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Graely knew his father and he realized with a wave of fear that yes, the Dark King might be brought to believe such a thing. He knew it wasn’t true, but he wasn’t in love with her. Doubts were so easily instilled in one who loves beyond distraction. Graely was worried. His friendship with Crystal was unshakeable. Their friendship had helped him rise above his darkness just enough to struggle in the Human Realm, but he had no way to reach his father and warn him. No way to even reach Crystal. She had thought it best they only communicate at her request.
The Dark King had never had any sense when it came to matters of the heart. He had always relied on Crystal to keep him focused. Without her, he would be lost, and lost, he would be dangerous.
“Pestale, you are playing games that will bring down his wrath and when he loosens that wrath, no one will be safe,” Graely said carefully.
“We will wait and see. You however, have obviously become infatuated with the humans. I don’t understand it myself. They are such a puny race, so willing to follow and be led into their own misery. So few of them think for themselves or take control of their lives.”
“Puny? I don’t find that. I find most of them brave and steadfast. They are not immortal and yet, they will risk all to save another’s life. I find them worthy.” Graely shrugged, “But, what do I know? For the most part, I am very alone. I can feel the wards here getting ready to spit me back into the Human Realm. I have very little time left with you, Pestale.”
“By Danu, I am sorry for it. I had hoped you would be here long enough to be of some use!”
Suddenly Graely felt himself lifted through time and space and thrust into the portal Crystal had created to remove him, when he shifted through the wards (as she knew he would). Against his will, against all the magic he attempted to use to stay with Pestale and learn more, he was consumed by the hands of her portal. He needed information, but he had no power to overcome the wards installed by his father and Crystal.
It took less than sixty seconds to drop him onto a peak of the Grampian Mountains and almost as soon as he got his bearings, he heard her voice, and picked up on her scent. Frankie was flying!
He looked up and saw her black wings, illuminated with midnight blue. The tips of the feathers appearing as though they had been dipped in white paint, as she soared and laughed out loud. She had a way of making him smile from the inside out. Her gusto, her fever for life, and all that she was filled his eyes.
He was pleased, because
he could see she was finally beginning to accept who she was—a Sluagh like her father, with wondrous wings and new abilities.
He heard her father call to her, and he stiffened.
Deimne despised him. He stepped out of view. He didn’t want to ruin the moment for Frankie.
He listened and watched as her father joined her in flight. It was beautiful to see them, graceful and happy together. His eyes were fixed on them as they flew in unison and he felt her pleasure through their mind link.
He heard the swoosh of her wings as she flew to the ground and landed. Graely watched as she tucked in her wings and waved to her father still in the air.
She turned toward the deer path that would take her back to the summer cottage. She was dressed in a cream colored feminine piece of cloth with dainty heels. He had never seen her dressed like that before. His eyes traveled over her with a longing that he told himself, was not right.
Her father, Deimne shifted in beside her and told her they would be late for their dinner engagement. He heard Frankie’s sigh, felt her reluctance, as she linked her arm through his and they shifted away.
He knew where they were going. She had complained to him recently about having to attend this dinner party. She had called it ‘a boring ordeal of a dinner’. He had laughed about it with her, but he also knew, this was the beginning.
Soon, she would find her true mate.
Graely knew that Fae, especially Dark Fae, did not have the human organ known as a heart, and yet, he felt something in his chest move. He had watched over her since she was twelve and now she was grown. She would no longer need him.
He knew what she sacrificed when at twelve she took on his brothers and the abominations they had set loose in the World. He knew the darkness had entered her when she had to kill at such a young age.
He had immediately vowed to watch and protect her. It was as though he had been waiting all his hateful life to redeem himself, and she was that redemption.
She was an angel and he had sworn to keep her safe.
He watched her suffer and enjoy the trials of being an American teenager. He loved that she never lost her Irish lilt or her quiet innocence, in spite of what she had experienced during that last war.
He watched her become all Daoine Fae, taking from the Fios that she had been, and he had watched her become something greater than both. He had helped her cope when she began suffering from the pain of her emerging wings. He had watched her beauty explode into adulthood in one fell swoop.
He had helped her accept that she was an exquisite being, and that her wings like her father’s, would help restore the Sluagh Daoine to its former glory.
He had been there for her, helped her understand herself and the world around her while he fought the darkness inside of himself. He was her protector and while he was such, that evil inside of him was buried.
To him, she was the most beautiful being in all creation.
But his role in her life would soon be banished.
It was inevitable that she would discover a suitable Daoine mate, and make a life for herself--and this fleeting thought came to him and blasted him with agonizing pain.
