Chapter Eighteen
The Final Night Ends with a Bang
Sex beneath the starry sky was a new one for me. And Rowan definitely made it a night to remember.
“Fuck, I love how you fill me,” Rowan said as he sank down on my cock. He was a man on a mission, and I gave him full control, letting him take what he wanted.
I sucked in a breath at the cushioned heat of him. It was mind-numbingly good. Lake lay beside me, feathering kisses along my jaw, down my neck, and across my chest. He tweaked my nipple between his fingers before wrapping his lips around it and sucking. I damn near shot off the blanket.
It was too much. The feel of Rowan on my cock. Lake’s tongue. Too much… but still not enough. I needed more. Of both of them.
I grabbed Rowan’s waist and pumped my hips up, groaning deep as he came down on me harder. The roughness of his movements contradicted the softness in his eyes as he held my gaze with heavy lids and slightly parted lips.
This meant more to him than a physical release. Had it been spurred on by his confession to Lake? Admitting out loud that he wanted to stay with me. That his home was with me.
Mine was with him too. With all four of them.
Sweat beaded on my chest and on my brow as he rode me hard. Rowan was a blazing sun, and his fire seared into my flesh, pumping heat through my veins.
Lake’s lips found mine, and he skimmed his fingers down my stomach. Then down to where Rowan and I connected, gripping my base. I whimpered into the kiss and arched my back. Rowan slammed me back down as he quickened his pace, riding me so good my toes curled. I reached down and took hold of his bobbing erection.
“Gods,” Rowan groaned, faltering in rhythm. “I’m…”
His ass muscles quaked just before warm cum splashed on my belly. The spasms from his orgasm fueled mine, and I came with a hoarse moan, spilling into him. Rowan slowly rode me until I’d given him every drop I had.
A victorious gleam shone in his eyes before he bent and claimed my lips in a lazy kiss. “I’m so proud of you. You lasted longer than three thrusts.”
Lake barked out a laugh.
“Both of you are so mean to me,” I rasped, trying to catch my breath.
“Because you’re too much fun to tease.” Rowan slid off my lap and reclined beside me, propping himself up on his elbow and bending one knee. His sated cock hung between his thighs, and he didn’t seem to care one bit that it was on full display. “Well, wolf? Like the show?”
“I’ve seen better.”
I giggled so hard I snorted.
Rowan shot Lake a glare before aiming it at me. But I saw through it. He thought it was funny too. “Both of you are banished from my mountain.”
That made me snort even more.
“Should I call you ‘little piglet’ now?”
“Oh my god. Stop.” I turned to my side and hid my face in the pillow, stifling another laugh.
Lake spooned me. “The hour is late. We should return to the inn soon.”
“Do we have to?” I asked, fully aware of my whiny tone. “Can’t we stay a bit longer?”
“You could stay the night.” Rowan’s voice was soft. “The cave is warm and big enough for the three of us.”
Three of us. Like he knew that accepting me as his partner meant accepting Lake too, and by extension, the rest of my men.
“You banished us,” Lake said.
“I rescind said banishment.” Rowan moved his hand through the top of my hair. “It’s a holiday, after all. Maybe I’m not keen on spending the rest of it alone.”
His words plucked at my heartstrings.
“Very well.” Lake slid his arms under me and lifted me from the pallet. “After you.”
Rowan pulled his pants back on, leaving his shirt off, and gathered the pillows and blankets. Lake then followed him into the cave with me tucked against his chest. My earlier drowsiness returned full force, and by the time they made up the mat and placed me down, my lids were too heavy to keep open.
A fire burned beside us, the flames not too high but enough to keep us warm. The tiny pops and crackle along the logs soothed me, sending me even more into sleep’s clutches.
“Good night, my human,” Lake murmured into my hair. “May only sweet dreams find you.”
The scent of black cardamom strengthened as Rowan pressed closer. “Happy Solstice, little treasure.”
And then, I slept.
For a few hours anyway.
Sometime in the middle of the night, my bladder woke me with a vengeance. Probably all that damn wine. Carefully, I unwound from their arms and sat up, slipping on my boots. The ground was too cold to walk barefoot. I also dreaded stepping on a creepy bug or something equally as horrifying.
Like Herbert’s demented brethren, their nasty little bodies scuttling across the grass, just waiting to sink their pinchers into my toes.
“He’ll even eat flesh. If he’s hungry enough.”
No, thanks. That would be a hard pass.
Boots on and wearing Rowan’s cloak, I tiptoed from the cave as quietly as possible. Miracle of miracles, I didn’t trip. A small mercy because the force of a fall would’ve made me piss myself. Once outside, the moon was so bright it lit up the small valley and surrounding mountains, allowing me to find a path. The crisp air helped wake me up as I walked a good distance from the cave and did my business.
And it was then, as I was at the waterfall washing off my hands, that I saw a blue glow coming from within the woods. It pulsed bright, then faded. A second later, it appeared again.
Reason told me to ignore it. Whatever it was probably wanted to eat me. But my curiosity got the better of me, as it so often did, and I stepped toward the tree line. Toward the strange blue light.
It wasn’t until I was in the woods that I recalled folklore about flickering blue flames that appeared in the dead of night to lure travelers to their deaths. The flames were thought to be mischievous ghosts or even faeries.
“Please don’t be evil, little light,” I muttered, stepping over a fallen log and landing unsteadily on the other side of it.
The light appeared again, pulsing for a second or two, then fading. Closer I crept until reaching a break in the trees. A small clearing waited beyond it, and moonlight flooded the area, brighter than it’d been near the cave. The blue light appeared again. Luckily, the source wasn’t a ghost or faerie.
It was a man.
I stayed hidden in the tree line as I watched him.
Dressed in black, he stood beside a trickling stream and held a book. Something about him was familiar, but with his back to me, I couldn’t see his face. Glass vials had been placed on a log, and as he flicked his hand, blue light flowed from his fingertips and into one of them.
A mage?
As I inched closer to get a better look, a twig snapped beneath my boot. I froze. The man didn’t react to the sound. Maybe he was too focused and didn’t hear it. I released a shaky breath and kept watching him.
He stepped over to the log and checked the glass vials. “Spying is extremely rude, you know.”
My heart rate spiked. Shit. What if he was some dangerous wizard who’d suck out my soul with the creepy blue light, place it in one of those vials, and sell it to the highest bidder? Or sacrifice me? I sprinted back the way I’d come, deciding to make a run for it.
The man snapped his fingers. A gust of wind slammed into me from the direction I’d been heading, blocking my escape and sending me shuffling backward, out of the woods and into the clearing.
Cover blown and totally exposed out in the open, I racked my brain for a way out of this that didn’t result in me crammed into a little jar or vial, slapped with a label that read, Essence of Muffin.
“Evan?”
My soon-to-be-murderer knew my name? Steeling my nerves, I faced the man. Dark blond hair, average build, and pleasant features. “Xavier?”
He was the man I’d met in the guild hall shortly after arriving in Exalos. A professor from the nearby magical academy.
“What brings you to the mountains at this hour?” he asked, tone light and curious.
“I had to pee.”
Xavier cocked his head. “You came all this way from town to… relieve your bladder?”
“Um, well, I was already here,” I clarified, cheeks warming. “My partners and I had a picnic under the stars, then crashed in a cave for the night. I got up to pee and then saw a blue light.”
“Ah, I see.” He nodded. “My apologies for the wind spell. I hope you aren’t hurt.”
“Nope. Not at all.”
“Fortunate news.” Xavier closed the book with a light thud and tucked it under his arm. “One can never be too careful when confronting strangers in the forest. Especially with demons roaming about.”
“Demons?” My gaze darted around the clearing.
“No reason to fear.” He gave me a kind smile. “I sense no other presence here but ours.”
Less nervous now, I stepped closer. “What are you doing out here? What’s with the glass vials? And the book.”
“Grimoire.” Xavier patted it. “This one contains incredibly useful and strong spells, but most require harder-to-obtain ingredients, such as the fang of a basilisk, feathers of a phoenix, scale of a dragon, and water blessed beneath a solstice moon.”
“So you’re blessing water because it’s the winter solstice?” I peered at the vials.
“Indeed. Any spell performed tonight is more potent.”
An ache spread through my chest. “I know someone who’d love a grimoire like that. He collects spell books and stuff too and is always working on improving his craft.” My necklace rested beneath my cloak, but I placed my hand over it anyway, still feeling the flutters in my core that said my men were with me. Even when they weren’t. “He’s a physician and has dedicated his life to helping people.”
“Is he your lover?”
“Oh. Um.” I scratched at the back of my head. “What makes you think that?”
“The tenderness in your eyes,” Xavier answered. “I see nothing but love when you speak of him.” He went over and collected the vials, placing them in a case. “Hold on to that love, Evan. Never lose sight of what matters most. Or else one day, you’ll be like me. A lonely old man with nothing to keep him company except grimoires and magical knickknacks. I have my students, of course, and teaching them brings me the greatest joy, but at the end of the day, I return to an empty house and a lifetime of regret.”
“You’re not old.”
He chuckled. The sound was pleasant, lighter in pitch and smooth. Maybe a bit sad too. “How kind of you to say so, but I feel every one of my fifty years. Especially in the morning when I try to get out of bed. Don’t take your young bones for granted.”
I smiled and sat on the grass beside the small stream. Moonlight reflected on the water and gave the area an enchanting glow, kissing the evergreen trees and shining through bare branches of trees that’d lost their leaves. I had no mana in my veins, but I felt a shift in the air. The night of a solstice was special.
Magical.
“What do you regret?” I asked. “Sorry if that’s too personal. You don’t have to answer. I just know the solstice, whether it’s winter or summer, brings certain energy with it, powerful enough to even grant wishes. Or so I’ve heard. Maybe there’s a spell in that grimoire to help you.”
Xavier sat beside me. “I’m afraid what I long for is far beyond my reach. A missed opportunity that’ll haunt me for the rest of my days. Call me a sentimental old fool, but all these years later, and I still think of her.”
“Her?” I wrapped my arms around my knees. “You were in love?”
“Yes.” That sad smile reappeared as he looked at me. “You remind me so much of her. It’s a bit unnerving. Same fair skin and delicate bone structure. Same wide-eyed wonder. You share a love for baking as well. She always spoke of opening her own bakery. Strange enough, she wanted it in the very building as your café. She loved the courtyard beside it and often lounged beneath the largest tree with a book when the weather was nice.”
The area between my ribs squeezed. “What was her name?”
But I already knew before he told me.
“Cynthia,” he answered, and his smile quivered. “Gods, she was lovely. Yet, that word fails to do her justice. I suppose she was like summertime. Beautiful, vibrant, and full of life, warming the heart of anyone fortunate enough to cross her path.” He dropped his gaze to the grimoire and lightly petted the cover. “If there was a spell in here to give me even a minute longer with her, I’d do so in a heartbeat, but she’s somewhere my magic can’t reach. Very few can.” A half-smile touched his face, still somber. “Necromancy is also a forbidden practice. Unpredictable and dangerous.”
“She’s dead?” The squeezing in my ribs traveled to my heart. I’d assumed my mom had died, but a small part of me had hoped she was still alive somewhere.
“Yes,” he answered.
Something told me he’d break the laws of the land and try necromancy anyway if the opportunity presented itself. Just as he’d said he saw the love in my eyes when talking about Briar, I saw his love for my mom.
“Did you know her well?” I asked.
“Ah, yes. Very well. We were children together. She lived in the house beside mine.” Xavier expelled a short laugh. “My fondness for her grew over time. I was four years older, you see, and thought her awfully annoying when we were young. Yet, no matter how rude or unpleasant I was toward her, she wasn’t fazed and latched on to me. This little girl with golden curls followed me around everywhere and was always rambling about something, whether it be a sweet treat she craved, a rabbit she saw in the field with the most adorable floppy ears , or a flower with pretty petals.”
The ache in my chest deepened, and I hugged my knees tighter.
“My family owned the apothecary in town, and Cynthia would often come in and browse the shelves when I was helping out in the shop,” Xavier continued. “We then became attached at the hip, going everywhere together. She became my best friend. It wasn’t until we were in our teen years that I began to view her differently. The little girl who annoyed me for so long grew up to be the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”
Holy crap. My heart rate spiked. Could Xavier be my dad? Lupin had said my dad was someone of importance… and a powerful mage seemed important.
“I never acted on my feelings,” he softly said, answering my unspoken question. “I was too focused on my studies and training to become a professor of magic. One afternoon, she brought over a bundle of raisin cookies, my favorite, and sat with me while I read over textbooks to prepare for an upcoming exam. She brought a book with her too. ‘It’s about love,’ she told me. And I said, ‘You’re only seventeen. What do you know of love?’ Cynthia looked at me then, in that soft way she always did. She didn’t give me an answer, but looking back on it years later, I almost wonder if she was referring to me.”
“What happened to her?” I could barely get the words out. The flood of information had me feeling all sorts of things. Happiness because I was learning more about my mom, things I’d wondered about. But also sadness. For Xavier. For myself.
“The townsfolk say Cynthia vanished,” Xavier answered. “Yet, I know the real truth. One I’ve kept silent for all these years.”
Anticipation and nerves had my sternum in a tight grip.
“I suppose there’s no harm in finally speaking of it.” He peered up at the moon. “There’s freedom in finally unleashing the things you’ve kept locked inside your head.”
“Unleash away,” I said, trying not to seem too eager. “I’m all ears.”
“You don’t mind? I’ve already rambled enough.”
“I don’t mind at all.” I looked up at the moon too. A faint ring was around it. Some people believed that meant snow was coming.
Xavier was quiet for a beat or two before releasing a slow breath. “In order to tell you how it ended, I must first go back and tell you what set that end into motion. It was toward the beginning of spring. King Eidolon was interested in our mines and journeyed here to tour them. A festival was held in his honor. It’s not every day we’re graced with royalty.”
“The king was interested in the mines?” I asked. “Why?”
“We were at war with Haran at the time, though a ceasefire had recently been called. The war wouldn’t be truly over until certain conditions were met. Still, the king is a wise man. Peace never lasts forever, so he was trying to secure resources in case the situation turned for the worse. The mines contain certain gems that can be used in powerful spell work. Much like the stone in that necklace you’re wearing.”
My hand jumped up to it on impulse. “It’s hidden by the cloak. How did you know about it?”
“I sense the power.” Xavier offered me a gentle smile. “I take it your physician crafted it for you? If so, there’s no doubt about him returning your love. A spell such as that one must come from the heart.”
My eyes watered. “How did your wind spell reach me then? It’s supposed to stop physical and magical attacks.”
“Probably the intent behind it,” he answered. “I didn’t want to hurt you, so it wasn’t necessarily a magical attack.”
That would explain how Rowan was able to use his shadow magic with me too. The intent.
“Anyway, to answer your question about the mines.” Xavier’s smile sobered. “The king has an order of mages who specialize in magic-related combat techniques and use the gems for staffs, wands, and charms such as yours to enhance their abilities. There are precious metals in the mountains, as well, that strengthen weaponry. Intended for the First Order of Knights, I assume. So the king met with the lord mayor to arrange a supply of these resources to Bremloc.”
Of course, the First Order got the best weapons, even though the Second and Third Orders saw the most combat. Such bullshit. I shoved down my bitterness and stayed on topic. “What does King Eidolon have to do with my mo—er, Cynthia?”
Xavier stared at me with a type of look I couldn’t place. Interest, maybe. Or suspicion. But maybe that was just my anxiety for the near slip of the tongue.
“As I said, a celebration was held in the king’s honor. Cynthia rented a stand in the market to sell her desserts at the festival. She hoped it’d be the start of that dream bakery she always wanted. However, her heart was too kind. She gave most of the goods away to people who had little to no coin. I scolded her for it, and she said she couldn’t bear to see anyone go hungry when she was around to prevent it.”
More tears welled in my eyes, and I turned my face to subtly wipe at them. I was a lot more like her than I thought.
“I planned to finally confess my feelings for her after the festival,” he said with a shake in his voice. “But fate had other ideas.”
“How so?”
“The king’s younger brother accompanied him to Exalos. Such a charmer, that one. He made all the women swoon.”
I stilled. Sawyer’s uncle. The one who broke the truce with Haran and sent the two kingdoms back into war. There was a loud ringing in my ears. “Was Cynthia one of those women?”
Xavier stared at the stream. “Prince Elias approached her stand during the festival, either lured by the scent of baked goods or by the beautiful woman he’d no doubt heard the people speaking of. She was busy restocking the cookies and didn’t look up before spinning around with a tray. She slammed right into him. His guards rushed forward, and the prince held up his hand to stop them before placing that hand on her arm and asking if she was all right.” He lowered his head. “I knew it the moment they made eye contact. There was a certain spark between them. Like the red strings of fate had brought them together.”
My lungs burned, and I realized I wasn’t breathing. I inhaled, but it felt like I was trying to breathe through a clogged straw. That ringing in my ears grew louder. Piercing. A theory bounced around in my head, but it seemed too unbelievable to be true.
It couldn’t be true.
“Prince Elias whisked her away after the festival for a night on the town and then came to visit her every day after it. That’s when I knew I’d missed my chance. How could I confess my feelings to her when she was so happy, Evan? Her smile, which had always been so bright, was even more so, and I often caught her humming to herself. But an obstacle stood in their way.”
“An obstacle?”
Xavier nodded. “The ceasefire between our warring kingdoms was only temporary. The condition for peace was for Prince Elias to marry the princess of Haran. An alliance through marriage. When Cynthia learned of his engagement, she came to me in tears. It broke my heart to see her so upset. The prince came to speak with her, and she yelled at him and ran off into the forest. He ran after her. She never told me what happened that day, but days later, the king and his party left Exalos. The prince left with him.”
Thoughts raced through my head. Questions. But also a sinking feeling that I was on the brink of something that would flip my world upside down. Again.
“The last time I spoke to Cynthia was on a night much like this one,” Xavier continued. “I was gathering a special type of flower that only blooms beneath the light of a full moon when she found me. She said she was leaving town. I asked where she was going, and she just shook her head and said she couldn’t tell me. ‘But I’ll see you again, Avi,’ she said, using the childhood nickname she had for me. She then kissed me on the cheek and left.”
“She ran away to be with the prince?” I asked.
He nodded. “Word reached Exalos in the following weeks about Prince Elias going missing. Only the royal family knew the exact details, of course. The rest of the kingdom only had speculations at first. But I knew Elias and Cynthia had run away to be together. They’d sacrificed everything for their love.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. “Did you ever learn what happened to them?”
“Haran sent assassins after Prince Elias,” Xavier answered. “Ending the engagement with the princess sent the kingdoms back into a bloody and violent war, so while soldiers from both sides clashed on the battlefield, Prince Elias and Cynthia were hunted.” He made a small sound and clasped his hands together. “Nearly a year passed without a word from her, and I was sick with worry, not knowing if she was dead or alive. So I used an enchanted looking glass to see her. A onetime spell that took much of my mana and only allowed me to see her for a minute or so.”
“What did you see?”
“A small cottage beside a pond,” he said. “Yellow, white, and purple flowers sprouted from the garden. A sign of Cynthia’s touch. She always said being surrounded by flowers brought her comfort. I then saw inside the cottage. Cynthia and Elias cuddled together in front of the fire. He pressed a kiss to her temple and said everything would be fine. That they’d be okay. In her arms was a baby boy.”
Something heavy landed on my chest.
“I’ll always cherish that image of her,” he whispered. “The way she smiled down at her son and told him she’d keep him safe, no matter the cost. The enchantment broke after that, but it brought me a sense of peace to know she was happy and well-loved in her final days.”
“Final days?”
“News of the prince’s death reached us a week later,” he said, expression grave. “No word of Cynthia or the baby, but I can only imagine they were by his side when the assassins found him.”
My insides quaked, and more tears burned in my eyes. Shock had me in its grip. As the pieces fell into place, I stared at the ripples in the stream.
“I apologize for keeping you for so long.” Xavier wiped at his cheeks. “You have my gratitude for lending this old man your ear. I haven’t spoken of Cynthia in many years.”
Not trusting my voice, I offered him my best attempt at a smile. Did it look as unsteady as it felt? Probably about as unsteady as my legs as I stood from the grass and wobbled.
“Shall I walk you back to your cave?” He rose from the grass as well.
“N-No, it’s okay. I can find my way back.” The moon had shifted a bit in the sky, but it was still bright and would easily light my way. “Good night, Xavier.”
He bowed his head to me. “And to you, young Evan.”
With my legs—and heart—heavy, I found the path back through the woods and returned to the cave. My men were right where I left them, though Lake had curled up in my spot, nose pressed to my pillow. Rowan faced the fire, his chest slowly rising and falling with his breaths.
My mind was a damn mess. My heart was too. But as I crawled back between the men I loved, some of the fractures mended. They made me feel so warm. Safe.
Safe for how long though?
Meeting Xavier in the woods felt like fate, the threads leading me toward one of my possible futures. Without Lupin’s clue about my mom, I wouldn’t have put the pieces together about my dad’s identity. And he’d been right. If anyone learned the truth, Haran really would want me captured. Maybe even killed.
A thought then occurred to me. Rowan had kidnapped me in the past, thinking I was Prince Sawyer.
What would he think knowing he’d captured a little prince after all?