56. Kyros
Chapter fifty-six
Kyros
Every second I'm not in the throne room is another second closer to Phaedra finding out I'm also not under her control, or another moment closer to her finding a way to get to my family. If she is expecting me to be delivered by Nolan, I have to be quick. I do wonder why she wouldn't try summoning me with the bond magick like she does the other Umbra Vitae… Maybe she has, and it simply doesn’t work. But knowing how conniving she is, I’m sure she is hoping that I somehow reach out to Astraea to lure her back here. This thought gives me pause. Could she be the reason the bond seemingly hasn’t taken hold?
Is she purposefully allowing me access to my freedom? Fuck.
I had a feeling the library would be unoccupied. While Phaedra is unlike Connard in his disdain of history and knowledge, Phaedra believes she has everything she needs—except my twin flame.
I won't allow that to happen.
The hinges creak as I open the heavy door, my steps echoing into the darkness, but despite the lack of light, I can see well.
A perk of this new shadow form, it seems. I don't need to roam the shelves to know where I'm going.
Being the heir of this kingdom, it was my responsibility to know languages.
So even at a young age I found myself here.
The only reason I'm not fluent in all of them is because Connard and Phaedra stole that life from me and handed me another.
A life of training to learn body language, and knowing the precise location to sink a blade and extending the time between pain and death was more important.
The book is large, dusty, and threatening to crumble as I pull it from its place on the shelf.
Carefully, I flip toward the back and slide my finger over the page of V words until my eyes lock on the one I'm looking for.
Verum. My brows come together as I stare at the words that follow. To seek truth.
I'm not sure why I didn't put it together immediately. The man behind the nightmare is being held prisoner just as I have been. I don't think he’s wanted to do anything that he has. It's been demanded of him, but he’s been trying to communicate with her this whole time. And now he’s trying to communicate with me… He’s fighting the control that Phaedra has on him as hard as he can.
A hold that is clearly much more secure than what she has on me.
That would explain why his Umbra Vitae form is so much more grotesque.
I flip back to the U pages to see if there is something here about Umbra Vitae. I flip back and forth, only noticing the page has been ripped out when I can't find it. Of course, Connard was terrified, likely haunted by this very creature for as long as it has been captive.
The heat that flares in my chest has me pausing my search.
My hand stills on the paper, only lifting to rub at where it burns.
Immediately, my gaze snaps up to the tapestry on the wall.
The very same that I know hides another one of the palace’s many secrets.
The muscle in my chest is determined in its attempt to escape, thundering in my chest right next to the raging inferno that now burns under my palm.
No.
Conflicting feelings buzz through my veins.
My need to keep her from harm’s reach and my need as a man who wants to wrap her in my arms and never let her go are at war.
My breath heaves out of me as I feel the surge in the flame she magickally stokes, and as always when it comes to her, I am no longer in control. She’s here.
My feet begin moving before my mind catches up to the motion. I pull the tapestry back and slip into the tower that reaches for the stars. There is only one that I am interested in seeing, though, and she stands in front of me now, eyes glistening and lips parted.
“Kyros,” My name on her lips is relief, but the tremble I see in her hands as they hang at her sides is fear.
She fears me? Of course she fears me. I am a creature of her nightmares.
I swallow hard, shaking my head and taking a step back.
I won't do this to her. It was a mistake following that call to her.
“Shula, you shouldn't have come here.” It hurts to say, but I force the words out anyway.
Every muscle in my body twitches in need to make a few strides to close the distance between us, scoop her into my arms, and beg her to stay.
She takes a hesitant step toward me, her eyes never wavering on their hold of mine.
A tear streaks down her cheek as she takes another step.
I nearly stop breathing as another follows it, and she is close enough for me to touch; close enough for me to smell the scent of the desert and salt on her skin, the heat that is radiating from her body.
“You told me once not to hide from my nightmares.” She is so close I can almost taste the sweetness of her breath.
I did tell her that. Standing in this very room.
My hand comes between us; the sharp black points graze the line of her jaw, and she shutters as I lean in, whispering into the skin I barely touched.
She tilts her chin up, extending her neck as she keeps her eyes trained on where I now loom over her.
“I also told you not to come here.” Those scorpion grass eyes have taken everything in. From where my feet stay planted firmly on the ground, the sharpened claws that extend my fingers, and each shift and flex of every muscle as I try to hold myself back and the curved horns on my head.
“I told you before, I'm done running, Kyros.” She whispers, laying her hand on the center of my chest. “I’ve chosen to be who I am—and that’s yours.
” Despite everything I am and everything I’ve done to her, she still chooses me.
She sees who I am beyond what I’ve had to become in this life.
Like a star claiming the night, she sees the depravity of my soul and claims the darkness as her own.
She sees beyond the monster that stands before her and recognizes the man within.
Just like how I see her and the diamond soul below, its raw edges matching the one that now adorns her finger.
Her hand tentatively trails up my chest, brushing along my jaw.
I can't help the tension that builds there.
The muscle jumps as I clench my fanged teeth together, anxiety building with each pass of her hand while in the form of my Umbra Vitae.
But as she brushes the hair away from my face, her fingers barely grazing the horn above my ear, my magick thrums. Vibrations course up my spine and curl around my shoulders.
I can't hold back anymore. My eyes, which I hadn't realized I had closed, snap open and lock to her blown out pupils.
Where she usually has bright irises staring back at me, shadows dance and her pupil takes over.
The vibrant blue of the scorpion grass flower is almost entirely gone.
There is one second of breathless silence before our lips are melded as one.
The flame swells between us. Fire so deliciously warm, it crackles and sparks, burning the rest of the world away with the feel of her in my arms. As much as I know that we both would love to stay here and hide out from the world forever, the reality of our situation comes down like a battle-axe.
Our rushed breaths mingle between us as she looks up at me and I cradle her face in my hands.
“What are you doing here, Shula?” I finally ask, defeated. “She’s ordered me to kill you.”
“I know you wouldn't.” She says simply as though it is fact, just as the moon rises at night. I shake my head, but she stops me by pressing both palms on each side of my face. “Stop being so stubborn. We were never going to allow you to do this alone. We’re all here, Kyros. If Phaedra wants to try to claim the throne, she will have to defend her claim to it. The people won't accept her when you’ve already claimed me.” She holds her hand out in front of me.
The hexagon diamond with black veins running through the stone glints in the low light.
“The other Umbra Vitae, the hold Phaedra has on him—its different. It didn't work on me, or maybe she’s toying with me.” I shake my head as I show her the black bands on my wrists.
She brushes her fingers over one, and her wide eyes jump to my face.
“I feel like—I’m actively siphoning magic from these, instead of them blocking my access and making me a puppet to Phaedra like it does to him—”
“He’s my father.” She says it clearly, but I don't think I heard her right. My brows sink low on my face.
“Your what?”
“The other Umbra Vitae is my father, Kyros. My actual father. It’s all a long story. We both need to sit down with Shayd to learn more when all of this is over with.” Her actual father? Why would we need to sit down with Shayd?
Verum—to seek truth.
The word makes more sense now. He was trying to tell me to learn the truth.
She backs away, looking at me and the way my face is twisted up.
“I know, it's a lot, but we need to be on the same page.
Do you know what she's planning?” The sound of drums carries from the throne room to where we are tucked away, and I look over my shoulder.
I need to get in there before she catches on to me.
“She’s already succeeded in part of her plan.
I sort of plucked at least that much out of her lead guard.
Among other things…” I say as my thoughts drift further into how all of this connects.
I shake my head, taking her hands back in mine.
“She wants to lure you here, using me as bait. I think she has been intentionally not using these bands, hoping that I would reach out to you. That you would come here.”
“But you just said that they aren't working…” She asks, eyeing the metal bands.
“They—they were working in the beginning. I felt her command. I fought it with every ounce of my power, but after—” My eyes jump to hers as I think back on every time I was in the same room as Phaedra, Nolan, or even the other Umbra Vitae, working through the puzzle they’ve left in my mind.
“Nolan said that you were the key.” My face relaxes, morphing into something else entirely as realization settles over me.
“You’re smiling,” I laugh, and she smiles too, but I don't miss the twitch of her brows pulling together.
“Our bond. We’re twin flames, Shula. We are bound together in the blood we claimed from each other.
Your blood is the key that Nolan spoke of.
I shouldn’t be able to defy Phaedra’s blood oath…
yet here I stand. Her magick stopped working on me, and the oath I gave didn't work. I—I think I understand now.” A sense of excitement I thought I’d never feel again begins to rush over me.
“The oath didn't work because I already gave my soul to you, Shula. Don’t you see? We’re bound as one!
” Her lips part, and my eyes fall to the motion, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us.
She gasps as I reach for her, disregarding the fact that I am a figure of her nightmares.
My clawed hand wraps at her hip, and I pull her into me.
Eclipsing her body with mine, her back bows at the movement, and I hold her there in my arms basking in the glow that is her.
There is no fear as she looks at me, monster or not.
My eyes drop to her mouth and then back to her eyes.
“I was right about something I said to her before.” I say, letting my head dip to her neck and my nose to trail along the column of her neck.
She shudders in my grip, breath hitching and chin tilting further, inviting my breath to explore.
“You are dangerous, Shula.” I breathe into the hollow behind her ear before leaning back and looking into her eyes again.
“But I was wrong about something too. For you, I would get lost in a dream. Every time I have you in my arms, it feels like that’s precisely what I'm doing.” I won't stop myself this time.
I lean in and claim her mouth. It's tender. I'm gentle, cautious to not cut her with my fangs. She lets her fingers roam over the sharpened edges of my face and the curve of the horns on my head. I don’t want to stop. I want to claim her right here, right now… But I know I’ve been away too long.
I break the kiss, already longing for her lips on mine.
I let my knuckles brush the tops of her cheek as I drink every part of her in.
“I really hate to say this, but we need to split up. We need to take Phaedra by surprise,” I finally say, wrapping her hair in my hand as though I can tether myself to her fully. I groan at the little gasp she makes. Fuck. We are coming back to this room after we take care of that bitch.
“By the sounds of the drums, it seems she has quite the party planned.” She looks over the clothing she has me dressed in, putting the pieces together.
“She will try for any claim on the throne that she can.
Being the Queen of Diemos already, she doesn't just want to usurp the throne like Connard did.
The people wouldn't want another ruler like that. She's going another route.” I swallow and watch true rage enter her eyes. “She’s announcing you as the King of Eathian…and your union as one kingdom.”
“She won't be able to announce such a thing. I’ll kill her the moment I get close.”
“No, Kyros. Play into her game. Let her announce you as the rightful heir of Eathian. After that, I’ll handle the rest. The people will have one kingdom today, and you will be that King, but while Phaedra thinks she’ll be your Queen, she is sorely mistaken.
That role will only be mine.” She says possessively, and I nearly growl hearing it come from her lips.
“The others are meeting me in my old chambers. Distract her and I will be there as soon as I can.” She steps away from me, and the heat of her body missing already sends a chill down my spine.
She flicks out her wrist just like I taught her, and her portal cracks into a vortex in the center of the room.
Pride soars in my chest. Just as she turns, I catch her wrist. I can’t let her leave this way again.
“Shula,” She looks up at me, and the flame in my chest dances under her gaze. “I love you more than you can possibly know.”
“I thought I was going to be too late to tell you.” She runs her fingers along my temple and pushes them into my hair, pulling me closer. She whispers into my lips, “I love you, Kyros Kahzal Ruvaen, with my entire soul.”