His black silky hair fell in layered sweeps around his exquisitely handsome face. His dark amber lit eyes always seemed impenetrable and she never failed to see the light deep in their depths.
He was a Dark Prince and had darkness in him, a darkness she knew he was attempting to dislodge. A Dark Prince, but he was nothing like his wicked brothers.
Trevor and her da told her that they did not trust him. They told her he was an abomination, created outside the Wheel of Being. Jazz withheld her opinion, but was ever watchful.
Frankie knew they could not be objective. They had fought a bloody war with the Dark Princes and the monsters that inhabited the Dark Realm. Their opinions were clouded by that life experience, but Graely was not a part of that.
She looked at him now with the eyes of a woman and realized what she was thinking. Gosh he was hot, so damn hot. She knew she had something of a crush on him. She had known for some months now that Graely was taking over all her thoughts, but he always treated her like a child.
“Frankie,” he said and nodded. “What are you doing here alone?”
“Thinking about things,” she answered. She could always be herself with Graely. Her human friends, well, she had to be human with them. With her da, she had to be a daughter, with Trevor, much the same. With Jazz, she could be honest and open in all things, except about Graely. She couldn’t confide in Jazz about Graely because it would disturb her, and she might think it her duty to tell Trevor or her father. However, with Graely she could be all things—anything.
“It is time, you know it is time,” he offered quietly with that beautiful old Danu accent, something like an Irish brogue, deeper, more pronounced than her own.
“I am uncertain, Graely. This is not what I wanted,” she answered.
“Uncertain, of what? Whether you want it or not, there isn’t anything you can do about it. Besides Frankie, don’t you see how absolutely and completely mesmerizing you are…how beautiful you look?”
“I am uncertain of what I will feel when I finally give in to it. What it does is make me feel different than all other women—not beautiful, just so strange. Can’t ye see that, Graely?” she answered solemnly.
“Frankie, you will always be who you are. What I see in you is perfection. It isn’t a question of giving in to it--it is a question of accepting the wonder of what you can do because of who and what you are. This,” he motioned with his hands, “This is wondrous. It is a good thing, not something awful you have to repress. It is a gift. You are your father’s daughter. This was a beautiful inevitability.”
Frankie smiled at him and suddenly, even before she knew what she was going to do, she let go of her human Glamour and unfolded her wings.
Her wings, she thought as she opened them wide in the breeze. Beautiful and graceful as they spread out on either side of her lithe form. Not her father’s wings, no, not his white silver tipped wings—hers were black.
They were so black that they glittered with blue lights, each feather tipped with white, magnificent to behold as she allowed them to lift her high for a few moments before she soared up. She flew gracefully before she gently brought herself in for her landing and came to stand in front of Graely with a laugh.
She saw the appreciation in his eyes and for a moment, for that moment, all she wanted to do was fold him into her wings, and hold him with her arms. She settled by putting her hands flat on his hard naked abs.
“Graely…do I…well, do I look freakish?” she asked shyly.
“Frankie, you are the most beautiful lass I have ever seen.”
“That is what Jazz and Trevor say, but if my friends ever knew…”
“They are humans,” he shrugged. “It is beyond their ken.”
She saw him stiffen suddenly and then he whispered, “I must go.”
Without another word, he was gone.
She felt a sudden loss and emptiness. It was silly, but lately, each time he left her, the feeling of loss was stronger, as though…
“Frankie?” Jazz shifted in only a few feet away.
She adored Jazz, but she knew what was coming and said, “Yes?”
“You know that I picked up his scent, right?” Jazz asked quietly.
“I know,” Frankie answered softly.
“Your father would be horrified to know you are still meeting with Graely.”
“I know,” she said and sighed. “But ye can’t ask me to stop seeing him, not ye, Jazz…because ye know that it wouldn’t be right to ask me to cut him out of m’life. He is a part of it.”
Jazz plopped down on the soft turf and patted a spot beside herself, “Come on baby, sit with me.”