Chapter 24 Fated Truth #2
Holding his clothes to his chest, he stands, smiling down at me. “All I want is to keep you safe, Nora. I need you to stay, too.” His gaze lingers on my back as he steps into the bathroom, the door clicking closed behind him.
As soon as the door shuts, tears force their way out and I cover my mouth with my hands to silence the sobs burning the back of my throat.
It’s all too much. The pain I left here for Kairos to deal with on his own.
The broken realms that have never repaired.
The dark queen who refuses to move on from the past. And I haven’t had time yet to heal from my mortal ex-boyfriend leaving me or even think about the fact that Olivia is now stuck dealing with wars and immortal beings and monsters for life because we’re sisters.
I have a fated mate who is heartbroken from so much loss and I’m here with him and can’t even remember him, and that has to be torture.
It’s just...too…much. The realization that I’ve caused so much chaos for others burns and gnaws and slices through my entire body.
I will never let harm come to them. I refuse to let the past repeat itself.
I should have handled it on my own last time before everyone lost so much.
My phone lights up as it vibrates, letting me know I received a text from Ere.
I wipe the tears off my cheeks, then close my eyes and count to ten, reminding myself to breathe.
Everything is fine. When I open my eyes, I force myself not to think about things that hurt any longer, holding my head high and letting myself move on.
It’ll all be okay soon. Picking up my phone, I swipe my finger across the screen to unlock it, then pull up the text from Ere.
I miss you. I’m sorry. Please come home.
I miss you, too. I promise you’ll see me soon.
I’m a fool for walking away from you. Soon cannot come quickly enough.
Once I find a way out of the Realm of Darkness without Kairos following me, I’ll go to him to tell him goodbye.
Yes, I loved him. I still do. But he’s mortal.
The truth is, we could never work, not anymore.
And as much as I try to fight the undeniable pull I feel toward Kairos, it wouldn’t be fair to him if I didn’t explore those feelings, eventually.
I guess that depends on how things go with Nyx.
Whether I live and get the chance or die wondering what could have been.
I groan as I swipe golden eyeshadow across my eyelids and smear red lipstick over my lips, a mix of guilt and a fiery determination settling over me.
Then I slip into my dress. I have to go to this ball and smile and wave and pretend everything is fine, while in the back of my mind I’m planning my escape from Kairos, the man whose eyes rarely roam away from me.
He’s intense in the way he cares for me, the way he cares about my safety more than even his own.
He’ll be pissed. Maybe he’ll never forgive me.
I hate that my welcome home party has suddenly turned into goodbye, but I have no choice.
I’m doing this for him. For all of them.
As Kairos steps out of the bathroom, wearing black from head to toe and a wide smile, all I want to do is shove my face into the silky pillows on his bed and have a good cry.
But I’m good at pretending. Smile. Laugh.
Pretend everything is fine. Forcing a smile, I step toward him confidently, as if thoughts of failing him aren’t scraping at the edges of my mind.
I don’t like having to pretend with him.
I’ve never had to before, but for what I’m planning, it’s necessary.
He’d never let me go. I understand his worries, that she’ll plunge the realms into darkness as soon as she gets her hands on me, but I won’t let her.
I have to believe in myself the way everyone here believes in me.
The way he does. I was powerful once and I will be again.
Slowly walking toward me, his throat bobs as his smile fades and his eyes rake over me with affection and worry. “Hey,” he says softly, running his hand down the back of my head and gently holding the back of my neck. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
I sniffle, shaking my head and turning away. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not,” he says, gripping my chin between his fingers and forcing me to look up at him. ”Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours.”
“I’m scared. Of so many things all at once.” I blink up at him, smiling as white light glows around him and then reaches for me, swirling across my skin and soothing the pain in my heart.
“Here,” he says softly, unstrapping one of the daggers from his thigh.
“Just in case.” His whispered words and his magic still sparkling softly around me calm my racing thoughts, easing every worry.
“This belonged to you. I’ve carried it on me every day since the day I lost you, but I think it’s time I return it to its rightful owner. ” He smiles, stepping in closer.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, running my fingers along the ruby stones along the hilt. “Rubies have always been my favorite. Even in another life, I guess.” I beam up at him, another little piece of my past clicking into place.
His eyebrows scrunch up as his eyes search mine.
“I gave this to you as a gift once on your birthday,” glancing down at the dagger, he smiles, but not the crooked, playful smile I’ve gotten used to, it’s a smile full of affection and a bit of pain.
“My birthday is in July.” He looks at me.
“You wanted a dagger embellished with my birthstone because I had one made using yours. You cherished this blade, said it made you feel safe no matter where you were, because a part of me was with you, always.” Taking another step forward, he reaches out with his free hand, gripping the side of my face and caressing my cheek with his thumb.
Those eyes, the green and blue waves are like a riptide, dragging me out into the open sea, but his hand against my skin is a safe haven, the only thing preventing me from being swallowed whole by the raging current.
I have to say something. If he keeps looking at me like this I won’t be able to control what happens next.
I clear my throat. “It won’t go around my dress. The dagger, I mean.” I swallow thickly, unable to look away as he smiles and then kneels before me.
“I know,” he tells me. “I’ll need you to lift it up.”
I’m frozen. I can’t move as his eyes go feral in a way I’ve never seen from him before.
He grips my ankle, then slides his palm up my calf, slowly running it along my thigh before pushing the thin fabric to the side.
I gasp softly as he straps the holster to my leg, his warm fingers torturing my inner thigh as he slips them through the leather and runs his fingers from the front to the back to make sure it’s tight.
He lowers the dagger into it. Smiling up at me, he drags his fingertips down to my calf, letting my dress fall with it.
He didn’t pull his eyes away from mine once. Not even for a second.
Holy hell was that sexy, and probably the only thing I’ll be able to think about for the foreseeable future. Gods save me. Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything is just fine.
* * *
“They’re all staring at us,” I whisper into Kairos’s shoulder as we make our way down the path lined with bright wildflowers and celestial torches leading up to the platform where queen Gaia sits in the center of the meadow.
“Correction. They’re all staring at you,” he leans in and tells me, wrapping an arm around my waist tighter. “Love the dress, by the way.” His smile is bright and full of approval as his eyes drift down the front of my gown.
I chose a black lacey dress from my closet with red roses and vines that climb all the way up the front and sides, then wrap around my waist and shoulders.
Kairos’ favorite flower. They’ve always been my favorite, too.
My gold diamond encrusted earrings brush against my neck as we slowly make our way past celestials who smile and bow their heads, whispering ‘darkness guide me.’ My bare back tingles with the energy surging all around, and as we step closer and closer to the queen, the power sparking in the air only gets stronger.
There are thousands of celestials here, all of them deathly still, encircling the platform in their black robes with the hoods drawn up.
This is not a ball. The two of us and Gaia are the only ones dressed for one.
I clasp my hands in front of me to hide the tremors. Kairos’s arm is warm and safe, making me feel infinitely worse about my decision to leave him. The clouds fade as darkness settles in, and the starlight swallows them whole. Celestial wings glisten as shimmers of light radiate off them.
As Kairos and I step up to the platform, the flowers lining the path begin to glow brighter than the stars.
My eyes widen and my hands shoot to my mouth watching them illuminate our path as we ascend the stairs.
A huff of laughter escapes, and Kairos loops his arm through mine as we step up to the waiting queen, seated on a velvety chair, wings spread wide, and a black ring of light rimmed in gold illuminated around the crown of her head.
She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.
Her black dress shimmers like onyx and diamonds, and her dark hair nearly sparkles as she smiles and shakes her head, looking me up and down.
“Nora,” she stands, reaching out and taking my hands.
She bows her head, so I do the same, my smile growing wider as I take in her magnificent form.
“We are thrilled to have you home. Welcome to the Realm of Darkness.”