King of Fire and Flames (Courts of the Star Fae Realms #2)

Chapter 24

Leaf

In daylight, the moat looked different—much less sinister than the other night. Its fiery surface swirled gently, like water in a breeze. Sparks floated lazily above it, and I wondered if the lie-eaters would make an appearance today.

“So what are we doing here?” I asked Arrow, sneaking up beside him.

He turned and scanned my body, his hot gaze curling my toes. “We’re going to summon the khareek and sell them some lies, and in return, they’ll help us speak privately just in case...” his words trailed off as he grimaced at the anklet around my leg.

“How do you know the moat-dwellers can do that?”

“As it turns out, you’re not the only one who can read. I went to the library last night and did some research of my own.”

That explained why he wasn’t in the hall at dinnertime. Not that I’d been looking for him too often.

“Arrow, in the book I found today, it said—”

“Sh.” Warm fingers pressed my lips. “Don’t speak yet.”

I exhaled sharply. “I’m sure I’d feel something if you-know-who was listening in.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” he said.

Then, without a word of warning, the Storm King started singing. Feather glyphs flowed bright gold over his skin, as they often did in my presence, and his voice hummed from deep in his chest. Chill bumps broke over my arms, a shiver skittering down my spine.

Who knew that Arrowyn Ramiel could carry a tune?

“Hidden talent?” I whispered, and he shot me a withering glare, not skipping a beat of the hypnotic melody.

The song reminded me of the music sung by the northern traders that often passed through Coridon, slow and eerie, with an abundance of harsh consonants, but no clear words to decipher.

The surface of the moat churned, and three creatures burst out from the lava-like water, the sight ten times more disturbing than the night I first saw them with Ruhh.

In unfortunate, gruesome detail, the sunlight highlighted their charred bones and melting flesh, and as soon as one fiery limb dissolved, another formed in its place. The khareek writhed in a state of flux, burning and remaking themselves in a constant cycle, horrible to witness. But if the creatures were in pain, they showed no outward signs.

Silent now, Arrow inclined his head in greeting.

“Prettily done, Storm King,” said the tallest khareek, swaying knee-deep in the moat as his rasped words slurred and his tongue and mouth dissolved in a blur of dripping flames.

“Can we… do anything to help you?” I asked. “You must be in pain. Are you trapped in the moat?”

“Nooooo,” the word crackled out of the fire creature’s regenerating mouth. “To be khareek is to be blessed, human. To us, pain is pleasure. Pleasure is pain. But if you wish to help us, you may tell us delicious lies. We are always hungry for those.”

Feeling Arrow’s gaze boring into me, I gave him a cool look. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just wondering if your relentless compassion will eventually rub off on me.”

“According to rumors, it’s already happened.”

The Storm King opened his mouth, but said nothing, his eyes still fixed on mine.

“Don’t make us wait,” said the mouthpiece of the trio, interrupting my staring competition with Arrow. “Feed us, and we shall decide if your lies are worthy of our magic.”

Arrow took a deep breath, but I stepped forward before he could speak. “Taln is a wonderful city,” I declared loudly.

The khareek laughed, and the smallest one slithered closer. “The Storm King should speak. His lies will be more potent than hers .”

Arrow waved a hand toward me. “See this girl here?” The khareek nodded eagerly. “I do not love her or even care about her fate.”

“Good,” hissed the creature, flames surging over its body as it writhed drunkenly. “Quite delicious. Tell us more untruths, Storm King.”

“Of course.” Arrow grinned at me. “I betrayed this girl who stands before you, and because of me, she is trapped in Taln.”

The khareek shrieked in delight as my heart rejoiced. Arrow had betrayed me, and I was in Taln because of him—both statements nothing but sweet, sweet lies.

“More, more,” the creatures chanted.

“Zali Omala, the Princess of Dust and Stones, is never my first thought when I wake, nor my last before I fall asleep. I don’t worry about her safety, and I swear I’ve never longed for her touch so badly I’d rather die than endure a life without it.”

Howling, the creatures’ bodies bent and coiled in a dance of ecstasy, their black eyes fixed on the sky as if the gods themselves descended from the clouds to gift them with untold blessings.

Arrow’s eyes blazed as he whispered directly to me, “I would never lay my life aside for Zali. Or do almost anything to keep and to treasure her.”

“Lies. All lies,” sang the khareek. “Beautiful, tasty lies.”

It felt strange to hear Arrow call me by my childhood name when the one he’d given me finally felt so right. Only hours ago, I’d railed against it. But never again. Not now that I knew for certain how he felt about me.

“I think I may have overindulged,” said a khareek, releasing a loud burp as it began to sink down into the moat.

“Wait,” their leader commanded, holding its companion up by an armpit. “We must ask what the king and queen wish from us in return for feeding us so well.”

“Oh, I’m not a qu—” I began to correct, Arrow’s glare silencing me.

His wings manifested, flaring high above his shoulders, the right one lowering and embracing my body, drawing me closer. “With respect, ancient Khareek,” Arrow said, “all we wish for is the gift of privacy.”

“A lovers’ concealment?”

“Yes,” he replied. “We’ve been apart long weeks and wish to speak to each other without risk of others overhearing us. And I promise we mean no harm to the realms and seek only to restore balance.”

The creature’s black eyes burned through my skull. “Does the Storm King speak for you?” it asked, its left shoulder collapsing and melting into the moat.

“In this case, yes. Most definitely.”

The khareek yawned. “What you have said is true. Your wish is granted.”

The fire creatures opened their mouths and jets of lava spewed out, spraying our bodies. I flinched, expecting pain, but felt none.

As the khareek sank under the moat, one said, “Whenever you come here together, no being will be able to see or hear you, not even through magical means.”

A semi-translucent globe of flames cast by the khareek burst around us, waves of heat billowing off its walls, a little too warm for comfort.

Arrow took my hands, pulled me close, and kissed me tenderly. Too quickly, he drew back, his palms framing my face. “Being unseen by others was a nice addition. We’ll meet here whenever we need to discuss… delicate matters.”

I laughed. “Hm. I suppose that doesn’t include partaking in frivolous matters, such as kissing.”

“I wouldn’t rush to that conclusion.”

I flapped the neck of my tunic away from my chest. “It’s quite hot in here.”

“Feel free to disrobe,” he said with a cheeky grin. “Your comfort is always my greatest concern. Tell me what you learned in the library.”

“I found a book about Sun Realm magicians that contained a brief paragraph on twin mages.”

A gold eyebrow rose. “Despite years of work, my scryers haven’t discovered any information about the fire mages. What did the book say?”

“If one mage is lost, the other fails. And better still, if one dies, the kingdom falls. And something about the powerless holding the other’s glory. Whatever that means.”

“So it’s Nukala we must target.”

“I think so.” I nodded, my heart hammering with barely bridled excitement.

I could hardly believe the dramatic turnaround in my circumstances over the last twenty-four hours. Arrow stood beside me, smiling like I was a beam of sunshine on a rainy day. He was on my side and making plans to help me right King Azarn’s many wrongs.

Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to remove them. “What do you know about Nukala? He’s an odd one. Keeps to himself. Doesn’t say much.”

“Agreed,” Arrow said. “He’s a particular favorite of Azarn’s. That’s all I know.”

“We need to talk to Estella. Did you realize that she let me win our battle in the Arena of Ashen Souls? Arrow, she used cosmic magic to stop time. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Yes. She told me she would do so before the event. Otherwise, I would’ve done everything and anything to stop it from going ahead. I know she wants to help us, but her mind is… fractured from the trauma of her forced marriage to the Fire King. She hides away. Often speaks in circles. I fear she may not be reliable.”

“But perhaps our only chance?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“And Ari? Any news?”

“Azarn has agreed to let her visit Taln.”

Hope bloomed in my chest. “That’s so exciting and… surprising. How did you manage that?”

Arrow’s mouth twisted. “I told Azarn it would be an insult to expect you to marry his son without my Sayeeda’s help to prepare you for the occasion. Raiden has already left and will return with her shortly.”

“Raiden? That’ll be an interesting journey.”

Arrow grinned. “And likely too short a duration for what your dirty mind is imagining, Princess mine.”

“Princess? I thought I was your queen,” I teased.

“ You are my everything. The Empress of my Soul, who rules my every thought, wish, and desire. The mistress of my body, especially of my aching c—”

“Much better,” I said, laughing. Then a wave of fear washed over me, and I dropped my gaze to the ground.

With a finger, Arrow raised my chin. “Leaf, what is it?”

“You don’t think I’ll have to actually marry Bakhur, do you?”

“Over my rotting corpse will you join yourself in any shape or form with that sniveling, indolent abuser. He doesn’t deserve to have you spit on him.”

“But you deserve me?”

“Of course. We were made for each other. Do you still deny it?”

“Do you admit you’ve been a prick? A villain?”

“In the past? Maybe that was the case.” He drawled the word maybe out to a ridiculous length, as if it would make my accusation less true. “It’s possible I didn’t always proceed wisely, especially where you were concerned.”

I pinched his cheek. “You’ve been a brute.”

“And you love me for it,” he said, chuckling as his arms came around my waist, squeezing me tightly. Then his expression darkened. “How can I make you understand the depths of my remorse for the way I treated you when you first came to Coridon? I’ve been drowning in regret, guilt, and shame. If I could chop off parts of my body and still bring you the same pleasure, still protect my people and kingdom, then I’d gladly hack them off at once and present them as tributes. Which would you like first, my right hand or entire left arm?”

“Your cock should do nicely,” I said. “Give me that now, hard and fast, and consider yourself forgiven. All debts paid and more.”

Giddy with happiness, we laughed between sweet kisses. Then he whispered over my lips, “Dearest Leaf, surely you must realize I never betrayed you. I rushed from Mydorian because when Raiden arrived, he told me he’d uncovered rumors concerning a fire fae planted at my court, and he suspected that fae was Esen.”

“Of course it was Esen,” I said. “Azarn has been busy playing a devious, long game.”

“And still is,” Arrow continued. “The fire fae, using Esen, tricked you into thinking I’d ordered your arrest. Deep down, you know I would never do such a thing. I think part of you enjoys the idea of me as a villain, but it’s simply not true. It never was and never will be. I’ll always be on your side, Leaf. From the moment I learned you we’re stolen, I’ve had no choice but to pretend I didn’t care and go along with their sick charade.”

“Why?” I asked, a single tear rolling down my cheek. “Surely there was another way.”

Arrow’s thumb stroked my wet face. “ Why ? It was the only way to protect you, my love. The stars could fall from the sky and I wouldn’t flinch as long I knew you were safe. Please say you believe me or end my misery now.”

He drew a knife from a sheath on his thigh, wrapped my fingers around the hilt, and pointed the tip at his heart.

The rusty bars that caged my heart melted away, causing an avalanche of tears to tumble down my cheeks. It was time to admit my mistakes. Of course he had told the truth. I don’t know how I ever doubted him.

“Fine,” I said through sobs. “You can call me Leaf whenever you like as long as you call no other yours. Ever, understand? Only me. Or I’ll rip your balls off with my teeth.”

His brow rose. “Interesting idea. Perhaps we could act the scenario out when we return to Coridon. For the purpose of research.”

“By the way, you won’t be getting your cloak back, either.”

He grinned. “Good. It’s been yours since the day I met you.”

I smiled back, my heart overflowing with happiness. “Now, what the hells do we do next?”

“Nothing until Ari arrives in a couple of days. Then we’ll make plans to release Orion and get us all out of this gold-forsaken excuse for a fucking kingdom. The reavers have access to knowledge about the old magic of the realms, and the Sayeeda has been in Auryinnia with her sister, trying to find ways to break Melaya’s power block.”

“And in the meantime, all I have to do, is pretend I want to marry the Fire Prince.”

He looked skyward as if seeking calm. “And I must stop myself from killing him.”

A nearby shout startled me—someone calling my name. I squinted through the veil of flames and saw Esen and Prince Bakhur marching down the path toward the cliffs. They’d passed quite close to the khareek’s sphere of magic and hadn’t noticed us. And we’d been too focused on each other to see anything else.

I strained to make out their conversation.

“Leaf told me she’d be in the library, searching for books on Taln wedding traditions,” lied Esen smoothly.

“I wish to know where she is at all times,” said the prince, his light-brown curls ruffling in the sea breeze. At the cliffs, they turned left toward the Fen Forest.

Smiling sadly at Arrow, I said, “They’re looking for me. I’d better go. We have much to discuss, and it’s too difficult to speak sensibly through the bond when you take my blood during feedings. I can’t concentrate. If I can get away from Bakhur, I’ll meet you here at dusk tomorrow. Just before dinner, when the court is busiest.”

Dragging me close, he kissed me without mercy, then held me at arm’s length. “Be careful.”

“I will. The sooner Ari gets here, the better. She always knows what to do,” I said, taking a step away from him.

“Before you go, will you…” he glanced at his boots, shifting his weight, before staring at me with an anguished frown. “Tell me your name again. Please.”

I knew exactly what he wanted.

With my hands pressed against my heart to stop it from exploding out of my ribcage, I began to turn away, as if I would leave. Then, slowly, I looked over my shoulder, revealing a smile.

“My name is Leaf,” I said. “Always and forever I’ll be your Leaf.”

As I pushed through the dome of flames, Arrow’s voice rumbled behind me. “Fucking finally,” he said.

I laughed, skipping toward the Fen Forest like a giddy child, not a prisoner in a land I despised.

The human condition amazed me. As long as we found love, we could experience happiness in even the worst of circumstances. And I guessed that was true of all species.

Even the fae.