Shards: Book One of the Anderian Series

Chapter 42: The Fae

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Three words most women wanted to hear from their significant other. When Jac and I had been together, I'd said it first, not realizing until much later that I'd fallen in love with the idea of being loved. That didn't mean I didn't love him. Only that it wasn't the kind of love that would keep us together forever.

Cian and I had known each other for a week. And half of our time together had been spent in animosity. Well, lusty animosity, but still... A bond and a few bouts of the most intense sex of my life didn't equal love.

Thankfully, he didn't appear put out that I hadn't returned the sentiment. His focus was entirely on driving as fast as possible. I couldn't look out the window because I was terrified I would have a panic attack thinking about the steep drop off. We'd tested the limits of luck far too often these last few days for me to think we'd make it out of another accident.

"So the Fae." He grunted in response. "The few times they've come up, I picked up on some tension there."

"They're not to be trusted."

"Then why are we going to them?"

"Because their magical abilities and arcane knowledge exceed nearly all other creatures and cultures."

"And do they like you anymore than you like them?" Another grunt. "Cian!"

"Bria."

Amused exasperation. I hated how much hearing him say my name like that twisted my stomach. Especially when I was getting angry.

"We're not doing this again."

"Doing what?"

"The thing where you only give me as much information as you want to give me. We're on the same side now, right?"

Tension eased out of his body, and he exhaled before replying, "You're right. It's habit now."

"Good. Now that we've covered that, care to explain why you don't like the Fae and why you think they'll help us?"

Thumb tapping on the steering wheel, Cian launched into an explanation. "The Fae were here long before the Andariens. Most of the supernatural creatures are descended from them. Where the Andariens experimented to create monsters like—like me—the development of supernatural races in your world happened overtime through breeding and evolution."

I dropped my head on my seat and nodded. A towering, brightly lit gas station sign flooded the car briefly with light, highlighting Cian's grim expression. "I think I can see where this is going. The Fae were used to being the strongest, meanest kids on the playground, and they didn't like sharing."

"Precisely. We tried to make it work when we arrived, but the tenuous truce we had with them went up in flames because of Basilus. When his Fae lover bore him a daughter, he returned to his old ways and tried to experiment on her. He wanted to see the limits of her power."

"So you have a sister."

The car drifted into the other lane while Cian gaped at me. He jerked it back in time to narrowly miss a head-on collision. "How—when..."

"I met him at the house. You must have realized I would meet him there since he's part of the Synod."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would learn he was my father."

"And Kohl is your brother."

"Half." He growled and his features contorted as the beast inside him fought to the surface. "We have a different mother."

"Are Fynn and Kohl related?"

"Same mother. Basilus isn't his father."

"They must both take after her." I didn't add that Cian took after Basilus. Somehow, I didn't think he would take that as a compliment.

"There was a war that ended in a stalemate, and eventually, we drew boundaries. Our numbers were not as big as theirs, but my people gravitated toward larger cities. Andariens enjoy fucking with humans, and we were better at blending in. Most of the Fae live in remote places. In nature, where they draw their strength."

"I'm guessing they're going to be behind any plan that ends with the Andariens leaving this world?"

"Right in one."

The necklace against my chest hummed, and I curled my fingers around it. "How do we know they won't send us back to the Synod? It would accomplish the goal either way and without them having to stick their neck out. I doubt they're going to risk breaking the truce."

"You would probably be right if it was anyone else approaching them."

"What do you me—Ahhhh," I screamed as the car went sideways.

My hands pressed against the roof as we flipped upside down, but we weren't falling, we were rising. And thick, dark ropes wrapped around the car, squeezing until metal groaned and bent. Glass shattered, slicing into any exposed skin. I didn't want to cry, but tears welled up as flashes of the last car accident played through my mind.

"Enough!" Cian shouted, moving out of his seat to wrap his body around mine. His hand moved in soothing circles around my back, and I noticed he wasn't nearly as scared as he should be.

A tinkling laugh sounded from outside, and the car landed upright with a jarring crunch as the ropes slithered away. "What the actual fuck?"

"Are you okay?" He asked, ignoring my shouted question. His breath caught when the fingers roving over my face came away wet with blood.

"Cara, you bitch!"

Cian leaned back and kicked the driver's side door, making it fly off the hinges and land somewhere in the dark. He ripped my seatbelt off and scooped me up before crawling outside. I clung to his neck.

"Now, now," a female purred, her figure taking shape as she approached. It was still too dark for me to see her clearly. Wings flexed and snapped behind her, the feathers shimmering as if dusted by starlight. "Is that anyway to talk to your sister?"