Destruction’s Desire (Broken Souls Trilogy #2)

Chapter 16

Rule sixteen: Do not let the Destroyer be nice to you.

T here’s a soft knock at my door, just barely loud enough to wake me.

Despite the exhaustion that still clings to me, I grin. I haven’t run with Damien in a couple of days, and it will be nice to get back into a routine. Maybe if I don’t mention my depressive spiral, he won’t either. Worst case, I’ll just misidentify a muscle group and he’ll be distracted.

Opening the door to tell Damien I’ll just be a second, my brows raise when I find Rosie there instead.

“Good morning! Do you have a minute?” she chirps warmly.

My anxiety immediately flares full force. Is this an intervention? Did Sin tell everyone about last night ?

I am not ready for this. But I step out of the doorway, regardless of my hesitation.

Rosie flits into my room and sits cross-legged on the chair by my bed, her wings hanging off either side. She gives me a hopeful smile before asking, “Sin mentioned this morning that you might have made up your mind about staying here?”

“Oh! Uhm –” I pause, trying to formulate my thoughts into a coherent answer.

I want to help with stopping the Council. But do I want to stay here? Thoughts of Sin on the cliff with me last night float to the surface. He had every chance to be cruel to me, but instead, he helped me. I’m not ready to hand over a friendship bracelet to the man, but it’s enough to make me believe that maybe there’s some good in him. I can’t fight the Council alone. I need allies, and I need to trust someone .

“I think I’d like to stay. Unless you guys threaten the Mortal Realm, or Morgana turns out to be an evil villain who murders innocents.” I add the second bit with a hint of amusement, even though I’m one hundred percent serious.

Rosie purses her lips as if trying to stop herself from laughing. “For the record, I would be leaving too if those things ever happened.”

Her answer puts me a bit more at ease. “Perfect, then I’ll stay wherever you are, and if we need to ditch, we’ll do it together.”

Rosie squeals, jumping from the chair to hug me. “Oh, I’m so excited! As soon as Morgana gets here, we’ll ask her. She’ll say yes – but just to be polite. ”

She lets me go, spinning in a happy dance. “This means you aren’t under house arrest anymore! You can come out with us today!”

I frown. “I was the reason you guys were under lockdown?”

Rosie gives me a sheepish grin. “Sin didn’t want to risk certain things getting back to the Council. Please don’t be mad. Some secrets aren’t ours to share.”

I shake my head slowly, trying not to let myself expect the worst. Rosie wouldn’t look so happy about everything if she was hiding atrocities, would she?

“So, you’ll come, right?” she asks, nodding as if to further convince me to answer that way.

“Sure, why not?” I answer. I have no other plans. Maybe now I won’t need to interact with Sin today.

“Perfect! Wear your fighting clothes from yesterday,” she orders, heading back for my door.

“Uhm – why?”

She turns to give me a conspiratorial look as she pulls open the door. “Because we’re going into enemy territory.”

She closes it before I have a chance to press her for more details.

After dressing as quickly as possible, I find Rosie in the sitting room, just off the dining area. She’s wearing green leather armor embroidered with gold threads that wind into delicate leaves and vines. There’s a bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.

My brow raises, impressed. “I didn’t know you fought. ”

“I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t. It’s Sin’s first rule. If you live here, you need to be able to defend yourself and the others. It makes us stronger,” she adds, smiling.

I’m about to ask who trained her when a brooding mountain of a man enters the room. Sin crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at me. He’s dressed in his own fighting leathers, only there’s a large sword sheathed on his back and daggers strapped to his thighs.

“You’ve decided to stay?” he asks in lieu of greeting.

Even with the innocent nature of his question, there’s a bite to it that has me reminding myself that he helped me last night. I can stay civil, if only for that.

“Yes. I refuse to work for the people who tried to take my free will,” I answer, crossing my arms and craning my neck to look at him.

He stares at me for a moment, and it’s like he’s trying to peer into my soul, which he very well might be doing. That’s enough to extinguish any of my prior goals for civility. “Were you going to stare at me all morning? Or did you want something? Because Rosie and I have somewhere to be.”

Rosie’s jaw drops, and Sin’s mouth quirks up on one side, just a fraction. But he cuts his stare and tosses something at me.

It’s a muffin.

“We leave in five minutes. Eat,” he orders before turning to leave the room.

“Wait, what? No, you’re not coming,” I respond, unsettled .

Rosie did say she was going with someone else, but she and Sin don’t seem to interact much, so I assumed she meant she was going with either Magnus or Damien.

The pleasant company.

Sin arches a brow, not deigning to reply to my absurd statement. “Eat. You’re already a violent little thing. You’re not getting hangry on the mission.”

“I am not –” I start to argue, but he’s already gone.

I huff but take a bite out of the muffin anyway. But only because it’s chocolate chip.

Rosie still looks like she’s in shock. “I cannot believe you spoke to him like that.”

Still chewing, I raise an eyebrow at her, and she elaborates, “Sin is our second in command, after Morgana. They’re great leaders, but it isn’t the same way with them as it is with the rest of us. There’s a command structure, and they don’t break that boundary. It’s… unexpected to hear someone speak to him like that. Other than Morgana, I’ve only ever known one other person who’s done it.”

She pauses, tapping her foot lightly on the ground, and I keep eating my muffin, invested in the information. She’s confirming what I already suspected. Sin might be loyal to the others, but they’re not friends.

Why does that make me sad?

Rosie eyes me again, this time with a curiosity in her gaze that I haven’t seen since the day I arrived here. “And he’s informal with you, too. That’s… new. ”

At that, the muffin becomes a dry glob in my mouth, and I barely manage to swallow it. “We don’t like each other,” I correct her before she can take the thought anywhere else.

I want to embellish and tell Rosie about how much of a dick Sin has been to me, but he cuts me off when he swaggers back into the room.

“Let’s go,” he commands. Rosie reaches for my hand, but Sin gets there first. My pulse jumps at the warmth of his hand against mine.

I frown. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going off-realm,” Sin answers. “Now that you’re staying, you’re going to see what we actually do here.” He pulls me close enough to wrap an arm around my middle before adding, “Hold on tight. The wards shouldn’t knock you out while we’re leaving, but they won’t feel good either.”

My breath catches at the feeling of being pressed together, and I fist my hands in his shirt, refusing to hold onto more of him. “But where off-realm –”

I don’t miss Rosie’s grin just before my feet leave the ground and we apparate from the room. When I’m on solid earth again, I blink at the dark spots in my vision. Sin holds me steady until the disorientation passes, and I finally untangle my hands from his clothes.

“It’s easier to show than tell,” Rosie answers, landing beside us.

I gape as soon as I look around. We’re in a forest with trees so large you could fit my apartment inside one. They tower over us, reaching high enough that I can’t make out where the canopy ends. Soft light filters in between the leaves, giving a golden hue to the forest floor.

“Welcome to the Fae Realm,” Sin says softly.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper back.

“It is,” Rosie agrees.

Sounds of trilling birds and insects surround us, and you can almost feel the humming of life in this place. It’s a far cry from the forest of the forgotten dead.

“It’s also not a good place to linger. There will be royal guards here soon,” Sin notes, his hand coming to rest just above one of his blades.

Rosie nods, her expression turning sombre as she leads the way. I fall into step beside her, and Sin slows his own pace so we’re not far apart.

“What are we doing here?” I ask, keeping my tone low.

“It’s a rescue mission,” Sin answers. “An old friend needs an extraction.”

I stare around us, looking for any sign of guards heading our way. “Why are they in trouble?”

“They’ve upset my mother,” Rosie notes, scrunching up her nose.

I turn to gawk at her. “This is where you’re from?”

It’s probably a stupid question, given Rosie is a fairy, but she just gives a dainty shrug. “A long time ago. My mother is the Seelie Fae Queen.”

She says it like it’s nothing serious.

I try not to let my complete surprise show. “So – you’re a princess?” I ask hesitantly.

Rosie giggles. “Not for a long time. My mother is a huge supporter of Need’s campaigns. It’s why my sister became a Creator, and I was selected as a Keeper. Only, when I bonded Irena, my mother realized she’d lost control of me and gave the order to have me killed.”

And here I was thinking I had mother issues. “I’m so sorry, Rosie.”

Rosie shakes her head. “Don’t be. My mother is horrid. The person we’re rescuing will be executed or imprisoned beneath the Council’s castle if my mother gets to her first.”

I swallow, not liking the sound of that. “Are we bringing this friend to Morgana’s castle then?”

This time, Sin answers, “Not quite.”

Hearing Sin speak when he isn’t angry, annoyed or disgusted with me is really off-putting. If I wasn’t already sure that he has the personality of a bed bug, I might think that there was excitement in his tone. But before I can ask him if he hit his head this morning, Rosie stops in front of a massive tree and passes her hand over the bark.

I quirk an eyebrow, and Rosie explains what she’s doing before I ask, “The tree is glamored to look like the others, but there’s a door here.”

“How on earth did you know to look at this particular tree?” I ask, incredulous. They all look nearly identical to me.

“Because I glamored it,” Rosie answers, reaching for a small branch and turning it. In response, a part of the tree bark swings outwards, revealing an entryway.

Rosie steps inside, and I do the same, with Sin following closely behind me. Small pink lights glow from little orbs placed along the inner bark, revealing a small open-air staircase ahead of us.

“This way,” Rosie notes, indicating the stairs.

The stairs wind high into the canopy and look like a hike. Remembering that we’re on a time-crunch, I think to ask, “Any chance we can just apparate up?”

Sin smirks. “The tree is warded to not allow apparition. It’s one of the defenses we added.”

He pokes me once in the ribs, and I jump, following Rosie up the stairs and turning to glare at him.

“Keep your guard up, kitten,” he whispers back.

I turn from him, disgruntled. Sin hasn’t called me a whore all morning, and it’s starting to worry me. I make a mental note to piss him off again soon, just to set things right.

Consistency is key.

“What did you mean about the defenses you added? What is this place?” I ask quietly.

“It’s a safe place for allies if they ever need to escape their home. We’ve built them across many realms over the years,” he answers.

Rosie chimes in with her own whisper, “I helped with this one. I have a way with convincing trees to let us use their interiors.”

I purse my lips, considering his answer. Morgana helped save Rosie. But is it possible she’s been helping others too?

Rosie finally reaches the top of the stairwell, and I pause beside her when I see a woman on the other side of the room.

“Rayne,” Rosie says, sounding relieved .

The Fae woman looks young, maybe a few years older than me. Though I figure that means nothing, given people age very differently out here. She’s a few inches taller than me, with angular features softened by her long lilac hair. Pointed ears extend from her hair, and she’s dressed in a simple cream dress. Her eyes are a striking violet, but the shade is mirrored in the circles that line them. She looks – exhausted.

“Rosie,” she answers, mirroring Rosie’s relief. Her voice doesn’t carry the sound of bells like Rosie’s does.

Her eyes lock on me, looking wary.

“This is Vivian,” Rosie says. “She’s with us. And you’ve already met Sin.”

Rayne nods, her shoulders sagging a bit.

I start to give her a tentative smile when I see the bundle in her arms move. I assumed the small oval blanket was a bag of her possessions, but I realize I’m way off base when I hear a soft cooing sound. It’s a baby.

Rayne adjusts the bundle and speaks to it in soft, soothing tones until it quiets again.

“We need to go quickly. It won’t be long until the guards are swarming the forest, looking for you both,” Sin notes softly.

Rosie makes her way over to Rayne, and I follow her, feeling Sin close at my back. At our approach, Rayne adjusts the bundle so it’s tucked in close to her in a protective gesture. But the baby’s face is still exposed as it watches us with wide eyes.

It’s impossible not to notice the purple serpentine eyes and rounded ears that are only partially visible through a small tuft of purple hair. I remember my talk with Magnus about half-breed babies being considered abominations.

I look back up at Rayne, only to find her staring at me defensively like she’s preparing to fight. “You baby is adorable. How old?” I ask, hoping the question puts her at ease.

Her eyes are wide and afraid but soften slightly at my question. “He – he’s only three days,” she answers quietly.

Sin gives her a grim look. “The father?”

She closes her eyes, shaking her head. “A dragon shifter – he, he held off the guards for as long as he could so we could escape.” Her voice shakes, and my heart breaks for her.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

She takes a deep breath and gazes down at her baby. “I won’t let them hurt Azar.”

Rosie takes Rayne’s hand, and quickly, we make our way back out of the tree. As soon as we’re outside, Sin steps forward. “The Shadow Realm wards will knock you out when you arrive,” he holds his hands out, “I can take the little one so he isn’t accidentally dropped.”

Rayne stiffens. “Is it safe? Will it hurt him?”

Sin shakes his head. “I’ll put him to sleep beforehand so he doesn’t feel a thing. It won’t hurt him, I swear it.”

Rayne looks ready to burst into tears but hands the baby to Sin. He accepts the child, tucking him closely in one arm. His tattoos glow slightly red as his thumb gently brushes the baby’s forehead. “Sleep,” he commands in a gentle whisper.

Immediately, the baby’s eyes shut, and we all watch for another moment as his chest continues to steadily rise and fall.

“Time to go,” Sin notes as he looks back at us.

“I – I don’t want to be separated from him. Please,” Rayne adds.

At her question, Rosie lets go of Rayne’s hand and gives her a nudge towards Sin. “You two go ahead, Vivian and I will be right behind you.”

Sin takes Rayne’s hand but pauses to give me a warning look.

I smile sweetly. There’s the illogically wrathful Destroyer I’ve been looking for.

Sin rolls his eyes, and he and Rayne disappear.

I turn to find Rosie wandering a few feet away, staring at the trees. She looks so sad. Given how much I miss my realm and haven’t been gone long at all, I can’t even imagine how much it must hurt for her to leave this behind.

“I can see why you love the garden so much if this is what you grew up with,” I note softly.

Rosie turns back to me, giving me a small smile. “I can feel them, the threads of life here. They’re all connected. It’s soothing.”

I’m about to ask her if she gets to come back often when I spot the glint of something metallic in a tree behind Rosie.

My eyes widen when I realize it’s another fairy standing deathly silent on a branch. He’s encased in chrome armor, save for the visor lifted from his face. But that isn’t what caught the light. It’s the arrow he has pointed directly at Rosie.

I run.

“Duck!” I scream just as the arrow leaves the bow. Rosie barely has time to turn her head to look for the threat before I shove her.

A shocked huff of breath is all I manage when a searing pain slices through my arm and then radiates into my side. We both tumble to the ground, Rosie falling beside me. I look at the source of the pain, only to find the arrow is there, impaled through my left arm. The arrowhead is either in the fighting leather or my ribs. I can’t tell.

Through the shock of pain, I look back up only to see a volley of arrows follow it, arcing through the air as they start descending on us.

Before I can confidently declare that we are beyond dead, Rosie grabs me. The ground drops from beneath us, and everything goes black.

An old woman is singing, and I think I might be dead. But a few blinks later, I turn to find Rayne is also here, fast asleep on a cot that matches the one I’m on. The older woman is bouncing Rayne’s baby in her arms.

“Enjoy your nap?” a gruff voice calls from the other side of my cot. I spin to see Sin leaning against the wall, watching me. He looks none the worse for wear, so I’m assuming whatever wards guard the Shadow Realm don’t affect him.

I start to sit up, wincing from the pain in my arm and ribs. Looking down, I see my fighting leathers have been replaced by a loose black T-shirt, and my arm is wrapped in a fresh bandage.

“Where’s Rosie?” I ask, immediately worried.

“She’s okay. I sent her back to the castle. You’ve been out for a while,” Sin answers. “What you did – was incredibly reckless. Rosie is an immortal.”

There’s still enough bite in his words to piss me off. “Rosie is my friend. I don’t care that I’m just a weak mortal in your eyes. I –”

But Sin shakes his head, silencing me. “I wasn’t finished. Rosie is an immortal, but the arrow you took for her was iron-tipped– deadly to Fae. It would have killed her,” he adds more gently.

My heart drops at the near-miss Rosie just had. Sin looks at me like he’s frustrated, and I can’t even begin to try and decode his feelings. Instead, I swing my legs to sit up on the bed, ready to be done with today. “Where are we?”

My question pulls Sin out of whatever mental battle he was just going through, and he steps forward, holding out a hand to help me up. “The arrival bay.”

I stare at his hand for a solid two seconds before giving him a disgruntled look and standing without his help.

Have we landed in an alternate universe? Is that what happened?

Sin smirks at my disregard for his help, before nodding at the woman walking around the room. She smiles warmly at me before waving. “I’ll see you again soon, Sin. Bye, Vivian.”

I wave awkwardly, and Sin leads us to the door.

“What’s an arrival bay?” I ask as we step out into a crowded street. The roads are cobbled stone and thatched cottages line either side. People bustle about, but every last one of them waves and smiles at Sin as they pass by.

An alternate universe checks out.

“It’s where we apparate refugees to when they first arrive here,” Sin answers. “They receive any medical care they need, and then we get them set up with a home. The community will support Rayne, and she and Azar will have a place to live for as long as they need.”

I gape at the crowds. “Are all these people…”

“In one way or another. Some had family fleeing the Council over a thousand years ago. They were born here. Others are more recent arrivals,” Sin answers as we start down the road. “Any time we get word that the Council is going to kill someone, we try to get to them first to bring them here instead. We provided resources, and over the years, they grew, building their own cities.”

I look down the winding roads to see hundreds more thatched cottages, shops, and what looks like a school. I’m filled with awe. “But won’t Rayne want to speak to you when she wakes? Or will she come to the castle to see you and the others?”

Sin shakes his head. “The arrival bay will take good care of her. The city is separate from the castle. Morgana’s castle is guarded by the forest of the forgotten dead. It’s protection since only a few trusted individuals can apparate through the forest’s wards.”

I frown. “So, no one from this village has gone to the castle?”

Sin gives me a tight smile. “Just one. A very long time ago.”

But before I can ask more questions, he reaches for my hand. “Mission’s done. Let’s go,” Sin says, and our feet leave the ground.

“I thought you couldn’t apparate into the castle grounds with me?” I ask when we land back in my bedroom.

Sin smirks. “I couldn’t.”

But before I can get him to embellish that statement, Sin reminds me why I usually don’t like him.

“Not that it makes much difference since you’re still pitifully weak and can’t leave on your own. But it’s less of a nuisance to bring you back now if you try to wander off again.”

I glare at him, only for him to give me a dazzling smile before he apparates out of the room.

My heart skips a beat. Sin smiling is – it’s just unfair.

Gritting my teeth, I turn and head for the washroom. Time for a cold shower.