Read Online The Fae Ring by C. A. Szarek - Free Book Online

some lights.”
    “How?”
    “You’ll see.” Xander kissed her forehead. Once again, he couldn’t help himself. Her small smile in response was all the encouragement he needed.
    He backed up and sucked in a breath, spreading his arms out, palms raised flat. Xander pictured one of the many storerooms in the vast palace. He’d have to be quick, and pray no one was in the room to see the magic orbs disappear when he called them forth.
    Xander felt Janet’s eyes on him even as his own remained closed. He concentrated and whispered the spellwords. It took a few tries, but when he pushed more power behind the phrase, he felt the magic move within him. Sweat trickled down his temple, but within moments, his palms were filled with two glowing globes.
    Janet gasped.
    He opened his eyes and met her gaze, smiling at the wonder in her expression. “I’m out of practice. That took longer—and more power—than it should’ve.”
    “Wh-what are they?” She reached out, before pulling her hand back.
    “They’re lights. You can touch them; they shan’t burn. If they’re not bright enough, you tell them to alight more, but the spell will burn out faster.”
    “Then wha’?”
    “Then I’d have to recharge them.”
    He called forth six more lights. Using magic exhausted Xander, but he had enough energy left to order the orbs to perch themselves along the cavern walls. They stuck, and would remain there until he removed them.
    Janet stared, not saying much; he preferred her fascination to horror over magic.
    Their bond was already deepening. Xander was starting to be able to sense her emotions. If he concentrated enough to see the golden rope of the mating bond itself, he could even see the aura it displayed. The glow was currently pastel colors, a mixture of both of their emotions. They were both tired, but calm.
    However, his mate sat on a rock, shivering in her wet clothing.
    “Lass, I shall call forth a bed; you should get out of those clothes.”
    In the newly lit cavern, he saw her cheeks go crimson. “Nay, I’ve nothing to wear.”
    Xander whipped his tunic over his head. “I can light a fire, but you can’t sit in wet fabric.”
    “But—”
    “You’ve no worries.” He strode over, squatted in front of her and started unlacing her bodice. “The sun will dry our clothes. We can lay them on the rocks.”
    Janet stared. She swallowed and Xander resisted the urge to lay a line of kisses down her neck and throat. When her corset loosened enough to bare the leine beneath, and hinted at her breasts, he tore his eyes away. It was ivory in color, and would be see-through.
    It was a temptation he couldn’t resist, despite the chemise under it.
    Xander forced himself to straighten and reached for the ties on his trews.
    She still hadn’t moved from the rock she’d made into a seat, but she did move her hands to catch her untied bodice, cover her body. Janet looked up at him, her cheeks adorably pink.
    “What is it?”
    “N-n-nothin’.” Her words belied her eyes, which were skimming his naked chest.
    Awareness prickled between them, and Xander gave into a smile.
    She was studying him, as if pleased with what she saw.
    If Janet watched him like that much longer, his body would respond. Arousal rode beneath the surface, and Xander had to bite back a groan. He cleared his throat. “Give me your skirts, your corset, and I will lay them out so you don’t have to walk.”
    “As…as you wish.”
    He paused as she said the phrase he often uttered.
    “Can…can you please turn ‘round?”
    “Aye.” He complied, imagining his mate undressing.
    Xander tried to ignore the blood pounding in his ears, thrumming through his limbs. Heat settled in his lower belly, and his cock started to harden. His wings twitched. He forced his wet leather trews off one hip, then the other, wishing he could remove the short pants he wore beneath. It would be too much for his mate. Fae had no qualms about nudity, but humans certainly