Page 2 of Kissed By the Sun

I was dwarfed by his presence. Not just his size, but his presence. It was like a physical entity battering at me.

Standing next to the Goddess felt like slipping into a pool of warm water. I knew she was there, but it was a comforting embrace, whereas his presence was more like a wildfire running rampant through a forest.

“Your Sun is coming,” she said eventually after exchanging a long, indecipherable look with the man. “Don't lose hope.”

The clang of steel began to fade, as though we were moving away from the battlefield even though I could still see it clearly happening right in front of me.

“We must leave,” the bald-headed man said, his gaze traveling over the Goddess with concern as though assessing for injury. “It is too difficult for you to stay in this world.”

She nodded.

I opened my mouth to protest. There was still so much I wanted to know, wanted to talk to her about.

“It was different when you were in the Veil, surrounded by magic itself, but entering your dreams is something that I can hardly do anymore. However, I needed you to know that I was aware of your plight.” Her form flickered for a moment, making my breath catch and as I glanced between the two deities I saw the worry on his face, even if it was only there for a moment. When she stabilized once more she said, “You have trials and tribulations ahead. And I hope you don't have to give up that which is most precious to you in order to succeed, but I beg you as the Goddess of the Moon to please help our children survive.” She reached out and clasped the Sun God’s hand, the two of them squeezing each other as their eyes tightened slightly, sadness tinging their expressions.

The sun God nodded at me slightly before the two of them disappeared and I was left watching a battle I knew nothing about. Warriors slaughtered each other by the dozens across the battlefield and I couldn’t help but feel an almost overwhelming sadness at the loss of life, and if I was honest, the loss of magic that the fae had experienced. Did they know they used to be able to fly?

My thoughts raced as the men and women doing battle in front of me began to fade like a memory being forgotten over time, and I suppose that was exactly what it was, at least in the minds of the fae of my time. It seemed like the only ones who remembered were the two deities I’d just spoken with.

Somehow I got the feeling that if I came out and said I’d met with the Goddess of the Moon in my dreams every fae that heard about it would laugh me out of court. Not exactly something that I was going for at the moment, not when I was still trying to figure out what was going on, especially what was going on between me and Thorn. Just the thought of him had my brain snapping back to reality and pulling me from this strange dream.

Chapter

Two

Senara

When I woke againit was to a pulling sensation, one that I thought might be related to my dream, but as my consciousness took hold more firmly, I realized that it was a hand wrapped firmly around my own. My eyes snapped open and I tried to yank my hand back from whoever was pulling at it only to find that it was one of the healer fae.

“Contact is probably the best way for the two of you to start healing,” he said matter-of-factly. There was no preamble or reassurance. Not exactly the best bedside manner. I definitely had the feeling that this healer wasn’t my biggest fan.

It took my brain a second to catch up. “Contact?” I murmured as my gaze drifted over where my arm had been removed from under the blankets and was now stretched out to a second bed that had been put next to my own.

The bulky form that filled it made my heart stutter in my chest.

Thorn?

Why was he here? Why was he unconscious? And why was the healer holding my hand on Thorn’s bare shoulder?

The questions started to pile up in my brain. “What’s going on?” I tried to pull my hand away, but the healer held it firmly in place, his strength no match for me in my weakened state.

“Do you not remember?” the healer asked, exasperation lacing his tone. When I just blinked at him he continued, “You told us that you and Thorn had been intimate. We suspect that created a soul bond between the two of you, and since you were separated it took its toll. Having the two of you close together, and probably in physical contact with one another, will help you both get better, if it is, in fact, a soul bond.” He seemed unsure of his own words at the end.

I stared up at him for a moment, his pale hair and purply-blue eyes made it easy to identify him as moon marked, but other than that he was completely nondescript. His beige robes were unlike any I’d seen fae wearing outside of those that were healers. It was like they wanted to make it obvious that they weren’t aligned with either court and wore a muddy brown to signify that.

“Is a soul bond bad?” My voice was croaky as though it hadn’t been used in ages, and as I thought of it, I wasn’t sure how long I’d been unconscious.

“Relations between Moon Marked and Sun Kissed are forbidden for fear of what they may create. An eclipse child is said to be the portent of great change for our kind. Some even say that it will spell doom for fae kind as we know it.” To say his tone was ominous would be an understatement.

“I see.” I had to bite back the words that wanted to spill forth about everything I had just experienced in my dream. After all, what if it really had been my imagination coming up with all kinds of random stories? Stranger things had happened, right?

“If we are correct and you and Thorn are soul bonded, then you will have to be careful not to procreate or risk the wrath of the King and Queen. And to be honest, it would be better that they didn’t know you had been intimate at all, not that my fellow healers agree with me.” The last was muttered under his breath with frustration lacing every syllable.

Great. Just great.

“Wasn’t planning on procreating anyway,” I grumbled, though more to myself than anything else. Apparently, we were both frustrated in our own way.

It was the truth, at least until I’d arrived in the fae lands. I hadn’t planned on having kids because I was terrified of passing my mark down. It was the same with being in a relationship. I’d always been too scared that I’d be reported, that they would turn on me, or, worse, that they would be executed for harboring and aiding me. The thing I hated most was people getting hurt because of me.