Chapter 2

Two

L ooks aren't everything.

Everly Wells had learned that lesson before he had learned to walk. He had been stolen twice, once from his birth mother and then from the monster who had taken him. Neither kidnapper was willing to cooperate and died in prison, quickly wasting away from inexplicable illnesses, so there were no answers to who Everly really was and where he had come from. DNA tests had been done, but those had been busts as well. One technician had jokingly told Everly that he might not even be human because analysis of his alleles was completely inconclusive.

An astonishingly beautiful and charming child, Everly went from one foster home to the next with each mother growing more possessive and obsessive. Their love for him would consume them until it destroyed their lives and finances. Everly had prayed the curse would end once he reached adulthood, but the pattern continued with his friends and destroyed every romantic relationship he attempted.

It was laughably easy for Everly to find work. He was often hired on sight, but keeping a job was an entirely different matter. Businesses collapsed around him because Everly wasn't good at many things. A terrible pattern had formed until he found work answering customer service calls from home. But before that, Everly would be hired and promoted too quickly, often put in charge of things he had no business doing. Or, someone close to the top would say or do something wildly inappropriate for Everly and find themselves unemployed.

Thanks to Amazon and online grocery ordering, Everly could avoid human contact for weeks. And masking and tinted glasses made it easier to hide most of his features when he had to be in public during the day.

Nights were generally safest, but Everly couldn't remember why he had set out or where he was headed the night he was attacked. All he could recall was that he had longed for any other outcome than the paranoid isolation and gnawing guilt of his existence. The furious shrieks and the frantic flapping of all those wings had come as a relief as Everly was swarmed and battered into unconsciousness. He let go of his last breath, grateful for an end to the endless loneliness of his days.

Then, just as quickly as they had descended, the giant shadow birds scattered and Everly felt his guardian's arrival. And in the cold, dark mist, Everly saw a great, glowing hound. Instead of fur and bone and claws, it was made of smoke and its eyes blazed like flames. As large as a truck, it had towered over Everly's hopeless soul and lifeless body, snarling and furious as it protected him from the phantom birds.

Everly had succumbed to the cold, quiet darkness and had thought it was the end, until the great hound found him and carried what was left of him back into the light. That warm, protective presence remained, but Everly was too weak and too lost to wake up. He heard voices, far off in the distance, and could make out bits of conversations, but Everly couldn't find his own voice to call for help.

Then, Everly was awash in light and heat and could feel himself healing. He was still tired, but Everly had limbs and a heartbeat again, and he was hungry when he finally opened his eyes. The fancy, grown-up bedroom with its mahogany four poster bed and soft gray bedding was completely foreign to Everly and he didn't recognize the view outside the window.

But he was immediately comforted as he considered the man sleeping in the armchair at the foot of the bed. He had a strong, jagged jaw that was partially obscured by dark, messy waves that shivered with each soft, snoring huff. His tall, muscular frame was curled into a tight ball, his knees hugged against his chest. His feet seemed almost too large and Everly couldn't help but stare. Dressed in just a pair of cutoff joggers, the other man's bare chest and legs were very hairy.

Not in a displeasing way, though, and Everly regretted when his bladder and stomach screamed that it was time to get up. He shifted just slightly, barely disturbing the covers, but the other man sprang to his feet, his fists up and ready.

"Sorry!" Everly said in a hoarse croak, then swore under his breath when he recognized the other man's bright green eyes. They weren't glowing with flame and fury, but Everly knew him. "It was you, you were there. You saved me."

"Shhh!" The other man gestured for Everly to relax but craned his neck, staring. "Wow! Your eyes are…" he took a step closer, wary as he studied them.

"Disturbing?" Everly guessed. "Most people say they're disturbing. Or weird."

"Are they just pupils? They're so big and…dark," the man said, then waved it off. "Now, I'm being weird." He gave Everly a sheepish wince. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Everly said, even though his bladder was very full. "Where are we?" he asked, making the other man laugh as he offered his hand.

"Welcome to Georgetown, Mr. Wells. I'm Bryn Cadwallader and I'll be right back with some soup. We've been waiting for you to wake up."

"Just Everly. We?" he asked as he looked around. "Bathroom?"

"Through here," Bryn said, as he hurried around the bed and opened a door, flipping on the light in the bathroom. "I found you on the road, on the way home from work, in Roanoke. I'm a medic and my twin brother's a surgeon. His husband's a medical examiner and we had just about given up and handed you over to Fletcher, but he talked me into bringing you up here to see his friends," he explained while Everly eased out of the bed and made his way across the room on wobbly legs. Bryn watched him closely, seemingly ready to dive in and catch Everly, from the way he tensed and hissed at each clumsy step.

"What happened to me? That night in Roanoke and after you brought me here?" Everly asked as he leaned into the bathroom, hanging on the door jamb. He spotted the toilet and tripped towards it. Dressed in nothing but a pair of oversized flannel pajama pants, it was easy enough to yank them down and aim at the bowl. That was about all Everly was capable of and he nearly toppled over when he bent to flush.

"Let me give you a hand," Bryn said, right before Everly was lifted and carried to the sink and deposited on the counter.

"That's not—" he started and stared in confusion as Bryn washed Everly's hands and face. He proceeded to brush Everly's teeth and hair, before carrying him back into the bedroom, where he was gently placed on the bed and tucked under the duvet.

"I'll be right back with some soup and tea. Is there anything else I can get you while I'm downstairs? I can bring a phone if you'd like to call anyone and let them know you're okay," he suggested, but Everly shook his head.

"No, there's no one. Soup and tea sounds lovely."

Bryn frowned, nodding slowly. "Alright, I'll have that right up."

"You didn't answer my question. What happened to me that night and after you brought me here?" Everly repeated and Bryn wrinkled his nose.

"It's a long and complicated story and there's a weird little man named Merlin downstairs who's waiting to explain everything and answer all your questions. After you've eaten and we've checked you out," he said and gave the center of Everly's forehead a gentle tap, making him smile.

"I guess that's alright," he said with a soft laugh. "I am very hungry. But you'll come back?" he confirmed and relaxed when Bryn nodded.

"I'm not going anywhere and we've got plenty of time."

Despite Bryn's reassurance, Everly felt a rush of panic when he found himself alone. He pulled the covers up to his chest, his eyes locked on the door. The whole encounter had been comfortable and Bryn's behavior was unusually normal .

That wasn't how it ever went, but was just the sort of encounter Everly had pictured when he dreamed of making friends. He obviously never imagined being attacked and he couldn't have foreseen that his new friend would wash his hands and brush his teeth like that, but Bryn had been so patient and normal, Everly wondered if he was dreaming.

"What if this is a coma?" he asked himself and patted his chest and lap. Pinching was pointless because things that were supposed to hurt, rarely did. "How would I know?"

There was a knock on the door, making him jump. Everly's eyes were huge as his hands clutched convulsively at the duvet, not knowing what to expect. "Hello?"

"It's me, Everly." Bryn sounded like he was smiling.

Everly stifled an anxious whimper, he wanted to see Bryn again. "Come in, please!"

The door opened and Bryn leaned in, giving Everly a questioning look. "Are you sure you're ready for company?"

Everly nodded, happier now that Bryn had returned. "I feel fine. Better than before I was attacked." His neck and limbs didn't always do what he wanted so his nod was a little late.

"Cool…" Bryn said as he held the door wide, revealing a strange trio of men behind him.

There was a very short, older, bald man in a magenta and purple paisley dinner jacket, an imposing and severely handsome man in a dark gray suit, and a young man with several tattoos—dressed in a black sweatshirt, ripped-up jeans, and combat boots—who waved cheerfully at Everly.

"These are Fletcher's friends, Nox, Nelson, and Merlin," Bryn said and Everly noticed that he'd said they were Fletcher's friends. And that Bryn hovered between them and the bed when they came in, as if he didn't completely trust them with Everly's care.

They all seemed kind, though, and Everly didn't sense any danger. He smiled at the tiny, elderly man. "Bryn said that you can tell me about what happened that night and what happened after I was brought here."

Merlin made a serious sound as he lowered onto the foot of the bed and clasped his hands on his lap. "I can tell you all you want to know about what happened after you were brought here. But we were hoping that you could tell us more about yourself and how you were attacked by so many sluagh."

"Sluagh…" Everly shook his head and looked at Bryn. "I don't even know what that is. I have no idea why they would want to attack me."

"Why?" Merlin blinked at him for several moments, then held up a finger. "Can you tell us about your parents?"

"No," Everly answered without hesitation. He expected pity and for them to possibly pull away, the way people usually did when they found out he was an orphan. Instead, they nodded knowingly and shared sad glances. "I was kidnapped and lost before anyone could figure out where I came from," he said, earning a groan from Merlin as he shook his head.

"Do you know what a changeling is, lad?"

Everly frowned, nodding slowly. "I think… I saw a horror movie about one once," he said and caught Nox's and Nelson's grimaces. "Why? What does that have to do with me?"

"Hmm…" Merlin scooted closer and took Everly's hands in his. "You've had a very difficult time, haven't you?"

"Lately or just in general?"

Merlin clicked his teeth. "Desperately wanted, but never truly loved. You've been hiding for a while, I would imagine," he said softly, but tears blurred and burned Everly's eyes as his lip quivered because that was all true!

"Why? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing!" Bryn interrupted as he came around the bed and sat next to Everly. He put an arm around him and Everly immediately felt better. "You're just…different."

There were more grimaces and grunts and Merlin cleared his throat. "You are what us old Irish folk call leannán sí, fairy lovers. If I had to, I would guess that it was your mother who had loved a man and gave birth to you. The leannán sí do not keep their offspring, but prefer to hide them amongst the mortals, as a bit of mischief."

"Mischief?" Everly said loudly, his voice breaking. "Is that what my life was? All that…misery was some fairy's idea of mischief?"

"Yes," Merlin and Nox replied in unison and the older man humphed. "There are many kind of fae folk and most cannot be trusted when it comes to their affairs with humans. It's far more difficult to switch babies these days, so a fae is more likely to leave their baby with someone who would be kind to it—want it—as a sort of prank."

"I was a prank?"

Everly had devoted hours and hours to imagining who his parents really were and believed that they were out there waiting for him. Instead, he was a mystical gag and his entire existence was some fae's punchline.

"No…" Bryn started, but Everly turned to him, angry.

"Why didn't you let me die? You have no idea what it's been like. I used to have hope because I thought that at some point, my luck had to change. But I wasn't cursed, I was damned. Nothing was ever going to change for me."

"But it has! You aren't damned and I won't let you give up," Bryn vowed and there were nods and hums all around.

"You are not damned," Merlin agreed as he rose. "Transformation is the essence of nature, and we possess the power to transform ourselves into that which we need to be. All that is required is knowledge and courage, and I can see that there's still a drop or two of that left in you, young man. As for the actual curse that brought you here, Nox and I were able to heal you after that attack."

Nox nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Someone wants you for your magick, so that he can attack others and drain theirs. Sort of like a magick vampire. We're going to find him and put him out of business, and Bryn is going to make sure he doesn't get another shot at you while we're hunting for him," he explained, calming several of Everly's immediate fears.

"Okay… Thank you. And you all are like me? You're…leannán sí who figured out how to live with this?"

"We are not," Merlin said, trading concerned looks with Nox and Nelson, who stepped forward.

"I'm still just a man and most of this is new to me too. Nox is…complicated and so is Merlin, but I believe that they can help you. I don't know Bryn and his brother very well, but I trust them and they're on your side too, so the odds keep getting better and better for you."

Bryn chuckled wryly. "We have a man on our team named Fletcher and he's not so bad, as far as brother-in-laws go. He had to go back to Roanoke with Arawn for a few days so they don't lose their jobs, but I'm pretending I won a giveaway and am burning up some extra leave while I get that BBL I've always wanted."

"BBL?" Nelson asked and there were giggles from Nox and Merlin.

"A Brazilian Butt Lift," Bryn whispered out of the side of his mouth, making Everly smile while Nelson grew more confused, judging from his frown.

"They're going to notice that your butt is the same when you get back."

"Not if I keep at it with my squats and lunges," Bryn replied and tapped his temple. "Gonna be caked-up back there in two weeks," he said and a loud cackle burst from Everly, surprising him and making his face hot.

"Are you always like this?" he asked Bryn as he wiped his eyes. "Not that I'm complaining. I can't remember the last time I laughed."

"As far as I can tell," Nelson said under his breath.

"Good," Bryn said sincerely as he stood. "Take it from an old medic, laughter is the very best medicine. I'm gonna let Fletch and Arawn know Everly's awake and feeling better," he told everyone as he headed for the door, pausing to take a few lunges before he reached the hall.

Everly opened his mouth to ask Bryn to come back, but pulled in his lips and held in his whimper. He didn't know very many things and he was often scared in new places. The men around him seemed kind and patient and Bryn had promised he wasn't going anywhere so Everly did his best to be quiet and brave.

Merlin leaned and his neck stretched so he could admire Bryn's backside, then chuckled. "I do believe it's working," he said with a shrug as he turned back to Everly. "But the old medic is correct: laughter is the best medicine and we do our best to embrace joy and share our light," he added with a wink at Nox.

"We do, indeed. You're safe here with us and with Bryn and his brother. But I would die for Fletcher Bixby. He's saved my ass a few times so mi casa es su casa. We don't have any secrets here, not from you, but I suggest adjusting to your reality before you jump into the mystical and mythological deep end with us."

"I guess that's fair," Everly murmured. "I've spent my whole life hoping for answers and a solution for this," he said with a resigned sigh, pointing at his own face. "But I never realized that I wasn't…real. I'm a beautiful dummy. A cursed doll a fairy made to ruin humans' lives."

"That doesn't have to be all you are," Nox said and whistled. "Boy, do I know what it feels like to be cursed with a fate you can't outrun. But, guess what: I survived the king of all curses and am living happily ever after. So can you."

"He is putting it rather mildly," Merlin said with an amused snort. "Very mildly. You will be as right as rain soon, take my word for it. Especially if that lapdog of yours has a say in the matter," he teased.

"What if I hurt Bryn too?" Everly asked as the thought came to him. They had only shared one conversation, technically, but Everly couldn't stand the thought of seeing Bryn suffer and lose everything, the way everyone else had because of him.

There was a heavy, knowing sigh from Merlin as he shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, lad. We can help you change but you cannot hurt Bryn. He's immune and damn near indestructible."

"Really?" Everly mouthed, his voice suddenly gone as he started to cry, he was so, so happy. "He won't—" he choked and fanned his face. "You all won't go crazy because of me?"

"No, no, no!" Merlin shook his head. "I told you, you're safe with us and you aren't alone anymore, Everly. I promise you, you are not damned. That…being that was hunting you, on the other hand…" Merlin's face pinched with disgust. "A truly damned and foul thing, mark my words."

"Are there more like me? Are they in danger too?" Everly asked and Merlin's scowl grew more severe.

"Of course there are more like you, and I fear that he has already fed upon many, if he is as powerful as Bryn tells us. Wild fae magick is extremely potent. Look at the effect you have on humans! You're quite the catch."

"Maybe…" Everly wasn't convinced he was worth all that much. "Where can we find the others, so we can warn them?"

"Find them?" Merlin repeated, looking mystified. "Well… I might start with the toddler pageants. But look very closely at the mothers since you wouldn't want to sniff the contestants. Lots of precious little fae with demented mothers hiding there. Spelling bees as well. Very odd, the lengths some parents will go to help their child win a spelling contest. "

"What about the adults? Where can I find adults like me?" Merlin's and Nox's somber expressions screamed volumes. "I see…" Everly said shakily.

"Love often goes wrong, but it usually goes terribly wrong for the leannán sí," Merlin said, then waved it off. "That will not be your fate, you have my word for it."

"Nope," Nox agreed as Nelson shook his head.

"You're in good hands now. Just watch Merlin's hands, though. He can be trusted as long as you watch his hands," Nelson warned and Nox nodded.

"A heart of gold, but he's definitely going to grab your butt."

Merlin shrugged and smiled. "I probably will and I won't let anyone harm a hair on your head ever again," he said without a hint of shame and Nelson pointed.

"That's true too."

"What's true?" Bryn asked as he returned with another cup of tea.

"I can trust Merlin with my life, but not my butt," Everly summarized and Bryn rolled his eyes.

"Learned that one the hard way."

"Why don't we clear out so they can check in with each other?" Nox said to Merlin.

"Good thinking," he said with a chuckle. "I was going to restock the herbs and oils in the pantry. We went through a heap the other night."

"I'll give you a hand with that," Nox replied as they left.

Bryn raised his brows at Everly. "How are you doing? You've had a hell of a lot more than soup to digest since you woke up."

"Right…" Everly paused, assessing his thoughts but there were so many and he still had more questions than answers and no idea of where to start processing everything. "Would it be possible to get a general idea of who's on our team, so I know the…scale of what we're talking about and how much trouble I'm in. Since it appears that vampires are real and one wants to kill me," he said and a laugh burst from Bryn as he nodded.

He lowered into his chair at the foot of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. "If you think that will help. You've got two spectral hounds, a sun god, and two-and-a-half immortals on your side. Merlin and Professor Darrach Clancy. He's in reserve unless we need him, I'm told. He's on a cruise with his Valkyrie wife. And we're not sure where Nelson sits on the human-to-immortal scale because he's extremely new to this and is just as old as he looks."

"Wow… That is all…comforting. How old are you and your brother?" Everly asked and Bryn smirked.

"We're still puppies too, compared to Merlin and Professor Clancy. You can't underestimate Fletcher either. He's a mortal man, but he might be one of the best I've ever met."

"He sounds nice. How old are you?" Everly repeated and widened his eyes at Bryn. His attempt to evade the question hadn't worked.

"Well…" Bryn sat back, then jumped to his feet and went to the window. "Part of me is as old as the Wild Hunt and I have no idea when that was or how long it's been. This part…" He turned and touched the middle of his chest. "Arawn and I were born in America, in 1802. We grew up a ways from Georgetown. Down southwest, in the mountains, but there are memories that stretch way, way back before our lives here."

"And you can't die?"

Bryn shrugged, shaking his head slowly. "It would take a lot and it would have to happen in that other place. Do you remember it?"

"No—" Everly started, but stopped when he remembered being someplace so cold and slow, the air was thick. "Was that Hell?" he asked weakly.

"No. That was the place between places. Arawn and I call it the Nothing. We keep souls from getting lost there and make sure they end up where they're supposed to, but it wasn't your time yet and you're not meant for Hell."

"Oh?" Everly felt another smile tugging at his lips and sat back against the pillows. "You could tell?"

"I could tell."

"Can you tell me about it?" Everly patted the duvet next to him. "I'm feeling less scared, the more I learn, and that seems like a good place to start."

Bryn nodded as he went to the bed and sat next to Everly. "I can tell you about the Nothing and Annwn."

"What's Annwn? Is it like Heaven?"

"A little. Most of the folk, like us, where we're from call it the Otherworld. In Welsh, it's Annwn, and it's a place of glory and peace. That's where brave souls go when it's time for their earthly bodies to rest," he started and began to unravel the mysteries of the mystical universe for Everly.

Instead of being baffled or frightened, Everly found comfort in finally learning the truth and knowing that he wasn't as alone as he had always believed.