Page 55 of Monster Married
“Sadir, we’re leaving soon.” I braided his fingers with mine like he had said he liked. “I know you didn’t want that. I’m sorry. It doesn’t mean we won’t return.”
I kissed his dry lips, and the feeling of uselessness that had haunted me was back, clawing at my mind. My kind might’ve been the foundation on which the human myths of fairies had been built, but Rory, so petite and pretty, so breakable, he embodied the graceful winged creatures far better than any bagu. So far, I had done very little to guard him. Perhaps that could change once we all understood what his magic was, and what he really needed to do it without ending up like this in the process.
I dearly hoped Vergis’s father had an answer, and if not that, then a theory. I didn’t know what I would do if this kept happening whenever my sweet mate used his magic.
Chapter 18
Rory
I drifted on a pool of knowledge, none of which much interested me. The magic had hurt me all over again, same as back at the Stone, but worse. What the presence had said about some things being able to hurt me beyond my capacity to heal was a scary thought—yet another reason to stay away from magic—but this wasn’t that.
Most of all, I was annoyed. I wasn’t really able to be in the moment and follow what was going on around me like before. Not that I regretted any of what I’d done. I’d do the same thing again in a heartbeat.
The only thing—the only person—I was constantly aware of was Inkiri. I kept thinking that I had a much clearer awareness of him when everything else around me was dull and unclear. I knew how he worried for me, how he was close to me, how he barely slept and ate. I knew how this hurt him.
I wanted to tell him everything was fine. I knew I was just healing from the magic, and it sucked, but it had been worth it, so there was no need for him to worry.
At some point, I sensed that something was happening around me, something like a window being opened in a stuffy attic to let in fresh air. I started to heal faster, and I was in Inkiri’s arms. Two bonus points in the awesome column, which hadn’t been looking too great since the Koa Esher attack.
With the boost from my accelerated healing, I tried to convey to Inkiri that he didn’t need to worry. I succeeded in curling my hand against his chest; not much as messages went, but he noticed. I could tell it made him happy and strengthened his conviction that he’d made the right choice. I wondered what that choice had been and looked around on the surface of that pool of knowledge still surrounding me.
It was hard to find what I was looking for, but eventually, I found it. Inkiri’s choice had been to go back to Earth instead of staying on Aër. We were, once more, back where all that mess had started, back where the stupid magic Stone that had caused all this still stood. I wasn’t super happy about it, but I wasn’t going to complain either, not when Inkiri’s mood was finally changing for the better.
Some commotion followed. I slipped out of that situation, but I heard the voices. An argument? A heated discussion?
Whatever the case, we moved again, and this time I realized we were passing through the veils, except instead of going back to Aër, we were moving on Earth, and when we got to our destination, I knew it was Ireland.
For some reason, that was even better. I drifted into a deep, healing sleep. The knowledge, which was nice but also unnecessary, went away bit by bit, like draining a pond, only remnants of it clinging like a cold morning’s rime on blades of grass.
Finally, the world at large was back where I could truly see and feel it around me. And I could move again, although I knew I was weak and would need more rest.
I opened my eyes. It was pitch dark, and rain was falling. The air was cold, but I was wrapped in a warm, blue bagu. The sound of the rain was weird. Close. Too close. And we weren’t in a bed.
I groaned when I realized what this was.
“Did you take me camping? Are we seriously outside in a tent?” My voice was gravelly, and speaking was hard work.
Inkiri jerked up, clicking. “Sadir! Did you really just speak?”
“Tried to. Got water?” I’d have preferred hot tea with lemon and honey, but he’d taken me camping. I didn’t think there was any luxury to be had here.
It was perfectly dark in this tent, but Inkiri moved and helped me up, then placed a bottle or canteen against my lips.
The water was sweet and perfect, and I drank greedily.
“You took me camping,” I said when the rain picked up, the staccato beat against the tent increasing in volume. I saw some light through the fabric, felt the cold of nature in the tent.
Inkiri clicked, and I only just saw him nod in the faint light. “Vergis’s father had the idea. The farm is just a stone’s throw away, however. You want to go inside?”
“The farm? We’re back in Ireland, right?”
Fingers caressed my face as if I were a piece of art. Glass art. The kind that needed to be handled carefully. “How do you know this is Ireland, Sadir?”
I shrugged. “I just do. It feels like Ireland. So what farm are we talking about?”
“Donna’s farm.” Inkiri moved around in the dark. “Should we go inside?”
Inside sounded leagues better than spending another minute out here, and I opened my mouth to say so. But then Inkiri brushed a thumb along the side of my neck, and I realized that I was in a tent outside with my boyfriend—no, my husband. It occurred to me that we could go inside after just a little more quality time. I wasn’t sure if feeling horny was advisable after having been out of it, but just thinking about my mate touching me set my insides on fire. My body craved Inkiri. I craved him, craved having him all over me without him being worried.
