Loved by Light (Wings, Wands and Soul Bonds Book 4) Page 4

  She looks up at me blankly. “What do they mean fairy? What’s a soul bond? Is this some kind of cult?” She looks from Flynn to Callie to me. “And why on earth are all your friends so good-looking?”

  “I’m sorry,” Flynn says, looking at me apologetically. “The texts from Tanner and Avery combined were a bit confusing. We thought…”

  “Why would she have come otherwise?” Callie asks. “She wouldn’t move in with a stranger…” She trails off, her face bright red. “Oh my goodness, I’m so stupid.”

  “No, baby,” Flynn says, walking over to put his arms around her. “It’s okay.”

  They’re so cute together I could vomit.

  Liz just looks up at me. “Ian, what’s going on?” For once, her voice is small, uncertain.

  I suppose there’s only one thing to do now. Tell her the truth and hope everything doesn’t explode.

  5

  Liz

  I feel like the world has just plunged underwater, all the voices blurred together, as Callie tries to apologize and her man tries to make her feel better and Ian just watches me, looking like a fish caught on a particularly sharp hook.

  “I’m waiting,” I say faintly because I need someone to either tell me Callie is crazy or why the hell she asked me if I knew what kind of… fairy I am.

  “We should call Tanner,” Callie’s man says.

  “No, Flynn,” Ian says. “Let me handle this.”

  Flynn, as the redhead must be called, shakes his head. “We messed things up. We’ll help fix them.”

  “I’m sorry,” Callie says. “I can help too, but—”

  “All right,” Ian says, casting me a glance, his expression tightening as he notes my distress. “Everyone out. I need to talk to Liz. Alone.”

  My thoughts are swirling toward a vortex of confusion. I can’t find any way to make sense of what was just said.

  Soul bond? What’s that? I’m also a little embarrassed that she called me on going home with a stranger.

  I went from having a happy, albeit somewhat awkward, breakfast with Ian to wondering just what the hell is going on.

  Ian straightens to his full height, shaking his head as he ushers them gently to the door.

  Flynn gives me a small wave, and I just lift my hand blankly in response.

  I can tell both of them are nervous about leaving, but Ian is being authoritative about it and that’s a bit hot. As always, he’s standing up for me.

  I need some time to think.

  “Wait,” Callie says. “Just one more thing before I go.”

  Ian eyes her impatiently. “Don’t tell her anything else—”

  “Haven’t you ever had something happen you couldn’t explain? Something that made you feel different? Ever?” Her pretty green eyes are kind but urgent, and a steady throbbing in my chest pulses as I consider her words.

  I’m unlucky, I suppose. My bad luck could be considered something different.

  But lots of people have bad luck.

  “Not really,” I say, clearly disappointing my new friend.

  “Sorry,” Callie says again. “We’ll talk later. But I promise everything will be fine.”

  There’s something so warm about her that I can’t even be mad, even though she just plunged me into confusion.

  Ian shoos them both out, telling them he’ll see them later, and shuts the door. “My old roommate,” he says apologetically. “Flynn and Callie… they misunderstood.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “It seemed like they understood perfectly.”

  He sits down on a chair he pulled over to face the couch. His broad shoulders are covered in defined muscles, his roped forearms peeking out from his semi-rolled-up sweatshirt sleeves. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “It seems like… they knew what they were saying… but they didn’t know not to tell me.” My heart is pounding now, and I place a hand to it as if I could calm it down.

  Ian’s gray eyes are clear and silvery in the morning light as he slants a glance at the window. Then he looks back at me and releases a tense breath.

  He reaches his hands out for mine. “Do you mind?”

  I raise an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Take my hands,” he says. “You look bloodless. This should help.”

  “How?” I ask.

  He just shakes his head. “I can show you.”

  I put my hands in his because he’s the only person I’ve been able to trust in a long time. He’s had adequate opportunity to hurt me and only been kind.

  And in this world that feels like it’s swirling, his hands do seem like an anchor.

  I put my hands in his, marveling at how large his palms and fingers are. As he encloses my hands completely, warmth floods me, moving up my arms and into my body. My heart slowly calms, feeling as though there’s nothing to fear now.

  After being homeless and assaulted and talked to by crazy people, there’s no way I should feel this at peace.

  I look up slowly, my gaze meeting Ian’s.

  The swirling pastel rainbow there, veiled by silvery fog, tells me everything he can’t with words. His touch, so soothing it’s almost magical, tells me something else.

  But the heat in me, rising slowly, making my heart throb and my legs clench together, is something entirely grounded and real.

  Something I feel because he’s gorgeous and there’s a connection between us and for no other reason.

  He runs his tongue slowly over his lower lip, his eyes darting to my mouth, and I instantly feel myself get wet. I flush and jerk my hands back, needing to stay apart from him at this moment.

  He needs to tell me his friend’s wife is just crazy, talking about fairies. He needs to explain why his eyes have flashes of rainbow or why he showed up to help me in the park even though he had no car.

  I don’t believe in miracles, unless you count the miracle of my constant bad luck.

  But I do believe there are things we can’t explain… maybe.

  Perhaps Ian got me involved in one of those things.

  Ian sits back in his chair, looking like he’s also trying to compose himself after the electric touch between us. If anything, he appears calmer too, the stress lines under his eyes less tense.

  But as he runs his hand through his hair, I know he feels the heat I do.

  “I need you to stay calm and just listen,” he says. “When I’m done, if I haven’t convinced you, you can run out of here or call me crazy. But the world I’m going to tell you about will find you one way or another.”

  I blink at him. “What world?”

  He sinks back in his chair, sucking in his cheek as he stares at me. God, he knows how to make a chair look small. “I come from another world. One full of magic. And dragons. And… fairies.”

  I blink. “You’re kidding, right? Are you and your pretty friends part of some kind of new age cult?”

  He shakes his head. “I told you to just let me finish.”

  “Okay,” I say because I sort of owe it to him after all he has done.

  “I’m a fairy,” he says. “Fae. My friends are fae princes.”

  I open my mouth, then shut it as he gives me an imploring look.

  I put my hands up. “Sorry, it’s fine. Go ahead.”

  But it’s giving me a headache to even listen to this. It’s just so crazy sounding.

  “By fae, I simply mean we possess magic. By prince, I mean we are the warriors who protect our kingdoms. We live in communities separated by powers.”

  “Ah,” I say. “Sounds organized.”

  His gaze darkens. “It can be.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “You’re a beacon,” he says.

  “A what?”

  “You have latent magic. We believe princesses escaped the fae world a long time ago and bred with shifters or humans, leaving traces of their magic behind. Sometimes the magic can be very strong. Recently, chaos princes from our world have come into the human world looking f
or beacons to awaken.”

  “Why?” I ask because even if he’s making this up, it’s crazy intriguing.

  “Because they want to use the power to turn the tides in the fae world. A bonded pair has incredible power.”

  “Hm,” I say. “How do you know I’m a beacon?”

  “I could sense it,” he says. “Your stream of magic. That’s how I found you… in the parking lot.”

  I blink. “Wait, so you weren’t just a generous passerby?”

  He shakes his head slowly. “Normally, I would have more time to get to know you, but since you didn’t have a place to live…”

  I put a hand to my temple, massaging gently. “So am I being kidnapped?”

  “No,” he says.

  “Why did you let me think this was normal?”

  “I kind of thought telling you I’m an immortal fairy and here to watch over you would send you running away screaming,” he says.

  “Fair enough,” I say. “So why shouldn’t I run screaming now? I’m telling you I’m not special or powerful. My life has been one big mess.”

  “It would be worse if a chaos prince got to you. I need to protect you. Or, if you like, one of the other fae princes.”

  I stand up. “I’m sorry, Ian. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I just can’t be part of some cult. You understand.”

  I turn to head to the door, and there’s a flash of light.

  I put my hand up as I turn around to see Ian, his hand out, his hair long and white, streaming out behind him like a curtain. His features are even sharper and more beautiful, and his ears extend into long points. His eyes are tilted up, almond, and the rainbow in them is more pronounced, bright and shining.

  “This is my fae form. Not my true form that I use for battle, but my fae form when I’m in my kingdom.”

  I freeze, just staring at him, not only because I’m shocked, but because he’s so goddamn beautiful.

  My heart races, and I feel something in me pulling toward him. I don’t know if my imagination is just running away with me, but I feel like… maybe he’s right. Maybe there is something inside me I’ve been hiding.

  Maybe deep down, I’ve always known that’s a part of why things always go wrong for me in this world.

  It feels like someone is opening my mind.

  Then he turns away, and with another flash of light that fills the room, he’s back in his sweatshirt and lounge pants, staring at me with entreating eyes that beg me to understand.

  This is real. This is happening.

  And no matter how much my brain wants to return to normalcy or run from something that scares me, I can’t.

  Because if he’s right about this, he’s probably right about someone being after me.

  My anger over him misleading me slowly fades as I realize this is a difficult situation for him too.

  “I’m sorry, Ian,” I say. “I should have listened.” I take a step closer, wishing I could still see his rainbow eyes. “So you’re a light fae?”

  He nods, looking down at me as I get closer.

  “What am I?”

  “I don’t know,” he says. “We won’t know until you’ve awakened.”

  I slump down on the couch again, putting a hand over my forehead. “I just… It’s a lot to take in.” I look up at him. “How do I awaken?”

  His cheeks go pink. “I’m not sure. You have to find your soul bond in most cases. Though, Callie was at least aware of her powers before she met Flynn. Not good at using them, though.”

  “I have powers?” I ask, looking at my hand. “That’s awesome!”

  Ian nods. “Yes, but I’m not sure how to awaken you. The other beacons awakened when they fell in love.”

  Now it’s my turn to flush. “What’s a soul bond again?”

  He looks extremely awkward about this subject. “Along with our magic, fae form complex bonds. They allow us to keep track of those we care about. Sense their distress. Find them. The strongest bond of all is when two fae join their magic. That is a soul bond, and a fae will only do so with one person in their lifetime.”

  My heart is pounding again as I look up at him. For a moment, I impulsively want to ask if he’s my soul bond, though I don’t know why I have the urge to say that.

  I bite my lip instead. “So, uh, I have to find my soul bond, huh?”

  He nods and looks slightly disappointed, though I don’t know why.

  I almost wish I had gone for it, just asked him if he was my soul bond. Maybe I misread the look in his eyes. Why would he be looking at me now with regret?

  Suddenly, it’s too much for me, especially when I can’t stop looking in those swirling gray eyes. I need time to think, to process, to look inside myself…

  I need privacy.

  “I know this is terrible,” I say. “And you have every right to say no because, yeah, I’m in your home. But do you think I could have a moment alone right now?” I don’t know if I want to scream, cry, or just sit in silence and look out the window, but I’ve never been someone who could share my emotions easily.

  Ian nods quickly, almost looking relieved at the chance to be out of my presence.

  Perhaps he can sense the tension in the room.

  “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

  I smile gratefully. “Thank you.”

  Then he nods, opens the door, and leaves.

  I can’t help smiling because he’s the first person to make me feel so respected. To listen to every need.

  Regardless of who I am inside or how this works out, I will always be Ian’s friend, if nothing else.

  I don’t forget a good turn done to me.

  It’s so much more than that, a voice inside insists.

  I tell it to shut up and lean back on the couch, trying to process everything Ian just told me.

  6

  Ian

  Nothing is happening how I thought it would.

  That wasn’t how I wanted to tell her. That wasn’t how I wanted to help her settle in somewhere and feel safe.

  And just when I don’t think things can get any worse, I hear the crackling of Ultraviolet’s glamour and the air turns dark purple as I’m pulled into another dimension.

  “I need you to stay focused,” Ultraviolet’s sharp voice echoes in the dark.

  “I am,” I say. “But I have to keep working on finding and protecting beacons. Otherwise, the others will suspect—”

  “I don’t care about your other work or what your pitiful friends think,” Ultraviolet says, appearing out of the swirling dark-purple smoke that surrounds me.

  He steps forward, glaring at me with his amethyst eyes, the sound of rushing water all around us.

  “If you want my help, you have to keep things quiet,” I say.

  “What could your friends do even if they suspect?” He grins. “You’re a light fae, and—”

  “Stop it,” I say, putting up a hand. “I told you I can’t stand it when you talk like that.”

  “Like what?” he asks indolently, adjusting his dark-purple robes.

  “Like we’re superior,” I say darkly. “After what I’ve seen in the light world, what you’ve shown me on our trips, I know that’s not true.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Well, one could argue that we’re not morally superior. But no one could argue with our power.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t care. I have one use for my power, and you know what that is. But if you mess with my friends—”

  “What?” His grin turns mean. “You’d go back on your word?” He drops all semblance of a smile completely, his expression cruel. “You owe me. I won’t let you go until your debt is paid in full. I just came to tell you not to get distracted.”

  Ultraviolet is a light fae, but he’s nothing like me. He’s nothing like any light fae I’ve met, to be honest.

  He was raised in another kingdom, one with glamour powers.

  And I owe him because he helped save my best friend. I also owe him because he
showed me the dark truth of my world.

  That good doesn’t always conquer. And those at the top might not have the pure motives they claim to have.

  Without him, I wouldn’t hate myself. I’d still be wandering in a haze of pure self-righteousness.

  I’m glad to be free.

  I think.

  “Who’s the girl?” He cocks his head, his long purple hair falling over one shoulder.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not blind,” he says. “Or deaf. I heard the two of you.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, wondering if he’s using glamour to spy. Perhaps I need to up my cleansing defenses.

  “Never mind,” he says, waving a hand. “Just know that this doesn’t change anything, and it would be foolish to get involved with her. Given what you owe me.” His eyes narrow, glittering like purple obsidian. “What you owe the world.”

  Darkness floods me just for a moment. I can feel something isn’t quite right, but I can’t quite fight it.

  I know he’s correct, that I was privileged and I do owe the world. I’m just not sure sometimes that his idea is the right one, and just when I’m committed, I feel a small voice in me speaking up.

  Hate doesn’t cancel hate, it says.

  I tell it that love doesn’t cancel hate either. Because I loved my people, and behind my back, they were causing anguish and chaos.

  “You better not be thinking of changing your mind,” Ultraviolet says. “I’m not someone who forgets when someone owes me a favor.”

  Something in me snaps at his entitlement. “I never made the deal with you back when you saved my friends. And I have done you favors, helping you in the light world. And here.”

  His jaw tightens. “I saved your friends’ lives. The favor will be commensurate. So as I said, try not to get too attached to that little human.”

  “Beacon,” I say, defending her before realizing I shouldn’t say that.

  His mouth turns up in a sneer. “Ah, getting ideas of soul-bonding?”

  Suddenly, I realize the stupidest thing I could do would be to let him know I actually care about Liz.

  That it was impossible not to care about her from the first moment we met.