She must’ve been silent too long because he lowered his head, his cool blue gaze crashed into her with the force of a hurricane. There was not a speck of animosity or condescension to be found. Nothing but a relaxed curiosity as he waited for her answer.
Swallowing the sudden knot in her throat, she patted the sand beside her and looked out at the ocean. It was far safer to stare upon than the mystical creature lowering himself beside her with that obscene amount of grace she could only ever dream to possess. She pointed to his boots, what had once been highly polished black leather, if she were to guess by his persistently impeccable appearance, now dusty and gray.
“Beaches aren’t a shoe’s best friend. Besides, it’s soothing when sand runs between your toes.” She wiggled her toes, sand filtering through. “Nature’s free massage.”
“I’ll take your word.”
“Life’s too short to be uptight all the time.”
“Aye, ’tis for mortals, so enjoy the luxuries.”
Rori scoffed.Therewas the old Thaddeus and his conceited ideas. The mightier-than-thou perception. She leaned against her bent legs and scooped sand over her feet, keeping her hands and her mind busy.
“Seems last night, your immortality may have been at stake.”
“Even immortals are at risk of death.”
“Tell me then—how do you kill a Fae?”
A breathy laugh fled his lips, drawing her attention. He had been watching her, and the smile he wore was brimming with sincere humor. A smile that reached his eyes. Hestretched a hand toward her head and caught a rebel wave that had cut across her cheek.
“Are you planning my demise,mo storín? Mayhap when you do, you can add flare to my extraordinary ending.”
“The new nickname. What does it mean?”
“Ah.” He tucked the strand behind her ear, taking his time with the gesture. A motion so tender that it went against everything of the character he had built for her to believe. The tips of his fingers teased the shell of her ear, sending goosebumps down her arms. Thank God for the shirt that hid half her traitorous body’s reaction. “Fair skin has a way of revealing what one truly feels.”
Those wicked fingers trailed along her cheek. She’d missed the burn in her skin and only then realized he’d leaned into her. Or had she leaned into him? Damn it, she needed to control herself. One kiss, one battle with Fae bad guys did not change what was between them.
Nothing.
Yet a tiny whisper sang in the back of her mind, refuting her stubborn insistence.
He healed you more than once. He protected you at the risk of his own health. He hides something behind that icy mask and you know it.
She cleared her throat, leaning back only to realize she hadn’t been the one to encroach on him. The corner of his mouth lifted a little higher before he straightened up and turned back to the ocean.
“Do share. What knowledge do you possess of the Fae?”
“Two very completely opposite renditions. One is kind, carefree, and protective. The other is cold, cruel, and out for blood.” She sighed, playing mindlessly with the sand on either side of her. “One loves humans. The other hates them with a passion.”
“Awfully shortsighted for an extremely intelligent woman, I do say.” He flicked his fingers toward her feet. A small swell of sand buried her to her ankles. “When one assumes based on face value—” He waved his hand. The sand shifted, exposing her feet. “—one may miss what’s hidden beneath.”
“Do you feel empowered using your magic all the time? Performing physical acts creates a deeper connection than flicking fingers and wrists.” Rori scooped up a small handful of sand and poured it over Thaddeus’s hand, which rested beside his hip. She dared to meet his gaze, one that lifted from his sand-covered fingers and flickered with curiosity. “Then again, you prefer not to forge deeper connections with humans. Do you forge connections with anyone other than a princess, I wonder?”
Rori shook her head, ignoring the coolness that fell over his face as she hugged her knees and focused on the gentle waves. What was this ache in her chest? Why did a huge part of her protest the barriers she tried to keep between them to protect herself?
“I’m not impressed by your magic, Thaddeus. I don’t have any magic. I can’t compare to you. I’m human. I’m flawed. I’ve baggage you will never have or understand. I’ll never be at your level, your tier, in these worlds. Therefore, I don’t try and I don’t fool myself into believing I’m anyone of worth to you. I’m a simple woman with a few core expectations who is finishing up school to go into the world tohelppeople. Not harm them. I don’t know what made you do what you did last night, but it must’ve been a fluke.”
His eyes burned into hers, his turmoil palpable. She sighed deeply, the ache spreading outward to every fiber of her body.
“’Tis why you hold no fear toward me, but fear another. A human.”
Rori huffed a half-laugh. The mention of Rich struck the chord it always did, pulled a cape of hopelessness around her shoulders. “I’ve learned not to fear death. When it’s my time, it’s my time. Do I like it? No. Do I seek it out? Absolutely not. But a monster in mortal form is more fearsome than a Faery who throws magic like we breathe air. It’s the equivalent of being in a plane versus a car. I have some control in the car, in the human. I have none sitting in a plane, against the Fae. You’ll do what you want with me and I’m completely powerless to stop you. My ex…”
Rori stopped herself from babbling on about Rich. She’d given Thaddeus enough of herself last night, exposing a vulnerability she hadn’t intended to when she shouted that it hurt to feel. That was her one weakness. Feeling. Emotion. She didn’t want to open her heart to anyone, and yet, she feared that very organ would sooner rather than later betray her.
To the Fae sitting in the sand on a mortal beach.
