Five (Elemental Enmity Series Book I) (38 page)

Tiny specs of blue light streamed through the open window, swirling around us like a cosmic dust-storm. Every shade of blue I had ever seen or could ever imagine danced around me.

A spicy scent filled the air. Soft and pleasing. Cedar and cinnamon? I couldn’t be sure.

The illuminated stardust gathered between our hands. It tickled. My chest swelled with anticipation. Luke closed his eyes. His jaw was set firm but his body was relaxed.

Power surged through my frame like a tidal wave. I swayed from the impact. Then the power coiled around my heart and ricocheted outward. Light exploded from my palm, radiant as a cloudless sky. Everything around me glowed. I giggled.

At that moment I knew I could command a thunderstorm or a light drizzle. I could have made the clouds disappear. I could have filled up an entire desert with one thought.

One thought. What if…? Cool snowflakes melted against my skin, sinking into my jeans.

Luke grinned at me, blinking dime sized flakes from his shining eyes. “You’re a natural.” His voice held the rapture of a kid discovering the joys of eating ice cream. He leaned over and whispered, “Now, make them disappear.”

I expected it to take effort, but with my command, they were gone—everything as it was before. Well not really. I wasn’t. “What else can I do?” I asked greedily.

Luke chuckled. “You better not right now. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and using your power will drain you in the beginning.”

I frowned. Was he telling me the truth, or did he want me to remain unaware of my potential?

He touched my chin. “I would gladly spend the next millennia teaching you about who you are…showing you what you could do for your world and mine.”

Oh yeah. I had forgotten about the chasm between us. It grew wider with every thought of home, of family, of Cassie, of Zach.

Luke grunted, leaning into me, his face mere inches from mine. “Don’t leave me, Rayla.” His expression held a pain that tore at my heart. “Please. Give me a chance.”

Where was the cocky lord I met in the gift shop? The man in front of me held no arrogance. If anything, he seemed meek at the moment. Almost human. And way more attractive than I was comfortable with.

What was I doing? How could one heart feel so many things?

He laced his fingers through my hair. His sigh tickled my lips. Why were they so dry? He gazed into my eyes for what seemed an eternity. The reflection I saw in them was not how I see myself. That girl could do anything…be anything she wanted. She had the entire world at her command. She was queen of all. Capable and sure. If only I could be that person.

His lips touched mine, the kiss of a fleeting hummingbird’s wing. He brushed my cheek and sat back. “That is who you are, Rayla.”

I shook my head, looking away. I couldn’t live up to that image.

Luke moved opposite me again. “You will see, in time.”

I meant to glance at him, but our gazes locked. He studied me. I didn’t look away. There was no point. He had already seen what I didn’t want him to. I could tell from his expression. He knew I was vulnerable to him now.

The carriage shifted under me. My stomach turned over as I fell. Luke had his arms around me in an instant.

We sat next to each other on a velvet bench. I gazed up at him unsure what to make of what just happened.

He grimaced as though embarrassed. “I should have warned you. We have much to discuss. Since you didn’t seem to want to lie down anymore, I thought this might be more comfortable.”

I shifted away from him, and, to my relief, he released me. He moved back over to the opposite bench, pulling an ankle up to his knee. “I want you to know all of the facts before you make a final decision. The counsel is hung up on old traditions. They believe we have given humans too much knowledge. They think we should pull back.”

I leaned against the wall, needing the support. “And you don’t.”

His expression grew hungry. “It is in our best interest to work with humans. We should petition for integration. There is so much we can do to benefit one another.” He took a deep breath. “Humans dream of immortality without realizing the consequences of a state that has no growth. We live inert lives, Rayla. Humans could bring much needed change to my realm.”

“But I thought you were forbidden to interact with humans.”

He sat silent, staring at me then he looked at the ceiling, his gaze darting all around. Before I could speak, he flung himself to the floor in front of me and clasped my knees. I recoiled away as best I could in the enclosed space. He took my hands greedily into his, not letting me claim any distance from him. “That is why I need you so badly. You could change it all. You could make a new agreement with your creator.”

I gaped, sure I had misunderstood him. “You want me to petition God to let you into the human realm for good?” He was insane. I could see his vision now: invasion stories flooding every media source, conspiracy theories like never before, complete chaos. We were already doing a great job on that front without any help from the fae.

Luke clamped his eyes shut, shaking his head. “I am going about this the wrong way. I apologize. Forgive my rudeness. I don’t know what came over me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stop groveling and get to the point.”

He inhaled sharply. “That is exactly what I am asking of you. It is the only chance my people have at a real life.”

“What do you mean exactly?”

He searched my eyes. “What we seek is the right of every living thing: to live without restriction. It has happened before, but there has to be a champion, someone willing to take on a whole system.”

He couldn’t possibly think I was that person.
Could he?

He clasped his hands in front of him. He was still on his knees, and I was uncomfortable in a myriad of ways. I lowered to the floor beside him.

I touched his strong jaw, not able to help myself. “I am no savior, Luke.”

A look of despair crossed his eyes, but he hid it quickly. He covered my hand. “There is an expression that was popular in your world some time ago. Something about setting a carriage before a steed.”

I smiled. This guy was getting to me, and I didn’t like it. “I think it was ‘don’t put your cart before your horse’ or something like that.”

He grinned boyishly. “Yes, well. That is what I have done. I need to explain this better, but I am rushing. I will attempt to put it all in the right order.”

He lifted me to my seat and moved across from me again. He seemed to be thinking. I waited. And waited.

I cleared my throat.

He spread his hands. “I have no idea where to begin.”

His vulnerability made mine easier to bear. I know. Ridiculous. “Tell me about how you came to be on Earth.”

He nodded. Hope shone from his blue eyes. “Five million of us were banished from the presence of our creator.”

I frowned. “Why?”

He wouldn’t look at me and his voice was ragged. “Arrogance. We thought we knew more than he did. We went to what you would call his wife and asked for her help in persuading him. She had pity on us and started a campaign. Eventually, he agreed to our terms with the stipulation that if we failed, we would have to leave his presence.” A pained hurting creased his face. “You can guess the outcome.”

“Did you come straight here?”

He let out a puff of a breath. “I wish. All five fae races have a similar story to tell. We wandered the expanses of space for a while, hopping from universe to universe in an attempt to find a home.”

I purposely ignored that he said there was more than one universe. I didn’t want to get distracted. “So how did you end up here?”

He gazed out the window. I wasn’t sure what exactly he was searching for out there, but he didn’t seem to find it. “We learned of your world and sought refuge right away, but we were not the first to arrive. Those who were already here didn’t want to share this sanctuary. They insisted we leave. We fought to stay. Battles were waged. We won the right to be here, but they still treat us as less.”

“So there haven’t been any more fae come to Earth since you did?”

“They arrive all the time.”

I gasped. “But I thought you said—”

“We were among the last to claim any power. The rest gladly serve to have a place to be.”

I squinted at what he had just admitted. “You guys don’t sound any different than humans.”

He smiled radiantly. “That is my point. We have much in common.”

“Why don’t you petition God yourself?”

He lowered his head. “We tried once.”

Oh.
Okay. “And I am supposed to get a different result?”

“I have to believe you could. We grow weary of this half-life. Even if integration is impossible, just having open relations with humans would help dramatically.”

I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to delve into his story anymore. I already felt sorry for him. I felt other things too, but I wasn’t going there.

My stomach grumbled. Fae in the next province probably heard it. I was hungry, but for some reason, it wasn’t as bad as the day before. Had Zach been right?
Zach.

I missed him. I didn’t want to.

“Forgive me,” said Luke. “I have neglected your needs. Let us break for sustenance.”

The carriage slowed then rocked to a stop. The thought of fresh air brightened my mood. I took Luke’s hand and ducked to get out. Scents flooded into me. Flowers, trees, dirt, animals. It was too much. The beauty in a spring breeze was the crisp plainness, everything blended together.

I covered my nose. It wasn’t that the smell was unpleasant; it was just overwhelming.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked. “We could go back inside to eat.”

I shook my head, but kept my hand where it was. I had to get used to this place eventually. Hiding from it wasn’t going to help me. I lowered my hand and smiled.

He led me to a grassy knoll. An absolute feast lay before us. Luke sat down next to me. I didn’t mind so much, and I should have.

He gathered a few delightful looking pastries and fruit onto a plate and handed it to me. I nibbled on what looked like a grape, unsure what to expect. The fruit burst in my mouth. It was heavenly sweet, sort of like a grape but richer. The flavor lingered on my tongue. I grabbed a few more. The juice danced on my taste buds, revealing hidden subtleties. All the food was divine. I couldn’t decide what my favorite was, but I was leaning toward the fluffy tarts. I finished everything he had given me. I was sated. It felt good for a change.

Why wasn’t he eating? “Aren’t you hungry?”

He nodded, plopping an entire pastry into his mouth. “I didn’t want to miss seeing that.”

Heat flooded up my neck. I had to be crimson. I hoped he couldn’t see my embarrassment. I had probably made a fool out of myself, but I had been caught up in the newness of textures and tastes I could have only previously imagined.

Luke lay down, placing his hands under his head. I stretched out beside him. This was eerily similar to my first date with Zach. I felt as though I could reach out and shake Orion’s hand.

Luke spoke softly. “From here, it looks amazing.” His tone hardened with every word. “The cold expanse of space is much different when it is all you have around you.”

I looked over at him, tempted to touch him, to comfort him. “How long have you lived here?”

His gaze locked onto the stars. “We were the fourth wave. Have you ever heard of the Tuatha de Dannan?”

“I remember reading something about them. Didn’t they overthrow the Formorians?”

He chuckled, but it sounded false. “Close. The Fir Bolg. The Fomorians defeated the first fae on your planet. The Milesians defeated us. They won the land in our final battle. We were warned to stop the fighting or face eviction. None of us wanted a life with no home, so we divided the land and the power. Not long after that was when the lovely Faine flittered into and out of my life.” He laughed ironically as though trying to hide the open wound in his heart. He picked at a long blade of grass. It jumped onto his palm. As though it were a cat, he stroked it gently. Try as I might, I couldn’t find his kindness odd. “This is the most beautiful land in all of Faeresia.” His teeth gleamed in the dim light. “But don’t let any of my people know I said that.”