Page 25 of Dating A Fae
The king tips his head. “My pardon. You’re very sweet. And I appreciate you helping our Milton. Is there anything I can do in thanks?”
“Allowing me here is thanks enough.”
My heart melts.
A smile lifts Dravin’s lips. “Please enjoy your time while you’re here.” He waves an elegant hand in dismissal.
Johnny’s big eyes turn to me. I lead him from the room. Our steps are soft on the stone floor. Johnny vibrates beside me, electricity shimmies up my arm.
“I just met a king.” His mouth opens and closes. “That’s so cool!”
The fluttering of wings finally reaches us, and his eyes dart skyward and widen.
“Uhmm… I have a question.” He chews his bottom lip. His gaze sticks to the ceiling, watching the tiny messengers flint around the rafters. “Do you have wings? Can you fly? Can we fly together?”
“Let’s go to my apartments first, we wouldn’t want your clothes left in the open.”
Johnny blushes. “Good call. Wait. You live here?”
“I get a small apartment for when I’m on this side of the portal. All keepers do.”
“How many keepers do the courts have?”
“There’s about two dozen portals around the world. But the keepers are spread between the three courts since Evron’s portals were all sealed.”
“They must be strong seals to last twenty years.”
“They are indeed.”
We make our way into a hallway that looks like King Dravin was sucked into an 80s phase with ugly carpet and wallpaper that makes me wonder if I’m tripping on something. Too much neon, and I like neon colors. It wasn’t like this six months ago.
We turn into another hallway, this one blessedly painted a soft gray with wooden floors. Passing two doors on the right brings us to mine.
“It’s not much.” I push the door open. Only my touch or the King’s opens the door. Hopefully I can add Johnny to the list of approved people. “But it’s mine.”
A tiny gasp escapes Johnny’s lips. He spins as he steps inside.
I must admit, I did well with decorating the space. The high ceilings and marble pillars are a feature in the keeper rooms. I covered the marble floor with plush rugs to keep from getting cold. A cream colored canopy encloses my bed, and it’s my favorite part. Jewels hang from the hoop, shimmering in the fading sunlight streaming through the open window. I love it here, but my human home has my heart.
“What do you think?”
“It’s amazing. And… what is that scent?”
“Ah. Faelands always smell so good. I think it’s the flowers.” I wave to the window and he runs to look out.
I want to record his little gasps and the looks he gives me when he turns back. “Can we explore? I really want to explore.” He tugs his suit jacket off and works his belt. I told him he didn’t need to dress up, but he insisted. “This place is amazing. Why would you ever leave?”
“Pretty doesn’t mean perfect,” the words are a whisper. “I don’t agree with a lot of politics, but I want to protect my people, so I applied to be a portal keeper. That way I can make a difference.”
Johnny nods as he yanks the belt through the loops, then works on unbuttoning his shirt. He stops to look at me. “Can I see your fae form? Will you fly with me?”
“Yes and yes.” I want nothing more than to explore my world with him. “Don’t laugh.”
Johnny stops all movement and gives me a stern look. “Never,” he whispers.
“Sorry, habit.” It’s been so long since I’ve flown with anyone, or even shown my wings. I remove my shirt to give my wings room to expand. Johnny’s in my space, hands roaming my thick chest. He kisses my throat. I love how bold he’s become.
Taking a step back from his distractions, I shimmy my shoulders and my wings appear. Wings ridiculed by my peers for being strange.
