The Pit #4
Even so, I flinched at his words, but decided not to say anything, or think about that at all.
Ever.
“Were there survivors on their side?” I asked.
Another shake of his head. “It was clear they were ordered to fight to the death. Even the final few, who’d been severely wounded and lost their glamor, fought on. In the end, it was suicidal.”
More shitty news.
“Glamor magic like that is outlawed,” he told me something I knew.
More nodding.
“What the fuck are we dealing with?” he clipped.
“I don’t know, Tanny,” I said gently.
“Yo,” we heard from the door.
We both turned that way to see Nayden strolling in.
“Something you two have to see,” he said.
“What is it?” Tanyn, my Tanyn, the King of Sky’s Edge, also King Cool, asked very impatiently.
“It’s a have to see, mate,” Nayden replied. “And it’s safe. Another two garrisons of warriors have arrived. They’re in position, on patrol and setting up a heat-seeker.”
This pacified Tanyn (a little), I knew because he took my hand and guided us toward Nayden and the door, Hurley going with us.
We walked down the hall.
But we stopped at the top of the grand stairwell in the heart of the castle.
I gasped, loudly.
Tanyn’s fingers pumped mine.
“It’s fucking her,” Nayden said.
That fucking her was me.
“Yes,” Tanyn agreed, sounding much calmer.
“And you fucking knew it,” Nayden went on.
“Yes,” Tanyn confirmed.
I would know Nayden wasn’t disappointed that fucking her was me when he gritted, “And you didn’t tell me?”
“If it makes you feel better, I didn’t tell my mate either.”
My mate.
His mate.
Wait.
What had Monique said?
Catla, the Sacred Queen of Sky’s Edge, the fated mate of Tanyn Firefierce.
I tore my attention from the fact the whole ground floor, and creeping to the one above it, the snow packed walls and ice marble floors were gone. Glittering black diablo stone was in their place.
And it wasn’t only that.
The magic that had frozen Berg Castle was so extreme, the décor was different too.
Gone were the silvers, the grays, lilac, blues, purples and glimmer.
In its place was burnished gold, deep reds and wines, black, and luster.
Woodenly, I turned and looked up at Tanyn.
“We’re fated?” I whispered.
“My beautiful Catla,” he whispered in return.
Oh my gods!
“You knew.”
“I knew,” he confirmed. “I was going to tell you.”
“When?” I asked.
“When we said the words.”
When we said the words.
He dipped his face to mine. “Let’s see to that now. I love you Catla Truelock, who was born to live her life a Firefierce. Who was made to live her life mine.”
Crimson hit my eyes.
Not anger.
Tears.
This was it.
The perfect time was now.
That was bizarre, but it was incredibly true.
“And I love you, Tanyn Firefierce, who will live the rest of his life mine.”
Oh gods.
I was going to start sobbing.
I choked it back, so my voice was hoarse when I said, “Who was made to live his life mine.”
He groaned and took my mouth in a long, searing kiss that didn’t end even after we heard Nayden mutter, “Fuck me.”
We did end the kiss when another groan was heard.
A louder one.
Much, much louder.
A terrifying one, because it came from all around.
In a flash, I was in Tanyn’s arms in a manner he was intent to lift me up and spirit me away.
He didn’t.
He looked up.
I looked up.
And to my shock, I saw the rest of the snow and ice that had encased Berg Castle after it was cursed was gone.
Vanished.
With not a drop of water.
And, except that groan, no fanfare.
Berg was now as it was meant to be.
Dark. Forbidding. Intimidating.
Demon.
“I knew I liked you,” Nayden quipped.
Another hysterical bubble of laughter was forming in my throat.
I didn’t unleash it this time because Tanyn’s Palm sounded.
This was one of those moments I recognized would be moments that I had to learn to live with, because we’d just shared avowals of love, and survived another attack, and learned one of my dearest friends was a member of a long-since-thought-extinct tribe of badasses, so I wanted to go upstairs and, first, celebrate, then debrief.
But we’d just survived an attack.
Therefore, he had to be something else he’d been born to be.
He had to be king.
Tanyn pulled the Palm out, and I was still held close, so I saw the screen.
The comm was from Aleksei.
Tanyn took it.
Nayden and I (and Hurley) waited.
Both Nayden and I (also Hurley, because he whined) knew it was not good news when Tanyn swept his expression clean.
“Right,” Tanyn said curtly. “We were attacked too.”
I stiffened.
Too?
“Two deaths, more casualties. Catla was targeted, and I have a fuck ton more to brief you on, Lex,” he said. He paused. And then, “That’d be good. We’ll do that. I’m on Mac. You’re on Bain.” Another pause and, “Right. Until then.”
He ended the comm.
I fisted his sweater in my hand.
“Are they okay?” I asked urgently.
“They’re fine.”
I relaxed, slightly, because Tanyn had not.
“What is it?” I pushed.
“The jail where Arnaud was being held was attacked tonight.”
“Fuck!” Nayden exploded.
Tanyn held my gaze.
“He escaped.”
My vision flashed red.
Oh yes.
Very much yes.
Fuck!