Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 21

C h apte r 21

Accidental Claimings

M argot wanted nothing more than to dissolve into Ash’s embrace, to taste what she had been longing for, but something held her back. She still needed answers.

“You can’t have me,” she repeated, “because you think Claiming me would break your oath and move your loyalty away from you r family—”

“To you,” he em phasized.

“And leave you open for those other Lords to Claim instead.”

Ash sobered, his immediate ardor doused by her clinical summary of his situation, and he lowered her arms, his strong hand still clutching both of hers between their bodies. He seemed to debate for a moment, but it wasn’t the wine in him—though that was still very much present. She could see it in his flushed cheeks and red lips.

“I don’t know if I can be Claimed, Margot,” he said, staring at her hands in his. “If it were just me, I would be willing to risk it to be with you, to protect you.” He slowly lifted her hands again, easily moving her off his lap, a display of physical strength that sent a surge of heat into Margot’s belly. “I’m strong now, and while the oath does protect me, it’s more for my father.” He looked at her, imploring as he let her down, though he didn’t release her hands, tugging both over his head and behind his neck so she held him between her arms now. “With my mother gone, my father is all alone. He has allies, but I cannot aba ndon him.”

“Where is your mother?” she asked, fingers playing with the small curls at the base of his neck, losing herself in the silky tendrils she had always longed to caress. “Do you know?”

“I think she might have gone home,” he said w istfully.

“Where is she from? Not y our home?”

“Denham Island,” he answered.

“We’ll be there next month,” she said, recalling the tour schedule. “I didn’t think a fae Queen could be from Ardon,” she mused. “Or is it fae Lady?”

“Queen,” he confirmed. “Lady is what we call someone who Claims those ben eath her.”

Margot tried to keep the terminology straight, but it was blurring in her wine-haze. She wanted to ask what they called the male fae who Claimed others but were in turn Claimed but decided it didn’t matter. Ash had told her what he hadn’t been able to. She may get more answers tonight, but the important part was the reason Ash couldn’t and wouldn’t Claim her. The hardest part was that she understood his reason, respected it. It didn’t make her heart hurt less, though. She let her mind wander, wondering what Ash’s mother was like.

“You think she’ll come see you? Does she know where you are and what you a re doing?”

“I think so?” he guessed. “But I’m not sure, and my father never told me.”

She nodded. “I get family loyalty,” she said. “I understand that. And though it took magic wine for you to tell me, I’m glad you did.”

“I couldn’t tell you,” he insisted. “The magic will not let me say the words. I can’t write it down or communicate it in any way.” His face darkened. “And I can’t be made to reveal it. The others know I am protected by powerful magic. They don’t know what kind of magic, or they would be hard at work to break it. This way, I am protected and hidden until my father call s for me.”

“When do you think he will call?” she asked, a sharp pain cutting deep inside at the idea of Ash going home one day, disappearing without a trace back to his o wn world.

He shrugged, body moving beneath her in a delicious display of hard muscles and soft skin. Margot was very aware of the heat of him touc hing her.

“Where is your home?” she asked. “Are all fae in Ardon?”

He shook his head. “No, we live in a parallel world: Lorellon. There are connection points between the two worlds, hence the fae who wander this world with the other creatu res here.”

“Other creatures?” she asked, tilting her head as she considered the possi bilities.

“Oh yes,” he said, giving her a wicked grin. “This world is mostly humans, but also shifters, vampires, demons, witches, and other unspeakable creatures I’d rather not mention.”

“Oh. Great. Like I didn’t have enough to wor ry about.”

“You’re fae, Margot. They would not dare.”

“I’m weak fae,” she grumbled. “Apparently, I’m a target for everyone.”

Ash caught her face, lifting her chin so she looked at him. “You are not weak, Margot. You are new, but you are most definitely not weak.”

“How are you so sure?” she snapped, tugging his hand from her face.

“You learned how to fly in one day. You figured out your glamour on your own.”

“So what? You said yourself that it’s not enough. That some Lord will show up and Claim me, and it won’t matter what I lea rn to do.”

“I want you to fight, Go,” he said earnestly. “I want you to have a choice.”

“And I can’t choose you,” she said wistfully. He opened his mouth, but she put her finger over his lips. She reached behind her to where the abandoned wine bottle still sat on the floor. Pulling it over, she took a long drink from the bottle, then offered it to him. He accepted, drinking straight from the bottle as she had before setting it on the desk.

“Tell me,” she said, “what do you think my odds are of avoiding a Claiming?”

“Don’t ask me that,” he said, leaning down to rest his head on her shoulder. “I want you to have a choice,” he sa id again.

“Do you love me?” she asked against his hair. “Is that t he truth?”

He looked up, eyes soulful and everything she had always wanted. “You kn ow it is.”

“I’m glad,” she said, “that you told me. Was that the wine too? You couldn’t say i t before?”

He shook his head. “I probably could have said it,” he admitted. “But why would I? It would only hurt you.”

“And this doesn’t hurt me? Telling me you love me but can’t be with me?” She leaned down, her forehead touching his. “I wonder if it was easier to just want you from a distance and not know an y better.”

“You still do not know any better, Go,” he whispered. “Surely you knew how I felt before now? The only thing you’ve learned tonight is why I couldn’t a ct on it.”

“I didn’t know,” she told him. “I wished and I hoped, but I didn’t know.” She sighed, hands sliding down his arms and back up again to rest on his shoulders, feeling the lines of his body through his shirt. “Yet you’re here,” she said. “Shouldn’t we … not be th is close?”

“Why?” he asked, his hands trailing down her sides to cup her hips. “You feel so good t o me, Go.”

“You said that Claiming didn’t have to be about sex,” she blurted, the wine giving her courage, “though for someone my age, it probably would be.”

“With Lord Rebinus, it would be,” Ash c orrected.

“Is it something that happens spontaneously? Like, could you accidentally Claim someone?”

Ash’s gaze snapped up. “No,” he said seriously. “Claiming is quite inte ntional.”

“So there’s no chance of you Claiming me if you didn’t want to?” Margot asked, needing to know how far she could p ush this.

Ash did not miss her intention, eyes flicking to her lips again as his hands tightened on her hips. “No,” he said. “I cannot accidentally C laim you.”

“Good,” she said, then leaned forward to kiss him, claiming his mouth as she had longed to do for so long.