Chapter 12
My chambers became too stifling the more I paced, so I made my way to the library, which was my favorite room in the castle. My thoughts blurred as I stared into the fire, remaining in my chair long after the embers had died.
I had come here to be alone. To gather my thoughts. To escape.
So, naturally, my wife decided to intrude.
My fae hearing picked up on the slight creak of the door opening. Her sickly sweet human scent assaulted me almost immediately. Still, I waited. Perhaps she would leave me be.
The door closed. Then opened again.
This repeated for quite some time. I massaged my temples, my head throbbing. I knew exactly what was happening; she was trying different doors. The castle was toying with her.
“Enough,” I growled.
But the castle didn’t listen. It never did.
At long last, she entered the room, and I had to admire her courage. The sensible thing to do would be to give up, to retire for the night. After all, she was a weak and frail human who needed far more sleep than I did.
She faced me, brown eyes squinting. I had to remind myself that human sight was abysmal, and she likely couldn’t see me properly.
I sensed her fear the moment she realized I was sitting before her. Her pulse quickened, and her heart stuttered. I chose this moment to rise, then cloaked myself in my shadow shield for good measure. I was in no mood to watch her run screaming from my presence. Not tonight.
“What are you doing here, human?” I asked in her tongue. I despised Terrish. It felt rough on my lips, and the syllables were harsh and jarring compared to my own language. But it was the only thing she understood, and if it would get her to leave me more quickly, I would speak it.
The human— Sybelle —stood straighter, her eyes flashing.
She wore nothing but a transparent shift and a thin shawl.
My eyes dipped to the leather belt around her waist that held the ceremonial dagger from earlier.
Her hand was wrapped around the hilt. My eyes narrowed at the sight.
Was she truly so terrified that I might harm her?
The idea sent a bolt of anger rushing through me.
She thought we were savages. All of us. That we couldn’t keep our hands off the humans for even a moment.
“You might be more suited to answer that question,” Sybelle said. Her voice was level and held a hint of ire. What right did she have to be angry with me?
“I beg your pardon?” I snapped.
“Why am I here?” she repeated. “Why did your steward send for me so urgently? Why has your kingdom taken human brides all this time? Do you feed them to some four-headed demon hiding in the dungeon? Do you sacrifice them to the moon gods? Do you feast on their flesh? Please, enlighten me.”
Each of her questions was uttered in a bored and unaffected tone, as if these horrifying options did not bother her in the slightest.
My brows drew together as I stared at her. Her eyes were fixed on me—or rather, where she presumed my face to be. But she held no ounce of fear. The quickened pulse was still there, but I could scent nothing but anger from her.
Interesting.
“You are here to fulfill your end of the bargain between our kingdoms,” I supplied.
“Yes, but why ? Why stipulate that as part of your demands? What purpose does it serve?”
She was not the first human bride to ask this question. I had to be careful with how I responded, since I could not lie. “There are certain shadows here that even my magic cannot fight. For some reason, the presence of a human will keep them at bay.”
Her jaw went slack, revealing several of her abnormally square teeth. Mother of Shade, she didn’t even have fangs. What were those teeth good for? Could they slice or cut at all?
“ That’s why you’ve asked for human brides?” She shook her head. “But I don’t understand. How am I supposed to stop the shadows? I don’t—I can’t—” Her mouth clamped shut, as she was clearly at a loss for words.
“You have no magic,” I finished for her. “Yes, I know. But I can’t explain it, either. Over the years, we have tried many things. The only thing that seems to work is your kind.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
My eyebrows lifted. “For now? Return to your rooms and rest.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m a bit too preoccupied to sleep.”
“Try harder.”
I turned away from her, prepared to leave the room, if she insisted on staying. I didn’t want to be in her presence another moment.
“Why the shadows?” she called after me.
Slowly, I turned back to face her. Her chin was lifted, revealing that spirit I had sensed in her before.
“You will have to be more specific,” I said tightly.
She gestured to my form. “Why conceal yourself with shadows?”
“Because I want to,” I snapped. “Isn’t that reason enough?”
“What exactly are you hiding? It isn’t quite fair, as I do not possess the ability to shroud myself in terrifying shadows. It’s only fitting I should get to look upon the face of my beloved husband.”
I bristled at the words, disgusted with the way she described me. Beloved husband. It was revolting.
“This is my home, and I will don my shadow shield as I see fit,” I said, struggling to keep my temper in check. “I do not need to answer to you, human.”
“Sybelle,” she said.
“What?”
“My name is Sybelle . Not human .”
“I don’t care!” I barked, and my shadows flared. “I don’t care what your name is. I don’t care if my shadows bother you. Now leave me be.”
I expected her to shudder from my outburst, to stumble backward in alarm. But, to my surprise, she inched closer to me, her eyes full of interest as she examined my shadows. “How do you do that?” Her voice was full of curiosity.
I was slightly taken aback by this response, and my anger ebbed. “Do what?”
She wiggled her fingers through the air. “Make your shadows move.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. No human had ever asked me that before.
“You just told me you summon your shadow shield at will,” she went on. “But when you raised your voice just now, they… swelled. Was that intentional?”
I had the strangest desire to fidget under her scrutiny. Which was ridiculous. I could do as I damn well pleased, regardless of who was watching. And I certainly shouldn’t care about the opinion of this lowly human.
But there was no malice on her face. Nothing but intrigue.
She was not afraid or disgusted or horrified. She was inquisitive.
“No,” I said at last. “They are bound to me and often respond to my… emotions.”
Something dark crossed her face. Something I couldn’t read. “So you have no control over your magic.” Her voice shifted, becoming flat and full of accusation.
My anger returned, heating my bones and boiling my blood.
“I never said that. I can control them just fine; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to maintain the shield around the castle that protects it during the daytime when the Umbra Mist is thinnest. My shadows merely change forms depending on my mood.
They are not dangerous. If they were, you would have suffocated by now. ”
She snorted loudly, and my head reared back at the ghastly sound.
“ Not dangerous ,” she repeated. “By whose standards? Yours? Those of the unseelie fae, whose bodies are indestructible? Well, sure, I would wager that with fangs and talons and tough, scaly skin, you can withstand toxic shadows easily. But my people can’t.
And, thanks to your little temper tantrums, my kingdom is about to get wiped out by these not-so-dangerous shadows. ”
Rage and indignation roared within my chest, and my shadows spread, creeping along the floor until they slithered toward Sybelle. They wrapped around her ankles, snaking up her legs.
She stiffened but was otherwise unfazed by the closeness of my shadows, her venomous gaze still fixed on me.
I had to give her credit for her bravery.
“You think you know everything, human ,” I spat.
“But you don’t know me, and you know nothing of my magic.
I’ve been alive longer than your grandparents.
Don’t come in here and fling accusations at me as if you understand anything.
You don’t know what secrets lie behind the walls of your own home.
Now, go back to your rooms before I lock you in there myself.
I’m sure your father is eagerly awaiting a letter from you spilling all my secrets. Sorry to have to disappoint you both.”
Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes burned with hatred. Her breaths came in short spurts as she struggled to think of a response. Her hand tightened around the jeweled dagger, and I chuckled.
“Are you going to fight me with that pathetic weapon? Is that why you’re here? To kill me?”
Her eyes widened, and her face suddenly drained of color. “I’m not—I wouldn’t?—”
My chuckles turned into full-blown laughter as I envisioned her swinging that dagger wildly, like a toddler. The idea that this feeble creature would try to challenge me was simply hilarious.
“Go back to sleep before you injure yourself,” I said, still amused by this. “Or worse, embarrass yourself. I wouldn’t want to damage that fragile ego of yours.”
Once more, I turned away, but she wasn’t finished with me. “You are vile!” she shouted, her voice echoing in the vast space.
I wanted to laugh again, but I was interested to see what she would do next. So I stilled, waiting for her to finish.
“I don’t want to be here any more than you want me here,” she went on.
“Neither of us asked for this. The least you could do is be accommodating and forthcoming and kind . Is that so much to ask for? Instead, you mock and insult me, you don’t even bother to show your face to me, and you laugh at the notion that I might fear for my life in this place, when you have given me no reason at all to feel safe. ”
Mother of Shade, I had had enough of this human.
Unable to contain my fury, I dropped my shadow shield, allowing my magic to withdraw completely as it receded into my body.
Slowly, I turned to face her, exposing my true form.
With my shadows gone, the dying embers cast a glow on my crimson skin, revealing every detail to her.
I waited for her to scream. For her to draw her weapon and fling it at me. For her to run from the room. Perhaps she would cry or beg for mercy, as the previous human brides had.
But once again, this human surprised me.
Sybelle did not even flinch. She stared at me with that calculating gaze, with that same look in her eye when she had asked about my shadows.
With deliberate slowness, her gaze dipped to my bare feet with black claws, then traveled up my legs, taking in my black kilt and fighting leathers, and the violet tunic that revealed a significant amount of my bare chest. I still hadn’t disrobed from the ceremony, but perhaps that was fitting.
She wanted to look upon her husband, so here I was, still dressed in my wedding attire.
Her eyes continued making their way upward, noting my lower set of fangs, my thick, curly black hair, and my ibex horns. My long, barbed tail flicked to my right, and her eyes snagged on that, too.
Not once did terror strike her features like I expected it to. She merely observed me as a scientist would, taking in all the details. Even so, I could feel her pulse thrumming, her heart racing, and her breath hitching. I wasn’t sure what caused it, but it certainly wasn’t fear.
At long last, she spoke. “If that’s supposed to terrify me, you’ll have to try harder.”
I almost laughed again. She was surprising me over and over, and I was honestly finding it quite delightful.
“And what, precisely, would terrify you?” I asked, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.
She chewed on her lower lip as she considered this. Then, with a slight smile, she said, “An excessively affectionate husband.”
I couldn’t help it. I threw my head back and roared with laughter, the sound reverberating against the walls and echoing all around us.
Sybelle joined in, her giggles lighter and shriller, but no less vibrant.
Together, our voices mingled, creating a cacophony of sounds that collided and twisted together until they formed something unique and unrecognizable.
A human and an unseelie fae laughing together. Who would have thought it?
“You are an enigma, Sybelle ,” I said when my laughter had finally subsided.
She arched an eyebrow at me. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”
“It’s the most you’ll get from me this evening.” I pressed my fist to my heart. “I bid you good night.”
She returned the gesture. “Good night, husband.”
I flinched, and she chuckled again, as if she’d known how much I would despise the word. As I turned away from her, I wondered whether this bold, unexpected creature would continue to amuse me, or frustrate me to no end.