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year between school, a job to support herself and Tina, and trying to keep
her rather rebellious sister in line while Tina finished high school. Tina
took off the next year for Oregon, where she went to college and managed
to graduate in three years with an accounting degree.
Sheridan had gotten on with her life as best she could. With the
money left in trust by both her parents life insurance policies, plus the
sale of the Victorian in Queen Ann, she set up a trust for Tina and used the
rest to pay for nursing school. After she graduated, she had just enough
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money left over, once she secured her job at the hospital, to buy this little
cabin in the woods and legally change her name, thinking she was making
a fresh start.
Ha. Nothing had changed the fact that Clayton and Gerald Brown
lived in her head.
Sheridan finished her cold apple juice, grabbed a broom, and
cleaned up the cereal. She found her knife next to the garbage can the
first one she d tried to use to defend herself and stuck it in the
dishwasher. She d need to find the nearest Home Depot and figure out
how to patch the drywall.
The throbbing in her wrist became more insistent, and she went to
the bathroom to find a bottle of ibuprofen.
Luckily, she had the next three days off, since she worked four days
on, three off. She had plenty of time to get everything done and hopefully
get to a point where it didn t hurt to move. Except the stupid cast would
be a hell of a hindrance.
She took a couple of pills then went to the kitchen for a bread bag
to wrap her cast in while she showered.
Even though, for the first time in her life, she felt free of the
nightmare, free of the pain the brothers had left her with, her heart was
leaden.
She missed Dresden and Barachus. Had wanted to wake up
cocooned in their arms the way she d fallen asleep last night. She wanted
to be with them. She loved them, trusted them, and they obviously cared
enough for her to break the rules and take their human forms in order to
save her life.
As she passed the window in her bedroom on her way to the
bathroom, she glanced out into the sun dappled forest. What would
happen if she went in search of them?
With her new lease on life, she just might have to grab her
newfound courage and find out.
* * * * *
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Barachus and Dresden were headed to find Aislan and Tina and let
them know what had happened with Sheridan when the king himself
appeared before them, hovering in the air.
They stopped and bowed. Your Majesty, they said in unison.
To your domicile, was all the king said, then disappeared in a
glittering shower of magic.
They looked at one another, then turned to return to their domicile.
Barachus heart thudded heavy behind his breastbone. The king
knew. Somehow, he knew. The king seemed to always know things. He d
known that Aislan had broken the laws, and now so had they.
He pushed open the door to their domicile to find their king pacing
in the living area. Dresden shut the door behind them, casting the room
into semi darkness. They bowed low and waited.
Stand up, the king said, his voice like a whip.
They stood tall, shoulder to shoulder, and waited to hear their
punishment.
The king shook his head and sighed.
Dresden took a step forward, bowed yet again, then said, It was
my fault we were at Sheridan s domicile last night, Sire. I refused to listen
to Barachus. I felt I needed to see to her. As it turns out, it was a lucky
thing I did. She was in grave danger and would have been murdered by a
human male if I hadn t broken your laws. I accept whatever punishment
you mete out, Sire, but please don t hold this against Barachus. He was
there trying to stop me.
The king s nearly black eyes seemed to drill into Barachus. His gut
twisted, but he would not let the intimidation he felt show. He stepped
next to Dresden and laced his fingers with his mate s. What he says is
only partially true, Your Majesty. It was his idea to seek out Sheridan last
night, but I willingly followed. If there is punishment to be met, I accept
equal responsibility for your rules being broken.
Humans cause so much trouble, the king mumbled. First Aislan,
now my guard. What s next?
She would have been murdered had we not been there, Sire,
Barachus said, repeating Dresden s statement. We couldn t let that
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happen. She is Tina s relation, and since Tina is one of us now, then so is
Sheridan.
Silence! the king shouted. I ve heard enough of this human. The
two of you will remain in your domicile until I can think of a proper
punishment. His face was red above his white beard, his anger obvious.
If I learn that you have left your domicile, you will be put in the
dungeon. Do you understand me? I will not allow my subjects to defy me.
Not my son, and certainly not the two I trust to guard my kingdom!
Yes, Your Majesty, they said together.
Tina needs to know
The king disappeared in a glittering shower of magic.
Dresden turned toward Barachus. That was unnecessary. I am the
one who broke the laws, the rules. You do not deserve punishment. His
voice was laden with remorse and pain, his eyes shadowed.
You are my mate.
You should have gone to the king last night.
Barachus sighed. You are my mate. It would take more than
seeking out the woman of your heart to make me run tattle on you.
Dresden s eyes widened a bit.
I know how you feel about her. You admit to loving her, but I
know it s deeper. Still holding Dresden s hand, he gave it a squeeze then
pulled his mate, his lover, into his arms. She is the other part of us. We
cannot have her, but I ll be damned before I let us be separated.
Dresden wrapped his arms around Barachus. What do you think
the king will do with us?
Barachus sighed and shook his head against Dresden s shoulder. I
have no idea. He s very angry.
Dresden pulled back just far enough to kiss Barachus lightly on the
lips. She is safe now, he said, as if reassuring himself. At least there is
that. She doesn t need us any longer.
Tina still needs to be told.
They glanced at the door. They d have to wait for the king s ruling.
If they broke his command now, they were sure to be locked in the
dungeon. The dark, damp place fairies went for ultimate punishment.
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Without sunlight, they lost their strength, and eventually their will to live.
We should rest, Barachus said. Neither of them had slept the
night before, opting instead to stay awake and watch over Sheridan while
she did.
Dresden nodded. Together they walked, hand in hand, to the
bedroom. Barachus wished there were some way to help his mate forget
the beautiful, courageous human. But he didn t know how to help,
because after last night, he was as deeply in love as Dresden had been for
weeks. Sheridan was a human like no other. She had a gentle heart and
the soul of a tigress. He prayed that she would find a mate of her own, one
who would help her become the woman he saw inside her eyes.
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Chapter Ten
The sun had set, and the forest grew cold and dim. Sheridan hadn t
thought about how long the lake was she needed to walk around, nor had
she thought about the fact that she had no idea where the fairy village was
located other than on the other side of the lake.
When she d finished cleaning the inside, she d decided to tackle the
planters in the front of the house. Instead, she d found herself on the old
game trail, headed around the lake and into the Olympic National Forest.
An hour later, she d reached the other side of the lake and stared
into the darkness of the forest, wondering how she d ever find a
five inch tall cottage hidden among all these trees. She wondered just how
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