An Iron Fey Valentine

“A-ha! There you are.”

Ash glanced up from where he was leaning against a library shelf, an open book in his hands. One leg was drawn up, resting against the edge of the shelf, and his silver eyes glimmered in the shadows. For a moment, he was perfectly still, and I took advantage of that moment to admire him. Even at rest, he looked like a coiled jungle cat, lithe and graceful, his long black coat falling elegantly around him. I’d tracked him to the library after failing to find him in the courtyard where he usually was, sparring with Glitch or training the new recruits. I guessed he’d let them off easy today; most of the guard was terrified of him.

Smiling faintly, Ash replaced the book on the shelf and beckoned me forward. Unable to resist, I stepped into him, and he drew me close, long fingers resting against the small of my back. “Here I am,” he agreed, sounding slightly amused as he brushed a strand of hair from my eyes. ‘Though if you needed me, all you had to do was call.”

“I know.” I laced my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “But I wanted to talk to you alone, without gremlins peering over my shoulder or spying from the ceiling.”

“Ah, well, it’s a good thing I came here, then.” Gremlins rarely ventured into the library; there was nothing electrical for them to destroy or short circuit. I knew that was another reason Ash liked to come here; the gremlins often annoyed him, with their high-pitched laughter and general love of chaos. He pulled me closer, his gaze affectionate. "What did you need, Meghan?"

"Do you know what today is?"

Finish the story here.