How Does It Feel? (Infatuated Fae, #1)

by Jeneane O'Riley

“To the chamber of blood. I am tired of the human, and it’s the perfect place to paint the walls with her pretty blood.”

“Like you, Callie. Everything wants to be with you, even the wild animals. You’re like a goddamn Disney princess.”

He smiled, and the look he was giving insinuated that more than just the turkeys wanted to be with me.

I had goals and dreams, and they didn’t involve love. Love made you hurt. Love made you distracted and inevitably sad and empty when they left.

Something about the creature’s eyes seemed to speak to me in a language I wasn’t fluent in. It watched me completely flat and motionless. Those golden eyes never once wavered from mine. They weren’t just golden, they were every shade of yellow and brass ever known. The sharp eyes of liquid honey held mine, and for a blip in time, I felt a sense of familiarity, but the feeling was gone before I could pull anything further from it.

sparkle of awareness gleamed in the creature’s beautiful eyes as it tracked my body, starting at my eyes and trailing down to my feet slowly.

“Destroying angels.”

It—for he was like no man—towered over me, easily six foot five or more. He wore armor similar to the others, save for the helmet. His pale face was smudged with dark dirt that seemed misplaced against his pale, porcelain skin. His gaze seemed to shine brighter under the moon, almost producing a silvery glow. He was no man. His shoulders seemed far too expansive to ever be considered one. Even through the countless layers of black leather and armor, his body was mesomorphic. Powerfully built to destroy anything he saw fit as a predator. It, without effort, produced an overwhelmingly intimidating effect.

“Kill it. Now.”

“Brainless humans. Dressing an assassin as a lady of pleasure. Though I suppose that was part of a weak-minded plan, to distract us with a fresh human whore.”

“We opened the portal, and that landed on Prince Mendax. They were obviously more prepared than we thought they were.”

“Look at her! Did you see her reach out and touch the prince’s wings? Touched the shadows of the gods with her own damned fingers! I’ve never seen anyone so fearless of the Smoke Slayers in all my time!”

My biggest regret was never getting to feel love wholeheartedly.

I never even had a chance.

The fox lay on my legs and stomach as tears fell freely from its beautiful amber eyes onto my skin while it licked fervently at my wound.

The beautiful fox locked his glistening eyes with mine, giving my wound one last lick before gently standing up and stepping from my stomach.

“Well now, for a human, this is quite impressive,”

I was able to get a good look at him now, standing in the moonlight. He was beautiful. There was no other way to put it. Gorgeous in a hauntingly evil way with the bone structure and build of a Roman god. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline, skin as clear and smooth as porcelain. What kind of monsters looked like that? Obviously, only the worst kind.

“And here I was wondering why the humans sent such a useless weapon such as yourself. I was just returning to collect your head and send it back. ”

the darkness seemed to merge with his skin, blending us both into the darkness of the night.

The view of his side profile was like a painting of some Greek god.

“You’ve no need to play dumb human. I’m quite interested in how you’re not dead. Obviously, you’re not as foolish as I had originally thought,”

“Tell me how you survived that, and I’ll remove my grip from what remains of your damaged mortal heart.”

“Tell me, what’s it feel like knowing the humans wasted every breath you’ve ever taken by sending you to kill a man who can’t be killed?”

I was clearly having a delusional episode because I had no idea how I could be seeing a giant, muscled, evil Calvin Klein model with wings of smoke right now. Not to mention a fox that shimmered gold in the sunlight, tried to attack me before I fell into another evil world, then followed me here and saved my life. Yea, okay.

“So we play this game again, huh?”

“Everything is fine, Dirac,”

“Everything is not fine, Dirac!”

“Tell your vile boss to stop throwing me around like a dog and let me free. I’m not an assassin! I wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

“So what do you want to do with her? Kill or keep?”

“Killing her so quickly was a rash decision on my part. The humans somehow surprised me. Look at it, Dirac,”

“If the humans were so stupid to send suc...

foul and disgusting creature to kill me, surely it’d be a waste for someone not to use ...

“Of course,”

“Dead, obviously. You’ll be returned to the humans broken and used beyond anyone’s recognition. A symbol of what will happen to their entire realm once we gain access. I’m sure there are a few kitchen ogres that wouldn’t mind running you through before the forest bogs obliterate you,”

“Pet, I would never debase myself enough to touch you, a human. The royals would rather burn than sacrifice our dignity by touching you. Others may find humans a rare delicacy, but the Shadow Slayers, we would forfeit our reign over the entire realm before we desecrated our lineage with the tarnished touch of a human. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other creatures that I’m sure will ignore your species . . . if not, we will throw a bag over your head or something.”

“Dirac, take her to the tower dungeon with the rest of the rats and vermin. I’m sure the queen will be quite pleased, no one despises humans more than Mother.”

“Where are we going? Why wouldn’t the foxes go there?”

“Because you are going to the dungeon of the Unseelie court,”

“and nothing can save y...

Fuck. Somehow it was so much more unsettling and demented to have your mind be physically attracted, even a tiny bit, to the villain that was about to destroy you.

“They are the most beautiful things we have on Earth,”

I murmured, staring at their bright wings before I turned to meet his gaze.

“Shame they came from someon...

Menace flamed in his eyes briefly. A corner of his mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin as he leaned slightly ...

“I happen to know the only place I’m ugly is ...

he whis...

There is beauty to be found in the dark, just as there is horror within the light.”

“Commander, repeat that one more time. This time though, remember that as your dead father would attest, I am not the type of Fae that finds humor in incompetence,”

Unlike the other heathens, I wasn’t uncomfortable with my darkness. I reveled in it. I commanded it. Others’ lives or feelings meant nothing to me. Friends or family, it didn’t matter to me. Nothing mattered to me. I could feel nothing.