Chapter 29
KADEN
The wedge of anger burns in my chest like a flaming ember held too close to my skin. It simmers and sizzles, but I don’t feel the pain. No, I relish in it. I let it fuel me.
Holding tight to Max’s hand, I can barely think past the feel of her. I move with slow but deliberate steps. It’s as if I’ve recently awoken from a terrible nightmare, movements sluggish, mind unable to process everything. My body is tight with caution, tingly with lack of circulation.
Flashes of my time without her assault me. The feel of Aoife’s hands on my skin, of her laugh and the horrible things I said to others. Small snippets of vitriol and malice.
Swallowing, I fight the urge to scream. I held a blade to my brother’s neck.
My skin crawls and sweat breaks out over my brow as another memory comes to me. Aoife’s lips on me. I recoil just thinking of how cold they were—how opposite of Max’s warmth and love. How the hunger for my mate twisted inside of me, forced to submerge under her magic.
She took from me. But Max brought me back.
I’ll make her death long-lasting.
The sword is heavy in my hand as I walk to the throne room. I don’t bother to hide, nor do I interact with the guards. They know not to touch me—Aoife’s orders.
Entering the throne room, I shove the doors open with my shadows, the magic blasting outward. The walls shake and the floor trembles.
Aoife looks up from speaking to a few guards. Lords—Fae I helped to protect—stand in the corners, drinking and talking. None of them stopped what the queen did—none of them cared.
She forced a binding spell on me, called it love and tortured me with the knowledge of what true love was. Because even though I did what she wanted, somehow connected to her whims, I never forgot about Max.
It’s why I went to her the night of the festival. Why I tried to fight for her. Why my siblings were in a room instead of dead like she requested.
“Kaden,” she purrs and I have to stop myself from retching.
It’ll take time to get over what she did, but I don’t have the time for it now.
Her dark eyes fall to Max and they flash with anger. She wasn’t expecting to see her here.
“You seem to have forgotten where the dungeon is.” She calls forward a few of her guards. My shadows react, wrapping around Max’s middle so she stays close. “She doesn’t belong here,” she hisses, hands high. I must make one hell of an image.
The bead of sweat off her brow is indication enough. She’s afraid of me.
“She’s exactly where she should be.” My shadows sweep out, throwing the guards away like simple trash. “By my side.”
Aoife’s eyes dart between us and she exhales. Whatever she senses frightens her—her mouth parts and she grabs her throat as if to quell vomit.
“How?” Her voice shakes. “How did you break it?”
Max squeezed my palm. “The Gods favor us more than you.”
“The Gods,” she spits. “I expected as much naivety from Baris’ daughter.”
I see the slight twitch in her shoulder, the way her hip sways. My shadows call when summoned, and I pull them high. Aoife’s magic rushes the shield, rippling against them like a breaking wave.
The hit is absorbed and I pull Max behind me. The lords scream, a few ladies falling in their haste to flee. Aoife stands, face monstrous.
Oslo taught me control and how to wield a sword. But Aoife taught me how to use my magic. She was always a good teacher. She just never thought I’d use her tactics against her.
“You would dare to fight me?” She seethes. “You would risk everything?”
“I would risk the world to keep my mate safe,” I respond, voice clear and strong. “You do not touch her. And you do not touch me.”
She throws more of her magic. I wrap my shadows around us, a shield to protect us.
“I can’t touch her heart,” Max tells me, clinging to my arm. We rock back as she throws another attempt at us. “We’ll have to fight.”
“She’s invincible.”
“No, she’s not.” Max pats my chest. We stumble with another hit. “The curse was broken. She lost the connection to the dark curse. After you died, that broke your connection to her.” She grins, a Cheshire cat with a new toy. “She’s vulnerable.”
“I know what to do.” Kissing her temple roughly, I gesture to the door. “You’re going to run as soon as I lower my magic—”
“No—”
“And stay back.” I ignore her protest. “Aoife is mine to handle.”
Another hit slams into us and we skid backward.
Max touches my chin, chewing on her ruby lip. “What did she do to you?”
Nothing good.
“It doesn’t matter,” I reassure. “I have you. And our future to look forward to. It will not taint us.”
Her deep oceanic eyes brighten, glistening with tears. “You still want that?”
I inhale her scent, hand wrapped into her locks. She is all I’ve wanted—and it’ll be the last time anyone takes her or our future away from us.
“I want you,” I say quietly. “Just you, love. And whatever comes from that, I will gladly enjoy. Now. Go.”
Shoving her back, I drop my magic. Max listens—thank fucking Bel—and runs from the exit. Aoife’s magic detonates, but I intercept, shadowy hands barricading against the blow.
It reverberates, and my arms lock. Energy runs over my nerves, on fire and yet cool to the touch. The windows blow out around us, glass slicing my cheek and her hands.
Aoife looks at me with disgust—and maybe even sadness. I want to pluck her eyes out for it.
“She won’t love you. Not the way I will.”
“She already does.” Standing, I take the center of the room. Max stays back by the doors, hidden in the alcoves. I sigh, relieved. As long as she’s safe, I can enact my revenge. “She was ready to die for me.”
Her fists shake as she screams, “How did she break it?”
Her emotions are all over. Aoife has always been cunning and calculating, but now, her control is gone. She’s lashing out, reacting to centuries worth of grief and pain.
I can use it.
“Tell me,” I say casually. “How does it feel to lose for the third time?”
Her eyes darkened to pits of coal. They’re lifeless but full of rage.
“I haven’t lost.”
“Sure, you have. You lost Kyrin.” I tick off, holding up my fingers. I watch how she grows angrier. “You lost the war. And now, you’re losing to Max. That must be quite the hit.”
“I haven’t lost!” She throws another blast of energy and I drop, letting it wash over my back. It singes but I don’t pay it any mind. I see how she sways, uneven and beside herself.
Oslo always said remaining in control of your emotions was a way to win the battle. Aoife missed that lesson.
“What will the court think when they discover you tricked everyone? That you lied—tell me, do they know of how the king died?” Standing, I tsk in mock sympathy. “I guess it didn’t seem suspicious at the time. Having gone to sleep, never to awaken.”
Too similar to what happened to my mother. It was right in front of me the entire time.
She killed them both.
“No one will follow you.”
She turns, searching for the lords. But they’ve fled and she’s alone.
The situation starts to dawn on her and she scrambles.
I take my chance. Wrapping my shadows around her body, I encase her into a cocoon. She thrashes and screams, but my magic holds firm. It’s more powerful than hers, more controllable.
She rages, shouting like a dragon, warning others of their might. Only Aoife is not fearsome, she’s broken. She’s lost it.
“Release me!”
“You don’t control me anymore, Aoife.” Grabbing her face, my nails bite into her cheeks drawing blood.
My fangs grow long and I smile, a gruesome sight.
Guards start to shout behind me, and Max steps into the center, looking to the open doors, nervous.
“For everything you did to me, I should draw this out. Make you scream until your voice is gone, pluck every single hair from your head, every single fingernail and clip your wings.”
Her eyes round, the putrid scent of her fear intoxicating.
“But it’s more important that I forget you than have my revenge.” The shadows turn to steel and she gasps. “Goodbye, Aoife.”
Ripping into her neck, a spray of blood covers the floor, my chest, and face. I don’t even drink it—the scent turns my stomach. It’s sour like a lemon, rotten on the tree.
Max sighs, holding my arm as I drop the queen to the floor. Ink seeps from her eyes, mixing with the red that puddles under her. It grows, a dying rose under so much black and I watch it, transfixed on the sight.
Behind us, the guards crash inside, clamoring together. Swords raise high and we turn, Max’s fingers already red. The throne room becomes crowded.
My limbs tremble as shadows billow off my shoulders like a cloak in the wind. My energy is failing, but now isn’t the time to be tired. We have to leave—return to our home. I need to get out of this place.
“Not great odds,” she murmurs and I smirk.
“When has it ever been easy for us?”
A wall of fire swirls behind the main doors, growing in heat and intensity. The orange and reds blend together, casting ugly shadows on the Fae. As they glance back, it erupts, consuming them whole.
Ducking low, I grab Max as the fire reaches high above. It devours the room, burns the banners, melts the walls, and destroys the guards with one fell swoop. The heat—so overpowering I can barely breathe—makes both of us cough and drop to our knees, searching for fresh air.
As soon as it came, it’s gone with a flash.
Peering upward, I lock eyes with my sister and her fierce face.
“Don’t just sit there,” she snaps. “More guards are coming and that took way too much energy to do again.”
Helping Max to her feet, we run after her, darting into the hall. Reid is there, Mal watching the far corner for more guards.
“So, you finally understand your limits.”
“Really?” She scoffs. Before I move past her, she grabs my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “It’s you, right?”
Clasping her hand, I nod. “Max brought me back. I’m whole. Without Aoife’s influence.”
“If you didn’t kill the bitch, you better point me in the direction.”
I point to the blood on my tunic. “Already done.”
She smiles wickedly and something heavy lifts from my chest.
“I’m all for a happy reunion,” Reid yells, running back from the corner, Mal on his heel. “But guards are coming and our limited guards are stuck outside fighting. We need another way out.”
“Through the servant’s passageways,” Max tells them, grabbing a tapestry. “Mal and I used it to find you all. If we hurry, we’ll get out before they find us.”
We don’t wait to argue. Mal takes the lead through the corridors, not bothering to be quiet or stop. The halls are stiffing, confining but we push on. Once we reach the end, we shove through the heavy wooden door and lock it behind us.
Mal takes us into the forest across the way, deep into the center. I don’t release my hold on Max’s hand, needing that physical tether to remind myself that I’m here. That I’m free. That we’re both alive.
Baris stands there, wings out, Coal stallions waiting for us.
He takes a long look at me as my siblings jump into their saddles. Whatever he sees, he accepts nodding once. “Welcome back, Dark King.”
A smaller woman comes over, hands folded in front of her. Before I can ask about her, she squeals, clapping. “She did it! She killed you to save you!”
“On Bel’s Flame.” Reid laughs, hauling her into the saddle. “We’re going to have to work on your social cues, Layla.”
Max holds up a hand, halting the words on my tongue. I can’t help but laugh, kissing her fingertips. “Later. When we’re not being hunted.”
I can agree to that.
As we ride through the forest, the guards break from the Veridian Palace. Zeke rides up next to us, covered in blood and soot, scanning me as if to make sure I’m whole.
I know why he cares so much—I know of his connection to my mother. The rumors of their love have haunted the halls after her death. Since she left us, Zeke has never left our side.
“It is good to see you,” he greets, clasping my hand, bouncing along on the horse. “We were all worried for you.”
“Hopefully not because the queen led you.”
Zeke snorts. “She’s a better ruler than you will ever be. But now that you’re back, I insist on following proper protocols.”
The guards surround us, keeping the royal family protected. Baris looks bored, but Max’s eyes widen, the weight of what she is—what she’ll be, settling along her shoulders. I guess she didn’t consider it when she was killing us both, the infuriating blood summoner.
“Let’s go home,” I command and snap the reins to jerk the horses into action.