Fairy Whim (Immortal Souls: Book 3)

Late Nights and Early Mornings

Theo tried to keep up with Sophronia, but her friend kept getting pulled away. She'd be swept onto the dance floor and Theo would lose sight of her. However, they'd reunite eventually and Theo could confirm she was still safe before losing her again.

She caught sight of Sophronia dancing in the air at one point and stood to the side to keep an eye on her.

"It's a beautiful sight to behold, isn't it?" a male beside her commented.

Theo was startled enough that she looked to see where the voice had come from. Right beside her was a beautiful fairy. His golden hair fell in waves over his shoulders. His wings were white and silver, catching bits of lights in them. He wore simple, white clothes. His eyes were deep and gray. His face was so perfectly chiseled it might have been carved from marble. His skin was like porcelain. Theo could almost think he was a doll until he met her gaze and smiled.

"I'm Ambrose," he said. "Your name is Theo, isn't it?"

She looked back up to where Sophronia had been dancing, but she was lost in the crowd once more.

"There's no need to look so concerned," Ambrose assured her. His voice was soft and lilting, making it difficult to doubt his words. "Everyone here is safe. This is a haven for fairies."

"And humans?" Her eyes fell on a woman serving food nearby.

"Of course."

She turned her attention to the male. "Have you been to one of these parties before?"

There was a glint in his eyes as he gave her a half-smile. "I have."

"And everyone leaves at sunrise?"

"If they want to leave."

"Why wouldn't they want to leave?" she wondered.

"Some fairies find they prefer to stay here. We follow the old ways, ignoring politics and strife beyond our walls. Fairies were never meant for such things. The world grew up around us and we had to adapt, but there are places like this where we can be as we were."

Theo crossed her arms. "That's quite the sales pitch."

"I don't sell things," he said. "I invite fairies here. If they like it, they stay, but no one is a prisoner. I, also, wouldn't pressure anyone to stay."

Theo tilted her head as she processed his words. "You invite fairies here?"

"Yes."

"So you're the host of this party?"

"Indeed."

She looked him over again. He was unarmed and appeared harmless. She found herself wanting to listen to him, but knew that was an instinct she had to be wary of. He had charisma and she'd had bad experiences with charismatic people before. "So you consider yourself the leader, I expect."

He gave a soft laugh. "I wouldn't say that. As I said, I don't care for politics. Leaders and followers are just things that were made up for the outside world. We have no need of such things here."

Nothing he'd said was particularly concerning. Fairies came for a party. Some stayed after. It wouldn't be the first group to try living outside the laws of any land. As long as they didn't cause trouble, those kinds of groups were usually ignored. Even so, something about him made her uneasy. "I hope you don't expect Sophronia or me to stay here. We'll be leaving at sunrise."

"That is your choice to make, of course." He looked up where she'd come into view once more. "It's also her choice to make. Even if neither of you stays, I hope you'll join us next month. We're happy to have you."