Chapter 28 #2
I wish I could stop the chills that flare over my skin as he runs his nose over my flesh.
“Your father received the news of my killing spree. He’s quite upset.” His hot lips press a kiss over my pulse. “Hmmm, do you smell that?” He runs his tongue along my throat. “War. I love that smell.”
“You’ve never smelt it.” I try to jerk away, but his left hand grabs my lower back, and his right digs into my neck as he holds firm. “When were you on the battlefield?” I challenge.
“Why would I need to be? Soon, I’ll have humans in my army. I will far outnumber your father.”
It all makes sense. He’s luring humans here with farmlands, but the cost will be their lives, either as a blood bag or a soldier.
I don’t have the magic of foresight, but I do see the future if Galen succeeds. He will kill my father, invade the fae territories, and slowly, both our people will be killed off. Vampires will grow desperate and start hoarding humans as cattle.
Humans will revolt. More death.
So much more.
Then, the mages will strike because we will all be weak. Those who are left will fight; they will have no choice.
I look out at the field. Death is here, taking root in the soil, and we are all nourishing it.
This is the outcome Everett saw.
But runes can balance that.
I want to cry, scream, and shout. To tell Everett that I understand.
I know why he never flat-out told me. I had to see it to believe it—not just me, but everyone else.
We had to endure the wars and suffering; we had to learn so that in the future, we never slip this far off the scales of balance again.
Clouds eclipse the sun in a poetic moment of realization and symmetry. Two more vampires step out onto the field, their hands raised high as they tug on the clouds that do not want to cry today. They have water magic, forcing the clouds to bleed and suffuse the land.
Darkness blinds me as my sight is taken in an instant. Galen blocks my view; his lips cover mine. It’s a long kiss, gentle yet so threatening it feels like a dagger gutting me open like a fish.
“It’s a very long game, sweet wife.” He pulls away and cups my cheek. “I hope you pick the right side.” Turning his back, he uses his magic to till the land, ensuring the seeds are buried. “Now,” he grabs my hand and drags me out into the fields. “It’s your turn. Give life,” he orders.
His eyes are cold, a frigid warning not to deny him in front of his people.
My throat thickens like metal in a fire, and then it all melts and expands. I know the consequences of not pouring my life magic into the fields. Galen would kill more of my people.
He’s going to kill them anyway…
This is a game. I have to play.
Stepping forward, I flex my fingers, feeling my magic quiver with excitement. Bending down, I press my palms into the soil, feeling its coolness as I dig my fingertips deep into the earth.
Whoosh! I let my magic free, pouring everything I have into the dirt. I listen as the seeds shake and then crack under the soil, so many seeds, the ground lets loose a small tremor. Then, little stems break free as their roots dig deeper.
Life. More and more life magic I pour into the land. My spine hunches as my magic depletes. Stems grow buds, then flowers. In the distance, the small group that Galen brought cheers. Galen remains silent as he stands over me, a hammer pounding a nail into its place.
A heavy gasp shoves free from my lungs. I don’t allow myself to fall. It takes all my energy to stand. Slowly, I face Galen. His eyes are smiling wider than his mouth. He looks at the new farm that will feed his human army.
“I expected more of a fight from you,” he comments.
“Who says you didn’t get one?”
His eyes slide off his riches, then he looks down at me questioningly. I press my palm against his chest, then push up on my toes. My lips feather over his. My smile feels like it’s splitting my head in half. “It’s a long game, isn’t that right, husband?” I mock.
“Whatever moves you make, remember this, sweet wife. You. Are. Mine. I own you, and nothing will change that.” He wears a victor’s smile.
I play the role of a mirror and grin back. Fuck him!
Own me? No, Galen, you don’t own me. You owe a paper with words stating I am your wife, but this woman has a mind of her own.
I know how to break the marriage contract. Titus is right. We have a mate bond. Within the next few days or weeks, it will show. But the consequences of giving in and admitting are something I can’t accept yet, perhaps not ever.
It’s not just my life. It’s my people, and Titus’s.
I’m stuck underwater. My lungs burn as I peer up with blurry eyes; freedom from Galen lies just beyond the surface.
Life.
I want to swim and breathe. I want to feel the warmth of Titus’s fire.
My shoulders tremble as Everett’s words shout in my mind.
Another flashback. Another warning.
“Come, you need to rest,” Everett gently touches my shoulder.
“I can sleep for a week and still not have the magic to save them all.” I lost two dozen today. Their injuries were too severe for me to heal.
“You don’t have to save them all,” he says gently.
“Then what is my purpose?” My cheeks are raw and tight from having sat next to the blaze for so long. I hoped the blaze would chase away the icy shadows of death.
“Perhaps you are meant to save just one life.” Stooping, he takes my hand and drags me away from the campfire.
“Fire warms, but it can also burn, Selene. Be careful not to sit beside it for too long. You and I don’t have a life of freedom.
We have a debt that is owed, and duty comes to collect.
It’s time to rest for the night. Remember, it’s okay to sit by the fire, to love it, but eventually you have to stand up and continue on your journey.
You must bid the fire goodbye and venture into the cold. ”
I say nothing, allowing him to pull me towards my tent. But for some reason, I look over my shoulder at the fire one last time.