“A mating gift?” I whispered as I scooted my seat back and laid the case on my lap. “I didn't get you anything.”
“You gave me yourself; I want nothing more.”
“I'm going to kiss you for that,” I promised. “But first, I want to see what's in this case.”
I opened the lid and revealed a gorgeous guitar of astounding craftsmanship. The wood was golden, enhanced by the slices of amethyst that formed the fretboard and bridge. I ran my fingers adoringly over the golden tuning pegs, down the gleaming neck, and across the golden pic guard that was shaped like a wing. Amethyst and gold, just like his eyes. It was a treasure, not just an instrument.
“I've never seen a guitar like this,” I whispered and drew my nails across the strings. A rich sound rolled out from its belly. “Tae.” I looked up at him. “Thank you. I love it.”
“I love you, mate,” Tae said, his amethyst eyes glowing in a shaft of sunlight.
Yep, just like a dream.
Chapter Forty-Two
I rolled through the air, laughing, as Taeven chased me.
We had left the city to dive into the valley, where a warmer temperature ruled. It wasn't tropical by any means, but the pines and spruce were bare of snow and the gleaming streams that ran through their midst flowed free of ice. The air was crisp but not frigid, and I didn't even need to fluff my feathers.
I shrieked in joy as I leveled out, wings extended to glide for a bit. Tae settled beside me, one eye focused on me as we flew above the spiky treetops. That was the hardest thing to get used to—the split vision of a bird. Luckily, the avian brain that came with my falcon body helped me deal with it, even if that brain held a mind that had once been human. If you could even label minds in such a way. In fact, if you could, my mind would probably still be human. Mostly, at least. I may have accepted that I was fae now, but my thoughts hadn't changed; I was still me.
But those were musings for another time. It was impossible to focus on any concerns for long with the wind lifting me and my mate calling to me. Yes, mate. This body knew what that meant more than my Sidhe one did. It held knowledge of the falcon, guiding me in many ways, not the least of which were my interactions with Tae. All of my aerial acrobatics were performed at the insistence of my falcon—a way to show off for my mate. I kept making these strange sounds, a sort of chup-tuk chup-tuk noise. Every time I did, Tae cried back in a similar manner. And I had the strangest urge to kill something and drop it on his head. I resisted that one.
Tae dove suddenly, and I followed. He aimed for a clearing between the trees, through which a clear stream flowed, glinting in the sunlight. Snapping his wings out, Tae glided into a landing, and I did the same. Once on the ground, we set down the satchels we'd been carrying in our claws—and my new guitar—and shifted to Sidhe. I would have happily stayed naked with Tae, but as much as it was warmer in the valley, it wasn't warm enough to stand around in my birthday suit. I got dressed as I ogled my man. Mine. All mine. I could hardly believe it.
I was still getting my boots on when Tae pulled a blanket from his satchel and spread it on the bank of the stream. He removed packets of food and a flask as well, setting them on the blanket.
“A picnic?” I asked in surprised pleasure. “When did you pack all that?”
“I asked Halfrin to pack it for us while you were in the bathroom.” Tae grinned.
“Sneaky.” I nodded in approval and took a seat on the blanket. “Well done, babe.”
“Thank you.” He preened and settled beside me. “You know it's a primal urge for me to provide food for my mate.”
“Is that why I kept wanting to kill something and drop it on you?”
Tae laughed boisterously. “That would be why, yes. Falcons do that when they're courting—the birds, not the faeries, though, as I said, we feel the urge. We just channel it into things like picnics.”
“Much better than a dead mouse dropped on your head.”
“Indeed.” He pulled a large canister out of the satchel and handed it to me. “Hot chocolate.”
“Oh, yum!” I unscrewed the lid.
Tae set out two little mugs, took the canister from me, and poured the thick, rich liquid into the cups. They steamed in protest of the cold.
“This is perfect.” I held my mug in both hands and sipped, sighing from the warmth and the sweet flavor. “How about we fly away like you wanted to do that day?”
Tae's eyes widened.
“I'm joking.” I leaned against his shoulder and looked out at the forest. “I'm just sad to be leaving.”
“We will come back soon, sweetheart,” Tae promised as he put an arm around my shoulders.
I smiled and chuckled a little.
“What?”
