Faery Kissed (12 page)

The only time we stopped our explorations
was to eat and to make wild, passionate love together. Being so
free with someone like this was invigorating and refreshing. She
allowed me to feed from her often—in short delicious bursts—and on
occasion she drank from me as well.

We’d been together seven days now, life was
wonderful, and I couldn’t be happier. Today she was showing me
where the boundaries of Faery met my world and where safe passages
could be found in between both places during the Midsummer’s
eve.

If I were being truthful, I wasn’t paying
much attention to the things she was telling me, instead allowing
my gaze to drift over her beautiful form and the way her hair blew
in the soft breeze. I knew I’d never tire of looking at her. She
was the most stunning woman I’d ever seen.

She paused and turned to look at me with a
smile, but I could tell it didn’t reach her eyes. They looked sad,
almost mournful.

“
Are you all right?” I
asked.

She nodded. “I’m just tired. Why don’t we
sit and rest for a spell under this tree?”

I placed my hand on the small of her back,
helping her to sit before I joined her.

“
If you’re tired, let’s
return to the castle after you’ve rested. There’s no need for you
to show me every bit of Faery right this minute. We have a lifetime
to explore together.”

She looked away, but I could see the tears
in her eyes. She was blinking rapidly, trying to keep them from
falling over the red-rimmed edges.

“
Eirian. Talk to me.
Something is wrong and I need to know what it is, so I can help.” I
placed my finger under her chin and turned her face toward
me.

Her bottom lip quivered. “Just kiss me,
Bran.”

I did. It was one of the easiest things for
me to do. I needed her, wanted her. She was as essential to me as
air. My hands tangled into her hair, pulling her closer, and she
shifted so she was straddling my legs.

She broke away. The tears streamed steadily
down her face and she took a big breath.

“
Bran, look at
me.”

I locked gazes with her—unable to pull
away.

“
I love you. I will always
love you, and on some subconscious level, I hope you will remember
that. I’m setting you free, returning you to the life you had
before.”

I wanted to scream out and tell her to stop,
but I was unable to speak.

“
You don’t remember, but
you asked me to enchant you once more so you could live out the
last days of your life happily. You made me promise I would help
you do what was best. Well, this is what is best. I can’t live
knowing my actions would’ve caused your death. So I’m returning you
to your people.

“
You will not remember
anything about your stay in Faery. You will remember nothing of me,
or your child. The only memories you will retain are those
regarding your condition as a Vampire. You will need to feed
regularly and can do so from the blood of animals to help protect
those you love. Keep drinking your honey mead. There are properties
in it that will help dampen your blood cravings.”

Don’t do this!
I shouted at her mentally.
Please! Don’t leave me!

If she could hear me, she made no
notice.

“
Be strong, Bran. You can
still have that life you dreamed of with Ceridwen. You just need to
stay in control of yourself.”

She was sobbing, and I could tell it was
hard for her to continue. I could feel my own tears leaking down my
face, and I wanted to lift my hand and cover her mouth to stop her
words.

“
As of this moment, our
bond is broken. I release you from all vows.”

She took my face in her hands and kissed me,
her lips trembling as she did so. I fought the sleepiness that
threatened to overwhelm me, clinging to her until I couldn’t resist
it any longer, before finally giving in to the darkness.

Dawn was creeping over the horizon when I
opened my eyes. I glanced around warily, finding that I was still
leaning up against the tree in the glen. Fergus had been right.
There were no such things as Fae. He would probably laugh when I
told him about my wasted evening.

It hadn’t truly been wasted though. I was
never one to complain of spending a beautiful night outdoors. I
loved sleeping under a moonlit sky.

I slid my hand up to rub the crick in my
neck and paused when it came to rest against something cold and
metal. Looking down, I discovered a chain hanging with a charm
resting against my chest. I lifted and observed it closer, seeing
it was a finely crafted ornament of the moon and stars.

A chill settled over me. This object was not
mine. I’d never seen it before. My initial reaction was to cast it
from me, but when I started to take it off I was suddenly loathe to
do so. Instead I grasped it tightly as I glanced around the glen,
scouring the tree line for any movements. I wondered if someone was
playing a joke on me.

“
Hello?” I called out,
listening intently for any other sounds, but only the whisper of an
early morning breeze greeted me.

I climbed to my feet, bracing myself against
the tree as a moment of dizziness washed over me. I tried to walk
away but stumbled to my right. Grabbing another tree, I paused.

Something was off. I was changed, different,
only I couldn’t remember what had happened, no matter how hard I
tried. I studied my hands before running them over my face. I felt
the same on the outside, but inside I was altered.

A small rabbit darted in front of me and
froze. I could hear its pulse from where I sat. The longer I
watched, the louder the sound became, until it felt like it was
screaming. My mouth watered, and suddenly I was very thirsty.

The rabbit bounded away as I lunged for it,
but I was faster, grabbing and bringing it to my face. I inhaled
its scent and felt a strange sensation in my mouth. My teeth began
to lengthen, and I bit into the animal as it squirmed, trying to
escape.

I held tighter, drinking, devouring the
blood that welled up and pulsed into me. It was delicious, salty,
yet sweet somehow, and the more I consumed, the more power and
energy I felt coursing through me. I continued to drink heartily,
and I felt the life of the creature slowly begin to ebb away.

That was when the realization of what I was
doing hit me. I cried out, releasing the rabbit in horror, watching
as it fell lifelessly to the ground.

Vampire. I was a Vampire.

I staggered backward, glancing around. How
was this even possible?

My breathing was ragged as I looked around
again for any signs of life. There was no way I’d been alone last
night. Someone must’ve taken me—changed me, but I had no memories
of any such interaction

This can’t be happening. I
must be dreaming,
I thought. I pinched
myself hard and it was very painful. I closed my eyes, breathing
rapidly.

This was real.

A moment of panic overwhelmed me as I
thought of my family, and how I might harm them. I felt the need to
flee—to run far away and protect them. Almost instantly, a calming
influence followed my panic. I didn’t know where it came from, but
I took a deep breath. There was no need to act rashly, I just
needed to try and stay in control.

Control was the key. I took another calming
breath, and observed my surroundings. I noticed how everything
seemed so crisp and alive. I could see things with a sharpness I’d
never experienced—pick out each individual smell from the earth and
the vegetation that surrounded me. I marveled over it—amazed by the
clarity—and I walked around the glen for a while, studying things
in wonder.

I could faintly smell smoke in the air, and
I turned toward the village assuming it was from the bonfire
celebration. I was eager to make sure Ceridwen and the others were
all right—that nothing had happened to them as well.

I took off running, increasing in speed as I
went. The scenery whipped by me, and I could feel the wind rippling
through my hair from the swiftness at which I raced. I’d never run
so fast in my life, yet everything seemed to come with ease now. I
tested myself, moving even faster, until the trees around me became
a blur. Amazingly my senses were still acutely aware of my
surroundings, knowing where every bush, stone, or log lay, and I
navigated them easily. The power my body could produce was
extremely invigorating, and I laughed with excitement.

A few moments later I was standing near the
top of the hill where the bonfire had been earlier. It had burned
down to mere embers now, and though most of the people had left the
celebration, there were still a few who lingered behind. A handful
of men were tending to the extinguishing of the fire, and some of
the women were cleaning up the remains of the feast.

Despite all the aromas in the air, my senses
clearly settled on the blood that ran inside each of the humans
present. It called to me, thrummed out in an intoxicating rhythm. I
closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, determined to stand my ground.
I cared about these people. I wouldn’t hurt them. Soft footsteps
caused me to look again, and I saw Ceridwen approaching, her smile
wide in greeting. She’d always smelled good, but now she set my
senses on fire. I took a step backward, trying to blend into the
tree line. I didn’t want to harm her.

“
There you are!” she said
happily. “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come
back. I thought I might need to send Fergus to look for you if you
didn’t show up soon.”

“
I … I fell asleep,” I
stuttered, not sure what else to say and took another step
away.

She didn’t appear to notice my retreat
though, continuing to walk toward me. “So you didn’t get to see any
of your Fae then?”

“
Not that I can remember if
I did.”

She laughed heartily. “Well, better luck
next year, I guess. At least you tried.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she was
prettier than I remembered, and she moved with a natural grace I’d
never noticed before. Her hair was brighter too, not just the flat
honey color I’d always admired, but mixed up with darker and
lighters strands that gave it subtle streaks here and there. It
glistened like spun gold in the early morning sun.

“
Stop,” I said when she was
a few steps from me. Even at this distance I could see all the
flecks of color in her eyes. “Stay where you are.”

She hesitated. “Are you all right, Bran? You
look a little pale.”

I shook my head. “No. I feel different.
Something is wrong. I’m sick I think.” She would never believe my
preposterous story.

She came to me immediately, brushing her
hands over my face, and I sucked in my breath as I fought the urge
to bite her. “You don’t feel feverish. In fact, you feel a little
cool. Did you catch a chill last night?”

“
Perhaps.” I grabbed her
wrists, pulling her hands down. “You should stay away. I don’t want
you to catch it too.” I could feel her strong pulses beating under
my fingers, and I wanted to let go, but I couldn’t seem to make
myself. I was overwhelmed with the need to kiss her—the emotion
blooming deep in my chest. I felt like I hadn’t seen her in a long,
long, time even though it had only been a few hours. I wanted to
hold her, kiss her, and ravish her in a way I never had before. I
wanted to run away with her, marry her right now and make her mine
before anything could ever take her from me.

Desperation coursed through me. How could I
keep her and make her mine without ever hurting her? Could I
protect her—keep this horrible condition of mine from her? Or would
I attack her at the first available opportunity? I was too scared
to risk her safety. I released her and stepped beyond her
reach.

“
I’m thinking maybe I
should go somewhere else for a while, Ceridwen.”

She looked surprised. “Go where?”

“
I’m not sure. Maybe just
out to see the world a little, check into other trades that are
available.”

A puzzled look crossed her face. “Are you
sure something didn’t happen to you in the woods, Bran? I’ve never
heard you speak of leaving here before. All you’ve ever said is how
much you love this place—how you can’t wait to start our life here
together.”

“
I do want that more than
anything.” I searched my mind, trying to grasp at any thought that
would make sense. “What if I need more education or training? I
need to be able to support you properly.”

She laughed and stepped forward, wrapping
her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my chest.
“You’re the best horseman around—even your father says so. Your
knowledge has already helped provide for your family well. Trust me
when I say your skills are more than adequate.”

I was afraid to put my arms around her, and
she noticed, slowly releasing me and stepping away.

“
Is there something else
you’re trying to tell me, Bran? Do you not want me
anymore?”

My heart broke over the sorrow on her face.
I couldn’t take her feeling rejected this way, curses be damned. I
growled and grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her even farther
into the shadows. All the sounds and scents of the forest
disappeared as my lips crushed to hers, my arms pressing her curvy
body against mine.

She answered with the same amount of heated
passion, throwing her arms around me and kissing me back. It was
always this way, like we couldn’t get enough of each other—as if we
would each consume the other with the flames that licked between
us. I longed for her like I’d longed for no other.