7 An Indecent Proposal (2/2)
I stepped forward and over the line of salt that protected me from her fairy powers. This was my gesture of trust as well as my way of showing her my resolve.
”All right, Aurana, I'll fight in your war, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you win it,” I said with as much conviction as I could muster.
”Well, if you're willing to do that much,” Aurana stooped down on the grass and picked up my mother's necklace. It was already around her neck when she got back up. ”I have to respond appropriately.”
She raised her hand and then pulled out the object she'd hidden somewhere behind her.
It was a sword hilt made of sturdy redwood. It had a grip that was seven inches long that ended in the carved pommel of a sharp bird's beak. The wooden cross-guard on the grip's other side was of two falcon heads at each end.
Aurana tightened her grip on the handle, and a second later, shadows sprang out of the hilt and hardened into a three-foot-long single-edged blade. Wispy black vapor leaked out of its charred edge.
This was my very first encounter with a shadowblade—and to fairy magic—so I believe my heart jumping into my throat was an appropriate response.
In hindsight, I really shouldn't have worried as Aurana obviously didn't mean to turn her weapon on me. Instead, she used it to chop off her hair. In one graceful swipe of the blade, she cut off her golden locks to chin length.
”Whoa-whoa!” both my eyebrows rose in surprise. ”What are you doing?”
The golden necklace and its locket dangling from Aurana's neck were more prominent now that her golden locks had fallen away.
”You aren't the only one who needs to show their resolve,” she answered.
As she loosened her grip on her sword hilt, the shadows that formed her blade lost their hardened form and slinked back into the sword hilt from where they came.
”Cool,” I said, appreciatively.
Aurana grabbed a few strands of her golden locks and weaved them together into a bracelet. Once she completed it, she pulled my left hand toward her and wrapped her do-it-yourself bracelet around my wrist.
”I give you a piece of me as the proof of our bond,” she said. ”Do you accept?”
”Yes,” I answered without hesitation.
She smiled that gorgeous smile of hers. Once more I felt captivated by her otherworldly beauty.
”And I accept your gift,” she placed a hand on my mother's locket, ”as proof that you have become a visere of the Trickster Pavilion.”
Immediately after she said this, both the necklace and bracelet began to glow a soft golden light that disappeared as quickly as it came.
”What is a visere?” I asked.
”It's the term we give to humans of Mudgard who frequently visit the Fayne,” she answered.
”Mudgard?” My forehead creased. ”Your name for my world is Mudgard?”
”You humans used to build your homes with mud, right?” she reminded me, playfully.
Before I could respond to her jab at ancient man, Aurana took my hand in hers, and with our fingers intertwined, she led me to the very center of the Elfwood Circle Stones. That spot where I stood when I heard Luca's voice in the wind.
She stepped in front of me. Our eyes met.
”Oh, wait,” Aurana placed the sword hilt into my free hand. ”You can have my falchion. I'm not much of a warrior… And don't call me Aurana anymore. From now on, I'm just Aura.”
”Why the name change?” I asked this while I tightened the grip on the falchion's hilt and watched the blade reform itself.
”Aurana Trickhaven cannot fight alongside you, but a regular elf maiden named Aura certainly can,” she explained.
I raised an eyebrow at her. ”You're not planning to just watch from the sidelines?”
”I meant what I said, Dean,” she pursed her lips. ”You and I are partners now.”
I sheathed the shadowblade and offered the falchion's sword hilt back to her.
”Then you'll need this,” I said.
She shook her head. ”I don't need it. I've got other tricks.”
”What kind of tricks?” I asked.
”You'll see soon enough,” she answered.
I tucked the falchion's sword hilt into my belt temporarily. I would look for something to sheath it in once things calmed down.
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As my eyes met hers once again, the female elf who was now Aura asked me if I was ready. I responded with a nod because I couldn't speak. It was a big moment and there was a lump in my throat.
”Don't read anything into this, okay?” she said right before she kissed my forehead.
This would have been the perfect rom-com moment if I wasn't suddenly lifted off my feet immediately after her lips touched my skin. It was like a great gust of wind had sprung from under me, and in the next breath, I was propelled into the sky with my wild, panicked scream dying in my throat.