This is something worth looking into, I decide. There should be more information about this mysterious villain somewhere in all these books. And why is Diaphonus avoiding discussing it?
“Blessed be the Light, we found you. You will help us save and recover some of our homeland.”
“And by some, you mean yours, Diaphonus,” I declare softly and notice the muscles in his back tense up. Honestly, I’m surprised by my boldness. Maybe I should be more likable and meeker when I’m held captive in some enchanted interdimensional hideout and this male is holding the key.
“My people wield the strongest magic in Faëheim, Celeste. The High Priests of my order are the mightiest wizards in our realm, the only worthy opponents to the Siphons. The only challenge for the corrupted power of the Dreadful One. If there is hope for my world, it lies within the borders of my home.” He turns to me, and his steely gaze softens. “Help me rebuild Taer Vallhen, strengthen the wards, and purge all the Siphons from my homeland, and my brethren and I will work tirelessly to free the rest of Faëheim.”
Fae never lie, I’d heard. The heated confidence and the plea in his voice almost convince me.
Almost.
I cannot shake off the feeling that he is hiding something. Like an annoying fly, that buzzing feeling in the back of my head tells me something is wrong. I shrug helplessly. Right now, my only option is to cooperate.
"It is a special night tonight,” Diaphonus declares over dinner, and I cock an eyebrow. “By some surreal whim of magic, the lights of the Crystal Serpent will be visible with bare eyes. A myriad of stars, shards of pure magic, will dance for us, Celeste. Do you wish to see it from the front row?”
I nod; every suggestion for entertainment is more than welcome. How many days have I been stuck here with this magnificent, strange, Fae male?
Too long, I guess. I have lost track of time. There is nothing else to do besides sleeping and wandering the empty rooms.
He stands up, and I catch myself checking him out; he’s so regal and handsome in his high priest frock. The steep incline of his broad shoulders down to his narrow hips has probably broken many hearts over the centuries. He catches my stare, and his cornflower eyes beam.
The dark garden with the infinity pool is transformed into a night paradise. Nightingales sing from the rose bushes; heavy blossoms spread their intoxicating scent. Flower petals float on the surface of the inviting pool, the unknown constellations drawing mysterious marks on the water.
A deep mauve sky hangs over us, and comets pierce the shimmering clouds as stardust flickers around us. I never knew that starlight could have so many colors. Behind the flashing crossroads of shooting stars, a massive vein of diamonds stretches across the horizon. It resembles the curled body of a reptile.
“The Crystal Serpent,” I whisper in awe. It feels like I am in a glass cabin of a spaceship, and at my feet are the dazzling depths of the Milky Way—an explorer setting foot in lands no mortal has ever seen.
“Are you coming in?” Diaphonus asks, wading waist-deep in the water to the pool’s far end. His clothes are piled at my feet. My throat bobs. The delicate silver light makes him look like a statue of a sinful pagan god.
“Your swimming garments are in your bedroom,” he declares with a timid smile and dives in with a merry splash.
I find a copy of the same designer bikini I wore in Cuba in the wardrobe. I slip in and rush to the night garden, curious about what this magical night has in store for me.
The water is pleasantly warm and soothingly swirls around my body. I swim toward the pond’s edge and realize what the elf meant when he said, “from the first row.”
I join him and take in the magnificent view, propping my chin at the pool’s edge.
Minutes, or maybe hours, pass. Wrapped in a bubble of tranquility and timelessness, I pay no heed to time.
He turns to face me, his eyes the color of pristine water, glowing with the lights of the Serpent above us. His scent—of summer evenings, pinewood, and sweet promises—caresses my senses, and I feel myself trembling with unbidden excitement.
“What about you, Celeste?”
I blink at him, surprised.
“Since we have found you, it has always been about us. Our people, our realm, our salvation, our desires. What about you? How was your life before the Serpent brought us together? What do you like? What makes you laugh? When was the last time you cried?”
I stare at him for a moment, searching his beautiful features for any sign of mockery or deception. He looks at me intensely, and I realize he is genuinely interested in my story.
No man has ever asked me these questions. And I have never found myself worthy of this kind of attention. I can almost see my therapist nodding and explaining something about negligent parenting. After the occasional attempt to get into my pants, all communication with my boyfriends was limited to explanations of why it wouldn’t work. Why I wasn’t good enough, or there was always something more important than me in their lives. Dozens of pathetic “it’s not you, it’s me” variations.
And now I am here, with this powerful, magical being, who would make any male model turn green with envy, and all he wants to talk about… is me.
His body is facing mine, his face leaning in to hear me better.
A dam bursts.
I take a deep breath and start talking.
