Chapter 11
The invitation
“Are you okay being near this part of the Veil?” Shiloh asked as they quietly rode along.
It was just the two of them on patrol in this section. The bell had only rung for Lucius these past few weeks, but Adalia hadn’t eased her demand for extra patrols day and night. She had, however, lessened the number to two Lightners per patrol.
“I’m fine,” Adalia replied as she bit into a fresh nectarine. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Aren’t we near where he, who shall not be named, dwells?”
Adalia shrugged, but continued to eat her fruit. “It’s a little further down. Why? Do you want to check it out for yourself?”
Her fair-haired friend shook her head instantly. “No, thank you. I am perfectly fine here on this side of safety.”
A quiet laugh erupted from Adalia as she took the last bite of her nectarine and threw it into the bush. “You might disagree if you heard his voice when he sings . . . pure delight.”
Shiloh rolled her eyes and focused on the road before her. Neither spoke for a few minutes as they walked along.
All seemed at peace in The Grey.
“Have you told Nik yet?” Shiloh asked.
“No, and I don’t know if I need to. It’ll just add to his already overprotective-big-brother tendencies,” Adalia answered, closing her eyes and letting the sun wash over her skin. “Do you think I should?”
“I mean, he’s not my brother, but if I was your sister, I’d want to know.”
Adalia sighed and turned to her friend. “You’re probably right. I’ll tell him tonight. Want to come over for dinner so I can have some moral support?”
Shiloh grinned, and her violet eyes sparkled. “Only if you make that delicious red beef curry with coconut chunks in it.”
“I think I can handle that.” Adalia returned her smile.
They meandered on until a sound drifted through the trees. Shiloh stilled her horse and turned to Adalia. “Is that…?”
Adalia nodded. “Magical isn’t it? Now you can see why I had to explore it further.”
“You’re not thinking about going to him again, are you?” Shiloh’s brow rose.
“It’s quite tempting. I want to know what he’s doing there. Why isn’t he at the palace? I feel like there is more to the situation. Is he spying on us? Does he help Thorns sneak through to The Grey?” Adalia stilled her honey-coloured mare.
All her questions were valid, but above them all, what she wanted to know was could she risk sneaking through the tear again? Would he welcome her? Would Shiloh scold her or tell Nikolas if she did? Deciding the call that whispered to heart was greater, Adalia took in a deep breath as she got down from her horse.
“What are you doing?” Shiloh hissed.
Adalia handed Shiloh the reins. “I’m going to ask him one more time why he’s there. I need answers. It keeps me awake at night and I’m tired of it.”
The prince dwelling so close to the Veil really kept her awake at night. Surely it wasn’t a coincidence that there was a tear so close to his home. He could easily slip in and out without notice.
Shiloh bit her bottom lip and looked towards the milky Veil. “I don’t know Ada, I don’t think this is a good idea at all. What if there are Thorns there with him?”
“I promise I’ll stay hidden and only approach if he’s alone.” Adalia straightened her jacket. “I’ll be back before you know it. Just wait here.”
“If you’re not back in twenty minutes, I’m not coming in after you, but I will get Nik and he will come after you and probably kill you himself.” Shiloh huffed.
Adalia offered her a grin. “Deal. Twenty minutes . . . starting now. Light guide you.”
“You’re the one who needs guiding right now!” Shiloh called after her as she slipped through the tear in the Veil and into Oscuro.
The cabin came into view, and all was quiet except for his melodic sound. As far as she could tell, he was alone. Adalia whistled a bird call and smiled when the song stopped abruptly. Staying hidden behind the trunk of a large, dead tree, she waited for him to emerge.
Adalia definitely wasn’t prepared for what she saw as he opened the door to his cabin and stepped through.
Matthias held his veslo in one hand as he ran the other through his tousled brown locks. He wore only black, loose-fitting trousers, with the upper half of his body completely bare.
Memories surfaced from the last time she saw him here.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she took him in; The man was sculpted to perfection, with a finely chiselled torso and muscular arms. Black tattoos covered his upper body, some too small to define, but the larger ones were as clear as day.
There was a rose on the back of his left hand, the head of a wolf on his chest that looked just like the one standing behind him in the doorway, a crescent moon and some sort of winged creature that she couldn’t quite make out, a crown and a pair of wings. They all must mean something to him, she thought.
Adalia’s eyes flicked to the left and found a multitude of daggers embedded in the trunk of a tree. Her suspicion got the better of her. Stepping out from her hiding place, she confronted him.
“Out here practising your killer moves, are you? Which poor soul has succumbed to your deadly hands this time?” Adalia accused as she folded her arms across her chest.
Matthias stared at her for a moment before putting his veslo down just inside the doorway. Placing his hands into his trouser pockets, his wings shifted as he leant against the door frame, grey-blue eyes studying her.
“Are all these daggers destined for Lightner bodies?” Adalia gestured towards the knives to his right as she took a step towards him.
He seemed unfazed by the accusation. “What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to keep our interactions to . . . I don’t know. Non-existent?”
Adalia glared. “Why do you always answer my question with a question?”
Matthias stepped from the doorway of his cabin and strolled towards her. “I don’t need to answer your questions. Why don’t you keep to your side of the Veil? You’re asking for trouble each time you come here.”
“I just want to know what you’re doing here in this tiny cabin. Why aren’t you living in your grand castle? Or have you come here to spy on helpless Shadowkin and end their lives with those tattooed hands of yours?” Adalia nodded her head towards the hands in his pockets.
Matthias must have found her remark humorous, because he simply smirked.
Adalia narrowed her eyes, annoyed; she knew she shouldn’t be demanding answers from him, especially since she was in his kingdom. What she really should do is thank him for setting her free, but the way he looked right now, and the way he sang his songs, turned her mind to mush. Was all of it a way to cover up what he really did out here?
“What’s funny?” She added.
“You are. Why are you so concerned with how I live my life?” Matthias took another step towards her, hands still in trouser pockets.
“I wouldn’t be so concerned if you would simply answer my questions.” Adalia stood her ground. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. Why would a prince be spending time out here in the woods all by himself, unless it was for an ulterior motive? What are you doing? Are you using that tear in the Veil to sneak in and out of the Grey? To influence Shadowkin? And don’t you dare think about telling me lies with that wretched mouth of yours, either.”
Matthias was standing so close to her now she could smell him—that mix of sandalwood and juniper berries. He dragged his hands from his pockets and folded them across his bare upper half. Adalias’ eyes followed the movement, trailing them over his chest and up to his gaze. She held him there—his gold nose ring glinting as it caught the sun.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. Adalia’s wings twitched.
“Would you like me to show you just what these hands and this mouth can do?” Matthias purred.
Adalia’s eyes widened in shock, but she couldn’t look away. The prince’s brow rose as he took another step towards her, a silent invitation. Her mind was screaming at her to move away, to place distance between the stupidly handsome man who towered over her, but her feet remained cemented on the forest floor, unable to move.
“You are an actual beast! I did not come here to fool around with the enemy. I came here for answers, and I want them now. Why are you dwelling so close to th—”
His movement was fluid and effortless as Matthias reached out a hand and grabbed Adalia by the throat. His eyes darkened, and he pulled her into his body. Lowering his head, he caught her mouth in a fierce kiss. The moment their lips touched, Adalia’s knees gave out and as she crumbled, Matthias wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her upright–her wings brushing his arm.
A small noise escaped her, and Matthias kissed her deeper in response. Adalia’s eyes fluttered shut, and she gave into his demands, enjoying his touch more than she should. He felt right, like a piece of a puzzle she didn’t even know was missing until his hands touched her skin. The hand that held her throat crept its way to cup the back of her neck, angling her head to kiss her deeper.
The internal voice of reason, that reminded her what was right and wrong, screamed as his soft lips nipped and tugged at hers and for a moment Adalia dismissed it. All she wanted was every part of him touching her.
It didn’t matter if this was wrong–if he was wrong.
She kissed him back, drinking in everything about him. Lilac wings twitched, bringing themselves around, encasing them in a cocoon. Matthias’s wings followed. Adalia felt the heat between her legs pool. Not once was she deterred by his actions, but she knew if she didn’t put it to an end soon, her body would betray her.
A few more moments wouldn’t hurt, right?
Slowly reaching up, Adalia placed both palms on his warm, bare skin, her honey-coloured hands a striking contrast against his patterned chest. Little bumps covered her body as the prince’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.
Adalia never wanted this moment to end, but the image of her brother tearing both of them to pieces suddenly dampened the mood. With a shove, Adalia pushed Matthias and stood with ragged breath.
“I suppose we’re even now. My freedom for a kiss . . .”
The left corner of the prince’s mouth pulled up, as if it was attached to an invisible string. “Happy to know I proved preferable to ‘dying a thousand deaths.’”
She was about to scold him when a third voice spoke from behind her, pushing the abrupt kiss from her mind.
“Ahhh, so you have been keeping her all to yourself. Did your father not teach you to share?” the blond male hissed as he strolled towards Adalia with a hungry look on his face.
Adalia took a few steps back towards Matthias as the scene unfolded. She recognised this third figure as one of the Thorns from the king’s dining room. The memory of his yellow eyes roving over her body sent a shiver up her spine.
“What are you doing here, Snake? Don’t you know you’re never welcome anywhere I am?” Matthias sneered at him.
Adalia held her breath as she watched the two males converse. The sudden venom in his voice surprised her. Her hand twitched, instinct insisting she grab her weapon. Nothing good would come from being discovered here by a Thorn, even if the prince didn’t mind. Clearly, Matthias and the newcomer weren’t great friends.
“I was just so intrigued to see where you kept running off too, and now that I’m here we can share . . . her.” Snake grinned at Adalia greedily.
Matthias moved slowly, placing himself between Adalia and the blond-haired male. “There will be no sharing of anyone here. She was just leaving, never to return.” He gave her a look that said, I mean it.
“Leaving so soon? Are you sure you don’t want to stay and play for a while? I promise it’ll be fun.” Snake took another step towards them.
Regret seeped into Adalia’s mind alongside the reality of their situation, and she reached for the dagger at her hip. If she needed to defend herself against the male, she wouldn’t back down, even if he was twice her size.
Matthias caught her movement and reached behind him, gesturing for her to stop. Adalia huffed softly under her breath. She didn’t need the prince to protect her—given her ranking in the army and how many years she’d spent training for situations just like this one.
Still, her heart fluttered in her chest, a contradiction she couldn’t ignore.
“Last time I’ll warn you, Snake. You’re not welcome here. So, leave before blood is spilt and I can guarantee it won’t be mine, or hers.” Matthias motioned towards Adalia with his head.
Adalia could have cut the tension with her knife. The standoff lasted only seconds, but to her it felt like hours. Snake slowly retreated, and Matthias’s shoulders dropped a fraction, some tension leaving his body.
“Your father is going to be so pleased to find out that you’ve been keeping her here this whole time, in this secret hideout of yours. I’ll leave, but you can be certain of my return . . . and the king will be with me.” Snake gave them a slimy smile as he took to the skies. They watched him fly away until he was a speck in the sky.
Matthias ran a hand over his face and the back of his neck as he paced the forest floor.
“Aren’t you going to go after him?” Adalia asked.
“And do what?”
“Stop him from speaking with your father?”
“There’s no stopping him, or my father. If I hurt my father’s beloved advisor, I wouldn’t live to tell the tale.” Matthias’s reply was filled with a touch of fear.
It was the first time Adalia had seen the prince on edge. It made her wonder if his intentions in the woods were innocent after all. Was it a possibility that he was hiding from the king?
Adalia sensed his frustration. “Do you care if your father finds you? Will you finally tell me why you’re here?”
Matthias sighed and turned to her. “Will you go home if I do?”
“Maybe.” Adalia shrugged her shoulders.
“This is the only place where I’m not surrounded by chaos. It’s quiet. I can hear myself think. There’s no one to bother me. If my father found out about this place, he would take so much pleasure in destroying it. There, are you happy? Will you leave now? Before that piece of filth returns? I’m not sure I’ll be able to save you from my father a second time.” His sharp tone was belied by the plea in his eyes.
Afraid.
When he looked at her, when he spoke of his father—he looked afraid.
“What happens to you if I leave and they find you here? Can you find sanctuary somewhere else?”
“There’s nowhere for me to go; it took me months to build this place. There’s no way I’m letting him take it from me.” Matthias’s voice filled with venom.
Adalia couldn’t stomach his fear and, before she could tell herself to shut up, she asked him a question that would make Nik’s eyes fall out of his head. “Do you want to come with me?”
Matthias’s brow furrowed. “Come with you? . . . to The Grey?”
“No, not to The Grey. To Lucius,” she answered, holding his gaze, watching as he digested her offer.
Her mind raced with a million thoughts. What had she just done? How would the Prince of Darkness find sanctuary in Lucius, the Kingdom of Light? As soon as he stepped through the Gates, he would be a fish out of water. Inky black wings as dark as night against the backdrop of brightly coloured cities. There was no way she could hide him, not that she feared for his life in Lucius, but her brother would certainly have something to say about it. And where would he even stay?
“What makes you think I’d want that?” Matthias threw at her.
“I don’t know if you would, but judging by the conversation that just happened, I’m presuming we don’t want to be here when your father arrives.” Adalia shrugged. “And I doubt we have much time to stand here talking about it, either. I’ll take you to my king. He’ll know what to do.”
Matthias glanced farther into Oscuro, to what she presumed was the location of the castle, and then back to his cabin. “Is this some ruse to trick me into your kingdom so you can get revenge?”
Adalia huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “If I wanted to get revenge, it would have happened by now. Instead of revealing myself, I would have gone home and returned to your little hiding spot with a battalion.”
The prince whirled. “And why didn’t you? Why come here at all? No one in their right mind would return once they’d escaped.”
Adalia squared her shoulders. “I came to make sure you weren’t a threat.”
“Oh, I’m a threat, little dove. Or have you forgotten I’m the Prince of Darkness?”
Adalia shifted her weight. “I certainly haven’t forgotten. How could I forget your scowling face and horrible black wings.”
The prince remained silent as he stared at her. A hum of discomfort settled over them, yet Adalia couldn’t look away.
“Look, come with me or stay here and wait around for your father to find you. It’s your choice.” She moved to the forest’s edge. “I’ve been gone too long as it is, so I’m going.”
She walked into the trees. For a brief moment, there was only the sound of leaves crunching underfoot.
“Fine!” he called behind her. “But Bones is coming too!”
Adalia turned as Matthias whistled and a large white wolf bounded to his side.
“Of course the large and terrifying wolf can come too,” Adalia returned to the clearing. “As long as he understands Lightners are off the menu.” The wolf eagerly sniffed her hand, insisting on being pet.
“What about cats?...”
Adalia’s brow rose at the prince’s retort. “Cats are also off the menu.”
Matthias gave her a small grin. “Well, we’re wasting time. Let me put some clothes on. Come inside.”
Adalia nodded, suddenly feeling awkward and trying to look anywhere besides his naked, ink covered back as she followed him inside. It was a cosy cabin, not overly cluttered. It housed a small wooden table in one corner with a single chair beside it, a larger armchair by the fireplace, and a single cot bed on the other side of the room. Books and some odd-looking trinkets adorned a shelf braced upon the wall. Adalia wondered how he coped staying in such cramped spaces with how large his wings were, but he didn’t seem bothered by it as he moved around the room with ease.
“Are you sure about this?” Matthias’s question carried through the small space.
“I’m not sure at all. In fact, I’m probably crazy and will regret it in five minutes, but you’ve saved me more than once. Now it’s time for me to return the favour.” Adalia offered him a weak smile. This certainly was the craziest thing she’d done in a long time. What situation had she just put herself in? Was she truly going to regret it in five minutes? She hoped not.
Matthias nodded and resumed his dressing, buttoning up his black shirt. Adalia felt a pang of disappointment once the prince was dressed. He reached for some food on the shelves near the table and Adalia cleared her throat. “We have food in Lucius. Don’t feel you have to bring your own.”
He dropped his hand and instead turned to the chair by the fireplace, gathering a small brown leather book and his veslo. Adalia watched as he packed them and some clothing into a bag before turning to close the curtains on the windows.
“I’ll just retrieve my knives from outside and I’ll be ready to leave.” Matthias said.
“Do you need to bring them?” Adalia gazed at him warily.
“You can’t be too careful these days, and besides, they are a part of me. I’d feel bare without them.”
Adalia nodded and didn’t question again as she stepped outside—she knew exactly how he felt. Thankfully, no unwelcome guests had arrived, but she would have been lying if she said she didn’t want to wait around to find out if they would.
Matthias pulled two small daggers from the tree trunk and placed one inside his right boot and sheathing the other into the black leather belt around his hips. He walked back towards the cabin and called Bones, then shut the door and locked it behind him. “Ready when you are, little dove.”
“Beast.” Adalia threw at him as she walked off towards the Veil.
Before they stepped through, she stopped and turned, nearly colliding with Matthias’s broad frame. Feeling flushed at their proximity, she took a step back.
“Now, if you even think about misbehaving while you are in my Kingdom you’ll find yourself quickly transported back to this horrid place and I’ll not offer you sanctuary again. Are we clear?” Adalia exclaimed.
“Crystal.” Matthias replied, a boyish grin tugging at his lips.
Adalia huffed and turned back towards the Veil and together they stepped through the tear in the milky haze.
What waited for Adalia on the other side sent her stomach straight into the ground. There, before her, stood a worried-looking Shilo—and a furious-looking Nikolas.
“Has it been twenty minutes already?” Adalia gave the pair a lopsided grin. Her brother didn’t laugh.
“Are you out of your mind, Ada?” Nikolas yelled as he stormed towards her, sword drawn.
Matthias stood up tall and reached for the blade at his hip. Adalia noted the movement, and placed herself between the two huge males, hands held up. “Nikolas, stop before you do something you’ll regret.”
Nevermind his, the regret Adalia had thought about mere minutes ago came flooding in and her brain scurried for a convincing explanation to offer Nikolas why the prince of the dark world was in her company.
Nikolas halted and stared Matthias down, fury pouring from his face.
“Now, before you rip everyone’s heads off, let me make some introductions.” Adalia said gently. “Nik . . . this is Matthias, Prince of Oscuro. Matthias . . . this is my brother Nikolas.”
The two men didn’t move or speak.
A nervous Shiloh stepped forwards and offered her hand to Matthias. “Hello, I’m Shiloh. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Matthias’s brow rose at her comment as he reached for Shiloh’s hand and gently shook it. Adalia shot daggers at her friend, heat rising in her cheeks once again.
“You’ve got some talking to do, sis,” Nikolas growled.
“I’ll explain everything to you later, Nik, but for now I’m taking him to the king, whether or not you like it.”
Her brother still hadn’t taken his eyes off Matthias.
“Nik!” Adalia spoke a little louder.
Nikolas snapped his head towards her. “I do not know what’s got into you, but I don’t like it. Where is the level-headed sister that always does the right thing?”
Adalia nodded. “She’s still here Nik, you don’t know the situation, so just trust me, okay? I’ll tell you everything soon, but first I need to go to the king.”
Her brother slowly retreated to his horse, and Adalia walked off to gather hers. “There aren’t enough horses, and I don’t want you to be mistaken as the enemy by a Lightner soldier, so you’ll have to ride with me. I’m sure Bones can keep up.”
Nikolas eyeballed them, but didn’t comment as Adalia swung up into the saddle of her horse—Matthias followed after. The warmth from his body slowly seeped through her leathers and seared her skin. His scent—purely him—invaded her senses, and she sunk back into the saddle in response. Matthias leaned down and gently whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against it. “Be careful, little dove, or I might think you like me.”
Adalia sucked in her breath and sat up straight, trying to put some distance between her and the prince, but her efforts were futile, especially when he pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist and held on tightly.
No other words were spoken as they all turned their horses towards the centre of The Grey, back towards the Gate at the Lucius Veil.
It took them a decent amount of time to reach it. Adalia was nervous that the guards might feel threatened at the sight of Matthias, but was pleasantly surprised when none questioned her. They simply stared instead. And could she blame them? It wasn’t everyday you saw a man with cheekbones like Matthias or deep black velvet-looking wings. They stepped through the Gate and headed to the stables with a large white wolf in tow.
Adalia thanked Blue once again for always having fresh horses ready and waiting, grinning to herself as she watched the boy’s eyes grow large at the dark one hovering beside her.
“Blue, this is Matthias. Matthias . . . this is Blue.” Adalia smiled as she introduced them.
“Hello sir,” Blue’s voice trembled.
The prince nodded at the boy and smiled.
Adalia was very aware that Matthias was totally out of his element right now and was probably finding it hard to digest everything, so she didn’t linger at the stables. She couldn’t blame him. He was standing on enemy ground. Not that she saw herself as the enemy, but surely he would disagree?
Maybe offering him sanctuary in Lucius had been the wrong thing to do. Would the king scold her for bringing him here? Her urge to protect him could be the very thing that puts him in further danger. Too many questions needed answers, but none of them were going to find her while she stood in the stable.
The other matter that would eventually need discussing was their . . . moment.
Though, perhaps there was nothing left to say. Debt repaid. But Adalia could still feel his lips upon hers like a phantom kiss. Her wings twitched, and she cleared her throat, dismissing the vivid image from her mind.
“Shall we?” She looked at the prince before motioning towards the huge, white, glistening castle in the near distance. “He will be waiting for us.”