Chapter 32 #2
She smoothed her hands over the blankets. Once. Twice. “If I know who it is beforehand, it might be better.”
“People you are familiar with then? Not those you meet that night or have only met in passing?” he clarified.
Amber eyes met his, relief flickering in them. “Yes.”
“Make a list then, wife,” he said, dragging himself from the bed.
“Wait,” she called after him, and he paused at the foot of the bed.
“Yes?”
“I… Thank you,” she said softly, always watching him.
“I promised you protection at the start of all this. I never forget my promises,” he said with a tight smile. “I’m going to get something to eat. Can I get you anything?”
Her face fell, eyes darting to the side, but a minute later, her features smoothed out, becoming that unreadable mask. “No, thank you.”
“I’m coming back, Kailia,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
She only nodded, clearly not believing him.
Cethin grabbed a shirt and slipped on shoes before he Traveled. Not to the kitchens, but to the Greybane Estate, directly into Tybalt’s study. The male was seated behind his desk, bent over a map, but he looked up at Cethin’s appearance.
Sitting back in his chair, Tybalt’s keen gaze swept over him before he said, “The area is secure. The Cadre is monitoring all the known sites for the foreseeable future.”
Cethin nodded. “And the nagasky?”
“Was returned to its place of slumber. The Elder Clan members were also collected by their brethren. They were not happy, Cethin,” Tybalt answered.
“That makes two of us,” Cethin retorted, stepping between the chairs before the desk to peer at the map. Jarek, Fallon, and Draven were monitoring the western half of the kingdom, while Ariadne, Bram, and Tybalt were taking the eastern half. “Have there been any other stirrings?”
“Not from the creatures of old, but the Elder Clans requested a meeting,” Tybalt replied. “This isn’t good, Cethin. Things with them have been tense since your mother.”
“My mother is the cause of many things,” Cethin muttered. “But we can discuss this later. I came here because I need blood, Tybalt.”
The male straightened. “And I’m going to tell you that’s not a wise idea.”
“We have rations stored for emergencies. This is one,” Cethin replied. “I’m drained. It makes me…restless and irritable. Next week is the Union Celebration, and with the way things have been going lately, I’d prefer my reserves be full for that occasion.”
Tybalt rubbed his temple, the hesitation clear.
“Unless you have other news I need to be made aware of, it’s the only option,” Cethin added. “Have you heard from her?”
Tybalt shook his head. “You know the cost of this?”
“It’s been years since I’ve consumed rations,” Cethin countered.
“It doesn’t matter. Time doesn’t erase the damage already done.”
“It’s not a request, Tybalt,” he said. “The Elder Clan is restless. These phantoms are unpredictable. The creatures of old are stirring—”
“Ever since Kailia showed up,” Tybalt cut in. “Surely you realize that? You’ve put the correlation together?”
“Kailia is not what we’re discussing right now,” Cethin snapped. “You and I both know what happens if my reserves are completely drained. We can’t afford for me to go into the kind of slumber that will be required to fill my power even a fraction.”
“And the amount of Fae blood it will require to fill your powers is large enough to push you over a different edge, Cethin. I cannot permit it,” Tybalt said, shaking his head in refusal.
“Then what do you propose? I do not have a Source. I do not have a Guardian. My only options are blood or time. One of those I have. One I do not,” Cethin retorted.
“This is why a Fae as a partner would have been a wiser choice,” Tybalt sighed, rubbing at his temple again.
“Do not give me your opinion on that matter again,” he replied, his tone low and dark.
“She’s part of something bigger, and you refuse to see it,” Tybalt growled.
“She’ll be the salvation of this kingdom.”
“That may be true,” Tybalt agreed, pushing to his feet. “But she’ll be your downfall in the process.”
He moved to the wall behind his desk, pressing his palm flush against it.
Magic rippled, black flames skittering across the surface before the wall dissolved, revealing a large icebox.
Cethin came to his side, pressing his palm beside Tybalt’s, the last of his magic appearing, faint and weak, alongside another burst of dragon fire.
The door to the icebox opened, revealing several dozen bottles of Fae blood.
Reaching in, he grabbed two, downing the first one entirely.
He hadn’t been lying. It had been decades since he’d tasted Fae blood, but the rush of power through his veins was nearly as divine as being between a female’s legs.
There was a high and a peace and the feeling of never wanting to leave this state of mind.
The sharp snick of the icebox closing drew him back to reality, and he glared at the Commander. He could have let him enjoy the moment a little longer. At least he still had another bottle.
“Be careful, Cethin,” Tybalt warned. “I say this not as the Commander of your forces, but as a male who watched you grow into who you are today. Be careful.”
“Two bottles won’t bring the curse upon me,” he retorted, stepping back and preparing to leave.
“The blood isn’t what I’m referring to,” he answered, concern and apprehension shining in his warm brown eyes.
“I have it under control,” Cethin answered, and then he was gone, back in his rooms.
He placed the bottle of blood at the back of the icebox in their small kitchenette, planning to drink it later today. Returning to the bedchamber, Kailia had nestled back down in the covers, but she was awake.
Swirling amber eyes tracked his every movement as he removed his shoes and pulled his tunic over his head, tossing it aside. Then he rounded the bed, climbing back in. She shifted, rolling to her side.
“You came back,” she said softly.
“Always,” he answered, propping a hand behind his head.
“Why?”
But he didn’t answer, and eventually she rolled back over, a comfortable silence lulling them both to slumber.
He might not have answered her, but he knew the reason.
It was fucked up and unsettling, yet here he was.
He wasn’t worried about the blood. He’d drink that bottle, his power would be restored, and he’d be fine to carry on.
Everyone worried about the addiction Fae blood held for Avonleyans, and they weren’t wrong to be concerned.
He was just learning there were much stronger addictions out there, and he was tired of trying to resist them.
“Kailia? Are you ready?” he asked after knocking twice on the door.
People had been filing in for the last two hours in preparation for the Union Ceremony, members of their forces performing security duties.
The smell of the various food delicacies being prepared had permeated the whole of the castle all day, and he was more than ready to eat.
Throughout the next two weeks, more food would be prepared and delivered to various territories for those who weren’t in attendance tonight, with smaller celebrations taking place throughout the kingdom.
But right now, they were due to officially start the celebration in the next twenty minutes.
He knocked again. “Kailia?”
“Come in,” she called, and he pushed the door open to the lounge.
It was a small room off the great hall that was reserved for the king and queen. A door on the opposite side would lead out to a balcony that overlooked the hall with a set of stairs leading down into the room itself.
Kailia stood off to one side, Wren stepping back from smoothing down a spot on Kailia’s dress.
“This seems excessive,” Kailia murmured, lifting her hands and letting them fall back to her sides.
It was anything but excessive.
The black corset contained intricate detailing, while a combination of silk and lace draped down from her hips.
A slit up the right side reached to the top of her thigh, and when she moved, he could see the small knife strapped there.
The top of the corset was as sheer as the tights, running along her chest, collarbone, and over her shoulders, while the sleeves were the same silk and lace as the skirt.
More sheer fabric layered over the skirts, flowing to the ground like a train, with a veil of the same pinned to her hair in the back.
Small silver beads and black pearls were sewn strategically into the dress, giving the illusion of falling stars.
Or fluttering ashes.
Excessive was the last word on his mind as he stared at her.
“Why isn’t he saying anything?” Kailia asked Wren, looking down at herself and smoothing her hands along the corset that hugged her slim waist.
“It’s a good thing, Kailia,” Wren said with a knowing smile.
“Can you all give us a moment?” Cethin asked.
Wren adjusted another layer of the train before she left with Razik. Cethin had been so focused on Kailia, he hadn’t even noticed the male was in here.
When the door clicked shut, Kailia looked up at him, worrying her bottom lip. “They insisted that this is what I was to wear.”
“You look ethereal, wife,” he replied, still unable to move. Eyes still raking over her, trying to commit every bit of this moment to memory.
“It feels excessive,” she repeated.
“You’re a queen. There’s nothing excessive. In fact, you’re missing something,” he said, finally moving from where he’d been rooted in place the last several minutes.
She frowned, turning to the mirror that had been brought in. “What could possibly be missing?”
He came up behind her, and she met his gaze in the glass reflection.
Her hair was loose, free and flowing around her shoulders.
That blue crystal still hung around her neck, and black slippers peeked out from under the hem of her dress.
There was nothing else. No bracelets or rings.
Just her and a natural beauty that could never be replicated.