51. Rae
RAE
I woke with a splitting headache and a big, furry body pressed against mine. I blinked against the low glow of the lights in my bedroom. The moment my eyelids cracked open, Kian was at my side, his hand slipping around mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I went on a wicked bender.” My voice came out croaky, like I’d been sleeping for a week. “How long was I out?”
Kian glanced over his shoulder, his expression turning into a glower. “A few hours.”
It was then that I finally took in the rest of the room. Rhys stood next to the huge fireplace, looking utterly annoyed. Pax sat on the couch next to a worried-looking Kyrie. And Nyx? He leaned against the wall next to the window, appearing completely unconcerned.
“Would you rather I had let her burn herself out? Possibly die?” Nyx challenged.
“Die?” I squeaked, trying to push myself up against the pillows.
My whole body hurt, like I’d run a marathon and then lifted weights afterward. More than that, I felt like a limp noodle.
Kian turned back to me, lacing his fingers through mine. “Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“You can’t promise her that,” Rhys said coolly. “Something is obviously off with her magic.”
That familiar feeling of anxiety pulsed within me, but I tried to breathe through it. My gaze found Kian’s. “Can you—?”
I didn’t have to finish my question before his hand lifted to my neck and he whispered words in a language I didn’t understand. A feeling of calm rushed over me, like the cool, lapping water of a lake.
“Better?” he asked, his thumb sweeping back and forth over my pulse point.
“Yes. Thank you,” I whispered, feeling a little embarrassed that I needed Kian to calm my anxiety.
Kyrie pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them. “I’ve never seen magic behave that way. But I don’t have a ton of experience.”
Nyx sighed, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “It’s obviously a power-flow issue. There’s no balance to your draw. It’s all or nothing.”
“I’m not trying to do that,” I bit out, letting my free hand find Odin’s thick fur beside me.
“If you were, I’d call you a moron,” he shot back. “But I know you’re not trying to blow us all sky-high.”
A million pithy retorts played on my tongue, but a knock sounded, cutting me off before I could say any of them.
Pax rose, crossed to the door, and opened it. That same judgy guard from earlier stepped inside, his face set in a hard line. “More Luminaries are asking for entry to our lands.”
“Who?” Nyx snapped, the single word lashing out like a whip.
A muscle in the guard’s cheek twitched. “The Prince, along with a sister and the grandmother of these two.” He inclined his head to Kyrie and me. “They say they’re here for the little one.”
“I’m not that little,” Kyrie grumbled.
A fresh wave of panic set in at the idea of Kyrie going home. Without her, I had zero hope of learning more about my magic.
“What would you like me to tell the boundary guards?” the guard asked.
Nyx was quiet for a moment as his focus moved to me. It wasn’t warm, but the coldness in his stare wasn’t cruel either. It was assessing. “Tell them they are welcome to come see the girl for themselves if they dare.”
“I can’t believe you’re letting an entire witch contingent into your home, into our fated’s space,” Rhys ground out as he stalked down the hallway next to Nyx.
They’d tried to get me to stay in bed, but that was the last place I was willing to be when there was a chance of World War III erupting all around us.
Kian had given me an energy drink that was supposed to replenish nutrients after using too much magic.
It had certainly helped, but I was still tired and sore as hell.
Nyx strode forward, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
“If you haven’t noticed, our fated is a witch, fire boy.
That’s not something I would’ve chosen.” He let out a sound of derision.
“I wouldn’t have chosen at all. But here we are.
So we must live with it. Plus, it will be fun to kill them if they step out of line. ”
He wouldn’t have chosen at all? What did that mean? That he didn’t want a fated mate or bond? It made sense, I guessed. His life here was completely solitary. No friends. No family. No one who could betray him.
I stumbled on nothing at all, and Kian reached out an arm to steady me. Worry creased his brow. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Just tired.”
Kyrie moved to catch up, Odin trotting between us. “Magic takes energy. You had a huge pull. You’ll need to eat and sleep a lot over the next week.”
“And probably eat something other than sugar before your practice sessions,” Rhys grumbled.
My mind flashed back to the heaping pile of pancakes I’d had for breakfast that morning. “There are eggs in pancakes.”
He sent me a droll look. “You can’t exist on sugar and carbs alone.”
“Watch me,” I muttered.
Nyx turned a corner, and we were suddenly back in the castle’s massive entryway.
And there stood the three Luminaries, surrounded by armed Nocturnae guards.
Calloway had positioned himself in front of Izzy and Olympia, and I had to give him points for that.
Izzy looked fearful, clutching the back of Calloway’s jacket with her fingers. But Olympia? She looked amused.
The moment she saw Kyrie and me, her face brightened. “My girls. See? I told you they were perfectly fine.”
Calloway’s gaze skimmed over me as if looking for injuries. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“They’re in the company of killers,” Izzy whisper-hissed around our grandmother.
Rhys scoffed. “I’m fairly certain it’s your kind who are the most vicious in their bloodshed.”
Izzy jutted out her chin in a move so similar to Kyrie’s, I wondered if that was where our younger sister had learned it. “We defend ourselves against attack.”
“Always so damned righteous,” Rhys bit out.
“Enough.” Calloway swiped a hand through the air. “We’re here to take Kyrie back to our kingdom.”
“No.” Kyrie crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m staying with Rae.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Calloway ground out.
Izzy’s blue eyes hardened. “You can’t be with bloodsuckers unprotected. You’ll never be eligible for a mate.”
Kyrie arched a brow. “And what makes you think I care about that bullshit?”
“Kyrie,” Izzy snapped. “Language. You’re among royalty.”
My little sister just snorted. “I’m pretty sure Calloway isn’t going to be scandalized by the word bullshit.”
Cal let out an exasperated breath. “Kyrie, your parents are worried, not to mention the fact that this could start a kingdom-wide war if something were to happen to you while you’re here.”
“I can handle myself,” Kyrie said stubbornly.
They continued to bicker, but a wave of dizziness hit me, making me lean into Kian. He wrapped an arm around me, holding me up. “I think you should go back to bed.”
Calloway charged forward until two guards stepped in front of him, their swords raised. “What’s wrong with her? What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. The last thing I needed was a bloody battle in the entryway of Nyx’s castle.
Kian tugged me closer to him. “She expelled some magic. It was a little much for her.”
“Because she knows nothing, thanks to that monster taking her to the human realm for fifteen years,” Cal snarled.
Rhys’s jaw tightened. “Saving her life.”
Olympia frowned, moving forward until a guard stopped her, too. “Were you overloaded?”
I nodded. “Last night and then today when I got angry.”
She made a humming sound as she seemed to mull that over. “I can help.” She glanced at Nyx, sending him a mischievous grin. “That is if you aren’t too scared to have an old witch in your midst for a few moons.”