TWENTY-THREE
Along with the extra power from my mother and my baptism, I’ve obviously picked up moving from realm to realm quite well because I scry like a flash of light and end up exactly where I want to be. Standing outside of Zoë and Landon’s house.
I lift my hand to knock, but again, the door opens before I even touch the door. This time it’s Sloane who greets me. I dive into his arms, squeezing as hard as I faery-ly can.
“Gods, it’s soooo good to see you, babe.”
“You too, love. You’ve been gone a while.”
I pull back and we step away from the door to shut it. “I have? I thought it was maybe just over an hour. I tried to be quick.”
He laughs and shakes his head with a smile. “Try closer to four … did you even notice the sky? It’s dark as could be, silly. It’s ten.”
“Wow! Are you kidding me? This whole time thing is gonna take some getting used to. It switches from light to dark a zillion times throughout the day, I swear.” I walk over to the bench I have pretty much claimed as my own.
“It’s fine. You’re here now.” Sloane sits down next to me and wraps his arm over my shoulders.
“Yeah,” I mumble happily as I nuzzle my head into his neck, somehow able to relax in his scent even though I don’t have to breathe here. Nothing has ever felt so right and, as corny as it sounds, I honestly cherish every second I have with this guy next to me.
“So what all has happened since I’ve been gone? ’Cause I definitely have a lot to tell you guys.”
“Really? That’s great!” He gives me a squeeze and my entire body tingles. “Well I had to go find D, as fun as that was. I mentioned that I’ve seen you around and he seemed really excited about it. Somehow I got him to believe I’m going to go search for you tonight—sure you’d be out—and then kidnap you and bring you to him.”
“Nice! That sounds like it’ll work well, actually. So where are Zoë and Landon?”
“They went out for a late dinner while I waited. I didn’t want to miss you. They should be back soon.” He pauses, and then adds, “But first there’s something I want to give you. You wanna take a walk with me?”
“Sure.” Of course. I would go anywhere with Sloane. Anywhere. Even to see Donovan in just an hour or so. Calmness fills me now that I am back with him—I know nothing will fail. My heart beats slowly yet confidently and there is an inner peace I have never known. And it’s all because of his presence. Because of his existence. It is just one part of what makes him so special to me.
I lift my head and stand up, holding my hand out to him. He takes it and leads me to the door. We leave the house and walk, hand in hand, over to a clearing. Sloane motions for me to sit down on a blanket that he must have brought earlier and spread out. He sits close to me and, facing each other, we share what we’ve each learned, in full detail.
I’m not exactly surprised at anything Sloane tells me. It’s exciting history and spell type stuff, but also pretty much what I expected Landon to dig up. Sloane, though, is most definitely shocked at what I learned from my mother. I explain the plan and, as the words come out of my own mouth—much less reassuring than when my mother spoke of the same thing—I begin to feel baby butterflies.
I am flat out scared we will fail. That I will fail. No matter my faith minutes earlier, the reality makes it seem so risky. Too risky, maybe. But what choice do I have?
“First of all, how are we going to get Donovan to The Edge? I know how to get there—I think.” I frown a bit, remembering I had to be called there before.
But then again, it wouldn’t be part of the plan if I can’t get there on my own. My thumb finds my wrist and rubs it gently. Not enough to call my mother; just enough to help build my faith and confidence back up. Besides, I am almost positive the mark can sense my inner desire—whether I’m comforting myself or if I need my mother.
“Can I force him there somehow? How’s this supposed to work?”
“Kellyn, baby. If it is your mom’s plan, it’s going to work.”
“OK, let’s say it does work. What then? What if he kills me first?” I tilt my head and meet Sloane’s eyes, almost expecting an answer.
“Now you’re just being absurd. Your compulsion worked in the human realm so it will be extremely simple here with D. You have so much more power in Avalon so please, don’t even worry about that. Better yet, just don’t worry at all; don’t even think. Do what you have to do and it will all be over soon and we can stop thinking about it.”
“But—” Sloane cuts me off with a gentle finger on my lips.
“You cannot be afraid. This is for the best. Everyone gets to keep their life this way. Even Donovan, unfortunately. But children will still have their unicorns and wizards and princesses. And soon enough, they will have their same, sweet fae again. Your mother would not have it any other way, of that I am sure.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just hard. I spoke with one of them more than once. They’re just so sweet and…” I trail off, unable to finish.
I move closer to Sloane, not that it’s really possible, and lean into him as though my life depends on his body touching mine. I can’t stop the tears that have started. Yes, this is my mother’s plan―the only plan possible―but I’m not sure if I can go through with it.
“How can you be so sure, babe?” I ask Sloane. “You can’t be. What if it all goes wrong and a bunch get killed and they’re gone forever?”
“They won’t be, and nothing is going to go wrong. You were raised as a human child. You, out of all of us, should know what it is like. The gorgeous, tiny faeries are going to enter the minds of children again and will return to The Edge. And I am betting on sooner rather than later.” He kisses the top of my head and then brushes a tear from my eye with his thumb.
“This is just a means to an end. They won’t all die—it can only be one, sad as even that is. But the horrible creature will be taken care of. He won’t hurt anyone or anything ever again … especially you.” Sloane clears his throat and asks, “Isn’t that worth it?”
My stomach sinks at the same time my heart bursts. I hate that everyone is in this position because of me, but on the flip side, I know how lucky I am because I wouldn’t have this love otherwise.
So I nod, my head moving up and down against Sloane’s chest. Wiping my tears and nose against him, I stand up, step back, and try to shake the nervousness off. Attempt to get back my sense of strength and bravery in any way I can.
Sloane rises as well, and turns away for a moment. I take the opportunity to try to fix my makeup and dry my nose a little more. Hell, I hope I didn’t leave snot on his shirt.
I laugh at this thought and, when Sloane turns back around he gives me a look I somehow know, even though we just met yesterday. I know he is loving the fact that I’m having a silly conversation with myself. No condescension at all. It’s a look of admiration. He loves that about me—that I’m not normal and am not afraid to hide it now. Not a clue why he would like that, but I’ll take it.
“So I have something for you. And I have to tell you, you are a bad ass bitch whether you think you are or not,” Sloane says with a crafty smile and an arched eyebrow.
“Oh, I am, am I?” I raise my eyebrows too, and tilt my head, waiting to see what he has in store.
“Yes. As a matter of fact, you are. So I thought it was only fitting you that you look like one.”
He produces a shopping bag from behind his back and hands it to me. “For you, my love. To scare the holy—or unholy, that is—shit out of Donovan and to make you feel like the fierce faery you are.”
I giggle as I take the bag and sit back down on the blanket with it. Sloane joins me and I start taking the tissue paper out and tossing it aside.
The first thing I grab besides the wrapping is a tank top. A black, leather tank top. Hrm, I think. OK, keep on digging.
Next comes a pair of leather pants. I can feel Sloane’s gaze fixed on me, but I’m not abou
t to give him the satisfaction of my reaction until I’m done. I manage to keep a stone-cold expression.
After the shirt and pants, I pull out matching gloves that look like they’ll go up to my elbows as I stretch out their full length. The gloves have no fingertips, which makes me wonder, but in a good way. I am beginning to like the faith my boyfriend has in me. It’s going to go a long way in helping me fight Donovan.
The last thing I dig out of the bag are a pair of tall, kick ass boots. Also black leather … of course. A complete outfit. I look up at Sloane, everything sitting in my lap, and smile so largely I feel like the sides of my mouth might split.
“You are absolutely just the freaking best. This is seriously great. Only you would have thought of something like this. For me, and for D. “ I lean toward him and rest my forehead against his. Looking into his eyes, I whisper, “With this stuff, he’ll think I’ve been looking for him and am prepared for a fight. I bet it’ll even make him underestimate me a bit, if you think about it…”
I lean back then and he says, “Come here babe.”
I climb over the bag and into his lap, wrapping my arms around him.
“So now do you feel a bit more prepared?”
“How can I not?! This is the mind-trick part I needed. I’m practically Lara Croft, Tomb Raider,” I say with a smirk. “Except I suppose I’d be Kellyn, um, hrm, no last name. Huh, well…” I trail off, laughing, too happy to worry about feeling like an idiot. “I guess I got the bad ass gene—not the creative, quick, witty one.”
Sloane laughs his deep, throaty laugh. The one I love because I know he has no control over it.
It is that lack of control and my love of all things beautiful—and hatred of evil, that helps me grasp onto my control. I am fully aware of this and now I am ready to do what is foretold.
And hell, even if I’m not ready, I’ve got to do it, right? I don’t know why I bother making a point of this to myself. I need all thoughts to be positive.
“Yes. You do have to. Will you please stop worrying?” Sloane responds to my thought, surprising me a little. “I have one more thing for you. You won’t need it for more than a second, but it will help with the bad ass vibe and it will confuse Donovan even more. I know he will think you really do want to fight dirty—physically, I mean.”
“Yeah, well part of me feels that might be easier—just take him down with my bare hands. But I know this is the only way,” I admit. “So what else do you have?”
Sloane lifts me up off his lap like I’m as light as a book or something. He sits me down next to him before he stands up. Walking over to a nearby tree, he reaches behind it. When he turns back to me, he is wielding a sheathed sword.
“Wow, what the—?! I mean yeah, wow. That’s insane!”
Sloane slowly pulls out the sword on his way back to me. I rise to my knees to better see the beauty of it—the sparkling, embedded rainbow of color. It is beyond words. More gorgeous than anything I have ever seen.
Well, except for my guy.
“Ha ha. Nice, babe. I’m glad you like it. It will do you good. And just so you know, it’s a really strong aluminum so it can’t hurt you. But it does its job. Then after all of this is done, it will be a great souvenir for our place.”
“Our place?” I stand and hold out my hand, asking to admire the sword more closely. He hands it to me but doesn’t let me look at it quite yet, forcing my gaze up to him instead with the look he is giving me.
“Yes. Our place. I love you, Kellyn.” Sloane tilts my head up, his hand under my chin so I’ll look him in the eye. “I want nothing more than for us to live together and to be like Zoë and Landon. To grow old together—or at least as old as we can get…”
I wonder about the last part of what he said but choose to ignore it. My eyes start to water, but with joyful tears this time. I reach out for the sheath and slide the sword back into it, not caring at the moment what it looks like. Slipping it onto my belt as deftly as I can, I then wrap myself around my guy as much as is possible.
Nothing can ever take this moment away from me. I simply tell him, as he runs his fingers through my hair, “I would love that more than anything. You’re it for me and I want to spend eternity with you. I’m so lucky we’re immortal and I’ll never have to lose you because I don’t think I could handle that.”
“I know. Trust me, I do. I feel the same.”
We stand hugging for quite some time—I’m not exactly paying attention to how long and I don’t care to. I am exactly where I want to be. My thoughts are calm and my heart is full.