Chapter 22
Max
He doesn’t move closer to me and I, loudly, crash through the branches, stopping just short of a pace from his side.
No longer covered in blood, he’s changed, sword gone, eyes a blinding copper again. But the muscle in his jaw feathers, as if he’s holding himself back.
“And why is that?”
“You’re loud,” he says, eyes flickering to the spot I entered.
Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms. “Good thing I don’t hunt.”
“If you did, you’d starve.”
Snorting, I look around, white petals covering the thick grass. It’s so dark in the woods, it feels as if night has swallowed us whole. “Someone’s feeling cheeky. After the bloodshed, I’d thought you’d be too tired for quips.”
The heir smirks, facing outward, searching the trees. “You’ll realize, I’m never too tired for anything.” Those eyes turn heated and I clear my throat, cheeks bright red.
“Anyway,” I begin, ignoring his smug look. “Why are you out here? What happened to the rules?”
“Are you now worried about me?” A fang slips over his bottom lip, turning his handsome face devilish. “I’m touched, kitten.”
Scoffing, I wave him off. “Don’t flatter yourself. I merely came this way to clear my head.”
Turning, he appraises me, seeing more than I want him to. He always has. Only such a short time and yet, he sees all the darkness, all the bitterness. But instead of running, he embraces it.
“You don’t faint from blood,” he murmurs, thoughtful. “And I know battle doesn’t bother you. What happened?”
My heart beats once against my chest. “Nothing.”
He inhales smirking. “Remember what I said? Dark Fae can smell lies. It’s coating you now.”
“Maybe you just don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
Turning to me, he scans my face, my hands, down to my boots. “You don’t think I know you?”
“No,” I say defiantly. “I think you’re grasping at straws and hoping to be right.”
Twirling a loose strand of hair around his finger, he tugs me forward, toes pressed against his boots.
“It’s not hard to know you, Max, because I am you.
I’ve been feared my entire life. But unlike you, I don’t hope to suddenly be good.
I don’t try to appease those who fear me, pray they’ll love me.
I embrace my darkness and make others accept it. ”
“You make me sound weak.” A little girl looking to belong. Hoping one day, the Coven will love me, accept me, if I do enough things right.
“Not weak,” he amends. “Just hopeful. Eventually, you’ll let it go and realize your true power, like I have.”
Dropping my hair, he steps away, eyes scanning the area again. He’s always on alert.
Tugging the shirt higher, I clear my throat. “What’s wrong?”
Kaden glances to me and back. “You first.”
Rolling my shoulders, I sigh. I did seek him out after all. Sharing makes me uncomfortable, but there isn’t anyone else who would get it.
“My magic,” I say, gesturing with my hands, “is uncontrollable. And here, it’s either give in or—”
“Die,” he finishes, nodding. “And let me guess. Your Witch isn’t fond of your magic.”
“Taylay has magic,” I defend. “He understands how rare it is. How there is such little information on possessing such things. But he doesn’t…” I trail off, thoughts heavy. “He doesn’t get it.”
“Why would he?” He scoffs, peering down at me. “Anything that seems dangerous or dark, Witches tend to lap together. Your magic is rare but it doesn’t benefit them, so it must be evil. Therefore, you must be evil.”
“It’s not like I’m perfect.” I shift, sullen. “I’ve lost control in the Coven. People have been hurt by what I can do.”
Tilting his head, the heir waits, patiently.
What does it hurt telling him?
“When I was a child, the Coven’s children would… tease me.” I flounder, searching for my words. “They would throw rocks at me. Say mean things. I rarely left the cottage.”
At the corner of my eye, I see the shadows become thicker, richer, as if they are daring to drown us.
“One day, I left with Nessa and Tay for a visit to another elder’s home.
The children gathered and started to bully me.
When a rock hit my temple, I lost control.
My magic reacted and he…” I can still see the small boy hovering in the air, my magic pulling his blood so harshly, he was rigid, eyes wide. A trickle of blood fell from his nose.
It took Nessa breaking my control to get me to release him. But by that point, his heart was crushed and the Coven’s hate grew.
He huffs, crossing his arms. “He deserved it.”
Surprised, my mouth parts. “You don’t know what I did. He was killed—”
“And he was a brute of a child who picked on the wrong girl,” he says dismissively. “He got what he deserved. You have no reason to feel such guilt. Nor should the Coven have placed it on you.”
He says it so plainly that the self-hate, the guilt, the anger at myself, seems to dissipate. I was a child defending myself. Instead of the blame resting with the victim, it should fall to the perpetrator.
Carefully, gently, he tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear.
“You are a vicious lioness. People should bow to your magic, not shame you for it. Force you to hide it. Yes, control is necessary but to hate you for such a thing?” He snorts, eyes beseeching. “Without your magic, you’d be dead. It’s a gift, kitten.”
My stomach twists as his appreciation warms my heart.
It is a gift.
“Do you truly believe that?”
He nods. “Of course. People would not hate you if it they weren’t envious of such powerful things.”
“Powerful,” I echo, pride swirling in my gut. “So powerful that beasts came out of the forest to find me?”
“I did warn you.”
“You also said there was a barrier and yet, they attacked.”
He shrugs, smirking. “The barrier is not exact. We might have been just inside their territory.”
Flipping him off, he grabs my hand tugging me close. His warmth burns into my chest, chasing away the coolness of the forest.
“Now you,” I prompt. “What happened in the clearing?”
The heir stills, eyes crinkling, confused. “You noticed that?”
“Noticed how you seemed to morph into a predator while your sister looked ready to stab you through?” I laugh. “Yeah, pretty obvious.”
“Hm,” he hums, tilting my chin higher. “You said once you can’t hear me. What is it that you meant?” He’s avoiding the question and although I want to dig into him, he’s too close for me to focus.
His lips hover over mine. If I leaned forward, just a breath, I could kiss him.
I won’t. But I could.
The idea of kissing him doesn’t seem so terrible.
Gulping, I pull back slightly, eyes wide. “My magic reacts to blood. And with you?” I glance to his chest. “It doesn’t react to you.”
His hungry eyes narrow in on my mouth and I tense.
“You can’t hear my blood. That’s what you meant.”
Gulping, I remain silent. Fuck.
Not only does he know me, know my magic and how little I can control it, he knows my only defense doesn’t work on him.
Stupid little blood summoner.
“Don’t worry, pet,” he says, winking. “I keep my secrets close to the heart.”
Swallowing, I cock an eyebrow, trying to appear unaffected. A losing battle, but still. “And now that you have mine, what will you do with them?”
He’s threaten to tell the king of me. Now that he knows I cannot use my magic on him, will he also hold this over my head?
“Ah, because I am a Dark Fae, I must be a dastardly villain, who will surely use these secrets to harm you?” He smirks as my throat bobs, dread dropping like a stone in my gut.
“Can’t I merely keep them? Another being who shoulders your burdens?
Perhaps, hold them close so as to know the woman behind the magic? ”
I snort loudly. Doubtful.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like me knowing things about you?”
Shoving against his chest, he doesn’t let me go. “No. I don’t.”
He tilts his head, amber vanishing under his magic. “Too late.”
Grabbing my arm, he pulls me close, pulling the shirt from my neck.“You’re bleeding,” he points out, fangs growing.
Touching my damp shoulder, my fingers comes back stained red. The knock into the tree must have pulled open the wound.
“Dammit,” I curse, looking up into his dark eyes. “Tay wasn’t able to finish healing all of it.”
“And this?” He pulls on the fabric, sneering. “Is this his shirt?”
“And if it is?”
Shoving me away, his lips twist into a snarl, body appearing larger as if possessed. His nostrils flare and his chest inhaled. “You smell like him. His scent covers you.”
What an odd thing to say.
Without warning, he shoves me sharply as my heels catches on a rock and I fall back. Only a tree trunk stops me from completely collapsing into the dirt.
“Get back to camp, kitten. The Skrulls were just one creature in this fucking forest, looking for little things to eat. Like you.” It’s acidic and cutting, making me wince as if blood was drawn.
Where’s the Fae from earlier? What’s changed to make him so cruel?
“I think we both know I’ll be fine.”
“We’ve established you’re a liability.” I wince, his words opening up newly scabbed wounds. “I don’t feel like playing hero right now. It’s a bad look for me.” He dismisses me turning back to the forest.
“What happened to not being the dastardly villain?” I pull myself upright, shoulder throbbing as blood drips into the crook of my elbow.
“I never said I wasn’t,” he clarifies.
Cursing him under my breath, I take a step toward the exit, only for him to call me back.
“Oh and pet?” he drawls as the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. “There are more dangerous things in the woods than me. I suggest you take heed and stop following me around. Wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”
Growling, I shove through the bushes, the warmth blooming for the heir vanishing with each step. It’s a good thing too.
I was almost starting to like him.