The Fae King's Curse Read online

  I mean, his own sister used iron on him during a fight. You’d think that’d be a big no-no, considering it instantly burns them.

  From the sounds of it, Gia’s power hungry. She’s been salivating over the possibility of taking over, but she’s second in line. Kirian’s the rightful heir, by birth and by strength. He’s spent centuries honing his fighting skills. He’s undefeated, despite having only four senses to rely on.

  To sum it up, he’s a badass of epic proportions.

  My brother and I aren’t close—that’s what happens when there’s a fifteen-year age gap—but I know he loves me. My parents only wanted one child. They planned it, achieved it, and thought they were done. I was the “surprise” my mother never expected at age forty-seven. She didn’t even know she was pregnant with me. She just thought she’d gained weight, then one day she got some cramps and gave birth to me in the bathtub.

  Sometimes I wonder if that’s why she’s so lenient with me. Not gonna lie, I get away with a lot. She’s just too tired to stop me from running off to the woods every day.

  “Gia hurt you.” Pressing my lips together, I inspect the injury, careful not to touch the raw area. “This isn’t right. She’s your family.”

  “In her own way, she believes she’s doing me a favor. She thinks taking my place would make it easier for me.”

  “Bet it really chaps her ass to get beat by a blind dude,” I quip.

  Kirian chuckles. “And one-handed, no less. Don’t worry about me. It’ll be healed by the time we’re done with our dance.”

  I sigh. As much as I want to baby him, he’s right. The big, scary fae king doesn’t need me to fix anything for him.

  “Okay.” Awkwardly placing my hand in his, I put my other hand on his shoulder.

  I don’t know how to dance, and there’s no music. But it doesn’t matter. This is way better than any homecoming at school could ever be.

  Kirian closes his eyes, and I feel his power rise. The hair on my arms stand up, and there’s a prickly sensation on my scalp.

  Suddenly, hundreds of fireflies blink around us, twinkling as the crickets start to chirp. Those chirps change and merge until it blends into a haunting melody.

  Kirian’s ability to persuade nature is an impressive power, and it never ceases to amaze me.

  Now I get misty-eyed for a different reason. “It’s so pretty.”

  “Only the best for you, young one.”

  I didn’t think it was possible for my crush on him to get stronger, but I was wrong. Because the way he makes me feel—beautiful and worthy—is like an addicting drug I’ll never get enough of.

  In a soft voice I suspect he only saves for me, he teaches me the dance steps of the fae. It isn’t too dissimilar from a waltz, and I catch on quickly.

  Before I know it, we’re moving together seamlessly. Aside from where our hands are placed, there isn’t much physical contact. I’m a little disappointed about that, but it’s probably for the best. Kirian doesn’t need a pathetic fifteen-year-old perving on him.

  Even if I totally want to.

  As we sway together, I think about how much Kirian and I have learned from each other, how close we’ve gotten. I read books to him, we hang out in my treehouse, and he often collects the honeysuckle from the field. We eat pudding and sometimes he lets me play with his hair.

  Many times, I’ve confided in him about the bullying at school—to which he promptly threatens to behead someone. And he’s told me about the hardships in his kingdom, from the poverty-stricken peasants to the constant disputes with the Day Realm.

  The peace treaty is still in place, but it’s on shaky ground. Kirian hasn’t gone into details, but something sketchy is happening in the Day Realm.

  They still have a reason to get along, though—the curse is very much alive since none of the men have found their soul mates.

  Kirian twirls me in a circle before lowering my body in a dip.

  “You’re my best friend,” I say softly as I hover parallel with the ground.

  His hand flexes on my back. I’ve never told him that before. I assumed he knew, but it’s always nice to hear it.

  He doesn’t respond for several seconds, and my heart sinks because I don’t think he’s going to say it back.

  But then he lifts me up and smiles. “And you’re mine.” Bowing, he ends the dance. “The portal calls. I have to go, young one.”

  “Take me with you.” It’s an impulsive request. One I haven’t quite thought through. But in this moment, I mean it.

  “I can’t do that,” Kirian replies, stroking my pixie cut. “I can only open one portal a year. That means you’d have to spend an entire twelve months in my world before you could come back to yours.”

  “You only get one portal a year?” That’s new information. I was under the impression he could hop around to wherever he wanted. “And you use it to come here? To see me?”

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather go,” he says, certain.

  And just like that, I forget about my hair.

  Kirian

  Anxiety swarms my mind as I plunge through the portal, but calm blankets me when I catch the distinct sweet scent that only belongs to one person. Quinn is near.

  Every time I visit her, I’m afraid she won’t show up—that circumstances beyond my control will keep us apart. It’s happened before. I can’t explain why this bothers me as much as it does. I just know she makes me happy, and when I can’t see her, I’m beyond disappointed.

  As her footsteps come closer, the branches above tremble with excitement.

  Nature loves her. The trees, the insects, the grass.

  They wait for her just as I do.

  I’ve never known a purer heart than hers. The only time I know true contentment is when I’m here.

  Smiling, I reach into my pocket and close my hand around the gift I brought for Quinn. The smooth bottle is small—about the length of my palm—but it holds a powerful potion inside.

  I wasn’t kidding when I told her fae hair is precious, and I traded mine for hers. It took me eight months to track down the wizard who gave me my portals. In exchange for a tonic that will make Quinn’s hair grow back six times as fast, I had to give him six inches of my own locks. Not that it made much of a difference to me. My hair was getting too long anyway.

  “Hi,” she greets me, sounding much more cheerful than yesterday.

  I’m glad. I hate it when she cries. When she weeps, I get an unnerving ache in my bones. My mind fogs with bloodlust, and I crave vengeance on all who’ve wronged her.

  “Remember when I said I owed you a boon?” I ask when she’s a few feet away.

  “You mean the day we met?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah,” she replies slowly. “But that was a long time ago. I never expected anything in return. I would’ve helped you anyway.”

  “That’s not the point. I’ve been in your debt since then, and I finally have a way to repay you.” Turning my hand over, I reveal the bottle in my palm. “This will make your hair grow back. Not right away, but fast enough that people might have questions. You have shops in your town that sell beauty tonics, yes? Maybe at the mall you speak of?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. Just say you got it from there. Explain that it’s made from the coconut oil humans seem to love so much.”

  Accepting it, she shakes the milky liquid as she inspects it. “How do you know coconut oil is popular here?”

  “Damon.” My cousin’s knowledge of Quinn’s world is more extensive than mine. “Massage it into your scalp once a day until it runs out.”

  “And it’ll just make it longer? Like magic?”

  I nod. “Exactly like magic.”

  She squeals. “Ohmigod, I can’t believe this! This is so great. I promise I’ll love you forever.”

  Her words make my heart jump with a delighted flutter.

  She doesn’t mean it. It’s one of those things humans say without thought about future c
onsequences, but the fae take oaths very seriously.

  “Quinn, what have I told you about making promises you can’t keep?”

  “That I shouldn’t do it, especially with a fae?”

  “That’s right. Don’t say something you can’t follow through with.”

  I’ve been selective with how much I tell Quinn about my world. Rules and customs are fine, but there are aspects of Valora she’s too innocent to hear about. Like the fact that Day Realm men kidnap females—both human and fae—for breeding purposes.

  I also haven’t told Quinn I called off the search for the witches a few years ago. It was just too dangerous. During our hunts, we kept running into bandits, rogue Day soldiers, and wild animals. It created unnecessary fights, injuries, and lives lost. The last straw was when one of my best men died in the Shadowlands. His head was severed by an unknown beast, and his family still mourns him.

  “But I mean it, Kirian.” Quinn’s arms go around my torso as she squeezes me tight. “I’ll love you forever and ever and ever.”

  I feel the truth to her vow, even if the root of it is based on deep friendship. It settles in my abdomen like a warm gulp of tea.

  I want to say it back, but I’m scared. Funny how a child could terrify me as much as Quinn does. And that’s what she is—a kid.

  Young people are impulsive and fickle. They change their minds as quickly as the wind changes course. One day, she’ll grow up and see me differently. How differently, I don’t know.

  I just know eventually, our relationship will either progress to something more or fade away to nothing.

  It’s the thought of nothing that makes me hug her a little tighter.

  Quinn

  18 Years Old

  I’m already sweating as I trudge to our spot, and it’s not because of the summer heat. As I roll the marble around my palm at a rapid speed, I question myself for the hundredth time today.

  Can I really go through with this?

  My heart feels like it’s going to break into pieces, just like the twigs snapping under my feet.

  When I see Kirian standing in the honeysuckle field, I stop for a second to admire him.

  His white cotton shirt stretches over his muscular back and shoulders. The pearlescent beads he had in his hair yesterday are gone, and the long locks flow freely in the breeze. The trousers he wears hug his narrow hips. And damn, that man has a great ass.

  I’m going to miss it.

  I’m going to miss him.

  Over the years, our friendship has become so much more than I ever thought it would be. Kirian’s the first thing I think about when I wake up. He’s on my mind all day, and I’m not content until I’m with him. He’s my last wish before I fall asleep.

  He’s my world.

  And that’s a problem.

  I can’t let my life revolve around someone who doesn’t belong to me.

  “I know you’re there,” he calls, grinning as he turns.

  “The grasshoppers?” My throat gets tight while I close the distance between us. “Did they tell on me again?”

  Shaking his head, he answers, “The scent in the breeze. Nothing in all of the realms smells as sweet as you.”

  Oh, he’s going to make this so much harder.

  Dread fills me with every step I take, and my lungs feel like they’re being crushed by an invisible weight.

  When I’m just a couple feet away, I straighten my spine with steely resolve. “I have something to tell you.”

  “What’s that, young one?” He cocks his head to the side. “Your heart beats so fast.”

  Reaching out, he toys with a strand of my hair, which, thanks to him, still grows faster than it should, even though I ran out of the magic oil he gave me within two months.

  Remembering little gestures like that sends sharp pains through my chest. Heartbreak hurts. Literally.

  Swallowing hard, I rub at my sternum. “I won’t be here tomorrow.”

  Kirian’s smile falls. “Where will you be?”

  “Or the day after that,” I continue. “Or the day after that.”

  His face darkens. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m leaving for college tomorrow. I waited until the last minute to tell you because I know it means we won’t see each other for a long time.”

  “How long?”

  “Well, I’ll be back for Thanksgiving, which is in, like, a hundred days.”

  “A hundred days?” he thunders out. “That’s a century for me!”

  “I know, but—”

  “No. I forbid it.” With his firm tone, he sounds very much like the king he is. “You’re not going.”

  I gape at him. “Excuse me, you can’t do that. I’m not one of your subjects.”

  “Yes, I can and I am. I won’t go that long without seeing you. I can’t.” His voice cracks. “Remember the time you had the flu a couple years ago? You were gone for eight days. I waited eight agonizing years to see you. And that bad snowstorm when you couldn’t leave the house? Three years.”

  As much as I’ve tried to be here every day, it wasn’t always possible. There were times when I had to miss a day or eight, and it seemed like the longer Kirian went without our meetings, the crankier he was.

  “I think we both need this time apart,” I reason, looking down at the ground, because I can’t handle seeing his sad face. “We’re holding each other back.”

  “Holding each other back from what?”

  “From everything!” I throw my hands up. “I’ve spent my teenage years mooning over you instead of making friends, being in sports, and going to dances—real dances.”

  “You moon over me?” A half-smile appears on his face.

  “I’m being serious here, Kirian.”

  “So am I. Don’t do this to us.”

  I don’t want to. The last thing I want is for our friendship to end. The truth is, I’d give up a lifetime of “normal” if I could be with him.

  But I can’t. That’s not how this works. We’re worlds apart.

  “I love you, Kirian. I’m in love with you.” My eyes sting. Damn it. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. “Every day, when you come back to me, I’m terrified you’re going to tell me you found her—your mate. And it’s going to break my heart, because it’s not me. It’ll happen eventually, and I know when that time comes, I’ll never see you again. If you really care about me, you’ll leave right now and never come ba—”

  Without warning, Kirian steps forward, cradles my face in his hands, and bends down. It seems like time is in slow motion as he comes closer.

  I’m frozen in place when his breath ghosts across my mouth, right before his lips press to mine.

  For a glorious second, all my dreams come true.

  Kirian’s mouth is just as soft as I’d imagined it would be, and this isn’t just a single peck. His lips massage and nip at mine as he kisses me over and over again.

  Kiss.

  The curse.

  No.

  Pushing at his chest, I separate from him with a gasp. “What did you do? Kirian, if you so much as kiss someone else…”

  I don’t have to finish that sentence. He knows the terms of the curse just as well as I do.

  Permanent.

  He’ll never see again because he kissed me.

  “Why?” I demand, panting. “Why would you do that?”

  Gripping my shoulders, he leans down until we’re nose to nose. “Because I can live without my sight, but I cannot live without you.”

  Oh, those words. Those beautiful, wonderful, perfect words. I want to ask him to say it again. I want to beg for another kiss.

  But it’s wrong. I can’t let him give up something so precious for me.

  I shake my head violently. “Maybe it doesn’t count because it happened here.”

  “It counts,” he says, final. “It’s done.”

  “You can find the witches,” I go on irrationally, breaking away from him to pace back and forth. “You guys have been searching
for freaking ever, so you’ve got to run into them soon. You can ask about this situation—”

  “Quinn, it’s done.”

  I look up at his unfocused lavender eyes, and another fracture forms on my mangled heart when I think about him never seeing the stars again.

  His stars.

  His family. Trees, flowers, clouds, and smiling faces. All the things regular people take for granted every day.

  “This doesn’t change anything.” My voice wavers. “I’m still leaving tomorrow.”

  Kirian’s lip curls with a sneer, and I get the feeling he doesn’t hear the word no very often.

  His hands go to his hips and he blows out a breath. “All right.”

  Huh?

  “All right?” I echo. If I’m being honest, I’m a bit insulted he’s actually letting me go without more of a fight. “Okay, then.” I blink. “I need my marble back.”

  For some reason, watching Kirian dig into his pocket and drop the round ball into my palm is the most painful part of all. Because it’s so final.

  The end.

  “I’ll be back here around the last week of November. Maybe I’ll see you then?” My nose burns, and I’m holding back tears as I shove the reunited marbles into my pocket.

  “Hug goodbye?” Kirian’s face is stoic as he spreads his arms.

  My chin quivers as I go to him.

  Don’t cry, don’t cry.

  Pressing my face to his chiseled chest, I roam the muscles on his back. My fingers start low, bumping over the dimples right above his seriously great ass. Then I travel up, feeling the sinew encasing his spine. I end at his shoulder blades, splaying my hands out, measuring how broad he is by touch.

  Kirian and I both sigh at the same time.

  Now that I know what it’s like to have his lips on mine, now that I know my feelings for him aren’t completely unrequited… this hug feels different than all the others. It’s charged.

  I don’t want to let him go, and I’m rethinking my life decisions.

  Would it be so bad to just stay in this town, keep my job at the ice cream shop, and spend my days waiting for a few hours with Kirian?

  Yes. Yes, it would be bad. Maybe not right away, but someday. When he leaves me.