Betrothed (9 page)

‘Our friendship means an awful lot to me. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt it,’ I told him. ‘But you are tempting,’ I added, then cringed and blushed and wished I could take it back.

‘Hmm, tempting am I?’

‘Jack, I . . . ’ I didn’t know how to complete the sentence. I felt horribly exposed.

‘So what’s the deal with Jason if you’re all hot for me?’ I could hear the grin in his voice and my discomfort slipped away.

‘Hot for you! I should have kept my big mouth shut, I’m not gonna hear the end of it, am I?’

Jack laughed. ‘Probs not.’

‘Anyway, it’s not like I’m in love with Jason or anything, it’s just a date. A double date actually: Hil’s coming and Jason’s asking Kyle to go with her,’ I said and then added, just to see what he’d say, ‘You could come too if you want—maybe bring Courtney?’

‘You joke, Marla—the last thing that girl needs is encouragement.’

‘You don’t think letting her slip her fingers through your hair is encouragement?’

His answer was a quiet chuckle, after which he neatly changed the subject. ‘I’m glad Hilary and Kyle are going with you. Kyle’s a good guy. But don’t trust Jason, all right? Don’t think for a minute you can.’

‘You know, if you really don’t think I should go . . . ’

‘You’re a smart girl, just be careful.’

‘I’m glad we’re okay, Jackie—I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.’

‘Neither. Anyways, I better go, I’ve a mountain of homework.’

‘Same,’ I said with a sigh.

Jason called a few minutes later to tell me that Kyle would be coming on Saturday night. I felt like Cupid. I finished off my history assignment, had dinner, then went and had a long soak in the bath. I wondered about the conversation I’d had with Jack.
Could
I risk our friendship to go there with him if he offered? I was attracted to him—there was no issue with that—but was it the right kind of attraction? I was sure it could be. It would be so easy with Jack, and honestly, I couldn’t imagine wanting to be with anyone more. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But Leif wasn’t real.

I went to bed early and, to my delight, could hear Leif calling as I drifted towards unconsciousness. No confusion with this guy. He was the one. But why wouldn’t he be? He was the man of my dreams.

He came to me swiftly and wound his arms around my waist, drawing me against him. I sighed a long sigh and buried my face into his chest, inhaling the lovely scent of him as my fingertips drifted across his back. I pulled back a little, looking at his face as I recalled something I wanted to tell him. I grinned. ‘I know why you don’t wear a shirt.’

‘Tell me,’ he said, one corner of his mouth lifting enticingly.

‘For your wings!’

His smile touched every part of his face.

‘I’m right! Can I see?’

‘Of course.’ And before I could contemplate the movement, brilliant white wings materialised from between his shoulder blades. They came with the sound of the wind and my hair was swept back with the force of their release. They spread out behind him like the most glorious glittering butterfly, reaching from below his waist to above his head.

‘So beautiful,’ I whispered. The sight dazzled my eyes but it was impossible to look away. It was as though sunlight was trapped inside, dancing beneath the filmy surface in an effort to escape. Just as suddenly as his wings had appeared, he swept me up into his arms and we were in the sky, the air rushing past us. Cradled in his arms I clung to him, squealing in delight, my arms clasped around his neck, my cheek pressed to his. It was exhilarating, frightening, overwhelming all at the same time, like being on a rollercoaster, though smoother, more fluid, as he rose and fell, dipped and turned through the forest. He took me over the forest’s canopy and then, plunging down, raced through the trees, dodging them easily while acrobats did cartwheels in my belly.

On we flew until we came to a river, clear and deep and musical, the water twinkling with myriad points of sunlight. We slowed and flew just above the surface as the river twisted and curved through the dark forest. My eyes were drawn to the dazzling riverbed below.

‘What are all those sparkly stones? They’re gorgeous.’

‘Gemstones, Marla—topaz, peridot, sapphire.’ I was stunned and knew my face must have reflected it, because he looked at me and grinned. ‘They’re valuable on Earth, are they not?’

I nodded, sobered once more with the impossibility of this being anything but a dream. Holding fast to Leif’s neck with one arm, I reached down with the other and let my hand trail in the water. I watched the waves my fingers created as we flew along. And then I noticed a faint rumbling. I looked up to see an enormous waterfall in the distance, plunging from a cliff taller than my five-storey apartment building. Within moments we were there, hovering at the precipice, watching the water leap from the edge. He drew my attention to a white haze in the distance.

‘Do you see the mountains, Marla?’

I squinted, separating wispy clouds from snow-covered mountains. ‘I think so.’

‘My home is there.’

‘Will you show me?’

‘Soon,’ he said, then flew slowly down the length of the cliff face, hovering at the base where the cascade collided with a roar and a rush of spray and mist. Behind the waterfall was a cave of smooth pale rock, its opening lit with sunlight. Leif took me there and set me on my feet. I looked through the gaps in the rushing water to the beauty of the forest beyond. I glanced at Leif—his wings had vanished and he stood watching me.

‘Aren’t you clever?’ I said, smiling.

‘I’m glad you think so.’ He pulled me against him and I looked up into his face.

‘Can I do that too, Leif—flip wings out of my back and fly?’

‘Of course, you are Fae, but it’s not possible with those clothes in the way.’ Any other guy would have added some sleazy comment, but Leif just watched me.

‘Um . . . ’

‘I will teach you now if you wish.’

‘Maybe later.’

We sat quietly for a while, the sun on our skin, watching the play of colour and light through the waterfall. But Leif was distracted, and when he lifted my hand into his lap, he said, ‘Marla, I have been speaking to my mother and after revealing my relationship with you she told me some things I must confide to you.’

‘Go on,’ I said when he didn’t speak after a long moment.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he began. ‘Faera comprises many kingdoms, each one ruled by a sovereign king and quite separate from the next. When the next prince in line inherits his kingdom, along with the power his new role as king bequeaths him come many obligations. One is that he is expected to quickly provide the next prince. So when his marriage
to Finelle did not eventuate, my father was under enormous pressure to find an alternative partner to realise this commitment. Eventually he chose my mother, Atara. They married in haste and soon after she became pregnant with me. The birth of the new prince is a huge celebration, particularly in the kingdom to which he is born and, in all of the festivity, your parents hoped that should they go ahead and conceive a child of their own, the king might show them some leniency.’

‘Sounds like a bit of a gamble to me.’

Leif sighed and wove his fingers with mine, keeping his eyes fixed on the knot our hands created. ‘It was, and after my father learned of your birth, he sent his guard to claim you, but he was too late because your parents had already fled. When eventually they were captured, they refused to tell my father where you were.’

‘What did he do?’

‘I do not know, my mother has heard nothing of them since. Nor has anyone else I have questioned.’

My heart sank at the impossibility of it all.

‘What do you think he did?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Leif said, ‘Perhaps he had them imprisoned, or exiled to another kingdom.’ He lifted our joined hands and pressed mine to his lips before adding, ‘I just don’t know.’

I frowned. ‘How powerful is your father that he can get away with being so horrible?’

‘Ah, Marla, my father is more powerful than you can conceive of. He is king of Telophy, an immense kingdom—much larger than most. He has great armies ready to do his bidding and as ruling king possesses many extraordinary gifts.’

‘He sounds like a massive bully. I bet everyone hates him.’

‘The opposite is true. He is much loved and revered.’

‘How could he be when he’s so awful?’

‘He is king, Marla. It is reason enough.’

‘I get that he’s powerful, Leif, but aren’t you powerful too? Couldn’t you just confront him about all this?’

‘My power is but a fragment of my father’s. Even when I inherit my own kingdom—which might not be for hundreds of years or more—the chances of my being equal to him are remote. Of course, had I known of the challenges ahead of me, I would have at least tried to make myself ready.’ He looked away from me and, in a voice that sounded strangely empty, said, ‘I cannot confront my father, Marla. I am nothing next to him, merely the offspring of the great King Telophy.’ He returned his attention to me. His eyes were dark and bordering on tortured. He held my hands tightly in his as he continued, ‘But this situation
will
be resolved. I
will
bring you to Faera before you reach immortality. You have my vow on that.’

I didn’t see how it would be possible under the circumstances. But it hardly mattered—I was only dreaming after all. So I just smiled and lifted my hand to his cheek, watched, fascinated, as he closed his eyes and pressed into my palm.

‘Your father’s name is the same as his kingdom?’ I asked, when he opened his eyes again.

Leif pulled me into his arms. ‘A kingdom is always named for its king.’

‘Will you be king of Telophy one day?’

Leif shook his head. ‘My father is young and driven—the Kingdom of Telophy will never become the Kingdom of Leif.’

‘Then how will you get your kingdom?’

‘It is impossible to know. My father inherited his when my many times great grandfather, King Mirren, became overwhelmed with it. Often a kingdom is divided when the king has difficulty managing it alone, but Mirren decided to abdicate altogether. It happens—kings occasionally tire of the responsibility. Perhaps, though, I will inherit the kingdom of an old king after he moves on to the next world.’

‘What’s the next world?’

Leif smiled. ‘Heaven, Marla, which we know no more of than a human.’

‘But you’re immortal.’

‘The term immortal is not entirely accurate. Like humans, we can and do die, just not of disease or old age.’

‘How then?’

‘Morbid girl,’ he said, but smiled and answered my question anyway. ‘Our bodies heal rapidly, much faster than a human’s, but there are some injuries which the Fae cannot survive—a dagger to the heart for instance, or a lost limb or wing.’

‘So as long as your body remains whole, you live forever?’

‘That’s not the only way to die. The Fae can also die from a loss of desire to live. Sometimes when a person loses someone close, or even if they are very old and tired of this world, they become sad. When that happens, the person begins to fade. One can fade to the point of no return. Sometimes it is willed, but often not.’

‘That’s horrible!’

‘Yes. Prolonged sadness is to be avoided when you are Fae.’

‘That’s called depression on Earth and we have medication for it.’

‘Well, there is no such cure for the Fae. Love perhaps.’

‘That’s kind of sweet.’

Leif smiled and we were quiet for a moment.

‘Does your father know you are betrothed to Finelle’s daughter?’

‘I’ve been wondering that myself.’

‘Maybe he’d accept me if he knew what I was to you.’

‘I doubt it. My father is very proud. Remember, too, he has no way to understand the strength of our connection. He would think it nothing for me to choose another.’

I felt sick at the thought. ‘So what can we do?’

‘I have some ideas.’

‘What are they?’

‘Don’t worry now, my love.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘Anyway, are you ready to learn to fly?’

‘I’ve got nothing on under this top,’ I said, squirming a little.

‘Why should that matter?’

I studied his expression. He watched me as he waited, looked too innocent to be anything but sincere.

‘I’m shy,’ I told him finally.

‘Why should you be? Don’t you wish me to teach you?’

‘I do, but . . . Geez, Leif, I can’t imagine what your Fae girls must be like if you expect me to just whip my top off.’

Leif laughed. ‘You
are
a Fae girl, Marla.’

‘More Earth girl than you realise, obviously.’

‘I concede your time in the human world must have had an effect.’

‘Do you know anything about my world?’

‘I’ve read a little, heard a little, learned a few human languages.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Which is yours?’

‘English,’ I said, surprised he didn’t know. ‘By the way, how come I know your language?’

‘Because I am prince and I willed it so,’ he said, in English. His accent was musical and old world and impossibly charming.

‘Oh, that was cute! Say something else.’

He grinned and in English said, ‘What would you like me to say?’

‘Tell me what else you know about Earth?’

‘I know it’s a harsh place. I worry for you, Marla; I don’t know how you endure it.’

‘It’s not easy.’ I said quietly.

‘Tell me,’ Leif said, picking up my hand again and squeezing my fingers in his.

‘I’m allergic to nearly everything. The only good thing is I can’t eat meat.’ I screwed up my nose. ‘So revolting.’

He chuckled. ‘I agree completely.’

‘You don’t eat meat either?’

‘No Fae do.’

I sighed. ‘If it were just meat it would be okay, but there are so many other things too.’

Leif let go my hand and trailed his fingers slowly around my hairline. ‘I will find a way to rescue you, Marla.’

I caught his eyes with mine and smiled. He returned it with a heart-melting smile of his own and then stood, bringing me to my feet with him.

‘Come, you keep changing the subject, but I will not be swayed. Are you ready to learn how to open your wings?’