The Ravaged Fairy by Anna Keraleigh Page A

close to home. His heart
actually ached at the thought of leaving, but he did have his king to protect. A
decision had never been so hard in his life. “Are you bare-assed under these
human clothes?”
    Thame nodded which received a snort from Flance.
    “I think he looks hot in them. Maybe we
can get you a pair.” Bray offered and wink at her beloved Flance.
    Instantly, Flance looked over the
material that slung low on his hips. “You want me to wear them.” His grin was
boyish and naughty then he wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
     Thame looked away. His eyes drifted back
to the bed, and as his feet lifted off the ground. His eyes remained locked on
that little thatched cottage where his life changed. Bray had one side and
Flance the other as they flew into the darkening sky. He was finally heading
home. So why did he feel like he was leaving it?
    ****
    Breena walked with her head in the
clouds, her thoughts rampant on who could have possibly thrown that bone. She
stumbled down her rocky driveway as the last rays of the sun decorated a few
clouds on the horizon. The front door to her home was closed but not locked and
she quickly shoved it closed behind her.
    There was a chill in the air, and it
seemed to seep deep into her core. She flipped the lock, intended to walk right
up to Thame and kiss him. There was definitely a foolish feeling about her
reaction to Thame’s advances. After all, this might be the start to a beautiful
thing. The moment she walked into the room, she noticed the quiet loneliness
envelope her. He had such a presence and the room was so flat. Where was he?
She stepped from the room and glanced at the bathroom door. It was ajar and
revealed another empty area.
    “Gran,” she called loudly and heard the
familiar creek of the stairs. Her face said it all. Something was wrong; sadness
like she’d never known suddenly snapped her composure. She was never one to cry
like a girl over a guy, but she felt her eyes blurring with emotion.
    “I’m sorry, Iníon. He left,” she stated
quietly as she continued down the stairs.
    Breena’s heart shattered. “What?”
    “His friends found him and took him home.”
    She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs were
heavy and her head throbbing. She didn’t remember walking into his room, but
she was here and landed on his bed without a word. Despite everything, this was
Thame’s room. It always would be.
    “He said to tell you goodbye.”
    Those little pieces of her heart
fractured. Thame was gone. He hadn’t even waited to say goodbye personally. A
tear slipped free and slid down her cheek. Why was her heart aching so? He was
just a guy, but she wanted to crumble to the floor and fade away into the
corner. Had she really come to love him? The thought brought another tear
cascading to her chin.
    “Aw, little one. He said goodbye, but
that he’d return.” Gran added.
    Breena’s head jerked up, she looked at
Gran’s frown and her eyes welled with tears, this time it was all hope. “He
said that?”
    She nodded and moved to sit beside her
only family.
     Gran’s strong but old arm wrapped around
her shoulders and she leaned into her with a shiver. If he said he would return,
she could only hope he was a man of his word. Maybe some time alone would fill the
void that seemed to have sprung inside her. When had he become so damn
important?
    ****
    Thame waded through the thick fog that
seemed to cover Ireland. Bray and Flance still held him upward as they finally
reached home. Those familiar bright domes greeted his eyes then the castle style
buildings, with giant sunflowers and the distant rumble of the waterfall. They
passed the big willow tree and his eyes shifted to the spot where his wings
were ripped from his back. He almost expected to see the blood, some form of
evidence, but it was simply an unmarred patch of grass. As if his life hadn’t
been changed forever in that one spot.
    The homecoming was bittersweet. He missed
this place like no other but part of