Page 26 of Fairy's Forbidden Touch
“What about the practical stuff?” I asked. “Living for centuries, dividing time between realms, all the political complications?”
Pix waved a tiny hand dismissively. “Details. Important ones, sure, but secondary to the central question: Do you want to be with him? Enough to navigate the complications together?”
Before I could answer, the café door opened, admitting a rush of cool evening air—and Thalen himself. He paused in the doorway, violet eyes finding mine immediately. He looked uncharacteristically disheveled, his usually perfect appearance marred by what appeared to be… dirt?
“Jesse,” he said, his voice tight with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “We must speak. Immediately.”
Pix took one look at him and made herself scarce, zipping toward the back room with unusual speed.
“What happened?” I asked, moving around the counter. “Are you okay?”
He glanced around the empty café, then approached, keeping his voice low. “There has been an… incident. Certain elements at court have taken matters into their own hands.”
“What does that mean?” I demanded, alarm growing at his obvious distress.
“They attempted to sever our bond by force,” he said grimly. “A ritual that would have caused you significant pain had it succeeded.”
“Would have?” I repeated. “So it didn’t work?”
“No. I disrupted the ritual before completion.” His jaw tightened. “Forcefully.”
That explained the disheveled appearance. “You fought them?”
“I reminded them of my position and power,” he corrected, though the dangerous glint in his eye told a more complex story. “But they will try again. The opposition is more organized than I realized, and more desperate.”
“What does this mean for us? For the decision I need to make?”
He took my hands, his grip firmer than usual. “It means we no longer have until tomorrow night. If we are to acknowledge the bond formally, it must be done immediately—tonight—or they will continue their attempts to destroy it.”
The pressure of the decision suddenly increased tenfold. “Tonight? As in, right now?”
“Yes.” His expression softened slightly. “I am sorry, Jesse. I never intended to force such haste upon you. If you wish more time, I will stand guard personally to ensure no harm comes to you. But I cannot guarantee how long I can hold them at bay.”
My mind was racing, trying to process this new urgency. “If we do this—acknowledge the bond tonight—what exactly happens?”
“A simple ceremony in my realm,” he explained. “An exchange of vows, the mingling of our energies under the witness of the court. It would formalize our connection and place you under official royal protection.”
“And if we don’t? If I’m not ready?”
Pain flickered across his features. “Then I will respect your decision. But I must warn you—they will not stop trying to sever the connection. And each attempt will cause you increasing discomfort.”
“Discomfort like how?” I asked warily.
“Pain,” he admitted. “Possibly severe. The bond has rooted deeply within you, and extraction attempts would be… traumatic.”
Great. Magical bond or magical pain. Some choice.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus through the panic. This wasn’t how I’d imagined making this decision—rushed and under threat. But perhaps the urgency was clarifying in its own way, stripping away overthinking and leaving only the essential question.
Do I want to be with him? Enough to navigate the complications together?
I looked at Thalen—really looked at him. Beyond the otherworldly beauty and royal bearing was someone I’d come to know intimately over these past weeks. Someone thoughtful and curious, who approached human experiences with childlike wonder. Someone who had shown me a whole new world, literally and figuratively.
Someone I’d fallen in love with, despite every rational argument against it.
“Okay,” I said finally. “Let’s do it. Tonight.”
Relief washed over his features, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. “You are certain? I do not wish you to feel coerced by circumstance.”
