Cursed

Excerpt

Cursed
J.P. Jackson © 2022
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

“I am not wearing this.”

Cam tossed the skimpy garment onto his sun-dappled bed while Sen, his man-in-waiting, a Kijimuna tree sprite, wrung his long-boned but tiny hands. Sen glared at Cam, but his nervous hand wringing never stopped. Cam returned the stare, hoping his stubbornness would win.

Eventually, Cam broke the connection and focused his sights on the far wall of his room. A new tendril wove its way up the wall.

Everything the fae used or constructed was in harmony with the environment. The bed had been crafted from woven tree roots. The mattress pillowed from being stuffed with a combination of dried grasses, tufts from animal pelts, and down. All the textiles were handwoven, and when the summer night air had a chill to it, more skins were brought in for comfort. Extra blankets hadn’t been necessary this summer. Despite the bed’s lumpy appearance, Cam had never slept so well. Although he still wasn’t used to the massive horns on his head or the protruding wings from his back.

The walls and the furniture were constantly changing, but when one lived inside a massive tree, one had to expect the unexpected. As the tree continued to grow, so did the interior of his assigned bedchamber.

“Your Grace, the loincloth is traditional clothing. You were scheduled to meet with the queen, and certain conventions must be upheld. You need to get down to the court room.” Sen tried his best, but Cam’s tenacity would eventually wear out the tree sprite.

“It’s nothing more than a jockstrap and I am not parading around in front of the entire Royal party in nothing but a G-string!” He pointed to the discarded underwear while scrunching his mouth to one side and crossing his arms.

“But Your Grace—” Sen licked his lips while he continued to rub his hands together.

Poor thing. Cam hadn’t made his summer an easy experience. The tree sprite had been assigned as Cam’s manservant as part of an international exchange program meant to expand the knowledge of cultural traditions and court customs from various fae clans around the world. Cam had seen and met Chaneques from southern Mexico, and Menehune from Oceania. Sen’s vibrant red hair, a characteristic of his tribe, contrasted starkly with his paper-birch complexion. Sen’s frame imitated the slender branches of a sinewy willow, so slight Cam mistakenly judged him to be frail, but he discovered otherwise. Fae could be inhumanly strong and there had been more than one occasion when Sen had managed to wrestle and hold Cam still during his magic training.

Sen’s Japanese ancestry meant his tolerance did not allow for the wild range of temperatures inherent in a Canadian prairie summer. Cam had witnessed the creature either shivering to death on the rare cool summer evening or wilting in the August heat which regularly coalesced beneath the dense forest canopy. Sen’s homelands were far more temperate and kinder on a body. Despite Sen’s constant battle with the elements, his elongated limbs and fine features meant he was nimble and quick, which made him an excellent tutor for Cam’s induction in the ways of the fae. Escaping wild and out of control fae magic spells gone awry required additional agility. The fae were supposed to be nimble, graceful, and eloquently able to slip in and out of the shadows when required, a magical talent Cam had not mastered, along with several others. Sen’s intelligence, however, proved the Eldritch clan fae outwitted and outsmarted Cam’s constant manipulations.

Cam struggled with his fae classification and history. The amount of concentration required to take in the volumes of documentation given to him bested his attention span. The antiquity of the clans spanned the course of human existence, and beyond.

Each fae belonged within one of four houses, although there were multiple species within each camp. Earth fae belonged to the clan of the Eldritch, like Sen and Cam. Air fae were the Aethers and Corvins. Their feathered wings and skin made for unusual flying creatures who lived above the clouds. Cam latched on to the name for water fae because he found out Atlanteans were real. But he couldn’t recall what fire fae were called, and at this point he simply didn’t care.

Cam had made the first few weeks frustrating for them both. He refused to study, and his wayward use of fae abilities had resulted in wanton destruction within the village, which landed him in hot water with the Ancestral Lands queen, Lady Aine.

In his defence, Cam had demonstrated his ability to become invisible, and he regularly used probability spells to favour his penchant for doing nothing in the hot August afternoons.

Cam stood beside his bed, naked, staring at the wall and contemplating how he had managed to get here. He had his best friend in the whole wide world to thank for all of this. Devid Khandelwal and his cockamamie summoning board had been the catalyst in forever altering Cam’s humanity, and subsequent captivity within the Ancestral Lands of the forest fae. Granted, his home in Edmonton wasn’t far away, but until Cam had, at a bare minimum, mastered the art of a human disguise, Lady Aine would never let him leave.

Grasping the concept and maintaining the illusion proved inordinately difficult. He had to completely change his new horned and winged form into the way he used to be. That meant being able to maintain the image he wanted to project in his mind’s eye, all while holding conversations, or carrying out mundane tasks like household chores or visiting the local market. Illusions proved to be impossible for Cam, but public appearances with massive, curved horns and a slender furry tail would expose the Shadow Realm and its inhabitants to the mundane world. Exposure was something the entire magical community, fae, witches, beasts, and spirits alike, avoided at all costs.

Cam’s membranous wings sputtered. The appendages had a life of their own, and often reflected his emotional state.

“May I point out you’re not wearing anything right now, and yet I’m here. What’s so different between your nudity right now and satisfying the queen with your presence in clothing which is customarily worn by males?”

“Sen, you’ve seen me naked every day, several times a day. You bathe me, not my choice. You dress me, not my choice. You wake me in the morning, also not my choice. And speaking of morning, where is my required cup of coffee?” Cam’s tail flicked from side to side as he glanced around his room, his wings flapping in annoyance. Camila, Cam’s alter ego and super bitch, showed up when the caffeine levels were bottoming out. The fae folk didn’t consume coffee, and Cam hadn’t had a good cup of velvety deliciousness in weeks. His irritability lately had known no bounds, but the community had made exceptions considering his most unusual initiation into the Ancestral Lands—coffee being one of them. The elders of the Ancestral Lands had commented on Cam’s oddness. His fae body held on to the addiction of caffeine when his stomach no longer tolerated anything more than meat. Protein, and lots of it, was a daily requirement.

In short, Cam moped and perpetuated his miserable mood to everyone around him. His normal routine had been turned upside down, his dating life had been non-existent, and as much as he had relied on Dev for so much of his past life, he had to cut the guy some slack. Dev was going through his own adjustments, what with becoming a witch and getting a boyfriend in the deal.

Cam pursed his lips while deliberating his best friend’s relationship status. Dev getting paired off before Cam had to be the cruellest twist of fate ever. If you’d asked anyone, Cam should have been the one to end up with a hot boyfriend. Not that Dev didn’t deserve what he’d got. But Cam had always been more willing to date and play the field, so the odds were more in his favour. And yet, things had not panned out.

Cam slumped into himself, his mouth pulled down, as his tail came to rest hanging directly down and still.

Sen walked over and handed him a steaming cup of what they were passing off as coffee. His attendee attempted to make nice.

“Come, sit. Drink your hot brown water.” Sen picked up the material Cam had thrown on the bed. “You know it’s called a loincloth. Have you ever worn one? They are extraordinarily comfortable. Feel this.” Sen thrust the fabric toward Cam.

Reluctantly, Cam let his fingers stroke the silken material while he cradled his precious cup of coffee in his other hand.

“It is delicate and soft, isn’t it?” Sen tried to make the skimpy item of cloth enticing.

“Yeah, but it’s brown. Doesn’t it come in any other colours? I look hideous in brown. What about aubergine? Dark purple would be an amazing contrast to the green in my hair.” Cam sat on the edge of his bed, absentmindedly fondling the loincloth.

“That’s enough, Sen. You’ve tried.” A voice startled them both. From the doorway, a woman draped in several layers of sheer muslin embroidered with tiny white leaves and flowers, spoke with iron in her voice as she crossed her arms.

Sen bowed, then retreated through the back doorway, leaving a naked Cam in front of Lady Aine. The sunlight caught within the folds of her dress reflected sparkles toward Cam, creating an aura around the queen. Shimmer light twinkled and beamed—a fairy thing.

She embodied etherealness and unmatched beauty. Lady Aine’s transcendent appearance belied her strength. She maintained patience and fairness but held a reputation for delivering swift and often violent justice when required.

“Cam, you must be more cooperative. Poor Sen is going to return home in a few weeks with nothing but tales of your insolence. It’s going to make us all look incompetent.”

Cam stared wide-eyed at the queen and grew clammy as all the blood drained from his head. He was bare-assed naked in front of the highest ranking fae within the Ancestral Lands. He glanced around for anything that would cover him up. While still gripping his coffee mug, he snatched a pillow from the head of the bed where he sat and hastily positioned the cushion across his groin.

“You’re far too modest. It’s not like I haven’t seen a man before.”

“I’m sure you have, but you have not seen me, and I would personally like to keep it that way.”

“Yes, well, not seeing you is one of the reasons I’ve come to your quarters. You wouldn’t grant me an audience, so I’ve come here instead. You were supposed to be in my court an hour ago.”

“I wasn’t going to show up in nothing but a jockstrap.”

“It is also customary to stand when someone who outranks you enters the room in a casual setting such as this, or at a formal affair, kneel to them if you are standing.” Lady Aine arched an eyebrow. Her face instantly morphed into one of those looks mothers give their misbehaving children. Cam noted the disapproving glance and raised himself from the bed, still clutching both his beloved filled coffee cup and the pillow he pressed against his nether region.

Lady Aine snapped her fingers.

The pillow exploded into a flurry of tiny feathers. Some wafted gently to the floor of his room, while others landed in the vast amounts of hair Cam’s body had grown over the last few months. He’d always been a fuzzy guy but being Eldritch—of the earth—he took after the animals of the forest and therefore his hair had thickened into more fur. Basically, his body hair had grown into a pelt.

Without the pillow to protect his twig and stones, Cam used the only thing left to him and awkwardly cupped his palm and placed his hand over his groin.

“That’s not necessary. As I’ve said, I’ve seen a man before, Cam. Yours is bigger than most. Something you should want to flaunt, not hide, which you’re not doing well right now anyway.”

Heat crawled up Cam’s neck, blossomed across his chest, and made his cheeks flush. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His brow glistened.

Please make this be over soon.

“I’ve come to tell you you’re running out of time. I know you’re not comfortable here, and you want to return home. I can’t let your release happen without a few things transpiring first. Namely the illusion mastery, and more importantly—”

“Please, not this again. I’ve told you before, I will not be anyone’s father.”

“No one is asking you to be a parent. I can’t see you being beneficial to any progeny. However, it is your duty to ensure I end up pregnant. Have you seen any other Royal male fae around, Cam?”

The queen stood still, and Cam sensed her irritation, making him prickle with discomfort.

“No.”

“Do you know why that might be?”

“Ah…” Cam squirmed as his tail twitched. Damn thing gave his discomfort away. He swore the appendage was the faerie equivalent of a mood ring.

“For the love of all the Gods. Have you not been paying attention during your lessons?” She shook her head as she seemingly floated over Cam’s study desk. Lady Aine tossed several books aside until she found a particularly large tome. She tapped the book a few times, then grasped its thick spine and tossed it over onto Cam’s bed.

Cam peered down at the textbook.

Anatomiae Biological Mediocris de Speciebus.

“You should have this memorized by now. Cam, I understand our ways have been thrust on you, but we all know you are never going to return to a human body. We were as unprepared for you as you were for us. But whereas our young are schooled and live many years seeing tradition performed in front of them, you’ve missed centuries of development the younger fae get as they mature within our community. You must catch up. If you don’t, you’re putting us all in danger.

“So I’ll make this short and sweet. You are the youngest Royal male in the village which means the last fertile male has lost his potency and has now joined the ranks of the elders. They cannot produce seed. You are the only one who can ensure continuation of the clan. Every generation this happens. I’ve had several mates, Cam. Congratulations, you’re now it. So, get with the program.”

Lady Aine’s hair fluttered out behind her from an unseen gust of magical air. Her gauzy dress responded similarly.

“As much as I appreciate the current situation, I don’t think you understand the gravity of my predicament,” Cam snapped, tilting his head to one side and suppressing a snarl.

“Careful, Cam. I will rip you apart and feast on your body parts. Don’t think I haven’t eaten my own kind before. And I do understand.”

“I don’t think you do. It’s not a matter of wanting to ensure I carry on tradition or not. The fact is, I can’t. There’s no way I’m going to get you pregnant.” Cam waved his hand dramatically through the air, sloshing brown liquid out of the cup and onto the floor. After realizing what he’d done, he peered down at his much needed and loved coffee, now lying ruined and undrinkable in a puddle on the floor. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to tell you. Sex with a girl would be like trying to shove a marshmallow into a piggybank.” Cam glanced down to his now exposed bits. “It doesn’t work for the lady kin.” He glanced at the queen and stared as hard as he could, trying to get his point across.

“Oh for the Gods…” Lady Aine shook her head. She opened a fold of her voluminous dress, plunged her arm into an unseen pocket, and pulled out a whimsical glass vial. The vessel had a pearlescent sheen, which cast prisms of dancing rainbows, depending on how the light caught the undulations in the surface. “I know you’re gay, you fool. You think being gay is a rarity within the fae? Or that any of us would judge you differently or harshly for your sexuality? How long have you been here?”

“A couple of months.” Cam glanced down as the whispered words barely escaped his lips.

“And have you not seen an assortment of couplings within our village? Honestly, I should toss you out and let Gaia have her way with you. All I need from you is your seed. Fill this, and then bring the vial to me. There’s only one rule. Whatever comes out can’t be done by your own hand. Your orgasm must be the result of a mating. Preferably one where there’s an investment of emotion. Get your wolfman to do the deed.

“But hear this, Cam. Your time is running out. I need to be carrying before we go underground for the winter. The new generation will be born in the spring as has always happened. Which means I will gestate our offspring over the course of the winter while the entire village rests underground, safe from the winter snows.”

Cam grimaced after she uttered the word offspring.

“I swear you act like a self-conscious preteen. For someone who has been driven into a prodigious position, you’d think you would feel some sense of obligation, or at the very least, self-importance. Your time is ticking away. It’s already late August, and judging from the trees, our descent into the earth will be earlier than normal. You have less than a month to return this to me. Get with your wolf and get busy.”

“Yeah, that might be a problem.”

“What do you mean, a problem? He’s here all the time. Another concession I have made. We generally don’t let his kind anywhere in the village. Bad things happen when werewolves lose control. I’ve been graciously patient with your dalliance with this creature as I assumed the relationship would net me the seed I require. What’s the problem?”

“Everton and I haven’t—”

Lady Aine rolled her eyes.

She glared at Cam who stood still with his head hung.

“You are impossible. Well, if it’s not your monster, who’s been calling on you for the past two months, find someone else. But let me make one thing painfully clear to you. Fill the vessel before Groundswell, the winter descent, or I’ll personally exile you. You will not be welcome here. Ever.”

“But I thought fae cut off from their clan die? And besides, I haven’t learned everything yet!”

“Whose fault is that?” Lady Aine’s lips were thin lines. She turned to leave the room, but she tossed parting words at Cam over her shoulder. “And yes, severed fae rarely, if ever, flourish. They always seem to return home seeking forgiveness. Something I do not dole out willingly.” Then she evaporated into sparkles and prisms.

Cam flopped onto the bed and covered his face for a moment, then let his arms splay out beside him. Sunlight streaming in through a makeshift window highlighted the grass-green fur on his chest. Cam shifted his weight, keenly aware one of his wings pinched from being awkwardly bent and tucked. He pushed himself up on one elbow.

In the quiet of his room, Cam picked at some lint on his bedspread as he considered his time over the past few months with Everton. There had been so much flirting, so many promises of a good time, and yet nothing. The wolfman had pulled away from him on every occasion that may have turned into something more. Everton held Cam in a wolfen thrall, but now Ev’s unfulfilled promise of a “night in heaven” left Cam with confusing emotions. Had Ev spoken nothing more than empty words?

Was Everton visiting out of a sense of obligation for being rescued from the witches’ dungeon?

All of this stemmed from Dev’s damn fascination with the occult. One stupid spell and an invocation to some Djinn had undone his mortal, human existence.

That’s the fire fae. Djinn.

“I fucking hate my life. I swear I’m cursed.”