Faye and Ruin

Secrets and a Plan Revealed

"It worked?" I sobbed out and Bayne grinned at me widely. I lunged forward and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, holding me close and stroked my hair. No more hiding, no more confusion. I wouldn't waste this second chance with him.

Waves of warmth, desire, and an intense sense of home crashed through me until Dustin's voice pierced through our embrace and ruined the moment. "Don't touch her hair, she hates that."

I don't think I had ever rolled my eyes as hard as I did at that moment. It honestly hurt a little from the pressure I exerted. Bayne's voice sarcastically whispered through my ears, inside my head for me to hear and me alone. "Isn't it such a bummer he will never know how it feels to weave his fingers through your hair. To touch you. To hold you. Ever again."

I pressed deeper against his chest and could feel his smile as he placed his face into my hair. "Azora, why aren't you freaking out right now?" Dustin cried out again.

However, it was Deimos who answered which surprised me more than anything. "Why don't you and your little cheating whore go find yourselves in a different room. Let these two have a moment."

I peeled back from Bayne's embrace and snorted so loudly, it rattled against his bare chest. Bayne threw his head back and began laughing deeply, causing the countertops to start shaking. Deimos had a lopsided grin on his face and we watched Dustin shrink off to the bedroom with a stunned Jessica.

As the laughter died down, the reality of everything settled in. I backed out of Bayne's arms completely and he retracted his wings before putting the shirt back on. "I need to get you guys home. It's light outside which means I've been passed out for what, a day, and who knows how much Runa has destroyed."

Bayne and Deimos shared another glance, as if they once again knew something I didn't. "Azora, it's been longer than a day." Bayne softly said, easing me into the conversation.

I froze, nearly toppling over from shock. "What? How long has it been?"

"Over two weeks." Deimos answered and my knees gave out. Bayne caught me easily then picked me up before gently placing me on the countertop.

I took a shaky breath in. "Your home is probably destroyed and it's all my fault." My voice cracked, it felt hoarse and the guilt from everything I had done was overwhelming.

"Actually it's not, which is part of the concern." Deimos answered once more and I shot a glance between his face and Bayne's.

"How would you know that? If I've been passed out for over two weeks, then how did you get home?" I was the only one who had been able to cross that veil in over five hundred years, so how did they know that home was safe?

"When you screamed and shot that force of energy out right before shimmering us away, you broke whatever curse prevented any fae from crossing." Bayne replied and swept some black hair behind my ear.

"How'd you figure this out? Did you leave me here with Dustin, alone?" I felt a small amount of anger bubble up as I glared at Bayne. He shook his head and that goofy grin spread across his face.

Deimos pointed at Bayne. "This big oaf wouldn't leave your side the entire time, so no, it was just me who went back and forth several times a day, everyday, while we waited for you to wake up." He reached across the kitchen island to slug Bayne on the arm.

"But how'd you learn you could get across?" I asked again, and both faces fell.

"We didn't know if you'd wake up..." Deimos started.

"So we agreed the next best thing would be to see if we could find a way home." Bayne continued and stepped away from me, leaning his back against the kitchen island while I sat on the wall side of the countertops. "I made Deimos swear that if he felt any resistance when attempting to cross, he would immediately stop. But it was as easy as if he was shimmering from one place to another back home. That easy."