I went to bed with thoughts of Fae warriors and kingdoms. I stood on the dock with my character and looked across the narrow lake wonder if the flickering lights were my prince. My eyes went to the row boat with Cara. The other side wouldn’t take that long to reach. But I, like Cara promised to stand watch. She had a key to unlock another world but couldn’t set foot inside, or could we? He never said that it was forbidden. He said, “If you ever need me, you know where to find me.”
Fingers clutched the key. Well, she never said it out loud but she needed him. Her eyes went up to the sky. He came her before the full moon, so he was there this whole time. She could have gone to him at any time. She looked down at the key again. Yet, Nana’s voice warned her that humans and Fae can’t be together.
She let out a long sigh and whisps of her breathe pushed out in front her. She hugged herself. Her head shook. “This is ridiculous.” She stood on a dock in the cold, thinking about a fairy prince who lived in another world. “Is this really real?” Her eyes looked at the flickering light on the side. “Would you really come if I needed you?”
The air shifted behind her and she spun around. She felt him before she turned.
“I would never lie to you Cara.” He stepped forward and put his long silvery cloak around her. “You’re cold.”
She shivered as a new kind of warmth tingled over her skin. The feeling only made him more aware to her. They stood in silence together.
Finally, she looked up at him. “Is – can I?” She blew out another breath. “Is it forbidden to go through the gate?”
He let out a soft laugh and she cursed know how soft his lips looked. “No.” His eyes grew serious and moved back and forth with hers. “Why? Do you wish to see my world?”
“I -“. She bit down on her lip. “Well, wouldn’t you want to know. I mean, you’re here aren’t you. Don’t you think it’s fair that I see your world?”
His fingers rubbed his chin. “I suppose that is fair but I should warn you. The gate only opens and closes on the full moon.”
Her eyes looked up at the quarter missing from the moon above them.
“Unless, you are granted special permission by the Queen. Having a new gatekeeper is such an occasion.”
“Does that extend to me too?”
“I guess I can make an exception.”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“Well, I can explain to my mother. You’re grandmother has been in our kingdom.”
“You’re mother – the queen? She was?” The questions that filled her head only grew the more she stood with him.
His eyes went over her face. “Yes.”
“Okay?” Part of her still fought with her mind. Her hand reached out and touched his arm. He felt real. She squeezed his bicep. Her eyes went up when she realized what she did.
He just laughed. “I am real Cara.” He fingers reached out and touched her dark brown hair. “Hmm. You’re hair is the same color as Fin.”
“Yes, well I didn’t inherit the Murphy red. And who is Fin?”
His fingers rubbed her hair again. “He’s my horse.”
Her eyebrows raised. “I remind you of your horse. Well, that’s a new one.”
He laughed softly again. “I have long admired his mane. Yours is softer.” He leaned forward and smelled. “And smells much better. Like flowers.”
“Well, okay. I guess that’s a compliment?”
The light in his eyes whirled again and she leaned forward. “You’re eyes. How do they do that?”
They smiled down at her. “Mine are no different from other Fae.”
“They are.” She looked away. “I mean. You’re the only one I’ve met.” Her fingers reached up and touched the side of his face. “They’re like the light of the moon and stars.”
His hand cupped hers. “Yours are different too. I find I like them too.”
Something inside her melted and she swayed toward him. All reason left her and she hugged him. She let her arms squeeze around him to feel his strength. Her chest pressed into his. She held on until her shoulders relaxed. He felt like her cottage, like home. Her head finally lifted up and looked up at him.
She felt the air swirling around them. Her skin tingled and the air felt electric. The same voice called to her as she stood here. A voice that barely a whisper, grew louder.
“Kieran.” She said his name in one small whisper and his head lowered to hers.
His lips were warm and they hummed the same low electric current that flowed into her. It didn’t matter what world they stood in, she knew her place was with him. They hovered right in the space between the gate of both worlds.
When he finally lifted away, she felt something pull out of her and into him. His eyes whirled and then harden. He looked conflicted, as if he had to choose between her and the world he was destined to rule. She knew she couldn’t be the reason he had to choose.
Her arms dropped down and she drew back from him slowly. Now, she knew why her grandmother warned her. She didn’t look at him as she walked around him.
“Cara!” His voice sounded like she felt.
She didn’t look back. He didn’t belong to her. What she felt and thought wasn’t real.
“I’m sorry.” He was suddenly in front her. His hands locked on her shoulders before she could blink. “Please. Forgive me.”
“I – you didn’t do anything wrong.” She forgave him before he asked. “I knew there was something about you that was different ever since I was a little girl. You’re a prince from another world.”
“Yes. And I still love you the same.”
Her eyes widened. Did he just say he loved her? He was telling the truth. She felt it. She felt him. His emotions. She couldn’t explain it but she did.
“What? I don’t know if I heard what you just said.”
His eyes laughed and he lifted her face up to him. “I’ve waited for you to return. You’re grandmother warned me not to tell you how I felt.”
“Wait – what? You told my grandmother what exactly?”
He let out a short breathe. “She thought I shouldn’t say anything because I’m not from your world. Maybe because she was in love with my father who was betrothed.”
Her hands went up to temples and rubbed. “My nana was in love with your father who was betrothed to your mother? Are you betrothed.”
“Yes, and no. My father banned arranged marriages, I think because of your grandmother.”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds before she opened them again. He was still there. “You – this is crazy. You don’t even know me.”
The light in his eyes focused on her. “No, I thought the bottle of wine you drank would relax you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know that? Do you have magical powers too?”
“Reading minds is not my gift. And I know what I feel when I’m with you. Is that not enough?”
She wanted to say yes as she stared back up at him.
“You believe it too. You feel the same.”
She jerked her eyes down. “You can read minds.”
“No.” He tilted his head down at her. “Hmm. Humans tend to complicate their feelings and lose touch with what you call instinct. The part that gives us breathe.”
Her arms crossed and she looked him over. “Are you sure that’s love? Instinct usually goes with other kinds of feelings when it comes to men?”
“Do you think I would lie to you?”
Her eyebrow lifted. “I’ve heard that before.”
“If you’re thinking about Victor, then I have to agree with your grandmother. He didn’t deserve you.”
“How do you know about him?”
His eyes whirled. He was jealous. “I spoke with your grandmother often. He had a wandering eye.”
“Oh, he did? And you don’t?”
“No. I’ve waited for you this long, haven’t I?”
She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation, and with him. He was acting like a jealous school boy. She started to laugh and his eyes grew into flames. They started to whirl again when she stepped closer.
To be continued…
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