Fates Divided: Halven Rising

Elena walked along the bank of a clear river, its water rushing by. The sound of leaves rustling on the wind floated across the cool, earth-scented air as the sun descended on the horizon in flames of burnt orange.

She wrapped her arms around her torso to keep warm and glanced at the forest a short distance away, expecting to see the trees moving in the breeze. But that wasn’t what she saw.

The forest was made up of trees bearing leaves in impossible colors—traditional red, orange, and yellow, but also pink and deep violet. And the leaves didn’t sway in the wind, they shifted, relocating to different branches and causing the rustling sound she’d heard.

She stared in disbelief. A moment later, the leaves did it again.

Like iron filaments attracted to a magnet, each leaf fluttered to a new branch.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Elena’s shoulders jerked, and she turned. “Deirdre?” She released the breath that had caught in her throat. “I thought I was alone.”

Deirdre smiled warmly. “Never alone. We are here.” She gestured to the forest and the area around them.

“Where is here?” Elena had never seen this place before, but it seemed familiar somehow. “And what’s with those trees?”

Deirdre peered at the forest. “The allon. Some call it the tree of life. It is said to be a gift from the heavens. The allon only grows in Tirnan.”

“The library in Emain is named after it,” Elena said absently, watching the leaves repeat their mysterious migration.

Deirdre walked along the river and Elena did too. “You will find a great many representations of the allon within Emain and Tirnan.”

“Is that where we are, in Tirnan?” She looked around them.

“We are in your dream, but yes, every Fae dreams of Tirnan.”

“But I’m a Halven.”

Deirdre paused, as if considering. “That is true… Your powers are also unusual. Perhaps that is why you dream of Tirnan when other Halven do not.”

After a moment, Deirdre pointed to the water. “This river is called the Fates. It separates two of our kingdoms, the Old and the New.”

Elena studied the stream, which seemed to widen up ahead. “Which kingdom are you from?”

“Old Kingdom, but I live in Sunland now.”

“What is Sunland?”

Deirdre smiled. “Sunland is a land beyond the two kingdoms, unclaimed in the traditional sense. Sunlanders believe in your human democracy. We wish to live simply off the land, care for each other, and stop the war.”

“There’s a war?”

The corners of her mouth turned down. “There will be. Old Kingdom and New Kingdom have fought to control Tirnan for over a millennium. More bloodshed will come. Soon.”

“But Fae are dying from disease. Why would they fight in a war right now? Can’t they put their differences aside long enough to get through this?”

Deirdre glanced out at the trees, her eyes sad. “When you have battled as long as we have, it becomes a part of your essence. Oldlanders and Newlanders despise each other. Disease or not, that remains a constant.”

“That sounds morbid. And miserable. Aren’t you supposed to be descended from angels?”

“Ah, but even angels have waged wars. With hell most commonly, but also amongst themselves, according to the legends.”

Elena stepped onto a pretty, curved bridge that crossed the river.

“Stop.” Deirdre held up her hand. “Don’t go beyond this point, Elena. It’s dangerous. Old Kingdom lies beyond. Never trust Oldlanders.”

“You just said you’re from Old Kingdom.”

“And now I am a part of Sunland, a neutral zone. Those loyal to Old Kingdom, intent on fighting the Great War, will destroy you.”

Elena woke with a start, Deirdre’s words ringing in her ears.

Just a dream—not real.

No one was going to destroy her. No battle was being waged, other than the Fae’s battle to survive the disease.

Elena reached for a glass of water on her nightstand, and stared at the unfamiliar neon clock.

Reese’s neon clock.

She was in Reese’s room, but she didn’t remember falling asleep last night.

It was still early, though not early enough to go back to sleep. She’d have to return to Emain soon.

Where was Reese, anyway?

Elena tried to push down the covers to get up, but they were stuck. And that was when she heard him.

Derek’s breathing—deep, familiar—filled her senses, and she shifted around. He was asleep on his stomach beside her, his body on top of the blankets. His head was turned away, one arm curled beneath a pillow—one bared, muscular arm. The rest of his torso was naked too.

Elena automatically glanced down.

He still wore his jeans, but his bare feet dangled off the bed.

And wow. Those Fae clothes she thought fit him so well didn’t do him justice. His skin was smooth and lightly tanned, and the muscles the snug Fae clothing hinted at were on full display, making her chest and other parts of her body overly warm.

Instinctively, she reached out and lightly trailed her fingers over his shoulder and down the firm waves of his back muscles. Those corded muscles jumped beneath her fingertips, and Derek’s breathing changed.

She froze, but it was too late. He lifted his head and glanced around as if trying to figure out where he was. His gaze landed on her, and he shook his head as if to clear it.

“Sorry. I tried to move the blankets down, but you were on top.” She sounded like an idiot. She’d groped him while he slept, and that was the best she could come up with?

Derek sat up and leaned on his elbow. He stared at the blankets, then yanked them below her waist in one swift movement.

Seeing their bodies side-by-side made her think about last night—before she’d fallen asleep. Their kiss, the taste of him… Had she dreamed about being with Derek the way she’d dreamed of Tirnan?

Derek’s gaze trailed up her body, over her T-shirt and up her neck, where she felt the blood rise and warm her face. The look in his eyes—as if he could devour her—had her heart hammering.

Okay, maybe she hadn’t imagined the kisses.

Taking the same liberty to touch that she had, Derek reached out and smoothed his fingers over her cheek and down her neck, pausing at the bottom of her throat above her pounding pulse.

After the dream she’d woken from, his hand was like a salve. The dream hadn’t terrified her in the traditional sense, but it had burdened her just the same. It was like an omen. And having Derek here soothed her.

He flattened his hand over her sternum, the edges of his large fingers grazing her breasts as he slid it down her middle. He slipped his palm around her waist and tucked her against the hard line of his body.

“You’re beautiful.” He leaned down and ran his lips over her hairline, tickling her skin. His body pressed lightly over hers, causing her eyes to flutter closed. Her breath became audible, but Derek didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he didn’t care that he had her panting. Maybe that was the point.

He kissed her cheekbone, her nose. She lifted her knee to get closer, and his large hand caught her hip, pinning her leg to him. He paused above her mouth, then kissed her bottom lip.

Elena wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, squeezing him to her chest. She fully comprehended the restless energy between them now—the tension that sometimes built and had caused them to bicker in his lab that first night, or in Emain while she worked toward a cure. Attraction was like that. When two forces were close enough, tension built until the two attracted pieces united.

Derek’s mouth came down on hers, and she responded by curling her fingers in his hair and trapping his head. His tongue caressed and tangled, sending those spasms of pleasure shooting through her again. He broke away and dropped feverish kisses down her neck. Her head fell back and he nudged her T-shirt lower with his chin, showering attention on the top of her breasts. Inarticulate little sounds erupted from her throat. God, his mouth felt good.

After a moment, Derek raised his head. Elena looked down to find him staring at the place he’d kissed.

Shit. Men liked breasts, but hers were so obvious she chose clothes that toned them down.

Derek cupped the bottom of one breast as if he were holding something precious, then gently squeezed, trailing his palm over the nipple thinly covered by her lace bra. And wow. She’d had this before, this type of touching, but it had never felt this good. His hands, the way he smelled, the warmth in his eyes—they melded into this perfect force she couldn’t fight, nor did she want to. Derek brooded and stomped around, but in the end he protected her, watched over her. Was there for her.

And suddenly there wasn’t a barrier that seemed too great to cross in order to be closer.

Elena ran her hands down his chest and along the sides of his ribcage, mapping out his upper body. Derek’s breathing grew shallow as he caressed and kissed along her exposed skin, pushing her T-shirt up more and tugging the lace of her bra to the side. His mouth and tongue moved where the material had been, and Elena gasped. She arched to get closer. He slid one palm over her hip to the inside of her thigh, where he stroked between her legs over her jeans.

The sensation he stirred was so raw and urgent, her breaths came fast and she thought she might pass out. Need burned a swath through her belly and limbs, consuming her. She tried to calm down, to think rationally like she always did—she’d never gone this far with a guy before—but her mind wasn’t sending the normal signals. She kept thinking about how amazing it would feel if his hand was under her clothes.

Would it be so bad to make love to Derek? Because right now that seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Somehow a piece of logic crept its way into her hormone-drunk thoughts. “Derek, wait.”

He stilled, then eased his hand to a safe zone at her hip, trailing his fingers across her bare stomach. He nuzzled her cheek and ear. “Yes?” His voice was a notch lower than normal, craggy, and doing nothing to cool the heat of her blood.

There were more important things she should say, like We need to leave for Emain. Or This is the wrong time. But what came out was, “How come you never asked if I have a boyfriend?”

His lips paused above her ear. “I know you don’t,” he finally said.

She thought about that for a moment as his kisses resumed down her neck. “Peeping Tom.” He smiled into her skin, and she gripped his shoulders. “The thing is… I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Never done—you know.”

Derek froze. He lifted his head to look into her eyes, as if searching for something there.

The truth to the universe?

Nope, probably just checking to see if she was serious about being a virgin. And now her mortification was complete.

She grimaced and shut her eyes. Why had she brought it up?

He dropped a soft kiss on her mouth. “Good. Don’t like thinking of you with other guys.”

She drew a hand through his silky, rumpled hair. “Aren’t you worried I’m too much of a nerd for guys to want me?”

He snorted. “Believe me, guys want you. They’re just intimidated by smart girls. Especially beautiful smart girls. It’s a good thing I’m smarter than you. I’m not intimidated.”

She swatted his shoulder. “Hey!”

He smiled and pinned her hands above her head, clutching them both in one of his own. It was a move Mateo had made a million times to gain control of the remote—or to piss her off.

Derek’s version did not feel the least bit brotherly. His fingers and arms warmed her chest where her skin lay exposed from her lacy bra skewed every which way.

“It’s not like I’ve never kissed anyone—”

He put a finger to her lips. “I don’t need to hear it. Thinking about you with someone else makes me—irritable.”

“Fine. What about you?”

“I’ve had sex, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Just like that, he went and said it. “Do you have to be so blunt?” She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of him and someone else either. But she understood most people weren’t virgins at their age.

He loosened his grip on her hands, and she tugged her top down and sat up.

He shrugged. “It’s what you’re asking, isn’t it?”

“I guess.” She frowned.

He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her frown, but she couldn’t get her face to soften. “I never felt for them what I feel for you. Not even close.”

Them? There was a them?

He kissed her neck and mumbled, “Matter of fact, my mind draws a blank when I think about it. All I can think of is you.”

Typical line. But it worked. Her body loosened and she fought a smile.

Lying close and touching Elena, Derek’s body wanted to explode, but what he’d said was true. Elena was the only girl he thought about. He didn’t care what they did as long as he was with her.

“We should get up. We need to be in Emain soon.” She sounded as disappointed by it as he was, but she was right.

Derek wanted this Fae business over with, and the only way to accomplish that was to give them what they wanted.

“I’d like to return to Marlon’s lab today,” he said as she untangled herself from his arms. “I found things there. I should have gone back already to search for more, but I didn’t want to leave you last night.”

“You think Marlon had something to do with the virus?” Her hand rested on his bare shoulder, and just that warm touch alone gave him a sense of peace he hadn’t known since he’d discovered what he was.

“Yeah. Marlon’s definitely involved.”

Derek quietly told Elena about the virus and the F-18 ingredient from Marlon’s notes, conscious of keeping his voice low, with Keen in the living room. He’d prefer to tell her without Keen around, but that didn’t seem likely, and they were running out of time. He explained how he wanted to take samples from the antique bottles in the back of Marlon’s lab to search for F-18.

“It should be safe for you to come with me today if you think you can get away,” he said. “The place hasn’t been touched. And Keen will be with us as backup. I don’t trust the jackass to not tell people where we went, but he won’t know what we’re doing there.”

“Beginning to rely on my bodyguard, are you?”

In a flash, he pinned her beneath him and tickled her sides. “I’m the bodyguard. Keen is the lookout.”

She giggled and fought the fingers he dug into her ribs. “Okay, okay. You win. You’re the bodyguard.”

He eased up, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I like having a personal bodyguard.”

He kissed her on the mouth, enjoying how good it felt to hold her. “So you’ll go with me?”

“Of course. But it might be best if we leave now and go early. I didn’t make progress yesterday. I need all the training with Leo I can get.”

Derek sat up. “You’re not due in Emain for another hour. If we hurry, we can swing by Marlon’s lab on the way.”