“What?” That made no sense whatsoever. “Why?”
He shot her a look as though that should be self-evident. “You’ve seen my other form. The body I was born with.”
“Of course.” She frowned, still not getting it. “And?”
His jaw tightened. “Most women would not relish the prospect of bedding down with a beast.”
“You’ve clearly never met any teenage girls. Pretty sure most of them would be even more enthusiastic about snuggling you in alicorn form.”
That startled a snort out of him. “Having read a fair amount of your young adult literature, I see your point. I forgot that humans romanticize my kind. Fae do not.”
Cathy had the vertiginous sense of standing on the precipice of a deep culture gap. “You mean other fae look down on alicorns?”
“Oh, no.” The bitter twist to his lip belied his words. “The high sidhe, in particular, prize us highly. The same way they value their dogs or hawks. But I digress. The prospect of being physically close to me truly does not bother you?”
Oh, it bothered her all right. Just not in the way he seemed to think.
“I, uh, wouldn’t mind,” Cathy said, which was about the same level of understatement as describing Aodhan’s library as ‘a tree.’ “But that’s not what’s important. I meant what I said. I can only agree to this if you’re okay with it. Your body is your own. No one has the right to touch you without your full consent, no matter what.”
“Well then.” Aodhan shook his sleeve back from his wand hand, abruptly all business once more. “It seems there’s no issue then. Come here so we can get started.”
Cathy hesitated. “Are you really sure you don’t mind?”
“Herne’s hooves, woman. What do you want, a sworn affidavit signed in blood and witnessed by the Morrigan herself?” He beckoned her over with an imperious wave. “This was my idea, remember? I wouldn’t have offered at all if I wasn’t prepared to go through with it. Believe me, I never do anything except of my own free will.”
She would have argued further, but something about the way he’d spoken about dogs and hawks stopped her. His tone had been biting, but for an instant there’d been a flash of real vulnerability in those icy blue eyes. She didn’t want him to think that she too viewed him as nothing more than an animal.
“Okay. But tell me if you change your mind at any point.” She went over to him, so that they were both standing face-to-face in the center of the circle of runes and candles. “Uh, so what exactly do we have to do?”
The sun had gone down by now, leaving the room lit only by Aodhan’s scattered candles. The flickering light caught the lines of his throat and face, painting him in gold and shadow. All the exasperation and sarcasm had left his expression now, leaving nothing but utter focus.
Cathy was abruptly aware of every inch of her skin. Aodhan hadn’t uttered a word of a spell, yet the air between them crackled with energy. They might have been the only two people in the whole world.
He opened his left hand, drawing the tip of his wand across his own palm. A thin thread of light sank into his skin, turning dark, like a faded tattoo. With quick, sure strokes, he outlined a symbol. Compared to the ones he’d drawn on the floor, it wasn’t complicated. Just two circles, half overlapping.
When he spoke, his voice was low and husky. “Hold out your left hand.”
She did so, her heart thumping against her ribs. She’d expected him to draw the same symbol on her own palm, but instead he slipped his wand back into his belt.
“I’m going to say some words.” He held her eyes, his own steady and certain. “When I touch your hand, I need you to trace this symbol on mine, without lifting your finger away from my skin. I’m going to do the same on yours, though I’ll be going in the opposite direction. Try to mirror my motion as precisely as you can. The magic will work best if we’re synchronized.”
She swallowed. “Okay.”
“Once we’ve drawn the symbol three times, we’re going to clasp hands like this to seal the spell.” He held up his hand, curling his fingers in demonstration. “It might feel strange, but try not to pull away. After that, we just have to stay close to each other long enough to allow our auras to mix. Do you understand?”
Her throat had gone too dry to speak. She nodded instead, unable to look away from that intent sapphire gaze.
“Cathy.” It was the first time she’d heard him say her name. His deep voice shivered down her spine. “I need a clear verbal agreement. I will not work any magic on you without your full comprehension and consent. Is there anything you need me to clarify?”
She wracked her brain for something to ask, just to reassure him that she was taking this seriously. “Will there be any, um, physical changes? To me, I mean.”
“The magic will leave a mark on both of us, something like a tattoo, but the effect will not be permanent. Over time, it will fade, leaving you exactly as you were before.” A slight grimace crossed his face. “Which may be an issue, actually. It’s quite possible we’ll have to continue to share a bed in order to maintain your disguise. Sorry.”
Oh no. We may have to snuggle every night. What a hardship.
Cathy clamped her lips shut before a wholly inappropriate reply slipped out. It didn’t seem to have crossed Aodhan’s mind that she might find him attractive, and this whole business was already awkward enough. The least she could do was keep her raging hormones to herself.
“I understand,” she said instead. “And I consent to whatever you need to do to make this work. I’m ready.”