14. Everly
Everly
Chapter fourteen
I've been left alone in the room for hours, the silence growing heavier with each passing minute. In the hall, Kian and Tristan stand watch, their presence a silent barrier between me and the outside world.
Zaria has her own tasks to attend to, so I don’t assume she’ll be with me constantly. She mentioned earlier that she had errands to run, so it makes sense that she’s preoccupied. As for Nix, I haven’t seen her all day either. Usually, she hangs out with me, but today seems different. It’s unusual not having both Zaria or Nix around, but I know they’ll be by later.
Since I left Maxon's room two days ago, I hadn't laid eyes on him, and a strong desire to be close to him makes my skin crawl. It’s a bizarre sensation, one I can't say I've ever experienced before. But Zaria informed me that he’s preparing for his coronation.
I walk out onto the balcony and feel the warm breeze against my face as I peer down at the vibrant colors of the garden. Maybe I can climb down . . .
My gaze sweeps across the balcony, and I notice the tendrils of vines clinging to the side of the castle walls. The lush green vines cascade down the side, they look strong enough to hold me. Hiking up my long tulle skirt, I sit on the stone ledge, the cool breeze playing with the hair around my face, carrying the scent of damp earth from the garden below. The vibrant green vines sway gently in the wind, their leaves rustling softly, as if beckoning me forward.
Am I seriously considering this?
A sense of restlessness writhes within, as if the walls of the room are closing in on me, urging me to go. But as I tug on the vine, feeling its sturdy grip in my hand, doubt begins to creep in.
Am I being foolish?
Is this reckless longing worth the potential risks?
The little voice in my head, a nagging reminder of caution, questions my motives.
No, I won't be confined to a room all day, not when there's a beautiful garden waiting below. Gripping the vine tightly in my hand, I can feel the adrenaline rush through my veins as I slip off the ledge.
"You got this, Everly," I mutter to myself, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.
Inch by inch, I descend the vine, my arms quivering with the strain until I finally reach the next balcony and carefully land on it. Flexing my aching hands, I can feel the sweat trickling down my forehead as I peer over the edge, contemplating the two remaining levels below. The distance seems daunting, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins fuels my determination. Or perhaps I can quietly slip away through this room. I steal a quick glance at the door that opens into the room, and bite down on my bottom lip as I ponder my next move.
Curiosity gets the best of me, so I peek in the window and survey the room. Seeing it’s empty, I quietly push open the doors and step inside. It’s furnished similar to mine and seems to be where a woman stayed, based on what I can gather from all the jewelry and fabrics scattered about.
Not wanting to be caught in someone else's room, I quickly hurry toward the door, opening it up and slipping into the hall. I let out a deep breath as I softly click the door shut behind me. The tension in my body ebbs, and I look both ways down the wide hall, not seeing a single soul. A smile stretches across my face, and I start toward the stairs feeling a sense of triumph stirring in my chest.
Escaping my room and guards has given me a little bounce in my step. I look down, admiring the way my dress is flowing around my ankles, unable to help myself. I do a twirl, watching the skirt flare out around me, a small laugh escaping me.
Out of thin air, three fae women materialize before me. I jerk to a stop, my eyes flaring in surprise, but before I can speak, two of them forcefully grab my arms.
“Wait!” I rasp, desperately trying to break free.
A sharp tang of fear hits the back of my throat, and as if on cue, the third woman positions herself directly in my line of sight, causing me to lose focus on everything else. With laughter dancing in her eyes, she raises her hand between us, twirling it in circles, her lighter purple eyes deepening in color just ever so slightly. A cruel smirk twists her lips, causing my stomach to plummet. I feel as if something is taking the air from my body.
Opening my mouth, I attempt to scream, but my voice fails me. I can’t breathe. Panic widens my eyes as the three women cruelly laugh and begin dragging me down the corridor.
Dammit.
I didn’t intend to draw attention to myself by coming out here; I simply wanted some solitude in the garden.
They drag me to a door at the end of the corridor and forcefully toss me into the darkened room. My knees hit the ground with a force that sends a jarring shock through my body.
My throat finally opens, and I gasp, drawing in lungfuls of air. I glance nervously behind me, my heart pounding in my chest, and come face-to-face with the piercing stare of the leader. The dim light reflects off her icy eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.
“What does he see in you?” she sneers, her voice filled with disdain. “You’re a weak, pathetic human. I am destined to marry the prince. Don’t you dare stand in my way, you wretched filth.”
I’m so confused, what is she on about? Before I can ask, they slam the door shut. Utter darkness engulfs me, and I scramble to my feet, lunging for the door. My heart races, and my palms grow sweaty as I push and pound on the door, but it remains immovable. I try to cry out for help, but no sound escapes my lips. Tears cascade down my face, and my claustrophobia amplifies, causing my chest to constrict in pain.
I sink to the ground on my knees, pounding my fist against the unforgiving wooden door.
“Help . . . ” I breathe, unable to scream like I want to.
Even though I only caught a quick glimpse of the room, I know I’m in a small storage closet, and I can feel the walls pressing in on me. The air feels hot and suffocating as I struggle to calm my breathing. If I don’t get myself under control, I am going to pass out.
“Please . . . ” I sob.
My heart pounds in my chest, the sound echoing in the small space. The silence is interrupted only by the muffled sounds of my fists hitting the door, creating a desperate rhythm. The wooden door reverberates with each strike, but there is no response from the other side.
With every breath, the air feels thinner, suffocating me. I struggle to steady my breathing, fighting against the rising wave of nausea that threatens to overpower me. I can taste the metallic tang of fear in my mouth, my throat tightening with each passing moment.
Time feels distorted, as if the minutes stretch into hours within the confines of this suffocating closet. Desperation fuels my determination, pushing me to keep banging on the door, hoping for a miracle, praying for someone to rescue me from this claustrophobic nightmare. My muscles ache from the repeated exertion, and my trembling limbs betray my growing fatigue.
A whine escapes me, my forehead thudding on the door as I slump down in defeat. At the very moment the door opens and I spill out onto the marble floor, cool, fresh air licking my sweaty skin.
“Everly?”
Panting heavily, I blink up at Raiden, his formidable presence towering above me.
"Hey, batman," I rasp, my voice barely audible and my throat feeling dry and scratchy.
Raiden’s big silver eyes roam over me. I’m sure I look like a hot mess. Squatting down, he reaches out, swiping the hair from my sweaty face, concern written all over his features.
“What happened?” he asks softly.
I let out a raspy laugh, as I roll onto my back and gaze up at the ceiling. It’s a nice ceiling. High, too.
“Everly?”
“I was locked in the closet by some fae.”
Raiden emits a low growl, and I glance at him, noticing his tense muscles. “Who?”
“Like I’d know,” I retort, taking in a shaky breath.
“What did they look like?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“When Maxon finds–”
“He won’t be finding out. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?! Look at you, you're shakier than a newborn unicorn.”
“You have unicorns here?” I ask, completely breathless. “I want to see a unicorn.”
Raiden rises with a huff, his burly arms folding over his chest as I struggle to stand. As he predicted, my legs tremble uncontrollably, and I clench my teeth in an attempt to steady them.
“Why did you react like that?”
Placing my hand on the wall, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do you mean?”
Raiden waves his hand over my body. “Like that. Panicked, sweaty, trembling, hyperventilating . . . ”
“Oh, that.” I bite my lip and look away. “It’s nothing.”
“Tell me. Please?”
I look at him and arch an eyebrow. “Did you just say please?”
“Don’t get used to it,” he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
I chuckle and lean against the wall. I have no energy left to feel embarrassed or fight him on this. “When I was growing up, I used to get locked in small spaces a lot, sometimes for days at a time.”
Raiden jerks forward a step. “What?!”
I shrug in an attempt to pretend it's not a big deal, but my pulse races at the thought of being confined. It was years ago, and I thought I’d put it behind me, but it seems the fear is as real now as it was when I was little. Though the fear may linger, I refuse to let it define me. I will continue to shrug it off, playing it off as no big deal, until one day, it truly becomes just that—a distant memory of a time long gone.
“Who did this to you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
“Not all scars are visible, Everly.”
At his penetrating gaze, I sigh, “Fine. If you must know, my foster brother was an asshole. He would lock me in boxes or cupboards a lot. You’d think I’d get used to it after a while, but I never did. Things got especially worse after I was locked in the dark for two days before anyone realized I was gone. Now you know why I don’t like small spaces.”
The more I speak, the deeper the furrow between Raiden's eyebrows becomes. He looks furious. When he doesn’t speak, just stares at me with those damn silver eyes, I become even more uncomfortable.
“Any chance we can get some food? Otherwise, I’m going to pass out. Preferably something sweet. I need sugar to revive me.”
Raiden looks ready to argue, but my expression turns pleading, silently begging him to drop it. I didn’t want to get into this right now or ever. “Please.”
“Fine. This way.” His arm comes out, and I grin up at him as I loop my arm in his.
“Why, thank you, good sir.”
“Don’t push it.”
“You might be a big scary . . . bat man with horns, but you're just a big old teddy bear, aren’t you?” I tease.
Raiden’s grunt is music to my ears.
“Thanks for finding me,” I whisper, my fingers tightening around his arm.
“You can thank Tristan. He was the one to inform me you’d disappeared AGAIN.”
My eyes drop to the ground. “I just wanted to go down to the gardens. It makes me happy. You guys left me for hours,” I murmur, feeling guilty.
“We have told you that it’s not safe, but you refuse to listen.”
“I know.”
Kian and Tristan round the corner, their eyes widening on my disheveled state. I give them both a weak smile.
“Sorry to worry you both.”
“Seems we had a reason to be worried.” Tristan eyes my creased and sweaty dress.
I wave him off. “Everything turned out fine.”
Raiden snorts, and I elbow him in the side.
But Tristan doesn’t stop. “You aren’t supposed to leave your chambers.”
“I know.”
“So why did you, then?”
“The garden looked too nice to pass up and I was getting agitated waiting.”
“Are all humans as stupid as you?”
I can feel my eyes flare. “Wow, you deserve a high five for that one.”
Tristan frowns, clearly confused. “A what?”
“A high five . . . in the face . . . with a chair,” I reply, giving him a flat stare.
Raiden snorts again, shaking his head in amusement. Tristan still looks thoroughly confused as he looks off to the side, a muscle popping in his jaw.
“Look, the crown prince told us to protect you with our lives, and I take that seriously. If you want to see the gardens, ASK.”
Kian steps forward. “We are glad you’re okay. But he is right. Next time, please ask, and we will take you.”
I look between the two fae soldiers that I only met a day ago and nod.
“Would you two please fetch Everly some food—something sweet—and meet us in the west gardens,” Raiden says.
Tristan’s eyebrows shoot up and Kian looks speechless.
“Sir, you don’t want us–”
“Nope. I will take her to the gardens myself.”
A tingling sense of awareness washes over me upon finishing the food Tristan and Kian brought me, making me sit up straighter.
“What is it?” Raiden asks from his position, leaning against the base of a tree. He has been silently sitting there, his hands carefully shaping a small piece of wood into something beautiful with a small carving knife. Not that he’ll show me what it is.
I don’t answer as I watch Maxon stalk around the corner of the garden, heading straight for us.
Raiden follows my line of vision and stands. “Finished the meetings already?”
“Yes. Thank fuck,” Maxon exhales.
My eyes wander over him. He looks good, really good.
My dark prince.
Wait, what?
My dark prince, what made that thought pop into my head? He is definitely not mine. But still my eyes roam over the uniform. The black ensemble hinting at danger.
Maxon’s gaze meets mine, and I feel a blush spread across my face. My fingers twist in my skirt and I look down at the grass.
“Mind if I join you?” he asks.
My head snaps back up to him. “You want to sit with me in the garden? Don’t you have a sword to swing around?”
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Maxon's lips curl into a playful smirk. “Swing my sword around?” he questions.
I pick up a grape and throw it at him. “Oh, shut up.”
Raiden shakes his head. “I need to see a nymph about a dragon.”
“I will take care of Everly,” Maxon replies without looking at his friend.
“I’m sure you will,” Raiden quips, sending me a slight smile.
“Bye, and I appreciate your help earlier,” I respond, shifting on the blanket so my legs are stretched out in front of me, and rest back on my hands.
Raiden gives me a nod and starts walking toward the castle. “FYI, she wants to see a unicorn,” he tosses out over his shoulder.
Maxon chuckles, a wide grin spreading across his face as he lowers himself down to the ground. Taking a handful of grapes, he casually reclines on his side, his head propped on his hand as he gazes at me.
“A unicorn?”
“Are you teasing me?”
“Never.”
I narrow my eyes. “Well, if they are indeed real, then yes.”
I suppress the bubbling excitement that threatens to overwhelm me. I am going to encounter an actual unicorn. My heart pounds in anticipation. They better not be lying to me!
“They are, and I can take you to them, but not today.”
I sit forward, my shoulders slumping in disappointment. “Oh, okay.”
I lower my gaze and without me seeing him move, Maxon is suddenly next to me, gripping my chin and tilting my head back.
“Don’t give me that look,” he growls, his eyes darting between mine.
“What look?” My voice trembles.
“I’d give you the whole fucking world on a silver platter to never have you look sad again.”
I blink startled by his words. “I didn’t mean–”
Maxon leans in closer, cutting off my words, his eyes flashing in warning. “Don’t you dare say you're sorry.”
“I wasn’t.”
"Good," Maxon releases my face, and I take a quivering breath, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. The man was intense.
Maxon leans back on one arm and rests the other on his bent knee. “I will take you to see the unicorns, just not today. It’s a half day’s ride, and we have a ball tonight.”
That makes sense. It’s already the afternoon, definitely too late to make the trip. “Wait, did you say a ball?”
“I did. It’s not every day that a human gets to attend such a prestigious event in the fae realm. I want to make sure you look the part, so I had Zaria run to Skora and fetch you a dress. Not that you need to worry. You’ll outshine everyone there, I’m sure.”
Heat invades every cell in my body at the compliment.
“Thank you. But are you sure it’s okay for me to come? I don’t want to impose. Plus, I’m not that comfortable in crowds. It would probably be better if I stayed in my room.”
Maxon tips his head back and laughs. “Now you want to stay in your room?”
I glare at him. “Yes. Plus, I can’t dance.”
Maxon smirks, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here to teach you, then.”
“What’s with the dragon? Is that the royal crest?”
Maxon looks taken aback. “You do realize you shift conversations rather abruptly, right?”
He was right. It’s something I've done since I was a child. It’s like if I don't ask the moment it enters my mind, it will disappear.
“Sometimes.”
Maxon looks out over the garden. “In fae lore, the dragon symbolizes ancient power, wisdom, and guardianship. The dragon depicted on my family's royal crest symbolizes the lineage's connection to these virtues. The dragon embodies strength, often associated with the ruling authority, and signifies protection of the realm and its inhabitants. It’s not just a symbol of raw power, but also intelligence and the ability to navigate both the physical and mystical realms with grace and precision. Legend has it that the dragon was revered among the fae for its ability to command the elements and maintain harmony within their world. My family, a long time ago, ruled with the dragons by our side. It’s said that they bestowed gifts upon the heirs to the throne, but they have long since disappeared.”
“Do you have any of these gifts?”
Maxon raises his hand between us, and I watch in awe as it erupts into flames. The flames dance and flicker around his fingers. The intense heat radiating from the fireball causes the air to shimmer, distorting the space around it. I can hardly believe what I’m witnessing.
“You just summoned fire into your palm.” Mesmerized, I lean forward, my eyes locked on the hypnotic display of elemental power. Maxon’s face remains calm and focused, his expression betraying nothing of the immense energy he wields. It’s as if he has tapped into a hidden wellspring of magic, unleashing a force that defies the laws of nature.
I move onto my knees and reach forward to feel the heat of the flames. “It doesn’t hurt?”
“Not at all. How can something that’s part of me hurt me?”
Maxon slowly lowers his arm, the flames receding until only faint embers remain. My mind races with questions, curiosity mingling with a hint of fear.
“Do all fae have this type of magic?”
“No. Only a few high fae possess the ability to manipulate one or even two elements. On the other hand, certain fae possess alternative forms of magic. Let’s consider Nix, for instance; she has the power to utilize her fairy dust in order to fashion exquisite gems.”
“Wow. Okay. How is your magic chosen? Do you know what it is?”
“Our magic, especially those with elemental magic, reflects who we are in our soul.”
“I can see that,” I reply.
Maxon’s fire magic, a mesmerizing spectacle, mirrors his essence flawlessly. The fiery glow in his eyes emits an intense heat, granting a fleeting glimpse into the abyss of his very being. It’s as if danger and untamed nature are personified in him. As my thoughts wander, I recall the encounter with the fae who ensnared me earlier. With a mere wave of her hand, the air vanished, leaving me breathless. Could it have been her magic that had done that?