Page 4 of Tempting the Fae Lord (The Gatekeeper’s Weakness)

“Has there?” He doesn’t sound the least bit surprised. “And no one’s stepped in to care for the babe?”

“She’s with the town’s schoolmistress, but that’s only temporary,” Callum stammers. “Ma’am is young and doesn’t wish to keep the child.”

“And the parents?”

“Both fae, both gone dormant.”

“I see.” The Gatekeeper is unnaturally still, sitting straight-backed and rigid on the throne.

Callum shifts from foot to foot. “Will you help?”

The Gatekeeper steeples his fingers on his lap. “I will, if allowed. I’ll go speak with her forthwith.”

Callum relaxes a fraction, shoulders sinking from where they’ve been hugging his ears.

“You may stay,” he says, “and rest as long as you like before making the return trip. Your horse will be well cared for in our stables. Dinner has been prepared. My staff will show you to the dining hall.” He rises. “If you’ll forgive my absence, I shall make my way to the abandoned babe at once.”

“Of course. Thank you, Gatekeeper.” He bows again. “Your Majesty.”

Your Majesty. Weird. None of us call him that, though I suppose it’s his title.

Eulayla beckons. “This way, lad. I’m sure you’re hungry. Let’s fill that belly of yours, yes?” Her voice lightens the somber mood.

Callum and the others follow toward the kitchen, but I stay put. The Gatekeeper’s long strides will soon take him from my sight if I don’t speak up. This is my chance.

“Sir?”

He pauses. Marissa shoots a knowing glance over her shoulder as they leave, but I ignore it. I rarely get the opportunity to be alone with him, if only for a brief exchange of words.

“Yes, Gale?”

Uh-oh. Now that I have him, what do I say?

It’s too early to ask him to take me along. He must fetch the fae babe and return before passing through the gate to swap her for a human. But maybe if I could put the idea in his mind…

“I wish to help with the baby.”

He studies my face. The weight of his full attention shoots a charged tingle down my spine. “Eulayla can take another for a few days. There is a couple in the village who’ve already asked for the next babe.”

Oh, he thinks… “Not to be her father! I meant—” I falter. “Help you. With her. That is.”

“Changeling babes are the responsibility of my bloodline, Gale. As the last of that line, the duty falls solely to me. You needn’t worry.”

“I’m not worried. I want to help.”

“I don’t need help.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t want it.”

“I don’t want it.”

“But you’ve never had help with this before. Maybe it’ll be nice. Let me come. I won’t be any trouble. And I’ll be useful. I can—”

“Gale, stop this nonsense. I should not fly you in one arm and a newborn girl in the other. If you’re so eager to visit the capital, we can consider arrangements for you to make the journey, but you’re safer here under my protection. Perhaps when you’re a bit older, we—”

“No, you misunderstand. I meant through the gate. To do the swap.”

His posture stiffens. “What?”

So much for not asking now. “Take me through the gate with you.”

He knits his brows. “Don’t be foolish, child.”

My chest hollows, and a lump forms in my throat. “Not a fool. Also, not a child,” I say, but I can’t meet his eyes. Instead, I address somewhere in the vicinity of his right elbow. Until his right elbow gets closer, and oh, those are his fingers under my chin, tipping my face up.

“No. Not a child anymore, I can see that,” he says softly.

I stare into his dark eyes.

Pools of the blackest ink stare back. “But, Gale, the other side is dangerous. You must put a stop to this line of thinking. If you’re unhappy here, I’ll set you up to succeed anywhere you desire to go on this side of the gate.

Lemossin, Tierney, Willowood. You have only to name it, and I shall make it so. You’re not a prisoner in my lands.”

I blink, tongue-tied. His eyes are so pretty this close, shadowy and fierce and wide and clever and focused solely on me.

His offer comes as a surprise. I’ve never felt like a prisoner, but I also never thought he’d let me go so easily.

It’s a bit disappointing.

It’s not that I want to leave him or to leave my home—not forever anyway. I just want to find my family.

The family he stole me from.

I jerk my chin from his fingers and regret the loss of his touch immediately.

“I must be going.” He steps back. “We can discuss this another time. Go eat with everyone else and forget about the other side. The gate is my burden and mine alone.”

His footsteps echo quietly as he leaves.

Instead of going to dinner, I race to the southern tower and leap the winding stairs three at once. Out of breath, I make it to the top and out onto a small ledge on the roof in time to see him take flight.

Massive black wings snap open from nowhere and beat a strong rhythm, lifting him skyward. It’s a majestic sight to behold, and one I’ll never tire of. Not that I see it often.

As if he knows I’m watching, he executes a midair pirouette and darts his gaze to my exact spot. I gasp. Another flap of his mighty wings and the moment is over.

He flies away from me.

I watch until he’s a tiny dark speck blending into the cloudless dark night.

Well, that could have gone better.