Chapter 55
CHAPTER 55
VALARIC
I t’s only been one day, but I’m anxious to return to Juliet. It’s late, and the bakery has been closed for the past several hours. The scent of freshly baked pastries fills the air, intertwining with the subtle hint of Aerlyx’s magic that permeates the entire space.
Each of us takes a seat at the wooden table in the kitchen, the surface covered with an array of delectable treats.
Eben devours a trayful of chocolate chip cookies and then pops a mini croissant into his mouth while Damar looks on with barely concealed disdain. He leans in close and whispers. “The wolf’s stomach must be a bottomless pit. I’m surprised he and his pack have not eaten you out of house and home back at the castle.”
“Do you have any more of those delicious raspberry tartlets?” Eben asks Finn.
The Fae purses his lips. “I’ll retrieve more from the back.” He stalks off, muttering under his breath about a wolf eating all of their profits.
“This is delicious.” Eben mumbles around a mouthful of food before downing a glass of milk. “The best desserts I’ve ever eaten.”
“Of course they are,” Aerlyx says, reclining in his seat. “Everything here is baked with magic meant to enhance your enjoyment of it. And the more you eat, the better it is for replenishing my powers.”
“Happy to help.” Eben grins as he gathers all the crumbs on his plate and licks his fingers before setting it aside.
“You know,” Damar begins. “If you are going to be a member of House Greyvale, you will have to work on your manners.”
Eben’s head snaps to him, eyes narrowing. “And you need to work on yours,” he shoots back. “For a male who supposedly knows so much about etiquette, you sure do like to stare rudely at people while they’re enjoying a meal.”
I stifle a laugh. Damar turns to me, arching a brow, but I simply shrug. “He has a point, you know.”
“Tell me,” Aerlyx says as he rests his chin on his hand, leaning in close to Damar with a cheshire grin. “Do you ever smile, or is that scowl permanently etched on your face?”
Eben bursts out laughing.
Damar narrows his eyes at them, growling under his breath.
Aerlyx’s gaze flicks to me, amusement curving his mouth. The dark circles under his eyes are fading, but they’re still there. He believes he’ll be recovered enough to open a portal within the next evening or so, but as far as I’m concerned it cannot be soon enough.
I’m desperate to see my bride. To know she is safe and well.
“You never told me why Prince Raine wished to speak with you.” Damar’s voice pulls me back from my thoughts. “What did he want?”
“My loyalty. To him over the crown.”
A deep frown mars Damar’s brow. “Such talk is treasonous.”
“I am aware,” I reply grimly. “But I didn’t have a choice. Lord Jonathan Harker—Juliet’s former betrothed—is nephew to the king of Aralon. He appeared before the Vampire court, demanding her return, claiming she had been stolen from her home.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Eben growls. “Juliet is not a prisoner.”
“Raine knows that,” I tell him. “I explained it to him and he said he would tell his father our marriage is true and legitimate so that she cannot be forced to return to Aralon. But in exchange, he wanted me to swear my loyalty to him.”
“For what purpose?” Damar asks.
“Raine believes the Order of Mages are a threat to Morrowynd. He thinks we should side with the Dark Elves and the others who are fighting against them.”
Eben’s eyes flash with anger. He and his family have a deep mistrust of the mages, especially after they marched on the kingdom of Snowhelm and destroyed their village, leaving them homeless.
“Prince Raine is right. The mages will not simply go away.” Eben growls. “They conquered Snowhelm. Next, they will invade Aralon, and then they will come for Morrowynd after that.”
“How does your loyalty figure into all of this?” Damar asks.
“Raine said word of my marriage to Juliet has spread throughout the kingdom. That there are many who believe we are part of some prophecy written thousands of years ago by the Lythyrians. A prophecy about a—"
“Fallen Knight,” Damar finishes my sentence. “Of course,” he murmurs. His brow furrows deeply in contemplation. “It fits perfectly.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“‘A blade once wielded in the light, now tempered by darkness. A blade in the shadows,’” Damar says, repeating the same words Raine said to me. He meets my gaze evenly. “You were a Shadow Blade knight that was turned. You were human once… you walked in the sunlight.”
He shakes his head. “How could I not have seen it? The Fallen Knight will be bound to a sanishon—an outsider. When you told me that Juliet was your fated one, I should have realized.”
“Then, you believe it’s true?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes.” His eyes snap to mine. “Raine believes this prophecy will turn the people to our favor.”
I nod. “He thinks it will grant House Greyvale more power on the High Council as well, which will elevate his voice as well if I publicly support him.”
“He’s right.” Damar frowns. “It’s a clever strategy on his part, but it’s also a risk. I won’t cast a vote on the Council for something I do not believe in.”
“I reminded him that you are the one who sits the Council for our House. He is aware.”
Damar nods before turning his gaze back to me. “Does Juliet know she is your ashaya?”
Guilt fills me. “I have not told her.”
“Perhaps you should. You must mark her as well, Valaric. We have too many enemies for her to remain unclaimed.”
Despair builds deep within. “How can I claim her? The witch will know if I do, and she’ll use it against me.”
“And if you do not claim her, she might be hurt anyway,” he counters. “I understand your concern, but Juliet is at risk from not only the witch, but from others of our kind. Someone could challenge you for her if she remains unmarked.”
“You believe that will keep her safe?”
“I do. But in truth, I cannot be sure,” he admits. “Sometimes there are no good options. But still, you must choose.” He repeats the advice he has given me at least a dozen times before.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him how the witch already changed my curse so that Juliet will die if we fail to break it. The only one who knows is Eben. And only because he is vital to my plan to save her if everything goes wrong.
Closing my eyes, I picture Juliet’s face. She is everything to me, and I cannot bear the thought of losing her. “I will think on it.”
“Did the prince say anything else?” Damar asks.
“He told me about the Northern Veil,” I tell him. “He believes the mages may have tampered with the wards, attempting to unleash the dark creatures on the other side of the barrier into Morrowynd. ”
“Or perhaps they wanted to reawaken the Ancient Ones,” Aerlyx offers.
“Impossible.” Damar scoffs. “Even if the Veil were to fall, the wards around the ruins of Ruvkyrn are impenetrable. They were made that way so that no one could ever reawaken the Ancient Ones from their eternal slumber.”
“It’s not impossible,” Aerlyx interjects.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
He glances at Damar. “You underestimate the power of the Mages. If anyone could find a way to break the wards, it would be them. They possess incredible abilities, far beyond what we assume.”
“You truly believe this?” Damar asks, a hint of skepticism in his tone.
Aerlyx nods. “Their dark magic is powerful and dangerous. It is destructive and chaotic at its most basic level. You should not underestimate them.”
“Then, let us hope it was not the Mages who tampered with the Veil,” Damar says grimly.
Whether or not this prophecy is true, I do not want Juliet involved in any of this. I am anxious to return to her. To know she is safe.
No matter what comes, I will do whatever I must to protect my mate. I will defy fate, the sun, and even the gods themselves. I have lost everything before, and I will not lose again. No one will take Juliet from me.