A shiver coasted over my arms, and I wasn't sure if it was from fear or excitement.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The next morning, Drostan and I had breakfast in bed. He had the meal delivered to our room. Then he filled our plates himself and brought them to bed on a tray, along with some hot tea. As I munched happily on my fairy breakfast pastry, Drostan started telling me about all the time he'd spent on Earth.
“Why were you there so often?” I finally asked.
“I was sent—” he cleared his throat. “I was sent messages from fairies we have stationed on Earth. We like to keep an eye on the humans since our realms are connected.”
“They are?”
“There are several paths between the realms.” He nodded. “Sometimes humans slip through accidentally.”
“You said that I couldn't return without the help of a fairy.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“You can't,” he confirmed. “Generally speaking, it would go poorly for you if you don't know the way. Those humans who made it through were very lucky. Anyway, I often went to check on those soldiers who guard the pathways.”
“Is that part of your job as King?” I asked in surprise.
“It can be if I so choose.” He shrugged. “Honestly, I wouldn't have returned so often if I hadn't come across you.”
“Me and my lonely life,” I huffed.
“What?” Drostan frowned.
“You told me that you chose me because I had a tedious existence,” I reminded him.
“I did?”
“You don't remember?” I blinked in surprise. “My first night here, you said that my life was as tedious as yours, and you brought me here to save both of us.”
“Yes,” he murmured. “That's partially true.”
“Partially?”
“I wasn't ready to tell you how much I had watched you before I decided to offer you a bargain,” he admitted. “I didn't choose you just because you had a tedious life.”
“No; it was that and my lack of loved ones,” I huffed.
“That does make it easier for a human to disappear.” Drostan nodded. “But again; that's not all of it. I watched you care for people; people you didn't know. You are a kind woman, Riley, and an intuitive one. I remember a particular incident when I saw you help a filthy man who had fallen in the street. Cars were zooming past him; none of them stopped to help this beggar. But you—”
“I ran out and stopped traffic,” I whispered; remembering the day well. “That was Alex. He was a homeless veteran with a bad leg; an injury from Afghanistan. He had tripped and couldn't get back to his feet, and no one seemed to care. This man had given his physical and mental health to defend America, and then America turned its back on him.”
“But you didn't,” Drostan said gently. “And even if someone had cared enough to stop for him, they wouldn't have taken him to a hospital and listened to his story as they waited with him for the physician to see him.”
“How do you know all that?” I gaped at him.
“We have this trick.” Drostan smirked and then went invisible.
“Holy shit!” I jolted up.
“I'm still here,” Drostan said as he reappeared. “It's just a bit of magic. Relax, Riley.”
“Drostan!” I growled. “People could be in this room with us, and we wouldn't know it! How can you ever feel safe?”
“I would know,” he assured me. “Every spell generates an energy field that fairies can feel. It's difficult for us to deceive each other with invisibility; mostly we use it on animals or humans.”
“Lovely.” I rolled my eyes.
