The tunnels that ran beneath Cœur de Lyon Estates were surprisingly extensive. At Sam’s obvious shock and awe, Clara nearly doubled over in amusement.

“Remember, a lot of this area was heavily mined for gold, at least that’s what we tell most people—that these were reclaimed once the gold ran out and converted to provide transport during even the worse winters,” Clara explained as they rode a golf cart down one of the tunnels. Yep, a golf cart, in a bright candy red and emblazoned with the gold logo of CDL Enterprises.

“The truth is that Sidhe and many Fae are actually subterranean in nature. We’re naturally drawn to the Earth, so these tunnels were built by us once my grandparents built the Château. We’ve expanded them to each of our own houses as the Clan grew, and when we built the Village, we opened a new tunnel. Makes it easy to travel back and forth.”

Patting the dashboard of the sporty little golf cart, Clara gave Sam an impish grin, “We totally stole the idea from Disney World, but it works!”

Sam just nodded and held on to both her coffee and the golf cart for dear life, because Clara clearly thought they were playing Mario Kart, taking turns at full speed. Part of Sam was waiting for a turtle shell to appear out of nowhere and slam into them, or a banana peel, or something equally crazy.

With Clara driving, the trip from the Estate to the Village took less than 15 minutes, and that included the time it took to get to the golf cart and to park it. An elevator led up to a small mock fortress, set on a low hill that stood at the center of the Village.

Although the touch of winter still lay heavy on the Rockies, much of the Village had already been cleared by the groundskeepers. As Clara led Sam out of the Keep, Sam saw the Village below was already buzzing with activity. Maintenance workers were clearing up clutter, sweeping the stone paths clean, trimming trees and tending the gardens.

Although she had been briefly shown around the Village on her tour of the Estates, this was Sam’s first really good look at the place. It had been designed in a double spiral, on either side of the central Keep. The eastern side was all shades of white, gold, and brilliant shades of red, while the western side was in blacks, silvers, and dark crimson. 

“We decided to go with a more fantasy theme for our Village,” Clara explained as they headed through the courtyard and down the path leading from the Keep. “My grandmother’s fantasy series is about the Sidhe, the war between the Seelie and Unseelie as it rages through the Mortal World.”

When Sam rolled her eyes at that, Clara winked and continued, “Between that and my grandfather writing historical romances, we figured on combining the two.” She shrugged. “It gives the Unaware the illusion that anything they see is a costume or part of the show, and Uncannies can relax on neutral ground.”

Tugging on Clara’s arm, Sam glared up at the taller woman. “Coffee. Fairy.” She pointed to herself, “I got royally fucked all night, had maybe two uninterrupted hours of sleep, and it’s been a stressful week. Coffee is required, or I will make like a dragon and raze the entire Village to the ground and dance in the ashes.”

Clara’s giggles trailed off as she met Sam’s eyes. Paling, Clara grabbed Sam’s hand and rushed her down one of cobblestone paths. Sam stumbled here and there, but managed to keep up with the taller woman. The buildings on either side rushed by in a blur.

“What’s the rush, crazy woman?!” Sam gasped out as they slowed just enough to take a corner.

“We need to get you some coffee before things get nasty out here,” Clara replied, chewing on her bottom lip as she glanced around desperately. “Ah ha! There she is! Allie! ALLIE!”

Skidding to a halt in front of a stone and timber three-storied building, a wooden sign above the door proudly proclaiming “Café Au Faé,” Clara waved at the short, dark-haired woman framed in the open windows.

Wearing an open hoodie over a Wonder Woman t-shirt, Allie gave Clara a wide grin, “Morning, Clara!” Her gray-green eyes were bright as she glanced between Clara and Sam, who stood at about eye-level with Allie. “Oh, I see what the emergency is! What’s your poison?”

“Are you my Coffee Fairy?” Sam asked plaintively.

“Yes, dear,” Clara patted Sam’s shoulder, “She is. Sam, meet Allie Carol. Allie, meet Sam Kelly.”

Sam shook Allie’s hand and gave her an apologetic smile, “Sorry, I’m running low on go juice. What do you have?”

“What would you like? I have a full-service coffee and tea bar,” Allie grinned and waved at the building behind her, “Well, once the season hits anyways. It’s an actual café, and we’re not fully up and operational yet, but since people are here early to start setting up, figured I’d open shop to get coffee and donuts into people so this doesn’t turn into an episode of The Walking Dead.”

Squinting suspiciously, Sam asked, “You’re not a morning person like she is, are you?” Sam jerked a thumb to indicate the smirking Clara.

“Oh, hell no!” Allie exclaimed with a laugh. “I’m already on my third cup. Some of these crazy people have been here since five in the morning!” She gave Sam a wink. “And there’s money to be made when the closest Starbucks is over a half-hour away.”

“Shew,” Sam grinned, “Okay then, so what do you have now?”

With a grandiose wave, Allie indicated the set-up behind her. “We have a full range of different coffees and teas, as well as various natural syrups, different milks, sweeteners, and all that.” She pointed to a blackboard she had set up just beneath the window, where an elegant hand had scripted out a short menu. “Unfortunately, still waiting on a few shipments, but these are what I’d recommend.”

“Oh, I’ll have a Tall, Dark Mocha Knight, double-strength, please,” Sam said as she fished her wallet out of her bag, “And whatever Clara’s having.”

“That Chai with Orange Honey and Coconut milk sounds heavenly, Allie,” Clara chimed in, leaning a hip against the bar as she watched the two shorter women chat.

Within a few blissfully short minutes, Sam and Clara had their drinks and were waving a goodbye to Allie, who was already helping the next customer behind them. Sam gratefully inhaled the scent of her coffee as she trailed beside Clara.

After they were out of earshot, Sam turned suspicious eyes up to Clara. “Okay, so I may be slower than usual, but what freaked you out? I know I can be a grump without my coffee, but you looked like you saw the antichrist in person.”

Waving Sam over to one of the benches set periodically along the path, Clara sighed. “Sorry, I keep forgetting how new you are to all of this. What do you know about bonds?”

Shrugging, Sam sat down and took a slow, cautious sip of her coffee. Mmm. Perfect. “Honestly, besides the fact I get some nifty tattoos that most other people can’t see, that’s about it.”

Settling next to Sam, Clara cradled her cup between her hands as she thought over her words. “It’s like this. All bonds are magic. Some bonds are little more than a formality, while others can convey power. For example,” Clara pointed to herself. “I’ve made three bonds, besides the one I have being born into Clan Leon. My clan bond is a formality, but in times of duress, it allows the members of my clan to draw upon my strength or to locate me in case of emergencies.”

Sam nodded, listening intently as she subconsciously rubbed a hand over the mark on her left chest. “Okay, and I’ve made two bonds, right?”

Clara waggled a hand side-to-side, “Sort of.” She pointed to Sam’s right arm. “The bond you made with Bertie is a powerful one. It’s more than a simple mark of friendship; instead, he imparted a bit of his own power into you. And Bertie is more than a little powerful. Don’t let the dessert-addicted teddy bear act fool you, he’s ancient and one of the few who are truly stormbound.”

“Which means what?” Sam asked as she rolled up her sleeve to look at the gargoyle tattoo on her arm. The tattoo was at rest, but there was a subtle sense of movement within it, like wind rippling over a moss-covered statue.

“Honestly, I’m not sure, just that Bertie’s taken you under his wing, which isn’t a bad thing,” Clara assured the other woman.

“And what about this one,” Sam tapped her chest.

“The mate bond is another different one. It binds the life forces of the two together. Once complete, it ensures that even a Mortal can live as long as their Fae partner, barring accidents or tragedies. Likewise, it allows mates to draw upon each other’s power.”

“Still not seeing what freaked you out, I mean, I’ve had both of these for about a week now,” Sam said. “It’s not like you didn’t know about them.”

Clara laughed ruefully, “Sweetie, apparently, when you get angry, you start drawing on whatever powers Bertie gave you. Your pretty little eyes were all electric. I’ve seen that man call down tornadoes, and I really didn’t want you going all Wicked Witch of the Rockies on us until you get a grip on these new gifts of yours.”

Stunned, Sam gaped at the Sidhe. “It’s too damned early to deal with any of this,” Sam muttered as she drank her coffee and took the opportunity to look around her.

Not far from where they sat, Sam spotted Lizzy with two other women, laughing together as they cleaned out one of the shops. Noticing where Sam’s gaze had landed, Clara grinned, “Right, showing you around now to some of my favorite places. Let’s go.”

Sam sighed in resignation as Clara grabbed her arm and dragged her away once more on a whirlwind tour of the Village. They hung out for a little while with Lizzy and her two “sisters from other misters,” Laurel Song and Nicole Willow, at their shoppe, “The Sisters Tree: Beauty Au Naturale,” which sold beauty products ranging from soaps and shampoos through different makeups, all handmade from natural ingredients. The interior of their store smelled incredible, filled with floral scents that perked Sam up.

Sam and Clara pitched in, helping to sweep out some of the dust and bring in some stock from the cart outside, while they gossiped with the three “sisters.” While Laurel and Nicole were younger than Lizzy, all three were big, beautiful women—Laurel with her glasses and smile that could light up the sky, Nicole with her long burgundy hair and sly wit, had Sam in stitches as they talked about the many, many hot guys that came through the Village.

As they were leaving, Lizzy laughingly hollered after Sam, “You keep giving that boy hell, girl!” A cry that was echoed by both Laurel and Nicole.

More awake now, and making a mental note to return once the Village opened for business, Sam once more followed alongside Clara. They passed by Raven, who was directing a group of very big, very muscular, and very shirtless men as they set up shop.

Sam and Clara both stopped to gape at the shirtless guys, all those incredible muscles flexing and twitching as they carried heavy boxes into the store and set up the barbeque pit and smokers. Noticing their audience, which had picked up to a small crowd of gawkers, including a few guys, Raven’s men played to the crowd. Flexing, posing, “accidentally” spilling water as they took thirsty gulps from the big bottles of water conveniently at hand.

A smirking Raven walked up and bumped hips with Sam. “Sorry about my boys. They can get a little rowdy and love showing off for a crowd.”

Clara leaned in and whispered, “Raven’s always got a crew of her ‘boys’ around. Apparently, she’s quite a gifted matchmaker for bear shifters, with a knack for helping them find their fated mates.”

Raven idly traced the bear-paw choker she wore, her eyes gleaming as she watched her boys. “Oh yes, it’s such a hardship having so many big, strong men hanging around all the time.” She gave Sam a sly look. “Too bad you’ve already met your fated mate, otherwise I’d hook you up with one of my boys!”

Clara gasped, “What about me?” She pointed to herself with a pout.

Raven speculatively eyed the tall Sidhe woman, then shook her head. “Alas, a bear is not in your future, m’dear.” She waggled a finger, “Besides, a certain Viking wolf might have something to say about that. You know how territorial those guys are.”

“He’s just a good time,” Clara waved Raven’s comments away. “Great in bed, but not my cara.” Eyeing Sam, Clara grinned, “And now that my big brother’s met his, I figure I might as well settle for nothing less.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Settling didn’t work so well for my parents.”

Patting Clara’s shoulder, Raven gave Sam a subtle wink as she said, “Don’t worry about it. Your time will come, and until then, well, enjoy yourself!”

Laughing, Clara replied, “That’s the plan!” Grinning at the flexing show of beefcake still performing for their appreciative audience, Clara wrapped an arm around Sam’s shoulders. “Right, let’s go. I want to show you the amphitheater.”

As they headed off, Sam’s phone pinged with a message. Digging it out of her bag, her brow furrowed at the unfamiliar number.

‘SORRY I COULDN’T WAKE YOU UP PROPERLY THIS MORNING, MA CHÈRIE. HOPE YOU DREAM SWEET. MEET ME FOR LUNCH? CALL OR TEXT ANY TIME. <3 RIK’

Sam felt her wounded pride ease as warmth flooded her chest. Jerk. At least he gave her a few hours to get a proper temper on before he had to go and ruin it by being thoughtful.

“Going by the expression on your face, I’d say my idiot of a brother finally did something right,” Clara cheekily commented.

Shoving her phone back into her bag, Sam managed a nonchalant shrug, though the grin threatening to break out on her face belied her words as she muttered, “Whatever. He’s still a jerkface.”