Free Dark Fae by Shannon Mayer Page B

from the forging. We walked to the edge of the clearing where a well - worn path started. Again, he led, but didn’t let go of me.
    Along the edge the flowers bloomed, the scent of them filling the air. I took a deep breath and let it out in a slow sigh. For a moment, maybe I could forget what was coming.
    The path led us to another small clearing, t his one more like the Banshee bowers. Enclosed, private and peaceful. A bench sat in the middle next to a pond that was full of colourful darting fish.
    Bres took me over to i t and sat me down. “This is a good spot to rest.”
    I smiled up at him and he ran his finger along the edge of my jaw. Our eyes met and I couldn’t look away, captured by his violet gaze. Slowly, inch-by-inch , he leaned into me until our lips touched and in that moment the world was all right, the wrongs of it kissed away .
    His arms wrapped around me, the tea mugs forgotten as he claimed my mouth. Tongue delving deep, I could taste the Fairy Honey on his lips, along with the flavour that was solely him. He slid his hands under my shirt, running his fingers up and down my spine, tracing patterns that made my skin shiver with anticipation.
    I pulled back to catch my breath. “Bres, I . . .”
    “Hush, I know you love us both , ” h e said against my lips, pulling me into his lap. “For now, we are both yours.”

11
     
    Hours passed as Bres and I lay in the seclusion of the trees, wrapped around one another, dozing between kissing and tasting one another. There was a peace here, not just in that place, but in his arms. Safety wa s a feeling I’d almost given up on .
    Sometime in the middle of the night , Bres stood. “Come, let me show you some moves with ta sword. You will be needing it when it comes to Chaos.”
    Basic swordplay was, in theory, easy to understand. But it was not so easy to learn in a single night. Bres settled for showing me how to block effectively.
    We used t w o long sticks and he had me do the block s repeatedly , until I felt like t he Karate Kid with his first lesson .
    “Wax on, wax off. I think I get it ,” I said, smiling up at Bres .
    His brow crinkled. “This has nothing to do with wax.”
    A burst of laughter I couldn’t contain rippled out of me. It felt good, and that made me feel guilty for that spurt of happiness . “Never mind. I think I’ve got it.”
    “Let’s try a basic attack.” He slid through the move, making it look easy.
    I stumbled the first time, and then slowly, my body did as I asked.  Over and over I repeated the movement .
    Bres waved his hand. “That is as good as I think we are going to get. Just remember one thing : don’t let her in your guard. If you do that, it’ll all be over. Don’t let her get past your sword. Okay?”
    “Got it. Don’t let her stab me.” Again , I chuckled, the dark humour suiting me for the moment. Bres didn’t laugh.
    Sitting back down, he tugged on my hand. “Sit with me.”
    Curling up next to him, I wondered how much longer it would be. Would the process take days? I wasn’t sure we had that much time. I laid my head against his shoulder. What would happen if we made it through this alive, all of us? Would I be able to choose between the boys? The night drifted around us, and with it, my thoughts wandered in and out of the present, past and future.
    The distant h ammering was a continuous sound , so when it stopped I sat up with a bolt. I’d fallen asleep in Bres’ arms and the night sky had faded to early dawn, the last of the stars winking out above the clearing.
    I touched his face gently, waking him. “They’ve stopped , ” I whispered, not wanting to break the spell that had stolen us from the world of battles and death for a short time.
    Bres sat up and ran his hand through his hair. Giving me a last lingering kiss, he stood, holding his hand out to me. “Let’s go see what they’ve got for you.”
    We made our way back down the path, the way lit by fireflies and the faded,