by G. Bailey
The adrenaline surging through me has my entire body shaking. It’s not often I’m stunned into silence, but that’s exactly the case here as I try to catch my breath. Turns out Jane does remember me.
“How dare you lift a hand to our future queen!” Pitch stands in front of me, a dark menacing aura glowing off him.
“Pitch, it’s okay,” I whisper, reaching for his hand. “I’m fine.”
Dark magic gathers around him and the fear flashing in Jane’s eyes is as palpable as the fear gathering inside of me. I’ve never seen Pitch so angry before. It’s both sexy and terrifying at the same time.
“There will be no more bloodshed.” Ambrose holds out his hands again, providing the only barrier between Jane and Pitch. “Jane Vincent, you will explain yourself.”
“And you will all leave my fucking house,” comes her scathing reply. Craning her neck to glare at Jonah, she hisses, “Do you even know who that is?”
Jonah is panting as he looks at me. “Corvina Charles… She’s who I’ve been telling you about.”
“No!” Jane shakes her head and points at me. “She’s the one who killed our parents and brother. She set the fire!”
Jonah pales at the words, his eyes narrowing on my face. “Is this true?”
“I’m sorry,” I choke out, tears slipping from my lashes. “I didn’t know what would happen when I—”
“Oh, she didn’t know,” Jane scoffs, shrugging Jonah off and stepping towards me. Ambrose blocks her path so she chooses to sneer around him. “You destroyed our god damn lives and you think an apology will make up for it? You deserve everything that’s coming your way, you fucking murderer!”
Gods, I should have known this would happen.
Jonah storms out of the cottage, and I don’t hesitate when I run after him. Branches snag my clothes as I stumble through the forest, the cold air stinging my cheeks. He’s just a shadow darting between the trees, visible only when the moonlight touches him. He stops in the middle of a clearing and turns to me, his whole body bathed in the pale light. The sobs I’ve been holding back burst out when I see the tears falling from his eyes.
“J-Jonah,” I whisper his name brokenly. “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness… I had no idea… If I had known what would happen when I became shadowborn, I would never have… ”
He marches over to me, his hands clenched by his side, and I hold my breath, closing my eyes. When Jonah claims my mouth with his, it takes my breath away. Kissing me is the last thing I expected him to do. He slams me against the tree and wraps my legs around his waist, his fingers digging into my jaw. There’s a distinctive fury in the way he’s touching me, but there’s also tenderness; every brush of his lips is hard and soft, hateful, and yet loving.
I snag his bottom lip between my teeth and he growls, stepping back. He uses my cloak as a blanket and sets me on the ground. Pulling my shirt off, he leaves a trail of kisses down my neck and over my breasts before gently biting my nipple. I gasp and arch my spine, the cool night air sending a shiver through me as it caresses my skin.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful, Vina,” he whispers, moving his lips down. He nibbles and kisses every inch of me until he reaches my inner thighs. I part my legs and close my eyes, moaning when his mouth lands on my clit. He swirls and flicks his tongue and spreads my lips with his fingers. When I feel his hot breath on me and hear him inhaling my scent, I open my eyes and blush down at him. He only grins and kisses me before sliding a finger into my wet pussy. I bite my lip, watching as he circles my clit with his tongue and thrusts another finger in.
“Oh, gods!” I dig my fingers into the earth and look up at the moon, the pressure already unbearable. With Jonah’s tongue on my clit and his fingers torturing my sweet spot, it’s all too much. “Jonah, I’m… I’m—-”
My orgasm explodes and I cum onto Jonah’s face, my moans turning into cries of ecstasy. Jonah savors me like I’m the sweetest nectar in the world before he puts his arms by my head and his cock between my legs. The look on his face when he fills me for the first time is the most erotic thing I have ever seen. His eyes dip over and I clench around his cock, still shaking from the aftershocks of my orgasm but eager for more.
I dig my fingernails into his shoulders as Jonah moans in my ear. His groans are so fucking sexy that they have me climbing again, chasing another shattering orgasm. Gods, I hope that I do. From Jonah’s thrusts and pants alone, I know that he’s close, and I wrap my legs tightly around him, pulling his cock deeper with each thrust. Soon he’s spilling into me and I’m cumming onto his cock while seizing his lips into a ravenous embrace.
We stay like that for a long moment, the two of us tethered and our bodies entwined. Jonah looks down at me, his cheeks flushed and pupils dilated with lust, and gods, he’s sexy.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I met you,” he whispers, leaning down to kiss me on the lips, the touch hard and passionate.
“Me too,” I say against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Jonah’s mouth pulls into a wicked grin. “Clean up after dinner. I want to be inside of you for as long as possible.”
I blush at the command but damn, it’s hot. I can only nod as he pulls out of me and reaches for my panties. He slides them up my legs and I lift my hips as he maneuvers them around my waist. The feeling of his cum inside me is so deeply erotic that my breath hitches and I squeeze my thighs together before Jonah helps me onto my feet.
While the two of us adjust our clothes, I cast a glance around the clearing to see where we are. A sharp pang stabs me in the chest. No fucking way. Of all places, this is where Jane lives nearby? It’s like the universe is just fucking with me for the fun of it now. My fingers tremble as I do the last of my buttons and smooth a hand down my skirt. I try to school my features not to alarm Jonah, but he must sense my unease as he gently turns me around to face him, and I hurriedly blink my tears away.
“What’s wrong?” he whispers, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
I take a deep breath and nod at the well. “That’s where I died and became a shadowborn.” A cold breeze drifts through the trees and I rub the chill from my arms. This explains why the cottage felt so familiar to me; I remember passing it the night I followed Pitch into the forest. “Do you remember the final round of last year’s Tryouts?”
“The Chamber of Fears,” Jonah answers. “I watched my sister die.”
“And I was here with this well. I couldn’t have faced it without your help. I couldn’t have destroyed it.”
He looks over my shoulder at the well, his eyebrows knitting together. “Do you remember what I said to you?”
I grin at him, resting my palms on his chest. “You said I’m Corvina Fucking Charles, the most bad ass woman you’d ever met.”
Jonah chuckles and wraps his arms around me. “And I wasn’t wrong.” He tucks my head under his chin and kisses my hair, his heart pounding against my ear. “I forgive you, Corvina.”
“I don’t deserve to be forgiven,” I mumble into his chest.
“You were just a kid,” he says. “You had no control over your powers just like the rest of us didn’t.”
I close my eyes, my tears soaking through his shirt. “I wish I never jumped into that stupid well.”
“We all wish at times we never became a shadowborn.” Jonah pulls me back and frowns at me. “But if you hadn’t, we’d never have met, and as much as you’re a pain in the ass, you’re my pain in the ass.”
I chuckle, my cheeks heating up. “Are you saying that you love me, Mr Vincent?”
His reply is to kiss me, and I smile against his lips. This is the only forgiveness I will ever need.
When we go back to the cottage, we find David sitting on the porch. Jonah lets go of my hand and enters the cottage first, his shoulders tensing as he prepares to confront his sister. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling guilty for the pain I’ve caused them both. While Jonah may have forgiven me, I highly doubt his
sister ever will, and I don’t blame her.
“She finally calmed down,” David says, jutting his chin over his shoulder. “Sage may or may not have knocked some sense into her.”
“Is Sage all right?” I ask, my heart stuttering with concern. I love that Sage always has my back but I also hate the thought of pissing Jane off even more. At the end of the day, I’m the one in the wrong, not her. Jane doesn’t deserve to get hurt even if my head still aches, and I’m pretty sure she pulled out a few clumps of my hair.
“It’s Sage we’re talking about.” David takes a drink from his flask, the edge of his lips twitching. “Of course she is.”
Chuckling under my breath, I enter the cottage to find everyone gathered around the table. Jane is in the kitchen behind them, preparing dinner, and her eyes never leave me while Jonah whispers in her ear. With obvious reluctance, she sets the soup bowls down on the table and follows him up the stairs. I sigh and sit down between Gage and Pitch, trying desperately hard not to focus on Jonah’s cum making my panties wet.
“So,” Zander starts, tucking his hands behind his head and glancing around the table. “What’s the plan?”
“We can’t stay here forever,” Gage sighs, crossing over his arms. “We need allies.”
Zander nods. “Maybe King Chiron can be persuaded.”
“Persuaded?” I repeat, looking between them. “What do you mean?”
“Ever since King Ares ascended the Throne of Luna, Chiron has remained passive to our wars,” Pitch explains. “He doesn’t involve himself in fae business anymore. He cares only for his own kingdom.”
“Sounds like they’re a bunch of hermits,” Sage mutters across from me, rolling her eyes. “Pass. We need more shadowborns on our side. Plus, they’re more powerful.”
Zander nods and unclasps his hands. “Then we go to the Black Harbour.”
“Is the training arena still there?” Ambrose inquires, narrowing his eyes in contemplation.
“I believe so,” David answers. “I had a former student who moved there a few weeks ago.”
As soon as David finishes talking, Jonah and his sister climb down the stairs. For a long, strained moment, everyone falls quiet as a tense silence drifts between us. Jonah slumps into one of the chairs at the table while Jane starts pouring homemade soup into ceramic bowls.
“What is the training arena?” I ask, trying to diffuse the tension.
“It’s where shadowborns who are training to become wardens go,” Pitch tells me. “The Black Harbour alone has more shadowborns than the academy.”
“Then we should go there,” I say, almost suggesting we leave now until I see how noticeably exhausted everyone looks. “Once we’ve had some food and rest.”
Jonah nods and watches his sister place a bowl in front of everyone. His eyes narrow on her when she sets one in front of me. To my surprise, she doesn’t deliberately spill it like I did with Eva, and I have to applaud her restraint; I deserve more than hot soup poured over me. I wonder what Jonah said to calm her down.
“Titans prefer to rest during the day, so it’s better you leave in the morning,” Jane says, her voice quiet. She reaches for a jug of water and starts filling our glasses. “Hurry up and eat before the broth gets cold.”
The broth is a thick, chunky vegetable soup that’s delicious and filling, but the room stays super tense and awkward which makes it hard to enjoy. When we’re finally done eating, Jonah helps Jane clean up when there’s a knock on the door.
Jane glares at her brother. “If you’ve brought my ex here just to piss me off, even more, I will end you.”
“Don’t look at me.” He dumps the bowls in the sink and winks over his shoulder at me. “The only people I care about are already here.”
My cheeks heat up and a grin slides onto my lips as Pitch stands from the table and walks over to the door. A gust of cool air sweeps into the room and all eyes turn to see who the visitor is. The air catches in my throat when Queen Narah, covered in blood, collapses into Pitch’s arms.
“The queen looks weak,” Ambrose states from behind me as I lean against the door, looking into the bedroom where my mother sleeps peacefully. He’s once again right. Narah doesn’t look healthy, and I fear she won’t for a long time. Ambrose has done his best to heal her, but some dark magic cannot be undone so easily. Especially if not even the Dark Fae Queen can erase it.
Despite everything she has done, and how angry I am at her, I want to be near while she heals. I want to find out what happened and make sure she’s okay. Ambrose steps closer to me, so close I can feel the heat from his body like a comforting blanket on a cold night.
“My own mother was cold and indifferent towards me for as long as I can remember,” he whispers. “It wasn’t her fault. I was a child she never wanted to exist. If I had a mother who loved and cared for me as yours does, I would give her a chance to explain herself.”
“But does my mother truly care for me?” I peel my gaze off her and frown at him. “She betrayed me, killed my father, and took over his kingdom. She also made Eva, a complete psychopath, her heir. Those aren’t the actions of someone who cares about me or even sees me as their daughter. I’m beginning to think that she never saw me as her daughter.”
He pauses and looks at my mother. “If that were the case, Vina, she would not have sought you out.”
Once again, Ambrose has a point. My wise old owl.
“Ambrose, why did you save me all those years ago?” I ask, genuinely curious to hear his answer.
He doesn’t even hesitate. “I saw a young girl making a foolish decision that I knew she would regret the second she jumped. But more than that, I saw a soul worth saving, and you know what?” He looks back at me. “I was right. Whatever is in your soul, no matter how powerful, is going to save this world from the mistakes of our past.”
“I never said thank you,” I tell him and take his hand in mine, squeezing tightly. “Thank you. I will always be your friend, Ambrose, until my death.”
“Which won’t be anytime soon,” Ambrose says with a meaningful stare. This conversation has been a long time coming for both of us. “Magic keeps a god alive for eternity, and with the magic in your soul, Corvina, how long do you think you will live at my side?”
“Immorality is not promised to anyone,” I whisper. “My mother is powerful and yet look at her. Not even royals can live as long as a god. I don’t think they’re supposed to.”
Ambrose lifts our joined hands and softly kisses the back of my hand before letting go. He turns and walks away, and I let him leave. I can’t be what he needs in his life, but I will be his friend for a very long time, forever owing him a debt I feel cannot be repaid.
I head to my mother’s side, pulling a wooden chair over and sitting next to her in the silence of the room. This part of the Enchanted Forest is all but silent, the only noise to disturb the peace is the birds chirping away. I can hardly look at Narah like this, vulnerable and on the verge of death. It almost doesn’t seem like she’s real anymore. Her black hair is spread around the pillow, her pale skin is clammy and cold to touch. She is still enchantingly beautiful but the magic used against her has corrupted her soul, and I can feel it. I nearly jump when she opens her eyes, blinking a few times before turning her head to me.
“Corvina, you’re here,” she whispers, her voice hoarse. “So many years I fell asleep wishing you were there when I woke but you never were.”
Gritting my teeth, I push away her emotional blackmail shit. “Don’t expect me to play the doting daughter card when you fucked up the loving mother card. You killed Ulric!”
“He deserved it, and I will never be sorry for his death. He. Stole. My. Child.” She bites out every word, looking exhausted from doing so. I can’t imagine her pain at having her baby stolen, and while I understand it, I don’t need to like it. One wrong doesn’t make a right and siding with Eva is just totally unthinkable.
“And Eva?” I question, raising an eyebrow. “My dear sweet s
ister, who has crashed her train into crazy-ass-town?”
Narah winces and lifts a hand to her stomach. “I wanted the Throne of Helios to fall in ruins,” she whispers, tears glazing her long lashes. “I wanted every single Light Fae, including Eva, to despise their king because of what he did, and for the Dark Fae to finally rule as they should. Eva promised me all of this even when I saw her heart turn black. I wasn’t aware who Ronan was. When I was told, I confronted her, but she would not back down. Eva has some strange desire to see Ronan kill you.”
“It’s because he was my friend,” I all but growl. “Eva wants my heart turned cold before I die. It’s no fun just to kill me.”
“Yes, that is what I feared. You see, Eva was never going to be my heir. I simply wanted to use her to destroy her father and bring down his kingdom. However, last night I was betrayed by one of my former lovers who told her of my intentions. Eva sent the Titans and her army to attack my kingdom out of sheer spite.” Narah’s pale lips bear back into a snarl, “She has lost all control and has since gone mad with power! She has even taken over Kyllaros. Prince Elias has fled to the mountains, but I fear his father has been killed. Not even the Deadlands are safe anymore.”
“By Selena! You mean, all the kingdoms have fallen?” I question in horror. That means nowhere is safe apart from Draconia. But only those with dragon blood can go into that kingdom. It isn’t a place for shadowborns or normal fae.
Narah nods weakly. “I used the last of my magic to lock down my castle with some of our people inside. It’s an ancient spell known only to Dark Fae royals to protect the castle. For now, the Titans will struggle to get inside, but the magic of Selena can only hold the castle up for so long,” she warns me. “I made a mistake but I will fix it if…if you will help me, Corvina?”
“How could I possibly trust you?” I demand, shaking my head.
Narah looks away at the window and breathes in, wincing again. “I have done much wrong in my life, so much that the damage is beyond repair, but you, Corvina, are my one true act. You may not trust me, but please…please know that I do love you, and I will save the kingdom for you. I swear on Selena, I will never betray you again, Corvina.”