Page 17 of Of Pixies and Promises
He reluctantly met her eyes, but every line of his body was tense.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” she snapped.
“Whatcanyou say?” He threw up his hands. “I’m human. You’re a fae princess. You need a pixie in your harem, not someone like me.”
“But… do you want that?” she asked. “If you had the chance, would you be with me—in my world?”
His resistance melted, and defeat bled into every line of his posture. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?” She scowled. “My wings wanted to dust you. You, the human enemy. You, my protector. You, the only male I’ve ever wanted to… well, you get the picture. Maybe I don’t need a harem. Maybe I just need you.”
“Your people would never accept me.”
“You leave that for me to worry about.”
“Fangs,” he whispered, shaking his head.
Her scowl deepened, and she tested her wings. They felt stronger and healed faster with each passing second. This was the effect of being close to the ceremonial lake. Mana soaked into her from nature at an alarming rate, especially now they were close to the ground. The sooner they went to the water, the quicker it would be.
She let her wings work until she hovered in the air, grabbed his collar, and shoved him off the branch. He growled and snapped his hand over her wrist, ensuring her connection held while she flew them as best as she could to the ground. She couldn’t fully carry his weight and probably never would, but it was enough to lower them safely.
After that, it was as simple as following the bioluminescence toward the lake.
They emerged from the forest an hour later. Neither had spoken. It got to the point that Nyra thought her emotions had been high because of the danger. She’d seen warriors overcome with that frantic adrenaline. Seen them come back from a battleand fuck, drink, or get into brawls. Maybe she’d imagined her wings about to make dust. Maybe none of this was meant to be and was instead a coincidence.
She wouldn’t know for sure until the bargain ended.
“What now?” Sid asked as they walked across the vast shore to the lake’s edge.
Nyra sighed as she placed her palm in the warm water. Effervescent life zinged into her being, filling her with energy and meaning.
“Touch it,” she whispered. “Can’t you feel it?”
Sid crouched and lowered his hand. Nyra held her breath, waiting for him to respond. When he withdrew his hand with a shrug, her stomach dropped.
“You truly feel nothing?” she asked. “Not even a tingle?”
Sid’s eyes skated over the lake, and he cocked his head. For a moment, Nyra thought he might hear the whispers from the Cosmic Well itself. But he shook his head and stood.
“It’s just a lake,” he answered.
Nyra’s shoulders slumped, but she didn’t stand to join him. She stayed on her knees and crawled a little further into the water. Her dress was in tatters. The leaves and flowers were either bruised or gone. All that was left was the gauzy silk wrapped around her torso and wings trailing behind her.
“What are you doing?” he asked quietly.
“I’m refilling.”
Silence.
“So you just sit there? How long will it take?”
She shrugged. “An hour, maybe two.”
The crunching of sand indicated he walked away from the water’s edge. But then she heard boots thudding to the ground. She glanced in time to see him drag his shirt over his head. Broad shoulders, defined muscles, and a tapered waist. He had the body of a warrior, protector, of a… consort. And when shelooked at him, half covered in spider blood, all she could think was how he’d fought to keep her safe. How he’d wanted to give up his life for hers.
Bargain, she reminded herself and snapped her gaze back to the unending waters.
He returned to her side and sat in the shallows. Every ounce of her being urged her to look at him. Her fingers curled in the wet sand and she stared ahead.
