The Mortal in the Fairy King's Heart

Chapter 3

In the following weeks, Leon drifted in and out of my life. Our encounters became sporadic yet electrifying; he would come to my place, and we’d spend the evenings intertwined, bringing me a satisfying sense of release. I never pressed him for more than the occasional update about his band. I was fine not knowing the ins and outs of his life. It was better this way.

I found myself slipping into that in-between realm, neither fully awake nor completely asleep. I sensed him rising from the bed, the faint creak of the door barely registering as he slipped away. Strangely, even in my semi-conscious haze, my awareness sharpened; I was acutely attuned to my surroundings. It felt as if my hearing had intensified, allowing me to pick up the sound of him speaking to someone just beyond my reach.

“What do you mean you can't get it?” I overheard him whispering intensely to the person on the other end of the line. "I don’t want to hear excuses. You need to resolve this. I can’t deal with it—I’m with Clara right now. No, she’s asleep. She’s completely unaware of this situation. Yes, she is a lawyer, but no, she’s not our lawyer. Although that could be advantageous. I want to keep her out of this mess. You know how complicated this is; that’s why we have professionals to handle it for us. Just make it happen. I’ll reach out to you tomorrow.” He must have hung up the phone because I heard a long and annoyed sigh in the other room.

He never returned to bed, but I heard the door chime as he walked outside. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.I felt him settle into bed over an hour later. He drew me close to him and took a deep breath, savoring my presence. I melted into him as he held me and fell back into a deep sleep.

My sleep was invaded by the most bizarre dreams. I appeared as myself, yet everyone surrounding me was entirely different. Some were tall, others shorter. Some showcased sharp teeth while others sported rounded ones. As I walked through this dream world, they bowed before me. I eventually found myself standing before an ancient, rustic wooden door. Turning to face the crowd of people—if they could even be called that—I noticed their heads were all lowered, as if they were too frightened to meet my gaze.

The door groaned ominously as it creaked open, leaving me breathless. My throat tightened in anticipation as the door swung wide, revealing a truly magnificent figure before me. Were those wings emerging from his back? They glimmered like polished silver under the faint light, stretching out majestically as if ready to take flight. I stepped forward, drawn by a force I couldn't comprehend, my heart racing with both fear and wonder.

His eyes shimmered a vibrant, deep aqua, captivating enough to make me lose myself in their depths as he gazed straight into my soul. I found myself frozen, unable to look away, paralyzed by his intensity. Fear held me still, as I struggled to decipher the emotions behind his gaze.

He scrutinized me from head to toe, and for just a fleeting moment, it felt as if his stern gaze momentarily softened. I could almost sense an unspoken understanding lingering between us. Yet, just as quickly, his expression hardened again, leaving me uncertain of what he truly thought. He advanced towards me and raised his head to address his people. When he spoke, his voice resonated with a depth unlike anything I had ever encountered. He spoke in a language I did not understand, but something told me I wasn’t supposed to understand it.

He reached out with one of his large hands and made contact with me. At that moment, I could sense his mind intertwining with mine. It felt as though he was communicating directly to me, while the rest of the crowd remained unaware.

"You will be mine before long." His voice echoed in my mind, deep and soothing, intertwining with my own thoughts. The instant I sensed his presence, I bolted upright in bed.

As I scanned the dimly lit room, my eyes struggled to acclimate. What an odd dream. What could it possibly mean? The shadows danced ominously along the walls, whispering secrets I couldn't quite grasp now that I was awake. I felt an unsettling sense of familiarity, as if I had been there before, in another time, another life.

A sudden realization struck me: Leon had been right beside me. I turned, expecting to see him, only to find him missing. I glanced over at the adjacent bathroom, and to my surprise, the light was off. I slipped out of bed and quietly made my way along the hallway, entering the living area. It was there that I caught the unmistakable sound of him on the phone once more.

"Jeff, what do you mean they ran into issues? I can’t even catch a break for one night, and you guys are messing things up. You need to get it together, now!” His voice was tight. He took a moment, and I could tell that it was Jeff holding up his end of the phone call.

I considered keeping to myself, thinking that whatever was happening didn’t concern me. Yet, I found myself intrigued by the mystery of who Leon really was and what turmoil was unfolding on the other end of the phone. A part of me craved the answers, while another part hesitated.

“You need to get the shipment where it needs to go by noon.” He paused for a brief moment. “No, no more excuses." I was trying to spend a night with my new girl, and you keep f*****g s**t up that I know I am somehow going to have to fix. Not only that, but you want to be my right-hand man and you can’t even hold your own for one damn night. Fix it or forget to exist.” He threatened.

An exhilarating wave of adrenaline flooded through me at that last line. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, a chill sweeping over my entire body. It was a warning that I should listen to. By this point, I was deeply entangled with him; despite the danger Leon posed, there was an undeniable allure that made him all the more irresistible.

I stepped away from the door and headed to the kitchen. Taking a glass from the cabinet, I filled it with water. I heard the door open and close gently behind me. As I took a sip, I positioned my face into a cheerful smile and turned the corner to greet him. “Hey, where did you go?” I asked, feigning ignorance while curious to hear his response.

“Clara, I hope that I didn’t wake you,” he said, obviously avoiding the answer.

“No, I just had the strangest dream and woke up with a super dry mouth.” I held the glass of water up to show him.

"Ah, my side business has turned into a disaster whenever I leave it in another's hands. Tonight was his chance to step up and fulfill a customer’s order, but he’s clearly floundering. Honestly, I can't imagine the mess I’ll find when I walk in." He let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, you have your own business?" I inquired, intrigued.

He shrugged but nodded at the same time. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that," he chuckled, moving a little closer to me.

"Well, I'm sorry that he’s such a knucklehead and complicating things for you," I said, taking another sip of my water.

He leaned closer, pressing his lips against mine in a captivating kiss. One hand wove through my hair, while the other embraced my waist. Despite still clutching my glass with one hand, I felt him begin to lead us over to my kitchen table. He effortlessly lifted me and placed me on the edge of the table. I set the glass down. The earlier red flags had faded away. He gently removed the oversized shirt from my head and eased me back onto the table. Standing above me, he focused intently on my exposed body, as if he were an artist, meticulously capturing every detail, etching the image into his memory. His eyes narrowed, a mixture of admiration and desire swirling within them, igniting an unspoken tension in the air. I could feel my heart racing, caught between the thrill of vulnerability and the anticipation of what was to come.

That was the moment he knelt down between my legs, burying his face in that intimate space, savoring every inch of warmth and softness as if it were a sacred treasure that he longed to discover and adore. A shiver coursed through me, igniting a fire that spread from my core to the tips of my fingers. As his breath mingled with my skin, I surrendered to the electric connection that pulsed between us. Every touch felt like a sweet explosion, a symphony of sensations that made the world around us fade into oblivion.

As my body finally ceased its convulsions, he stood over me with an intense gaze. “I wanted to leave you with a happy memory of me,” he said, leaning down to assist me in sitting up. “By the way, you’re absolutely delicious.”