Kiran barely made it to the treeline before Breena stepped out of it, slender arms crossed over equally narrow ribcage. He pulled from his magic to hide his figure among the shadows, but Breena could still see his silhouette.

"Darling brother," she crooned, "I have never seen you so enchanted. I thought you didn't like humans."

"I never said I don't like them, only the sport of taunting them."

"And so you claim the firstborn of the first human you make a deal with? You've stepped up the game, brother. The rest of us do parlor tricks in comparison." She turned to him, violet eyes alight with wonder. "Even Queen Tatiana is interested in your bargain."

Scowling, he grabbed her arm and held her steady. "I don't care about any of that. If anything, it's a nuisance. Now I need to ensure Cara gets pregnant or they'll consider me a fool."

"I do have several humans ready to do my bidding. Several young, very handsome men too. Perfect for breeding."

Something twisted in his gut. The way she said breeding was unappealing coming from the mouth of his sister.

Breena cocked her head, her silver hair shifting to reveal her smaller horns. Unlike his ram horns, hers were tiny like a new buck's, the humps fuzzy and tan in color. "Why do you not seem thrilled by that prospect?"

"I..." He trailed off, unable to lie and unwilling to tell her the truth. He had walked by Cara's homestead countless nights. Most nights, he would hear cries through her bedroom window and he would wonder what wrenched her heart to make her cry as she did. He came back during the day on numerous occasions to see her, what he had thought, happy, caring for the animals without complaint. He had followed her to the village a couple times too, glamoured to remain hidden, and witnessed her laugh with the townspeople. So what had made her cry herself to sleep?

She had become a mystery, and he had wanted to solve it.

Then, a couple nights ago, she had emerged from her home without a single tear in her eyes, determination glinting in her green eyes as she strode into the forest. She had stumbled and tripped several times but had carried on, not knowing where she was going. But still she persevered. He had originally had no intention of revealing himself to her, but it had happened on its own.

When she had stepped into the clearing and glanced at the moon, she didn't appear human. She had looked like a wraith, standing in the middle of the clearing, moonlight streaming over her as if it shone only for her. Her figure, too, seemed ethereal, almost as if it glowed.

He had dropped his glamour from the shock, barely having the mind to appear human for her, removing his horns and changing his eyes. She had almost looked Fae. But when a plain face dropped to his, hazel eyes met his, he remembered who she was. Her begging had touched his cold heart, causing it to twinge in a way that made him believe he cared. He had found the reason for her agony, finally, and had offered a solution he felt was fair. Her mother had been sick for a year, she had been given a year to conceive a child.

And then, a few moments later, when she had said she would bear his children, he had been completely stunned. Did humans normally make those kinds of deals? He had avoided interacting with them for so long, considering them dimwitted and boring, but maybe he had been wrong.

Maybe that was why, before he walked away from her, he had given her his name. As a test. To see if she knew just how valuable names were among the Fae. But just knowing Kiran wouldn't be a threat to him. She would need to learn his true name to have any control over him.

Breena elbowed him, pulling him from his memory. "I do wonder if she's human. She's different from the rest. Have you noticed?"

He had noticed. Even her scent was different. At first, he thought it was because she was always on her farm, but that wasn't the underlying smell. No, Cara smelled of a summer breeze, orchids, and freshly sowed earth.

Breena's words ricocheted in his head, like there was something important he was missing. He couldn't understand his infatuation with her. She wasn't beautiful. In fact, a word that came to mind when describing her was plain. Plain, unmemorable human woman. A simple face, nondescript, nothing to mark her as unique. Hazel eyes and auburn hair, very much like most mortal women in these parts. Her figure was slim, breasts average and almost no curve around her hips either.

Kiran frowned. He hadn't thought about it before, but she almost seemed too plain. Like her body was designed that way, like she had shaped herself to be unmemorable. Like a glamour of some kind. He began to wonder if she knew she was doing it, or if she had any magic at all. Was she Fae?

At Court, when she had put on that silver gown, she had glowed again. He knew she saw his shock, his admiration. She had been beautiful then, her human guise all but disappeared. With ram horns tied into her hair, she actually had appeared Fae. Even after she had given him the gown back in front of her home. Before Breena had interrupted, he had wanted to kiss her.

"What do you think she is?" Breena asked, hip-bumping the tree to open the portal to Court.

He shook his head. "She would almost have to be Fae, right? Unless she's a witch. But she doesn't smell like one." They descend into the antechamber, the music within quieted with the excitement about to occur. Queen Tatiana caught his gaze as they entered, his gut twisting as he schooled his expression into blandness, his lips wanting to part in a snarl. Breena looped her arm in his, a grin on her face as she strolled into the room.

"My children," Queen Tatiana crooned. "Tonight, we celebrate another full moon, another night of strength, and endurance. We Fae were created as creatures of the night, drawing strength from Mother Moon and bathing in her light, so we celebrate when she is at her fullest. Humans," she turned behind her, where three humans, one woman and two men, shivered against the wall, "are our tribute, the sacrifice to keep our Mother coming back. They live in the light of the sun, celebrate its warmth every day, live because of its heat and the power it provides for their vegetables, their food source. Come with me, and we will all enjoy the festival of the tithe."

Breena whooped in Kiran's ear, causing him to flinch. She released his arm and followed the rest of the Fae as Tatiana had the humans escorted to a different part of Court. Kiran held back. He could never stomach the games they played with humans. They would be served like revered guests. Warmed by a fire, served food and drink like they were royalty. And just as the humans were getting comfortable, laughing and smiling with the Fae, they were influenced to do the most absurd things.

Some got lucky and only had to dance until their feet bled. Some were forced to do things nude, and he didn't want to think about the things far worse than that. Breena sometimes would regale him with the activities he had purposely avoided, despite his insisting he didn't want to know.

Kiran went to cross his arms over his chest, but the gown bunched up. He had forgotten he was carrying it. But now it was the perfect excuse to go to his room. Strolling down the dark hall, he could still feel Cara's warmth in the smooth fabric. He couldn't recall what it was made from, maybe spider silk. It shimmered as if it were made from the stars in the sky. Before he knew what he was doing, he raised the gown to his nose and inhaled deeply. Orchids and summer.

He came to the root that marked his room and tugged on it, slipping inside lithely. Hanging the gown in his closet, he made sure to leave it hanging over the other clothes so it looked as if it were ready for whenever Cara would come back to claim it. He laid down in his bed, gazing at the gown, remembering the way Cara looked in it. He could no longer remember why he had bought it in the first place, but it had made her look ravishing.

That night, for as long as he could recall, Kiran dreamed.

***Honestly, I'm not good with writing speeches. Was Tatiana's full moon speech good, or how can I improve it?***