Page 13 of Tempting the Fae Lord
Never a dull moment with Gale in our midst.
Ah, the thought of losing him to some sweltering southern city hurts my heart. My little blustery Gale, no longer so little, ready to tackle the world. What mischief will he stir up withoutus, and who will come to his rescue when he inevitably requires saving?
How many times have I plucked him from a disaster of his own making?
Even now, as my wings carry me farther and farther from his side, I feel the distance like a knife to the gut. Though he might be eager to be parted from me, how will I survive being parted from him?
Alas.
Perhaps it’s best to sever ties early, while he’s young, before I grow more attached than I already am. Before I watch all seventy, eighty, ninety if I’m graced by fate, of his years come and go. Before I witness him wither and die as they all inevitably do. Before I dig his grave in the frozen dirt of my cemetery with my own two hands. Before the inescapable heartbreak of it all hits yet again.
But no.
I am, at my core, a selfish man, and I will hoard the years I have left with him like a greedy dragon over its nest of gold if I can. With any luck, Gale’s thoughts of leaving and his bizarre desire to open a vein for me are just more of his many passing fancies, spoken of briefly, then never to be uttered again.
The air beneath my wings warms the farther I go. The town of Midview is south of the Onyx River, near to our capital city of Lemossin, and bordering hundreds of acres of forest on one side and farmland on the other.
It’s been an age since I’ve been summoned to this region, but it’s no surprise. With the recent uprising and the changeover of queens, there was bound to be upset. Turbulence. And with upset and turbulence comes dormancies. It was only a matter of time.
I descend into the heart of Midview, a square of stone buildings with a courtyard and gardens in the center. If the child is with the schoolmistress, she’ll likely be near here.
It’s the dead of the night, and no one is about. No matter. I close my eyes to better concentrate on the sounds.
A faint crackle of dying embers crumbling in a hearth. Ground beetles clicking and clacking their way underfoot. Snoring. A lot of snoring. From houses near and far.
With a bit of concentration, I focus on heartbeats. The slow and steady swooshing of fae in their prime. The rapid fluttering of a cat’s on the hunt. And finally, the quick and quietpah-pup, pah-pup, pah-pupof a newborn babe’s.
Not far. Uphill, two streets back and one house over. A sniff confirms what my ears have already told me. A fae woman and tiny youngling in a small cabin. Silently, I let myself in.
I don’t wish to scare the young maid, so instead, I wake the babe with a murmured song in her ear.
“Hushaby,doe-eyed star
Night doth ride in shadows far
Under the moon’s twinkling glow
Dreams whisper secrets low”
Her lids flutter open.
“Good evening, petite miss.” I stroke her cheek, soft as peach fuzz. “Could I trouble you to cry a bit for me? Perhaps you’re hungry, yes? A bit of wailing should solve that.”
She watches me with big brown eyes as if considering my request. Then her tiny face screws tight and reddens. She lets out a surprisingly loud sound for such a small creature.
Excellent.
I wait mere moments for the lady of the house to wake, and when she does, startle her as gently as I’m able with a slight clearing of my throat. “Apologies, young maid.”
She squeals and freezes, eyes wide with terror.
“No need to fear.” I make myself small, shoulders rolled inward, hands open, but even still, she backs against the wall and clutches her heart. “I come as requested and am only here to offer my help.”
I employ a bit of magical sway to calm her mood, not enough to usurp control, only a dash to slow her racing heart.
“Gatekeeper?” Her pupils nearly swallow her irises whole.
“So they call me.” I bow. “May I be of service?”
