Chapter 20
Tenebrys filled a plate with cooked meat, vegetables, and fruit and offered it to Delphi.
"I thought I was the only one who cooked," she said, still a little uncertain about Tenebrys's softer side.
"It would seem that Felix made the exception for you. Eat. You had a long night, and it's already afternoon again," he replied, getting food for himself. He waited until she had started eating before he tried any of the meat himself.
"What do you know about witch fire?" Delphi asked, needing to start the conversation off somewhere.
Tenebrys's eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?"
"Those crazy fae who were trying to kidnap me last night," Delphi said and ate some of the roasted potato.
"One of them was babbling about me being a carrier of the witch flame and how their lord was going to use my power to make the land bloom.
He sounded drunk. The only type of fire I know of is the normal kind. "
Tenebrys leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful.
He had laced his trousers back up, but he hadn't covered any other part of him.
Delphi stared shamelessly. She liked looking at his big body and wanted to touch the gold arcane symbols on the black bone on his chest. She wanted to know what they meant, almost as much as she wanted to know what they tasted like.
"Long ago, the fae began to breed with humans.
The mortality rates with hybrid children were lower than those of pure fae, and the human and fae offspring inherited special abilities like magic.
Best of all, that touch of fae in them made them unique breeding stock for the pure bloods," Tenebrys said, his eyes troubled.
"That's how they created the witch bloodlines," Delphi said, remembering the tale from a book she had read.
Tenebrys nodded. "Yes, it was meant to be a breeding program.
Unfortunately for the fae, magic has its own plans, and the powerful witches soon started to band together to protect each other.
The ones that could escape from Faerie back into the human realms did.
Unfortunately, they were unknown creatures to both humans and shifters, and so they were always outcasts.
They did better in the shifter realms and in those that had already accepted magic, like Arkaia.
Chantelun tolerated them until the fae war, and then both humans and the fae rounded them up to take back to Faerie or to be killed. "
Delphi could taste smoke, and she shifted in her chair. "Narcisse made me go to the last witch burning to make sure I always knew to hide what I am," she admitted, hating that her voice cracked. "I still have nightmares about it. I was five at the time."
"Your father is a piece of shit," Tenebrys replied, anger lacing every word. "I'm sorry he forced you to witness that kind of horror."
"It worked, though, didn't it? I never tried to learn more about my power because I was always too afraid of it and being discovered.
" Delphi pushed a piece of meat around her plate, not looking at him.
"Someone must have found out because Louis showed me a wanted poster.
I would be burned as soon as I was found.
That's the only 'witch fire' I know about. "
Tenebrys's tail curled around her ankle, a warm, comforting touch.
"No one will be harming you again, little flower. I don't care how many times I need to tell you until you believe me," he said firmly.
They held each other's gaze for a long, tense moment before he finally continued.
"You know how I mentioned the original fae mating with humans?
That first line of children had exceptional magical power from the fae, but none of their vices.
Their human side helped balance them out and kept the magic from turning them mad.
One of the most prized abilities was what they called Witch Fire.
It could level battlefields and then make them bloom again.
It was one power capable of both destruction and creation.
This is why they want you so badly. A witch with your abilities hasn't been seen for centuries.
It's so strong that some fucking high lord can feel your power all the way into Faerie. "
Delphi pushed a hand through her damp hair. "But, Ten, I don't have that kind of ability, and I would be surprised if I have a full drop of fae blood in me. My magic is like a little ember of power right now, good to light some fires and heat things. Those fae have to be mistaken."
Tenebrys shook his head. "Believe me, Delphi.
The power is there. Locked up and smothered but there.
A few nights ago, the fae that stabbed me with the blade said they had come through the gateway for you.
I didn't want to frighten you more than what you already were, so I didn't tell you.
It was why I was so insistent on you staying in the chateau last night. "
"You could have told me or warned me without being a bastard about it," Delphi replied, her eyes narrowing. "I was pissy as it was, and you made it worse."
"I only wanted to keep you safe," he growled. "I just didn't say it right."
"I don't know why you want me safe at all," she said, her frustration bubbling over. "I really don't understand you, Tenebrys. One minute you're an asshole, then you're protecting me, then you're punishing me, then you're feeding me. I can never figure out what version of you I'm going to get!"
Delphi didn't realize she was yelling until Tenebrys's tail tightened around her calf.
"I'm sorry," he said, startling her so badly that her plate almost slid from her lap before she steadied it.
"You don't apologize ever. What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly worried. "Help me to understand what is up with you and maybe I will stop aggravating you so much when I don't mean to."
Tenebrys put his plate back on the tray and ran his hands through his mane. "You don't know much about shifters, so I'm going to have to explain this... It's not the way I would want to do this…"
"Just tell me. I'm not your enemy." Delphi leaned over and rested a hand on his knee. "I think I made that pretty obvious in the bathtub just now."
Tenbrys huffed out an awkward laugh. "You know how my dick has a knot?"
"Yes, I was just up close and personal with it," she teased, needing to hear that laugh again.
"Oh, gods, stop or I'll get hard again," he complained, which only made her giggle more. The laughter helped break the tension, and Tenebrys gave her a look of mock disapproval.
"Delphinium, you aren't making this easier. Behave or I'll make you behave. No, don't you dare say whatever you just thought."
Delphi pressed her lips together, smothering her mirth. "I'm stopping. I'm sorry. You were telling me about your knot. Please continue. It's a subject I definitely want to know more about."
"Dark goddess Rosemerta, spare me from this female," Tenebrys mumbled under his breath. He let out a frustrated breath. "Knots only appear on shifters when we meet our mates, Delphi."
All the laughter died inside of her as his words and their implication sank in.
"Oh. And you think I am your…" She didn't know how to finish her sentence.
"I know you are," he said evenly. "It's why I could always find you in dreams. It means I will always protect you until I have no breath left in my body, whether you hate me or not."
"I don't hate you, Tenebrys. I never have.
I've been annoyed and angry at you, but I've never hated you," she replied.
He still wasn't looking at her. "This is a lot to take in.
I suppose it does explain why I would seek you out in dreams as well, and why I've never physically reacted to another man the way I have with you. That's part of the bond, right?"
Tenebrys nodded. "Yes. I don't know why Fate and the goddess has brought us together this way."
"Because you won't ever be able to accept me because I'm Narcisse's daughter?" she asked. If there were any hatred between them, it would be because of all the damage her parents had caused him. The worst part was that she understood why he would hate the sight of her.
"Would you ever be able to get past that, Tenebrys?
" she asked, dreading the answer. "I know I'm not exactly an ideal choice for you as a mate.
It's a really special bond for shifters, and I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to be tied to someone like me.
My family hurt you so much, and now you're a target with the fae because of me.
It would be easier for you to hand me over to them—"
Tenebrys cut her off with a warning growl. "I will never give you to the fae. I don't give a fuck that you're Narcisse's daughter either. Not anymore. I tried so hard to hate you, and I just can't do it."
"Then what—"
"Look at me. I'm a fucking beast, Delphi." He gestured at his face. "I'm not exactly a prize mate for anyone."
Delphi thought about all the memories she had been struggling with the day before. She had done a lot in her life that she fought not to be ashamed of.
"I'm a beast too, Tenebrys. I can just hide it better," Delphi replied softly, hugging herself around her stomach. "I've never had a problem with the way you look either. I thought it was obvious with how my body reacts around you. How about I sit on your face some more until the message sinks in?"
"That would be one way of going about it." Tenebrys chuckled and finally looked at her. "Despite your acceptance of my looks, I'm not going to pressure you into a mating bond, Delphi. Not until you ask me to. As I said, you aren't a shifter, and this can be a lot to accept."
"What would be involved in a mating bond exactly?" she asked, wanting to know everything.
Dear goddess, Delphi really hoped his mother had a shelf of books on shifters in her library that she could read.