Free For Your Heart (Hill Dweller Retellings) by A.L. Davroe Page A

at himself and lifts his brows.  It looks like he can't help but smirk.  “I glow green, what other kind of proof do you need?”
         He has a point, but I’m not buying it.  “You could be a regular old guy with a weird vitamin deficiency.  Use magic.”
         Green Man’s smirk fades.  “I have no magic.”
         But you’re green !  “No magic?” I repeat with a disappointed shake of my head.  Seriously?  I imagine a hot faerie and he doesn’t even use magic?  That’s crap.  “But, don't all faeries have some kind of magic?”
         “I am not a faerie.”  He sounds both disgusted at the prospect and a little like he’s losing his patience.  “I’m an Aos Si , part human, part angel.  Like I said, we rule the faeries.  Meaning we’re better, more powerful.”
         I crunch a brow and make an obvious point of glancing back at Nephilim John – which I’m sure he just pulled that line of BS from – though kudos to him for knowing what a Nephilim is.  “Right,” I slather on the sarcasm, “and magic wielding faeries would allow themselves to be subjugated by non-magic wielding Aos Si because…?”
         Seeing my point, he tips his head.  “The Aos Si have magic.  They possess the Talent.  It would make no sense for those with angelic blood to not retain some sort of power.”
         “All of them except you, apparently.  So, Mister Non-magic-wielding- Aos Si -lord-who-rules-over-faeries-that-just-obey-you-because-you- don’t -have-magic-and-oh-look-you’re-apparently-descended-from-angels-but-have-no-wings, what exactly do you do in your Ter-na-Otherworld, or whatever it is?”
         He squares his shoulders and straightens.  “I'm a knight of the Summer Court.  I was elected and bestowed with the graces of a knight by the queen herself.  I serve as her personal guard and consort.”
         I laugh.  I laugh until I’m literally crying, because this is really crazy.  I’m totally nuts. 
         “Why are you crying?” he asks.
         I can’t help but grin like a mad woman as I shake my head and attempt to wipe away hysterical tears.  “Graces of a knight?” I wheeze.  “You mean like chivalry?”  He’s lacking in that area.  Big time.  “So let me get this straight, Lancelot, you were elected by the Summer Queen and she made you her personal knight because she's what?  Altruistic?  I mean, no offense, but a magic-less ruler over faeries seems kind of laughable to me.”  I don’t go near the angel bit, I don’t believe it.  I mean, really?  What Catholic girl would believe this jerk is an angel?
         Green Man bites his lip.  He seems to understand where I'm coming from.  “In the Summer Court, there are two things that will give you power.  The magic you are born with and the flesh on your body.  I don't have magic, so I use the other.”
         “Flesh on your…” My jaw drops and I feel the horror spread across my face as I realize he didn’t mean consort in the business partner sense.  He's a man-whore !  That explains a lot. Ugh, gah!  So, what is he, a fallen angel?  Demanding my heart?  What kind of wacked out mind-loop is this?  What would a therapist say to me if I explained that little tid-bit about my imaginary murderer?  “You're disgusting.”  I don’t know if the words are for him or for me.
         I try to slip away – put distance between us, to reject how far this mind-bend is going – but he grabs my elbow.  “Let go!”  I wrench my arm away and back up.
         He stops short.  “Don’t you want to be touched?”
         Yes .  “No.”  At his almost hurt expression, I say, “I mean, I don't know what kind of nasty faerie STIs you're carrying.”  What am I talking about?  I can’t get sick from a hallucination.  But, he doesn’t know that…
         He examines his hand, looking confused.  “STIs?”
         My eyes widen in