Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Anyway, among them live princes, princesses, lords and ladies, their servants, and, once upon a time, their human slaves. On the other side of Faerie is Geimhreadh Palace, ruled over by a Geimhreadh prince of the Geimhreadh Royal House. It is known as the Night Lands as they live in constant darkness.
“Between these two are the countries ruled by the Earrach and Fómhar Royal Houses, called the Dawn and Dusk Lands. The royals are powerful fae who rule over a slightly less powerful aristocracy, and even less powerful middle and peasant classes.
“When the fae first invited humans to Faerie, the royal houses began to play games with them. This led to supernaturals. A new species first came to be when a courtier of the Geimhreadh House fought over a human woman called Isis with a member of the Samhradh House. In their fight, the woman was killed, and the fae of Geimhreadh tried to heal her with his blood. This was forbidden because they discovered when they started invading our world that their blood healed humans. In our world.
“However, on Faerie, magic is less stable for humans. It changed Isis instead of healing her. She was the first vampire. She would live forever, like the fae, as long as she drank blood and no one killed her. Though someone did with a stake, centuries later.” Echo studied Elijah carefully. “Are you following this?”
“I’m tied to a hotel bed with spelled handcuffs. I’ve nothing else to do at this point but follow you. Why are the beautiful ones always so fucking crazy?”
Echo ignored his last comment. “Not spelled. They’re made of pure iron, which I’m getting to. But back to the story. Aine allowed it to stand, to let Isis live, despite the danger she posed. But the other houses were angry. Samhradh House cast a spell over Isis so a wooden stake, a weapon of nature, could kill her. And the greatest weapon they spelled against her was the earth’s sun.” Echo shuddered. “Fae can be impossibly cruel, but what they forgot was there’s something bigger out there than all of us. Nature. And nature gave Isis a little gift. She had the ability to turn other humans into vampires. But as she did, the spell they’d cast over her transferred to those she’d turned. We’re not dead like the myths would have people believe.”
“I’m aware of that,” he snapped impatiently and gave a limp tug at his handcuffs.
“Okay, moving on. When a shape-shifting fae, a rare species among the Day Lands, bit a human while wolf and accidentally transferred her gift to the human man, the werewolf was made. The Night Lands remembered what Day did to Isis, and they spelled the wolf. While vampires were controlled by the earth’s sun, they made sure the full moon would control the werewolves.
“Moreover, the fae wore jewelry as symbols of their houses. Geimhreadh House wore silver. Samhradh wore all precious metals and stones but usually fashioned to look like leaves and trees. Earrach wore gold, and Fómhar House, copper. Because Samhradh fashioned a weapon for the vampires from wood, Geimhreadh fashioned a weapon for the wolves out of silver. A werewolf can heal from almost any injury if he or she shifts. But if a wound is inflicted by silver, it’ll leave a scar at best, kill at worst. So, that’s how vamps and wolves came to be.”
“Thank you for that fascinating bedtime story, but I’d like to get the fuck out of here now and away from your extremely deranged self.”
“I’m not finished. And I’m not deranged. So … back then on Earth, humans had discovered fae blood healed them. The thought of being immortal like the fae was too big a lure, and humans started to hunt the fae. They were on the brink of a war that would decimate the humans. Apparently, Aine’s seer, a fae with psychic visions, had seen the destruction that lay ahead for both sides. Because of the mating bond.”
“Ah, the true-mate bond. I really hope this isn’t leading to ‘Elijah, we’re true mates and meant to be together and I’ll keep you tied to this bed until you agree.’”
Echo glared at him. “Would you get over yourself, you arrogant prick?”
“I’m the prick?” He yanked angrily on the irons again. “I didn’t handcuff you to a bed, you nutcase!”
Attempting to keep her cool, Echo took a deep breath. “On Faerie, a soulmate isn’t some romantic notion. They are literally destined for one other fae. Not all meet their soulmate, but when they do, the bond that connects them is something that cannot be broken. Something beyond any fae, even the queen. Once they meet and know each other, they love forever.
“The mating bond began to forge between supernaturals and fae. Vampires and fae, werewolves and fae, druids and fae … soulmates. The problem with that was there were supernaturals who still clung to their human past. Like a vampire I knew called Eirik.”