Page 8

Beautiful and Dangerous

N ikhail Galebringer’s heart raced in his chest as he stared at the beautiful, drenched fae clinging to his shirt.

His suit jacket was still on the couch. He’d taken it off a couple of hours ago, shortly before falling asleep amid a pile of reports about the uptick in recent rebel activity in the area.

He’d been working late into the night, as he often did. It was a bad habit, one he’d tried to break several times in the past, but it had worked in his favor tonight. He’d been downstairs and had woken the moment the frantic knocking had started.

Very few people outside of his team knew he’d moved to Lakewater a year ago, and fewer still would come to his townhouse at this late hour.

He’d opened the door to a raging storm. The sky had been cloudless when he had fallen asleep. At first, he’d wondered if the woman on his porch was a figment of his imagination. Was he still dreaming? Had he conjured her?

But then she’d spoken, and he’d realized this was real. She was real, and she was here. With him .

River Waterborn.

Even waterlogged, his best friend’s sister was gorgeous. Long locks of chestnut hair had escaped her ponytail and were plastered to her face. He’d fantasized about wrapping that hair around his fist during moments of passion, of drawing her close, and…

He had to focus. Gods above, he couldn’t be thinking about her like that right now. He shouldn’t ever be thinking about her like that.

He was supposed to be a gentleman, but fuck, ignoring the way her soaked scrubs accentuated her curves was far more difficult than it should have been.

She needs my help .

That reminder was enough to pull Nikhail from his thoughts, and he returned his attention to the way River was clutching his shirt. Desperation and pain came off her in waves, filling him with the desire to find the source of her anguish and obliterate it from existence. Who did this to her?

“What do you need, River?” he repeated his question, holding her closer.

Nikhail would do anything in his power to help her, give her anything he could. All she had to do was ask.

He knew this was wrong, that they were teetering dangerously close to the barriers that were meant to keep them apart, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now.

“It’s my magic.” Her fingers twisted in his shirt, clutching the material as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. “I can’t…”

Thunder rumbled, and trees rattled as the winds picked up. River’s voice trailed off, but Nikhail didn’t need her to continue. With those few words, he understood. She could’ve gone to anyone for help, but she’d chosen him . At least on some level, she trusted him.

His soul warmed at that realization.

Already, he could see the strain that coming here had caused River. Her face was gaunt, and her skin was unnaturally pale. The beautiful brown eyes that had haunted hundreds of his dreams were wide. She trembled in his arms.

And the storm…

Curtains of rain fell from the heavens, hiding the rest of the neighborhood from sight. Bolts of lightning streaked across the sky in increasingly close increments. Blustering winds threatened to cause serious damage.

It was a dangerous storm on several counts…

and it was hers. Nikhail had always known River was powerful, had seen it in her eyes, but he’d never seen her lose control.

He knew enough about the dangers of water fae magic to recognize that she needed to get away from the city.

There were too many people here, too many houses.

“I’ve got you, River.” He would always have her, even if they could never be together in the way his soul desired. “Can I touch you?”

She sucked in a breath, her eyes sweeping over his, before she dipped her head.

“Okay, one second.” He peeled her fingers off him, and even though it physically pained him, he stepped back inside for the briefest moment.

Sliding his feet into a pair of loafers, he grabbed his keys from the bowl in the front hallway.

Yanking the door shut behind him, he locked it and shoved the keys in his pocket.

When he turned back around, River’s skin resembled fresh snow. She swayed on her feet, and the tang of magic in the air was bitter at the back of his mouth .

Nikhail reached for her, sliding one arm around her back and the other beneath her legs, and scooped her up like a bride. His chest heated, and the part of him that had come alive the day he first met River rejoiced in her nearness. He ignored both of those reactions, focusing on the present.

The woman in his arms needed him.

She tangled her hands in his shirt once more, holding him close. Her eyes slipped shut, and she whimpered. The sound hit him in the core, and he wanted to roar to the heavens.

What had happened to her? What had shredded her control?

They’d talk about it…

Later.

Once she was safe, and the storm was calm. She’d done the right thing in coming to him, because he wouldn’t allow harm to come to her. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

“Hold on, princess,” Nikhail murmured, his voice lost to the blustering winds. “I’ll help you rein it in. I promise.”

River didn’t show any sign of hearing him, and her lack of response spurred him on faster. He’d never seen her like this, but his military training had covered what to do with a fae lost to their magic.

It was a dangerous situation, one that could harm both the magic wielder and those around them. They had minutes, maybe less, to get this under control.

Holding River to his chest like the precious cargo he knew her to be, Nikhail leaped down the stairs two at a time. He was soaked by the time his feet landed on the driveway, but he didn’t care. He raced around the back of the house towards the woods edging his property.

Even though he lived in the city, this forest was part of a nature reserve that ran through the Eastern Region. It was the main reason he’d chosen this rental when he moved here. Being closer to nature helped him feel connected to his magic, and now, it was a safe place for him to take River.

She whimpered again, and the sound was louder than the roar of thunder that followed. It pierced his heart, urging him to move faster.

Blinking rapidly to clear water from his eyes, he raced towards the trees. His feet sloshed as he ran through rapidly growing puddles, and his loafers were a lost cause, but he didn’t give a shit. River needed his help, and that trumped everything else.

Reaching the safety of the trees, Nikhail slowed to a brisk walk.

The last thing he wanted to do was trip and fall while carrying precious cargo.

Raindrops slapped the canopy of leaves, the rhythmic beat urging him forward.

He walked for several minutes, bringing them deeper into the woods and leaving civilization behind.

When Nikhail could no longer see the townhouses through the trees, he stopped.

“Look at me, River,” he ordered.

She hitched a breath, and her fingers twisted in his shirt. The fabric strained against him. For all he cared, she could rip it to shreds.

Her eyes went from glassy to focused as she struggled to obey his command. When she finally looked at him, the panic and pain twisted in her gaze had him sucking in a sharp breath as though she’d punched him in the gut.

His heart twisted, and he renewed his vow to help her even if it was the last thing he ever did.

“Good girl,” he murmured, the praise slipping from his mouth unbidden. “I need you to breathe with me, okay? Put your hand flat on my chest.”

Fae lost to the throes of their power needed to be grounded. Anchored to reality so they could find their way out of a magic-induced haze. This was one of the first things every fae military recruit was taught, although he’d never had to use the training before today.

It felt like it took an eternity for River to place her palm over his heart. Gods, her hand was so much smaller than his.

“Good job,” he said softly. “In and out, River. Match your breathing to mine.” He inhaled in an exaggerated motion, making sure she saw the rise and fall of his chest. “Nod if you understand what I’m asking of you.”

She slowly dipped her chin, and he exhaled. She wasn’t too far gone, yet.

Murmuring words of encouragement, he extended the hand that was beneath her legs. Drawing from his well of magic, he focused on the violent storm around them. He couldn’t do much about the pouring rain, but the wind…

It spoke to him in the same way he assumed water spoke to the gorgeous woman in his arms. It whispered to him, sharing secrets that very few ever had the chance to hear.

Nikhail’s connection to the wind was stronger than anyone else in his family, and the ease with which he spoke to it was the reason he was so good at his job.

Focusing on the relentless, turbulent winds, Nikhail released his magic.

Calm down, he whispered. His magic swirled around them, mingling with River’s in a way that had his soul singing. Be still .

At first, the wind resisted. It pushed back against him, trying to fight his commands.

He didn’t give up.

Listen to me , he ordered, infusing power into his words. Stop fighting me.

He kept his arms wrapped around River as he pushed more magic out of himself.

Slowly, the winds obeyed. It wasn’t easy, and the storm fought him every step of the way. If he hadn’t already known the tempest was of magical origin, this would’ve confirmed it for him.

Most air fae would’ve struggled to combat such a powerful storm and would have been unable to calm the swirling winds. They would’ve given up or called for backup.

Not Nikhail. There was a reason his family called him the Whisperer. The moniker was teasing, yet serious in a way that only family could achieve. He was one of the most powerful air fae who had ever called the Republic of Balance their home.

He kept working, continuously whispering to the wind, until the gusts were reduced to a gentle breeze. He didn’t stop there, though. Pulling up more magic, he kept going until there was no wind at all.

Only then did Nikhail lower his hand, cupping the back of River’s legs once again.

His gaze slid to her face, and her brown eyes were wide as they studied him intently.

Her hand was still over his heart, and he hugged her closer.

He couldn’t help it. The need to keep her near him forever was nearly overwhelming.

She seemed calmer than before. Less frantic and frightened, more like herself. Even so, rain was still pouring from the clouds. The ground was absorbing most of it, but the city drains couldn’t take much more.

“Can you call back the storm?” he asked .

River’s lips parted, and she drew in a shaky breath. “I… I think so? I need to be standing, though.”

She wiggled in his arms. Even though putting her down felt wrong—his heart screamed that she was his and he should never let her go—he set her on her feet. He kept his hands by her hips, ready to catch her if she stumbled.

River glanced over her shoulder, as if confirming he was still there.

“You’ve got this,” he assured her, smiling softly. “I’m right here.”

He wouldn’t leave her alone, especially in the midst of a storm.

The corner of River’s lips twitched up. It couldn’t be called a smile, but it was better than the panicked, pained expression she’d worn earlier.

Pushing back her shoulders, she raised her hands, palms facing up. The tang of magic in the air grew stronger. The effect was almost instantaneous as the torrential downpour slowed.

When Nikhail was certain River wouldn’t fall over as she called the magic back into herself, he slowly walked around her. Her eyes were shut, and her pink lips were parted in concentration. Her head was tilted towards the sky, her dewy skin glistening beneath the moonlight.

He had never seen a more magnificent sight. If he whispered to the wind, she sang to the water.

Power was in every minuscule movement of her hands, every pulse of her magic, every moment that passed as the storm settled.

It was on her face, her stern yet serene expression as she concentrated on calming her magic. It radiated from her, a siren’s call beckoning him forward .

River’s power was beautiful and dangerous, stunning and deadly. It entranced him.

His fingers twitched with the nearly overwhelming urge to let his magic out to dance with hers. Power strained in his veins, wanting to be intertwined with her storm.

Air and water. Two parts of a storm. Equally powerful and deadly.

He’d never reacted to anyone else’s magic like this.

Before Nikhail could do something incredibly stupid, like close the distance between himself and his best friend’s sister, gather her in his arms, and swear to never let her go, the rain stopped.

River’s hands fell to her sides, and her eyes fluttered open. She swayed; her face alarmingly pale. The effects of using so much magic could be draining, even for the most powerful fae.

Brown eyes met his. “Did I do it? Did I stop it in time?”

He took a step towards her, extending his hands between them. “Yes, princess. You did well.”

“Good.” A true smile spread across her lips as she repeated the word, murmuring it to herself.

Her eyes closed, and then she fainted.