RECONCILIATION
23
- ALANIS -
W hen we finally emerge from my room, I have a plan. One that could help me save my brother and protect these two Fae I am falling in love with.
Malakai leads me into the dining room, the oak doors propped open. The sound of clanging utensils echoes through the large room. My eyes drawn to where a breakfast buffet is set, the smell of freshly baked bread hanging in the air, colorful, fresh fruit on platters, with an assortment of cheese on silver plates next to it. Malakai points me to a chair in between himself and Kailu.
When the queen enters, Malakai wastes no time. “Mother, can we see the castle records today?”
“I suppose so. I will have your father take you. He has some free time in about twenty minutes.”
Malakai, content with her answer, joins me. I stare at him, loving the way he is dark to Kailu’s light. The ruthless, bad boy prince, who rumors swirl around the realm about, is my mate.
“Keep looking at me like that and you won’t be finishing your breakfast.”
My cheeks redden and I bite my lip, dropping my gaze. When I finally look up, Kailu is glancing between us with a knowing smirk on his face.
After breakfast, the king leads us down a flight of stairs to a metal door. I watch as he makes a pattern, seeing a smoky sort of haze at his fingertips, as if his magic were alive and infiltrating the lock itself. After a moment, the door clicks open and we step over the threshold. The archives are massive, boasting rows upon rows of records. The room is at least fifty feet wide and sixty foot long. The shelves stretch as far back as the room allows. The smell of must, parchment, and wood lingers in the room, as well as a sweeter scent like vanilla. The king immediately leads us to a row near the back of the room and pulls a brown, wooden box down, the shape perfectly square.
“This is the one that will have any information about the Isle.”
We settle in and get to work. Hannah and Siveral join us for about an hour, Hendrix coming shortly after.
Captain Thelos barges into the room sometime around noon, Malakai’s father following close behind with a look of concern. “Siveral, Hendrix, I need your assistance.”
Kailu stands abruptly, Malakai following suit. “What is it?”
The captain looks disheveled and much older than when I first met him not so long ago. “Another ghoul attack, this time in Levanthius.”
Malakai tenses. “How bad?”
The captain shakes his head. “The threat is still ongoing. Safe to say at least a dozen casualties. More soldiers have been taken.”
Hendrix and Siveral quickly depart. Kailu pauses for a moment before placing a kiss on my forehead. “I’m going to go help. I’ll be back soon.”
Panic slides into my body. He must be able to tell because he pulls me into him for a tight hug. “I’ll see you soon,” he whispers.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod. “Be safe.”
I just pray that isn’t the last time I see his warm smile.
The king follows Kailu out.
Malakai grabs my hand, continuing to hold it as we scan the remnants of the box. There’s a notebook at the bottom that looks to be a journal. When I open it, I see that it belonged to Paliri, as if she kept it to write about her daily life, but it’s the sketch that falls out that catches my eye. Queen Paliri was beautiful.
An entry near the end gives me pause.
Iclas asked to meet with me again. He is angry I moved the royal family so far away, but I couldn’t stay on the Isle anymore. Forced to live so close to the man I loved, but unable to have him. My father didn’t care. He didn’t care that Iclas was my mate. I felt this tug that led me into town to the market. That’s when I saw him. As soon as I did, the tug faded away, as if I had found the one my soul was calling to. Iclas and I spent so much time together. I truly loved him.
My father didn’t care. He had no royal blood, so I was still forced to marry another, my father uncaring about what the Fates wanted for me. He did not believe that I was fated to this male. That the Fates would ever mate our bloodline with someone so beneath us.
The only way to go on was for me to leave, so I didn’t have to see him every day. It was a coward’s choice, but one I needed to make. But Iclas won’t ever forgive me. He opened a portal in the Golden Vale. I warned him against such magic, but he was insistent. He said it would never close and begged me to come. He said it would lead directly to him so that we can finally accept our mating bond.
He thinks I abandoned him because I never met him. He holds a grudge against my father, and now me. I fear he will be forever lost to the pain and darkness that has consumed him.
Holy shit. Iclas was Paliri’s mate, or at least that’s what she assumed. She describes the same tugging sensation that I’ve felt multiple times.
Iclas opened a permanent portal in the Golden Vale, but to open a permanent one would take a large blood sacrifice. I’m fearful of how he managed that
I run my finger over an imprint on the bottom of the page, a line with what looks like a half circle and spokes drawn protruding from it. The rising sun or possibly sunset?
“Got anything?”
I jump at Malakai’s words, closing the book and setting it back into the box. “No, nothing. Just a random diary.”
“Well, at least we have the information that my parents gave us. We can leave first thing tomorrow. It looks as if we need to go to that damned Isle.”
Kailu saunters back in just then, frustration evident on his face.
“What’s wrong?” Malakai asked. “There’s no way the ghoul issue resolved that quickly.”
Kailu’s face is pale, and dread greets me like an old friend. “Kailu…what is it?”
Kailu swallows and holds out a letter. “A man brought this to the castle. I intercepted it when I heard who it was for.”
I tilt my head and notice my name messily scrawled across the front. With a shaky hand I take it, tentatively opening it as I feel Malakai come up behind me.
Alanis,
Your brother’s screams have been music to my ears this past week. If you think my ghoul attacks are your biggest problem, you are sorely mistaken. I will not rest until I get what I want.
And what I want is you.
Your brother’s life hangs in the balance.
I’ll be seeing you soon.
My stomach plummets. My mouth dry, a tightness overtaking my joints as my body begins to shake. Malakai rips the note from my hand, anger evident in every line of his body. “By no means will he ever get you.”
Kailu shoves a hand through his hair. “Why would he target her? That’s the one thing we haven’t figured out. Why is everything seemingly pointing back to Alanis?”
“The prophecy,” I whisper, my worst fear ostensibly confirmed.
Malakai’s grip wrinkles the note. “I think we should go to the Rorane Mountains first. The Shadow Vale Coven could help us. We need to find out if Alanis is who we think she is.”
I nod. “You have a good point. We need to know what we’re walking into.”
The males lead me from the room, working up a plan and discussing who all should be involved. I try to listen, but instead I formulate a new plan. I won’t wait around for whoever this is to find me.
I will not bring danger to those I love.
- MALAKAI -
We are just leaving the king’s study when a man rushes into the castle foyer. He looks like he’s been through hell, mud and blood caked all over him. His frantic eyes search the room before landing on Alanis.
I bristle, but then she gasps and runs towards him. “Levi!”
Glancing at Kailu, I notice his jaw clench. Who the fuck is Levi?
“Oh my Gods, what happened to you?”
Levi coughs and leans into Alanis. His breathing is ragged like he ran the whole way here. “I was taken with Elion and the others. I managed to escape, but didn’t have enough time to free everyone.”
Kailu looks at him with a suspicious gaze. I too am questioning how he miraculously escaped.
Alanis follows as we lead him to the healing quarters, speaking softly to him. The redheaded healer comes forward and gives a warm smile to Kailu. Alanis clearly sees it, since her lips curl into a frown.
My little firecracker is a jealous one.
“How do you two know each other?” I ask.
Levi looks at her longingly. “We used to date,” he says at the same time Alanis answers, “He’s friends with Elion.”
My teeth grind. “So, Levi, how exactly did you manage your escape?”
Levi coughs again before answering. “They were moving us to a new cell, but one of the ghouls had to leave, so there was only one for the four of us. My one shackle was loose and no one ever caught on. Ghouls are notoriously stupid. They didn’t think about the fact that we were losing weight, so the shackles would need to be tightened. Anyway, I managed to slip free and kill the one ghoul, but others were coming. The other soldiers told me to run and bring back help.”
Alanis is helping clean his wounds, but something about his story still doesn’t sit right with me. I want Alanis away from him as soon as possible.
“Kailu,” I say, “will you stay with Levi and make sure he ends up back with Siveral and his group? I’m going to take Alanis on a tour and fill her in on our plans for tomorrow.”
Kailu nods, taking up a place against the back wall. His assessing gaze never leaves Levi.
I show Alanis around the castle and watch her every reaction. Her awe at seeing the castle’s library, where thousands of books sit on ornate wooden shelves. The large windows allow natural light to pour into the room. The gardens overflow with peonies, roses, and hundreds of other flowers. I even showed her where the castle cooks grow our vegetables. I watch as she absorbs every detail, her excitement infectious. I’ve lived here my whole life, the sights becoming mundane, but seeing it through her eyes brings new life to my home. Watching her warms that thumping organ in my chest that I thought long-dead. I take her hand and lead her into town for an early dinner. We talk about little things, things that take our mind off what is to come, and yet I can’t shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen.
“Can you shift into an animal, too? Like Kailu?”
I choke on my water, caught off-guard by the question. “Yes…” I say cautiously.
She looks at me expectantly. “Well? Tell me. What are you?” Her excitement bubbles over and is contagious.
“A dragon.”
She spits her coffee out across the table at me and I laugh harder than I ever have before.
“Shut the fuck up.”
I give her a toothy smile and snap my teeth at her with a playful growl. “Why do you think I have so many tattoos?”
“Because they’re sexy?” She gives me a flirty smile in return.
“Mm, yes, that is important, but not the main reason. When a Fae is powerful enough and can shift into a creature as big as a dragon, certain aspects of the dragon tend to take over. I already had some tattoos the first time I shifted, since it happened later than those with ordinary animals. After the first shift, scales showed up in patches on my skin for weeks after. They eventually disappear, but the tattoos cover them while they’re there.”
Her gaze drifts to my chest, like she can see through my tunic to the tattoos beneath. “Is it always in the same spots?”
“Yes, the scales are on certain spots only, on the right side of my neck, my left thigh, and my upper back. They never show up anywhere else. The rest of the tattoos are just because they’re sexy.” I wink.
Her soft laugh makes my heart give a little jump in my chest.
We’re walking back to the castle right as the sun begins to set when Alanis abruptly stops. I turn and find her staring at the white brick house that’s located on main street by the apothecary.
“I always loved this house,” she says. “Every day after work, I would walk by and just admire it. I liked to imagine it being my house one day. I even imagined what it would look like inside.”
Her voice is whimsical. I can’t help but stare at her absolute beauty. I take her hand, leading her up the sidewalk to the front door.
“Mal, what are you doing ? We can’t impose on these people.”
I smirk at her and run my finger over the lock, allowing my magic to give us access.
“Malakai, what the hell is going on?”
I stride right into the foyer, hearing her follow behind as if in a trance.
“Whose house is this?” she asks, but I know she already figured it out.
“It’s mine,” I whisper.
Alanis stands shocked, her cheeks slightly red. “I guess it makes sense that my dream house is tied to my Fated.”
I flash a wolfish grin. “Your dream house and your dream guys. Lucky woman.”
She gifts me with her brightest smile, and I throw my arm around her neck, leading her further into the house to give her the tour. Hopefully it will be our house one day.
The kitchen has a round wooden table with four chairs, the oak a faded worn color. The fireplace stones are pristine since I don’t cook often. The sitting room holds two leather chairs and a bookshelf that overflows with books, so many in fact that some sit on the wool rug that sits in the center of the room.
The last room I show her is my bedroom.
She walks to the large white bed pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window. Her fingers trace over the gold bed frame that boasts a crescent moon carved into it.
“This looks like my birthmark.”
I wrap my arms around her waist. “I always did wonder why I felt drawn to have the Shadow Vale Coven symbol carved in my bed. I will admit it worried me for a while. I thought they hexed me or something.”
I feel her silent laughter. She turns and wraps her arms around my neck, tugging the hair at my nape. Gods, I love that.
Standing on her tiptoes, she presses a soft kiss to my mouth.
Kissing her is as easy as breathing. Every kiss brings me life. Her kiss consumes me to the point that I forget who I am. All I know is that I need her.
I pick her up, smiling as she wraps her legs around my waist. I lay her gently on her back and pause, unsure if this is what she wants. I never thought about having a mate before, but now I can’t imagine not having one.
“Is this what you want?”
She stares at me, her eyes glimmering with an emotion so strong I hesitate to name it. This woman has quickly become my friend and wiggled her way straight into my heart. She slowly sits up to remove my shirt, soaking in every detail of every tattoo.
“I’m not sure what the future holds,” she says, “but I can’t imagine not having you or Kailu there with me. But is this what you want?”
I stare into her blue eyes and know that there is no other answer for me but yes. “I never imagined having a mate. Never really wanted one. I was fine doing my own thing and taking each day as it came. But spending this time with you, feeling this connection…it’s different.”
Her brow quirks up. “Good different or bad different?”
I smile. “Good. I don’t share things with people. Kailu was the only one I shared everything with. But with you, it feels as if I can be myself. I’m not the prince or the rebellious son of the king and queen. I’m just me.”
Her fingers run over my stubble and down my neck, scattering shivers through me. Swallowing down the nerves, I take a leap of faith. “I want you. I want to see where this life takes us. I want you and Kailu, the two people who I care about more than anything. So yes, I choose this. I choose you, Alanis.”
A single tear runs down her cheek, and her smile is breathtaking.
Not wasting another moment, I drag my lips up her stomach, relishing in the shivers that course through her body at my touch. I explore her hipbones and the spots on her inner knees that I discover are ticklish. I leave no skin untouched. She pulls back and I almost groan from the loss.
“I want this with you. But I don’t want to do this without Kailu. We should wait and see if he truly is my mate. When we bond, I want to know that we are all together. Forever.”
I lean up, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before pulling her into my arms. A sense of peace washing over me as I hold onto my mate.
Alanis turns to me a while later. “How does your magic work on locks like that? I saw your father do that, too, in the records room.”
I kiss her brow. “Every lock is tied to magic. My door is tied to my blood as well, as an added layer of protection. The spell can be altered to add more, though.”
She nods. “That’s kind of cool. How do you keep others out? Couldn’t they just hire a Witch to add them to the door?”
“The Shadow Vale Witches created these magic locks centuries ago. Most houses and important buildings have them. The locks are tied to magic, so if you don’t have magic, it’s impossible to open them without the emergency key. Each lock has a set pattern tied to it. One could add their blood to a lock, but they would need to have the correct pattern.” I pause. “I would be interested to see if you could open one.”
She smirks. “Maybe we can test it.”
“Deal.”
I lay there in the silence and listen to her breathing slow. I brush her hair softly from her face before dropping a final kiss to her forehead. “We will figure this out. All of it,” I whisper.
I have spent decades upon decades wasting time hopping from one bed to another, always trying to satisfy that ache deep in my chest. I’ve never been able to pinpoint it until this moment. My entire life, I have been searching for a place I belong. A place I was meant to be. Somewhere that felt like home. Laying here with Alanis, that feeling of want no longer plagues me.
When I fall asleep, it’s with a sense of calm. My soul at peace, knowing it has found its other half.