The Nymph gave a suggestively shy smile, “I assume you’d all like entrance to the base?” 

Her voice was a physical caress that sent shivers down my spine and goose bumps to my flesh. Mated couples were immune to the feelings a Nymph inspired but for everyone else, it took someone strong of will to resist. And judging by the way our little Seelie was shifting on his feet, he was having a hard time trying to keep his lust from tenting his trousers. I couldn’t fault him for it, though. The Nymph’s allure was rubbing up against us like a purring cat while pumping out enough desire to fuel a brothel. 

“Yes, Sy.” A crack in the boy’s voice caused the rest of us to smile knowingly. 

Instead of answering, Sy cupped Puck’s jaw and brought his forehead down to press a chaste kiss to his skin. The personal touch giving him the sight to see past the Nymph’s glamour and avoid the fate of wandering aimlessly through the forest for hours. Right as he sucked in a sharp breath from the touch, Sy released him to grab both Dani and Calvins hands. Lifting each one she pressed a light kiss to their knuckles, forgoing a more intimate touch in respect of their mating. 

All too soon the Nymph turned to face me, her gaze running over my body like a pair of hands, “With all the rumors and stories about you, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.” 

“And now that you’ve seen me?”

Wide eyes hid beneath brown lashes as her head bowed, “That it’s an honor to side with you, My Queen.”

“Does that mean you’re going to let me in?” I replied with a tilt of my head, uncomfortable with the blind loyalty she was giving me. It was the type of loyalty I had demanded of my old subjects and it brought an ache to my chest in remembrance of my failures. Lust combined with heartache was an almost lethal combo.

A slender hand slid from my wrist to shoulder sending waves of arousal pounding through my veins. Pressing up on her toes, Sy tipped her face up to peer at me through hooded eyes. “With your permission, My Queen.” 

While my body irritatingly responded to her allure, my thoughts were clear so I gave her my answer with an action. The sensitive skin of our lips brushed once, twice and then the Nymph pressed herself firmly against me. My pulse throbbed in time to the lust pouring off her body making my hands twitch with the need to pull her closer. But when the tip of her tongue nudged the seal of my lips, I pulled away. Maybe if I wasn’t so fucked in the head, I’d have actually enjoyed it.

“You really put your all into that kiss, Babes.” I grinned, blue eyes no doubt bright with desire. “But I’m older than I look and not so easily tempted.” 

Sy took a step back and shrugged prettily, “You wouldn’t blame a Nymph for trying would you, My Queen?” 

Catching sight of the tents littering the area in the distance, I strolled past her with a wink and fought the urge to rub at my mouth, “Never.” 

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when we arrived but this...this exceeded all of my half formed ideas. Where the view of endless trees once stood, there was now a sea of white and blue tents beside an average size lake. A scattering of Fae and other Faekind, who’d been chatting between the rows, stopped and turned to watch us. My little group strided past them confidently as I took in the sights, cautiously following them from behind. Too many Fae to fight but you’d have enough time to travel if it’s a trap. Throw up a wall of flame then travel. Quick and easy, Macha.

Guards in blue the same color of my hair bowed as I passed before going back to patrolling the perimeter. The farther into base we walked the more distracting the smell of smoking wood and seasoned vegetables became until I almost overlooked the silence. Fae creatures of all kinds poked their heads out of their tents or straightened up in their seats to watch us pass. It wasn’t long before whispers filled the silence, drowning out the sounds of our booted feet pounding the crisp grass. The tendons in my back locked up to keep me standing at the sight of so many Fae bowing in recognition of their chosen Queen. 

A multitude of emotions whipped through me the closer we got to the large tent set up in the middle. The blue texture of it seemed to shimmer in the firelight but it was the male standing just inside the opening that captured my attention. Short slate gray dreads streaked with pale green contrasted beautifully against skin that was darker than his eldest sons and highlighted his masculine features. The only hint of his true age were the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes from the sincere smile pulling at his lips. Fond memories of the past crowded my mind causing my heart to squeeze painfully.

Hold it. The fuck. Together, Macha. This could still be a trap. So, what if he was like a father to you? He could still be loyal to Mab, they all could.

“Go speak to him, Macha. It’s not a trap.” Dani murmured, giving a reassuring squeeze to my elbow. 

Casting a wary eye around the outside of the tent, I left our small group to take falsely confident steps into the tent. Easy, now. A quick swipe of a sword or a strong pull and your out. You’re fine, Macha.The inside of the tent was bathed in a yellow light coming from the lantern atop the wooden desk sitting front and center. Towards the back of the tent stood a screen that consealed what was probably a tub and across from that was a bed piled high with multi-colored furs. A whisper of fabric from behind had me spinning around with a hand on the hilt of my sword, the muscles of my shoulder clenched tight. 

Dougal turned from letting the flap of the tent close at a much more relaxed pace. He took a few steps closer before waving his hand and creating a barrier of wind around us. For a few minutes, we stood across from each other unable to speak until the silence grew suffocating. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, whether an accusation or a heart felt hello. I wasn’t sure and then I caught sight of his outfit. It wasn’t that he was in all black, I’d only ever seen him in all black. It was because the C embroidered over his heart wasn’t purple anymore, it was a shiny royal blue. My gaze shot from the C to warm slate gray eyes as I fought to keep the prickling sensation behind mine at bay. 

Water welled up along the pink rim of his eyes, spilling over when his smile grew at my expression. “It’s been so long, Fabht Siuca. Look at you, all grown up.” 

My hand fell from my sword, the stinging in my eyes intensifying the longer I stared at him.

“Are you hungry?” He choked, voice thick with emotion. “I wasn’t sure if these were still your favorite but I had Orlaith make a batch just in case.” 

Leaning to the side, he grabbed a plate off a low table hidden behind him and offered it to me. There on the pristine metal plate, sat five thick dark brown discs stacked in the shape of a pyramid. Choco Blasts. It was too much. Everything that had happened tonight was too much.

“Grimmy.” I released on a teary sigh. 

The sound of my heart breaking was almost audible and I gave up all pretense of strength. Tears glided down my cheeks as I crashed into his chest, letting myself truly feel something for the first time in centuries. Holding me tight, the coarse hairs of his goatee brushed my temple as we sunk to our knees and mourned the time we’d lost. 

—————————————————————————

Gaelic Traslation: 

ifreann- Hell 

fabht siúca- Sugar Bug 

deartháir sa dlí- Brother in Law

Was anyone really surprised to find out Macha’s bisexual??? Cause I mean, lmao. And y’all finally met Dougal!! This whole chapter was an emotional whirlwind for Macha. I feel kinda bad, not really but kinda. 

Feel free to leave a comment on something you liked or thought was interesting! 

Smooches, Verbage💋