Finding fae, p.3
Finding Fae, page 3
part #1 of Lost In Fae Series
You always have a place here - Gray
Warmness filled me as I tried to let that take over. I could do this. As the Red Masque Academy, a massive gothic stone building, appeared ahead of me, I breathed in.
Fuck. I hope I can do this.
Chapter 3
Cannon
Contain not train.
I was semi-use to a notice or two appearing on my desk in the morning. I’d barely sat up before the sound of crinkling paper had me frowning and looking up. I always kept extra paper and pens there, because instead of delivering a note…like a normal fucking person, Commander Edwin did this shit. The piece of parchment lifted along with a pen as the scratching of it had me walking across the room. I leaned on my chair as I watched the words appear.
Contain not train.
Assignment: Maize (Unknown Surname) - room 8
That was it. I felt annoyance surge through me and rushed to get ready. I had known Mario’s bastard child Maize would be living here, but I’d never met the woman. Frankly, I’d forgotten she was showing up and as far as I was concerned none of the others had met her either. Nothing but a whisper of her name. Edwin and Byron, the lead commanders of the Red Masques, were extremely tight-lipped about it. I had assumed I would treat her like any other recruit but now I was supposed to just, what? Contain her? Was she a prisoner? This made no sense.
Well, it hadn’t at the time.
Standing at her door, though? Well, now I understood what they meant.
I couldn’t believe this woman had been in the same realm as me this long, without my knowledge. Maize. That was her name and she’d been placed in the eighth room of the commander’s wing of the dorms, ordered by Queen Gray. No direction on how to move forward with this, after being moved in late last night.
“You’re Maize?” I asked, tilting my head. The light of the gothic dark windows muted on her face, as I leaned against the walls of the high arched ceiling. Each of the commanders’ rooms connected in the center in a circular living room, so it would have been far too easy to reach her room through there. This seemed more formal though. More official.
Which I needed. Desperately.
Mostly because I couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought around her and I was positive I looked like a complete fool. Shit, just wait until Valerio met her, this was going to be a nightmare. My wolf, a truly vicious and savage creature that resided in me, was rolling around on his back, shifting his head and rear in the opposite direction, as if begging for attention. It was fucking ridiculous. I had to clear my throat to avoid the pathetic whine of need he kept threatening to let out. I was probably going to end up breaking the stone underneath my shoulder of the wall I leaned on.
“That is presumably what your notice said,” she stated, her eyes large and silvery, blank of emotion. The woman radiated intensity and power that had me wanting to bear my fucking neck to her. This was out of hand.
We had all put together that the new Dark Fae King, Bandit, was her half brother and the two seemed more alike than I would have assumed. Cold, somewhat scary if we were honest, not that it mattered to my dick which was ridiculous hard in her presence, and haunted. Maize made me feel off balance and stupid as fuck.
“Do you mind if I come in? I was sent fairly limiting information, and if you’re going to be here, I need to know more,” I started with a voice that sounded rough to me. At least I wasn’t grunting or drooling.
Then she went and licked her bottom lip subconsciously, before turning back into her suite. I nearly let out a groan at how ridiculously hard I was now.
I followed after her and closed the door, watching her natural grace and elegance that spoke to her pure fae nature. The woman folded herself into a large velvet chair near the fireplace. I took the one across from her before handing her the notice.
Her silver, reflective, nearly cat-like eyes, traveled across the short notice as those thick black lashes fluttered. Realistically, I knew her eyes were no doubt blue. But they were such a pale blue that they reminded me of a frozen icy landscape. No, a mirror was probably a better description. Maybe I needed to stare into them longer…
The woman was like a carved statue, her dark hair brushing her mid back. Every feature was aesthetically perfect. It was overwhelming.
“Okay,” she responded, handing it back, her face blank.
“Okay?” I offered an amused smile.
She shrugged one shoulder and gathered her dark shirt sleeves over her palms. Her frame was small, lean, but she stood at 5’8 possibly taller. She was the epitome of what a fae was supposed to look like. I could only imagine what she thought about our country of misfit and abandoned hybrids. Why did I care? I’d never cared about something like that.
I nearly groaned at that. My entire life I had been able to take care of my little brother and stay far the hell away from women. Women like my own mother who ditched us shortly after Jude’s birth.
I had found it ridiculously stupid the way my own commanders, Byron and Edwin, practically knelt before Vegas. I didn’t have a problem with Vegas but they were fucking mental over the Queen’s sister. Don’t even get me started on the Queen’s guard. All of them...mental.
I hadn’t understood it, but now I think I had an inkling of understanding when it came to this insanity. I mean. Fuck. I couldn’t think straight around this woman and it became ridiculously clear that for her safety, and my own sanity we shouldn’t be alone with one another.
“Why do they want you contained?” I asked, leaning my forearms on my knees. I refused to admit it was to get closer to her.
“They didn’t tell you?” She narrowed her eyes cautiously, to gauge if I was lying, no doubt.
I could smell the cool mountain air on her skin like she’d been out hiking and a very faint scent of lavender. It was distracting enough that I didn’t respond for a moment, unable to think past my wolf’s reaction to her. My wolf who was snarling in my ear like a bloody bastard. I winced slightly at how my teeth hurt, not willing to admit that I wanted to sink my teeth into her soft, stunning, almost iridescent skin.
Shaking myself, the fantasies disappearing… for now. “Tell me what?”
“I am here because I am too dangerous and too skilled to be part of normal society,” she stated, looking half-amused, “the SE guard won’t and can’t handle the bastard daughter of King Mario and I won’t return to the Dark Fae lands where the Obsidian Butterflies are. I have nowhere to go. So, I am here. Now, all we need is to plaster a warning label to my forehead.”
I snorted at her sarcasm. A warning label would help but not because of her past. Although, even I had to admit the OB, Obsidian Butterflies, were an impressive group which spoke of her training, no doubt. Similar to the Red Masques, they were a private militia that had been formed in secret during King Mario’s rule and had helped in finally taking over and killing the bastard.
“What type of magic do you exhibit?” I asked leaning back trying to cut off this connection I was feeling.
Her eyes darkened to a deep almost ocean-like blue as an odd look washed over her features. “I’m pure fae.” I was so caught up in the change of her eye color and how much emotion seemed to be brimming right under the surface of their watery depths, that I didn’t notice her lack of an answer right away. I had a feeling that Maize was hiding a lot.
“That wasn’t what I asked,” I frowned at her hesitancy. I already knew what species she was.
Maize pulled her feet onto the seat and crossed her legs at the ankle. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees, her hands clasped around her shins. I was momentarily distracted by her long elegant fingers. They were oddly beautiful.
What the hell was going on with me today? I wasn’t lying though, Maize wasn’t cute and she wasn’t hot. I mean she was, but those wouldn’t be the words I would use to describe her. The woman was like a piece of art, perfect and completely untouchable.
Instead of answering me, a soft rolling mist of power wrapped around her, almost protectively. I flipped my hands over as I smelled her slight, nearly hidden, panic taint the air. My wolf went completely silent, terrified of scaring her off. You and me both, buddy.
I spoke in a calm tone, “Maize, I’m just trying to help. I can’t protect you if I don’t know what you are capable of.”
She didn’t have to admit to being uncomfortable and she was damn good at hiding it, but I could see it. Hear her pulse. Smell the panic. She took a sharp inhale at my words as something flashed across her gaze.
Yes, I had changed ‘contained’ to ‘protect’ because the commander could just fucking deal with it.
“Please,” I asked quietly.
A moment of silence, her breath stilled. Her eyes bled back to silver as she nodded and lifted her oversized shirt above her head, exposing a tiny waist and dark half top, highlighting her cleavage. I felt a growl catch in my throat, but not for the reason you would expect. Although I did want to spend fucking hours exploring her hot little body. If I could get over the rage of what I was seeing.
On each of her wrists, now laying on her crossed knees, were black burn scars, a contrast to her smooth perfect skin. Iron cuffs. I didn’t have a chance to ask her about them before she let her wings expand out, materializing from a tattoo that wrapped around her ribs. There were other dark markings as well, but I couldn’t focus on those.
“Shit,” I mumbled.
The butterfly-like wings were massive and a deep obsidian color like her straight silky veil of hair. A white diamond-like vein pulsed across them and I found myself leaning forward to touch them. Every glint of light began to reflect shades of pink, purple, and blue. The tips seemed to flutter as if she wasn’t completely in control of them. A look on her face told me she hadn’t meant to let them out but she hid it well.
“Don’t,” she whispered in a strangled voice.
I frowned, pulling back, “Sorry, I…” I sat back and shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me? It wasn’t like I hadn’t been attracted to women before. But I’d never felt this strong of a pull. A pull that I had no idea what the fuck to do with.
“It’s not that,” she murmured, her face nearly sad, “but the wings and my skin… they are poisonous. I’m poisonous.”
What?
“Explain,” I commanded softly. This was by far the oddest meeting I’d had recently.
Her wings fluttered before wrapping around her slightly, “If I am not in complete control of my power, my body will poison anyone that I touch. If I am defensive at all, it's not worth controlling. I have to be extremely cautious. Unfortunately, everything about me tends to entice one to…touch.” A small, barely noticeable shudder, ran over her and I knew she didn’t mean it as a good thing. She wasn’t wrong though, at all. “Sometimes my magic lashes out on its own and in those cases, it doesn’t always require touch.”
“Is there a way to cure people?” I asked, noting that no healing mage would be able to help a victim of this if I had to assume.
“I can draw it out of them if I do it immediately,” she paused, studying me as if wondering to continue, “but the effects of that are dangerous. Addictive. The individual who is subjected to that won’t be able to leave my side without feeling immense physical pain. Similar to withdrawal. Although, they will gain immunity to my touch in the future. I feel that connection as well…
“So what I am saying, Cannon, is that if I don’t keep in control and stay away from conflict - I will either kill someone or ruin their life. Hence, why I have been sent somewhere for, what I am sure no one will admit as, ‘solitary confinement.’ They most likely believe that if I am around dangerous people, you are more likely to be able to control what I am. I don’t blame Gray, it had been the plan all along.
“Is that the case? Will you be able to control it?” She was smirking defensively at the end and I could see how much all of this bothered her.
I tried to focus on a way to turn this. “Why don’t you and I work on your control then? Make the best of your time here?”
Problem Solving. The ability I had the most confidence in. Although whether or not I had any abilities besides staring at her like a moron, was currently up for debate.
Her eyes widened to a nearly owl-like size as she was silent for a minute. Her voice was soft and cautious as she asked, “You would help me? Why?” I could feel her magic tighten around me, searching for hesitancy or lies. It felt like a venomous cobra and I did my best to stay the fuck still.
“Of course,” I nodded. Even if it wasn’t my job to work with new recruits I’d help her. I didn’t answer the second part of her question though. I had no answer to it. Actually, I did, but I didn’t think it was one she would be comfortable with yet.
She extended out a hand and without any hesitancy I met it, her lips tilting up. Her skin was smooth and cool, causing an electric shock to jump through our bond. My wolf growled in recognition as I tried to pull away. But my wolf recognized her in that moment and I had an idea of what that meant. That was bad. Real fucking bad. Bad enough that I could feel sweat prickle the back of my neck as I tried to keep it together.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“No problem, Maize.” I said softly, desperately wanting to call her a million other sickening cute nicknames or a label that would cause her to run out of here as fast as hell if she heard it. Still, something about what I said had her ears turning pink. I wanted to drag her towards me just to confirm the woman was fucking blushing because she was so damn hard to read.
The two of us were staring at one another, her interested and me shamefully enthralled. Which was why she literally jumped over her seat and landed by the massive window of her room when the door slammed open.
I cringed as her wings fully extended out again and her face blanked into that terrifyingly smooth mask. But now I knew, I had seen the underneath and I wanted more. Needed more. This was terrible. I should just get the hell out of here.
“Holy fuck!” A familiar voice had me groaning.
“Philip,” I snarled, “could you do your best to not slam doors open, especially when they are the suite of a woman you don’t know?”
“I knew you were in here.” He rolled his eyes and walked past so that he approached her with ease.
“Hello, sweetheart.” He flashed a smile that had me groaning. “I’m so sorry about the wolfman over there, he can be a bit boring.” Right, boring. If I was boring in this absolutely psychotic group, I would gladly take it. Willingly.
Her eyes jumped with amusement as she relaxed slightly, her wings fluttering in a languid wave, “Wolfman?”
“Yep,” he nodded, “he’s a shifter of the kibble and bits variety.”
I rolled my eyes, but when she laughed it was completely worth it. Just like her soft flute-like voice, her laugh was beautiful and even caused Philip to still in surprise at the sound.
“I’ve never met anyone like you all,” she spoke softly with interest, “especially before coming to the Horde. The Dark Fae lands had no one outside of the fae species.”
“Well...” he teased, watching her with what I was positive she could see was in a slightly predatory fashion. He couldn’t help it, none of us could. “Trust me, we are the most boring out of everyone you’ll meet.” He means rational, we were the most rational members of our team…sort of.
“Talking about that,” I groaned, putting my head back at the footsteps coming down the main hallway from the lounge room.
“Philip!” A voice growled as my brother in arms chuckled.
“Sweetheart, come stand in front of me. I need your graceful protection.” He offered an innocent look as if he wasn’t the predatory creature I knew him to be. Still, Maize stepped forward and he ducked behind her with ease. She folded her wings in and I breathed out a bit, her eyes warming because I knew she trusted us enough to put away her very real weapon.
Philip hadn’t even known how close he was to death and wasn’t that terrifying? No, instead he placed his head on top of hers and wrapped an arm around her bare stomach. Jealousy surged through me and I tried to calm my wolf down. I wasn’t opposed to sharing but I wanted to touch her…and what the fuck was I talking about? Sharing? The woman was going to think I was a stalker or serial killer if she ever found out what I was thinking.
“Philip!” The voice yelled as the door slammed open, “Where the fuck is he? Bastard took my -- fuck.”
Fuck is right.
“Valerio,” I sighed running a hand over my face, “this is Maize.”
Our rather intense and usually stoic leader stepped forward before tilting his head.
Maize, looking very much like an exotic creature, tracked his movements. I had no idea how she kept her face so void of emotion, but judging by the scars on her wrists…it wasn’t good.
I swallowed back the growl and spark of fury of her possible mistreatment. I had to keep control of the situation. I’d heard a rumor that our new guest had been rescued from Mario’s dungeons, but that had been so long ago and I hadn’t really considered what that meant. How long had she been down there? What had happened to her while she was down there?
“Philip,” Valerio snapped, “go by Cannon.”
Philip sighed and kissed her shoulder gently, causing her to look up in surprise. He winked and I glared at him as he walked back over towards me.
Valerio was perfectly still and I could see Maize getting defensive again. I hated that Philip had been able to put her at ease. Then again…I was glad she didn’t shy away from all touch. Mostly, because I had a feeling I may end up being a bit clingy.
I really should leave. As in, walk out the door and leave the Horde, because none of this was going anywhere good.
“Valerio,” I sighed, “you’re making her defensive and her magic is going to react.” I saw Maize soften at my words as if she was glad someone had said something.
“You have no fear,” he frowned, looking absolutely freaked out, “Caution, but no fear. How is that possible?” See? Didn’t I tell you Valerio was going to be a problem?
