Forever Fae by L.P. Dover

a wonderful talent.  The vibrant colors are a welcom ing sight.  We don’t have flower gardens in the W inter C ourt , but our lands are just as beautiful.  It is definitely not as hot at home and I will be glad to get home away from this heat, but not glad to leave Calista.  How am I going to find a reason to see her again?
    The sprites are everywhere tonight and their flickering lights are making it a sea of colors.  I make my way to the back of the palace where the path will be and I stop to take a look at the architecture of the establishment .  The brick fortress has vines and flowers cascading down all over the outer walls, but not covering the windows. 
    Speaking of windows, I see Merrick standing at one of them.  He doesn’t see me, but I make myself invisible to make sure I’m completely hidden.  I see Calista come up behind him and put her arms around his waist.  What the hell is this?  She says something to him, but he just closes his eyes and has a pained expression on his face.  He finally speaks and I wish I knew what they were saying. 
    He unfastens her arms and turns around.  She lifts her hand to his face and he holds it there.  I really don’t think I want to see this.  She told me she didn’t care for him in that way, but what I’m seeing doesn’t appear that way. 
    He must have said something that made her mad because she trie s to turn around and walk off, but he grab s her arm and pull s her toward him.  She’s crying and he bends down to kiss her palm. He moves closer , like he’s going to kiss her, and the anger boils inside me at the thought of it .  Snow begins to fall around me with the unleashing of my power.  It’s hard to control when my anger takes over.  The air around me has turned electric and frigid because of it.
    He moves in for the kiss and he holds her tightly to him.  She tries to pull away, but he does not let her go.  That’s it, I can’t take anymore.  Merrick is going to get his ass kicked and it’s going to be by me , and th e time is now.  He is supposed to be protecting her, not her needing protecting from him. I start for the vines on the side of the house so I can climb up to her room, but a sound behind makes me freeze.
    “I would not do that, Your H ighness ,” the angelic sounding voice sa ys .  Hearing the voice, I turn visible again.
    “Who are you?” I ask.  I look around but see no one yet.
    A short, curly brown - haired woman steps out of the shadows.  She looks like a brownie, but she also looks like she might have elf blood in her , too.
    She speaks again .
    “I am Elvena, Calista’s nurse maid and the Prophetess of the Summer Court.”
    I bow my head to show my respect.  The snow stops falling around me and melts quickly on the ground. 
    “Forgive me, but Calista needs my help,” I say frantically, trying to head back to the vines.
    Elvena laughs and that gives me pause.  I turn back to scowl at her, clearly letting my anger be noticed.
    In between laughs she says, “Calista doesn’t need help, child.  She is a strong woman, and can handle herself.”  She points to Calista’s room.  “See, take a look.”
    I take a few steps back, and look into Calista’s room.  Merrick is gone and now Xylia is in there.  I wish she would have gotten there sooner.  It looks like Calista is probably telling her everything that happened. 
    I give Elvena a dark look and reply, “That may be the case, but I think Merrick needs a lesson on manners.  He shouldn’t have done what he did, and he’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”
    Elvena shrug s.
    “He is in love with her.  He always has been.  He could feel her slipping away from him when she met you.  Merrick has longed to be with Calista and he wanted to let her know before she gave her heart to another man.  Merrick is her g uardian and he is going to be very close to her for the rest of her life.  It might take him a while to move on if she decides on another man,