Page 83 of Touched

It would most likely kill me.

Ma wasn’t kidding when she said the world just disappears when you Zing.

“Hey there.” Callum takes my chin in between his finger and thumb, lifting my face to his. It brings me out of my own head. “Where’d you go just now?” His voice is deep and warm as his thumb gently strokes my chin.

“Nowhere. I was just thinking.” He lets go of me. I glance over at my brother again. He’s crossed his arms across his chest as he chuckles at something. I’m uncertain of what.

I’ve read in my books about people talking to themselves.

Sometimes your own advice is the best advice. However, I don’t think this is that circumstance.

“Cyrus.” My voice is stern. I’m proud of how much I sound like Ma. She would be proud, too. “This is the last time I’m asking. What the fuck is going on?”

He turns toward me fully. His brow arches so high it almost disappears underneath the hair falling onto his forehead. His mouth falls open. Then, he frowns. “Since when do you curse like a human?”

“Shut up! Since now! You’re not telling us what this is all about!”

Turning back around, he whispers something over his shoulder. Then, he grins.

A scant second later, a woman with hair the color of the dark coffee Callum drinks, eyes the color of fresh cinnamon, and bronze, sun-kissed skin stands before us. Cyrus stands in front of her… almost as though he’s protecting her.

The moment her eyes meet mine, I realize she’s not just any woman. Her dress is made out of plant leaves and flowers. Vines are intricately laced up her forearms and legs. And her eyes… they’re deep, orange-brownish-amber and seem to glow.

She’s most definitely not human.

Cyrus angles his chin and clearly says, “Devyn, this is my sister, Aeris. Her affinity is air. And this is her Kindred, Callum. He’s a Sylph.”

Her eyes widen for the briefest of seconds.

“Aeris, Callum, this is Devyn, the woodland Fae who has been outside… spying on us. She has an earth affinity, like me. Where I control plants, she controls the core of the earth and its grounding. You can create a hurricane when you’re upset, Aeris. Right?” I nod, though it wasn’t really a question he needed an answer to. He already knows this. He continues. “If Devyn is upset, she could potentially cause an earthquake.”

Oh, hells…

She’s Fae.

Hidden in the warded territory.

But why?

Istare at the hauntingly beautiful Fae woman… Devyn. Her cinnamon-colored eyes bore into mine unnervingly. She’s looking at me like she knows me.

I do not know her.

I don’t break eye contact though. She smiles slightly, her gaze conveying respect, wonderment, and what almost seems to be amusement.

“It has been ages since I’ve seen a Sylph halfling. Tell me… have you come into your powers yet, Callum?”

I bristle at her question, wanting to tell her it’s none of her business, but realize that sort of attitude won’t help. Instead, I ignore the question and say, “What were you doing sleazing around my grandmother’s cabin, cloaked? You could have just knocked on the door.”

Yes, cloaked. She was cloaked. I remembered the word!

A knowing smile tips her shiny lips. “I don’t think I’ve had to knock on a door since”— she looks off into the trees as if the answer is there— “well, ever, lawman.”

I stare at her without responding, since she hasn’t answered the why she’s cloaked part of my question.

“Are you going to answer his question?”

She heard me. Even though I only said it in my head.

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