Page 13 of Fae Mates

“No,” he said, his voice tight.

“They look in proportion to me.”

Pokeweed wrapped his fingers around my wrist and gently pushed my hand back to my side.

“Sorry.” I gave myself a slap upside the head. What was it with me and touching Pokeweed?

My lips tightened. Even though my destiny was with the princes and physical closeness to Pokeweed wasn’t fair to him, I still couldn’t leave the poor faerie alone.

“Why don’t we practice flying?” he said with a gentle smile.

I smiled back. “How?”

Pokeweed stood behind me and placed a large hand on the space between my wings. Warmth seeped through the thin fabric of my borrowed nightshirt and surged up to the base of my skull and down to my tailbone.

The pleasant feeling slid across my folds and settled into my clit. “Oh!”

“This infusion of my magic will relax your wings and teach them to listen to your commands.” His warm breath heated the side of my face.

I swallowed hard and slowed my breathing down to hide another bout of excitement. If Pokeweed knew the kind of effect he had on me, the poor guy would make an excuse and fly away.

“What’s next?” I whispered.

Pokeweed’s hands wrapped around my waist, making my heart flutter. He lifted me off my feet and instructed me to flap. Maybe it was his magic or the fact that a much powerful faerie was commanding my wings to obey, but they swept up and down using the same kind of rhythmic movements as other faeries’ wings.

Soon, my wings propelled me six inches into the air.

“Well done.” His fingers tightened around my waist. “But I don’t think you’re ready for flight just yet.”

We continued practicing my wing movements with Pokeweed’s gentle hands stopping me from flying too high. My heart soared. For once, I felt like a faerie instead of a human trapped in a beautiful body with wings.

The patter of little feet echoed up the staircase. Mcvittie emerged from around the corner with a yawn. “It’s nearly time.”

“Time for what?” I rubbed the aching muscles at the top of my wings, wishing that Pokeweed would dig his large, warm thumbs into my tendons.

Yesterday, the cat had mentioned something about capturing Prince August, but I’d put that thought aside and fallen asleep.

Now, with him prowling toward me with determination shining in his lamplight eyes, I wondered if he meant capturing his heart instead of an actual abduction.

“We’re going for a little walk.” McVittie gave me a tap on the side of my leg. “I want you to scope out a location as part of your mission to get the wishbone. Is that alright with you, Pokeweed?”

He nodded. “Before you leave, I’ll darken your hair color and change your wings to black and red. The enchantment will stay in place as long as you don’t fall into saltwater.”

“Good thinking,” said McVittie.

* * *

The morning sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the orchard. McVittie and I walked side by side through the trees, our silent stroll only broken by the birds’ morning chorus.

We stopped at the knucker pool, where I stared at a reflection that looked a little more like my former self - the mahogany shade of hair was closer to my original mousy brown, and my eyes were as blue as a summer sky.

McVittie led me through a meadow of shoulder-high, pink dandelions, whose seeds floated into the air before exploding, and through a forest of gnarled trees with trunks that looked like scowling, old men. The thick canopy of leaves rustled in the wind, adding to the creepy atmosphere.

“What is this place?” I whispered.

“Queen Maeve’s High Council.” McVittie jumped on a high root and scaled a twisted tree with a knot that resembled a nose. “This used to be an amphitheater. The court leaders gathered here to impress the queen.”

My mind skipped back to that wonderful night with Prince Bradwell at the source of his Spring magic. “Aren’t there only four courts?”