Midnight Cove

I couldn’t believe my eyes. A man too good looking to be anything other than a model was standing not more than twenty feet away from me. He was smiling a broad smile filled with perfect pearly white teeth and he was completely naked.

I didn’t know what to feel at first. I would have felt embarrassed enough to look away but turning my head was quite a task at the moment. I also recognized the fact that if I could barely turn my head then any hope at getting away from a naked man that close to me was impossible, which meant that I should by all rights be extremely terrified, but I wasn’t really. I felt excited. The electricity in the air was palpable.

I lied there as still as the dead on that cold, damp, sandy floor. My body was aching and my heart raced in my chest as I listened to the water drip from the rocky cavern walls high above me. I lied there staring into the face of this beautiful man before me. He was heavenly, ethereal, like an angel. His muscular torso and narrow waist were sinfully seductive. I felt a quiver of warmth burn between my thighs.

This stranger looked like he had just descended from Mount Olympus. Like a Greek god, with his tan golden skin, a strong square jawline, and soft full lips shaped into a pouty pink bow. His thick, dark curls hung in ringlets framing an almost boyish looking face that could be no more than seventeen. His eyes were so brown they were on the verge of black, so dark and deep I felt lost in them; they were framed by a long fringe of lashes and set beneath two thick brows that arched perfectly in their centers.

Everything about this guy was masculine and yet he had an underlying softness that made him appear young and almost androgynous. Each muscle was clearly defined. The deep lines cutting through his flesh pronounced the protrusion of every tendon, every muscle, every vein. He wasn’t aroused which was hopefully, good news. Although my body was in excruciating pain I was fairly certain the oddly naked and extremely attractive man was hiding a smile as he stared down at me.

“Who are you?” My voice was still coarse and rough from the salt water I swallowed. I tried to clear my aching throat, “Where am I?”

“Bonnie, you’re alright,” the beautiful stranger said. It wasn’t like he said it with any relief, it was like he was telling me I was alright. Who was he? How would he know if I was alright? I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to hurt me but he sure wasn’t a doctor either.

“How do you know my name? Who are you?” I didn’t have much strength but I still wanted to know who this guy was. I had the right to know what had happened to me.

“I guess you hit your head harder than I thought.” He anxiously combed his hand back through his curly hair. “It’s me, Bonnie, Phoenix. Don’t you remember?”

“Phoenix…” I said the name slowly. It sounded so familiar. Then it hit me, “Phoenix!” He was Cove’s brother.

“Yeah,” he smiled sheepishly at my recognition. His beautiful smile gleaming in the darkness, I could just barely make out the indentations of his dimples.

“What the Hell, Phoenix? What’s going on? Why are you here? And why are you naked? And where the Hell am I?” I struggled to sit up, the ache in my head violently protesting.

“Here,” he said, “Let me help you.” Phoenix came close with his arms out to assist me in my effort to sit upright.

“No,” I said, waving him off. “You stay away from me!” I would have shouted at him but I couldn’t muster up the strength so, he got off with a stern warning.

“Suit yourself,” Phoenix raised his hands in defense and backed away from me. “You are really quite stubborn.” His amused tone grated on my nerves.

“Shut up,” I retorted, too annoyed to think of anything better to say. Phoenix laughed. Whether he was laughing at my discomfort or at my pathetic response I had no idea.

“What’s so funny?” Reaching a sitting position at last, I rubbed the heel of my palm against my forehead in an attempt to dispel the pounding from my brain.

“You are, of course.” Phoenix’s arms came to rest on his protruding hip bones. He made no attempt to cover himself, it was very apparent that he had no shame.

“Would you put your clothes on? Why are you naked anyhow?” I grimaced. Just because I found Phoenix attractive didn’t give the okay for him to parade himself around me in the buff.

“Why, Bonnie? Are you finding it hard to resist me?” Phoenix’s unabashed cockiness knew no bounds. “You should be more grateful to your rescuer.”

His comment took me by surprise. I hadn’t thought about the fact that Phoenix could very well be the reason why I was sitting there breathing, rather than the reason why I was sitting there with an uncomfortable aching body. I truly had no cause to blame him for my current circumstance anyhow.

“Besides, there aren’t any clothes here. Have you looked around?” Patience wasn’t a strong point for Phoenix. I had obviously hit my head pretty hard, but he expected me to be entirely aware of my situation. He was being logical despite him also being completely unsympathetic toward me. I looked around, soaking in my surroundings.

The water dripping from the dark recesses above, formed little pools on the hard sandstone floor. I heard the faint sound of the ocean waves and surmised that we must’ve been pretty far away from the spot on the shoreline where I had fallen. It was too dark to really see much of anything. The only light given was the reflection off of the large tidal pool in the center of the room. It appeared as if we were in some sort of large sea cave.

“There, is that better?” Phoenix’s large black wings appeared as though they had been there the whole time and someone had just colored them in. He spread them wide, stretching out his full wingspan. From tip to tip, they must’ve been at least ten feet across. He looked like a true fallen angel with his perfect boyish face and his terrifying black birdlike wings. Then, wrapping his wings around the front of him, he covered his manhood with long, silky feathers.

I gasped and the sound made him stare at me quizzically before a sly smile spread across his face. He was so handsome it felt sinful to even look at him and not just from the guilt I felt over him being Cove’s brother. He attracted me, it wasn’t the same pull I felt with Cove, this was wrong. I knew it was wrong but I felt it all the same, this raw aching desire to drive Phoenix between my legs and use his glorious body for nothing but my own selfish fulfillment.

I had to cast my eyes down, the thoughts I was having weren’t anything like me. I would never do such things, I loved Cove and would never do anything to be unfaithful to him, but still, the tingling feeling in my hips made me squirm and I had to move to shift my weight.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened Phoenix,” the uncomfortable feeling drove me to break the silence, “or do I have to guess?” If for no other reason, I had to distract myself from his graceful beauty.

“I already told you,” he looked slightly annoyed with me, “I saved you. I am your guardian angel.” He beamed his perfect smile, showing off all of his pearly white teeth.

“Right,” I was annoyed by his smart-ass attitude. “If you were an angel then I don’t think you would’ve bitten me. In fact,” I continued my rotten mood adding spite to my words, “I don’t think an angel would have tried to hurt the girl his own brother had just confessed to loving.”

I was hoping the words wounded his over inflated pride, but they didn’t have the effect I had intended. Phoenix’s body straightened and he took a couple very intimidating steps closer. Without missing a step his voice came out cool and fully controlled, “You don’t know anything about which you speak little girl. Let me ask you this Bonnie, what do you know about faeries? Has my brother told you where he comes from?” The look on my face confirmed his allegations. “No, I didn’t think so. My brother hides from what he is, I cannot imagine him telling anyone, and especially not his new distraction,” he said looking at me, “anything about where he came from or why I am the only one in our family still willing to acknowledge his existence.”

My mouth dropped open. I hadn’t expected that. I was at a complete loss for words. Cove never said anything about where he came from, or his family. What could he be hiding from me? He had said he was never human and that I could never become one, that was it. Nothing more.

I knew that Cove was a Fate faery and Phoenix was a Dark faery and that all faeries belonged to a race of people know as the Fay. He also said Phoenix was his only family left, but he never said what had happened to his family, I had just assumed they passed away as mine had. He was an immortal faery though, so of course they still existed, I didn’t even know if faeries could die.

Phoenix made his point clear. I was a distraction for Cove, he had said that himself the first time we kissed. Cove was hiding from something, he had never opened up to me. The transparency in our relationship had been mostly one sided, I had told him everything about me. I made myself completely vulnerable. I opened my heart wide to let him in, and just as he had with a millennia worth of other human souls, he had crushed my bleeding heart.

“If I am so worthless, then why did you save me?” I was bitter and I wanted to lash out, but my voice lacked the confidence it has a moment ago. Phoenix may have spoken the truth but then, why did he bother to interfere? If he wanted to inflict pain on his brother then he should have just let me die, it would at the very least been an inconvenience for Cove.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I never said that you were worthless. I said you were a distraction for my dear brother to busy himself with. You are quite a distraction. I don’t fancy human girls often, in fact they are quite plain in comparison to faery folk, but you are exquisite.” He complimented me but it seemed more of a consequence of his contemplation of me.

“Um, thanks. I guess.” I wasn’t quite sure whether I should feel flattered or insulted by his comments. “I don’t know what’s exquisite about me. And I’m sure I have no idea why Cove would use me to hide from his family. He had said you were the only family he had left.”

“Really?” That took Phoenix by surprise. He didn’t strike me as someone easily taken off guard. “Well, that’s true now, I suppose. He is as much the disappointment now to our parents as our parents always were to him. Cove really can be quite arrogant about his self righteous agenda. He feels like he deserves better than where he came from, hence his obsession with you. You can’t sit there and tell me you aren’t completely aware of how absolutely stunning you are. What? Do you think all human girls look like you?”

I suddenly felt like I was drowning again, only this time I was being hit with wave after wave of information. “What are talking about? Better than where he came from, you mean being a Fate faery? And no, I don’t think I’m stunning. I’m not half bad looking but I’m not special. I’m not a model or anything. I’m short, way too curvy. I'm old fashioned looking. I don’t look beautiful in today’s world. Besides, why would you think that Cove is so shallow that the only interest he could possibly have in me is my looks? Our love, or whatever we have, is deeper than that.” That was definitely insulting, even if he was telling me I was pretty, he was still saying that I had nothing else going for me than a pretty face. Well, forget that, I was not just another empty headed blonde. I hated that stereotype. Just because I had blonde hair, big boobs, and blue eyes didn’t make me dumb.

Phoenix laughed, “Well you’re definitely entertaining.” I scowled at him and looked around picking up a rock I chucked it straight at his chest. I knew the stone couldn’t possibly inflict any damage, let alone any pain, but it was the only way I could retaliate for the affront.

“Hey! That’s the second time you hit me with a rock today. I’m getting tired of your tantrums. What are you going to do if I tire of you, Bonnie?”

His threat didn’t phase me, “I don’t care if you do tire of me. I’m tired of your cryptic conversation and I’m tiring of you. What are you going to do Phoenix? Without me to entertain and distract you, you will just have to go back to your miserable existence and entertain yourself. What then?” I smiled smugly. I knew the moment I said it that this is exactly what he wanted, someone to distract him from the monotony of life.

“Hmm, when you put it that way,” Phoenix raised the tips of his wings overhead enclosing himself in a feathery cocoon of ebony. I thought he was going to disappear or at least ignore me, until without warning his entire body engulfed in flame. I jumped in my seat a little at the sight and scooted back from the scorching heat that radiated from him. The orange and red flames died away and Phoenix was left standing there looking like a human out of biblical times.

He was clad in a black robe. Like a dark priest, his hands were clasped in prayer, his soft eyes gently shut to the heavens. Slowly, he lowered his head, letting his hands drop to his sides as he opened his eyes and looked at me lovingly, gently even. “Is this better?” His voice held no amusement, no spite or malice. He sounded kind, chasten, humble. It was so unlike what I had come to know as Phoenix.

“Yes?” I said, but it came out more like a question. I still wasn’t quite sure of what happened. I was more certain than ever that there were some deep seated differences between these two brothers. They did however, both appear to have the ability to control the elements, which meant Phoenix, like Cove was also an Elemental.

“Now, I am sure you are wondering what just happened. I know my brother doesn’t do that, not anymore.” Phoenix smiled, but it wasn’t cocky, it was as though he was filled with pity. “If you like, I’ll answer any question you may have. First, however, let me help you. You shouldn’t continue sitting on that wet floor, you might catch cold. Come, let us sit over here.” He walked over to me, tenderly gripping my elbow to help me rise and lead me to the spot where he had turned to flames only a moment ago.

There were large stones jutting out from the cavern walls, they were still very warm, an effect from Phoenix’s transformation. I sat down on one and pulled my knees into my chest grateful for the comfort and warmth.

“Here,” Phoenix said. I hadn’t noticed the soft black cloth draped over his arm until he pulled it off, draping the soft fabric around my shoulders. I tugged the sleeves over my arms, shivering at the welcomed relief from the cold, damp feeling that had settled into my bones.

“That feels wonderful,” I was admittedly grateful for his kindness. It was nothing like how he usually was. This was an entirely different side of Phoenix I had never seen before. “Why? Why are you willing to answer my questions about faeries? And why did you save me?” I didn’t want to question his change of heart too much for fear he might revert to his usual callousness, but in honesty all I could think was Why are you being so nice to me? I was wary of his fickleness though.

“Well, you’re right Bonnie. You do provide me a reprieve from my sometimes bored existence. I am immortal and if I find something that pleases me, or entertains me then I take advantage of it. For the time will pass, as it always does, and I will be left existing as I was before. I realize too, that I have been unkind to you. It is not of importance that my brother and I quarrel. It is important however, that you, a creature in possession of such intrigue and beauty are treated with all the kindness and propriety due from one in my position.” He made a bow at me then.

“May I sit with you?” Phoenix gestured to the adjacent stone. I was still captivated by his sudden ability to be well mannered, I could only nod in allowance.

“What would you like to know?” He folded his hands in his lap. He probably guessed at the numerous questions I was about to throw his way.

“Well,” I said, “my first question has to be why do you and Cove have such different wings? I know you are a Dark Faery and he’s a Fate Faery, but why? What does that have to do with your wings?” This was clearly more than one question, but they were all linked so, I hoped he didn’t mind.

Phoenix hadn’t mentioned my extra questions tacked on, he merely began to answer my questions. “Cove is a Fate Faery simply because he chose to become one. He couldn’t live in the underworld anymore. He turned his back on his purpose and on his family. He went to a faery doctor, sometimes referred to as a witch,” he paused, eyeing me to make sure I understood the connection between the words and how we humans often twisted terms over the centuries. I stayed silent waiting for him to continue. “And had his existence repurposed. He can never be anything but a faery, but he didn’t want to be a Dark faery anymore. He wanted to be something else. He feels that all Dark faeries, and our family especially, are doomed to an unhappiness for all time. When he became one of the Fates his black wings turned silken and gained the electric blue you see, but he still has the black more than any other color, because deep down he cannot hide from what he truly is.”

“So, why does he feel you and the rest of his family are worse than all the other Dark faeries?” I asked. I could understand Cove not wanting to be a Dark faery, he had said they were selfish tricksters, but to turn away from your family didn’t make sense to me.

I had only my sister growing up, family was everything to me. I was so alone as a child, I would have given anything to know my parents, to visit my grandparents like all the other kids or climb onto my mothers lap when I had fallen and scraped my knee. I had no memories of any of that. I could hardly remember my sister at times now. It seemed terrible for Cove to walk away from a love like the one he had.

“Cove didn’t tell you? Of course not.” Phoenix shook his head at the thought of his brother. “Cove was, and I am, Prince of the Dark Faeries. Our family makes up what is known as the Unseelie Court. We are the rulers of the Underworld.”

Pride and power exuded from his very being. I couldn’t be more shocked. How could Cove neglect to tell me all of this? The way that the brothers held themselves at least made more sense now; their cockiness, and self assured attitudes, their extremely well breeding reeked of royalty. Blue bloods of the black realm, that was not something I was ready for. I was having a hard enough time feeling like our relationship was real when it was just a regular faery wanting to date me. This new fact sent my head spinning.