by J. L. Weil
Then they appeared, cresting over the hills. The sight of all those fierce warriors barreling into the battlefield, spurred renewed hope within me, giving me a burst of energy. It was enough for Kai and me to almost finish off the blight. We were so close. Finally, I sense its dwindling power, but so was our magic at its end.
We were so damn close.
Only a trickle of darkness remained. It snaked through the kingdom, searching, hungry, angry. With Kai’s and my magic spent—less than a flicker left in my veins—neither of us could do anything when Talin appeared, his boots sinking into the fresh green grass created by my powers.
He ran a finger over the dagger in his hand, staring down at me with a smug grin. “Almost,” he clucked. “You almost got it all. If only you had a little bit of magic left. Don’t worry, niece, I’ll take it.”
The unthinkable happened.
Talin slid the blade over the tip of his finger, slicing through his skin. Pinching his thumb against the small nick, a drop of his blood fell to the ground. As if the blight scented the minuscule bead of Talin’s blood, it rose from the earth like a cloud of dust. The lord spread out his arms and welcomed the darkness. The blight didn’t waste a second surging forward.
I watched, in horror, as the last tendrils of the corruption possessed Talin. What was even more screwed up… Talin asked for it, he wanted the blight to use his body. The reason behind it became apparent when my uncle dropped his head back down and stared at me.
I shuddered.
Coal black eyes met mine, nothing but cold blackness remaining. A wolfish grin captured his mouth.
A string of colorful swear words went off in my head, mostly made up of F-bombs, and not entirely my own. Kai and Devyn were having the same reaction I was. This was fucking bad. The silence became palpable.
Kai helped me to my feet, and I kept my chin raised, eyes pinned on Talin as we waited for his next move.
I had played all my cards.
And I lost.
I couldn’t believe it. All the work. All the sacrifices. All the death. For what?
For the enemy to win at the edge of victory. For Talin to take everything from me and ruin the world. Defeat weighed heavy on my chest, to the point that I wasn’t sure I could continue standing on my own. I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore. My magic, my spirit, and my courage were all crushed.
Devyn came into view from the side a few feet from me. Battered and bloodied, he moved slower, his own body showing signs of fatigue after fighting for hours, not to mention the days of grueling travel to get here under Talin’s command.
There was nothing I wanted more in the world than to run into his arms, bury my face into his chest, and feel his warm embrace. But I couldn’t. My feet remained planted.
Something shone in Devyn’s eyes. His face was hard, but his eyes… He believed he had failed me. When in fact, it was I who failed. Our remorse and anguish became a twisted knot in my gut.
“I will enjoy feasting on you, half-breed,” the thing taunted in Talin’s voice. It was his mouth that moved, but the words and actions weren’t Talin’s.
It didn’t give me a chance to respond. Waves of darkness cascaded toward me, but before it struck, a shield slammed against the blight.
Devyn and Kai stood together, facing Talin. The auras of their fae magic swirling together. Brothers not of blood but brothers of war.
I didn’t know where Kai found the strength.
“I will rip you apart before I let you touch her,” Devyn snarled.
Fury rippled in Kai’s shadows. “For once, I have to agree with my brother.”
The thing grinned in anticipation. “So be it.” A whip of dark power launched at the shield Devyn and Kai’s powers constructed, and it was clear when the magic hit it that it wouldn’t last long.
If I didn’t do something, didn’t find a way to stop it, I would lose them both. I wouldn’t be able to stand it. I wouldn’t live with myself if they died in a useless fight to save me.
“Talin!” I called, bringing the blight and the lord’s attention to me. “Take what you really want,” I challenged, speaking directly to the darkness that possessed my uncle. For Talin was now just a vessel for the blight to use. “Take me.”
“Karina!” Devyn growled.
“No!” Kai bellowed, voiding the short distance to me, but it was too late.
The choice had been made.
I reached out as the blight vaulted from Talin to me. We collided. My body was plunged into the coldest darkness I’d ever known. It only took a single inhale of air for the flicker of light inside me to be snuffed out, overcome by evil shadows.
My breath grew ragged, and I dropped to the ground.
I had only a minuscule of power left in my blood, but I also had something else—something just as great to sacrifice. I’d been holding onto it for so long, but at that moment, it became clear that it was the only thing that stood a chance at saving me.
My humanity.
As the blight’s inky powers merged with mine, I gave the Kitsune what she wanted, what she had been slowly inching to possess. I released the last part of me that was human.
Golden, blinding, all-consuming magic erupted from deep within me, like I’d just broken the lock that contained my full fae powers.
The blight fought inside of me, struggling and scratching to break free from my body. Its screams pierced my head, reaching insane decibels, and I swore my brain was bleeding. Yet, I refused to let go, keeping it trapped within me. I would die before I let it escape again into the world. And it was possible that might actually happen, for the cold that permeated my insides was enough to freeze me from the inside out...
If I was still human.
But I was no longer was.
I was fae.
Unlike so many times the blight had grabbed a hold of me, I attached myself to it, letting my celestial gift smother its darkness until there was none left. Not a single drop.
I collapsed onto the fresh green grass, breathing in deeply. The air was still stained with the scent of death as war continue to wage in Katsura. Although beating the blight seemed like a victory, the battle was not over yet.
My sacrifice created another cost I didn’t see coming, not until it was too damn late. Once my humanity was gone, I couldn’t get it back. No amount of magic or spells could return what I freely gave. And with it, came a consequence for which I wasn’t prepared.
Stabbing pain lanced through my heart, riding a rush of air as it whooshed out of my lungs. A whimper left my lips as my fingers curled into fists over the grass.
What was happening? Where was this pain coming from? I had to be injured, because it sure as hell felt like I’d been stabbed. My eyes frantically searched for an arrow or a wound on my body, but I could not find the source of the breath-stealing agony that trembled through my entire being.
“Karina,” Kai moaned.
My gaze whirled to meet his, noticing the pain etched into his features. He had been by my side through it all, never leaving me alone. It was clear we were both suffering from the same torture. It was like someone was trying to carve out my heart with a dull butter knife. My first thought was perhaps the blight wasn’t gone at all.
No, that wasn’t right. This was something else.
Just what the fuck was it?
My fox shuddered, and shuddered again.
I reached for Kai’s hand, lacing our fingers together. His knees dug into the grass, head bowed so low that I couldn’t see his face. Shadows flickered around him, his magic stuttering erratically.
Then, as quickly as the pain appeared, it all just stopped, leaving me utterly perplexed.
Devyn was on my other side, whispering my name while he gingerly patted my back.
Lifting my head, I blinked, studying Kai, whose body was cloaked in shadows. The muscles in his arms slowly relaxed, along with the hand I still held. His breathing evened out, returning to normal. My own heart rate returned to an almost natura
l beat, and it was then that I noticed something was missing.
A hole cleaved open in my chest, and dread sliced through me.
“Kai,” I whispered, my head shaking in denial. I didn’t want to believe what I felt or didn’t feel anymore. It couldn't be real. Our bond… It was gone.
“You’re fae, little queen,” he rasped, finally lifting his head, and despite the crooked smile on his lips, sadness shimmered in his eyes.
Understanding rushed into me. Our claim had been shredded as the last of my humanity was ripped from my soul. “You knew. You knew this would happen, didn’t you? That if I gave up my humanity, I would become fae, and it would destroy our bond.”
Without my human soul, our connection didn’t exist.
“It crossed my mind that you might have to make such a choice, but it was enough that you wanted me.”
“Kai,” I sobbed. Our bond might be gone, but a part of me still loved him.
He caught a shimmering tear as it rolled down my cheek. “Not all is lost. I left you a kernel of my soul, something to remember me by.”
I wanted to curl in a ball and weep for days, but there was no time to deal with the sudden loss of our mating bond, or the gaping hole it created inside me.
It wasn’t over.
From the corner of my eyes, I caught movement and shifted my gaze to Talin, finding Devyn standing in front of him. I hadn’t even noticed that he left my side. The Shaman had one sword pointed at my uncle’s neck, the other at the center of his stomach. The blight must have sucked my uncle’s energy, for he no longer looked like the formidable opponent who would stop at nothing to kill me.
He looked... sad and pathetic. Weak and old.
“Do you plan to kill me, Sin Eater?” Talin rasped, defeat carved into his features.
The old me would have stopped him, but I wouldn’t take Devyn’s need for revenge. He needed to be the one to end Talin’s life, and I wouldn’t stand in the way.
“You don’t deserve a quick end,” the Shaman snarled, sparing him no sympathy. His emerald eyes shone with hate and rage. “But I can’t stand to look at you another second.”
Devyn didn’t drag out Talin’s punishment. Wrath plunged into his gut without hesitation. The lord groaned in pain, but the Shaman did not listen to the pleas that stammered from the lord’s mouth, nor to his threats, or his bargaining. He silenced him, sliding Fury into his throat. Talin gurgled, choking on his own blood, skewered by the Sin Eater’s blades. With one seamless movement, Devyn withdrew his swords.
“I told you I would kill you. And I never break a promise,” Devyn declared, crouching down to where Talin crumbled at his feet, withering on the ground, his dark blood staining it until the last breath left his body. Then the fae serpents struck, feasting on his sins, greedily lapping up every evil thing the Lord of Thornland had ever done.
Talin might have fallen, but the war did not end with his death. The kingdom was still under siege and would fall. Even with Willowland fighting beside Katsura, it wasn’t enough to gain the upper hand. Lives continued to be sacrificed.
My gaze panned over the battle, before landing on Devyn, and then onto Kai beside me.
Devyn held out his hand. Dried and fresh blood coated his fingers, but I didn’t care. I placed my hand into his as I had so many times, trusting the fae who had stood at my side. Together, once more. “You have the power of the nine-tailed fox. Use it. End this,” he begged.
On my other side, Kai laced his fingers with my other hand. “You are an army by yourself, little queen. You are the most powerful being in existence. Be the hero, little queen.”
They were right.
Closing my eyes, I called out to the spirits of Midgrave for aid, the graveyard of those warriors and heroes who chose to remain here. They came, sweeping into the battlefield like a gust of ghostly wind, or perhaps a tornado was a more accurate description, destroying everything in their whirling path.
When they finished, the mist of darkness was gone, and a new world stretched beyond. It called to me, the land itself, whispering my name.
Chapter Sixteen
DEVYN
Karina sank into my arms, taking a long, well-earned deep breath. Nearly a day had gone by since the battle begun, and now that it was over, the silence was deafening. The work was far from over, but the victory was ours.
She needed to rest, to sleep for a freaking month, but she had a kingdom that needed her first. Then I would make her lay down her head. She would heal, and we would face what came next together. And Katsura would heal with her.
I helped her to the castle, taking the stairs slowly because she refused to let me carry her. A crowd gathered behind us, many eager to see the girl who had saved them. Bloody, battered, and weak she climbed to the top of the stairs, holding onto me for support.
At the top, she rested a hand onto the railing and turned to face the crowd below. Whether she was aware of the gold crown on her head or not, it glittered under the two moons shining high in the night’s sky.
One by one, the fae knelt.
Through our bond, I felt her heart pound so hard that I swore it would explode out of my chest. Pride like I’d never felt before bloomed inside me. She was mine.
Kai, Reilly, and I dropped to one knee in front of her, alongside the others—warriors and citizens alike—bowing their heads.
“Karina, Queen of Katsura!” The name clanged through me.
Tears shone in her beautiful blue eyes. She was magnificent, even splattered with the blood of those who rebelled against her.
* * *
The newly crowned queen and I barely had a minute alone from the moment she was declared Queen of Katsura. It wasn’t the reunion either of us longed for, but it was just the beginning of the sacrifices she would have to make for her kingdom.
And I would have to find a way to deal with it all, including my place in it.
Afterward, she was swept away into the castle to be fed, cleaned, and changed. I should have done the same, but first, I had one more piece of unfinished business to attend.
The castle would be in a state of constant activity for the next weeks, dealing with the aftermath of war, and although there were people everywhere, I had interest in only one. I whirled at the sound of my stepbrother’s low chuckle. My muddied boots clattered over the stone pathway as I made my way through the crowd. Once I reached him, I clasped his shoulder with one hand, spinning him around to face me.
A flicker of surprise went through his eyes, and he lifted a brow, but before his lips could finishing curling into that arrogant smirk, my fist sailed through the air, crashing against the corner of his jaw.
His head snapped to the side, but the rest of his body remained rooted in place. The bastard laughed as he touched the bottom of his chin, working his jaw through the pain.
“You son of a bitch,” I hissed.
Straightening, Kai’s humorous gaze met mine. “I wondered how long it would take you to explode.”
“I should kill you!” Anger heated my threat.
He clucked his tongue. “I doubt your mate would take kindly to my death.”
Gods, I wanted to hit him again. Once just wasn’t enough. The second I had scented him on her I went ballistic. Having to suppress those feelings during the battle had been more difficult than any fight I’d ever endured. “What did you do to her?”
His hand dropped away from his face; a tiny cut grazed the corner of his lip. “Me? What makes you think I had anything to do with what went on between the queen and I?”
“Because I’m not an idiot, and you are you,” I seethed.
He snorted. “Is it that hard to believe that I could love her too?”
“No. Not at all.”
Kai’s lips twitched. “Ah, so it is her loving me that you can’t understand.”
My face remained stone cold. “Manipulation is what you do. I trusted you to protect her. You just couldn’t wait to take my place.”
Shadows flickered
in his eyes. “Did it ever occur to you that she could love us both? Besides, what does it matter now, little brother? She gave up her humanity to save us. She is no longer tied to me. You still got the girl.”
“Don’t be a fool. It is never that simple.” There could be no claiming without feelings. It was an old fae argument of which came first. The bond or the love.
“Isn’t it?” Kai argued, removing his soiled cloak and draping it over his arm.
My jaw tightened. “Did you touch her?”
His lips curved. “Not enough.”
I saw red. My fist connected with his jaw again.
He wiped the corner of his lip with the back of his hand, smearing fresh blood. His eyes flashed with shadows. “The first one I deserved. Perhaps, the second one as well, but hit me again and I won’t stand here and take it. Haven’t we done enough fighting for one day?”
“You bastard,” I growled, anger licking through me.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve been called worse. You might be losing your creativity.”
My arms dropped to my sides as I exhaled. “She’s changed. Her humanity…” My voice trailed off. If I had never left, never chosen vengeance, would she have still chosen to mate with Kai? I didn’t know the details behind what happened while I was gone, but I had a feeling there was a story there.
Kai’s smirk dimmed. “Rest assured, little brother. The queen is still yours.”
Was she?
I found Karina sitting by the fountain, her dark hair intricately braided. Droplets of water danced in the air, the gentle hum of her magic trembling with the rippling of water. She came here often in the days following the war. It had been a week since the blight and Talin had been vanquished.
Her head turned toward me as I approached, the sadness gone in a flash, and replaced by a smile. “Devyn.”
“My queen,” I greeted, my lips tugging at the corners.
She tried to hide the scars and deeper emotions from me, putting on a brave face, but I still felt it all and wished to take them away. I leaned down a brushed a kiss over her lips.