Chapter 14
The getting to know you
There was a mug on the table beside the lounge, steam curling its way up into the ceiling as sunlight speared through its cloudy dance. Matthias smiled as he reached for it. Adalia had made him a fresh coffee every morning since his arrival in Lucius. It was so odd to him, because even though he was a prince in the opposite kingdom, he didn’t always feel like one. Usually, if he wanted a morning beverage, he would have to find a maid and request one, and when it finally arrived, the coffee would be lukewarm.
Not the ones Adalia made though, they were always the perfect temperature and just the right amount of sweetness. He wasn’t sure how she knew how he liked his coffee, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.
“I need to leave in half an hour to head to the compound. I have a patrol this morning. Did you want to come?” Adalia offered as walked into the room braiding her long chestnut waves.
Catching her scent, Matthias inhaled and let the essence of her seep into his body as he sipped his hot drink. Being invited on a patrol felt like a huge step forward in this thing that was blossoming between them. Matthias wanted to grasp it tight against his chest, but guilt washed over him. This creature . . . This beautiful woman did not know that the freedom he had offered her came with a price tag that she knew not of. He still hadn’t found the courage to tell her about the bounty.
After the guilt came a wave of fear.
What if they were patrolling and came across Thorns? Would they attack immediately, knowing she was worth more than their weight in gold? Would it help or hurt if Matthias were with her?
“Do you want me to come?”
“Like I said earlier, I want you to do whatever you want to do. You’re not being held captive here.” Adalia smiled at him.
The prince nodded and took another mouthful of coffee.
“If you don’t want too though—or if you feel uncomfortable, I completely understand,” Adalia called to him from the kitchen.
“If I’m honest, I’m not sure what I should do.”
“Do you not usually lead hauntings along the Veil of Oscuro?” Adalia asked casually.
Eyeing her from across the room to read her exterior, Matthias hesitated for a moment. “Like I said before . . . I don’t do my father’s dirty work. He has minions for that.”
Adalia held his gaze, a tug pulling at her rose pink lips. “So what do you do in Oscuro, then, or are you going to remain a mystery?”
He wanted to trust her with his innermost parts, but what was the point of baring his soul if he was only going to leave? Rising from the lounge, he sauntered towards the kitchen, placing his cup in the sink.
“I write songs. I fight . . . I make the odd appearance in different regions.” Matthias shrugged.
“You’ll have to tell me more about this fighting you do…and singing,” Adalia said as she disappeared into her room, returning with her shoes.
“Maybe I will,” Matthias answered as he stepped into the courtyard to check the water levels of Bones’s bowl. Thoughts hammered at his mind while he weighed whether or not to go with her. What was he doing here in Lucius? What was he doing toying with the idea that he could stay? Or hoping that, just maybe, Adalia wanted him as much as he wanted her.
It had been a week of amazing cooking and laughter between the siblings and sometimes himself. No one had tried to haul him off to a torture chamber or get rid of him all together. There’d been so many little moments of feeling like it was all too good to be true. Surely, they didn’t really want him here? Not that anyone had given him the feeling of unwantedness, he just felt so out of place amongst all of this . . . love.
Then there were moments of looking into Adalia’s eyes and seeing them glitter with mischievousness. The way she fed everyone with such incredible meals. Her laughter alone kept him stationed inside this unexplainable kingdom. The kindness everyone showed him was, at times, hard to believe.
Adalia followed him outside.
“Do you think Lightners at the compound will be okay with seeing someone like me patrolling The Grey with you?” He glanced up at her.
“What do you mean, someone like you? It’s not like you walk around with a sign on you saying, Hey, look at me. I’m the Prince of Darkness and I’ve come to steal your soul. Although I understand if you’d rather not—and besides, it’s not like anyone in The Grey can see us,” Adalia mused.
Matthias lifted his mouth in a half smile. “You know what I mean. All the ink. The black wings, etcetera . . .”
Adalia shrugged her shoulders. “So what? You like ink. Some people love that and I know us Lightners have been trained to protect The Grey from your kind, but if you’re riding with me, it will be fine. My soldiers trust me. As for the black wings, I really don’t think it’s an issue. Besides, in the sunlight, they look blue.”
Matthias’s brow furrowed. “Do they really?”
Adalia flashed him a grin as she turned to head back inside. “I think they do, but if you’re not convinced, maybe we should test the theory. So, are you coming?”
The prince couldn’t resist the way she was looking at him right now. That movement in his chest hit him hard, and he slightly winced with pain. “No need to beg.” He smirked at her.
Adalia was wearing her white and gold Lightner leathers that hugged the curves of her body in all the right places. He found it very, very hard to keep his eyes off her, reminded of the way she’d looked in that white and gold dress.
When she’d walked out of the room, ready for dinner with the king, his jaw nearly fell to the floor. Her face was flawless, with rosy, pink lips that were undeniably kissable. The gown showed off her toned, womanly figure and had Matthias wanting to remove it from her ever so slowly. She was the most breathtaking creature he had ever laid his eyes on.
He swallowed down feelings that were trying to invade his body. If he was honest with himself, though, he was somewhat surprised that she hadn’t brought up the moment in the woods. It was a vivid and frequently revisited memory for him and her lips had certainly responded to his hungrily. Did she enjoy it as much as he had? Maybe she was waiting for him to talk about it.
Adalia smiled at him and moved to the kitchen. She grabbed what looked like two wrapped sandwiches from the cold room and handed him one. “Here, I made you breakfast.”
Matthias looked at her in awe. “When did you have time to do this?”
“Early this morning.”
“While I was sleeping?” Matthias questioned.
Adalia nodded. “Yes, I like to get up early and we all need to eat.”
“I hope I wasn’t snoring . . .”
“Not at all . . . you’re cute when you sleep.” She winked as she reached for her bag.
Raising his brow, Matthias smirked at her. “You watch me sleep and you think I’m cute. I’m not sure if I should be creeped out right now or flattered.”
Giggling, Adalia walked to the front door. “You remind me of a bird with a broken wing, healing bit by bit as you lay in your borrowed nest. If it makes you feel better, I really like birds, especially cute ones.”
She held her hand on the doorknob as gently as she held the tether to his heart. She was right, though—he was a broken bird— and ever since arriving in Lucius, he felt as if the cracks inside him were beginning to close.
“You ready?” Adalia asked.
“Absolutely.”
Landing in the compound moments later, Matthias was very aware of how many soldiers filled the place and how they could all turn on him easily. The odd soldier eyed him warily, or gawked with a look of surprise, but with Adalia beside him, no one spoke to him negatively, just the odd head nod or light greeting. He wondered what they might be thinking. Did they know who he was?
Matthias kept his wings in close against his body, feeling slightly on edge.
The contrast of his world to this one, though. The air was alive with life. Lightners walked around like joy on legs. Not the sickly joy that made you want to heave . . . but just the right amount.
He followed a few paces behind Adalia to give her space. Matthias knew the importance of her presence here. He didn’t want to get in the way.
Adalia headed into her office and Matthias hovered in the doorway, unsure whether he should follow or not.
“You can come in; I promise I won’t bite,” she jested.
Matthias folded his arms across his muscular chest and leant against the doorframe; it quietly groaned under his weight. “I wouldn’t mind if you did.”
The way the redness rushed to her cheeks had Matthias holding back laughter.
The chestnut-haired beauty flashed him a slight grin as she rifled through some papers on her table. “If you’re going to be a beast, you can wait outside.”
“My apologies. My lips are sealed.” Matthias zipped his lips with his fingers and grinned.
Adalia continued to look through the paperwork. “Ah, here it is,” she said as she lifted a pale-yellow sheet of paper from the pile. She scanned it and, once she seemed satisfied with what she was reading, she placed it back down on the table.
“Is everything okay?” Matthias quietly asked.
“Yes, I just needed to see where the patrol was stationed today, couldn’t remember if it was the top, the middle or the end of the Veil, but it says here the top end.” She smiled and grabbed her bow and arrows from the nearby chair.
Matthias watched her move about the room, transfixed by the way she carried herself with such confidence and ease. “Do your soldiers know who I am?”
Adalia glanced at him. “They do. Nikolas told them you were here for reasons that remain private, but to treat you with respect if they see you out and about.”
Feeling relieved, Matthias let his wings drop, tension releasing from his body. It was still so odd at how these people kept proving to him that everything his father had ever taught him was a complete lie.
“I forgot to ask if you were going to be okay patrolling the Veil, considering it’s your kingdom we are protecting The Grey from?” Adalia asked, pulling him from his train of thought.
“You mean my father’s kingdom. I don’t care about it. Thanks for asking, but I’ll be fine,” he answered.
Adalia nodded and moved towards the doorway. Matthias hesitated for a moment as she stood looking up at him with her mossy, brown eyes. Her scent wafted through the atmosphere. A mixture of vanilla and blueberries.
“Are you going to grab me again?” she spoke cooly, holding his stare.
Matthias pushed off the doorframe and took a step towards her, arms still folded. “Would you like me too?” He was so close that he could feel the body heat between them.
Adalia lifted her chin a little and was about to reply when a Lightner soldier interrupted.
Matthias stepped back and winked at her as he headed outside. Taking a deep breath, he went and stood beneath the shade of a large tree while he waited for her.
She appeared a few moments later, avoiding eye contact, and they shot into the sky, heading for the Gates at the Lucius Veil. They reached it and landed, boots meeting the ground with a heavy thud. Blue was waiting for them. Matthias watched as Adalia interacted with him. The young boy beamed as he chatted away about life and the horses he took care of, and she responded with such kindness and enthusiasm. Matthias stood back and let Adalia retrieve the horses, smiling at Blue when the boy made eye contact.
There was no way anything his father had ever said about how horrid these people were was true. This was proof. The Lightners were the complete opposite of what the Thorns were. He could see and feel it.
A stirring in his chest caught Matthias off guard, and he drew in a sharp breath.
“Are you alright?” Adalia’s head snapped to face him.
“I’m fine, it’s nothing,” he answered.
Matthias pulled himself up into the saddle of his brown coloured horse and gave it a pat. The eccentric movement in his body was happening a lot more frequently, and he was a little concerned. The sudden thump inside his chest hadn’t ever happened until she came along.
“Let’s ride.” She flashed him a grin and took off through the gates.
It was a beautiful day in The Grey and many Shadowkin were ambling through the streets, perusing the local merchants’ stalls. Fishmongers called out their goods for sale and the baker carried a wooden tray of freshly baked sourdough on his shoulder, offering three loaves for the price of two.
It dawned on him that, even in The Grey, he hadn’t heard the constant clang of metal against metal. It was not a sound that he missed at all.
Adalia walked her horse beside him as they patrolled the Veil that ran along the borders of Oscuro deep in the forest.
“How long have you been in Lucius?” he quietly asked.
“This will be my twelfth year.” Adalia smiled at him.
“And Nikolas?”
“His ninth.”
Matthias did the calculations. “So, three years in Lucius without him. Was that hard?”
“It was, but I visited him all the time when I came to The Grey, not that he could see me. I checked in on him until the very moment he passed and stepped into Lucius.”
He watched her mind wander to the past, and it only made him want to know more about her. How did she come to be the person she was today?
“May I ask how you came to, Lucius?”
Adalia shifted in the saddles before turning to him. “There’s no grand story. I simply grew old. My time was at its end. I told Nikolas, and he sat by my bed all night. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was inside Lucius.”
“How old were you when you passed?” he asked as they plodded along.
“Oh, so now you want to talk about age?” Adalia chuckled. “I was ninety-four. So technically I’m one hundred and six, I’m no spring chicken in Shadowkin years . . . are you shocked?” Adalia taunted him.
“Are you shocked that I’m one hundred and nine?” He said with a boyish grin.
“A tiny bit . . .” she replied with a sassy smile.
Matthias let the laughter deep in his stomach bubble up and out of his mouth. He did not know what came over him, but her playful banter and the grin plastered on her face brought life to his veins. He was busy trying to compose himself when she abruptly grabbed his arm and pulled her horse to a stop.
“Did you see that?” she hissed.
Matthias scanned the tree line she was pointing towards and saw two shadows moving in amongst the foliage and nodded.
Adalia placed a finger on her lips and effortlessly slipped from her horse’s saddle. She motioned for Matthias to do the same.
As soon as Adalia’s boots hit the ground, she took off running. Matthias struggled to keep up. He was fast, but she was faster, almost as fast as Bones.
Amidst the dense forest of moonshadow oaks, Adalia and Matthias darted nimbly between the ancient trees, their footsteps barely making a sound. The early morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The pursuit had been relentless, with both Adalia and Matthias hot on their heels. Matthias was impressed with how she weaved her way through the rows of trees, like a hunter chasing its prey. The Thorns from his kingdom were fast, though, and were slipping through their fingers.
He glanced across to Adalia, her eyes blazing with determination, and he watched in awe as she sprinted forwards, her silver dagger glinting in her hand.
Adalia skidded to a halt as one Thorn stopped and pulled an arrow from its quiver, aiming straight for her. Matthias saw the movement and lurched sideways to pull her out of harm’s way, but he was a few seconds too slow. The arrow sailed through the air and skimmed past Adalias’ arm, tearing through the fabric and ripping into her skin. She cried out in pain as the two Thorns disappeared through what must have been a tear in the Veil.
Adalia dropped her dagger to the ground as she clutched her hand around the wound.
“They slipped through the Veil,” she murmured, pain lacing her voice.
Matthias, his chest heaving with exertion, joined her. “Never mind them. Are you okay?” he said, his voice tinged with concern as he reached to look at her arm.
“It hurts, but I’m fine. I know the risks I take when I patrol out here. Although it’s been a while since one has shot at me.”
Running a hand through his hair as he caught his breath, Matthias knew exactly why they shot at her and he should tell her. There was also a very good chance both of the Thorns would report straight to his father. Pacing the forest floor, irritation leaked its way into his bloodstream, causing him to panic. “This is not good . . . this is so not good.”
“What do you mean?” Adalia asked, slightly out of breath.
Matthias continued to pace. What was he doing? Here he was running through the forest with a soldier from the light king’s army, chasing down Thorns from his own kingdom when he knew that being with her put her in even more danger than she was already in.
Or did it? Maybe it was a good thing he was with her. Maybe his presence caused the Thorns to only shoot the arrow as a warning. If she’d been alone or with other soldiers, maybe they would have attacked. Too many conflicting thoughts raced through his mind, and he didn’t know what to do. The time in Lucius was so good that he’d almost forgotten what lay beyond the sunshine and chestnut haired beauty that stood before him.
This situation had been a painful reminder that at some point he had to go back and face the music, whatever that looked like.
“I need to go after them,” Matthias voiced, turning towards the Veil, wings flared and steps heavy.
Grabbing his arm, Adalia yanked him back. “Are you crazy? What purpose would it serve to go after them? Aren’t you worried about what your father might do?”
“Of course I’m worried, Ada,” Matthias stressed. “I don’t want to fuel the fire that continually burns inside my father’s soul. Those Thorns are going to verbally throw me into an open flame.”
It was the first time he’d ever called her by the short version of her name, and her face showed that she’d heard it.
“So what!? Let him fester over there by himself. He’s never going to come into Lucius and rip you from the kingdom . . . is he?” Adalia questioned.
“I don’t know . . . but I don’t want to find out. I can’t stay here forever.”
“Why can’t you?”
Matthias ran his hand over his face in frustration. All he wanted was to stay in Lucius. It had been the most unreal experience in his life and the woman before him was slowly creeping her way into his very soul, but being with her put her at a risk he wasn’t willing to take. His father may never enter the walls of Lucius, but that arrow was proof that he would come for her in The Grey.
“Because life didn’t deal me those cards, Adalia. I don’t get to have the nice things. The girl, the house . . . the picket fence. There’s also this,” Matthias pointed to her arm. “Being with me is not safe. You could have been really hurt today.”
Mossy brown eyes softened, and the touch of a hand gripped his arm. Both the gaze and physical contact were a conduit that instilled him with a peace that was unexplainable.
“Matthias . . . it’s okay . . . I’m okay. We can work this out. Take a deep breath in for me and exhale it all the way out. The Thorns are long gone now. There is no point running after them. We’ll head back to Lucius and I will speak with the king,” Adalia spoke calmly.
“But what of my father ?. . . what if he uses this to declare war? What if those Thorns tell him what they witnessed today, and he sends his entire army into The Grey?” Matthias sighed.
Adalia shook her head softly. “If he does . . . we will be ready. Now, I don’t mean to sound like a baby, but I really need to attend to this wound. I’m losing blood.”
“Oh Ada, I’m so sorry. Here, let me help you.” Before Adalia could protest, Matthias swept her into his arms and hurried back towards their horses. Worrying about his next move would have to come later…for as much as he hated to admit it, he knew he might not have the chance for much longer.