by J. L. Weil
Before I could give him my gratitude, Reilly erupted into his dragon, creating a blockade between us and the sentinels. He let out a deafening roar that had the ground quaking, and I made a hasty decision, praying it would be enough.
Running toward Karina, I sliced my palm open with the end of my sword. Her eyes widened at the sight of my blood dripping down my forearm. “Give me your hand,” I said as I slid to a stop before her.
She did so without hesitation, and I sighed in relief. Her trust in me was absolute. There was nothing I wanted more than to touch her, to hold her, to press my lips to hers, but nothing was as important as getting her to safety.
I ran the tip of my blade over the inside of her hand, and she winced. The sound was like a stab to my heart, but it couldn’t be helped. Kai’s gaze narrowed as he pieced together what my plan was. He opened his mouth to object, but his words were drowned out the moment I joined my hand with Karina’s, blood to blood.
Never had I experienced anything like this rush of power, the sharing of magic—two souls twining together as one. It was ancient fae magic, rarely practiced due to the consequences of sharing something so intimate. There would be fallout from this rash decision, but I would pay any price in the world to keep her alive.
Karina gasped at the feeling of our magic dancing and then joining together. My fae powers fed hers, giving her the strength to stand on her own. Her eyes burned an otherworldly bright blue.
The bond went beyond magic. My hatred and anger transferred as well, along with all the other emotions I was feeling after being separated for weeks. It was a lot for both of us to handle as her feelings slammed into me, but we had to stay focused or all of this would be for nothing.
I took her chin in between my fingers, forcing her to look at me. “Karina, I need you to get us out of here. Do you understand?”
She nodded and slid her other hand into Kai’s, linking the three of us together.
I’d end Ryker’s miserable existence if that’s what it took. This time he didn’t have a bargaining chip. Too bad I hadn’t had the chance to go to the castle while a number of his sentinels were on duty and abducted his bitch wife—given the bastard a taste of his own venom. Lady Isleen was a vile fae draped in silk. Many years ago, I’d learned about the evil she disguised behind a pretty face. I’d never forgotten what she had done to Sienna.
One day, when this threat was dealt with, I would seek my retribution for his death.
And if Isleen used a sliver of those slithering gifts on Karina … Rage boiled inside me, a living thing ready to pounce. Isleen was a snake in the Garden of Eden.
KARINA
The combining of my power with Devyn’s was heady and addicting, warm and loving. It was like bathing in starlight, and I was glowing from the inside out, bursting with energy.
My heart, my body, my soul was filled with Devyn, even as a fight continued on around us. Only one thought reverberated in my head: I had to get us out of here; I had to save us.
And this was the only way I knew how.
I reached inward one last time to draw on that raw power inside me. A fire bloomed within me. It was slower than before, but it was still there—a comfort.
Ryker stood behind his men, barking orders. Reilly roared, sending a stream of fire raging through the Clove. Ryker’s sentinels stumbled backward, but the guards were fae and possessed their own powers. It wasn’t long before the sentinels were back on the offensive, pushing past the dragon. Magic swirled and the air vibrated around us. Roots climbed out of the earth, snaking over the ground. Branches from the nearby trees grew, whipping with the winds that had started to howl. The water at our backs whirled and coiled, forming a tidal wave big enough to take out a small village.
“This is bad,” Kai muttered, his eyes darting around the Clove.
There was no way I’d be able to combat all of the attacks. Running was our only option.
A roar overtook the pandemonium, and a large leopard with amber eyes leaped in front of us.
Ryker.
“This is bad,” Kai said, his hand stiff in mine.
“You said that already,” Devyn pointed out.
“It’s worth repeating.”
Every hair on my body stood up from the surge of magic, and the fox inside me was raring to come out and give Ryker the fight he was searching for. I stared my uncle down, not budging an inch. I would be damned before I let him win and force me back under his control in that magic-forsaken castle. I wouldn’t be so easy to catch this time.
The power streaming in my veins refused to be contained anymore. I took steadying breaths and reached inside, touching a fae part of myself. It was more than just my Kitsune I felt, but Devyn as well. Our spirits twined together. They were powerfully tied together by an old magic I knew nothing about but could feel.
And they were ready to be unleashed.
A cool calm dropped over me as I held onto that thread of magic, and I detonated, hurling that pent-up power toward Ryker and the approaching sentinels with no idea of what I was sending out into the world. Perhaps not the smartest move, but I was desperate.
The night itself became bright, and an unnatural mist descended upon the Clove. Born from the ghostly mist, an army emerged. Their bodies were eerily translucent with no real outline to their light blue forms. Sunken, skull-like faces stared at me, their eyes pure white.
Holy shit. What have I done?
For a few prolonged heartbeats, I wasn’t sure if this army of the dead I’d summoned from another realm was here to aid or destroy me. Two dozen ghostly soldiers marched in formation toward Ryker’s sentinels, and I got my answer.
Air expelled from my lungs as time seemed to slip and bend before my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, what I had conjured.
“Did she—?” Kai’s astonishment was cut off by the sounds of battle.
Devyn blinked. “I think so.”
“I’m way too sober for this shit.”
Devyn squeezed my hand, the link between us still flowing strong. “We need to go. Now. While the spirits keep the sentinels busy.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Kai mumbled.
For a few seconds, I watched in equal parts horror and awe as the spirits slashed through Ryker’s guards. I had done that. What did that say about me? About what my fae magic was capable of?
“Karina.” Devyn spoke my name, drawing my attention to him.
I let Devyn become my anchor—the green of his eyes, the steady pulse of our joined hands. Doubt and fear were gone, and I harnessed Devyn’s rage to thrust us into the shadows, becoming darkness.
Kai’s hand jerked against mine, and Devyn’s eyes grew wide with fear. Something was wrong. Kai’s grip on my hand slackened, and my heart stumbled in my chest, but I refused to let him go.
“Kai!” Devyn roared.
My hand tightened around Kai’s. I was determined not to leave him behind. Blackness spun around us.
Then there was nothing. Only the sweet oblivion of obscurity.
Chapter Fourteen
KARINA
The cool caress of darkness clung to my skin even after the void faded, depositing us on an empty beach. Waves beat against the shore and lapped around my ankles. The two moons reflected in the water of the Sea of Weaverly, and in the distance, the lights of Salvotory Castle glittered over the cliffs.
Of all the places I could have sent us, why this beach was the first thing that came to mind, I didn’t know. I’d panicked. The soul star around my neck blazed, pulsing against the skin at my chest.
Ecstasy swam in my blood as my eyes found Devyn’s. His breath was hard and uneven. In those emerald eyes, I saw the same feral need that reflected in mine.
He was everything to me.
“Devyn.” My voice broke with all kinds of messy emotions contained in it. I reached my hand out to his face, allowing my fingers to graze his stubbly chin. It looked as if he hadn’t shaved in days. Or slept. Faint bags sagged under his eyes.
His nostrils flared.
Pleasure built under my skin. A shimmering soft light twinkled behind my eyes, and I launched myself into his arms. “This better not be a dream.” My pulse raced, running in rhythm with his.
He rubbed his cheek along mine. “You’re okay,” he said mostly to himself, needing to touch me and see for sure. His light fingers tucked loose strands of hair behind my ears.
A shudder rolled through me, followed by exhaustion like I’d never experienced. It crashed into my body when I released our joined hands, severing the connection of our magic. His arms curled around me, lending me his strength once again.
I didn’t care that blood covered us both or that we stunk to high heaven. None of that mattered. Tears washed down my face as I tried to take in every piece of him. His scent. His body pressed against mine. The brush of his lips along my hair. He held me tight to him, and for the first time in weeks, the world felt right; I felt whole. “Took you long enough,” I muttered against his neck, my face buried in him.
His chest rumbled, and the low sound of his chuckle tickled my ears. “You didn’t actually think I forgot about you, did you?”
“Don’t let go,” I breathed.
“Never.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Never again,” he whispered, raining kisses over my face.
I didn’t know how long we stayed embraced on the beach. We had a million things to say to one another, but for now, neither of us were in a rush. All the time that had separated us no longer mattered.
“Devyn,” Kai said from behind us, his voice scratchy and weak. A thud followed.
DEVYN
I kept my arm secured around Karina and turned to face Kai. She leaned heavily on me, her energy depleted. Kai had dropped to his knees. Blood soaked his dark T-shirt, and the severity of his situation hit me. A sentinel had hurled a dagger at him seconds before Karina had voided.
Not that I felt a drop of sympathy for him.
Karina was another story.
She gasped, pulling back from me for a second. “He’s hurt. Devyn, do something.”
“It’s just a scratch.” Kai tried to play it off with a smirk and failed. He was in pain, and his body wasn’t healing.
Kai’s magic was still bound by the bracelet, making it impossible for him to heal himself. Blood pooled around the handle of the dagger in his abdomen. I sighed and regrettably removed one of my arms from around Karina to grab Wrath, who appeared at my back when willed. The snake twined around my blade and hissed at Kai, its eyes glowing green.
Kai was not high on my list of people to save, but he had my gratitude. I might not have approved of his methods of trying to claim Karina for himself, but he had looked after her as I’d asked. “I won’t forget this,” I said, and then I dropped my blade down upon the shackle. The sword was one of the few weapons in this world that could cut through the magic on the cuffs.
Sparks glinted as steel met steel, sending a shock through the cuffs and ridding them of their power. Kai exhaled with relief and tossed the bracelet onto the beach before rubbing at his wrist. A bright cherry mark branded his skin.
I ran a hand through my hair, surveying our surroundings. “We need to get off the beach. He will be looking for us, and it won’t be long before his sentinels in the castle get word of our escape.”
“I know a place,” Kai rasped. He pulled the dagger out with a grunt and pressed a hand to his lower stomach.
I tried not to glare at him. “Can you walk?” We didn’t have time to wait for him to heal completely, which could take hours.
He gritted his teeth and shoved to his feet. “Don’t worry about me. Bastard got a lucky shot.”
Karina pressed her lips together, anguish brewing in her eyes. If he didn’t stop bleeding, he would leave a trail that led right to us. “How far is this place?”
“Just up the bluff. In the cliffs, there is a hidden cave.”
“And it’s safe?” Karina questioned.
“Compared to here, yes,” Kai replied, his brow coated in sweat.
“It will have to do, at least for the night,” I said. We didn’t have much of a choice. I had to get them into hiding before one or both of them decided to pass out. Carrying Karina would be no hardship, but Kai … he was another story.
Slipping an arm around my stepbrother, I lent him my sturdiness while keeping Karina at my other side, and the three of us hobbled down the beach, relying on Kai for directions. It wasn’t an easy trek up into the bluffs that bordered the eastern side of the harbor, especially as tired and spent as we were.
I hadn’t slept in days. Kai’s wound had stopped seeping blood, but he still winced with every step. And Karina was as white as the moons.
“How did you find this place?” Karina asked.
Kai shrugged in his usual nonchalant way. “I get bored easily. When you were sleeping or off playing with Bash and Reilly, I did a bit of exploring.”
I scowled, my blood pressure shooting up at the mention of Ryker’s son.
“I was not playing,” Karina retorted.
The cave wasn’t far, but it was concealed enough that I had to question how exactly Kai had found it by just roaming about. I helped him inside, setting him in a corner of the den. It wasn’t a large space, just barely big enough for the three of us to fit comfortably and stretch out.
Karina leaned up against the mouth of the cave as she waited for Kai to get situated. Her eyes peered through the tangle of vines and brush cloaking the opening. I could sense the apprehension within her through the fatigue.
I hated what I had to ask of her, but it was the only way to ensure we stayed hidden. All I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and sleep for days. But not yet. “I need you to do one last thing before you rest.”
“Whatever you need.” No hesitation shone in her eyes, only trust and weariness.
“Conjure a quick storm, just long enough to wash away our footsteps and any traces of blood.”
She nodded. “I don’t have much left, but it might be enough.” Her fingers reached for mine—not to share magic, but for support.
I squeezed her fingers lightly as she rallied the last drops of her magic to summon a dark raincloud over the harbor. It was a quick storm, breezing in as fast as it blew away. No crack of thunder or spear of lightning followed, and that was for the best, as we didn’t want to give any hints as to our whereabouts.
A gust of wind kissed my face, smelling of fresh rain and wet sand. Karina swayed, and I moved, sweeping her off her feet. A sigh escaped her lips as she dropped her head onto my shoulder, her arms hanging at her sides. She was either asleep or unconscious by the time I laid her on the ground. I removed my shirt and bunched it under her head.
“Where’s my pillow?” Kai griped.
“Use your own shirt,” I grumbled. I didn’t even bother to look at him as my eyes remained fixed on Karina as I settled in beside her, my back pressed to the cave wall. There was a hollowness to Karina’s face that hadn’t been there weeks ago when I’d last seen her. It tugged at my heart.
My fault.
It was my fault that she’d lost weight, that she’d been taken, and for whatever else she’d endured.
My fault.
I’d never forgive myself.
Kai tucked an arm under his head, his body sprawled out on the cold ground. “You’re doing that thing where you blame yourself, aren’t you?”
“Shut up,” I groaned.
I wanted to hold her and never let go, to sleep with her in my arms, to smell the sweet scent of her hair and the wildness of her fox.
“This will not end well,” Kai said, his gaze looking at the almost healed cut across my palm. By morning, it would be as if it was never there.
I rested my forearms over my knees. “Perhaps not, but I’m not sure I care anymore.”
“I don’t have to tell you how dangerous it was to share your magic with her.”
No, he didn’t. “I can’t change what I’ve done.” And given
the choice, I would do it again. My decision to share our powers had been risky, but it also saved us and brought us back together.
It felt like a dream being this close to her, as if none of this was real and any second I’d wake up alone with the pain of losing her stabbing me over and over and over again in my chest. I’d never forget that paralyzing feeling.
My heart ached.
Curled into a ball beside me, I watched her sleep, unable to tear my eyes from her. She was beautiful. So beautiful. I’d conjured her face so many times from memory, but nothing was like being in her presence. I’d dreamed of this moment a hundred times. I only wished she didn’t have to sleep on the cold floor. After all that she’d been through, she deserved a life better than the one that was set before her.
Katsura’s queen had been forced to use a cave as her royal bedroom, but given our circumstances, there hadn’t been many options. We couldn’t risk a fire, not with Ryker’s militia scouring the land. Little did he know we were right under his nose. We had to move soon. Even the few hours of sleep would cost us.
“Are you going to stare at her all night?” Kai’s voice cut through the darkness like a knife.
“It beats staring at you.”
He chuckled. “Is that your way of saying thank you?”
“Depends on if you're going to be a prick about it. Besides, I’m planning on kicking your ass once you’ve healed.”
“For what do I deserve this ass-kicking?”
I shook my head. “You’re lucky she turned you down or you’d already be dead.”
Understanding hit his deep blue eyes right before a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Oh, that. I guess I deserve a beating for impersonating you. She surprised me as well.”
A growl went through my chest.
Kai laughed. “Easy, little brother. You have more pressing matters to concern yourself with, like your Kitsune becoming less and less human. What she did tonight, summoning those spirits …”
He didn’t have to tell me. Karina had gained yet another ability, making her more fae than mortal. Did she know? Could she sense the change in her? I had wanted to shield her from this world for as long as possible, and I couldn’t help but feel as if I hadn’t done enough. Before this was over, she’d become a shell of the girl she had once been. And I wasn’t certain how that made me feel.