Page 27 of Fairy's Forbidden Touch
“I’m sure,” I said, surprising myself with the conviction in my voice. “This thing between us—bond or no bond—it’s real. And I want to see where it goes, magical politics and all.”
The smile that bloomed across his face was worth any amount of supernatural complication. He pulled me close, cool lips finding mine in a kiss that held equal parts passion and promise.
“There is one more thing you should know,” he said when we separated. “The ceremony will be witnessed by the court. Including my parents.”
Oh god. Meeting the in-laws and getting magically married on the same night. Talk about pressure.
“Will they… approve?” I asked nervously. “Of me?”
“They already do,” he assured me. “Your ability to touch me is proof enough of your worthiness in their eyes. And they have been observing your effect on me these past weeks.”
“Observing how?”
“I am happier,” he said simply. “More engaged, more present. They have noticed the change, and they approve of its source.”
The simple statement warmed me from within. Whatever magical bond might exist between us, that change—the happiness we’d found in each other—was real and valuable.
“Then let’s not keep them waiting,” I said, summoning courage I didn’t entirely feel. “Let me just tell Pix I’m leaving early.”
Pix, it turned out, had already anticipated this outcome. “Go,” she said when I found her in the back room. “I’ll close up. The fate of two realms is more important than wiping down tables.”
“That’s a bit dramatic,” I protested.
She fixed me with a surprisingly serious look. “Royal bonds create bridges between worlds, Jesse. What you and Thalen are doing tonight will have ripple effects for generations. So yes, it’s exactly that dramatic.” Her expression softened. “But it’s also just about two people who found each other against all odds. Both things can be true.”
With that unexpectedly profound observation, she shooed me back to Thalen, who was waiting by the café’s rear exit—the same stone wall that had first led me into the fae realm.
“Are you ready?” he asked, extending his hand.
I took it, feeling the coolness of his skin against mine—a sensation that had become so familiar, so necessary. “As I’ll ever be.”
He pressed his palm to the wall, murmuring those words I still couldn’t quite grasp, and the stone melted away to reveal that twisting path. This time, however, the path seemed brighter, more defined, as if responding to our shared purpose.
“The realm recognizes our intent,” Thalen explained, seeing my curious expression. “It facilitates our journey.”
Hand in hand, we walked the path that seemed both endless and instantaneous, emerging into that clearing surrounded by massive silver-barked trees. But unlike my previous visit, the clearing was not empty—dozens of fae of various sizes and appearances stood in a semicircle, all eyes fixed on us.
“Word travels quickly in the court,” Thalen murmured, his grip on my hand tightening slightly.
At the center of the gathering stood two figures who could only be the King and Queen. They had Thalen’s otherworldly beauty but amplified, with an aura of power that made the air around them seem to shimmer. The King was tall and imposing, with silver hair longer than Thalen’s and eyes of such a deep violet they appeared almost black. The Queen was willowy and elegant, her hair a paler silver with strands that seemed to float as if underwater.
“My son,” the King’s voice resonated without seeming to increase in volume. “You have brought your resonant one.”
Thalen inclined his head in a slight bow. “Father, Mother. This is Jesse Parker, to whom I am bonded. Jesse, my parents, King Aethril and Queen Lyrianel of the Winter Court.”
I had no idea what the proper protocol was for meeting fairy—fae—royalty, so I settled for an awkward half-bow. “Um, pleased to meet you. Your Majesties.”
The Queen’s lips curved in a smile that reminded me startlingly of Thalen’s rare ones. “The pleasure is ours, Jesse Parker. We have been most curious about the human who can touch our untouchable son.”
There was warmth in her voice that eased some of my tension. The King’s expression remained more reserved, but I caught a flicker of something that might have been approval in his dark eyes.
“The hour grows propitious,” the King announced. “The stars align for the acknowledgment. Are you prepared, both of you, for the binding?”
Thalen looked at me, a question in his eyes. I nodded slightly, and he turned back to his father. “We are.”
What followed was both simpler and more profound than I had expected. We were led to the center of the clearing, where a circle had been inscribed in what appeared to be light itself. The gathered fae arranged themselves around us, their presence creating a sense of solemn witness.
A small fae with elaborate robes approached, carrying a crystal bowl filled with luminescent liquid that reminded me of the patterns beneath Thalen’s skin. He spoke in that language that seemed to slide around my comprehension, then repeated in English:
