26. Everly
Everly
Chapter twenty-six
Anxiously, I pace back and forth in front of the grand gates of the castle. Storm remained steadfast in his obedience, ignoring my every plea to turn back as we continued toward the castle at full speed. The moment the castle became visible, I began yelling and waving my arms, causing a chorus of shouts to erupt. The soldiers and guards, upon seeing Storm, quickly gathered to greet me.
Raiden flew to me, and his graceful descent was a spectacle I won’t soon forget. Upon hearing what I had witnessed, he wasted no time hastily assembling a group of ten fae soldiers before departing swiftly. And now, they have been gone for what feels like an eternity, and my anxiety is growing with each passing moment. Like a finely-tuned machine ready for action, my senses have heightened as my body and mind have gone into overdrive.
“Stop pacing,” Kian grumbles from where he stands leaning against the gate. “You’re making everyone uneasy.”
“Well, they should be here! Why aren’t they back yet?”
Kian pushes his blonde hair from his face as he regards me. “You really are worried, aren’t you?”
“Yes!” A tight knot coils in the depths of my stomach, a physical manifestation of the unease within me.
A chuckle escapes Kian’s lips as he shakes his head. “The crown prince is more than capable of defending himself.”
“But–”
I’m cut off by the thunderous sound of approaching hooves, and the trembling of the ground beneath our feet. Kian pushes himself away from the wall and joins me, his presence providing a sense of reassurance as the soldier’s approach. My eyes catch Storm among the other horses, with Maxon on his back. A weight lifts from my chest, and I move without thinking.
“Everly!!” Kian shouts.
He’s okay. I want to cry. I can feel the pressure building behind my eyes but refuse to let the tears fall.
The severity in Maxon’s expression as I run toward them only adds to the fire coursing through my veins. The group gradually slows down and Maxon dismounts, his eyes never leaving mine. Ignoring the curious glances and hushed murmurs, I hurriedly make my way toward him and pull my arm back, delivering a firm punch to his arm. Shock registers on his face for a split second before he smirks, the silver ring in his eyes flaring to life.
“Stóirín?”
“How could you send me away like that?” I snap.
Maxon extends his hand toward me, but I forcefully push it away. I am not in the mood to be placated.
“I was worried!”
Maxon tilts his head, his violet eyes softening as his gaze bounces between my eyes. Slowly, he moves his hand to my face, his fingers sliding across my jaw, making my skin tingle. Refusing to succumb to his touch, I clench my jaw and pull my shoulders back. Maxon doesn't seem deterred. He cups my jaw, his touch sending a pulsating current of energy coursing through me.
“I refuse to let anything happen to you. I could not protect you and fight him at the same time. Alivar is dangerous, and he was there for you.”
My head jerks back, making his hand fall. “Me?”
Raiden comes to Maxon’s side, his face set in a stern frown. “The seelie crown prince has learned of your arrival. He thinks you are–”
“It’s not important,” Maxon growls, cutting Raiden off. “He can’t have you.”
My eyes narrow on Raiden. What was he going to say?
A throat clears, drawing our attention to Nolan. I haven’t seen the queen’s advisor in a few days, and he looks extremely irritated.
Maxon puts his hands on his hips, facing the fae. “Nolan, what can we do for you?”
“The queen wishes to meet with you about the seelie prince.”
Maxon's jaw clenches, and the energy in the air instantly becomes charged. “I will be there shortly,” he replies gruffly.
The weight of Nolan’s stare hangs in the air, everyone remaining silent. Letting out a sigh, he bows his head in resignation. “Very well, your highness. I will inform the queen you are on your way.”
Turning, he strolls away, back toward the castle. Kian moves swiftly and silently to my side. “I can take Everly back to the castle.”
Maxon’s hand gently grasps mine, pulling me closer to him. “No.”
“But Maxon–” Raiden steps forward, ready to argue, but Maxon holds up his palm. “No. I will walk her. Go ahead . . . ”
Kian and Raiden exchange looks, probably because I just gave us away with my outburst. But after a moment, they both turn and walk off toward the stables. Maxon doesn't budge until they are out of sight and the other soldiers have put a significant distance between themselves and us. Though some of them do cast curious looks at us as they go.
“I’m not sorry for sending you away from danger.” Maxon’s firm tone draws my attention.
“I could have helped.”
“No, you couldn’t have.”
With a huff, I tug my hand free and start walking, Maxon easily falling into step beside me. I’m aware that my worry is manifesting as anger toward him, but my concern for his well-being outweighs everything else. My steps falter, the weight of my emotions overwhelming, as I come to the realization that I've fallen for him in such a short span of time.
“Stóirín, I can feel your conflicting emotions. Talk to me.”
“It’s absolutely frustrating how you can tell what I’m feeling so easily,” I grumble.
Maxon’s hand shoots out, wrapping around my upper arm as he pulls me to a stop. Refusing to look up at him, my eyes instead find a nice spot on the ground to stare at. Maxon inches closer, and I hold my breath.
“Your protection will always come first,” he says softly.
My breath hisses out between my clenched teeth. “I don–”
The pounding of feet interrupts us as shouting breaks out. We turn as Rayna comes tearing around the corner of the garden.
“They’ve gone mad!” she shouts at us, her head whipping around behind her.
“What?” Maxon sounds every bit as confused as I am.
Hundreds of fluttering wings and squawks suddenly fill the air, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. I am terrified to find out what is responsible for that noise. Maxon extends his hand to me, pulling me back to stand behind him. My fingers grip the back of his tunic as a gray lizard-like bird whips past Rayna’s head. She instinctively covers her head with both arms, shrieking as she ducks low. My eyes widen as the creature continues toward us, its beady eyes glinting in the light.
“Uhh, what is that?” I follow the creature with my eyes, watching it veer to the left, taking a wide circle around us.
Maxon draws his sword, his gaze locked on the creature. “That is a Vurien.”
Before I can ask any more questions, my mouth drops open as a hundred of the tiny creatures fly around the corner from the garden, coming straight for us.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest as I watch the swarm of tiny creatures. Rayna reaches our side, panting. “They are usually harmless, but I don’t know what’s gotten into them. They don’t venture from the caves.”
“What do we do?” I ask, having to raise my voice to be heard over the shrieking.
“We need to get them rounded up and head them back toward the caves.” Maxon ducks as one flies too close to his head.
“And how do we do that?” My tone is incredulous as I glance skyward to watch the small creatures. In the background, the castle seems gigantic with its stone walls reaching for the clouds.
Suddenly, a young woman with sparkling wings and vibrant blue hair appears out of thin air beside us. She looks at me inquisitively, her silver eyes twinkling mischievously, and I can’t help but notice her sharp, pointed teeth. My eyes widen as I take her in, my breath catching and my skin tingling with nerves. She is a human-sized version of Nix.
Tucking some of her blue hair behind her pointed ear, her attention shifts to Maxon. “Need some assistance, Your Highness?”
Maxon chuckles and shakes his head at her. “Yes, that would be nice, Silver.”
Rayna shrieks and steps back into me, bumping me out from behind Maxon. I regain my footing and gasp, ducking to avoid one of the scooping creatures. My heart goes out to the poor little creatures who have been disturbed and are now in an obvious state of panic.
Raiden and Zaria come bursting out the doors of the castle, their eyes widening on the mass of Vurien’s flying around the courtyard. Zaria quickly turns, slamming the doors shut before any can make their way inside. The air fills with more shouts as the guards arrive, all of them coming to a grinding halt. Everyone seems to hesitate, uncertain of how to proceed.
I watch as Silver raises her hands, palms facing upward, and closes her eyes. If I look close enough, I can almost make out a slight aura surrounding her as I sense her magic fill the air.
Maxon catches my gaze. “She has the ability to put creatures asleep, though this many at one time could be a challenge.”
Silver’s responding snort makes me grin, and the tension loosens in my shoulders.
I watch as the Vuriens’ frantic movements begin to slow, and they become sluggish. I take a step back to avoid one swooping down to land. My heart is in my throat as my foot slips on something wet and I fall backward, landing hard on the grass. A wave of embarrassment washes over me, and I hurriedly brush my hands off.
“Need a hand up?” Amusement coats Raiden’s words as he tries to smother his smile. I glare up at him, but the only reaction I get is a loud, boisterous laugh. Maxon joins him and I growl at both of them before they each grab a hand and pull me to my feet.
“Go, head inside with Zaria. We will round them up.” Maxon’s words are gentle as he pushes me toward the castle.
Moving away from the group, I can’t shake the feeling that the Vurien are deliberately tracking my every step.
A few of them swoop low enough to hook my hair with their tiny claws. Another flies at my face, veering to the side and nicking my ear with its teeth.
“Ouch!”
I bring my hand up and frown, feeling a stinging sensation. Pulling my fingers away, I see they are stained a deep red. It bit me!
“I thought you said they were harmless,” I grumble as I raise my head.
Another creature breaks free of whatever magic Silver has been working, and flies at me. Quickly, I raise my hand, swatting the creature away, but its movements are fast and determined, immediately turning and coming right back. I feel a sharp flash of pain as its tiny teeth dig into my arm. I suck in a sharp breath, yanking it from my arm. Its small body thrashes as it screeches and twists like a demon in my grip. Clicking my tongue, I release my grasp on it as another comes flying right at me. All the oxygen abandons my lungs, and I swat it away frowning as more turn my way.
“What the–”
Suddenly, a large body connects with mine. I feel the wind rush past my face as I fly backward, strong arms instinctively wrapping around me as we twist mid-air before hitting the ground.
Before I can process what’s happening, a large hand cups the back of my head, protecting me from the ground as his body rolls over mine, covering me completely. I know who it is from the scent that fills all my senses. I open my eyes to find Maxon’s deep violet eyes looking down at me. He tucks his head, his breath hot against my cheek, and I feel the rumble of his anger in his chest. I nestle my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his warm, comforting scent.
Someone squeals, and I hear the pounding of feet, but I can’t make out anything past Maxon's massive form.
“Why are they trying to get to her?” Raiden yells.
Silver’s response is lost in the cacophony of wings beating and screeching above us.
“What in the heavens is going on out here?!” someone bellows. “I want this taken care of now before they destroy something.”
I’m not sure, but the voice sounds like Nolan.
“We need to draw them away!” Silver yells.
I feel my heart skip a beat when Maxon flinches. They are hurting him trying to get to me. A magical electric charge fills the air, making my skin tingle and my hairs stand up. Anxiety tightens around my chest at the thought of Maxon being hurt. My vision wavers and my breathing becomes rapid, making Maxon pull back to look down at me.
In my mind’s eye, I picture the vines on the castle walls growing and lengthening, weaving an intricate pattern around Maxon and I. Creating a barrier, a sanctuary.
Suddenly, it’s as if the world has been silenced, and all that remains is a faint echo of sound.
Maxon slowly raises his head, his eyes scanning the area around us. “What in Aine?”
I blink, momentarily disoriented, as he lifts his weight off me, my jaw dropping in awe. Thick vines form a dome like barrier around us, just like I envisioned, shielding us from the outside world. As I sit up, one tendril snakes out and gently wraps around my wrist, caressing my palm as if checking to see if I’m okay.
Maxon kneels before me, and I can feel the weight of his gaze. I take my time to meet his eyes, not ready to answer the questions I know he must have. His expression is like a blank canvas, revealing nothing. His eyes dart around my face, lingering on the strands of hair that escaped my braid and are now tickling my cheeks. Slowly, his hand reaches up and touches my ear where the Vurien bit me. The warmth emanating from his touch banishes the slight throbbing I have been feeling. And when I reach up to touch my ear, it is completely healed, causing my eyes to just about pop out of my head.
“How?” I whisper in awe.
But Maxon’s gaze is locked on my arm. He takes my wrist firmly in his grip, pulling my arm nearer to him. The warmth from his touch travels up my arm and settles in my chest. I take a peek at my arm to see what has caught his attention. My birthmark has darkened, the faint mark pulsing against my skin, almost like it’s glowing. How? Why isn’t the makeup working?
I’m ready to tear my arm away, but then his other hand appears and lightly traces the mark, causing my breathing to accelerate. My stomach flutters, and I’m completely captivated as his fingers move from my forearm to the inside of my elbow. They continue up, brushing my hair away from my shoulder and lingering on my neck. I peer up into his eyes, taken aback by how near we are.
His voice is deep and almost angry when he speaks. “You are her, aren’t you?”
“I– I don’t know who you're talking about.”
Leaning forward, Maxon brings his face close to mine, our noses almost touching. My heart has been pounding from the moment he rolled on top of me, but now it feels as if it is going to explode out of my chest. Violet silver rimmed eyes fill my entire vision as we stare at each other.
I can’t feel his emotions right now because my own are overriding everything. Maxon’s chin dips as he leans in, making my breath catch as his nose runs along the column of my neck. Having his lips so close to my skin is making me dizzy.
“What– what are you doing?” I stutter nervously, clenching my hands in my lap to keep from grabbing him.
“Your scent is different. It’s only a slight change, but I can smell it.” He pulls back.
What? He knows my scent?
The revelation is so unexpected that my heart speeds up and all thoughts flee my mind. But was I not thinking the same of him moments ago? My lips part slightly, and his gaze falls to my mouth. The rapid thudding of my heart is making me feel lightheaded. I lean into his touch, my eyes falling closed when a loud thud makes me jerk back.
“Your Highness. Are you okay in there?” Raiden hollers, followed by two more hard thumps.
Maxon drops his hands, and I drag in a long-ragged breath, resisting the urge to fan my face.
“We're fine. What about the Vuriens?”
“Asleep. Some are already being rounded up and put in cages as we speak. Ready to be transported back to the caves.”
Despite Raiden’s voice being slightly muffled by the vines, we can still make out the distinct syllables of his words.
I shift my weight and move onto my knees. Normally, I would be filled with a sense of dread due to my claustrophobia, but it is surprisingly absent. I wonder if it’s because Maxon is trapped here with me. We can’t stand up, as the top of the dome is only a foot above my head. Running my hand over the vines, I feel a gentle tremor beneath my fingertips as they respond to my touch.
“Everly.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my cheeks flushing red, and give a low hum without looking at him.
“Stóirín, look at me.”
I push down my nerves and lift my gaze at his command, immediately wishing I hadn’t. My breath hitches, Maxon imposing figure, seems even more so trapped in this dome. The air around him seems to crackle with tension. Something flickers in his eyes, and I swallow roughly. Whatever I think I saw in his eyes is gone too quickly for me to figure out. Gripping my chin with his fingers, he tips my head further back. A long, tense moment passes as his penetrating gaze roams over my face, as if searching for an answer to a question I don’t know. Then his eyes ignite and my stomach hollows at the small rumbling growl that makes its way up his throat.
Maxon’s fingers slide away from my chin to gently encircle my wrist, pulling me closer. His thumb moves in slow circles along the inside of my wrist, sending a tight, bewildering shiver through me. Simultaneously, his other hand reaches up and delicately cradles my face, filling the air with a subtle buzz of energy. The warmth emanating from his hand acts as a soothing balm, enveloping me in its comforting embrace. I let out a contented sigh and lean into his touch. Maxon’s grin widens as a fiery intensity flickers behind his eyes. His hand then drops to my waist, and when I startle, Maxon only tightens his grip on my waist, as if restraining himself from pulling me onto his lap. I can feel his desire mirroring my own. If there weren’t a group of people just beyond these vines, I have no doubt that he would have me undressed in an instant.
“You’re so beautiful,” his voice is a low hum in the silence.
I reach up to brush some hair off his forehead and delicately trace the intricate lines of the tattoo on his temple with my finger. Maxon’s eyes fall shut at the touch and his jaw clenches. Worried I’ve done something wrong, I quickly drop my hand and mumble an apology.
Maxon’s bright, jewel-like eyes shine as they look at me. “Don’t say sorry for touching me. I want nothing more than for you to touch me.”
A flurry of butterflies fills my stomach, and I move in closer. His hand reaches up and cradles my face as he leans in, and I can smell the comforting scent of his skin as my breath stalls in my lungs.
Before our lips can touch, a sharp pain pierces my chest, and I hear a loud thud from the dome as I break away from Maxon, gasping for air. Another thud hits the dome, and I scream out in pain, my hand gripping my chest.
Maxon frowns in confusion. “What’s wrong?” he demands, trying to grab hold of my shoulders.
A chill runs down my spine as my eyes widen with the understanding of what is occurring.
“Tell them to stop!” I plead.
“What?”
“The vines, they are chopping the vines, I can feel their pain. I’m still connected to them!” I gasp as another sharp pain steals my breath. I can feel tears rolling down my face and realization dawns in Maxon’s eyes.
“Raiden STOP!!” Maxon bellows.
A wave of relief sweeps over me as I sink down on the grass, lying down and welcoming the stillness that fills the air. I close my eyes and feel the tears still streaming down my cheeks. I picture the vine twisting and turning, scuttling back toward the castle wall. I feel a light caress on my cheek, and when I open my eyes, I am met with Maxon’s worried gaze and the azure of the sky.
Chaos erupts as the queen’s guards move in to surround us.