I wouldn’t have called myself the master of dramatic arrivals by any

means, but I had to admit that the sight of me on my knees covered in

lake water, blood, and gore, panting through my exhaustion and
clinging to a sword as if it was the only thing capable of keeping me
upright in this world, was likely
an all-time low.
We’d had to get out of the way while the stone zodiac wheel beneath
us slid sideways underground, and another stone platform raised in its
place. The people standing on top of it were struggling to contain their
expressions as they took me in, and I blew out a breath as I gave in to
the inevitability of this not going all that well from the get-go.

With a surge of effort, I forced myself to summon some energy as I

pressed the tip of my sword into the wet ground beside me and used it
to leverage myself to my feet.
A single glance in Caleb’s direction let me know that the asshole had
used his speed and fire magic to not only dry himself off, but to stow
his weapons away and straighten out his clothes too, meaning he
looked the epitome of unruffled perfection.

“Bastard,” I hissed so low that no one but a Vampire would be able to

hear it and the corner of his lips twitched the tiniest amount, just as a
lump of monster guts fell from my hair to land on my boot with a wet
slap.
“You could have simply knocked,” the girl standing before us said, her
head tilting to one side, causing her braids to tumble over one
shoulder as she inspected us with rapt interest.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I quipped, my heart leaping as one
of the guys behind her actually did, and I was half blinded by the
fucking flash on his camera.
“The Library of the Lost isn’t just some cock-handed vacation
destination,” a watery eyed man said in a wavering yet unyielding tone
from the back of the group of four. “As head librarian, I wish for you
to know that despite your lineage or anything of the sort, the gift of
knowledge is not one which can be claimed by birth right alone. You
do not get to simply stomp up here willy-nilly and demand access to
our tomes. Only the worthy are invited to peruse our pages and so,
until a time when you have been deemed such or the stars guide you
to our door on the wings of fate, I’m afraid you will have to leave.”

“Leave?” Caleb asked, his entitlement showing in the way he blinked

in confusion, like the word held no meaning to him whatsoever and
he’d never heard it before.
I sheathed my sword, an act which may have seemed friendly, except
for the look of violence that passed across my eyes as I set a heavy gaze
on them. “Look,” I began, picking a lump of tentacle from my arm
and tossing it to the floor just in front of the librarians’ feet. “I’ve had
one hell of a time recently. I’ve been captured and tortured, brutalised
and traumatised. I’ve been married and widowed, fought and
defeated. And to top it all off, I have been without the other half of my
soul for over a week now. To put it lightly, I’ve reached my limit. So
I’ve come a long way in search of this place and the knowledge you
hold here. I’ve made that journey – and helped you out with what I
would call a considerable monster infestation in your lake by the way –
and now I’m standing here before you, covered in fuck knows what,
my power depleted and my tether on my temper running dangerously
short. I have absolutely no intention of letting you simply shut that
door in my motherfucking face. So, I’m posing that you need to think
again on the subject of that invitation.”

The librarians all paled, the girl who stood in front of them giving the
older a man a pointed look and hissing something which sounded like
‘See?’, though with the amount of water that still resided in my ears, I
wasn’t certain on that.
“Those monsters, as you call them, were the three ancient guardians
of this place,” the Minotaur in shifted form at the back of the group
mooed, stomping his foot angrily.

I arched a brow as I glanced towards the water where the decapitated

head of the giant squid was spinning in a slow circle beside the
upturned belly of the Long Horned Ergut, whose blood was slowly
colouring the water all around it. There weren’t enough bits of the
demon crab left to really be called a body, but half a claw was perched
on top of the Virgo constellation stone beside me.
“Oh,” Caleb said, exchanging a look with me where we both silently
admitted we may have fucked up a little there. “Whoops.”
“They did try to eat us,” I explained with half a shrug. “So, this
situation is kinda on them. If they were as well trained as you claim,
then-”

“They weren’t trained,” the girl interrupted. “They were simply

brought here to act as a further protection surrounding the library
from those who were not invited. Bloodthirsty monsters prowling the
lake is pretty off- putting... At least to most people.”
“Thank fuck for that. You had me thinking I’d gone and killed your
pets for a moment there,” I said, flashing my teeth at them in a way
that couldn’t really be called a smile.
“No one can tame the monsters of legend,” Cameraman piped up.
“Good to know you aren’t all as dumb as you look then. Because I just
so happen to be one of those so-called monsters, so I guess the
question is whether or not you’ll be offering me that invitation,
because option B involves me burning my way inside with Phoenix
fire.”

“You make a wonderful politician,” Caleb drawled as the librarians all

recoiled in horror at my words.
“Miss Vega-” the old librarian began, but I cut him off.
“I tend to go by my royal titles these days. Haven’t you been hearing
reports of the war being waged in your kingdom?”

Caleb stepped in. “This might be a good moment for me to interrupt

the Savage King’s daughter before she insults every one of you so
thoroughly that any sympathy you may have been convinced to feel is
long since forgotten. The things she told you are true, we have faced
loss and pain beyond what any Fae should have to face in their
lifetime and still we fight on, knowing we might face plenty more of
that in time. We fight because, as I hope you would agree, the
alternative is far worse. Lionel Acrux is determined to rule with
tyranny and persecution, destroying all knowledge
that doesn’t suit his agenda and forcing the people of this kingdom to
submit in all the ways that count. We are on the side of freedom and
equality, and we have come here in desperate need, seeking access to
your library in the fleeting hope that it may help us win that fight in
the end. So we beg you, implore you actually, to open your doors to us
and offer us that slim chance.” Caleb pressed a hand to his heart and
dammit, I had to admit he had the whole political bullshit down,
especially as the enraged faces before us turned thoughtful and
pragmatic.

“Very well,” the old man said eventually, though I didn’t miss the
unimpressed look he shot me as another lump of fish guts fell out of
my hair. “Though I will have to ask you to clean up before you are
allowed near the texts. There are volumes here which date back
through the millennia, knowledge which has been lost to the modern
world resides in parchment and ink, preserved here for fate to serve up
again in times of need and searching. What we protect here is precious
beyond the realms of any other treasure.”

“Got it,” I agreed, flicking my fingers and sending a flood of water

magic over my body, using a combination of that and earth to remove
every unsanitary piece of lake muck and dead monster from my body.
Another flick of my hand sent fire magic tearing through me, and
within moments I was dry and clean, though there was little to be
done for the huge tear in the side of my crop top.
My body was bruised and battered, but I didn’t heal myself beyond
making sure I wasn’t bleeding on anything, preferring the bit of
physical pain to the ever-present emotional void eating away at my
insides.

The old man eyed me, hunting for any bit of grime I may have
missed, but I was as clean as a whistle, and eventually he nodded to
the Minotaur in some form of confirmation because the next second,
the island beneath our feet began to descend again.
This time though, the island didn’t sink into the water. Instead, we
moved onto the stone zodiac wheel and descended into a magical tube
which was crystal clear.
We travelled down through the lake and deeper still, the sight of the
library revealed below us, cavernous and stretching out in every
direction. I didn’t want to be impressed by it with the group of angry
librarians observing my expression, but damn, it was hard not to be.
Each of the four immense walls around us held giant carved effigies of
beautiful women’s faces which represented the Elements. The one for
earth was covered in moss, stunning flowers and delicate magical
butterflies dancing along the grass fronds of her eyelashes; the fire
carving had blazing blue eyes and rivers of magma swirling within the
rock to highlight her features; the air monument had white clouds
floating around it, her hair seeming to move despite it being clearly
carved from stone; finally, the water Elemental face had frost glittering
across her cheekbones and lips, and a furious waterfall poured all the
way down to a river far below. Bridges of glass, stone and wood
curved over the winding river, a mish-mash maze of bookshelves
standing in nearly every space available below us.

Caleb straightened as he took it in, that arrogant slouch giving way to

wonder as his mouth slackened and his eyes roamed over the books
which were stacked and laid out in every direction as far as the eye
could see.
“This place is... I don’t have words,” he breathed, and the librarians
all smiled at the praise while I just stared at the endless rows of tomes
and scrolls, wondering how the fuck I was ever supposed to find what I
needed in this palace of knowledge.
As if sensing the question consuming me, the girl stepped closer, a
hesitant smile on her full lips.

“I’m Laini,” she said softly. “I greeted your sister when she visited us.”
“From what I heard, that one had better manners,” the old man
muttered as he turned away from us and headed down a set of golden
steps towards a huge desk sitting at the base of the waterfall where it
flooded into the river.
“She is better than me in all the ways that matter,” I agreed with him,
though he was too far from me to hear.

The flash of the camera went off again and I scowled at the man who
had taken the shot, subtly suggesting with flames in my eyes that he
fuck the hell off.
“Sorry about Dave,” Laini cringed as she waved him and his camera
away. “It’s his duty to record history as it happens. He documents
basically everything, but when your sister visited us, he was bed-bound
with dick rot, so he missed her.”
“Dick rot?” I choked in surprise and Dave glared at Laini before
turning and hurrying away from us.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was dick rot.” She nodded seriously.
“Anyway, he hasn’t shut up about missing the chance to document a
visit from one of the first Phoenixes to arise in a thousand years, so I
think he’s determined not to miss out a second time.”

“Well tell him if he flashes that camera in my face one more time, I’ll
be melting it to his nosey chops,” I said, knowing full well that Dick
Rot Dave could hear me and not caring.
“Maybe try not threatening the people who just agreed to help us,
yeah, sweetheart?” Caleb suggested softly as he took a step closer to
me and I banished a harsh breath before nodding.

He got it. Knew how fucked up I was inside and how close to the edge
I was all the damn time at the moment. Fury was my preferred
method of coping, but the chaos of my inner turmoil was a fickle
thing, and I couldn’t be certain of the ways it would lash from me
when it got too much to handle.
“If you’re looking for anything specific, Arnold here can help you find
it,” Laini went on like I hadn’t just threatened someone’s face with
melted plastic, her unflinching disposition easily likeable.

I turned to the Minotaur she’d gestured towards, and he inclined his

head proudly, waiting for me to make my request of him. His head
was that of a bull’s, with large, curling horns and a wide bovine nose.
The rest of his body was more human, though it was covered with
brown fur and his legs ended in hooves instead of feet.

“I need a way to track someone using old magic. A way that

circumvents any measures that have been taken to protect themselves
or shield me from finding them, like mental walls or identity
concealing spells. I was told there’s dark magic that can be used that
way.”
“Dark magic is a potent thing,” Arnold said in a low, warning tone but
I just shrugged.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion on it, just for the spell in question.”
“Messing with the shadows is dangerous-”
“No,” I interrupted. “No shadows. Not a single fucking shadow. I
need old magic, the kind that predates shadows and possibly even the
harnessing of the Elements. The kind no one uses or protects
themselves against anymore. Is there something like that here?”
Laini and Arnold exchanged a cautious look, but I just raised my chin
in certainty.

“Before the Awakening was gifted to our kind by the stars, there were
types of magic among our ancestors,” Laini said softly. “But they came
at a cost. The kind that is paid in blood and portions of your soul.
There is a reason why they were cast aside and forgotten in favour of
wielding the Elements via the Awakening.”

“I understand that, but I’m still asking for information on that power.
Do you hold it here or not?” I glanced at the vast walls of bookshelves
stretching out around us, knowing in my soul that if they didn’t have
that knowledge here then I wouldn’t find it anywhere.
“I’ll take you to it,” Arnold said simply. “Follow me.”

He took off at a trot, Laini waving goodbye, her eyes dark with
caution as we strode after the Minotaur, following him towards a dim
passageway which led further into the depths of the library.
We walked across a bridge that spanned a small stream towards a
huge door, the colour of it so black that it seemed to suck the light
from the rest of the room, pulling every shadow in this place to it and
keeping them close.

Arnold ran his hand over what I assumed were magical locks, the dark
metal glowing beneath his palm before he drew the door wide.
“We keep everything on dark magic in the labyrinths. They are
heavily warded against stardust or outside influence,” he said in a low
voice which almost gave way to a moo as his bovine lips curled around
the words. “You must stay with me at all times; only the Minotaurs
know these paths, anyone else who wanders down here will end up
eternally lost in the maze beneath. It is death to leave my side.”
I nodded, already knowing about this from Darcy’s account of her
time here, and Caleb moved to walk beside me as we followed Arnold
into the dark.
The doors boomed close behind us, stealing the light and Caleb cast a
Faelight above our heads to see by. Arnold broke into a fast trot, not
bothering to look back and check we were still with him. Apparently, it
was up to us to make sure we didn’t lose him down here and he wasn’t
going to give any attempt to make that easy for us.

Arnold kept up a punishing pace and after a few minutes, Caleb

offered to carry me so we could move with his speed, letting me jump
up onto his back while he shot along through the dark and encouraged
the Minotaur to move even faster.
Dark passages loomed all around us, so many twists and turns in the
tunnels that it was impossible to keep track of where we’d been or
where we were going. Sometimes I heard distant bells and once I
could have sworn screams echoed back to us from a staircase we
passed, but Arnold didn’t react to any of it.

“Are there people lost down here?” I asked him as he ran down yet
another passageway, his head lowered while he charged, smoke
billowing from his nostrils. “Or prisoners?”
“You can’t trust anything you see or hear in this place,” Arnold
replied gravely. “Nothing but the written word, and even then, you
should use caution. There are malignant things lurking in these dark
passages, cruel and cunning creatures which are always hungry and
would like nothing more than to lead you to their door.”

“Sounds cosy,” I muttered, and Caleb snorted in amusement.

Eventually, Arnold turned into a tunnel which widened into a yawning
staircase that delved away into the earth, the air rising from it dank
and unwelcoming.

“It has been a long time since anyone ventured into those depths,”
Arnold said, his hoofed foot scraping at the stone floor. “And for good
reason too. The knowledge you seek is down there and down there
alone. There is no other way to access it but within the chamber
beneath.”
“You’re not coming with us?” Caleb asked as he lowered me to the
floor and Arnold shook his head.
“I will remain here until you return. Or until it becomes clear that you
have met your end within.”
“Well, that’s just great,” I muttered, calling on my Phoenix as I gazed
down those stairs.

There was something unholy about the dark that awaited us there,
something that sang to me in an unheard voice and lured me closer
with promises of a death so sweet that I might just step into the arms
of oblivion willingly if only I was allowed to enter it.

I met Caleb’s navy blue eyes, but neither of us bothered with any
pointless sentiments like questioning what the fuck we were doing
here. We both knew that we would be crossing that threshold if it was
what it took to find Darcy. And now that I was here, I was beginning
to wonder if there might be more to this place than just discovering
that one forgotten spell. Perhaps there might be other uses for the old
magic which we hadn’t considered. And if it came down to a question
of cost, then I already knew I would pay whatever it took to see the
end of Lionel’s rule. I’d already lost almost everything anyway.

We stepped over the threshold as one, our movements synchronised as

we headed down, down, down. The staleness of the air gave way to
the scent of something impossibly old the lower we descended, both
musty and powerful, ancient beyond words.
The darkness grew around us as we went, the Faelight above us
seeming smaller and smaller, its illumination struggling to pierce the
utter blackness which tried to press in on all sides. We instinctively
moved closer to one another, our arms brushing as we continued
without our steps so much as faltering. We were on this path now and
there was no question of turning from it.

My boots echoed on the flagstones as I finally reached the base of the

stairs, water stirring in a small puddle at my feet and making me
frown. What kind of books could survive in the damp for who knew
how long?
I squinted into the darkness, a soft call seeming to wrap its tongue
around my name and tug. I couldn’t even say for certain if it was real
in any sense of the word, but I couldn’t resist the pull of it regardless.
My boots splashed softly through the puddle coating the floor as we let
the darkness call us forward, and I couldn’t help but rest my hand on
the pommel of my sword, wanting to feel the realness of the steel while
surrounded by so much ethereal strangeness.
I stopped sharply, my head turning to the left without me having
planned it and I blinked as I found an alcove there, an ancient text
hanging beneath a stone archway set into the wall, the words looking
like they’d been branded onto the thick material containing them.

I stepped closer and Caleb kept with me, his presence the one thing
reminding me that we were still here, flesh and bone and not a part of
this unreal space which felt like it lay somewhere between life and
death. The words written there were not in any language or alphabet I
had ever seen before, and I frowned as I was forced to wonder if
everything down here would be written with such words. If so, then
this trip was destined to fail because I didn’t have the faintest clue how
to read so much as a single symbol in that language.

“Those are runes,” Caleb pointed out, his finger tracing the edge of
the brown material where they’d been marked alongside the words.
“Any chance you can read the rest of it?” I asked and he cocked his
head as he studied the text.
“I don’t think that’s even a language,” he said unhelpfully. “More like
a...code. Something which could only hold meaning to someone with
the key.”
I huffed out a frustrated breath, wondering where the hell I was
supposed to find the key to a code which was likely written thousands
of years ago.

A thin, rectangular, sapphire blue stone was set into the wall beneath
the text, something about it making me give it a closer look the
moment my
attention fell to it.
I wasn’t sure if it was instinct or intuition or just a dumb idea, but I
reached for the stone, my fingers brushing against it and feeling the
unnatural warmth residing within.

At the touch of my fingers, the stone slipped free of its position on the
wall, and I caught it automatically, turning it over in my palm before
holding it up to the fabric above, trying to look through it to the coded
words there.
Instead of unravelling the text, the warmth in the stone flared and I
gasped as visions pierced my skull of long forgotten Fae in some
unrecognisable place. They worshipped and sacrificed in the name of
dark magic, claiming untold power through unspeakable acts and raw
brutality.
A man with a knife piercing his chest.
Three women drinking vials of blood while someone screamed beyond
them.

A Medusa cutting the head from one of her own serpents with an
agonising cry.
A mother begging for the life of her child.
A flare of blinding power as a Dragon was chained to a stone table,
bellowing in fear as its throat was slit, blood spilling into channels
carved into the stone beneath it to collect every drop.
A man walking through realms as if the walls between them were
nothing but vapour, stealing mortals to sacrifice in the name of
claiming more power. Two Werewolves leaping into a raging fire
while a crowd of masked Fae screamed their approval and their howls
of agony ripped the air apart.

My grip on the stone loosened, the urge to hurl it away from me a

potent thing as I started to think we wouldn’t find anything here but
memories of a time best left forgotten. But just before it could tumble
from my fingers, the vision changed again, and my breath caught in
my throat.

The realm walker, his skin painted in blood which wasn’t his,
markings drawn onto his flesh in that deep and scorching red, striding
through the passage between realms which no living soul should be
able to cross. The Veil parted like oil around him as he stepped
through, his jaw gritting and muscles tensing with pain as he forced
the unknown realm to allow him entry despite his still beating heart.

The power of the stars ate at him as he forced the divide to part for
him, ripping at his strength and fighting against his will, but he didn’t
falter, determination burning through him until, with one final step
and a ring of power which almost knocked me from my feet, he passed
beyond.
He was panting, bleeding and had a hollow look in his eyes which
made it more than clear that doing so had been anything but easy, the
bloody marks now burned into his skin, but still, he’d made it. Waiting
for him on the other side were a woman and a child, their faces full of
joy as they ran to embrace him, and he collapsed into their arms as he
held them again. His family. Reunited by dark magic in spite of the
rules the stars had laid out for them.

The blue stone tumbled from my fingers and fell to the floor where it
sank into the puddle at my feet, that unholy light within it blinking
out.
“Did you see that?” I breathed, unable to lift my eyes to meet Caleb’s
in case he hadn’t, and I would be left to question every bit of those
memories alone.
“Yeah,” he replied roughly, the back of his hand brushing against
mine like he wasn’t sure if he should offer me comfort or not.
“He travelled beyond the Veil,” I whispered, afraid of speaking too
loud in case the stars were listening and would see every impossible
wish I held in my broken heart and fight even harder to keep me from
them.

“It looked like it took almost everything from him to do so,” Caleb
replied. “And I doubt he had what it would take to make the journey
once again in reverse. Seems like death would have been a simpler
way to access his family.”
I nodded slowly, accepting the truth of those words, and wondering
what would happen to a living soul who had trapped themselves on
the other side like that. I doubted it would be anything pleasant. Yet
he’d done it. For some unfathomable reason, that Fae had crossed
over without using the bridge of death to do so.

“I would give anything to speak with him one last time, Tory,” Caleb
said, knowing my mind was on that one soul in particular who had
been dragged to the other side before his time, forced to abandon the
life he had only just claimed for himself after suffering through misery
at the hands of his father for far too long. “But I don’t think that’s the
way to do it. There’s a reason why we can’t access that realm, and I
think it’s about more than simply keeping the living and the dead
apart. I also doubt that realm walker ever returned.”

He had no way of knowing that, but I nodded because I felt the truth
of it too. It had taken so much for him to cross through, his power
devoured by whatever it was that divided here and there. I couldn’t
imagine any way that he might have returned. But then the question
of why he went at all remained, because if his only desire was to
reunite with his loved ones, then death would have been a far simpler
answer than all he endured to arrive with them while his heart
remained beating.

I reached for the brown fabric holding those coded memories, my

fingers drifting over the runes marked along its edges as I worked to
memorise them. I already knew that runes were among the oldest
form of divination and magical tools, and I’d been drawn towards the
power of them since I’d cursed the stars, wanting to focus on forms of
divination that didn’t wholly rely on their favour to offer clarity. Not
that I could say I’d gleaned much from them. My mother’s gifts had
clearly skipped me altogether in that regard.

“As a side note,” Caleb added, watching me paint my fingers down

the edge of the waxy brown fabric as I studied the next rune. “I’m
around ninety percent certain that those markings have been made on
skin. Likely the hide of some murdered Fae in their shifted form.”
I yanked my hand away from the waxy fabric with a cry of disgust and
turned to him in horror. “Why would you think that?” I hissed.
“Because there’s a plaque just there which says so.” He pointed to the
bit of metal which claimed the gross skin scroll was likely over two
thousand years old from the time of the Vampire blood ages.

I cut a look at Caleb, my gaze moving to his mouth where his fangs
were currently hidden away, his pretty boy looks and polished
appearance hard to marry with a race of Fae who had terrorised the
entire kingdom and ruled it with fear and bloodshed.
“Did your mom lose her shit about the whole coven thing?” I asked in
a low voice as I stepped away from the alcove and turned down the
passageway once more. “Is it really so bad?”
“Yes and no,” Caleb said, shrugging one shoulder. “She’s pissed about
it. My dad too. But they heard me out and understand that it wasn’t
exactly intentional. They think I should stay away from Orion if he
returns.”
“For how long?” I asked.
“Forever.” Caleb blew out a breath and shook his head. “I didn’t
argue but I also know it isn’t going to happen. Even if his life and mine
weren’t so wrapped up with all of yours to make it pretty much
impossible, the connection I feel to him wouldn’t be so easily ignored.
We’ll have to be careful though, especially when it comes to hunting.
So long as we don’t engage in the hunt together there really shouldn’t
be any issue. Neither of us are looking to return Solaria to the rule of
blood and carnage.”

“I think your mom and the other Councillors need to get used to the
idea that they aren’t the ones in charge anymore,” I said, but before
Caleb could reply, a rush of wind made us both spin towards a narrow
opening on our left, a groan passing through it either from the
movement of the air or something...else.
“Why do I get the feeling you want to go in there?” Caleb asked as I
took a step closer to the narrow gap.

“Because I’m a fearless badass and you know it,” I suggested but he
just snorted.
“More like reckless to the point of idiocy, but sure, let’s squeeze
through a creepy gap in a wall where anything could be waiting to
drag us into the depths of this place, never to be seen again.”
“That’s the spirit.” I slapped him on the arm then moved closer to the
gap, directing a Faelight through it and squinting against the
brightness of it while my eyes adjusted.

“I’m just glad we didn’t have to fight any lake monsters on the way in
here and end up down here with our magic half depleted,” Caleb
added, and I shrugged as I drew my sword and let the flames ignite
along the length of it, my Phoenix preening at the heat of them and
my power beginning to swell instantly.

“I’m good,” I commented, turning myself sideways as I began to push

my body into the gap between the cold stone walls and move through
it. “Sucks to suck though.”
“Was that a shitty Vampire joke?” Caleb asked and I almost smiled.
“No.”
We kept going, the walls getting tighter and tighter against both my
back and my chest as I shimmied along, claustrophobia making my
breaths shallow. I started to wonder if I would even be able to make it
through to the other side at all.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and kept going, the fire from my

sword guiding me on, giving me strength with every step.
At last, I forced my way out of the gap, stumbling a step as I found
myself in another chamber, this one wide and laid out with five
ancient tomes on stone pedestals set in a random pattern around the
room. I sent several more Faelights up to hang around the room,
illuminating the corners of the space as whispering seemed to stir the
air and a shiver tracked down my spine.

There was no door here, no official way in, and the crack which I’d
forced my way through seemed too unnatural to have been here
originally, almost like some huge power had erupted in this place and
forced the opening into existence. And if that was the case, then it
meant that at some point, long ago, someone had sealed these books
and the knowledge within them inside this chamber, intending to keep
them hidden away, down here where no one could find them.

I almost leapt out of my damn skin as a grinding noise started at my

back and I turned to glare at Caleb. He was using his earth Element to
carve the stone of the narrow gap I’d just forced myself through,
widening the passageway and then walking through it with a smug
look on his face that reminded me of all the times I’d wanted to punch
him.
“It seemed kinda dumb to force myself through that tiny crevice when
I could just do that,” he explained with an innocent shrug, and I
decided not to comment on the fact that I hadn’t even thought to do
the same.

I stepped further into the chamber, the floor heavy with dust here, no
water making its way through the gap behind us, even after Caleb had
widened it.
“This place feels old,” I breathed, unsure if that word could even
come close to the enormity of time I felt spreading out around us here.
The Faelights flickered as if affected by some wind I couldn’t feel, and
my gaze moved to the walls where carvings sat crumbling along the
brickwork, the subjects hard to make out amid the cobwebs covering
them.
I stepped forward, a shiver running down my spine as I crossed some
invisible threshold, a breath of magic on my skin.
I moved towards the closest book, the cover a deep, blood red, the
material thick and carved with runes, flames, and the triangular
symbol for fire. Three zodiac constellations were marked with rubies
on the front of it. Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius, the fire signs.

Caleb crossed the space behind me, and I turned from looking at the
book to see him approaching a similar one bound in a deep forest
green material, the Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn signs marked on it
in emeralds, along with images of plants and runes too.

“These feel...alive,” Caleb breathed, his hand skimming along the

spine of the book as if he could sense some inner pulse calling out to
him from within its pages.
“Should we open them?” I asked, knowing it was insane to question
doing so after coming all this way in search of knowledge, but there
was something about the five books which set my teeth on edge,
something about opening their pages which seemed so very final.
Once we did it, we would never be able to undo it again.

Caleb didn’t answer, his attention slipping to the dark grey bound
book for air, marked with diamonds, then the midnight blue, sapphire
inlaid tome for water. “Why are there five?” he asked.
I turned slowly to look at the last book, the one on the pedestal
standing at the furthest point of the room, the pitch-black cover which
bound it seeming to draw light into it and shroud it in darkness.
“Shadows?” I questioned, taking a step towards it but Caleb shot into
my path and halted me with a raised hand.

“Look at the marks on the floor,” he murmured, pointing and drawing

my attention to the lines which looked like veins of midnight amid the
dust that had gathered there. I blinked at them then sucked in a
breath, recognising the shape from countless places, though I had
never heard a single teacher at Zodiac Academy refer to it as if it held
any true power.
“A pentagram,” I said, toeing the edge of the closest line with my
boot. “With a book at each corner. But why?”
“There are legends, the kind of thing mostly forgotten but mentioned
in kids’ stories from time to time,” Caleb said. “But I’ve heard people
say that long ago, the Elements were always portrayed on a pentagram
like this, with one lost power sitting at its helm, a power no one spoke
of for fear of waking it again.”

“The kind of power we could use to topple a false king?” I asked,

knowing his words had been intended to raise fear in me while finding
myself filled with hope instead.
“It could be dangerous, Tory,” Caleb warned but I shrugged.
“Danger doesn’t get to have anything to do with it. My sister needs
me; Solaria needs us. I won’t flinch from a creepy book all forgotten in
the dark.”

Caleb held my gaze for several seconds, his hesitation melting away at
those words and a ferocity taking its place which reminded me that he
was one of the most powerful Fae in this entire kingdom.

“Whatever it takes,” he said in a low voice, and I swear the lightning-

touched scar on my palm tingled at those words.
“No matter the cost,” I agreed and together we moved towards the
final book.
A lump formed in my throat as I approached it, a heaviness filling the
air which left a strange taste on the back of my tongue.

The watchful eyes of a thousand lost souls seemed to fall upon my

back as I closed that short span of distance, a low clicking noise
registering on the edge of my attention. Something moved in the
darkness beyond this chamber, but none of it took my attention from
the cloying darkness surrounding that fifth book.

The tome seemed to be warning us away, energy buzzing through the

air and the echoes of long-dead screams sounding on the edge of my
hearing, but I didn’t slow. I couldn’t afford to. Not while my sister was
missing, Lionel was on the throne, and our people were on the run, at
risk of falling prey to him at any given moment. We had taken too
great of a hit in that battle, and we needed a weapon to wield against
him so that we might be able to turn the tide of this war.
My fingers brushed against the Imperial Star at my throat, the weight
of it taunting me with the endless possibilities it contained, coupled
with the fact that no one could currently wield it aside from the
monster we were set to destroy.
The deep thump of power contained within the Imperial Star pulsed
against my fingertips, summoning me closer, making promises it
couldn’t fulfil. I wanted to curse it along with the stars for taunting us
with salvation while refusing to hand it to us.

I ground my jaw and moved my grip from the Imperial Star to the
heavy weight of the ruby necklace Darius had gifted me, the stone
heating with hidden fire, and I drew in a long breath. A breath seemed
to brush against my neck, in that curve where it met with my shoulder,
precisely where he had taken to kissing me in the mornings when he
woke, his body pressing to my spine as he reeled me into the net of
him. Not that I had ever tried to escape. Not once we had finally
chosen each other. A prickle of sensation rose up the side of my neck,
marking my skin with butterfly soft kisses that I could have sworn were
trailed with that stubble he never quite shaved off. A sigh escaped me,
longing and heartache merging as the ghost of him faded once more,
his intention unclear.

He’d tell me not to do this. Tell me not to do anything that could end
badly or risk my life. But then the asshole would have just done it
himself, taking on the risks regardless of the cost that losing him would
place on everyone he left behind if it failed.
“Do you think he knew he’d die on that battlefield?” I asked.
We stopped before the book and Caleb stilled in that unnatural way
only Vampires could manage, almost like he had turned to stone at
the mention of the man whose death had destroyed us both.
“I don’t think he would have willingly left any of us unless it was the
only choice remaining to him. And the one that would save those he
loved,” he said slowly.

“This doesn’t feel like he saved me,” I replied, releasing my hold on

the ruby pendant bitterly, severing any imagined connection I felt to
Darius’s spirit through it and slamming those walls back up around
my heart before I could feel any more of the agony which was
threatening to consume me. “It feels like he destroyed me one final
time. Like this was all some big joke, leading up to the annihilation of
everything I was and ever could have been.”
“You’re still you, Tory,” Caleb said, reaching for my hand but I
shrugged the contact off and reached for the book instead.
“No. I’m not. I’m just an echo left behind, a malignant spirit set on
revenge, and I’m far beyond the point of salvation. Which means
there isn’t anything in this book I won’t use if that’s what it takes to
right the wrongs which have been done against me and mine. Do you
understand?”

There was a threat there, a promise of its own as I drew that line,
letting him know that I wasn’t going to back out of anything we found
here now. There was no boundary containing me, no leash on my
need for revenge. No matter what we found in this book, I wouldn’t be
turned from the idea of using it if I could do so to keep the promises
I’d made while kneeling in the blood of the man I loved and cursing
the stars themselves.
Caleb’s gaze was steady as he looked back at me, and I knew then that
I wasn’t the only one who had gone beyond the point of salvation.
Losing Darius was a burden neither of us could bear without
reparation, and there would be no morality or fear which might hold
us back now.

Whatever we found in that book, in this place, we would use it and

damn the consequences.
I willed the Faelight above us to shine brighter and brighter, the blaze
hurting my eyes before it grew enough to illuminate the single word
marking the black leather of the book which stood at the top of the
pentagram. Ether.

“The fifth Element,” I breathed, my eyes moving over dark and

twisted runes, the likes of which I hadn’t even seen before. In place of
Elemental images, the book was covered in twisting patterns which
almost seemed like a path or puzzle, my gaze automatically following
one to the next, a never- ending trail that held no heart.

I reached for the book, the sound of something shifting across the
rocks at my back almost making me turn, but I couldn’t tear my eyes
from the dark power before me. It was hauntingly intoxicating, a
wealth of knowledge and power unlike anything I had ever
encountered before.
Our answers lay within those pages, I knew it down to the depths of
my soul, but they might just have held our damnation too.
I raised my chin and thought of my sister, lost somewhere out there in
the wastelands of this world. She needed me and I wouldn’t back
down now, so without another thought, I reached for the cover of the
Book of Ether and opened it.

A cold wind collided with my spine as the book fell open, a scream
rising in my throat then choking out as the power in my veins was
ripped away, burning out in a flashfire that left me completely tapped
out. It all happened so quickly that I almost fell to my knees from the
brutality of its destruction.
I clung to the dais before me, Caleb panting heavily at my side as the
same thing happened to him. I couldn’t help but look behind us,
scanning the walls and the open passageway at our backs for any signs
of something coming for us in our newly vulnerable state.
“What the fuck was that?” Caleb asked, his fangs glinting in the faint
light as his Order form was released.

“I don’t know. But if this book can command that much power with
something as simple as opening it, then I have to think we’re looking
in the right place.”
Caleb nodded slowly, his eyes darting around the room too and I was
reassured as he turned back to the book. If his Vampire senses hadn’t
revealed anything to worry about, then I was confident I could turn
my attention the Book of Ether and unveil its secrets.
The first page held nothing beyond the symbol of the pentagram, the
power humming from the ominous shape making a shiver dart
through me as I carefully turned the page again.

Ether is the epitome of all magics. It’s power great, and influence vast. Those who
dare tap into the call of this purest form of magic should heed this warning:

No prize comes without a cost. Blood shall spill, spirits shall splinter, and all shall
behold the one-eyed demon of fate before the end.

“That sounds promising,” I muttered, turning the page again and

finding a table of contents which listed things from omens to
bloodletting, soul walking to the power of the true name, curses, hexes,
bone magic, blood magic, the power of chaos, to the corruption of
fate. So many magics, most of which I had never heard of and beyond.
I found a chapter titled ‘to find a lost soul’ and quickly flipped the
pages to locate it.

The book fell open but the chapter I’d been seeking wasn’t the one I
found. Instead, staring up at me was an image of two Fae standing on
either side of what looked like a pane of glass or a mirror, their faces
torn with grief as they reached for one another. In the second image,
the Fae to the left was cutting their arm open, the blood spilling onto a
collection of rune-marked bones and other items which were hard to
recognise in the drawing. But in the third image, the thing that had
been dividing the two Fae had cracked apart, not broken, not enough
for anything more than their voices to pass through, but it was enough
for that much and the look of relief on their faces set my heart racing.
I flipped back a page and looked to the title there. Conversing with the
dead.

My lips parted as I began to read more, my eyes drinking in each and

every word while Caleb fell deathly still at my side.
A strange scraping, rattle stole through the air.

The power of conversing with the dead is one of the more sought-after forms of
necromancy, the ability both often one of deepest desire and most potent grief, but it
is not an act that many Fae can complete.

Most commonly, a séance is the key to achieving such a gift, but it must be noted
that such power should not be wielded lightly.
First off, a spirit board will likely be needed to help translate the words of those
beyond the Veil. Such an item is best crafted from the wood of a Necrolis Tree, the
power of its wood imbued with ether from the casting Fae to help create a bridge.

My heart thundered like the galloping hooves of a wild stallion as I

read on, but it began to sink the further I went, the book explaining
the way the board could be used to get simple answers such as yes or
no most effectively, needing more power and the addition of blood
magic to access full words which would be spelled out letter by letter.
The chances of gleaning so much as a full sentence were bleak and
there were multiple mentions of the pitfalls of such magic. For one, the
Fae wielding it needing to bleed the entire time the connection was in
place, and worse than that, malignant spirits took the place of the
intended Fae on the other side more often than not. They would play
games and send messages of either hope or despair in an attempt to
lure the Fae wielding the magic to linger too long and bleed out while
casting it.

It became clear that the practice would offer up little more than yes or
no answers even if a connection with the departed soul was created. I
wouldn’t even be able to hear his voice.
My fist slammed down on the plinth beside the book as frustration and
disappointment bit into me, and Caleb sighed as he came to the same
conclusion that I had. Spirit boards weren’t the answer to us finding
Darius again in any form. If there even was a way to contact him in
the beyond, then this wasn’t it.

“Fuck,” I hissed, turning the pages aggressively to find the one I’d
been hunting for in the first place.

To Find a Lost Soul.

When encountering this magic for the first time, one must be aware of the pitfalls
involved with soul walking. This magic is not for the weak of heart and can be more
dangerous than it first seems.

First, to seek out a missing soul, the Fae casting the magic must have a deep and
intimate knowledge of the one they seek. A blood relation or mate is the best and only
real option, unless one wishes to risk the perils of being cast adrift in the in-between.

I scanned several more paragraphs which gave a more in-depth

description of the way the magic would work. First, I was going to
have to find a bone of my enemy and carve it with the true name of
the Fae I sought. Then there was a whole bit on tethering my lifeforce
to a subject of immovable value so that I could find my way back
again because to achieve this magic, my soul was literally going to be
walking out of my damn body and shifting across the world to search
out the one I was hunting for. On top of that, I would need to harness
the energy of the sun at its highest point in the day.

It looked complicated and damn difficult, plus there were a ton of

warnings about not lingering outside the confines of my flesh and
never attempting to soul walk beyond the Veil unless I was seeking the
true death.
All in all, it sounded pretty full-on and all kinds of terrifying, but I
wasn’t put off in the least. If I could use that power to find my sister,
then there was nothing in this world which would keep me from doing
so.
Caleb didn’t protest when I said as much to him, only suggesting we
should stop by the battlefield on our way back home to gather the
bones of our enemies for the spell.

I nodded grimly, knowing I should have left it at that, the book having
already given us the knowledge we’d come here for, but I couldn’t
help myself as I began to turn more pages, one after another, drinking
in the words and twisted magic awaiting me there.

There were other kinds of necromancy beyond the spirit board, almost
all aimed at conversing with the dead, though some referred to raising
dead bodies. The momentary excitement I felt over those chapters was
quickly quelled by the facts as I read more. The things the book talked
about raising were nothing beyond shells, no part of the Fae who had
once resided within them lingering. They were simply mindless
skeletons with some lingering magic in their bones which could be
used for simple things like protecting particular items or guarding
against unwanted trespassers, much like the dead in The Everhill
Graveyard who had been awakened when we had gone there without
permission in the dead of night.

Just as I felt like screaming at the whole damn world for teasing me
with possibilities which weren’t anywhere close to becoming reality, I
turned one more page and my eyes fell on a footnote beneath the
description of a spell on the corruption of fate.

Even a destiny mapped out by the stars and drawn into reality by time itself can
often be changed. Fate is not the master of this world. Only ether commands the true
power, and those who learn to master its call can learn to master the world itself
and all those who exist within it.

My lips parted on Caleb’s name as I pointed towards the sentence, but

in the next heartbeat, a swell of unnatural power drove into us again
and the Faelights all blinked out.
That scraping, clawing noise ground against the stones at our backs,
and I whirled towards it, the dark pressing in so thickly that I couldn’t
even see my hand before my face, let alone anything else.
The sound of the book slamming shut behind me sent an echo
reverberating right down to my core. I worked to summon magic to
my command, despite already knowing that it had all been stripped
away from me and a pit of dread lodged itself within me as I felt the
empty bowels of my power in reply.

“We are the Keepers of the Lost Knowledge,” a voice of nightmares

spoke from the dark, a horrible clacking sound punctuating each
word. “And you have trespassed where you are not welcome.”
My fangs snapped out as I squinted into the darkness, my gifted vision
barely managing to pick apart the shadows at all in this place of
endless night, but there was something there in the dark, something
shifting across
the wall with a body that writhed unnaturally.

“What is it?” Tory hissed at my side, drawing her sword even though
she couldn’t see shit either, but as the Phoenix fire burst to life along
the length of it, the room flared into sudden and all too real focus.
The thing on the wall wasn’t alone, more and more of them creeping
out of cracks which had seemed like nothing but dark shadows around
the edges of this forgotten chamber but now proved themselves to be
doorways designed for things unlike any creature I had ever known to
walk this earth.

Their bodies were a matte black, overlapping armoured plates coating

their length, the things moving like centipedes while clinging to walls
and ceilings with overly long legs that bent at unnatural angles, knees
turning back on themselves. But their faces weren’t like any insect,
their deep green eyes blazing with intelligence and seeming almost
Fae. Their jaws were something born of a twisted fantasy, a gaping
mouth of sharp and rotting teeth that hung slack, saliva dripping onto
the dark floor as they surveyed their meals.

“What do you want?” I demanded, drawing my twin daggers, and

igniting the flames on them at my command while trying to keep my
eyes on the monsters circling us.
Without our magic, we were at one hell of a disadvantage, but if we
could keep them distracted for just a little longer then Tory would be
able to use the fire from our weapons to recharge at least some of her
power.
“To fulfil the task left to us by the Mother,” one hissed from my left
and I fought to hide my repulsion as drool slid from its fangs to the
floor. “To protect the knowledge here from Fae who would seek to
abuse it for selfish gains.”

“We aren’t looking to abuse anything,” Tory said firmly, her chin held
high as she met the monstrous eyes of the one directly in front of us. “I
am a Vega princess and Caleb is an Heir to the Celestial Council.
Solaria is in desperate need of the magic hidden inside these books.”
The creatures all began to clack their teeth, and it took me a moment
to realise they were speaking to one another, their movements growing
faster as they riled themselves up. I glanced between them where they
continued to crawl across the walls surrounding us.
A faint glow drew my attention to the pentagram we stood within, the
lines of it coming alive with some ancient power while the beasts
circled us.

“They can’t cross those lines,” I breathed for Tory’s ears alone and
she nodded in understanding as one of the creatures came close to a
glimmering line then skuttled away again with a hiss of pain.
“The Mother hid this knowledge from your kind,” one of the monsters
said suddenly, making me turn towards it on our right. “Hid it from
those who abused it time and again. It is to remain lost.”
“And if we refuse to leave it here?” Tory demanded, causing those
rotting teeth to clatter together as the creatures hissed and snapped in
rage.

“Then we will show you how very hungry we are,” one rasped.
“I get the feeling you intend to show us that regardless of our choices
concerning the books,” I pointed out and something akin to laughter
filled the air.
“You know of the books’ existence,” one breathed from the ceiling
directly above our heads. “That knowledge cannot leave this place.”
“Well, that makes this conversation somewhat pointless,” Tory
muttered, her fingers twisting subtly to throw a silencing bubble over
the two of us. “How fast are you feeling?” she asked, her focus locked
on the monsters as they swarmed around us.
“Lightning,” I replied, eyeing the creatures as they circled us, knowing
as well as they did that we couldn’t hide within the confines of the
pentagram for long. The magic which pulsed along the lines of it was
already flickering and I was willing to bet that after a few thousand
years, its power was burning low. “We probably have another minute
at best before the pentagram falls.”

“I’ll make a bag for the books then jump on your back, you throw
them all into it and I’ll blast them with fire to create a path to the exit
for you to shoot us through,” Tory said, her hand already moving as
she cast a large bag from thick leaves, the monsters clacking and
yowling as they saw what she was doing.
“I hope that Minotaur can run fast,” I muttered, knowing we were
going to need his help to find our way back out of the Labyrinth once
we made it to the upper level again.

“Let’s focus on not dying in this chamber first then worry about the
speed his hooves can move if we don’t die before we get back to him,”
Tory suggested, and I swear the thought of us dying down here in this
pit had her dark eyes glimmering with excitement.
“You’re a fucking psychopath, you know that?” I muttered and she
flashed me a grin that was all bloodlust for a fight.
“Says the apex predator.”

Tory tossed me the bag and I stowed one of my daggers before

snatching it from mid-air as she sheathed her sword then leapt onto
my back.
I shot into motion as the creatures screamed in horror, realising what
we were doing while still powerless to stop us from beyond the magical
barrier created by the pentagram.

I grabbed the book on ether first, the weight of it notable beyond what
I would have expected even with how big the fucking thing was. I
tossed it into the bag, cringing a little at how roughly I was handling it
and knowing that somewhere in the world, Orion had just shuddered
in horror. The book on fire went in next, then water and air, the bag
feeling like it was weighted with fucking rocks and the leaves which
had gone into its creation groaning at the strain of holding them.
My fingers brushed the edge of the earth book just as a shudder of
power rumbled through the room and the light gleaming from the
pentagram fell apart on a breath of unnatural wind.

The creatures screamed as they lunged at us, shadows of deepest black

dancing across the walls in their wake as the light from my lone dagger
was all we had left to see by.
I was forced to dart aside as they lunged for me, hopping over one
then almost tripping on another before a hot slice of pain cut into my
thigh as one of them managed to swipe at me with its razor-sharp
pincers.

I swore loudly and a blast of flame erupted over my shoulder as Tory

unleashed her magic, the creature screaming as it was caught in the
fire, its body curling in on itself while the armoured plates of its back
locked together to protect it from the flames.
The other monsters lurched away, shielding their eyes with their
grossly bent limbs as the flare of light momentarily blinded them.
I lunged for the earth book, hurling it into the bag and shooting
towards the exit as the creatures recovered and came for us again.

Tory cried out in pain as one of them swung a pincer at us and the hot
splatter of her blood on my cheek told me it had found flesh.
“Fuck, that hurts,” she hissed, letting me know that she wasn’t
mortally wounded as I shot for the exit with her still clinging on tight
to my back.
Fire tore from her palm as she aimed for the passage leading back out
into the underground library, the creatures throwing themselves aside
or curling in on their own bodies in defence to the flames.
I shot between them and hurtled out into the damp chamber, a flash
of dizziness making me stumble as I turned a corner, and I swore as I
almost crashed into a wall at breakneck speed.

The creatures howled behind us as they took chase and my pulse

hammered wildly in chest as my feet began to slow.
“My Phoenix is fading!” Tory cried as I ran on, my gifted speed
coming and going so that one moment we raced through the passages
and the next I was stumbling at Fae speed.
“They must have had some kind of Order suppressant in their
pincers,” I cursed, spotting the stairs we needed ahead of us and
staggering on, managing another flash of speed which hurled us up
several flights before I almost fell face first against the wall as my gifts
slipped away again.

“Let me down,” Tory commanded, but I shook my head and forced

myself to focus, baring my fangs and shooting us on once more.
The sound of those things chasing us wasn’t nearly far enough away
and I knew if we had to run at our normal Fae speed, they’d catch us
in no time.
“I can hold on a little longer,” I gritted out even as pain radiated
through my mouth and my fangs began to retract.

We shot up the stairs once more, but I tripped over the final one, the
two of us crashing to the ground and tumbling across the stone floor
where we re- joined the Labyrinth, my dagger and the bag of books
sliding away across the stone floor.
“That motherfucking bovine cunt!” I roared as I shoved myself to my
feet and hunted the dark passageway for any sign of Arnold, the
asshole who had promised to wait right here for us and had apparently
given up on that promise at the earliest opportunity.

Tory got up too, her eyes whipping left and right in search of the
Minotaur, but it was clear that he had been gone a while. I didn’t
know if the shrieks of those monsters down in the dark had scared him
off or if the motherfucker had abandoned us the second we’d
descended those stairs, but it didn’t matter now. We were fucked.
“There’s no escaping a Minotaur’s labyrinth, Tory,” I said as she
threw a hand out towards the stairs and blocked them off with a wall
of rock, the screams of the monsters beyond it cutting off abruptly.
“You need to bite me,” she snapped, whirling towards me and
ignoring what I’d said entirely.

“No,” I barked, a flash of memory spearing through me as I

remembered what I’d done to her the last time I’d bitten her. The
sound of her spine breaking as she fell from the roof of King’s Hollow,
the utter fury and betrayal in Darius’s eyes as he realised what I’d
done and had commanded me never to come near her with my fangs
again. I couldn’t bite her. I wouldn’t.
“Stop giving me that fucking look and bite me before you lose contact
with your Vampire entirely. You’re no use to either of us if you have
no access to your Order form and no magic to fight with.”
“Tory, I can’t. I swore an oath to Darius after I hurt you before. You
know I can’t-”

She punched me so hard, my fucking head wheeled to one side, and I

tasted my own blood.
“Don’t throw his fucking name at me and talk about promises you
made to him. He promised me he’d fight for me. He promised he
wouldn’t fucking leave. And look what he did. So don’t go keeping
promises to that asshole which will end up getting the both of us killed,
when he broke every oath he ever swore by dying on that fucking
battlefield and leaving me all on my own.”

The raw pain and heartache in her green eyes ripped at something
deep inside of me, but as the weight of several huge bodies collided
with the wall of rock beside me, I knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on
that. And even if I didn’t believe in half the things she’d just said or
even believe that she meant them herself, I did know one thing. Darius
had made me swear that oath to protect the woman who stood before
me. And he would want me to do anything I could to protect her now
too. Which meant I needed to be able to fight.

My fangs throbbed with pain again and I knew we were almost out of
time, my Vampire retreating into the dark recesses of my mind as the
venom from those fucking pincers delved under my skin and banished
it.
With a snarl of frustration, I lunged for her, my fingers knotting in her
hair as her head fell back in submission and my teeth broke the soft
skin of her throat with a violence that I should have subdued.

Tory hissed as I drank from her, this bite nothing like the ones we’d
once shared, a gap of space dividing our bodies which neither of us felt
any urge to close. The power of her blood still overwhelmed me the
way it always had, but the intoxication I’d once felt at the taste of her
was missing, an ache for something dipped in moonlight burning in
my chest as I took what I needed to replenish my power.
My fangs throbbed as I fought against the venom which was trying to
force them to retract and I gulped her blood down greedily, taking as
much as I could before the suppressant won out and my fangs were
banished.
I released her instantly and Tory raised a hand to pile more rocks
against the wall beside us as it rattled violently once again.

“This way,” she commanded, breaking into a sprint while I threw the
bag full of books onto my back, retrieved my dagger and chased after
her, already uncertain of the way in this maze of tunnels.
Flames coated Tory’s hands as she sprinted on ahead of me, both
lighting the way and regenerating her power as we raced down tunnel
after tunnel.

A resounding boom in the distance made it clear that the creatures

had forced their way through the barricade and my pulse raced as I
glanced back in that direction, magic building in my palms.
We took a set of stairs up a level before a few more turns revealed a
dead end, and we were forced to double back again.
The clacking, grinding sound of the creatures racing over the stone
walls was so much closer when we reached the bottom of the stairs
again that I expected them to be on us at any moment.

Tory threw another wall of stone up at our backs and I added my

power to hers, reinforcing it before we charged on, but no matter how
many twists and turns we took, no exit revealed itself.
“I can’t believe we survived all we have only to end up lost in a fucking
labyrinth and eaten by a bunch of mutated centipedes,” I swore, and
the sounds of pursuit grew closer again, our end closing in on us no
matter how fast we ran.

“Fuck that,” Tory growled, sprinting around another bend before

cursing so loudly that I knew it was a dead end before I even turned it
myself.
“Shit,” I agreed, putting my back to the wall at her side and casting
spears of wood and stone to grow from every wall of the tunnel just as
the first of the beasts launched themselves around the corner.

I glanced at Tory as she bared her teeth at the monsters, whips cast
from thorny vines coiling from her fists as she prepared to fight to the
death at my side, a fire lit behind us making the blood from the bite on
her throat gleam deepest red.
“We don’t die here,” she said, a queen’s command and for once, I had
no problem following it.
“Agreed.”
Chaos erupted all around us as the Guardians of the Lost Knowledge
attacked us at full force, countless insectile bodies leaping for us, those
grotesque teeth bared for our throats as they screamed out in desire
for our deaths.

Tory flicked her whips, the vines binding two of the beasts tightly, the
thorns digging into scaled flesh before bursting alight and making
them scream in agony.
I threw the spears I’d cast from the walls at them, dark blue blood
spraying the brickwork as they were impaled upon them, their screams
of pain colouring the air and making my ears ring in the confined
space.

Tory threw her hands out and sent a tornado of fire and air magic at
them, their wails of agony letting us know how much they hated the
flames, and I turned my power to fire too.
The monsters screamed louder as they tried to run from us, but I
curled my fist and slammed it against the wall sending earth magic
ricocheting through the walls themselves, seeking out the monsters as
they raced away before throwing a wall of steel into place to trap them
in this tunnel.

“Let’s end this,” I snarled, pouring all of my power into the flames
again, filling the entire passageway with them as the heat threatened
to burn us alive too.
Tory gritted her teeth and ice grew at our backs, air swirling up and
over us, circling past the ice over and over again as she protected us
from the flames and we set the entire world on fire before us, not
relenting for even the briefest of moments until the screams of those
monsters fell to nothing.

My power guttered out as the last of the screams sounded and the
flames fell away, revealing the charred, skeletal bodies of the beasts in
a tunnel lined with nothing but soot.
The two of us stood there for several long minutes, panting and staring
at the bodies of the dead creatures from our position lost in a fucking
Minotaur’s labyrinth, which we were likely to stay lost in for a long
fucking time.
“What are we supposed to do now?” I asked, glancing up at the stone
roof which curved above our heads, towards the world which awaited
us up there.

“Well, I’m not staying down in some fucking tunnel for god knows
how long,” Tory replied, and I snorted in amusement as she raised her
hands and started breaking the damn roof apart right above our
heads.
The entire world seemed to shake and rattle around us as she gritted
her teeth, the flames burning hotter to stoke her power as she built it
to greater heights, the magic of the labyrinth fighting against her in an
attempt to stop what she was trying to do. This place was built to
withstand the force of any Fae fool enough to try and carve their way
free of it. But Tory wasn’t just any Fae. She was a Vega, the most
powerful bloodline in known history and a Phoenix too, her magic
endless while that fire burned at her back and her will iron as she
forced the laws of magic and nature to bend to her will.

The roof above our heads cracked apart with an almighty boom,
debris tumbling down onto us and colliding with a shield she’d already
thrown up to protect us.
I adjusted the weight of the bag on my back as she lifted us with air
magic and we rose into the tunnel she was carving above us, heading
higher and higher until finally some light spilled down to reveal the
golden halls of the pristine library.
The world continued to groan and shudder in protest to her power,
and I tried to hide my awe at the incredible magic as she forced a
labyrinth built of ancient magic to crumble at her will.

A scream of purest horror greeted us as Tory shot us up through the

library and deposited us, bloodstained, filthy and dripping fuck knew
what onto a beautiful cream carpet in the middle of a huge chamber
filled with golden bookshelves.
The librarian who hadn’t wanted to let us into this place stood there, a
hand on his chest and a silent scream on his lips as he sagged against a
shame-faced Minotaur called Arnold.
“Thanks so much for your hospitality,” Tory said brightly, striding
past them towards the exit where she gave a gobsmacked Laini a
salute and struck the call button for the elevator which would return us
to ground level at last. “We’ll be sure to visit again soon.”
“By the light of the ever-waning moon,” the librarian breathed, and I
tossed him a wicked grin as Arnold continued to try and hold him
upright.
“Oh, and Arnold?” Tory added, backing into the elevator which had
arrived behind us. “If I ever see your cowardly, abandoning face
again, I’m gonna cut your horns off and shove them up your ass. Got
it?”

Arnold mooed weakly and I gnashed my teeth at him to back up that

promise right as the doors closed to the sound of the librarian
protesting us leaving with a bag full of books.
“Bite me,” I called in challenge but if he replied again, the answer was
lost as the elevator soared up through the lake towards the fresh air
above.
“Tell me you kept hold of your Atlas in that madness so we can get
back to the rebels,” I begged of Tory as we stepped out of the elevator
and found ourselves on the island sat in the middle of the lake, bits of
dead lake monster still floating in the dark water surrounding us.

“Because we still haven’t got use of our Order forms and I seem to
have lost mine somewhere when you attacked those monsters-”
“Don’t blame me for that dude, that was fully the crab thing’s fault.”
“Either way, we’re looking a hell of a lot like a pair of mortals on a
camping trip in the near future, unless you still have yours?” We
needed someone to give us the current location of the floating island
or we’d be stranded here with countless hours having passed since
we’d left.

“We could start walking?” she suggested half-heartedly and I sighed,

the idea of camping out in the middle of nowhere about as appealing
as taking a bath in that lake as I glanced at those monster lumps
floating in the water once more. “Or we could call for a location?”
Tory flashed her Atlas at me with a taunting look and I cursed her as
she hit dial on Geraldine’s number.
“Don’t forget we need to stop for a bone of your enemy on the way
back,” I said, grimacing at that lovely idea.
“Your dating game has really picked up recently, you know that?” she
said sweetly and the memory of our utter failure of a date flashed
through my mind, making my grimace deepen.
“You really would have preferred grave robbing and fighting those
monsters to karaoke and sushi, wouldn’t you?” I asked and her eyes
flashed with what looked like amusement for a moment as she
shrugged.
“Definitely.”

I rolled my eyes just as Geraldine answered the call, her gushing voice
spilling from the speaker as the truth of that statement settled in me,
and I found nothing but amusement in it. Tory Vega was one hell of a
friend to take on a night out, but our destiny had never been meant to
merge in the way I had once thought it might, and I found that there
was no sting left to that truth anymore, no lingering hurt or
resentment. Me and her were a train wreck waiting to happen as a
couple, but as friends we worked out pretty damn well.

Tory managed to end her call with Geraldine fairly quickly, and I
looked to her in expectation as she took the stardust from her pocket.
“They’re just doing something with Xavier that apparently can’t wait.
She’ll let us know once she’s carved out a landing spot for us between
the wards,” she explained, and I nodded, my eyes moving over the
silent, picturesque landscape that surrounded us.

“Wanna sit and enjoy the view?” I offered.

Tory’s eyes tracked across the vibrantly green landscape, but she
shook her head.
“Silence isn’t good for me right now.”
I resisted the urge to hug her, knowing she didn’t want that, not here,
not while she was fighting so hard to remain unbroken through all of
this.
“Wanna go find some bones of your enemies then instead?”
Her lips twitched with amusement, but she just pulled a shard of bone
from her pocket, holding it out to me.
“I took it from those things that tried to kill us down there. They
certainly seemed to think we were their enemies, so...”
“Savage,” I snorted, and she returned the bone to her pocket with a
shrug. “I’m not wasting any more time.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, we can’t head back until we hear from

Geraldine, so either sit your ass down and enjoy the view with me
while we wait or start walking if you need to keep moving. Lady’s
choice.”
Tory looked inclined to start walking, but I had to assume she saw the
pointlessness in that and dropped down to sit on the damp grass
instead, her chin raised as she looked out over the stunning view.

I joined her on the ground, the bag of stolen books sitting between us
with an air of power radiating from them that neither of us spoke on.
Silence stretched and a cool wind blew between the mountains, giving
our grief a moment to rise up and have its way once more.
“It feels like I’ve lost a limb,” I murmured, my throat thickening as I
looked across the mountainous landscape, imagining a golden Dragon
tearing across that sky, tumbling through the clouds.

Tory didn’t reply but she shifted closer to me, her head falling against
my shoulder as she took my hand in hers. I could feel the ridge of the
scar cut into her palm where her skin pressed to mine, and I could
have sworn a note of power radiated from the oath she’d carved into
her skin.
“I made a promise to the stars to end them for this failure,” she said in
a low voice, the cold certainty in her words making the hairs along the
back of my neck stand on end. “And I intend to keep it.”

Silence fell away from us once more and I could feel the echoes of her
words spilling out over the sky and beyond, the certainty and power of
that oath she’d made, and the knowledge that she wouldn’t stop until
she saw it fulfilled. If there was a single Fae in Solaria capable of
making the stars themselves tremble with their wrath, then I knew it
was Tory Vega. And not even the might of the heavens would save
them when that time came.
“I don’t know about this,” Xavier said as we sat out by the fire pit,
smoke coiling up towards the twilight sky.
“Nonsense, you nincompoop,” Geraldine exclaimed as she helped
Sofia and Tyler strap Xavier into a glittery lilac harness around his
chest. They’d convinced him to strip down to his boxers, ready to shift
and Sofia and Tyler were also in their underwear, putting on their
own harnesses which were attached to Xavier’s between them by four
thick straps.

“I feel like an idiot,” Xavier muttered.

“It’ll be fine once we’re up there,” Tyler said firmly. “Just give it a
shot.” Xavier stamped his foot in annoyance but didn’t refuse it any
more than that.
“This is gonna be shit show,” Max muttered to me from my right.

I’d spent some time crafting the log seats out here, so they were comfy
as hell with a lining of moss on them too, and I had my feet kicked up
on a little loggy pouffe. But as comfy as I was, I wasn’t in the best of
moods. Caleb and Tory still hadn’t returned, and my mind was
chasing visions of them together in that deep, dark library, seeking
solace in each other’s arms. What was taking so fucking long?
Geraldine had taken a call not long ago, but had cast a silencing
bubble and gone all incognito about it since, sending Justin and a
couple of other Asses off with some job in mind. She always did shit
like that, acting as if me, Caleb and Max weren’t worthy of hearing
the plans of the mighty A.S.S. And it pissed me the hell off.

“Righto, are you ready, my stout stallion?” Geraldine clapped Xavier

on the arm, and he huffed a breath then nodded.
Sofia undid her bra, wriggling out of it and tossing it away before her
and her two Pega-men dropped their underwear and revealed a whole
host of glittery rocks and shiny encrustings on their Ds and her P.
I’d always quite liked the idea of a dijazzle and wondered if my cock
would appreciate a little makeover. I wonder if there was anything
true to that rumour about Cal having the hots for Pegasuses...

The three of them shifted and the harnesses stretched out around their
bodies to accommodate their new size. Sofia had had the idea to use
the same magic as the Tempa Pego-bags to make it easier for them to
shift in and out of their Order forms while wearing the harness. It had
quick release buckles too for when they landed. Seemed like a solid
idea, only Xavier was pouting like someone had pissed in his pancake
mix. Even in Pegasus form, his lips were pursed and his eyes all angry-
like.

“Go on, Xavier,” Max encouraged, the air filling with a buzz of
excitement as he fed it to all of us.
Xavier looked a little brighter as he absorbed Max’s gifts and
Geraldine moved around to smack him on the rump.
“Yah!” she cried, and Xavier kicked his hind legs at her, making her
dive out of the way and do a forward roll before rising stylishly back to
her feet.
It made me think of her signature Pitball moves and a whine left my
throat as I thought of that game and how I was never going to get to
play it again with all of my friends.

Max reached out to brush his fingers over my arm and I let him steal
away some of my pain, before pressing some happies into me.
“Thanks, man,” I murmured.
“Any time,” he said. “I can go a little deeper if you like?”
“No,” I said quickly. Any deeper, and he’d find my secret feelings for
Caleb, but I hated the way my friend frowned at me, as if he knew I
was hiding stuff from him.

“Love you, bro,” I added, and his face softened.

“Love you too, asshole,” he said.
The Pegasuses walked forward, turning in a large circle until they were
facing downhill away from the firepit, their tails swishing and muscles
twitching in anticipation of the flight.
“Go on, Xavier,” Geraldine hooted. “Fly to the nevermore and
beyond!”
Xavier neighed, rearing up and flicking his head so his beautiful lilac
mane fluttered in the wind, then he charged forward, leading the way.
Tyler and Sofia raced along beside him, their wings stretching out
either side of them, flapping in preparation of take-off.
“Go, Xavier!” I howled in excitement.
They started lifting into the sky, Tyler and Sofia rising fast while the
harness attached to Xavier went taut between them, and he was
hoisted off the ground with his horsey legs wheeling through the sky.
Sofia whinnied happily to Xavier, but Darius’s little brother slowly
stopped kicking his legs, hanging there like a limp dick instead as he
sailed overhead.

“Give it some gusto, dear brother!” Geraldine called to him, but

Xavier’s features had fallen flat, his long face looking sullen as hell
while Sofia and Tyler flew back and forth in the sky above.
“He looks like he’s about to be fed to a T-rex,” I said to Max who
burst out laughing just as Xavier was flown overhead again, his horsey
pout deepening.
“What in the world...” My mom appeared with Tiberius Rigel, the
two of them watching the strange display in confusion.
Geraldine bustled her way over to them, grabbing Tiberius’s hand and
pulling him closer.

“Good day to you and your cockles, Tiberius. Look, I have been
wanting to say this to you for a finnywag or two, but there has been
much ado about war and politics that has taken the front seat of our
caddy wagon. So hear me now. I know you and my father stood upon
separate cliffs which bordered a desolate sea, but I must say that you
have sired a fine salmon, and I have decided I wish to form something
of a trout truce with you. We can put our whelks aside for the sake of
mine and Maxy boy’s pimpersnapping, at least outside of the war
councils and such, what say you?”

Tiberius frowned, looking to Max then back to Geraldine. “I’m

terribly sorry, my dear, but I have no idea what you just said.”
“Oh-ho! You are quite the devil dancing with a dandelion,” Geraldine
laughed, slapping Tiberius on the chest. “You have such wit about
your warthole. Shall we sup together this eve? Or perhaps upon the
morrow if this night doesn’t suit? It would be best for us to get to know
each other on a more personable level, to forge a bond that can
transcend our animosity towards one another. Of course, I won’t
promise to shut my tripper trapper when it comes to my loyalties, and
no doubt your tongue will dance the dinglehop in my direction
whenever a debate arises, but Maxy and I have found fertile ground to
plant our neutral begonias in, and I do not see any reason why we
cannot do the same. So what say you, does a supper suit or is a tiffin
more appetising to your belly box?”

“I, er...” Tiberius looked lost for words and Max shoved to his feet.
“She’d like dinner with us, Dad,” Max explained, moving to slip his
arm around Geraldine’s waist. My mom made a face that said she was
concerned about my friend’s new relationship with a royalist.

It got my hackles rising, because I was so sick of all this ‘us and them’
bullshit. The royals versus the Heirs. I knew all of that might be
relevant again one day if we ever got a chance to seize the throne, but
I was tired of battles and I definitely didn’t want to go back to war
with the Vegas and their friends. And yeah, okay, so maybe that made
me a hypocrite considering all the shit I’d done in the past to try and
get rid of the twins, but like, why couldn’t everyone just get along
now? If anything made alliances more important than ever, it was war.
We’d put our Heir hats back on if we ever killed the lizard king.
Simple.
“Of course,” Tiberius said, smiling kindly at Geraldine. “How about
dinner tomorrow?”
Xavier swooped over our heads again, eyes narrowed and expression
flat even though Sofia and Tyler were working hard to give him the
ride of his life.
Mom walked over to me, cocking her head as she took in the way I
was slumped in my chair.

“You could go and speak with some of the rebels, start talking them
around and gaining some favour among them,” she suggested.
“And why would I do that?” I asked, folding my arms.
“Politics, Seth,” she clipped. “Have you forgotten everything I taught
you? You need to become a leader among these people. It’s important
you show your face, and that you’re seen helping with the new
building sites. I’ve been working on the construction of a nursery on
the eastern side of the island, perhaps you could head over there and
offer a hand?”
“You mean slap on a fake smile and go win some allegiance with my
charm,” I corrected dryly, not looking at her, but she stepped firmly
into my line of sight.

“I know you’re still grieving, pup,” she said gently. “But it really is
time to start thinking of the future again. We must rebuild what has
been lost. If you don’t want to get involved in public relations today,
then perhaps you’ll spend some time speaking to Xavier once he’s let
down from that humiliating harness?”
Xavier flew over us again just at that moment, his head hanging in
shame as he heard my mom speak those words.
“Now look what you’ve done,” I hissed, pointing at sad little Xavier in
the sky. “Sure, it’s embarrassing. Demeaning even-”

Xavier whinnied woefully, apparently hearing me say that as he sailed

by again. Damn, horse ears were more sensitive than I’d realised.
“But the guy deserves to fly around up there as much as he likes,
kicking his little hooves and remembering what it was like to soar
through the clouds before he lost his wings,” I went on, pushing to my
feet and looking down at my mom. She was tall, but I was taller.
“Maybe we all deserve to remember the good times. Maybe I want a
go in that harness.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she gasped.

“I would. I’d go up in that harness and I wouldn’t care how shameful,

mortifying, embarrassing, and reputation-shattering it looked,” I said
proudly, hearing Xavier neigh mournfully again in response to my
words.
Xavier started biting at the harness to get free of it, whinnying angrily
at Sofia and Tyler, but they didn’t seem able to hear him. He shifted
back into his Fae form like he thought that might release him, but
instead he flipped upside down in the harness, naked as a new-born
with his arms flailing and his bejewelled cock flapping in the wind.
“Argh!” he cried out, wheeling left and right as Tyler and Sofia
continued to fly around in huge circles, not noticing the carnage
unfolding beneath them while they focused on staying airborne.
Xavier grappled with the harness, managing to unstrap one side of it,
which only made him hang more awkwardly, the whole thing slipping
down to snag around his ass. He flopped forward, ass now high in the
air and his hands reaching desperately for the other buckle which had
twisted around to sit at the base of his spine.

“Someone should help him,” I said, shaking my head sadly.

“You should help him,” Mom insisted, and I realised she was right,
lifting my hand and casting a gust of air to try and twist him upright
again. Woops. Totally could have helped out sooner. My brain was so
frazzled today. It kept hanging out in the little world I’d made up
called Calaria, where Caleb was all smitten with me, kissing me and
calling me a good pup while fondling my balls.
I cast my magic a tiny bit too powerfully as I got distracted by my
thoughts, sending Xavier into a wild tailspin instead of steadying him,
and he cried out in fury as he went spinning past my head like an ass
tornado.

I quickly righted the magic, holding him still and flicking the buckle
open to free him with the power of air. He tumbled out of it, and I
caught him on a little cloud, carrying him down to land at my side and
leaving the fluffy cloud in place to cover his junk. His cheeks were
bright red, and he looked ready to dig a hole for himself and
disappear, or maybe punch me in the face, I wasn’t quite sure.
“There you go, bud,” I said, patting his shoulder and he shrugged me
off with a snort of rage.

“You asshole,” he snapped.

“Yeah, I, er, have to take the blame for that one for sure,” I said,
giving him a guilty look. “But on the plus side, you looked great up
there. Really cool.”
He gave me a flat look that said he knew that was most obvious lie I’d
ever told, and he had a point.
“Xavier, that was quite...something,” Mom said, smiling brightly, her
voice coated in false enthusiasm.

I looked at her, seeing so much of myself in her mannerisms. The

phony smiles that were painted on so thickly, you couldn’t see through
them at all. The only reason I could was because she’d taught me that
skill, and I knew her well enough to sense when she was being fake. I
was sick of always having to act like everything was perfect, like I was
this brave, happy, always optimistic figure head that people relied on
to keep their own spirits high. But what about my spirits? What about
when they were obliterated and every forced smile I jammed into my
cheeks chipped off a fresh, juicy piece of my soul?
For my entire life, every action I took was carefully monitored, the
reactions I got from news articles demanding more or less of my
personality, until there were times when I didn’t even know who I was
when I was standing on the stage of the world. The only times when
I’d been free of that was in the company of the Heirs, and more
recently the Vegas and my new friends. I wasn’t ready to go back to
correcting every move I made that might piss off the masses. Fuck the
masses. They could wait until I was done grieving.

Xavier turned away, grabbing his clothes as he went and stalking off
up the track that led back to the R.U.M.P. castle, the cloud still
hovering around his ass.
“Go after him,” Mom encouraged. “And try to talk him into taking
Darius’s place and stepping up into the position of Fire Lord. I know
it’s hard but we’re at war. It’s time he took up his role in it.”
Rage slashed through my chest, and I growled at her, showing the
Alpha in me.

“He doesn’t want Darius’s place. Leave it empty, who cares?” I

sniped.
“You are not yourself,” she snarled, casting a silencing bubble around
us in case any nosey rebel might be near enough to hear us. Like I
gave a fuck anymore. “We got word today that Linda Rigel has been
given a position as ‘High Councillor’ in the new court Lionel is setting
up.”

I blanched at that little snippet of information, looking over at Max

and his dad who looked to be talking seriously in a silencing bubble,
no doubt discussing what this meant too. Max’s stepmom was a royal
bitch and we all knew that, so I doubted he was too shocked by the
additional betrayal, but it had to sting, especially for his dad.
“When did they announce that?” I asked, my curiosity captured
despite myself.
“Just this morning – look.” Mom took the Atlas she’d been given from
her pocket and held it out for me to see as she opened up the article
from The Celestial Times, but before I could read it, a pop-up blocked
the screen instead.
Good day and a wet Wednesday to you, Libra, the stars have spoken
about your day!

Today is a great day to clean out the nooks and crannies which have
been stuffed full of woe of late. Delve deep into the gaping chasm of
your soul and pound those worrisome thoughts right out of you. A dip
in the sea is just the ticket to see you slippery and salacious once more,
and don’t forget that you can always dump on a friend if the load gets
to be too much. A handsome Pisces would be more than happy for
you to dump on them if you need a release – even a teeny weeny
dump can leave you feeling as wet as a whistle precisely when you
need it most. But don’t forget, the best secrets are those held closest to
your heart, for a traitor still lurks among our ranks and we must all be
at our most cunning to lick that lurker out!

“What the fuck kind of horoscope is that?” I asked, my nose wrinkling

as I read it over again and Mom growled low in the back of her throat
as she dismissed it.
“That Vega girl offered Brian Washer a position as a general in her
army,” Mom muttered irritably. “And the first thing he thought to do
with his new title was to start up a daily horoscope for the rebels. He’s
been reading tarot cards and sending out nonsense like this all day. I
intend to have a stern word with him about it when I next see him.”
“Good luck with that,” I muttered, because if Washer and his teeny
weeny had decided to do this, then I knew there was about as much
chance of my mom convincing him to stop as there was of a Lionel
revealing himself to be a secret Worm Shifter in his next press release.
I closed the horoscope down and turned my attention to the article
Mom had opened up instead.

A New Dawn for the Celestial Council.

Today has dawned another rioting success in the newly risen kingdom of Solaria
under the wise and powerful rule of our great king. As many of us rejoice in the
ascension of the most powerful Fae in Solaria, and a return to the rule of a king at
 last, we are finally beginning to see how this new and prosperous reign will look
over the coming years.

Linda Rigel has today been announced as High Councillor – the position granted to
her after a brave and selfless act of devotion to the king when she informed him of
the treason being plotted by the former High Councillors – her now estranged
husband and suspected sexual deviant Tiberius Rigel along with Melinda Altair –
check out page six for more on the torture chamber found in her basement - and
Antonia Capella – see page twelve for an exposé on the cult she called her pack and
the debased activities they had been performing in secret.

Linda Rigel, seeing her chance to escape the tyranny which had been taking place in
her own home, spoke bravely about the women Tiberius used to have brought to him
on a regular basis, his son Max one of many bastards he has sired over the years,
though the only one Tiberius allowed to live beyond conception.
As a survivor of this ruthless household and adamant supporter of the crown, Linda
had been trying without success to escape her husband’s control for years, and with
the help of our powerful and benevolent king, she finally managed to do so. In a
twist of fate which will likely delight the population as a whole, Lionel Acrux has
rewarded her years of constant, quiet loyalty to him with the most illustrious position
as head of his new Council.

In a spin on tradition, Lionel has decided that no further High Councillors shall be
appointed, instead Linda Rigel will head up his court and help run the day-to-day
tasks required of a kingdom so that he may continue to rule with a just and firm
hand, seeking out the insurgents who seek to undermine him at every turn, making
Solaria into the great kingdom we all know and trust he can return it to.
All hail the King.

-Gus Vulpecula

Skye Marie: I always knew Tiberius Rigel was shifty – he was at a pie eating
contest once and told the entire room that he didn’t even like pie when he was offered
a piece #shiftynopieguy #canttrustaFaewhowonteatpie #ibetheeatsquiche
BigGriff99: I for one am elated to see a new face in politics. I can’t wait to see
what she brings to the table and am excited to hear her plans on taxes for Griffins
when the issue of street turd taxation is next brought up in Council
#dontpersecuteusforneedingtopoop #whyshouldipaymoreforevacuatingmybackdoor
#freedomtodump #itsalsoaratdeterrent
 Brandy May: @BigGriff99 It’s Griffins like you who give the rest of us a bad
name – I have never and will never take a public dump and I for one am horrified
at not only the prospect of having to pay the Griffin turd tax, but that Fae of my
Order have taken to public shitting so often that it is now necessary to actually
discuss this as an option #forshame #imallforonthespotfines #notallGriffinsdoit
BigGriff99: @Brandy May I’ll have you know that our kind have been dumping in
public for over six thousand years – it is a part of our culture and heritage, and I
can only assume that you are not pure blooded if you don’t understand that
#poopingrights #illploptilidrop

Telisha Mortensen: LINDA RIGEL IS A TWUNT **an admin removed this

comment**

Kristen Cannell: Oh I am sure Linda Rigel will make a fine High Councillor! After
our king’s new law stating lesser Fae needing a permit to shift in public, I am over
the moon that I no longer have to watch my neighbour Mr

Grunnet shift into his disgusting Heptian Toad form whenever it rains, sitting in the
gutter like a slimy turd opposite my lovely porch. It makes my beautiful Lioness skin
crawl. #nomoretoadintheroad #antiamphibian

Jeremy Grunnet: Damn you, Kristen! You’re the one who reported me to the
authorities, weren’t you?? #fuckyourporch #lowlyLion

BigGriff99: There’s nothing wrong with a slimy turd in the gutter

#itsmyrighttoshite

Lejla Asoli: I’m glad we have a High Councillor, but did it have to be Linda
Rigel?? When she laughs, it sounds like a goat choking on a chipmunk. I’d know.
That’s how I lost my dear Chippy. It brings back terrible memories, but will she
answer my emails about building a statue in his honour? Of course not.
#insensistiveSiren #buildastatueforChippy

Brown Cow: Solaria is being run into the ground by that prejudiced, Orderist,
asshole sitting on the Vega throne! Don’t listen to the lies printed in this drivel. Read
The Daily Solaria for the truth! #jointherebellion #thisbrowncowwillshowyouhow
#themoooovementiscoming #allhailtheVegaqueens
**an admin removed this comment**
“Well, you always said Linda was a prick, so I guess you must feel
validated in that opinion now,” I said, handing my mom’s Atlas back
to her.

“Seth Capella, do not use that potty mouth with me,” she snapped,
clipping me around the ear with a strike of air magic so swift I didn’t
see it coming in time to block it. “Do you not understand what news
like this means? Lionel is creating a foothold within the kingdom, he is
setting up his court, and the people need to see us solidifying ours in
response if we stand any chance of convincing them that we are the
better option. And when I say us, I mean just that – the Celestial
Council as it should be with Xavier taking up the place as Fire Lord.
The Vegas mean well, but they are severely underprepared for the
task of ruling even if they were able to claim that position from us –
which I do not believe they can. It is vital that we re- establish
ourselves as the power in this army. We must recruit. We must start to
spread word across Solaria to-”

“Good luck with all that. I’m out.” I turned away from her, stalking up
the track in the direction Xavier had taken, a heavy mood falling over
me. All I wanted was the last remnants of the people I loved to be safe.
I wanted Lionel gone, sure, but I didn’t want to rush into another
battle unprepared. I refused to watch another person I loved die, and I
wasn’t going to start rallying the troops ready to lead more people to a
bloody end before we were ready for battle again. No fucking way.
I stalled as the air glimmered in front of the castle and Caleb and Tory
materialised from the stardust, with a large bag made of leaves and
something hopeful in their eyes.
Relief flooded me at finding them safe and I broke into a run, colliding
with them the moment I got there and pulling them both into a
chokehold of a hug.

“Argh, you’re on my foot, Seth,” Tory cursed, ducking out of my grip

while I tried to hold onto Cal, but he batted me off too, backing up.
I looked between them with a whimper in my throat, needing more
than that small little snuggle. I needed a mega snuggle. Blankets,
movies, candles, the works. But their eyes said I wasn’t gonna be
getting that any time soon.
“So? What did you find out?” I asked.
“We found a way to locate Darcy, but I can’t do the spell until midday
tomorrow,” Tory said, and hope bubbled in my chest. “I wanna go
hide these books before your parents spy them and start asking
questions.”
“I’ll take them to your room. I think I can feel my Order starting to
wake up, hopefully it won’t be much longer.” Caleb took all the books
into his arms then jogged away into the castle.

I opened my mouth to ask Tory a stream of questions, but then my

gaze fell onto two bloody pinprick marks on her neck. A bite. A
Vampire bite. A Caleb bite.
I froze, coldness pouring down my spine as Tory lifted a hand, her
fingers brushing over that mark as she realised what I was looking at,
healing it away. But I’d seen it. It was branded to the inside of my skull
now, right to the backs of my eye sockets.

“I gotta go,” I muttered, turning, and marching off across the grass.
Darius had made Caleb promise he’d never feed from her again after
he’d hunted her and knocked her off the roof of King’s Hollow. He’d
broken his word to him. He’d fucking bitten her. He’d drunk her
blood, and when? For what? They’d been in a dusty old library, what
possible reason could he have had for drinking from her?
They’ve been fucking.

I saw red. Blinding, burning red.

I was done pining, done whimpering, and spending every night alone
in a cold bed thinking of my best friend. I needed to remind the world
what Seth Capella was capable of, that he was a tempest housed in the
flesh of Fae.

I spotted Justin Masters out taking a stroll on the path and bared my
teeth as I claimed him as my first victim. I sent a barrage of air into his
back, sending him flying off of the path with a yelp of fright before I
buried him in five feet of soil and left only his head poking out.

“Why?!” he wailed as I stalked past him, not giving him an answer.

Because during my time at Zodiac, no one had questioned why I did
shit. I was one of the most powerful Fae at the academy, a volatile
Aquarius ruled by chaotic forces like Uranus, but it was my Libra
rising sign that was fucking me up. Ruled by fucking Venus with her
wily ways, cursing me to love a man who would never love me back.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, marching on, my eyes falling on a
hill up ahead where a huge nest was being constructed by Leon,
Dante, and some tattooed guy I was pretty sure was called Carson.
There were other people there too, earth Elementals casting beautiful
sticks and offering them to Leon who either approved them with a nod
or shook his head violently and tossed them away – or sometimes he
smacked its maker around the head with it.

The nest was beautiful, bent into the shape of a falcon, its wings parted
at its back to allow entrance inside.
“Hey dude,” Leon called to me. “Wanna help us? We could use
another decent earth Elemental over here.”
“We don’t need shit. Stop recruiting every asshole who walks by,”
Carson grunted, tugging his long hair up into a topknot and offering
me an unwelcoming scowl. He cast a long stick in his hands and
encrusted it with jewels that glittered like starlight. Dante took it from
him, cocking his head with intrigue, the Dragon in him making his
eyes spark possessively.

“I’m not gonna fight you for every stick I make, Infer-” He coughed
hard like he’d just breathed in a bug. “-nal asshole.” Carson yanked it
back out of his grip and moved to fix it onto the leg of the falcon while
Dante’s skin crackled with electricity.
“I’m good,” I muttered, shrugging and walking on, but Leon jogged
down the hill to get into my way.

“Aren’t you all intrigued by what we’re doing, dude?” he asked

hopefully, golden eyes sparkling. “It’s so cunning. The most cunning
idea I’ve ever had.”
“It was my idea, stronzo,” Dante called.
“It was a joint idea,” Leon said, waving a hand at him and turning
back to me. “Mostly mine,” he whispered.

“All you’ve done is shout orders at us and been a pain in the ass,”
Carson said, standing upright as he finished fixing a new stick to the
underside of the nest.
Leon laughed like the guy was joking and I made a move to step past
him again. He leapt into my way with the agility of a cat despite the
huge size of him.
“It’s to distract Gabe,” he announced. “Because his Harpy brain is
obsessed with nests, isn’t it great? When he tries to see us, all he’ll see
is this amazing nest and he’ll go all pigeon brain on it, cooing happily
while he examines every bit of it. We’ve hidden all kinds of fancy sticks
inside it, so it’ll keep his mind super distracted, and he won’t be able to
see too much of our war plans.”

“That’s dumb. No way is that gonna work,” I said, folding my arms.

“Pfft. It’ll work. This nest is like the best Harpy porno ever made. It
doesn’t matter how hard he tries to resist it, his brain is gonna tiptoe
back here to look at it with lube in one hand and tissues in the other.
Besides he won’t want to look away – he’ll understand the cunningness
of my most cunning plan and keep looking at this, so if Lionel sneaks
into his head for a peek at our future all he gets is the nest. It’s pure
genius.”

“Well good luck with that,” I grumbled, darting past him before he
could stop me again and hurrying on down the path.
I turned around the base of the next hill and my gaze settled on
Rosalie Oscura in her silver Wolf form, laying on her back as she
soaked in the last of the sun. A cruel smile twisted my lips, and I
tugged my shirt over my head, tossing it away before dropping my
sweatpants and kicking off my socks and shoes too. I was dying for a
fight. And she was the answer.

I ran forward, letting the shift ripple through me, and howling as my
four enormous white paws hit the ground and sent a tremor rocking
through the hillside. Rosalie looked my way lazily peeking out from
under one floppy ear that pricked up as she spotted me.
Her eyes narrowed as I padded forward, my lips peeling back in a
snarl.
Fight me.

A growl rolled out of her throat, and she shoved herself upright,
engaging me as her hackles raised. We started to circle one another,
assessing the threat. She was the biggest Alpha Wolf I’d ever met, her
size almost matching mine, and defeating her was just the kind of
victory I needed today.
A group of rebels noticed our interaction, gathering to watch, but I
didn’t let my focus falter from her. It had been too long since I’d
asserted myself as an Alpha. I was going to remind the world of my
power, and let Rosalie pay the price of that. This girl with her
knowing eyes, and little looks in my direction whenever she was close
by. Like she held some information I could never understand, and it
was time she learned not to rile me.

I leapt forward with a snarl, claws outstretched as I collided with her

and she swiped me hard across the side, sending me crashing to the
ground. I’d gotten my claws into her flank too though, and I was back
on my paws in seconds, snapping at her throat. She lurched
backwards, trying to avoid my attack, but I pressed forward, my paws
smashing into her chest and knocking her to the ground.

I was on her in the next second, barking in fury as I went for her
throat again, but her legs kicked me back and she managed to wriggle
free and gain her feet once more. Rosalie was forced to run, and I got
a mouthful of fur as my teeth closed over the tip of her tail.
She howled angrily, twisting around and coming back in for another
strike, but I was ready when she swiped her claws at my eyes, ducking
low and driving myself forward.
My teeth finally closed around her neck, and I forced her to the
ground, my paws crashing down on her shoulder to keep her in place.
She thrashed like a wild thing, and I tightened my grip, a growl of
warning in my throat as I told her to submit to me. My heart
hammered with adrenaline, the call of a hunter running through my
veins and urging me on towards my victory.

She snarled, gnashing her teeth in refusal and my bite deepened until
she yelped.
Come on. Give up. Yield to me.
Rosalie managed to get a paw between us, tearing her claws across my
face and my jaws unlocked, the pain of the attack making me release
her with a whine.
Blood ran down my cheek and she leapt away from me again, forcing
me to take chase up the hill. I followed her with fury fuelling my
muscles, wanting to make her pay for the cuts gouged into my face.
She didn’t keep fleeing like a pup as I expected though, she turned
back at the crest of the steep hill, jumping into the air and coming
down on me like a ton of bricks, teeth and claws ripping into fur and
flesh.

The collision sent us rolling back down the hill and I bit every piece of
her I could as we spun in a tornado of silver and white fur, unable to
see where my attacks were landing only that blood was starting to taint
the air.
I clamped my teeth down on the tip of her fluffy tail with a surge of
triumph. I’ve got you now, Rosalie.

I bit down harder, and a yelp left me as I realised it was my own tail I
had hold of, and I quickly released it before anyone noticed.
We landed at the base of the hill with a tremendous thud and the
crowd gasped as I lay on top of Rosalie, our paws twisted together.
She didn’t move, her eyes closed and her body eerily still.
My heart began to thrash as I nosed her cheek, trying to wake her, but
she still didn’t move.

Panic washed over me in a tidal wave, and I whimpered in fright,

pushing to my feet above her and nosing her side. Get up, Rosalie.
Please, get up.
I couldn’t face any more death. What had I done? Had I really killed
her just for the sake of securing myself a pointless win?

I yapped like a terrified pup, nosing her again and the crowd broke
out in worried mutters. Blackness sank deep into my head, death
seeming to follow me everywhere these days, and now it had come for
me again all because I’d needed an outlet for my anger.
I shifted back into my Fae form, kneeling at her side and pressing my
fingers into her fur until I found skin, readying healing magic as
quickly as I could.

But before I could even begin to heal her, she leapt upright, her tail
wagging and a bark of amusement tearing from her throat. She ran
the pad of her tongue right up the centre of my bloody face then
trotted off with her tail held high, pushing through the crowd and
leaving me staring after her, in the grass, naked on my knees. Like a
fucking idiot.
“Goodness me, what fun,” Washer called from the crowd, stepping to
the front of it in his Speedos, his hands on his hips and his leathery
chest looking freshly waxed.
He came jogging over, and his Siren gifts got a hold on me before I
could escape. He latched onto the rage inside me, then picked apart
the humiliation, and started to find his way to the worst emotion of all
that sat beneath it, the jet fuel poured on the fire of all other emotions.
Love.

I blocked him out fast, my mental barriers slamming into place and
making him pout.
“I can help with all those knots deep inside you, my boy. Let me get
myself in there to do some untangling. It will take a teeny-weeny bit of
pushing and pulling, thrusting and ramming, but if you let me have
full access to your darkest regions, I will give you so much relief, I
assure you.”

“I don’t want your relief,” I hissed, shoving to my feet, and heading

across the grass to fetch my clothes.
Blood was sticking to my skin from the wounds on my body, and I
pressed a hand to my chest to heal them all.
“Holy shit,” breathed a teen girl among the rebels, looking to her
friends as they admired my body. “He’s a savage.”

I tugged my clothes back on, twisting around and finding Washer

standing right behind me, our chests knocking together.
I pressed my shoulders back, my teeth baring. “Get out of my way.”
“You really do need to take a breath, Mr Capella,” he said in a low,
concerned voice. “Come on, breathe with me now. In and out, in and
out.” He started squatting in front of me, his arms raising and
lowering with every breath he took. “I can stand behind you if you like
and guide you through the movements hip to hip.”

Air blasted out of my hands the same moment a bark spilled from my
lips and Washer was sent sky high with a cry of alarm. The crowd
broke out in more mutters as I prowled towards them, most of them
darting aside, but I barged into anyone who didn’t.
“He touched me,” one of the teen girls squealed in excitement. “Look,
I have his blood all over my ear!”
Washer suddenly came racing out of the sky on a slide of ice he’d cast
beneath him, and he went splashing into a pond some of the water
Elementals had created, a whoop of joy carrying from him.

I set my gaze on the stone building that had been built as a makeshift
observatory, where everything we’d had left of our arcane supplies had
been brought. I knew what I was gonna do. I’d demand answers from
the stars, find a way to rip this love from my chest so it wouldn’t
torment me anymore. Then I’d be back to myself, and I wouldn’t lose
Caleb as my friend. I’d make a deal with the moon, or the sun, or
maybe Venus herself. One of those celestial beings had to be feeling
generous today, and I was sure as shit gonna take advantage of them.
I wrenched open the wooden door, stepping into the dark, circular
chamber that rose to a glass roof above. Shelves all around the edges
of the room held the last of our tarot decks, crystals, scrying bowls,
pendants, and books on the divine arts. There were a couple of Fae at
the table in the middle of the space and I snapped my fingers to get
their attention before pointing to the door.

“I’m actually in the middle of a reading,” one of the men squeaked.

“And I’m about to be in the middle of ripping your face off and
making a hat out of it,” I hissed.
He placed down the tarot card in his hand which was ‘Death’ and
nodded quickly, running for the door with his friend. There was a
bottle of bourbon on the table which they’d been sharing, and I
growled, knowing for sure it must have once belonged to Orion. It was
his favourite brand. The Silver Circle.

I shoved the door shut and grabbed the bottle, drinking from the neck
in a long guzzle. The burn trailed all the way down my throat into my
stomach and I revelled in the way it melted some of my anxiety, but
hated the way it reminded me of my moon friend. Where was he? Was
he still alive, still protecting Darcy with every breath he took?

Had to be. That was his thing. He wouldn’t leave her ever, and as
much as I missed them, I had to keep believing they were going to find
their way back to us one day soon. Just make it really, really soon,
guys.
I placed it down, heading to the shelves and grabbing a book on
planetary astrology, dumping it on the desk along with a pen and
paper.
I dropped onto a seat, collecting the tarot cards scattered on the desk
and shuffling them back into a fresh deck.

“Come on then, stars. Let’s have it out. What’s in my future, huh?

More bullshit?” I aggressively pulled cards from the deck at random,
placing them down before me and scoffing at the sight. The Lovers lay
right next to The Chariot, both of which were upside down, hinting to
a disharmony in love and a lack of control.
“Yeah, ya think?” I barked, drawing the next card, laughing
humourlessly as I slammed down The Hermit on the table which was
upside down too. “Loneliness,” I spat bitterly. “Where are the answers
in this? This is just stating my star-damned, everyday life. Why don’t
you give me something helpful for once?”

I drew the next card finding The Hanged Man looking back at me.
“Sacrifice,” I murmured, placing it down and feeling an ominous
atmosphere closing in around me.
I grabbed the bottle of bourbon, taking another deep swig and
thinking of Orion and Darcy again. Were they okay? Had Darcy
gotten control of her curse? But if she had, then why hadn’t she come
to find us?

I swallowed heavily, drinking on and reading through the book on

planets until there was nothing but dregs in the bottle and my head
was swimming.
I turned to a page with a large picture of Venus on it and slammed my
finger down on her face.
“You. You’re the one who caused this. You had no right. I was doing
just fine before you made me fall for him. Why’d you have to go and
be such a bitch about it? Why couldn’t you let me fall for someone
who could love me back? Or better yet, why couldn’t you let him be
able to love me back?”

I grabbed the pen on the table, writing across the page on her stupid
Venus face.
Venus is a dirty, conniving, skank bitch who invented unrequited love
and thinks it’s funny to fuck with Fae emotions whenever she likes.
“I’m gonna come up there,” I slurred, looking to the darkening sky
through the glass roof above, Venus smirking back at me from her
position in the sky, her glow positively mocking. Whore. “I’m gonna
bring the moon with me and we’re gonna fuck you up.”

I shoved to my feet, heading to the shelves to find something to help

me. There had to be some spell I could do that would make this agony
go away. I knew it wasn’t just this agonising pining for Caleb either, it
was all of it. The grief was driving me to insanity, and every time my
mind slipped too close to Darius, I was sure I was going to break into a
million fragments of childhood memories, pacts made and delivered,
friendship forged from the deepest love in the universe.
“Yah!” I lunged at Darius with the awesome wooden stick I’d found
among the dead leaves.

It smacked down on his shoulder, breaking in two. He was getting big,

those arms looking too large on his ten-year-old body. But it was clear
what he was becoming. When he filled out all over, he was going to
get that fierce Dragon look about him that his dad had.

His dad kinda gave me the heebies sometimes. He was always

grumpy, looking at us as if we were taking up too much of his time. I’d
padded up his fancy staircase in my pup form when I was younger,
dripping mud all over it, my white coat completely sodden with filth
after Max had pushed me in the pond and I’d clambered my way out
up a steep, mucky bank. Uncle Lionel had gone craaaaazy on my butt,
then Darius had come running in after me and demanded I go home
so that he could deal with the situation. There had been this awful
kind of tension in the air and Lionel had asked Darius if he was certain
he wanted to take on the responsibility for my actions. Darius had
shoved me out of the door, holding his chin high as he confirmed that
he did.

I’d always felt awkward around his dad after that, though Darius had
only shrugged off my questions over what had happened after I’d left,
telling me not to worry about it. Luckily Lionel was always working
and we rarely saw him even when we hung out here at Acrux Manor.
Especially because we mostly liked to play outside in the woods.
Darius launched himself at me with a laugh, taking me to the ground
and a second later Max and Caleb bundled in too, crushing me at the
bottom of the pile. We were all soon playfighting, laughing and rolling
in the leaves while snowflakes began to fall, the promise of winter
making my heart stutter. I thought of the mountain my parents had
left me on during the Forging and pushed myself to sit upright, a
whine leaving me.
Darius sat up next, slinging an arm around my shoulders even though
he wasn’t often very touchy.

“Forget the mountain,” he said, like he knew. He always knew.

I smiled, looking at him and nuzzling his face.
“You’re not ever gonna be alone again,” he swore, and my smile
reached as high as the moon.

I winced out of the memory, remembering how I’d believed those

words that day, so certain nothing could tear the four of us apart. We
had seemed so immortal back then. I couldn’t remember a time
without them, and I had foolishly assumed there would be no time to
come where they didn’t exist. I’d lost Darius now, popping that
illusion and forcing me to consider the possibility that I could lose
more of them. There was no enduring that.

I found a bottle of moon-charged water and yanked the cap off,

drinking it down, all of it. It was for potions, but I didn’t give a fuck, I
just needed the pain to stop. The moon always had the answers, and
the immediate buzz I got in my veins did a great job of numbing some
of my wounds.

I found an Atlas sitting in a portable speaker and my eyebrows arched.

I clumsily tapped on the screen, wondering if the motherfucker who
owned it had any decent music on there. Thankfully, they seemed to
have some taste, and I pressed play on Bones by Imagine Dragons, the
music thundering through the air and filling up my soul.
I gave up on trying to find a spell for my needs, and decided to invent
one myself, grabbing a couple of fire crystals, a black-wick candle, a
banishing stone, and some ground lilarock.

I melted some of the candle with a fire crystal, mixing the hot wax
with the rock until it made a thick, inky liquid. Then I shed my shirt,
painting the Taurus constellation over my heart and feeling a kiss of
magic against my skin. This was gonna be fiiiiine. It was definitely
gonna work.
The constellation that represented Caleb prickled against my heart
and I lifted the banishing stone as the heavy pounding of the music
filled me up, then I pressed it directly against the mark that was
hardening against my skin. There was definitely good logic in this. I
was going to use the stone to banish my love for Caleb, sending it
anywhere else but in my heart where it constantly tortured me. Maybe
I’d send it into a potato then smash that potato up with a hammer and
kick the pieces into the sea. That oughta do it.

The banishing stone met my skin and pain exploded along my chest.
The mark was devoured by the stone, and I gasped as the power of the
spell sank into my body, deeper and deeper. I didn’t know what was
going to happen, and I was half aware that this might just kill me, but
it was too late now.
A tearing sensation circled my nipple and I looked down, gaining
some good sense and tugging the stone away from my skin. My nipple
went with it, perched there on that rock, while my skin was left smooth
where it had been. “Ah!” I yelped in panic, pressing the stone back to
my skin. “Give it back, you nipple stealing rock of doom!”

The door opened and Caleb, fucking Caleb of all people, walked in,
finding me there with one missing nipple, standing among the mess I’d
made making my nipple-stealing spell.
“Get out,” I rasped, but he only kicked the door shut, shooting
towards me in concern.
He looked down at the stone in my hand and the nipple it had taken
from me, a curse leaving his lips.

“Are you drunk?” he snapped, snatching the stone from my grip.

I didn’t answer, leaving him to head away from me to the shelves,
grabbing a binding crystal and some kiffer salt before returning to me
just as fast. His hand slammed to my chest, knocking me flat onto the
table at my back and leaning over me, holding the banishing stone
over the place where my nipple should have been.
Why did everything I do lately make stuff so much worse?
He murmured a spell under his breath, using the binding stone to knit
my nipple back onto my skin before dipping his fingers in the kiffer salt
and rubbing it over it. His touch sent lightning tearing through me,
and my nipple hardened under his fingers, making me knock his hand
away fast, his touch sending aftershocks rippling through my skin.
I shoved myself upright to sit on the edge of the table, nose to nose
with him when he didn’t move aside. His breath was hot against my
mouth and it tasted like a sin I wanted to commit.

“What are you doing, Seth?” Caleb asked in a low tone, like he was
angry with me, or maybe he was worried about me. It was hard to tell
when my mind was full of alcohol and my body was falling into the
madness of being this close to him.
“I was trying out a new spell,” I muttered.
“What spell?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I snarled.
“Why are you so angry at me all the time? We used to talk about shit,”
he said.
“Because you keep pissing me off.” I tried to get up, but he gripped
my arm and used his Vampire strength to keep me in place. “Talk to
me,” he commanded.

“You bit Tory,” I spat, the truth pouring out like I’d never had a
chance to hold it back.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Are you...jealous?” he asked.
“No,” I lied quickly, heat rising in my veins. “Of course I’m not. Why
would I be jealous? It’s just the principle of it all.”
“What principle?” he demanded.

“You broke your promise to Darius,” I said in fury, sitting up

straighter. “You swore you’d never bite her again, and now he’s dead
and cold in a coffin, and you think it’s fine for you to just disregard
any promises that passed between you two.”
Caleb’s eyes shuttered and he dropped his head in shame, stepping
back. “It wasn’t like that. We were in trouble. I needed magic and she
insisted...I had to.”

“Yeah, whatever.” I dropped down from the desk, turning my back on

him and picking up the tarot cards which I’d been forced to sit on
while he stuck my nipple back onto my body. I subtly plucked one
from my ass where it had gotten stuck, The Lovers laughing at me as I
shoved the card into the deck and shuffled.
“I didn’t want to break that promise,” he went on.
“Uh huh,” I said dismissively.
“Seth,” he snarled.
“Wanna do a reading? Let’s find out your truth, Cal,” I said coldly,
moving to the other side of the table and dropping onto a seat. He
looked to me with narrowed eyes, and I took the liberty to carry on.
I pulled out a card, turning it over and finding Justice reversed.

“Dishonesty,” I announced, flicking the card at him with a gust of air

so it slapped him in the face. “Sounds like you’re lying about
something, Cal. Maybe you’re lying to your best friend. Who can say?
Maybe you’re hiding something like, oh I dunno – let’s ask the cards.”
I whipped another one out and surprise, surprise there were The
Lovers. I cast it away from me, so it slapped him in the face again and
he cursed in anger. “A secret love affair perhaps. That would be quite
the scandal. I wonder who it could be?”

“You can’t draw conclusions like that, you’re not even letting me pull
the cards myself and you’re just guessing random shit based on them,”
he hissed, but I barrelled on.
“It’s not me, Caleb. It’s the cards. I’m not saying any of this. Oh look,
Death,” I announced, sending it flying towards him again, but this
time his hand came up to block it, but I was fast, making it slap him in
the ear instead. “Death of an old relationship, maybe? A lifelong
friend cast aside? Could be that, for sure.”

“What are you going on about?” he huffed.

“You tell me,” I barked.
I went to draw another card, but Caleb leaned forward, snatching
them
from my fist and tossing them into the air, a rain of fate and destiny
showering down on us as we glared at each other.
The Wheel of Fortune came fluttering down to land on his shoulder
and I picked it up with a lump in my throat.

“Inevitability,” I whispered.
“You’re drunk, and you’re rambling,” Caleb said, pushing a hand
through his hair and knocking The Chariot out of his curls where it
stood upright, signifying a sense of control, but as it cascaded down to
land in front of me, it lay upside down. Losing control, chaos,
willpower crumbling.
I looked up at him from my seat, the turmoil in me rising to the
surface of my skin, begging to come out.

“Talk to me,” he said in a low voice, leaning down and bracing a hand
on my bare shoulder. Skin to skin contact with him was like a drug,
and I was his hopeless addict. I fractured there and then beneath him,
the alcohol loosening my tongue and letting out some of my truth.
“Sometimes I dream of waking up and finding everyone gone. I’m in
the dark and it’s cold, so fucking cold. There’s frost in my veins and I
can feel the loss of you all. But what if one day I wake up and realise
it’s not a nightmare anymore? It’s real.” I grabbed hold of Caleb,
feeling the solidness of him to assure myself he was still there, and he
drew me to my feet, pulling me close. When I spoke again, my voice
was a raspy whisper of desperation, “If you have to go, please be the
last one. Please stay until the end. I can’t lose you. Not you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Seth,” he vowed, unblinking as he stared

me straight in the eye. “I am not. Going. Anywhere.”
I sagged against him, loving him through to my bones. His promise
wasn’t binding; life was too volatile for certainty, but it meant a hell of
a lot that he voiced it anyway, because I knew the heart of Caleb
Altair, and he had never let me down yet.

“It’s not fair,” I exhaled, my hands fisted in his shirt and my head
bowed so he couldn’t read my expression.
“What’s not fair?” he asked, his breath stirring my hair and making
my heartbeat skitter.

“All of it,” I cursed, my fingers curling tighter. He wasn’t pulling away,

but I wasn’t letting go either. I just needed to be close to him for a
second. My skin was starved of contact and my Order needs were
polluted by my desire for his hands to be the ones to sate those needs.

“Did you ever think it would come to this? Because I didn’t. I was
stupidly optimistic. I really thought we’d win this war. I should have
known better. I always did look at things with blind positivity, but I’m
running out of reasons to feign ignorance now.”
“Seth...”
I chanced a look up at him, my throat tight and not letting in a single
scrap of air.
“Don’t let this war change you,” he said. “Your optimism is one of my
favourite things about you.”
“One of?” I snagged onto that breadcrumb of attention. I was pathetic
for it, but I didn’t give a fuck. Caleb had implied there was more, so
I’d be getting it if I could.

“I envy the way you feel everything so sharply, even when you try to
disguise your pain in rage,” he said.
“But doesn’t that make me weak, Cal? I feel weak. I can’t contain this
pain. It pours out of me like I’m filled with holes. But you’re always so
strong. You don’t have cracks, let alone holes.”
“Your pain is the most admirable strength I know. I keep mine inside
because I don’t know how to express it outside of words, but you’re
the opposite. You bleed with your actions, and I’m one of the few
people in the world who can read your anger and hate for what it
really is.”

“What is it?” I asked, because hell if I knew.

“Love.”
That word was a curse upon my soul, and I flinched away from him,
withdrawing. “I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered to myself,
scraping a hand down my face. “Lie to me, Cal. Tell me it will all be
okay, even as the walls crumble and the earth shatters beneath our
feet. Lie to me so good that I don’t feel it when our world falls to
ruin.”
His brow creased and he pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear, the
simple touch meaning everything to me. “It will all be okay.”

He said it with so much certainty that I really did believe it for a

second, unsure if it was actually a lie or just a truth he was banking on.
It helped either way.

“But not if you keep starving yourself of your Order needs,” he said
darkly. “Why don’t you turn to your family?”
“I’m supposed to be strong for them. I don’t want them seeing me like
this,” I breathed shamefully.
“You can’t keep sleeping alone and staying away from people. You
need the touch of other Fae,” he urged, his hand pressing to my spine,
and I shivered with want.
“Don’t, Cal,” my plea was weak, sounding more like I was begging for
the exact opposite.

“You need this,” he said firmly. “And you’re my Source. I always

protect my Source.”
His knuckles traced the length of my spine, and I felt my resolve
cracking and falling to ruin. I could practically hear Venus laughing at
me, making me yearn for this man who wasn’t meant for me.
“Come on. You’ll stay with me tonight,” he said, and I realised night
must have fallen some time ago while I was lost to this place.
He took my hand, guiding me to the door, but our fingers parted the
moment it opened, like we were both quietly acknowledging the fact
that it meant more than it should have, and no one was allowed to
witness it.

“I hate this place,” I sighed. “I miss King’s Hollow.”

Caleb frowned at me then scooped me into his arms in a blur of
motion, speeding across the island at the full capacity of his Order
gifts, stealing the breath from my lungs. He placed me down and I
stumbled dizzily, a throaty laugh leaving my chest as he grinned.
We were at the base of a large oak tree on the edge of the island, the
sea crashing against the shore to our left. Caleb began to wield his
earth Element, building a treehouse that was like a small version of
King’s Hollow, with a single ladder running up to a little arching
doorway.

When he was done, he jerked his head in an offering and I hurried

forward, scaling the ladder, and stepping into the beautiful room he’d
built. A large wooden bed with a thick mattress of springy moss lay to
one side of a stone fireplace and when Caleb entered behind me, he
raised a hand, casting a fire into the hearth. Heat spread quickly into
the space, and I glanced back to find Caleb locking the door and
pulling his shirt off. His body belonged to a creature not of this world,
one that went beyond all magic I knew and captivated me deeper than
any power the stars possessed.
“Lie down,” he commanded, and I cocked my head to one side.
“Sometimes I think you forget I’m an Alpha too,” I said, and he
smirked, closing in on me.

“I think you like being bossed around,” he said, pressing a hand to my

chest and shoving me onto the bed and by the stars, my heart leapt
like it just wanted to prove him right. “On your front.”
I moved up the bed and lay on my stomach, confused as fuck but
drunk- happy too now that I was getting this treatment from him. A
little birdy in the back of my head was squawking at me though, telling
me I was just going to feel like shit again in the morning. But the
morning was a wandering doom, too far off to cause me issues right
now and the night...well the night was making me promises which I
had no hope of even trying to deny as my entire world was filled up by
the powerful presence of Caleb Altair.

Caleb moved to straddle my back, his fingers kneading at my

shoulders, massaging my skin in firm strokes. I groaned at how good
that felt, his hands working over every inch of me and feeding the
demands of my Order.
He pushed my hair away from the back of my neck, his thumbs rolling
over the top of my spine in a perfect way. He didn’t hold back on
using his strength, digging deep into my muscles and driving out any
kinks and knots he found.

His fingers grazed lower, working into the muscles around my

shoulder blades before he painted out a crescent moon between them,
making my cock immediately hard. Fuck, how was I ever going to get
up from this bed without him seeing that?
“Are you still planning on getting a tattoo here?” he asked and a beat
later his mouth pressed to that very spot.

“Cal,” I said breathlessly, grinding my hips into the mattress.

“Answer me,” he insisted, and I cursed him in a growl.
“Yes,” I said, and his mouth dragged over my skin again like he was
rewarding me for obeying him. “Now answer me something.”
“Ask away,” he whispered, his breath on my back driving me wild.
His mouth travelled lower and his hands ran down my sides, his
thumbs massaging as he went and sending a quiver of delight through
me.
“Whose blood do you prefer, mine or Tory’s?” I asked and he laughed
against my skin, his fangs suddenly grazing me.

“Her blood is a head rush for sure,” he admitted, and I swallowed a

jealous growl, remaining silent. “But yours...” He reared up over me,
his palm pressing to the mattress beside my head and his body
crushing me down into the bed. I loved the weight of him, the way he
never held back his power with me, the two of us so perfectly, equally
matched in strength that we could always handle anything the other
offered.
His mouth ran over my neck and my fingers fisted tightly in response
to his fangs dragging over my sensitive skin.

“You taste like the earth and sky colliding, but it’s more than that.
There’s moonlight in you, and it calls to me like a song in the night.
You’re my Source and nothing is going to change that. I don’t want to
claim anyone else, this is mine and it’s all I crave.” His fangs drove
into my neck and my back arched, the kiss of pain making me even
harder and sending my thoughts scattering to the wind.

Me and him, this thing between us, it was getting to be more than I
could take. But if I had no choice in desiring him then maybe I needed
to surrender to it, and let it run its course. I would stop swimming
upstream and let the river of this all-engulfing love claim me into its
rapids. It would end with me dashed against the rocks, but I was going
to enjoy the ride before I reached that unavoidable end.

He fed deep, pinning me down and growling every time I shifted

beneath him. I felt him hardening against my ass, his cock driving
against me through the fabric of his sweatpants and my breaths came
heavier. It was just his obsession with my blood, or maybe he wanted
to use me again for an outlet. But then hadn’t Tory given him that?
He drew his fangs free of me, sitting back fast and starting to massage
me more aggressively, his body angled so I couldn’t feel his arousal
anymore, but we both knew the truth, even if neither of us would
voice it.

He massaged me until my muscles were jelly and peace was coming

for me, the kind I hadn’t felt in so, so long.
Caleb rolled down to lay next to me, casting a woven sheet of leaves
over us and I turned onto my side, grateful for the cover so it wouldn’t
give away how fucking hot that had gotten me.
“What do you need?” he asked softly. “Do whatever it is your Order
wants.”
I glanced at his bare chest, then shifted forward, curling into him and
pulling him tight against me. His arms wrapped around me, and I
nuzzled against his cheek, our stubble raking together and feeling so
star-damned good, all I wanted to do was turn my head and steal a
hungry kiss from his mouth. But holding him close and feeling his
muscles tighten around me was enough of a gift for tonight, and I
wasn’t going to do anything stupid that might send him running from
here.

So I shut my eyes and breathed in his sharp, masculine scent, finding

some clarity in why I had fallen for him so hopelessly. He was Caleb
Altair. The most protective, loyal Fae who knew every piece of me and
never flinched from it. Of course I’d fallen for him. Just like The
Wheel of Fortune card had predicted. It was inevitable.
The tiny bedroom I’d been given in the back corner of the R.U.M.P.
Castle was big enough for little more than my bed alone, which
seemed extra insulting seeing as I’d given every drop of my magic to
Gerry while she created the damn thing.
In all honesty, I had been more caught up in the feeling of power
sharing with her than concentrating on what she was doing with her
magic, so I was at least a little to blame, but this shit wasn’t going to
work for me.

I wrenched my bedroom door open, having every intention of hunting

her down and demanding a better room, but the door slammed into
the edge of my bed and got itself wedged there with the force I used.
I cursed, tugging on the thing but somehow managing to wedge it
further, the wood groaning in protest as I yanked on it again.
I braced a foot against the bed and heaved on it, putting my weight
into the motion. The door sprung free, and I flew backwards into the
hall, slamming down on my ass with a torrent of cursing.

“Well, that’s one way to peel an onion,” Justin Masters said from
somewhere above me, and I swore louder as I shoved to my feet and
whirled on him.
“What did you say?” I snarled, my gifts whipping from me and
throwing a strong dose of terror his way, but his mental walls were
firm and waiting, so the attack did little more than make him flinch.

“It isn’t every day a slop-headed ninny falls at my feet, is all,” he

replied with a shrug before turning and striding away from me like this
was already over.
“Have you spoken to Gerry?” I demanded as I fell into step with him
uninvited.
“What business is that of yours?” Justin asked, glancing at me from the
corner of his eye and puffing his chest up a little. I had a good foot on
the asswipe and at least fifty pounds of muscle, so it wasn’t exactly
intimidating.

“Because me and her have a good thing going and I want to be sure
that you’re clear that whatever you thought you had with her is done
now.”
Justin scoffed lightly but said nothing as he tried to up his pace,
heading towards the banquet hall where the scent of freshly baked
bagels was calling to us like a summons.
“Spit it out,” I growled, grabbing him by the collar and forcing him to
face me.
Justin set his feet, a canine growl peeling his lips back which I replied
to by hissing like a cat. That seemed to make him realise he was losing
his grip on his ever-so-carefully controlled persona, and he pressed his
mouth closed into a thin line.

“Say it,” I insisted when he seemed inclined towards silence. “I can see
the words twisting around inside that skull of yours and I can feel your
contempt like the stench of a fart on the air, so there’s no point in
holding back.”
“Fine,” Justin said haughtily, knocking my hand from his collar and
straightening out the wrinkle I’d left there before raising his chin and
looking me dead in the eye. “You, Max Rigel, are simply a dalliance
in the water of Geraldine’s youth,” he said and to my utter outrage, I
felt a note of pity coming from him as he surveyed me. “You are brash
and uncouth, pig- headed, arrogant and utterly unwavering in your
self-righteousness. Yet you are tall and muscular and no doubt
talented in the ways of pleasuring women, so for now, my sweet flower
has allowed her head to be turned from those less desirable traits in
favour of using you to those ends. It is abundantly clear to all but you.

Every fine member of the A.S.S. watches you pant over her like a dog
in heat, and we smile at the power she wields so flippantly over a man
who believes himself to be untouchable. She may not wish to fulfil her
arrangement to wed me any longer, and though it is a shame, my
family have always and will always serve the crown. My marriage will
only ever be to the benefit of the Vegas, one way or another, and I am
more than content with that, whomever my bride shall be. Geraldine
too has dedicated her life into their service, and she may have cut off
her betrothal to me, but that doesn’t mean anyone in the entire
kingdom believes for one moment that she will now turn to you when
she decides she is ready to take a husband. The uncouth water Heir
who is clinging to his title and wishy-washy claim to the throne which
all but he and his little pals already know will never see the shadow of
his pert buttocks descending upon it. It’s sad, really, that you can’t see
that too. But amusing, nonetheless.”

My muscles were locked so tightly and my jaw grinding so violently

that I did nothing at all as Justin turned and strode away from me,
heading into the banquet hall where Geraldine was no doubt leading
the newly formed Vega court in all manner of royalist nonsense.
I turned my attention inwards as I closed my eyes, expelling a long
breath through my nose and using my own gifts to quell a lot of the
rage I was feeling before I ended up hounding after Justin and
plastering his well- groomed head to the newly built castle walls.
When I was confident that I could control myself again, I opened my
eyes and drifted towards the door to the banquet hall, magic curling
around me as I went, hiding me in shadows and concealing my
presence from anyone who might turn my way.

I leaned my shoulder against the newly carved wood of the door and
peered inside.
The hall had been laid out with five long tables which stretched
towards the door where I stood and a top table on a dais presided over
all of them at the far end of the huge room. There was a raging fire in
the grate behind the two throne-like chairs which had been crafted
specifically for the Vegas to sit their royal asses on, but Tory wasn’t
there to sit on hers and Darcy was... well, fuck knew where Darcy was.
I was worried about her, I knew that much.

Geraldine was standing close to the top table, her shrewd expression
combing over the gathered rebels. They were her closest allies, the
biggest advocates of the Vega line and the most avid supporters of
Tory and Darcy reclaiming the throne. Sofia and Tyler were pointing
out something on his Atlas, no doubt another article he was readying
to send to the press, reminding Solaria that we were all still here, still
fighting, even if it was easy to feel forgotten while we floated across the
sea at random, far from the places we had all once called home.
There was no place for me or the other Heirs set aside. Even my
father and Seth and Caleb’s moms were left to sit at one of the five
tables, though as I watched them, I could tell they were plotting ways
to regain their hold on their power. I just didn’t think it mattered what
they did here, not surrounded by this group of royalists. None of them
would be won away from the Vegas, none of them had any interest in
supporting our claim to the throne.

“Chip chop!” Geraldine cried and I trained my attention on her,

casting an amplification spell her way and focusing on everything she
was saying to the Fae around her. “The army won’t just organise
themselves. I need reports on the new barracks and any issues which
have arisen since we set sail on this here island of destiny.”

The group of Fae closest to her all began calling out reports on how
the relocation for the rebels was going, giving facts and figures about
the housing being erected all over the island in strategic positions.
More of them started offering reports on the progress being made to
shield and ward our new stronghold, others letting her know how
work was going with food production, clothing manufacturing etc.
Washer was one of the most vocal amongst them, a pen scratching
away before him as he noted down everything that was said and drew
out a map of the island. Geraldine looked over his shoulder, giving
notes on improvements and telling him that she would bring it to the
true queens for approval once everything was ship-shape.

I cast my gifts over the Fae surrounding her, searching for any signs of
deception or betrayal, but there was nothing. The search for whoever
had given our location to Lionel when he attacked The Burrows had
turned up nothing, and now we were all left wondering if there might
still be a traitor amongst our ranks or if whoever it was had died or
fled during the battle. I didn’t know and the thought haunted me
endlessly, but we were taking precautions. The Atlases which were
now being handed out more freely between the rebels had all been
given hardware which scanned any outgoing messages and restricted
access to the outside world. In addition to that, only a very few,
specially selected Fae had been allowed to go on trips to the mainland
to gather essential supplies, the wards surrounding our hiding place
preventing anyone from leaving without permission via both stardust
and physically. We were doing all we could to protect ourselves and I
just had to hope it would be enough. We needed time to regroup,
bolster our numbers and plan our retaliation on Lionel as soon as
possible.

When Geraldine seemed satisfied by all she had seen, she moved along
tobthe next table where Justin the asshole now sat prim and proper
with a napkin draped across his lap as he cut a bagel into bite sized
pieces with a knife and fork like a fucking heathen.
Geraldine began to question the Fae surrounding him about the
scouting missions she’d clearly had them all out on, cross-referencing
their reports on possible rebel strongholds within the kingdom as well
as noting down any Nebular Inquisition Centres and their locations.

Justin chimed in with a bunch of information about the land he’d

travelled over while stuck in that parachute and to my disgust, the Fae
surrounding him simpered, marvelling at his tenacity while he
endured the elements in his legendary plight of escape and daring. It
sounded to me like the idiot had just been lucky not to die while he
hung around up there in a diaper forged of leaves which Tory had
used to save his scrawny ass when he’d gotten in her way on the
battlefield. No one was asking him where he’d been shitting all those
days, were they? Oh no, no one wondered how many times he’d had
to piss himself up there. But now Geraldine was talking about a statue
being erected in his honour or a tapestry of his bold escapades being
woven for the royal palace.

My irritation with Justin aside, I couldn’t help but realise what was
going on here. What me and the other Heirs had so blatantly
neglected while licking our wounds and wallowing in our grief over
our lost brother.

The war was still raging. And Geraldine and the A.S.S. hadn’t wasted
a single moment despite facing their own losses and pain. They were
gathering intelligence, rallying for the next strike. It was...humiliating.
My whole fucking life I’d been trained to take charge, taught how to
lead, and prepared for any eventuality. And yet when our people had
needed us most, needed leadership and guidance and someone to
stand up tall and tell them that we wouldn’t break, I hadn’t done a
damn thing.
Geraldine had orchestrated this, and Tory had stepped up, she’d
rallied the rebels after their defeat, and was clearly overseeing all of
these plans as Gerry moved them into action. They were no doubt
holding more war councils too, plotting, figuring out what Lionel was
up to.
Not to mention the fact that Tory had headed out to that library and
returned with several books on forgotten magic, more plans burning in
her green eyes even as she broke apart over all she’d lost.

Fuck.
I took a step away from the banquet hall, feeling unwelcome there
despite the bounty of bagels which made my stomach growl with need.
I wasn’t going to just sit on my ass and eat. I needed to do something
real. Needed to help with the war effort and stop wallowing like the
entitled little bitch Justin clearly thought I was. I needed to step up and
show Geraldine that I could be the man she chose long term, that I
wasn’t just some fling from her youth, a nothing mistake she’d use and
forget.
I turned sharply and strode away from the delicious scent of food,
heading for the impressive staircase in the centre of the castle and
striding up it at a fast pace.

No one paid me much attention until I turned towards the next

staircase which led up to the top floor, the private royal suites which I
was willing to bet were about a million times nicer than the room I’d
been given down in the dregs of this place. Geraldine hadn’t even had
the decency to warn me about the size of my room, simply assigning
some low-level Ass member to lead me there and informing me that I
was blessed to be welcomed into the abode of the true queens. It was
bullshit. And I was going to call it out just as soon as I proved to her
that I was worth more than some suit stuffing, napkin- wielding
douchebag called Justin.

I made a move to pass the guards standing watch at the foot of the
stairs to the royal chambers, but they instantly swarmed into action, a
wall of ice blocking my way as the four of them shifted into defensive
stances.
“You do not have free access to the true queen,” one of them said
firmly, a dare in his eyes which was just begging for me to punch it
away, but I held myself in check.
“She’ll want to see me,” I ground out, waiting for one of them to go
confirm that claim, but none of them moved.

“As of yet, we have heard no signs to suggest that Her Highness has
awoken. You are free to wait here until such a time as she does. Aside
from that, we are under strict orders not to disturb her slumber.”
I narrowed my eyes at them, then cast an amplifying spell and tipped
my head back as I roared Tory’s name at the top of my lungs. All four
of the guards cried out and clapped their hands over their ears, but
before any of them could get any dumb ideas about fighting me, a
reply called down from above.
“Let him through,” Tory said. “He’ll only start crying a river of tears if
you don’t and flood the whole building.”

The guards reluctantly shifted aside, and I stalked past them, offering
death glares and a clear challenge for any and all of them to seek me
out later if they wanted a real fight. The averted eyes and slight dips to
their heads let me know that none of them were going to take me up
on that, and I took the minor ego boost in my stride as I headed on up
the stairs at last.
I pushed the door open to Tory’s room, arching a brow as I found her
there, cross-legged on the floor in nothing but an oversized black t-
shirt and her panties, her dark hair tied in a messy knot on top of her
head.

There was a plate of untouched food by the door which looked like
last night’s dinner and an almost empty bottle of tequila beside it,
which I assumed was the option she’d gone for instead.
She had made a kind of nest out of a heap of coins and jewels from
Darius’s treasure trove to sit in and there were five ancient-looking
books open to various pages around her.
“Well,” I said slowly, taking in the hastily scribbled and crossed out
notes on the crumpled bits of paper that littered the floor. “You look
like shit.”

“Why thank you,” she replied sarcastically, swigging from the bottle of
tequila while holding my eye in a challenge for me to mention it.
“You’re looking your own kind of tragically bereft yourself. Wanna
sit?”
She indicated the heap of coins beside her and despite the fact that it
looked anything but comfortable, I found the reminder of Darius
soothing in a way I hadn’t expected and carefully stepped past the
books to take the spot she’d offered.
Tory lifted a book out of my way as I got comfortable, the deep blue
cover awakening my interest as she turned it over in her hands, then
dumped it in my lap.

“Here, give yourself a book boner. It’ll make you think of Orion.”
I arched a brow doubtfully, but as I took in the beautiful decoration
on the front of the book which depicted my most powerful Element in
all its forms, I had to admit that a chill ran over me.
I opened the book carefully, almost reverently as I sensed the age of
the tome and read the introduction with interest.

All things begin and end with the Element of water, it is life just as it is death,
power, and purity. It is both ambivalent and altruistic. Beware the power of
washing your soul clean in its icy depths, for once you have taken the plunge into the
life of aqua, you will never again be the same.

I frowned as I took in the truth of those words, turning a few more

pages and finding spells and incantations unlike anything I had ever
learned before describing how to harness the power of water. If I was
reading it correctly, it didn’t even matter which star sign you
possessed. If you wanted to wield the Element and were willing to pay
the price of doing so, then there were ways here that could make it
happen – even if the effects were short-lived and to serve a sole
purpose.

“This is...I’ve heard the odd thing about the way magic was tamed
before the Awakening was discovered, but I never knew they could do
so much,” I said, turning pages listed with instructions for all forms of
water magic, including some I had never even considered before. “To
give life...” I read aloud and Tory snatched the book from me before I
could go on.
Her eyes scanned the page, a tendril of hope pouring from her and
brushing against my senses, feeding my power, but as she skimmed
down the page, despair took its place until she finally dropped the
book into her lap.
“This is for imbuing land with self-replenishing water so that crops can
grow through drought,” she huffed, a flash of anger hitting me before
she reined it in again. No...she didn’t rein it in, she hid it from me,
letting me feel a touch of pain and despair but shielding that rage, like
she knew it was the most potent and powerful emotion she was
experiencing right now and didn’t want me stealing that from her.
I reached out and took her hand, the strength of my gifts growing as I
maintained that contact and forced her to look at me.
“You’re not coping,” I told her, though it was clear she knew that
already.

“There is no coping with this,” she replied, a burst of anger hitting me

again, and this time she didn’t bother to conceal it. “All I have is this
rage in me. I need to find my sister, kill that Dragon son of a bitch and
then...well then there isn’t anything left for me unless...”
Her eyes moved over the ancient books surrounding us, and a
hopeless kind of need tainted the air, making me tighten my hold on
her hand and offer her some reassurance.

“You’re trying to find a way to bring him back?” I asked softly,

wishing with all I had that there was some way to do such a thing
while knowing in my soul that it was impossible. “Tory, in the entire
history of our world, in all the years that have passed and with all the
losses Fae have endured, none have ever found a way to return the
dead to us.”
“Don’t,” she hissed. “Don’t try to explain it to me like I’m some silly
mortal trying to figure out how magic works. I know what you’re
saying, I understand it. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on him. I
can’t give up on him, don’t you get that? He is everything to me, and
the stars stole him away. I don’t believe for one second that they
couldn’t bring him back if that was what they wanted. But they won’t,
because they only interfere with our lives when it amuses them to do
so. They only get involved when it comes to love or hate, and all the
things they should have no dominion over in the first place. They
gifted Fae this magic so that they could use it like puppet masters
pulling on our strings, forcing us to worship them in the heavens
above, and yet all the while they do nothing to help us when we need
it most. They offered him death in exchange for my life. That means
they gave me life when their fate had chosen death for me instead. So
they can either give him his life back too, or they can find out what I
will do to them in payment for that sacrifice.”

Tory reached out for the onyx black book behind her, the cover
etched with a word that was at once unfamiliar and yet resounded
deep within me like an old friend greeting me from another lifetime.
Ether.
“What is that?” I asked.
“This is the power we gave up when the stars began Awakening our
kind. Not the power they gifted us. Not the power they can control.
This is wild, free, and untouched by them or their ideas of fate. It’s the
true fifth Element and they hold no dominion over it. And this is what
I will use to destroy everyone and everything who has tried to take so
very much from me.”

I almost reached for the book, but something deep within me warned
against it, some intuition or knowledge lodged in the depths of my
bones.
“I thought the shadows were the fifth Element?” I asked, eyeing her
warily as I took in the certainty in her, the promise carved into her
hand.

“No,” she scoffed. “More lies passed down through time, either
intentionally or through poor translation. The shadows were never
meant to be a part of this world, our realm and the shadow realm
divided just as we are from the humans you named mortal – another
half-truth that alludes to immortality in Fae kind and was only used to
scare the humans when the first rifts were created between our realm
and theirs, before we used magic to make them forget about us or cast
us as characters in fairy tales which they no longer believe in. So if
that’s the case, then I’m thinking the shadows never were the fifth
element at all and this-” she tapped the title of the book, “-was the true
name for it. This was what they used to capture the shadows and bind
them to whatever desire they wanted, this was the power that make
wielding them possible in the first place.”

“Who told you the shadows were never meant to be a part of this
world?” I asked with a frown.
“Queen Avalon told us all kinds of stories like that while we were
training with her. She was...well she was a total bitch, if I’m being
honest. Stuffed full of just as much Order supremacy bullshit as Lionel
is, and pretty much a tyrant in her own time. Of course, she painted
herself out to be some benevolent creature, but over time, we saw
between the lines of her stories, noticed the prejudices she spoke with.
She persecuted anyone she deemed less worthy of life than her, the
Nymphs most of all.”

“Our people and the Nymphs have been at war for as long as anyone
can remember. Fae are prey to them. There’s no changing that fact,
and it makes sense that a Fae queen of old would have wanted to
eradicate them,” I pointed out.
Tory chewed on her bottom lip, her fingers trailing over the cover of
the book as she considered my words.

“Darcy doesn’t believe they’re simply soulless monsters set on preying

on all of us. Miguel claims he’s on our side, though no one has
managed to get much more out of him than that since he was
captured. And despite the lies and the deceptions, Diego died to save
my sister in the end. I know he wasn’t perfect but...”
“But what?” I pressed.

“I don’t know. But I do know that we’re missing something here,

something vital, something which Darcy would want me to think
about. It’s why I won’t let anyone execute Miguel, there’s too many
what ifs. And I think Darcy will want to talk to him too, and I think
she might be the one who can figure out the truth in all of this. I don’t
want to blindly follow the guidance of the stars and I don’t want to
blindly follow a path laid out by past royals either. The past should be
where we learn from our mistakes, the future is open to all new
possibilities.”
Her attention dropped back to the Book of Ether in her lap and I
tensed as I took in the determination in her.

“I don’t think you should be playing with that, Tory,” I murmured,

but she just gave a humourless laugh.
“Playing is exactly what I’ve been doing up until now. Playing with the
Elements they offered me and toying with the flames of my Order. But
this right here is where things will get real. And I won’t back down. So
I suggest you don’t get in my way.”
She held my gaze with an unbreakable will, and I could feel her
decision to see this through burning in the air as brightly as her
Phoenix ever could. She wouldn’t be turned from this path. There was
no backing out of it, and quite frankly, I wasn’t sure there was a Fae
alive powerful enough to stop her anyway.

“Okay,” I agreed heavily, nodding in acceptance of the vow she was

so desperate to keep. “I’m with you. If you think there’s a way to
change this fate, then fuck knows I would give anything for that to be
true. So whatever you need, whatever it takes, I’m in.”
“Good.”
We spent another hour looking through the books, Tory mainly giving
the tome on ether her attention while I tried to get my head around
the very different ways that Fae used to wield power. There wasn’t a
single spell in any of the books that was simple, all of them requiring
various items, sacrifices, incantations, or the like to work at all and
even then, the power was short-lived. But despite that, from the
numerous warnings and often terrifying depictions accompanying the
various magics, there was great power in this form of summoning. The
risks seemed to outweigh the benefits to me for the most part though,
and even as I continued leafing through the books, reading page after
page, helping Tory to make notes on anything that looked like it might
be promising, I found myself wanting to avoid that kind of power.

“There are notes here on the shadows, but it’s like they were barely
even relevant to dark magic when this kind of power was in use,” Tory
said suddenly, snapping the Book of Ether shut. “I don’t get it. Orion
used blood and bone magic, but he mostly used the shadows whenever
I saw him wielding the dark powers. How could something so
prevalent now have been so irrelevant back then?”

“Maybe they hadn’t figured out how to use the shadows when these
books were written?” I suggested, closing the air book too.
“If there was no mention of them at all then I’d believe that, but they
do come up from time to time, in a way that is practically dismissive.
There was one line...” She started hunting through the loose notes
littering the floor around us before snatching one out triumphantly
and holding it up for me to take.
I read the copied sentence with a frown as I tried to understand its
meaning.

Shadows are powerful in their own right, but they are of another realm and are the
magic of Unemph, so are wielded best by their kind alone.

“I mean, that word kinda sounds like Nymph to me. You think that’s
who they’re talking about? The Nymphs wielding the shadows? Didn’t
Diego’s grandma knit herself into a shadow hat or some shit? Seems
like it adds up to me.” I shrugged but couldn’t help the smug grin
tugging at the corner of my lips when Tory’s irritation at herself
reached me alongside her excitement over that possible answer.

Tory got to her feet and found a pair of sweatpants, pulling them on
and turning her back to me as she switched the oversized shirt for a
white crop top, then kicked on a pair of sneakers. I stood too, watching
as she moved to grab a small bag from the desk beside the door, then
took a lethal-looking dagger and dropped both things into her pocket.
“You just carry concealed weapons these days, do you?” I teased her
and she looked over her shoulder at me, something dark flickering in
her green eyes.

For a brief moment, I was in her head, locked up at Lionel’s mercy,

her Order suppressed, her magic kept in check by the Guardian bond
he’d forced on her. The memories faded as fast as they’d come, my
connection to her severing as both of us drew away from it, and she
shrugged.
“I have a whole list of reasons for wanting to have plenty of ways to
defend myself at all times,” she said. “But this dagger has its own
purpose for later.”
She didn’t give me an explanation of what that was, and I had to
hurry to match her pace as she headed out the door.
We exited the royal chambers, my stomach rumbling from the
breakfast

I’d missed out on and my jaw ticking as I thought about fucking Justin
and his stupid fucking face. I was going to smack that face the next
time I laid my eyes on him. Then we’d see if he was still so star-
damned smug.
“Is that my lady?” a cry drew my attention, and I half turned to look
around for Geraldine, but Tory caught my arm and yanked on it,
forcing me to move faster as we headed for the drawbridge.
“I love Gerry, but if she checks up on my eating habits one more time,
I’m going to scream,” she hissed, her pace practically a trot as guards
moved aside to let us out and we moved over the drawbridge.
I glanced down at Tory, taking in the sharpness of her cheekbones and
the haunted expression in her ferocious gaze. I could tell why
Geraldine was fussing.
“Maybe you should eat a bit more,” I suggested. “It’s never a good
idea to get too hung-”

“One more word, Max Rigel, and I’ll kick you in the balls and leave
you wheezing on the floor while I go talk to Miguel alone,” she said,
her fingernails biting into my arm painfully, making me want to snatch
it away.
Instead, I aimed soothing magic towards her, subtly weaving a little
hunger into the emotions too, but she just clicked her tongue and shut
me out, releasing my arm and striding away towards the newly built
jail on the far side of the island.

I would have tried to argue further, but I could already tell that it
wouldn’t get me anywhere. Besides, the fact that she hadn’t just shifted
and flown on ahead of me told me she didn’t actually want to leave me
behind at all. Despite the walls she was now maintaining to keep me
out of her head, I knew how alone she was feeling.
“Coowee!” Geraldine called from behind us, and I resisted the urge to
turn her way as I jogged to catch up to Tory.

“You do realise she isn’t going to give up, don’t you?” I asked as I fell
into step with her again, and the corner of Tory’s lips twitched in
amusement.
“I know.”
We walked another ten steps or so before a Tarzan yell reached my
ears, and I was forced to turn and look at Geraldine who was swinging
across the terrain with a vine wrapped around her waist and a platter
full of buttery bagels balanced on an outstretched hand.
“My ladyyyy!” Geraldine called and Tory broke a rueful grin as she
turned too, folding her arms in some attempt to look irritated while we
waited for Geraldine to land.
The vines snapped her skyward before releasing her and she flipped
over, somehow keeping every single bagel on that platter before
landing solidly in front of us and bowing to Tory.
“Oh good, I caught you,” Geraldine panted, her chest rising and
falling heavily, drawing more than a little of my attention. Her
crimson hair was plastered to her forehead where beads of
perspiration lined her brow from the chase she’d embarked on to
catch us.

“Were you looking for me?” Tory asked innocently, and if I hadn’t
been with her the entire time, I swear I would have believed she’d had
no idea. No wonder that girl had never been charged with anything in
the mortal realm.
“Oh, you cheeky cherub, you know I was,” Geraldine laughed,
planting her free hand on her hip and offering Tory the platter. “And
I know that you do not feel the pangs of hunger while the cloud of
grief gathers close around you, but I would be failing in my duties if I
did not attempt to tempt you with some buttery goodness on a fine
morn such as this. You know you must eat to maintain your strength,
and I would be a narry nubby of a friend if I didn’t look out for you in
this time of war, strife, and need.”

“Fine,” Tory gave in, reaching for a bagel and taking a big bite which
made Geraldine sigh with relief.
“I also haven’t eaten on this nerry morn,” I pointed out, eyeing the
bagels while Geraldine gave me little more than a cursory glance.
“What on earth are you gabbering about, you slothsome seabeast?”
she asked, frowning at me like I’d just spoke Martian or something.
“I just...would like a bagel. Please,” I said, my stomach punctuating
that request by growling loudly enough for all of us to hear.

“These are royal bagels,” Geraldine laughed like I’d been joking,
wafting me away. “Baked with royal tums in mind, the fluffiest and
butteriest of their kind. Not the flotsam fish stew more suited to one
such as you.”
“Gerry,” I ground out, the mountain of bagels whispering to me.
“There are about fifty bagels there. Tory couldn’t possibly eat all of
them even if she wanted to. What are you planning to do with all the
ones she doesn’t eat if no one else can have any?”

Geraldine stared at me with those beguiling blue eyes of hers, blinked

once, looked at the bagels, then burst out laughing again.
I assumed that was my cue to take one and reached for it, but she
snapped at my fucking fingers like a dog guarding a chew toy, and I
was forced to snatch them away again.
Tory barked a laugh as she turned towards the jail once more, striding
ahead of us and leaving me to start bickering with Geraldine over the
fate of the fucking baked goods she was hoarding like a Dragon with
treasure.

By the time we made it to the squat wooden building, I’d been hit over
the head with a bagel, called at least eighteen different types of fish-
based insults, and was pretty certain I would be getting laid tonight
too. It was all fucking confusing, and I was still grumbling about being
hungry while Tory hadn’t even bothered to take a second bagel after
eating the first.
The guards who were on duty outside the wooden jailhouse all leapt to
attention as they spotted Tory, the five of them bowing low even when
she forcefully told them not to.

“Geraldine, can you tell them?” Tory asked in exasperation when they
refused to rise without her permission. Tory in turn refused to give
them permission to rise, based on the fact that she didn’t want to have
the power to tell them to do any such thing.
“Well, my lady, it is a bit of a conundrum. They wish to honour you
by bowing, and yet you take the bowing as something of an insult,
which in turn makes them want to placate and honour you more, so
they bow lower, but then you do not appear appeased by that, so then
they have no choice but to bow even lower and-”

“I’m just gonna go on in and leave this shit show to play out without
me,” Tory interrupted her. “But if we can avoid more of this going
forward, then that would be great.”
She rolled her eyes at the guards who were practically laying in the
mud at this point, their confusion and desperate desire to please her
filling the air. Tory grabbed a couple more bagels from the platter
then told Geraldine to offer the rest to the guards once they managed
to get themselves up off the floor, jerking her chin to me in a
command for me to follow her inside.
“You know you’re not my queen, don’t you?” I growled as I stalked
after Tory. “And I wanted some of those bagels you just handed out to
the rabble-” “Shh.” Tory pushed one of the bagels she’d just taken
into my mouth, cutting off my rant, then handing me the other.
“You’re really bitchy when you’re hangry.”

I would have argued with her about that, but I gave in to the demands
of my stomach and chewed instead, the sound of Geraldine consoling
the confused rebels following us into the darkness of the small
building.
No real effort had been made in here to make it comfortable; it was
just a wooden box with a single window allowing a minimal amount of
light inside. The only thing within the building was the huge night iron
cage containing the one and only Nymph we had taken captive after
the attack on the ruins.

Tory created a torch with her earth magic, lighting it with a spark of
fire and plunging the other end into the ground beside us, the dirt
supporting it as the flickering flames illuminated Miguel in his cage.
My gifts flared as I tried to get a sense of the Nymph, figuring out his
motivations and any plots he might be concealing, but all I could
perceive from him was this endless kind of relief, a lot of sadness, and a
spark of hope which flared brighter as he took in his visitors.
“You came,” he said, pushing to his feet from the dirt where he’d been
lying. He brushed off his clothes and tried to flatten the mess of
thinning dark hair on his head, embarrassment tumbling from him as
he looked from Tory to me.

“We have questions,” Tory said simply, her eyes moving over the cold
cage and her lips tightening. “Sit.”
A flick of her fingers had three stools growing from the ground itself,
two on our side of the bars for us and one inside for him to use.
Miguel dropped onto the stool with a sigh, wringing his hands in his
lap as he fought the desire to speak, respect and humility adding to the
mixture of emotions I could feel from him. He was making no attempt
to shield any of it from me, and I wasn’t sure if he was even capable of
doing so. Either way, I relaxed, sensing no threat or signs of deceit
here.
“I’ve been researching dark magic,” Tory said, subtle as a bull, like
always. “Old magic. The kind that predates the Awakening of our
kind.”
“Si. The Nymphs have been servants of the dark for a long time,”
Miguel said, nodding. “Though it was only ever called dark by your
kind. At least it was once the shadows were tainted.”
“Tainted how?”
“La Princesa de las Sombras.”
“English, please,” I grunted, and his eyes flicked to me, a flinch of fear
coating my tongue as his emotions shifted once more.

“Sorry.” Miguel dipped his head. “They were tainted by the Shadow
Princess. Lavinia. When she was banished to their realm and her curse
bled into it.”
“So you’re saying that before she entered the shadow realm, things
were different? How?” I asked.
Miguel hesitated, fear and uncertainty wrapping around me like a silk
glove stroking its way down my cheek.
“I want to be honest with you,” he said. “But...there is more than just
my life at stake here. There are others who I need to protect.”
“Others who don’t wish to follow Lavinia?” Tory asked, scooting
forward on her stool, and I could tell she’d guessed right by the shift in
Miguel’s emotions.

He nodded. “Do you swear you won’t hurt them? They have never
hunted Fae, never stolen magic. The few of them who have any of
your power were gifted it just as our kind were in the days of old. By
willing Fae already at death’s door, those waiting to walk beyond the
Veil, ready to part with their power.”
I frowned, wondering why even a dying Fae would ever agree to a
Nymph taking their magic from them, but Tory spoke before I could.
“I won’t ever attack anyone who doesn’t first strike at me or this
kingdom,” she swore, a ring of authority to those words. “My sister
and I have no taste for war or death beyond fighting for the freedom
everyone deserves from tyranny.”

Miguel wrung his hands again, his emotions roiling as he came to

some decision, and he pushed to his feet, clinging to the night iron
bars as if they caused him no discomfort at all. And maybe if his
claims about not wielding the shadows were true, then they didn’t.
“My son trusted you. He loved you. You gave him a family when he
couldn’t claim one at home,” his voice cracked, and I could sense
Tory’s discomfort. She hadn’t been as close to Diego as Darcy had,
but I knew their friendship had been real enough, even if it had been a
little fraught at times. “And I think he would have wanted me to tell
you this. He would have wanted me to trust you too.”
“Trust me with what?” Tory asked, and I leaned closer as I felt the
importance of this revelation rising in the room.

“I was born in a secluded part of the kingdom, hidden from all

outsiders through years of careful and diligent work. We broke our
allegiance with others of our kind when we decided to resist the call of
la Princesa de las Sombras. We saw through the lies she was spinning
and came to understand the taint she had placed upon the shadows we
had once loved and wielded so dearly. So we left them, six entire tribes
of Nymphs left and hid ourselves away from those who wished to
continue down her path. We worked to cleanse a small portion of the
shadows of her vile corruption so that we could use them without her
input, so that we wouldn’t be polluted by her desires and become
maddened with the need to steal magic from Fae. There are even Fae
who live among us peacefully. They have married our kind and live
full lives with us, giving up their power only when death comes calling
at their door and even then, they only do so if they wish it.”

“I need to learn more about the magic you possess,” Tory said. “I
need to use everything that I possibly can to bring Lionel down. Can
you teach me?”
“Tory,” I warned her in a low growl, but she shot me a dark look,
telling me all too clearly to back off, and I gritted my teeth as I waited
for Miguel’s reply.
“I don’t know much of the old magics,” he admitted. “But I could give
you some guidance in handling the shadows – though your kind
cannot wield them in the ways we can.”

“Is there anyone who would know more about the old Fae way of
casting? Anyone who I could ask in your hidden village?” she pushed.
Miguel froze, his eyes moving between the two of us warily. “Their
location is a secret which has been guarded for almost a thousand
years-”
“But let’s say it wasn’t. Let’s say your people were here with us now.
Let’s say they really wanted to deal with Lavinia and reclaim the
shadows from her. Would there be someone among them who might
have the answers I seek? Would there be a chance that the rest of
them might be rallied into an army to fight on our side of this war?”
“Tory,” I barked, shoving to my feet as disgust filled me at the thought
of that. “You can’t seriously be suggesting an alliance with some of the
Nymphs?”

She turned her dark eyes on me with a warning flaring in them, but I
refused to let her push ahead with this madness.
“You’re forgetting that you aren’t actually a queen,” I growled. “You
can’t offer up alliances with anyone, let alone our sworn enemies.”
“I’m simply asking a question,” she replied icily, turning back to look
at Miguel. “Is there a chance?”

Miguel looked from her to me with hesitation written into every piece
of his being. His fear clung to the walls and rolled down them in a
thick and cloying fog which was impossible to ignore, but piercing
through that terror, a single beam of emotion drew my attention.
Hope.
“Perhaps,” he breathed, and I swear the entire world spun on its axis
as the stars peered closer to listen to that one, impossible word.
Silence hung between all of us, filled with tension, mistrust, and that
aching hope.
“We need to go,” Tory said suddenly, lifting her head to look through
the window to the sky beyond.

I followed her gaze to see the sun moving closer to its zenith, the
midday light brightening the sky to a stunning shade of blue.
“I’ll leave you to think about that offer and return to discuss it
further,” she said to Miguel, a flick of her fingers growing a bed of soft
moss with warm blankets for him, then a small, wooden shelter to add
some privacy to his shitting bucket. Lastly, she cast a stone bowl filled
with heated water for him to wash in and a smaller one with chilled
water to drink from.

I’ll make sure someone brings you some food,” she added, and
Miguel’s eyes widened in shock and gratitude at the kindness. It didn’t
surprise me though; the Vegas had suffered in hunger and coldness.
She wouldn’t want anyone else to endure the same, even if they might
turn out to be her enemy.
Tory strode from the room without bothering to check if I was actually
following her or not, and I trotted along in her wake, the words Justin
had tossed at me earlier ringing in my skull.

I wasn’t just some side piece to the ascension of the Vegas. But I had
to admit that Tory was stepping into the role of ruler without so much
as a flicker of hesitation, her actions strong and decisive, even if they
were touched with harshness in the wake of all she’d lost.
We headed out of the jail and across the open plain beyond, ignoring
the guards as they bowed again, no sign of Gerry anywhere, much to
my disappointment.

My stride lengthened so that we walked together and I was no longer

trailing behind, but Tory didn’t show any indication that she had even
noticed the difference.
There was a hill to the south of the island, and we headed up its steep
sides until we made it to the top where Seth, Caleb, and Geraldine
had already gathered.

“Have you got everything?” Caleb asked, looking to her, and Tory
nodded, her eyes moving from him to the sun above which was almost
at its highest point.
“We need to hurry,” she said.
“Is anyone going to explain this to me?” Seth asked, cocking his head
like a pup, and Geraldine sighed like a long-suffering mother.
“At the height of the sun, our dear and magnanimous lady shall use
the powers of old to transport her wandering soul to the location of
her other half, walking the path between life and death while bound to
a single, flickering flame. Once the sun doth wane and the effigy burns
out, she shall return to herself here, and lo, we shall at last have the
answer to our dearest Darcy’s location.”

“Okay, so eighty percent of that made no sense,” Seth said as Tory

took the small bag from her pocket and placed it on the floor beside
the dagger. “But I think there were mentions of a wandering soul
which sounds a whole lot like death to me.”
The coldness creeping through me had nothing to do with the chilled
wind sweeping around us and everything to do with the truth in his
words. I couldn’t help but agree with him.
“Are you really sure about messing with this stuff, Tory?” I asked,
eyeing her cautiously as she flicked her fingers at the ground and
burned a perfect pentagram through the grass right at the apex of the
hill. “I don’t think Darius would have wanted you to risk-”
“That’s the thing about dying,” Tory hissed venomously. “You give
up the chance to want anything at all.”

“We could just stop you from doing this,” Seth piped up, moving
closer to me as he seemed to agree with my feelings on the subject. It
felt like spitting on Darius’s grave to ignore the risks here and let his
mate take part in untested magic which would quite literally involve
her soul departing from her body.
“Do you really think so?” Tory challenged, a slight shimmer in the air
between us making it clear that she’d placed a shield there so fast I
hadn’t even noticed her casting it.

“Yeah,” Seth growled, rising to the challenge and taking a step closer.
“I think we can. And for another thing-”
“Leave it,” Caleb growled, shooting around to place himself between
us and Tory, his fangs flashing in the light as he bared them at us.

My heart stilled in shock, then free-fell inside my chest to splatter all

over the floor in a bloody mess as I found myself standing off against
him like that, my friend standing in defence of a Vega over his
brothers.
“Caleb, what the fuck?” I growled, but he didn’t back down, and as I
reached for his emotions with my gifts, I found him determined and
unyielding, even if standing against us like that was hurting him too.
“She needs to figure out this magic. And I swore an oath to help her
do it. I believe she can, and I agree with her on the Darius point. If
he’d wanted a say in what she did, he should have stuck around to
voice his own opinion.”

The words struck me like a blow, and if I hadn’t been able to feel how
much it hurt him to speak them, I likely would have beat his fucking
head in for them.
I looked to Geraldine as she casually swung her flail in one hand,
moving to stand at Caleb’s side, a half-raised eyebrow inviting us to
press on with this challenge.
“You really think this is the right thing?” Seth asked, a whimper in the
back of his throat as he cocked his head towards Tory who was now
cross- legged on the floor, various herbs sprouting from the ground
around her under the guidance of her earth magic.

“I think it’s the only thing we have right now which might give us an
edge. Which might, change our shitty fucking fates,” Caleb said and
with those words I felt the truth of him. He had bought into Tory’s
way of thinking about this untested power. He believed in her
pointless quest to try and shift what had already come to pass, to force
a different destiny upon us and the man we’d all lost.

“Caleb,” I said slowly, the aggression falling from my posture as I felt

the weight of my own loss crashing down on me. “I don’t believe...”
I shook my head, glancing to Tory again before expelling a breath.
She was her own woman. She understood the risks in what she was
attempting by wielding this ancient power, and I could feel how
deeply determined she was to go through with this insane plan. She
was going to immerse herself in the use of ether regardless of anything
anyone else had to say on the subject. And she was right, we couldn’t
stop her.

Even if we succeeded now, we wouldn’t be able to keep her from this

path without restraining her day and night, and I had no intention of
doing any such thing to her after all she’d suffered at Lionel’s hands,
even if I knew that Darius would have hated this.

“Okay,” I agreed at last. “We won’t stand against you.”

I glanced to Seth for confirmation, and he gave a low growl which
voiced his discomfort before nodding firmly in agreement.
“Jolly good.” Geraldine pranced away as if facing off against me
meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of her day, and I
resisted the urge to pout as I gave Tory’s actions my attention.

She now held a roughly fashioned corn doll in her grip, the thing
looking weirdly feminine despite its stuffing sticking out all over the
place. Its chest remained open, and Tory carefully picked a sprig of
vervain and pushed it into the doll. Next, she added chamomile and
then some sweet marjoram before taking the dagger and cutting off a
small lock of her own hair to press into the chest of the creepy looking
thing.
“Vervain for aiding astral workings,” Geraldine breathed as she began
to walk in a slow circle around the edge of the pentagram where Tory
worked. “And to induce the psychic ability to part one’s soul from
their flesh. Chamomile to capture the gifts of the sun and borrow its
almighty power when it is at its highest peak. Sweet marjoram to call
on her one true love – for what greater love is there than that of two
sisters?”

“You’re making this whole thing sound very romantic,” I muttered,

eyeing Tory warily as she took a lapis lazuli crystal from her bag next,
the deep blue stone filled with pure golden swirls which made my
breath catch. It was a priceless piece, one she’d no doubt taken from
Darius’s treasure, and the thought of him losing his shit over that both
amused me and sent a twinge of sadness through my soul.
“The lapis lazuli is the epitome of wisdom, intuition and clarity, it will
help keep her wandering soul on track to find the answer she seeks,”
Geraldine said in that creepy tone, and I found myself glad that this
ritual was taking place in full daylight as a shiver ran down my spine.
“Stop making this weird, Geraldine,” Seth complained. “I already
don’t like it, and you’re making it all kinds of freaky.”

Tory took her dagger and lifted it over the stone, her brow furrowing
in concentration as she etched two runes into the flawless face of it.
“Fehu for luck and Dagaz for awareness,” Geraldine cooed
mysteriously, and I reached for Seth as he whimpered in protest,
offering him some reassuring energy to help combat Geraldine’s
insistence on dramatics.
Tory pushed the lapis lazuli into the corn doll’s chest then pinched the
opening closed, sealing everything inside it as she positioned herself in
the centre of the pentagram.

I held my breath as she turned the blade around and slit her finger
open on it, her blood spilling over the doll and sizzling as some magic
began to take hold already.
The pentagram burned into the ground started glowing, seeming to
suck light from the air itself as Tory tipped her head back to the sky
and spoke a set of words which were strange and unruly, the power of
them lashing against the air itself and making it hard to breathe.
The moment she stopped, the doll she held burst into flames, a scream
escaping it as everything it contained was consumed by the fire in a
flash of heat hot enough to scorch my cheeks.
A blast of power exploded from the thing as it fell apart into nothing
but ash, and Tory gasped as it hit her, her body lifting from the floor,
spine arching backwards unnaturally.

“Tory!” I yelled, trying to move closer to her, but there was a potent
energy surrounding the pentagram which I couldn’t cross, the power
of it crackling painfully against my skin as I tried.
“It’s working!” Geraldine gasped as Tory’s eyes flew open and her
unseeing gaze stared up at the sky.
The power that held her vanished suddenly and she fell to the floor
with a thump, her body completely still as her wide-open eyes looked
at nothing at all and I felt the loss of her in everything around us.
“No,” I begged, trying to force my way past the power of the
pentagram but finding it impenetrable even as I threw my magic at it.
Seth howled as he tried to help me, Caleb’s face paling with each
second that passed without her so much as breathing.

She was gone. Utterly gone. The only other time I had felt such a lack
of someone was in death. Even a Fae who was shielding their emotions
from me gave off a signature I could read, a flicker of self that allowed
me to know they were there. But not Tory. There was nothing left of
her here with us beyond the empty body which was shielded from our
help by the pentagram she’d drawn.
“No, no, no, no.” Seth fought to get to her, the idea of losing another
member of our group clearly on the brink of breaking him.
Caleb shook his head, refusing it, as if he was still holding onto the
vague hope that she could return to us, but what if he was wrong?
“I knew this was a bad idea!” I yelled as I slammed my fist into the
wall of power once again, ice shattering across the edge of it before
melting then evaporating entirely, my water destroyed as if it were
nothing at all.

A shuddering breath forced me to still and the power holding me back

disappeared as if it had never been at all.
Geraldine shrieked at a pitch so high I was pretty sure she’d shattered
my eardrums. By the time I took my hands from shielding my ears, I
found her prostrate on the floor before a dazed-looking Tory who was
blinking at all of us like she hardly recognised where she was.
“Did you find her?” Seth begged while Geraldine garbled on about
the undeniable power of the true queens.

“Yes,” Tory panted, and the look of horror on her face told me the
answer before she even spoke it, her hands tightening to fists and fear
dancing in her eyes. “And Orion was with her too. Lionel has them.”
Tension lined every inch of my posture, a bead of sweat rolling down
my temple as I sat up straight and looked dead ahead.
The Orb was deathly quiet as the entire school sat to attention, a hum
of concern settling over us while we waited, the only sound the ticking
of the large clock hanging on the wall. I glanced at it, specifically at the
minute hand which had just shifted past the six-minute marker, all of
us still waiting, and no one daring to say a word.
My eyes met Gary’s across the room, a flicker of concern and
determination passing between us. It was too late to back out now.
Everything was in place, the magic cast to hide the involvement of the
Undercover A.S.S. and nothing left besides the time between now and
our strike landing.

Lionel Acrux was here. We’d been told at dinner last night that our
esteemed king was coming to speak with us, to rally us in this time of
unease and reassure us about the threat posed by the rebels.
We were just one stop on a long list of press appointments he had
today, political posturing designed to make everyone believe he was
this kind, magnanimous leader, concerned about the citizens of his
kingdom. I’d already caught a couple of minutes from the live stream
of him visiting a hospital this morning, kissing babies on the head, and
claiming to bless them. If it had been my baby he’d come to kiss, I
think I would have hurled myself and the child out of the window
before allowing his poisonous mouth anywhere near it.
Seven minutes past ten.

If this went on much longer, then our plan might execute itself before
he even arrived to feel the effects of it.
Bernice shifted in her seat a little way from me, biting her bottom lip
as she felt my attention on her.
We hadn’t sat together. None of us were very close to each other,
keeping our distance and maintaining the ruse that we were sticking to
our Order segregation. I was positioned at the far back of the room,
surrounded by the other Minotaurs as we waited on the false king’s
tardy arrival. The Tiberian Rats sat to our right, a line of division set
between our seats and theirs, no one daring to so much as look at it
while we continued our silent waiting game.
Eight minutes past.

I resisted the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my trousers, remaining

utterly still as my gaze tracked towards the door, the one most likely to
be Lionel’s entry point to this room, and I found Marguerite Helebor
watching me with stern interest from her position standing beside it.
She had a shiny K.U.N.T. badge pinned to her lapel, her red hair
tumbling down around her face in that overly styled way she always
preferred, and her uniform clung to her figure in crisp perfection. The
epitome of student piety and a devoted servant to the king.

Except she wasn’t. Nothing had come of the hunt for us when she’d
warned us to flee. Whatever had happened which had led to the
K.U.N.T. raid on our meeting place, she’d hidden us from discovery.
I had so many questions for her, more than I could count, which had
been keeping me up at night ever since that brief moment where she’d
saved our asses.
Like how had she known I was there? Had anyone tipped them off to
our whereabouts, or had one of the other K.U.N.T.s like Mildred
been the one to figure it out and decide to come after us?
We hadn’t all met up since that night, too spooked to risk it, instead
swapping information and making plans one on one, passing notes in
the corridors or simply exchanging looks of solidarity.

I had managed to send footage and information out to Portia using the
phone she’d given me though. We’d evaded suspicion so far too, the
K.U.N.Ts hunting us all over the academy but not once coming close
to discovering who we were.

We were still here. We were still fighting.

And now a real opportunity had dropped in our laps, and we were
risking our damn lives to see it come to fruition – I just hoped to fuck
that it did so while the Dragon asshole was in the room because if he
didn’t turn up within the next minute, the entire thing would go off
without him here.
We could die for this. I knew it. All of us knew it. If we were caught,
we’d be taken to one of his Nebular Inquisition Centres and tortured
or executed or at the very least, left to rot away inside it. And I really
didn’t want to be risking my life over a plan that didn’t actually
manage to come together.

Marguerite continued to stare at me, her pretty features a still pond,

vacant of expression, but her eyes burned. I thought over my
horoscope from that morning and couldn’t help but wonder if it had
been referring to her.

Good morning, Sagittarius.

The stars have spoken about your day!
Your fate balances on a knife’s edge today, your plans lost in the roiling sea of
destiny which is too murky to fully enlighten. But take heart, for success is not
impossible and if you can find it in you to trust in an unlikely ally, then many
truths may be revealed to you.

Marguerite Helebor was nothing if not an unlikely ally.

Nine minutes past.
I swallowed a lump in my throat as several students dared to start up
whispered conversations, Professor Highspell striding into the open
space at the centre of the room and glaring out at the perpetrators as
she handed out a round of detentions and they all hissed their
disapproval.
My heart began to sink as my gaze dared stray to the clock again, the
seconds ticking by far too quickly, our carefully laid trap about to go
off with only our abhorrent Cardinal Magic teacher to take the strike.

Not that I would feel bad watching Honey Highspell get knocked
down a peg or two. But nothing that happened to her would be live
broadcasted across the kingdom, it wouldn’t become a beacon
showing solidarity with all the others out there who were facing this
persecution and were unable to fight back like striking Lionel Acrux
would.
I fought the urge to glance at Gary again, not wanting anyone to
notice my interactions today. I couldn’t give anyone a reason to look
at me for this. We’d covered our tracks, our magical signatures
removed from what we’d done and all of us retaining strong alibies.
This could work. It would work. Assuming the man who now called
himself king-

Relief splintered through me, quickly followed by the urge to vomit

with nerves as the doors swung open and Lionel Acrux strode into
The Orb, flanked by a camera crew and Principal Nova. A camera-
ready smile sat on his face as he looked out at his subjects and we all
dropped from our chairs, falling to our knees as we bowed for him.
Bile rolled up the back of my throat as I lowered my head among the
rest of my kind, every student in the academy showing - or at the very
least feigning - subservience to that ungodly piece of shit as he strolled
in like he owned the fucking place.

“Rise,” Lionel cooed, beckoning with two fingers like a puppet master
tugging on our strings, and everyone in the room pushed themselves
up from the floor, returning to their seats.
I watched in disgusted fascination as Lionel paused there, smiling
serenely, hardly even seeming to breathe while the camera crews
circled him, and he waited for them to get into position before he went
on. Everything about him was so fucking fake, the smiles, the charm,
the promises to protect our kingdom from Orders he didn’t like while
making up lies about us. It was bullshit. And we planned on reminding
the world that not all of us bought into it.

“Education,” Lionel began, pressing a fist to his heart as he gazed

around the room. “Is the epitome of the modern world. The greatest
legacy any Fae can leave behind, and the one thing all those gifted
with true and willing hearts will always find waiting for them. I myself,
am a true believer in education, the revelation of facts and the
adjustment of the world to best benefit those facts.”

I stiffened at his words, the contempt lying beneath them as he

addressed the supposed higher Orders on the other side of the room,
his gaze refusing to lift towards those of us segregated at the back.
I curled my fingers into fists in my lap, hiding the small tremor
running through me as I dared another glance at the clock.
Thirty seconds to go.
“As a true believer in the rise of the greatest to the top, I have come
here
today to offer up a grant to this most prestigious academy, one which
will be used to supply a-”
A series of bangs exploded all around the central part of the room
where the false king stood, both from the ground and the ceiling,
balloons filled with glue and Pegasus glitter erupting as they were
revealed from within the concealment spells that had been hiding
them.

Lionel threw an arm up to shield himself, but he was too late, the thick
white glue splattering him from head to foot, the iridescent glitter
sparkling in the lights as he bellowed a furious roar.
A screen at the back of the room started playing that sex tape of him
fucking a Pegasus girl in her shifted form, the sound of him groaning
in pleasure while she whinnied, bouncing back and forth on a loop
while everyone in the room cried out in surprise. Another video cut in
of Lionel talking to the press outside the Court of Solaria, his words all
edited together from his speeches over the years to create a song. The
beat was damn good too, and I hoped this song did its job to remind
everyone that this was a rebellion not an insurgence, and we weren’t
going to just take Lionel’s shit.

I sang along in my head, fighting a smile or any kind of expression that

could admit guilt and praising Gary for his remix skills and the DJ
software his Mom had bought him last Christmas. Each word was
trimmed from a different speech, but together, Gary had woven it to
the rhythm, so it flowed into one seamlessly.

“I’m not here to save you,

No, I’m here to break you.
I’m just a lizard who wants it allll.
I’ve lied and spewed a load of shit,
I can’t believe anyone buys it.
It’s time to rise and make a staaand.”

The video cut in intermittently with old clips of Hail Vega with the
Councillors, smiling and laughing alongside Lionel’s brother Radcliff.
There were clips of the Vega twins too, hugging each other, their love
for one another clear in their eyes.
Bernice and I had spent a lot of time gathering all the videos, and it
had been her idea to include ones of our allies. Gary had done a
beautiful job of making a graphic of a Phoenix bird fly around and
leave a blazing trail behind it with the words ‘join the rebellion!’ in the
flames.

“I’m lame and my friends all knew it.

Don’t swallow my Orderist bullshit.
The Vega twins will return before too lonnng.”

Videos of the Heirs were shown, all four of them standing united, the
people cheering them, and the Vegas waving to an adoring crowd.
The blazing graphic of the Phoenix burned through it all, giving way
to a shining symbol of the bird with outstretched wings, the words
Long Live the Vega Queens blazing beneath it.
Laughter cut through the air, but then another bang made people
scream as the song came to an end, some of them racing for the doors
in a frantic bid for freedom. The final balloon exploded right in front
of the motherfucker, and Lionel threw an air shield up before him just
like we’d expected.

The blood red paint inside the balloon hit his shield, the magic woven
into it making it form words against the shell of hardened air.

All hail the king of bestiality who’s been fucking so-called lesser Orders in the ass
since long before his reign began.

“Arrest them!” Lionel bellowed from within his shield, trying to banish
it and the words now emblazoned across it. But he found new air
magic taking its place, the cast a mimic of his own which Bernice had
designed herself. The magic had been triggered by him using his own
power, and nothing in it would reveal the Fae who had cast the
original spell but he couldn’t banish it either, leaving those words
hanging there before him while countless cameras caught every
moment.

Mildred stepped forward with a furious cry, her beady eyes scouring
the Fae at the back of the room as she hunted for prey amongst us,
and more students leapt to their feet and ran.
I held my ground for a few more seconds, my excitement contained in
my chest as I waited just long enough for the crowd to break in its
entirety. And as a Dragon’s roar rattled the ceiling, I got my wish.
Fae of all Orders sprang to their feet, carnage unfolding as everyone
turned and fled, the cameras still rolling and every second of this latest
humiliation and rebellion broadcasted live to the entire kingdom.
I finally gave in to the swell of the crowd, shoving to my feet and
turning to escape with everyone else.

Adrenaline broke through my body like a dam, a wild laugh barely

stifled in my throat as I sprinted towards Bernice, snatching her hand
in mine, and running with her.
A gleeful moo parted my lips as we sprinted for the door, the stampede
awakening the beast in me as we ran.

We didn’t dare so much as look at one another as we raced from The

Orb, refusing to give away the slightest indication of our involvement
until we were far from here and alone. Then I was going to steal that
kiss from her. Fuck the consequences. We could die for taking part in
that stunt. We’d covered ourselves as best we could, but we could still
die for it. There were no guarantees, and putting off tomorrow
because I was afraid of today made no fucking sense to me anymore.
We sprinted down the path, my feet tripping over themselves as a pair
of K.U.N.T.s stepped into our path, Kylie Major smiling cruelly as she
raised her hands in warning.

“Why are you running?” she demanded, and the group of students
stumbled and faltered, unsure what to do in the face of the two
servants of the crown.
“Who said that?” someone called, and I had to fight a laugh as Kylie’s
face turned purple with rage. Even now, many of us still acted like she
didn’t exist.

“Because there were bombs going off in there!” a girl near the front of
the group wailed dramatically, clutching onto her friend who started
sobbing too. Two assholes weren’t exactly enough to stop the swarm
of Fae trying to head down this path, but we all knew better than to
attack a K.U.N.T.
I tugged on Bernice’s hand as some more students began begging to
get by, turning us towards Jupiter Hall where more of the spooked Fae
were sprinting away from The Orb.

Kylie yelled a command for us to stop but we’d started a tide of

movement, and I let the rest of the students sweep us along with them
as we ran from her too. We just needed to lay low, to get out of sight
and keep away until the false king had gone, and his minions stopped
asking questions.
There would be an investigation, no doubt, but I didn’t plan on being
anywhere near it.

Bernice gave me a fearful look, but I only smiled in return.

We’d done it. Cast a blow against the tyrant who had taken our
freedoms and civil liberties from us. It may not have been the end of
him, but it was something, a sign to all the others out there who were
being forced into oppression because of Lionel Acrux that we hadn’t
forgotten them. That our time would come.
I dragged Bernice off the main path, heading for a side door which led
into the enormous gothic building that made up Jupiter Hall.
We ducked inside and sprinted along the bottom floor, aiming for one
of the rear exits and escape beyond.

But just as we turned a corner and I spied one of the doors at the far
end of the long corridor, a bang sounded behind us and Lionel
Acrux’s furious snarls filled the space.
“I cannot apologise enough, my King,” Principal Nova was saying and
my heart free fell into my ass as I realised they were heading right for
us. A tyrant on a rampage about to come face to face with two lowly
Minotaurs. I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

Pounding footsteps drew closer and I hurled a silencing bubble over us

as I raced for the closest door, my heart pounding in alarm as I found
it locked.
More footsteps closed in on us and I glanced across the long hall
towards Nova’s office, the only other door close enough for us to reach
before they turned that corner, and undoubtably their motherfucking
destination.
“Shit,” I hissed as I dragged Bernice towards it, left with no option but
to hope for an open window inside so we could escape.
“You will bring me the Fae responsible for this act,” Lionel snarled,
his voice sending fear tumbling down my spine as I yanked the door
open, and we spilled into Nova’s large office.

I sprinted for the window, but my heart plunged with despair as I

spied the bars over it, no doubt put there to stop any little assholes
from gaining access from outside and trying to change their grades,
but that left us up shit creak without a fucking paddle.
“Here,” Bernice hissed as those footsteps closed in on the door outside
and I whirled towards her as she pulled open a closet, the space inside
barely big enough for one of us, let alone two. It was also the only
viable hiding place in the entire room.

“Fuck,” I bit out as I gave in and ran to her, pushing her into the dim
space between some of Nova’s coats and cloaks and forcing myself in
right behind her.
I tugged the door shut half a breath before the door to the room
opened behind us and I held my breath, despite the silencing bubble
protecting us as those footsteps thumped into the room.
“Search it,” Lionel barked. “I won’t be taken unawares for a second
time today.”

“Yes, my King,” Mildred’s ragged voice came in reply.

I pushed Bernice behind me as I began fumbling with a concealment
spell, shadows growing around us, more coats seeming to appear to
hide us from sight.
Fear made me cast slower than I needed to, and my heart raced to an
uneven beat as I heard those footsteps thumping closer still, our deaths
waiting just beyond that door, a cruel and bloody end which my
stupidity had brought on not only me but Bernice as well. We
wouldn’t be able to talk our way out of this. We likely wouldn’t have a
chance to plead our innocence at all.

As someone gripped the knob of the closet door from the other side, I
said a silent goodbye to my family, hoping they knew how much I
loved them and understood why I’d had to fight back against the man
who would now be my end, even if it was only in that one, small way.
The door was drawn wide, and I didn’t so much as summon my
power, knowing it was hopeless anyway, that my fate was sealed.
But as I blinked into the startled face of the girl who had come to
check our hiding place, I didn’t find a moustache or undercut jaw, no
humungous, Faeroid-addicted warrior of the Dragon Guild. Instead,
the pretty redhead blinked at me in utter shock, her face paling as her
eyes flicked to Bernice where she peered around me, taking in
everything in a split second.

Over Marguerite’s shoulder, I could see Lionel standing with his back
to me in the centre of the room, the scent of smoke a toxic tang in the
air as it coiled beneath my nose.
Marguerite’s shock lasted no more than a blink, her face returning to
that unbreakable mask as she made a show of ruffling some of the
coats beside me then drew back.

“All clear,” she said blandly before swinging the door closed on us
once more, saving my fucking ass for the second time and risking her
own life with that treasonous lie.
Bernice gripped my arm tightly, her shock as clear as my own while
we held the silence and waited.

“All clear behind the curtains and beneath the desk too, Your
Highness,” Mildred added gruffly.
“Good. Then be gone. I need a private word with my head of staff
here at the academy,” Lionel snarled.
The sound of the K.U.N.T.s leaving was followed by the sharp snap of
the door, and I had to fight against the trembling of my own limbs as I
felt a silencing bubble slide over us, Lionel’s magic encompassing the
room while Nova remained quiet.

“What was it I said that I required of you the last time I was here?”
Lionel asked, his voice a deadly purr, and despite my better
judgement, I leaned forward, pressing my eye to the small crack
running along the edge of the door so I could look out.

The false king dropped into the chair behind the wide mahogany desk,
a wind billowing around him which sent the carefully stacked
paperwork on the surface flying to all corners of the room.
“I was to enforce your rule among the students, take precautions
against the lesser Orders, and bring pride to your legacy as I nurtured
the students within the new regime and prepared them for the new,
greater world you are building for them to reside in,” Nova replied
almost robotically, and I angled my head to look at her where she
stood before him, her head bowed.

“So why,” Lionel snarled. “If my commands were so abundantly clear,

have I found myself the butt of some joke, some...prank, set to
undermine all I had come here to achieve?”
Nova began to apologise but Lionel released a Dragon’s growl,
shoving to his feet suddenly, his domineering presence clouding the
entire room.
I took Bernice’s hand in mine as his gaze turned murderous, his wrath
a potent thing.

He raised a hand, and for a moment I thought he might blast our

principal out of existence entirely, burning her to ash for not stopping
our attack before it could begin. But instead of striking at her, he
prowled around the desk and gripped her upper arms as he made her
look into his eyes.
“You will hunt for the rebels hiding within this school,” he
commanded and the Coercion he laced his tone with was beyond
thick, the power in it rough and brutal, undeniable. I almost
succumbed to the desire to follow that command myself, and I wasn’t
even the one he had aimed the order at.

“Holy shit,” Bernice breathed, her voice concealed within my

silencing bubble. “Is he using Dark Coercion?”
We knew the stories, had read the articles put out by Catalina Acrux
about the power her abusive husband had wielded over her. But
seeing it here and now, watching as Nova was forced to submit to him,
her mind not even her own as she nodded, made me sick to my
stomach.

“I will,” she agreed.

“You will, what?” Lionel hissed, shaking her so hard that a few strands
of the dark hair contained in her bun fell free.
“I will, my King.” She bowed her head in submission and he nodded
in satisfaction at last, releasing her as suddenly as he’d gripped her, his
hands leaving a trail of sticky glue and glitter behind on her clothes.
“The next time I hear about any form of rebellion in this school of
yours, I will set hell upon the very walls of this place and watch all
those who defy me burn,” he purred wickedly, running a finger along
the line of her jaw while she stood before him, a vessel awaiting orders.

That certainly explained her very sudden and very firm stance on her
allegiance to the king and he alone. She’d once shown more than a
little interest in the Vegas. I’d been there when she’d hinted to Tory
that she was excited to see what they would do with their power once
they learned to control it. It all made sense now, why the shift, why the
sudden adoration of a tyrant who wanted nothing more than to toy
with the people of this kingdom and force them to conform.
“I’ll hunt down the perpetrators and make sure they are punished,”
Nova swore, but Lionel just clucked his tongue.

“No. You’ll hunt them down, then hand them to me. I will deal with
this personally. Is that clear?”
“Yes, my King,” she agreed instantly, and he nodded once before
shoving her away from him and striding for the door.
The bang it made as he hurled it against the wall made a flinch shatter
through every piece of my body, but I didn’t dare move as Nova
lingered there a moment longer.

Thankfully, she only waited another second, her hand fisting at her
side, some emotion flashing though her eyes which I couldn’t quite
untangle as she looked my way, making me fear that she might open
the closet. But she turned and left instead, her footsteps fading into the
distance as we waited there, terrified, furious, and somehow victorious
too.
I exchanged a look with Bernice before we slipped from the closet and
quickly exited the office.

“So, Nova is corrupted, Marguerite is on our side and...we just got

away with that?” Bernice breathed in disbelief as we ran for the door
at the far end of the hall.
I nodded almost robotically, glancing over my shoulder just in case
everything was about to fall to shit after all. But no one appeared
there, no Dragon leapt out to devour us and no K.U.N.T.s showed up
to haul us away.

We’d made it. But I had the feeling that this wasn’t an end at all,
because if Nova really was under Lionel’s control, then this game had
just gotten a whole lot more dangerous, and we were nowhere near
safe yet.
“Gandering geese are heading east, gandering geese are heading east,”
I murmured, my lips as heavy as two cowbells perched upon my face.
“Gerry, you’re rambling,” my Maxy boy said gently. “Are you
alright?”

A sizzle of healing magic ran from him into my cockles and I wailed,
unable to open my eyes and face the woeful world beyond. He was
carrying me somewhere away from my lady when she needed me
most, but I’d heard Tory encourage him thus, so who was I to
contradict the word of one of my queens?
“It cannot be,” I groaned, throwing an arm over my eyes as I hung as
limp as a lamprey in his arms. “Poor, sweet, merry Darcy trapped with
those crudsome creatures. And her watchful, loyal, fangsome ‘pire
too.”

“We’ll figure this out,” he promised me, trying to press his Siren gifts
into me, but I flailed and thrashed like a rollicking seal.
“Do not dare sneak into my chest like a thief in the night to snaff away
my woes. I shall feel them in their fullness and tumble into their paltry
pits if I must!” I crowed.
My slippery salmon sighed, and I felt the air grow warmer as we
moved inside some place I didn’t care to see.

The sound of guards trying to stop him ascending into the upper levels
of the beauteous castle made me waft an arm at them.
“He is my steed. Allow him passage,” I ordered, and Max grumbled
something I didn’t catch as he headed yonder.
“You’ll have to tell me the way. You’ve never invited me to your room
before,” he said, an edge of bitterness to his utterance.
“Oh, my dear, angelic anchovy, I forget sometimes what a delicate
daisy you are.”
I flung my arm from my face, opening my eyes at last and pointing
him hither and tither until we arrived at the foot of my door.
“I’m not delicate,” he growled in that gruffsome tone of his which sent
Lady Petunia into a frenzy.

I slipped out of his arms and threw the door wide, stepping into my
modest room which was mostly given over to my baked goods. A long
wooden table stood against the wall, running the length of the space
and my single bed stood beyond it, with simple white linen a-clinging
to it. Bagels in their many forms filled most of the table, but there were
pastries too, and other baked goods which were fit for queenly mouths.
“You know, it’s kind of a dick move to deny me food when you’ve got
this much of it.” He did not enter my pantry-come-bedroom, leaning
his shoulder against the door jamb and giving me a grouchy grouper
of an expression.

“Oh pish-posh.” I wafted a hand at his grumbles, moving to the little

wicker basket I’d made up this very morn, covered over with a cloth
that had a salmon stitched into the cotton. I had hand-sewn it myself,
using a needle made from the finest silver I could conjure with my
earth Element. I flapped the cloth open and offered him the basket
with a flourish, unveiling the various croissants and pain au chocolat I
had baked in the shape of all his favourite sea creatures.

His mouth fell open, slack-jawed like a hammerhead shark who’d lost
its hammer. “Are they for me?”
“Well who else? The cod’s kipper?” I walked forward and thrust them
into his arms, his eyes getting a ravenous glint about them. It seemed
my lovely lobster was afflicted by hanger, and I would not forget it
henceforth.

“These are my favourite,” he said, all subdued now like a tame sea
lion as he plucked a pain au chocolat from the basket.
“Well of course they are. Do you think I have not noticed the way you
chomp and champ at these two types of pastry? You are like a
fladdywhack with a handrail.” I laughed a little, but then I
remembered my lady Darcy was a captive of the lame lizard and his
shadow trollop. Then I remembered
Angelica’s resplendent form cut down by that ugly maggot Mildred
and vengeance called my name like a wandering will-o’-the-wisp.
Oh, woe is me and I am woe.

I sobbed, letting my misery fill the air and casting the salty tears from
my eyes into a cup upon my nightstand.
“Gerry...” Max said sadly, and he let the door swing closed as he
moved into the room, placing down his precious pastries and choosing
me instead. Oh what a choice to make, for I was not nearly as crumbly
nor sweet as a pain au chocolat.

He lieth down upon the bed at my back and I rolled away from him,
the two of us barely fitting on the mattress, but he made it so, pulling
me back into those gargantuan muscles of his. He was truly, truly a
marvellous specimen of Fae. As big as an oxen, and likely as virile too.
Oh, great stars above, why did he have to be an Heir?
I sniffed and snuffed, wriggling back into his arms, and reaching
behind me to clasp his neck.

“Grave fates befall us like we sit beneath a bountiful apple tree of dire
destinies, each one tumbling down full of rot and worms, instead of the
sweet nectar we crave. Are we doomed, Maxy boy? Can we escape
this festering tree and find another where the apples grow plump and
ripe, where the sun shines upon its leaves and bathes us in its
heartening light?”

“I hope so,” he said darkly. “It’s hard to see it though. It’s like the stars
are angry with us.”
“But whatever did we do to invoke their wrath?” I croaked like a
thirsty frog without a pond. “Once upon a yester-year, I believed the
stars were not bias in their happenings. But if they are not, then why
would they bestow great fortune upon a loathsome lizard who seeks to
terrorise Solaria and all its virtuous Fae?”

“I don’t know,” my sweet salamander sighed. “Maybe all the stars

care about is power.”
“But if that were so, then my ladies would surely be the object of their
bounties,” I said, the answer hidden as if it were stuck to the base of a
barnacle on the hull of a boat.
“I can tell my dad we can’t meet him for dinner today,” Max
suggested.
“Nay, I cannot lay here like a prone prune all afternoon and eve, I
must rise and meet with the Councilman who sired you. But first, I
must return to my lady’s side and beg her forgiveness for abandoning
her in her time of dire need. I have been a loathsome lout of a servant
this day, and I must face the price of my ineptitude this instant.” I
sprang out of bed, casting a vine whip in my hand, ripping my shirt
asunder and lashing my bare back.

“Gerry!” Max barked, jumping up and trying to get a hold of me but I

was as spritely as a wayward leaf in a hurricane, dancing this way and
that as I struck at my back, evading him.
He cast a gust of air, snatching me up in it and pinning my arms to my
sides as he closed in on me, looking like a legendary warrior of
Ragoon.

He caught my cheek in his palm, his eyes a whirling ocean storm and
my back hit the wall as he captured me like a crab in a net. Oh to be
his crustacean...
My Lady Petunia blossomed like a flower in June, and his eyes dipped
to my huge bosoms which were straining within a dark green corset I
had woven from the silk of a dewmoth.

“You cannot look at me thus and not expect to dive deep into my lady
waters,” I panted. “Avert your eyes or make true on the vows that
shine within them like the star you are named after, Max Rigel.”
“Is that code for ‘please fuck me’?” He smirked, and gracious, that
smile was a mountain which I wished to climb, to bury my flag in its
peak and announce it as mine.

“I could not be clearer,” I panted. “Take me to Davy Jones’ Locker,

and plunder my treasure chest with your sea cucumber.”
He deftly unlaced my corset, my bustsome breasts springing free, and
he lowered his mouth to claim one of my nipples between his luscious
lips. I cried out like a fig on a fiddle, my hands pushing into that dark,
short hair of his before raking down the line of his back. I could not
put words to how this swain made me feel, for it was as if there were
no words yet forged to put a name to such emotions.
I yanked his hair tight, forcing his mouth to part from my rose bud
and he looked up at me with an offer in his eyes, an offer of all I could
ever dream for my Lady Petunia to be presented with.
“Ravish me like a knight of the Esterburn army. Seize me like the
Castle of Norington and plunge your weapon into my moat,” I
gasped.

Max picked up me up like I weighed no more than a buttercup, even

though I was rumbunctious, all muscle and curves, and he tossed me
onto the bed, tearing my knickers from my Lady Petunia. I lay bare
for him and his eyes oozed carnality as he crawled over me, trying to
pin me down as if I were a teaspoon on his tea tray. But I was the tea
master in this game, and he had better learn it fast.
With a, “Hi-yah!” I swung a leg over his hip and forced him to roll
beneath me, capturing his wrists and winding them around my waist. I
fused them to the base of my own spine with ice, then froze his ankles
to the bed too.

“Gerry,” he gasped, fighting like a turtle in a tailspin.

I pushed his pants down and sank down upon his Long Sherman,
silencing his complaints, his groans filling the air and mixing like a
cocktail with my own, giving into the delights of my petunia. I wetted
my hand with my water Element, then slapped him this way and that
across his cheeks, making him growl like a gunderghoul.

I kissed him next, my tongue between his lips and he garbled some
wordage I couldn’t decipher. Yes, I knew just what pleased him best
even when he didn’t know it himself, but my Maxy boy enjoyed a slip
and slap just as much as he enjoyed a whip and whap.
“By the stars, you drive me crazy. I love you, Gerry,” he panted as I
did a hip wiggle followed by a jangle jive.

“Love!” I cried, throwing my head back and riding him as if I had an

urgent message to deliver and only a simple pony between my thighs.
“True, I love thee in return, despite your Heirsome flaws, your roots
grown from a mighty tree of anti-royalists, and your muckly lineage.”
“Fuck all of that,” he said seriously, looking up at me with all the
sparkles of the crown jewels within his eyes. “I mean it, Gerry. We’ll
work all of that out. I want you. Only you. The other shit is just
politics.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “And politics may have ruled my rivers once, but I
have sprouted new springs from the earth. I tried to resist you, my
dear dolphin, but alas, fate drives me to your waters time and again.
Swim with me, Maxy boy.”

I rocked my hips faster and his biceps bulged like two fine blowfish, his
head tipping forward to watch as he thrust up beneath me and showed
my petunia the full extent of his daring Daniel. He was the largest I
had experienced, though I was yet to bestow that truth upon his ears,
lest I let his head garner too much size. But my, my, he was the
possessor of a sea beast between his thighs, and I welcomed it deep
into my coral reef, rolling my neck and crying out for more, though
perhaps even I could not take more than what he gave.

I crested a wave and fell with a warble, singing like a song thrush for
him as he sent me into the garden of ecstasy. And as I looked down at
him, dazed, through spangled eyes, I knew we were not done. Not
even close. My quails a-quivering, my cockles a-cantering.

I gave myself to him, knowing it was selfish when the world was falling
apart beyond these doors, but I was a weak, weak waif of a whelk right
now, and all I wished for was a moment in my lover’s arms before I
had to face the day once more.
Each time Orion was tortured, it took him longer and longer to come
back to me, and it was breaking my heart. There was something in
those awful weapons Lavinia was using to hurt him, some taint that
was built of shadow
and cruelty, and it was leaving a brand on his soul.
“Lance?” I tried to draw his attention to me as he sat against the wall,
the wounds on his bare chest half healed from the brief moments
Lavinia had let Horace heal Orion. She always made him stop while
the bruises still bloomed, and the cuts were barely scabbed over, never
allowing him full freedom from the pain she delivered. Horace didn’t
seem to care either way, only wanting to get away from me and Orion
as soon as he could, trying to act like we didn’t exist.

Now, Orion’s eyes remained fixed on the cage bars, his expression
empty.
“Talk to me,” I urged, shifting closer and taking his hand, but his
fingers didn’t react to mine.
I was trying to stay strong through this, but my anger over him placing
himself in this position with Lavinia always set the Shadow Beast
stirring. Sometimes when that woman cut into his body, I lost control.
The monster ripped out of my skin, and I was thrown into the pits of
darkness in its mind, trapped in a vortex of wrath.

It seemed with every day that passed, my ability to keep the beast
contained weakened, and I didn’t know how much longer it would be
until it possessed me entirely. That was a fear I didn’t dare put a voice
to. If Orion’s sacrifice came to nothing because of my own inability to
stop the Shadow Beast, I’d never forgive myself. That reality didn’t
bear thinking about. I had one task, and Orion was counting on me. I
couldn’t let him down.
I squeezed Orion’s hand again, gaining no response. The pain of
seeing him torn apart before my eyes was more than I could handle,
and as much as I was trying to be brave, all I felt was a chasm splitting
apart my mind, filled with vengeance and death. I was counting the
marks left on my mate, promising them back to Lavinia tenfold with
all the torment I could offer her, but it didn’t make it any easier,
because it didn’t change anything here and now.

Orion never fought a single blow against him, facing each of them
with a resilience that made me so goddamn proud. And if it was
possible to love him even deeper, I did. I just wished with all my heart,
on all the stars that ever were and ever would be, that this hadn’t been
the answer to breaking my curse. Anything but him.
“Lance?” I tried again, crawling into his lap, and cupping his cheek in
my palm.

He blinked slowly, a storm of darkness twisting through his gaze as he

finally focused on me, but he still didn’t speak.
“Please come back to me,” I whispered in desperation, tears rolling
quietly down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry that this is our fate. It’s all my
fault. I should have stayed away from the rebels, I should have realised
sooner what was happening to me. You shouldn’t have to be paying
the price of this curse. It isn’t fair.” I pressed my lips to his, tasting
sorrow and salt between us. His mouth didn’t move against mine, he
didn’t pull me closer, he wasn’t there. He wasn’t him.

“Lance,” I begged, my voice shattering on the sharp rocks of terror. I

couldn’t lose him here in this cold room before a throne that was still
claimed by a heartless king.
“I can help,” a female voice made me whip around with a growl on
my lips, and I found Stella Orion quietly closing the throne room
door. She was in jeans and a black t-shirt, looking out of place in this
grand room built for royalty.
“Stay away from us,” I warned, rising to my feet, and hastily swiping
the tears from my cheeks.

Stella ignored me, drifting closer, trying to look past me to Orion.

“It’s the weapons she’s using on him,” she said in a voice dripping
with emotion. “Every time she cuts him, the shadows get into his
body. He’s strong. It’s a miracle he’s lasted so long without
succumbing to the lure of them. But I can draw them out.”
I gripped the bars of the cage, my eyes locked on her, watching her as
a lioness would watch its prey. I must have been at breaking point,
because I couldn’t help but latch onto the hope her words were
offering me. But how could I trust this woman after all she’d done?
“Why would you help him?” I demanded. “You disowned him.”
“He will always be my son. It doesn’t matter what words have passed
between us,” she said in earnest, her eyes drifting over me. “Perhaps
you will understand one day, if you have a child of your own.” A sad
smile lifted her lips as she closed in on me. “You know...I thought his
relationship with you was some pathetic little rebellion against me.”
“Not everything is about you, Stella,” I said frostily. “I love your son
more than you can even comprehend.”
“I see that now. I’ve seen his silver rings.”

“The rings don’t change what we felt for each other before the stars
offered them to us,” I hissed. “The world decided to validate our love
the second we were mated, but we loved each other long before that.
The people who really care for us accepted that well before the stars
had their say,” I said passionately. “You are not one of those people.”
Her mouth flattened into a sharp line as she approached me. She was
taller than me, but I didn’t feel any less powerful than her, even if she
was looking down at me within a cage. Under normal circumstances, I
was far stronger than her, and whether I had magic in my veins now
or not, I would stand between her and her son always.

“I know why he loves you,” she said, her lower lip quivering.
“You don’t know anything about us,” I refuted, but she went on as if I
hadn’t spoken.
“It’s this...rebellion in you. He has it too. I can see why you make a
perfect match.”
My fingers locked harder around the bars as she stepped closer to the
other side of them. I’d fight her like a damn mortal with fists and teeth
alone if I had to.

“You don’t know anything about me, and you don’t know him
anymore either,” I said. “Your son is the most incredible Fae I have
ever had the privilege to know, and he deserves happiness and peace. I
vow on all I am that I will give him those things, and I will destroy
anyone who takes them away from him. That includes you, Stella. I
have a long list of enemies now, and your name sits close to the top of
it.”
“Forgive me,” she sobbed, breaking apart and leaving me confounded
as she lurched forward and wrapped her hands around mine on the
bars. “I should have stuck by him when Lionel bound him to Darius. I
should have been there more when Clara was taken from us. I should
never have let things come this far. And I should have been a mother
he could bring you home to.”
I tried to pull my hands free of her, but she clung to me, desperation
marring her beautiful features.

“There’s nothing you can do that will ever earn my forgiveness,” I

said, yanking my hands away from her and stepping back. “To hurt
him is to incite my wrath. You turned your back on him and left him
alone in the world when he needed you the most. There is nothing
that can undo that.”
She lowered down to her knees, reaching through the bars past my
legs to try and get to Orion.
“I can help him. Please. Bring him closer. Let me help him. I’ll bring
him back to you.”

I stepped aside, looking to the man I loved with my heart cleaving in

two. He wasn’t present at all. There was a hardened iciness in his eyes
that made me fear he might never come back to me. And the look of
anguish on Stella’s face had me wondering if she really did hold some
love in her heart for him. But Orion had warned me how well his
mother could lie...
“Baby boy, come to me,” she tried, reaching as far as she could and
grasping his leg.

He didn’t stir and I struggled with the decision of what to do. I didn’t
want to trust Stella, but the blankness in Orion’s eyes was frightening
me, and I didn’t know what other options I had. If there was even a
small chance she could help him, didn’t I have to take it?
I swallowed to try and shift the dryness from my throat, gazing at my
Elysian Mate and feeling my will faltering. He was so deep in the
clutches of the shadows, what more could she really do to him?
“Swear you won’t hurt him,” I hissed, looking straight at her as I
made my choice.
“I swear.” She offered me her hand to make a deal, but I knocked it
aside.

I had no access to my magic anyway, and I didn’t trust the stars

anymore. When I’d first come to Solaria, I'd been so open to all the
magic in the world, and I’d somehow had an unwavering belief that
everything would work out for us. That the heavens weren’t set against
us, but it was
impossible to believe that now after everything.
I dropped down to Orion’s side, trying to drag him towards Stella, but
the bulk of him made it nearly impossible.
I yanked harder on his arm and spoke to him in a plea, “You have to
move.”

He shifted vaguely forward, enough that she could reach his arm and
relief scattered through my chest followed by a wave of apprehension.
I really hoped I wasn’t going to regret this.
Stella shut her eyes as she pressed her fingers to Orion’s wrist, starting
to mutter some dark incantation under her breath. I knelt close to
him, anxiety burrowing into me as I let Stella do this, ready to shove
her away if she gave me any reason to.
Orion groaned, wincing, and reaching for Stella like she held some
answer to his suffering. She brushed her fingers over his temple as he
leaned against the bars, her brow knitted in concentration, and I
fought the instinct to get between them.

Darkness pooled against the edges of his skin, and she sapped it away
into her own, her words intensifying as she wielded whatever dark
magic this was. Slowly, Orion opened his eyes and I saw the man I
loved in the depths of them once again, his silver rings almost seeming
to glow for a moment. I lunged at him with a squeak of delight,
knocking him sideways so his back hit the floor as I wrapped him in
my arms and kissed the corner of his mouth. Then the dimple hiding
in his cheek and the stubble on his jaw.

“You’re back,” I whispered, relief flooding me, and he carved his

fingers through my hair as he held me close.
“I’ll always come back to you, Blue,” he promised, taking away the
fear in my heart.
“The dark is deep,” Stella panted, sitting back on her heels in
exhaustion over that spell. “But I can keep it at bay. At least for a
while.”
I sat up, letting Orion sit too as we gazed out at his mother who had
offered us this help, though it did nothing to change my feelings
towards her. One good deed didn’t erase countless bad ones.
“If you’re waiting for a thank you, you will only get one from me,” I
said as Stella peered in at us like a stray cat in need of food. “Thank
you for bringing this man into the world. He is the best thing you have
ever done.”
Stella swallowed hard, lips pursed and eyes watery as she rose to her
feet and nodded again and again before she turned and rushed away
across the room, hurrying out the door.

Orion turned me to face him, his mouth coming down hard on mine
in a kiss that set my pulse racing and all thoughts scattering. He pulled
me into his chest and the wild beat of his heart matched mine through
the fabric of his flesh. We were one being in that moment, a creature
of fury and hope that resisted the dark as if we were made of starlight.
A grinding of stone sounded behind us and we turned in an instant,
finding a door opening up in the wall at our backs. Orion’s fangs
flashed as he shot to his feet in preparation of an attack, taking a
sweeping look into the dark passage, his brow creasing as he listened
for any signs of an approach.

A glimmering pair of silver wings caught my eye on the wall at the

back of the passage and my lips parted as I got to my feet and pointed
them out to Orion. Beside them was the mark of the Hydra, a deep
purple flashing over it for a brief second before all went dark again.
“This is the passage I saw in Gabriel’s vision,” Orion said in
realisation and a thrill darted through me. We’d looked for the thing
since he’d told me my brother had seen it, but we’d had no luck
finding it. “He showed me that I’d have three hours before anyone
came back to the throne room.”

“Can we use this passage to get to Gabriel?” I asked hopefully.

“No,” he said with a frown. “This tunnel doesn’t lead to him. He
showed me that much. But Blue, this is going to lead us to some
answer that will help us, I just know it.”
I ran forward to dive into the passage, but Orion caught me by the
waist and wheeled me around in his arms.
“Easy there, beastie,” he said, a smirk in his voice. “Did no one ever
tell you the tale of Beansprout Jacabee?”
“Erm, no. No one ever told me bedtime stories,” I said, and he
frowned at that.
“Well, my father told me hundreds.”

“I want to know all of them,” I decided. “Tell me about the

beansprout thingy while we walk.” I twisted away from him, running
into the tunnel with a sense of hope that I’d long since lost.
Orion shot in front of me with a blur of Vampire speed, his huge form
blocking my way.
A growl rumbled through his chest, sending a shiver of desire through
me. “Whatever happened to you being obedient, Miss Vega? It could
be dangerous in here.”
I smiled, stepping closer and tiptoeing my fingers up his bare chest
until I tapped him on the nose. “I think you’re to blame for that,
Professor. You taught me that the punishment for being bad, is so
very, very...good.” I ducked around him again, racing off into the dark
on bare feet with his laughter following me. The sound lit me up inside
and I held onto that feeling, not letting it slip away too soon.
He caught me again, this time pinning me to the wall face first with his
hand pressed to the back of my neck. “You’re asking to be spanked,
Blue.”

His other hand ran over the curve of my ass and my back arched like a
cat at his touch. “No, I’m asking you to tell me about the bean man.”
His hand clapped hard against my ass, and I gasped at the delicious
pain, the way it sizzled through my skin and reminded me I was still
here, still fighting for another day.
“Then ask nicely,” he commanded, the pressure on the back of my
neck increasing, and holy hell, I’d missed being held at his mercy.
I bit my lip, tasting a rare smile on my mouth and figuring I was going
to enjoy this tiny moment of wildness. I let myself believe we were
back at Zodiac Academy, playing the game of push and pull that
always drove me into a beautiful kind of insanity.

“Please, sir,” I said, my voice laced with lust, and he hmmed in

approval of that.
His arm curled around my waist, and he tugged me upright, the two
of us walking along into the dark together like this was a perfectly
normal day and we were in a perfectly normal location.
“Shit,” I cursed as I stumbled down a step, holding onto Orion’s arm
so I didn’t tumble away into the gloom.
He held me tighter, a rumble of amusement leaving him. “I’ll guide
you. I can see just fine with my Vampire gifts,” he said, his arm sliding
up to rest over my shoulders and pull me closer. “If you’d rather, you
can jump on my back like a little koala bear, and I’ll run us there with
my speed.”
“But then there’ll be no time for stories,” I said, looking up at him,
though the light of the throne room was long behind us now and I
could hardly see anything at all.

“Alright, I’ll tell you about Jacabee...”

We delved deeper into the tunnels, winding down into the depths of
the palace while Orion told me a story which wasn’t dissimilar to Jack
and the Beanstalk, except when Jacobee made it up the beanstalk into
the clouds and went sneaking into the giant’s castle, he ended up
skinned alive and eaten in gruesome detail.
“And that’s why you should never go sneaking into unknown places,”
Orion finished sternly as I shuddered.
“That was horrible,” I breathed. “Why would anyone tell children
that story?”
“To try and scare them so they won’t do reckless shit. Do you have
any idea how reckless Fae kids are? I snuck off and went cliff diving
with Clara when I was five years old. My dad fished us out of the
water and grounded us for a week. If we ever have kids, I will never let
them out of my sight.”

A smile lifted my lips at the image of that. “You’d be a seriously

protective daddy.”
“I’d be the asshole parent, but I’m good with it,” he said, only making
my smile grow. “They can hate me so long as they keep breathing.”
“You really think about that stuff?” I asked, trying to picture a future
where any of that was possible now. It was all so out of reach, just
pretty dreams stitched from our imagination.

“Only since you,” he said quietly. “Is that what you want? Marriage,
kids, some fairy-tale house? It doesn’t have to look like that, I can
paint our picture with whatever brush you choose, and make it look
however you imagine.”
I released a breath of longing. “I just want to be back with our family
and friends, preferably with a jade green Dragon head mounted on
the wall next to an ugly hat and boots made out of a shadow bitch.”
He barked a laugh. “That’s a future I’m banking on, beautiful.”
Silence drew over us like a storm cloud, that future so unreachable in
the face of everything.

“I can’t watch her torture you much longer,” I said, flashes of what
she’d done to him playing through my mind and holding me hostage.
Even if by some miracle we got out of here and the curse was broken,
were we ever really going to be the same again?
“It’s just blood.”
“So you keep saying,” I growled. “But it’s the most precious blood in
the world to me. And having to watch you suffer through her torture is
just – just-” The Shadow Beast rose up inside me, a snarl pushing at
the base of my throat, but Orion moved fast, his hand slamming down
over my mouth as he yanked me back against his chest, holding me
while I thrashed.

The Shadow Beast desperately wanted to come out, and my mind was
spiralling down into a place where I would lose all control, the same
place where I’d been during the battle. I’d kill without care. I’d seek
out death like it was my sustenance.
“Remember who you are, Blue,” Orion said, his biceps straining as he
held me still. “Think of Tory, how she’s waiting for you out there
beyond these walls. Think of how much she loves you.”
My thoughts fell on my twin and the Shadow Beast roared louder
inside me, like it wanted her blood more than it wanted any other.
The shift was going to take over, it was coming in so fast, so
unavoidably.

“Your will is stronger than iron,” he said firmly. “You can fight this.
Do it for your sister, for your brother, for you, for us.”
My eyes watered and stung, the pain of holding back the creature
blinding me. But I had to stay here for Orion, I couldn’t hurt him.
And more than ever, I needed to prove I could control this curse that
had its hooks in me.
Slowly, I managed to take hold of the Shadow Beast, forcing it deeper
and keeping a grip on my mind. I melted back into Orion’s arms, and
he lowered his hand from my mouth, his fingers trailing to my collar
bone and skimming across it, the shadows on my skin retreating from
his touch and bringing me back to myself. Well, as much of myself as I
could be with a giant, bloodthirsty monster living inside me.
“That’s my girl,” he exhaled, pressing a kiss to my hair. “You’ve got
this.”
“It’s getting harder and harder to hold it back,” I panted. “What if it
takes my mind completely?”
“It won’t,” he insisted. “We have time. We just have to hold on for the
remainder of my time with Lavinia.”
“It hasn’t even been a month yet,” I said thickly.
“We can do this, Blue.”

“For a grumpy ass professor who was sent to prison, power-shamed,

and is now stuck here in hell, you sure have a lot of optimism these
days,” I said, a ghost of a taunt in my voice as I tried to seek out the
light we’d found before. It was hard, but I was determined to have a
moment with him that wasn’t sullied by Lavinia, Lionel, or the
shadows.

His grip on me eased and we kept walking, our hands finding each
other and our fingers linking together.
“You are the only thing in this world that I’m wholeheartedly
optimistic about, Darcy Vega, because I know I’ll fight to death and
beyond to keep you. And I’m starting to think you might do the same
for me.”
“Starting to think?” I said, a smile making my lips weightless. “There
isn’t an enemy in the kingdom I wouldn’t face down for you.”
“What about beyond the kingdom?” he teased.
“I don’t know much about that. Most of the maps at the academy
were only of Solaria. And the few world maps I saw seemed to have
gaps in them where Europe is located in the mortal realm.”

“The landscape keeps changing over in The Waning Lands. There’s a

violent war going on there between the Elementals. Each faction is
prone to changing the terrain as new territories are seized to suit their
needs. Some of it is underwater one month, while it’s floating in the
sky the next,” he said, and my curiosity piqued.
“Tell me more,” I urged.
“I don’t know much more. Honestly, no one from outside kingdoms
have been there in centuries. It’s too dangerous.”
“Holy shit. And what’s beyond that kingdom?” I pressed.
“You’re a curious little mouse today,” he said.
“Or maybe a shrew,” I said with a frown. “Darius used to call me
that.” “A shrew?” he chuckled.
“I weirdly liked it,” I said, trying to smile even though my heart
weighed a ton. It felt far too soon to start having fond memories of
him. It didn’t seem real to me that someone with so much fire in their
soul could be gone from the world. A part of me didn’t believe it at all.
We delved deeper into the dark and the cold made my skin prickle as
Orion guided me along the narrow passage. My mind turned to
Gabriel, and even though I knew this tunnel didn’t lead to him, I
wished it did. I missed my brother so much and hated to think what he
was enduring all alone.

A silvery light grew up ahead and I released Orion’s hand, quickening

my pace towards it, feeling him following close at my back. Ever the
guard dog.
I rounded the next corner and found a beautiful silver door standing
there, towering up high above me with the Vega Crest at its centre. I
raised a hand, sensing ancient magic vibrating in the air I breathed
and knowing with certainty that all I needed to do to open that door
was touch it.

I pressed my fingers to the crest, tracing them over the Vega name,
wondering how many times my father had done this very thing before.
The doors clunked loudly, then began to swing inward, revealing an
impossible view beyond.
It was the night sky, the stars twinkling within the swirling Milky Way
galaxy. I could simply step into it if I wanted. The colours were
dazzling, each planet and star hanging there in perfect detail as if it
had been plucked from the heavens and shrunk down to fit into this
room.

“By the stars,” Orion breathed. “I thought this was just a legend.”
“What is it?” I asked, whispering like the place required it and finding
myself walking straight forward into its depths. The edge of the
doorway made it seem as though I was about to step right into
oblivion, but I carefully tested the floor and found it solid, like a liquid
mirror at my feet.
“Amantium Caelum – The Lovers’ Sky. It was a gift to a Vega queen
of old. She announced to the kingdom that she would marry the Fae
who crafted her the most beautiful magical gift. For years, Fae from all
over Solaria brought every manner of gift to her door, but none of
them were beautiful enough to impress her. One day, a young woman
from Alestria came to the palace with a simple wooden box in her
arms, and when she opened it for the queen, this is what came out.
And that very night, they were mated by the stars.”
My lips parted as I looked to him, drinking in the story of my
ancestors. “Is it true?”

“Enough of it for this sky to exist,” he said, and I walked deeper into
the miniature universe, closing in on our solar system where the sun
burned with real heat, warming my cheeks as I approached. The
magic was captivating, so powerful it made the hairs along my arms
stand on end and set my pulse drumming.
Orion followed and the doors shut behind him, leaving us in the
glittering expanse of stars.
I moved closer to our planetary system, each of them small enough for
me to hold if I wanted.
“Can I touch them?”
“Are you asking me permission?” Orion asked, a grin in his voice as I
glanced over at him, biting my lip.

“No, sir.” I reached out, brushing my fingers over Jupiter which was
about the size of a tennis ball. It rolled into my palm, and I lifted it up
to my eye level, admiring the intricacy of the magic. The storm that
rolled around in its atmosphere was right there, swirling slowly as if
this planet were as real as the one in the sky. I tried to place it back,
and it floated smoothly from my hand into its rightful place.
I turned to Orion to ask him a question, finding him holding a
glittering star in his hand, trying to place it among the Orion
constellation.

“What are you doing?” I asked and he looked over at me like a

naughty school kid who’d been caught getting up to no good.
“I’m moving the Vega star over here,” he said. “It looks good here,
don’t you think?”
I laughed, jogging over to join him as he reached above his head again
and tried to make the Vega star sit with Orion.
“Are you messing with age-old magic?” I asked sternly. “That’s not
very professorly of you.”
“Well, it wasn’t very professorly of me when I took a student to my
bed either, was it?” he said. “Or when I had you over my desk, at the
Fairy Fair, in the archives-”
“We don’t talk about the archives,” I jibed, and he nodded seriously.
“Great night, shit morning,” he said matter of factly. “It all worked
out in the end though, right?”
“Yeah, now we’re Lavinia’s prisoners and the whole world is
doomed.”

“Exactly. It’s all coming together, beautiful,” he said with fake

enthusiasm, and I didn’t let my smile fall, wanting to play this game of
feigning safety as long as I could.
He let go of the star when he had it where he wanted it, but it shot
back across the sky, settling itself in the Lyra constellation where it
belonged.
Orion looked down at me, his eyes locking with mine as he smirked
like a predator. “Oh well, I’ve got myself a Vega anyway.” He
hounded toward me, and I spun around, making him take chase as I
quickened my pace across the room.
I headed past the sun and walked into the far-flung realms of the
universe where I found a door hidden in the fabric of the sky, just
visible from where I stood.

I reached out, trying to find a handle, but the door swung open at my
touch like the first had. My breathing hitched as another room was
revealed and I moved into a cavernous gothic chamber with arches
and ornate stone pillars everywhere. But that wasn’t what had stolen
my breath, it was the treasures that lay all around me, mountainous
piles of gold, intricate boxes overflowing with jewels, and right in front
of me was an onyx throne, the polished black stone carved into an
imposing seat with sharpened feathers rising from its arching back. It
was all lit by everflames dancing in cages hanging from the vaulted
ceiling and I could almost feel the touch of my ancestors who had cast
them.
I walked towards the throne, Orion one step behind me, the two of us
taking in the Royal Treasury with quiet awe.
“Darius would have loved this place,” he said, my heart panging at his
name.
“We never would have gotten him out of here,” I agreed, scooping
down to pick up a gold coin which had a Hydra engraved into its
surface. The echo of my father’s legacy hung around me and I rolled
the coin between my fingers as I continued moving through the
immense trove, feeling as though I was in a giant rabbit warren.
“No wonder Lionel wants to get in here,” I said, passing the throne
and heading deeper into the trove.

“This is your inheritance,” Orion said firmly. “Let’s hope the palace
continues to keep him out.”
“This seems like far too much gold for me and Tory to own,” I said.
“Think of all the good it could do.”
“You’ll be able to do that good when you’re queens.”
I breathed a humourless laugh. “You think that’s still possible now?” I
tossed the coin back among the nearest pile of gold, moving on before
Orion could answer that. “How does gold even have value in this
world? Can’t earth Elementals make endless amounts of it?”
“Gold is particularly hard to craft. Only a very powerful earth
Elemental can make it, and it will not hold the same value as this gold
unless it’s authenticated by the Bank of Solaria. There’s a whole
division of the FIB dedicated to rounding up and destroying
counterfeit money too. Every aura has security magic imbued within
it. It’s an easy test to do yourself, I’ll show you how.” He picked up a
coin, but I turned to him with a hollow look.

“I don’t have magic anymore, Lance.” Those words sliced at my

heart, and I could have sworn the everflames above me flickered sadly.
His brow furrowed and he dropped the coin again, looking like he was
going to convince me my magic would come back, but I didn’t want to
hear it. We didn’t know what lay in my future, and there wasn’t any
point in speculating about it now.

I turned through one of the stone arches, discovering rows and rows of
wooden cabinets filled with potions in stoppered bottles. At the end of
the winding rows of cabinets, a burning egg stood in a gleaming silver
frame. My fingers tingled from the memory of casting red and blue
flames just like those, knowing them instinctively, as if they were a part
of me. I guessed in a way, they were.
A large gold plaque stood at its base, and I read the words engraved
into it with anticipation building in my chest.
The Untouchable Egg.
I lifted my head, reaching instinctively for the egg but Orion shot
forward and caught my wrist in a vice-like grip, giving me a stern
raised eyebrow.
“Blue,” he growled. “Were you just about to touch The Untouchable
Egg?”

“Of course not. That would be crazy,” I said with a grin, lifting my
other hand and reaching for it with that one instead.
He caught that wrist too, going all grumpy teacher on me. “This isn’t
a game. You don’t know what could happen. It could be cursed.”
“I’m already cursed. I can’t be double cursed.”
“By the moon, are you trying to give the stars ideas?” he hissed.
“Lance, it’s Phoenix fire. I can definitely touch it. Move aside.” I
jerked
my wrists back, but he didn’t let go, gazing at me with his jaw ticking.
“You don’t have your Phoenix anymore,” he said, and I tried to
ignore how much those words hurt.

“I know,” I said tightly. “But I just feel like I can touch it. I’m sure I
can.” “It could be a trap,” he said in concern.
“Do you want me to pull the ‘obey your queen’ card, because I’m not
above using it right now.”
His frowny features lifted a little. “You know I get hard over you
ordering me about.”
“Well, you don’t want to get a boner right here in front of The
Untouchable Egg, do you?”
He pressed his tongue into his cheek as he tried to hide his
amusement, releasing me, but not stepping aside.

“If you sense any kind of magic against your palm, pull your hand
back fast. Go slowly.”
“Got it. Tingly magic bad.” I mock saluted him and he moved
reluctantly out of my way, watching me like a hawk as if he was going
to swoop in at any given moment and take me as far away from the
egg as he could get.
“Slower,” he said in a forceful tone, but my hand was itching to touch
that fire, like it had been waiting for me forever.
There was a tug in my chest, driving me on and all I could see was
that beautiful fire, the room fading around me. It reminded me of how
I’d felt back in The Palace of Flames with my sister, while Queen
Avalon trained us in the ways of Phoenix warriors. The shadows had
been buried so deep by the power in that place, and my Order form
had been so present with me the entire time.

Impossibly, I felt a single flame spark in my chest, like a burning

feather left behind by my Phoenix when the Shadow Beast had
devoured it. I basked in the heat of it, my breaths coming heavier as
the power of my Order form trickled out across my limbs, just enough
to offer me protection from the flames as my fingers sank into them.
They were warm and kissed my hand in greeting, wrapping around
my fingers and pulling me closer. I lay my palm against the egg, its
surface made of that beautiful metal which reminded me of the
weapons we’d forged for our friends. I raised my other hand, picked
the egg up from its stand and turned to Orion with a bright smile,
finding him looking at me with an anxious crease between his eyes.

“Okay, you’re holding The Untouchable Egg. Are you happy now?”
he asked, his expression telling me he really wanted me to put it back.
“Very,” I said lightly as I turned the egg in my hands to examine it.
“What do you think is inside it?”
“Nothing good,” he said darkly. “I don’t think you should mess with
ancient Phoenix artefa-”
I threw the egg on the floor, and it smashed into fifty pieces.
“Darcy!” he barked as a swirling, glittering coil of red and blue smoke
twisted up from the burning pieces of the eggshell.

I noticed a glittering white crystal among the shattered egg and

dropped down, picking it up and waving it at Orion in triumph.
“See.”
“Don’t you ‘see’ me. You are looking for trouble today.”
“We’re prisoners to the Shadow Princess, I have to watch her torture
you daily, I have no idea if everyone else I love is okay, and we’re
probably on a pre-destined path that will lead us to certain doom.
What else can the stars really throw at us now?”
“Enough,” he snarled, shooting forward, and clapping a hand over my
mouth, his eyes two pits of wrath. “You are the most precious thing in
this world to me. Stop tempting fate to come and steal you away. The
stars have already proved they can make things worse, even when I
believe we are at our limits of bad luck, they prove me wrong. So you
will watch your words.”

I peeled his hand away from my mouth, gazing resolutely back at him
no matter how much this man made my heart flutter. “I’ll do as I
like.”
“You’re being stubborn just for the sake of defying me.”
“No, I’m defying you because you’re being an ass, and because I’m
not yours to command.”
“I’m not trying to command you. I’m trying to protect you. You are
my mate.”

“That doesn’t make me your possession,” I snapped.

He leered over me, and I was swallowed by the menacing existence of
him, his power an aura I could feel wrapping around my lungs and
squeezing tight. “Not a possession, no. But you are mine. You were
mine before we met, and mine the minute we locked eyes. You are
mine in this life, and every life we may experience from this point
forward. You are mine in every reality you exist, and mine in every
reality you don’t. And I am yours in kind, in every way you can
imagine. I will gladly be your possession, but I will also be your
guardian, your keeper, your protector. And I will do whatever I can to
turn you away from danger, because it is impossible for me not to.”
“God damn you and your pretty words,” I whispered, lost to him as
always.

His mouth tilted in a smirk, and he reached out to trail his thumb
along my jaw in a soft caress.
“Were they pretty enough to make you stop playing with ancient
artefacts and pissing off the stars?”
I twirled the crystal between my fingers.
“I’ll compromise. I’ll stop pissing off the stars, but I’m not done with
the artefacts.” I lifted the crystal up before his eyes. “What is this?”

He frowned as he focused on it, intrigue colouring his expression.

“That’s a Heart of Memoriae crystal. It holds memories.”
“How do I access them?” I asked excitedly.
“If they’re for you, you can access them with blood, but-”
“Fang please.” I lifted my thumb to his mouth, pushing it between his
lips as his expression got angry again.
“Blue,” he warned.
“Come on, there could be ancient Phoenix memories waiting for us in
here,” I urged, prodding at his canine, and making his fangs extend.
He relented, opening his mouth a little more and letting me slit my
thumb open on his fang. I dropped my hand to rub a drop of blood
over the crystal and I was stolen away in an instant, crashing into long
lost memories of the past.

“All hail the first queen of the new kingdom of Solaria, Queen Elvia
Vega!” a man bellowed, and I watched through the eyes of the queen
in question, my hands curling over the heated ruby throne I sat upon.
A crowd cheered and my heart swelled with my victory. A land
conquered, borders drawn and finally, I had my prize. This would be
my legacy, and as my gaze locked with the Phoenix warrior, Santiago
Antares, a man who had fought at my side through countless battles, I
knew it was time to take him as my husband. He had proven himself
worthy, and now that I could finally let my mind shift from war to the
fruits of our labours, I found I craved him with a long-forgotten
hunger I hadn’t let myself indulge in in many moons.

He smiled at me in that roguish, over-familiar way of his which was

always pushing the boundaries of his position beneath his queen, but I
would enjoy reminding him where he belonged.
The Palace of Flames was newly built and gleamed with the power of
my kind, the Phoenixes in my court having imbued this place with the
fire that lived within their flesh. I would offer a piece of myself to it too
when the celebrations were done, but now, it was time to reap the
rewards of our victory at long last.

The memory shifted and my mind fell into Elvia’s once more as she
stood under a waning moon, a flowing silver nightgown hugging her
body.
I picked my way through the dark jungle where the air was thick and
Faeflies danced among the trees. I walked barefoot up the hill where
the trees thinned and allowed me to see right up to the vast heavens,
the Milky
Way stretching the length of the sky in a crystal fog of pink and blue.
My heart was wild this night, and desperation had drawn me here to
the peak of this hill where the single stem of a Nox flower stood. I had
come here each night, waiting for the petals to open to collect the
precious pollen from within. Once it flowered, it would only last until
dawn and then not return for many years.

Its pollen held untold power, and when mixed with treckwit powder
and elixir of dunebark, it created a potion that could temporarily
make a Fae resistant to the Nymphs’ ability to shut us off from our
magic. I had thought our war was done when I laid claim to this new
land, but it had been far from over. The Nymphs had risen against us
to try and claim the kingdom from our grasp, and they had fought us
with a bloody ferocity I had not predicted.

My Seers were blind to their movements, and though they held little of
the weaponry and training we did, they made up for it in sheer
numbers and their invisibility to us through divination. This pollen
could help, but I knew in my heart it wasn’t enough. No matter how
many Nymphs we destroyed, more came in their place, claiming this
land was theirs and theirs alone. I would not yield, would not try and
strike peace, not when I had seen the brutality they offered us in
battle. The Nymphs may have been a sister race to Fae, born of the
same root many thousands of years ago, but I did not recognise them
as equal.

The flower began to glow palest blue, and I gasped, hurrying forward,
falling to my knees, and lifting the jar I’d brought to collect the pollen.
The petals cracked open and more of that ethereal light spilled out,
the moon seeming to peer this way to admire it too, and a smile broke
across my face.
I raised the jar, ready to collect the precious dust within, but as I got
closer, the petals began to fall, and the light began to fade.

“No,” I gasped, reaching for the flower, but even my breath against it
seemed to make it wither, the petals turning to vapour on the breeze.
It was gone in the next moment, no pollen, no light, no anything. I
had heard of this possibility, the flower so delicate that even a breeze
too warm or a night too cool could make it fade.
I let go of the jar and it thumped to the ground, rolling away from me
as I let out a noise of anguish, looking up to the stars and wondering if
they might answer my prayers.
“Please help us. Let us crush the enemy. Gift me this land and I shall
forge it into the finest kingdom ever known,” I pleaded, but the stars
only glittered quietly, ever-silent.

I knelt there, delaying the inevitable return where I would find

Santiago lying awake in hopes of my return, and I would have to voice
another failure to him. Perhaps I was not the queen I’d thought I was,
because every day that passed, it seemed I grew closer to losing my
hold on all this power I had claimed for us. For the Phoenixes and our
allies.
I pushed to my feet, resigned as I turned back to the jungle, when a
light caught my attention above.
My lips parted in awe as a falling star came streaking across the sky, a
tail of fire in its wake. It was racing through the sky right above me
and without thought, I let my wings break free and took off to chase
after it.

I flew fast above the jungle, my gaze never wavering from that
beautiful burning being as it made its passage towards an inevitable
impact.
My heart juddered at the direction it was taking, the star seeming on a
collision course with my palace. Panic cleaved my heart in two and I
put on a burst of speed, thinking of Santiago and the secret I held
inside me. I had been waiting to tell him, knowing the time was all
wrong, but when would it ever really be right? A Seer had seen that I
was with child, and if I could find a way to secure the throne, my baby
boy would be a mighty ruler one day.

I flew as fast as my wings would allow, pressing a hand to my throat to

amplify my voice as I called out to my people, “Rise! Danger falls from
above! Protect yourselves!”
The star crashed into the roof of the eastern tower, tearing through it,
and disappearing into the jungle beyond before an echoing boom
sounded as it hit the ground.
A shockwave slammed into me that had me squinting against the force
of it, and I beat my wings harder to counter it.
Screams rose up from the palace as I flew over it, fire curling from the
jungle below where a deep chasm lay in the ground, the fallen star
gleaming within it, pulsing like it was a living heart.
I tucked my wings and plummeted out of the sky, the fire licking my
skin as I landed in the flames and gazed up at the hulking shape of the
fallen star before me.

A wave of unknown energy washed over me, running deep into my

bones and I inhaled long and slow, almost moaning at the intensity of
that power. It was too much, so tempting yet so very, very potent. I
could hardly stand to be so close to it, yet I moved closer still, drawn to
the magnitude of this divine being before me which had come to
answer my prayers.
Everything blurred beyond the boundaries of my vision, and all I
could see was the star that glittered like a million diamonds were
buried in its surface. This power, it was the answer to everything. It
could end the war, it could turn every endeavour to my favour. And in
a moment of madness, I cast a sharp metal dagger in my hand and slit
my palm open, moving forward and placing it against the star’s
surface.

I gasped as that power surged into me in a wave, seeking out my soul

and feeling the weight of it.
“Vega,” it spoke inside my mind, knowing me like it had been there
since the moment of my birth to this very moment now, watching me,
perhaps even adoring me. Or maybe it wasn’t love I felt, but pity.
“Fae of flames and war,” it seemed to mock me with those words and
that power slid deeper, climbing through my veins and splashing
against my heart.

It could wipe me from existence with a single whim, and I feared for
the life growing inside me, wanting to pull back, but now that I was
here, I couldn’t move at all.
As my thoughts turned to my unborn child, the star’s power shifted
that way, circling around that tiny being and making me whimper in
terror.

“Please, don’t hurt us,” I begged. “We revere you. This blood is an
offering, to show you that I am your loyal servant. But I must beg of
you one thing.”
“All gifts have a price.”
“I will pay whatever price you ask,” I swore, and the star fell quiet, its
light still pulsing with an energy that seemed to hum in every corner of
my flesh.
“Then the choice will be this...” That power swirled deeper within me,
wrapping around my unborn child, and making me shudder in horror.
“Your first born or your first love. Offer me one, and I shall lend you
the power to win your war.”

I stilled, my heart shattering at the price, and I stood frozen in the face
of it. That little life in me flickered like it knew it could be snuffed out
at any moment, and tears tracked down my cheeks at the pain of the
sacrifice that would be. Then my mind turned to Santiago, the man I
loved to the depths of my being and beyond, his loyalty unfathomable.
There would be other children, he would provide them, I knew that.
And yet...I had seen this one in the vision the Seer had offered me. I
had seen him grow into a man and I had fallen in love with him there
and then. My son was as real to me as Santiago was, so how could I
ever make this choice?

“Anything else,” I growled. “Not them. Please don’t take them.”

“That is the price. There will be no other,” the star spoke as my tears
dripped from my chin. “Time runs thin. I will release my power if you
cannot choose.”
“Wait, just wait a minute,” I croaked, desperation clawing at me. Why
did it have to be this?
I thought on Santiago’s words to me, his promises to win this war, his
declaration that it was his one true cause in life. And I knew before I
spoke the words that it had to be him, because he would make this
choice if he stood here in my place.

“My husband,” I forced the words past my lips and with a crack like
thunder ripping the air apart, the deal was made.
I nearly fell to my knees from the terrible force of the power and my
palm tingled painfully where it still lay against the star. The shining
surface made me wince and I backed away, my eyes hurting and a
ringing growing in my ears. I screamed as it intensified, begging to be
spared, unsure if I had angered it somehow. But then the light faded
away and I found a rough and unhewn gemstone laying in my palm
that hummed with unimaginable power, so beautiful it left me
speechless.
“Wield this, and you will win your war.”
“Thank you,” I breathed, and those words leaving my lips set the
earth quaking and the sky singing.

No, not singing, that beautiful, haunting noise that hovered on the
edges of my hearing was screaming, the stars above trying to defy
what had been done, what this star had offered me going against all
nature of its kind and mine. But the deal was done.

The vision shifted, and my mind reeled with all I had seen, the
knowledge spinning violently in my head before I was plunged back
into memories, these ones coming in a furious wave that set my pulse
racing. First, I was Elvia again, flying into battle with burning wings
and the Imperial Star buried in the hilt of a stunning sword. It
whispered to her in her mind, telling her the power words she needed
to wield it. With a word spoken to it, a blast slammed into an army of
Nymphs beneath her, cutting through their ranks and carving them to
pieces.

At night, the Imperial Star whispered more to her, telling her of dark
magic, of powers lost, and powers undiscovered. Elvia taught all of it
to her son who grew before my eyes in each passing vision, until one
day he stood before a grave of ruby red and took his mother’s sword
into his grasp.
But still, the war waged on, and he used the Imperial Star to become
an unimaginably powerful ruler. Despite his domination in the
kingdom, he and his court were gaining enemies, the Dragons forming
an army of their own and factions of Fae joining the Nymphs to try
and destroy the Phoenix king.

Another generation passed, then another, each new ruler handed the
Imperial Star to the next until finally it was passing into the hands of
Avalon as she stood at her mother’s deathbed.
“Keep the broken promise,” her mother spoke, and I, as Avalon,
curled my hands around the sword’s hilt possessively, having waited
far too long for this moment as I caressed the Imperial Star with my
thumb. “It is time, Avalon.”
“The war isn’t won,” I said firmly, and my mother pushed a
Memoriae crystal into my hand too. It held all the knowledge of the
star that the past kings and queens had acquired, each of them adding
more to it every time they learned a new power word. Only a fool
would give up this power. I would covet it always and ensure my
descendants did too. It was part of what made us the greatest Order to
ever live.

“Our kind are dying out, less and less Phoenixes are born each year,”
my mother rasped, the tide of death rushing in on her. “The Imperial
Star is a curse, not a gift. It won’t end until...” She died, her final
breath rattling out of her chest, and I leaned down to kiss her cheek
before turning away and leaving the servants to prepare her for burial.
I passed my cousin, Romina, in the corridor, nodding to her to let her
know it was over and she sobbed, falling into the arms of her lover,
Tomás. He was not a Phoenix, and she knew my feelings on the
matter. There were few of our kind left now, and we needed to ensure
our lineage remained strong. She had refused the marriage I had
ordered her into with Vicente, and my mother hadn’t had the
backbone to force her to go through with it, but if she thought I would
stand for this tryst with a Hydra now that I was queen, she was sorely
mistaken.

I would give them one night more before announcements were made.
I had better things to do right now, like sitting on my throne and
commanding the Imperial Star to give me the world.

I was pulled out of the vision, having only a moment to sit in the
confusion over what I’d seen. What was the broken promise? What
were these memories not showing me? And what had her mother
meant about the Imperial Star being a curse?

The vision changed once more and I saw the battle Queen Avalon
waged with Lavinia, how she stole the shadows from the Nymphs
using the Imperial Star and cast her enemy into a realm with all the
shadows her kind needed to survive. It was brutal watching it again
and I cringed at the sympathy I felt for Lavinia in that moment,
witnessing Queen Avalon send her into oblivion and leaving her kind
altered forevermore.
Then, my mind slipped into a memory belonging to Romina and my
heart stuttered as I found myself running full pelt through a dark
tunnel.
People were screaming, and terror consumed me as I raced along with
the Phoenixes, our flames curling around us in the dark. More screams
sounded behind me and I looked back, finding my cousins falling to
their knees, the flesh melting from their bones before they crashed to
the ground.
I didn’t know what was happening, only that no other Orders were
dying. A curse, it had to be a curse, but why?

Tomás kept hold of my hand, dragging me on at a furious speed.

“Don’t shift,” he tossed back at me, and I nodded in promise of that.
Any Phoenix who we’d seen spread their wings, immediately fell to
ruin. I would not let a single flame kiss my skin until we got out of
these tunnels, maybe not even then.
“This way!” Queen Avalon called from up ahead and we followed her
voice through the passages, turning this way and that until suddenly
Tomás and I rounded into a dead end.

Avalon stood before us, her crown perched atop her head and her eyes
bright with fire. She had taken the Imperial Star from the hilt of her
sword and held it before her now with a manic look about her.
“A Seer has shown me our fate. Many Phoenixes will fall this day, and
we will be forced to leave our dear palace behind. But one soul must
remain bound here, for one day our kind will return to this place and
when they do, the spirit of the watcher shall rouse and prepare them
for what is coming. The rest of us will flee and make a future further
north while we wait for that time.”
I shared a tense look with Tomás as more screams sounded out in the
passage behind us.

“What have you done?” I demanded of this queen I had long ago
learned to hate.
“Romina,” my cousin and fiancé Vicente growled, stepping closer to
Avalon’s side. I was meant to marry him this month, but I had never
heeded his or Avalon’s warning to stay away from Tomás. I loved
him, and no one would force me to marry another. Least of all a man
who was blood-related to me and who had clearly been fucking
Avalon for months. But no matter who she took to her bed, no seed
grew in her. She could not produce the Phoenix heir she so craved, yet
she would never give up trying.
I tightened my grip on Tomás’s hand, stepping in front of him as
Vicente raised his sword in his direction.
“Come here,” Vicente barked. “We have little time to act.”
“Do not dare speak to her that way,” Tomás snarled, purple fire
flashing in his eyes as he raised his own sword.
“Traitor,” Vicente spat, looking to Avalon. “He raises a sword against
a noble, Your Highness.”
“Yes, I see that,” she hissed, her eyes darting to Tomás and making
me growl protectively.

“We are going, and you will not stop us,” I said, pressing back into
Tomás and making him retreat towards the only exit.
No other Fae had made it this far and though I was terrified of what
lay out there in those tunnels, a worse fate was remaining here with
these monsters.
Avalon raised a potion in her hand, the glass bottle holding a blackish
liquid that glinted with magic.
“Grab her, Vicente.”
Vicente came at me, and I drew my sword instead of using my gifts,
lunging forward, and swinging at him before he could dare place his
hands on me. I slit his arm open, and blood poured, making him
swear as he backed up.

“You have been useless in this life, but perhaps you will be useful in
the next.” He darted toward me again, and I swung my sword with a
yell of fury, the edge slicing across his chest this time. Flames burst to
life across his skin in response and Avalon screamed, “No!” but it was
already too late.
Vicente fell prey to whatever terrible magic was at play in these
tunnels, his skin melting and his pitchy screams filling the air before he
collapsed to the ground, just a pile of bones with his dagger clattering
down at his side.

Avalon whirled on me, lifting the Imperial Star to her lips and
speaking a single word against the stone which I couldn’t catch. But in
the next second, my limbs went rigid and the sword slipped from my
fingers, my power immobilised by some other-worldly magic.
Tomás roared in anger and a blast of Hydra fire tore from his body,
slamming into Avalon and knocking her from her feet. The Imperial
Star was sent flying from her grip and tumbling over the ground,
whispering angry words as it went. All Phoenixes shall be my
adversaries from this day forth, and I shall twist their fates so they fail
in all endeavours, their lives will be full of sorrow, and there will be no
way out until the promise is kept. Either that, or their Order shall fall,
and no more will ever walk this earth.”

Tomás raised his sword, his lips peeled back as he rushed to behead
the queen, but her wings burst from her shoulder blades, burning his
arms and melting his sword in his grip. He cried out as he staggered
away, and Avalon screamed as her skin began to melt.
She lifted the potion to her lips with a lament, swallowing it down in
deep gulps before the curse consumed her entirely. It did though, her
skin liquifying and the whites of her eyes burning bright before they
were lost too and she turned to bones, her fire dying with her.
The Memoriae crystal hit the ground alongside her sword and the
magic of the Imperial Star suddenly released me, sending me
stumbling forward.

I ran to Tomás, healing the wounds on his arms and checking that he
was alright.
“We must go,” he urged. “We must get as far from here as we can and
never return.”
I nodded, kissing him fast then running to gather up the Imperial Star,
the crystal and Avalon’s sword. Then we turned and ran back into the
dark tunnels, passing by the bones of the fallen Phoenixes.
As we rounded a corner, my gaze found my mother and father,
clutching onto each other in an alcove as their wings burned bright at
their backs. It was already too late even though I was screaming for
them to cast away their Phoenixes. But the magic took them, and they
fell to bones on the floor in a heap of treasure they had been carrying,
their arms still holding one another in death.

A noise of anguish left me, and I could only keep moving because
Tomás dragged me on, my vision blurred with tears as he led me away
into the dark, and I placed my trust in him to get us out.
Somehow, we made it above ground, and we fled away into the jungle
with only one thought in our minds. North. As far as we could go until
we felt safe once more. And as we ran, the last of our people ran with
us, falling into line behind me, the last Vega and Phoenix among
them. With a weight in my chest, I realised that if that was true, I had
just become their queen.
I was tossed out of the memory, finding Orion’s hand firmly wrapped
around my arm, urgency in his eyes.
“What did you see?” he asked, and I relayed it all to him, trying not to
forget a single detail as he soaked it all in, and I blurted it in a stream
of frantic words.

“Fuck,” he breathed when I was done.

I lifted a hand to caress the spot where the Imperial Star had hung
around my throat, anxiety tearing a line through my chest. “The
Imperial Star cursed them. That’s why all the Phoenixes died. And it’s
why Tory and I have failed time and again in this war. That old curse
is still in place. We’re fucked, Lance. Unless we can figure out what
the broken promise is, we’re never going to be free of the star’s
wrath.”

I clawed a hand through my hair, trying to process all of this, my heart

thrashing like a caged animal.
“This explains...everything,” he said in shock, and I broke away from
him, beginning to pace without thought as my mind worked over all
we’d seen.
“Romina didn’t know what the broken promise was either,” I said, a
frown knitting my brows together. “What the hell could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Orion sighed.

“Do you think the Imperial Star is still on the battlefield?” I asked, the
sudden fear slicing a hole in my heart.
“If it is, then at least we know where to look for it,” Orion said, though
his expression was grim.
“And how will we do that when we’re locked up here?” I said in
exasperation. “We have to get a message to the others so they can
retrieve it before someone else finds it. And we need to tell Tory to
find out what the broken promise is so we can keep it.”
Orion’s silence told me he had no idea how to do that, and I was just
as clueless.
“When I was up on that mountain after the battle, I saw a fallen star
just like the one in those memories. I spoke with it, and saw it release
its power into the world. If I’d known about all of this, I could have
asked it for answers. Maybe it knew what the broken promise is.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Orion shot in front of me with a blur of
speed.
“It was the last thing on my mind after everything,” I said, shrugging
but he gripped my shoulders, his features intense.

“Do you have any idea how rare of an event that is, Blue? There are
only a handful of Fae in the world who have seen it. Most of our kind
would give anything to witness a Donum Magicae. I, myself, have
studied it in countless books, but never have I had a true imagining of
what it would be like to stand in the power of one of the celestial
creators. What was it like?”
“It was...shiny,” I murmured, my mind still distracted by the
memories.

“Shiny,” he deadpanned, his eyes narrowing, and I snorted, my

shoulders dropping as I let go of the tension in my limbs.
“It was pretty cool, I guess.”
“Pretty cool. You guess,” he echoed flatly, and I broke a small laugh.
“I’ll ask Vard to pluck the memory out of my head so you can watch
it,” I
said, turning away from him towards a row of bookshelves and
brushing my fingers over the ancient spines, wondering if any of them
might hold the answer we sought.

“That’s not funny,” he growled as he followed.

“Gotta laugh to stop the tears coming,” I said, my thoughts returning
to all we’d seen. “Do you think Romina is my ancestor?”
“Yes. Queen Romina was the first queen to rule from The Palace of
Souls. She built this place,” he said, and my lips parted as I looked to
him.

“What else do you know?”

He cocked his head. “So, you want my knowledge, but you won’t
describe the Donum Magicae to me.”
“Alright, I’ll try.” I grinned. “Imagine a really, really, really shiny
rock.” Orion gave me a hollow look.
“Didn’t you ever go with Darius to melt down a fallen star for stardust
and get a chance to see it sparkle its way out of existence?” I asked.
“Meteorites create stardust, not true fallen stars,” he said.
“That’s confusing,” I pointed out. “Why isn’t it called meteorite dust
then?”
His attention slipped past me before he answered, and he shot
forward,
grabbing a diamond encrusted box off of the shelf.

“Now who’s touching ancient artefacts?” I taunted.

His lips slanted up as he examined the circular box and the pair of
weighing scales marked on its surface. “If you can’t beat ‘em...”
He popped the lid open and a miniscule, mechanical set of scales
ascended on a little silver platform that resembled a miniature
ballroom. A tiny girl made of wood stood on one side of the scales and
she moved with delicate magic, leaping over to land in the other dish,
then back and forth from one to the other, making the scales rock up
and down as she danced. It was mesmerising and as music started to
play within the box, I lost all focus on everything but that wooden girl.
A song curled up from its depths, the voice soft and feminine, trilling
out a soothing lullaby.

“It’s time to dance, to dice with chance, the scales they rise, and they
fall now. Come to me, play with me, here in my lonely ballroom...”
The ground beneath me seemed to rise, and I rocked dizzily on my
feet, reaching for the music box and that enchanting wooden dancer
leaping this way and that. Orion was reaching for her too and our
fingers grazed as we touched her, unable to resist her call. The
moment we made contact, the world tipped and it was as though I was
falling forward down a slippery hill, unable to stop as I went tumbling
head over heels, losing sight of everything except the little wooden girl.
I hit a hard, silver floor at Orion’s side in the tiny ballroom that lay
within the music box. The walls were silver too, and the windows
running along them were painted with an outdoor scene of a sunlit
meadow.

I looked up in a daze, finding a towering set of scales above me, the

girl now standing between the two scales, balancing there as she
smiled creepily. She was five times bigger than us now, and as she
jumped to the right, her feet hit the dish sitting above us, sending it
plummeting down towards us with a groaning wail of moving metal.
Orion slammed into me, and we rolled across the floor, just avoiding
the strike of the dish’s base, and the dancer leapt into the other dish
again with a laugh.
“Dance with me, play with me,” she sang as the scales tipped once
more.
I grabbed Orion’s hand, the two of us jumping upright and running to
the other side of the ballroom, the bottom of the left dish crashing
down just where we’d been.
“You shouldn’t have touched it,” I said.

“Oh, you think?” Orion growled, holding firm to my hand as the

dancer did a pirouette in the lowered dish. “I can’t access my Order.”
“Dance with me, play with me,” the girl sung again, leaping up and
springing overhead towards the other dish.
“We have to climb out,” Orion said firmly as we ran for the opposite
side of the room again and the floor juddered with the weight of the
scales slamming down on it once more, making my heart stumble.
He started trying to climb the wall as I looked to the girl above, her
song twisting through the air with a plea inside it. And I realised what
she wanted.

“No, I think we have to do as she says. We have to play her game,” I

said thickly.
“Fuck that.” Orion continued to try and climb out, and I looked
around quickly as the girl leapt towards the other dish again, sending a
wave of adrenaline into my veins. There were four strange circles on
the floor, one within the other, and in the middle of the room was the
smallest one of all. But it didn’t mean anything to me.
“What’s the game?” I called to the wooden girl and the largest ring
around the edge of the room lit up in white. Her feet hit the dish, but
it jarred to a halt as Orion and I readied to run out of the way.

The girl peered over the side of it, looking down at us with her painted
face twisting in a smile. The music continued to play, sounding more
eerie than beautiful now that I was trapped inside a tiny music box
with a freaky enchanted matchstick bitch, and she opened her mouth,
singing new words to the tune.
“When light is white, it’s time to dance, but when it’s blue, you best
not move. For you shall be in peril. If you play, you’ll make my day,
and I’ll release you with my prized possession.”
“Okay, so...we just have to dance. Any chance you can dance?” I
muttered to Orion.
“I’ve attended countless bullshit Acrux parties, I can unfortunately
dance, but I’d rather fight.” He looked up at the girl as if assessing his
chances against her.

“No.” I grabbed his hand. “We’re not taking on the cursed ballerina
and getting stuck in a music box forever. Let’s just do what she says.”
“Okay, but if your way doesn’t work, we’re trying my way,” he said.
“Deal.” I towed him over to the circle, realising those heading towards
the centre all grew progressively thinner, leaving less space to dance
on. The peril part of the game did not sound good, but we were in
here now, so we didn’t have a choice.

Orion pressed his hand to my lower back, taking hold of my hand and
placing it on his shoulder while pulling the other into his grip.
“Follow my lead,” he ordered, and I nodded, more than happy to do
that because ballroom dancing was not my gift in life.
The music grew louder, announcing the start of the game, and Orion
guided me around the circle of glowing white light in slow movements,
giving me a chance to find the rhythm with him. I was just getting the
hang of it when the light beneath us turned blue and Orion clutched
me against him, the two of us becoming as still as statues as the music
stopped.

The wooden girl cheered with a tinkling noise in her throat and a
painted door at the end of the ballroom opened. “She can’t see you,
but she’ll hear you if you move, so don’t put one foot wrong or she’ll
feast well,” she sang.
From the darkness beyond the doorway, I saw bones shifting. A Fae
skull tumbled out to lay on the dancefloor and I held my breath,
forcing myself not to move. Some creature was moving in there
through the bones of long claimed victims, and I did not want to gain
its attention.

Orion’s fingers dug into me as he watched my expression, unable to

turn his head and look that way himself.
An ivory white praying mantis appeared, stepping out into the
ballroom, the bug no doubt small in reality but down here in this
music box, it was a giant monster. Its eyes were punctured as if by a
needle, proving it was blind, and I had to wonder which psychotic Fae
had concocted this tiny, pocket- sized hell and who they had placed
down here to die in it.

But that wasn’t the end of the horror show, because our ring turned to
grass beneath our feet, growing up and around us, the fronds reaching
for us and tickling any exposed skin it could find. I clenched my jaw,
remaining rigid even while the grass tormented us, trying to goad us
into flinching.
The mantis came scuttling towards us, the sharp looking appendages
either side of its mouth clacking together and its antennae sweeping
around its body in hunt of us. But neither Orion nor I moved.
It went scuttling past us, searching the place but unable to find us,
though I didn’t know what would happen if it discovered us by
chance. Maybe that was a part of it, those Libra scales representing
how quickly our fate could come unbalanced.

After a minute, the wooden girl hummed a tune that lured the mantis
back into its den and the doors shut behind it. The music started up
again and the next ring lit up in white while the grass in the previous
ring vanished. We hurried onto the new ring and Orion began guiding
me around it, keeping me close.
“This is fucked up,” he whispered.
“We’ve only got three more rings, including this one. We just have to
make it to the middle and she’ll let us go. That’s gotta be the end of
it,” I said, convincing myself as much as I was him.
The light beneath us turned abruptly blue and the music shut off, the
two of us holding the other tight and falling deathly still. The mantis
came scurrying back out of the doors and the moment it began
looking for us, air blew around the circle we were in, sending a
barrage of it at our backs.

I worked hard not to move, Orion’s muscular frame grounding me

while the mantis hunted the ballroom for us, its pincers clicking across
the floor and its mouth snapping. Somehow, we managed to remain in
place, and the wooden girl lured the mantis back into its den once
more.
I took a heavy breath, meeting Orion’s gaze, determination passing
between us.
“Just two more,” I said.
“Yes, just two more rings of death. Perfect,” he said dryly.
The music started up again and we moved into the next ring as it lit
up in
white.
Orion dropped his mouth close to my ear as we moved in slow circles,
his body practically controlling mine as I mirrored his steps. “Of all
the deaths we’ve faced, I would never have predicted we’d be
threatened with a praying mantis in a music box.”
“Or a singing matchstick,” I looked up at the girl above as she twirled
on top of the scales, coldness dripping through me.

“Life really is far more interesting now you’re in it,” he said with a
ghost of a grin, but then the light turned blue beneath our feet and my
heart turned to stone. We remained entirely still, and the door opened
again, releasing the hungry praying mantis. It came scurrying along
faster this time, blind eyes twitching and its slimy black tongue slicking
the sharp edges of its mouth.
We are not gonna die in the jaws of a bug.

The floor turned to ice beneath us, the third Element to show up in
the game and I swallowed a gasp as my feet slid backwards. Orion lost
his footing entirely and his knee crashed against the floor as he fell,
making the mantis let out a shrill noise as it came flying up behind
him.
Its pincers wrapped around him, launching him across the ballroom
towards its den, and moving so fast that Orion had no time to get to
his feet
before the mantis tossed him through the door and disappeared after
him.
I ran to follow with a cry of terror, but the doors shut in my face and
as I slammed into them, they sealed up tight, becoming nothing but a
painting on a false wall.

“Let him go!” I shouted up at the wooden girl above.

“The door will only open again in the next round,” she sang to me,
and I looked back at the rings, the final one turning white.
I shuddered, hurrying over to it, knowing I had to play on if I was
going to get through those doors. There was no way I was going to let
him die at the hands of some insect.
The music started again, and I danced around the circle, making
minimal effort and glaring up at the wooden girl with rage in my soul.
“Come on,” I gritted out, anxiety clutching my heart.

The ring turned blue, and I fell still, though my legs were nearly
trembling as I prepared to run. The doors flew open, and the mantis
came stumbling out with Orion on its back, choking the life out of the
thing as it screeched and flailed. Fire burst to life at my feet, and I
jumped away from it, running forward and hefting an old arm bone
into my grip from the mantis’s graveyard, swinging it with a scream of
fury.
“Get away from my mate, you creepy-crawly son of a bitch!” I cried.
I slammed the bone into the insect’s face and it came crashing down to
the floor where Orion took hold of its neck and pulling with all his
strength. With a furious yank, he tore the bug’s head clean from its
body, tossing it away as greenish blood splattered the floor.
“No!” the wooden girl warbled, diving off of the scales above and
coming to land right behind me.

I bared my teeth, rushing her with the arm bone raised and swinging it
hard against her legs. They snapped in two and she went flying
backwards, landing in the fire that was still burning in the central ring,
her body dry as tinder and going up in flames in an instant.
She reached for me like I might come to her aid, and I stared icily at
her as Orion moved to join me, sliding his arm over my shoulders and
watching her burn with me.
“I do love a good bonfire,” Orion purred, and a dark smile pulled at
my mouth.

The matchstick girl cried out, a final song pouring from her before she
was turned to a pile of soot and the music died along with her. The
fire extinguished and magic whirled around us, making me lose sight
of everything as Orion and I were thrown out of the music box,
landing in a heap on the floor of the treasury. He had the tiniest smear
of green blood from the praying mantis on his cheek and the arm bone
in my grip was now fully sized. I tossed it away from me, looking to
the music box in alarm as it began spinning on the floor, spitting out
bones which became their normal size again as they landed in heaps of
gold around us.
We scrambled upright, backing away from it, magic sending it into a
frenzy until the last of the bones were ejected and the whole thing fell
apart, pieces of metal and cogs shattering on the floor. Among it all
was a beautiful opal, winking up at us from within the wreckage of the
cursed music box.

“So that’s what you were for. You were keeping this safe.” Orion
moved forward, picking it up and admiring it in his palm.
I moved forward to look down at the treasure, taking in the rivers of
colour running through the gemstone.
“Is it a Guild Stone?” I asked hopefully.
“Feels like one,” he said, running his thumb across it and the Guild
Master mark on his arm suddenly flared to life, the beautiful sword
shining along his forearm as it responded to finding this new stone.
“Opal for Libra.”
“Who do you think hid it in that creepy music box?” I asked.
“Some long dead Fae who didn’t want anyone stealing his treasure,”
he guessed with a shrug, and I leaned up to wipe the gross mantis
blood off his cheek.

His attention moved past me and he frowned, shooting forward and

grabbing a book off the shelf at my back. I raised my brows at the
beautiful cover which was woven with bronze feathers.
“Gabriel showed me this in a vision. I think it’s important,” he said
excitedly, his eyes still bright from the fight we’d just had.
A Dragon’s roar sounded somewhere far above us in the palace and
we both stilled as the tremors of that noise reverberated through the
walls.
“We need to get back,” I said, picking up the Memoriae crystal I must
have dropped when I went into the music box.
Orion placed the book in my hands along with the opal, then scooped
me up and raced out of the treasury at speed.

It was hard to tell how long we’d spent down there, the time we’d
been in the music box impossible to gauge, but had it really been three
hours already? I hated the thought of returning to that cage.
The moment we made it through the wall, the secret passage started
closing behind us and at the sound of footsteps coming this way, I
tossed the book, the opal and the crystal back into the passage just
before it shut tight.
The throne room doors flew open, and my heart lurched as Lionel
strode in with Vard at his back and two big Dragon guards dragging
Gabriel along behind them.
One of them was Mildred, her moustache twisted up at the corners
and a violent shade of pink eyeshadow coating her eyelids. Lavinia
floated in after them, looking almost translucent as she sailed along on
her cloud of darkness. The dagger I’d found in the secret hatch in the
throne was strapped to her hip, looking so bright between the shadows
slithering around her body.

Lionel dropped onto the throne, ignoring us entirely as his butler

Horace appeared, racing after them and kneeling before him to polish
his shoes.
“Hurry up,” Lionel bit at him.
Horace worked faster and faster, buffing those shoes like his life
depended on it. And knowing Lionel, it probably did.
I realised I hadn’t blinked, my gaze locked on my brother as he looked
my way, his brow furrowing and lines of stress on his forehead. I ached
to get to him, to kill every motherfucker around him and get him the
hell out of here alongside my mate. But of course, there was no chance
of that. So instead, we stared at one another with a thousand
unspoken words passing between us.

I love you. I’m sorry. I hope you’re alright.

The doors to the throne room were opened once more, this time held
wide by two Nymphs in their shifted forms. Four of Lionel’s Dragons
came next, carrying a huge wooden chest inlaid with golden
Elemental symbols.
“What’s this?” Lionel demanded.
“This was in the Voldrakian carriage that arrived, sire,” one of the
men told him.

“Where are the Voldrakian royals? I requested their presence,” Lionel

barked, rising from his throne, and kicking Horace away from his feet.
“Perhaps this is an offering, sire?” Vard suggested, clearly trying to
appease him.
Smoke spilled from Lionel’s mouth, and he nodded stiffly, gesturing
for the men to bring the chest to him. “Place it down. Let us see what
fine gifts they wish to offer me.”
Heavy gold clasps secured the lid of the chest and as the Dragons set it
down on the flagstones, they worked to open each one. A snap
sounded as the last catch was released, followed by a faint hissing
sound, and I tensed as I noticed my brother stepping subtly behind
Mildred. Orion and I backed up too.

The Dragons flipped the lid open and the biggest snake I’d ever seen
surged out of it, its fang-filled mouth snapping down over the head of
the closest man. He screamed, crashing to the floor, and using his
water Element to cast a blade of ice in his hand, stabbing it into the
snake’s side. But it went right through the creature as if it were made
of smoke and in the next second, the snake dissolved, turning to a
thick purple vapour that surrounded the man and started liquefying
his body against the floor. The other Dragons were in a frenzy trying
to help him with magic, but nothing they did helped.

Lionel backed up, adding power to his air shield while the Shadow
Princess drifted closer to watch the man die, curiosity lighting her eyes.
The vapour vanished and the only things left in its wake were blood
and bone, all of it twisting and writhing under some power as it
formed a single word across the flagstones.
FOE.
Lionel roared in anger, grabbing Vard by the throat, burning his skin
as he fought to keep hold of his Order form and making the Seer yelp.
“Why did you not see this?!”

Vard shook his head, his mouth opening and closing but no words
came out.
Horace backed up behind the Seer, looking anywhere but at the
mutilated body of the Dragon Shifter, acting as if it didn’t exist and
doing everything he could not draw Lionel’s anger his way.
Gabriel glanced at me, his mouth lifting at the corner, and I smiled
back. If the Voldrakians had decided not to remain allied with Solaria,
was there a chance they’d go to war against Lionel?

“I-I’m sorry, my King,” Vard stammered, and Lionel shoved him

away with a snarl, rounding on Gabriel. “You saw this.”
“Yes,” Gabriel said, raising his chin, and Mildred looked back at him,
her under-bite jaw dropping as she realised he’d used her as a shield.
Lionel’s upper lip peeled back, and he raised a flaming fist.
“Stop!” I cried as Orion pressed closer to me anxiously, but Gabriel
wasn’t Lionel’s target.
He swung around, slamming his fist into Vard’s face, sending him
flying to the floor with a yelp of pain.

Lavinia laughed, floating closer to Lionel. “Again, Daddy,” she urged,

and he stalked after Vard, slamming the shadow fist into him this time.
The beating went on and while all of Lionel’s subjects were watching,
I looked to Gabriel again. His eyes were glazed and I could tell he was
lost to some vision, but I had no idea if he was seeing was something
good or bad.
“What use are snivelling creatures like you to me?” Lionel spat. “I
need a court full of loyal Fae who will do anything for their king. Who
are useful to me beyond all doubt.”

He stood upright, pushing a hand into his blonde hair, marking it with
blood as a feral glimmer entered his eyes, like something had just
occurred to him.
Gabriel blinked, focusing on me once more with horror washing over
his features.
My stomach dropped and I mouthed, “What is it?” to him in
desperation.

“Fear the Bonded men!” he blurted to me. “The night the Hydra
bellows is coming, and fate has shifted! We must get word to the
others, we must tell them that-”
Lionel silenced him with air magic, stealing all oxygen from his lungs
as he sneered.
“Silence!” he boomed, turning his back on Vard who was twitching on
the floor. “Mildred, return him to the Seer’s chamber and have his lips
sealed shut until I decide he is allowed to speak again.”
“Of course, my King,” Mildred said, bowing low.
“Gabriel!” I cried, grabbing the bars, and trying to will magic into my
hands, but there was nothing I could do.

My brother was dragged away by Mildred, and Lionel didn’t allow

him to breathe again until he was beyond the door.
The prophecy my brother had given us once was spinning through my
mind, the words turning over in my head.
Two Phoenixes, born of fire, rising from the ashes of the past. The
wheel of fate is turning, and the Dragon is poised to strike. But blood
of the deceiver may change the course of destiny. Beware the man
with the painted smile who lingers close to your side. Turn the
scorned. Free the enslaved. Fear the Bonded men. Many will fall for
one to ascend. Suffer the curse. The hunter will pay the price. Do not
repeat the mistakes of the past. Keep the broken promise. Mend the
rift. All that hides in the shadows is not dark. Blood will out. Seal your
fate. Choose your destiny.

I focused on the Bonded men, wondering who they could be and why
Gabriel had been so terrified of them. Perhaps Tory had had more
luck figuring some of the prophecy out, but at least parts of it were
becoming clear now.
The first line had to refer to me and my sister, the second Lionel.
Then the blood of the deceiver...that could be Darius. He was
descended from the man who had deceived Lavinia at the battle
against Avalon. So that added up. Fucking stars.

Then there was the eternal question of the man with the painted smile.
I still had no idea on that one, but hoped Tor had figured it out.
Many will fall for one to ascend. Well, I guess that was kinda self-
explanatory, though who that person was, I didn’t know. It could just
mean Lionel keeping his place as king after a bloody war. Though I
hoped it meant another monarch could take his place.
Suffer the curse. Yup, think I had that one figured out. Thanks
Shadow Beast.

The hunter will pay the price. Orion...shit. That had to be about him
paying the price for my curse.
Mend the rift....I frowned. Could it be referring to the shadow rifts we
closed? But then why wasn’t it plural? Maybe it was meant more
metaphorically...
I shook my head, thinking over the last lines but they were too vague
for any new ideas to spark in me.

Orion and I exchanged a look of despair as we were left trapped in

our cell, Gabriel’s warning spinning out into the world without anyone
to figure it out and work against whatever foul plans Lionel was
concocting. I didn’t know what to do. There had to be a way to use
this prophecy to help us change fate, but if we couldn’t even discover
what it meant, I didn’t see how we could.
Lionel directed Horace to clean up the guts of the man who had been
killed, then marched from the room with Lavinia and his Dragons
hurrying after him. Horace sighed, looking down at the blood with his
head hanging low.

“Wish I’d never applied for this job,” he muttered to himself. “Wash
this, wash that. Polish my shoes, hand scrub my underwear...clean up
all the bodies my queen has half eaten. And you know how many days
off a year I get? None.” He shook his head, clucking his tongue.
“Shoulda listened to Jim. He said it’d be like this; said I’d regret it.
And now look. Jim’s off living his best life in Sunshine Bay and I’m
here cleaning up entrails.”

“Hey,” Orion called to him, and Horace lifted his head, his eyes
narrowing. “Any chance you hate Lionel as much as your job?”
“Don’t you go talking to me, mate, getting me in trouble. I don’t
wanna be involved in anything. I just want an easy life,” Horace said,
not looking Orion directly in the eye. “The king’s food was
overcooked last week, and he incinerated Bob in the kitchen. I ain’t
getting incinerated for nobody.”
“If you help us, we’ll protect you from the king when we get out of
here,” I said, wondering if he might be able to get a message to our
friends. But Horace shook his head, lifting a hand and casting a
silencing bubble so he couldn’t hear us anymore. As if turning a blind
eye to us and all the horrors of this place somehow made him less
responsible for it. But cruelty still happened whether you
acknowledged it or not. Wasn’t pretending it didn’t exist just giving
the monsters of this world license to carry on being monsters?
“Fucking coward,” Orion muttered, turning his back on him, and
resting against the bars.

We waited for Horace to finish cleaning up the remains of the dead

Fae, and when he was gone, the two of us hurried to the back wall. I
pressed my hands against it, willing it to open and the stone gave way
at my touch. Orion took the book from inside and I sat beside him
against the wall as the hidden door closed once more, leaning close to
look at it in his lap.
“Do you think Gabriel will be okay?” I whispered, my mind still stuck
on him and all he must have been going through.
“Gabriel is one of the strongest Fae I know. He’s resilient. Like you.”
He brushed his fingers over my knee, and I relaxed a little, focusing on
the book and hoping it had a gift for us which could change the
trajectory of this war.

“Look at this...” His hand moved back to the book as he studied it,
turning it over and running his fingers along the spine. I broke a smile
at the fascination on his face and watched him as he continued his
intricate examination of the book’s binding.
“You’re staring,” he murmured, his mouth hooking up at the corner
and revealing his dimple.
“It’s hard not to stare when you look this cute,” I said, and he glanced
over at me with a dry look.

“Cute? Dogs are cute, like your little lap dog, Seth, but I’m-”
“Ohmagod,” I gasped, cutting over him. “You just said Seth is cute.”
His eyes widened in horror. “No,” he hissed in warning like I was to
blame for the words that had come out of his mouth, but I most
definitely wasn’t. “I meant it objectively. Of course I don’t think the
mutt is cute. But I suppose I can see, from afar, if I were someone
entirely else, that that someone might find him marginally endearing
when he isn’t being aggravating. To me though, he is entirely
aggravating at all times. And that will never change.”
“Mmhmm,” I hummed sarcastically, and his gaze narrowed.
He captured my chin in his grip and rubbed his thumb over my
bottom lip. “Don’t look at me as if you know better.”
“I always know better.” I smirked then took his thumb between my
lips, biting down and tasting the salt of his skin.

He grunted, pushing the book aside as if it held none of his attention

now, coming for me instead. But as tempting as that was, I didn’t
know how much longer we had before Lavinia came back and stole
away our opportunity to read it. It might hold an answer about the
broken promise, although I doubted a secret like that would be written
down so simply, considering Romina hadn’t known what it was either.
Still, we probably should have been doing something more productive
than this.
I released his thumb from my mouth, swerving a kiss from him and
ducking low to grab the book from the floor.
“Forget the book. The answer to the broken promise isn’t going to be
handily detailed in there, or else some ancient Phoenix would have
dealt with it long ago,” he said, echoing my thoughts.

His fingers pushed into hair, gripping tight and pulling until I was
sitting upright again, looking at the chaos in his eyes. He held me
tight, moving in to kiss me again, but I brought the book up in front of
my face to block him and he growled from behind it.
“You shouldn’t play hide and seek with a Vampire, Blue,” he warned.
“You’ll end up like Harriet Hidey-Hole.”
“Who’s that?” I laughed, peeking over the top of the book, but his
expression said he was deadly serious.

“It’s another children’s story,” he said, snatching the book and placing
it behind him out of reach.
With his fingers still locked in my hair, I had no escape, and as he
reared over me, pressing his chest to mine and forcing me to drop to
the floor, I was pinned beneath him.
I curled my legs around him, the shadows shifting away from my body
as my love for him made it harder for them to remain wherever he
touched me. Between the solid weight of him and the firm ridge of his
cock pressing against me, it would have been all too easy to submit.
But we really did need to check out that book.

I stretched out one leg, my toes landing on the soft feathers of the
cover, and I scooted it closer, reaching for it with my right hand.
Orion’s mouth skated along my jaw and my breath caught at the light
touch and the scrape of his beard. It was getting long now, and if we
had been under any other circumstances, I would have liked the
roguish look on him.

“Harriet Hidey-Hole liked to play hide and seek more than any other
kid in her school,” Orion told me the story as he continued to torment
me with the lightest of kisses that set my skin burning. He yanked on
my hair to pull my head sideways and expose my neck to him, making
me release a curse that was wrapped in a moan.
With him, pain and pleasure were weapons he forged out of the
sweetest kind of sins, and I was more than happy to let him use them
against me. My pulse raced and I half forgot about the book beneath
my foot as his kisses travelled to my collar bone and the graze of his
fangs made my spine arch against the cold floor. He released my hair,
slipping his hand beneath me into the hollow I’d created between my
body and the tiles, curling his fingers against the base of my spine, and
grinding the huge length of his cock over my clit through his
sweatpants.
I moaned his name, wanting so much more than he was giving me,
but he was taking his time like we had an eternity of it, when it was far
more likely that the opposite was true.

“She would hide in trees and wooden chests; she’d hide in attics and
barns and none of her friends could ever find her,” Orion continued
the story while I rolled my hips and tried to take what I needed from
him, but he kept me in suspense. “She declared herself the best hide
and seeker in the world, and dared everyone she met to play with her
so she could prove it. No one ever found her, until one day, she
bumped into a Vampire. ‘I’m the best hide and seeker in the world,’
she said.”
“Lance,” I groaned in frustration, done with this story. I clawed my
fingers down his back, grinding against him as he worked me into a
frenzy.

“The Vampire told her she was wrong, and that he was in fact the best
hide and seeker. She laughed at him and challenged him to a game.
The Vampire agreed and said she could have ten full minutes to hide
before he even began to look for her. So Harriet ran off, picking one of
her favourite hiding places in the local barn where no one had ever
found her. She climbed inside a haystack and sat quietly while she
waited for the Vampire to come looking for her, certain she would
never be found.”

“I get it,” I said impatiently. “The Vampire found her in her hidey
hole.”
“Yeah,” he said darkly, dragging his fangs down over my breast and
making me shiver as he ran the pad of his tongue over my nipple. “He
was so high on the hunt that he ripped her to pieces.”
“Fucking hell,” I half laughed. “What’s with your psycho kids’
stories?”
“They’re warnings. Ones you should heed.” He sucked my nipple into
his mouth, and it hardened to a tight bud as he teased it between his
teeth. My fingers pushed into his hair, my head tipping back as he
reached between us to push his pants down, but before he got there,
the door of the throne room flew open.

Orion shot to his feet in a heartbeat, snarling like an animal as he used

his body to conceal mine from view. I couldn’t see who had arrived,
and my thoughts were fully scrambled as I shoved myself up to my
knees, the shadows spilling back out of my skin and wrapping around
me tightly, covering every piece of me which had been on show.
I quickly grabbed the book, rising to my feet and moving close behind
Orion before sliding it into the back of his sweatpants and pulling his
shirt down over it. Then I stepped to his side, finding Horace there
again, spinning a key on his finger while a couple of Nymphs stood
behind him. “Time for your shower. Come on, chop-chop. I haven’t
got all day.”

“The door isn’t open,” Orion deadpanned.

“Yeah, yeah, less of the attitude, mate,” Horace sniped, walking
forward and unlocking the door before directing us out of the cage.
“You get a real treat today, seeing as the servant’s quarters down ‘ere
have decided to shut themselves up as tight as a Duck Shifter’s asshole.
No one can get into the showers down there now. This place is
haunted, I swear it.” Horace turned and led us along while the two
Nymphs moved to flank us.

“I’ve seen the ghosts in this place, Horace,” I called to him, and his
shoulders stiffened. “They’re hungry, lonely souls and they want to
feast on the traitors living in their queens’ palace.”
“Oh, and what queens would that be, eh?” he laughed, but there was
a tremor in his voice that said he really was afraid of ghosts.
“Me and my sister,” I said firmly. “This palace and its ghosts are loyal
to us, and they don’t take kindly to snivelling little creeps serving false
kings between its walls. You’d better watch your back at night. One
word from me, and they might come and find you while you sleep to
peel the flesh from your bones.”
“Shut your filthy mouth,” he snapped over his shoulder, and Orion
jerked forward like he was going to attack him, but I caught his arm,
squeezing to stop him.

I didn’t want him being punished for the sake of this worthless
creature’s death. Besides, if Horace died, he’d only be replaced, and
that person could be far worse than this man who at least left us in
peace most of the time.
He guided us through the opulent halls and into a guest chamber
where extravagant murals of beautiful gardens and valleys filled with
every kind of Order imaginable were painted in gleaming ink that
almost looked as though it was still wet.
Horace gestured for us to step through a door, and we walked into a
bathroom that was more of an indoor pool house than anything else.
It had a tropical theme, the air thick with mist that rose in plumes
from the green-blue pool in the middle of it, water rushing down over
the branches of a huge tree that stood at the heart of it. Vines clung to
the walls, and for a moment, I was transported back to the Palace of
Flames, feeling like I was standing in the jungle once again where the
air was thick and the heat pressing.

“Ten minutes,” Horace barked, then slammed the door shut in our
faces.
There were clean clothes left out for Orion, but as usual, there were
none for me. Orion had insisted I wear his shirts plenty of times, but
the shadows always cast anything I wore to ash after a while, so I
refused them now. Besides, they always had green Dragons on them
or slogans about how great Lionel was and I didn’t want any of that
shit touching me. Orion left his shirts off half the time for that very
reason.

I waded out into the water and Orion stripped, hiding the book
among the folds of his new clothes before stalking me into the water. It
was deliciously warm, but the warmth was nothing to the heat I felt in
my stomach as Orion hounded after me, naked, with the mist
glistening against his bronzed skin.
I moved deeper into the pool until I was almost completely
submerged, then slipped under the water and swam around behind
him, rising once more. He spun to catch me, the water lapping around
his waist, his abs tight, that dark dusting of hair running down below
his navel and disappearing beneath the surface of the pool.
I bit my lip, admiring him and feeling the shadows retreating again,
able to breathe a little easier as the pressure of them lifted from my
chest. For a moment, it was like the Shadow Beast wasn’t even here,
though there was no touch of magic beneath my skin, and I felt
terribly mortal standing in front of him. But at least I was still me.
He moved closer, curling a lock of my shadow-stained hair around his
finger, and I looked down, finding it deepest blue once more. My pulse
heightened at finding that old piece of me restored by the touch of
him. Even if it was temporary.

“There you are,” he said, shifting closer still. “The shadows try to hide
you from me, but they forget that I’m a Vampire.”
“And Vampires are the best at hide and seek,” I said through a smile.
“So you were listening,” he said.
“I’m a very attentive student.” I smirked and he smirked back.
My nipples were still hard and water droplets were running down my
naked flesh, his eyes watching the movements of each one, his thirst
for me clear.

He moved close enough to make my breaths ragged, and a dagger of

heat blazed through my core. He was the beginning and end of me,
creation and ruin falling into harmony, and I didn’t think a point in
time would come when I would be done falling in love with him.
“Count to ten then, and come find me,” I said.
His mouth twitched in amusement, and he nodded.
I lifted his hand, covering his eyes. “Don’t cheat.”
“I don’t need to cheat,” he said with a low chuckle in his throat that
sent another wave of desire through me.

He started counting and I slipped under the water, swimming away

across the pool and around the back of the large tree in the middle of
it. I opened my eyes and squinted through the water, spotting a hole in
the trunk which would allow me to swim into it.
I grinned, kicking hard and pulling myself through it before
resurfacing within. I could stand up, the water lapping against my
waist and my lips parting at the blue lights dotted here and there
inside it, making the water reflect against the bark, rippling and
dancing. It was fairly wide, big enough for a few people to stand here
if they wanted to.
Orion suddenly surfaced beside me, and I gasped in surprise at how
quickly he’d won, his grin saying ‘told you so’. He came at me fast,
pinning me to the wall and hooking my leg over his hip.
“Hm, this seems familiar...” He glanced around at the rippling light
and my cheeks flushed with the memory of him taking me to the
bottom of the Acrux pool.

“My memory’s foggy, you’ll have to remind me,” I said breathlessly,

and he looked down at me, his eyes shadowed and the devil lurking
within them.
“There was a slit in your dress right here.” He skimmed his fingers
along my thigh the same way he had that night, and a burning trail of
fire followed his touch. “And I wanted you as fiercely as I want you
now.” His mouth skated over mine, teasing me as I tried to lean into
the kiss and remember a time when the only danger we’d faced
together was being caught doing this.

His fingers slid further up my thigh, and I remembered the moment

he’d stopped that night, knowing we couldn’t go any further or else
we’d change our relationship forever. I should have known then that
there was no stopping this. We were two forces destined to unite, and
nothing in this universe could have held us back from one another.
“I wanted to do this so fucking bad, Blue.” His hand pushed between
my legs, and he found me ready for him as his fingers slid into me.
“You have no idea how many times I thought of having you like this.”
“Did you get off over me?” I panted, clinging to his shoulders as he
pumped his hand in a slow movement that sent a fire tumbling
through my flesh. His fingers were so thick, driving into me and
curling perfectly to caress that sensitive spot inside me. It was heaven
and it had barely begun.

“Constantly,” he half laughed, half growled then sank his tongue

between my lips and kissed me with all the wild passion of the man
who had kissed me in that pool. I remembered how forbidden this had
been and drew him even closer, bathing in the knowledge that even if
all else had fallen apart, we had ended up together when the world
had told us we couldn’t.
I was already coming undone from his touch, quivering in his arms,
my moans turning desperate as he ground the heel of his palm against
my clit and drove his fingers deeper inside me. I came hard, my pussy
tightening as I gasped into his mouth, an earthquake shuddering down
my spine.
“Good girl,” he said gruffly, and pleasure skipped faster across my
skin, my legs tingling as he hooked them up around his waist. He
withdrew a little and fisted the thick length of his cock, teasing me as
he drew his hand up and down it, holding me in suspense as he
rubbed the tip of it against my sensitive clit.

I squirmed, lifting my hips and raking my nails down the back of his
neck. “More,” I insisted, and he pressed his tongue into his cheek,
clearly enjoying having me at his mercy like this.
“You didn’t say please,” he said, dragging his cock down to my
opening and grinding the tip there without entering me.
I bit my tongue, my stubbornness rising. If he wanted me to beg, then
he was going to have to be firmer about it. “Make me.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed and he raised a hand, wrapping it around
my throat and squeezing just tight enough to set my pulse pounding.
“Say it,” he growled.

I was so turned on that I was already nodding, giving in to him, and

he released my throat to allow me the chance to speak. “Please.”
He thrust inside me in the next moment, the full length of him filling
me to the brim and making me scream. He groaned in ecstasy, and I
shivered in response, the feel of him skin-on-skin, the heat, the water
lapping around us, and the masculine sounds falling from his lips
driving me wild.
He fucked me deep and slow, our mouths coming together, and our
bodies intertwined as we forgot the horrors awaiting us beyond this
room and just sank into our love for one another. We kissed between
breaths, uniting in a way that transcended all the destruction we’d
faced between these walls. It was just us. Two souls who craved one
another with all the calamity of a thousand falling stars.

We fucked until we were made new again and I forgot where I ended
and he began. I fell apart for him once more, and his muscles tensed
around me as he came too, my body gripping his in every way possible
as we panted through the aftermath of our release in one another. His
eyes burned their way directly to my soul and I didn’t blink, not once,
drowning in the galaxy of his gaze and the silver rings that branded
him as mine.
I didn’t want his body to part from me, knowing the moment he
retreated, the shadows would return, like winter stealing away the
summer. And as Horace started shouting at us to hurry up, I knew our
sun was waning again and a frosted moon was rising once more.

After we were returned to our cage, I managed to sleep a little, leaning

against Orion’s shoulder. When I stirred, I found him with his nose
deep in the feather-covered book we’d found in the treasury.
“Did you find anything?” I asked through a yawn, snuggling in closer
to him, and his arm curled tighter around me.
He lowered the book to his knee, and I leaned in to see what was on
the page.

“It’s a history book about the war Queen Avalon waged against the
Nymphs,” he said, his eyes alight with new knowledge.
“What did you learn?”
“That it was a brutal war. There were nasty crimes on both sides,
prisoners mutilated and tortured beyond recognition. This part
describes how the Phoenixes would experiment on captured Nymphs
to find their weaknesses.” He frowned, pushing the book closer to me,
and I took in the detailed sketch of a half-dissected Nymph who had a
horrid look of pain on its face that said it was alive.
“That’s fucked up,” I whispered, turning the page, and finding a spell
detailed there entitled The Shadow Bind.

A spell to bind the shadows within the subject to prevent further

summoning.
My heart ticked faster as I imagined doing such a thing to Lavinia,
and I read over the spell, falling still in surprise. “Wait a second... I
know this cast; Queen Avalon taught it to me and Tory. It’s a way to
wield Phoenix fire to create an impenetrable barrier. This last bit is
different though. I don’t recognise it.”

“That’s dark magic,” Orion said, his brows lowering as he placed a

finger on the page, pointing to part of the instructions that said a
‘blood chant’ was needed. “That chant will only work using the blood
of someone who chose to die,” he said. I read over the chant listed
beneath it with a frown.
“Do you think Horace would be game?” I looked up at him with a
snigger, and he smirked.
“If I threaten to break every bone in his body before I kill him, I
suppose he might go willingly,” he mused.

I looked back down at the page, reading through the spell again.
“This spell could bind the shadows within Lavinia,” Orion said in
realisation. “She wouldn’t be able to summon any more to her again.
She would only be as powerful as the shadows locked within her.
Maybe it would stop her rejuvenating. Maybe she’d be killable.”
“But we don’t have any of the things we need for it,” I said, lifting my
fingers and trying to coax Phoenix fire into them, sadness washing
over me as nothing happened. “And I don’t want anyone to have to
die for this. We’ve lost too many people already.”

I snapped the book shut, but as I shifted back onto my knees and met
Orion’s gaze, I didn’t see the same decision in his eyes. I saw him
thinking on it, like he was trying to work out a way this could be used.
“No,” I said firmly. “No one else dies.”
“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’m only thinking of ways we might get one of
our enemies to die willingly. Just as soon as the curse frees you and
your powers and Order return,” he said, and I relaxed, though a
niggling feeling in my gut still made me uncomfortable about what this
spell required to be fulfilled.

A sudden tug in my chest and a summons in my mind made my heart

thump erratically. In the next second, my body had turned to smoke
and I was tearing through the palace at high speed, away from Orion
and towards the monster who owned me.
The Shadow Beast was scratching at the inside of my skin, pain
spearing through me as it fought to get out and its unimaginable
power seizing me. I fought to keep it at bay, fear flashing in my chest
like oil catching light in a too-hot pan, but the Shadow Beast was
already winning.

Fresh air surrounded me, and I materialised into the Shadow Beast as
I landed at Lavinia’s side on a dark hill out in the palace grounds, my
four huge paws hitting the dirt and my claws digging into the earth. A
roar spilled from my lips and Lavinia whooped, climbing up my
shoulder and settling herself on my back, her fingers wrapping tightly
in my fur and tugging. I felt a collar tighten around my throat which I
hadn’t been aware of before now and I was unable to do anything but
follow her whims as the shadows guided me forward, down the steep
bank towards a thick cluster of trees.

The scent of burning hung in the air and my skin prickled uneasily as
we walked into the woods where the glow of a fire burned up ahead. I
moved towards it as Lavinia kicked my sides to urge me on, scenting
blood and embers on the wind.
“The king needs our assistance. Some of the Tiberian Rats escaped
their cages,” she whispered, leaning forward to speak in my ear. “He is
burning all the ones he finds.”
I shuddered in dread and she laughed, willing me on into the darkness
between the trees. A spew of Dragon fire to my right made me flinch,
and a squeal sounded as a rat fled from Lionel in its shifted form, the
little furry white creature darting past us into the dark woodland with
its tail smoking.

Pain dashed my heart as Lavinia forced me to take chase after it and I

roared, trying to refuse her command but only finding the will of the
shadows deepening. I was starting to lose the grip on my mind, and I
held on as tight as I could, fearing what atrocities I’d commit if I let go
of my consciousness now.
I gritted my teeth, battling the power that was trying to consume me,
and managing to stay here.
“Yah!” Lavinia cried, striking me with a whip of shadow, and I
growled as my skin split.

The little white rat ran fast, darting beneath logs and weaving left and
right past the trees, using its small size to its advantage as I was forced
to take a longer path.
“Catch it, cook it, kill it!” Lavinia cried, and another blast of Dragon
fire behind us sent a wave of heat washing over me.
I prayed no rats had fallen in those flames, but Lionel’s booming roar
sounded a victory that made my heart wince.

The little white rat darted into my path again, squeaking in fear and
leaping into a hollowed-out log to hide. I skidded to a halt, regaining
some of my power over the Shadow Beast and starting to retreat,
hoping I could at least give the rat time to run while I held Lavinia
back.

Lavinia struck me again and I roared, whipping my head around and

aiming for her leg. My teeth sank in deep, and she screamed, her
shadow whip flying out and slicing across my cheek. I tried to drag her
from my back, not letting go now as I tasted her vile blood on my
tongue, but she struck me again and again before crying out a
command. “Release me!”
The power in those words had my teeth loosening just long enough for
her to get free and snap a muzzle of shadow around my jaws.

She dug her hands deeper into the fur at the back of my neck until she
found skin and scratched it open with her nails, shadows pouring from
her into me in a wave. The power was unimaginable, and suddenly
she had control of me again, forcing me towards the log. My claws
tore into it and the little rat squeaked in terror as I broke through the
bark and exposed it.
I saw death. Tasted it on my tongue and felt like I was back on that
battlefield again, tearing into my allies. Panic swept over me and a tiny
spark of fire in my chest made my thoughts sharpen.
No.

I reared up, throwing Lavinia from my back, sending her flying away
into the trees, and in the next heartbeat, I regained control on my
body and shifted back to my Fae form. The muzzle was still latched
tight around my mouth, and the shadows dancing across my skin
slithered over the bloody wounds across my thigh and cheek, but I
ignored the pain and dropped down to the log, grabbing the rat hiding
within it.

It squeaked furiously, biting down on my finger and I cursed. “It’s

okay. I’m Darcy Vega. I’ll protect you.”
I held the rat up so it could see my face better and its little eyes
widened in recognition. I started running, darting off into the trees
and letting the shadows spill from my body so they clouded us in
darkness.
A huge green Dragon swept overhead, and I tucked myself close to a
tree to keep out of Lionel’s sight.
“Get back here, beastie!” Lavinia crowed. “That fall broke my neck,
you little witch. Maybe I’ll break your dear lover’s neck tonight and
make you watch while the bones go pop, pop, crack.”
I snarled at those words, taking off again and running through the
trees, looking out for any more rats hiding in the undergrowth. There
was nothing but embers out here, trees turned to ash and the ground
hot beneath my feet. I kept moving, unsure where I was going, only
that I would find a way to get this Fae to safety.

A violent tug in my chest made me stop in my tracks and I gasped,

feeling the summons coming from Lavinia as it tore through me. I
clenched my teeth, desperate to fight it, the Shadow Beast in me
bellowing to answer its call.
“No,” I hissed in refusal, forcing one foot to move forward, then the
next.

My mind felt like it was being cleaved in two as I refused that all-
powerful magic which bound me to Lavinia, and I was breathless from
the small progress I’d made in moving away from her.
The rat squeaked, whiskers twitching and its little face nuzzling into
my hand in encouragement for me to run. I hissed a stream of curses,
continuing fight my way forward. The summoning spell snapped like a
knife being torn free of my chest and I gasped, stumbling and falling
into a flat-out run once more.
I made it to the edge of the woodland, spotting Lionel turning for the
palace in the night sky, landing on the roof of one of the towers and
roaring his victory to the sky.

“Dead, dead, dead, all the little rattys turned to dust,” Lavinia sang
somewhere that was far too close to me.
I sprinted on, breaking out of the trees, and pulling the shadows closer
to me as I ran for the palace, having nowhere else to go. I couldn’t get
the rat beyond the wards, and the only place I could think to hide it
was back in the throne room.
“Darcy Vega!” Lavinia hollered. “Come to me!”
The summons was easier to shake off this time, like the first tie I’d
broken had been the deepest, and I was able to keep running through
the pain of defying her.
I made it to a servants’ entrance, pushing my way inside and running
through the twisting hallways. I wasn’t far from the throne room now,
and I knew Lavinia was close on my heels, so I ran with every ounce
of energy in my veins, clutching onto the rat and hating that I hadn’t
been able to save anyone else.

I made it to the throne room, shouldering the door open and sprinting
bare foot towards the cage.
“Darcy,” Orion gasped, already on his feet and looking panicked.
“You’re hurt.”

I didn’t answer, running to the edge of the cage and shoving the rat
into Orion’s hands. I willed my body to turn to smoke, somehow
managing it and rematerializing within the bars. In the next breath, I
was at the wall, opening the secret passage and grabbing the rat before
tossing him inside, and it squeaked in surprise.
“You’ll be safe in there,” I promised it, sealing the passageway again
as quickly as I could.

The moment the door was closed, Orion had his hands on me, looking
at my wounds.
“It’s nothing,” I panted.
“You’re muzzled like a dog and bleeding,” he snapped, anguish flaring
in his eyes. “That’s not nothing, Blue!”
The doors flew open, shadows pouring out around Lavinia as she
stalked towards us, venomous anger bleeding from her.

“Out,” she barked, casting a whip of shadow that unlocked the door
and wrenched it wide. It coiled around my throat next, dragging me
out of the cage and sending me flying to the floor. More shadows
wrapped around me, binding and binding until I was immobilised at
her feet, but she didn’t look at me as she passed by. Her eyes were on
Orion.

“Get away from him!” I screamed, but I couldn’t get free of the power
she had me tethered in. My arms were lashed tight to my sides, and as
she took hold of Orion and drew him away towards that awful room
where I’d had to watch him suffer over and over, my screams grew to
pitchy, desperate pleas.

The walls shuddered as if the palace could feel my pain, and the bricks
themselves groaned as Lavinia dragged me after them into that
nightmarish place to watch my mate bleed once more.
My mind was hollow and dark, all good thoughts lost to a river of
blackness that washed them away to an even blacker sea. I was a man
adrift, searching for something I couldn’t find in this colourless land of
desolation.
If only I could find it, I knew I would see the sun again, it would break
through the impenetrable clouds above and I’d remember what I was
seeking at last.
I blinked, half here, half not here.

The shadows were calling, and they played with my soul, tossing it
between them and taking bites out of it. If only I could remember why
I should fight to reclaim it from these demons...
A hand was on my cheek and someone spoke a name, my name
perhaps, though it didn’t seem to fit me.
Orion was a hunter, but that couldn’t be me. I was a fallen creature,
destroyed by the dark. Hunters didn’t die in the dark, they thrived in
it. So, who were they talking to?

She moved into view, a beautiful girl with shadow-filled hair that
moved as if caught in a wind. Her skin was deepest bronze, like the
sun had left its warmth inside it, and my fingers twitched with the urge
to touch her and find out if she could steal away this cold in me. I was
made of ice, built of it vein by vein, a statue of frost coming to life, or
perhaps it was the other way around. A man turning to stone.

“Lance Orion,” the girl said in a tone full of fire. She was as warm as
I’d hoped, her fingers brushing my temple next and sparking a small
flame within the frozen wasteland of my chest.
“Come back to me,” she commanded, her eyes full of tears she didn’t
let fall, and I could have sworn silver glinted out at me from within
two pools of green. “You’re stronger than the darkness she put in you.
Come back and stay with me. This is where you’re meant to be.”
She leaned closer still, blinking so that those tears fell, and her eyes
weren’t green or silver or any colour at all. They were as black as the
vast emptiness in me.

My eyes slipped closed, and I was lost once more, falling, falling,
falling, on and on into an abyss that had no end. It was feasting on me,
tearing great chunks off with its teeth and I had no mind to stop it. For
what was there here except something I had forgotten to seek?
Lost... I was lost. And all the parts of me were scattering to a violent
breeze. My name had been the first to go, but there was something
more important than my name holding a few pieces of me together.
The girl.

Yes, that was it. The girl was important. She was the centre of the
universe, a goddess who ruled me, and I gladly submitted to that rule.
She was fury and light and a taste so sweet I would never forget it.
“Blue,” I whispered, or maybe I only said it in my mind. I
remembered now. It was her I sought, always her. We had promised
never to part, and I couldn’t break that promise. Even if I did turn to
stone, I would find a way to walk, to follow her wherever she may go.
“Yes,” she croaked, somewhere close and far away.

I felt her crawling into my lap, and my heavy eyelids found a way to
open once more. She curled against me, kissing me softly, her tears
making my heart heavy.
“Don’t cry,” I breathed, her pain the worst kind of curse to bear.
“Don’t shed tears for a man made of stone.”

“You’re not made of stone,” she said, kissing me again. “You have a
beating heart, and it loves me, remember?” She lifted my palm,
pressing it to my chest, and sure enough, I found a heart there, beating
slow but hard.
“Of course it loves you,” I said. “How could it not?”
“If you love me then you’ll snap out of this. You’ll fight the shadows
off,” she demanded.
I nodded, because there was no option but to fight. I would always do
so for her. But then my chin hit my chest and my eyes fell closed, the
darkness rolling in once more.

It was deeper now, thicker, tainted by the memories of what had

placed these shadows here. Weapons designed to drive them deep
under my flesh, blades that cut through sinew and muscle, all those
sharp edges wet with my blood.
Failure closed in on me, though I couldn’t remember the rhyme or
reason for it. I’d made a promise once, and this was where it had come
to die, cast to ruin in this prison of my own destruction.

I knew I was letting her down, but then again, I couldn’t quite
remember who ‘she’ was. The cracks were forming, splintering
through me like a lightning bolt had struck me in the centre. I’d
fracture first, then I’d fall, all the pieces lost and impossible to put back
together. If only I could find her one more time before I was lost
forever...
A hand, warm and familiar, latched tightly around mine. It was
pulling on something deep within me, yanking on those shadows
which danced around inside me like gremlins. Magic was passing
between this person and I, dragging out that darkness, siphoning it
from me as a low chant brushed my ears.

It took and took, all the shards of my shattered self somehow finding
their way back together, and my first coherent thought was of her.
The girl I was here for. But beyond her and all the love I held in my
being for that creature of fire and light, there was a cold, bitter reality
awaiting me. A world where a curse gripped my mate, where I had
made a vow with a monster, and where my best friend lay dead. It was
an unbearable world in so many ways, but so long as she remained in
it, it was where I would stay too.

I found her in my arms, her face buried against my neck and her sweet
strawberry scent making it easier for my lungs to work.
I pulled my hand from the grip of the woman who had brought me
back to her, ignoring Stella and hugging Darcy tight.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I won’t leave again.”

“You said that last time,” she croaked.
“I’ll do better.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I wish I could protect you.”
Darcy clung to me like she was afraid I’d vanish again, and guilt split
my heart open.
I looked to Stella, finding her hurriedly wiping tears from under her
eyes as she sat just beyond the cage.
“Why?” I murmured, not understanding why she kept trying to offer
me anything. Out of guilt perhaps. But not love. She wasn’t capable of
an emotion that pure.

“Because you are my son,” she said thickly, then she rose to her feet
and walked away, leaving us here alone, tangled in each other’s arms.
Darcy peeked up at me through reddened eyes and I kissed her
forehead, my love for her blazing through me. How had the shadows
almost stolen her from me?

What would have become of me if Stella hadn’t brought me back from

the dark once again? Would I really forget my mate? Would I be lost
within this body, my soul taken by the shadows and turned to dust?
If the shadows consumed the parts of me that made me who I was,
then I would never return to her in this life or the next. I’d have no
soul that could pass beyond the Veil. I’d be nothing, no one. Lost.
I held Darcy tighter, the terror of that reality more horrifying than any
death that could be bestowed on me. Was this going to ultimately be
the price for breaking Darcy’s curse?
Lavinia was still working within the boundaries of our deal, so it
wasn’t like she would die so long as I remained breathing when the
three moon cycles were up. But my soul...I’d never bargained for my
soul.

I didn’t voice any of this to Darcy, knowing it would only scare her,
but it did put me in a predicament. I needed Stella to keep coming to
me after Lavinia’s torture, because if she didn’t, I was fucked. I’d
barely come back this time even with her help, and if another few
hours had passed, perhaps I would have succumbed to the dark, my
soul ravaged beyond repair.

I breathed in the scent of my girl, holding her and praying to the stars
that they’d let us get through this intact.
A scratching noise came beyond the wall at my back and Darcy
shifted out of my lap while I scooted aside to let her open the secret
door. The wall parted at her touch and the white rat she’d rescued
peered out at us as it sat up on its hind legs. It had two tiny magic
blocking cuffs on its wrists, the things enchanted to shift to whatever
size a Fae took in their Order form.

“Hello,” Darcy whispered. “Are you alright?”

The rat nodded, then scurried back a little and shifted into his Fae
form. A slim, incredibly pale man sat before us with a shock of white
hair spilling into his bright eyes, and I recognised him as one of
Gabriel’s friends from Aurora Academy. The last time we’d seen him,
he’d been working underground at the Library of the Lost.
“Eugene,” Darcy gasped.
“H-hi,” he stammered, pulling his knees to his chest in some attempt
to cover his nudity. “Thank you for what you did.”
He gazed at Darcy with a gleam in his eyes.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t help any of the
others. Were they your friends?”
“I didn’t know them,” he said sadly, hanging his head. “I was caught
last week meeting with some Sphinxes in Tucana to collect some rare
books from them for the library. An FIB unit rounded us all up and
brought us here. I was forced to shift into my Rat form and put in a
tiny cage alongside all the other Rats down in Vard’s awful, awful
laboratory. They kept us injected with some serum that made us
unable to shift back to our Fae form.”
“How did you get out?” I asked.

“There was a big kafuffle down there earlier tonight; a Pegasus got
free, and when he shifted, he kicked our cages and a bunch of them
broke open. We got out through the pipes, but then, then...” He
swallowed thickly. “Lionel came after us.”

“Did you manage to see what Vard is doing down there?” I asked.
“He...” Eugene blanched, somehow turning even paler as he glanced
around the empty throne room beyond us then lowered his voice as he
went on. “We weren’t kept close enough to see much. But I heard the
screams, so many screams. He’s experimenting on the Fae who are
being kept down there.”
“Experimenting how?” I asked, my gut twisting at the thought of our
people enduring Vard’s fucked up experiments somewhere close by.
“I may not have been able to see much, but I paid attention to them
talking, listening to every word, every scream.” Eugene swallowed
thickly but went on. “He has been doing multiple experiments on
Order shifting – both extracting the essence of a Fae’s inherent Order
form and then transplanting that intrinsic part of their being into
another.”

“You mean he’s trying to change people’s Orders?” Darcy asked, her
face crumpled with horror at the idea. “But how can he do that? How
could he possibly take something so vital from someone and shift it
from body to body like it’s nothing more than an interchangeable
kidney?”
“There is a magical well deep within the chest of all Fae which resides
right beside our hearts,” I murmured, old biology lessons playing
through my mind as I thought back on them. “You can feel it
sometimes; when your Order form is dormant within you, and when
you sense it awakening and yearning to get free.”

“You mean the urge to shift?” she breathed, and I nodded.

“That chamber exists inside each of us, but it isn’t some organ that
can simply be transplanted, its woven into the very fabric of our
beings. It’s a vital part of us, linked to our souls themselves, and when
we die, it fades away as our Order form goes with us, following us
beyond the Veil.”

“Which is why Vard cuts it out of Fae while they are still living,”
Eugene said darkly. “While their Order form is held within that
chamber with the use of Order suppressant and their Fae bodies are
bound to the table he dissects them on. So far as I have heard, no one
has survived more than a few minutes with their Order form removed,
nor after having a foreign Order form inserted into them. But he is
voracious in his determination to make it work. He won’t stop. And
the false king has visited to inspect his progress enough times to let me
know that he’s keen for the experiments to succeed too.”

I shuddered at the thought of that. “No doubt he plans to force all Fae
to become the Orders he’s deemed most worthy in his plans to
eradicate those he’s named lesser,” I growled, and Darcy gripped my
hand tightly in defiance of that.
“He also seems keen to see if Fae can survive without any Order form
at all, and I fear...” Eugene shook his head, his arms curling tighter
around his knees like he was trying to hide himself from the truth.
“What is it?” Darcy urged kindly, prompting him to go on.

“I fear that he plans to do that to the lessers. If he can find a way for us
to survive the procedure, then he can simply cut our Order forms out
of our bodies, remove them entirely and end the problem he has
perceived with those of us he doesn’t favour.”
“That’s...surely he can’t be planning something so awful?” Darcy
gasped, though the dark look I exchanged with her let me know that
she knew that Lionel would do just that if he could, tyrannical son of a
bitch that he was.

“You said Vard was doing multiple experiments?” I asked, my gaze

fixed on Eugene’s pale face and he nodded slowly.

“It was hard to glean precisely what the other work he was doing
entailed, but...there were such screams coming from those subjects.
Screams that went far beyond terror and agony and became
something else.”
“Was he torturing them?” Darcy asked but Eugene shook his head.
“I heard him saying that he was making them into something more
than they were. There was talk of genetic engineering and using the
DNA from creatures of the wilds to help create new soldiers for his
army. Whatever he was doing to those Fae, I don’t think they are
themselves anymore. I think he was taking the essence of who they’d
once been and stretching them into some new and awful mould. They
were begging for death before their cries turned to roars...I think he
was having more success with whatever he was doing to them too.”

“By the stars,” I breathed, scoring a hand over my face as I took in the
atrocities that Lionel was participating in already. What fresh hell
might he accomplish if he won this war and managed to maintain his
rule over Solaria indefinitely? The thought alone was enough to make
bile rise in my throat.
“We’ll get you out of here,” Darcy promised. “Maybe you could
escape through the pipes again when it’s safe to try.”
Eugene shook his head. “Lavinia was taunting us all in the woods
before you got there. She said the pipes are full of shadow now, that
there’s no way back in and no way out.”
“We’ll find a way. And we’ll keep you hidden until then,” Darcy
swore.

“Thank you,” Eugene squeaked. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I
made a little nest out of your things.” He pointed to the book, the
Guild Stone, and a few strips of an old ‘Long Live Lionel Acrux’ t-
shirt I’d had half whipped off of me by Lavinia which must have
ended up in there somehow. “I’ll keep your treasures nice and safe.
You can count on me.”
He shifted back into a rat and jumped on top of the items, sitting there
vigilantly, and I glanced at Darcy as she slid the door shut.
“How did you get him away from Lionel and Lavinia?” I asked.
“I fought off Lavinia’s summons,” she revealed, and my heart ticked
faster.

“You did?” I asked hopefully, taking her hand, and pulling her closer.
She smiled as she nodded. “And I think I can do it again.”
“You will do it again. And again, and again, and a-fucking-gain.” I
kissed
her hard and she laughed, the sound so damn rare these days that it
almost hurt to hear it. “Now we just need your Phoenix to wake the
fuck up.” I pressed my face against her chest. “Get out here, you little
shit.”
“Why don’t you try one of your motivational quotes of the day on it?”
Darcy teased.

“You’re a useless bird that couldn’t light a match, let alone start a
forest fire,” I growled, jabbing her in the side, and she laughed again.
“Your Phoenix is almost as stubborn a student as you were.”
“Hey, I was a delight to teach,” she said with a grin.
“You were a delight to punish,” I corrected darkly, and she bit down
on her full bottom lip.

“A delight’s still a delight,” she said airily, and I laughed, dragging her
down into my lap and nipping at her throat.
“Bite me like you mean it,” she encouraged breathily.
“Only because I want to taste that fire in you,” I said against her skin
before releasing my fangs and sinking them into her. And there it was,
her power deep and hidden away but still burning.
My queen’s fight wasn’t over yet.
Knowing that Darcy was being held in The Palace of Souls was a
special kind of torture designed entirely to destroy me through fear
alone. I’d lived that horror, had endured Lionel’s cruelty and
depravity first hand for months. He’d stripped away the things that
made me myself, coated me in an armour forged of lies, terror, and
false devotion.
I’d survived it. But barely. And now I had to force myself to remain
here, doing absolutely nothing for days on end while we waited for the
day of the fucking Hydrids meteor shower.

It was killing me. Causing actual agony within my soul, knowing that
three of the people I cared most about in this miserable world were
stuck with those monsters. And to make it worse, I had to force myself
not to plan any kind of rescue attempt or attack on them in any kind
of detail for fear of that decision being seen.
I tossed the blankets off of myself and got out of bed. Dawn was
glimmering on the distant horizon, but the world was mostly dark and
restful.

I needed to do something. And seeing as that something couldn’t be

the thing that had kept me tossing and turning all night, I was going to
pour my restless energy into another task that could help us.
I strode into the closet and reached for a pair of leggings, hesitating as
I noticed the latest ridiculously over-the-top gown Geraldine had
acquired for me. From what she’d told me, there were some seriously
gifted earth Elementals who had been dedicating their spare time to
creating gowns for the true queens, and as I stared at the black dress
which seemed to be sewn from an image of the night sky itself, I
couldn’t help but reach out to run my fingers over the fabric.
I didn’t give much of a shit about pomp and festivity, of looking the
part of a queen and playing at the politics involved in winning public
affection, but I did understand the need for it. I could understand the
power of symbolism clearly enough, and where I was going, that was
likely to be exactly what I needed.

As I moved my hand over the fabric, I watched the way the tiny silver
gems sewn into it caught the faint light as if they really were stars
glimmering through a midnight of solace.
It was bullshit, but it was powerful bullshit.
With a sigh, I stripped out of the oversized shirt I’d been sleeping in
and changed into the gown. The black fabric was as soft as silk,
clinging to my torso while leaving my back bare for my wings. There
were slits up either side of the floor length skirt, making it easy to move
in, as well as comfortable. I ran my hands over the sides of it, my lips
lifting as I found several hidden pockets before realising the way that it
had been cinched in at my waist left a perfect space for me to hang my
sword scabbard without it bunching the material and ruining the look
of the gown. This wasn’t just some fluff piece for public appearances; it
was a dress made specifically for a warrior queen, and if I really was
going to consider donning a crown at the end of all of this, then I was
damn certain that was the only kind of queen I would consider
becoming.

I strapped my scabbard into place, taking a pouch of stardust from the

stash I kept close at all times, dropping it into one of the concealed
pockets, followed by a wicked little dagger that I’d grown fond of, then
I pulled on a pair of boots.

I stopped before the mirror and used a mixture of water and air magic
to wash and style my hair so that it fell in an inky waterfall of loose
curls, then forced myself to paint my face. This meeting mattered,
which meant my recent lack of personal care had to be shoved aside. I
wasn’t dressing myself for vanity or any kind of self-healing – this was
war. And it was time I stepped up and started playing my part in it.
With my eyes lined in kohl and my lips deepest red, I almost looked
like my old self again, just a girl in a pretty dress...with a sword and a
scowl sharp enough to cut flesh and bone.
“You lied to me,” I said to my own reflection, though the words were
intended for him. “You promised you’d stay.” Nothing.
Endless, hopeless, nothing. Even the ruby pendant which hung from
my throat remained cool against my skin, like he was further away
than ever today. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad one,
but it didn’t help with the desperate loneliness which was working to
swallow me whole.

I blinked at my reflection just to prove to myself that I was still alive,

despite the unnatural stillness that had fallen over me.
I was going to break soon. My walls were growing weaker and weaker,
so tenuous that I knew I couldn’t maintain them much longer. But not
today. Not now.
I turned for the door but paused as I spotted a glimmering tiara
peeking out from amongst the heap of Darius’s treasure beside it. I
plucked it from the pile and turned it over in my hands.
“You also swore you’d never see me as your queen,” I murmured to
the man who wasn’t here. “So I’m willing to bet that this will make
you all kinds of pissed.”

I placed the glittering silver and blue tiara on my head and smirked in
that obnoxious way which had never once failed to get a rise out of
him as I felt a prickle of something stirring in the air, the ghost of a
memory trailing down my spine like fingertips.
It wasn’t real. But oh, how I wished it was.
I closed my eyes as I tried to summon him closer, tried to believe he
was really there with me for just a few seconds. But even as I
attempted it, the imagined sensation faded away, the wind as still as it
had been the entire time, and my heart just as irrevocably fractured as
it had been since I’d found his body on that hilltop.

I snatched the Book of Ether into my grasp and strode from the room
without another moment spent lingering in the company of no one,
taking the steps two at a time and barely even acknowledging the
guards who had been posted at the foot of the stairs leading to my
chambers.
They scrambled to bow at my unexpected appearance, but I simply
told them not to tell anyone that they’d seen me until they came
looking. I may have disliked the way people bowed and scraped for me
now, but I had learned one vitally useful piece of information about
the Fae who did; they would not disobey an order from one of their
queens. Which meant that I was safe from discovery unless Geraldine
decided on a four AM check in.

Thinking about that made me realise it wasn’t at all unlikely, and I

hurried my pace as I jogged down the next set of stairs and out of the
doors, crossing the drawbridge and repeating my orders to anyone
who noticed me.
The moment I was clear of the palace, I shifted, keeping my flames
extinguished and simply drawing my bronze wings from my spine so
that I could cover the distance I needed to more swiftly.

I beat my wings hard, speeding across the island terrain and spotting
the jail within a few minutes before hurtling from the sky and landing
heavily right in front of the guards on duty there.
All five of them had weapons drawn and magic igniting in their hands
in a heartbeat, a fireball crashing into my air shield as I managed to
throw it up with less than a second to spare.
“Probably should have announced myself,” I said in apology as they
recognised me and the man who had thrown the fire dropped to the
floor with a wail of horror.

“Forgive me, my Queen!” he begged. “Sever my useless head from my

neck. Remove my entrails and use them to spell out a curse upon my
entire family. Take my eyes and feed them to any rodent you so
desire. Chop up my-”
“Ew. Dude, stop,” I said, wrinkling my nose at those suggestions.
“You did good. You were protecting the realm and all that jazz. I just
need to have a word with the prisoner, though, so no harm done. But
can I grab the keys to his cell?”

The man gaped at me, then began sobbing about my magnanimous

nature and the kindness my forgiveness had bestowed upon his family.
I tried to block him out as I held out a hand for the keys, but it was
made harder as he crawled across the ground on his belly like a worm
and started trying to kiss my boots.

“Stars take me now,” I groaned as my discomfort grew and one of the

other guards finally managed to snap themselves out of their shocked
state and hand me the keys.
I nodded in thanks and hurried away from the weeping guard,
pretending not to notice as he started licking the grass where I’d been
standing while claiming it was blessed by the press of my boots.
“No wonder you were such an arrogant ass, if Fae treated you like that
your whole life,” I muttered to Darius, but once again, there was no
kind of response.

I moved through the squat jail building which housed the huge night
iron cage where Miguel was still being held, finding him sitting up in
his bed, his posture stiff as he no doubt tried to figure out what all the
crying was about.
“Have you thought about what I said to you?” I asked him, cutting
past any niceties and bullshit. “Would your people consider an
alliance?”

“Perhaps,” Miguel said slowly, rising to his feet as he took me in in all

my royal grandness. His eyes widened a little as if he was just now
seeing me for what I could be, and I raised my chin.
“But it’s all about trust, right? Our kind and yours have been at war
for so long that it’s hard for you to imagine the Fae not turning on
you. While in turn, it will no doubt be hard for the Fae to trust that
none of you will shift and try to stab us through the heart with your
probey fingers.”
Miguel snorted humourlessly, nodding. “It is hard to imagine any
future where both kinds could fully cast aside those fears and
prejudices.”

“Yet you told me there are some Fae living among you who had
accepted exactly that,” I pressed.
“There are a few.” He nodded thoughtfully. “But their entrance into
our communities were mostly through a mixture of desperate
circumstances. They are the kinds of Fae who found themselves
needing escape from their previous lives enough to risk a little trust.
Besides, convincing one or two through acts of continual humanity
and kindness is different to convincing an entire Fae race through
words alone.”

“If you fought with us in the war, I’d say that would be action enough
to prove your intentions to a lot of them,” I countered.
“Perhaps. But others would still just think we were only doing so to
meet our own ends, expecting us to turn on you once it was done.”
I nodded, understanding that fear.
“Do you wish to remain hidden forever then? Ignoring the pain of the
world beyond your little secret sanctuary?” I asked, and Miguel
bristled.
“I was dragged from that sanctuary years ago by people who claimed
to be my own kind. They trapped my soul and used my power to their
own ends, then killed my child, my sweet Diego, without ever once
allowing me to love him as I should have. It is hard to ignore such
strikes against me.”

“Personally, yes. But I’m not looking for one Nymph to come fight on
our side. I’ll level with you: we need more allies. We need more Fae to
rebel against Lionel and Lavinia’s tyranny, but we need more than
that. I won’t fight in another losing battle again. I won’t watch the Fae
who have placed their hope and trust in me and my sister be
slaughtered because we hoped for the best. We need as much strength
as we can acquire. We need allies. Or at the very least, I need help
with this.” I held out the Book of Ether for him to look at, and
Miguel’s eyes darkened as he took in the carvings on the cover.

“You still wish to find someone who can govern you in the old ways?”
he asked, stepping closer. “You do understand the dangers of such
power, don’t you?”
“I wish for all kinds of dangerous things, all kinds of regularly,” I
replied with a shrug, withdrawing the book and holding up the key to
his cell instead. “I’m thinking we could take part in a trust exercise,” I
said, shaking the key in temptation and watching as his eyes tracked
the movement.
“What kind of exercise?” Miguel asked cautiously.

“I’ll let you out of your cage, and you’ll take me to this secret village or
whatever the fuck it is. You can toss the stardust and I’ll even close my
eyes, if that helps – point being that I’ll have no fucking idea where
you’ve taken me, so I won’t be able to give up your secret.”
“Once you have travelled there by stardust and seen it for yourself,
you would be able to do so again. It wouldn’t matter whether you
knew where it was on a map or not.”
I sighed, trying to figure out how I could alleviate his concerns on that
before offering him my hand.
“I’ll swear on the stars not to do that,” I said, though if he knew of my
contempt for the glittery assholes in the sky above, he might have
realised how thinly I would hold to any word made in their honour.
But that didn’t matter because I had no plans to break this promise. I
wasn’t going to lead a genocide into the heart of a peaceful settlement.
No part of me would ever be capable of that.

Miguel reached for my hand, and I gave him the vow he wanted, a
clap of magic passing between us as the deal was struck.
“So, if I am trusting you with the fate of my people, what exactly are
you trusting me with?” he asked curiously as I released him.

“Simple. You get me, all alone in a village full of Nymphs. I’d say
that’s pretty damn trusting considering the power you’re capable of
wielding over my magic. I might be one powerful bitch, but I doubt I
could fight my way free of an entire village if you all turned your
rattles on me at once. So you’ll have a Solarian princess at your mercy
for the entirety of our little excursion without a single other soul
around to protect me. I’d say that if I return from a place like that
without having had anyone attempt to stab their little probes through
my heart, then we will be making some big steps towards trust
between our peoples.”

“Our probes aren’t little,” Miguel muttered like a dude who had just
had his manhood insulted, and a I grinned at him in challenge.
“Maybe you can prove that on the battlefield beside me one day.”
Miguel grinned at that visual too, and I already knew his answer
before he nodded. “Okay then, Roxanya Vega, I think we have a
deal.”
Those words were all I needed to move into action, and I quickly
unlocked his cage, letting the door swing wide as I gestured for him to
leave the confines of it, a free man, no longer a prisoner of war or
anything of the like. The ex-Councillors were going to throw a fit
when they realised that. Oh well.

The two of us headed outside, finding the guards still there, all of them
gaping in alarm at the sight of the Nymph walking mere inches from
their princess.
“Miguel is no longer being held captive,” I told them firmly. “So there
is no need for you to guard an empty cell. Go...eat some bagels or
whatever. And when Geraldine starts freaking out over my little
adventure, tell her I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

I took the pouch of stardust from my pocket and tossed it to Miguel

without waiting for them to reply, turning my own magic on the wards
which protected the island from the use of stardust, before cracking
them open just enough to let us through. Miguel didn’t hesitate as he
drew a pinch of the glimmering substance out and tossed it over our
heads, then we were whipped away from the shocked guards so fast
that I didn’t even see them disappear.

The stars spat us out in the heart of a forest, the trees dense and the
canopy thick above, blotting out all signs of the sky.
I raised a hand to cast a Faelight, but Miguel caught my wrist with a
shake of his head.
“If they realise a Fae is close, then they will hide so absolutely that we
may never find them at all,” he warned. “You’ll need to follow me
until we reach the High Nymph’s seat.”
“Is that like a Nymph queen?” I asked as I gave in and released the
magic I’d been drawing on without casting a single thing.
“Our leaders are more like shamans than monarchs,” he replied. “The
wisest of our kind, rose to their positions by proving themselves
worthiest of the role. I was once counted among them too. But that
was a long, long time ago.”

“Before you were forced to leave?” I questioned, and he nodded

solemnly. “Have you been back here since then?”
“No.”
Miguel raised his hands and began moving them in an unfamiliar
pattern, his fingers shifting as he did so, becoming the probes of his
kind. I forced myself to remain where I was, not retreating from the
things which could oh- so-easily pierce my heart and rip my magic
and life right out of me. Instead, I watched as he began to pluck at the
air as if playing it like a musical instrument, a hum building around us
as a soft mist began to grow from nothing at all, the colour of it paling
as he played on until it was finally bright enough to give off a silver
glow.
“This is how my kind lights the way,” he said, a soft reverence to his
voice which made me think that the shadows he’d just called on were
entirely different to those Lavinia had claimed for her own.
Miguel’s hands shifted back into normal fingers, and I gave myself a
mental high five for neither flinching nor recoiling throughout that
entire process.

The pale mist hung in the air above us, illuminating an almost
invisible track through the trees, and I fell into step with Miguel as he
began to follow it.
“Do you have family here?” I asked softly, and Miguel sighed,
nodding slowly.
“I had a wife and three daughters,” he admitted. “My children were
so small when I was taken from here, I don’t suppose I will even
recognise them now.” His voice was a hopeless, broken thing, and I
realised that he had lost as much to this war as any of us. “I never
loved anyone aside from my Octania,” he added. “But I don’t expect
her to have waited for me. They will have known, even if they
understood that I was unwilling, they would have known where I was
and what I had become. She will have found out that I was married to
another, that I fathered a child who wasn’t hers...”

“Fuck,” I said, because really, what else was there to say to that? He’d
had his entire life stolen from him, had been forced to marry someone
he hadn’t wanted, had been enslaved to the point of fathering a child
with her. I knew the shadows had taken him captive, but I was only
just realising how deeply they must have delved into him to have
stripped away an entire life and left him pliant to the whims of those
monsters who had chained him.

“The willow,” he said suddenly, and I had no idea why he was

pointing out a random tree until I turned my gaze in the direction
he’d indicated and saw it for myself.

The tree was enormous, its fronds a delicate, impossibly thick shield
which hid its trunk from view altogether. Glowing blue and green
Faeflies drifted lazily around it, and the scent of pine and snow
brushed against my senses as I felt myself fall prey to its spell of beauty.
We moved towards it on silent feet, the trees shifting in a breeze I
couldn’t feel as if they were turning to watch our progress, and the
hairs along the back of my neck stood on end.
The rustling grew and the fronds of the willow suddenly parted, a pale
grey light blinding me as it was revealed within.

I lifted a hand to shield my eyes, squinting between my fingers as I

continued to move across the fallen leaves, the soft crunch of my
footfalls the only confirmation that I was still moving at all as I lost all
sense of myself, only able to focus on that light.
“You must give in to the call of it,” Miguel said from somewhere both
far away and close at once.
“The call of what?” I breathed, but he didn’t need to answer, the tug
on my soul making it clear what he meant.

It was a similar sensation to when I had soul-walked to locate Darcy,

this otherness to it, like all of me and none of me was in motion. But
this time, I didn’t leave the confines of my flesh, there was no rush of
adrenaline followed by an escape of the purest kind, my connection to
my body remained, my legs moving to the call of power, and as much
as it should have terrified me, I simply gave in.
The grey light brightened and brightened as we moved into it until we
were consumed entirely, devoured by it and taken somewhere at once
away from where we’d been and yet somehow it appeared as though it
had been in plain sight at the same time, hidden from us until now.
I blinked through the fingers of my still outstretched hand as I settled
back into my body again, a hush falling all around us, though I could
feel many eyes turned our way.

I dropped my hand and swallowed a lump in my throat as I looked at

the crowd that had gathered, at least fifty Nymphs both in humanoid
and shifted form, their attention fully on us, some with weapons in
hand while others pointed their gnarly probes at our hearts. They
wore simple clothing, their cloaks and shawls all in neutral colours and
designed to keep the cold out.
“I guess they weren’t expecting us then,” I hissed to Miguel who took
a step forward to place himself between me and the Nymphs who
were starting to focus their attention my way, a few soft rattles
breaking the silence as they tasted the strength of my power.
Oh yeah, this was a great idea, I just got myself all dressed up like a
tasty Nymph party snack, then snuck off in the middle of the night
without telling anyone where I was going on the word of a man whose
mother-in-law knitted herself into a fucking hat. What the hell had I
been thinking? I was like... seventy-six percent dead. Fact.
“Miguel?” a woman at the rear of the crowd asked in astonishment.
Suddenly, the weight of all those stares were turning from me to him,
murmurs breaking out as they recognised him and got over the shock
of our appearance.

“I have so much to tell all of you about the last twenty years,” Miguel
said, opening his hands before him in a gesture of peace. “So many,
many things that la Princesa de las Sombras has been doing in her bid
for dominion over the shadows. Of the things I was forced to do as her
prisoner.” His voice broke with what was undoubtedly shame.

I stepped to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder in solidarity.

“Don’t blame him for the hell he endured while he was gone from this
place,” I said firmly, knowing all too well what it felt like to be forced
under the control of someone you hated. And I’d endured a far
shorter span of it than he had. “He’s free again now. And he has used
that freedom to try and fight back, as well as to find me and bring me
here. Do you know who I am?”
“You’re a Savage Princess,” an elderly woman muttered, spitting in
the dirt by her feet, and I fought the urge to scowl at her. “Your father
hunted our kind without mercy during his reign. And his father before
that.”

“And many of your kind have hunted Fae, butchering them for their
power without discriminating between man, woman, or child,” I
replied evenly. “Yet Miguel swore to me that you here are not like
those monsters. And I was hoping you might do me the courtesy of not
judging me by my father’s reputation any more than I have judged
your entire race by the actions of those corrupted by the shadows.”

More murmuring broke out in the crowd, and I waited, eyeing them
cautiously without calling on my own magic. I didn’t need to be a
Siren to tell they were filled with fear by my arrival in their sanctuary.
“Look, I didn’t come here to cause trouble. Miguel told me that we
have an enemy in common, and after some convincing, I found that I
believe him. And I think you all know what they say about the enemy
of my enemy?” The corner of my lips twitched at the thought of
heading into battle with a Nymph army of our own, seeing the looking
on Lionel and Lavinia’s faces when they found out that they weren’t
the only ones with tricks up their sleeves.

“Why should we trust a single thing that comes out of the mouth of a
Fae?” a large man growled, his lips peeling back in distaste.
“I’m showing you a level of trust by coming here, aren’t I? Alone,
vulnerable. Some might think that would earn me a little respect, if
nothing else.”
“Respect?” the man scoffed, and I gave him a shrug.
“Well, if not that, then at least it has offered me this audience with all
of you.”

“An audience with a girl playing queen, how very thrilling,” a woman
drawled, and I barked a laugh as she continued. “Lionel Acrux has
made an alliance with some of our kind and offered them more than
the Savage King ever did. And there are more than a few of us here
who want to see how that plays out.”

“I am playing,” I agreed with her. “I’m playing a game of cat and

mouse with the biggest, scaliest cat you’ve ever seen. He’s one mean
son of a bitch who likes to hunt those smaller than him for fun and
watch them scream before he devours them whole. For now, the false
king has allied himself with some of your kind, but he is already in the
process of eradicating certain Orders of Fae who he deems as lesser-” I
sneered at that word in contempt, “- so do you really believe he will
keep an entirely different species at his side for long? Lionel hates
anything and anyone who does not conform to his idea of powerful
perfection. He covets Fae that fit that ideal and is planning to create
an entire kingdom who follows in that line of thought too. He’s using
Lavinia and her hold on both the shadows and your people to help
him get what he wants.”

“The only reason those Nymphs even follow Lavinia is because they
allowed themselves to become corrupted by her darkness in the
shadows, and you well know it, Paula,” Miguel chastised. “And those
are the ones who follow willingly. You know me. All of you know how
much I love our people here, how devoted I am to all of you and to
our community. And yet, for the past twenty years I have been missing
from your lives. Please don’t tell me that you truly believed I turned
my back on the people I loved and had dedicated my life to for the
sake of Drusilla.” He spat her name, and a few more murmurs broke
out, faces creasing with doubt. “I was captured by her and her foul
brother all those years ago. I was taken far from here and spent
months locked up and at their mercy while they pierced my skin and
forced la Princesa de las Sombras’ power inside of me. I fought it. I
fought for all of you here, and for my family most of all, but her power
was unimaginable, and the agony I endured...”

He trailed off, and I reached out to clasp his arm, knowing all too well
what that kind of suffering was like.
“I am ashamed,” Miguel said in a small voice. “Ashamed that I was
broken in the end. They flooded me with the darkness of her shadows
and left me drunk on them, lost within the confines of my own mind,
my body little more than a pawn to their desires. I was forced to
denounce my marriage and unite my blood to Drusilla’s in her place,
all because I am a powerful Nymph and she wanted to use that power
to her advantage.” His voice cracked, but he went on, the rapt silence
of the listening Nymphs making me wonder if we might really be
getting through to them at last. “I was used to father a child. A boy
who I couldn’t even show a hint of love to, thanks to the control they
had over me. A boy who sacrificed himself to save the sister of the
woman who now stands before you. A boy who, despite being raised
under their monstrous desires and being tempted by Lavinia’s
shadows for his entire life, managed to break free and see the world for
what it was. He chose his own path and pledged his loyalty to the
Vegas because he could see that they would fight for a better world.”
“Diego will be remembered when this war is over,” I promised him.

“For so many things, but maybe most importantly of all for showing
us that the Nymphs don’t have to be our enemies. That you shouldn’t
all just be painted with the same brush because of the brutality some of
your kind have enacted against ours. I know the power you all hold is
terrifying to Fae, for valid reasons. But I’m a Phoenix who can level a
village with a blast of fire which burns hot enough to melt stone. My
husband was a Dragon large enough to swallow men whole, Vampires
hunt other Fae as part of everyday society,
and the list goes on and on. The point is that all of us are monsters in
our own rights, and I don’t think any of us would choose to be
anything else. And so long as we control the power we were born with,
then why should we? If we can live in peace and harmony, then isn’t
that for the best?”
Silence hung heavily as they considered our words, one man calling
out to Miguel in question.

“If you were lost to the power of Lavinia’s shadows, then why didn’t
you give our location up?” he demanded of Miguel.
“That was the single secret I managed to keep all these years,” he
admitted, his throat bobbing with the truth of those words. “I was
forced to endure many brands of torture for that answer, the shadows
driving deep into my mind in search of it, but I would never relinquish
it. I would have died first. And when they realised that, they decided
to keep me as their pet, use my power and continue the hunt for your
location without my assistance. Though they mostly abandoned it
once the Shadow Princess broke free of her prison and returned to this
realm, in favour of serving her.”

“Lionel and Lavinia won’t stop,” I said in a low tone, looking at the
people gathered before me and meeting their eyes one at a time.
“They won’t ever be satisfied. They will just take and take and take,
their hunger for power a scourge which will only end with their
deaths. Which is why my sister and I intend to fight them. It is why we
are raising an army and circling them like sharks in the water. Every
day, more rebels emerge from the dark and announce their allegiance
to us, but we need more. We need you. So I’m asking you to come to
our aid when we call for you. To join us on the battlefield and see an
end to their hateful rule. In return, I swear to stop the hunting of your
kind. You’ll be held to no differing law than any Fae. You’ll be free to
set up homes in any part of the kingdom you desire, and your rights
will be protected by the crown.”

“And what if you don’t end up taking the throne?” a woman

demanded.
I gave her a rueful grin and shrugged. “Then I swear that the Heirs
will hold to this deal too. I can get that in writing for you, if you doubt
my word on their behalf.”
The Nymphs all broke out into discussion then, some of them seeming
convinced while others voiced their doubts loudly and firmly.
“Come, they need time to think on this. You can rest and eat this
way,” a woman said, stepping from the crowd and reaching a hand
towards us in offering.

“We can’t linger here too long,” I told her, taking a step closer all the
same and falling into step between her and Miguel, who gave me a
reassuring look despite the arguments that had erupted following my
request.
It was impossible to tell if that had gone well or not, and I found
myself wondering if I should have brought the Heirs here with me. At
least they knew how to play this game of politics. They’d have known
all the right things to say and how to spin every angry outburst to their
advantage. I was just going to have to hope that brutal honesty would
win these people over instead.

A strangled cry escaped Miguel as we moved through the crowd and

he fell still, causing me to turn and look at the four women who had
caught his attention. I could tell from the look of them that the
younger three were sisters, their similarities to their mother clear
enough too.
A lump caught in my throat as I looked between them and Miguel,
understanding who they were, what they were to him. The life he'd
had stolen from him. The sisters Diego had never even known he had.
“Go,” I urged as Miguel remained frozen at my side, though I was
sure it wasn’t me he lingered for. “Don’t let fear keep them from you
for a moment longer than you’ve already lost with them,” I insisted,
giving him a small but firm shove in their direction.

Miguel tore his eyes from them for a single moment, nervously
pushing his fingers into his dark hair in an attempt to flatten it, the
motion reminding me of the way Diego had often tugged at his hat.
“You need me to-”
“I don’t need you for anything anymore,” I swore to him. “I’m fine
right here with...” I glanced at the woman who had been leading us in
the direction of food and she helpfully supplied me with her name.
“Uma.”
“Yep. Me and Uma are good. Go speak to your family, dude. I’m a
big girl. I don’t need you to hold my hand the entire time I’m here.”
Miguel took my arm and gave it a firm squeeze in thanks before
turning and striding away from me. My gaze remained pinned to his
back, watching as the four women who were his family stilled at his
approach before breaking, the eldest of the daughters running for him
with a choked sob, her arms wide. The others followed and within
moments, all of them were clinging to him as he sank to his knees
between them, murmuring praise to fate for finally shining on him and
reuniting them at last. His wife fell on him

with sobs, kissing him between prayers to the shadows and swearing
she had known he would one day return to them.
A splash of warm water hit my cheek as I blinked, and I raised my
fingers to it in surprise, a tear finding its way free of the hardened steel
I had placed around my heart from witnessing his reunion with the
deepest desire of his soul.

The pain inside me blossomed, throbbing like some immortal wound,

set to bleed me dry from the inside out. My breath caught, and there
was a ringing in my ears which I was pretty certain was drowning out
the sound of Uma’s voice as she encouraged me to follow her again.
I turned abruptly from the sight of Miguel and his family, a flash of
fire burning through my blood as I raised my chin and held the heavy
Book of Ether out to show the girl who was waiting for me.

“I need to speak to someone who might know more about this,” I said
to her, my voice a cold, unfeeling thing as I reined my emotions back
in, stomping down on the ones that cut me deepest while burning
through those which forced me to feel the loss of him so sharply.
I couldn’t fall apart. Not here. Not in front of these people who
needed to see nothing but an unbreakable monarch when they looked
at me.
Uma looked at the book I held, then glanced behind her as if checking
that no one else was watching us, her dark hair tumbling over her
shoulder at the movement.

“That kind of magic is older than time itself,” she breathed, taking a
step closer to me. “It is death to most who try to wield it.”
“I’m not like most people,” I replied dismissively. “And I need to know
more about this.”
Uma hesitated, her gaze sweeping over me in an assessing way, and I
narrowed my eyes at the judgement she was casting before she
shrugged.
“Come then, I’ll take you to the oracles, but don’t say you weren’t
warned.”
Uma turned off the main path and into the darkness between the
trees, not bothering to look back over her shoulder and check that I
was still with her. She followed some route I had to assume she knew
by heart, because there were no markers in place to suggest that
anything lay out there at all.

I resisted the urge to cast a Faelight, instead bolstering the air shield I
had in place around my skin in case of surprise attacks and striding out
into the darkness behind her.

Our footsteps were the only sound to break the night, the soft rustle of
leaves shifting beneath our feet a repetitive accompaniment to our
journey.
The lights of the village were soon left behind, stolen by the dense
trees until we were deep in the darkness of the forest, with nothing at
all to suggest that there was anything out here besides more trees.

Magic built in my fingertips as we walked on, and I flexed my wings,

the feathers rustling softly as I wondered if Uma might be stupid
enough to try and attack me. I doubted there could have been time to
put together much of a trap since I’d arrived, but it was possible there
were others waiting out here in the dark for me. Then again, she
hadn’t been taking me this way until I’d shown her the book, so unless
she’d been planning on turning off of the main path anyway, it was
unlikely that this was an ambush.
My boot thumped against a lump of stone hidden within the leaves,
and the ground grew firmer beneath us just as the scent of damp
began to taint the air.

“Be careful here,” Uma said, beckoning me closer as I squinted to

make her out in the almost non-existent light.
I moved towards her and stepped up onto a rocky shelf, a thicker
patch of darkness ahead indicating a huge rockface barring the way
on.
“There’s a passage there,” Uma pointed out and I could just about see
a thicker slither of darkness marking the point she was showing me.
“Follow it to the end and knock once. If they wish to speak with you,
you’ll be summoned inside.”
“And if they don’t?” I asked, turning to look at Uma, who was already
backing away.

“It’s been almost a year since they last deigned to speak with anyone,
so don’t be too surprised.” She shrugged.
“A year? Then why are you leaving if you expect me to be turned
away?” I asked.
“Can’t the great Phoenix princess find her way in the dark alone?” she
taunted, and despite the flicker of irritation her words sparked in me, I
had to admit it made me like her a little more to know she wasn’t too
intimidated by me to speak them.

“Fine, go,” I said dismissively, my attention moving to that narrow

passage in the cliff face. “I won’t be accepting a ‘no’ from them
anyway.”
Uma snorted like she didn’t believe I would be able to force anything
at all from these so-called oracles, but she was vastly underestimating
the power of the promise that was cut into my flesh if she thought I
would let them turn me away now.

I headed forward with confident strides, moving into the stone passage
and shivering a little as a sensation like passing through cold water
tumbled across my flesh.

Whatever kind of power had caused it wasn’t like any I knew, and the
knowledge that I truly could be walking towards something more
powerful than me sank into my bones as I walked on.
The stone walls rose up high on either side of me along the trail, the
night sky still visible far above, my boots crunching on gravel and
twigs as I went. I tucked my wings in close to my spine to stop them
from brushing against the walls. It would have been easier to shift, but
I found some comfort in the presence of my Phoenix, so I kept it close.
The passage descended slightly, curving away from the forest entrance
and making the dark press even closer, though as I glanced up, I
spotted a few stars glimmering in the sky, always watching.

My bitterness was rewarded as the passageway tightened ahead of me,

a roof forming in the rocks, a tunnel of deepest darkness the only way
on. I steeled myself and kept my stride steady as I continued, lifting a
hand to feel for anything before me as I headed into the cave.
After a few minutes of descending into the dark, all the while knowing
that there was only one way out of here and that I could quite easily
be backing myself into a corner, I came to a door.

It was almost impossible to see the thick wood blocking the way on,
but the faint glimmer of pale shadows illuminated just enough for me
to understand what it was.
I drew in a calming breath, summoning magic into my hands in
preparation of anything which might come my way, then expelled it
and knocked solidly on the door. Not once, like Uma had instructed,
but three sharp strikes against the wood with my fist.

A pause followed where my heart raced and palms grew slick before
the door ahead of me swung open and I was blinded by the light of a
fire pouring from the space beyond it.
I looked down at my feet to shield my eyes, the things I had thought
were twigs revealing themselves as a mixture of small bones, each
marked with blackened runes and tossed haphazardly out onto the
path.
I fought off the desire to recoil from the grisly sight and blinked as my
eyes adjusted, holding my shield tight to my skin, just in case, while
someone tutted impatiently.

“In or out. The fire will gutter if you linger with the wind at your
back,” a woman hissed, and I stepped into the space, tucking my
wings in tight to make it through, the door slamming again behind me
while I looked around in search of the owner of that voice.

The chamber I found myself in was large, a fading fire in a hearth on

the far side of a hexagonal table. A collection of well-burned white
candles were gathered in its centre, old and new wax merging and
sticking to the dark wood.
There were sprigs of herbs hanging from the beams which supported
the stone ceiling, the tips of them brushing the tops of my wings.
Wooden shelves lining the walls were stacked high with jars and
bottles, the labels marking their contents dim and faded beyond the
point where I could easily read any of them.
The woman cursed, and I flinched as I spotted her bending over the
fire, prodding it with a poker as she tried to reignite the flames which
had been blown out with my arrival. I swore she hadn’t been there a
moment ago. There had been no one here. And yet there was no way
she could have made it across the room from the single dim corridor
which led out of here to my right without me seeing her.
“How did you-”

“Hush your nonsense and help me save this fire,” she grumbled,
tugging her cloak closer around her while remaining stooped over the
hearth, meaning I couldn’t see anything of her aside from the blood-
red hair hanging down her back. “I spend half my cursed life trying to
coax heat from this blasted thing.”
“Here,” I offered, stepping closer, a flame of red and blue igniting in
my palm. “This won’t ever go out if you don’t wish it to.”
The woman shifted aside, and I tossed the glimmering Phoenix flame
onto the measly pile of sticks in the fireplace, resisting the urge to look
smug as I solved her problem so simply.

“Hark at this one, gifting out magical flames as if they were ten a
penny,” another voice came from directly behind me, and I couldn’t
help but flinch as I whirled around, finding a woman there standing so
close to me that adrenaline shot through my veins and magic instantly
leapt to my palms.
Two daggers, one of wood, the other ice, formed in my fists, but if the
woman noticed them, she didn’t seem to care. Instead, she leaned into
me, a curtain of ice-white hair falling forward to shadow her features,
her warm brown skin swiftly hidden within the strands as she dropped
her nose to my throat and inhaled deeply.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded, jerking backwards to put
some distance between us and knocking into a third body, a cry of
fright falling from my lungs before I could stop it.
Where the fuck had they all come from?
I whirled on the newcomer, my eyes widening in horror as I took in
the carefully formed stiches which sealed the lips of her deep red
mouth permanently shut. She was beautiful aside from that
disfigurement, her eyes a wild and stunning shade of gold set into a
face so perfect that my breath caught at the sight of her. Her skin was
a deep brown, her hair a bounty of curls which seemed to highlight
the perfection of her cheekbones, but it was impossible to fully
appreciate that with the stitches sealing her lips.

“What happened to you?” I gasped in horror, and the first woman

chuckled as she moved around the table to join us too.
“Give the child some space, Loqui,” she chided, gripping the other
woman by the arm, and tugging her back a step so that I could
breathe freely.
“Her mouth,” I said, unable to tear my eyes from those horrific
stitches. “What happened to her mouth?”
“There is a price to the power we own,” the first woman chuckled,
and as I looked to her, I stumbled back a step, a scream lodging in my
throat, though I refused to let it out.

She was just as stunning as Loqui, though her features were vastly
different. Her skin was so pale it was almost alabaster within the
curtain of red hair, a dusting of freckles gracing a perfect nose and
pale pink lips curving up into a smile as she sensed my full attention
falling on her. I knew she had sensed it rather than seen, because her
eyes, oh hell, her eyes had been sewn shut, just like Loqui’s lips.
“This was a price you chose to pay?” I asked, the shock clear in my
voice as the woman breathed another laugh.

“It was little in the grand scheme of what we gained. I am Vidi. It

means ‘to see’.” She laughed again, her voice so much older than the
beautiful body housing it somehow, filled with knowledge and wisdom
beyond the years of the woman who looked to be little more than
thirty.

“And I’m Audire,” the third woman – the sniffer – said as she circled
me to stand beside the others. She grinned broadly as I hunted the
utter perfection of her face, the warm brown skin, eyes so dark they
were almost black, and that hair a stunning contrast with its icy white
tone. I hunted her for any signs of stiches and almost relaxed before
she lifted her hair to expose the place where her ears should have
been, two jagged scars remaining instead from where they had been
severed.

“The aesthetic is just her choice in dramatics,” Vidi said dismissively

as I tried not to recoil. “Her eardrums were punctured to remove the
sense of hearing, but she wanted scars to match her sisters’.”
Audire looked to Vidi’s mouth as she spoke, and I guessed she was
able to read the words which came from them because her lips peeled
back and she hissed like a cornered alley cat.
“Why?” I breathed, because I had all kinds of questions, but as I
stared between these three beautiful, disfigured women, it was
impossible to think of any aside from that one.

Vidi placed a hand on her heart dramatically, and my eyes moved

over the cloaks they all wore like some medieval coven of witches,
though I suspected they were something far more dangerous than that.
“See no evil,” she breathed, a reverence to her tone as she indicated
herself before reaching across and touching Audire’s heart next. “Hear
no evil.” She moved her hand to touch Loqui’s heart, but I found
myself finishing the words for her as I came to a sick kind of
understanding.

“Speak no evil?” I breathed, and they all nodded in eerie

synchronicity. “So the aim is to avoid evil?” I guessed, and they all
laughed that time, though the noise which came from Loqui was
stifled by her sealed lips.
“The aim is to stifle how much any one of us can use,” Audire
contradicted, her words clear despite her inability to hear them. “To
save us from consumption by the forces we taste.”

I nodded, forcing myself to take their explanation and accept it,

ignoring the urge to keep staring at the lengths they’d chosen to go to
in aid of whatever power it was they commanded. Hadn’t I sworn that
I would do whatever it took to claim such power too? I wasn’t going to
blink at the first sign of just how steep that cost might be.
“I came here looking for help,” I said, holding the Book of Ether out
before me. Loqui elbowed Vidi aside, snatching it from me, then
dropping it onto the table just as fast.
“What is it?” Vidi demanded as Audire gasped, hurrying towards the
table and whipping open the first page of the book.
“Something old,” Audire muttered, flicking the pages one at a time,
hissing and murmuring as she did so while Loqui pressed her hands
flat to the table and leaned in so close that she was in danger of getting
a papercut to her nose. “Even older than you, dear sister.”

Loqui laughed at that, the noise stifled by the stitches closing her
mouth, and Vidi snarled, revealing gleaming, sharp teeth as she
stalked towards them and shoved them aside. She ran a hand down
the centre of the book, and I winced at the rough treatment they were
giving the ancient pages, imagining Orion’s face if he could see them.
“Sit, sit, sit,” Audire barked at me, though her gaze never left the book
as she waved me towards a chair on the other side of the table to
them, beside the fire.

I nodded, moving towards the spot she’d indicated, wincing as my

wings knocked against some of the herbs hanging from the ceiling and
dislodging something which rolled over my shoulder and fell to the
floor before I realised it was a huge, dead spider and recoiled.
“Put those things away before you take our entire house down,” Vidi
grouched at me, but before I could shift, Loqui was in my face,
plucking a bronze feather from one of my wings and giving me a
gruesome smile through the stitches in her face.

I fought the urge to recoil, my wings fading out of existence as Loqui

moved away from me as suddenly as she’d appeared, grabbing several
more items from around the room and shoving them into the pockets
of her cloak.
I dropped into my seat and fought a flinch as I found Audire right
beside me, somehow having circled the entire table in the time it took
me to lower into the wooden chair, and she leaned in to inhale my
scent again.
“Royalty,” she spat, a wad of saliva landing in a heavy stone scrying
bowl which she was holding before she set it down on the table with a
thump so hard the whole thing rattled.

“Blood of the chosen,” Vidi agreed, appearing on my other side and

taking hold of my chin as she forced my head back, seeming to inspect
me despite her eyes being sewn shut. “A burning flame in the dark.
But she is one of twin flames; where is the other?”
I batted her hand off of me, her sharp nails scratching my skin.
“Enough with the touchy-feely shit,” I snapped. “I’m not a hugger,
and I’m definitely not here for a makeover, so keep your hands to
yourselves, okay?”

Vidi straight up cackled, tossing me a small velvet pouch, and I caught

it on instinct, feeling several hard lumps inside the fabric as I closed
my fist around it.
“Cast them,” Audire demanded, inching back out of my breathing
space when I shot her a scowl.
I tugged the string securing the pouch open and emptied five ice-
white, tiny skulls into my palm.

“Wonderful,” I deadpanned, wrinkling my nose at the little handful of

death I now held, and Loqui gave me that devil’s grin again, her
stitches pulling tight.
“Animals have links to true magic which are less burdened than our
own,” Vidi said as Loqui reached out to stroke her finger over the
head of what looked like a bird’s skull, a series of tiny runes carved
into the bone in blood red. “A sparrow for air, viper for earth, an eel
for water, and a salamander for fire.”

“What’s the fifth one for?” I asked, shifting the skulls in my palm and
looking into the empty eye sockets of an almost demonic-looking skull,
though as it was barely bigger than any of the others, I knew it had to
be some other small creature too.
“A bat for ether, because they are of air and earth, fire and water
combined, and none of them at all. Something other,” Audire hissed,
her eyes on my mouth, reading my words as I spoke them.
The skulls seemed to warm in my palm at the sound of that word, like
the ether awoke something in them.

Loqui grabbed a handful of dried thyme from a hook close to the fire,
then plunged the end of the sprigs into the flames. She waited a
moment until they were smouldering, the fire taking hold of them
quickly, then she pulled them out again, stubbing them out on the
table before me and scrawling a pentagram into place, surrounding
the scrying bowl with the ashes. She tossed the last of the charred
herbs into the fire and the pungent scent of them filled the space
quickly as a haze of smoke drifted through the room.
“Place your mind upon the questions you most desperately desire
answering, then cast the bones into the bowl,” Vidi encouraged, the
three of them backing up just enough to let me breathe.
There were so many questions I had, so many things I should have
been asking before I even took part in whatever the hell this was, but
I’d already come this far, and I wasn’t going to turn back now.

I drew in a deep breath, focusing my mind on all the problems

surrounding us, on Lionel and Lavinia, the armies they commanded
and the struggles we were facing in trying to raise our own forces
again so that we could meet them on the battlefield once more. I
thought of my sister, my brother, and Orion trapped in The Palace of
Souls and the single hope that we were placing upon a vision to save
them. There were so many things I needed answers for, help with, but
as I closed my fist around the skulls, Loqui leaned in to speak in my
ear.

“What does your heart bleed for, Princess of the Flames?”

I raised my fist to throw the bones, my heart splintering at her words,
the golden eyes of a dragon scorching through my soul as they tore my
breath from my lungs, seeing me the way no one else had ever seen
me, knowing my heart inside and out, owning me, claiming me,
ruining me.
The skulls hit the edge of the scrying bowl and scattered inside it,
tumbling over each other and rattling against the stone while my heart
raced at the feeling of his hands on my skin, his breath against my lips,
the powerful thump of his heartbeat seeming to pulse against my palm
as if my hand were laying over it.

The three Nymphs lunged forward, Loqui and Audire staring down
into the bowl while Vidi thrust her hand into it, her fingers tapping
against the skulls one at a time, checking their positions while not
moving them at all.
Loqui took a vial of white liquid from the pocket of her cloak and
poured it into the bowl before I got to take a look at the way the bones
had fallen, and they were submerged within it as she poured the
contents.
Next, she took a sprig of hemlock and threw it into the mixture while
Audire murmured something about death calling for death.
Vidi snatched my hand into her grip, a knife appearing against my
fingertip and a hiss of irritation escaping her as the blade met with my
shield. I didn’t need her to bare her sharp teeth at me to know what
she wanted, and I dropped the shield, too far down this path to turn
back now, my need for answers all-consuming.

The blade pierced my skin and several drops of blood splashed into
the milky water, swirling through it and tainting the colour while Vidi
shoved my hand away from her again.
Loqui took the bronze feather she’d plucked from my wing and scored
her thumbnail down the length of it, a growl building in her throat
before a purple flame blossomed beneath her nail and the feather
caught light. She

tossed that into the bowl too, and I didn’t even bother to protest as
Audire cut off a lock of my hair and threw it into the mix too.
The two Nymphs who could use their mouths began speaking in
unison, their words ancient and unknown, thrumming with power that
set the fine hairs along my arms on end and made a shiver track down
my spine.
They stopped abruptly and Loqui leaned in, her luscious curls falling
forward to mask her face as she held out a single finger and tapped the
very centre of the liquid in the scrying bowl.

“Look,” Audire commanded as the three of them drew back.

I pushed myself to my feet on trembling legs as I leaned in to get a
look at the image which was beginning to appear inside the bowl.
“Darius?” I breathed, something inside me wrenching free as a sob
caught in my chest and I looked at that all-too-perfect face of his
staring back at me from the depths of the scrying bowl.

His expression was hard, the image not drawing any memory that I
could place, making me wonder if this was real, a view of him beyond
the Veil, wherever that might be.
His deep brown eyes met mine and a thunderbolt speared its way
through me, my tears falling free at last, splashing down into the water
and making the image of him ripple and twist.
“You promised you’d stay,” I hissed at him, swiping at my cheeks in
an effort to banish the tears which were ruining my view of him.
“You promised you’d find me,” he replied, a dark and taunting grin
on his lips which looked nothing like the smiles I remembered. “Tick
tock, Roxy.”

“Wait,” I gasped as the ripples continued to spread across the bowl,

the image shattering even though I’d barely gotten a look at him at all.
“Do it again,” I demanded. “Bring him back.”
“Bring back the dead?” Audire chuckled, getting to her feet and taking
the scrying bowl from the table. “Not possible, Princess of the
Flames.”

“You could follow him into death if you require your reunion so
dearly,” Vidi suggested, swiping a hand over the pentagram that had
been drawn onto the table and smearing the edges of it.
A breath of fresh air tumbled through the room as the lines of that
shape were broken, and I felt the power they’d been wielding fade
with it.
“I can’t follow him into death,” I snarled. “I’m needed here. He’s
needed here.”

“Pity,” Audire sighed, and I couldn’t tell if she was referring to him
being dead or my unwillingness to follow him beyond the Veil.
“I want to learn more about the magic in that book,” I said firmly. “I
want to learn more about the things you just did.”
“It won’t bring him back,” Vidi said, amusement colouring her words.
“Not even one of the most powerful Fae in Solaria can do that. There
is no doing what you want done. The stars have chosen his fate.”
“It won’t be undone,” Audire agreed.

“Fuck the stars,” I growled, and the three of them recoiled like hissing
snakes.
Loqui tossed a handful of sage into the fire and Vidi poured some salt
from a glass shaker into her palm, swiping it over her tongue while
Audire simply began begging the sky for forgiveness as they all worked
to clear their home of my curse upon the celestial beings.
I swore and shoved to my feet, reaching for the book and grabbing it
just as Loqui slammed her hand down on the pitch-black cover to halt
me.
Her sewn-shut lips curved into a wicked grin, and she pressed a single
finger to them, urging me to remain silent while her eyes seemed to
swirl with unnatural darkness.

“Such things are not within the bounty of any gifts known to Nymph
or Fae. You would be better served turning your grief upon your
enemies than you would wasting your time with us,” Audire spat, but
despite her words, she didn’t look angry, her gaze wild as she shoved
the heavy table aside and I was forced to release my grip on the Book
of Ether as I stumbled back out of its way.
“Beauty is the curse of the stars themselves,” Vidi sighed, shrugging
her cloak from her shoulders, revealing a lithe, naked body beneath.
She was a stunning creature, even with the stitches securing her
eyelids, every curve of her porcelain flesh seeming designed for
seduction and temptation.

I opened my mouth to question what the fuck she was doing, but
Loqui shook her head in a silent reminder, offering Vidi a wicked-
looking stone dagger, its sharp blade etched with runes.
Vidi accepted it, rolling her shoulders back and smiling as she held the
dagger to her own wrist.

I flinched as she swept it towards her arm, but before I could see what
she’d done with it, Audire’s hands fell over my eyes, her body pressing
flush to my back and her nose burying itself against my neck as she
inhaled deeply.
“Say nothing, see nothing...” she breathed in my ear, the words so soft
I almost didn’t catch them at all.
Something hot and wet sprayed across the lower part of my face
beneath the hold of Audire’s hands which shielded my eyes, and I
flinched back against her, my heart thrashing wildly as the sound of
stone scraping against stone filled the room.

Audire shifted her thumbs against my eyelids, brushing them closed in

a clear demand just as a hellish scream tore through the space
surrounding me and every muscle in my body locked with fright.
Audire shifted her hands from my eyes to my ears, the weight of her
soft palms pressing against them, somehow blocking out all sound so
that I was lost in a void of sensation.
“Hear nothing.”
I couldn’t even tell how I had understood those words at all, the
knowledge of them seeming to have built within my mind rather than
me actually hearing anything.

I staggered as the flagstones beneath me shifted, but Audire held me

close, the warmth of her body pressed to my back one of the only
things I was certain of in this world as I started to lose my bearings on
my place in it.
The urge to open my eyes consumed me, but I fought it, even as a
drop of what I had to assume was Vidi’s blood rolled down my face
and across my lips.

I jolted in surprise as a mouth was pressed to mine, the lips full and
seductive despite the ridges of cotton which I could feel sewn through
them, letting me know that it was Loqui stealing a kiss from me.
Something lodged deep in my chest began to cleave apart as the two
Nymphs pressed closer to me, trapping me between them while it was
unlocked, and my lips parted on an inhale as Loqui kissed me harder.
Fingers took hold of my right hand, turning my palm over before
trailing across the lightning and sun steel scar which lay there,
studying each ridge and facet before the fingers were replaced by a
tongue.

I recoiled against Audire, whose nose grazed across the side of my

throat, a vibration in her chest making me think she was laughing,
though I couldn’t hear anything to confirm that.
Vidi rolled her tongue over my scar, tasting the oath I’d made within
it before starting an ascent up the inside of my forearm, my nerves
lighting at the indecent touch, a dark and beckoning desire awakening
in me.

It wasn’t like any lust I had ever felt before, not the all-consuming heat
I had burned through with Darius.
No. This wasn’t sex, nor anything like it, despite the way they were all
pressed against me, their mouths on my skin, my heart racing. It
wasn’t a physical act at all. They were calling to something locked
deep within my soul, urging it up and out of me, coaxing a flame
which I hadn’t even realised was burning to life.

I tipped my head back against Audire’s shoulder, something I guessed

was a moan rolling through my chest as Loqui’s sewn lips moved from
my mouth to my throat, her fingers teasing the fabric of my dress open
so that the chilled air rose gooseflesh across my body.
A rumble moved through the ground at my feet, the echo of it passing
through my soul and rattling it to its core, molten eyes looking back at
me from within the confines of my own mind.
He seemed so real, like he was right there before me, waiting for me to
do something, change something, take something.

Vidi’s tongue moved back down my arm as she remained on her knees
beside us, her fingers taking possession of my scarred hand and
turning it so that my own fingers were pressed to the heated skin of my
thigh through the slit in the side of my dress. Her hand interlaced with
mine as she began to guide it up that silken skin, fire igniting
everywhere inside me as I was lost to the memory of Darius, the
countless words he’d spoken to me, declarations he’d made tumbling
through my mind and drowning me in the loss of him.

Audire’s fingers shifted through my hair, massaging my scalp while she

kept her palms pressed down over my ears, making me arch between
the press of her body and Loqui’s as something rich and potent spilled
through my veins.
“The cost of honing ether is higher than you can imagine.” That voice
ricocheted within me, and I was struck with the knowledge that it
came from not one, but all of them somehow.

“If the cost of this is my soul, then I’d gladly pay the price,” I thought
back at them, the pure truth of those words burning through me even
hotter than the flame they were kindling.
All three of them laughed at those words, their amusement slipping
through me without me needing to hear it.

“So easy to promise the world when you don’t hold it in your grasp.”
“Is that the price?” I asked, distantly aware of Loqui’s fingers moving
over the skin above my thrashing heart as she painted a symbol there.
I knew what it was, whether through the feeling of her touch or just
the power it held. A pentagram. And though I knew I probably should
have been fighting this, running or screaming or something of the
kind, I made no move to try and escape them. I didn’t have much
hope beyond the power of these three witches, and if they wanted to
toy with me before giving me what I needed, then I wasn’t going to
fight them.

“We told you: there is no returning from death.”

“I don’t accept that.”
More amusement twisted from them into me, Vidi’s hand guiding
mine higher, drawing my fingers closer to my core while the vision of
Darius consumed me. Memories of the two of us together in heat and
passion and hatred all merged. I couldn’t just recall them; I could feel
them. The heat of his skin against mine, the power of his body
claiming me, each thrust, each lick of that sinful tongue, every kiss and
conquest and burst of pleasure he had ever given me.

“We can give you this,” they offered. “A memory dipped in reality.
You can partake in it for as long as you like, feel every piece of it,
relive each sordid, beautiful memory as if they were taking place in the
now.”
I trembled, the feeling of him so fucking real, the weight of his
impenetrable stare consuming me, the nearness of him so close to
truth. I knew they were holding back, that they really could offer me a
trip right into those memories. I could immerse myself inside them, let
myself believe that they were real all over again. But I would lose
myself in them if I did that, I could feel the weight of that truth
pressing in on me. If I accepted this gift from them, I would be
trapped in those memories until my true body wasted away right here
in this cave in the middle of nowhere, my magic no doubt a gift they’d
claim as I took my final breaths.

It would be a beautiful death, lost in the arms of the man I loved. But
not a real one.
“I’m needed here,” I told them firmly, trying to claw my mind away
from that deepest of temptations even as I felt the tears rushing down
my cheeks, my grief breaking free of its walls at last.
Audire tugged me closer to her, tasting my tears where they coated my
skin, an echo of pain travelling from me into the three Nymphs,
making them all suck in shuddering breaths.
“Show us this,” Vidi purred, her thumb tracing the scar on my palm
even as she guided my hand around the curve of my thigh, moving
closer to my core inch by inch.

I gave in to her request, so broken by my grief that I wasn’t even

certain I would be able to deny them anything anymore.
I was back on that hilltop, Darius still and cold beneath me, his blood
mixing with mine as I slit my hand open on the blade which had
stolen him from me, cursing the stars themselves with all the power I
possessed and more.
The three Nymphs gasped at the weight of the magic I’d called on,
whispers breaking out between them in a language I couldn’t
understand as I leaned back against Audire, unable to summon the
energy to even move anymore.

“Ruiner of Destiny,” they whispered, and I inhaled sharply, my magic

sparking within me as they called on that new and untested flame
inside of me, beckoning it closer once more.
Loqui’s fingers sketched the image of a pentagram over my heart
again, a sigh escaping her which I could feel in the depths of my soul.
“We can’t give you what you seek,” they said, and though I had
already realised that, it still cut me open. “The deepest desire of your
heart is not one any can grant.”

“Then what can you give me?” I demanded, refusing to just leave here
with nothing more than I had held when I arrived.
“A path,” they whispered, Audire’s lips skimming across the side of my
neck and making a shiver dance through me. “One you can tread in
search of your answers.”
“What do you want for it?” I asked, my heart lifting with hope even as
I tried to hide my desperation from them, because I knew I would
agree to whatever they wanted from me now. I couldn’t turn back.
Even if they could only offer the slimmest sliver of hope, I would take
it and give them whatever they wanted in exchange.

They began murmuring to one another again, Loqui’s hands

skimming the neckline of my dress, teasing it open further, my breasts
almost spilling free of it while Vidi’s hand and mine were just a breath
from the apex of my thighs, the memories of Darius that they had
offered me still heating my skin.

“Virgin blood is the most powerful for our kind of magic,” they
breathed, their voices inside my skull a whisper of seduction as I saw
him there again, sitting on my father’s throne, spilling his heart out to
me while I refused to hear the words and instead dropped to my knees
before him. “We want a taste of what you’ve had, what we can never
truly claim for our own.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I processed that, my skin flushed
with heat as they continued to caress me, presenting me with image
after image from my own memories of flesh claiming flesh. Tattoos
slicked with sweat and a wicked grin designed purely to ruin me.
“That’s it?” I asked, uncertain of what exactly they meant by that, but
knowing I was willing to give it to them.

“One night to taste what you have tasted, to linger in your lust,” they
purred, and the movements of their hands on my skin began to merge
with the memories of his, his callouses rough against my softness, the
bite of his stubble a sinful scratch I could never get enough of. “Then
we will give you a path to take. One wicked and steeped in sin. One
which might lead you to the answers you seek or which may end in
your own departure from this world. Hope. Though only the briefest
flicker of it, at that. Do we have a deal?”

Their words were heavy with warning and uncertainty, nothing at all
to say they even believed that what I sought was possible, but it didn’t
matter, because I didn’t need anything other than a path to follow, so
if that was what they were offering me, then I was going to take it with
both hands.
“Done,” I said out loud, magic wrapping around that word and
binding me to it so sharply that a cry escaped me.
Loqui’s stitched lips pressed to mine to silence me once more, but it
didn’t seem like they were concerned with me keeping to their oaths
anymore as Audire slipped her hands from my ears and she slowly
rolled them down my spine.

I opened my eyes, looking between the three beautiful women who

surrounded me for the briefest of moments, each of them having shed
their cloaks at some point since my eyes had been closed, revealing the
perfection of their nakedness and making my breath catch in my
lungs.
They were creatures designed for lust, every inch of them endlessly
different from each other while all wildly captivating in their own
ways. The thought of them being virgins seemed absurd, the scent of
sex seeming to cling to their flawless skin as I watched the way their
hands moved over my body, teasing and plucking at my dress while
not quite exposing me to them.

We weren’t in the cave anymore, the chill of the air pressing in around
us as we stood in a pentagram-shaped clearing within a ring of
ancient, enormous trees. There was a stone altar beside us, stained
with what was undoubtably blood, this place used for sacrifice far
more often than what they had requested of me.
My gaze fell on Vidi, still kneeling beside us, as her tongue traced a
line up the side of my thigh, her eyes full of heat and lust as she looked
up at me, pressing my own hand closer to my core even as I spotted
the freely bleeding wound on her wrist.

She was smeared in bright red blood, not the blackish, tainted blood of
the Nymphs Lavinia controlled, but blood as red as any Fae’s, like
proof itself of her taint on the shadows.
My breaths became shallow as I watched her moving her mouth over
my skin, the blood staining her flesh both horrifying and transfixing,
like the sacrifice she had made for her power was an intoxication of its
own.

“Roxy.” The deep growl of his voice had me frozen for three eternal
seconds before I snapped my head up and found him there, his shirt
already off, those tattoos I loved so much peering back at me like the
deepest temptation.

I understood then why the three Nymphs had stopped shy of actually
undressing me, of touching me any more than they had so far, Vidi’s
fingers stroking the skin between my thighs without attempting to shift
those final few inches to my core. They were virgins and would remain
as such throughout this night, but they intended to see me destroyed in
every way my memories could conjure before the sun rose to sate their
own repressed desires.
I looked at Darius, the edges of his skin shining with a faint, golden
light, proving him to be nothing more than a memory, and I did
remember this. We hadn’t been in a forest clearing, surrounded by
three entities of unthinkable power. We’d been in our room at The
Burrows, my core still aching after a night spent in his arms, yet his
desire never faded one bit, his need for me never sated in the least.
“You’re wearing far too many clothes,” he teased, the look he gave me
peeling me apart from the inside out.

Grief threatened to consume me, the memory too real, too much to
bear, but Audire ran her teeth along the shell of my ear and whispered
to me. “Give yourself to it completely. Forget the here and now and let
it take you to then. To him. Bring us with you.”
Her fingers curled into the thin straps which secured the back of my
dress, her knuckles skimming over that deliciously sensitive spot where
my wings would emerge if I shifted, and I moaned softly as I let myself
do as she’d commanded.

This was the price they sought. And I wasn’t going to flinch from it,
even if I feared the pain I would be left in when the sun finally rose.
I dropped my hands to my waist, unbuckling my sword belt as I stared
at the vision of Darius, his eyes full of heated promises as he unbuckled
his own belt, mirroring me.
I let the sword fall to the floor, drawing my hand higher beneath my
skirt alongside Vidi’s, a soft moan escaping me as my fingertips
brushed against the wetness soaking my panties.
The three Nymphs moaned too, their hands moving both across my
body and their own flesh, seeking out that need in themselves as I
began to touch myself, just like I had that day in The Burrows, teasing
him, tempting him.

Darius growled softly, the sound raising the hairs along the back of my
neck, and I pushed the fabric of my panties aside, two fingers sliding
into my slick heat and causing me to moan again.
Vidi’s hand remained on mine, though she was careful not to touch
me aside from the back of my hand as she guided my movements, her
blood dripping down my thigh from the still-bleeding wound on her
wrist.
Darius’s heated gaze roamed over me as I fucked my own hand for
him, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip as my release closed in on
me from nothing but the weight of his stare.
I slipped the strap of my dress from my shoulder, exposing my breast
and hardened nipple, my free hand seeking it out and tugging while
Loqui’s fingers slid down my side, caressing my skin.
“Come for me, Roxanya,” Darius growled. “Come for me so prettily,
the way you always do.”

“I still fucking hate you half the time, you know that, right?” I panted,
my words the ones I’d spoken to him all those months ago, and he
grinned in that very same way he had then too, pushing his pants
down and taking his huge cock into his fist.
My eyes became riveted to that spot and the motion of his fist, the
women surrounding me fading away as I fell deeper into the memory,
a cry of ecstasy breaking from me as I did exactly what he’d told me to
do, no matter how much it infuriated me.

Darius gave me that cocky grin, beckoning me to him like he expected

me to refuse. But I didn’t.
I strode across a blanket of dried leaves and twigs, my dress slipping
from my body as I shrugged it off and let it fall from me entirely, my
memory providing a different floor and a bed where I vaguely knew
there was nothing but that stone table.

I was distantly aware of the Nymphs trailing me as I moved, their

hands caressing my skin, their magic linking them into my memories
and their power stoking my lust beyond all measure. But I was used to
feeling lust with that intensity in the presence of the man I loved. The
passion that had blazed between us was unrivalled by any other in this
realm and all realms. None burned with the intensity which had
consumed us, and none could surpass the need I felt for him in all
forms.

The Nymphs traced their fingers over my skin, painting runes against
my flesh in Vidi’s blood, the darkness surrounding us intensifying to
the point where I could hardly even recall the trees, let alone notice
the frigid air which tried to bite at my exposed skin.
I gave myself to the heat roaring between Darius Acrux and the Vega
princess who he was forbidden to love. Gave myself to the ties I had
made between him and myself in life and in death, through marriage
and the destruction of our Star bond, through hate, betrayal,
vengeance and violence. I was his and he was mine. And as the ghost
of him wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me closer, I
gave up any attempt to remember that this was just a memory playing
out in my mind.

I didn’t care that it wasn’t real because as soon as I gave myself to it

completely, it was real. His tongue was sinking between my lips, his
hands grasping the curve of my ass and yanking me into his lap, his
cock sinking into my wetness so fucking perfectly.
My heart trembled in my chest as the feeling of his skin against mine
consumed me entirely. I had missed this, missed him so incredibly,
and somehow, for this stolen moment in time, he was here, the
shattered pieces of me gluing themselves back together, tears of pure
joy rolling down my cheeks.

“It’s you,” I murmured, my fingers tracing the length of his jaw,

savouring the bite of his stubble as I devoured the sight of him and
drank it all in. “Only you.”
He gave me a smile which cast my heart to ashes, his fingers roaming
over the tattoo on my thigh which echoed that sentiment and my gaze
dipping to the one which wound around his hip.
There is only her.

I should have known I was his that first moment I saw him, lounging
on that red couch, draped in arrogance while he stole the air from
every inch of the room. I should have known it when he was taunting
and tormenting me, should have known when his eyes trailed me
everywhere I went, and when I dreamt of him despite myself night
after night. I’d been so fucking blind and so fucking stubborn, but I
had been his throughout it all.
“By the stars, I love you,” Darius groaned, his big hands squeezing my
ass as he drew me down onto him more firmly, savouring the
connection of our bodies while we both panted through the moment
of resistance.

“I love you,” I replied, my fingers moving over his pec, skimming the
ink which stained his bronze skin until I could feel the thundering of
his heart beneath them. It was a lie, a beautiful, tempting, lie. But I
didn’t care. There was only him.
I gave in to the need in my flesh, moaning his name as I gripped his
shoulders and began to ride him, tipping my head back as I languished
in the impossibly full feeling of taking him inside me. He was huge in
every aspect, this immovable, unbreakable being who was bound to
me in so many ways.

Darius growled against my skin as he drove his hips up into me with

force, fucking me hard and deep, driving himself in to the base so that
my breath was stolen by the force of his claiming and my nails broke
his skin where I clung to him.
I met his passion with my own, rocking my hips and placing a hand
between us, rolling my fingers over my clit while he sucked on my
nipple hard enough to make me gasp.
I cried out as I drew close to the edge, but he snatched my wrists into
his grasp, halting my fingers on my clit and moving them to the base
of my spine where he pinned them in place with one of his huge
hands.

“When you come this time, it will be entirely for me,” he growled, that
bossy tone enough to make me want to punch him. But I forgot the
impulse as he thrust his hips up into me again, making my tits bounce
while the oracles still stroked and caressed me distantly, drinking in
every moment of this as they saw him too, saw both of us, felt what we
were feeling.
It should have been putting me off, but I was lost to him the way I
always had been, my need for him far greater than any shyness or
embarrassment I might have felt at the thought of us being watched
like this.

Darius moved his free hand to my clit, taking over from what I’d been
doing as he lifted his hips in a destructive, ruinous movement which
had me forgetting my damn name as he slammed into some insatiable
spot inside of me.
“Please,” I begged, needing him to finish me while he just toyed with
me instead, his thumb making my clit sing, then stopping right as I
was about to combust.
Over and over again he edged me until I was pleading, cursing,
begging and he was grinning through our kisses, loving his ownership
over me before finally giving in.

He slammed into me with a Dragon’s roar, coming inside of me while

completing his conquest of my body with that triumphant thrust and
the destructive pressure of his thumb.
I came so hard I almost blacked out, my head rolling back and a cry of
purest bliss escaping me while my body was engulfed in the kind of
ecstasy only this damnation of mine could deliver.

He rolled us over, laying me on my back, and I blinked up at him as I

panted there, my heart leaping in horror as he faded away and the
frozen stone of the table beneath me replaced the illusion of our old
bed.
“Wait,” I gasped, the moans of the Nymphs surrounding me as that
memory captivated them too, their hands moving over my skin as they
painted more runes onto my body which I couldn’t read or decipher.
“More,” Vidi snarled, and I glanced towards her pale form, her sharp
teeth flashing at the demand while Loqui moaned in frustration from
behind her sewn-shut lips.

“More,” Audire agreed, baring her teeth too, her hands moving up
my thighs as she seemed to draw the feeling of pleasure right out of my
sated flesh and into hers.
My lips parted on some reply, but whatever it had been died instantly
as Darius strode towards me through the trees, his eyes full of
something which bit into me so deeply it hurt.

It wasn’t real, but...it was. Fuck, it was real. I didn’t care if it was a
memory, didn’t care if I was trading this look at him for some tiny
glint of hope, didn’t care if they were seeing and experiencing all of it
with me because he was here and he was mine, and if it only lasted
one night, then I’d still take it.
“Is it totally conceited of me to hope you might be waiting for me?” he
asked, hesitation, hope and need in his dark eyes.

“Yeah,” I agreed on a breath as I drank in the sight of him standing

before me in a half unbuttoned black shirt and smart trousers. The
shitty sweatpants and shirt I’d been wearing that night seeming to
materialise on my body as I pushed to my feet so that I could relive it
just as it had been, that moment of perfect clarity when we had finally
been able to just become...us. “But I think I’ve always been waiting for
you, so maybe you’re right.”

“Even when you hated me?” His voice was a dark purr which set
every piece of my flesh buzzing with need.
I could see what this was now, how this night would play out, me and
him over and over and over again until I was aching, fractured, and
broken for him even more than I had been. This was torture of the
sweetest kind, and I was a glutton for punishment because I was all in.
I could never say no to him anyway. Not in any way that lasted.
So the night passed with me in his arms, his body possessing mine, my
heart racing to a pace that only he had ever been able to set it to as I
fell apart for him time and again.

The Nymphs drank it all in, crying out in pleasure with me, their
magic sharpening the memories so much that I really was reliving
them. Every pleasure filled moment, every thrust of his hips, every
kiss, every ‘I love you’. All of it.
Until I passed beyond the point of taking any more of it, my body
wrung out, used, and destroyed from so much pleasure. Darkness
invaded my mind and stole me away, though I knew that even as I was
lost to the memories, I continued to play them out with him. More
and more and more. Past the sunrise and through the next day and
night too, endlessly his, my energy torn from me, my body and flesh
exposed until finally, with the second sunrise, I was left lying on the
stone table in the heart of the pentagram. My naked body was stained
with Vidi’s blood, countless runes painted on every inch of my
exhausted flesh, overlapping each other beyond the point of
recognition.

My heart was still racing as I woke, blinking up at the light filtering

down to me through the trees overhead, tiny dust motes swirling
through it, highlighting small parts of my body.
I was panting, an ache between my thighs speaking of all I’d done in
those endless hours and tears dry on my cheeks, my eyes puffy and
aching from spilling so many.
He was gone. Only the ghost of his touch lingered on my body, love
bites and scratches marking my skin like it truly had been real.
The oracles were long gone, sated from their ride through my nights
of lust with Darius Acrux, having taken more than my bargain with
them had initially agreed to. Though as I pushed myself to sit up, I
found a scroll sitting on top of the Book of Ether beside me and
decided I didn’t care about the extra time they’d added onto our deal.
I unfurled it carefully, my heart hurting with the loss of him all over
again while I tried not to give too much thought to the hedonistic
memory orgy I’d taken part in last night. I’d sworn that I would do
whatever it took, and if that meant fucking the ghost of him in my
memories until I passed out, then it didn’t seem like the worst thing
that could have been asked of me.

The message they’d left me was simple, though the path they were
directing me towards was likely anything but.
In the heart of the Damned Forest, beyond the Waters of Depth and
Purity, lies the Ever-Changing Winds of Sky and Spirit. The Endless
Drop will take you through the Fires of the Abyss and beyond them,
where the ether lies thickest, your answers await.

I read over the words twice, not knowing what they meant but feeling
that tiny ray of hope shining brighter at them all the same.
From the ache in my stomach, I knew I’d been gone longer than I’d
meant to be. This dawn the second that had passed since I’d arrived
here, the rapture I’d encountered in this clearing taking more than its
toll on my flesh.

I needed to return to the island and explain myself. But as I pulled my

ruined dress onto my aching body and wondered how the fuck I was
supposed to explain this, I couldn’t help but smile just a little. Because
we were going to rescue Darcy and the others from The Palace of
Souls, we were going to kill that Dragon motherfucker, and once we
did all of that, I was going to find the place known as the Damned
Forest and keep my promise to the heartless stars once and for all.
“We shall not rest! We shall not slumber! We shall not stop until our
lady is returned to us!” Geraldine bellowed, thumping her breastplate
and inciting a roar of agreement from the gathered rebels who raised
their swords and sent crackling blasts of magic towards the sky as they
hyped themselves up for a fight.
“Forgive me,” the former prison guard pleaded from his knees beside
Geraldine, his eyes puffy from all the tears he’d shed. The other rebels
who had been guarding the jail when Tory had shown up and released
Miguel were in similar states of distress and had been for the thirty-
odd hours since she’d gone missing with him.

“Geraldine,” I barked, shoving my way between the gathered crowd

of around fifty Fae and making my way towards her. I used my gifted
strength to force them to move when they resisted and shot between
the last of them before coming to a halt mere inches from her.

“I thought we decided to trust Tory and give her a bit more time?” I
snarled, the small army at my back seeming like anything but that.
“Oh, my sweet winter child,” Geraldine gasped, looking towards the
rising sun and clutching her hand over her heart. “She is lost to the
darkness of her grief, tempted by the night and now plunged into
danger. She swore that she would return that very eve for her supper –
so how can I linger knowing that she is lost out there in the world,
after an entire night more has passed while she is at the mercy of that
dastardly Nymph and who knows what else?”

“The princess chose to abandon the safety of our stronghold,”

Tiberius said as he pushed his way through the crowd, my mom and
Seth’s allowing him to forge a path between the clamouring rebels.
“We cannot send much needed soldiers out in search of her on some
fool’s mission. We have no idea where she has gone and no reason to
believe she is even-”
“Hush your mouth, you sallywhacker!” Geraldine shouted, pointing a
finger at Tiberius, and striding towards him with vines rising from the
ground at her back, the challenge in her gaze clear as day.
“You don’t seriously mean to fight me over this?” Tiberius scoffed.
Geraldine slapped him with a vine that had snuck up over his shoulder
while he was too busy puffing his chest up to notice, and his head
wheeled to the side as a large, oval welt instantly appeared on his
cheek.

I caught the tiny sound of amusement that escaped my mom as

Tiberius roared furiously, metallic green scales erupting across his
flesh and coating his arms and neck beneath the cuffs of his grey shirt.
He advanced on Geraldine with a cyclone building around his fists,
and the rebels scrambled back as a fight looked about to break out.
“Dad! What the fuck?” Max yelled as he and Seth finally caught up to
me, Seth running in his Wolf form with Max on his back.

“Stay out of this, son,” Tiberius demanded, and Geraldine howled like
a banshee as her vines sped forward like a hoard of vipers.
I shot aside, leaving them to it and shaking my head as I came to stand
beside the other Heirs.
“She’s determined to go after Tory,” I muttered, but Max wasn’t
listening to me.

He jumped from Seth’s back and ran towards the fight between his
dad and his girlfriend, a stray vine slapping his ass hard enough to
make his knees buckle as he yelled at them to stop again.
Seth shifted beside me, and I looked to him, my eyes falling down his
body instantly, tracing the defined curves of his abs before dropping to
his cock. Flashes of memory spun through me of the two of us alone,
mouths meeting, hands wandering, passion burning-
“My eyes are up here,” Seth teased, but there was an edge to his voice
as I snapped my gaze back up to meet his, a moment of silence passing
between us which held a question neither of us voiced.

“You great, gallumping sea whale,” Geraldine hollered as she was

hurled through the air over our heads, and I looked up to watch her
go soaring by with interest, the sharp points of her breastplate glinting
in the sunlight as if she had diamond nips. “You shall rue the day you
took on a Grus!”
Tiberius folded his arms as he watched his magic toss her away, the
smug smile on his face the last thing I saw before the ground beneath
his feet disappeared and he plunged down into an enormous pit.
My mom threw Antonia over her shoulder and shot her out of the way
before they ended up falling in too, and the gathered rebels all ran in
different directions to try and avoid the magic as it was thrown back
and forth.
The crowd ran in every direction, not knowing where best to go to
escape any wayward magic which was blasted from the fight, and a
huge, muscular Bear Shifter smacked into Seth as he was almost
knocked from his feet by the rioting.

“Sorry, man,” the guy breathed, backing up a step and offering a

peace sign which instantly froze my blood in my veins.
“It’s fine,” Seth replied dismissively, the peace sign he gave him in
return making a stone drop into my gut as I fought against any
outward reaction.
I narrowed my eyes on the Bear Shifter and his puffed-up chest,
noting the shitty pornographic tattoo on his right bicep and scowling
at it as I considered shooting after him and showing him what a real
predator looked like.

I felt Seth’s gaze on me as I scowled at his latest conquest, and I

wrenched my eyes away, my face a careful mask.
Max had dropped Seth’s clothes when he’d run off, and I grabbed
them in a blur of speed, dropping to my knees in front of Seth and
holding his sweatpants out for him to step into.
He blinked down at me in surprise as I tapped his calf to get his
attention, heat rising in my blood as I worked not to look at his dick
again from my new and much closer position.
Seth stepped into his pants obediently and I stood, my knuckles
grazing the backs of his legs as I gently pulled them up for him, our
eyes meeting once more as I drew them over the hard muscles of his
ass.

I hesitated there, meaning to step back but finding the task impossible
as the heat of his skin reeled me in like a fish on a damn line. I gave in
to that sensation instead of drawing away from it as I inhaled a lungful
of air laced with his breath.
I slid my fingers around his waistband, tracing my way from his spine
to his hips, following the curve of the fabric along his sides then across
his lower abs all the way to the line of hair beneath his navel. My fangs
snapped out as I hovered there, too close to him for propriety and yet
too far to take what I was really aching for.

Seth made no move to touch me in return, his eyes two hard chips of
ice as he looked at me, reminding me that I was crossing a line, that
there were other Fae here and that we didn’t do this. But my
unspoken want for him was starting to blur the lines which I once
hadn’t even had to look for, and it was getting harder to resist finding
these kinds of excuses.
“Did you run last night?” I asked him, and he nodded, a flick of his
fingers stabilising the ground beneath our feet as it started to tremble
beneath the force of Tiberius’s power as he worked to dig himself out
of the grave Geraldine had dug for him.

“Are you thirsty?” Seth asked slowly and I took my turn to nod, my
fingers still skimming beneath the line of his waistband. “Well, stop
dancing around the point then,” he snapped, and I flinched the
smallest amount because his words had cut a bit too close to the truth
that I couldn’t admit to him.
I covered my reaction to his accusation by yanking him towards me
and sinking my teeth into his throat. I barely even heard Geraldine
yodelling a battle cry as I was stolen away on the tide of his moonlit
power, a groan escaping me as the decadent taste of him rolled over
my tongue.

My fingers flexed, pushing a bit lower beneath the fabric of his pants,
hidden between our closeness, and he growled at me as he took hold
of the back of my neck and fisted his hand in my curls, cementing our
bodies together.
“Fucking...stars...balls,” he panted in my ear, his chest heaving against
mine while I took my fill of him, my cock stirring at his nearness, my
mind on the feeling of his mouth wrapped around me as I pushed my
hand a little lower.

I was supposed to be forgetting about that, supposed to be okay with

my place as another notch in his belt, but every time I got close to him
like this, it was all too easy to forget that. All too easy to let myself
think of other things I wanted to try with him. All too easy to indulge
in the idea that he might think of me differently to the others he took
to his bed.
“Take that, you cantankerous cretin!” Geraldine’s voice was
accompanied by something splashing against my cheek and I forced
myself to pull back, releasing Seth as I looked around to find Tiberius
coated in mud from head to foot. Geraldine was eighty percent
trapped in a block of ice, just her head, arm, and one pointed metal
boob poking out the top of it.

“Oh, Cally,” my mom’s voice made me flinch away from Seth,

snatching my hand out of his waistband so that the elastic snapped
against his taut abs, making him curse. “You always were a messy
eater.”
“Gah, stop it.” I tried to bat her off as she licked her thumb and made
a move to swipe at the corner of my mouth where I was guessing some
of Seth’s blood was showing on my skin.

“What have I told you about letting your chums feed on your magic in
public, Seth Capella?” Antonia barked, clipping him around the ear
like he was a naughty pup and making him snarl as he tried to escape
her too. “Do you want the whole world to see pictures of you
submitting for an Altair? Do you want them to think you let him push
you down beneath him and have his way with you day and night, at
his each and every whim, plunging his huge-”
“Mom, what the fuck?” Seth cried but she continued regardless,
managing to clip him round the ear again.
“-teeth into you whenever the urge arises?”

“Ugh, you make it sound so weird,” Seth howled while I tried to shoot
away from my own mother, but she just shot right into my path and
managed to get me with her licky thumb, stealing the drop of blood
from the corner of my mouth.
She promptly sucked the blood off, and I snarled at her furiously as
her eyes lit at the taste of his blood.

“Mom,” I snapped angrily. “He’s my Source. You can’t just go

around drinking his fucking blood, or I’ll-”
“You’re his what?” Antonia cried, her fury cutting my words in two,
and Seth shot me a look which said he had half a mind to beat the shit
out of me. “Since when in the history of the stars themselves has a
Capella ever been the Source of a Vampire? Oh heavens, I can see the
headlines now. ‘Seth Capella, on his knees for an Altair.’ Think of the
polls. The whole world is going to think you’ve bowed for him, and
then they’ll question everything about the balance of power – as if
Darius’s death hadn’t already thrown enough of a rotten egg into the
mix.”
“Mom, for fuck’s sake, stop it,” Seth barked. “You’re making it into a
much bigger deal than it-”

“You will relinquish your claim on him this instant.” Antonia whirled
on me, her eyes flashing silver with her Wolf and a finger pointed
straight in my face.
I bared my fangs at her in reply, every muscle in my body going rigid
in a clear refusal of that demand.
“No,” I snarled. “I won’t. He’s mine.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is, Toni,” Mom said, baring her own
fangs at Seth’s mother. “Maybe I should think about claiming you or
Tiberius as my own on-tap blood supply too.”
Antonia snarled ferociously as her attention whipped from me to my
mom, but before the chaos could descend any further, a crack seemed
to tear through the air itself. The wards surrounding us were
wrenched open by some incredible power, and a flash of light had us
all spinning to look as Tory and Miguel appeared from thin air,
stardust twinkling around them for a moment before vanishing.

Tory lifted a hand and the wards sealed themselves up again, a dome
of pure power glittering high above our heads for a brief moment
before it cleared and became invisible once more.
My lips parted as I took in the sight of her skin covered in smears of
blood, her beautiful black dress torn and filthy, and a haunted look in
her eyes as she sagged against Miguel for support.
“What happened?” I demanded, shooting forward, and snatching her
from him, hoisting her into my arms where she expelled a breath and
let herself slump against me.

“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Just exhausted and tapped out. Miguel is
still one of the good guys.”
Geraldine was wailing from her giant ice cube, and everyone else
seemed torn between surrounding Miguel and getting closer to Tory
for an explanation.
“Where the fuck did you go?” Max half yelled as he stomped towards
us. “Gerry has been having kittens. We didn’t know if you were dead
or kidnapped or-”
“Watch out, Max, or people might start to think you care about a
Vega,” Tory taunted, and I was glad to see that she was still very
much herself despite the state of her.

She shifted in my arms again and I realised she was pushing the Book
of Ether between her side and my chest, using the material of the
gown she was wearing to try and hide it. No doubt she didn’t want any
of our parents asking questions about it, and I gave her a slight
squeeze in understanding.
“Does Miguel need locking up?” I asked, drawing her nearer in my
arms to help hide the book as everyone closed in around us and the
sound of shattering ice signalled Geraldine breaking free of her prison.
“No,” Tory said firmly. “He’s on our side. Maybe get him a bagel or
something, Geraldine?”

“But, my lady,” Geraldine protested, looking at a total loss as her

bottom lip wobbled.
“I’m fine, I promise.” Tory tried to wave her off. “I just want to get
near a fire and have a bath, then I’ll fill you all in. Focus on what we
need for tomorrow, okay? The Hydrids meteor shower is almost here,
and we need to be ready to move, for Darcy’s sake.”
“I’ll take you to your room,” I said, glancing between the others for
the briefest of moments, making sure Seth and Max understood that I
needed to get her out of here before shooting off and leaving them all
behind.

The world passed us in a blur, and I raced over the drawbridge and
up the sets of stairs to the extravagant rooms Geraldine had created
for the Vegas, turning to the right into Tory’s.
I tossed her down on the bed, making her bounce as she rolled over,
the word asshole carrying back to me in a muffled voice as she
faceplanted the pillows.
Fire blossomed in my palm and I filled her fireplace with it before
dropping down on the bed beside her with more flames licking their
way across my hands and forearms.
Tory kicked her boots off, leaving the Book of Ether in the space
dividing us as she sighed at the warmth of the flames and unbuckled
her sword too, tossing it on the carpet.

“What’s with the bloodstains?” I asked, pointing to her arm where it

looked like someone had been doodling all over her in gory ink. The
marks were hard to make out, so many of them drawn on top of others
but I recognised a couple of runes drawn in the freshest of the blood.
“Oh, you know. I went to some creepy cave and met these three
witches who practice dark magic-”
“No such thing as witches, Tor.” I gave her a nudge and she rolled her
eyes at me.

“Well, they were Nymph witches who called themselves oracles. And
they looked like goddesses given flesh. I swear to fuck, I almost wish I
was gay for the sake of those women alone.”
“Almost?” I teased.
“Well, I have a pathetically prevalent obsession with cock, but aside
from that...”
I choked out a laugh and she gave me a grin, but it died somewhere
along the way, her eyes glazing as they moved to something else that
had happened.
“Tell me,” I urged, and she blew out a breath.
“It was...honestly, Caleb, it was all kinds of fucked up, and I’ll admit
that I pretty much just gave in to the call of their magic and promised
them the world if they would only help me find my way back to him.”
I didn’t need to ask who she meant, my own heart aching as I reached
out and took her hand in my flame-wreathed fingers, giving her a
gentle squeeze which she returned before withdrawing her hand from
mine.

“You can’t come back looking like that-” I waved a hand at the
bloodstains and filthy dress “-and not explain it properly.”
“Fine.” Tory turned to look up at the ceiling, expelled a harsh breath,
and said, “I may have spent an entire day and night engaging in what
could objectively be called a memory orgy where the three of them all
lived through a hell of a lot of mine and Darius’s sex life by bringing
my memories to life and watching me fuck him repeatedly until I
blacked out.”
“What the fuck?” I spluttered, and she groaned, throwing an arm over
her eyes so she didn’t have to look at me.
“I dunno, dude. It was...so real. He was there, he was touching me
and kissing me, and I could feel all of it. But he wasn’t there at the
same time. The places I could see didn’t actually exist around us, and
I honestly don’t know if I was just laying on a stone table masturbating
the entire time while the three of them all pawed at me and got their
kicks from the show.”

“Wow,” I said, not entirely sure what the hell I was supposed to say to
that because it sounded seriously fucked up, as well as at least a bit hot,
and if the ache in her voice was anything to go by, it had only really
served to sharpen her grief. “If they were so beautiful, then why don’t
they just get their own kicks instead of wanting to watch you and
Darius go at it all night long?”
“Well, they were all virgins to aid with their dark magic shit - which
doesn’t exactly bode well for me if that is integral to using it fully, by
the way - and they’d also made a few interesting choices like sewing
their eyes and lips closed to keep a certain level of evil from fully
corrupting them - not that I’m convinced it had helped. But either
way, I’m not sure all that many Fae would be brave enough to fuck
them, even if the virginity barrier wasn’t there-”

“Aside from you, who effectively fucked all three of them,” I pointed
out, and she scowled at me.
“It wasn’t like that. Well, I guess it was but... It was...me and him.”
She sighed, the pain of his loss pressing down on her. “Me and him
with a trio of witnesses,” she added with an amused snort.
“Witnesses who were getting off on it,” I pointed out.
“Yeah,” she agreed with a shrug, like that was the least of it.
“So what did this orgy get you? A night with him?”

“Yeah...” She trailed off, glancing towards the door before taking a
rolled piece of parchment from inside the front page of the Book of
Ether and holding it out to me.
I extinguished the flames on my hands, taking it and opening the
scroll, frowning at the cryptic message while trying to gain some
understanding of what it meant but coming up blank.
“Do you know where the Damned Forest is by any chance?” Tory
asked me and I shook my head.
“Never heard of it. What’s there?”

“Answers. Maybe. The only chance they thought I might have of

finding a way to him without passing beyond the Veil myself.”
I frowned at the words again, but they meant nothing to me. “If that’s
some place in Solaria, then it isn’t on any map I’ve ever studied. And
believe me, I’ve studied way too many of them,” I said, handing her
the note back, and she sighed as she tucked it into the book again.
“Figures. But I’m going to work it out. I have to.”

I nodded, understanding that just as I understood how dangerous this

magic she was messing with might be. But it was Darius. I would go to
the ends of the earth with her to bring him back if that was what it
took, no price would be too steep.
“I need to wash this Nymph blood off,” Tory groaned, brushing a
hand over the stains on her arm.
“Did they kill someone for all that blood?” I half teased, half
questioned seriously.

“No. Vidi, the one who had sewn her eyes shut, slit her wrist for it. I
think ether requires a sacrifice and an anchor to work fully. She was
using the tie of her blood to my skin to draw the memories from me
and make them as tangible as they were. She made him real.”
Tory swallowed thickly, and I didn’t need to ask how being with him
like that had left her feeling. It must have been like stepping into the
past without having any chance to change the future she knew he was
going to face.

“I’m sorry,” I said, knowing it didn’t do anything to help her, but she
gave me a wry smile all the same.
“I understood what it was when I agreed to it. And it wasn’t
something I could have refused, no matter how badly I knew it was
going to hurt when it was over.”
Tory stood and moved to the huge bathtub beside the window, casting
hot water into it with a mixture of water and fire magic, her power
already replenishing from the flames in the room.
I picked up the Book of Ether as she stripped off, not looking her way
as I started leafing through it, despite having done so multiple times
before. I kept finding new notes or incantations every time I looked at
it, like the book had been judging me every time I gave it my attention
and was willing to release a little more of its knowledge on each visit. I
knew that made no sense, but I didn’t know how else to explain it.

“It says here that soul walking can be used to find your heart’s desire,
but the description doesn’t seem entirely like what you did when you
located Darcy and Orion,” I said thoughtfully, reading over the use of
various crystals to locate things like riches or lost treasure. “It’s not as
simple as finding someone you share blood with, but I think it can be
done.”
“What’s the cost?” Tory asked, her back to me as she climbed into the
bath and sank down into the hot water.
I skimmed the page and winced. “Err, there’s heavy indication that an
infant animal could be used in a sacrificial-”

“Ew. No. Give me a green Dragon asshole to bleed out in payment

and I’ll be all over it, but I’m not murdering a baby bunny. What
else?”
“It’s a little unclear, but there is a notation here which says ‘one
month.’ Do you think that’s a month off of your life or a month of
servitude to some goat beast, or-”
“A goat beast?” Tory asked, turning her head and arching an eyebrow
at me over the rim of the tub. “What would I have to do for the goat
beast? Feed it shoes and take it on walks up mountain trails?”

“Probably. Hang on, I think there’s more to this anyway...”

I trailed off as I read more from the book, turning the pages and cross-
referencing with indexes and other chapters. Honestly, the entire thing
seemed to have been written with the sole intention of confusing the
reader, not a single spell or divine rite laid out clearly.
The door banged open, and Geraldine shrieked like a new-born
velociraptor as she flung herself over the threshold, tears streaming
down her cheeks as she raced towards Tory with her arms
outstretched.
“Well, isn’t this cosy?” Seth commented as he and Max followed her
into the room, closing the door again behind them while Geraldine
half submerged herself in her efforts to hug a rather wet Vega. “All
snuggled up in bed while Tory gets naked.”
“She was covered in blood,” I replied, my eyes still on the book as I
beckoned him closer. “She needed to wash it off, don’t you think?”
“I’m surprised your tongue didn’t manage to get all of it without the
need for the tub,” Seth sniped, his tone making me look up at him
with a frown.

Max rolled his eyes at the two of us and headed into the en suite,
muttering something about a public shit being less uncomfortable than
this as he went.
“Nymph blood doesn’t really do it for me,” I deadpanned, wondering
why Seth was being so fucking pissy. Was he considering what his
mom had said about not being my Source? Was he really thinking
about breaking off our bond like that for the sake of appearances?
My heart began to thrash unevenly as I considered it, and I dropped
the book onto Tory’s pillow as I looked at him more closely.

“No? What does do it for you then, Cal? Because I’m finding it pretty
damn hard to tell these days,” Seth practically growled at me as he
held his ground by the door, and I shot towards him, meaning to meet
that challenge in his eyes but falling still a mere breath from him
instead, my hand snapping out to grip his throat. I didn’t squeeze
though, my fingers brushing over his Adam’s apple softly instead,
grazing his skin until I found the still unhealed bite wound, then lifting
my eyes to his.

“If you plan on doing what your mom told you to, then just say it,” I
challenged, my voice a rough whisper which I doubted the others
could hear over Geraldine’s loud recounting of how worried she had
been about Tory while she took on the job of washing her hair for her.
Seth’s lips parted on the words, the rejection shining in his eyes just
like that fucking peace sign, waiting to taunt me tirelessly, but he
didn’t speak them.

Something shifted and hardened in his eyes, his gaze sharpening as the
Alpha in him rose its head and he bared his teeth at me again.
“No one else can handle you the way I can, pretty boy,” he taunted
instead, knocking my hand from his throat before grabbing me by the
front of my shirt and whirling me around so my back slammed into
the door with a solid bang.
He was in my face instantly, speaking so close to me that I could taste
every word as they passed his lips.

“The next time you come looking for a drink from your Source, I’m
going to make sure you remember that. I’ll pin you beneath me and
remind you who the most powerful Werewolf in Solaria is, and you’ll
be offering me your throat in submission to prove that you haven’t
forgotten.”
My heart thrashed at his words, blood thundering through my body at
an impossible pace and my breath catching in my lungs as he shoved
himself away from me and left me panting for him against the fucking
door like some pathetic fan girl.

Seth stalked across the room, scooping a half empty bottle of tequila
out of Tory’s things and taking a long swig from it, his back to me in a
clear insult which I knew I should have been calling him out on.
But I couldn’t find it in me to do it. He hadn’t rejected my claim on
him. He was still my Source. And the promise he’d just given me
made me ache for the hunt despite the fresh supply of magic I still had
tearing through my veins from biting him less than half an hour ago.
Geraldine had bundled Tory out of the bath and wrapped her in a
black silk gown, despite the half assed protests she was getting over all
the fussing.

But as Tory let herself be guided into a chair and Geraldine bellowed
a command for someone to bring a fresh platter of bagels, I could tell
that she didn’t mind the attention nearly as much as she claimed.
The sound of the toilet flushing reached us, and Max returned to the
room, a scowl passing over his face as he looked from me to Seth. I
tightened my mental shields, not wanting him to see the messed-up
shit I was dealing with at the moment. Max had his own pain to
contend with, his relationship with Geraldine too, and I knew he was
drowning in the constant flood of fear and grief the rebels were
emitting at all times as well. He didn’t need my bullshit piling on top
of that, and I refused to place the burden of it on him.
“Are you going to tell us where the fuck you’ve been then, little
Vega?” Max asked, dropping down onto Tory’s bed and lacing his
hands behind his head.

“I’ll tell you,” Tory agreed as Geraldine began brushing her hair,
murmuring about wildebugs and snaggletooths living in it soon if she
didn’t get all the snarly-gnarlies out. “But we’re going to need to focus
on our plan to rescue Darcy, Orion, and Gabriel before we can do
anything about it. The Hydra is still set to bellow at The Palace of
Souls tomorrow, right?”
“As clearly as a moonday maw, my lady,” Geraldine agreed, and Tory
visibly relaxed.
“Good. Because I am more than ready to get my fucking twin back.”
I pulled on my favourite blood-red smoking jacket and admired myself
in the gilded mirror in the rooms I’d claimed for myself.
I was still having trouble accessing Hail Vega’s old chambers, the
grandest in the palace, and worse than that, I still could not get even
close to the treasury. It was as if the corridors shifted and changed
every time I delved into the deeper regions of the palace, though it was
surely just some spell set to confuse me. Whatever pathetic magic had
been placed here to try and keep me out would dissolve in the face of
my might eventually though, I was certain of it.

Lavinia had travelled north to visit her army of Nymphs this evening,
and I was finally free of her at last. If only for one night. But I would
certainly be making the most of it.
I had summoned Francesca Sky to me, the FIB agent a beautiful
specimen who had often crossed my mind since our last meeting. It
was time I got a taste of sweet, warm flesh again. And hers was a
delicacy I would spend many hours enjoying.

She was most willing. Her answer to my summons having come

swiftly, as I had predicted. I had seen the way she flushed in my
company, how she admired my great size and looked up at me
through those thick lashes with want. I was the most desired man in
the kingdom now, I supposed. The Dragon King. The greatest Fae to
ever live.

I slipped a belt through the loops of my trousers, fastening it tight and

running my thumb over the golden clasp shaped like a Dragon’s scale,
feeling the little touch of magic it gave me. I had laid naked upon my
newly acquired gold offered up from the Dragon Guild all afternoon,
recharging my power and writhing in my trove. Though I had been
sorely reminded of the treasure that had been stolen from me, some of
the most valuable pieces of history among my trove now vanished into
the rebels’ grasp.
I growled, smoke pooling between my lips and heat rising in my chest
like a furnace. No, I must not dwell on that tonight.
I would soon find my way into the palace treasury and lay claim to all
the priceless jewels that were hidden within. Mine. All mine.
A nervous knock came at the door which I was growing far too
accustomed to.

“Enter, Vard,” I growled, the Cyclops irking me as always. He had

been working on Gabriel Nox’s mind day after day now and had
produced little of substance, telling me all he could see in the Seer’s
head were visions of a giant nest shaped like a falcon and fine sticks
inlaid with gemstones. I had no idea what trickery was at play, but
there was something the Seer was doing to evade being broken again.
But Gabriel would see the rebels make a mistake soon enough, and
then Vard would pull the vision from his head and I would march out
to obliterate them that very same day.
The next time I met with the rebels, I would not leave a single one of
them to breathe another breath. I would eradicate them, every man,
woman, and child, burned to ash so that they could never rise against
me again.

“Sire, I have made some progress today with my experiments. I

thought you might like to come and see?” Vard asked hopefully, like a
mutt looking for scraps.
I pushed a hand through my golden hair, styling it just so and taking a
moment to admire myself longer in the mirror, letting him wait on my
answer.
“If you waste my time again, I will be most displeased.”
“I promise you will want to see this,” he said eagerly. “Come, sire. I
will bring a smile to your face this day yet.”

I turned, letting him lead me from the room and down into the belly
of the palace where I allowed him to conduct his experiments. I
followed him into a brick walled room where a woman was strapped
down on a metal bed in the middle of it, the sound of rebels crying
and begging from nearby cages irritating me. I cast a silencing bubble
over them so that I didn’t have to listen to their unFae whimpering
and followed Vard over to the woman.
Her eyes were glassy, though she was still with us, her fingers twitching
a little to let me know as much. She was young, pretty perhaps, if it
weren’t for the tubes sticking out of her flesh, feeding some glowing
blue potion beneath her skin.

“Look,” Vard said, picking up a little wooden tongue depressor and

using it to peel the woman’s upper lip back.
Vampire fangs were revealed, and I looked from them to Vard
blankly. “And?”
“And she is a Harpy by birth,” he said with a twisted smile, making
the scar across the side of his face crease.
“Has she shown interest in feeding?” I asked, my curiosity piqued at
last.

“A little,” he said. “These trials have been far more successful than my
Emergence trials. I spent many years trying to switch the orders of
children before their Orders awoke. That seemed most logical, you
see? But I had little success with it, though I learned much about the
inner workings of the Orders and how to contain them once they are
removed. Each Order is different, some trickier to sustain than others
when they are cut from a subject. And I believe children can be useful
to this area of science yet.”

I nodded, my curiosity deepening. “And does the essence of these

Orders die once the subject dies?”
“Some do, others live on,” he breathed excitedly, leading me over to a
metal cabinet which had frost clinging to its exterior. He opened it
with a wave of his hand and a flash of magic, tugging the doors wide
and showing me the rows of large glass jars inside. Light glowed inside
them, flickering, pulsing, each moving to its own particular rhythm. I
read the labels on them all with intrigue. Manticore, Cerberus,
Werewolf, Medusa, Vampire, Centaur.

“My babies are waiting for a new home,” Vard said, snapping the
doors shut with a gleeful smile. “Your cousin Benjamin has been quite
helpful with this project. Perhaps you would permit him back into
your court?” he asked sweetly, clearly put up to this by my uncouth
cousin, and I bristled.
“Benjamin may assist you, but I will not risk bringing him into my
court. He is a gambler and a liability. No Dragon worth their salt
should gamble away their trove, it’s despicable,” I spat.
“Of course, sire,” Vard said, bowing his head and leading me back to
the girl strapped down on the table. “Now let me see if I can get our
friend to feed.”
The newly made Vampire gnashed her teeth, thrashing wildly, her
empty eyes filling with a murderous want. But that hungry, riotous
need in her suddenly turned into a fit, her body starting to jerk, her
eyes rolling into the back of her head.

“No, no, no. Hang on.” Vard pressed healing magic into her skin, but
blood was dripping from the woman’s mouth, her ears, her eyes, the
thrashing of her body only gaining in intensity before she fell all too
still, eyes wide and death stealing her away.
I clucked my tongue in annoyance.
“What did I tell you about wasting my time?” I snarled, and Vard
winced from my tone, lifting the wooden tongue depressor and
shrinking behind it as if it could save him from my ire.

I caught him by the throat, fire blazing in my palm, and his scream
echoed around the room as I felt his skin sizzling beneath my heated
grip. I released him before I burned my way too deep, and he
staggered to the ground, holding his neck with a whimper.
I turned my back on him, leaving him there to heal himself and
striding for the exit, but his calls made me pause on the threshold as he
dared cry out for me again.

“Sire! There is another subject you should see – the other experiment
I have been working on!”
Curiosity rose in me unwanted, but I couldn’t resist the urge to turn
back fully, my gaze moving over the pathetic creature who called
himself my Royal Seer. The only reason I still kept him in my court
was because of the few exceptionally useful visions he had managed to
conjure during his time of service to me. He may have been a pitiful
waif of a Fae, but occasionally, he proved his worth. I would not have
found the rebels’ hideout without him, and I could not forget that.
“Show me,” I growled, and he nodded quickly, scrambling to his feet
and beckoning me after him.
He hurried across the room towards the next chamber, guiding me
past the corridor which led to the cells holding the Fae destined to
become his next test subjects, their cries for mercy stirring my blood as
I ignored them.
Vard strode into a dim corridor where thick metal bars marked the
front of huge cells, the test subjects within those on our left recoiling
from us while we passed two empty cages on our right before Vard
finally fell still.

He reached out for a clipboard hanging from the bars and I drew
closer to him, peering into the cell, seeing only shifting darkness
within.
He offered me the clipboard and I snatched it from him, my eyes
roaming over the information there detailing the subject’s name as
Will Oli, his Order form a Vampire and his Element fire. Beneath it
was the name of a monster which I knew lurked in the bowels of this
world; Obscuro, a beast of twisting darkness with rows of sharpened
teeth that could skin a Fae in minutes.
“These are the genetic mutations you’ve been working on?” I asked
curiously, and Vard smiled toothily at me, the movement stretching
his scar and making him seem even uglier than usual.

“I call him, the Oliwill,” he breathed, his excitement palpable.

I stepped closer to the bars as I spotted movement within the cage, the
darkness seeming to shift in the rear corner.
I walked all the way up to the bars, squinting to see better before
flicking my fingers and casting a Faelight into existence.
A shriek erupted from the cage at the illumination of the bright light,
my heart leaping as a creature of smoke and flame shot towards me
with the speed of a Vampire, death flashing before my eyes as I caught
sight of a feral face hidden within the thick smoke.

I stumbled back, my feet tripping over themselves, and Vard snatched

my arm into his grip to keep me from falling as the thing in the cage
wailed with hunger, lashing its near formless body against the bars.
“He’s hungry,” Vard purred, watching the thing he had created with
wicked delight, and I found myself staring as I straightened, taking in
this creature of chaos.
“What does it eat?” I asked in a low tone, cocking my head to one side
as I surveyed the beast, its body humanoid, but ghostly too where the
smoke parted to reveal its lengthened limbs.
Vard’s smile widened and he lifted his hand, casting magic towards
the rear wall of the cell. It parted at his command, a prisoner revealed
in the chamber there, her face written with terror as the Oliwill
snapped its attention to her.

She barely managed to scream as it shot for her, blood spraying across
the walls in a wide arc as the Oliwill made a feast of her in seconds,
flesh and bone shredding within its wide, tooth-filled jaw.
“You have control of this creature?” I demanded, as a vision spread
before my eyes, of me wielding this thing at my will, setting it on those
who disobeyed me, using it to tighten my hold on this rebellious
kingdom.
“I used collars in my previous experiments, but I am designing new
methods to control them, ones which are hardwired into their minds
and cannot be broken by outside forces. Though as of yet, I haven’t
perfected that,” Vard admitted in a small voice. “And...”
“Spit it out,” I snarled, making him flinch as I allowed my Faelight to
dim, leaving the Oliwill to its meal of rebel flesh.

“Only around one in fifty survive the modification, and even then,
they don’t live for long.”
“How long do they manage?” I demanded and he flinched.
“The Oliwill is the first of this batch to make it beyond a day. The
records of the processes I used when I first developed these methods
were all destroyed when the Celestial Council voted against me
continuing with these experiments,” he sighed, casting his eyes to the
floor, and I didn’t miss the tone of accusation there.

“As you know well, I voted for those experiments to continue. And
without me taking the throne, you wouldn’t have ever been granted
the permission required to restart them,” I growled, and he cowered
like the snivelling cockroach he was.

“Of course, sire. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I only meant to explain
why I am struggling to recreate such viable subjects. Oliwill is doing
better than the others, but even he is showing signs of deterioration. At
the current rate, he will be dead before dawn...”
I cursed as I looked from Vard to the cage containing the gruesome
creature, my need for more power consuming me as it always had. I
would never get enough, never reach the epitome of all I craved.
“Keep working on it then,” I commanded.
“I shall, of course. I had great success in the past with such mutations,
but it is proving difficult to recreate without my original notes to go
on.” He sighed again. “However, I have a woman I am prepping.
Mary Brown. She is responding well to the initial stages of the trial.
Perhaps she will respond as well as my dear Ian did.”

“Good. Only bother me again if you make a success of it next time.” I

turned and strode away from Vard as he simpered in my wake,
slamming the door shut behind me.
When I made it back upstairs, I walked to the lounge I had asked
Horace to prepare for my date and found him waiting with a fine
bottle of whiskey and my favourite cigars. I relaxed, the tension rolling
out of my body at finding him living up to my expectations for once.
His minor mistakes were becoming fewer, but I still missed the
perfection Jenkins had brought to this role. Lavinia just had to go and
fucking eat him, didn’t she?

I clipped the cigar and lit it with a flame cast upon my index finger,
wafting Horace away to pour me a glass of whiskey and dropping into
the large wingback chair by the fire. Yes, this was good. I could
breathe again now that Lavinia was no longer in the palace, and when
Horace passed me my whiskey in a golden chalice, I thought on how I
might regain control over Lavinia, taking a long sip of the fine drink. I
really had to get a hold on her before she demanded an heir from me
again.

I shuddered at the thought of her taking me to bed, of getting me to

give her some monstrous child again. I had to try and avoid that fate
at all costs.
I had a host of diviners reading the fates for me regularly in every
manner they could, and I received daily Horoscopes from the
Horometer at Zodiac Academy too. Just this morning, I had been
offered a grand forecast from the stars.

I took out my Atlas, reading over it again and enjoying another sip of
the fine whiskey.
Good morning, Aries.
The stars have spoken about your day!
Power blossoms in your life like a spring flower reaching towards a
bright blue sky. The day ahead is set to be a bountiful one indeed, but
the turbulent nature of your ruling planet, Mars, may bring lows along
with the highs. Ride the highs while they last and reflect on the lows.
Your need for sexual connection is finally coming to fruition as the
alignment of Venus in your chart predicts a fiery experience in your
near future.

I smiled, putting my Atlas away and thinking on my highs,

anticipating many more to come.
The academy was well under my control now, many of my Nebula
Taskforce placed within its ranks, and I had Dark Coerced anyone
who had opposed my reign. I had big plans for the academy, a place
to train the higher Orders and recruit them to my army. I would have
the curriculum overhauled, and all lessons would focus on creating
warriors out of my allies. I had dreams of an army which could one
day crush all others. With the lesser Orders eradicated, the pure lines
would live on, generation after generation, making Solaria the greatest
power on earth.

I could be the king of the entire world one day, but there was one
thing I needed to ensure that. Time. And I could secure it as soon as I
found the Imperial Star. If the legends were true, it could grant me
immortality and I would remain here forever, conquering the realm
piece by piece.

My cock stirred at the mere idea of it, and I took a toke on my cigar,
rolling it between my teeth and settling back into my seat. Things were
not perfect, but problems could always be solved. I just needed to
think on how to handle Lavinia, and once she was subdued, I would
kill Gwendalina Vega. Perhaps I could even find a way to use her to
lure her sister to me, then kill them both in a bloodbath of my own
design. It had worked once before, after all.

A woman stepped through the open door and my eyebrows arched at

Stella Orion in a tight navy dress and high heels. She looked ravishing,
yet her expression did not speak of her delight at seeing me like I
expected.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” she said respectfully, bowing her
head for a moment before glancing at Horace. “I thought we could
have a word... alone?”
“Of course.” I wafted my hand at Horace, and he scarpered from the
room, shutting the door behind him as he went.
Stella remained across the room, folding her arms as she inspected my
outfit, and her eyes brightened a little. “Were you expecting me?”
“No,” I said simply. “I have company arriving soon.”
“What kind of company?”
“The female kind,” I admitted.

I didn’t care to lie to her. What did she expect? I was the king now,
and my needs were as infinite as the sky.
Her eyes rippled with some weak emotion which I wasn’t going to
bother to decipher, and she folded her arms.
“Why did you bring me to the palace?” she asked.
“You know why. I enjoy you very much, Stella. But I cannot escape
the wants of other women. I am the most desired Fae in Solaria. And
as king, I shall be pleasured by the beauties of this land as is only right
for a man of my status.”

Her throat bobbed as she nodded, seeming to accept that.

“How is the new rift coming along?” I asked, flicking a silencing
bubble around us to keep our secret between us.
“Slowly, as you asked,” Stella said. “But sooner or later, Lavinia will
figure out that I am stalling on it, and what will happen then?”
“I’m working on it,” I assured her. “Just buy me a little more time.
Now off you go.” I jerked my chin at the door. “Who knows, perhaps
I’ll have my fill of my company early, then come seek you out in your
bed tonight too.” I smiled seductively, and her lips twitched as if she
was going to object, then she bowed her head and left me there.

I chuckled to myself, puffing on my cigar again. She was learning her

place in this world, and it was at my beck and call. I liked the way it
sparked a fire in her, and I’d enjoy extinguishing that fire just as much.
She was my plaything now, and she liked it too. She would admit that
to herself eventually.
I flicked the ash of my cigar in the ashtray, gazing into the fire in the
hearth, thinking on my issues. I had always been a master problem
solver, and I had made it through greater challenges than these.

There was an answer just out of my reach, my diviners had spoken of

it many times this past week. The stars were turning in my favour
again, shining down on their favourite Fae and blessing me with their
light. Indeed, the answer was coming, I only needed to be patient.
My hazel hair was pinned back with a silver clip which hid a
tourmaline crystal, the magic of which I was going to need tonight if I
was ever going to pull this off. I brushed my fingers over the colourful
stone, casting a concealment spell to divert anyone’s attention from it.
My heart was galloping like a Pegasus about to take off into the sky,
and I took a moment to relax as I sat in my car not far from the gates
of The Palace of Souls, just out of sight of the guards. Mom’s voice
rang in my head, her words always knowing how to calm me.
“Francesca, you are only as strong as you feel you are. Power is
nothing without confidence.”

She’d taught me how to claim my place in the world, and I’d followed
in her footsteps in the end, taking up a position in the FIB. I’d never
known my father, and it had never occurred to me to go looking for
him either. My mom hadn’t planned on having children, but later in
life, she had fallen pregnant with me by chance while she was out
training on the Isles of Kahinti. There was an entire town there built
with the sole purpose of FIB agents partaking in simulation exercises.
FIB units from all over Solaria went there every year, and my mom
had had a brief fling with one of the officers. She’d told him about me,
but he’d decided he didn’t want anything to do with me, and I’d taken
up the same opinion when I was old enough to care.

So Mom had been my person, but a few years ago, I’d had to watch
her fade away from me, piece by piece. She’d had a good, long life,
and she hadn’t been afraid of stepping beyond the Veil. In fact, she’d
been excited to see long lost friends and family again, but her single
regret was leaving me here alone. I’d tried to ease her worries; I had
lots of friends among my colleagues and outside of them too. But I was
pretty sure she was angling at something else, because towards the
end, she’d kept asking about one man. The man who I’d seen a future
with once. The man who was the reason I was sitting outside this
palace now, about to do the unthinkable for.
I’d coped with Mom’s loss in the end, though it changed me, as all
death does. I’d seen agents die long before their time in the line of
duty, leaving young families behind to try and handle life without
them. That was the kind of death that seemed devastatingly unfair,
though others would say that as long as they had died fighting for a
better world, then their death was not in vain.

Mom had known that too, and she had instilled in me a moral
compass which was spinning now, driving me to do the right thing
even when it terrified me. But of course, it wasn’t really my morals
that had me sitting here in a fitted red dress with a slit up one leg and
gold jewellery draped around my throat and wrists. It was him.
Forever him.
I flipped the sun visor down and checked my makeup in the mirror on
the back of it, my eyes smoky, my lips the colour of blood. Lance
Orion may have been mated to another woman, but I had loved him
first, and I wasn’t going to let that love turn to bitterness. It may have
been unrequited, but that didn’t make it invalid. Though that didn’t
make it hurt any less.

I vividly recalled the moment when I’d been summoned into work
after his arrest, my friend tipping me off on the whole thing. And I’d
actually laughed, certain there was a mistake, that I’d turn up at the
precinct to find Lance telling me the truth, then I’d use my Cyclops
gifts to clear his name. But it hadn’t turned out that way. When I’d
seen him, he’d looked desperate, broken, terrified. He’d turned me
away, and I wasn’t sure if that was the moment my heart had
shattered or if it was the moment when he’d pleaded guilty and been
sent to prison.

I knew him. And I knew that what he’d spoken on the stand had been
a lie the moment it left his lips. He sacrificed himself for a Vega
princess, a girl who he had spent months agonising over because of
her threat to the Celestial Heirs, and in particular, Darius Acrux.

None of it had made any sense until I’d been delivered the final piece
of the puzzle in the form of one of the worst nights of my life. Finding
him under the stars, newly mated to Darcy Vega, watching him kiss
her like she was the lifeblood of his soul, like he could no longer see
anyone or anything else. Yes, my heart had broken the moment his
illegal affair had come to light, but it had been crushed and set on fire
the night he had been mated to her.

I guessed I’d foolishly held onto some quiet hope that she and him
wouldn’t last, that he would one day come back to me and we’d pick
up where we left off. But no one could defy silver rings.
I’d convinced myself the two of us were meant to be, but the stars had
had other plans the whole time.

Wasted. All those years loving him, trying to pretend what he and I
had was just sex, telling my friends that was all I wanted from him,
and that it suited me just fine. But deep down, for years, I’d harboured
that love for him and had been too much of a coward to admit it. Now
all that silent suffering seemed so fucking pointless.
Why did I let the years tick by? Why didn’t I Fae up and confess the
truth to him? Or better yet, why didn’t I cut things off and give my
heart time to get over him?

As my mom would say, “Regret is the enemy of the future.”

I couldn’t move forward if I kept looking back, and yes, I’d had a little
time to heal now, but honestly...it was like my heart wasn’t capable of
letting him go. So here I was, about to risk my life for him. A fool?
Maybe. But I valued him far beyond my own selfish desire to be loved
by him. We were friends, Nebula Allies to be precise, and nothing
would change that. I would be here for him whether my heart pined
for him or not. And as his Nebula Ally, I was here for his Elysian Mate
too.

The moment my captain got wind that Lance Orion and Darcy Vega
were being held by the king, I’d put my plans into place. The FIB
were firmly under the thumb of Lionel Acrux now, and he had
planted several of the Kings United Nebula Taskforce among my
ranks to ensure we followed through on the new laws.

At first, I’d thought to run, to seek out the rebels and join their ranks,
but then I realised that I was in the perfect position to spy on what the
king was up to. I’d had to round up ‘lesser’ Fae and send them to the
Nebular Inquisition Centres, but that meant I’d seen inside those
camps, I’d seen what the king was doing, and my memories would
become a weapon the moment I managed to hand them to the rebels.
They could expose Lionel’s regime and open the eyes of the civilians
who believed the bullshit the false king fed to them about protecting
them from traitors and insurgents.

I rolled the plain silver ring on my thumb, a gift from my mother who
had also been of the Cyclops Order. The ring was a memory loop,
something that could only be created by Cyclopses, and was now
home to any memory I wished to store within it. It was the truth as
brutally as I could present it, the things I had seen so chilling that I
pitied the Fae who had to watch it. But Lionel could not get away with
his plans to cull the ‘lesser’ Orders, taking everything they owned, then
handing it out to his Dragon friends and anyone he deemed worthy.
He was a monster. And I was about to walk into his lair and cast my
first stone against him.

I placed a firm barrier over my mind, then stepped out of the car,
locking it and slipping the key into my purse which hung from a chain
over my shoulder. I walked around to the gates on high heels, a couple
of Dragon cronies eyeing me in my skimpy outfit before letting me
pass.
My heart was beating faster, but I called on my training and worked to
convince myself that this was just another drill, pretending I was going
through the motions to pass my latest evaluation. It was easier to think
of it like that, a trick I’d picked up from my captain.
By the time I’d climbed the steps up to the imperial entranceway to
the palace, I was calm, composed, and ready to face the Dragon King.
I was let inside by a servant, and I followed her along the winding
corridors, the scent of smoke hanging heavily in the air. I was led into
a grand lounge with low lighting where Lionel Acrux was
manspreading in a huge wingback chair by a blazing fireplace, puffing
on a cigar. He wore a dark, blood-red smoking jacket, and his eyes
glinted jade green for a moment as his gaze fell on me.

The servant bowed and hurried away, leaving me there like a meal for
the beast, and my confidence faltered for a moment. Fake it ‘til you
make it.
I raised my chin, not letting him see a fraction of fear in me. I was a
predator just like he was, and I wasn’t going to let him turn me into
prey.
“Good evening, my King.” I bowed my head respectfully and when I
looked back up, his head was cocked to one side.

“I am glad you responded so quickly to my invitation, Francesca,” he

said, smoke streaming between his teeth as he exhaled. “Though I
have to say, after our last meeting, I am surprised you did not reach
out sooner.”
“I would never be so brazen to assume you wanted me here, Your
Highness. Besides, I am always so busy with work,” I said
apologetically, falling into the act I’d been practising for days in front
of the mirror, preparing myself for this interaction. He had to believe I
was here for him and only him, wholeheartedly trusting that I wanted
him, and that no other cause had brought me to his door.
“You could not take a night off for your king?” he asked, a lilt of
charisma in his voice.

“I was only trying to please my king by doing my duties in the FIB,” I

said, and he released a rumbling laugh.
“Hm, you are a well-bred creature indeed, Francesca. Duty above
pleasure, that is the way of powerful Fae such as you and I. But we
must indulge ourselves occasionally, no?”

“This is quite the indulgence,” I said, biting my lip a little as I moved

deeper into the room and brushed my fingers over the back of the
green armchair that sat opposite him. It was far smaller in size, the
seat much lower than his, and I had to wonder if that was intentional.
Had his wife sat here across from him? Had she ever loved him? Or
had she always feared this terrible man? I couldn’t help but pity her
for the life she’d been forced to lead in his shadow, the article which
had been published about her marriage to him filling my thoughts for
a moment. He had trapped her mind with Dark Coercion, had made
her bend to his will in everything, even making her play whore with
his friends for political advantage. And yet the woman I’d seen in the
photos accompanying that article on her marriage to Hamish Grus
only filled me with admiration. If she had endured a lifetime in the
company of this monster without breaking, then I could certainly hope
to survive a single night.
My gaze slipped to Lionel’s shadow hand which was as black as soot
and smoky like it wasn’t entirely solid, the sight of it making me wary,
though a twinge of satisfaction filled me at the thought of the original
having been destroyed by a Vega.
Lionel stubbed his cigar in the gold ash tray on a table beside him,
pushing to his feet and dominating the space with his enormous size.
He moved toward me, and I dropped my eyes subserviently as he
approached, stepping right into my personal space so the scent of cigar
smoke and danger wafted into my lungs.

Keep breathing, Francesca.

“You are lucky,” he said with a chuckle. “I do not bring many women
to the palace.”
“What of your queen?” I asked, my skin prickling at the thought of the
shadow queen lurking in this cavernous place. Was she close? Could
she see us now? I found I feared her even more than the monster now
standing before me. The press spun stories about her, touting her as
this mystical goddess who had come from the shadow realm to offer all
of her love and power to Lionel, but I saw the truth. She wasn’t Fae.
She wasn’t even Nymph. She was a weapon more powerful than
anything I had encountered during my time in the FIB. I’d faced
plenty of monsters, but she was something wholly else. An entity that
defied nature and offered Lionel untold power.

“She is preoccupied,” he purred, leaning closer and caressing the gold

necklace around my throat, a perfectly intricate little chain that a
Dragon would certainly be captivated by. “And I am the king. I do as
I please.”
“What is it you would like, my King?” I glanced up at him through
my lashes. He would have been attractive if he wasn’t so awful, but it
wasn’t impossible to pretend if I imagined him as anyone else but the
man he was.
“Is it me?” I pressed. “Am I what you want?”
He nodded, and I leaned into him, placing my hand on his powerful
chest, the sturdy thump of his heart sitting right beneath my palm,
though I could sense an air shield against his skin too. He wasn’t
taking chances. He would have been a fool to.

“Yes, and you want me in return, do you not?”

“I do,” I said huskily. “I wish to please my king more than anything.”
I knew how far down this road I might have to go, and I’d made my
peace with that. It was the price I’d pay to get an opportunity to reach
Lance, but I had a plan to distract the false king yet that might buy me
time.
I leaned up, looping my arms around Lionel’s neck and touching my
mouth to his in an offering. He gripped my back, yanking me closer
and sinking his tongue between my lips, fire and brimstone washing
over my senses.

I pressed my finger to my left palm, casting the emergency response

spell that linked directly to my FIB partner. I’d had to entrust her with
this plan. She was a good friend and despised Lionel as deeply as I did,
but it had taken some convincing to get her to help me out tonight. I
hated to put her at risk, but the plan was solid, and Lionel shouldn’t
suspect her so long as things went smoothly.
Lionel’s kiss became hungrier and I tried to ignore the crawling
sensation in my skin as I let the monster have me.
Come on, Lyla, hurry up.
A knock came at the door but Lionel ignored it, his hand sliding down
to squeeze my ass.
“My King?” a woman squeaked. “Apologies, but there is an urgent
matter.”

Take the bait, asshole.

Lionel sighed as our lips broke apart, his frustration clear. “Forgive
me.” He turned, striding over to the door in anger and wrenching it
open. “This had better be important.”
“The northern wards were breached,” the woman stammered.
Lionel stiffened, then glanced back at me. “Wait here, Francesca. I
will return shortly.”

I nodded and he slammed the doors between us, a lock clicking before
the heavy pounding of his footfalls headed away from me.
I took a steadying breath, wiping my mouth a little to try and get the
taste of him off of my lips. I counted to sixty before I moved to the
door, pressing my ear to it, and listening for any sound of anyone out
there. The faint shuffling of feet made me certain he had stationed
someone there, and I shut my eyes, drawing on my gifts and reaching
for the mind of the guard. Their mental shields were poor and my
power was great. I snagged them under my control in moments and
urged them to open the door.
Lionel’s butler was dumb-looking with a shock of red hair and teeth
too big for his mouth, his glazed eyes falling on me as I kept him
trapped within my thrall.

“Take me to Lance Orion,” I commanded, pressing my will into his

mind, and he nodded vaguely, leading me off down the corridor while
I worked to maintain the connection, binding him to my will, making
sure he wouldn’t remember any of this once it was done too.
My pulse came quicker with every turn we took, passing under
gleaming chandeliers and through magnificent arches. The Palace of
Souls held a beauty like no other, gothic and intimidating in some
places, yet quaint and inviting in others.

Eventually, I was led into the throne room where the huge Hydra
throne stood with its many heads and hollowed seat at its heart. The
prize this kingdom had been struggling over ever since the Savage
King fell.
I gasped as my eyes landed on a cage of night iron beyond it, bolted
against the wall where two Fae sat close together within the bars. I ran
forward, leaving the butler immobilised by the door as love and pain
rose together in my chest at the sight of Lance Orion.
“Francesca?” he gasped in shock, rising to his feet and wincing at the
half-healed wounds on his bare chest.

Darcy leapt to her feet too, and I took in the girl who had claimed the
heart of the man I loved, finding her nothing like the one I
remembered. Her eyes were inky black, no sign of a silver ring within
them, and shadows clung to her body, her black hair shifting eerily in
the way Lavinia’s did. I didn’t know what I was witnessing and had no
time to ask as I pulled Orion into an embrace through the bars.
He slid one arm around me, drawing me close, and my carefully
constructed mask started to come apart.

“What have they done to you?” I breathed, not wanting to know but
needing to just the same.
“It doesn’t matter. What are you doing here? What’s going on?” he
demanded, releasing me and stepping back.
Darcy moved closer and I looked to her, feeling so many things
towards this girl. I had envied her night after night the moment I saw
her mated to Lance, but it had become more than that. I’d seen what
she and her sister had done in this war, and I idolised them in a way I
never could have predicted. My loyalty had always been firmly with
the Celestial Council and the Heirs, but I couldn’t deny the Vegas’
power anymore. She had to get free of here alongside Lance, and they
had to return to the rebels to fight.

I cast a silencing bubble around us all, then gripped the bars, using my
air Element to bend two of the bars apart.
“Quickly,” I urged, reaching for the clip in my hair and pulling it free.
I twisted the small tourmaline crystal out of the clip and gripped
Orion’s forearm, running it up and down.
“What is that?” Darcy asked.
“Francesca,” Orion hissed before I could answer. “I can’t leave here.”
“Nonsense,” I said dismissively. “I have a plan. I have a small amount
of stardust. We just need to get beyond the wards, and it’ll be fine.”
I ran the crystal up his other forearm, and the crystal glowed yellow in
my palm. “Ah, here. They’ve put a tracking spell on you,” I said,
pressing my thumb to the spot and shutting my eyes as I cast the spell
which would break the invisible tracking mark placed on him.
“Shit,” he growled, but I smiled as I felt the spell break, reaching for
Darcy in an offering.

She moved forward hesitantly, and I took her arm, not giving her time
to refuse as I ran the crystal up and down, finding the spell on her too.
“Fran, you have to go,” Darcy said urgently. “It’s not safe for you
here. We can’t leave.”
“What do you mean you can’t leave?” I scoffed, breaking the spell on
her and backing up. “Come on. Move.”

Darcy and Lance shared a hopeless look, then Darcy rushed toward
me, squeezing my hand. “Listen, Gabriel is being held here in the
Royal Seer’s chamber.” She started listing off directions hurriedly, but
I wasn’t listening, looking to Lance in frustration.

“We have to move!” I commanded, hating the way he was still

standing there with no urgency to run. I was breaking them out, didn’t
they get it? This was their chance to escape. There might not be
another.
“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head, and my heart started to splinter.
The crystal crumbled to dust in my palm, the last of its power used up,
and I pulled my hand out of Darcy’s, moving toward him and cupping
his cheek, so many years of loving him pouring out in my chest.
“Please. I came to get you out. I can’t leave you here. Why won’t you
move?”

“Darcy is cursed. I am the answer to that curse, and I must remain

here until my debt is paid,” he said thickly. “Please, Francesca, you
need to get out of here. It’s not safe here.”
“What have you done?” I whispered in horror, panic welling in me.
What did he mean he had to stay here? That he had a debt to pay?
And what curse?

“Please go,” Darcy begged, but I couldn’t turn my eyes from the man
before me, seeing that he was really refusing to leave. And I suddenly
had the most desperate fear that I might never see him again if I
turned away from him now.
“Did you ever love me?” I asked quietly, the words choked and
making me feel weak and foolish. The question had haunted me ever
since I’d learned of him and Darcy Vega. Had I always been just a
distraction, or had there ever been a time when he’d considered a
future with me? A time when I’d made his heart beat with the furious
passion he always garnered from mine?
“Francesca, please,” he rasped. “You must go.”

I moved closer to him still, refusing to leave and releasing a wave of

healing magic into his body to steal away those awful wounds on his
chest. Was she worth all this pain? Even a mate offered from the stars
wasn’t worth suffering like this for, was it?

Though as I thought of my own unrequited love for him, I knew I

would take any pain and more for him. It was my bane, an anchor
hanging my neck which I’d never found a way free of. I couldn’t even
pinpoint the exact moment when I’d fallen for him, maybe it was in
the space between our kisses, or the nights curled up on his couch
watching Pitball, drinking beer. Just being with him had always felt
like the right place to be. But those days were gone, never to return,
and I hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye.
“Answer me,” I begged. “Tell me if you ever looked at me and saw a
life at my side, a wedding, children. Was it ever me? Even for a
fraction of a moment?”
His throat bobbed and his brows drew tightly together, guilt marring
his features before he voiced the word that fell like an axe against my
neck. “No.”

I nodded mutely, knowing I should be moving, running, trying to get

back to that room before Lionel could discover me missing.
“I love you as a friend,” he said hurriedly, like he sensed the agony
he’d caused me with that one word. “You’ve always meant so much to
me. But I just never...it was never more than that. I’m sorry.”
I nodded again. All the years I’d spent yearning for this man really
had been wasted. I had tortured myself over him, I had convinced
myself that there was hope when there had always been none. And I
could have saved myself so many nights of longing if only I’d asked
him this question sooner.

The tears stung my eyes but didn’t fall. I kept them back in the face of
everything, shifting my mind onto what mattered.
“We can figure out the curse together. There may be another answer.
I’ll take the two of you somewhere safe,” I said firmly.
“There’s time to get to Gabriel,” Darcy implored, gripping my arm
and pulling me around to face her so that I stumbled a step away from
Lance. “Go to him,” she insisted. “Get him out. He can leave here,
but we can’t.”

“I will never leave Lance behind,” I growled.

“You will do as I command,” Darcy barked and I flinched, the power
in her words making something wholly Fae within me quake. I saw the
Savage King in her eyes and felt his authority ringing through the air,
but that authority belonged to her now, this princess whose bloodline
once owned the intimidating throne at my back.

The throne room door was flung open with a resounding boom that
made me whip around in terror, my hands raising defensively as
Lionel Acrux came barrelling towards me, his features twisted into a
sneer.
“You dare betray your king?!” he bellowed, air magic blasting at me,
and I cast my own air back with a cry of alarm.
His power outmatched mine tenfold and it crashed through mine,
snatching me up and throwing me at his feet against the stone floor, a
crack sounding as my arm broke beneath me and agony tore through
the limb.

His hand latched in my hair, and I looked up at him as pain splintered

through me, my two eyes sliding together into one and the full force of
my Cyclops gifts slamming against his mental shields. He roared in
anger, his teeth bared as he worked to keep his shields in place, and I
lost my grip on the butler as I focused all of my effort on breaking into
the king’s head.

He had a wall of steel surrounding his mind, but my power was a

spear of pure, diamond-tipped titanium. With a cry of effort, my gifts
flared from me and I punctured his shields, stealing into his mind.
My breath was torn from my lungs as I found myself falling through
the black pit of selfish cruelty which tainted the inside of Lionel
Acrux’s head, his thoughts a pit of thorny vines tearing into me as I
was tangled within them, flashes of memory spilling into every part of
my being.

I took it all in, from the glimpses of him raising his fists against his
family to the torture he had inflicted upon all who had stood against
him.
My mind spun with so much cruelty and the unending desire for
power which ruled this dark creature, impossible to sate and endlessly
hungry for more. I almost lost myself in the tangle of that darkness,
but I was no newly shifted fledgling cast adrift in the mind of a more
powerful Fae, and I knew well how to wield my gifts even in the dark.
Secrets. The word was a demand which echoed from me endlessly, the
world outside of us fading to nothing as I latched onto his mind, whips
of my Cyclops power lashing against his defences as I threw all I had
into this attack, knowing it was all I could do, the only chance I had
against one so powerful as him.

Distantly, I heard Orion fighting to reach me, his yells for Lionel to
release me cutting the air in two, but a blast of water magic from the
butler silenced his plight.
“Stay back,” he crowed, the sounds of a struggle coming in answer,
but I was too deep into my gifts to be able to tell what was happening.
Lionel bucked and thrashed against the talons I was sinking into his
mind, but I only dug them in deeper, that command resounding from
me again as I gave everything I had to this one chance, his body
immobilised while I trapped him in his mind.
Secrets!

I bellowed the demand through his skull, and with a resounding crack,
my power carved through his remaining resistance and everything I
was hunting for spilled from the false king into me. Thoughts and
memories poured from him in an endless torrent, his mind crumbling
to my demand, and more knowledge than I could easily dissect filling
me at once.
I didn’t attempt to make full sense of any of it, simply channelling
every single conniving, deviant, hidden moment from his past into the
ring on my finger, recording all of it.

I recognised the image of Lionel’s dead brother Radcliff, his eyes wild
with fear as he lay in his bed, woken in the night and attacked in the
most unFae way imaginable as Lionel pinned him in place, a glass
pressed to his chest containing a norian wasp. Murder. UnFae and
disgusting. It was no accident, no divine intervention which had
placed Lionel into his brother’s position on the Celestial Council, just
the cowardly actions of a jealous man with his eyes set on the greatness
he was too inferior to claim for himself in any other way.

More and more of Lionel’s secrets sped through me, whispers into the
ear of the Savage King, Dark Coercion flowing into the mind of our
monarch and turning him into a puppet of wrath and violence, unable
to see the traitor who hungered for his throne. It was shocking, this
revelation rattling me to my core, but it all made so much sense too.
There was far too much for me to decipher with the speed at which it
passed me, but I took it all greedily, stealing every memory I could
take, all the terrible, cowardly secrets this so-called king had used to
place his unworthy ass upon the throne.

Blinding pain cut through my side and I screamed as my connection

to Lionel’s mind was severed by the unexpected attack, stumbling
back, and clutching the dagger of ice which the fucking butler had
plunged into my side.
My Order form fell from my grasp as I shifted back, and I barely
managed to rip the dagger from my body before Lionel was upon me,
Lance’s pleas for mercy ringing in my ears.

Lionel punched me so hard that I was thrown to the ground, my head

cracking against the stone floor and unforgiving stars bursting before
my eyes, pain carving through my skull and everything spiralling.
The king’s foot slammed down on my back next, and he crushed me
beneath him, grinding his heel into the bone until a snap sounded that
sent fire raining through my flesh and a scream pitching from my
lungs. He stood back, and I tried to crawl away from him, dragging
myself across the floor with a gust of air while he prowled after me.

I twisted towards Lance, finding him and Darcy frozen up to their

waists in ice so that they couldn’t make any move towards me out of
their cage. I subtly slid the ring from my finger, wrapping it in a knot
of air and casting an illusion across it to hide it on the tiled floor before
sending it skittering away into their cage, hope riding on that precious
piece of my mother’s jewellery.

I reached for Lance, his eyes locking with mine, and I used the last of
my energy to offer him the best memories of us I had. He let them all
in, every one of the beautiful moments we’d shared, every day at
Zodiac Academy together. And he saw my truth then, seeing himself
through my eyes and how he had made my heart pound and love fill
me up to the brim until I had barely been able to contain it in my
flesh. He may not have loved me as I’d hoped, but he had loved me all
the same. His smiles in those memories reminded me of that, his
laughs, his light, all the good we’d shared long before darkness had
crept into his life and blotted out the brightness in him. And I realised
we’d possessed something far more valuable than what I’d been trying
to gain from him all along. He was my friend, and I was his. And there
was no truer love in my life than that.

“No one defies the Dragon King,” Lionel hissed, then fire blazed,
surrounding my head and swallowing up my vision of Lance as I
screamed and fucking screamed.
Starlight flickered at the edges of my vision and the pain roared along
with those flames which burned through flesh and bone, until
suddenly I was set free of my body, set free of my chains and every
regret I had ever had over Lance Orion. Because my fate was set. My
life was over. And there was no chance left for me to change a single
decision or path I’d taken.

That was the way of life, the past was sand turned to glass, never to be
undone. And all I could do now was make peace with my end.
“No!” I shouted so loud it burned my lungs, panic exploding through
my body as Francesca’s life was lost to Lionel’s fire.
She was gone, already fallen still, her soul departed from this world.
But I didn’t stop fighting to get free of the ice Horace had trapped me
in, still trying to refuse the truth that was painted starkly before my
eyes. I managed to use a burst of Vampire strength to break it apart,
but Lionel’s gaze shifted to me, and I collided with the bars Francesca
had bent open as he snapped them back into shape.
“Monster,” I spat at him, clawing my hands over my head, trying to
tear out the image of what I’d just witnessed.

Darcy reached for me, but the ice was still holding her legs down, and
I shattered it around her with a sharp kick, yanking her out of it and
pulling her against me. She held me tight as anger and grief wove
themselves deep into my heart, nestling there alongside all the other
losses I’d faced.
“I’m sorry,” Darcy breathed. “I’m so sorry.”
It wasn’t her fault, none of this was. It was the fault of the fucking
asshole king and his bitch queen.
I turned to Lionel as I clutched Blue protectively against my chest,
pointing a finger at him as he shed his jacket and tossed it onto the
throne, heat radiating from his body so furiously that it made the air
shimmer around him.

“Your death is coming, I swear that to you. It will be so bloody and

terrible that it will be imprinted on the minds of all who are there to
witness it forevermore. And I pray, I fucking pray, I am one of them.”
My voice echoed with a hint of power which I hoped to the stars
meant they were laced in prophecy.
Lionel wetted his lips, striding forward, his pupils turning to Dragon
slits and smoke spewing from his nostrils.
“Lavinia is not here. Perhaps I shall make a massacre in this room
tonight.”
Horace shuddered, backing up like he feared Lionel’s rage might spill
in his direction, and I threw a murderous glare his way for his part in
Francesca’s death. I would not forget that.

“Get away from us,” Darcy snarled, trying to fight her way free of my
arms, but I held on tight, fearing he might come for her next.
“Daaaaddy,” Lavinia’s ethereal voice floated from the doorway, and
Lionel stilled before turning reluctantly towards her.
I hated to be relieved at her presence, but it was impossible not to be.
That horrid creature was the only thing stopping Lionel from killing
Darcy and I, and so long as she was here, he couldn’t touch us.
“Yes, my Queen?” Lionel muttered, his chest rising and falling as he
caught his breath. “You are back earlier than I expected.”

Lavinia swept forward on a gust of shadow, hovering before him and

peering down at Francesca’s body as the flames crackled out of
existence around her blackened skull.
Bile rose in my throat, and the loss of my Nebula Ally stamped
permanent damage into my heart. Why did she have to come here?
Guilt swept over me at the realisation that she had done this for me,
and I didn’t know what to do with all those final memories she’d gifted
me, the truth of her love for me clear as day. How had I never seen it
before? Was I so fucking blind?

“Who’s that?” Lavinia sniped, hurrying over to Francesca’s body and

leaning down at an unnatural angle, sniffing deeply.
“A traitor, that’s all,” Lionel said quickly. “She is dead now. I will
have Horace deal with her body.”
He snapped his fingers at his butler and the man rushed forward to do
as he was bid.

“Yes, sire,” Horace said tightly, glancing at Lavinia with fear in his
eyes, then back to the corpse.
Lavinia blocked his path forward, smiling creepily.
“She’s still warm,” she whispered. “No need to waste the flesh.”
She dove on Francesca’s body, biting and tearing into her skin with
savagery, making me roar in anguish.
Horace let out a noise of horror, stumbling away and looking at the
wall, fixing his gaze there and pretending nothing was happening.
“Get away from her,” I demanded, but Lavinia started wrapping
Francesca up in a web of shadow, binding her body until I could no
longer see my friend within it.
Even Lionel looked disgusted by the display, and Darcy gripped my
arm so tightly that her nails dug deep into my arm.

Lavinia left Francesca’s body there on the floor as she dropped onto
all fours and scuttled her way over to Lionel, raising herself up again
and sniffing all the way along the length of his body, lingering by his
mouth. She screeched like a banshee, and Lionel grabbed her throat
with a fistful of flames, trying to get her under control before she
attacked. But Lavinia was stronger, huge whips of shadow spilling
from her and yanking him away. She threw him to the floor and his
own shadow hand lifted, punching himself in the face.

“Ah!” he cried, lifting his Fae hand and casting an air shield to hold
her back, but her dark power tore through it in moments, latching
onto him and dragging him back across the floor towards her. Horace
stared after his king in shock, looking lost as to whether he should try
and help.
“You fucked that whore!” Lavinia screamed. “You betrayed the
sanctity of our marriage!”
“No – wait – please!” Lionel cried, trying to get a hold of his power to
stop her, but his shadow hand twisted the fingers of his Fae hand,
breaking them all. He wailed again, his shadow hand slamming into
his face with a bone-crunching blow, and my breathing stalled as I
watched, basking in his pain.

“Horace!” Lionel barked, and his butler stumbled towards him, raising
his hands with wide eyes. Before he could do anything more than
clumsily splash water on the floor and almost fall over it onto his ass,
Lavinia caught him in a net of shadow.
“Stars, have mercy!” Horace broke down immediately, sobbing like a
child, and Lavinia threw him out of the throne room, sending him
tumbling away along the corridor out of sight.
She turned her attention back to Lionel, a twisted look of rage on her
face. “How dare you insult me like this?”
“Wait,” Lionel begged. “Just listen to me for a mo-”
Lavinia sent Lionel flying into a wall and flames burst from his broken
fingers as he tried to fight. A wave of shadow snuffed them out and
then snaked up his body, tearing his shirt open and slashing a great
gouge across his chest.
“Ahhh!” he screamed.

“Kill him,” Darcy growled under her breath, hope lacing those words.
“Yes, fucking kill him, you psycho,” I urged.
Lavinia closed in on her prey, lifting Lionel up on a swirl of shadow.
She raked her blackened, sharp nails down his stomach, spilling blood
and making him cry out once more. His shadow hand grasped
between his own legs, squeezing and squeezing while his eyes rolled
back into his head and his mouth opened in a pitchy wail.

More shadows poured from Lavinia, diving down into his throat and
making his body spasm and jerk beneath her tremendous power.
“You are my king,” she spat. “My Acrux king. And you will not touch
any other woman but your queen. I have waited long enough for you
to give me my promised heir. The last was stolen from us, but this one
shall be the mightiest creature I can bring into this world. It shall be
our legacy.”
She threw him to the floor and his head cracked against it with a
thwack that made my heart jolt hopefully.

“End the motherfucker. Come on,” I hissed.

Lavinia floated from the room, humming an eerie, joyful tune as she
dragged Lionel after her across the floor, the cuts on his chest leaving
a trail of blood across the tiles as he went, his shadow hand locked
tight around his other wrist at the base of his spine, immobilising him.
Lionel’s eyes fell on Darcy and I, a look of utter shame falling over
him as he found us watching his downfall with rapt attention.
“Look away,” he commanded in a ferocious growl.

I didn’t and Darcy didn’t either, staring at his shame and drinking it
all in. “We see you, Lionel Acrux,” Blue said icily. “We see your
weakness.” Francesca’s body was dragged along by shadow binds too,
and Lavinia stole them away through the cavernous doorway.
Lionel’s screams carried off into the palace, and Horace came
scurrying back into the room with his eyes bugging out of his head. He
cleared his throat, then used a blast of water magic to clean up the
blood before hurrying off again and shutting the doors, muttering,
“Oh my stars. Oh my fucking stars. Wait ‘til Jim hears about this.”
“Lionel’s not the power in this place anymore,” Darcy said, and I
looked at her, finding so much strength in her eyes that it helped
ground me in the wake of everything that had happened.
I backed up, sinking down against the wall, and cupping my head in
my hands. “By the sun, Francesca, why did you have to come here?”
Darcy knelt at my side, laying a hand on my shoulder. “She loved
you.”

“I know,” I whispered, guilt drowning me. “I never realised. Was I a

fucking idiot?”
I glanced up at Blue and found a heavy sadness in her eyes.
“Sometimes feelings are only obvious to the people experiencing them.
You couldn’t have known if she didn’t want you to know.”
I nodded, releasing a long breath, and Darcy moved forward,
wrapping her arms tightly around me. I leaned into her, closing my
eyes and just sitting in the pain of losing my friend. Why did everyone
around me keep dying?

“I’m the reason she came here,” I said, horrified by the cards that had
been dealt tonight.
“She didn’t know you couldn’t leave,” Darcy said, and though I knew
that was true, it didn’t make me feel any less shitty about what had
happened. All the memories she’d offered me in death kept cycling
through my head, and I swiped a hand down my face in despair. I
didn’t want to see myself like that, through the eyes of a friend I
thought I knew. But I hadn’t known her, because she’d kept this secret
all those years. I would never have slept with her if I’d known. I
wouldn’t have tortured her like that.

“I feel like such an asshole,” I said, and Darcy pushed her fingers into
my hair, stroking soothingly.
“You didn’t know,” she repeated, but now I knew...now I fucking
knew.
I turned my arm over, examining the place where the tracking spell
had been hidden. Some fucking asshole must have cast them on us
while we were sleeping. My bet was on that snake, Horace.
A clink sounded as my foot shifted, and I looked down beyond my
foot, spotting a simple silver ring there. I leaned forward, a sense of
urgency filling me as I picked it up, rolling it between my fingers, and
Darcy sat back to look at it too.

“What is that?” she asked.

“It must be Francesca’s,” I said on a breath, glancing up at the open
door to make sure no one was spying on us.
“Maybe she meant for you to have it,” Darcy breathed, and I nodded,
turning the silver band over and feeling a weight of power humming
within it. It was familiar, like the scent of a time long lost, days at
Zodiac Academy working on assignments together in the library and
joking together in The Orb. It was her.

“I know what this is,” I said quietly. “It’s a memory loop. Cyclopses
use them to record what they see, and the memories locked within it
can then be played for others to view.”
“Like a window into her mind?” Darcy asked curiously and I nodded.
“Or a window into the mind of anyone she used her gifts to see into.”
“How does it work?” Darcy asked.

In answer, I slipped it onto my pinky finger, the slim silver band only
reaching the first knuckle before it lodged there. I took Darcy’s hand
in mine, bringing her along with me as I drew in a breath and delved
into the power locked inside that ring.
At first there was nothing but darkness, then a room seemed to open
up around us, the walls pale blue and lined with doors. Each of the
doors had a date embossed into the wood and as I cracked open the
closest one, I spied the memories within.

“Is that an FIB raid?” Darcy asked as we peered through Francesca’s

eyes while she ran beneath a half moon, ten other agents all in their
official uniforms running in formation around her. I only nodded in
answer to Darcy’s question as we watched the raid play out, the family
of Sphinxes wrenched from sleep as the FIB agents stormed their
home.

I had to fight the urge to turn away as I saw agents brutalising the man
who I assumed owned the home, five of them laying into him while he
screamed in pain beneath the blows of their boots. Francesca’s feelings
of horror laced the memory, and we watched as she turned from the
room, heading further into the house as the agents began hunting for
more family members. She took the stairs two at a time, casting her
awareness out from her body with her Cyclops gifts until she sensed a
cluster of minds hiding in the attic above.

Francesca broke into a run, her heart thundering as she sent a wave of
mental images to her partner Lyla, the agreed signal making Lyla call
out to the other agents to follow her into the lower level of the house,
keeping them away a little longer.

Francesca burst through a hidden door which led into the eves of the
house, hiding the sound within a silencing bubble before ripping apart
the concealment spells which had been cast to hide the old woman
and four kids hiding there. The frail lady stepped forward, water
magic coiling around her gnarled fists as she placed herself between
the children and death, but Francesca raised her hands in a gesture of
peace.
“You need to run,” she hissed, opening her fist to reveal a tiny pouch
of stardust, just enough to transport them far from here. “Right now.”
She tossed the old lady the bag of stardust, her Cyclops gifts working
to wipe the memory of her face from the woman and children, just
before the woman threw the stardust over their heads and they were
whipped away into the safety of the stars.

Francesca let out a shaky breath, her mental gifts reaching out around
her to make certain that none of the other agents had detected
anything amiss, before returning to the raid as if nothing had
happened. But it had. She’d saved those Sphinxes, and as Darcy and I
glimpsed the memories locked behind more of the doors, we found
further evidence of her rebellion against the crown.

Sometimes she had only been able to bear witness to the atrocities
taking place, other times she managed to free some of the terrified Fae
the FIB had been hunting. Her memories showed the insides of the
Nebular Inquisition Centres and the disgusting living conditions there,
alongside the barbarities taking place. She had even gone so far as to
log memories of herself reading secret documents which detailed the
upcoming plans of the king and where he was aiming his wrath next.
I marvelled at the risks she’d taken, her braveness overwhelming me
until we reached the door holding tonight’s date.

Almost a month had passed since my deal had been made with
Lavinia. Time had become so fluid here, the days merging into one
another, my time spent lost between the agony of my torture and the
numbness of the shadows she threaded into my veins. Such a long
time, and yet not even a third of what I owed her had passed.

My heart raced as we watched Francesca preparing herself to come to

The Palace of Souls, the lengths she had gone to in a bid to try and
free me from this place. It hurt to see how broken she had felt over my
plight, how much she had been willing to risk as well as the
understanding of what it had cost her in the end, all the while knowing
I was unable to cast my bonds aside and escape.

The moment when she managed to breech the walls of Lionel’s mind
had a gasp parting my lips, his truth spilling out all around us as she
carved his most shameful secrets from his head, the years of cunning
plots and underhand tactics utterly overwhelming. He had dreamed of
the throne for such a long time, manipulating and scheming to steal it
for his own, and it destroyed a piece of me to know how well he had
managed to execute those plans.
As the memories faded and we drew ourselves out of them, I couldn’t
help but feel overwhelmed by all of it, by my grief over losing the
friend I had known since I was a kid, and my guilt for never realising
what she’d felt for me.

“She didn’t die for nothing,” Darcy murmured softly, her hand curling
around mine where I still wore the ring that contained so much
evidence, the precious legacy of a woman who had deserved so much
better than she’d received. “The memories she gathered and the truth
she uncovered can be unleashed as a weapon against him, Lance. She
could change everything in this war if we can get these memories out
to the public.”

I nodded vaguely, feeling that dark numbness washing over me again.

Stella’s magic may have driven the shadows out last time, but Lavinia
had tortured me again since, and they were starting to play havoc with
my soul. I fell a little deeper into them, not letting them take me away
entirely, but finding a place where the sharpness of my grief was
dulled.

I turned, taking Darcy’s wrist and guiding her hand to the wall where
that faint mark of the Hydra was, and the stone door rolled open.
Eugene squeaked in greeting, hurrying forward and brushing his little
face against my hand. I held out the ring and leaned down close to
him, whispering, “Keep it safe with everything else.”

Darcy took the piece of bread we’d saved him from our last meal,
holding it out for him and he fell on it ravenously, eating every bite,
then squeaking again and carrying the ring into the gloom beyond the
passage door. He lay on a nest containing the Memoriae crystal, the
opal Guild Stone and the feather- bound book, protecting them all.
A tiny little Tiberian Rat for a guard didn’t seem like much, but
Eugene was powerful, and we’d find a way to get him out of here yet.
Maybe then he could reach Tory and the rebels. It was a lot to hope
for, but at least it was something outside of blood and torture to focus
on while we were stuck here day after day.

The first month with Lavinia had almost passed. We were a third of
our way through this nightmare, so I held tighter than ever to that
glimmer of a possible future with Blue. And I wouldn’t be letting go.
I left Lionel sated and recovering in our bed, his eyes staring
unseeingly at the ceiling as he panted and twitched, the echoes of the
pleasure I’d delivered him lingering even after our flesh had parted.
“I will have a new heir for you by dawn,” I purred, running a finger
down the valley between my exposed breasts as I remembered the bite
of his touch as he had thrown me down beneath him.
Such a powerful beast, my husband. And such a beast he had wed
when he joined himself to me.

I bit my lip as I thought back on the lust-filled shriek that had escaped
him as I took control, the desire and wariness which had melded in his
gaze when he was forced to look upon my power and remember who
the true might in our relationship was. It scared him, and yet it thrilled
him too. I could tell. As he fisted the sheets and called my name in a
beg for his release, I had heard it, the need for me. Even if he was a
creature not prone to accepting his own vulnerability, he was forced to
explore it with me, forced to look inside himself and face the
weaknesses he found there. But I didn’t mind his vanity or the need he
had to cling to his supposed dominion over me. No, I didn’t mind
pretending for him, so long as I got what I needed from him.

And with the sticky evidence of our joining glistening between my

thighs, I knew I had it. The Dragon seed. My shadows were already
drawing it deeper inside of me, pulling it up into the void where my
womb had once been and fusing that seed to a seed of my own,
creating a tendril of shadow and power beyond anything that had
been seen in this realm in all the years I had haunted the earth.
I fed myself into that seed, a tiny life forming inside of me even as I
stared down at my Dragon, tangled in the sheets and covered in
perspiration from our union.
He wasn’t thinking about that pretty little nothing now, was he?
Wasn’t distracted by the idea of sinking his little cock into her
pathetically willing body. No. He had been reminded what a true
match for him was capable of, and I could tell by the way he had
fallen into silence that the only memories on his mind now were the
things I had just done to him. My pretty little Dragon.

I moved to sit beside him, and he stilled, his eyes shifting to me as a

tug on his shadow hand had him caressing my cheek lovingly, the way
I had seen my pet do to his blue-haired princess.
“I can feel it inside me,” I breathed, parting my thighs as he glanced
down, letting him see everything while my belly began to swell with
new life. “Will this one be Dragon-born like you promised?” he hissed,
some of his grit coming back to him as he caught his breath.
“This one will be so much stronger than the last,” I swore to him. “A
Dragon child with a heart of shadow. An heir both of us will be proud
to call our son.”

A flicker of something passed through his gaze, and I pouted.

“Are you thinking of the one you killed? Do you miss your poor, dead
boy?” I asked curiously, and his lip curled back as he wrenched
control of the shadow hand away from me, wrapping it around my
throat and squeezing until my breath was cut off. I grinned at the
game, enjoying the pressure of his fist around my neck and the threat
of violence which danced in his eyes.

“Darius was a failure in the end, but his potential was there in spades.
He was a perfect specimen. A worthy Heir. Or at least he would have
been had that Vega whore stayed out of his fucking bed. I often think
of what he could have been and regret not doing more to shape him
into such. But no, I do not mourn him, nor regret what I did. He was
tainted in the end. A failure. So do not think I won’t destroy the thing
growing inside of you in a similar fashion if it disappoints me too.”
I smiled at him through the pain of his hold on me, my hand moving
to his spent and flaccid cock as I tried to stir some reaction from it.
“Do you want to go again?” I purred, forcing the shadow fingers to
relax enough for me to speak, before letting him crush my throat in his
hand again
while wondering if I might find release this time if we did.
“I am not some performing dog,” he snapped. “My cock won’t be
ready to function again until at least tomorrow, as you well know.”
I pouted and his eyes flashed with fury as my disappointment in his
performance blazed clearly across my features.

“Then I suppose I should focus on giving you the Heir you so

desperately desire,” I said, blinking at the shadow hand and grinning
as it flew from my neck and slapped him across his own face.
Lionel roared furiously, but I was already gone, twisting away into
shadow before floating beneath the door and heading towards the
north tower. I shifted back into my corporeal form and took hold of
the closest wall, scuttling up the side of it, shadows peeling away from
my skin behind me as I began to crawl my way to the highest floor.

My belly swelled larger with every passing moment, the life inside of
me growing fast, a claw scraping against my insides in ecstasy-laced
agony.
I moved faster, scuttling over the ceiling as it spiralled up and up
above the stairs, until I finally reached the door to the chambers I’d
claimed for my own in this highest point of the palace.
I became nothing but shadow once more, slipping beneath the door
and emerging in the round chamber beyond it, finding my nest of
harmony awaiting me inside.

I had been building it for months now, knowing I would need the
power of it to gift this shadow child the power its sibling had been
denied. This child would not be as easily ended as its brother. It would
be born in blood and ruin and unthinkable power.
The nest had been built with the bones of my enemies, dark artefacts
set amongst them, carved with ancient runes and cloaked in the
darkest of my shadows.

Four Fae heads stood on spikes, each looking inward to witness this
birth, the souls of the dead trapped within them, unable to move from
their positions while forced to watch every moment of this. They
screamed as I fell to my knees in the middle of the room, my hip
cracking as the child within me kicked so hard it broke bone. Their
torment and desperate pleas for release into the world set calmness
washing through me as I fixed the damage to my body and moved to
squat between the rotting heads.
The shadow child fought to break free of my womb, but I refused the
urge to push, cursing as I reached for a sliver of malachite, the green
and black stone glowing with the essence of darkness I had forced
inside it in preparation of this. The crystal was used for manifestation,
change, and empowerment, all the things this child of mine would
need before it broke into this world.

I tipped my head back and began chanting to the shadows, drawing

them to me even as the life within me fought and writhed for freedom,
coating my arms and hands in their power, pushing as much of it as I
could into the shard of crystal.

When my fingers burned with the power I was wielding, I turned the
sharpened point in my hand and plunged it into my stomach, breaking
through the wall of flesh, blood, and shadows while driving it into the
creature I was still growing.
The babe roared, and the heads witnessing its creation screamed at
the sound of nightmares erupting from the opening between my
thighs.

I met the horror-filled gaze of the closest head, the Fae who had
wielded fire in his living form and now remained trapped inside a
decaying skull.
He would be the first.
I smiled at him, a wicked, sinful thing which saw my teeth growing to
sharpened points in anticipation of this next part. For he would not be
finding release beyond the Veil. No, he would be joining with the new
life inside of me, becoming a part of him and lending his Element to
him while no doubt screaming forever more from his place trapped
inside my darling child.

There were three more heads for me to devour once I was done with
his and countless shards of darkness to pierce my skin and my babe’s
too.
The night would be long and filled with endless pain for every one of
us trapped inside this chamber. But with the dawn, I would birth the
strongest creature this world had ever known, and all would bow at his
feet when he turned his hunger upon them.
‘T was a gobblesome gooseberry of an eve as the setting sun shone
bleakly through the misty clouds, a chill to this air which burned its
way right down to my britches, sweet Petunia, and beyond.

“What a day for a king to fall,” I said solemnly, a wild look in my eye
as I gazed between this roguish crowd of rapscallions, all primed and
eager for the fight. I had discussed the options long and tirelessly, my
queen and this band of hapsom heathens were the selection we had
concluded upon. This was not the moment to take an army into battle.
No, we could not risk such with cheeky Gabe, dear Darcy, and her
Orry man in the path of violence. So only I, my queen, the three
mostly irrelevant Heirs to nothing, sweet, heartbroken, wingless
Xavier, and the devilish Storm Dragon and his family of heathens
were present. We had to be both swift and subtle, a small band of
merry Fae on our way to topple a tyranny. What fun. “Are we all firm
and flanly on the plan?”

“We just need to confirm who’s going after what,” Seth replied, a
doggish excitement in his eyes which I knew all too well myself.
“Much pondering has gone into this,” I agreed with a solemn nod.
“When?” Max demanded, my poor, floatsome sea trout still believing
that he should be privy to all war councils despite his low position on
the outskirts of the royal court.

“Bend the knee, dear salamander, and perhaps you will be invited to
the next meet of highest security personnel,” I said with a shrug, and
Tory pressed her lips together to hide her amusement at his glower.
“Who the hell was in this meeting then if it was only made up of
A.S.S. members?” Maxy boy demanded.
“I, of course, chaired the function; Tory, presiding as the only queen
currently in residence. Then dastardly Dante, luscious Leon, and the
rest of their closest famiglia-”
“Wait, when did the Dragon and co bend the fucking knee?” Seth
huffed, and I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“We were hardly going to bow to lame Lionel, were we doggy dude?”
Leon said with a chuckle.

“Lionel Acrux forced me to bow to him once through trickery and

blackmail,” Dante said, his Faetalian accent as decadently delicious as
always while his electricity made the air crackle in quite the scandalous
way. “I figured it was time I got to choose my own monarchs.”
“And did you simply forget that the three of us are still standing
between the Vegas and the throne, even if Lionel dies today?” Max
growled, indicating himself, Caleb, and Seth, and I had to admit he
got my waters flowing when he went all feral like that, but we had no
time for his kaboodle right now.

“We discussed it briefly,” Leon said with a shrug. “And we decided to

bet on the savage horses. You guys just seem kinda flappy since the
other one died. Didn’t seem like the right choice. No offence.”
“His name was Darius,” Caleb snarled, and tension radiated through
the room, but I wouldn’t be having that.
“Enough!” I barked, my Cerberus form punching though on the
word, making many of them flinch in their flans. “We are here to
discuss our plan for the final time, not dally on the narry winkle. Let us
confirm the actions.”

“I received a message this morning,” Dante interrupted. “From the

woman who Lionel tried to force me to procreate Storm Dragons
with.”
“How did such a message make its way yonder?” I gasped, my mind
an instant flood of hatches which needed the aid of a baton as I
wondered where the leak had sprung. We could not afford any
mishaps such as someone telling the enemy where we wandered.

“Calm down, bella, it’s nothing to worry about. This message came
via mia famiglia who are still on the mainland, hiding from the eyes of
the false king. Juniper managed to send word to my cousin Fabrizio,
and he got a message to Rosalie via one of her omegas. There’s no
leaks in your security.” “Well, thank Fanny for that.” I sank down into
my chair and fanned my face as I tried to recover from the pointless
bout of panic which had almost
taken hold of me.
“What did Juniper have to say for herself?” Tory asked, leaning her
forearms on the table and looking to Dante for the answer we were all
on tenterhooks over.

“That the three boys she gave birth to just Emerged in their Order
forms,” Dante replied, his eyes dark.
“And let’s just say... they weren’t little Dragon babies,” Leon snorted,
before schooling his expression at a look from Dante.
“No. They aren’t,” he continued. “And when Lionel finds out, Juniper
believes that he will have them put to death. She is asking me for help
before that can happen. She wants to get them out of there, and she’s
offering to give us every drop of information she has on Lionel and the
Dragon Guild if we will help her.”

“How does this tie into the plan for today?” Tory asked.
“She said that she’s been called to The Palace of Souls today with the
three little butt-sniffers,” Leon said. “So we figured we could snag
them out of there before lighting the place up.”
Tory nodded thoughtfully while the three supposed Heirs all broke
into discussion at once, suggestions flying nerry and narry from their
flappy traps.

“Will you be able to strike at Lionel while rescuing them?” my queen

asked, cutting over their nabble grabble. “Can you break his shields
with your lightning and end him while the rest of us go after Darcy,
Gabriel, and Orion?”
“I wanted to be the one to strike at my father,” Xavier said suddenly,
breaking his silence and making us all look at him. “You said you
would consider that request.”
“And I did,” Tory replied. “Just like I considered the fact that I would
love nothing more than to rip his fucking head from his shoulders
myself, then watch his eyeballs melt beneath the power of my Phoenix
Fire. But Geraldine thought-”

“And I am most egregiously sorry, dear brother,” I said, reaching

across the table towards him despite his furious expression as I tried to
explain myself. “It is just that as we know, they have Gabriel, they also
have that abominable Vard. Any plan made too firmly, particularly by
those of you they will be turning their eyes towards in expectation to
kill the monstrous monarch, are the most likely to be seen.”
Xavier snorted in that horsey way of his but nodded finally. “I guess
the point is that he dies. It doesn’t really matter who ends him.”
I nodded sympathetically, growing a little bushel of carrots beneath
my hand, and leaving them on the table for him in offering.
Xavier frowned at them like he knew I was just trying to placate him
with the treat, but he snatched them up and started angrily munching
all the same.

“Gabriel will be looking our way,” Dante agreed. “But if the

prediction he sent us comes true, then that won’t be enough to save
Lionel from death. He will be distracted by our presence though, and
hopefully be unable to see the rest of you as you go after Orion and
Darcy.”

“When I soul walked to locate Darcy, I saw the two of them locked in
a cage in the throne room,” Tory said, though she had told us before
and I had often wept upon my pillow as I thought on such a travesty.
“So our best guess is that they’re still there. Gabriel is most likely in
the Royal Seer’s Chamber. If either of them aren’t in those places,
then I’d bet they’ll be locked in the north tower – that’s where Lionel
liked to keep me when I was under his control.”
“Two groups then?” Caleb suggested. “One goes for Orion and
Darcy, the other for Gabriel.”

“Maxy boy?” I asked, and that scoundrel of a sea lion looked my way
with a frown on his brow. “If I were in mortal peril, would you risk all
to save me, throw yourself between me and death, give up everything
just to see me survive?”
“Of course I would, Gerry,” he said, his eyes softening like the wet
kipper I had suspected he was.

“Thank you for admitting that most crippling weakness,” I replied.

“As such, I shall be in a differing group to you, ensuring that the
mission is put before anything else and nothing is risked on account of
my worthless existence.”
“Wait just a second-” Max tried to interrupt, but I cast a silencing
bubble around him so subtle that he didn’t even notice, his
nonsensical tirade trapped within, allowing the rest of us to finalise the
plan.
“We’ll use the royal tunnels to gain access to the palace,” Tory said,
handing out the rings she had crafted for each member of our little
crew of chaos so that we could make use of said passages.

Max realised he was trapped in the silencing bubble and began

fighting my magic off, but I tightened my grip on it as my queen
continued, coating it in ice so that we didn’t have to look at his furious
face.
“Once we get inside, me, Xavier, and Max will go for the throne room
in search of Darcy and Orion. Geraldine, Caleb, and Seth will go after
Gabriel,” Tory decided, and a quiver of anticipation warbled through
me as we set our path at last.

“So you’re just telling us what to do now, are you?” Seth demanded
with a growl while Max began hammering on the silencing/ice
bubble, and I pressed more power into containing him so that we
could wrap up these shenanigans and get going.
“You could have attended the meeting where these things were
discussed had you bent the knee,” I said, rolling my eyes at the
irksome pup.
Seth looked about ready to pop his long sherman, but Caleb rested a
hand over his and shook his head.

“The plan seems solid to me, and the longer we wait, the more time
there is for Lionel to see these decisions. Let’s just go with it,” he
urged, and Seth narrowed his eyes.
“Oh sure, let’s just go with Tory’s plan. She’s so pretty and has such
perfect hair and has magical tits that can-”
“Dude, are you in love with your dead best friend’s widow?” Leon
hissed in a whisper so loud even the clams in the distant sea could
surely hear him. “’Cause that’s fucked up.”
“No,” Seth blurted, looking horrified while Tory wrinkled her queenly
nose at the suggestion.
“Can we just all agree to the plan and get moving?” Tory asked,
pushing to her feet, and I darn near knocked my chair over in my
haste to rise with her.
“I’m down with it,” Caleb said, and Seth agreed after a firm nudge
from him to confirm it.
The others fell into line too, and everyone filed from the room,
heading outside so that we could stardust our way to The Palace of
Souls and the grand destiny which awaited us there.

The sound of shattering ice filled the room just as I stepped over the
threshold, and I glanced back to find a rather dishevelled and crabby
looking crustacean scowling at me as he finally burst free of my power.
“What the fuck, Gerry?” Max demanded, realising that everyone else
was already gone.
“Chop, chop, Maxy boy,” I called as I headed away from him and his
nonsense. “Or you’ll be left behind.”
Today would be a grand occasion. All of Solaria would hear of it and
tremble at the thought of what such important and bountiful news
meant for one and all. Especially me. Me above every other.
Just as they had in every moment since our mighty and fearsome
overlord had taken his rightful place on the throne. Once more, the
might of the Dragons would be celebrated beyond all else. And I, as
the most pure- blooded female of my generation, would be the one to
take a central role in all of this. I would be a paragon for all who
should come after me, a perfect example of what a Dragon should be.

Virile, sturdy, and with a fine coating of hair upon my breasticles and
upper lip to prove the power that lived in my lineage. Just as my
mother had always told me, ‘A sprouting hair upon bust or chin,
proved there was a true Dragon within.’
I would more than willingly sacrifice my mind, soul, and body to the
greatness of our king, and I couldn’t wait to offer him whatever
pleasure he asked of me in my devotion to him. He could take me, use
me, ruin me, and I would always be willing to bend to whatever his
needs required.

I looked into the mirror and smoothed out the voluptuous folds of my
virginal white dress, taking a moment to comb my moustache. My
fingers twitched with need as I finally gave in to my favoured vice,
sliding the small dressing table drawer open and revealing the
premium Faeroids I had awaiting me inside.

I licked my lips and took a syringe from the little bag I kept ready for
my twice-daily doses and tried to calm my breathing as I drew up my
evening taste. I plunged the needle into my thigh with a low groan, my
eyes rolling back in my head as I slowly depressed the plunger,
languishing in the feeling of the drug as it sank into my system.
I rolled my broad shoulders back and smiled, exposing the lower row
of my fearsome jaw. Yes, I was quite the beast inside and out, and the
world would see it clearer than ever today as I walked among my
brethren to fulfil my destiny.

Never had even a Dragon queen looked so like her Order form while
in her Fae body. I was exquisite. And before the eyes of the entire
Dragon Guild, I would give myself to King Acrux in every way he
wished, letting him plunder every region of my being as I became so
much more than I already was.
I tossed the spent needle in the trash and stepped from the chamber
which I had used to get myself ready, gifted to me by my dear uncle
Lionel for use when I was at court like this, then headed out into the
grand corridor with a spring in my step.

“Well, if it isn’t the she-beast herself,” a snivelling voice drawled, and I

narrowed my eyes to look upon the loathsome Cyclops, Vard.
Enduring the company of any Order barring Dragons was always
hard to bear, and this cretin of a creature was particularly unpleasant.
“Move aside, I have somewhere to be. Somewhere that does not
require the attendance of a Cyclops,” I sneered the word, shoulder-
checking him as I passed and knocking him into the wall.

He cursed as he almost fell to the floor, scrambling to right himself

while I marched proudly on towards my destiny. The stars had laid it
out for me, the bounty of the Dragon King himself spread before me
as I readied myself to open for him and welcome him deep inside me.
I was and always had been his creature, the closest thing to a Dragon
queen this land knew. And I was more than willing to take up my
position and vessel for his bounty, just as soon as he was ready to drive
it into me with the force of his might.

This celebration was exclusive to our kind, the Dragon Guild

gathering in tight rank to witness him coming inside of me all at once.
I was floating on a cloud of supremacy, and I wouldn’t linger for the
words of a squalling Cyclops who was on the out and uninvited.
“You know, I have been working on a creature not unlike yourself.
Half Turnian Hog, half lizard, though Fae at its core,” Vard hissed as
he hurried to walk with me, his lank hair clinging to his cheeks.
“If I were to care for the words of a lowly thing such as you, then I
might take the time to roast you in Dragon fire and see how you like
the taste of your own face melting. But I have far more important
business to attend to than whatever it is you wish to jabber at me
about,” I clipped.

I turned from him and his repugnant features, heading down a long
corridor as I took a roundabout route through the palace, avoiding the
south wing which had somehow sealed itself from use. I had offered to
blast a hole into the area for my king, but he had refused me, claiming
it would not work. It was confounding, but I had to assume that it was
just some old Vega trick at play. Their cunning schemes knew no
bounds, but my king would no doubt destroy all lingering embers of
those unworthy flames soon enough anyway.

“I saw something in the mind of the so-called ‘greatest Seer of our

time’ about you,” Vard hissed, his stumpy legs somehow maintaining
pace with my wide and imposing stride despite my attempts to shrug
him off. “Something in his memories, the morning of your wedding.
Or should I say, the morning when you inexplicably ended up hog-
tied in a closet and the man set to marry you escaped the fate of
horrors lurking between your scaley thighs.”

I whirled on him, a cloud of Dragon smoke spilling between my lips

and sliding up his mismatched nostrils as I fisted a hand in his shirt
and threw him against the wall. I snarled in his face, lifting him until
his toes no longer touched the floor and he was eye to eye with me.
“Spit it out,” I growled, and he smirked at me as he shifted, his ruined
eye merging with the other to reveal the damaged Cyclops eye in the
centre of his face. Ugly little thing he was. All sinewy and no meat on
his bones. A single bite in my shifted form would see him swallowed
right down into my belly. Though I didn’t like to think of the
indigestion I would endure if I gave in to that urge.
“I can show you,” he offered, the greasy feeling of his mind trying to
permeate mine sliding over me.
I had a will of iron and mental shields more impenetrable than my
closely guarded vagina – destined only for the use of a Dragon of
purest blood and honour. None had tried to breech either thus far, but
I was ready if they did. And always wary. For a vagina such as mine
was a high prize to claim indeed. No doubt my snookums had
dreamed of it day and night before his demise. Ah, snookums...if only
you had possessed a modicum of loyalty in that decadent skull of
yours, you and I could have had something truly magical. But the
Vega whore beguiled you clean out of your senses, and it was not to
be.

“It’ll only take a moment,” Vard purred, and by the love of the stars, I
felt my will wavering.
That entire day was a black hole of nothing to me, a wide expanse I
had thought over time and again in search of answers. It haunted me,
the missing time, the need to know precisely what had happened to
land me in that closet instead of my marital bed.
“Show me,” I hissed, my mental shields slipping just enough for him
to slither in like the worm he was.

I saw my own face as I answered a knock at the door to the chamber

I’d been gifted to use for a bridal suite. My eyes widened, then fell
slack as I was struck with a blast of air magic to the chest, feet whirling
over my head as my wedding dress ballooned around me.
Gabriel Nox strode into the room, his chest bare and black wings
tucked tight to allow him through the doorway as he grinned like a
fiend.

I threw fire at him, a roar escaping me as I emerged from the

voluminous dress like a baby bursting from the womb. But he had
already seen my strike before I’d even thrown it, his laughter ringing
out as he smothered my flames with more earth magic. A wad of dirt
smacked me in the face as I leapt for him again, vines snaking around
my arms and immobilising them.
Humiliation tore through me as I was forced to watch my own failure
at the hands of that plumped up, half plucked pigeon, and I bristled,
trying to pull away from the memory.
But Vard kept hold of my mind, the hooked tentacles of his power
burrowing deep as he feasted on my memories, stealing my magic
while trapping me in the hell of watching this horror play out.
Gabriel hoisted me into the air with a single vine noosed around my
ankle, kicking the door shut behind him as he moved closer to me and
I spun in a slow circle, my dress falling around my face. Stuck in the
memory that belonged to Gabriel, I could feel his emotions as I
watched the show unfold, his dark amusement and smugness, his
contempt for me despite my clear superiority over his half shifting
kind.

His hands brushed my spine, and the zipper was released, the wedding
dress falling like confetti and leaving me still spinning slowly,
suspended by the vine, my bloomers on full display.

“When my snookums hears of this, he will castrate you! You dare to

lay your hands upon his bride?” I roared.
Gabriel barked a laugh. “Darius is more likely to kiss me than kill me
for saving him from these nuptials,” he taunted. “Believe me – I’ve
seen all the ways this future plays out and there isn’t a single one of
them that includes him being upset over me saving him from the hell
of a union with you. But it’s okay; I plan on making him suffer for a
while before giving the game up. He deserves it for the shit he put my
sister through, after all.”

My mouth parted on what no doubt would have been a torrent of

perfectly tuned abuse, but he spoke over me as if he didn’t even
recognise my superiority as a pure-blooded Dragon.
“Break any protection spells you have in place to stop Fae from
impersonating you,” he boomed, his voice thick with a Coercion so
potent that in my dishonoured and dishevelled state, he managed to
puncture my mental barriers and force his will into me.
I gasped as I watched myself do just that, allowing him the
opportunity to disguise himself as me.

“No!” I wailed in the here and now, watching in horror as he shifted

into me – taking my bridal gown from the floor and exchanging his
jeans for it, taking his sweet time to apply my specially chosen puce-
brown lipstick to his own lips and smacking them against his teeth
before turning back to me with a grin.
“Don’t worry – I’ll let him enjoy his wedding before breaking the news
to him,” he said, my own voice taking the place of his as he moved
towards me again, his eyes alight with menace. “Now open wide and
swallow down this memory potion like a good hag.”

His compulsion struck me again, and I roared as I was forced to watch

him pour the potion between the lips which had been destined to kiss
my snookums at the altar. This was the twist of fate that had stolen
Darius from me and delivered him into the conniving arms of the
Vega whore. I would kill her for his death. For corrupting him beyond
all point of reason and forcing my king to deal with him as a traitor
instead of a son.

My eyes burned as I watched the bridal me turn vacant eyes on the

room, forgetting all that had transpired while Gabriel let me fall to the
ground, hogtied me, and gave me a kick to roll me into that star-
damned closet.
The memory fell away, but Vard’s mind stayed locked with my own as
I found myself staring at the wall where he had been pinned, nothing
in my fist any longer and no sign of him anywhere close by.

“The other Dragons all enjoyed this little memory when I shared it at
the Guild dinner for entertainment last night.” His voice rattled
through my skull as his slithering presence clung to me even while his
physical form scuttled off to a safe distance. “Just in case you’re
wondering why they’re all laughing so much today.”
He released me from his hold, and I whipped around, a bellow
escaping me before I slammed my fist into the wall hard enough to
break knuckles.

If I didn’t have a very important role to fulfil for my king, I would

have hounded after him and roasted him alive. But as it was, the
vermin’s luck held true, and I was forced to turn and march away
towards the grand occasion awaiting me.

One of these days I’d catch that snivelling rat though, and I’d do him
the honour of finding out just how few pieces he needed to be in
before I could swallow him whole.
I tumbled through a sea of stardust, floating past fluffy, colourful
nebulas that were bigger than my mind could ever really comprehend.
Then my feet hit the ground back in a misty woodland where the
moonlight cut through the trees in angular shafts.
I flexed my fingers where my Phoenix fire gauntlets were wrapped
around them, the clink of metal and heat of the flames within them
sparking a thirst in me for a fight.

Caleb twirled his twin blades in his grip before sheathing them, one on
each hip, and pushing his fingers through his gold curls, looking like a
movie star ready for his close up. Just beyond him, Max brushed his
hand over the metal bow strapped to his back then folded his arms,
the blueish tint of his scales rippling across them and an arrogant slant
to his lips that could have melted panties from fifty feet away. I turned
my face to the wind, letting it tousle my half-braided hair as I
glowered into the distance, ready to take on the damn world and win.
“Are you all quite done posturing like a bunch of peacocks at a tea
party?” Geraldine snapped, looking between us Heirs with narrowed
eyes.

Xavier and Tory shared a smirk at our expense, and I scoffed.

“It’s not our fault we’re naturally radiant,” I said.
“Naturally arrogant, you mean,” Tory corrected, arching a brow at
me.
She was wearing leather pants, plus a scowl deep enough to cause real
bodily damage, and was looking all kinds of badass herself – she just
needed to work on her signature pose and she’d be good to go. I could
see it now on the front of a magazine. Bitchy Flame Eyes in beast
mode.
“That too,” I agreed with a sideways grin, and she almost cracked one
in response.
Oh shit, Xavier needed a team name too. I looked him over, from his
athletic frame to the doom clouding his once-bright eyes, to the dark,
floppy hair which glimmered with purple glitter and I instantly had
my answer. Twinkle Stud.

“You are still posing like the last daisy in the meadow before a
merciless winter, you heinous hound.” Geraldine darted forward,
clapping me around the ear, and I yelped like a scolded pup before
barking at her. She barked right back, and I straightened up to my full
height, ready for a brawl, but Caleb pulled me back by the shoulder.

“Enough, we need to go,” he said firmly, and I fell under the spell of
that deliciously dominant voice he kept using with me lately. Or
maybe it was just that my cock was paying more attention to it these
days. I’d have butted chests with him and gone Alpha Wolf on him in
the past, but now...fuck, I always thought I was an unwavering Dom
in the bedroom, but when it came to him, I could play Sub sometimes.
Though the idea of having Cal beneath me, showing him exactly how
much fun two guys could have together was seriously appealing too.
Oh my stars...I’m a switch.

“But she’s doing that thing again with her words,” I grumbled.
“I love that thing,” Max said, grinning as he stepped forward.
He leaned in to kiss Geraldine, but she ducked away from him,
twirling wildly to keep out of his hold. She was the only one of us
who’d decided to wear full armour for this mission, and the sharp
points of the metal encasing her tits nearly took out Xavier’s eye as she
continued to spin and prance away. She whipped out her flail and
pointed it at Max.

“Do not distract me, you cad of a codfish. We have a duty to our dear,
sweet Queen Darcy, her noble brother, and her fine fellow Orry man.
We cannot dither and dother here any longer. Come – yonder!” She
turned, marching off into the thick woodland, and Tory took to her
side as we followed.
Xavier had a taut look on his face, and I drifted to the back of the
group to join him, sensing he was all up in his feels and in need of a
little Seth snug.
I slipped my arm around his shoulders, but he shrugged me off,
making me whine at the rejection.
“Don’t,” he muttered.
“But you’re sad or angry, or maybe both. Hang on, I’ll ask Max.” I
opened my mouth to call out to my friend, but Xavier elbowed me in
the ribs, and I cursed.

“Lionel is going to be so close to us today,” he said darkly. “How am I

supposed to just keep away? I want to kill him, Seth. I want to make
him pay for taking my mom and Darius from this world.” His hands
trembled and vines curled around them, his earth Element spilling
from him in his rage.
I nodded seriously, my heart sinking for him. “Dante will fry the
motherfucker good. He’ll cook him up like crispy tofu, and we can get
a Cyclops to pull his memories out later so we can watch it all in slow-
mo on repeat with a bag of popcorn in our laps. But before that, we
have to save our friends so we don’t lose anyone else.”

He looked to me, the anger in his eyes melting like hot candle wax and
shifting to determination instead. “You’re right. We have to get them
out.”
“That’s the spirit, Twinkle Stud.”
“What did you just call me?”
I just smiled, knowing he’d heard and that he definitely loved it.
You’re welcome, Twinkle Stud.
We followed the others up to an ancient tree standing at the heart of a
clearing, the bark knotted and gnarled, huge roots spreading out
beneath it. There was a symbol etched into the bark of the tree in the
shape of a Hydra, the little fella looking pleased to see us in the
moonlight.

Tory moved forward, placing her hand against the symbol to open a
secret door, and adrenaline buzzed through my veins. The dark tunnel
beckoned us, and I could have sworn I heard a war drum starting up
deep underground, urging us on. Or maybe it was just the frantic
pounding of my heart.
I glanced up at the sky between the thick trees one last time, a meteor
choosing that exact moment to speed by, heralding the event which
had drawn us here. The Hydrids meteor shower grew in intensity in
the heavens above, and my lips parted in awe at the beauty of the
meteors streaking across the sky in blazes of celestial light.
We descended into the passage, casting Faelights to see by, and
following Tory’s lead into the depths of the Savage King’s secret
tunnels.

When we met a fork in the path, Tory turned to us, her sword in her
grip and her eyes glinting with Phoenix fire. “We go left here, and you
guys go right. Come back here as soon as you have Gabriel.
Remember not to plan any of our enemy’s deaths, no matter how
goddamn tempting it is. We can’t let them use Gabriel to see us
coming.”
“Of course, my lady. I shall not think about how I wish to impale that
terrible toad of a Dragoon Mildred on the pointiest stick I can
conjure.” She whacked herself over the head hard. “Drat, there I go
thinking of it. Well, it is gone now, I assure you I have no plans to
make it come to fruition. Not this day, at least. But one day, I shall
avenge my dear Angelica. Alas, it is not this day.”

“Be careful,” Max said to us, his gaze lingering on Geraldine.

“We shall be the most careful of caterpillars, crawling in lame Lionel’s
back doors and claiming our valiant friends from his clutches,”
Geraldine said with a firm nod.
“Good luck,” Caleb said, and every one of us took a quiet moment to
stand in that goodbye, knowing deep down that there was a chance
some of us might not make it out tonight. But we weren’t going to put
a voice to any of those fears in case the stars listened in and decided to
play havoc with our souls.

Max, Xavier, and Tory headed off into the dark tunnel to the left
while Geraldine, Caleb and I went right, a whimper in my throat as I
looked over my shoulder and silently wished them the best of fortunes.
We quickened our pace through the passage, and I inhaled the damp
air, moving closer to Caleb and jolting as our hands brushed. His little
finger curled around mine for the briefest of eternities, and I forgot
how to draw air into my lungs, but then our hands parted again and I
wasn’t sure it had even happened.

The Faelight hovering above Geraldine didn’t cast much of a glow

back here, and as I glanced over to try and examine Caleb’s
expression, I found him already looking at me. His features were
heavily shadowed, and I wasn’t sure what to think as our eyes met and
my heart rioted. I used to touch him so liberally, never thinking
anything of wrapping my arms around him, nuzzling his face and
neck. That was me. It was the way I was with all my friends. But now,
every time my skin made contact with his, it felt forbidden. Like I was
crossing some line, but I didn’t know what the line represented.

Everything had changed now, and somehow, I still had no idea where
I stood. I was living in a torturous paradox, where on the one hand, I
couldn’t bear the emotional pain it caused me after we’d pushed the
boundaries of our relationship into friends with benefits, but on the
other, I wanted Caleb to use me in any way he saw fit and feast on the
scraps of his attention whenever he tossed them my way.

I had never experienced anything so hot as watching Caleb Altair fall

to ruin for me, and I had never come so hard as I had with his hand
wrapped tight around my cock. I was an addict for him now, and
there was no hope for me. If he came to me again, I wouldn’t say no. I
should have had more pride, should have protected my heart with
dignity and shielded myself from the inevitable destruction that was
coming my way because of this. But I was a willing sacrifice, walking
into the shrine of unrequited love and handing him a knife so he could
cut out the pounding muscle in my chest and devour it whole. I could
think of no better end for my heart than one delivered by him anyway.

“Avast,” Geraldine hissed, and I almost crashed into her as she came
to a sudden halt. “We have reached the innards of the palace. A
doorway layeth here, I sense it in my brandycocks.” She ran her hands
over the wall ahead of her and a grinding of stone sounded as it started
to slide open.
I tensed, ready for an attack, while Geraldine raised her flail and
Caleb took a dagger into his grip. Silence washed over us from an
empty hallway beyond the hidden door, a navy carpet running the
length of it and giant silver mirrors hanging on the walls.
Geraldine stepped out into the palace, and we followed, keeping close
together while I lifted a hand to cast a silencing bubble around us
along with an air shield.
“Jiminy crockpot,” Geraldine breathed in awe. “My eyes are not
worthy of the beauty housed in these halls. I will scrub them with
seaweed and salt upon my return to our safe haven.”
“Which way to the Seer’s chamber?” I asked.
“Yonder!” she cried, taking off at a gallop, and Caleb and I shot after
her. She was damn fast, moving like an alley cat with a feral dog on its
tail, sprinting out into the next corridor before hanging right and
leading us through a maze of luxurious lounges and tea rooms, then
skidding to a halt in front of a grand wooden door, cupping her ear
against it.

We gathered close at her back, and Geraldine caught a fistful of

Caleb’s shirt, yanking him nose to nose with her.

“Put those bat ears to good use and use your auditory aptitude to
gauge the danger awaiting us beyond this door, good fellow,” she
commanded, grabbing onto his ear and yanking on it to get it closer to
the door.
“Argh. Stop that.” Caleb knocked her away, rubbing his ear, then
moving nearer to listen anyway.
Geraldine leaned close, pressing her ear to Caleb’s other ear which
wasn’t against the door.

“Perhaps I can use you as an ear trumpet,” she whispered to herself,

and I sniggered.
“It’s clear,” Caleb announced, stepping back and opening the door,
nudging Geraldine away from him as he did so.
My heart jumped into my throat so hard it nearly knocked some teeth
out as we came face to face with Stella beyond the door, her eyes
widening in alarm.
“For the true queens!” Geraldine cried, leaping forward with her flail
held high, swinging it toward Stella’s head without a moment’s
hesitation.

Stella cried out, but her voice didn’t reach us, revealing that a
silencing bubble surrounded her and in the next second, she shot
backwards several feet with her Vampire speed, avoiding the brutal
swing of Geraldine’s flail.
Caleb moved in a blur, rushing to catch her before she could
disappear with a burst of her Vampire speed. But Stella didn’t even try
to run, letting Caleb take her arm and raising her other hand in
surrender.
I extended my silencing bubble over her, and she let hers pop so we
could hear her.
Geraldine lunged forward again, swinging the flail like a woman
possessed, rolling her hips as she went.
“Wait,” Stella gasped, her fangs winking at me from her mouth. “I can
help you.”

Caleb threw an arm up to block Geraldine’s strike, the chain of the

flail snapping around it, spinning around tight, and he growled
through the pain.
“By the moon, Cal, are you alright?” I lurched forward, unwinding
the flail from his arm, and healing away the marks.
“How dare you?” Geraldine cried, holding a hand to her chest in
shock at what Caleb had done. “My flail was destined to crush the
skull of this wench! She is a callous cockroach, a hag of a hornet, a-”
“Cunt of a caterpillar?” I offered.

“Precisely!” she cried. “And I shall smite her down this day in the
name of her brave and fearless son, who has taught us that even a
shamed creature such as he can rise back through society under the
name of love, virtue, and honour!”
“She helped us before,” Caleb said and I guessed he had a point,
though Geraldine also made good points. I was inclined to end Stella
for her treatment of Orion alone. He was my moon friend after all,
and what kind of moon friend would I be if I didn’t kill his
treacherous, black-hearted mother now that the opportunity had
presented itself?

“I dunno, Cal. I think her face would suit her better if she wore it on
the back of her skull,” I said darkly, stepping up to Geraldine’s side.
“I’d like to have the honour though.”
Caleb’s throat bobbed as he took in my words, and Stella looked to me
in horror.

“I can help you,” she said quickly. “Tell me what you need.”
“We’re here to rescue our friends, of course,” I said.
“Hound, shut your flapper trap this instant,” Geraldine snapped. “Do
not divulge our plans to this crustacean of a crout.”
“It’s fiiine. She’ll be dead in a sec anyway.” I slowly circled Stella, a
Wolf hungering for a kill, and she twisted her head to watch me go,
her eyes glittering fearfully.
I loved the power this game fed to me, and I could feel Caleb being
tempted into playing along. He wanted to see me do it. He’d enjoy
every second. Because we may have lived in a civilised society, but we
were animals at our core. And the promise of death had all of our
inner natures coming to the surface.

Caleb flashed his fangs at me in a warning to keep back, and I smiled

demonically. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.
“She might be useful like last time,” Caleb said, like he was trying to
talk me down, but I just licked my lips.
“We don’t need help this time,” I said. “We have a plan. What can
she really offer us?”

“The whelp has a point,” Geraldine agreed. “Let us cast this wench
from the world before we are found dithering here like a pot of
begonias upon a doormat.”
“Listen to me,” Stella growled. “You can take the others, but my son
cannot leave here. He has-”
“Silence crone!” Geraldine threw out a hand, casting a wedge of soil
into Stella’s mouth and making her choke and splutter.

I gnashed my teeth by Stella’s ear, and she flinched away from me so

forcefully that she almost fell over, only remaining standing because of
Caleb’s grip on her. I laughed and Geraldine sucked in both of her lips
to hold back her own laugh, recomposing herself quickly.
“We must do the honourable thing by our dear professor,” Geraldine
said, puffing out her chest. “We must put his mother to death.”
“Look, no one is more bloodthirsty for her death than I am,” Caleb
said, his fangs out and proving he meant every word of that. “But she
was useful when we went to Acrux Manor before. She might be a
despicable mother to Orion, but something tells me she’s got cold feet
on her evil bitch business.”

“I dunno, Cal,” I said doubtfully. “She’s probably just stalling to give

Lionel time to come find her.”
Stella scraped the last of the soil off of her tongue, hissing angrily and
glaring between us.
“Listen to me, Lance has taken on the burden of breaking Darcy
Vega’s curse,” she said, a tremor in her tone, like she really gave a
damn about her son. “He’s made a deal with the Shadow Princess.
You cannot take him from this place.”
“And why would we believe you?” I snarled. “You just want to keep
your son here so you can try and corrupt him again. But we corrupted
him first. He’s ours. You can’t have him.”

Her lower lip trembled. “Yes, I know I lost him a long time ago, but
I’m trying to protect him now. He made a Death bond with her.”
“A Death bond?” Geraldine gasped, throwing a hand to her heart.
“No, it cannot be. Not my lady’s sourplum. Not her dear Orry man.”
“She’s lying,” I barked, and Stella flinched again. “Give her to me,
Cal. I’ll make her tell us the truth.”
“We’re wasting too much time,” Caleb said, his brows drawn tight.
He raised his hand, slapping his palm to Stella’s forehead and casting
a sleep spell on her before she could stop him. She collapsed in a heap
at his feet, and Geraldine shrieked.

“I do not wish to flail her face in while she slumbers! I wish to fight her
like Fae, like the glorious Gadrivelle in the war of seven soothsayers!
Rouse her this instant,” Geraldine commanded, lifting her flail
threateningly.
“No,” Caleb said, drooping down with a surge of speed and picking
Stella up. He vanished in the next second and returned empty-handed
from the direction we’d come from before we could do more than
whirl around to search for him.
“Where is she?” I demanded.

“Sleeping in a chair somewhere far away from us. We’re leaving her
alive, her death belongs to Orion. Besides, we’re not killing a woman
who surrendered to us,” Caleb said, a ring of authority in his voice.
“But she’s awful,” I pushed, my hackles rising as I lunged at him, my
chest slamming against his. “You had no right to make that decision.
You’re not in charge of us.”

Caleb bared his fangs at me, his eyes sparking with a challenge, and
heat coursed through my veins. He wanted a fight? I’d give him a
fucking fight.
“We have a plan, and we have to stick to it. If we kill her, Vard could
see it, then how long do you think we have until we’re found, huh?”
“You don’t just get to make the call. You’re an Heir, not a king,” I
hissed, butting my forehead against his and growling deep in my
throat. My instincts were making me feel entirely Wolf, and Caleb
rose to meet the beast in me with a beast of his own.
“You’re looking to get put in your place, pup,” he warned.
“And where’s my place? Because last I checked, it was at your side,
not beneath you.”

“That’s not how I remember it,” he said, a smirk tilting his lips,
mocking me right fucking there in the open with what we’d done in
secret.
It struck me like a bolt of lightning to my chest and I howled in rage,
rearing back and slamming my fist into his face. He stumbled away
with a curse, but as I went for him again, he moved with his Vampire
speed, coming up behind me and locking his muscular forearm
around my neck, yanking me back against him.
“Submit like a good pup,” he growled in my ear and my cock liked
that a lot, but my Wolf didn’t.

I threw my elbow back hard enough to wind him, and he shot away
again as I turned to get hold of him.
“IMBECILES!” Geraldine crowed, diving between us and slapping a
hand to each of our foreheads as Caleb came at me from the front.
She looked from me to him with her teeth bared and eyes wild. “You
two have danced the four-legged mongo long enough! It is as clear as a
summer’s day on a Tuesday morn that each of you are twitterpated
with the other like bucktoothed rabbits gazing into the lambent glow
of a thousand Faeflies. My eyes may be open, but if they were welded
shut with the solder of sun steel, I would still perceive it as plainly as an
unbuttered bagel. Seth Capella, you resemble a bloated cagafrog when
you gaze upon this toothsome behemoth before you, and Caleb Altair,
it appears as though your jaw might fall from the corners of your face
and shatter against the flagstones every time you glance yonder at your
merry mutt. So stop this unendurable foxtrot and lay your truths upon
the chantry of each other’s fervour this instant!”

We both looked at Geraldine in dumbfounded confusion, and my

mind ticked over the crazy words she’d just spewed at us. My brain
was stuck on the four-legged mongo, and I couldn’t figure out what
the hell she was on about. I glanced at Caleb, wondering if he was any
closer to understanding her than I was, but he shook his head to
confirm he was clueless too.
“Um, what?” I balked.

Geraldine threw her head back in frustration, tossing a hand to her

forehead. “I couldn’t be any clearer if I knitted you both a jotsom scarf
and threw you into the river of Meul. Alas, I cannot wade a single step
more in this quag, it is time to we focus our attentions on our beloved
Gabriel and return to our friends with him in tow post-haste. If Stella’s
ramblings had any trueness to them, then we must quicken our strides
and see what can be done about Darcy’s Orry man. But the sands of
time are already slipping through our fingers, chaps, so we must seize
the hour and forge onward.”

She took off at a furious pace, and I shared a glance with Caleb that
said we were going to drop this argument for now. Geraldine was
right; we had to get a move on, but I had every intention of finishing
that fight with him later.
We jogged after her, following her down a hall where gleaming swords
were mounted on the walls, then she stopped abruptly in front of an
engraved wooden door and pointed at it dramatically with her flail.
“The Royal Seer’s Chamber,” she breathed ominously, and I drew
our silencing bubble in tighter around us. “What misery shall we find
our Gabriel in? What lays yonder may never be unseen.”
I moved to open the door, but Geraldine karate chopped my hand
away from the handle with a ‘yah!’.

“Ow,” I cursed, narrowing my eyes at her. “Was that really

necessary?”
“Your unworthy paws cannot handle the intricacies of opening such a
door.” Geraldine moved forward, raising a hand in a theatrical
movement then slamming it down on the handle and opening the
door like a normal fucking door.

“How was that intricate?” I asked in frustration, but Geraldine was

already gone, marching into the room with her flail raised high.
I followed her inside with Caleb, taking in the beautiful room where
portraits of long-dead Fae stared down at us from the walls, my eyes
falling on the glass throne at the centre of the chamber. It was
stunning, a work of art in itself, with silver gemstones inlaid all over it,
mapping out the constellations. At the far end of the chamber, a
portrait of Merissa Vega hung, her face tilted towards a night sky, the
beauty of her so similar to that of her daughters.

My heart sank like a stone in a well. The room was empty, nothing but
chains around the chair to even suggest Gabriel had been here.
“Blaggerflooks,” Geraldine cursed, running over to the chair and
dropping down to run her hands over the seat. “It’s as cold as a
winter’s eve. Not an echo of the warmth of his dandy buttocks
remains. He has been gone some time. Or perhaps he was never here
at all.”

“Let’s head to the tower,” Caleb said decisively.

“Yeah, I’ll lead the way,” I said, throwing him a look that said ‘stop
being a bossy asshole’.
“How about I carry you both and speed this shit up,” Caleb suggested,
eyes glittering.
“I can walk just fine,” I said stubbornly.

“Nonsense you nincompoop.” Geraldine slapped me around the back

of the head. “We shall ride upon our fangly steed and quicken this
escapade up a notch. Let us head thither at once!” She leapt onto
Caleb’s back, wrapping herself around him and Caleb opened his
arms for me.
“Hey, how come I have to ride in your arms like a baby? I’ll go on
your back. Get down Geraldine.” I moved forward, grabbing her leg,
but she kicked out like a new-born foal, her boot slamming into my
dick.

“Motherfucker.” I crumpled with a howl of pain, and Caleb took the

opportunity to scoop me up in his arms and shoot off into the palace. I
wasn’t being held like a baby at all – I was a motherfucking purse
hanging limp beneath a grandma’s arm.

“Left, right, left,” Geraldine called the directions to him, tugging on

his ears to drive him like a racehorse while I craned my neck to scowl
up at them.
“Stop that,” Caleb hissed, but Geraldine ignored him, steering his
head this way and that, and he couldn’t do anything about it while his
arms were wrapped tight around me.
We soon entered the tower and started circling up the dark spiral
stairway so fast that my head spun.
“Avast!” Geraldine roared the order to stop, and Caleb came skidding
to a halt at the top of the tower, right before a door. We were on a
dark landing with black brick walls and a worn wooden floor. The
single window high above us let in little of the moonlight, and I didn’t
think it was worth casting a Faelight in case it drew attention.

I pushed out of Caleb’s arms and Geraldine jumped down, rushing

forward to feel out the area for defensive spells.
“Drat, there’s a security ward here. I shall try to disable it. Come,
Caleb, lend me your power.” She snatched his hand into her grip, and
I pursed my lips at them as he offered her power and the two of them
got on with their little job together.

“Fine, I’ll just stand here like an unwanted almond,” I said loudly, but
they ignored me. “No one likes an almond.”
They kept their backs to me, and I growled, moving further along the
wall that blocked our way into the room, brushing my fingers over it
with the hand that held the ring Tory had gifted me, hoping there
might be a secret passage which would let us in so I could save the
day.

“Even almonds don’t like almonds. They’re the eggplant of the nut
world,” I muttered. “Actually, I don’t think they’re even a true nut.
I’m pretty sure they’re a seed posing as a nut. Fucking undercover
little seedling bastards.”
I left them with their own silencing bubble as I moved further away,
casting one around myself and continuing to delve deeper along the
shadowy passage.

A grumbling of stone made me pause and I whipped around, hoping

to find a doorway opening in the wall, but instead just one single brick
slid aside, giving me a view into the room beyond. I shuffled in close to
the wall, peering through it, looking for Gabriel, Orion, and Darcy
with hope nearly making my heart burst.
It was dark in there, and there was a smell like ash and death that
made my instincts prickle with warning. My throat thickened and I
squinted harder to see through the gloom, lifting a hand to cast an
enhancing spell over my eyes. The room became clearer, and I froze
at what I saw in there. Lavinia was writhing in a nest of shadows,
chewing on a severed head that had such life in its eyes that I could
have sworn it was somehow aware of what was happening to it.
Nausea gripped me as Lavinia suddenly rolled onto her back,
spreading her legs wide and revealing a gaping black hole where her
vagina should have been.

I screamed, the sound trapped within my own silencing bubble and

slamming back into my ears triple-fold. A thing; a horrid, massive,
thing was crawling out of that hole, shadow and blackish blood
everywhere as that monstrous demon creature dragged its way out of
her body and into this world.
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” I said in horror, backing up, wanting to claw
my eyes from my face to try and unsee what I’d seen. But there was no
unseeing it, no unseeing it at all. “You’re not Darcy. Not Darcy at all.”
Lavinia bent over backwards like she was made of rubber, her legs
spread wide and some awful chant leaving her lips as she birthed a
monster. The power in that room was unimaginable, the pressure of it
making my ears pop and the magic in my veins sizzle. It was too
much. We couldn’t fight it, couldn’t go near it without falling prey to
those terrible shadows seeping out of her nest. They were drifting this
way, coiling out like tentacles coming to take hold of me and drag me
into a pit of desolation. Or worse, Lavinia’s vagina.

I forced my mind to click into gear and jerked backwards, taking my

hand from the wall so the brick slid into place again. My heart was
beating furiously and all I knew was that we had to go. Run as far as
we fucking could from this room and never, ever, ever look back.
I sprinted to the others, panting as I merged my silencing bubble with
theirs.

“I saw through the wall,” I blurted, and they turned to me.

“By the stars, are you alright?” Caleb asked, moving closer in concern.
“You look seriously pale.”
“Yeah good, great, dandy. But let’s go. I saw some stuff. Some really
not good stuff. Gabriel’s not here. No one’s here. Well, someone’s
here. But it’s not our friends. We need to just...just go. Because I’ve
seen something and, and...and...”
“Goodness, he’s as shaken as a twoddle stick,” Geraldine murmured to
Caleb.
“What did you see?” Caleb pressed, but I shook my head, vowing
upon every drop of love I possessed in my heart for him that I
wouldn’t subject him to knowing what I’d seen. I’d tell them all about
that freaky shadow baby when I could, but now was not that time.
“We just need to go. Please, trust me.” I swallowed the lump in my
throat and Caleb frowned, nodding his agreement.

“Okay, let’s head back downstairs and find the others,” he said.
“Maybe they’ve had more luck than us.”
Geraldine jumped on his back and I let Caleb lift me into his arms,
curling into him and pressing my face into his shirt, trying to process
what I’d seen. I didn’t think a day would ever pass now when I
wouldn’t think of it. I was changed, altered forevermore.
Stars save me from the unholy demon vag.

We made it down to the ground floor and Caleb came to a jolting halt
that nearly sent me flying from his grip like I was in a car crash.
Thankfully, his arm remained latched around me like a seatbelt,
tugging me back tight against his side. I frowned at the corridor ahead
of us where heavy footsteps were pounding this way, but Caleb was
already moving back in the direction we’d come.

“Fuck, there’s Nymphs everywhere,” he cursed, clearly picking up on

them with his Vampire hearing. He darted into a closet before the
Nymphs made it this way, and our silencing bubble closed in around
the three of us.
“By thunder, we can’t stay here,” Geraldine whispered.
“Well, we can’t go out there, there’s too many of them. Look.” Caleb
pointed at the keyhole and I wriggled out of his arms, lowering down
to peek through it and spotting the lines and lines of Nymphs heading
past the door and into an open lounge across the hall. Yup. That was
death’s door right there, and death was standing outside it, twirling a
finger on his key and whistling for us to come running.
Some of the Nymphs were in shifted form, while others were in their
Fae- like form, sipping tea like it was going extinct and clearly in no
rush to move on.
“Kaboodles,” Geraldine cursed. “We’d best wait here until they move
on. Even with my flail, your daggers, and the mutt’s claws, we would
cause too much of a stir if we attacked them, and we mustn’t alert the
dastardly Dragoon to our presence before our dear Dante has had a
chance to rain down a death storm upon his noggin.”

I sighed, dropping down on my ass with a huff and burying my face

against my knees, finding only a demon vagina staring back at me in
the gloom. I shuddered, but as Caleb dropped down beside me, his
hand found mine in the dark and warmth spread up my arm and deep
into my heart.

Alright, maybe hiding here in a closet wasn’t so bad. I just hoped Max,
Tory, and Xavier were having more luck than we were.