Chapter 25
After witnessing the terrifying shadow storm, the last thing I wanted to do was attend a revel.
But with evacuees coming to the castle, the people needed reassurance and comfort. And they needed to know that I was there for them.
The shadow storm could wait.
At least, that was what I told myself.
I stood in my chambers, trying to muster the strength to face my people and pretend like everything was fine. I flexed my fingers twice, then curled them into fists. A deep, cleansing breath whooshed from my lungs.
I wore nothing but a tan cloth that fell halfway down my thighs, as was the custom for the Unseelie King. My wings were on full display against my back, and my hair was loose, curling just above my shoulders.
By unseelie standards, my attire was modest. I knew the majority of unseelie fae preferred to attend revels in the nude as a way of embracing their unseelie forms.
I was not quite so bold.
My eyes closed as I tried to collect my thoughts. But all I could see was that raging funnel cloud roaring as it came toward me, and the decimated homes left in its wake.
Lives destroyed. A village obliterated.
My fault. My fault.
The words rang in my thoughts so loudly I could hear nothing else. With a roar, I slammed my fist into the stone wall, causing it to crack. My hand throbbed, and bloody scrapes lined my knuckles.
But the pain pierced through the haze of my thoughts, bringing me a moment of clarity.
With a sigh, I brushed the dust from my hands and strode to the door.
When I threw it open, the ballroom awaited me, the smells and sounds of the revel swelling and beckoning me closer.
The tart raspberry scent of faerie wine floated in the air, tickling my nostrils, and already the sounds of fae pleasuring each other filled the room, their moans and groans mingling with the music.
I stepped into the room, and only a few fae glanced up at my arrival, inclining their heads politely. The others continued with their merriment.
This was one of the reasons why I loved revels. Here, I was no longer the Shadow King, but an ordinary unseelie fae eager to embrace his nature. We were all one at the revel. No titles. No expectations.
Nothing but freedom.
Already, I felt my body relaxing as I strode deeper into the room.
The orbs of light from my Lumen had been dimmed, and all around me, figures were lurking in dark corners or sprawled along the floor.
Against the back wall was a long table with faerie wine, chocolate tarts, and some alcoholic drink I didn’t recognize.
An orchestral tune was playing loudly, but I saw no instruments.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if some fae were using their magic to conjure the sounds.
We tried to allow the revel to proceed without the assistance of staff or servants, so I knew no musicians had been hired for the event.
I strode through the ballroom, sidestepping two naked males groping each other along the floor.
To my left, a group of females danced provocatively, laughing and shouting with delight.
To my right, a fae male sat on a large cushion with a female on his lap, grinding mercilessly against him.
He cupped her breast with one hand while drinking faerie wine with the other.
When I reached the refreshments table, I grabbed a glass of faerie wine and sipped it.
The strong fruity flavor assaulted my tongue and burned as it trickled down my throat.
I took another sip for good measure, allowing it to settle comfortably within me, bolstering my spirits and loosening something in my chest.
A teal sofa rested next to the table, and I sat on it, crossing my ankle over my knee and smiling contentedly at the laughter echoing around me. I downed my drink, then grabbed another, letting the burning liquid melt away my fears and concerns.
This was worth it. This moment, when I could see my people enjoying themselves and forgetting about the terrors waiting outside these walls, made the revels worth it.
A collective gasp sounded from the other side of the room, and the music faltered for a moment before continuing. Several couples sprang apart, turning to stare at something I couldn’t see.
I straightened, setting my glass on the table and frowning at the disruption. What had happened? Was it the Necro Shadows?
I rose to my feet and moved toward the commotion. Fae were whispering to one another in shock and surprise. I followed their gazes, then went rigid when I saw what they were staring at.
Sybelle had entered the room, and she wore nothing but a thin scrap of lacy red fabric that barely contained her breasts.
A flimsy skirt floated just below her navel, revealing a wide expanse of pale skin along her thighs.
The same amber necklace she often wore rested against her collarbone, and the diamond tiara from our wedding ceremony sparkled atop her head.
Her wavy hair was down and fell just past her breasts, and her caramel eyes sparkled in the low light.
I found myself entranced by her. She stepped into the room with confident strides, her chin lifted and her expression regal. She looked at each fae she passed and nodded at them as if she recognized them.
Perhaps she did.
Then, her gaze slid to mine, and she stilled.
I saw the moment she realized my attire was just as revealing as hers.
A faint blush crept into her cheeks as her eyes dipped to the cloth tied at my waist. She noted the long, barbed tail that swished behind me, and the shadow of my wings visible just past my shoulders.
My nostrils flared, and I gritted my teeth. What was she doing here? This revel was a celebration meant for unseelie fae. Her presence alone could make my people feel uncomfortable just for being themselves.
I had kept my distance from her over the past several days, hoping that once her temper cooled, she would see reason and accept my request for her blood. But this was not the setting where I wished to have that conversation.
I strode toward her, intent on telling her to leave before she ruined the festivities, when a figure appeared beside her—Enzira, Sybelle’s maid.
The fae was wearing a black dress that hugged her curves and fell just past her knees, with a long slit exposing the side of her thigh.
Though the dress covered a bit more than Sybelle’s, it still showed off a good deal of her violet skin.
To my surprise, Enzira looped her arm through Sybelle’s and laughed at something the human said. Sybelle glanced at someone over Enzira’s shoulder and grinned broadly, then waved one of her pale arms in recognition.
A few of the unseelie around her began to move and chatter among themselves, somewhat appeased by this.
As Enzira tugged on Sybelle’s arm, pulling her forward to dance with another crowd of fae, my shoulders relaxed slightly.
After a moment or two, the room settled into normalcy.
Couples resumed their lovemaking, and shouts of laughter echoed once more.
I loosed the breath that had tightened in my chest, then glared in Sybelle’s direction. Her arms were in the air as she swayed her hips in rhythm to the music. Her smile was so wide it showed off her blocky white teeth.
Everything about her stood out as a testament to why she did not belong here. Her thin and wispy hair, her short and stubby fingernails, even her large doe-like eyes.
She was a stranger, intruding on a moment reserved for the fae. Perhaps she didn’t know any better, but I, as her husband, had a duty to educate her about these things.
I made my way over to her as her laughter rang out around me. When I was only a few steps away, Sybelle twirled, then collided straight into me. I gripped her waist to keep her from toppling over, and her hands braced against my chest. Her mouth opened in surprise as she met my furious stare.
“Varius,” she said, slightly breathless.
“Sybelle,” I bit out.
Our gazes held, and I waited for her to wilt under the wrath of my fearsome scowl. Instead, she swayed her hips again, her body writhing against mine as a sultry smile spread across her face.
“Come to dance with your wife?” she asked.
I could only blink at her. Was this the same human who blushed when I teased her about consummating our marriage?
I gripped her wrists, tugging them away from my chest as I leaned in. “Why are you here, Sybelle?” My voice was a low growl.
“Tislora invited me.”
A fresh wave of fury rippled over me. Of course Tislora invited her. She was probably laughing at the idea of this human showing up at a revel and expecting a stuffy human ball.
“You are not unseelie,” I said.
“No, but I am your wife, aren’t I?”
I closed my eyes for a moment to keep my rage in check. “This event is for the unseelie to be themselves. With you, a human, interrupting that, it defeats the purpose.”
Her brows knitted together, and she glanced around the room as if just now noticing she was surrounded by unseelie fae. She frowned slightly, and I waited for her to realize her mistake.
Then, she said, “I don’t see anyone’s enjoyment being interrupted. Do you?”
Anger swelled in my chest, and my grip on her wrists tightened. “Sybelle,” I ground out.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Varius.”
I exhaled a breath through my teeth. Mother of Shade, this human would be the death of me.
“It seems the only one distressed by my presence here is you , husband,” Sybelle said. “Are you going to haul me out of the room by force?”
A few of the fae were watching us curiously. I knew I could carry her out of the ballroom, but it would certainly cause a scene. Already, we were attracting attention.
How would it look for the king to treat his wife in such a way?
It was something my father would have done. The thought soured my stomach, ebbing my anger slightly.