The pain I felt lessened only enough for me to hear them converse within themselves. "Ragna, what did she say?" There was panic in it's voice. "Brother, it would seem she called for the Bastard General." "The--" There was a sudden thud and the pain in my head vanished. A horrible screech followed afterwards and hissing and sizzles. The fog still blocked my sight but I could make out the scent of burning flesh. More screeching and sizzling. The screams grew so intense I felt my ears would bleed. Then there was silence. I closed my eyes, willing my ragged breaths to calm. I was in pain. All over. I felt arms around me and I nearly screamed on instinct but I calmed when the scent of man, cinnamon and musky wood filled my nostrils. I shuddered when he scooped me into his arms and I clutched the sleeve of his shirt tightly. I whimpered as he brought me closer to his chest and the whimpers turned to soft sobs. "You left me." I sobbed, unabl
The following days passed unbearably slow but a little less intense. Zephyros didn't come to fetch me for training. Tristan and Priam did. In fact, I'd not come in close range with the bastard since that night. When I did see him, which was when I was stealing glances at him whilst I passed the Greathall by, he was either with Evander who wouldn't stop giving me sensual smiles that freaked me out or he was laughing--yes, laughing--at some courtier's lame joke. I resisted the urge to walk over and pull up the woman's bodice to cover her breasts properly. Zephyros might exude scary masculinity and he might be a walking danger but the man was a walking disaster as well. Especially when he was dressed formally, which he had been doing for the four days just as he'd been dutifully ignoring my presence. In fact, his eyes would slide over me every time he looked in my direction. Feasts were being thrown for the engagement between the Fae Lord and Lady Xanthia which would happen t
I looked up from the book i was reading, a fable Vivi had given me to pass time with when i got bored. His Majesty's Bride, it was named. It spoke of the love between the first Fae the goddess Luna had created and his mate. I sighed, dropping the book on the table that stood close to the hearth. "Who is it?" "'Tis I. Amilie." "Oh." I unlocked the door and set it ajar for her. She came in bearing a pile of clothing and... things in her hand. "Why Amilie? I have enough clothes in my armoire. Why... this? And isn't it too early? The feast isn't until tonight." She placed the heap on my bed and turned to look at me with huge brown eyes. I tilted my head and observed her carefully. "Where are Nori, Cleta and Snowdrop?" "They bring fairydust." "What?" She waved her hand to dismiss the question and pointed at the bathroom. "I already had a bath Amilie." "Nay. 'Tis different. Ken ye not thy skin is a little dry? We
Priam wasn't wrong. He was good. But i was better. He might've waltzed for centuries but i had the best teacher. My mother. Dancing on the gold floors, twirling and moving with accuracy, dexterity and passion brought back memories of when i was still a child. I started dancing even before i could remember. Mother would dance with me all around the house with her being my partner. Father would sit, sorting out ledgers and occasionally peer from his work and steal glances at his wife with hot expressions in his eyes. I didn't understand it back then but now i do. Love. Desire. Passion. Hunger. Admiration. Amusement. My eyes watered as Priam twirled me around and i smiled widely as i spun farther away from him. The symphonic melody changed and i was tugged sideways by another. I tensed and look upwards to find brown eyes staring down at me with amusement. "Who might my lady be?" His grip tightened on my waist and i placed both my palms on his chest as we began moving.
"Mother?" I whispered. She frowned down at me and looked to Lord Leandros. "Leon, who is this?" I whimpered and took another step forward. "Mother, it's me."I looked from her black hair to her brows, her eyes, her nose, her lips, her frown. I couldn't be mistaken. I would recognize my mother if I saw her. Her features... All mine. Well except the hair and eyes but still, the resemblance was uncanny. "I'm afraid I do not know you child." She said, eyes taking in my appearance with... with... disdain and disbelief. Whispers grew around us but I tuned them out and looked at my mother, amidst tears. Looking closely, I froze. Her ears. The tips were pointed like every other Fae. Not mangled and irregular like I'd last seen it. Perhaps... She wasn't... I buried my mother. Alongside father. We buried her. I flowered her grave everyday and buried my father beside her. I flowered her grave! Until I couldn't afford flowers anymore. Yet... She was standing in
The next hours were crazy and intense, at least for me. I was ushered into a sort of... war room(considering the maps on the walls and on the large table), along with the Fae Lord, Evander, Zephyros, the seven others and four faces I'd never seen before, where we waited for more than half an hour for the four High Lords and a few more people. As soon as the room was filled up and every seat at the table was filled up, I was bombarded with questions. How I knew 'the Draekein', how I could streak when no one else could, how I used my ice when there was an obvious case of Faebane, did I plan with the mortal queen, how did the Draekein get past the wards, did I weaken the wards, was I a spy from the other side, what was the next plan the mortal queen had in mind,...... Questions! More questions that threatened to drive me insane. When it became obvious I could not answer their questions, the High Lord of the Water Court threatened to place me in a dungeon and torture me
I took turns around Alfheim alongside Amilie who lead me to the first wing of Alfheim, clutching my mother's books in my hand(not sure why). It was like a sort of...tour. I had never really left my... room, save for training, the event and searching for a kitchen. I knew Alfheim was large but I didn't know how large. According to Amilie, there were five wings, with more than two hundred rooms in each. She explained that it was made originally for the Four Lords of each race, the High Lords of the Fae Court(partial residency because they still needed to be at their courts), the Lords of Lesser Fae Houses(also partial residency for the same reasons. It did amaze me that the four different races operated differently), the Royal family of humans, as they liked to be called and the Head Mages. That was a lot of people, i thought. She furthermore explained that Lord Leandros preserved the rooms and wings everyone used to occupy and left them as they were before the war separate
Lesser Fae Lord Vasilis is my grandfather. As if things weren't complicated already. Dameon was the Draekein. Faebane didn't affect me. My mother was a twin. My grandfather was one of the Four Great Lords. Lord Leandros tapped his index finger on the table incessantly as he thought. "Perhaps, it is about time I broke that puny barrier." My eyes widened. "You can?!" I exclaimed. He frowned at me and gave me the "You underestimate me" look. "Why didn't you?" He arched a brow at me and I knew it meant, "You don't get to question me". I lowered my head and tapped my fingers on the desk. Zephyros cleared his throat, gaining my attention. I turned slightly and dared a glance at him. His arms were folded and his sinewy muscles were on display. He wore a white shirt that as usual did absolutely nothing to hide those taut muscles. I swallowed as my face drifted again to his savagely handsome face and dropped to his wickedly sensual lips. My belly did