Page 23 of Nix and Tell

“Pardon?”

“Mark me.”

I’m about to tease her some more, when I see the naked longing on her face. I whisper my answer against her ear, and she shudders with each word. “If I mark you, Chlo, then you’re mine.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

She looks at me then, matching my fierceness with her own. “I’m yours, and you are mine. Mark me, Violet. Mark me so the whole world knows that I belong with you.”

I stroke her neck with my fingers, and her head falls back, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. Leaning forward, I nuzzleand then dart my tongue across her skin, and huff my delight when she shudders. And then I bite, sucking at her skin, enticing the softest of moans from my Chlo, as she goes limp in my arms.

When I move back, the skin is red and raised, and she presses her fingers to it in something like wonderment. “Vi… I…” She kisses me, impetuously, and we fall back against the picnic blanket, kissing and stroking and curling up with each other.

This isn’t about sex, though it’s certainly sensual; it’s about us truly seeing each other.

We’ve been friends, from the moment we met, but this? This is something else entirely and I don’t think that I can let her go.

“You marked me,” she says, eyes shining. “You claimed me.”

“Thank you for letting me,” I say, but she isn’t finished speaking.

“No one’s ever really wanted to belong with me like that before. I spend too much time with mortals for nixes to really like or understand me; and I’m so standoffish that mortals always somehow sense that there’s something that’s not quite right. But you…” Her eyes well up, and I pull her close to me again. I can’t bear to see her cry. “You see me.”

“I see you,” I repeat, and kiss her as gently as I know how.

“And you want me.”

I waggle my eyebrows at her and she chuckles. “This is not how I thought I’d be spending my Sunday.”

“Me neither, but I’m so happy.”

17

Chlo

It’s getting cold when we head back home, and I sling my jacket around Violet’s shoulders as we make our way back into Wyrten Bridge, almost taking out Kit, who’s walking past with Marla. They make the cutest non-couple couple.

“Where’ve you guys been?” asks Marla.

Vi grins at her and starts bubbling over with excitement, telling them both all about our date. Kit shoots me a look. She’s used to me holding myself apart from most of the other nixes in town, but I’ve never dated anyone from the village.

I shrug and grin, but the worry in her eyes doesn’t alleviate, especially when Violet’s gaze catches on the shimmery green scales on her arm. I’ve always wondered about Kit’s tatts, and the way that the inked fish seem to swim behind and in front of the scales that are scattered across her body, just like mine.

Her eyes widen in panic, and she takes a step back.

“Kit?” Marla’s confused and Vi’s trying to hide her dismay. She must have forgotten what Hazel and I have impressed upon her.

“It’s fine, Kit, I?—”

“It sounds like you had a nice date.” Her words are loud enough to attract attention from other people walking around, and there are more than a few nixes who start to shoot us odd looks. No one whom I’d be worried about, but I’ll be getting a call from my parents this evening. If Trisantona’s attempts at matchmaking were clumsy enough, Goddess only knew who my parents would try to set me up with. Probably some completely inoffensive fae with a career in river management who wouldn’t arouse even the slightest desire in me.

Kit looks apologetic, and I realise that somehow, she’s managed to keep her status as a nix complete secret from Marla.

Recovering quickly, Vi smiles at them both and makes a joke about rowboats and picnics.

“You took her on the river?” This time Kit sounds pissed. “You know how dangerous that is.”

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