Chapter 15 #2
“You bloody bastard.” Daire’s joy instantly dies.
He grabs me by the collar of my tunic and smashes me against the wall.
I allow myself to be pinned; I may be weakened but I have always been able to win in my fights with Daire.
But the fae fucker never stops challenging me.
Will he ever accept his place within the pack?
“What kept you? Too many feasts? Royal duties with your uncle? Or other peace treaties to break?”
Daire’s wings stretch out behind him, vibrating with rage.
Freya watches me with a complicated expression that I can’t work out.
I want her to rage like Daire is. Scream, shout, hit me.
I’d understand that.
Accept it.
Just anything but her breaking our bond.
Please, don’t let her break our bond.
“Did you know?” Freya asks, quietly. “Was this whole thing a set up?”
“I could simply tell you that it wasn’t,” I answer with a calm that I’m not feeling.
“But that’s not proof. It’s why I didn’t enter your dreams earlier.
Atticus’ attempt to seize power for himself in the Borderlands by defeating Lan and killing my fated mates, would have given him the power in my kingdom or else, created civil war.
It was urgent that I discover who sold you out from within the court.
I have barely slept, working with my network of spies and interrogators. ”
“And my sleep has been just perfect, aye?” Daire drawls, slamming the tip of his wing against my neck like a blade.
I have seen his glorious wings dripping in blood during battles.
It distracts me to see them white like his curls. It makes my eyes swirl, as Hadrian rises up, darkly possessive to see my uncle’s mask on Daire’s face. I itch to rip it off and replace it with my own.
In this cavern, Daire had been my Masked Fae.
In the future, when he is back where he should be at my shoulder in the Draca Kingdom, I will keep him always masked in gold.
“Why are you smiling?” Daire snarls.
“Because,” I lean forward to whisper against his ear, “in a dragon’s dreamscape, they are the god.”
Daire blinks. “Whatever gets you off.”
That’s it.
Sparks spray from my horns.
I imagine chains winding out of the walls of the cavern, and instantly, they do.
Too fast for Daire to react, the golden chains wrap around his waist and drag him up into the air, before others drop from the roof to snake around his wrists.
He thrashes, dangling from the glittering roof like an ensnared dove.
I grimace.
“Stop,” Freya yells, rushing forward.
I raise my hand, and an invisible barrier shimmers in the air between Freya and me.
I regret that her rose scent is cut off from me and the way that her gentle gaze has hardened to fury.
Instead, she bangs on the barrier, howling wildly. “Let me through now.”
Regretfully, I shake my head. “I need you both to listen to me.”
“I can do that without the bondage.” Daire flaps his wings. “I bloody enjoy it when you allow out Hadrian. I understand that bastard. But this…? You’re reminding me more of Maximinus.”
My face drains of color, as though I've been stabbed.
A leather gag forms instantly in Daire’s mouth. I don’t even do it on purpose; it’s instinct.
Daire’s eyes gleam with fury.
If looks could kill, then I’d be a pile of ash.
I straighten, feeling in command of the situation again.
My eyes darken with dominance. “I will grovel in any way you both wish. But first, know that I did not plot to attack Lanlin at White Lotus.”
I notice Daire and Freya exchanging a glance.
I know that I wanted them to become close, but sometimes, I wonder if the two soulmates are closer than even I know.
“You swear to me,” Freya presses as near to the barrier as she can, “that you didn’t try to destroy Lanlin by attacking his sacred village, destroying the tombs of his family and ancestors, when his defenses were down and he was at his happiest.”
I tilt up my chin. “You think that I would do that?”
That glance between Daire and Freya again.
“You did to Daire.”
“That was war.”
“Isn’t this?”
“Then I wouldn’t do it, when it risked my Omega.”
Freya’s mouth twists. “Now that I do believe.”
I take a step closer to the barrier. “Don’t you understand? Lan didn’t only betray me and murder my brother. That monster attacked my capital, killing my people and friend, when we were happiest, remember?”
Why can’t Freya see how much I lost?
My friend Vicious.
The confidence of my kingdom that I could keep them safe.
My chance at a life with Freya, after her heat hit in the middle of the battle.
“Don’t call him monster,” Freya snaps. I startle. “He’s pack, part of the Golden fated mates. And if you’re so keen to talk, how about telling me why Lanlin was in Bael to start with? He was searching for me, right?”
I nod.
When Freya rests her hand against the barrier, I raise mine to mirror hers on the other side.
Her eyes are bright and fierce.
“Or was he also searching for the prisoners that he asked about when he bent the knee to you?” I wince. I can’t escape the intensity of her gaze or how our hands are almost touching. “The one that you burned.”
“I didn’t know.” My heart is beating too fast. My mouth is dry. “I don’t even remember…”
“But he’s still dead.” Freya’s gaze is sharp. “Who is he?”
“Maximinus has more secrets in his private dungeons than even Wraith can discover. That Blood was one of them.”
When Freya lowers her hand and steps away from the barrier, it physically hurts. “Let Daire go, or I won’t say another word.”
“If I do, then he’ll just attack me, and we don’t have time to fight.”
Freya snorts. “Kicking your ass seems a good use of our time.”
I stroll underneath Daire, studying him coolly. “I’ll remove the gag but I am still the only king here. You’re my honored dragon rider and Lanlin’s current Blood Lover. But I expect you to show me respect.”
When I snap my fingers, the gag vanishes.
Daire works the muscles of his mouth. “Go fuck yourself in the arse, boss.”
I wince on the boss.
“Off to a good start.” I turn back to Freya, who is watching anxiously, as if I’m about to gut Daire. I find that I hate it. “I have completed my investigation on the traitor.”
“Did you look into that pretty male Omega who follows you around like a puppy?” Daire asks.
“It’s not Lucius,” Freya says, quickly.
My lips pinch at the memory of Lucius’ tears.
Lanlin killed in one night every member of Lucius’ family who had been on that ambush — Alpha father, brothers, and sisters.
Lucius’ family did nothing but abuse and then disown him.
He still wept, however, when he was told about their deaths.
I have worked without sleep to find out the truth because if I couldn’t, then the Council and my uncle were clamoring that Lucius be handed over to the Guild of Assassins to be interrogated — tortured.
I swore to myself as a child that I would never allow Lucius to be hurt. It would also have destroyed my support within the army, who are as loyal to War and her dragon rider Omega, Lucius, as War is to me.
Despite that loyalty, War would fly away with Lucius and burn anyone who tried to stop her, before she allowed Lucius to be tortured or executed.
My entire Golden Family would have fallen apart, along with my alliances.
“Our bonding here,” I gesture around at the cavern, “was the best moment of my life. I was forbidden to bond because of the prophecy; I never expected that it would happen. To have this experience with you was like a dream. I wasn’t able, however, to give you an appropriate bonding gift. I hope that you like my choice.”
I give a wicked smile, meeting Daire’s gaze.
He arches his brow at me in question.
Then I click my fingers.
A severed head tumbles to hit the floor with a wet thump.
The dragon’s features are clawed, from where Hadrian tore into them in a frenzy. The eyes are gouged, and the short, steely blond hair is caked with dried blood.
Freya gasps.
Daire doesn’t react, merely cocking his head and sniffing. “Well, that stinks. Rusted iron. Can I send your gift back?”
“What is it with you Alphas and severed heads as gifts?” Freya demands.
“The heads of your enemies,” I clarify. “Anyone who tries to kill you…dies.”
Who the fuck has been offering her severed heads?
It had better not have been Lanlin. Although it does sound like the type of thing my ex-friend would do. That or necklaces made from his enemies’ fangs.
“Who is it?” Freya is looking green.
“Caligo.” I glance up at Daire. Instantly, his expression brightens.
“The Shadow Military Academy’s instructor who I banished for whipping Daire.
He didn’t go into exile to the Borderlands with his brother but instead, used his connections with his ex-students within the army and court and worked against me.
He was hoping to kill both of you with this move, as well as overthrow the Shadow Court. ”
“Worked out well for him.” Daire grins. “Brilliant bonding gift.”
Magnanimously, I loosen the chains that are binding Daire in reward.
He wriggles free, dropping to the ground.
Then he grimaces, stretching. “This doesn’t earn you forgiveness, aye?”
“What will?”
“You could start by kneeling.”
“Have you forgotten who is king between us already?”
“Not to me.” Daire prowls toward me, grabbing me by the shoulder and shoving me toward Freya. “You’re so bloody frightened that our Omega will reject you that you’ve even put up this barrier. Yet I can feel the tremors wracking you because you need her pheromones.”
“I’ll survive.”
“Don’t be a stubborn idiot. Kneel and say sorry to our Omega for this whole foolish plot of yours that put her in danger.”
I don’t even have to think about it.
Freya holds my heart, life, and soul in her small hands. She still has no idea how much she rules me.
Perhaps, it’s time to show her.
I drop to my knees.
Freya hisses out a shocked breath. “Aurelius…”