Page 38 of Tempting the Fae Lord
But as his heartbeat pounds a vital pulse in my ears, I can pretend that he is. That he smells of lavender soap and crisp winter snows. That his hair falls soft against my cheek. That the huff ghosting over my earlobe is Gale’s sweet sigh and not the damp breath of the drunken stranger.
I finish and close the twin wounds with a flick of my tongue over his skin. The alcohol he’s imbibed courses through me, bringing with it a pleasant tipsy warmth that I know from experience will only last a moment, so I savor it.
With a thought, I cast a haze over his memory.
Nothing to worry about. Helped a friend. Time to head home.
“My thanks,” I say with a parting pat to his shoulder. “Don’t wake your family when you stumble in.”
He chuckles and totters off.
That accomplished, I roll my neck, cracking the bones, and wait for my body to process the alcohol.
Mind clear, I move on to the next thing on my short list: find the accursed death mage and put the man out of his misery so I can handle the fae sorceress without interference.
I steel myself to the task, call forth my wings, and fly north.
Gale
After stumblingmy way through the pitch-black hall, I emerge in a dusty antechamber. Two oil lamps glow golden on a long table against the wall. Their light is only just enough to see by. A thick carpet cushions my steps and silences my movement.
I’m tempted to call out, but not knowing whether friend or foe inhabits this strange place, I think better of opening my mouth so soon.
Musty air tickles my nose. I hold back a sneeze for fear of the noise.
My palm stings from the blade’s slice. It needs tending, so I gather my wits and search for something I can use.
Huh, there are no drapes from which to tear a strip of cloth because there are no windows to be found. Am I subterranean? The thought creeps me out.
A decorative red and gold brocade cloth lines a side table against the far wall. That will have to do. I shake off a year’s worth of dust and set about tearing a good-sized strip to wrap around my hand. The bleeding has stopped, but it smarts with every movement. And to think, Ezra must deal with this every time he crosses through the gate. Ouch.
That done, I move past the empty antechamber and look for a way up. I need to get my bearings. Seeing the sky will help. Are the stars here the same as the stars in the fae realm? I long to find out.
On silent feet, I turn down another dark hall. The next time I set about exploring an unknown realm, I should bring candles and a torch with me.
And hopefully a guide.
One rather grumpy Gatekeeper would be perfect for the position.
Finally, I make it outside, but there’s no sky to be seen through the thick branches of pine towering overhead. Still, it feels much better out here than it did in there. Open and fresh, with a cool breeze on my cheeks and snow crunching beneath my boots.
A bit like home.
As a continue, I note landmarks so I’ll be able to find my way back. A bent tree here, an oval-shaped gray boulder there, a set of crossed logs fallen near a dry creek bed.
Another whiff of home hits me, a scent in the air, a certain tingle that reminds me of fae magic, something I wouldn’t have expected this side of the gate. My skin bristles under its presence.
I scan the area but find nothing out of sorts, so hackles raised, I press on.
“Who are you?” a voice calls from the branches up ahead.
Startled, I jump sky high and clutch my chest. I search for the speaker. A small woman flies toward me, her blue wings fluttering as quickly as a hummingbird’s.
“I’m Gale.” I struggle to catch my breath. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.” She tilts her head and stops good distance away, which calms my fear a bit. “You set off my perimeter enchantments. Where did you come from, Gale?”
Not knowing which will get me into more trouble, the truth or a lie, I stick with the truth. For now. “A building back there.” I gesture through the forest. “You’re fae.”
