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I caressed his marble forearm gently. “I’m going with Ryzier to the Fae Realm for a few hours to see an old friend. He’ll keep me safe while I’m there.”

  The statue rumbled like stone rubbing together. The glow had me turning away to shield my eyes. “I wish you’d warn me before you start glowing like the damn sun.”

  He wrapped me in his arms as he growled at Ryzier, watching us from the door. Ryzier snorted, “What, you don’t think I can protect her?”

  The growl grew louder, and I pushed against his chest gently. “I’ll be fine, Mason… relax.”

  His golden fae gaze met mine slowly. “Where you go, I go.”

  My heart squeezed with love. The last thing Mason wanted to do was go to the Fae Realm in this form. He really wasn’t comfortable in anything other than his beast and statue form. “You don’t have to.”

  His gaze met Ryzier’s again. His gravelly voice lowered. “Where she goes, I go.”

  I turned around in Mason’s arms and cocked an eyebrow at Ryzier. He shook his head slowly. I smiled slightly.

  He closed his eyes and stomped his foot. “Fine. But he’s not going like that.”

  I stepped back and regarded Mason’s beautiful dark granite colored body. “Like what?”

  Mason jerked with surprise as Ryzier magically dressed him in tight leather pants. “My genitals! They’re being compressed! I can’t move.”

  I snorted as Ryzier sighed. “You go like this, or you stay here.”

  Mason gave Ryzier a panicked whine. “Please remove this animal skin from my body before I hurt you.”

  Ryzier snorted and waved his hand once more. Mason was now wearing a kilt. He was still upset but less so now that his frank and beans weren’t wrapped in constricting animal skin.

  Ryzier asked, “Better?”

  Mason lifted the kilt and inspected himself. “What is it with you people and covering your genitals?”

  Ryzier growled, “If I see your genitals again gargoyle, the pants will come back for good.”

  Mason shook his head slowly as he lowered the kilt and stared at Ryzier’s bulge. “All right, Demon.”

  Ryzier ignored Mason and opened a portal in the yard. He offered me his arm formally, and I smiled up at him as I slipped my arm in his. Mason followed us as we stepped through and out the other side.

  My stomach rolled and then dropped, but that was all. Mason whined behind me and once we were through the portal, he dropped to his knees in the beach sand and gagged.

  Ryzier ignored the gargoyle’s distress. Instead, he smiled down at me and said, “Welcome to Fae Florida and the Pelagic Clan.”

  The familiar lilt of the ocean, the smell of the sea breeze made me grin. I turned towards the purple and blues of a recently set sun over the ocean and sighed. “Beautiful.”

  I never thought I’d see the beaches of Florida again. Of course this wasn’t my Florida. There were no houses, humans or boats on this beach. No, this was Fae Florida, a natural coastline and pristine Gulf of Mexico. It still felt like home to me.

  ~~~

  Down the shoreline was a group of people watching the sunset. Music and drums played as some danced around a fire further up on shore. Others stood at the edge of the surf, singing to the ocean and sky. A place of in between. They were honoring the slack tide, the peace between day and night, the place where water greets the earth.

  We walked towards the large gathering, still arm and arm. Thankfully Mason had stopped dry heaving and was following us silently. As we got closer, a few people in the group turned to watch us. The singing slowly ended. Someone broke away from the crowd at the shoreline and walked towards us.

  Ryzier carefully took my arm out of his. When I glanced up at him, he gave me a tight smile. “Go on.”

  I focused on the male walking toward us with a purposeful stride. “Luke.”

  I broke away from my males and rushed towards my beautiful high fae. “Luke!”

  He caught me in strong arms and swung me around. “V.” He was the only one who called me that now. I’m sure I was the only one who called him Luke now too.

  He inhaled my scent deeply as I pressed a kiss to his delicately tipped ear. His light brown hair was still cut short in the back and long on top. He had the long part pulled away from his forehead in a small knot. He buried his face in my neck and kissed me back with those sensual lips of his. Lips that I once kissed for hours.

  Once my feet touched the sand, he set me back from him and ran his gaze over my face. I wasn’t having it though. My hands cupped his face as I pulled him to me for a kiss. His hands mirrored mine as he kissed me with sensual passion. Kissed me with tender love. Fully present in the here and now. Just Luke and I, standing in paradise, greeting one another with whole-hearted love.

  Time stood still for me. It always did when I kissed Lukenon. We had a connection like no other. There wasn’t a giver and receiver here. No dominant and submissive. No claiming or ownership between us. We just connected as sentient beings. Our energy merged and danced around us. Nothing else mattered in this moment but this connection.

  I didn’t care that people gathered around us, witnessing our connection. As awareness gently came back to me, their energy was that of appreciative respect at what they were seeing.

  These weren’t humans. They were high fae like Lukenon. Connected to natural love and energy like no other being. They radiated a beautiful, loving energy that enveloped us.

  Luke finally broke our kiss. He inched back and gazed into my eyes soulfully. Such depth and wisdom remained in his hazel gaze. He was smiling as he whispered, “Hi.”

  I gave a breathy laugh, unable to contain my joy. “Hi.”

  He pulled me into his arms once more and I squeezed him tight against me. His swimmers build hadn’t changed a bit. We fit together as if we were made for one another.

  He sighed. “Ah my love. I’ve missed you.”

  I watched most of the crowd melt away, returning to a large palace or lingering at the fire half way. Only three high fae remained, along with Ryzier and Mason. As Luke separated us once more. I recognized one of the fae immediately. Luke’s dad, Calanon, watched me impassively. He didn’t give off any energy, and his face was a watchful mask.

  I didn’t blame his reservations about me. Last time I saw him, I went into a bloodlust from just his scent. I smiled widely at him and held out my hand.

  “It’s nice to see you again.” See? No fangs. I’m safe.

  He took a moment studying my face, reading my energy, and then he looked at my hand as he grasped my forearm in classic high fae greeting. His gaze softened, and there was a hint of lift to his lips. Damn, Luke looked just like his dad. Simply beautiful.

  He nodded slightly. “And you.”

  A slightly curvy red headed fae said, “Don’t mind Cal. He’s the stoic and silent type.”

  She held out her hand as I focused on her. She was wearing a diamond and sapphire crown. Her hair pulled up much like mine. She had round ears, but she felt high fae. I took her hand, and she shook it.

  “I’m Morgan. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  I inhaled her scent. Sweet and delicate with notes of human. Created fae, then? “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  She presented the tall golden king standing at her side. “This is King Chaistolf, my husband.” And soul mate. These two resonated the same frequency. Two halves of one soul.

  Chaistolf held out his hand and I clasp his forearm. This male was the most beautiful high fae I’d ever laid eyes on. As tall as Ryzier, but more chiseled all over. His shoulder length golden hair was more vibrant than Mason’s. He simply glowed from the inside. He gave me a curious grin as he cocked his head slightly. He had tiny fangs.

  I whispered in breathless wonder. “What are you?”

  He glanced at Morgan and then chuckled. “I’m light fae, a direct descendant from Alfheim.”

  I breathed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more perfect in my entire life.” As I gazed in
to his brilliant teal blue eyes my fangs made an unexpected appearance.

  I slammed my hand over my mouth and felt the blush in my cheeks. “Shit. Sorry.”

  His gaze narrowed slightly, and I rushed on. “Don’t worry, it’s not bloodlust. It’s… something else.”

  I glanced at Morgan and said from behind my hand. “Don’t worry, I can control that too.”

  She laughed. “You’ll be the only one here who can, then.”

  My gaze slid back to Chaistolf. “You two have a special bond. You share a soul?”

  Morgan answered. “We’re Spark Bonded.”

  Lukenon slipped his arm around me and explained that the Spark Bond is a rare and sacred bond among the high fae. When a Spark Bonded couple unite, they indeed share a part of their soul with the other. Morgan showed me the glow between her, and Chaistolf by holding her palm close to his. An energy ball formed between their palms, brilliant blue as it rolled.

  She explained, “It’s grown substantially since we first bonded. Of course we went through some tough times, we were separated for years in different realms which damaged the bond.”

  She glanced at Ryzier behind me and said, “It’s taken a long time for us to repair that damage.”

  I looked back at Ryzier. He was staring at the energy ball. Were these three fae the contract Ryzier burned? The three souls he released? My gaze returned to Chaistolf. He was regarding Ryzier as well. Face closed now. Did Ryzier torment this beautiful fae? I could see the attraction for Ryzier. This male was as close to an angel as one could get. Calanon’s face was dark, almost angry if the male showed emotion. It had to be.

  Luke laced our arms together. “Let’s have a walk.”

  I smiled over at him and shot one last glance at Ryzier before allowing Luke to lead me away from the uncomfortable silence. His silver gaze met mine, and he nodded slightly. It wasn’t in approval though. It was a simple acknowledgment. Yes, I see you. Yes, I’ll be fine with this lot.

  We followed the shoreline until Luke paused and asked me, “Who’s the tail?”

  I turned around and smiled at Mason. “My guardian. He won’t let me out of his sight here, so don’t ask.”

  We started walking again, and he asked, “He’s Scottish?”

  “What?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “The kilt.”

  I laughed. “No. He’s a nudist.”

  At his confused look, I explained how I came to befriend a gargoyle. He relaxed as he guided me up the beach to sit down with him in the dry sand. “I’m glad you have him V. It eases my mind to know you have a powerful protector.”

  I leaned against his shoulder and gave him a gentle nudge. “How are you, Luke?”

  He opened his arm and draped it around my shoulders. “I’m better now.”

  I leaned my head against him, and he said. “Honestly, I lost my shit when you disappeared. Something told me you were in trouble. I acted without thinking it through.”

  He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I’m known for that shit, V. My family guessed I was headed to Greece to find you but I didn’t leave them any clues in my haste. It was Ryzier who found me outside that mansion. It pissed me off when he snatched me up and drug me home through one of his portals. Then he told me you were safe. That demon might be an asshole, but I’m grateful he met you that first day in the God Realm.”

  “Speaking of Ryzier. What’s the deal between him and the king and queen?”

  He sat up and turned to face me. “I just found out about the contract recently. Ryzier’s been visiting periodically ever since I can remember. He didn’t pay much attention to us kids, but mom and dad didn’t trust him. He didn’t come for them. He came for Morgan and Chaistolf. The only child he really ever paid attention to was Rainariel, the princess. She called him uncle Ryzier for the longest time.”

  He shifted a bit. “My mom said the sex demon was a damned pedophile, but I saw nothing inappropriate in their relationship. He behaved like an uncle to her. Sometimes though, after he left, the king was sick. Morgan would look worried for him, and my mom would comment that Ryzier was an asshole. My dad agreed, swore one day he’d end Ryzier.”

  He glanced back at me and smiled slightly. “My dad’s a deadly assassin. He can be as dark as any demon in the Dark Realm. If he swears he will end someone, they are living on borrowed time.”

  I looked worriedly down the beach where I left Ryzier standing beside Calanon. “Don’t worry. Cal might hate Ryzier, but he won’t act on that hate tonight. Besides, Ryzier is my uncle. Yeah, turns out the succubus inside my mom is Ryzier’s half sister from the Dark Realm. So while my parents might not like him, they’re kind of stuck with him.”

  I asked, “So who is the third soul in the contract he said he burned?”

  Luke jerked his gaze back to me and cocked his head slightly. “He told you about that?”

  “Just that it cost him dearly to negotiate a vampire visiting the Pelagic Clan in the Fae Realm.”

  “Before I was born, Morgan was separated from Chaistolf during an ocean crossing. She fell off her boat in a storm and was mistaken for being human by the fishermen who rescued her. Back then, humans were not allowed in this realm. They were either killed immediately or sold into slavery. They sold Morgan into slavery. It was during this time, Ryzier found her. He’d met her years before when she was still human but was intrigued to find her again as created fae. He could have rescued her, open a portal to get her out of there, but instead he healed her body and bonded with her. Morgan suspects that was the first time he saved Rainariel’s life as she was pregnant with her then.”

  “Anyway, he returned in her dreams several times to heal her before Chaistolf rescued her. When she returned here they were met with more obstacles. They’d both gone through some shit and it had ruptured their bond. Chaistolf was doing his best to repair the damage he’d caused. Morgan was doing her best to heal from her emotional scars. The council was doing its best to keep a human from claiming her crown and ruling over high fae.”

  He met my gaze again. “All the stress caused Morgan to miscarry. Ryzier busted in and saved both Morgan’s and Rainariel’s lives. He jerked some sense into Chaistolf. Then he addressed the council and revealed himself to be a vampire who’d tasted Morgan’s blood. He told them that Morgan was one hundred percent high fae, even if she has round ears and was born human. Apparently it was quite the show because people still talk about it today.”

  I whispered, “But all that came at a cost.”

  He nodded gravely. “Yep. They pledged to feed him four times a year until their daughter matured. The price for Morgan’s crown? Her daughter, Rainariel. Morgan’s smart, though. She agreed to the terms with the stipulation that Rainariel keep her free will and choose Ryzier without the use of demon sex magic. Ryzier agreed as long as she remained a virgin.”

  I asked, “How does Rainariel feel about all this?”

  He smirked. “She loves Ryzier. He’s spent her entire life wooing and charming her. Unfortunately for him, she sees him as a goofy uncle and not a sexy bed partner.”

  He looked over the dark waters and inhaled. “She made her choice about four months ago.”

  He gazed at me solemnly. “She chose me.”

  “Wait… What?”

  He nodded. “Rainariel followed me when I went to rescue you. Of course Ryzier collected her first, but when he brought me home, she threw herself in my arms and wept with relief. We’ve always been close friends, but she was a virgin and you know how I feel about virgins.”

  I offered, “Something tells me she’s not a virgin any longer.”

  He smirked. “Nope. We’ve been together ever since. You’d think Ryzier would have intervened before we had sex. He didn’t. Our parents were mortified, and that’s when they told us of the blood contract with Ryzier. We were immediately afraid of what he might do to us. I mean, he saved us both, and he watched his betrothed throw herself at me. Heard her confessions of love. Heard mine back
to her. Watched us walk off together, knowing we would make love.”

  I smiled as I looked off into the vast dark ocean, lit by a full moon. “He let her go because he’d fallen in love with me.” The timing was perfect if this realm followed the Human Realm. Ryzier let Rainariel go because he loved me. I’d touched his heart just as he touched mine. He returned to me and we made love.

  He was watching me with a speculative look on his face. I said to the ocean. “When he returned, he burned the contracts during a negotiation to allow me to visit you. He’d already let those souls go. It’s why he wasn’t mad. I’m here not because he loves me and wants to give me a gift. It’s to test your love for Rainariel and to see how far he can push Chaistolf and Morgan now that they’re no longer in debt to him. He’s testing their love for him. It’s a test because he doesn’t trust anyone.”

  I met Luke’s gaze. “Deep down inside Ryzier, doesn’t feel he deserves to be loved. Used? Yes. Fucked? Absolutely. Physical love is who he is. A sex demon. A vampire. But he’s more angel than he cares to admit.”

  His voice held a note of hesitation. “I don’t know that Morgan and Chaistolf love him.”

  I smiled confidently. “I do.”

  As we returned to the group on the beach in front of the palace, I saw these people with a new understanding. These weren’t just souls Ryzier had under contract. They were as close to a family as Ryzier would ever get. I watched Morgan’s gaze soften slightly as she looked at Ryzier. She loved him. I saw Ryzier watching Chaistolf. He loved him. And when I met Rainariel, I noted Ryzier watching her and Luke closely.

  Instead of taken her offered hand, I pulled her into a close hug. “Take care of him. He’s special.”

  She pulled back and smiled a beautiful smile. “You’re special too, Nevaeh. You’re always welcome in our home as you already live in our hearts.”

  “If I ever have a home to call my own… same.”

  Morgan pulled me into her arms next. “Be good to our demon.”

  I nodded, afraid my voice would reveal the emotion I felt from her words. Confirmation that she did indeed love Ryzier.