Beyond the Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

The soft illumination of the moonlight danced through the trees outside did little to calm her. Elaine fidgeted with her hands lifting her head up and taking a nervous step toward him. She thought it might be her nerves, but the moment she entered his room something felt different to her.

“Come on,” Lorcan coaxed her.

She closed the distance between her and the bed not wanting to make him mad. She felt the soft fabric of the thick blanket brush against her pants. Self consciously, she tugged her long shirt down.

Lorcan mirrors her and sat on top of the covers. He turned toward her -- the smile on his face gone. Elaine took a deep breath feeling the frantic flutter of her heart as he cocked his head to the side watching her silently. It was almost as if his eyes fogged over because the normal alertness in them looked completely gone.

“Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” he chuckled.

He scooted over to her in a sitting position. They sat knee to knee, facing each other. His close proximity made her stomach clench. Getting a weird feeling, she watched him lean down toward her and alarms in her head went off.

She scooted out of his reach. “Well, I’m getting tired...I’m going back to my room now.”

He was silent as she got up from the bed. Without a word, he crawled under the covers without breaking eye contact.

Then he appeared to change his mind and jumped out of bed. He grabbed onto her as if to keep her from leaving. His fingers squeezed her arms. She thought he was keeping her from getting away. She really wasn’t sure if he was being serious or joking around about it. His hold on her wasn’t protective. It was forceful and she squirmed in his hold.

“You’re in pain aren’t you?” he stated mockingly in her ear.

She steadied her voice, “Yeah, my back was hurting earlier, remember?”

“Do you want to know what he did to you?” he whispered ominously. Elaine wondered what he meant by this “he”.

“So naive,” he deadpanned.

She nearly jumped out of her skin in horror at the new sound of his voice. A chill seeped down into her bones. Instead of the red hair and crimson eyes she was expecting to see, his hair was now black and his eyes green. She confirmed it was Bray. Feeling sick, she stumbled toward the door fumbling with the doorknob.

“I couldn’t help, but wonder why my big bad brother would take an interest in anyone. Of all things, a human too,” he said bluntly from right behind her.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, his hand cold as ice. She released the doorknob readying herself to yank his arm off.

“Let me go,” Elaine clenched through her teeth having enough of his game.

“Now I have a pretty good idea. So sorry I forgot to tell you my specialty. Looks like Lorcan hasn’t told you much of anything? Wouldn’t you agree? I’m a fae just like my brother, except our...powers are different. I’m known as a shifter,” he said with a grin.

His smile then faded as his face strained as if he was focusing on something invisible. She widened her eyes in shock as she saw his face change into Lorcan’s.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Brayden said in Lorcan’s voice.

She shuddered hearing his voice portrayed so accurately.

Bray’s face flickered back into his own. She wanted to know why wouldn’t Lorcan have told her this before. Then again, she did remember he warned her. She understood now this was what he met. Still, she was a little annoyed he left out the fact that his brother could do this.

“The downside to it is I can only do it for a couple minutes. Plus my face is the only thing that changes. I’ve just learned to perfect some voices, it’s one of my many hidden talents. As I age I will naturally advance my skills.”

“You could have just talked to me. Not pretend to be someone you’re not.”

“You wouldn’t have been genuine though with me being a stranger and all.”

“Why do you care anyway?” Elaine asked frustration.

“I know him better than anyone. Believe me, you’re special. I intend to find out just what is so special about you,” he replied.

She watched him skeptically, “I’m not-” she began, but he interrupted her.

“I was just curious. I’m out this far all alone, what better than to have a little fun? It’s not often I get to practice my shifting.”

“Alright, I get it.”

“Friends?” he asked her holding his hand out.

Friends? He just pretended to be someone he’s not in order to investigate his own matters. Maybe he really has nothing better to do than nose around in his brother’s business, Elaine wondered.

Elaine shook his hand, “Friends...”

He seemed rather friendly despite his little game.

“Well, I’ll be going back then, to my bed.”

“You sure?” he said as his face changed to Lorcan’s.

“Stop doing that. Promise you won’t do that again around me?” Elaine asked him uneasily, reaching for the door.

“I promise,” he said from behind her.

After closing the door behind herself, Elaine walked back into the dark hallway. After that whole charade, she didn’t hesitate to go directly back to her room. She laid in bed for a while, drowsiness finally seeped into her and she was finally able to get some sleep.

***

Elaine woke up in a fetal position laying in what felt like a very comfortable warm-like nest. She snuggled her head deeper into her pillow wanting to go back to sleep. She thought it was almost like a soft ray of warmth encircling her and she dreaded leaving its wonderous comfort.

Curious as to what was keeping her so warm, she opened her eyes finding Lorcan fast asleep beside me. She noted how he was now wearing a clean black cloak. She would have to ask him for one later. His wings hung over them like a canopy as he slept on his stomach. She knew she should probably tell him about Bray, but that could wait until after he woke up. Elaine rolled over on her side facing right wing.

Abruptly, she was pulled back by strong arms. Lorcan rested his head on her shoulder and she had to stifle a giggle at the ridiculousness. His hair tickled the side of her face and when she turned her head to look at him he opened his piercing red eyes.

“What’s so funny, human?” he asked with a small smile.

She answered mid-giggle, “You.”

“I came into your room earlier and you were gone.”

Elaine’s giggles died out and her features hardened. “You didn’t tell me what your brother was.”

“What did he do to you?” He practically hissed while sitting up and thrashing the covers away from himself as he stood up from her bed.

“Nothing, I heard a noise and opened up the nearest door I thought it was you, but it wasn’t. When he revealed himself he said he just wanted to know why I was special to you.”

A wave of alarm crossed over his face, but he covered it up before throwing open the door and stomping out.

“I’ll be right back,” his voice echoed.

Nervous, she got up and followed him.

Before Lorcan reached Bray’s door. A knock at the front door rang through the air. Bray suddenly burst out of his room without even giving Lorcan and her a glance. He ran by them down the stairs. Lorcan stepped out in front of her blocking her view of the visitor below the staircase.

Elaine wondered who it could be because she thought Bray set up a barrier. She could only make out bits and pieces of the conversation, but she could tell the visitor was an older male. When Brayden finally shut the door Lorcan flew down the stairs landing with a thud.

“I told you to leave her alone!” he shouted at Brayden.

If Elaine were to have blinked her eyes, she would have missed him punch right at his brother’s jaw. Bray fell against the wall. He rubbed his jaw with an annoyed look at Lorcan.

A cheeky grin grew on Brayden’s face. “I think you misunderstand brother. She came to me,” he remarked.

“I’m not going to tell you again, Brayden.”

“My, my your new sense of possessiveness is really something. I won’t pull any more tricks,” he said while rolling his eyes.

“Good,” Lorcan retorted.

Elaine thought the rest of the day went pretty quick. Lorcan explained to her how long it would take the guards to scope out where they were. They had some strange looking vegetables for dinner too. Bray went off into his room to find something. Now Lorcan and her sat on the porch.

“There’s something your brother mentioned that’s been bothering me, Lorcan.”

“And what would that be?”

“He said he thinks I’m special and I think he knows why my back is hurting.”

Lorcan’s jaw twitched. He glanced back inside the house then faced her again.

“I’ll tell you,” he began slowly.

Elaine thought she would be relieved, but something about his response made her even more anxious. Perhaps it was because for the first time Lorcan looked vulnerable. She held her breath waiting for him to continue.