Chapter 28
Max
“Kaden!” I shout, rushing to his side.
He’s not moving.
Shit, shit, shit.
Cradling his head into my lap, I take in the bruise on his forehead and the shredded skin of his back. Blood drips into the dry dirt, caking around us and I brush back his hair from his spilt lip.
Every inch of him is cut or sliced.
Because he fought for me.
The arrogant asshole. He risked his life for mine. Again.
If he hadn’t kissed me, I would be suspicious of his true intentions, but it seems clear why he stays. Why he fights. Why he irritates me. Maybe he does like me?
Later, Max. Right now he needs help.
How in Seti’s Hell am I supposed to move him?
The Dark Fae is large and heavy, from years of training. But he needs to be mended. I can’t drag him down the cliff and I don’t trust leaving him here. What if the Fury wasn’t alone?
Panic wells as I shake the heir, willing him to open his eyes.
“Wake up, heir.” I slap his cheek lightly. “If you do, I’ll tell you all about my first night with the bard.” I’m bluffing but considering how jealous he was at knowing the bard and I had been together, it was worth a shot. “All the gory details. More than you could ever imagine.”
He doesn’t stir. Lifting my finger to under his nose, I feel the slightest breath.
Thank the Gods. A breath is better than nothing.
His forehead is clammy and his eyes roll behind his eyelids, as if in pain. Now what? Do I leave him or drag him?
It’s not worth an argument. He needs help. He almost died for me, the least I can do is run down to Tay and bring him back with the others to save him.
Standing, a growl releases from his lips. It’s soft, but deadly so, the sound of a beast in slumber. The hair on my nape rises and I freeze, pulse jumping.
Blinking, Kaden’s eyes open, pure darkness staring back at me as fear wells up my throat. He looks deranged and haunted, and I know, this is no longer the heir who kissed me.
My heart pounds in my chest, as I shift, hand to my dagger.
Sitting up, his nostrils flare as the fangs grow, curving over his lips and chin. They’re wicked and sharp, something better fit inside the mouth of a monster than a Fae.
How is that possible?
Tilting his head, he no longer resembles the heir but a primal beast, calculating how to get me—his prey. His whole body seems to enlargen, hands growing long as black nails sharpen. Fine black hair covers his skin as his ears grow long to his skull.
Is this what he truly is? Not a Fae, not a male, but a beast trapped inside his skin?
His moves, his senses, everything that I’ve seen and learned about him make sense. How he could smell my lies, how he could hear the Fury from so far away.
Good gods above.
Jumping to my feet, I edge toward the cliff, keeping the heir in front of me, pulling my dagger. He needs to be healed and I’ll make sure that happens—but I won’t be his next meal either.
I wonder if this is why his siblings had pulled their blades after the Skrull attack? Was he fighting the beast then, too?
Regardless, staying here with a hungry monster is not ideal. Running away, even less so.
“Kaden.” He turns, following me, getting slowly to his feet. “You’ve been injured and lost a lot of blood. I’m going to lead you to Taylay for mending. Can you do that?”
He steps forward and I jump back, fear wedging between my ribs like an icicle. Will he follow, or will he attack?
“Just because you kissed me, doesn’t mean I’ll let you eat me,” I warn him. “I’m going to get you help.”
Swallowing, I move closer to the path with slow steps, so as not to alarm him. His eyes track me, so dark the sun doesn’t penetrate them.
This will be easy. Simple.
Right.
“Please, Kaden,” I whisper, “Don’t make me kill you.” My fingers are still red but I know it won’t react to him. My magic likes him for some reason. “Or if you kill me, I swear, I’ll return from Seti’s Hell to haunt you.”
Pushing off my heel, I dart down the path, Kaden hurling himself after me. Pebbles shake as we run, our steps thundering along the steep path without pause.
His breath skims my neck as we make our first turn and he slams into the side, unable to right himself. He growls, claws scratching the rock as if to stop from falling off the side.
Gods, please don’t let me die.
Jumping over scattered rocks, I make the second turn, darting around larger boulders. The heir is right behind me, howling like a wolf on the chase. Panic floods my limbs as I push harder, faster, my heart pounding in my ears.
Adrenaline bursts in my chest and I run, seeing the final turn ahead.
Leaping around it, my heels skid over the edge. Terror claws at my throat, but I twist, keeping my body facing forward instead of back. Kaden slams into the side, sending debris ricocheting over the side and I throw myself forward to keep away.
It sounds like a terribly long drop.
Before me are three very worried faces as I jump between them.
“He’s coming!” I yell as both the Fae instinctively draw their swords and I hide behind Tay’s massive form.
His sword gleams as he looks down at me. “What happened? Where’s the heir?”
I open my mouth, but a hungry howl cuts me off, echoing around us.
“Shit,” Reid curses, hunkering low as Fee’s face goes white.
Kaden turns the corner, body dripping red as he holds the wall with black clawed hands. My breath hitches as he stares at us, lingering on me.
It’s not Kaden now. It’s just a monster.
“The Fury attacked us. He tried to fight it but he was injured—”
“How badly?” Fee snarls, face furious. Her amber eyes flash and I know she’s thinking about all the ways to kill me. “How much blood did he lose?”
“A lot,” I pant, watching as the heir stalks closer. He glares at us like we’re something to hunt and my throat dries. Licking my lips, I say, “His back is completely shredded and he lost consciousness. I thought Fae can heal?”
“They can. We can,” Reid adds. He gestures toward his brother. “But Kade is different. With his curse, if he ever loses consciousness, his beast will take over and rampage. The only way to handle him like this is—” He stops, looking to Fee for help.
She scoffs. “Death. The only way to control Kaden like this is to kill him.”
I immediately rebel at the idea. “No. There has to be another way.”
“You know nothing about my brother,” she seethes, glaring at me. “He’s never let go like this. Not since he was a young Fae learning control. You did this to me.”
I surge forward when she takes a step and she tosses me back.
“Stay out of it.” Her voice cracks, even as her mask stays firmly in place. No. She’s preparing to kill her brother.
My heart breaks as I look to my friend. His cool touch heals the scattered cuts along my arms and cheeks and I tug free. “No. We can still save him.”
“Max—”
“You can’t kill him,” I call out as the siblings move closer to Kaden, sword raised.
“Did he drink from you?” Reid asks, looking back. “Taste your blood at all?”
“No.”
His shoulders drop, sighing. “Good. If he had—”
“She’d be dead,” Fee interrupts.
“But if it can help him—”
“You’ve done enough, blood summoner,” Fee argues. “Now we have to do this. Otherwise, everyone is at risk.”
Grabbing me, Tay pulls me behind him as the siblings swing their swords toward the heir’s head. He doesn’t react, doesn’t move, just waits. When one blade gets close, he grabs it, claws stopping the metal and tosses it aside.
“Don’t make me do this,” Fee says, sorrow tinging her words. “C’mon Kade. Pull it back.”
Lunging forward, Kaden swipes out, using his claws like a weapon. They parry and block, blade and nails catching close before shoving apart. His siblings move like a well trained unit, one going high while the other goes low. But the heir is faster, more dangerous.
He stops every attack, tossing them back before another comes forward.
“He’s playing with them,” I say, Tay nodding in agreement. “I have to help.”
“And do what?” He glances to my fingers. “Did you use your magic in front of him?”
Glaring at my friend, I hold my dagger to my palm. “Now isn’t the time, Tay.” Slicing my hand, I hold it high, blood dripping on to the hot sand.
Immediately, the heir stops, nose in the air to scent me. He growls, a beast hungry for prey, before he turns, jumping for me.
Fee crashes into his back, pinning him in the dirt as Reid jumps on his legs.
“What are you doing?” She yells, wrestling with Kaden. He bucks and throws, digging into the dirt to get closer to me.
“Trying something.” I wave my hand into his face and the beast snaps his jaws, trying to sink his massive fangs into my wrist. “Taylay, now.”
He stalls, confused. “Do, what?”
“Heal him,” I demand. “If you heal him, that could give him the strength back to cage the beast.”
Grumbling, Tay’s hand glow a shimmery blue, held over the mangled flesh of the heir’s back. “You want to help this monster?”
Narrowing my eyes, I keep Kaden focused on me as his siblings keep him still. My friend’s magic starts to envelop his wounds, slowly mending them back together.
“You once helped me.”
The skin slowly starts to pull closer, blood drying along his back. Kaden slows and Reid takes his belt, tying his brother’s legs together.
Looking up at me, brows furrowed, Fee asks, “Why do it? Why care?”
Gulping, I shrug.
Why help a Fae that everyone fears? Why help him when he tried to kill me, would kill me if allowed?
I don’t have an answer. I should be terrified of him, running in the opposite direction. The Humans certainly don’t trust him and neither do the Witches. I should heed their warnings.
But instead, my heart splinters wide, empathy so strong, I dare to brush the hair from his face.
“Because he’s just like me,” I murmur, blinking back tears. “He should be helped because of his curse, not in spite of it. People shouldn’t fear the darkness just because it’s dark,” I say, recalling Kaden’s words. “And maybe, because, I know he’d do the same for me.”
The magic grows, picking up speed to aid the healing and Kaden’s head falls, dropping to the sand. Reid ties his hands, securing Fee’s belt around them.
“You’re different,” Fee mumbles, easing off her brother. “No one else would have stopped to help.”
“Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world.”
The magic eases away and the heir growls, body slowly reverting into his Fae form.
“Let’s get him back to camp. I can finish healing him there.” Tay helps me to stand, quickly healing my palm.
Reid picks up Kaden, tossing him over his shoulder, before winking at me. Fee stops next to us, sighing, shoulders dropping.
“Thank you.”
The siblings climb down the mountain, as Tay turns me to inspect my face and arms.
“The lord?”
“Dead,” I exhale.
Tay drops me, looking at the retreating trio. “And they know what you are.”
I stay silent, Tay chewing on his cheek.
“We need to be careful. Without the lord, the raid will fail and with those three knowing about you?” He sighs. “I don’t trust them. The heir now? Even less. I’ll need to ask Nafre what we should do next.”
Swallowing, I follow him back to camp.