Twenty
Aeryn
The sun beat down, showcasing the dust that swirled around boots and clung to sweat-slicked skin. My heart pounded in time with the shouts and grunts of fighters dueling in rings scattered around the yard.
After last night with Nox, I couldn”t shake the feeling I needed to protect him. Something within me had shifted, solidified, and gave me a new purpose.
It was freeing to focus on something else, to be motivated to help another, especially the king. This was bigger than me and Sofiya. Though dangerous, I felt lighter than I had since we”d left Greenhollow.
I had to help Nox find his father”s killers. He deserved to know and the kingdom deserved to keep him as king. Today”s hand-to-hand tournament was a good opportunity to do so.
That was, if I could keep my opponents from trying to choke the life out of me, as my current rival was attempting. Callis was motivated, I”d give her that much.
When I”d first entered the ring, her blood thirsty war cry gave me pause. But then her lips curled in a taunting sneer and I found I didn”t have the patience for her attitude.
Emotion drove her attacks rather than skill. My instincts coupled with Lorne”s quick teachings let me twist and pivot, avoiding the wild swings of her bo staff.
We weren”t to use any weapon that could cause severe injury. This meant no swords or daggers, no bow and arrows, and, especially, no magic.
“You pretend you don”t want the throne yet you keep winning!” Callis shrieked, anger flushing her cheeks. “You”re as power-hungry as any of us, you stupid slut!”
She swung and I ducked, tapping her lightly on the hip with my staff and spinning out of range. Callis screeched indignantly.
I actually understood her frustration. I wasn”t well-trained. I was just fast. It must have been very insulting.
“You think you can protect your little friend? We have plans for you both!”
That was the last straw. “The only one I”m protecting is you.”
“Ha! From what, farm-slut?”
Farm-slut? I would have laughed if she wasn”t so annoying.
“From you getting your ass handed to you. And get a new word other than slut. I”m sure the library has a thesaurus in big print with small words.”
If looks could have killed I”d have been dead before I hit the ground. Before Callis could decide what to do to me, I lunged forward and knocked her feet out from under her.
She crashed with a cry, and I pinned her wrists above her head, our skin touching. Her mind was a tumble of jealousy and hurt. But she knew nothing of the king”s death.
Lorne, apparently assigned to my ring, declared me the winner.
I released her and stood, offering a hand. She slapped it away and stumbled to her feet.
Callis spat at my feet. “Whore.” She stomped away, tears streaking the dust on her cheeks.
“Congrats on the synonym, Callis!” I yelled to her retreating back.
My gaze cut to Nox. He watched me from the sidelines, face impassive, but warmth flickered in my chest. I yearned to lose myself in his embrace again.
But for now, I had work to do. The next opponent would step into the ring, and I would search their mind as I searched the others.
Until I found the truth.
Sofiya stumbled into the ring. She”d been assigned to the one behind me. Before my fight had ended, I”d heard her take Callis”s sister, Cadence, to the ground with a feminine shout of triumph.
Sofiya took one look at me and collapsed onto the ground, limbs sprawling.
Laughter bubbled in my chest. I sauntered over and dropped down beside her. “Giving up so soon?”
“I can”t hit you with a stick, Aeryn. Nor can I handle getting hit with one. I need wine to get through the rest of this bloody tournament,” she huffed, dragging a hand down her face and smearing dirt. “This is all too much for my delicate sensibilities.”
“Your sensibilities left long ago, dear one.” I poked her side, and she swatted at me. “The mighty Sofiya, felled by her own need for a drink. How the mighty have fallen.”
“The mighty Sofiya,” she echoed. “Go on, pin me. I”ll lie here and think of...” Her gaze slid to Lorne, watching over us. “Other things.”
Lorne”s mouth twitched. He cleared his throat and straightened, affecting a stern demeanor once more. “Finish it Aeryn.”
“As the prince commands.” I straddled Sofiya”s waist and pressed her shoulders to the dirt. Bending, I stage-whispered, “Think of me when you lie alone tonight.”
She sputtered with laughter as I helped her up. Lorne watched us, not even trying to hide his amusement now. I shot him a wink and turned to my awaiting opponent.
My humor fled. The lightness in my step abandoned me.
Zoriyah strode into the ring, spinning her bo staff with casual menace. Her ice blue eyes gleamed as they landed on me, a cruel twist to her mouth.
We hadn”t interacted since the incident in the maze and I”d done my best to put it behind me. She may have attacked, but she hadn”t intended to kill, hard as it was to believe.
Of all the candidates, though, Zoriyah seemed the most likely to be involved in the plot to take over the kingdom. She was a walking, talking representation of ambition and superiority.
Unluckily, I needed to touch her to be sure; and I really didn”t want my flesh to come into contact with hers.
I flexed my fingers around my staff and faced the female. This would be no easy match. She”d had decades of practice and was motivated by a history with Nox, one she”d made clear she wanted to continue.
But she hadn”t spent her life fighting to survive. I had. Though I wasn”t skilled enough to outright beat her, I would never make it easy for the shrew.
I attacked without warning, staff blurring, hoping to use the element of surprise to my advantage. Zoriyah deflected the blow and spun away, fire flickering over her staff and disappearing at Lorne”s warning growl.
“Get control of it,” he warned menacingly, “or I”ll declare the winner right now.”
“Understood, Sire,” Zoriyah clipped.
She began attacking in earnest, like a demon possessed.
Our sticks clashed in a flurry of blows, clacking loudly as they made contact. Zoriyah was fast, her strikes precise, but I was faster at avoiding her staff.
Again and again, I avoided her hits eight times out of ten. The few times I slipped past her defenses, I pulled each blow to avoid causing serious injury.
Not that she returned the favor. A glancing strike to my ribs nearly stole my breath, and another caught my wrist, numbing my hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain.
Zoriyah”s frenzied assaults kept me primarily on defense. Though, it was what I was best at. I just needed her to wear out before I did.
It went on forever. I couldn”t get close enough to touch her, especially with her long sleeves in the way. Frustration and desperation rose in equal measure. There had to be a way.
Her next strike went too high. I landed a hit to the side of her knee and she stumbled. As I twirled, the tip of my staff smacked her across the face—completely on accident.
She let out a battle cry, more unhinged than any banshee could have ever hoped. It was so disturbing I laughed without meaning to.
A literal firestorm spun in her eyes. Zoriyah lunged. I twisted aside, but not fast enough. Agonizing heat seared under my armpit and across my breast as I tumbled away, clutching the injury.
Lorne cursed and started to enter the ring. “No!” I yelled at him. “Not yet.”
He looked off to someone outside my field of vision and then backed away.
Zoriyah laughed maniacally. “Next I”ll melt off the other tit. We”ll see how attractive you are then. Nox enjoys an ample chest. I remember his attentions well.”
Rage at her taunt blotted out the pain. She”d used her power to burn me, to melt my flesh when I”d pulled every blow.
How dare she? I surged to my feet, vision tinged with red. She”d pushed too far.
“You”ll pay for that,” I said softly.
Her stick caught fire and the wild inside me snarled, clawing to get out, to rend and tear. I met Zoriyah”s gaze and bared my teeth in a humorless smile. She”d made a mistake.
“Lorne, do not interfere,” I instructed, my voice susurrating like some untamed animal.
I didn”t wait for his response. I gave into the wild.
An explosion of power burst out of my well-store, melting my bones and reshaping my body. Without care of what was happening, I embraced the magic, immediately stronger and surefooted.
Some other part of me, the part containing the wild, was in charge. My hands flexed and black claws sprang free.
Claws?!
Zoriyah”s eyes widened. Too late, she realized she”d woken something far more dangerous than either of us understood. She rushed me.
I dodged and weaved, faster than she could track. My claws sliced through the air, raking across her arms, her legs, her face. She shrieked in fury and pain, flames bursting from her hands in a desperate bid to immolate me.
I knocked Zoriyah”s staff aside and slammed into her, claws digging into her shoulders as we tumbled to the ground. She bucked and twisted, nearly throwing me off, but I sank my teeth into her neck. A gurgling scream escaped her, cut off by the blood filling her throat.
The taste of copper and death filled my mouth. I gagged but didn”t release my hold, even as her struggles grew frantic. Her heart pounded against my chest like a trapped bird, exciting the predator I”d become.
Abruptly, she went still. I waited a long moment, senses straining, before I dared to move. Zoriyah stared up, a mask of hatred and fear etched onto her face as the light drained from her eyes.
Triumph and horror warred within me as I stared down at her body. I had won, but at what cost? I shook my head, trying to clear the red haze from my mind, but it clung stubbornly, urging me to claim my prize in the way of the beast.
I gawped at my furred arms and hands matted with dark liquid. I tried to release her shoulders but my claws were buried too deep. Bile rose in my throat.
Give me control, I beseeched.
The monstrous bipedal form melted away until I bent over Zoriyah”s body in my own skin, drenched in her blood. Shame and revulsion twisted my insides as the implications of what I”d done sank in.
I”d killed her. I”d lost control and killed—
Pain exploded in my chest as Zoriyah”s flaming hand punched through it. Agony consumed me, burning through muscle and bone. Unable to scream, I thrashed to get away, but I couldn”t escape.
And then, blessed darkness.
I surfaced to the sensation of gentle hands combing through my hair. Murmured words filtered through the haze, a soothing cadence I couldn”t quite make out.
Nox.
I tried to open my eyes but only managed a pitiful moan. Everything was sore. Even drawing a breath sent fire through my lungs.
“Shh, don”t try to move.” His touch withdrew and a cup was pressed to my lips. “Drink this. It will help with the pain.”
I obeyed without protest, too weak to do otherwise. The bitter draught slid down my throat and almost immediately the agony began to recede. I sighed in relief, relaxing into the softness beneath me.
A bed. I was in a bed.
Memory crashed over me in a wave of horror, of what I”d done.
I jerked upright with a gasp, staring wildly around. My hands flew to my torso, feeling for the hole and burnt skin. All I found was itchy flesh stretched tight.
Nox made a low, soothing sound, gathering me close. One hand stroked my hair while the other rubbed slow circles over my back. “Easy. You”re safe, in my quarters.”
Tears stung my eyes. “I killed her,” I whispered. “I lost control and I—”
“No, Aeryn. You did what you had to do in order to survive. No one blames you for defending yourself, least of all me.”
I shook my head. “You don”t understand.”
“I understand perfectly, kitten.” His voice was soft, but resolute.
“No! I have an animal inside me, Nox!”
“I already know that.”
My shoulders fell. “You saw.” Of course he saw. He was there.
Nox gave a small shake of his head. “I knew before your beast showed herself.”
“What? How could you have known? I didn”t even know.”
“I knew because I have one, too, Aeryn. We are the same.”
I went still, staring at him, lips parted.
“We are what we are and we do what we must to survive. Your beast saved your life. If you hadn”t called her, Zoriyah wouldn”t have stopped.”
He gazed back steadily, shadows lurking in the depths of his eyes. I inhaled deeply, afraid to hope and afraid to voice the questions trembling there.
“You”re like me,” I stated back to him what he’d said.
Nox”s mouth curved in a wry smile. “Well, not exactly. My beast is a bit different than yours. But in essence, yes.”
His fingers tightened in my hair, gaze intent upon my face. “I had hoped to discuss this with you under better circumstances, but it seems the cat is out of the bag now, as it were.”
“I”m a cat?!”
He chuckled. “Not exactly. You’re not even a true shifter. You’re still fae, just a very specific kind.”
“And what kind would that be?”
“You”re a baast, which explains your extremely protective instincts.”
“A baast,” I repeated, befuddled.
They were known as protective warriors, some of whom had powers to nullify magic or read minds. “I don”t know any fae who are baasts. Not my parents. Not their parents.”
“Are you certain about that? You said your parents were too weak to call on their powers.”
“But I spent time with my grandparents. Though, I don’t recall any of them ever using their magic in front of me. There wasn’t any reason to.”
“It’s also possible they did use some of their powers but you were too young to remember.”
Letting out a frustrated huff, I added, “And no one”s around anymore who I could ask.”
Nox tugged on a lock of my hair. “Someone in your family line had to be. Does it matter who?”
I shook my head. “I suppose not. It”s just so … unexpected. Why didn”t you say anything if you knew?”
More importantly, why hadn”t my family ever told me?
“I was going to, once the trials were over and things had settled between us.”
I ignored that last part. “Did you know exactly what I was? What was inside me?”
“Yes,” he sighed. “I didn”t want to frighten you. I”ve known about your beast since the first time I kissed you, yet you had no idea. I felt her. Could scent her in your skin.”
The corners of my mouth turned down. “I smell like a cat? To everyone?”
This time he laughed outright. “No, not at all. It’s a specific aroma similar to cloves mixed with ginger. Only those with an enhanced sense of smell would catch on by scent alone, like a shifter or some other type of fae with a similar bloodline. Though, only those with extremely sensitive noses would realize it before you came into your powers. I just happen to be one of those who could pick up on it.”
“I don”t have enhanced senses, not like that.”
“You do, just not the same as mine. Plus you have other gifts to make up for it.” Nox smiled and tapped my nose. “I have the usual suite of enhanced senses, as well as shadow manipulation.”
“Shadow manipulation?” I blinked. “Like how you travel?”
“Among other things.” Nox lowered my back to the bed and then stretched out beside me, pulling me into the warmth of his embrace. It wasn”t lost on me that I was naked under the blankets while he was fully clothed on top of them.
“I am what is known as an umbral, a rare type of baast shifter that can blend into and manipulate shadows. I can also turn fully incorporeal, if I so choose. My kind are often loners, but I was drawn to you from the first.”
I stared at him, stunned into silence. An umbral. I”d heard stories of the elusive fae, but never dreamed there were any in Falcondale.
And the king was one. Well, part of him was.
“Why doesn”t the kingdom know?” I asked.
“My lineage isn”t a secret,” he answered. “Admittedly, I don”t go around showing talents at random. Most Scullbrooks can shadow walk and that”s primarily an umbral power.”
“So all the Scullbrooks are umbrals?”
“To a degree.”
My brow furrowed. “Meaning?”
“Not all Scullbrooks can shift in the same way.”
When he didn”t elaborate, I opened my mouth to ask and then thought better of it. None of the contestants, and definitely not Lorne or Sage, had spoken a word about it.
It wasn”t my place to pry despite wanting to. It could also be seen as rude by some fae to go digging into the extent of their magic.
Someone in my parentage had to have kept quiet about their shifting magic. Either that or my parents purposefully kept it from me.
It made me sad thinking it was likely the latter. That had to be it. How could they not have possibly known since they carried it in their own blood?
“The shadow-walking should have clued me in,” I told him. “I just never gave it much thought considering how many different kinds of magical talents are out there.”
Nox shrugged. “I suppose it”s just not the sort of topic farmers discuss in Greenhollow.”
His tone was flirtatious and light, the situation anything but. I slapped at his shoulder, lightly.
He nipped my jaw, then my bottom lip. “Prickly female,” Nox teased.
“And you”re a brooding loner who likes kissing a prickly female who partially turns into a giant cat,” I said at last. “Lucky you.”
Nox”s eyes gleamed with amusement and affection. “Incredibly lucky, I”d say.” He brushed a kiss over my lips.
I twined my arms around his neck and drew him down for a proper kiss. Nox made a low sound of pleasure, deepening the kiss with a passion that left me breathless.
When at last we parted, he adjusted me so my head was resting over his heart. His arms tightened around me.
“Try to get some sleep, kitten. It will help you finish healing.”