Prismatic

After the first five minutes, the lecture all started to blur together. The headmistress' face turned redder and redder as she paced and ranted in front of me. I should have left earlier. I should have taken note of the wind. I should not have gone so far. I put myself in danger. I put my sisters in danger, because they had to search for me before the storm had gotten so bad they retreated to the temple.

I sat in the uncomfortable, wooden chair, nodding and apologizing. I said I had found an abandoned cottage and I waited out the storm there. I told myself it wasn't even quite a lie. I had always been good at that, whether I wanted to be or not, finding the thread between truth and lie and walking along it.

Besides, it made more sense than believing the hazy, dreamy memories of a sharp-eared fae who kissed me and turned my blood to fire. I moved my tongue around my mouth and tasted him still. And, hidden inside one sleeve, I felt the lone tendril trembling against my arm. I wondered if they got cold. Or if they needed to eat.

What would a magic tendril eat? Dew drops? Wild berries?

Surely not bland porridge and bitter tea.

"Are you even listening, Tiffany?"

"Yes, headmistress."

"Then what did I just say?"

"Of course I'll take on extra chores to repay my sisters for worrying them and putting them at risk," I guessed at and recited my own punishment.

I looked up in time to see her face turn an impossibly darker shade. At least that meant I guessed right.

.

I spent the next several days scrubbing the filthiest of plates and floors. The work that involved being bent over so long I could barely stand straight at night. The tendril peeked out from my sleeve in the dark. Its glowing presence was the only thing assuring me I hadn't dreamed up Ichor. I whispered to the tendril that it could return to the others but it only twisted around my finger or zipped back into my robes. It twisted around or burrowed through the bites of food I tried to sneak it. But it seemed to be playing more than eating. I stopped offering after I got in additional trouble for the crumbs scattered around my cot.

.

The wooden carrying pole rubbed against the back of my neck, the empty pails on each end swinging back and forth. The day wasn't too warm but I could tell the way back would be miserable. I looked down my sleeve at the blue glow.

"Go on ahead to the river and play," I whispered, "I'll follow."

The tendril shot out and vanished into the greenery straight ahead. I shoved my way through the bramble to the sound of water. A tiny, familiar chorus of noises were nearly drowned out. I finally yanked the buckets and pole through the tangled branches and vines. A mess of glowing tendrils all rattled and twisted together, then apart. Then I heard my name. Ichor stood in the river, his pants rolled up to his knees and his shirt laying on the grass.

"Oh, hi," The greeting came out awkwardly.

My eyes betrayed me and roamed over his body. I had felt him in the dark, but seeing his body was different. For as inhuman as his hair and eyes and ears were, his torso was that of a powerful man. Or, more like a marble sculpture of one. Water glistened on the hard lines defining his muscles. I closed my eyes tight to regain control and opened them just as Ichor's smile somehow turned more devious.

"I take it you're not here to fish with me?"

I shook my head and walked ahead, dropping the pails down on the river edge. I sat down with an exhausted sigh and pulled off my leather slippers so I could put my feet in the cool water. Ichor's steps splashed through the water as he came to stand in front me. He leaned forward when I looked up and kissed me lightly on the forehead.

"I missed you," The words tumbled out and I bit down on my cheek too late to stop them.

"Can we pretend I didn't say that?" I begged at his smiling face.

"Definitely not."

His hands brushed my hair away from my face.

"I missed you, too."

"Why?"

"Why did you miss me?"

I shrugged and wished I hadn't said it at all. Even if it did feel true.

"Why didn't you ask the tendril to bring you to the cottage?"

"I'm in enough trouble as it is. I've been doing nonstop chores. I barely have time to sleep."

I looked at my palms, red and sore from laboring, and leaned forward to dunk them in the water. Ichor took one and looked at it with a worried expression.

"There's a salve I could make you for this."

"No, they'll find it, I won't be able to explain, and it'll make more trouble."

"Hm. How long will they spend punishing you for your inability to control a storm?"

I shrugged and winced, "Until the headmistress decides my punishment ends."

"And you're willingly going to go back to these people?"

Ichor didn't fight me when I pulled my hand out of his grip and returned it to the water.

"It's not that simple," I groaned.

I leaned forward and closed my eyes, ignoring the quiet sound of Ichor sitting down beside me and putting his feet in the water near my own. Neither of us spoke for a few moments. His easy presence made me want to sleep even more. Dreamy, half-formed memories of sleeping on his chest that night made a phantom heat spread across my body. His hair tickled at my arm. I opened one eye just enough to look down at the feeling. Ichor had leaned forward to put his lips lightly on my shoulder.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked against my skin.

I shook my head and my eyes drifted shut again.

I might've fallen asleep had it not been for the sound of my name. Called by a high, female voice through the trees. I stood instantly and wobbled as my tender feet pressed against the stones along the bottom of the river. Ichor looked in the direction of the sound and I flinched at the beastly growl that rose from his throat. The sound vibrated through me like thunder. I stumbled out of the water and quickly filled the pails. As I put the pole back across the back of my neck, Ichor's hand wrapped around my wrist.

"You don't have to leave," he said in a serious tone.

"I have nowhere else to go," the words slurred together through my exhaustion.

"You could come with me."

I looked up to him and there was no humor in his eyes that shined back all the summery colors around us. All the questions I had were too complicated for me to formulate. I shook my head and wished I hadn't when his hand released me.

"It's not that simple."

My name was called again, closer this time. I sucked in a deep breath and ran toward it. The rattling of a single tendril chased after me. I didn't dare look back at Ichor, too afraid I would take the fae up on his offer if I did.

.

However worn thin I looked a few nights later, it was apparently enough to satisfy the headmistress. I nodded along, barely hearing her, as she preached the virtues of my hard work and the lessons I had surely learned. My body was so heavy I could barely stand and so light I felt like I would float away. The impatient dancing of the tendril in my sleeve kept me focused.

The soft glow some nights tempted me with the knowledge that I could ask it to guide me back to Ichor. There was something about him I missed. Something kindred and beyond the physical pleasure of that night.

With leaden feet, I made it to my cot after being excused. I pulled the heavy, dusty curtains shut on each side of me so I could pull off my robes and sleep. A square window peppered with ancient grime let in scant moonlight that spilled over my scratchy blanket. The tendril bounced under the pile of fabric I had pulled off and I held up the layers so it could glide out. It curled up like a cat on the window sill and settled.

I was still uncertain if what it did could be called sleep. The first night in forever I wouldn't have to wake up earlier than everyone else for extra chores. A sigh puffed out of me when I hit the cot and it squeaked under my weight. Even the storms that shook every stone of the temple the next few nights could not wake me.

.

The tendril seemed oddly restless. It was a full moon. What had Ichor said about them and the full moon? I opened the window just wide enough for it and waved with my hand.

"It's okay. You can go."

It shook and made it's chorus of strange little sounds, but did not leave. I shrugged and wriggled under my blanket. The heavy rains the last few nights had left a chilled moisture in the air even as the days grew hotter. I shushed quietly at the tendril as the moon rose higher and it only seemed to get more excited. I folded a pillow over my ears.

The wooden squeak of the window frame snapped me awake in time to hear it followed by a nearby thump. I opened my eyes to a pair staring back at me and nearly screamed. A warm hand went over my mouth, strong but gentle. The smell of him filled my nostrils and I recognized Ichor. The darkness of night with a slight shine of moonlight reflected off his hair and eyes, giving him an even more devilish appearance. My scream came out as a quiet sigh against his palm and puffed back against my face.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"Want to come to a party?"

Kneeling beside my cot, he laid his head on the pillow next to mine and smiled, as if it was the most common request. It was apparent from the shifting glow outside that the tendrils had reunited and were dancing together.

"Are you crazy?"

He smiled wider and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not really dressed for it," I whispered harshly; I had to refuse but I couldn't resist the urge to play with him in return.

"I have something for you to wear. Although," he lifted the edge of the blanket and I smacked it down again, "I'm sure no one would complain if you go as you are."

I tried to glare at him but my skin flushed hot at all the memories of his touch that flooded me.

His eyes flicked over to the pile of bland fabric in a wicker laundry basket before coming back to me. I froze as he leaned forward, until he was nearly kissing me. I breathed in and felt the barest whisper of his heat on my tongue.

"It should be a crime, draping you in those ugly robes."

"It's part of our worship," I replied, automatic and unfeeling.

One of Ichor's hands slid under the blanket and cupped my breast. I gasped and pursed my lips tight to silence myself.

"But it gets so in the way of me worshiping you the way I should."

His thumb and index finger pinched my nipple and my mouth fell open. Panic gripped me for an instant at my loss of control. Ichor pressed his mouth to mine and swallowed up the sound. His other hand stroked gently across my cheek before sliding into my hair and tilting my head against him he explored my mouth with his tongue.

My hands shot forward; one gripping the fabric of his shirt and the other sinking into his hair. A moan from him reverberated against my lips. The taste of him filled me up; satisfying hungers I hadn't known I felt. Both of us froze as the creaking sound of floorboards sounded on the other side of the room. Reality crashed back down around me.

"Maybe you should go," I breathed, my lips still against his own.

"No," he kissed me lightly between each word, "You should just be quieter."

My teeth clicked as I bit at his lips in response and missed. Ichor's laugh huffed against my skin.

"Shhh," he hushed.

The cot squeaked and I feared it would fold in half as he crawled over me. I relaxed under his warmth and weight, knowing he wouldn't go further than I desired. Ichor's lips went back to mine as his arms hugged and pulled me up to his body. Frantically, I undid enough of the buttons on the front of his shirt to slide my hand inside. My breasts crushed against his chest as he pulled me up tighter against him.

The taste of him filled my mouth again. I wondered how I had lived all this time without the life his presence infused me with. We both froze again at a sound. Ichor's lips turned up in a devilish smile in the light of the moon and tendrils. I held my breath to cut off a gasp as his hands slid between us. Heat followed his touch as he stroked up the shape of my body. The hourglass dip of my waist, the curve of my hips, and outer edges of my thighs.

I pressed my lips to his neck, half to taste more of his skin, half to smother the sounds that escaped me. The purr in his throat vibrated against my lips. My legs parted easily to either side of him when his hands pleaded to reach my inner thighs. I bit my lip as I arched my hips up, his hands gripping them to guide me, and pressed my sex against his. The fire in his body was overwhelming through the fabric of his pants and the thinner fabric of my undergarment. The chorus of rattling rose outside, seeming very faraway.

I whimpered when Ichor moved, his hardness leaving me bereft. He shushed me again and continued sliding down. He disappeared under the thin blanket and I wondered sadly if he was leaving, if he had decided the risk of being caught was too great. I sucked in a breath as I felt his fingers hook around the edges of my underwear and tug them down.

His hot breath close enough that it already panted against me. Ichor's soft lips pressed against my inner thighs as he kissed along each of them. I sank deep into the padding of the cot as my flesh melted under his touch. He centered his attention, and I gasped as another kiss pressed against my sex. I clapped my hands over my mouth to quiet myself and felt the vibration of his laugh.

The very tip of Ichor's tongue slowly stroked up my slit and I whimpered against my palms. He placed his hands gently over my thighs and held them open when they nearly snapped shut against the new sensation. I dared to let one hand leave my mouth and snake down under the blanket.

My fingers found his, then trailed down his forearm. The hard, muscled strength there made me desperate to feel more of his body. I wanted to feel everything. Ichor's hands massaged my flesh more roughly, more carnally. His lips closed more securely over my clit and gently sucked. A high gasp escaped me as my head threw back against the pillow. One of the fae's hands reached up and squeezed one breast, then the other.

Pleasure possessed my flesh as he continued exploring me with his tongue and lips. My hips rocked up and down out of my control. His hands reached under to savagely dig into my buttocks and guide my movements with his own. I pushed the palm of one hand against my mouth and bit down to hide a yelp, a scream, whatever sound Ichor had coaxed from me. My muscles clenched down on nothing as the orgasm burned and rippled through my flesh and forced my toes to curl.

The wild, fiery part of that woke up in Ichor's presence considered begging him to let me feel the shudder of another orgasm with him inside me. With his strength and heat for my own inner flesh to grip and drive to the edge.

I pushed back against the desire until I was certain it couldn't speak. Ichor kissed back up my body lightly until he was face-to-face with me again. He pulled me in to cuddle me to his chest the way I had woken up against him in his home. I panted and felt the hot breath puff against his chest and back against my face. He kissed me atop my hair before standing while pulling my hand. Careful of every groaning floorboard I could remember, I stood beside him and let him help me crawl out of the window.

Outside, I shivered and folded my arms protectively around my body when I remembered I was only wearing a thin linen slip and underwear. Ichor turned back only to smile and take my hand again.

"I have something for you to wear, don't worry."

I ran along with him, strangely excited at the unknown expanse of the evening. We rushed by the tendrils that swirled together and apart, dancing in the light of the moon. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of everything and had to cover my mouth to quiet myself.

Ichor looked back at me, wearing a feline smile of his own, some of his moonlight-silver hair had stuck to his lips like molten metal. I tugged on his hand to pause him and reached up reverently to pull the strands away from his mouth. His smile turned to something softer and secretive. I raised myself up on my tiptoes to meet his lips with my own and breathed in his smell.

The cottage came into view and the joy at seeing it again stunned me. The cozy warmth of the firelight flickering the window glass and the turf roof growing with green shoots and berry-laden vines felt like something born out of a fairytale. And it was, I thought with a laugh. Like Ichor himself.

The warmth of the fireplace wrapped around me as we stepped inside. Ichor grabbed a robe from the back of the couch and bundled it around me before he ran into another room. He emerged holding a shining thing. He could have told me it was the sea trapped in crystalline form, and I would have believed him. Deep blues and greens at the low, scandalous top, fading to frothing white at the asymmetrical base. I gasped.

"Whose is it?" I asked.

He looked at me as I'd spoken in tongues, "It's yours."

"I-" I struggled to articulate how unworthy I was of the otherworldly dress, "I can't wear that."

Hurt danced across his features for an instant before he hid it.

"I mean," I quickly corrected, "It's... too beautiful for me."

"Impossible," he said with a refreshed smirk, "It was chosen specifically for you."

Ichor draped the impossibly light gown over my arm when I didn't speak.

"You can get dressed in front of the fire, if you like, since you're chilled."

He disappeared into the other room and left me alone with the dress. It sparked violently in the firelight where it was bent over my forearm. I gulped nervously and began to shuffle out of my rough linen. The dress of sea-trapped glass shards slid over my skin like silk and feathers. I could not fathom how it had been made. The touch of it even soothed the budding soreness of the places where Ichor had gripped me most savagely in the midst of our lusts.

"Oh, I forgot these."

I looked back to the hall as Ichor returned. He was dressed more simply than I'd expected. Dark slacks and shirt with a high collar that sat tight around his neck, his arms bare and muscular. Square-toed boots of black leather with a thick, silver-shod heel.

In one hand, he carried a pair of shoes. Not silver or gold, but something like clear crystal with a hint of emerald green as they turned in the light. They distorted the outline of my foot and the heel portion was so clear I knew it must have appeared as if I was walking on air.

As I slipped the second on and looked up, I met Ichor's eyes. He stared at me, his mouth slightly agape. I could think of nothing to say. I only knew I wasn't ready for whatever he would say. I ruffled my hands through my hair for something to do and left the waves wild around my face.

"We must be very late."

Ichor laughed and took my hand again. A bundle of stems and limpening yellow flowers hung from one of his pockets. We ran out the door again, none of the tendrils had followed us I realized.

We hadn't gone far when we reached a natural wall. Large stones all angled together as if each, no matter the size, bore the load of the others. Clumps of moss and tiny wildflowers grew around the base. There seemed to be no source of the stones, which looked like the end result of a landslide all smashed together in an otherwise peaceful clearing.

"This is the party?" I said in a teasing tone.

Ichor smiled and pinched at my side. I jumped away from him with a squeak. He danced away before I could tug on the silver loop hanging from the point of his ear.

"Here," he fished the plants from one pocket and offered me his other empty hand, "Help me open the way."

I tilted my head at him, confused as to how I was going to help him with anything magical. I let him take one of my hands with his and dole out half the greenery into my other open palm. Ichor tugged me gently forward and I followed his lead as he held the plants, fingers folded in, against the flat front of the stones. With an upward hit with the heel of our palms, we simultaneously slammed the plants into the stone.