Chapter 4
High Fae
The doors clicked shut behind me as Endymion took his leave, and I noted his absence more than I cared to admit. I breathed in deeply and shook off the feeling before taking a few cautious steps forward.
I hadn’t known what he’d meant by residence, but my wildest imaginings wouldn’t have conjured such a vision. Stars above, had I known such accommodations existed when we stayed during the solstice, the guest suites would’ve been an insult.
Endless windows stood in place of a wall on the far side, giving the aquamarine lake beyond full dominion over the room.
Cradled by an impossibly white beach, its calm surface glittered in the bright afternoon sun as if flirting with me to join—and oh, how I ached to oblige, longing to wash away the invisible stains that marred my soul.
The colors inside mirrored the landscape: light sandy tones, whites, and delicate splashes of blue and teal. The décor was effortless, as though the space had simply become this way rather than being carefully curated—perhaps it had.
A sweet citrus scent washed over me, and I drew in a deep breath, letting it overwhelm my senses. I was helpless to stop the soft moan that escaped me at its promise of a warm, comforting bath.
Following its silent summons, I found Kai’s lanky form bent over a massive claw-foot tub that stood proud along another set of windows overlooking the lake.
“Kai!” I yelped, joy flooding through me at the sight of her.
“Lady Nyleeria!” she exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her pale-green skin as she whirled to face me, then dropped into a full curtsy. “I didn’t hear you come in; my apologies.”
My brows knit together, thrown off by the formality. Since when did she curtsy? And where had the fierce, outspoken female I’d known gone?
“Are you okay?” I asked, concern threading through my voice as I took in her stunning feline eyes.
“Of course, Lady.”
I resisted the shudder that wanted to crawl down my spine at the title and took a small step toward her, forcing a warm smile. “Kai, it’s me, Nyleeria.”
“Yes, Lady,” she said again, confusion now knitting her delicate features.
“What’s going on with you? Why are you being so formal?”
“My lady,” she said in the soft tone one might use with a child. “You’re High Fae and a member of Lord Caius’ court. Lady is your proper title now, and how I’m to address you.”
I opened, then promptly closed my mouth. High Fae. I was High Fae.
Mother help me, the thought of what type of fae I’d become hadn’t even crossed my mind.
A glint of a mirror caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I turned my head away, unwilling to face the truths my reflection would surely reveal.
Feeling grossly uncomfortable with the revelation—and the prescribed title—I refocused on Kai. “I’m still me,” I said, my voice bordering on a plea. “The same woman you ordered around and whose wounds you tended, the one you had no problem throwing out of bed and chiding as you saw fit.”
She scrutinized me for a brief moment. Head cocked, she said, “But you’re not a woman anymore, now are you?”
Her words hit like a dagger to the chest, drawing me up short.
It was such a subtle shift in vernacular between human and fae, yet it pointed to a much larger truth—man belonged to humans.
As fae, I was female, but I could no longer claim myself a woman.
The realization was unsettling, as if a piece of my identity had been stripped away.
And for the second time today, I found myself wondering if my humanity had been taken with it.
Given how I’d lashed out at Endymion—had delighted in the rage he’d invoked—I feared it was closer to the truth than I cared to admit.
Bunching the fabric of my shirt in my fists, I looked down, unseeing, trying to keep my emotions at bay. “Please, Kai,” I whispered, my voice raw with emotion.
Silently I begged for her to have mercy on me in the one, tiny thing.
She was quiet long enough that I forced my head up, my eyes finding hers instantly. They shone with a kind of sad curiosity—if such an emotion existed.
“Okay.” She sighed. “But mind you, Nyleeria,” she started, and the familiar admonishment in her tone had me stifling a smile, lest she scold me for that too.
Crinkles formed at the corners of her eyes as she caught it, but she didn’t miss a beat as she continued, “I’ll only entertain such foolishness when we’re inside your quarters, alone. Are we understood?
My smile cracked wide open as I stood at attention. “Yes, ma’am.”
She waved me off, muttering something about my ridiculousness, though a slight curl at the corners of her mouth was quickly replaced by a scowl as her eyes swept over me. “For the love of the ancients, girl, why is it you’re always coming to me in worse shape than a barn cat?”
“Occupational hazard?” I shrugged.
Kai’s scowl deepened, her nose crinkling as if my joke stank worse than her proverbial cat.
“Or—and hear me out—maybe it’s my irresistible charm that gets me into these situations,” I said with a wink.
Still unimpressed, she motioned for me to lift my arms. I obeyed.
“Orrrr… perhaps it’s my human nature you’re sensing,” I said, voice muffled as she tugged the garments over my head and tossed them aside—no doubt planning to burn them—before pointing at the tub.
I didn’t need to be asked twice. A wanton sigh slipped out of me as I slid into the water’s embrace, its warmth coiling around me like silk. Once settled, I twisted to look at her. “Or maybe—”
My words turned to bubbles as Kai’s hand pressed on the top of my head, dunking me beneath the surface for a heartbeat.
Resurfacing, I grinned up at her. She shook her head, unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
Contented to see her happy, I scooted back, leaning my neck against the rounded edge of the tub to give her full access to work her magic with those perfectly bony fingers of hers.
Squeaky clean and pleasantly drowsy, I ignored Kai’s insistence that I eat, too entranced by the bed’s quiet promise of rest to care about anything else.
Without another word, I fell into its softness as fast as I fell asleep.
“The choice is yours, Nyleeria,” Thaddeus crooned, the warmth of his breath rolling down my spine like hot oil.
Revulsion rose thick in my throat, bile coating my tongue as I jerked away from him.
“Don’t do it, Ny.”
Tarrin’s frantic voice yanked my attention toward him, and for a heartbeat I froze, staring in horror at his bloodied body kneeling before a hooded figure.
Undiluted panic flooded my veins.
“Tarrin!” I screamed, lunging forward, only to be halted by unrelenting arms locking tight around my waist. I bucked and twisted, desperate to break free.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Thaddeus taunted, and as if his words carried a command, the blade at Tarrin’s throat pressed deeper, drawing a bead of blood—a silent message: play nice, or else.
Ice flooded my veins as I realized Thaddeus’ whispered offer wasn’t a game of choice. No, I was a mouse, and this was his trap.
Mouth dry, I clenched my jaw and nodded in acknowledgment of his impossible terms. Tarrin’s eyes went wide with panic as the arms around my waist receded, and somehow I knew his fear wasn’t for his own life—but for mine.
“What do you want?” I ground out.
Thaddeus chuckled, the sound soft but cruel. I swallowed back the acridity building in the back of my throat as he slowly walked around me, drinking in the sight like I was nothing more than a prized mare.
I flinched away, unable to bear the scrutiny, and hated myself for it the instant a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Finally finishing a full rotation, he stopped beside me. I shifted slightly, meeting his gaze.
“What I’ve always wanted, my dearest Nyleeria.”
A part of me fractured, knowing those were possibly the truest words he’d ever spoken to me.
“The spark,” I whispered.
An approving smile lit up his features.
“Ny, no,” Tarrin pled, then, in an attempt to free himself, he thrust backward against the cloaked figure who held him. The blade clattered to the ground. Before anyone could react, the king snapped his fingers. Tarrin’s scream filled the room as his body contorted at unnatural angles.
“Tarrin. No! Stop. Please,” I begged. Putting myself between Tarrin and the king, I stared up at him through watery eyes. “Please.” The word cracked with desperation.
Thaddeus regarded me for a long moment, then waved his hand as if shooing a fly. I swung back around to find Tarrin clutching his side, breaths ragged—but alive.
The hooded figure bent to retrieve his dagger, then roughly pulled Tarrin back into position. As he stood to his full height, the hood fell back. I audibly gasped, hands flying to my mouth as I stared in disbelief.
Nevander stared back at me—cold, vacant—as he palmed Tarrin’s hair and yanked.
Throat now fully exposed, he pressed the dagger against the pulsing vein laid bare, and I knew that if Tarrin so much as coughed, the movement would prove deadly.
I doubted any immortality spell would save him from a wound like that.
“Oh, Nevander,” I breathed, my heart breaking for him too, knowing that his twisted bond with Thaddeus was hard at work.
Unbidden, my mind played through what would undoubtedly happen should I refuse to relinquish my powers:
Nevander would drag the cool steel across his best friend’s throat in one fluid motion.
Tarrin’s eyes would go wide in surprise more than pain—at least for now.
Mouth agape, blood would spray at first, before becoming a steady waterfall of death, flooding down his chest only to pool on the ground, soaking into the knees of his pants.
It wouldn’t take long before his mouth filled with crimson as he started gasping for air, the effort inevitably shifting to wet, rasping gurgles until he finally drowned in his own blood.