly faced the ground and coasted through the air beside him. “I’d love that, but didn’t you say you needed more time to replenish your magic?” I asked.

“Well, that was before I spent the better part of the last week in the dreamlands waiting for my turn. My essence replenishes much faster here. Check your magic, it should be the same for you.”

I did, and found that he was right. The sphere of magic within me seemed whole already, even after at least an hour of flight to make it to the dreamlands. So, he must feel more complete too after sacrificing so much for me. I tried to do a spin of glee and spiraled a couple times before catching myself.

“Anyway, we have a way’s to travel still. How about a dance?” He offered his hand with a midair bow and an expectant look. I didn’t ask how we could possibly dance while flying, I just put my hand in his knowing he’d lead me.

We twirled together, and I didn’t feel dizzy even though I was expecting it. This was no ballroom dance, but something we invented together while gravity didn’t want to drag us down. Weightless, we floated together and varied our performance, sometimes quick and looping, and as our mood shifted and we flew chest to chest, slow and intimate too.

He kept us on track as we flew across the dreamlands together, mostly in one another’s arms.

45

LARK

We arrived before dark on the outskirts of a city lit thoroughly with essence lamps and fluttering faelights, like those who lived there wanted to mirror the stars. My ears popped as we came in for a landing and passed an invisible barrier spell of some kind.

I’d started noticing an increasing number of dreaming minds soaring around us, which looked like little orbs of multicolored light. According to Kauz, they usually posed no harm to dream wardens, but if they gathered in a large number, they could warp reality erratically. “The dreamlands’ thin barrier between reality and dreaming works both ways. Our people gather in settlements under special enchantments to keep us safe at night,” he’d said.

The city was built with short, closely packed buildings and no two were alike. Serian’s usual A-frames and pointed roofs sat next to the flat structures more common in Thelis or combined the two to make a hybrid. There was more whimsy in how they were made, with some ordinary brick, timber, and stone constructions intermingled with what looked like straw for onehouse, and a construction of many thousands of multicolored pebbles for another.

Kauz held my hand and let me look my fill. “This is the city of Once Else,” he said when I turned back to him to share this moment.

“Where have I heard that name before?” I wracked my tired brain for it. Every passing mention of the dreamlands included names like Ever Borough or After All that could slip into a conversation unnoticed unless it was obvious there was a place being referred to.

He gave my hand a squeeze. “I asked Mother if there was any family I could take you to meet on your Unseelie side. She shared that Dorei was a foundling surrendered to the Once Else orphanage.”

My mouth formed a soft “o” as I looked around again. “This was her home,” I gasped.

“Aye, and I did find a few folks here that you should meet. How does tomorrow sound for that, though?” He tipped a tender smile my way. “I’m feeling a little selfish with your time.”

“Tomorrow,” I agreed quickly. “I probably smell like the sea and…” I muffled a yawn that’s taken hold when I was about to suggest how tired I was.

“You smell like Always, as always,” he teased. “I have an inn room with human plumbing, and a nice change of clothes ready for you.”

“And a big bed? With a handsome, naked dream warden in it?” I asked, dropping my voice not to let any passersby happen upon our conversation. There weren’t as many fae walking the streets as I’d have expected for a city this size. There were other dream wardens like us, and also a handful of other native dreamland races like lycans and kitsune strolling casually.

“That can be arranged,” Kauz said, though he made a pained face. “However, perhaps we shouldn’t go too far tonight.”

“Why not?” I practically whined. After enjoying the journey here and having his hands on me for our dance, I was eager and slick for him.

“Your heat. I don’t want to trigger it without one of my alpha brothers present. I could add to the suppressant tattoo…”

I shook my head, though reluctantly. I was ready to be done with suppressants and claimed by his pack, even if the incoming heat promised to burn me from the inside out.

“You’re right,” I said, longing coating each word.

“Don’t worry, we still have dreams. And Marius will get here sometime tomorrow. Maybe his rut will be finished by then, otherwise I’ll make sure to lock him out of the room so I have at least one opportunity to make love to you first in reality.”

I covered my mouth so I didn’t burst out laughing as hard as I wanted to in public. He tugged me toward the inn where we were staying, constructed of river stones and contained to one story, so it’d spread to be the size of a city block on its own. We retired together for a quiet date night over a meal and fae fruit wine. He only ordered one bottle, so the walls were quite stationary even by the time I was down to nursing my last glass.

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