Faery Kissed (5 page)

“
That’s interesting. I
wonder why?”

“
It has to do with the
mixing of human and Fae blood during mating. I don’t know all the
particulars, but I know it works.”

Something she’d said caught my attention and
I couldn’t let it go. “Mixing of blood—what do you mean exactly?
How is the blood mixed?”

She looked a little uncomfortable, and she
glanced down, drawing with her finger on the padded bench. “I’ve
consumed your blood before.” She glanced up, her face reddening
slightly.

“
That’s right. You’ve
bitten me, I remember. It made me sleepy, but it was also
very . . . it felt very good.”

“
It’s supposed to. It’s
binding us together even more. You’ve had my blood as
well.”

Now I was confused. “I have?” I tried to
remember ever biting her, but nothing came to mind.

“
Yes. You probably don’t
remember the first time since you were quite incoherent. It was
also mixed in the drink I gave you this morning.”

Ah, the sweet tasting liquid I couldn’t get
enough of. “That explains my craving, but why have me consume your
blood?”

She really blushed this time. “It helps to
prepare our bodies.”

“
Prepare us for
what?”

“
For the final sealing of
our union.”

I wasn’t grasping whatever it was she was
trying to tell me. “Can you elaborate a little more?”

“
It prepares me to receive
you.”

I laughed. “I thought you already had.”

“
No. I mean yes, we have
done
that
, but
this will help to ensure what you give me is not rejected by my
body. It will recognize your contribution as part of its
own.”

“
My
contribution?”

She stared at me while my mind scrambled to
understand what she was saying. Finally the pieces clicked into
place. “Oh. You want to have my baby.”

Chapter Five

I didn’t know why, but the thought both
excited and terrified me. My emotions suddenly jumbled all
together, and I had a difficult time sorting them.

“
Is there a reason you want
to rush into this right away? We have all the time in the world to
start a family. Why not just get to know each other better
first?”

She smiled slightly. “It is the custom of my
people. Getting with child immediately shows the value of the
relationship. It marks it as good and healthy. If a Fae does not
conceive early on, she will be shunned by her people, and even her
husband can leave her for not producing his heir.”

I frowned. “Well, that seems a little harsh.
Sometimes things are out of a woman’s control. Why shun her for
something that is not her fault?”

Eirian shrugged nonchalantly, and I could
tell she agreed with the custom. “Reproduction is necessary for the
survival of my people. We must each contribute—do our share. It’s
been done this way for thousands of years.”

I kept frowning. It didn’t seem like a very
good thing.

She laughed. “If it helps you feel any
better, it doesn’t happen very often. My race is extremely fertile.
So much in fact, I would wager only one person doesn’t conceive
every few hundred years.”

“
Hmm.” I pondered her
statement, still not feeling comfortable with it. “And what if you
turn out to be that one? How fair will you find it
then?”

Her face clouded over, and I wondered if
she’d ever even considered the idea. “That would be horrible since
I am the daughter of the royal house. My king would not be pleased.
I am needed to continue the bloodline. My inability to have a baby
could cause me to be completely ostracized by my people.”

“
Your father should love
you regardless of what you do, and whether he is king or not.” I
felt myself growing angrier.

Eirian smiled even wider. “And this is why I
wanted you, Bran. Your heart is so good, so willing to help others
less fortunate than yourself. You don’t stand for injustice. I
wanted that strength to run in the veins of my child as well.” She
stood and came to me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I slipped my hands around her waist, pulling
her graceful form against me. If I had to give up everything for
her, I was determined to enjoy it. She was very beautiful. “And
here I thought it was my dashing good looks that had drawn you.” I
chuckled.

“
Oh, trust me when I tell
you that your appearance had a lot to do with my decision as well.”
She stroked the tip of her fingers over my face. “Why settle for
ugly children?”

I laughed heartily at this remark, even
though it showed her Fae-ish vanity. “I bet you could mate with a
troll and still have handsome children from the union.”

She scrunched her nose. “Don’t even joke
about things like that. That would surely be a distasteful
mating.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Are you
saying that trolls really exist?”

“
Of course I am! They can
be a downright nuisance at times. We’re constantly herding them out
of the far pastures lest they eat all our food. I don’t know how
they manage to keep breaching the barriers, but they always seem to
be able to, eventually.”

I sighed. “It seems there will be a lot I
need to learn about this new world if I’m to live here.”

She looked sad when I spoke these words.
“There is a lot you don’t know, and I’ll be happy to show you
everything I can.”

I lifted her chin. “You mean there is more
to Faery than this tree and river?” I couldn’t help teasing
her.

She looked perplexed for a moment. “How did
you end up here anyway? You took the opposite path earlier. I was
sure I’d have to send guards out to find you before the day was
over.”

So she hadn’t tried to trick me. I really
had managed to walk in a circle back to this location.

“
I have no idea how I came
to be here. I just looked up, and there it was.” I searched her
eyes. “I do find it odd that I haven’t seen another living soul
since you and I left the feast. Where is everyone?”

“
They are around. These are
my private gardens, though. My people know I don’t wish to be
disturbed when I am here, although you can occasionally stumble
upon others with romantic inclinations hiding together in the
seclusion of the trees around this lake.”

“
Is that so? They would
dare trespass on royal ground?”

She shrugged. “What can I say? I have a
thing for lovers. I welcome them here.”

I tipped my head closer, lifting my hand to
run my fingers through her hair. “And what about me?”

“
You are always welcome
here, Bran.”

I enjoyed the feeling that shot through me,
and I kissed her, needing to feel her lips against mine. She
pressed her body to me, her mouth opening—surrendering—and I could
still taste the sweetness of the grapes we’d eaten earlier on her
tongue. She was delicious, and I wondered if I would ever be able
to get enough of her.

Her hands tangled in my hair, keeping my
head pressed to hers, and then she slid them tenderly along my face
before dipping down my neck and over my shoulders. She pulled away
when she grasped my arms, squeezing them.

“
I love your brawny arms.
They’re so strong,” she whispered—her breathing rapid—and I
couldn’t help my smile.

“
I’m glad you think
so.”

She traced her fingers along my exposed skin
there. “Being in them is much more enjoyable than I’d imagined it
to be.”

She turned, leaning back against my chest,
and wrapped my arms tightly around her, tipping her head and
resting it on my shoulder.

I kissed the side of her face and down her
neck, my lips and tongue trailing lightly over the surface.

She let out a soft contented sigh, and I
tried to brush away my feelings of guilt as I swept her off her
feet and carried her over to the bench.

“
When are you going to show
me the rest of the city, or introduce me to others in your family?”
I held Eirian in my arms, the two of us reclining together on the
padded seat.

Nighttime had fallen and there was a soft
breeze that blew the fragrance of the blossoms through the air,
caressing our skin as it floated on its way. There was the sound of
crickets and the occasional croak of a nearby frog, accompanied by
the gentle lull of the water lapping the shoreline. The tumbling
waterfalls echoed in the distance, giving a feeling of relaxed
peacefulness. The most enjoyable sound I heard, though, was
Eirian’s breathing as her fingers lazily ran up and down my
arm.

I would never lay like this with Ceridwen. I
cringed as the thought possessed my mind. Thinking about her was
not going to make things any better for anyone. I needed to push
past this—concentrate on Eirian and try to move on.

“
I can show you whenever
you’re ready.” She glanced up and smiled. “I’m sorry if I’ve been
selfish. I keep forgetting all of this is new to you. I’ve waited
for you for so long, I just want to keep you all wrapped up to
myself.”

“
I wasn’t actually
complaining,” I replied before brushing my lips over her fair
shoulder. “If you’d rather stay cocooned away in this place, I’m
all for that too.”

She shook her head. “No. You should see
Faery at night. It’s beautiful.”

She left my arms, standing to straighten her
dress and I got up to help, lightly kissing the exposed skin at her
neck.

Things might be difficult inside my heart,
but she was my wife. I would act the part until my emotions
believed it too.

“
If you keep doing this, we
will never get to see anything,” she scolded, and even though it
was dark, I could feel the heat of a blush stealing over her
skin.

I shrugged, glad that attraction between us
was not an issue. “Fine by me—I told you I was happy staying here.
That is the purpose of a honeymoon is it not?”

“
Honey moon?” she
asked.

“
Don’t tell me your people
are not familiar with the term? Drinking honey mead under the honey
moon? Honey mead is, after all, supposed to heighten love and
desire.”

“
Oh, I was aware of that,
I’d just never heard it called a honeymoon before.”

“
Well, now you have.” I
smiled as I pulled my boots on.

“
Yes. Now I have. It’s fun
sharing customs with you this way.”

“
I agree. So lead the
way—show me whatever you wish.”

She grasped me by the hand. “You mentioned
seeing the city, so we will start there.”

We left the confines of the tree, into the
silvery moonlight. Even the glow seemed magical, reflecting off
every surface, and giving a sort of glistening sheen that made them
appear as if they were lit internally. I'd failed to notice all
this earlier, and I imagined it was partially due to the fact that
I'd been under Eirian's enchantment.

“
How far away is the city?”
I asked, as I perused over the way she looked. Her pale
skin—shining like a beacon in the night—complimented the luster of
her long hair. She was truly a vision and she was mine. Despite how
we'd come together, I was surprised to find that the thought made
me feel good.

Immediately an image of Ceridwen popped into
my mind, and a wave of guilt came with it. I sighed, heavily and
pushed it away. My action was not missed by Eirian.

“
The city is not far—over
the bridge and into the adjoining crevice.” She didn't look at me.
“Do you miss her?”

Her question caught me off guard, and I was
momentarily speechless.

“
Yes. I feel guilty over
leaving her the way I did. She believed I was out enjoying a
midsummer’s eve, but I've never returned. I don't like the idea of
causing her, or my family and friends, pain. She was always loyal
to me and I to her. Now I've gone and broken that trust. I feel
I've dishonored her.”

I could see her biting at her lip as we
walked. “Do you love her?” It was barely a whisper.

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling dry
suddenly. “I do. I'd planned to marry her. It's hard to turn that
off instantly.”

She nodded, as if she expected nothing less.
“I can take your memories of her away again if it will make it
easier.”

“
No. I want to keep them.
My memories make me who I am. I'm glad you returned
them.”

“
So you will choose to pine
for her then?”

I shook my head. “I’ll do my best to honor
my commitment with you. Pining for her will bring about nothing
good. I believe in standing by my vows. My father raised me to
believe that a man is only as good as his word.”

“
But you didn’t know what
vows you were making when you agreed to dance with me, or what
followed after.”

“
That’s true, but I still
can’t change what has happened. Even if I could go back, I would
have to be honest. I can’t see how telling her I’m married and have
consummated that relationship will have a very positive effect on
her opinion of me. Either way, I’ve lost her. Either way, I still
belong to you. I choose to try and make the best of this situation.
Besides, it’s not as if there’s nothing between you and me. I think
we’ve proven that.”

I squeezed her hand and pulled her into my
arms. “I’ve always been curious about this realm and your people.
Now I’m here, and I’m going to make the most of it. I want to learn
everything you can teach me—see whatever you have to show. I want
to be here with you.”