Heart of the Fae (The Otherworld, #1)

by Emma Hamm

These were not prostitutes looked after by a kind man. Run down, exhausted, and used, their bodies told the sad story of their

Rolling hills covered in the most vibrant grass she had ever seen stretched as far as the eye could see.

“You know very little of me, human.” His breath brushed her hair, carrying the scent of mint and citrus. “I can confidently say I find your morals, and thusly your character, to be abhorrent.” “On what are you basing these accusations?” “You have forced your servants to call you master. You hide your face and intimidate a visitor seeking help. And then, you go so far as to refuse to provide aid to those who need it. Those, sir, are the facts upon which I judge you.” “Have you no care nor discretion for your own survival? You berate a creature of superior strength!” “Superior? Sir, I find you lacking in every sense of the term.”

“If you plan to eat me, I would like not to be alive at all.” “I don’t plan on eating you. Little girls like you make terrible meals. Not enough meat on your bones. Besides, humans are always so bitter.” Sorcha lifted a hand and pointed. “That’s not human?” “No, that’s Seelie. I prefer a lighter diet while I’m watching my figure.” “You’re watching your figure?” “Isn’t every woman?”

“There is still the matter of the Tuatha dé Danann.” Bran drained the rest of the glass. “Do you think that’s an issue? They always chose you, Eamonn. You were the favored son from day one. Or did you think your brother hated you simply because he was born with darkness in his heart? Hatred is learned, Eamonn, and it festered inside Fionn for years before he stabbed you in the back.”

“I can’t feel my body,” she whispered. “It’s the strangest feeling. I never thought losing someone I loved could actually hurt my physical form.”

“And then one night, someone took her away. There was nothing I could do, and I was promised she would be happy, but I would never see her again.” He squeezed her hand to bring her attention to his story. “I thought piecing myself back together would be impossible. It certainly felt like it in the first few months. But I found a different purpose as someone other than the man who loved her. I found my freedom, respect for myself, and I realized that even without her I was still a good man. I could still do great things, and that she was just a reward for working hard.” He lifted her hands and pressed his lips into her palms. “You will find yourself again, Sorcha. And I believe it will be in healing your people with these hands.” “How am I supposed to heal them?” Her eyes were so dry she couldn’t even blink. “He was the answer to finding a cure, and now he’s gone.” “I’m certain you will find a way. You always have.”