Bound by the Mist (Mists of Eria) (22 page)

He growled and drew his hand away, breathless, flushed, and looking like he could kill something. Her core clenched in need. Why’d he stop? She thumped her forehead against his breastbone. His fingers slipped under her chin, halting her actions and making her look up.

He pointed to a tree with a frown. The leaves rustled, and someone stuck an arm through the greenery to wave at them. As quick as it has appeared, the hand disappeared into the cover again. Cal gasped and warmth stole over her face. “Oh.” Well damn, that put a damper on their heated moment. Their first time shouldn’t be aired on the Erian equivalent of a bad reality show.

Glancing around the garden, she couldn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. If they hid in trees, who knows where else they might be? Relian held up four fingers. Four? Besides themselves, there were four others in the garden? Oh yeah, royally embarrassed now. No doubt she’d be known as that fast human woman who groped their prince in inappropriate places.

Her face still warm, she smiled wryly at her last thought. Inappropriate places, indeed, in more ways than one. And it was too soon. She’d decided to see where this thing went, but that didn’t include sleeping with him the moment they exchanged a few heated kisses.

With a groan, Relian ran his hands down her arms before he stood up and set her on her feet. But instead of letting her go, he held her close, his chin on her head. They stood there awhile. Her breathing mirrored his, choppy but slowing down as the moments ticked by.

He moved slightly, and she glanced up. His forehead came to rest against hers, and that kissable mouth curved up in a pained smile. The infectious sight of it washed over her. Stifling a giddy giggle, she covered his lips in another kiss before they headed into the palace.

***

“You kissed him? You go, girl! How was it?” Maggie’s questions and comments poured out so fast, Cal could barely keep apace of them.

“Slow down. You’re way too excited about this.” She slouched against one of her bed’s posters, overwhelmed. So many emotions swam in her that she didn’t know where to start or what to think. And it felt like she and Relian had progressed way beyond kissing, but other than a few intimate caresses, they hadn’t. Still, something nagged at her it’d been a close call, and that she would’ve slept with him if he hadn’t called a halt to their heated moment.

Relief and frustrated desire warred at that thought. It was too soon to take their relationship to that level. Sex would only complicate matters, especially if they didn’t work out. And she didn’t see how they could. With her past and their separate worlds, it seemed impossible. But that same past also reminded her he was the male she’d literally been dreaming of for years. Oh, all that thinking made her head hurt.

“I’ve been watching you two dance around each other for long enough. If there’s a pointy-eared fellow for you, he’s it.” Maggie chortled from her chair. “Once you get over the fact he’s an elf from another dimension, it’s the perfect match. Arranged by the hand of desti— Well, the veil. But never mind that,” said Maggie, when Cal’s face darkened in troubled thought. “The veil was only a means to bring you two to the same place. If he was Earth-bound and going to our college, you would’ve met and ended up together, without any magical interference.”

“You think so?” Cal didn’t care for the thought that so much of her life might be prearranged, especially any relationship with Relian.

“Definitely.”

One of her staunchest supporters in the whole Relian affair, Maggie left it unequivocally clear if he made Cal happy, she’d give her blessing enthusiastically. Sometimes too enthusiastically. So many obstacles hindered a lasting relationship between her and Relian. Had Maggie forgotten those?

“How can you say that with such assurance? And he’s definitely not the next-door kind of guy, as you pointed out, which compounds problems.”

“He isn’t the guy-next-door type, but you were never this way with any boy you dated, nor they with you. I’m not stupid, and I know the problems all too well. I’m here with you, after all, and see them with my own eyes. We don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here, so I say you take this time to see what develops with Relian. We’ll figure out the ‘ifs’ and ‘hows’ later, if they arise. Who knows? This is faerie land, after all.”

Cal narrowed her eyes. “You’re going to get us in trouble. I have the oddest feeling that the king realizes what ‘faerie land’ means when you fling it around in his face like a toddler with a new word. You just better hope he’s not biding his time until he exacts payment for any perceived slight.”

Maggie waved Cal’s concern aside. “Pshh, he doesn’t scare me. He likes tormenting me too well to actually cause me any harm.”

“He won’t hurt you, at least physically, but your pride might take a dump in the mud if you’re not careful.”

“We’ll see. But let’s get back to you....”

Chapter 22

Cal flung her hands in the air and tossed a glare at Relian. This language barrier sucked. Seriously, how were they to communicate, especially when he was being a dumbass?

In one of the more private gardens, they both gestured, trying to get their respective points across. So far, they hadn’t been successful. She wasn’t sure when it had become a one-upmanship of gesticulating hands and forceful expressions. But this was the only method at their disposal. She wanted to strangle him. She wanted to knock him to the ground and relieve the desire that kept her body wound tight. The tight leggings he wore hugged every inch of his strong legs, and his tunic was thankfully short. His backside called to— Damn him!

Relian glared back at her. Suddenly the situation overwhelmed her like a crashing wave and swept her away in peals of laughter. They couldn’t talk, and her frustrated hormones were driving her bonkers.

At first, Relian crossed his arms, throwing her an affronted look. He thought her audacious, did he? What a pleasing thought. Was it her imagination, or did his mouth quirk up at the corners? She didn’t want to be the only one who’d succumbed to the hilarity of the situation. Otherwise, she might appear a little demented. Her laughter still bubbled up and spilled out.

Gasping, with tears of mirth starting to trickle down her cheeks, she grabbed at Relian’s hand for support. She didn’t know what was so funny, but she couldn’t stop. As he pulled her nearer, the telltale quaking of his body gave him away. His gray eyes crinkled. A thrill of victory shot through her. Relian was about to lose the battle himself. He fought it but appeared perilously close to joining her in the abyss.

His laugh rang out clear and light as he hugged her to him. He had crumbled
.

Struggling to take in air, Cal realized this was what she’d needed. She’d forgotten how little she’d laughed in the last year. Even Relian looked less careworn, lighter somehow. Mirth must’ve been a missing outlet for him, too.

This revelation, though melancholy, filled her with joy that they could bring laughter to each other’s lives. Over the past week and a half, through his actions, he revealed so much more of the man he usually locked away. Yes, she’d call him a man. Even by his own words, he was one—just not a human one. Such titles did help with normalcy. It was hard to keep thinking of him strictly as an elf. “Man” broadened the scope of what he was and made it more familiar to her sensibilities.

Relian stilled and gazed over her shoulder at something. Cal turned. Talion stared right at them, his eyes distant. She closed her eyes. Not the impression she’d wanted to make, laughing like a loon and having Relian’s father catch her.

Talion snapped out of his reverie, and a smile spread across his face as he made his greetings to them before stepping near Relian to whisper in his ear. Whatever his father said, Relian answered it with a dirty look, apparently not deigning it worthy of a response.

What was his father teasing Relian about? If she could only understand the language better.

Smirking, his father left. Relian watched his retreating back and only turned to face her once Talion disappeared from sight. He gave an ironic smile before pulling her into his arms for a kiss that stole her breath away.

***

Cal sighed while she kicked her slippered feet at a few pebbles on the path. She’d hoped to meet Relian for their usual walk in the gardens, but he couldn’t make it. He’d been thoughtful and sent a servant to deliver the message, so she couldn’t fault him. But now listlessness filled her. She only wanted him.

Her stomach fluttered at the remembrance of their encounter in the garden and how it had been interrupted. Though their exchanges hadn’t lost any of their passion, they never stepped so close to the edge as they had that one time. He wanted them to wait, and she agreed. Until she made a decision, sex would only complicate matters and muddy feelings. If he pushed her for more, she wasn’t sure how, or even if, she’d be able to deny him. Thankfully, he hadn’t used her weakness to his advantage.

She inhaled deeply. The garden was peaceful, though there were always elves nearby. They literally camouflaged themselves, blending into whatever background they stood against. The color of their clothes aided in this practice, as did the fluidity of their movements.

Just when she thought she was used to elves, a certain characteristic would leap out at her and tear away any notion in her psyche they were human. And that melting into the background, into the shadows, was one that caught her off-guard all too frequently. No doubt there were at least one or more sentries or sentinels sheltering in the branches above her head or in any other number of places. At least, she would be safe even if she found it rather creepy.

As she touched various plants, the feel of their texture underneath her fingertips calmed her. But she no longer sought the reality of sensation to convince herself she was awake and not locked up somewhere in a straightjacket.

She’d been in Eria for a total of twelve weeks. Her visits with Relian fostered a deepening familiarity between them, making both of them more open. That new sense of comfort seemed to make him more carefree with her. And when he acted like that, she rewarded him with passionate kisses. Her heart quickened. It was a very enjoyable pattern to establish.

The touches and kisses they stole had been igniting a slow burn in her. Though she wanted to wait, she might spontaneously combust if she didn’t get some relief soon. An image of her exploding from Relian’s caresses caused her to chuckle. That wasn’t how she intended to came apart in his arms.

Still, her concerns hadn’t disappeared. They were still there and would pop up at the most annoying and inopportune moments. She’d shove them more often than not into the foggy recesses of her mind. Unfortunately, they had a tendency to unearth themselves. Issues like her finite life poised against the backdrop of his immortality grew exponentially when least expected.

Even now that she could converse with him in a very limited and restricting manner, the situation wasn’t great. But this was an improvement over complete silence, or worse, pantomiming.

Turning back the way she’d come, she decided to find Maggie. Even if she couldn’t see Relian now, she wasn’t going to mope.

When she took a path to the right, she halted. Two elf lords and one lady walked upon it a few feet ahead. The lavishness of their clothes identified their station. She didn’t have much luck with those sorts of people, either here or back home. Definitely time to hightail it out of the garden. She pivoted around as silently as she could until a voice reached her.

“How are you, my lady?”

She cringed and steeled herself. Maybe these were some of the friendlier elves around. Pasting a polite smile on her face, she tried to keep a calm and steady voice. “I’m fine, my lords and lady. And you?” She spoke slowly in Elvish, thinking if she did so, they might talk at a rate where she could puzzle out most of it.

The brown-haired male elf gave her a genial but knowing smile, while the blonde male and female retained poker faces. She winced internally. Ouch, no friendly reception there.

The friendly elf spoke. “We are well. Lord Sardon, Lady Cianve, and I were enjoying the lovely day given to us. I am Lord Avrin.” He bowed slightly and touched his hand to his forehead in way of formal greeting.

Cal froze. Her Elvish had improved but not to such a degree that she’d begun to learn any basics of etiquette, except for the most simple of greetings and farewells. She chose to stick with what she knew and executed a small curtsy. “Pleased to meet you.” Better than nothing. At least, she’d attempted some form of pleasantry.

As none of the elves looked mortified, she must’ve acted with enough decorum not to look foolish. Avrin continued to smile, and Sardon kept on his non-expressive face—not hostile but certainly not welcoming by any stretch, either. Cianve disconcerted her most of all. The elvin woman’s measured gaze seemed to assess her, as if stacking her up against some invisible foe.

Avrin inclined his head. “We’re pleased to speak with you again. You infrequently attend meals in the great hall, so we’ve had little opportunity to reacquaint ourselves and see how you and Lady Maggie are familiarizing yourselves with Eria and its people.”

Surprise flickered through her because she understood most of what he said. “We’re taking our days as they come and learning slowly.” Her Elvish was only somewhat fluent and probably riddled with mistakes. And forget about giving a longer answer. It was all she could do to form that short one.

To her relief, Avrin beamed at her use of the language. And was that a spark of approval in Sardon’s eyes, though his face remained as implacable as before? Cianve, however, still watched her as if filing away all her measurements. Why the intense stare?

“We could ask for no more, my lady. It will come.”

Avrin made their farewells, and she sent him a smile of thanks. She’d given up on Sardon saying anything at all, but he offered up a short parting. The lady left with a regal nod of the head.

She watched them move off, dazed. That went better than expected. Even Sardon, whose frigid manner had convinced her he was a lost cause, hadn’t snubbed her. Maybe.... Maybe she wouldn’t feel such an outcast if she did stay here. Still, there was so much undecided, and even unspoken, between her and Relian. The notion of staying shouldn’t be taken too far.