Page 269 of Never Kiss a Fae

One of them brushed my hair with his fingers.

The other placed a kiss against my shoulder.

And I felt the cushions press into my spine as they eased me backward into the bed of pillows on the ground.

“Look inside yourself, Claire. Search for the tendril of spirit that mates us as one,” Exos instructed softly. The proximity of his voice told me he’d lain down as well. His palm went to my stomach, the heat of his skin branding me through my thin strapless dress.

Cyrus rested on my other side without touching me, giving me the space I needed to connect to his brother.

With a deep breath, I tugged on my elemental strand that bonded me to Exos. I felt his grin more than saw it and sighed as he brushed his lips against mine. “Follow the link, baby. Come play with me.”

He made it sound so simple.

Truly, it was.

I trailed the cord to our special place, the one where only our souls could dance.

Only, Cyrus’s presence lingered there, too.

A dark blue wave on the horizon, rippling powerfully and quietly.

Exos found me first, his spirit familiar with mine and reaching for my hand as if we stood beside one another. And maybe we did. Just as apparitions of ourselves.

This is the spirit plane,he explained softly.But it’s our safe place, Claire. One that our souls constructed just for us. Out there, where Cyrus waits, is the spirit realm that houses the source of power.

I saw it then, the blinding light in the distance that flickered with intensity, beckoning us to come closer. Like an addictive ray of sunshine that taunted our aura, begging for a chance to bathe our skin in hypnotic energy.

It’s dangerous, Exos continued.The allure can overwhelm an untrained fae. Particularly one not accustomed to standing so close.

Yet Cyrus appeared unfazed.

As did Exos.

But I felt the draw, the thirst to explore and indulge in a forbidden essence. To consume myself in the core and never let go.

It was intoxicating.

With each step, my desire grew. My heart began to thump almost painfully in my chest, the yearning to lose myself in the vitality of this plane almost overwhelming my ability to think.

Until Exos stepped into my path, blocking my view.Focus on me, Claire.

I blinked up at him as if awoken from a dream. The craving still persisted, a lethal draw to move around him and run toward the vibrant rays. He cupped my face, his touch grounding my instincts. I leaned into him, absorbing his strength and knowledge, trusting him to lead me through the perimeter toward Cyrus and away from the magnetic ball representing life.

This is a plane only Spirit Fae can access, and most can only move so close to the center before being drawn back to their corporeal form,Exos murmured.However, my birthright places us almost directly on the source whenever we venture into this realm of being. It’s why you must be careful never to do this alone, not until you’re better trained on how to handle the pull.

I understand,I replied. And I did. This was not a place I wanted to visit without Exos by my side. I could feel him anchoring me in both mind and spirit, his touch a final weight to keep me locked at his side.

From here, you have access to all life, Claire. Do you remember our conversation about the Dark Fae?

Not just Elemental Fae, but all types of fae. It’s why our kind is often revered and feared by other supernatural beings. Because at the end of it all, we control the vitality of fae kind.

I stumbled at his words, my lips parting.All of them?

He nodded.But most have employed protective runes to prevent Spirit Fae from interfering in their lives. Not that it’s really needed. Only the strongest bloodlines can reach across barriers to the other species of fae.

Exos paused on the path, his arm stretching toward a translucent tendril of smoke. He gave it a tug, pulling a darker aura toward us.

This leads to the Midnight Fae, the ones you call vampires. They have wards in place to identify a breach from our lands, which I could circumvent with a lot of concentration. But there’s no point in altering their lives, as they are so different from our own.