Beyond the Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

Lorcan stared at the floor intensely almost as if he was ashamed. He just got finished telling Elaine about his place as one of the many royalty among the fae in Aeringdal.

Elaine was starting to believe he was lying about her parents because it wasn’t too long ago he lied about being just a “criminal”. Now she knew he was just being tracked down to return to his place in his court. What bothered her the most though was him telling her when he first blew his faery dust on her face he may have made her his so-called mate.

“I finished it.”

“Finished what?” Elaine asked.

“Making you mine!” he practically yelled across to her from his seat on the front porch. Elaine thought it was almost as if he was having some kind of internal struggle. She gripped the sides of her rocking chair tightly preparing herself.

“What do you mean 'mine'?” she asked confused, but her voice quickly turned hysterical.

She didn’t understand this mate thing he spoke of with such reverence and she hated how he called her his when she wanted nothing to do with him, “I’m not yours!”

This has to be a joke she thought. Even if he was royalty the guards treated him like a wanted criminal. Elaine still wasn’t even sure if he knew her name and now he was proclaiming she belonged with him. She thought he was nuts.

“Every fae is supposed to eventually find their mate. Usually, it’s completely under control with the exchanging of faery dust. I didn’t realize what I did until the next morning when you told me your back hurt. I shouldn’t have blown faery dust on you...I didn’t think you swallowed any,” he finished.

She was genuinely concerned for her sanity because she was having a hard time believing Lorcan just accidentally did that, because at the time, she was fairly certain he did it to shut her up. He had done it and it was his own fault. She didn’t think for a second it was an accident and didn’t buy anymore that he was simply just taking her to her parents.

“How am I supposed to believe that we are mates? Is something going to happen to me?”

Lorcan scoffed at her lack of knowledge, “You’ll see soon enough. Things will be kind of different for you since you’re clueless about our kind. I can’t believe your parents told you nothing before leaving.”

Elaine wanted to rip her hair out. She wanted straight answers and he was giving her none. “Wait, are you saying I’m a faery?! How could you just do that to me? Without asking me?”

“I told you your parents are of the fae. I did not even know what I was doing,” he clenched through his teeth, “I thought it was a dream,” he huffed defensively.

“A dream? You kidnapped me!”

“There is no way to get rid of it. It’s permanent until one of us dies of course,” Lorcan stated coldly.

Elaine rested her head on her hand. All this new information was too much for her head to wrap around at the moment.

She thought from what he had told her and the way he described things he described his actions as a mistake rather than an accident. She felt hollow as fear gnawed at her mind. She hugged her arms avoiding looking at Lorcan. She didn’t want to feel upset by it, but for some reason, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of hurt and abandonment. Not just from her family, but the faery man beside her now too.

Bray swung the front door open breaking the silence. “Hope I’m not interrupting you two! Lorcan I found the map. I just need you to coordinate the path so I can set up the next shield.”

Lorcan got up without giving Elaine a glance.

Elaine stood up walking down off the porch. “I’m going to take a walk around the yard.”

***

She found a quiet hill and chose to sit on the other side of it. Then she plopped down on the dark green picky grass. She guessed they didn’t mow yards in Aeringdal. She wondered what her parents would be doing now and how much longer it would be until Lorcan took her to them. If that’s what he really planned on doing.

Bang Bang

She jumped at the sound of thunder overhead and sat up straight. She hadn’t noticed the darkening of the clouds in her contemplation. Her mind reasoned she should go back to the house, but she easily ignored it. It wasn’t raining yet anyway. The humid air grew thicker.

Elaine stayed silent for a few minutes hearing nothing. She rested her head back against the hill. Feeling a painful sensation in the center of her back she was reminded again of her issues she thought she walked away from and left behind at the house. She knew Lorcan wasn’t telling her everything.

She rubbed the irritated area on her back and let out a hiss of pain at the instant burst of excruciating agony that seemed to tear through her skin. Lighting struck somewhere on the horizon and she decided she better go back. She was about to turn around to do just that, but she noticed a shadow cast over herself.

She turned to look at the source of the shadow and let out a shriek seeing Lorcan standing right above her on top of the hill. The gray sky really made his piercing red eyes stand out, not to mention his flaming red hair too.

Feeling awkward and miserable, she walked by him to go back before it started raining.

“I’m going inside.”

“Get in the house!” Lorcan hollered. Elaine wondered if she heard her.

She began stomping back toward the old house. “That’s where I’m going!”

Lorcan gripped her shoulder.

“I said now."

She already knew it was going to rain, but he was still yelling at her. She stood her ground having enough of him.

She smiled. “Actually, I think I’ll just stay out here a bit longer.”

Without waiting for his response, she returned to where she was sitting.

Curious, she glanced back at him to see a wave of worry cross over his face, but why would he care if she got a little wet from the rain? She didn’t know. However, she let out a loud shriek of pain collapsing to her knees. The pain in her back had escalated. It felt like her spine was going to snap like a twig.

She tensed up, rolling onto her side and clenching her eyes shut in agony.

Elaine whimpered, “What’s happening to me?”

“Hang in there,” Lorcan’s distant voice barely reached her before her mind went numb against the infuriating pain blasting along her back. Tears streamed down her face blending in with the new rain that fell from the sky. The pain was so unbearable that she went unconsciousness and passed out on the grassy hill.