Page 56 of Brody
Something in her expression shifted, vulnerability flashing across her features before the professional mask slipped back into place.“It’s kept me alive this long.”She glanced over her shoulder at the Fae dwelling.“Though, I admit, my methods aren’t prepared for… this.”
“If it helps, the Bane pack has been guarding these secrets for generations and we still don’t fully understand them.”I gestured toward the doorway.“But they’re safe.And after what happened in town with Tabia’s mercenaries, safety is what we need right now.”
Her shoulders tensed at the mention of her grandmother’s assassins.“You think she knows where we’re heading?”
“I think Tabia Dhahabu doesn’t do anything without calculation,” I replied carefully.“Whether she knows our specific destination doesn’t matter.She knows you’re with me, and that’s enough for her to keep sending killers.”
Rozi’s jaw tightened, determination hardening her features into something fierce and beautiful.“Let her try.I’ve spent my entire career fighting against her pharmaceutical empire.I’m not stopping now.”
The fire in her eyes made my inner wolf surge forward, recognizing the warrior spirit that matched our own.Mine, he growled with primal satisfaction.Strong.Perfect.
“What we’re seeking could change everything,” she continued.“If we can find what we need, create a treatment that doesn’t strip away half of what makes shifters who they are…”
“We destroy her business model,” I finished.“Hit her where it hurts most, the bottom line.”
A slow, dangerous smile spread across Rozi’s face.“Exactly.”She turned back to the Fae dwelling, squaring her shoulders like a soldier preparing for battle.“So are we going to stand out here all day, or are you going to show me what’s inside this impossible house?”
My throat went dry as she studied the dwelling, her brow furrowing in that way that meant her clever mind was dissecting the impossible.My wolf clawed beneath my skin, desperate to surface, to howl his claim.I dug my nails into my palms until they bled, the pain grounding me when everything else screamed to reach for her.The way she’d looked at me when I’d shown her the Fae pathway, surprise mixed with reluctant admiration, had ignited something that had been smoldering since our reunion.
She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow.“Something on my face, Thornbern?”
Just perfection, I thought, but said instead, “Only making sure you don’t faint from the shock of seeing actual magic.”I gestured toward the open door.“After you.”
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the slight upturn of her lips as she passed me.The scent of her—jasmine, vanilla, and woman—hit me like a physical blow as she brushed by, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her body.
The interior of the Fae dwelling welcomed me like an old friend yet still stole my breath as it always did.No matter how many times I’d visited, the magic never dulled.I watched Rozi’s face as she took in what I’d already come to treasure.
The cabin’s open floor plan stretched impossibly beyond what its exterior dimensions should allow, a space that laughed at human architecture and physics alike.Smooth stone walls embedded with thousands of precious gems aglow, responding to our presence by brightening along the path we walked.Moonstones, sapphires, amethysts, gems that would bankrupt kingdoms outside these walls, served as nothing more than living lamps here, casting a warm glow that made Rozi’s mahogany skin shimmer like burnished bronze.
The hearth dominated the far wall, its river stones arranged in ancient Fae symbols Una had once tried to teach me to read.Kindling already waited in the fireplace, arranged in a pattern that would ignite with a single spark and burn for hours without consuming the wood, another Fae miracle that science couldn’t explain.Before it sat two single-person chairs that I knew from experience were more comfortable than any human furniture, grown rather than built from living wood that adjusted to the sitter’s form.The soft fabrics covering them shifted colors subtly with the changing light, blues deepening to purples, greens warming to golds.
My eyes tracked Rozi as she explored the kitchen area tucked into one corner, her fingers trailing over the stone countertop with its embedded heating elements that required no electricity or gas yet could boil water in seconds.The refrigerator hummed softly, its exterior crafted from the same living wood as the walls, but its interior a marvel of Fae technology that kept food fresh for months without ice.I knew without looking that it would be fully stocked, fresh meat, cheeses, fruits that shouldn’t be in season, vegetables harvested at peak ripeness.The Bane pack maintained these cabins meticulously, ensuring they were always ready for weary travelers.
The pantry beside it stood open, revealing shelves stocked with preserves, dried herbs that retained their potency for decades, wines from vineyards that no longer existed in the human world.Una had taught me which of the strange-looking foods were safe for human consumption, which were meant only for Fae metabolism, and which might induce visions or dreams if consumed before sleep.
Through the open floor plan, the bathing area beckoned, a natural stone pool large enough for two but small enough to feel intimate, fed by a waterfall that emerged directly from the living rock wall.Steam rose from its surface, carrying the distinctive mineral scent of the COL water that fed it.The water glowed with an ethereal blue luminescence, a gentle reminder that we approached the source of the Ridge’s magic.
Beyond the main living space, through an arched doorway grown rather than carved, stood the sleeping area with its single massive bed.The bed frame twisted up from the floor itself, branches intertwining to create a foundation that seemed alive.Furs and fabrics covered the surface, materials so soft they made the finest human silks feel like burlap in comparison.Above it, more gemstones dotted the ceiling in constellations that matched no human sky yet seemed perfectly arranged.
Everything in the dwelling spoke of harmony—earth, water, fire, and air balanced in perfect communion.This wasn’t just shelter; it was a sanctuary.A place where magic and matter merged, where healing happened naturally, where time moved differently from the world outside.
The sunlight caught in Rozi’s curls, turning them to burnished gold as she took it all in, and desire hit me with such force I had to clench my fists to keep from reaching for her.For years, I’d waited, and now here she was, standing in this magical place with me, her mind visibly working to make sense of what defied human understanding.
My throat went dry as she studied the dwelling, her brow furrowing in that way that meant her mind was dissecting the impossible.My wolf clawed beneath my skin, desperate to surface, to howl his claim.I dug my nails into my palms until they bled, the pain grounding me when everything else screamed to reach for her.
Rozi stood in the center of the room, turning slowly to take it all in, her eyes wide with curiosity.“How is this possible?The interior dimensions are at least three times what the exterior suggests.”
“Fae spatial manipulation,” I replied, setting down my pack and moving to light the hearth.“They exist partially outside our dimensional understanding.”
“That’s not an explanation,” she countered, but her voice held more fascination than skepticism.“That’s just putting a label on the inexplicable.”
I struck a match, touching it to the kindling, which caught immediately, flames dancing in colors that shifted between blue and gold.“Maybe some things don’t need explanations to be true.”
She shot me a look that was pure Rozi, equal parts irritation and intellectual challenge.“Everything has an explanation, Brody.We just haven’t discovered all of them yet.”
The use of my first name instead of Thornbern sent warmth through my chest.Another small crack in the wall she’d built between us.
“Either way,” I said, standing and brushing off my hands.“It’s warm, dry, and safe.The Fae built these places in natural energy nexus points, locations where the Ridge’s protective magic is strongest.”
