I splurged on a rideshare to the studio the next morning instead of changing the train schedules. I hugged my guitar against me as the car swerved through London traffic, trying to regulate my heartbeat and keep my breaths deep and regular. When the car slowed outside the studio, I still hadn't succeeded. I clamped my teeth together to keep them from chattering.I could play tough in Sy's face, I was panicking. Adrenaline shook my nerves and rattled my thoughts loose. This was it. This was the chance I had come to the mortal plane to pursue. It just wasn't happening in nearly the way I'd been hoping.Inside, there was an officious but cheerful crowd of studio assistants and executives who shepherded me into the practice room, took one look at my guitar, and instead handed me a Gibson J45—a gold standard of a guitar I'd never suspected that I'd ever hold in my hands. I was standing there, still marveling, when Sy rolled in, coffee in hand, followed by his doting entourage. Sy was gr
We kept the practice room past our allotted time and only left when the studio manager came to us and told us the custodial staff wanted to go home so we better wrap up. Sy raised his eyes to me, fierce and dark and expectant. I felt the spark in my own gaze. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. "There's a good pub around the corner," said Sy."What, do you know all the London pubs?" I laughed. I didn't know when I had gone from scowling at him to laughing with him, but here it was. "More or less," he laughed right along with me. "The magic gives me a hand when I need it, of course. Or Google.""The greatest magic of all," I giggled. "But yeah, a pint sounds great."So we sat together in a booth in the pub that was reliably around the corner, as promised (either by Sy's gratuitous use of magic or his surreptitious use of Google). He ordered us strong IPAs—another favorite of mine, but I didn't ask how he knew. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the furtive barrage of phone cameras
I was practically vibrating as I strapped on my borrowed Gibson for the Stellar Lounge show two nights later. I was standing side by side with Sy in front of five dozen actors, comedians, influencers, television personalities, and other assorted famous faces, all assembled in the absurdly large living room of a celebrity late-night comedian's London home. The stir of chatter was dying away: attention was shifting toward us. It was almost time. And somehow, I wasn't afraid. Because I knew what Sy and I could do together. He was wearing his usual dark t-shirt and jeans, and I had smoothed my silver hair into a long, wide ripple around my shoulders. I wore my favorite concert costume: a diaphanous gown of light, floaty blue material that shimmered around me like a cloak made of summer sky. We were an odd match, visually. I saw famous people raising their famous eyebrows in impatient skepticism. But I didn't care. Because I had Sy beside me. And we had our magic.We'd been rehearsing—c
The ritzy hotel around the corner didn't even ask for our names when we checked in. Sy passed them an embossed black business card to the receptionist and told them to call for billing. No questions were asked. Card keys were handed over. The gleam and elegance of the hotel slipped around me like another element of the enchantment. Too perfect to be real. Untouchable. Except that he was beside me. And this was very real. Very touchable.The air in the elevator seemed to buzz between us. My mortal flesh was electric with desire. But there was one thing I needed to get out of the way."Sy," I said, turning the sound of his name over on my tongue. Names were precious things in the hands of our people. He must feel the intention I put into his name—the authenticity. And he did: I could tell by the way those fierce dark eyes turned to me, I knew he was listening in that way only fae could."What is it?" His voice was tight, half-breathless. "I haven't—" With the air singing between u
My body tensed around him, wanting past the pain of it. He eased further, and my back arched suddenly, my heartbeat racing against his as our chests pressed together. He eased backward. I exhaled as he slid out, my body settling around the after-echo of that soft new thrill. And in the next moment, he thrust with force that jarred my tailbone against the countertop. I felt my gut retract and clench, a visceral pressure as my body tightened around him and a scream of delight and surprise exploded past my lips. My scream muffled against his deep kiss, tongue quick and hungry against my teeth. His hand in my hair tightened, pulling my head back and baring my neck for more of those rough, perfect kisses. His body worked slow and deliberate against mine. I felt muscles roiling, sliding further inside me. Inch by inch. His kisses seared against my throat, against the bottom of my jaw as I threw my head back in agonized pleasure. His hips moved faster, now faster, now harder and har
I opened my eyes to pale yellow sunlight: the summer day blooming through the huge hotel windows. For a moment it was as if I were back on my rooftop, looking out over the bright blur of the city. But no. This view of the city had a lot more money to it than the one from my building. The towers blazed in bright steel and glass. The river shone blue. And I lay in a tangle of sticky sheets and skin, my body just about humming with contentment. The scent of sweat and pleasure hung heavy on the air. I felt Sy's tensely muscled chest against my back and his slow, sleeping heartbeat thrumming against my spine. I turned carefully, trying not to wake him, and fitted myself against the warm security of his body.How could I dare to be happy in this moment? This deep, shameful thing I'd done? I should be scouring my skin in scorching water, washing all traces of Unseelie away from me. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to touch and cradle Sy, to let our shared magic and the thrill of our
I half-stumbled out of the cab outside my apartment building, feeling all the fresh soreness blooming through my body. My breasts, my thighs, and most of all between my legs. But it was a sweet, clear soreness that felt precious even as my body twinged on its way up the stairs. The pain was mixed up in memories of such tremendous pleasure…Just the memory made me catch my breath. But I almost screamed when I opened the door, and Tony and Cass charged me with looks that might have been joy and might have been fury on their faces. They both hugged me, hard, blabbering into my ears to either side as I tried to protect the most bruised parts of me. "Oh jeez, thank g*d," Cass's voice rushed hot against my ear. "When you vanished from the show, we were so scared, we thought something happened—!""We've been on the phone with people all night, we didn't sleep," sputtered Tony. "But you're here and you're okay and—Hester. What happened to your face?""My face?" I reached up to touch my ow
Lord Raelen stood cold and austere, glaring down at me with silver fey-fire eyes from his almost superhuman height. The noble lines of his face were taut with rage. Among my scattered laundry and dehydrated air plants, he looked like a high fantasy actor who'd wandered onto the wrong movie set. But there was nothing phony about this, about the rich magical fury crackling like static electricity on the bedroom air. I closed the door quietly beside me, bowed my head, and curtsied low. I felt my uncle's rage stinging against my skin. I could not defend myself from that kind of power, even if I were bold enough to try. "Explain," boomed my uncle, thunder in his voice. I did not look up at him. "I cannot, uncle.""I do not have the words to tell you what folly, what utter foolishness and treachery—" He couldn't even finish his tirade, drawing in a sharp breath. The air flickered with fury. "If you cannot be trusted with a mortal body, a mortal and independent life, then we shall just