THIRTY-FIVE
brYNDIS ASHGLO
Blood magic takes different forms. Binding oaths, an invisible connection of telepathy, and in some cases, cruelty can turn the weaker party into a puppet for his master. The most common uses are oaths and communication, both entered through choice.
The Legends of The Forgotten, by Tibor Harper
I wake amidst Odhran’s shadows ebbing and flowing over us with his every breath as he holds me.
I don’t cuddle; he’d told the blonde, yet here he is, wrapped around me.
I shove the thought from my mind, ignoring the tendrils of hope threatening to dig their barbs into me.
I’m only human, and he’s a faerie. We will never belong together.
The room is dark, except for a thin slither of light spearing through the slit in the heavy velvet drapes. I pull the sheet to cover my chest, bundling it snugly under my throat. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for. The day of the coronation, and the day my sister and I will gain our freedom.
I make my way to the bathroom, my muscles stiff. My legs are weak, buckling under my weight. I’m hyper-aware of every sound, every touch; even the darkness seems to caress my skin.
Sunlight dances across the tiled bathroom floor, alive with colour from the stained-glass window.
I walk straight into it, letting the colour paint my skin like a blank canvas, and don’t stop until my fingers curl around the cool porcelain rim of the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror as though I’m looking at a stranger.
My lips are swollen from kissing him, my chin grazed pink by his stubble.
My fingers trace my lips, down my neck, following the path of his every touch, his every kiss.
A smile warms my face despite my attempt to raise the dome around my heart.
I’m a traitor to myself. I suck in a deep breath, willing strength into my tired body. Everything will be alright.
I take a quick bath and wash my hair, wrapping a soft white towel around myself before applying cream to my face. Everything will be alright.
“Did you sleep well?” Odhran’s voice is thick with sleep as his arms wrap around my waist.
My cheeks heat instantly. “Yes.” It’s the truth. I only wish we could have another night like the last. “And you?”
“Perfectly.” He kisses my temple before heading back into the room as I stare at his bare back in the mirror and the inked wings wrapping around his arm and shoulder.
“The tailor sent you a dress. He said you liked it when you were there. You should wear it to the coronation tonight.” Following him into the bedroom, I sift through my memory, but I can’t remember pointing out any specific dress.
“Are you coming too?” I frown.
“I’m sorry, Mo Stóirín. I can’t.” Something like disappointment lurks in his tone.
He pulls a black shirt over his head and sits on the edge of the bed.
Next to him, spread out over a neatly made bed, is a dress as red as the Cabernet Sauvignon in my father’s cellar.
The colour is deep and decadent. My steps slow as I draw closer to it, my eyes caught on the low v-neck and tailored waist.
“You aim to give me a heart attack wearing this?” he asks, raising a sceptical brow.
Lifting it off the bed, I realize it’s lighter than I expected. Unlike the dresses I wore back home, this doesn’t have so many layers. It’s more like the silk slip I wore before, just as soft and delicate. “What is it made of?”
“Spider silk,” he mutters, not taking his eyes off of me. Odhran grips the red silk, fanning out the wide flared skirt to display the insanely high slit at the right.
“As I said, a heart attack.” He clears his throat. “But a beautiful one.”
“It’s… It’s…” It’s the one I saw on the mannequin. The one I found too daring to wear.
“You would kill a faerie, throw a drink in my face, but be thrown by a dress.” Odhran’s voice is an amused rumble, clearly enjoying my mortification.
I smile at him. “It’s perfect.” What’s the point of mortality if you don’t use every minute to live? It hits me. The open back. My scars.
“Forget about your scars. They do not define you,” Aed whispers.
The dress trails behind me as I walk down the passage toward the living room.
My heart drums twice with every step I take.
Along with the dress, I wear Odhran’s necklace and a pair of strappy heels, which make a sharp tick on the floor as I follow the sound of everyone’s voices.
Everything in this world seems to cover less skin than the alternatives back home.
The air is cool on my skin, gliding its icy fingers over my chest and between my breasts, right to where silk meets its touch at my waist. The slit reveals my leg up to my hip with my every step. I’ve never felt so naked. So attractive. Faerie fashion should offend me, but it doesn’t.
I wear my hair in a braided crown, leaving my back as bare as my chest. The scars mean nothing.
There’s nothing to hide. Nothing to be embarrassed about.
The door to the living room is open when I round the last corner and see Odhran pacing in front of the burning hearth.
My footsteps falter, grounding my feet to a stop between the open doors.
Warm light highlights his features in a golden outline.
He isn’t wearing his leathers and armour like he said he would.
He isn’t dressed to accompany his battalion on armed patrol as they reinforce the borders between Samhradh and the bordering kingdoms. He’s dressed in a black suit, tailored to fit him perfectly.
The three-piece in all black showcases his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The trousers don’t hide his well-muscled legs or the curve of his ass.
He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, and last night, he was kneeling before me, offering himself up to me.
Now, his presence at the coronation stands a chance of ruining all my plans.
I was going to disappear after tonight, but how will I manage that with him by my side?
My heart threatens to climb up my throat.
Sloan, dressed in his leathers and armour, stands with his hands fisted at his sides, clearly anxious about tonight’s coronation, and I wonder if Eadan told him of our secret mission.
Sheridan, also dressed for patrol, is as stoic as ever, and Eadan, the only one who sees me coming, clears her throat.
They turn to look at me all at once, but I only see one person in the room.
His pacing stops. His throat bobs. His fingers twitch at his sides, begging to push those sleeves up his arms.
Odhran’s gaze rakes over my body. My breathing hitches as I remember his hands on my skin.
I’ve overheard them plan and prepare for tonight every evening since we returned from the meeting with King Brogan.
I know that the alliances between courts are fragile, and that everyone needs to pledge new oaths to the new king of Samhradh, King Eamon.
Tonight is pivotal for Odhran and his friends to gain their freedom from Samhradh.
They won’t pledge their oaths tonight or any other night.
Instead, Odhran plans to use his alliance with Fómhar to recapture the kingdom of Geimhreadh.
A kingdom abandoned and forgotten after Samhradh’s victory over its king.
A kingdom awaiting a new ruler. I know all these things and shared select information with two other parties. Tonight, I hope my betrayal pays off.
“We will meet you out front.” Odhran’s eyes never leave mine as he addresses his friends, a muscle feathering along his jaw.
He reaches me before they reach the door.
Sloan’s teasing whistle has no effect on him or me as my eyes remain locked on those of light grey.
I will gain my freedom tonight, and so will my sister.
“Are you ready? I know you want to see your sister, but you can stay here, we can stay here, together,” Odhran breathes, pressing a rough palm against my cheek. I lean into him. He may look like a polished prince in his suit, but his rough hands wear the evidence of hard work.
“I need to go.” I swallow, knowing that it isn’t only the coronation I’ll be going to. If our plan fails, I’ll be going to Fómhar as Brogan’s bloodmaid to pay off our bargain.
There’s a pause of silence between us, where all I hear is the beating of my heart. The room turns black, sealing every window and door with his shadows. “Bryn,” Odhran speaks into my mind. I have to blink twice just to be sure. “Mo Stóirín, let me in.”
“What the hell…”
“I told you there’s no turning back.” The ghost of a smirk plays upon his features. “We share a bond. Now close your eyes. Imagine my hand right in front of you. All you need to do is take it.”
My mind is flooded with questions, each one louder and more urgent than the first. I do as he says, but instead of reaching for his hand, I search for something else, someone else. “Aed! What do I do?”
“What do you want to do?” His presence is quiet. “Do you want to be bound to the dark prince? Do you want him to see everything you usually hide?”
“What if I don’t know what I want?” My heart beats like a drum in my ears. A tingling sensation runs down my spine. “What if…”
“What if he reaches for you and finds me instead?” Aed’s claws dig into me, sharp and brutal. His words are a hiss as warm as fire. Everything about him should scare me, but it doesn’t. Not anymore.
“Yes.” My chest tightens.
“Bryn?” Odhran’s thumb caresses my cheek, and I squeeze my eyes closed.
“You must not trust him. He only wants to use you,” Aed hisses.
“Alright.” My heart climbs up my throat.
“Picture someplace safe. Imagine you’re there now,” Odhran whispers.
I concentrate on him, the warmth of his palm on my cheek, breathing him in.
Suddenly, I see myself back in my mother’s Great Room, seated on the bench behind her pianoforte, and there, between the open doors, is this tall and handsome man reaching out to me.
A soft smile hides his growing concern as he silently begs me to welcome him in so he can hear me, too.
I’ve been afraid of many things in my life.
I know the tightening in my chest all too well, but as I look up into his piercing grey eyes, I know I’m not scared of him.
Without further hesitation, I walk to him and place my hand in his, watching his smile grow.
Selfishly, I lead him in, knowing I’ll leave him soon. Knowing he may hate me soon, too.
“Hello,” I say, standing so close that our chests almost touch.
“Hello,” he repeats back to me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Odhran, it’s time for you to meet Aed.” I swallow, but the lump in my throat grows. He frowns at me in confusion, looking over my head and searching the room around us, my safe space.
“Aed, be nice,” I say firmly to the scaled beast lingering in the depths of my mind.
“I am always nice.” He stirs, scales grazing my skin.
My mother’s Great Room turns dark as massive membranous wings block out the light.
Wind pounds in the air around us, hurting my ears, but I don’t cover them.
I don’t flinch. Heavy footsteps hit against the tiled floor, vibrating up my legs and shattering the polished stone under his immense frame.
Odhran doesn’t let go of my hand, only holds on tighter.
His confusion fades, apprehension taking its place.
I can feel the increased tempo of his heart.
“I am Odhran…” He starts to introduce himself, stepping forward with my fingers laced through his.
“Cian Delaney,” Aed completes his sentence with a growl, using the names only I am privileged to know. A muscle feathers in Odhran’s jaw. “I know who you are. I have seen everything she has seen. Heard everything she has heard. Tread lightly, immortal bastard.”
“What interest do you have in my mate?” Odhran demands.
The room trembles around me as shadows rise at our feet.
The glass panes shudder. The tea set clinks as it vibrates on its tray.
Odhran looks directly into the sky, into Aed’s eyes, which I see for the first time.
They’re the same mix of colours as mine, only harsh and threatening, rimmed with scaled lids in the darkest night mixed with sky blue.
Aed’s lip curls, flashing a set of razor-sharp teeth, then he pushes into the sky with a mighty force. My hair whips across my face, my dress twirling around my legs.
When I let go of Odhran’s hand behind my closed lids, the Great Room vanishes along with him.
I open my eyes to see him standing in front of me in his living room, wearing an expression I’ve never seen on him before.
Confusion, anguish, anger, and stubbornness all mixed into one fuck with me and die look.
“That went well.” I exhale, rolling my head back to look aimlessly at the ceiling. It certainly could have gone better.
“Could have gone worse too,” Aed chips in
“You’ve done enough,” I snap at him, closing my eyes upon a deep inhale.
“You never thought to tell me about him?” Odhran asks, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. “Fuck! Bryn, dragons are famously selfish! Devious! What does he want from you? What have you promised? Tell me you’ve made no bargains with it!”
“You never thought to tell me I’m your… what did you call it? MATE!” I shove him so hard that he almost loses his balance. “I don’t have any idea what that even means, but I know you have no right to be upset.”
“Whatever it wants from you, it will come at a substantial cost to you. You shouldn’t trust it.” His lips press into a thin line.
“The same could be said about you, yet here I am.” I glare back. He winces, the action slight enough that one could miss it, but I don’t. I’ve memorised every line on his face, every expression reflected in his eyes.
“It knows my name, Bryn. My real name. Do you understand what this could mean?” A flicker of despair mars his features.
“I never asked you to tell me.” I take a step back.
“You truly are the bane of my blight. My ultimate ruin.” He closes the distance between us.
“And you are the most infuriating bastard I’ve ever met.” I bite down on my teeth.
“Does the timing truly matter?”
I know he’s referring to this mate thing. It sounds like the pairing of livestock. I don’t like it one bit.
“Omissions are lies too, Odhran.” I glare up at him. “Don’t you dare get upset with me when you’re guilty yourself.”
“Are we going to talk about it?” His tone softens.
“No,” I blurt a little too harshly.
He releases a tortured sigh, pushing his fingers through his hair. “Just… be careful of the dragon. Don’t promise it anything. And keep it away from me.”
I’ve already made Aed a promise. There’s nothing I can do about it now. Nothing that can change my fate. “Alright.” The mark of my bargain with Aed itches under my skin, my lie only making it worse.