Faery Kissed

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I don't know how I managed it, but I still ended up in the place she suggested. Either I'd become totally unobservant and walked in a circle, or she'd anticipated me wanting to contradict her and had told me the other way just to get me to come in this direction.

Whichever it was didn't matter. Both situations made me even angrier.

I stomped over to where the blossomed branches of the ancient tree were parted and made my way inside and found a soft lounging bench complete with pillows. Flopping down, I rested my elbows on my knees and shoved my hands into my hair, cursing slightly.

What had I done? Better yet, what could I do to fix it? I wanted to call myself every stupid name I could think of. People always warned of messing with the Fae, but I didn't want to listen. I was mesmerized by the tales of them—always wanting to know more. Even Fergus had warned me before I left on this adventure.

Fergus. It was the first time I'd thought of him or the rest of my family. I wondered if they were frantic with worry. Would they be out searching for me?

I snorted, doubting it. They were all probably passed out from the honey mead somewhere. Knowing my luck, they wouldn't realize I was gone for another whole day.

Ceridwen—her name came easily to my mind and with it a wave of memories and feelings that twisted at my heart. I almost felt panicky, like a prisoner in a cage. The thought of never seeing her again was excruciating and made me long for escape. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair, and kiss her breathless as she clung to me. I couldn't count the nights I'd lain awake, dreaming of the time I could finally make her mine and start our lives together. She was all I ever wanted.

I wondered if there was a way for me to leave this place. Eirian said it was impossible while I was bonded. I believed her, knowing she couldn't lie about things like that. Was there a way to break a bond? I'd assumed, because of the magic, it was infinite. Was it? Or was Eirian withholding something from me?

I growled in frustration. Even if I could flee, what could I say to Ceridwen that could fix this? There was nothing. She'd hear my story and be repulsed—forever doubting my honor. I could only imagine how I'd feel if she came and told me something like this had happened to her. I would be devastated—unable to recover.

On second thought, maybe it was best if they all thought me missing. Wouldn't it be better for Ceridwen to think I'd been carried off by some wild animal, or killed in an accident, than to find out her love had willingly bonded and lain with another?

I groaned. Thinking of Eirian brought a whole new set of problems. I might not know her very well, but there was an abundance of physical attraction there. I was fairly certain—given my current state of anger at the situation—that I'd been released from all enchantment, too. That wasn't a good thing considering I could feel my body reacting to even the thought her.

What was it about her that seemed so familiar? Why did I loathe the idea of losing her as much as I did Ceridwen? It didn't make any sense.

I lay back onto the bench, placing an arm over my eyes. Eirian's image floated there, and I sighed, realizing I already knew every part of her, almost as well as I knew myself. I wanted to be angry, but if I was being truthful, there was a closeness I felt with her that I'd never experienced with anyone else. That troubled me. I didn't want to be in love with someone who had tricked me.

Love? I almost choked and openly scoffed at the idea. There was no way I could ever fall in love with Eirian. Not after what she did. She betrayed my trust. I wasn't sure how to learn to love someone like that. Things of that nature only happened in faerytales.