“A ghost?” I was still whispering.
“No, my wee one.”
My wee one.
My wee one.
My heart squeezed.
“You’re alive,” I breathed.
“Yes,” he stated the obvious for there he was, tall, broad, strong, powerful, beautiful and best of all… breathing.
“You’re alive,” I repeated on a whisper, my nose stinging, my eyes blinking against the wet because I didn’t want him hazy, I wanted him clear, I wanted to see him clear.
“Yes,” he repeated.
“Alive,” I breathed.
His handsome head tilted slightly to the side, his heavy brows drew together and he asked, “Are you still frozen by the elfin magic, my Finnie, is that why you don’t come to me?”
I stared at him.
Then I sprang from my feet, jumping into his arms and they closed around me, strong, safe, tight and definitely, definitely real.
I held on tight to his shoulders, shoved my face in his neck and burst out crying.
“They… they… the… the… they,” I stammered into his neck, my arms convulsing, trying to hold him closer, “they told me you were dead.”
“I am not,” Frey’s voice rumbled and his arms squeezed.
I jerked my head back and glared at him before I shrieked, “Where have you been?”
He looked down at me and one of his hands came to my face, his thumb gliding through the wetness that was still coming and he said gently, “I was injured, gravely, close to death. I convinced my men to leave me to my passing and see to business, something we had all agreed, should such occur, we would do. The elves sensed my injuries and the extent of them luckily before the adela burned and, as I had arranged with them prior, they sought Kell and brought him to me. Kell had the adela branch, we used it and he and I both went to the elfin realm where they healed me.”
I blinked and then stared.
Then I asked, “What?”
Frey’s eyes went soft and slightly amused at my blink and he explained, “The adelas are gone but the magic of that bough and the reason it is so important is that it can be used by The Frey to move to the elfin realm and to bring the elves to our realm, say, should something happen to the adelas or he needs them urgently and cannot get to a tree.”
“Wow,” I whispered and he grinned. “So they healed you?” I asked quietly.
“Their magic is strong but my injuries were severe so it took some time but yes, my wee Finnie, they healed me.”
“They healed you?” I repeated.
“Yes, my love.”
“Like, good as new?”
He grinned and answered gently, “I’m clearly not a babe so, no, but fit as when you last saw me.”
I closed my eyes at the memory, my head jerking at the power of it and Frey’s hand at my cheek moved to cup my jaw and his arm gave me a squeeze before I heard him amend on a murmur, “Or moments before the moment you last saw me.”
I kept my eyes closed and dropped my forehead to his chest. “I thought you were dead.”
“I’m sorry, my love, there was nothing I could do about that. I was in no state and Kell nor the elves could move between realms without me.” Frey whispered into my hair but I shook my head as my body started shaking with new tears and I repeated, “I thought you were dead.”