Chapter 12
REDVYR
“They’ve been gone too long,” Bezaliel said for the second time.
“I know.” We walked through the woods to the edge of the treeline.
We’d left Leifkyn and Dayn to guard our goods and the babe, both of us too impatient to stay put.
Normally, we waited at the cabin for Flaxon, to keep from being seen by any travelers heading through these woods toward Hellamir.
But neither of us could keep still when it was obvious something must have happened to delay them.
“I should’ve gone.” Bezaliel was angry. Of course he was.
“You know that was impossible. We might as well have not come at all.”
“If something’s happened to Tessa,” he growled, “I’ll burn the whole fucking town to the ground.”
I’d already had similar thoughts, chastising myself for allowing Jessamine to leave my sight. It was my job to protect her, and yet I’d let her go with Tessa. I worried now that the ones who’d been chasing her through Northgall had decided to backtrack from the Borderlands and rest in Hellamir.
Wolf huffed a low bark up ahead near the treeline. I sniffed, a strong scent on the wind, then I picked up my pace as we neared the edge of the woods. Bezaliel followed quickly behind me.
“It looks like someone else has beaten us to it.”
Across the open field, several rooftops were engulfed in flames. The shouts of panicked townspeople echoed toward us.
“We’re going in to get them,” he said, stopping at my side.
Suddenly, Wolf took off running across the field.
“I don’t think it will be necessary.”
Though I could barely see the two silhouettes making their way across the field, I could smell that sea-lily scent of Jessamine.
We both bolted across the meadow after Wolf.
The women hurried toward us. Tessa leaped into her mate’s arms. I gripped Jessamine’s shoulders, noting her eyes were rounded with fear.
“Are you hurt?” I demanded to know.
“No,” she replied, though something had obviously shaken her.
“What the fuck happened?” asked Bezaliel, finally putting Tessa back on the ground.
“There were moon fae there,” said Tessa. “They were making a speech in the town square. About to burn a moon fae woman at the stake.”
“What?” I snapped. “What had she done?”
“Nothing.” Jessamine’s voice was cold, angry. “She had magick they wanted and she refused to use it to help them hurt the dark fae.”
“So I started a fire,” said Tessa, “and we saved her.”
“That wasn’t following protocol,” Bezaliel said tightly. “You’re supposed to move unseen without being noticed.”
“We weren’t noticed,” she replied haughtily. “And we saved a female fae from being burned to death.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She said she was returning to her home in Naevhail Glen,” said Jessamine. “Then she turned away from the fires, walked into the night and disappeared.”
“Literally disappeared,” added Tessa. “She seemed to vanish altogether.”
Bezaliel huffed but stroked a hand down her back affectionately. “Who exactly were these moon fae wanting her to hurt? And why?”
“They plan to kill King Gollaya,” Jessamine added, a quiver in her voice now. Though whether it was fury or fear that put it there, I wasn’t certain. “Then they plan to kill all of the dark fae.”
I watched her, all of us quiet, letting that threat sink in.
“They want to crown a new leader, a new king of Northgall and Lumeria.”
“What bloody bastard do they plan to make their king?” I realized I still had hold of Jessamine, but I couldn’t let her go yet, my own fear that she’d been in danger still humming through my veins.
She paused and licked her lips. “Lord Gael of Mevia.” She held my gaze, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He is there.”
I let her go and took a step back, my hands curling into fists as I gazed across the field at Hellamir. The fire dimmed on the rooftops of the town. But not inside me. A blazing desire to fury unlike any I’d ever known flared bright. I wanted to kill.
“He is there,” I repeated to myself, taking another step toward Hellamir. Then another.
As if my body weren’t my own, I strode on, slowly but with intention.
“Where are you going?” called Bezaliel.
But I didn’t respond. The satisfying thought of wrapping my hands around this high lord’s throat was becoming increasingly necessary.
I wanted his blood on my hands. I wanted him dead at my feet.
I wish I could say it was because he threatened the dark fae king and all of our kind, but it wasn’t that at all.
It was the fact that he’d once threatened Jessamine, that he’d planned to use and abuse her for his own selfish gain.
I could remove that threat from this world here and now.
“Stop.” Bezaliel halted my steps, standing in front of me, both hands on my shoulders.
A growl reverberated from deep in my belly. That was my only response.
“You can’t go into that town and kill a moon fae,” he told me, knowing exactly what had been on my mind.
“Get out of my way,” I commanded.
“No. Let’s say you find and kill this Lord Gael.
What do you think will happen then? Even if you kill all of his guards and make it back out alive, others will witness this.
Then there will be a headhunt across the land for all beast fae to find you.
You’ll put not only our clan in danger, but every beast fae clan. ”
“I won’t be seen.”
“No.” Bezaliel shook his head, digging his claws into my shoulders, a warning. “I can’t let you do this. You can’t risk it. Risk us.”
My entire body locked up, muscles bulging, ready to fight my chief, when a small hand touched the skin of my wrist, holding it.
“Redvyr,” Jessamine whispered.
My gaze darted to hers, my breathing heavy, the need to let my inner beast kill and maim desperately urgent now.
She eased in front of me, nudging Bezaliel who stepped out of the way. She wrapped her dainty fingers around my other wrist, my hands still balled into fists.
“You can’t kill him right now. He is surrounded by too many light fae.” She placed one hand on my sternum, on my bare chest.
It wasn’t her words, but her touch that calmed the beast within me.
The monster that lived inside, who wanted nothing but blood and carnage, had never retreated until he got what he wanted.
But this soft beauty, with her soothing voice and compassionate eyes, quelled the fury, sending the monster back into his cage with a gentle touch.
My breathing slowed. And there it was again.
For a second time, this skald fae female had entranced me, pushing my animal rage away.
My fury cooled while I held her gaze and luxuriated in her soft caress on my skin.
She brushed one thumb back and forth along the swift pulse at my wrist, her other thumb brushing my chest.
The first time she’d done this, I had felt confusion and shame.
How could a light fae do what none of my own kind has ever been able to do?
How did she so swiftly calm the beast? And this time, she’d done it before I’d drawn blood from my target.
This had never happened. I didn’t understand how or why the gods would put someone like her in my life to do the one thing no other could.
Someone who was not my mate and never would belong in my clan. It was maddening.
Trapped in her emerald gaze, I forced myself to look away, wishing I hadn’t.
For Bezaliel watched me with complete shock, his eyes wide with wonder and confusion.
It grated me that he’d seen my weakness to her.
I realized then that I’d do anything for this woman, and she wasn’t even mine. She could never be mine.
“There’s Flaxon,” said Tessa, pointing across the field.
Not far along the road from Hellamir was Flaxon in his cart.
“Good,” I snapped, stepping away from Jessamine. “Let’s get to the cabin so we can trade and get out of here as soon as possible.”
I stormed away back along the path into the woodlands, noting that Wolf took his place at Jessamine’s side. Good. She had my hound to protect her. I could keep my distance and fulfill my oath of protection. I walked faster.
Bezaliel caught up to my side. “Redvyr,” was all he said in a grave voice.
“I know. There’s no need to say anything.”
“But I think there is.”
“What?” I snapped. “That the gods like to play games with me? This, we already know.”
He scoffed. “I think the gods have given you a gift. This female.”
I looked at him in disbelief. “You are mad. She isn’t beast fae.”
“Neither is Tessa. And yet she is mine. The gods have declared it.”
I laughed with derision. “The gods would not give her to me.”
“Why would you say that? Because of your father? His sins do not fall upon your head.”
“But they do, Bezaliel. I have the same feral rage. My mother couldn’t quell it, and it led to her death.”
“She wasn’t his mate, Red. You know this. That was one of your father’s sins. He took a female to bed and beget his heir with one who wasn’t given to him by the gods.”
It was true. But that was why I’d felt the gods hated me so much.
A child born of a beast fae pair unsanctioned by the gods was often considered cursed.
My father had lied to his clan to keep my mother in his possession.
I was a product of my father’s selfishness and lust and greed, so why would the gods show me any favor?
“Are you hearing me?” my friend asked in a hushed whisper, though we moved farther ahead of the females and Wolf.
“I hear you. So the gods have deemed me worthy of a light fae witch to ease my rage for a while. It will be that much more painful when she returns to her own kind.”
“By the gods, you’re an idiot.”
I snapped my head to him. “What have I done now?”
“They’ve given her to you because she is yours, Redvyr. She is your mate.”
I came to a complete stop and faced him. Even in the dark, we could see each other clearly because of our heightened senses. The females were making their way slowly along the path, chatting softly. I could still smell the sweet-and-salty scent of her.
“Vix would never give someone like her to me, Bezaliel.”
“Why not? What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing.” I huffed. “Absolutely nothing. She is beautiful and kind. And powerful. And perfect. That’s why the gods wouldn’t give her to me.”
I wasn’t worthy of someone like Jessamine.
A sickly feeling swirled in my gut. Bezaliel didn’t understand what it was like to have your father’s sins follow you like a never-ending shadow, a constant reminder that I must pay for his sins.
This was why I always tried my damnedest to be the best clan leader, the best protector I could.
Bezaliel smirked and arched a brow. “There is one way to test that theory.”
“Fuck off.” I shoved him on the shoulder and marched on, ready to get this trade done so we could get back to the clan.
Bezaliel strode after me, laughing to himself, the bastard. “I was proposing that you actually fuck her.”
“Vix’s blood,” I cursed under my breath. “It won’t be happening.”
“When you discover that I’m right, I want an apology.”
“You’ll be waiting for that apology until you’re wandering the afterlife.”
Another laugh echoed to me. “We shall see.