His Dark Fairy

Chapter 8: Mysterious Eyes

CASH POV:

I watch my best friend walking away with my baby sister. The love in their eyes as they laugh and exchange the stories from their day sends a twinge of jealousy reverberating through my body. How I long for love like that, for my true love hand selected by the Divine Goddess herself to compliment me in every way. I sigh heavily, closing my eyes for an extra long blink. The more and more I try to satisfy my loneliness by staying busy in the kingdom and running missions looking for the witch that cursed me the more I realize just how empty and alone I feel. What I would give to snuggle in for the night with the love of my life wrapped in my arms. To tell someone about my day, and to get lost in one another’s eyes if only for a few fleeting moments. Instead I am destined for loneliness. Cursed to spend my years alone, never to find my true love, my mate. I have no one to blame but myself. The memories suddenly come crashing back and I quickly push them out of my immediate thoughts. Sending them back where they belong buried away deep in my subconscious never to surface, never to be spoken about out loud. I refuse to remember the night I was cursed, at least not while I have control. Not during the daytime, not when I am forced to relive that day over and over in my dreams. 

“Sire,” my royal butler’s voice pierced the silence and echoed off the marvelous stone walls, “Will you be taking your evening tea in your bedroom or your study tonight?” 

“Hold my tea for an hour please, and then have it sent to my bedroom Kai. I think I will retire early for the evening and relax with a warm bath,” I reply. 

“As you wish, Master Cash. Is there anything else you need?” Kai replies attentively. 

“Please ensure I am not disturbed, and remind Orion to have his report on my desk waiting in the morning,” I say grateful for his patience with me and loyalty. 

“Of course Master Cash, rest easy and enjoy your soak,” Kai winks and turns to deliver the final orders for the night. 

I walk in silence through the castle as my royal guard flanks me. I make my way to my wing of the castle quickly. A soak will feel nice after a long day. I occupy the entire northern wing of the castle. It is my favorite place in the castle for many reasons, but mostly because my grandfather built this section right into the side of a mountain and I have full access to an outdoor private hot springs. It is also surrounded by forest which creates breathtaking views from the large windows and balconies. I make my way past all the guards and to my private bedroom. It’s much more than a bedroom and more like an oversized luxury apartment that spans multiple floors. The royal guards fan out to take their nightly watch positions and wait for the day guards to take over their posts. I pass through the large sitting room with a two story stone fireplace and large cathedral windows. The moonlight peeks through the window coverings ever so slightly to cast glimmers of light across the black leather furniture. While the fire crackles and pops casting shadows up the gray stone and across the mantel where a large metal dragon spans fiercely watching over the room. My master bedroom is situated on the main floor just past a grand spiral staircase leading to my personal library, a guest suite, and several other spaces. I head into my bathroom which resembles a luxurious cave. The walls are covered in expensive dark stone with bits of sapphires sprinkled generously casting a blue glow. Kai works so efficiently. I see he has already made sure I have several big white towels stacked neatly for my use, as well as a soft fur robe. He has also gone through the trouble of having someone light the large hanging candelabras, turning on the heated floors, setting a pile of moon crystals in the window to reflect the light from the moon shining in, and leaving my favorite bottle of whisky along with an empty chilled glass and a bucket of ice. I smile to myself. Kai is a good butler. His family has served mine for centuries and he always goes above and beyond his duties. I make a mental note to let the treasure master know to send him a bonus tomorrow. No one in this castle works as hard as Kai does to keep me happy. 

I turn the hand carved dragon egg shaped knobs nestled on the stone wall and watch the hot, steaming, sulphury, water pour out the dragon's mouth and pool in the huge round soaking tub in my cave of a bathroom. The water comes directly from the hot springs 150 perfect degrees Fahrenheit. I sprinkle some soothing bath salts into the water and watch as they dissolve while I wait for the entire tub to fill. It doesn't take long for the tub to fill. I turn the water off and undress. As I step carefully into the burning hot water relief and heat wash over me. I can feel my core heating up and my body recharging as the water surrounds me. I relax in one of the stone inlays covered in jets that constantly push the hot spring water in recycling it to ensure a perfectly steaming hot bath that never gets cold. As I pour myself a glass of whisky and my body relaxes I feel my thoughts creeping in. I close my eyes and sip the whisky enjoying the cool burning as it slides down my throat. I search my mind for her. The woman in my dreams. A woman I long to meet. She sends electricity pulsing through my body and as I sit there searching my mind for her I find myself longing for her to be real. Longing for her to caress my skin softly, to kiss me fiercely, but mostly longing just to find her. The whisky is serving its purpose dulling the pain, numbing my heart. I inhale the Sulphur deeply and squeeze my eyes closed harder begging her to appear. She doesn’t disappoint me and I feel a smile spreading across my lips. Her long black hair falls in waves down her bare back. She sits in the forest near a small lake with her knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped around them. As she turns her head to look back at me I know my vision is about to come to an end. This is all I ever see when I picture her, nothing more, nothing less. My heart feels empty as I take a deep breath knowing soon everything will fade away to blackness and I will open my eyes alone in my steaming hot bath. Something makes me pause for a second not opening my eyes the minute the darkness creeps in and then as suddenly as she has disappeared into the dark night I see them. Two beautiful purple eyes like amethysts carved into an almond and surrounded by large wet black lashes. They are staring back at me wet with tears and terrified. Then just as quickly as they appeared they are gone. 

CRASH 

The entire bottle of whisky teeters over and breaks sending glass and gold liquid everywhere as my arms flail trying to jump out of the tub quickly, dropping my glass, and eyes flying open. I let out a deafening roar as the royal guard comes flying in to see why glass is breaking and I am so enraged.  All I know is she is real, and I must find her, something inside is calling me to find her and I must obey.