Chapter 22
The surprise
“Heard some sounds coming from the ocean end of the Oscuro Veil this morning,” Nikolas mentioned as he bit into the sandwich Adalia handed him.
It was lunchtime and Adalia was in the kitchen making turkey, cranberry and Camembert cheese, open grilled sandwiches on fresh bread she’d picked up from the bakery.
“What do you mean you heard noises? What noises?” Adalia eyed her brother warily.
“The music kind,” Nikolas grinned.
Adalias’ eyes widened. “Do you think it was Matthias? Is that what you’re getting at?”
“Well, I couldn’t be certain, but it certainly sounded like his sad boy tunes,” her brother said as he took another mouthful of his meal.
“Would you throw a fit if I went to see?” Adalia’s brow rose.
Nikolas shrugged. “I would really rather you didn’t, or you at least took someone with you. But knowing you—you won’t listen.”
“So that’s a yes?”
Nikolas eyed her warily. “Only if you promise me you will be careful, and let me or Shiloh know as soon as you’re back.”
Adalia flashed her brother a smile and threw her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered before running off to her room to change.
If there was a slight chance that he was at the cabin, she needed to see if he was ok. It’d been too long. After she changed into her Lightner leathers, she grabbed half her grilled sandwich and headed out the door, yelling to her brother that he could finish the rest.
It didn’t take her long to reach the Gates to The Grey. Salty sea air forced its way into her nose and down her throat as she stepped through. It was so thick she could almost taste the salt on her tongue.
Pushing into the sky, Adalia hurried towards the Veil as she silently prayed that Matthias would still be there. Landing with ease and precision, she neared the tear in the milky white curtain, but stilled before stepping through—listening.
She heard no sound, no song, no voice. What if he’d already left?
Adalia scolded herself. If he was already gone, then all she had to do was turn around and walk right back through the Veil. Unless it was a trap . . . then what?
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and stepped through.
All was quiet as she viewed her surroundings. Trees blew in the breeze and a few leaves danced across the forest floor. Adalia moved silently and effortlessly through the forest like it was a dance she had practised for years. As she neared the cabin, she saw movement.
Bones was laying at the front door, gnawing on a large stick. To the right was Matthias, dressed in black trousers only, his bare, inked torso glistening in the sun from the beads of sweat upon his skin. Closing her eyes, Adalia tried to centre herself with a breath. These past few weeks of missing him, of wanting him gathered in her body, creating a tension that felt so good it almost brought her to tears.
Muscles rippled across his back and all she wanted to do was dance her fingertips along his warm skin and taste the salt of it upon her tongue. This man would be her undoing.
He was throwing daggers at a target pinned onto a tree.
Adalia drew a blade from her waistband and took a step forwards, cracking a twig beneath her foot.
Bones snapped his head up and softly growled, but before Matthias could turn to see who approached, Adalia threw the knife she held in her hand right at him.
It skimmed his shoulder, missing his flesh by millimetres, and lodged into the tree behind him. The prince spun and Adalia watched in slow motion as he released the blade in his hand and it travelled straight for her body.
Air shifted around her in a flurry of wings and movement as the scent of juniper berries and sandalwood filled her senses. A warm, solid body pressed against her back as a hand reached around and clasped the dagger that had almost reached its target. Adalia winced and shut her eyes as the blade that was once headed straight for her was now being held to her throat.
“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to sneak up on people? Especially when they are armed. Besides . . . you missed.” Matthias whispered into her ear, his breath bringing bumps to the surface of her skin. With a quickened breath, Adalia realised she was trapped, mind, body and soul.
Not that she minded one bit.
“You think I missed? Silly prince—I never miss,” she whispered.
Matthias twisted her to face him, and Adalia threw her arms around his neck in a passionate embrace. She drank him in before pushing him from her body to check that he was all in one piece.
“Are you alright? I haven’t heard from you at all,” Adalia asked, failing to hide her disappointment.
“I’m fine. Things with my father have been complicated, so I have been lying low.” Matthias took a step back. “What are you doing here, Ada? You know it’s not safe—you know there is a bounty on your head. You need to go home.”
Adalia shook her head. “I just needed to know that you were okay. Please don’t send me away yet. Let me stay and talk with you.”
“But it’s not safe . . .”
“It’s never been safe to be around you . . . hasn’t stopped me before.” Adalia gazed at him, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.
Matthias put his hands on his hips and grinned, turning away to compose himself. “Okay, here is my offer—beat me in three rounds of dartbourne and you can stay . . . but only for a few minutes.”
Adalia rolled her eyes and retrieved her dagger from the tree. “Deal.”
Matthias smirked as he moved to stand in front of the tree they would use as a target. “I’m sure you could hit me if you try hard enough—I believe in you.”
“If you value your pretty face, prince, I suggest you move. I wouldn’t want to ruin all your hard work looking that good,” Adalia taunted.
“You think I’m good looking?” he teased.
“I think you have three seconds to move before I throw this.”
Matthias chuckled as he stepped away from the tree to let Adalia throw her first blade. It landed centimetres from its target. The prince slowly clapped at her efforts, which resulted in Adalia poking her tongue at him.
“Is that really all you’ve got?” Matthias teased.
Adalias’s brow rose. “I’m not even sweating yet.”
Matthias grinned and positioned himself for his go. Throwing the dagger, it landed right beside Adalias’s but still not quite on the centre target.
Adalia pretended to yawn. “You’re boring me.”
The dark prince shook his head and smiled as Adalia took her place.
After three rounds of dartbourne, Ada was the clear winner and, much to her pleasure, Matthias agreed to let her stay for more than a few minutes.
“You’re lucky you’re good at the game. I’ve spared you the embarrassment of having to leave when you only just got here,” he murmured as his intense gaze travelled over her face, as if he was tracing it to memory.
“And here I was thinking you let me stay because you can’t say no to me,” Adalia teased.
“Well, there’s that too,” Matthias replied, a smile tugging at his lips.
Colour rose into Adalia’s face and she quickly busied herself pulling the blades from the tree trunk as Matthias leaned against it with his arms folded, studying her.
“So, are you going to invite me inside?” Adalia asked sweetly.
Matthias looked towards his cabin. “You’re welcome to come in as long as you don’t mind cramped spaces.”
“I promise I don’t take up that much room,” she crooned.
Chuckling, Matthias pushed off the tree and sauntered towards his cabin. He held the door open with one hand and ushered her in with the other, following closely behind. As Adalia passed him, she gently brushed her shoulder against his bare chest and felt him shudder under the graze of fabric touching his skin. Smiling, she stepped inside.
The cabin was warm from the small fire burning in the fireplace. Everything was how she remembered it. Small table in the corner, shelves with trinkets, books, and a large chair in front of the fire.
“Do you want something to eat?” Matthias offered.
Adalia gazed around the room as she wandered, throwing a glance over her shoulder at his question. “The Prince of Darkness offering to make me food? . . . It’s unheard of.” She grinned.
“I’ll have you know. I can make a mean omelette . . . oh, and toast,” he teased.
A giggle erupted from Adalia’s stomach, and she covered her mouth, stifling the sound.
“Don’t do that . . .” Matthias’ eyes darkened.
“Do what?”
“Hide your laugh.”
“Why?”
Matthias slowly strode towards her, and warmth crept its way into her body. His gaze pierced her soul. “Because it sounds like music . . . and I love music.”
Adalia felt her face flush with colour, and she smiled softly at him. “What food are you making me?”
The prince stopped a few feet away and ran a hand through his soft brown waves. “Well, to be honest. I don’t really have a lot here, but I could make you a hot drink. Tea? Coffee?”
“Tea sounds lovely,” Adalia replied.
Matthias nodded and moved to the small kitchen on the other side of the cabin, busying himself with the iron kettle and some cups.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he chatted.
Adalia wandered around the room and spied the small book he was always writing things in, laying open on the seat of the chair. Moving to it, she ran her eyes over the page. Mostly it was little scribbles and lines of words here and there.
“May I read this?” she asked.
Matthias turned to face her, and wariness filled his face as he registered what she was pointing to. “You can read that page and only that page, and you must promise not to tease me.”
Adalia grinned. “But you tease all the time.”
The prince’s brow rose, and his eyes danced with playfulness. Adalia averted her gaze and cleared her throat, smiling as she did so. She picked the book up and sat in its place. The lyrics she read were filled with so much emotion and feeling. There was pain and heartache in the letters that sat side by side to form words. It was almost unbearable to read.
He was busy preparing their drinks, so Adalia reached for the pen laying on the small table beside her. Putting ink to blank paper, Adalia wrote a few words of her own, turning the page discreetly when she was finished.
“Here,” Matthias spoke softly as he handed her a cup full of steaming tea in her free hand.
“Thank you.”
He pulled a wooden chair from across the room and sat near the fireplace, facing Adalia. Bones snored softly by his feet. “Thoughts?”
Adalia closed the book gently and placed it beside her. “It’s beautiful. You have a gift with words, Matthias.”
The prince quietly huffed in response as he sipped the hot liquid in his cup.
They both sat in silence for a while, just savouring the peace.
“Thank you for the dagger.”
Adalia flicked her gaze to him over the rim of her cup. “You’re welcome,” she softly replied.
“When did you find the time to make it?”
“I have my ways.” She smiled at him sweetly. “James at The Blazing Anvil helped me with a few parts, as I was short on time. Do you like it?”
Matthias nodded. “Very much so.”
Adalia returned her attention to the warmth in her hands.
“Did you mean what you said in your letter?” Matthias murmured.
“Very much so,” came her honest reply.
They both maintained eye contact over the edges of their cups, only breaking to blink. Adalia felt the warmth in her body return, not that it ever really left when Matthias was around. She wanted to walk across the room and climb into his lap. Aching for his arms to encase her and his hands to trace her curves with a featherlight touch, but the fear of rejection was too strong. She would wait for him to come to her—if he ever did.
“Will you sing for me?” Adalia broke the silence.
Matthias put his cup down on the floor beside his foot and placed his arms behind his head, a small grin tugging at his lips. “Maybe when I’ve finished my song?”
“Why not now?”
“Don’t know.” Matthias shrugged.
“Are you scared?”
“Of what?”
“Sharing your music with me?” Adalia mused.
“Maybe.”
“I hope one day you won’t be. Because I also love music.”
Matthias dropped his gaze to the floor, but continued to smile.
Adalia glanced out the window and noticed the dip in the sun’s position. Nikolas would expect her soon, and as much as she didn’t want to leave, she knew she must.
“It’s getting late. I don’t want to get you into any more trouble with your father and I certainly don’t want Nik barging in here ready to sweep in and rescue me,” Adalia said.
Matthias nodded and stood. “I want to scold you for coming here, but it seems I have lost all my scolding words, so instead I will just say thank you for everything,” he spoke.
Adalia stood and moved towards him. She placed a hand on his cheek and ran a thumb over the tiny crescent moon just beneath his eye. “Come back to us.” She murmured.
“If only it was that easy.”
There was no point forcing him to come with her, so Adalia just smiled and nodded her head. She could see that he was well and all in one piece and that’s all she came for, right?
The duo walked outside towards the Veil. The only sounds were small twigs snapping beneath their steps. They reached the Veil within minutes and, just as Adalia moved to step through, Matthias caught her hand.
“Promise you won’t come here again. It’s too dangerous. My father is getting worse by the moment, and I dread to think what might happen to you should he find you here. Don’t forget, he placed a very large sum of money on your head. Someone could be watching my cabin right now.”
Adalia swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “I promise I won’t come here again. How will I know if you’re okay, though?”
“You’re just going to have to trust me, little dove.” Matthias squeezed her hand. “Now go . . . light guide you.”
He nudged her towards the milky curtain and Adalia fought tears as she glanced at him one last time before stepping through. “And keep you,” she whispered.