Chapter 25
Evangeline
The evidence has been staring me in the face for the last two days now, and yet I can’t quite believe it.
Healed? By me? Or more accurately, by my food.
I’ve always wanted my cooking and recipes to change lives, but I never thought of what that would actually look like, and I never thought it would mean literally.
“Humans once held magic here,” Lady Thalia explains as we walk side by side to the kitchen.
We’ve spent the last two days nursing the injured, while Zephyr and Niko have been studying Jameson and the other fae who have mysteriously been healed after eating my food.
These last two days, I’ve seen little of them, but I don’t take it personally. They want answers just as much as I do.
“What kind of magic?” I ask as she loops her arm through mine. Lady Thalia is a steady presence, grounding me to the now. The noise in my head silences for just a moment.
“It varied,” she explains. “And depended upon their kingdom. Many humans served as a powerful force to their mates, strengthening them and their kingdoms. They could heal the gravely injured and sense threats. Many people believed humans were the heart of this world. When our access to your world was taken from us, Mescos wept. It hasn’t been the same since. ”
“How do you know all this?” I ask as we round the corner, heading down the hallway toward the kitchen.
It’s been a few days since I’ve cooked anything—understandable, given the chaos and my injured shoulder that’s finally feeling better—so now Niko, Zephyr, and I have agreed it’s time I try again.
We need to find out if what happened to Jameson and the other healed fae was just a fluke or something I’ll be able to produce again.
“I had the pleasure of humans living with us when I was a child. We knew the Mescos where humans lived beside us. The peace that settled over the land. Many wish to get back to a time like before. Could you imagine it, dear? Restoring the portal to your world? It would be phenomenal.”
My eyes widen, never having thought of that possibility before. I could see Grym Hollow again, except…that thought no longer holds the same appeal as it did when I first arrived. Maybe I’m getting used to this battle-stricken world. “You think it can be done? If we defeat the Nephilim?”
Lady Thalia exhales slowly, the sound barely more than a whisper as her shoulders droop.
Her gaze lingers on the empty courtyard beyond the window, eyes glassy with a sadness she doesn’t speak aloud.
The corners of her mouth pull downward, and for a moment, she looks as though the weight of the world has settled on her chest.
“I don’t know,” she admits after a moment. “But I do know I want to see Mescos without Nephilim threatening our way of life. If that is all this war accomplishes, ending the Nephilim, then I will be happy.”
She squeezes my arm, but something in her tone says she wants more than that.
My stomach churns with pent-up anxiety, knowing I’m one of only a few people who could make that happen for her and the rest of the fae in the kingdom.
It falls upon my shoulders, threatening to pull me down.
But outwardly, I stand with my head held high, doing everything I can to look like I know what I’m doing.
When we reach the kitchen, I’m surprised to find we aren’t alone, and my heart lurches at the sight of him, freshly showered, from the looks of his still-damp hair.
He’s only wearing black pants, exposing the expanse of his muscular chest. It’s as if he left the shower and immediately made his way to the kitchen.
Niko’s inviting gaze meets mine, and we are locked in an intense stare, making me forget everything and everyone around us.
His pupils dilate as he takes me in, reminding me of the way he looked at me during our bonding ceremony.
How was that just two days ago? It feels like a lifetime ago.
He hasn’t so much as kissed me since then, and I find myself craving his lips.
This connection simmering between us is burning quickly and feels right. Inevitable.
“Evangeline,” he says my name with reverence, his smile sending warm shivers down my spine. I’m as good as putty in his hands.
“Why are you here?” I don’t mean for the words to sound accusatory, but he’s been busy these last few days. This morning, he mentioned that he and Zephyr needed to check with the forest people—friends of Finnick’s—about Nephilim activity. “Shouldn’t you be with Zephyr?”
“Zephyr is more than capable of taking care of himself. Besides, I haven’t been the most attentive husband, and I plan on remedying that.”
Heat creeps up my cheeks. “It’s not your fault. You’ve been busy. Hell, we’ve all been busy with the Nephilim and the cursed fae.”
A soft, almost sad smile crosses his lips. “Don’t make excuses for me, Evangeline. I’ve been neglectful.”
“You’ve been a king,” I counter, suddenly feeling defensive for him. “Doing what needs to be done. You owe me nothing, Niko.”
Anger, bright but fleeting, flickers in his expression.
It contrasts with his normal jovial and joking demeanor.
“Don’t apologize for me, Evangeline. I want to do better for you.
For us,” he stresses and crosses the kitchen in a few long strides.
Once he’s close enough, he reaches for my hands, taking them in his.
I’m keenly aware of Lady Thalia watching us, an amused smile on her face.
My body yearns for him, and I should be embarrassed, but I can’t bring myself to care. “Let me be here now.”
There’s nothing else to do but nod, squeezing his hands like any second there will be another attack, and he’ll be ripped from me again.
This isn’t how I expected married life to go, but I also didn’t expect to marry a fae king, so what the hell do I really know about marriage and relationships?
I’m a fish out of water here, just trying to do the impossible.
“Are you going to cook now?” He finally breaks the charged silence brewing between us. Still, all I can do is nod. “Good, I’ll help.” Niko doesn’t look away.
“Unfortunately, we have even fewer ingredients than before. There is no harvest since most of our crops have been destroyed,” Lady Thalia says, worry evident in her tone.
Niko frowns. “Then we will make do with what we have for now. We still have berries from the forest. We can hunt or catch fish. We aren’t out of options yet.
” His resolve is strong, but I hear the fear he’s desperately trying to keep back.
We may not be out of options yet, but we are coming very close to being unable to feed the kingdom.
“Well, we better get started with what we have. Ready to help me cook?” I try to lighten the mood as much as I can.
A small wicker basket hangs from a cupboard handle, filled to the brim with various vegetables.
My mind mentally flips through my recipe book, thinking of something I can make that will feed the most people.
“Tell me what you need.” Niko releases my hands, his gaze searching mine for answers he can act on.
Then he turns to his mother. “Can you check the infirmary? Since the last attack, more have fallen victim. It’s like the Nephilim’s presence speed up the curse.” His tone is grim, heavy with the weight of everything unraveling around us. He carries a heavy load, and I ache to help him lessen it.
“Of course,” she replies with a quick nod. She manages a soft, reassuring smile in my direction, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Then she hurries off, her footsteps quickening down the corridor like she already hears cries echoing from the wounded.
Niko and I are left alone for the first time in days. I ignore the way my body buzzes with electricity around him as I grab mushrooms, garlic, and the last onion. “Mushroom soup it is. Do you know how to dice an onion?” I turn with the ingredients in my hands.
“I know how to use a knife.” It’s not really an answer, but he turns and opens a cabinet.
He pulls out a long wooden board and something resembling a butcher’s knife.
Not exactly what I would use to chop these vegetables, but I’ll roll with it.
That is until I see him chop said onion.
It’s an assassination—not the dicing I requested.
“Okay there, warrior, let’s calm down.” I laugh, gently touching his arm.
Niko flexes underneath my touch, halting his movements. This is the second time he’s tried to help me in the kitchen, and although I appreciate his attempts, I fare better when he stands back and lets me cook.
“Is this wrong?” His usual charm is back, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Not if this onion wronged you and you’re seeking revenge,” I tease. “Give me the big knife and let me show you.”
Niko isn’t offended as he hands over the knife. He steps to the side, allowing me space to work.
“You don’t need to be violent. You just need to do these three steps. First, you’ll cut the onion in half.” I show him, separating the two pieces.
“Then you’ll make vertical cuts like this.” I demonstrate as a warm, firm body presses against my back. My voice hitches, losing focus on the onion. I feel every hard part of his body. Niko’s hands glide down my sides until he rests them on my hips.
“And then what?” Hot breath hits my neck, and I have to squeeze my legs together. Niko notices my movement and laughs. Not mockingly, more like he’s enjoying this far too much.
And holy hell, his gravelly laugh is sexy.
“Then you…” I trail off, my brain slow to process anything other than the stiffening cock pressing against my backside. Fuck, this is definitely not sanitary, but I can’t bring myself to care.
“Evangeline?” Niko squeezes my hips, earning a slight squeak out of me. His laugh reverberates around the kitchen. “What’s the next step, mate?”