Cambion

by Plum Pascal

  I’m amazed. I have to admit.

  “You did it!” Eilish cheers.

  “So I did,” I respond with surprise I can’t hide.

  “So come on then!” Eilish calls at me as she holds her blade in a fighting stance and beckons me forward with her hand. Her smile is inviting and teasing, at the same time.

  We begin attacking one another, advancing and retreating until she catches on and creates her own rhythm. Her feet move quickly, but her strikes are slow. I coach her through blocking and slashing, showing her how to throw her opponent by changing her rhythm mid-strike. Then I teach her how to use her environment to her advantage. She catches on quickly, and my chest swells with pride. “Very good, Eilish.”

  She begins to glow again, just faintly. I want to bask in her light.

  NINETEEN

  Eilish

  The Veil

  “Have you thought about… what we read in the library?” Dragan asks me and I swallow hard when I realize to what he’s referring. I need to take another lover—one of light. Otherwise darkness will eventually overpower me.

  To answer Dragan’s question, yes, I have thought about it. In fact, it’s a subject that’s been occupying my mind long before we ever decided to research it.

  “Yes, I have,” I answer.

  “And?” he asks and by the tightness of his lips, I can tell he’s uncomfortable with this conversation. Not that I blame him. I understand how Dragan feels—the idea of having to share him or Baron with another woman leaves me cold.

  I realize the sacrifice I’m asking him to make.

  “And, I realize I need to feed the light within me,” I answer, my voice so soft it sound more like a squeak.

  “Have you thought of a… candidate?”

  It’s a silly question because there’s only one candidate. There’s only one man strong enough to allow me to feed from him. Cambion. Well, that’s not true. Variant would be equally able but clearly he’s not on offer.

  “My choice would be Cambion,” I reply softly.

  “He appears to be the only… viable option,” Dragan agrees.

  “But, I think that option is looking like more and more like an impossibility.”

  “It’s Cambion or…Variant,” Dragan barks back. “Which means it’s Cambion because I’m fairly sure Variant still wants you dead. Probably even more so now.” He sighs. “There are no other options.”

  I nod because I know Dragan’s right. “Yet Cambion can barely even look me in the eyes ,” I say.

  “He needs to figure his shit out,” Dragan responds gruffly. “If it gets to the point where we force him on you, that’s what we’ll have to do.”

  “How would that work?” I ask, frowning at him.

  He shrugs. “We lock the two of you up in the same room together and you turn on your seduction full bore. We don’t let him out until he… does what he needs to.”

  “It sounds so…”

  “It doesn’t matter how it sounds,” Dragan interrupts. “We can’t let you fall to the darkness.”

  “Right,” I say and nod. “Are you sure Cambion and Variant are the only ones strong enough to survive… bedding me?”

  Dragan nods. “You saw what the books said.”

  I nod again and then fall silent. We both just look at one another for what feels like an eternity. I finally break the silence. “I don’t want to turn into a succubus.”

  “I don’t want that either,” he admits.

  Dragan leaves me when we return from our walk and I return to the clearing to practice while the others eat supper. I have no appetite. I can hear the sounds of clattering plates and silver as they feast. Jovial stories about Kolvar and his band of mercenaries fill the cottage with happiness, causing laughter to carry out the windows and to my ears. But, I can’t share in their mirth.

  Not when there’s so much on my mind.

  Winter is coming to The Veil. I can feel the chilling tendrils of frigid air seeping into my skin, drying the sweat on my face as I run through my practice drills over and over. I push myself until my muscles ache and the others head to bed.

  Pyre appears before me and I nearly scream. He smirks, lifting his hands in surrender. “You’re getting better, Eilish. Soon, you’ll be a warrior.”

  “Not soon enough.”

  “Are you truly ready?” he asks. I don’t answer, but I follow him as he walks into the woods. There’s no way I can tell someone who has so much faith in me that I’ll never be truly ready because I don’t understand my past. And now I wonder if I truly want to understand what happened in my past. I have this strange feeling that maybe knowing the truth will hurt more than it will help.

  Maybe some things are better left unknown? I know Pyre disagrees. He thinks that no matter how painful the truth may be, it’s necessary in order to heal. And I do feel broken. In fact, I feel empty inside.

  It’s as though each day that passes without answers, I find myself becoming numb to the world around me. Even The Veil seems less vibrant and fascinating as we wander beyond the usual areas of the forest and come on a placid lake.

  Wisps twinkle above the water and I hear the sound of beautiful singing. “Nymphs,” I whisper. They appear from the fog that floats on the surface, their snake-like tails swishing in the water. Large, beautiful eyes stare up at me.

  One of the sirens lifts out of the lake, and steam coils from her lips as she breathes in the cold air. Long, flowing emerald locks cling to her shoulders and breasts. She blinks at me with an amphibious stare and I reach my hand out. The nymph flattens her palm against mine, and I peer deep into her eyes.

  Eilish, her voice whispers in my mind. You are one of us…

  “Pyre? Are succubae similar to nymphs?”

  “They are closely related to sirens, harpies, and nymphs, yes.” He pulls me away from the nymph and toward a cluster of blue crystals at the water’s edge.

  “Why are we here?” I ask as I face him.

  “Recall I told you I couldn’t return your memories to you?” he asks. I nod. He continues. “I visited the spirits and asked for their assistance. They told me to come here.”

  “Then… you can return my memories?” I ask, my heart starting to thunder with anticipation.

  “I can try,” he responds. “With the shared power of the ethereal plane.”

  “How… how will this work?” I don’t mean to sound so intimidated but I can’t help it. I’m scared.

  “We’ll start with a happy memory, nothing too traumatic.”

  “Why?” I ask, thinking the traumatic memories are the ones at the core of my questions.

  “To ease you into the process. Jumping right into an upsetting moment may make you react in a way that isn’t ideal.” Pyre informs me to remove my clothes and once I’m completely naked, he helps me lay down among the crystals. Then he partially buries me in the sand along the lakeshore. The sand feels cold and rough against my skin, but somehow it also feels soothing, all the same. Pyre pulls a small dagger from his waistband and cuts his palm. Once his blood begins pouring down his arm, he uses his index finger from his other hand and begins drawing strange symbols on my arms and at the base of my throat.

  He chants in a deep voice until I’m swept away by the darkness. I can’t see anything, hear anything, or feel anything. My body is no more. Beyond the darkness is a swirl of silver magic that beckons me closer. I follow the shimmering entity until I emerge from the other side...

  Horses prance through meadows of lavender as I soar above them. My mother shouts for me in the distance. She is beautiful, so full of love and compassion. I fly to her, swooping low with my large wings, and wrap my arms around her.

  She laughs lightly, but I know she’s still upset with me. I should never have taken Solya to the city, not when the dark man has been looking for us. Mother leads me inside and I kneel beside my sister, using my hand to push the curls from her face. Black and blue bruises mar her lovely features, blending with streaks of blood.


  Anger burns inside me when I realize what he’s done to her.

  He’s hurt her. He always hurts her.

  I’m suddenly transported away from this scene and find myself standing in a field of lavender with scarlet liquid pouring from between my fingers.

  I killed him.

  The taint on my soul grows with each unworthy breath I take. I stare down at his lifeless corpse.

  I didn’t mean to kill him, only to teach him a lesson. To intimidate him.

  But, he attacked me and I fought back, and this is the result. And now his father will never leave my family and me alone now, not when I’ve killed his only heir.

  I feel no regret.

  Prince Yanhir was cruel—he deserved this fate, and far worse. As the son of an esteemed member of the Unseelie Court, he should know not to harm a child. But none of that will matter. All that will matter now is the fact that I’ve killed him, regardless of whether I acted in self-defense. There will be consequences for my actions.

  Solya and Mother must leave.

  I run to our modest home in the mountains. Mother screams when she sees the blood covering me. She immediately begins washing it from my arms as quickly as possible.

  “What did you do, Ellie?”

  “W-We must go, Mother. He’ll come after us.”

  “We can’t go anywhere,” she says, shaking her head. “We have nowhere to go!”

  Tears blur my vision. “Then we’ll die…”

  ###

  Baron

  The Veil

  After what happened with Eilish’s memories being restored to her, I’m even more eager to get my own returned to me. But these things take time—I understand that truth now more than ever. I was dead for a long fucking time, so I think I can handle waiting a few more months for Pyre to call on me, to tell me the time is right.

  In the meantime, I stand here in the apothecary, sifting through jars of ingredients as a book floats in the air beside me. I’m getting a little better, but I’m no natural-born spellcaster.

  Pyre says I’ll become a skilled sorcerer once I learn how to draw on the energies surrounding me without tapping into my own. It’s hard for me to cast even the simplest of spells, and they come with one bitch of a headache afterwards, but it sure as fuck looks badass. And I’m proud of myself, I must admit.

  The book follows me as I carry armfuls of vials, bottles, and pouches to the large pot that sits on the burning wood. An orange glow emits from the bottom of the hot steel as I pour the lithops extract.

  A foul stench permeates the kitchen while I work to create potions and poisons to replace those I lost during our first fight with Anona when we encountered her on the road. Now that I can walk in the sunlight and I know how to utilize the old portals around the forest carefully, I fully intend to find out where Morrigan’s powers are and make sure she never gets them back. I don’t trust that sneaky witch, and I don’t plan to ally myself with her. She’s a snake in the grass, I know she is.

  With everything the others have told me, Silvanus has to have Morrigan’s powers. If I can somehow get to his temple without running into Variant’s soldiers, I can sneak inside and destroy whatever artifact is holding the Midnight Queen’s power.

  The throbbing in my head grows more and more intense as I work. Nightfall comes much sooner than I expect, and Noni shuffles into the kitchen to begin preparing supper. “Eilish,” I call. “Meet me in the apothecary closet as soon as possible.”

  Only a few seconds later, I hear her footsteps echo down the corridor. Eilish leans against the doorframe with a teasing little smile on her lips. “Hmm, what did you need with me in the closet?” she asks.

  I grab her around the waist and pull her to me, feeling the way her ample curves fit the contours of my body. She gasps and I slide my tongue into her mouth to claim it for myself. Eilish’s nails dig into my shoulders and I spin her around, slamming her against the wall beside the door. She arches into me, grinding against my erect cock as she searches for the perfect amount of pressure. I feel myself thicken fully and I want to bury my length within her dripping heat, but now isn’t the time.

  “I need to feed,” I whisper huskily. It’s why my head’s been aching—I haven’t been giving my body the sustenance it requires.

  Eilish’s eyes flash and I watch darkness pool in her gaze until nothing else remains. She licks her lips, and the scent of her seduction fills my lungs. I strike hard and fast with my fangs, piercing the succulent flesh of her neck as she trembles against me. Her hips move faster, riding my erection through the barrier of our clothes until she stiffens and soaks through the layers of fabric that separate us.

  My hand dips inside of her leggings and my fingers stroke her tender flesh as I drink my fill of her blood. Eilish’s essence slides across my tongue and drips down the back of my throat. I swallow greedily, pulling at her vein until I’m sated. After licking the puncture wounds, I ravish her mouth once more. She pulls back, then licks her hand and shoves it down the front of my trousers.

  Air explodes from my chest as she strokes me to completion. I collapse against her. Eilish’s free hand rubs up and down the length of my back as we struggle to catch our breath.

  “Wow,” she gasps. “I should... ugh... I should feed you more often.”

  I chuckle into the crook of her neck. I love the way she trembles at my touch and leans into me, seeking affection and comfort. But still, I pull away, not yet accustomed to such actions. She allows me this space, not demanding anything of me in return.

  We exit the small closet; Eilish goes to clean up as I head to the kitchen. Noni takes one look at my appearance and blushes, snapping her fingers and removing the evidence of the tryst that happened in the apothecary closet. I thank the little brownie for cleaning me up and help her carry the platters and bowls of food to the dining table. Pyre quirks a brow at Eilish when she comes to dinner with wet hair, but the others don’t seem to notice.

  Over the course of the evening, I find time to speak to each of my companions, aside from Cambion. He doesn’t seem interested in anything going on around him, which pisses me off. He’s here and he’s safe, with a belly full of food and a warm roof over his head... and yet, he refuses to help. I feel a blinding rage whenever I look at the elf. Only a prick of a king would sleep comfortably through the night while his own people suffer at the hands of Variant. I want to bury my foot in his ass.

  I trust him about as much as I trust Morrigan.

  TWENTY

  Cambion

  Oronrel

  The night grows quiet aside from the sounds of snores and the rustle of bedsheets. I unfold my long limbs from the confines of the linens and creep soundlessly through the sleeping quarters. The bag I prepared the night before waits for me in the bathing room. Beneath the guise of running water, I quickly change into clothing appropriate for hiking through the forest at night. Once the task is complete, I sneak out of the room and down the staircase.

  There’s nothing and no one to stop me, yet I hesitate as my hand hovers above the doorknob. As much as I wonder if I’m making a huge mistake, one I will pay for later, I know I must do this.

  The hesitation leaves me and I head out on my journey toward the portal. With Noni’s previous description guiding me, it’s not hard to find. Figuring out the runes, however, proves to be a very trying task, but I manage to open the portal to Oronrel without further issue.

  As soon as I step through the portal and see Oronrel looming before me, a sense of familiarity hits me. And nostalgia. There was a time when I knew this palace almost as well as I knew my own.

  I fish Pyre’s mirror out of my robes and use it to assess my brother’s position within the palace, scrying for a definite location. Once I receive it, I move forward. Because I’m dressed like a member of the Unseelie Court, none of the guards stop me for questioning. I’m able to walk into the palace and so far, my plan is working to perfection. The mirror takes me up the grand staircase and along several corridors. />
  Even though there’s a sense of familiarity about the place, it also feels different somehow. A labyrinth of rooms and hallways separate me from my brother, but I soon find him. He’s sitting alone in his throne room, on a stool in front of a large mirror—one that’s easily as tall as he is. And my brother is not a small man.

  I open the door and close it behind me. He doesn’t turn to see who it is who has interrupted his solitude. I imagine he already knows.

  “We need to talk, Brother,” I announce.

  Theren’s unsettling gaze falls on me and I feel like an insect being pinned to a shadow box. “Yes, we do. I’m glad you’re here, Cambion. I’ve been trying to reach you within The Veil, but not even my magic can penetrate its warding.” Theren leaves his stool and comes to stand in front of me. I’m surprised at his lack of surprise. “I know you have questions.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “Go on, then,” he invites. “Ask away.”

  It’s funny. For years, I’ve practiced what I would say to my brother if we ever came face to face. And now that we are, I don’t know if I’ll be able to say the words as I practiced them so many times. “You... you turned your back on me and sided with Variant, who threw the Realms into chaos,” I begin. “And in the aftermath of my failure, you didn’t come to me.” I pause for a moment. “You never once visited me in my banishment.”

  “I wanted to come after you, Cambion.”

  “No, you didn’t.” I take a deep breath because I feel my anger stirring. And that’s not what I want. “I’m not angry, but I need to know why you made the decisions you did.”

  Theren runs his fingers through his midnight-blue hair. It’s short now, cut close to the scalp along the sides while being no more than finger-length on top, even as a curl hangs loosely in front of his brow. His eyes are the same honey-gold as mine, reminding me of the fields of wheat in which we used to get lost as children. But behind that familiar gaze is something dark, something I don’t recognize.