Four

Chapter Four

Emma was casting a spell on him. She had to be. How could she make such a compelling argument in favor of being mortal? Why else would Lachlan’s chest feel so tight, his skin prickling with awareness of how close she was? He had never had a conversation with someone that was so… grounded. He couldn’t wait to hear what she would say next.

She had asked him a question. It should have been a simple one, yet he didn’t have an answer. All he had was the strangest longing for more time with her.

“Instead of better, how about different?” he said.

She took a step closer. “I am intrigued.”

“Can you trust me? Just a little?”

“I shouldn’t. You’re a fairy.”

“So are you, at the moment.”

She scowled at him, but when he held out his hands, she relented, moving even closer. Somehow, the closer she approached, the tighter his skin felt. When she took both his hands in hers, he pulled her closer still.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were making a move on me,” she said, a fascinating sparkle in her eyes.

“I’m making a move with you.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiled, wanting to surprise her by showing her. Summoning his power, he let his magic sink deep into the earth, connecting with the energy of the leylines beneath the way a tree’s roots reached for nutrients and moisture from the soil. Wind swirled up from the ground. His skin felt electrified. Green and gold light formed a spiraling column around them, spinning faster and faster. Emma shifted closer, her grip on his hands tightening. With a final flash of light, the corridor between the mortal realm and his Faerie kingdom collapsed, leaving them standing in a mushroom ring within his forest.

Emma stared at her surroundings, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Her gaze traveled up the long stalks of mushrooms that towered over their heads, their red tops swaying high above. Lime green leaves covered the trees along with thick clumps of spring blossoms—white, pink, and purple. At their roots, bright yellow daffodils, rich purple and gold crocuses, and tulips and irises of every color made the grotto even more beautiful. It was one of Lachlan’s favorite places within his kingdom.

A flock of spring pixies flew past them, their wings blurring as they performed astounding aerial maneuvers, showing off for the pair. Instead of gasping in awe, Emma started trembling. An odd tingling spread down his spine, much less pleasant than those he’d experienced previously with her. Her grip tightened further on his hands and she pressed herself against him. It would have been pleasant, if it weren’t for the way she was trembling, shaking her head and staring at the pixies and the clearing around them. Lachlan summoned a gentle breeze, nudging the pixies until they flew away.

“This is Faerie,” she said, a golden light sparking in her warm eyes. “You took me to Faerie.”

“Not just Faerie. This is the Springtime Kingdom. Our kingdom.”

“Your kingdom,” she snapped.

Power surged out from her, flooding the ground beneath them. Veins of gold light spread across the ground as she fed energy into the leylines. Too much energy. It crawled up the trees, thickening the clumps of flowers until their branches bent under the weight of the blossoms. The gills of the mushroom caps opened, their edges curling up as the power overwhelmed them.

“This is just like the stories.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke, her eyes wild with fear. “I’m trapped. You’ll play music and make me dance for you till my feet fall off.”

“What?”

He would have laughed at the absurdity of it if she weren’t so obviously afraid—an emotion he was beginning to share as her power continued to flood the land. Lachlan had suspected coming to their kingdom would heighten her power, perhaps more effectively connecting her with it. He had no idea this would happen. He had no idea how to make it stop.

“What stories have you been reading?” He tried to get her thinking, to help her regain control.

“The Brothers Grimm,” she said.

“Them? They only focused on the worst of us.” It shocked him how much it mattered to him already that she not see fairies as monsters—that she not see him that way. “Emma, please. Don’t believe them.”

“No. No, you’ll leave me here, or… or you’ll change.”

She let go of one of his hands, but only so she could wrap that arm around his waist. She did the same with the other, as if they were standing at a great height and she was terrified of falling. His arms settled over her shoulders naturally and he pulled her closer. Warmth spread through him, both from her body and from within himself. He didn’t understand it. He didn’t understand any of this. How could he have been so wrong about sharing this with her?

“This isn’t my world,” she said. “This isn’t my world.”

It wouldn’t be suitable for anyone for much longer if she kept overwhelming the leylines with her uncontrolled magic. What could he do to snap her out of this? Their realm was in major danger, her power was beyond anything he had expected. Her near-chanted words reminded him suddenly of something Finn had said when he was sharing his and Hayden’s experiences.

‘When we kiss, the world falls away. It’s as if the two of us are the only thing in existence, in our own world, made from our love.’

It seemed ridiculous, but Lachlan was desperate. He didn’t want to hurt Emma or worse—fuel her fear of the Fae by forcing her to stop. He wasn’t even sure he could if he tried. So, instead, he clasped Emma’s face in his hands and turned her toward him, then bent down to press his lips to hers.

At first she stiffened, but then her lips moved against his, soft and warm. Heat flooded him, his skin rising in gooseflesh, his heart pounding. Electric pleasure arced through every part of him as he pulled her closer. He had never felt more alive. He was hyper-aware of everywhere they touched, wanted more of it—to be closer, even though there was no space between them.

His lips opened and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. She let out a moan as she welcomed him, exploring him even as he explored her. It still wasn’t enough. His hands slid to the small of her back, urging her closer. He was just about to reach down and lift her from the ground when she pushed against him.

She blinked up at him, the fear in her eyes replaced with a somewhat dazed look. Lachlan hated to admit it, but wouldn’t be surprised if his had taken on a similar appearance.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

His voice was oddly breathless when he replied. “I thought it might help you regain control of your power.” He couldn’t look away from her, but could sense that the energy she was feeding into the land had subsided. “Looks like I was right.”

“Right?” She scowled, glaring at him balefully. “I did not ask for this power. I did not ask for this position. And I sure as hell didn’t ask to be brought here. Now take me back.”

“But—”

“You say you want me to trust you? You want me to teach you what it is to love someone? Lesson one. You listen to what they want, not what you want. And you give it to them. If what they want doesn’t match up with what you want, you’re not right for each other. You move on. It’s that simple.”

“Emma…”

“Please, Lachlan.” There was a tremor to her voice that tugged at something deep in his chest. “I do not want to be here.”

He stared at her for a few moments, then nodded. Calling on his power, the corridor rose around them once more, bursting with energy. He drew as much into himself as he could to stabilize their passage. Gods, how did she have so much power? This was much more than what the Holly King had bestowed on her. Were mortals able to amplify their own magic when given it as well as their Fae mates’?

Lachlan would have to think on that later. Right now, Emma needed him. Their realm needed him. She risked burning out the glade with the amount of power she was putting off.

As the golden light surrounded them, she buried her face against his chest. Lachlan had never held anyone like this or been held himself. His heart beat quickly and his chest felt tight, as if it was overfull of something. Even in the short time he’d spent with her, he had become certain that this woman was one of the strongest people he’d ever met. And he had frightened her, terribly.

A fierce protectiveness rose within him. She truly wanted nothing to do with the Fae. The thought made his breath catch. There was no way he could succeed at winning her heart or making her his queen. He would just have to take what she had offered, to learn how to win a different mortal’s heart. The thought left an aftertaste of ashes. But he couldn’t force her into this, especially after witnessing the extent of her power.

He pulled on more of his magic, transforming her clothing to resemble what she was wearing the first time he saw her. Jeans, a deep sapphire T-shirt, and sensible shoes. He added a Robin’s egg blue sweater to keep her warm, but didn’t bother to make it fancy. Instead, he opted for durability and comfort. While he was at it, he changed his own outfit to what he preferred when visiting the mortal realm—clothing similar to hers, but in muted browns accented with green.

The corridor dropped as they arrived in the center of a much smaller mushroom ring in the mortal realm. Magic leached out from them. Green blades of grass erupted at their feet, crocuses and daffodils opened, and the buds on the trees above burst into bloom. Emma kept her grip on Lachlan’s waist. He was tempted to stay that way, just holding each other, but couldn’t leave her in fear for a moment longer.

“We’re here,” he said.

“Here where?” Her voice was muffled against his chest.

“Crystal Creek park.”

She pulled away slowly, blinking at the brightness of the spring sun. She still clutched the fabric of his shirt, as if she was afraid she might float away if she let go. Or maybe she was afraid she was still in Faerie and that he would leave her.

If only she wanted me to stay near for another reason…

She had made her feelings clear. How could she rule a realm that she was terrified to set foot in? He had never met anyone so afraid of the Fae. Lachlan had to think of his people now. Consider the balance between all the realms. And yet, his mind kept circling the memory of that kiss.

“It’s quiet here,” he said. “I thought it might help you get your bearings.”

“Thanks.” She took a cautious step forward, pulling him along with her as she eyed the circle of mushrooms that surrounded them suspiciously. “A fairy ring?”

Lachlan nodded. “At least your books got that right.”

He couldn’t keep the edge from his tone. Something about her reaction had affected him deeply. It wasn’t just that she was rejecting the power she’d been given or the title. She was rejecting him. Everything he had to offer. He had tried to make her happy, and he had failed spectacularly.

Her lips pinched in a bloodless line, but she kept ahold of him. He followed her as she stepped out of the circle, then hurried to an asphalt trail. She stood stiffly for a few moments, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly.

After what felt like a long time, she turned to him and in a quiet voice said, “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“The kiss or the traveling?”

She glared at him, but then said, “The traveling.”

“I won’t. I wouldn’t have done it in the first place if I’d known that was how you would react.” He shook his head. “You really do hate fairies. I’d like to say I can’t imagine what you think of me, but after that—”

“I don’t hate fairies,” Emma said, brusquely. Her voice softened as she went on. “And I don’t hate you. I just… I’m scared, alright? Maybe the books I’ve read aren’t completely accurate, but I know there’s truth to them.”

“How?”

Her mouth snapped shut again, her dark eyes blazing.

“You’ve encountered the Fae before,” he said.

Emma looked away, shaking her head. “That’s crazy.”

“And that’s a reflexive response. How many times have you denied whatever you experienced? Enough to start believing it never happened yourself?”

Her eyes snapped back to his. The pain and anger he saw there made him want to hit something. Strange. He’d never wanted to do that before. He grasped her free hand, hoping she wouldn’t notice that she still clung to him with the other so he could enjoy that closeness for a little longer.

“There are malicious Fae,” he said. “Horrible, terrifying beings.”

“The Unseelie Court,” she whispered.

“Yes. And the Seelie Court isn’t much better. They’re just nicer to look at, generally.”

She snorted, her lips curving up into the tiniest smile. It seemed as if he was seeing the first crocus bloom. Lachlan shifted closer, clasping her elbow.

“We are part of the Wheel of the Year,” he said. “As such, we are linked to nature herself. We belong to neither of those Courts. We’re separate from them.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not what my books said.”

“The Grimm brothers corrupted the truth to suit their own needs. Besides, they were assholes.”

She actually laughed at that, but quickly shuttered her expression again. She stared at him for a long time, then said, “How do I know you’re not saying all this because it’s what I want to hear? You could be trying to trick me into liking you.”

“Is it so hard for you to believe that you could like me just because of who I am?” His chest tightened further as the words left his lips. He couldn’t believe how much her answer mattered to him. How much it mattered what she thought of him.

She stared at him in silence for a moment, then said, “Fairies aren’t to be trusted.”

“Yeah. A lot of us aren’t trustworthy. But a lot of us are. You’re putting all your faith in stories that were meant to scare children into behaving.”

“Stories where fairies consistently trick humans.”

“You’re not human anymore. You haven’t been since the Holly King placed half the magic of the Wheel of the Year inside of you.”

“No.”

“Emma.” He shook his head fighting off exasperation. “Instead of believing what you read in a book, believe what you see with your own eyes. What you smell and hear and… And what you feel. You are the queen of the Springtime Court. That gives you more than enough power to see through any glamour or charm. Believe in your own perceptions. Believe in yourself. I certainly do.”