Chapter 25 #2
I grimaced in time with Chase as the dark grey canvas came down on Morden’s head and his muffled curse rang through the glade as he battled the tent, loud enough to have several fae looking towards the source of the commotion.
Morden breached the flap and shoved the canvas off him, turning on it with a growl as he kicked at it with his booted foot.
“Think he needs a break?” Chase leaned to his right, swaying towards me.
“Definitely.” My smile widened, my heart swelling at the familiarity of it all as I stood there with Chase and Morden stomped towards us, something about the moment hurling me back in time to better days at the pack.
It was good to be with them again, even if a cloud hung over us all.
The darkness that ringed Morden’s grave eyes was a reminder of what was at stake and that it was hardly a time for laughter and enjoying ourselves, even as he tried his best to smile.
I was tired of letting these demons that rode me defeat me over and over again, dragging me down into the mire.
I needed something to raise my spirits, to restore my faith in the balance of the world and that everything would turn out fine.
We would find Lucas, and we would find Everlee and Danica.
“No word from the royal necromancers yet,” I said before he could ask whether I had heard anything from Kaeleron. I placed my hand on his arm, squeezing it through his dark flannel shirt as I gave him a tight smile. “Kael says it won’t be long.”
Morden nodded and came to stand on the other side of me to Chase. “They were assholes for not coming.”
It seemed both males couldn’t let go of the fact that some of the pack had decided to stay in Canada. I could have felt that way too, but instead I had asked Kaeleron to cast a barrier that would keep seelie out of our territory, ensuring they would be safe.
And then I had asked him to help me find Lucas, Everlee and Danica.
He had vowed that we would find them.
And we would slaughter Lucas and anyone else allied with him.
Morden had developed a profound respect for him in a heartbeat.
It was a little unsettling.
Several guards marched past, carrying benches and tables towards the centre of the tents.
“This place is certainly impressive.” Chase looked over his shoulder at the black castle that loomed behind us and then his gaze lowered to me. “As is its king’s power. Impressive… and a little pressing.”
I smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. “You get used to it.”
I had.
It hit me that I barely noticed it now and I wasn’t sure it was because he kept his temper in check as much as possible when he was around me.
I was just accustomed to the force of his presence, and even liked the feel of his power embracing me, brushing against my limbs whenever I was close to him.
It was comforting. Just as comforting as being back in the Shadow Court.
I watched the faint aurora dance above Noainfir, the sacred peak that cut like a black blade into the sky.
Gods, it felt good to be back here.
Being here was comforting. It gave me strength. Together with my friends. My work here and my friends, and Kaeleron, would keep that part of me that wanted to break down from falling apart. I couldn’t break down. Not yet. Danica and Everlee needed me. My pack needed me.
My friends needed me.
And my vengeance wasn’t done.
“Do you get used to that too?” Chase gazed up at the aurora.
“No,” I admitted. “At least, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to how beautiful it is.”
“Is it always like that?” He glanced at me.
Morden answered, “Nope. Sometimes you get to dodge crimson lightning and get drowned in torrential rain.”
I gave him a half-smile, remembering how stunned I had been to see him in the Shadow Court that day, and how much he had looked like a drowned rat rather than a noble wolf.
He didn’t return it, and I wanted to tell him that Oberon would pay for what he had done.
I would keep my vow to make him suffer for controlling Morden like that, turning his own body against him.
Only my heart said that look was about more than his anger over how he had been treated. There was guilt in it too, shame that he had resorted to betraying me, and maybe a sense that he had deserved what Oberon had done to him as punishment for what he had intended to do to me.
We were all terrible liars.
Pretending to be fine.
I watched a female wolf as she crossed the green, speaking with a taller male from the pack, and I saw them as my mother and father. They would have loved this land, so wild and untamed in places, with acres of forest to run in together. They would have loved it as I did.
“Maybe we could take a look around the city. I didn’t see much of it when guards were hauling my ass through it in a blinding rainstorm.” Morden moved a step in front of me, snaring my attention and shattering that illusion of my parents.
“Sounds like a good idea, and how convenient that we have a guide to show us around.” Chase shifted to face me.
Maybe some things hadn’t changed. Morden and Chase could still read me too easily and still knew how to distract me from whatever was on my mind.
I had never appreciated it as much as I did now, though, as I fought to push aside another wave of sorrow that threatened to engulf me and have me skulking away to the lake to grieve alone, shutting the world out.
“Sure.” I nodded and led them away from the tents, strolling past the tiered ponds filled with colourful fish and holding back a smile when Chase almost leaped out of his skin as a fist-sized bumblebee droned past him.
When we reached the more formal side of the garden, I ignored how several of the finely dressed highborn fae watched us and banked right as I gestured towards the broad paved area that separated the garden from the black castle walls, a route that would lead us to the main gate.
I sought familiar faces among those milling around the garden as we passed through it.
I hadn’t seen Malachi, Riordan or Jenavyr since my return, and according to Kaeleron, Neve was in a mood and refusing to come out of her books.
I made a mental note to visit her later though, once my pack was settled, adding it to my list of steps I needed to take.
I wanted to know if she had discovered anything about An’sidwain, and I wanted to hear all the things that had happened while I had been away from the Shadow Court.
And more than that, I just wanted to see her.
I had missed her, just as I had missed Vyr and Riordan, and Malachi before he had come to help us.
Just as I missed Kaeleron.
“She’s thinking of him again,” Morden muttered. “Best to ignore her when she gets that look on her face. There are things you’re better off not knowing when it comes to these lovebirds.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “We’re not lovebirds.”
I wasn’t really sure what we were, but lovebirds didn’t seem to suit us. Lovers, definitely. But lovebirds made us sound like a devoted couple and I wasn’t sure that was the case. We weren’t there yet, anyway.
Falling in love? Check.
One hundred percent in love? Check, for me at least.
I wasn’t sure I would ever be one hundred percent certain about Kaeleron’s feelings until the day he confessed them and even then I would probably doubt he truly loved me in the way I loved him. I blamed Lucas for that. I didn’t want to doubt Kaeleron, but I felt it would be inevitable.
At least until I was more certain of myself. More confident that I was someone worthy of his love.
The guards at the main gate didn’t even spare us a glance as we passed through the open arch between them.
Kaeleron must have issued orders that we were free to come and go as we pleased.
It felt good. My step lightened as we entered the highborn district, Chase and Morden flanking me, both of them drawing glances from the fae coming and going between their homes and the main town, and even from the males directing the carriages that rumbled up the cobbled road towards the castle.
“Curious as cats,” Chase murmured as he dipped his head to several elegant females, who all looked aghast in return, even as they concealed their blushes behind raised gloved hands.
“Cats with claws,” I muttered and glared at a few of them, sure I had seen them in the castle gardens more than once and had been subjected to their vile whispered remarks about me. “I’d steer well clear of them if I were you. They have a bad habit of calling wolves mutts.”
They were clearly interested in Chase, and some even watched Morden with a flash of heat in their eyes, but I was damned if I would let these fae females use my friends as some of them had used the servants and guards during Beltane.
“Come along.” I looped one arm through Chase’s and the other through Morden’s and steered them towards the best part of Falkyr—the town. “If we hurry, the best bakery in town might still have some syrupy sweet buns.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Saphira?” Chase chuckled as he eyed me.
Because I craved something sweet, and apparently everyone but me had noticed my deep love of meat.
“You have to try them.” I released them as we passed beneath the smaller arched stone gateway and entered the edge of town, where the broad cobbled road swept down through the terraces towards the docks, and turned to walk backwards as I smiled. “They’re divine.”
A squeak left me as I bumped into something solid.
Something solid that caught me by my waist and chuckled in my ear.
I knew that laugh.
I turned as he righted me, my smile broadening. “Riordan!”
The vampire released me and pressed his hand to the breast of his formal black tunic jacket as he dipped his blond head. “Milady.”