Authors: Scarlet Hyacinth
Tags: #Romance
“How much longer until he gets here?”
Graham looked at his watch and growled. “He’s taking forever.”
“Be patient, Mr. Powers,” Raul said. “His Highness has a unique position. He isn’t as free with his time as he’d like.”
Graham didn’t appreciate being chastised like a child, but he had to admit Raul was probably right. Caelyn had told him once that Sareltae Norrenddare, Caelyn’s best friend, wasn’t even allowed to leave the Ivenian palace without heavy guard. He was one of the strongest healers in Ivenian history, and because of this, and other reasons, he’d ended up trapped in the gilded cage of his home.
Somehow, he’d been given permission to leave or managed to sneak out this time, at least, according to Raul. The Hispanic fae had been the one to insist it was absolutely necessary for them to leave for France, where the home of the fae was apparently located.
However, Philip’s mother, Diane, had cautioned against moving Caelyn, and the knowledge that he might have inadvertently harmed his mate in his eagerness to get him back weighed heavily on Graham. He had trusted that Sari had helped them once, and would do so again. But now, the fae prince was late, and every second that passed felt like an age.
“He’ll be here, Graham,” Philip encouraged him. “It’s early still.”
“I understand you’re concerned,” Raul added, “but you must trust in His Highness. He would never abandon Lord Caelyn.”
Graham nodded curtly. “I believe you. Otherwise, I’d have never come here in the first place. I just want my mate back.”
As he spoke, Graham stole a look at the medical helicopter where Caelyn lay. Out of the felines, only Philip and Diane had come along on this trip. Graham suspected that some of Philip’s mercenary friends hadn’t been very happy about their boss’s involvement in this conflict. His friend hadn’t said anything about it, however, and Graham was honestly too worried about his mate to ask.
At last, the sound of an approaching aircraft reached Graham’s ears. Graham looked up and indeed saw another helicopter closing in fast.
“Here they come,” Raul said, pointing out the obvious.
Graham swallowed around the knot in his throat. This was it, the moment when he would learn whether there was any hope for him and Caelyn or not. He had taken a chance in agreeing to come here because his heart had told him it was what Caelyn would have wanted or done had the situation been reversed. But the fear wouldn’t leave him, and likely wouldn’t do so until he saw Caelyn smile at him again. If it ever happened.
At last, the second helicopter landed next to them. Graham, Philip, and Raul stepped back as the rush of air threatened to blind them. When the blades of the aircraft stopped moving, its doors opened, and Sareltae Norrenddare, or Sari as Caelyn called him, stepped out.
They’d only seen each other once, through the message pearl that they’d been given upon their escape. At that time, Graham hadn’t realized just how alike Sari and Caelyn were. It wasn’t only their build and stature that tended to be on the smaller side. The world abounded in slender and short people. But there was a glow coming from Sari, one of grace, love, and peace, that immediately reminded Graham of Caelyn.
As if they’d known each other forever, Sari bounded toward Graham and hugged him tightly. “Oh, Graham, I just heard. Take me to him.”
Several guards manifested behind Sari. One of them pressed a hand to Sari’s shoulder. “Your Highness,” the guard said warningly.
Sari released a heavy sigh and broke the embrace. “You must pardon him. He’s under strict instructions to never let me out of his sight or allow me to do anything dangerous.”
Graham wanted to ask exactly who had given these instructions, but he decided against it. In the end, it didn’t really matter, as long as Sari was here. “Hurry,” he said, grabbing Sari’s hand and pulling the fae toward the helicopter. “He is here.”
His behavior obviously didn’t sit well with the guards, but they didn’t have time to say anything. Sari eagerly followed after Graham, and together, they climbed into the chopper.
Diane Strange eyed Sari with obvious wariness, but nevertheless said, “We’ve done everything we can to stabilize his condition. As far as I can tell, there is no real medical reason why he isn’t waking up.”
Sari brushed his fingers over Caelyn’s forehead, his eyes drifting closed. “Of course there isn’t. Magic doesn’t follow the rules of traditional medicine.”
He obviously didn’t say it as criticism, but Diane still took it as such. “Well I can see now that I’m not needed any longer since my knowledge is useless. I’ll be outside until you finish whatever you plan to do.”
Sari didn’t answer and gave no sign at all that he’d ever heard her. As she slid out of the helicopter, he seemed to become entirely focused on Caelyn, which suited Graham just fine.
“Well, can you help him?” he inquired.
Frustratingly enough, Sari didn’t reply to him either. However, he did something better. The gem in the center of his forehead began to glow, softly at first, then brighter and brighter. At one point, it became so powerful that it engulfed Sari’s entire being, and then Caelyn. Since he was so close to them, Graham himself was bathed in the strange rays.
It felt like he’d been thrust in the purest, clearest river in existence. It felt fresh and cool, and yet so very warm and comforting. For a few moments, Graham felt like the world was a better place. He saw himself standing next to Caelyn on their wedding day, and then in a thousand other places, always with his mate, sometimes with other people, too. He couldn’t identify any of those memories, and more often than not, the flashes were too brief for him to make any sense of it, but he did grasp one thing very clearly. The gods approved of his mating with Caelyn. He and his beautiful sprite had a future.
When the slide show of images dimmed and Graham was thrust back into reality, he found his thoughts being confirmed in the best way possible. His vision cleared of dancing spots just in time to see Caelyn opening his eyes.
For a few moments, Graham just stared, unable to believe that Caelyn was truly back. And then, Caelyn’s soft voice broke the silence. “Hi. Where am I, and why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
In place of a response, Graham pressed his mouth to Caelyn’s. At first, he went slowly, testing to see if Caelyn was truly okay. Their bond glowed between them, providing the answer in the strong surge of his mate’s need. Yes, Caelyn was back in his arms, in his life, safe again. Oh, thank the gods.
Caelyn released a soft gasp of surprise, and Graham took advantage of the offered opportunity to thrust his tongue into Caelyn’s mouth. As he tasted the ambrosia of Caelyn’s flavor, his wolf howled inside him, demanding that he claim his mate, to solidify this beautiful reality with the union of their bodies.
He might have done just that, but the sound of a cleared throat reminded him of where they were. Breaking the kiss, Graham faced a blushing Sari. “I’m sorry about interrupting,” the fae said softly, “but I don’t have much time at my disposal, and I needed to tell you a couple more things.”
Caelyn blinked, as if he’d just realized Sari was there. “Oh, hi, Sari.” His cheeks flushed in an appealing shade of pink. It was so strange that Graham found that amazingly sexy when he only saw Sari’s blush as somewhat cute. “What happened?”
“You entered a type of coma because of the spells you cast,” Sari replied. “Essentially, the effort you put into all of it burnt out your magic, so even if there was nothing wrong with you physically, you couldn’t come back to us.”
Caelyn’s eyes widened, and he placed a protective hand over his abdomen. “But now…?”
“The baby is perfectly all right,” Sari answered. “There’s no risk for you to relapse, either. However, I need you to make sure you eat well and rest a great deal.”
“Yes, of course,” Graham replied in Caelyn’s stead. His wolf was already whining in protest, foreseeing being denied sex.
Looking a little horrified, Caelyn took a deep breath. He seemed to debate whether he should risk further embarrassment for both himself and Sari. In the end, it was really a no-brainer, and he blurted out, “Does that mean we can’t have sex?”
“Not at all,” Sari answered in surprisingly steady tone. “In fact, copulation is very important for your recovery. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but for sprites, fae, and other such magical creatures, the mate bond stimulates the development of our magic a great deal. Sexual contact between the two mates unlocks the full potential of the bond.”
Graham almost couldn’t believe his ears. “So your medical advice in this case is to have as much sex as possible?”
Sari brushed his hand through his hair and arranged his robes, looking a little embarrassed again. “That’s not exactly what I said, but yes. You must understand that Caelyn’s affliction wasn’t physical. His magic was the source of the problem. So largely, what you must avoid is casting complicated enchantments.” Sari paused and cleared his throat. “Which brings me to the second part of what I have to say. My family has been receiving some heat for my participation in your escape. Suffice to say, the situation is quite delicate at this moment.”
“But the draechen think we’re dead now,” Graham replied. “Surely that will help.”
“It might.” Sari rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I don’t really know. It’s out of my hands now. But I have been entrusted to directing you to a place where you’ll be safe and out of the draechen’s reach.”
Graham frowned. “Does such a place even exist?”
If so, why hadn’t the fae directed them there to begin with? They could have avoided Caelyn getting injured, everything they had suffered since their escape.
“Yes and no,” Sari answered. He stole a look toward their friends, still waiting outside. “I’m afraid I can’t say anything here. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.”
Graham shared a look with his mate. “What’s up with all the mystery?” he asked Caelyn. “Philip wouldn’t say anything, and neither would anyone else here.”
“I don’t know, but fae have always been reclusive and secretive,” Caelyn replied. “I think we should respect that and go with it.”
He was right. The fae had been very good to them, almost suspiciously so even. If not for the fae guard’s attitude, Graham would have almost thought they were planning something against him because it all seemed too good to be true.
As it was, he answered, “Okay. So… We’re supposed to go with you?”
Sari nodded and stepped out of the chopper. “We’ll take our helicopter. Come. There isn’t much time.”
Fortunately, Graham had thought to bring along a bag of clothes for him and Caelyn, although all their real belongings, things they’d purchased in the United States, had been left behind after their kidnapping. The only exception was their wedding rings, which had miraculously survived throughout it all. In his dark moments, Graham had told himself it was a sign that Caelyn would come back to him, that their relationship would endure, no matter what.
As he shouldered the bag with clothes, Graham helped Caelyn out of the helicopter. Together, they walked to where their friends were waiting.
“Welcome back, Lord Caelyn,” Philip said enthusiastically. “We were all very concerned.”
Diane threw an apologetic glance Sari’s way. “I guess I was wrong about your methods.”
Sari smiled and waved off her apology. “Quite all right.”
Graham actually suspected Sari had no idea what she was talking about. But he had to focus on his mate’s confusion, not Sari’s, and to be quick about it. “Caelyn, this is Diane. You know Raul, and you’ve met my friend, Philip Strange.”
“Ah.” Realization dawned for Caelyn. “The famous Lip. And it’s so nice to see you again, Mr. Gomez.”
Raul smiled, while Philip twitched satisfyingly. “I just knew His Highness would be able to do what I could not,” Raul said. “Welcome back.”
“And congrats on your recovery from me, too,” Philip added. “But for the record, I hate that nickname. I’d have never done this piercing if I’d known.”
Graham ignored him.
“Philip was the one who picked us up after Shtamakarein freed us, and Diane gave us medical assistance,”
he explained through his bond with Caelyn.
“I understand we owe you both a great deal of gratitude,” Caelyn instantly said out loud. “I truly don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done.”
Diane looked surprised at Caelyn’s comment. Perhaps she had expected Caelyn to be more arrogant, given his previous position and his connections in the paranormal world. “It was our pleasure to help a friend,” she said.
“Sadly, we have to go now,” Caelyn added, “but perhaps one day, we’ll meet once again, and Graham and I will be able to repay that debt.”
On impulse, Graham hugged Philip tightly. He had a feeling it would be a while until he saw the panther again. “Take care of yourself, and thank you so much again.”
“Don’t mention it,” Philip replied, as he returned the embrace. When they broke away, he looked a little misty-eyed. “Now, go. Your fae friend is looking a little impatient.”
They were more good-byes all around, and then, Caelyn and Graham got into Sari’s helicopter next to the fae prince. Graham noticed that other than Sari, only the fae pilot was inside.