Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
~ Shade ~
“Please mistress,” one of the nemins begs from inside the cage as we make our way through a shadow pathway. Thankfully, the cage stops the nemins from shooting any of their poisoned darts, so at least we don’t have to worry about that.
The guys use their shadows to transport the cage, and I ride with Galen on Arizak’s back. My mate holds me to him, cradling me with one hand like I’m precious, and gripping Arizak’s shadow mane with his other hand.
I should be mad at Galen. At all of my mates. But I’m so exhausted that I simply rest my head against Galen’s chest. According to the guys, the nemins’ toxin will wear off by the time we reach the academy, and feeling is already returning to the tips of my fingers.
We reach a fork in the shadow pathway, two paths stretching in different directions.
“Mistress, we didn’t know. Please, forgive us. Save us,” begs the leader nemin, who I’ve since learned is named Xoran and a male of their species.
I hesitate before responding. I mean, they had tried to eat me, after all. My big toe on my right foot is still throbbing from where one of the creatures bit me. I assume the nemin means he didn’t know that I was fated to Galen and the others.
“You’ll be fine,” I end up saying. “They just need you to terrorize some of the students during the graduation games. I’m sure they’ll release you after.” Galen holds me tighter when I speak, and he shares an odd look with Raith and the others, though I’m not sure why.
“No,” Xoran says, shaking his head insistently. “We know these four. They’re death to us.”
“Death?” I raise a brow. “That seems a little dramatic. Especially coming from the ones who were just contemplating making me suffer for days.”
The nemin doesn’t look the least bit remorseful for that. His gaze flicks to Galen, and he makes a startled noise when my mate glares back at him.
“You don’t understand,” Xoran tries again. “We’ve heard of these games. Of this Shadowbone Academy. The entire realm knows the stories. Any hollowing captured by the Dreaded Four never returns to the forest.”
I snort. “The Dreaded Four?”
“Yes, mistress,” the nemin replies, and he looks so serious and terrified that I can’t help but feel bad for him. I’m tempted to joke that he should be thankful he’s not the one fated to them, but something tells me the nemin wouldn’t find it funny.
Like it’s coordinated, all of the nemins suddenly stare at me, their eyes wide and hopeful from behind the bars. And…something about seeing them like that doesn’t sit right with me.
“I can’t make any promises,” I say softly, not sure why I suddenly feel sad. “But I’ll try my best to get you out after. …Maybe if you promise not to eat me or any of my friends when you’re free.”
“Yes, yes,” the nemins all agree, eagerly nodding their heads and speaking in unison. They give me toothy little grins, and I’m not sure I believe them, but I figure I’ll just have to hope for the best.
“They’re communicating with you,” Thane comments, observing me from his position atop Rinoc. His giant bear lumbers beside Arizak, and the animali makes low grunting noises as he lowers his head every so often to snap at the shadows slithering along the ground.
I give Thane a strange look. None of the guys had joined in on my conversation with the nemins, but they would have easily heard every word. To be honest, I’m surprised Raith wasn’t laughing when the nemins called them the Dreaded Four earlier.
“Yes,” I say slowly. “I mean, look at them. They’re adorable.” I gesture to the nemins who are all blinking up at us now with their comically huge eyes. I’m definitely going to have to sketch them when I get the chance.
Raith groans, scrubbing a hand down his face. “They tried to eat you, sunshine. Please tell me you’re not fallin’ for their act?”
“No,” I lie.
“What have they been saying?” Thane asks, looking at the path ahead.
I go to respond, but I stop myself when I realize what he’s said. “Wait. You can’t hear them?”
“We can hear their musical language,” Thane answers, “but we cannot understand it.”
I frown. “That makes no sense. They’re speaking in our tongue.”
“No, they’re not, little shadow,” Galen tells me. “You’re speaking in their language.”
“But I can’t be…” I think about what they’re telling me, and about the musical way the nemins speak. “But that’s…”
“Unusual, yes,” Galen adds.
“Do you think it could be a shadow magic thing?” I ask, needing to find the answers to this mystery.
“Not as far as we’re aware,” Galen replies smoothly, his slender fingers still gripping me. “If the nemins choose to speak in our language, then we are able to communicate with them,” he explains further. “But no one can speak the nemins’ musical language. Until now, I suppose.”
I’m glad I’m already sitting down when that truth bomb hits.
“I think it’s best if you stay away from them,” Thane suggests gruffly. He and Knox veer to the right, taking the cage with them, and the nemins stare at me until they disappear from view.
Galen urges Arizak forward, and he and Raith take me along the path to the left. In no time at all, we’re back in the guys’ rooms. Galen takes me straight to the washroom, and Raith follows after us.
Thankfully, by then the paralysis has worn off, and I can finally get some sweet relief, disappearing into the water closet for some privacy.
When I return, my mates are naked and they remove my clothes before coaxing me into the shower.
I let them gently wash my feet, getting all of the nemins’ sticky saliva off my toes.
Once that’s done, they take me to the large pool that consumes most of the space.
The water is inky black and deliciously warm as Galen slowly lowers me into it.
Bubbles rush past me as the bath activates with our presence, and I giggle as they pop against the side of my face.
Raith moves to my left, and Galen props me on his lap as he rests on the tiled seat that lines the pool.
He doesn’t release me, but he continues to bathe the rest of me gently.
Tenderly. I sigh, leaning back against his bare chest.
Raith chuckles as he slowly strokes my arm. “Feelin’ more like yourself, sunshine?”
I smile contentedly. “You could say that.” I should be mad at them, but then again, I knew what I was getting myself into when I’d agreed to be their bait.
Sure, it sucked being out there at the mercy of the nemins, but on the other hand, I just learned something about myself.
According to the guys, I shouldn’t be able to speak to the nemins, but I did, and while I haven’t figured out the mystery behind that, I feel like I’m one step closer to finding out who I am. Or you know, what I am.
“Are you still in pain?” Galen asks with concern.
I tilt my head, considering his question. The blinding pain from the nemin’s bite has long since faded. Mostly, I just feel tired. “Nope. Seems like I’m okay.”
Raith cups my chin, turning my head to face him. He studies my eyes for a long moment, and his gaze flicks to Galen before focusing back on me. “Well, we’re fuckin’ not,” he rumbles. When he says it, there’s no humor in his voice. Only a vulnerability that I get the feeling he doesn’t show often.
I stare at the droplets of water clinging to his dark lashes, wondering how it’s possible that these men seem even more beautiful every time I look at them.
“Forgive us, treasure,” Galen says. “We’re still getting used to the idea of having someone so precious in our possession.”
I blink, turning my thoughts away from Raith’s ridiculously handsome face, and focusing on what they’re saying.
“Wait…are you apologizing?” I laugh, because the idea seems absurd.
My guys don’t exactly seem like the type to admit when they’re wrong, and from what they’ve told me, they only captured the nemins to appease the shadow queen.
As much as it sucked, I was the best choice for bait.
At least, it meant one less dead student.
But it’s obvious the guys aren’t seeing it that way.
Raith still isn’t smiling, and my laughter tapers off. “We’re sorry, Shade,” he rasps seriously, letting out a noise of frustration.
“Oh. You are apologizing,” I say in surprise.
“We made a mistake,” Galen admits, rubbing his hands up my bare thighs under the water. “Tell us how to make it right.”
I don’t even know what to say to that. I stay silent for a moment, still reeling from the fact they’re apologizing, and that this isn’t a joke.
Raith’s expression is so sad, it’s like staring at a wounded puppy, and it makes my heart squeeze.
In my head, I’d pictured the guys watching me at the mercy of the nemins with indifference, but I realize now, they were really worried.
A part of me wonders if I should milk this, but when I look at my mates, all I want to do is reassure them that I’m theirs.
“I’m okay,” I tell them.
Neither of them move, like they’re not entirely convinced by my answer, and they’re unsure of what to do next.
I get the feeling this isn’t a situation they’re used to navigating, and I find it incredibly sweet.
Holy crap. They’re falling in love with me, aren’t they?
Being fated means that we’re connected. That Lady Fate has matched us, and we’re destined to be together.
When you’re around your mates there’s this burning desire that’s hard to ignore, and every fibre of your being tells you that their yours.
But you still have to embrace that connection and allow the love to grow.
Something that my traitorous heart has been doing since the moment I met these guys. But to know they’re falling for me too…