Sybil
The room materialized around me all at once; the bright lights blinding me.
The male who kidnapped me from the camp ripped his arms out from beneath me, sending me crashing to the ground before I could even stand.
Landing hard on the marbled floor, pain radiated up my back, and my tailbone felt like it snapped in two.
I let out a vicious curse, my head snapping toward the haughty male.
My nose curled into a snarl when he smirked.
He tilted his head as if to taunt me, causing the chains along his twisted horns to chime.
Heat climbed up my neck, burning its way into my face.
A fiery rage whirled inside of me, my magic awakening to answer its call.
My nostrils flared, my power tingling down my arms and into my hands, ready to lash out so that I could wipe that conceited look off his face.
I opened my mouth, a sharp remark beginning to slide off the tip of my tongue, when a silky voice interrupted me.
My chest tightened from her words, my body stiffening as I cautiously turned in her direction.
Welcome to Dubnos? Did I truly hear that right?
Not only that, but she also called me by name.
While I was known in Nemos as Ambrose’s grand paladin, I only held that title for a short amount of time.
Not long enough to be recognized by anyone outside of Nemos.
The female sat on a dark gray throne; her full red lips curled into a sinful smile.
My breath caught in my lungs as I stared at familiar green eyes that gleamed with amusement.
Her ivory skin looked striking against her raven-colored hair, and she wore a black crown made of thorns with an obsidian stone set at its center.
She was every inch a femme fatale—danger wrapped in beauty.
Beside her, a powerful male sat on a similar throne, watching me with curious sky-blue eyes. While he wore a matching crown, his golden hair clashed with the band’s darkness.
My fingers twitched, and I curled them into a loose fist, hoping to hide my reaction. My eyes jerked back to the female. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice sounding flimsy.
Her smile grew sharper, my heart pounding hard against my chest.
The male behind me crouched down with a sigh. “You should show some respect to my queen, little human,” he whispered beside my ear, his voice laced with venom.
A shiver crawled down my spine as I twisted back to face him.
The male stared me down; his face pinched in revulsion.
My magic thrummed in response, and the shadow beside my hand fluttered, catching his attention.
The corners of his mouth tightened as he waited for Salem—the shadow that had been following me for weeks—to move again.
Lost in the nebula of purples and magentas swirling in his irises, my unease gave way to curiosity, and I let myself study him.
There was a glow in his eyes that reminded me of nocturnal animals in the night, but I let my gaze dip down to the dark tattoos that swirled along his muscular chest, disappearing into his shirt.
My soul seemed to purr in his presence, begging to see more of him, to feel more of him.
Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I forced my eyes back up, only to find him watching me. I swallowed hard as his slitted pupils thinned on me, his nose wrinkling from disgust.
“Enough, Soren,” the female said to my abductor, her tone bored.
I turned back to the queen, choosing to ignore the male—Soren—who hadn’t spared me another glance.
Pushing myself up from the cold floor, I stood, though my legs felt weak, and let her continue speaking.
“My name is Queen Morgiana, Goddess of Death and ruler of Dubnos and the Unseelie Court. This is my husband and mate, King Dryden.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, my face whipping to Dryden, and took in those sky-blue eyes. I knew they were familiar, how the shape and color looked so much like my father’s—like the queen who foresaw the death that eventually found me.
“You’re Queen Cassia’s brother?” I choked out, my blood running cold. My heart raced, but I forced my hands to stay still, refusing to rub at the pressure building behind my chest.
This is where it all started.
These were the ancestors Ambrose—the male who tricked me into a damning bargain that ended in my death—had spoken of.
The ancestors who integrated eventually with humans to create my family line and gave us the magic my family feared as a dark curse.
The power they feared so much that they hunted and erased anyone bearing even the faintest trace of it.
Surprise rippled across Dryden’s face, his head twisting to his mate before returning to me. “You know of me?” His voice was warm, and the look in his eyes was strangely comforting.
An awkward smile rose on my lips, a breathy laugh following. “Something like that.”
A heavy silence filled the room, and I used the moment to take in the space around me.
The room was large and grand, reminding me of the Marble Palace's ballroom.
Crimson and gold silk drapes draped over large stained-glass windows.
A mix of High Fae and creatures lined both sides of the room, each of them watching me with curious eyes.
They were dressed beautifully, though their styles and colors were more varied than those worn by the High Fae in Nemos.
Where their style was more delicate, with lighter colors, here the colors were deeper and the fashion more expressive.
The weight of the silence grew, forcing me to look back to Dryden. “Why does no one know you’re here in Dubnos? From what I gathered during my time in Nemos, many wonder where you are and if you’re even still alive.”
A sad look gathered in his eyes, and Morgiana placed her hand on top of his in a quiet show of support.
Dryden sighed, twisting his hand to hold the queen’s.
“There are several who were against the bond I share with Morgiana. She comes from the Unseelie Court, and while the two courts are similar in nature, there is strife and decades of conflict between them. I couldn’t remain king if I wanted to remain by my mate’s side. ”
“So you gave the kingship to Cassia,” I whispered, more to myself. “But I don’t understand why you essentially disappeared. Why did you hide from the world—hide that you were still alive?”
“That is because of the Seelie Court fearing what would come from an alliance between our two courts,” Morgiana answered for him.
“While our magic and nature are similar, there are enough differences that would make them fear us coming together—make them fear the children we would bear. To protect our family, we thought it best for Dryden to remain hidden from the realms.”
My blood pulsed at the mention of family.
“Are they here?” My voice, my whole body, shook with my question.
I gripped the fabric of my pants, hoping to hide my trembling.
If their children were here, would they recognize me?
Would they recognize the features of the humans they once loved? Would I even want them to?
“Why?” Morgiana asked sharply, her eyes narrowing on me.
My mouth gaped open, the words becoming stuck in my throat.
My mind reeled as I considered how to explain our connection.
Part of me wanted to tell them, to reveal who I was to them.
But then I remembered how adamant my mates, Kieran and Samian, were about keeping my lineage from Edris and Zarina.
I eyed the lords and ladies surrounding me, caution whispering a hint of warning.
How would this court take learning that my bloodline came from their king and queen?
That I was a product the Seelie Court had feared from their joining?
Deciding to keep that matter locked away for the time being, I forced myself to say, “N-no reason.” I winced internally at my stuttering words and how they would be perceived, so I kept going.
“Why bring me here then? If you wanted to keep Dry—King Dryden—hidden from the realms, why allow me to meet him?”
Morgiana disappeared in a whirl of shadow a moment before materializing mere inches in front of me.
I sucked in a breath, stumbling back into Soren’s chest. Soren stopped my fall, my skin tingling from his touch, yet as soon as I was stable, he ripped his hands away from me with a deep growl.
Startled, I looked down, still feeling where his fingers had curled around my arm.
My brow furrowed, but a sharp nail dug into the skin under my chin, pulling me out of my haze, forcing me to face the queen.
“Cassia told Soren that you were part of The Three. Do you know what that means?”
“No,” I murmured truthfully. My magic pulsed under her sharp words, but I pulled it back before it could wreak havoc on the court. “She mentioned nothing about The Three to me, though she never really gave me much to go on. Just a bunch of half-truths and questions.”
Morgiana huffed, the corner of her lips slightly lifting. “Then what about the cells within you that pulse?”
My eyes widened, my stomach twisting as warning bells rang silently through my mind.
I wasn’t sure how she knew about that unless someone in Nemos was giving her information.
The thought made me restless, and I tried to take a step back, but the queen caught hold of my face, her nails digging into my cheeks.
“It would not do well for you to lie to me, child. I will be able to sense it if you do. Now tell me, do you know of the cells that pulse?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered, fear wrapping its claws around my heart. “But I don’t know what it means. We had others researching it, but as far as I know, they haven’t been able to learn the reason or cause of it.” I stumbled through my words, hoping the queen could sense the truth of them.