Page 34 of A Dance with the Fae (Mistress of Magic #1)

Faye woke in the night and rolled over, moonlight illuminating the unfamiliar room. It was Rav’s bedroom, she remembered now. But the space next to her was empty.

Despite the late hour, she felt more clear-headed than she had for a while. She sipped some water from a glass by the bed and took in a few deep breaths, feeling them ground her.

There was music coming from downstairs. Faye picked up one of Rav’s T-shirts from the end of the bed and pulled it over her head; it was too big for her and reached just to cover her bottom, but the house was cold and she needed something.

Rav sat on the yellow sofa with his laptop, frowning at the screen. Faye recognised the David Bowie album that was playing; the vinyl sleeve for Diamond Dogs was propped up on the floor against a cabinet. Rav had put his jeans back on again and wore a sweatshirt and a blanket around his shoulders.

‘Hi,’ she said shyly.

He looked up and smiled. ‘Sorry. Did I wake you up?’

‘Don’t think so. Maybe it was the moon.’ She ran her fingers through her hair to make it less wild.

‘Ah, the moon, of course.’ He grinned, put the laptop to one side and came to her, wrapping her in his arms. ‘Aren’t you cold?’

‘No. Well. A little. I borrowed your T-shirt, I hope that’s okay.’ She wrapped her arms around herself.

‘Of course it’s okay. You look so cute in it,’ he murmured, and kissed her on the forehead.

‘You couldn’t sleep?’ She wriggled a little out of his embrace and kissed him softly.

‘Mmm. That’s nice. No. I’m kind of prone to insomnia, anyway. I’m always on edge in this house. If it’s not the weird noises, it’s the cold, and this general feeling of unease. Like I’m not welcome here.’ He held her to him again. ‘I dunno. I really felt that, earlier, before we… you know…’

Faye didn’t want to comment. How could she tell Rav that Finn Beatha had forbidden her to be with him – and that she suspected he had watched them make love? That she had openly defied him by being with Rav?

‘I really…I really want you, Faye, okay? Like I’ve never experienced with anyone else.

I have this completely obsessive, unwholesome passion for you.

I mean, it’s embarrassing, saying that. But that’s how I feel.

And I hate it, because I’m not in control of myself around you.

That’s the one thing I can depend on. I control things, because that’s how I feel safe. ’ He gave her a sideways glance.

He walked to the window to look out over the beach. ‘But you seemed to be in control, just then. I’ve never done that before, and…I guess I’m kind of surprised how much I liked it. Being directed by you. Commanded.’

‘Okay,’ she said levelly. ‘I understand. I…I like you. I’ve enjoyed it when we’ve been together. I…I haven’t done that before, either. But I loved it. You were amazing.’

Faye followed him and, shyly, wrapped her arms around his waist. ‘I want to be here. With you,’ she murmured. ‘That was a great gift, that you just gave me. It was beautiful.’

‘It really was,’ he said, staring into her eyes. ‘I just…You’re doing these things to me that I can’t get my head around. You’re kind of blowing my mind.’

‘In a good way?’

‘In a very good way.’ He smiled, and kissed her gently.

They stood as they were, with Faye hugging Rav, for a long moment.

‘Oh. You dropped something.’ Rav bent down to pick something up from the floor; it was the opal ring Finn had given her, and as soon as Faye saw it, she felt a rush of revulsion and desire.

No, no , she wanted to say, to refuse it.

Somehow, she had managed to lose it, even though she had been unable to remove it before.

No. No. No.

Yet, somehow, her body betrayed her, and she found herself offering her hand to him. She didn’t want the ring. She had never wanted it. She and Rav had created a moment between them, a realness; they had connected, heart to heart. She didn’t want to be shackled to Finn Beatha again.

‘It must have fallen off,’ she heard Rav say innocently, but Faye was unable to say what she wanted to, and watched in dismay as Rav slipped the ring on her thumb.

There was a sudden rush, and Faye felt as if she had been picked up suddenly and conveyed by powerful hands at an uncomfortable speed – where, she knew not. She had the sense of being underwater again, and helpless. She screamed, but it made no sound.