Forever Fae

Chapter 9 - Calista

Falling leaves.

Crisp, cool air and lots and lots of colors. I was surrounded by red, orange, yellow, green and brown. The leaves were blowing in the wind and cascading from the trees. Even though there were hundreds of leaves falling, the trees still looked overly abundant with them. It was magnificent, and I'd never seen anything like it.

I was walking through a meadow hand in hand with someone, but I couldn't really see his face. All I knew was that I felt happy and I felt at home. The place I was in didn't look familiar to me, but I felt like I'd been there a million times.

I reached down to touch the ground, and I could sense the life and the newness of the land. I'd always had a connection to the land because of my affinity for the earth, but this was something more. I also noticed that my body looked different and felt different. My skin was paler and it didn't feel as hot. I could tell that the land was made because of me and the man I was with. We somehow made the land through our magic, but how? Did the land choose us, or could this be part of the prophecy?

The man I was with gently pulled me over to a bed of leaves on the ground and I lay in them with the man beside me. I breathed in the cool, fresh air and listened to the leaves rustling around in the wind. This was my home; this was where my heart belonged. The magic of the land was more vibrant than the land in the Summer Court.

The power here thrummed through my veins and I could feel the same power flowing through my companion. His power matched my own, but I'd never met anyone with the same amount of power as me. He leaned over my body to where he was half lying on top of me and half to the side. His body being so close to mine sent chills all over me and I was silently begging for more.

He trailed a hand down my face to my collarbone, where he stopped to lay a gentle kiss on my neck. My blood boiled and I wished he would kiss me more. He slid his hand farther down my side, lightly grazing my breast, and my breath hitched. My breathing became rapid and my heart was pounding; I could hear it in my ears.

He halted at my waist and put a tight grip on my hip. I could tell he wanted to devour me, but he was teasing me and taking things slow; I didn't want things slow. His other hand cupped the back of my head, while turning me toward him. He leaned down, lips parted. I could feel his breath on my face and I licked my lips in anticipation of his kiss.

His scent was so different ... it was intoxicating. It was a mixture of a summer breeze and a winter snow; I couldn't compare it with anything else. His lips were so close, and I couldn't wait to taste him ... then our lips connected.

***

I was thrust out of the vision and back into the Great Room where everyone was staring at me wide-eyed. What just happened?

Abruptly, I let go of Ryder's hand and glanced around the room. I was unaware of how long the vision lasted, but it must had been a few minutes because my father was looking frantic, and my mother was running her hands all over me to make sure I was all right.

Merrick was by my side in an instant, trying to pull me away from Ryder. I tried to shield my mind from him so he wouldn't pick up on my feelings. I had no clue if he saw the vision since our minds were now connected.

"Please don't shield your mind from me. I only want to help you. What did you see?" Merrick asked, concerned.

"Nothing, Merrick. It was a strange vision and it made me a little confused, but I'm fine. Please don't worry about me," I reassured him. His expression was grave, but he took a couple of steps back to give me some space.

"I'm okay, everyone. I promise I'm okay," I exclaimed honestly.

I could tell my mother and father were worried, so I smiled to try and reassure them. My father took my chin in his hand and moved my face from side to side, inspecting me. "Are you sure you're all right? What happened? No one could separate you two when you were standing there."