Forever (Book #3 in the Fateful Series) (9 page)

“So the food was to ward against pixies ... temporarily?” Danielle asked.

“No.”

“Then what?” she asked with a confused look on her face.

“The food was to cause you to fall into the ring, but also to prevent you from turning fey when you entered it. And the fairy ring was to help you regain your lost memories.”

Danielle drew in a sharp intake of air.

At the sound, Alora took flight and flew to Danielle where she landed on her raised knee. “Did you dream?”

Shock filled Danielle’s expression, and she nodded but said nothing.

“Why?” Ethan demanded. Her flippant attitude was grating on his nerves and he wanted to reach out and flick the pretty little fey right off of Danielle’s knee, sending her sailing across the room, where she would likely bounce off of Casanova’s thigh before dropping to the floor like a swatted fly.

“Did you not wish to remember?” the fairy asked in what looked suspiciously like false remorse.

“I don’t see how this will help protect them against the threats!” ranted Richard in a tone that was sounding more dangerous by the minute.

Alora’s tiny eyebrows angled down and she charged the vampire. Richard didn’t flinch, though maybe he should have, because his unperturbed reaction seemed to further anger the fairy. She shook a finger at him as she hovered in his face and shouted. “We can help them like no one else can! The food and the ring are only part of what we’ve done for them.” She motioned to a group of fairies that lingered by the door, unnoticed until then. They moved forward, and Ethan watched in surprise and wonder as the small creatures presented Danielle with a necklace.

Danielle’s eyes met with his briefly, before she lifted her hair off her neck and let the fairies fasten the dark-gold chain around her neck. Three stones or crystals, Ethan wasn’t quite sure, hung from the center loop. The largest stone was a pale shade of aqua. It was flanked by two smaller crystals on either side in the same color. They were all connected by more links of the antique-looking, gold metal.

Richard groaned. “A bloody necklace? How will
that
help?”

“This will cloak her from the werewolves and the pixies as long as she wears it.”

“What about Ethan?” asked Merrick.

The fairy returned to Danielle’s knees and sat down, curling her legs beneath her. She turned her small face his way and he was surprised to see the look of mischief in her expression. “We borrowed your ring.”

Instinctively he looked for his wedding ring, but it was still there. He’d almost forgotten his Order ring when he noticed it was indeed missing. He’d worn it for so many years, he hadn’t noticed it was gone when he woke up.  A pair of male fairies flew up and presented the ring to him. Rolling his hand over so it was palm up, he watched as the heavy metal dropped into his hand. Holding it between his fingers, he inspected it. It looked exactly the same except it was heavier, like it had gained mass. “We’ve enchanted it so it will work as well as the necklace for hiding you.”

He pushed the ring onto his finger while he tried to figure how magic made it weigh more. The puzzle was soon discarded. There were just too many things about the fairies that he’d never understand.

“They won’t know where we are anymore?” Danielle asked in obvious disbelief.

Alora rose to her feet and smoothed down the ruffles of her petal skirt. “You’ll need to move, of course.”

“But—?”

“They will not be able to find you
if
they don’t know where you are.”

Danielle’s entire demeanor wilted at that, and Ethan knew how she felt. They loved their home here in England, and they probably couldn’t go back to Colorado either. So where were they to go then?

“We suggest somewhere secluded,” said one fairy.

“And somewhere across the water,” said another.

“Why is that?” Ethan asked. Danielle had snuggled closer and he’d tucked her head beneath his chin. His hand went to her hair. He could almost smell her distress and confusion at this news. First they’d been drugged, then they’d dreamed of a past they couldn’t hear or fully understand—and now this. Now they were again uprooted from their home and from the comforting familiarity of sleeping in their own bed.

“We know of a place,” said the first male fairy, completely ignoring his question.

“Why must we go across water?” Ethan asked again, with irritation rising in his chest like a bad case of indigestion. He pressed a fist between his pectoral muscles as he tried to soothe it.

The fairies shared knowing looks and then Alora sighed. “We know of a place that magical creatures avoid.”

“Why,” he repeated, because he wasn’t getting the kind of answers he wanted.

“Will we be able to accompany them if beings like us avoid this place?”

Ethan angled an annoyed glare at Cedric for interrupting, because he really wanted to know
why
this place was avoided.

“Yes, although the curse will be weakened while you’re there.”

Ethan opened his mouth to insist they answer him when Richard asked, “How much time do we have to pack them up?”

“Until the next full moon.”

“So a month,” said Casanova.

The fairies nodded.

“And how long will we need to live with you?” Ethan asked feeling like the situation was spinning out of control.

“This is a temporary solution.”

“We’re on top of it,” said Richard in a poorly masked attempt at regaining command.

“But—”

Again ignoring him, the fairies began to leave, as did the vampires. It was as though they’d decided the best course to keep him and Danielle safe, and his opinion just didn’t matter. Frustration caused Ethan to lunge to his feet. “Please tell me why this is the safest place for us?”

Alora paused about halfway between them and the door. She looked over her shoulder and peered at him through her fluttering lavender wings as she hovered in midair. “Derry Glen Cove is
our
place and it is heavily enchanted with fey magic.”

“I still don’t see—?”

In a flash, the fairy was in his face. He tried to focus on her but he couldn’t because he wasn’t wearing his glasses. “Do you wish to stay mortal and alive?” she asked in a deadly voice that didn’t fit the beauty of the fairy before him.

Ethan swallowed. “Yes.”

“Then you
will
live there, and you will stay away from the water’s edge, and well within the boundary of our grounds.”

Lovely—just what they needed—another limitation to this new and
now
mandatory holiday from reality. This was supposed to be a simple weekend getaway. Ethan had to admit to himself, as he dragged a hand through his hair, this experience had disheartened him to fairies. For Danielle’s safety, he would make the same choice ... but....

“Why can’t we just stay here?” Danielle asked, unexpectedly. She’d also risen from the sofa. Ethan felt her fingers slip between his, and in return, he gave her fingers a squeeze. Apparently, while he was tired of dealing with fairy trickery, she was still charmed by them. Deep down he knew she wouldn’t see living here for an extended period of time as a bad alternative to their home.

Seeming to be flattered by Danielle’s question, Alora expelled a soft, regret-filled sigh and said, “I’m sorry, my sweet, but many of the magical beings know of this place. They do not know of Derry Glen Cove. Plus, you were followed; the werewolves know you’re here.”

“Are they close by, then?”

“No. They left and will probably wait until the next full moon to attack.”

“And they won’t be able to follow us there?” Ethan asked.

The kindness dropped from Alora’s face like a mask.  He got the impression she didn’t like his tone and, he would admit, there had been a
tone
to the query, but he was getting sick of the vague answers and the lack of control he had in the situation. All of the guards, aside from Cedric, had already vacated the cottage like there was nothing more to discuss.

“We will take you there, so that we can make certain no one discovers our path,” Alora said as she looked at him with anger visible in every line of her petite body, and he knew it was time to stop the questions. In the back of his mind, Ethan still wondered why they must stay away from the water, but he also knew better than to doubt the fairies, or argue with them.

“Ethan, we’ll leave first thing in the morning.” Ah, so that’s why Cedric had lingered.  Without waiting for a response from Ethan, Cedric continued, “Alora, we’ll take Danielle and Ethan home to pack. Then where should we meet you?”

Turning in unison, Alora and Cedric left as they discussed a way to get to Derry Glen Cove without the werewolves following them. For a moment, Ethan’s jaw tightened at the poke at his male pride. He felt rather like a child who couldn’t care for himself, but he also knew he had to let ideas like that go. As a mortal man, perhaps it was true; perhaps he couldn’t care for his wife as he wanted. His ego was brought down another notch.

The door shut and once again, he and Danielle were alone. Dragging his eyes from the strange organic door, he gathered her into his arms. He used his thumb to nudge her face up so he could bring his mouth down onto hers. The place still reeked of flowers, but he didn’t mind too much. They were alone ... and, even more importantly, safe. He may not be pleased with how everything had turned out, but he believed without question that
nothing
could touch them while they lived with the fairies. Ethan wanted to tell her without words how he felt about her and hopefully make them both forget about the dangers stalking them. He also wished to make them both forget about fairies and vampires and pixies and werewolves. In fact, he’d rather not exchange
any
words with her for now.

He guessed that she felt the same when their kiss became almost frantic, with her fingers grasping at his hair, and his arms tightening around her waist. As his mouth moved over hers, he drew his hands around to the knot in her shirt. After fumbling with it, he finally managed to loosen the knot and push the fabric off her shoulders. He let it drop to the floor when it fell free of her wrists. Ethan gathered the hem of her t-shirt next, and forced his lips away from hers. Their gazes locked in silence as he drew the soft material up her torso, his fingers grazing the bare skin of her hips and ribs. She shivered when the top was discarded, leaving her in a white lace bra and jeans.

Smiling, Danielle removed his t-shirt as well. Her eyes traveled the length of his chest before returning to his face. A shuddering exhale drifted past his lips, and he thought perhaps he could feel her gaze as well as the palm she’d flattened against his abs before dragging it upward. Ethan lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

Funny how the message expressed in a kiss, or in a look, or in an expression, spoke volumes to one’s soul. He genuinely believed she understood how much he wanted to try for another baby
now
. Forget the risks. Somehow he would keep her safe, even if it meant living with fairies for the rest of their days. Ethan wanted to become a parent with her, and he wanted to hold the child he’d fantasized about for so long.

The dream vision rose up in his mind as he lowered her to the bed. He preferred the first part when she’d been laughing. There’d been happiness in her eyes that he’d seen before, but not often enough, as of late, to comfort him. His shadow fell over her as she lowered onto her back. Bracing one elbow beside her, he touched the pillow of her bottom lip with his forefinger and pressed down gently to part them. The action revealed her teeth and her pink tongue as it reached out to touch his skin. He moved the digit to make way for his mouth. Soot-colored lashes lowered. Their breath mingled. Ethan kissed every inch of his wife until he’d completely lost track of time and he’d proven, without the use of words, how much he cared for her.