Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
Reality twisted and snapped. Daniel's stomach lurched and his knees buckled as he grabbed blindly for something to hold on to, fingers catching fabric.
The world spun. Fragments of color burst behind his closed eyes. His breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. He forced his eyes open, trying to make sense of the strange shadows and angles surrounding him.
"Where..." The space around him seemed impossibly vast, the ceiling vanishing into a starry sky that—holy shit, were those the twin moons of Veridia glowing overhead?
Caelen swayed beside him, one hand pressed to his temple. "We're..."
Movement flickered at the edges of Daniel's vision. Dark shapes emerged from corners, taking human-like forms. Tall, beautiful figures with pointed ears appeared from other doorways, dropping to their knees.
"Welcome back, my king." The words echoed through the vast space, spoken in perfect unison by dozens of voices.
Daniel's grip tightened on what he now realized was Caelen's sleeve.
What the fuck….? Was this…?
"Oh god." He looked around wide-eyed. "Are we... is this..."
"The Shadow Kingdom," Caelen confirmed, his voice steadying, even taking on an edge of command as he addressed his subjects. "Prepare my chambers. Leave us."
The fae and shadow people obeyed without question, moving toward various exits. Daniel watched them go, his brain still struggling to process what his eyes were seeing. He'd spent countless hours imagining this place while reading the web novel, but nothing had prepared him for actually standing here.
"What just happened?" He turned to Caelen, not loosening his grip. "Where are the others? What did Yuri do to us?"
Silence stretched. Daniel's gaze swept across the vast room. A smooth path made of black marble led to a raised dais, where an obsidian throne sat empty and waiting. Tapestries of deep purple and midnight blue hung between black columns, depicting scenes of battles long past. "Is this your throne room?"
"It is."
Daniel's racing thoughts stumbled. How could this be real? How had this happened?
"Why did Yuri send us here? And is Jamie somewhere here too?"
"Most likely." Caelen's jaw tightened. "Though I don't know where."
"We have to find him. Find all of them." Daniel grabbed Caelen's arm with both hands. "What if they're in danger? What if they're hurt? You said not all humans survived the trip here!"
Caelen rested his own hand atop Daniel's. "I don't think Yuri planned to kill any of us."
"What makes you so sure about that?"
"He's planning something."
"But what?"
Caelen blew out a breath, looking around as if the answer might be hidden somewhere he couldn't see. "We need more information. I'll send out scouts to look for your friends. If they're in Veridia, we'll find them. And I'll get a report about what's been happening here in my absence. Don't worry, pet. You're not alone."
Next, Caelen raised his voice. "Guards," he called, voice filling the throne room.
Living shadows materialized from the dark corners, taking form as they approached. Daniel couldn't help but stare. He'd read about them, even seen artworks, but seeing them in person... their bodies looked like pieces of night given shape, wisps of darkness trailing in their wake.
Caelen strode toward his throne, still holding Daniel's hand. "I need search parties to locate Knox, Lyrian, and Zev. They were brought here with us. And there are others… humans from another world."
Daniel pulled out his phone. There was no signal, but everything else still worked, thank God. "I have pictures. This is my brother Jamie." He swiped to a photo of Jamie at the bookstore. "And these are Leon, Adrian…" He trailed off. He didn't have a picture of Malik. Hopefully, he would be with one of the others.
"Bring any humans matching these pictures directly to me," Caelen ordered. "And summon Thaelis. I need a report about the state of the kingdom."
The shadow guards bowed and melted away. Caelen settled onto his obsidian throne, drawing Daniel down to sit in his lap.
"We'll need to get you a chair," he murmured.
"I'm comfortable," Daniel gave back.
Caelen shot him an odd look. "I do like you where you are, but…"
"What?" Daniel prompted, feeling the tension in his mate.
"I've dreamed of having you rule beside me. I wondered if those power fantasies belonged to Morthul, but I guess they're were all mine." There was a dark sort of joy in his smile as he cupped Daniel's chin and kissed him.
Daniel felt himself leaning into that kiss, forgetting his troubles momentarily. He'd never really thought of Caelen as a proper king, but that was what he was, wasn't it?
There was something attractive about that, and about the way he took charge of the situation.
Caelen would find everyone else, and together they would find a way to deal with Yuri. Suddenly, Daniel had no doubt about that.
The only thing still mystifying him was his surroundings. "I can't believe I'm actually here," he murmured. "The endless library, the singing gardens, the Hall of Memories—are they all real? Everything from the webnovel?"
"Everything here is just as real as I am." Caelen's arms tightened around him. "And I will happily share my world with you."
Daniel's heart skipped. Part of him desperately wanted to see everything he'd read about, to know if the library really did stretch up forever, if the gardens actually sang with voices like crystal bells. But Jamie was out there somewhere, probably terrified. And the others...
"We'll find your friends," Caelen reassured him once more.
A moment later, the throne room doors opened and a tall purple-haired fae entered. His delicate iridescent wings shimmered like crystal as he stepped gracefully up to the throne.
"My king." Thaelis bowed deeply.
"Report," Caelen commanded. "I want to hear about any strange occurrences."
"Strange occurrences plague all of Veridia, your majesty." Thaelis kept his head respectfully lowered as he spoke. "People keep disappearing. Others show up in their place. Magicless strangers who act confused, who ask for things and places that don't exist." He paused. "Outside the city, the trees have changed. Some glow with strange light. Others bear unnatural fruits. The wood sprites refuse to enter certain groves, claiming they feel wrong."
"What else do you have to report?" Caelen asked.
The fae looked uncomfortable. "The Siren Queen demands answers, blaming us for the disturbances. So does the Night Court."
A displeased expression showed on Caelen's features at the mention of the Night Court. "I see."
"What are your orders, my king?"
"We tell them nothing.
"I understand." Thaelis raised his gaze to look at Caelen. "Might I ask, my king, who is the human by your side?"
Caelen smiled, and his voice held a note of pride as he said, "This is Daniel. My mate. He is to be given the same respect as myself. Make sure everyone knows."
Thaelis bowed even deeper, strands of purple hair touching the floor. "My lord Daniel. You honor us with your presence."
Daniel's face heated. He opened his mouth to say something—probably something awkward—but Caelen spoke first.
"You may go. Keep me informed of any changes."
"Of course, my king." Thaelis backed away, bowing once more before he left the room.