Chapter 20 #2
“Resources are costly. Let’s see if she can pay in the form of valuable information,” Galen sneers.
Adrian’s glare tells me to bite my tongue.
But even tongueless men can conjure a scream.
She bends down, stealing my attention. With a smile on her lips, she begins to stroke the shadowy creature.
The room’s atmosphere crackles with more magic. Every noble pull their sword out, all untrained. Their fragile wrists couldn’t endure over five minutes of combat.
“I am not scared of a child; put your blades back,” Galen grunts. He scoots back with ease. “Speak,” he demands.
She presses a long touch to the cold form, then stands. With dirt-filled nails, she pushes her knotted brown hair back, giving us a perfect view of her face. Her stained cheeks suggest she tumbled into blood face-first.
“I am not from Noria.” Her voice lacks a child’s playful optimism.
“You were found in the village.”
She digs her thumb into her index finger, picking away at the grime. “Wind can carry a leaf. That does not mean the leaf is from a tree rooted in that land,” she snaps, eyes turning cold as she glares at Galen.
My lip twitch at her boldness. Had she been born at another time, she could have been with me and my family.
“Where are you from?” Adrian inquires gently.
"The Valley of Sand and Bones," she answers. Adrian pales. "They thought the fire killed me, but they were wrong."
“Lies. You’d never survive the journey from those lands. Childish nonsense,” Galen snaps. “It’s clear you know nothing of manners. Tell me what happened in Noria?” Galen demands.
“They said I was a mistake. I have no control over it. It’s a lie.” She digs into her fingertip so harshly that it will break the skin any second.
Stop! I want to shout. Someone cares if you hurt. I care. I want to help.
“I was chosen because I was good.” She nods to herself.
“Who chose you?” Adrian inquires in a gentle but unwavering tone.
Ignoring him, she looks at the creature. “We were hungry.”
“You? You mean you and this creature?” Galen clarifies.
She smirks, sending a bead of sweat down my temple. A second later, two fangs appear.
“Impossible,” a noble whispers, and her head snaps to him. She lunges, jumping onto him, sinking her fangs into his neck.
Shock chains us all to the floor.
“She’s a vampire!” someone shouts.
“No.” I shake my head in horror. Vampires’ fangs don’t retract. She said she was hungry. We don’t drink blood to satiate hunger, only magic.
“She’s something else,” I whisper in horror.
Suddenly, every noble panics. I look at Adrian. He nods. I unsheathe my sword, and Adrian sends his magic out, squeezing the child’s neck. She drops from the noble, her hands curling around his force. Her fangs disappear.
I move in. Don’t ask me to kill this child, whatever she may be. I won’t be able to.
Galen lunges; his vines pin the child down, and then he raises his sword. He’s going to kill her without a second thought. I step forward to stop him, but air pushes me back.
I find Adrian’s eyes, a delay that gives Galen the time he needs to ram his sword through the child’s heart.
How could you? I glare at Adrian.
He shakes his head and glances at Galen. He was trying to keep me safe from Galen’s wrath.
Gushing hot blood fills the air as it slams against the blade, freeing it. Galen pushes his sword deeper and deeper, twisting and churning it, until the child takes her last painful breath.
Clang! The gifted sword Galen gave me clatters to the floor.
A pool of blood seeps out of the child. Black blood! I want to rush to her side, push it back in. But it’s too late. I need to kill Galen so this doesn’t keep happening.
I get it, Everett. I understand, and I accept.
Adrian watches as I bend down, grabbing my sword. I glare at Galen as I rise.
I can’t kill Galen now; that would be foolish. I need to plot this wisely.
The noble cries, his hands slapping to his neck, “She… she fed from me!”
“Close the doors!” Galen shouts to his men. He whirls on the noble. “Drop your hands. Show me the bite.” The noble does. “Heal it.”
The noble gulps. Vampires, mages, and fae have accelerated healing, but we need to focus on it; it’s like a state of meditation, which is hard to do in battle.
“I said, heal it.”
“I… I can’t.”
Galen’s jaw clenches. “You,” he points to another noble, “Cut your palm and stop his bleeding.”
The noble does as ordered and covers his friend’s bite. Vampire blood has clotting properties, but when he removes his hand, the wound still bleeds.
“I feel faint.” In seconds, the nobleman collapses.
“Put pressure on it, as humans do.” Adrian steps forward. “You,” he orders the soldier, “go get a healer. He’s suffering blood loss.”
“Wait!” I step forward and glance at the child. She didn’t deserve heart stabbing… regardless of her being a monster. There are kinder ways to kill. “Try her blood,” I suggest.
“What?” the king exclaims incredulously.
“Maybe it clots as ours does.”
“You heard him!”
We wait with bated breath as one of the soldiers presses her blood to the wound. When he removes his hand, the bleeding slows.
The noble’s eyes land on me. “Hero! You saved me.”
Shit! Galen’s eyes dig into my side. “Thinking fast does not warrant the title of hero,” I respond humbly.
“Nonsense.” The noble staggers to stand.
“What the fuck was she, Adrian?” Galen roars so loudly he has to reach up and steady his crown. His outburst takes the attention off me, thankfully.
“She acted as a human, smelled as a human.”
“Clearly,” he jabs a finger at her, “she is not human!”
“You are very wise, King.” Adrian remains calm, but I can read his insult from here.
“Enough with the pissy mood because I called you back to the castle!”
Adrian dips his chin and adds, “It seems our nuisance has escalated into a problem.”
Galen flashes his fangs. “Solve it!” he roars.
“Eject those things from this castle!” He glares at the Shade and the girl.
“If I hear one single word, a single mention, or a whisper of gossip over what happened, I will hang you from the vines on my walls. Do you understand? This will never be mentioned! The last thing I need are whispers of a plague, or whatever the fuck she was. Do you understand?”
We all nod.
Galen storms to the door. “And clean up this mess!” he hollers over his shoulder.
I stalk Adrian down the halls. Does he think I’ll let him go?
He soon reaches his office and waves me in; the door closes, activating a silencing spell. He unstraps his longswords, then sinks into his chair, head in hand. “I did not know he would kill her.”
I have no wise reply.
Bookshelves cover one wall. Beside the tiny window, a ledger rests upon a small desk, along with mage ink, plus a vial containing mage power used to mix into wax seals. The powder enchants the letter so it can fly as a bird does across the lands.
I lick my lips. “Explain.” I block the door. This is a pinch-me moment. I am ordering Vice Admiral Adrian Airendale. Tristen won’t believe this!
“I can’t.” He rubs his temple. “All I can tell you is Everett warned me something was coming, and I presume this is it.”
“The girl or the Shade?”
“Both, one or the other, I do not know.” He hunches over his desk. “She was human, Titus. I smelt her.”
“She had fangs.” I pause. “We need to figure out what she was.” I rub my jaw.
Adrian shakes his head. “You have a queen to guard. Let me dig into this matter.”
Selene. Thump! My palms sweat. The need to see Selene floods my mind, consuming me.
“The tides are changing; only seasoned fishers know how to read the waters, Titus. Galen hasn’t sensed it, but he will, and when he does, be prepared.”
“How do I do that?” I grate out.
“Follow Everett’s orders.” He looks at the door. “You should go. Galen will arrive soon to continue his bitch-fest.”
“Where do the Shades originate?” I inquire.
“There is no set place. I hear whispers of their sightings all over the land.”
I glance at his mage ink. “I have family stationed near Lunestra,” I admit. “Is this why Galen sent half the army there?” I cautiously step forward.
Are my sister and brothers about to face an unknown enemy?
I look at the mage ink again. I can steal some and warn them.
“He sent his army there for another reason.”
“What reason?” I come to stand in front of his desk.
“I can’t tell you that. I will admit that I acknowledge I know those you consider family. I made sure they were sent to Lunestra.”
My bones feel hollow. My family is my biggest weakness. “Why?” I rasp.
“Because the last thing you need is more leverage within this castle for Sable or Galen to use against you. Keep Tristen in your sights. You need to go. Go! Let me handle this.” Adrian grunts, stands, and walks to the door.
My lungs release a hiss before I turn.
“And drink some blood.” Adrian’s order is full of concern. “Never leave yourself vulnerable within these walls.”
I have no choice but to tell Tristen and Selene as soon as I arrive for guard duty. It delays Selene’s scheduled training, so in order not to arouse suspicion, she tells her maid she’s still hungry. The new plate of eggs and pancakes sits untouched as she paces her room.
Her palm presses into her stomach. “My brother knew Adrian,” she whispers. She feels betrayed. Again. It fractures trust, which we need to have in Everett.
I step in her path. Her hips feather over mine. She has the willpower to step back.
I don’t. I want to grab her, to shield her from this additional pain.
“I’m sorry.” Looking upon her is like staring at a star—all fire and blinding light, a fighting force trying so desperately to keep everyone at a distance, yet it does the opposite. It draws attention.
“Stop. Apologizing.” She glares at me through hooded eyes. That wicked, sharp tongue makes me want to punish it with mine. Instead of yelling, I want to coax it into my mouth and show it what love can feel like.
“I’m comforting you,” I snap, stepping closer. Too close. Our hips touch once more, like two docked ships recklessly close to sinking one another.
And… fuck! I’m hard. Think of battle, of the guts, piss, and shit. Don’t think of her warm, soft curves.
She gasps and steps back. “I don’t want comfort.”
Run and I’ll chase.
I grab her by the shoulders and anchor her to me. Fuck, that feels… perfect. She was always meant to be molded to my side. “You need it,” I rasp.
Gods be damned, this woman will be the end of me!
Her lips part, pupils dilate. “Let me,” I urge.
“Titus,” Tristen warns. I ignore him.
“Why?” she whispers. Her chest rises and falls with urgency.
“Because I want to. I need to.”
She remains silent, leaning closer. I meet her halfway and pull her into me. My chest rumbles when her breasts push into my hard torso. The hug is awkward, like two swords stopping mid-battle to talk instead of killing. But it’s a start.
A dangerous fucking start, Titus.
I know, but I don’t give a shit.
Turning her face, she rests her cheek on my chest. Utter peace fills me. “I’m so furious at Everett,” Selene confides.
“I am too.” I push my fingers into her hair. “But I am not Everett. Don’t give me your hate.”
“That’s all I have left inside me.”
I slip my finger under her chin, tipping her eyes up. “I can find something else.”
“That would be unwise.” Her lips part.
Her lips. Kiss her. Claim her! Now! Do it!
“Titus!” Tristen shouts. It shatters the hold I had on Selene.
Oh fuck! What was that? My heart possessed my mind. I had no control.
The look on her face says she felt the same.
She raises a sharp finger at me. “You need to focus on my brother’s magic.
Adrian is right. We have our path; he has his.
If they collide in the future, so be it.
Until then, we remained focused on what we had planned.
We’re allies, nothing more,” she stresses.
The icy stare in her eyes is an arrow piercing my heart. Turning, she walks to the wall, takes a few deep breaths, and then she walks into her hallway pretending all is fine and she’s ready to train.
Tristen steps into view, dagger out, pressing it to my cock. “I will cut your dick off when you sleep if I have to. What the ever-loving-fuck, Titus? Do I need to get Ryker here? I will. I will tell him and the others everything.”
“Don’t you dare endanger them!” I hiss.
“Endanger? Bro, are you blind? You almost kissed the queen.”
“I did not. I was comforting her.”
“Is that what we call fucking these days? In that case, consider me the gold standard bestie in comforting women. I love to comfort. I can do it all night long. For days! But I’m smart enough to know who to comfort.”
I avert my gaze. “I have it under control.”
“It?” He presses the dagger against my balls.
I grab his wrist and twist the dagger away with a scowl. “I know what to focus on for now. Come on, Selene waits for no one.”
I brush past him.
“Don’t think I didn’t hear that word, Titus, ‘for now’. Just consider the latter when you allow your dick to comfort her. Her husband is king.”
“A king I will kill when the time is right.”