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was attacked,” I said. My voice sounded far away, as if I was listening to myself from the opposite end of a tunnel.
    He nodded. A dark strand of his raven black hair fell onto his forehead, where it contrasted sharply with the paleness of his extremely fair skin. “And do you know what it was?”
    I stood taller, no longer leaning my entire weight against him, but he was still at least three inches taller than me. “A banshee.” For some reason, recalling the previous events acted as an anchor that kept me from sinking further into the ocean this man had created.
    “There you go,” he said with a slight nod. “You’re coming out of it.”
    I was. The dreamlike quality that had suddenly become my world started to fade. The reality beyond this man came back into focus, and my logical side, which had been straining in vain against the riptide of attraction, started to make some progress in keeping me grounded.
    “What are you?” I asked.
    He grinned before stepping back and letting me stand on my own. “Do you even need to ask?”
    I opened my magical senses. A golden aura surrounded him, and a dozen tiny, sun-shaped particles orbited around him. “You’re a light fae.”
    “A fire fairy, to be exact.”
    And he was definitely not what most humans pictured a fairy to be. He was at least six foot three, not six inches high. He wasn’t thin or effeminate. Strong, masculine lines shaped his face, and lean muscles defined his frame. The combination made him appear more of a rogue than a sprite.
    Being a fire fairy did explain the fireballs and my almost instant attraction, though. Not only were his kind charged with keeping the home hearths burning, but they sparked the fires of creativity and passion.
    That must be why I’d suddenly turned into a horny teenager and was sporting more wood than the forest. The knowledge relieved me. Now if only I could relieve myself of the persistent erection that bent at an uncomfortable angle. It was getting painful.
    He grinned down at my bulging denim. “Impressive,” he said with a nod at my groin. “But we can deal with that some other time.”
    With my boner? That sure as hell didn’t alleviate my raging erection. It only made it worse. I was slightly worried my cock might burst out of my pants like a jack-in-the-box.
    “Did you dispatch the banshee?” he asked in a tone far more regal than you’d expect from someone standing naked in the woods. He exuded confidence that had clearly come from a lifetime of freedom and privilege.
    I nodded, unable to speak. His poise captivated me because his bearing was unlike mine. He was warm and comfortable in his own skin, and it most likely drew others to him like a moth to a flame.
    I was the complete opposite. I stood aloof and was often cool and distant, a by-product of my constant war against the brutish nature that swirled within.
    Being at ease with my nature wasn’t in the cards for me. The true me was far too dangerous and unpredictable. I’d only let him out once, and I’d regretted it ever since.
    “You must be very powerful,” he said, looking quite impressed with me. “Banshees are not easy to defeat. I have firsthand experience with that.”
    “I belong to one of the three protector covens,” I said with a smug jut of my chin. I might as well have been a peacock fanning my tail feathers.
    His eyes widened. The protector covens were legendary in the magical community. Without the Gate, warlocks, witches, wizards, and even fairies would cease to exist. “Then I consider myself most lucky to have stumbled upon a warlock such as you.” The formality in his speech intrigued me. It was like he was a naked ambassador sent here by his people.
    “And why are you here?” I asked.
    He surveyed his surroundings, and an emerald fire danced in his eyes. “I’m not certain how I got here, and I find that infuriating.” His right hand burst into flame before he quickly snuffed it out.
    Like most of his kind, he was a