Page 11 of Fairy’s Forbidden Touch (Wings & Whispers #2)

The next evening found me at Moonlight Brews, mechanically going through the motions of my shift while my mind raced with the decision before me. Pix had noticed my distraction immediately but had refrained from commenting until the café emptied out near closing time.

“Alright, spill it,” she demanded, hovering at eye level. “You’ve been a zombie all night. Did something happen with His Royal Hotness?”

I sighed, setting down the mug I’d been cleaning. “You could say that. Apparently, we have some kind of magical bond, and I have until tomorrow to decide whether to officially acknowledge it or reject it.”

Pix’s wings stopped beating for a moment, causing her to drop several inches before she recovered. “He told you about the resonance bond?! Finally!”

I stared at her. “You knew?”

She had the grace to look sheepish. “Everyone knew, sweetie. It’s obvious to any fae with basic magical sensitivity. You two practically glow when you’re together.”

“And no one thought to mention this to me?!”

“Not our place,” she said with a shrug. “Bond acknowledgment is deeply personal. Even I know better than to meddle in that.”

I groaned, leaning against the counter. “Great. So I’m the only one who didn’t know I was magically connected to the crown prince of the fae.”

“If it helps, you’re taking it better than the last human who bonded with fae royalty,” she offered. “That poor woman fainted seven times during the explanation. Of course, that was back when humans still believed in witchcraft, so…” She trailed off, noticing my expression. “Not helping?”

“Not really,” I confirmed. “I have to decide by tomorrow night, Pix. Whether to formally acknowledge this bond or reject it.”

Her expression turned serious, wings slowing to a gentle hover. “What does your heart tell you?”

“That’s the thing,” I said, frustration bleeding into my voice.

“My heart and my head are saying completely different things. My heart says this is right, that Thalen and I have something real. But my head says I’m being impulsive again, making another bad decision because it feels good in the moment. ”

“Hmm.” She settled on the counter, her tiny features scrunched in thought. “Can I offer some perspective? From someone who’s been around a few centuries?”

I nodded, willing to take wisdom from any source at this point.

“Resonance bonds don’t make mistakes,” she said simply. “They form between souls that genuinely complement each other—that make each other better, stronger, more complete. The magic doesn’t create feelings that aren’t there; it simply recognizes and amplifies what already exists.”

“So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that what you feel for Thalen, and what he feels for you—that’s real. The bond merely confirms what your hearts already knew.” She smiled gently. “The question isn’t whether the bond is valid, but whether you’re brave enough to accept what it means.”

Her words settled over me, resonating with something I’d felt but been afraid to acknowledge. Whatever had drawn Thalen and me together—whether chance or magic or some combination of both—it had become something real and valuable.

“What about the practical stuff?” I asked. “Living for centuries, dividing time between realms, all the political complications?”

Pix waved a tiny hand dismissively. “Details. Important ones, sure, but secondary to the central question: Do you want to be with him? Enough to navigate the complications together?”

Before I could answer, the café door opened, admitting a rush of cool evening air—and Thalen himself. He paused in the doorway, violet eyes finding mine immediately. He looked uncharacteristically disheveled, his usually perfect appearance marred by what appeared to be… dirt?

“Jesse,” he said, his voice tight with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “We must speak. Immediately.”

Pix took one look at him and made herself scarce, zipping toward the back room with unusual speed.

“What happened?” I asked, moving around the counter. “Are you okay?”

He glanced around the empty café, then approached, keeping his voice low. “There has been an… incident. Certain elements at court have taken matters into their own hands.”

“What does that mean?” I demanded, alarm growing at his obvious distress.

“They attempted to sever our bond by force,” he said grimly. “A ritual that would have caused you significant pain had it succeeded.”

“Would have?” I repeated. “So it didn’t work?”

“No. I disrupted the ritual before completion.” His jaw tightened. “Forcefully.”

That explained the disheveled appearance. “You fought them?”

“I reminded them of my position and power,” he corrected, though the dangerous glint in his eye told a more complex story. “But they will try again. The opposition is more organized than I realized, and more desperate.”

“What does this mean for us? For the decision I need to make?”

He took my hands, his grip firmer than usual. “It means we no longer have until tomorrow night. If we are to acknowledge the bond formally, it must be done immediately—tonight—or they will continue their attempts to destroy it.”

The pressure of the decision suddenly increased tenfold. “Tonight? As in, right now?”

“Yes.” His expression softened slightly. “I am sorry, Jesse. I never intended to force such haste upon you. If you wish more time, I will stand guard personally to ensure no harm comes to you. But I cannot guarantee how long I can hold them at bay.”

My mind was racing, trying to process this new urgency. “If we do this—acknowledge the bond tonight—what exactly happens?”

“A simple ceremony in my realm,” he explained. “An exchange of vows, the mingling of our energies under the witness of the court. It would formalize our connection and place you under official royal protection.”

“And if we don’t? If I’m not ready?”

Pain flickered across his features. “Then I will respect your decision. But I must warn you—they will not stop trying to sever the connection. And each attempt will cause you increasing discomfort.”

“Discomfort like how?” I asked warily.

“Pain,” he admitted. “Possibly severe. The bond has rooted deeply within you, and extraction attempts would be… traumatic.”

Great. Magical bond or magical pain. Some choice.

I took a deep breath, trying to focus through the panic. This wasn’t how I’d imagined making this decision—rushed and under threat. But perhaps the urgency was clarifying in its own way, stripping away overthinking and leaving only the essential question.

Do I want to be with him? Enough to navigate the complications together?

I looked at Thalen—really looked at him.

Beyond the otherworldly beauty and royal bearing was someone I’d come to know intimately over these past weeks.

Someone thoughtful and curious, who approached human experiences with childlike wonder.

Someone who had shown me a whole new world, literally and figuratively.

Someone I’d fallen in love with, despite every rational argument against it.

“Okay,” I said finally. “Let’s do it. Tonight.”

Relief washed over his features, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. “You are certain? I do not wish you to feel coerced by circumstance.”

“I’m sure,” I said, surprising myself with the conviction in my voice. “This thing between us—bond or no bond—it’s real. And I want to see where it goes, magical politics and all.”

The smile that bloomed across his face was worth any amount of supernatural complication. He pulled me close, cool lips finding mine in a kiss that held equal parts passion and promise.

“There is one more thing you should know,” he said when we separated. “The ceremony will be witnessed by the court. Including my parents.”

Oh god. Meeting the in-laws and getting magically married on the same night. Talk about pressure.

“Will they… approve?” I asked nervously. “Of me?”

“They already do,” he assured me. “Your ability to touch me is proof enough of your worthiness in their eyes. And they have been observing your effect on me these past weeks.”

“Observing how?”

“I am happier,” he said simply. “More engaged, more present. They have noticed the change, and they approve of its source.”

The simple statement warmed me from within. Whatever magical bond might exist between us, that change—the happiness we’d found in each other—was real and valuable.

“Then let’s not keep them waiting,” I said, summoning courage I didn’t entirely feel. “Let me just tell Pix I’m leaving early.”

Pix, it turned out, had already anticipated this outcome. “Go,” she said when I found her in the back room. “I’ll close up. The fate of two realms is more important than wiping down tables.”

“That’s a bit dramatic,” I protested.

She fixed me with a surprisingly serious look.

“Royal bonds create bridges between worlds, Jesse. What you and Thalen are doing tonight will have ripple effects for generations. So yes, it’s exactly that dramatic.

” Her expression softened. “But it’s also just about two people who found each other against all odds. Both things can be true.”

With that unexpectedly profound observation, she shooed me back to Thalen, who was waiting by the café’s rear exit—the same stone wall that had first led me into the fae realm.

“Are you ready?” he asked, extending his hand.

I took it, feeling the coolness of his skin against mine—a sensation that had become so familiar, so necessary. “As I’ll ever be.”

He pressed his palm to the wall, murmuring those words I still couldn’t quite grasp, and the stone melted away to reveal that twisting path. This time, however, the path seemed brighter, more defined, as if responding to our shared purpose.

“The realm recognizes our intent,” Thalen explained, seeing my curious expression. “It facilitates our journey.”