Chapter 34 Serena
SERENA
When one finds themselves flying through a winter-wonderland, one expects the local castle to be a replica of Elsa’s ice palace.
My hopes and dreams are crushed as I stare down at what looks like a fortified prison.
Castle Bellsphere has all the makings of a war academy—cold, dark, and fucking terrifying—crafted from iron and stone. To make matters worse, it’s situated at the very peak of a mountain, and the temperature is just rude.
We circle overhead while Zadyn shifts into a white falcon and flies down to the gates.
Once we get the signal to join him, Furi deposits us on the other side of a crumbling stone bridge arching over a heart-stopping drop into a rushing river below.
Brawny guards patrol the perimeter—their fur pelts the only thing standing between their naked backs and the icy wind.
“How are they not freezing?” I ask Zadyn as we make our way past.
“They’re raised from childhood to withstand the temperatures. Elemental training.”
I quirk a brow. “That sounds insane.”
“Hyrax is known for its indomitable military. They’re trained young to be ruthless and relentless, more beast than fae. Did you see those massive tents set up in the mountains as we flew in?”
I nod.
“Those are training camps. They span for miles. The best soldiers, the best killers come from there.”
I shudder. Not from the cold this time.
“Why are we here, Zadyn?”
The portcullis rises with an ancient groan as we cross the snow-dusted courtyard.
“The prince and I are old friends. He may be able to help us. Besides, I want to give him a heads up about Vod invading. Aegar could use all the aid it can get, and this will give them time to prepare for any possible attacks.”
There is no element of luxury to the castle as we make our way through the dim, torchlit halls. It’s all bones, no flesh—everything a wash of slate gray. Archaic stone and crumbling pillars bracket the walkway as a pair of hulking guards lead us down the corridor.
The wind howls, snapping at us through the open arches. Why in god’s name would they have windows here that don’t close? In temperatures that have to be below zero?!
Mar and I huddle close together, shaking like leaves behind Zadyn.
A handsome male in a simple crown fashioned from iron appears at the other end of the hall. Like the guards, he wears a fur pelt slung over one bare shoulder.
“Well, well, well.” He holds out his thick arms when he spots Zadyn. “What’s it been, a century?”
“Not nearly long enough,” Zadyn jokes.
The Prince of Hyrax is a strapping, blonde-haired, blue-eyed golden boy. He greets Zadyn with a bear hug and a hearty clap on the back. Spying us over Zadyn’s shoulder, he steps back, hands on his hips.
“Lord Rhodes, please introduce me to your friends.” He flashes us a lopsided smile that makes him look positively up to no good.
“Prince Eaton Berringer, I’d like you to meet Marideth, Dover, Prince Kai of Vod—” Zadyn’s hand lands on the small of my back. “And this is Serena.”
Eaton glances between us a few times, looking intrigued.
“Za-dyn,” he sings, breaking his name into two syllables. “Is this…your bond?”
Zadyn nods. Prince Eaton breaks into a loud laugh, smacking Zadyn’s back so hard he coughs.
“Well, shit. Lucky dog. Pleased to make your acquaintance, all of you. You are very welcome here. Come.”
He waves us forward in the direction he came.
“Had I known you’d be joining us, I would have had a feast hot and ready for your arrival.” Eaton casts a pointed glance at Zadyn.
“Where’s the fun in that?” he says, smiling. “I know how much you love surprises.”
Eaton laughs again, a deep, resonant sound. “Alix will be happy to see you.”
Zadyn blows out a long breath. They exchange light banter as I watch from behind. I’ve never seen Zadyn bro out like this before. It’s kind of adorable.
Prince Eaton leads us to a line of rooms, offering one to Mar and Dover and one to Kai. Then, opening the door to a cozy room with a massive bed and roaring fire, he says to Zadyn, “You two can share a room. You don’t mind, do you, old friend?”
Eaton gives him a shit-eating grin.
“Of course not,” Zadyn says through a gritted smile. “The daybed is fine for me.”
“Thought so. I’ll leave you to dress. Dinner’s in ten.”
Zadyn and I quickly change into the clothes hanging in the wardrobe and make our way toward a set of tall wooden doors. He pushes them open, and I blink at the revelry within.
“If this is dinner, then what’s a feast like here?”
“You don’t want to know.”
The hall is loud, lit with a thousand tapered candles and filled with boisterous fae in fur pelts and no-nonsense clothing. The females are robust and sturdy in practical wool dresses, some even wearing tight pants tucked into riding boots.
“There you are!” Eaton calls from behind the head table. “I thought Zadyn would need more time to primp. Come, sit.” He pats the empty seats beside him.
“Where’s your father?” Zadyn asks, pulling out a chair for me.
“Hunting retreat, where else?” Eaton rolls his eyes as a servant pours wine into his waiting cup. “Alix will be down soon.”
I slide Zadyn a curious look.
Alix?
Just another old friend.
“How do you two know each other?” I venture, leaning around Zadyn to glance at the prince.
“I rescued Zadyn from a pack of thieves about a million years ago.” Eaton takes a greedy sip of wine, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
“What he means to say”—Zadyn gives him a stern glance—“is that I rescued him and his entire caravan from a pack of thieves.”
“It was love at first sight.” Eaton flings a chiseled arm around Zadyn’s shoulder and gives him a shake. “Our dear Zadyn has a savior complex, if you haven’t noticed.”
I laugh, taking a sip of wine. Eaton bends to whisper something to Zadyn, then slumps back, a knowing look on his face. Now I’m curious about what couldn’t be said for the entire room.
Zadyn clears his throat and continues, “I traveled with Eaton and his siblings for a few decades.”
“Oh.” I nod.
Mar slips into a seat beside me, Dover on her other side, and Kai near the end of the table, charming the hell out of a female with a wedding band around her finger.
Lively music picks up from a few minstrels in the corner, and some of the fae break from their dinner to dance. The wine and beer keep flowing, everyone here at ease, merry, and unapologetically down to earth. It’s nothing like the polished, carefully cultivated court of Aegar.
“So,” Eaton says to Zadyn, “to what do I really owe this surprise visit? I know it’s not because you couldn’t live without me.”
“It’s a little heavy for dinner conversation,” Zadyn warns. Eaton shrugs and waves a hand for him to speak. “The portal.”
“What of it?”
“Well, for one thing, we know what happened to it. To the Guardians.”
Eaton looks up, suddenly alert.
“The King of Vod somehow destroyed them and gained control of the portal. He’s amassing an army of foreign creatures who have sworn obeisance to him in exchange for passage into our world.”
“How do you know this?”
“Because he told me,” I answer.
For the first time, Eaton seems to notice my eyes. He leans closer, his brow creasing as he studies me. I allow my pupils to constrict, narrowing into black slits and then back into round dots.
He nearly falls out of his chair.
“Mother of Zed.” He swallows hard, his sun-kissed face paling a shade. “You didn’t tell me your bond was the last Blackblood.”
“What kind of familiar would I be if I had?” Zadyn says. “Serena was being held captive by Kylian. He tried to force her into marriage so they could perform the Bloodfast, but we got there in time.”
Eaton’s eyes narrow, shifting down the table to Kai. “And you’re running around with the bastard’s kid brother?”
“Kai is nothing like his family,” I say defensively. “He did everything he could to keep me safe there. He’s on our side.”
“And what side is that?”
Then it dawns on me. Eaton is afraid of me. He thinks that with my power, I might be a threat to his home. To his kingdom.
“The side that wants to keep Kylian from conquering this world,” I say earnestly.
Eaton sucks in a long breath, swirling his empty chalice. “I am far too sober for this.”
The towering wooden doors to the hall swing open, pausing our conversation, and in walk three striking fae with hair the same shade as the prince’s.
The first is a male, slightly taller than Eaton, veins bulging on his shredded arms and pecs. That one looks like Zeus and Chris Hemsworth had a baby. The male beside him looks more adolescent—shaggy curls, not quite as tall or bulky as the first. And then there’s the female.
Nearly as tall as her brothers, she is statuesque and severe like an , clad in tan-colored leathers with a white fur pelt thrown over her back. Her blonde hair is plaited into an intricate braid that falls to her hips, swaying as she walks with all the cocky confidence of the males at her side.
Zadyn stands and walks around the table to meet her. My eyes narrow in confusion.
“Hello, Alix.”
Alix greets him with a punch to the face.