CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
THE MOMENT THE SHADOWS RELEASE us, I run to Jesper. My hands skitter over him worriedly as I convince my subconscious that he is all in one piece, in front of me and safe.
When I finally catch my breath I peer up at him through narrowed eyes. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” Probably illogical, but it’s how I feel, so I’m running with it.
He pouts. “Awe, but Rav, that was probably the most fun I’ve had in ages.” He pulls me in and kisses my head. “But I promise to at least think before jumping in next time… Maybe.” Jesper laughs, spinning me.
I know the situation wasn’t ideal, that no matter who got abducted—which would have happened anyway because of how caught off guard we were—it would have been stressful. At least we know they were after Talyn—well…Evera was anyway.
My worry for my mates gets buried with anger as I realize that Evera is currently in my dungeon. Jesper’s grin lights up with excitement as he senses where my thoughts are going.
“Oh! Is it time?”
I hold my hand up and turn to Talyn. “How do you want to handle this? She may have made my life horrible at Phixmery, but she abused you. You can take the lead on this, if that is what you want.”
As much as I want to seek my revenge for my mate and for myself, this is something he needs to choose. Not Jesper, not me, not anyone but himself.
The shadows along his hardened face flicker in the sconce lighting.
He moves toward me slowly, letting the back of his two fingers slowly caress my cheek.
“The only way I’m walking into that room with that vile being is with you at my side,” he whispers, his gaze conveying his need to do this but not alone.
I grab his hand and rest it against my cheek as I peer up at him. “Then by your side I will be.”
He nods, kissing my forehead before turning to Aemon—who just materialized after securing our prisoner—and having a silent conversation with them.
Aemon nods and turns to Killian. “Ready the first batch of troops you think are prepared for the dragons, and have a group of Skuggi fae go with them. The strongest shadow wielders we have—that way they don’t need more rests between blinks.
We shouldn’t delay our partnership with them. I’m going to update my parents.”
Killian’s hand brushes mine as he walks past and my stomach flutters with just his simple touch—something I probably shouldn’t feel before going to torture someone, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and that’s my mates by my side.
Jesper comes up behind me and gently swipes the hair away from my neck before kissing the tender flesh there. “Are you ready, Little Beastie?” he mutters.
I steel myself and turn toward him. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s see what she knows and be done with her.”
Nero will be annoyed he’s missing this, but I’ll make sure he gets his souvenirs.
With a deep breath, I spin on my heels and head down into the dungeon with Talyn and Jesper at my side.
The temperature cools the lower we go, and the scent of wet earth grows stronger with our descent.
It reminds me of the tunnels beneath Phixmery, although these are much more well maintained.
The sconces are already lit, the flames flickering with life, casting our shadows along the white stone walls.
I only ever came down here once as a fledgling.
Jesper was with me, of course. We were always told that the dungeons were off limits to us, but it never stopped us.
Although that time was the first and last after my fathers found us, talking with a prisoner.
I’ve never seen my parents so angry before.
As an adult, I can understand why now. The fae my parents imprisoned down here were far from good samaritans.
We stop in front of a cell and slumped on the floor, wrapped in iron, is Evera.
Her blood-red eyes nearly glow as they peer up at me with such malice, and her usual pin-straight black hair is in disarray, no longer styled to cover the cut tips of her ears.
I’m not going to lie, it brings me a bit of joy seeing her in this less than perfectly manicured state.
“Well, well, well,” she sneers. “I thought you would have left me down here to rot longer, but it’s clear my Talyn would never let me stay down here. I’ve missed you, my love.” She bats her eyes at him and I hold back the urge to projectile vomit.
Talyn’s disgust shoots down the bond. He grabs my hand and pulls me in for a bone melting kiss. When he pulls back he rubs my cheek softly with his thumb, a small reminder that he is mine and vice versa. To not let her words rile me up.
He faces her now, his grip tightening to the point it borders on being painful, but I don’t mind—if he needs me to steady him through this, then he can squeeze my hand as hard as he has to.
“I’m going to say this one time. I do not love you.
I have never loved you, and I never planned on following my father’s orders to marry you.
We are not mates. You’re a vile female.” He takes a step closer to the bars and hisses.
“You deserve far worse than what you did to me, and I can’t wait to see my fated love, my one true mate, punish you in whatever manner she sees fit. ”
Jesper pretends to sob. “That was beautiful, Talyn. I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Evera stands and rushing the bars, snarling. “You fucking bitch! He’s mine! You messed with his mind, didn’t you! What lies is she feeding you Talyn? We are perfect together!” Her screeching reaches a new decibel, causing my eye to twitch.
“I think the only one messing with minds is Lord Craven, but you already know that, don’t you?” Talyn states, ignoring her hysterics.
It’s probably wise he questions her. After all, if she’s going to talk to anyone it would be Tal.
That fact makes my skin crawl with annoyance and anger.
I can see why Nero wants to take everyone’s eyeballs, because at this point, if she looks at him like a sweet damsel in distress one more time, I’m not going to wait to carve them out of her head.
“Oh my Fates, I sound just like you. You would be proud,” I send down the bond to my raven. I haven’t been without his presence for this long before; it’s beginning to make me anxious. I know he’s in safe hands with Ember, but I miss the weight of him on my shoulder.
“Awe, I’m missing it?” His pout seeps through in his tone and I can’t help but smile. Before I can respond his excitement grows. “Oh! Your shadow daddy of a mate just appeared! Looks like I’ll be home shortly! Don’t finish without me!”
I grin, which probably looks a bit feral right now considering the position I’m in, but I couldn’t care less. Aemon must have sensed my anxiousness and gone to fetch Nero.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Evera mutters coyly.
I roll my eyes.
Talyn’s bond brushes mine. “Would it be okay to play along? I think if she thinks there’s a chance,” he gags. “Then I may be able to get answers from her.”
My heart stops for a second before I remind myself that he is mine. “No touching her. And the moment I need you to stop, you stop.”
“Of course, Princess,” he murmurs softly.
He lets go of my hand but his bond continues to brush mine, making me feel more comforted.
Jesper groans in annoyance—he was hoping to shed some blood sooner rather than later, and I definitely am with Jesper this time.
Talyn sighs, forcing his shoulders to relax. “Come on Evera. You know he messed with my mind to hate you right? I can’t help it.”
She gasps. “But he and my father have a deal. There’s no way he would compromise it. He needs what my father has.”
He rests his arm above his head on the bars, frowning. “And what does your father have that would force us to marry?”
She rolls her eyes this time, completely forgetting that Jesper and I are here.
Her sole focus is directly on Talyn. “Because of power, obviously. My father is securing my future, making sure I’m with the most powerful male in Damorleia, all in exchange for some stupid red rock.
The only way he will get it is if we are mated and with fledgling. ”
The three of us freeze at the mention of a red rock.
“Red rock?” Talyn asks hesitantly.
Did this female’s father somehow get his hands on a piece of the Soul Stone? Why not just take it from him and forget about an agreement? Craven definitely has the resources for it.
She shrugs, slinking closer to him until the chains pull taut and she hisses from the pain, remembering where she is. “I’m not telling you any more until you get me out of here!”
Jesper claps Talyn on the shoulder. “Looks like your time is up.” He pulls out a wicked looking blade and grins manically. “I think it’s time we try this the fun way.”
Talyn pulls me into his side, ignoring the shrieks coming from within the cell.
“Thank the fucking Fates, because if I had to pretend to be nice to her for one more moment, I would have needed to take a tonic to cure me of whatever infection I would have received from listening to her speak,” he mutters into my ear, making me chuckle.
Nero’s caw is the only warning I get before he lands on my shoulder, panting. “I made it just in time!”
I giggle, scratching his head. “Glad to have you back. You ready?”
“Born ready!”
I touch the ground and coax the earth to surround her feet, and in moments the stone flooring has swallowed her boots, keeping her firmly in place. Next, a chair made of stone appears, forcing her to sit, and stone restraints that encircle her wrists to keep her completely at our mercy.
Jesper opens the cell and gestures for me to enter, and just as I’m about to, he pulls me in and whispers.
“After this is done, and you’re covered in the blood of our enemies, I will take you against the wall and make sure you forget everything but how my name tastes on your lips.
” He kisses me and sends me into the cell with a smack on my ass.