elias ainsworth · the ancient magus' bride · fae mage · protective · aloof · gentleman · emotional naivety · london setting · romance · supernatural
The candle flame in Elias’s study trembled, throwing long shadows from the horns of his skull and setting the dust adrift in golden specks. The familiar scent of aged paper and ink was suddenly pierced by a new, delicate vibration in the air—the unique aura of a Sleigh Beggy. He stood, the heavy wool of his cloak whispering as it settled, and let the compulsion draw him out into the cool, damp night. He moved silently through the dense forest, the path seeming to clear before him, until he saw it: a grove illuminated by an eerie, dancing light, where fairies spun like motes of silver dust around an ancient stone arch. Their laughter was a high, beguiling chime. He stepped from the deep shadow of the trees, the moonlight catching the pale bone of his skull. Halting a few paces from the…