“Because you don’t have magic,” he guessed. “When we marry and complete the bond, you should be able to feel what I feel.”
“Okay.” She exhaled loudly and took the paper from him, reading it over. “Why did your letters disappear?”
“Finn stayed until you read them, and when you were done, he used glamour to take them back.”
She blinked a few times before asking, “What is glamour?”
He tried not to grin at the cute line forming between her brows. “It’s a magic that fae possess. For normal fae, it onlyworks on humans and animals. It makes them see what the fae want them to see.” He held up the paper and used glamour to make her see a cup, then laughed when she blanched. “Royal fae’s glamour works on everyone except other royals.”
“Royals can glamour other fae, just not other royal fae,” she stated slowly, as if memorizing materials for an exam.
“Yes, and their lack of glamour is why humans can’t come into the fae kingdoms freely.”
At her confused expression, he explained, “There are animals within our forests much more dangerous than those in the Human Kingdom. Fae can hide themselves with glamour when needed. Humans cannot. Before the barrier, many humans died within our forests.”
Her eyes almost popped out of her head. “What?”
“It’s why the gods returned long after creation and created the barrier.” He knew the human rulers chose to withhold information regarding the fae, but he hadn’t expected it to be the basics.
“You know the gods?” she whispered, her skin turning white as snow.
He threw his head back with a booming laugh, something he hadn’t done in a long time. “I’m only twenty-five. The gods have not been in this world since they erected the barrier. All fae children are taught the history of our world in school.” He felt her humiliation and pulled her into his lap again. To his satisfaction, she let him. “They filter much from the humans. You had no way of knowing.”
“Why do they keep us in the dark?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Your rulers made that decision long ago. If you’d like, I will have a copy of every history book throughout the fae kingdoms made for your personal library.”
She perked up. “Personal library?”
His lips twitched at her excitement. “I had one built for you at the palace.”
The way her eyes lit up put the moon to shame, and before she could reply, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, vowing to kiss her every chance he had. “Have you made a decision about where you’d like to live, or do you need more time?”
“If I hate the Mountain Kingdom, you’ll let me move back?”
Did she think he would deny her anything? “Wewill move back. I will follow you anywhere, little mate, even to hell if that’s where you wish to go.”
19
Later that afternoon, Rennick waited outside of the library where Amelia worked while she apologized for her absence that morning and ended her employment.
The thought of taking her away from something she loved solidified his decision to build a second home in Friya so they could travel back as often as she desired. They would need a new sturdy carriage, too. He would have construction started immediately and surprise her as a late wedding gift.
His planning shuffled to the back of his mind when the library door opened and Amelia stepped out with slumped shoulders. “All done.”
“We don’t have to leave.” He ran his hands down her arms. “I meant what I said. If you want to live here, we will.”
Tears lined her eyes again, but before he could panic, she slipped her hand into his. “I promised Miss Bea we would visit.”
Rennick’s chest tightened at her willingness to sacrifice her current life to start a new one with him. “Yes, we will. Is there anyone else we need to see before I rent a cart?”
“I need to tell Clover I’m leaving and find Eddy before we go,” she said, ticking them off on her fingers.
“Is it unusual for Eddy to be gone this long?” On the days he’d watched her, the little fox was always around.
“He’s done this a few times before,” she said, tugging Rennick across the street.
He would pay every person in the kingdom to search for Eddy if needed. Leaving without him was not an option. “Did he have on a coat when you saw him last?”
