WALKING DOWN the Manhattan streets with Aiden was the most surreal thing that had ever happened to me, even with the less than normal life I’d had so far. Outside of the deli, the world seemed almost normal. The aura that surrounded Aiden was absent from all of the humans that I passed, so I only saw it when I looked at Aiden or at my own body.

It would have been just a usual day on the road for me, if not for the six-foot-two-inch man with vivid-blue, almost translucent wings, by my side. Never mind the fact that, for once, I actually had a destination in mind, even if I didn’t yet know where it was.

Occasionally, I turned my head to watch him walk and gawked at his wings in awe of their beauty.

“You do know in most circles it is considered quite rude to stare,” he said as he caught me glancing at him sideways again.

“Sorry, it’s just that I’ve never seen anything like them. They’re beautiful.”

“It is also considered quite rude to describe the wings of a male fae as ‘beautiful.’”

I swallowed heavily, hoping I hadn’t insulted him too much with my compliment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’m not really used to . . .” I waved my hand in the direction of his wings. “You’re the first person I’ve met who, well, isn’t a person.”

“Don’t concern yourself, Lynnie.” He smiled at me. “You haven’t offended me. Not really anyway, but you might want to try some different words, like ‘striking’ or ‘magnificent’ when I take you to the court. Just to be sure that you make a decent first impression.”

“Court?” I asked, worried that I was inadvertently headed toward a terrible situation. The word conjured up images of lawyers, judges, and lots of shouting, all based on TV shows I’d seen in the past.

“It is my home; my sanctuary of sorts. You could call it a village, but we treat each other more like family.”

“Like a tribe?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“What is the rest of your family like? Should I be worried about meeting them?”

He shook his head. “No, we have an open door policy for all others who may be homeless or abandoned. We have never had a gorgon before though.”

I laughed at his latest guess. “Not even close, although you are on the right continent at least.”

“I should have known it was a terrible guess based on the whole not being turned to stone thing. That and your hair is a darn sight prettier than the snakes they usually have.”

“I would have thought both of those were dead giveaways,” I said with a smile. The walk and the company left me carefree for the first time in a long time. It didn’t even occur to me until we’d traversed a few blocks that the enchantment might’ve had something to do with that emotion.

In some ways, it was a lot like being drunk. Only less likely to end up in a decision I’d regret.

We walked a few more blocks before curiosity finally got the better of me.

“Where exactly are we going?” I asked.

“Central Park,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

“I thought we were going to your place?”

“That’s correct.”

“Is it near Central Park?”

He looked at me like I’d asked a bizarre question. “No.”

“I don’t understand.”

A wide grin split his lips. “You will soon enough.”

We walked past a group of businesswomen and, without even trying to hide their blatant stares, at least three of the five turned their pristinely decorated heads to watch Aiden pass. Their blatant ogling was almost embarrassing.

“Does that bother you?” I asked.

“What?”

“When everyone gawks at you like that.”

“Lynnie, I’m attractive. People, especially humans, like to look at attractive things. If it improves their day, even by some small margin, who am I to refuse them that joy?”

“And you’re oh so modest about it,” I added under my breath.

He shrugged. “Modesty is a very human concept. If something is green, we call it green. Why should it be any different when it comes to physical appearance?”

“Because finding someone attractive varies from person to person and from time to time.”

“That is true,” he agreed. “Yet there are a select few who will always be considered attractive regardless of race, religion, or even species. Most fae fall quite readily into that category.”

“So what you’re saying is that you are just naturally beautiful?” I teased.

He rolled his eyes at me but chuckled under his breath. “We’re nearly there. It is just a little farther up this street.”

At the end of the block, we turned toward Central Park, and the assault on my senses began anew. Behind a stone wall, at the end of a sweeping pathway, stood a massive crystalline structure which seemed to rise almost naturally out of the grassy space. It was there, but then it wasn’t. Once again, my brain struggled to process the dual worlds layered upon one another.

“This is my court,” he said, gesturing toward the building that didn’t actually exist but was somehow right in front of us.

“But this is Central Park,” I whispered.

“You can see it can’t you?” he asked with an uncertain air. “The enchantment hasn’t worn off as yet, has it? It certainly shouldn’t have—you should be under the spell for more than twenty-four hours with the quantity you consumed.”

I turned back to face him and to gain my bearings, which proved to be a terrible idea. Sunlight filtered through his near-transparent wings, which seemed to quiver and shake slightly as though the nervousness printed on his face raced through every part of his body. The whole scene was like something out of a storybook, and my head hurt just trying to process it all.

“I can see it,” I said quietly. “I just don’t believe it.”

Humans walked over the lawn, crossing in and out of the structure seemingly without being impeded by the walls.

“You’re seeing the pathway between the human realm and the ethereal one. Try to focus on one world and only one. If you concentrate on the fae world, it will become the real one.”

I followed his instructions, concentrating on the walls of the building. Slowly the whole thing became less transparent, shifting into a solid structure. With my new sight, I could make out the two layers of the massive construction. The outer layer consisted of soft netting that stretched over the expanse of the area, providing shade and an additional barrier to the elements. The inside layer appeared to be the actual building itself and was made of an almost metallic compound that reflected not only a combination of colors of the rainbow but also gold and silver depending on the angle of the sun. Just like Aiden’s wings, the whole shell was slightly transparent. Overall, the sight was utterly bewildering and yet completely breathtaking.

As I concentrated harder on the fae world, the noise of the pedestrians, traffic, and New York, in general, seemed to fall away completely. The sound was tranquil, and the air was filled with the scent of crabapples and Kwanzan cherry. The only achingly familiar scent was that of magnolias, which seemed to snatch my conscious and twist my stomach for a moment before I was able to fight my way back from the past.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

“It’s your home,” Aiden responded. “For as long as you want it to be.”

 

 

EVEN AFTER three days of living in the fae court in Central Park, I struggled with the sight of the two worlds pressing against each other every time I dared to venture outside. I’d discovered that as long as I was inside the building and I didn’t have to concentrate on one world or the other, it was actually effortless—pleasant in fact—to live among the fae.

The bedroom they’d allocated to me was spacious but very sparsely furnished. Aside from the bed, there was only a single chest of drawers that was suddenly filled with a random selection of T-shirts and jeans the day after I’d arrived. Aiden assured me that if I was staying, I could decorate my room however I liked, but I didn’t really know if I was going to remain with them. Even if I was, I had no idea where to start decorating a room. Even when it had been Dad and me, I’d never had a room long enough to worry about filling it with meaningless items. The only constant I’d had in any of my bedrooms was the photo of my parents, but it had perished in the fire that had taken my father’s life.

Despite offering protection and a life I couldn’t have anywhere else, the fae only had one requirement for me to fulfill to stay in the court. I had to keep up a steady diet of enchanted food so that I could remain on the ethereal plane. It wasn’t a particularly challenging task considering that everything served in court was enchanted, and it all tasted absolutely divine. It was certainly the best food I’d ever had a constant supply of and, at least temporarily, had the effect of immediately enhancing one’s mood.

Aiden spent his free time teaching me about their customs and their ranks. He explained about the two different types of fae courts in the world: the Seelies and the Unseelies. All he would really say about the latter was that they were bad news—to be avoided at all costs.

I soon learned that Aiden was a blue fairy, a protector of all things fae and other, who was used to wandering about in the human world—even if he never truly blended in. He explained the other ranks to me as well. The green, healing fairies who, among their other duties, helped repair the damage caused by the Unseelies. The yellow fairies who taught the fledglings. The pink were the artistic ones who created the buildings and the food. Lastly, there was the purple, ruling fae. The queen—the leader of his people. It was the one rank determined by lineage and could only be attained after spending time in another calling.

During my first week, Aiden gave me multiple tours of the premises. We passed through the different sections as he demonstrated the more fantastical elements of fae living. He showed me the creative wing, where clusters of pink fairies fashioned illusions of buildings and clothing before crafting the items in a range of materials and colors. Scattered all around those rooms were miniature, gossamer versions of classic architecture, all created in a perfect replication by fae magic.

“Did they copy all of these for inspiration?” I asked, running my fingers along the top of a pink, crystalline copy of the Eiffel Tower.

Aiden snorted. “Sometimes you make it astonishingly clear that you were raised by humans.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“These were not copied, they are the original plans.”

“There is no way the Eiffel Tower was built by the fae,” I said.

“Maybe not built by, but it was certainly designed by us . . . in a roundabout way.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Never you mind,” he said secretively before leading me to the next section he wanted to show me.

He escorted me through the healing wings, which were huge expansive corridors filled with large, private rooms. A shy young healer whom Aiden introduced as Willow led us into one of them. She explained that the rooms were used for the treatment of humans and others who had been injured by fae magic. Whenever Aiden spoke, she seemed to hang on his every word and would then giggle madly whenever he said anything even remotely amusing.

“You have heard stories about humans being abducted by aliens?” Aiden asked me. “Generally, those are people who’ve wandered into the middle of a fae battle and awoken here or in similar places in other courts.”

The young healer tittered in response to his statement, and I smiled at the expression on her face. I remembered what it was like to be young and have a crush.

Clay.

His name was ever-present in my mind, but I could usually keep it contained.

Sometimes, in moments like this, he crashed through all of the barriers that I’d tried to establish with such force that I couldn’t stop the memories from wreaking havoc on my emotions. Despite the tranquil atmosphere around me and the laughter of Willow and Aiden, I couldn’t smile anymore. Instead, I wanted to crawl into a darkened hole to escape the pervading presence of the damage I’d caused on so many lives. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to force unwanted tears from my eyes.

As if Aiden had been able to sense my melancholy, he led me through to classrooms filled with unnaturally beautiful fae children who giggled and danced around me. The floral scent that seemed to accompany the fae was stronger here than anywhere else. Their bright, rainbow-streaked wings fluttered with excitement at the new creature in their midst, and my emotions were automatically bolstered by their enthusiasm. Aiden explained that the children—fledglings he called them—were young fairies that had yet to choose a name or be assigned a ranking color.

Twice a year all fledglings who’d reached the age of sixteen participated in a ceremony where they chose their own name before entering into a cocoon-like room where their true nature would be assessed. When they emerged, their rainbow wings were stripped away until only one color remained, which would then signify their place within the community. It was both a somber occasion and a celebration. For the day of their naming, the ten or so fledglings were the most important fairies in the court. I was lucky enough to be able to attend one of the ceremonies a little over two weeks into my stay at the court.

The night after the ceremony, Aiden took me to attend a fae feast. It was during this first feast that I was introduced to Fiona, his aunt. As soon as she entered the room, she commanded respect. Her beauty seemed to radiate from deep within her opaque skin and her blonde hair curled tightly near her face, like perfect honey-gold springs. Her wings, stretching out almost a foot wider than her shoulders, were the deepest shade of purple I’d ever seen and yet still seemed to be almost translucent. As she glided through the room, everyone rushed to greet her. Somehow, she managed to make her way over to me rather quickly, despite the throng of her many adorers.

“I had heard we had been graced with a new guest,” she said, enclosing my hands with hers. “I do apologize that I have been unable to introduce myself earlier. I trust that my nephew has been looking after you well enough?” She indicated Aiden who was standing at my side.

After looking at him briefly, I smiled in response. “He has. He’s a very gracious host.”

“I’m very glad to hear that. Please stay as long as you like, this will be your home for as long as you desire it to be. We’ve had a few non-fae guests before, but never one quite as unique as you.” The twinkle of mischief in her eye told me she was aware exactly what I was, but that she’d also been aware of Aiden’s guessing game. “What guesses have you had so far?”

My mind offered up all of his guesses to this point, a new one almost every morning since arriving, and I ticked them off on my fingers as I repeated each one. “Banshee, gorgon, selkie, rusalka, nymph, witch, mermaid, melusinae, valkyrie, harpy, and dragon.”

“Aiden!” Fiona admonished. “I thought you had studied your species better than that, she’s clearly nothing from the water. Although, at least your most recent guess is a little closer to the mark.” She placed her hand gently on my arm as someone called her away. “Enjoy your stay,” she said with a smile.

I grinned. “Thank you.”

After Fiona had moved on from us, I asked Aiden a question that Fiona’s statement had brought to my mind, something I’d wondered over the years. “Are all mythological creatures real?”

“All? Definitely not. Some are merely the product of overactive human imaginations, like angels—that’s actually just us, fae. Others are the result of deliberate misinformation fed to humans; like vampires—there are creatures similar to what humans believe vampires to be certainly, but no species is truly immortal. Some used to exist but are now extinct, like phoenixes—besides the occasional rumor, we haven’t seen signs of one of those for at least a thousand years.”

I stifled a giggle a fraction too late.

“You have got to be kidding me?” Aiden’s mouth split into an amazed grin as his eyes widened to saucers. “Really? Of course, but it’s so incredibly obvious now that I know. It’s no surprise that Fiona could see it! I just never in my wildest dreams expected . . . No wonder they were so keen on me finding you after our scouts saw your arrival in New York.”

“I’ve been meaning to say thank you for that. I know I wasn’t exactly friendly when you first met me, but you pushed through that and, well, I’m glad that you persisted. Who knows where I’d be now if you hadn’t?” It had been hard to open up to trusting someone after suffering two rejections so soon after one another, but Aiden had opened his house and his life to me without question.

He waved me off. “Don’t worry, Lynnie, you are most definitely worth every effort.”

I watched the merriment of the weekly feast from the sidelines. Aiden danced with a number of the young fairy maidens, including Willow, the healer who I’d met in the healing wing, but after each dance, he came back to ensure that I was having a good time. Without fail, I was, because the feast was nothing more or less than a celebration of being alive. I’d never experienced anything like it before, but it filled me with a sense of joy that was a bit overwhelming. By the time it had wound down, I was practically giddy. Aiden walked me back to my room, and I couldn’t stop grinning. It was a more natural high than the one I’d had with the alcohol months earlier. It was better because of that.

He walked alongside me, linking his arm with mine as his body thrummed with the same excitement that seemed to course through me.

“It’s still utterly mindboggling that we have got a phoenix in our humble court,” he said with a sudden burst of excitement. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged. “It didn’t seem that important. Regardless of what I am, I’m still just me.”

Despite Aiden’s enthusiasm about discovering my secret, I didn’t think that it was something to be celebrated. After all, that secret had cost me so much: Dad’s death, Clay leaving, Brian’s rejection. It was all evidence that my real self was not cause for celebration. Who could know what life I might have had if I’d been just a regular human girl?

“Are you all right, Lynnie?” Aiden asked.

I focused my attention back on him. “Uh, yeah.”

“It felt like I lost you for a moment there.”

“Sorry, I just . . . I come with a past that isn’t altogether pleasant.”

He shrugged. “Then forget it.”

“I don’t want to forget it,” I said, somewhat resentful that he could even suggest such a thing. “There are things that happened to me, people I cared about, who I don’t want to forget.”

“But if it makes you sad, why would you want to think about it?”

I could tell he genuinely struggled with the concept. It struck me that I’d been wrong when I’d told Clay he had an optimistic view of the world—no one could ever beat Aiden’s positivity and enthusiasm. He was upbeat to the point of dismissing any unpleasant aspects of his life. Although from what I’d ascertained, it was generally a relatively common trait among the fae.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“Can I try something?” he asked, no doubt trying to change the subject.

“Sure . . .” I said, a little uncertainly.

In the next instant, he quickly pressed his lips against mine. Almost the moment our mouths met, he’d pulled away.

“What was that for?” I asked, unable to hide my shock at the action.

He shrugged. “I’ve spent a good portion of the day wondering exactly what it would feel like to kiss you.”

“And?” I asked, still a little bewildered.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a small grin. “It was quite pleasant. In fact, I’d go so far to say it was very agreeable.”

I thought about his choice of words and found I couldn’t disagree. It wasn’t at all like the kisses I’d shared with Clay—all heat and fire and passion—but neither was it entirely unwelcome. After giving away my virginity, just to face rejection, it was almost helpful to my sanity to have someone, especially someone as attractive as Aiden, show some interest in me.

A knot in my stomach warned me that it wasn’t what I wanted, that Aiden wasn’t who I wanted, but I disregarded it. He’d saved my life and seemed genuinely pleased by what I was. He didn’t want to kill me, and he hadn’t called me a freak. For all of those benefits couldn’t I at least try to overlook the fact that his hands were too smooth as they caressed my face and that his lips were thinner and softer than the ones I longed for?

Don’t I owe it to myself to try to be happy? It was what Dad would want for me

Staring at Aiden, I swallowed down the twisting in my stomach. I focused instead on my desire for acceptance and love as I said, “Well if you want to do it again, it’s okay by me.”

His face lit up like a beacon as he leaned down to claim my lips once more. As he kissed my mouth—sweet, light kisses at first but quickly evolving into need-filled caresses—I was once again reminded of how different things had once been with Clay.

Closing my eyes to relive the lingering caresses we’d shared in the warehouse before his family had returned, I could almost imagine that Clay was right in front of me. That it was his tongue seeking entrance to my mouth.

If I closed my eyes and ignored the pungent floral scent, I could almost believe it. For a brief shining moment, I was back in the warehouse—back by his side.

Reaching out, I clung to strong arms and pressed my body against a firm chest. Together with Clay, at least in my mind, I was in heaven.

An hour later, I was staring at the ceiling wishing my lust-filled visions were real. Hoping against hope that when I glanced down at the warm body curled tightly around mine, it would be Clay, and not Aiden, sharing my bed. Slowly, Aiden’s wings wrapped around us both like a blanket, holding me against him in a warm cocoon, and the image of being held in a lover’s embrace by Clay instantly faded.

As the moment passed and reality slipped in, the realization that Clay was still out of reach settled heavily on me. I didn’t even know where in the world he might be and had no idea how to start searching for him. He was lost to me, and I didn’t see any way of getting back to him. I wanted to insist that Aiden leave because the realization brought with it a fresh round of sorrow, and I just wanted to wallow in it.

Aiden hummed softly and offered me a grin as he kissed my collarbone, drawing my attention back to him. “That was new,” he said. “The heat was just . . . unbelievable!”

“For me too.” I tried to hide my melancholy when I spoke, my mood wasn’t Aiden’s doing, and I didn’t want to inflict it on him. I couldn’t admit to him that I’d only ever been with one other person, and that experience was what had led me to the desolate state Aiden had found me in.

“I believe this would be an opportune time to inform you that contrary to how it may appear right now, I do not bed everyone that I find on the streets of New York.”

“Just the unique ones?” I asked, trying to shake the melancholy that had settled over me and find the fun I’d been having earlier in the evening again.

“Just the pretty ones,” he laughed. Then he pulled away, his features set into a solemn expression. “I do have to talk to you about something serious for a moment though.”

I pushed up onto my elbows, based on everything I’d experienced in my two weeks at the court, Aiden and serious weren’t really compatible concepts.

“We fae view relationships a little differently than other species may. What I mean to say is that we’re not exactly known for our monogamy. Generally, when two fae make the agreement to be together, it’s not about exclusivity or commitment. Unlike human mating, there is no risk of disease for us, and with two fae there is no reproduction without conscious choice and mutual agreement by both parties. Unless there is an extraordinary union, the sort that only happens to one in one-thousand fae couples, a relationship is generally not sufficient reason to abstain when we desire a little extra fun.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I know I have not known you for very long, but I do feel a certain responsibility toward you. I am pleased that I was able to offer you my assistance when you required it. Because of this, I do not want to accidentally hurt you through a miscommunication that could have been avoided.” He stroked my cheek. “I care for you.”

His last words settled over me pleasantly.

“If you want me to try monogamy”—his mouth twisted as if he’d tasted something horrid as he said the word—“I will, for you. You need only to say the word.”

My heart thudded in my chest as I thought about the implications of his statement.

Did I want that?

Did I want him to forsake all others?

Did I want him?

I didn’t even have to think about the question to know the truth—Clay was the one who had inspired the passion in me that Aiden was responding to. I had absolutely no right to ask Aiden to commit to me exclusively when I couldn’t offer him the same courtesy in return—at least not mentally.

“I care for you too,” I said carefully. “But I could never ask you for that.”