by Rebecca Grey
“What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t the answer he wanted. Confusion and fear became clear on his features.
“What will you do with me? Keep me in here?” The pitch of his voice broke.
“Suzetta is looking into it more. Graceson took Randsin back to the Acture Court and he will be working on it too, with Windre. Until then, you have to stay in here. You’re a hazard to other people, a hazard to yourself.”
Daethian’s gaze fell to the floor. I couldn’t help but want to touch his face, to offer him some sort of comfort in the midst of all this distress. The hair on his cheeks had grown so long, it wasn’t nearly as scratchy and rough to the touch as it had been.
A growl rippled over his lips, his hands shooting between the bars and clamping against both my arms. “I don’t have control anymore,” his voice dipped into a deep, taunting tone.
“Let me go!” I pushed off of him.
He titled his head back, his pupils murky, his skin draining to an unhealthy, ashy tone. “Next time, I hope you get close enough for me to eat.” He snapped his teeth at me.
“Who are you?” I hissed. Without thinking, I took a step away.
“I am Daethian, clearly. I’m just the side he normally suppresses. Everything I say is a thought that passes through my head. But now I can no longer pretend like it doesn't exist.”
Every ounce of his anger for me was real. Everything he said had been some sort of thought that, until now, he hadn’t vocalized. I mean, that was one way to be more honest. But one thing didn’t ring true. Daethian wouldn’t want to hurt me.
“He would never lay hands on me like that. He would never hurt anyone like that.”
“Oh, how you’re wrong,” he snickered. “I want to hurt people. There are lots of people I’ve wanted to inflict pain on. It’s just sometimes I can’t help it if it’s you, or one of the keepers that I happen to unleash my fury on.”
Daethian dipped his head lower watching me through the bars. “There is so much love for you in here.” He tapped a finger against my chest, his tongue darting out over his lips. “So much passion. So much lust. Tell me, Ryker Avery, have you ever thought about touching me like I’ve thought about touching you?”
This was wrong. Everything he was saying felt painfully like an insult. His intention to get under my skin was clear, and unfortunately, it was working.
“I don’t have to sit here and listen to this,” I pointed out.
“Yet, you stay,” he purred. “Just admit it. Just admit that your love for me is as great as my love for you, and I’ll shut up.”
We’d had this conversation, what felt like a thousand times. Every time I said it, every truth that I told, only seemed to break him even further. I didn’t want to push him off the edge he was already teetering on.
“I’m not staying.” My feet stumbled over the stone as I turned quickly and headed up the stairs.
His voice called after me, an eerie song that bounced off the walls and echoed through the space and followed me, “I love you, Ryker Avery, and you love me too.” The last sentence was a menacing growl, “Just say it already.”
The door slammed shut, a powerful force fueled by my frustration and powers that itched to be released. Behind me, the door and the wall shook with the effects of a mild earthquake that I couldn’t contain. I needed to talk to someone before it all carried me away.
Suzetta had wanted me to return to see her so she could take another look at my neck. It was probably nothing, but she wanted to double-check anyway, she had said. Might as well get that trip out of the way now. She’d gladly listen to me.
Hopefully, whatever Daethian had wasn’t contagious. We didn’t know anything about what was happening to him, and that was almost as terrifying as the words that kept coming out of his mouth. Not to mention the violence.
I made my way through the halls, waving in passing as nymphs went on with their day, unaware of Daethian in the dungeons below them. Injuries had healed and the rate at which people were hurt had slowed. No noise was carrying from the infirmary, which was quite slow compared to the days after we first took the castle over.
My gaze washed over the empty beds and the crisp clean walls. Suzetta wanted a sterile room and she kept it that way. But I didn’t see Suzetta now. No, instead long blonde hair and violet eyes blinked up at me. Shavarra lifted her nose from the book she read, curled up on an empty cot.
“I’m looking for Suzetta,” I mumbled. Shavarra was Dace’s best friend and if she was anything like my best friend… well the thought of her harboring any feelings for Dace made me want to vomit.
“She stepped out for something to eat.” Shavarra closed her book with a smile.
I stepped away to leave with a bob of my head, I could always return later, but Shavarra spoke as I tried.
“I could help you, though.”
“Oh, she just wanted to take a look at my neck. It’s probably nothing.” I ran my fingers over my throat as I turned back to her.
She smiled softly. “I’m sure if she wanted you to come back, it's probably not nothing. Here.” Shavarra patted the bed next to her.
Quietly, I joined her, sinking into the thin mattress, watching her with intense curiosity. They were lovers, her and Dace. The thought rose, along with bile inside my throat, an angry, jealous feeling along with it. So don’t think about it, Ryker.
Her fingers were gentle, as she lifted my chin and felt along my neck. “Can you tell me how this happened?”
“Daethian did it. But it wasn’t him, not really. Or maybe it kind of was…” I sounded ridiculous, even to myself.
“And Daethian is… your friend?”
Staring straight ahead, I wondered if she asked the question for context or if she was wishing I was interested in someone other than Dace. The sentiment wasn’t very clear. Either way, I answered.
“Just a friend, yes.”
“Why would he do this to you?” She pressed her fingers along my windpipe. The pressure was uncomfortable, but surprisingly painless.
“Some sort of dark magic, Suzetta thinks. His eyes turn black, and this ugly, stringy fog crawls off his skin. Then he starts sputtering about how much he loves me, but he also hates me, how much he wants me, but he also wants to kill me. I talked to him this morning… He implied that his actions, though cruel in nature, grew from thoughts that he was already having when he wasn’t in this state. Watching it makes me feel like I’m being stabbed in the gut with a thousand long swords.”
“Black eyes, you said?” Her hand dropped back to her side with a nervous chuckle. “That sounds like a children’s story my parents used to tell me.”
“Your parents told you scary stories?” I watched her lavender eyes flick up to my face.
“It was supposed to scare us into staying in bed. And it’s based off of a species that doesn’t even exist anymore.”
That was peculiar. An odd magic that Suzetta couldn’t identify, symptoms of darkness that we were going to have to search through books for. I mean I’d listen to a children’s story if it meant we had a chance to figure out what this thing was. But they weren’t real, right? It was just a story?
“What’s the tale? I’m sure it’s worth a listen.”
“It’s silly, actually. Parents would just tell their children that if they got out of bed at night that a burgundy witch might find them. Burgundy witches were not fond of the fae, even though we often made deals with them. Or so it’s said, I’ve never met one, they were gone before my time. If you made a deal with them and crossed them, they would come back to eat the meat off your bones. Or as my parents told the story, if you got out of bed and they found you, they would put a powerful curse over you.” She raised her eyebrows. “The curse would change your eyes black, and dark magic would seep from your soul.”
I snorted, “You think Daethian has been cursed for getting out of his bed at night, by a species that doesn’t exist any longer?”
“No, I’m just saying that all stories come from somewhere. It's very interesting to me that his symptoms match that of a burgundy witch curse.”
I laughed, like I was going to shrug off the idea, but I knew I wouldn’t. I’d look into it, even if it was a dead end. “So how does my neck look, doctor?”
“Your neck is fine. I suspect Suzetta wanted you to come back because sometimes the wounds remain under the surface.” She tapped her head. “Anytime you need to talk, you’ll have a friend in me.”
“Dace seems to think you’re pretty special, so if he trusts you, I suppose I could too,” I mumbled, as I returned to standing.
“He is...something special,” her voice was riddled with a harmony of love and sorrow, a feeling that I also recognized. “Dace has loved you for so long. We may have had something at one time, but it was never love. I have resigned myself to be happy as long as he is happy.”
“You use the word love so freely.” Maybe it was something wrong with me. Was there some sort of fear that seized me deep down that kept me from being so open to it like everyone else was? I was the odd nymph out.
“That’s the funny thing, though.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I don’t.”
A surge of emotions welled within me. My life was turning into a series of emotional whiplashes. Between my pain for Daethian, and my growing feelings for Dace, I was at war with more than just the evil fae rulers. I was at war with myself.
TWENTY-FIVE
Dace
I had arrived in the late evening after pardoning myself from dinner early to retire to my bedroom. My parents didn’t need to know that I really was excusing myself to visit my friends in the Heathern Court. Silverware scraped against plates, squealing in a way that made my teeth ache. The smell of ham was prominent in the dining room. Chewing mouths froze, and content gazes shifted to me and melted into confusion by my sudden appearance.
Their looks didn’t bother me so much though. If I wasn’t used to my family materializing in front of me like that, I’d probably stare too. A nymph girl with flowers blooming over her cheeks smiled at me as I leaned against her table. The curling petals stained red the closer I came. The few around her watched me with awe. Missing these looks had finally begun to fade into a memory with my title back. Their longing gazes filled with the idea that I could give them something; money, power, romance with someone who has both. It felt like I was in control once again. People who wanted something from you could be bargained with. They could be governed.
“Where would I be able to find Shavarra?”
She opened her mouth to speak, her eager lips spreading into a small smile, only for the girl next to her to lean forward and blurt, “She’s in the infirmary. Suzetta is teaching her the art of healing with tonics and medicine.”
I hummed, righted myself and patted the poor girl's shoulder as I passed. “That will do. Thank you.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that their answers had led me back to the infirmary. Even if she didn’t have the magical gift, there was plenty she could learn without it. It didn’t surprise me that she busied herself with learning something new that would help her help others. It was very Shavarra of her.
“Hello, my dear friend,” I sang as I sauntered into the room.
“Dace?” Shavarra’s face lit up as she poked her head out from behind a curtain. “Just a minute, let me wash my hands and I’ll be right there.”
“I would say take your time, but I only have the evening to visit before I have to return home, and I was hoping to visit my future bride while I was here, too.”
She nearly squealed, “Oh, I had heard rumors like that and I didn’t know if they were true. She was here earlier today, but I didn’t want to ask her directly yet. She’s still a little hesitant.”
“It’s not set in stone yet, so let’s not get too excited.” But I couldn’t keep the goofy grin from my cheeks. “I made a deal with my parents. Ryker gets time to fully commit, and if she decides she doesn’t want to, my mother gets to pick my bride. I’ll be stuck with LaBelle likely, so let’s pray Ryker will take the offer.”
“We both know she will,” Shavarra deadpanned as she shook the water from her hands and crossed the room with her arms stretched out for a hug.
Breathing her in, I pulled her close. My eyes closed at the comfort of my friend. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. It gets quite boring without you coming around to complain about your life of luxury every five minutes.”
“Oh, shut up.” I playfully pushed her away.
Shavarra adjusted her green shirt, that she had probably dug out of some closet in the castle. The color clashed with her frosted skin tone, but brought out her vibrant purple eyes.
“So I had a weird dream last night,” I began, with a tentative smile.
“Ah, here it is, the real reason you came.” She rolled her eyes, still grinning at me.
Easing myself onto one of the available beds, I leaned back onto my arms. Shavarra sat across from me on another bed, pulling her legs up and crossing them in front of her.
“I, uh, I had a dream that I found a Burgundy Witch on the front steps of the Twinity Court.”
A cough rattled her chest like the wind had just been knocked out of her. Shavarra patted her heart and shook her head. “You did what, now?”
“I dreamt I was coming home and I found dead guards everywhere. But the witch had killed them quietly. No alarms had been rung and the castle doors had not been breached. But she laid on the steps, barely alive.”
“What did you do?”
“In the dream, I slit her throat. She shouldn’t exist and she’s a danger to all of us. I’m not about to get cursed or have the flesh eaten off my bones,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“This doesn’t make sense. Burgundy witches don’t exist anymore. They are extinct.” Her hands scrubbed at her face. “Ryker was literally just in here telling me about Daethian. The only symptoms he has reminded me of the stories of burgundy witch magic. You don’t think there is a witch running around cursing us, do you?”
“Daethian? What’s wrong with him?”
Shavarra patted my knee as she heard the obvious distaste for him in my voice. It wasn’t really a dislike for the man himself, more like their closeness made me uneasy. “Something about odd behavior, black eyes, and magic that oozes off his skin.”
“Okay,” I tried to take it all in, because there was no way this was all a coincidence. “Don’t say anything about the witch, yet. I mean I haven’t found her, so it could not even happen for days or weeks or years. It could mean nothing, and I don’t want to freak Ryker out about it if it’s not even a thing yet.”
“We hardly even see each other around here, so I don’t think that would be very hard,” she said slowly.
“Thank you.” I sat forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek as I stood. “I’m going to see where Ryker is at. It doesn’t sound like she is having a very good time here since she has returned.”
“Go woo her,” Shavarra waved. “Come back and say goodbye before you go though.”
I nodded my head as I backed out of the room. Carefully, I pulled an apple out of my navy jacket and tossed it back and forth between my hands as I strolled the halls to Ryker’s room.
Her door was closed, as it usually was, so I knocked on it gently. There wasn’t a call to come in from the other side or any shuffling of activity. Maybe she wasn’t there or maybe she was taking an evening nap.
I knocked louder. “Ryker?”
A door down the hall cracked open, the door that had belonged to the room I had stayed in. Ryker’s green eyes peered down the hall. As she saw me, she opened the door wider.
“Dace? What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit. I told you I would. What are you doing in my room?” I left her door behind and made my way over to her. She leaned against the doorframe with a slight crimson blush.
“I wanted to make sure I was le
ft alone. I came to hide,” she laughed quietly, stepping away and allowing me inside.
The room remained as I had left it. Mostly clean, with the few items of the previous occupant still sitting as they were left. I hadn’t felt the need to move them since it didn’t really feel like any of that was mine. Inside the room, I turned on my heels tossing the apple at Ryker.
“Want a snack?” I asked.
“I don’t really feel like eating right now.” Ryker closed the door, pressing her back against the wood, the apple held between her hands. Soft curls tumbled down her shoulders, just asking for me to run my fingers through them.
“Do you want to talk about it or be distracted from it?”
She thought for a moment, clearly debating it as she chewed on her lip. An uneven breath filled her lungs. Her attention finally settled back on me. If she kept biting her lip like that there might be an issue, I thought as a lust-filled pang of desire shot straight through me.
“Distract me,” her hushed voice trailed to my ears and rose goosebumps over my arms.
With a sly smile, I answered, “I was hoping you would say that.”
“Oh no, maybe I should have picked the other option.” Ryker pushed off the door and drifted over to me. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the apple does it?”
“Not if I’m to distract you properly.” I slid across the floorboards, easing my way around her. Her face turned, her eyes following me as I stepped behind her. My fingers traced up her arm running over her smooth, bare skin and stopping along the sleeve of her shirt. “I need to practice my power, but I was thinking you could offer more of an incentive.”
“Mmm?” she hummed. “What kind of incentive?”
“If I can make progress…” I paused, wishing to draw out the suspense. I could see her interest tweek her upturned lips. Full and round, the teasing smile made my pulse quicken.
“Out with it,” she breathed.
I nuzzled my nose into her neck, taking sips of her scent like she was expensive wine I needed to savor. Pressing my lips against her neck, I caught sight of the bruises I somehow hadn’t seen before, and pulled away.