Of Blood and Sacrifice (Royal Fae Guardians Book 2)

by Heather Renee

  Light filled my chest, and I remembered Stryx’s earlier words to lead with light, so I focused on it, moving the brightness through my core and to my arms. Then, I opened my eyes to look Alaryk in the face.

  “I’m sorry for the life you’ve lived and for the path you chose, but I’m not sorry for the path it led me down. Your choices have made me strong enough to do whatever it takes,” I said with a confidence I shouldn’t have held, considering my back was bleeding profusely and the dragon still lingered close by.

  Alaryk laughed in my face and grabbed my chin with his fingers. “Whatever it takes for what?”

  “To kill you.” My elbow bent just enough so that the dagger could reach Alaryk’s chest, given he was so close to me.

  With one last surge of power, I poured everything I had into the dagger and plunged it into his heart.

  He laughed once more, shoving me to the dragon’s feet. “I can’t be killed. I’ve planned this moment for decades. You only had one choice and that was to join me, but you were too weak—” His words cut off as smoke began to rise from his chest and the dagger that was still protruding.

  He crumbled next to me, and I stared into his eyes even as the others finally arrived, including Yelah who was commanding the dragon like the queen she was.

  Stryx landed next to me along with Ryland as the light left Alaryk. He was dead, and I had killed him, but there was no sadness. Instead, I had relief for the man who had caused so much mayhem amongst innocents.

  Alaryk had been in pain and took that anguish out on anyone who threatened his existence. A part of me pitied him and hoped he found relief wherever he ended up next. Now, he was the Fates’ problem and hopefully I wouldn’t soon be following after him.

  “Don’t move her,” Stryx said, then called for Jordan, who was limping, but back from wherever she’d disappeared to.

  I couldn’t see what they were doing, but I watched as Dom dragged Alaryk’s body out of my line of sight.

  “It’s going to be okay, Kali,” Ryland whispered in my ear, but they weren’t words I needed to hear anymore.

  Everything was right in my world. There was no more darkness within me. My friends were safe. Nobody else would die because of me.

  If it was my time, I’d go happily, knowing I’d done exactly what I was meant to do in this world.

  You’re not going anywhere other than home when I’m done with you, Stryx demanded in my head.

  My lips lifted into a smile as Ryland held my hand, Jordan helped Stryx, and Oliver stood watch over us with Dom and Cynder.

  Everything was exactly as it was meant to be.

  Chapter Twenty

  Stryx ended up using two of his feathers to heal my back, and besides being sore from the fighting, I was back to my normal self. There was no more lurking darkness waiting to take me away from reality. There was only peace and contentment.

  Jordan had disappeared with Dom after I was healed, along with Yelah who had taken off with a glint in her eyes and a prisoner confined with her dragon magic. I’d nearly felt bad for the monster that had tried to rip my spine out, but those thoughts were fleeting, and I knew he was about to get what he deserved for siding with the dark fae.

  “What about the fight below?” I asked as the rest of us stayed on the mountaintop.

  “Most of those people were under the influence of Alaryk’s magic. Once you killed him, a lot of them stopped fighting. Those who didn’t are being dealt with,” Oliver answered, still looking over the edge with Cynder.

  “Where’s Brooke?” I assumed she was supposed to be wherever he was searching but wanted to be sure nothing had happened to her.

  “She’s helping round up prisoners. Her speed comes in handy,” Oliver answered with a little awe in his voice, and it made me sad they weren’t bonded mates.

  “You’re not going to forget to call her this time, are you?” I asked.

  He turned to me with a sideways grin. “We might not be bonded, but she’s worth the heartache that might come later if she leaves me for another. I just have to hope I’m worth the same to her.”

  Ryland slapped a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Now, get out of here and go to her. We’re good up here.”

  Oliver nodded and disappeared without needing to be told twice. Then, Ryland came to sit with me, wrapping an arm around me as I sat in the dirt, still trying to comprehend what had happened.

  “When Alaryk got me, the dark magic took over again, but I didn’t want him like he hoped. I still wanted to kill him more than anything else,” I said to both Ryland and Stryx since we were alone.

  “That’s usually how it works, and Alaryk should have known that before trying to sway you. With dark magic, the wielder of it needs to be the most powerful person in the room. If you’d have sided with him, you would have eventually killed him anyway. You were always meant to be stronger than he was,” Stryx answered.

  “Thank you for coming back for me. He almost had me convinced that everyone had abandoned me when I saw the others here fighting, but no sign of any of you.”

  Ryland’s grip tightened on my hip. “It was the hardest decision not to chase after you the moment I found out you were gone, but Stryx convinced me we needed the dagger. It was the only way to truly save you.”

  My heart warmed. I might not have any blood family left walking our worlds, but I’d been given a family anyway, and I wanted to kick my own ass for thinking they’d have given up so easily on me.

  “How were you in my head?” I asked Ryland, because I couldn’t sense him any longer or the emotions that had been pouring into me.

  “The dagger. Queen Navi had to use your blood and mine to power the spell, further connecting us and enhancing our bond, but I think now that you’ve used the dagger for its intended purpose, it’s just a normal blade and the magic is gone.”

  “Actually, Jordan burned it while I was healing you and took the pieces left back to Queen Navi,” Stryx noted.

  “When is she supposed to be back?” I asked, wanting to make sure she was actually okay herself after the hit she’d taken.

  In Jordan fashion, she appeared just as I asked the question, beaming with a smile bigger than I’d ever seen before, and I remembered how giddy she had seemed during the fight. Then, the same man who’d gone to her in the field showed up. “Kali, I’d like you to meet Luka. My Meraki.”

  I was on my feet in an instant and flung myself at her. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “It’s really all in thanks to you for almost ending our world and going cray-cray. This one over here left Arvayta before I was born over stubborn pride, but I’m forcing him to come back with us.”

  My head shook, and I glanced at Luka. “I’m sorry now. Just know it doesn’t get any better.”

  Jordan punched me, then winced. “Damn, those rocks didn’t feel good.”

  Luka pulled her closer. “You need to rest. Say goodbye to your friends.”

  “Excuse me?” She raised a brow. “Did you just tell me what to do?”

  That was my cue to walk away. Oh, their honeymoon stage was going to be the most entertainment I’d ever had. Or it was going to be the death of me. Both were very possible.

  Yelah and Dom returned as well, and the mountaintop was getting smaller by the arrival. “Everyone has been accounted for, and Queen Navi’s people are taking the captives.”

  “What about the casualties?” Stryx asked.

  “We lost nearly twenty fighters, but proper transport and arrangements are already in the works. Brooke is taking the lead on that. She and Oliver have just left with Cynder, actually.”

  Ryland moved to stand next to me. “We should be going as well. The council will want to speak with us.”

  My hand raised to Yelah’s chest. “Thank you for your words earlier. It was the beginning push I needed to come back to myself.”

  She lowered her head to me. “It was an honor to fight with you, and I hope we meet again under considerably better c
ircumstances.”

  When we parted, she disappeared first, and it was only Ryland and Stryx left with me. The crowd had thinned below, too. “Next stop, home?” I asked.

  “Not so fast,” a voice said from behind me.

  I swear to the Fates, if they’d come for trouble…

  “Alaryk is dead for good?” Sephira asked.

  “He is. Where is my crown?” We’d had a deal, and I’d forgotten about it until that moment.

  “It’s safe,” Myrina smirked.

  Ryland took a half-step forward, but Sephira flew between them. “Dear sister, they’ve solved a problem for us and followed through on our deal. Plus, it’s not like it was useful to us anyway. Just a hunk of metal and rather disappointing. Let’s not cause trouble today.”

  “Or ever would be my suggestion,” I retorted, and grinned that they hadn’t been able to break through the protection spell I’d placed on the crown when Stryx had told me to.

  Sephira merely smirked back at me while Myrina still fumed.

  “The crown?” I demanded once again.

  Sephira snapped her fingers three times and a shimmer appeared, followed by my crown. I went to snatch it from the air, but she shoved it out of my reach. “Not so fast.”

  “What now?” I asked with a huff.

  “What are your intentions?”

  “To go home. What does it matter to you?” I asked.

  They hold dark magic, Kali. Your strength puts them on edge. Remember, they will always strive to be the most powerful, Stryx reminded me.

  “Will you be coming back here for any reason?” Sephira asked.

  “Only if you give me a reason to,” I replied confidently, keeping her stare and making sure she knew how serious I was.

  “Very well.” She lowered my crown, and I grabbed hold of it. “Here’s to hoping we never meet again,” she added, then both pixies disappeared.

  “Oh, how I hope she’s right,” I groaned.

  “Come on. They’re not a problem right now, but I’m going to be soon if we don’t get you home and safe so I can breathe a little easier,” Ryland said, making me laugh.

  “You got it.” I turned to Stryx. “Are you coming?”

  “No, I need to check on the other animals, but I’ll check in with you when I’m done,” Stryx replied, and I went to him.

  I bent down and scooped him up from the rock he sat on. “Thank you. For everything.” I squeezed him tightly until he shifted uncomfortably in my arms.

  “I would do it again if need be,” he replied, pressing his head to mine.

  “I love you, Stryx.”

  “I love you, too, young one.”

  Letting him go, I went back to Ryland with tears in my eyes. Stryx had never once wavered in his faith of me, and my heart was filled with so much love and light from it.

  Stryx disappeared first, then Ryland led us in a port to the entrance for home. When we landed in front of the portal, I glanced across the open field and toward the castle. “Life is already coming back to this place.”

  “They’ll physically recover within a few days, but it will be months before things are really back to normal around here. Maybe by then, I’ll let you out of the house to come explore the good this place holds,” Ryland answered.

  “Oh, you’ll let me, huh? We’ll see about that.”

  He grabbed my hand, then winked as we walked through the portal together.

  Our feet had barely touched the ground in Arvayta before Lorelle was in our faces. Her hands were on the sides of my head, and magic slammed into me.

  “What the hell, woman?” I screeched.

  Ryland tried to pull me from her grasp, but the old lady wasn’t letting up. Again, showing she was much stronger physically than she portrayed.

  “Calm down and let me finish,” she hissed, then moved one of her hands to my chest.

  I stood there frozen, wondering if maybe our fight wasn’t truly over. Lorelle knew something we didn’t and if she didn’t spit it all out, I was going to end up hitting an old lady. It had been a long enough day, and I wanted nothing more than to end it on a good note.

  Minutes later, Ryland had worn a path in the ground from his pacing and Lorelle finally let go. “You’re free to go now.” Then she tried walking away.

  My hand shot out and grabbed her arm. “Not so fast. What was all of that about?”

  She grinned. “That’s for me to know and you to ponder.”

  “Not a chance in hell. Spill it. Now.” My grip became tighter on her arm in case she tried to port away. If she did, at least I would go with her.

  “Just know there are certain things I’m privy to that not even the council is aware of. I have certain abilities that allow me extra freedoms the Fates count on in times of despair. There were many possibilities of how this fight would turn out. You’d eliminated all but two of them when you killed Alaryk, and I just took away the second. All is well in the worlds again.”

  She tried to pull away, but I wasn’t done with her. “Did you think I was going to come here and destroy Arvayta when I was done?”

  She shrugged. “It might have happened, but it’s not going to. Now, unless you want to lose that hand, I suggest you let me go and be on your way. Oh, and let’s keep this secret between us. We don’t need everyone afraid of you, do we?”

  Oh, I really wanted to retaliate, but instead, I let Ryland pull me back. “No, we don’t. We’ll see you around, Lorelle,” he said, but I wasn’t done with her.

  “Who are you really? You’re not just a healer.” Lorelle knew way too much, and I wanted to know why.

  She took a step back and grinned, pausing just long enough to make me believe she wouldn’t answer me, but then she did. “You’re correct. I’m not a guardian, but I’ve been alive for several centuries.” Her hand gestured to her greying hair. “I’ve earned every one of these. I was born in the Otherworld. My mother was a seer, and my father was a powerful warlock. My magic is similar to that of a guardian but is drawn from different sources.”

  Ryland seemed just as shocked by her answer as I was, which was nice, because it meant I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know.

  “Now, this isn’t common knowledge, and I wouldn’t tell you normally, but you saved our home and I promised you some answers. Only the council and Stryx know who I really am, and I expect you two to keep it that way. Not even Jordan needs to know the truth.”

  I nodded. “Of course. Will you tell me more about my parents and their time here?” She’d previously mentioned how I was much like my mother, and I’d love nothing more than to know the Arvaytan side of her better.

  “Come see me in a few days and we’ll talk some more.” She grinned, then disappeared.

  “I wanted to kick her when I thought she wasn’t going to answer, but I guess things make more sense now,” I said as soon as we were alone again.

  “Agreed, but if you’d have kicked her, she probably would have turned you into some sort of animal as punishment and then I couldn’t do this.”

  He dipped me backward, his hand gently moving down my cheek before coming around to my neck and pulling me close to him. The dimple I so adored appeared just before he brought his lips to mine, and all other worries were forgotten.

  All that mattered in the following moments was that we were safe, and we were together. There was nothing else in all the worlds that would ever tear us apart.

  Epilogue

  Two years later…

  Never before had I been so nervous. I didn’t like surprises; yet, for the last few days, everyone around me was completely tight-lipped. So, I’d been left with no choice but to try and coerce the information out of the only person who didn’t know what secret or surprise really meant.

  “Come on, Cami. Tell Aunty Kali what all the big people have been whispering about.”

  Cami was only one, but she was the spitting image of her mother and just as mischievous as my best friend. Jordan and Luka had taken the fast train with their bo
nding, and I couldn’t have been happier for them, especially when they gave me my goddaughter.

  The precious princess sitting on my lap under the tree in our back yard had her mother’s sparkling green eyes and blonde hair that also had curls. I was convinced those came from me even though we had no blood relation.

  “No,” Cami replied with her favorite word. Had I mentioned she was exactly like her mother? Stubborn and all.

  “I have chocolate. I just need a few words, kid. Can you remember what Mommy and Uncle Ry have been talking about when I’m not around?”

  Her eyes widened at the mention of chocolate, and I knew I had her, except I was busted before she could get the words out.

  “Kaliah Grace, are you bribing my daughter?” Jordan laughed from behind me. “Pregnancy hormones have made you stoop to a new low.”

  I was weeks away from popping, and yes, that was also a cause of my nerves. Giving birth to a child scared the crap out of me. I’d been there for Jordan’s delivery, and the ring of fire that Lorelle had spoken of had me losing my damn mind.

  “Oh, you know one day you’ll do the same to your nephew,” I replied, not at all feeling guilty, especially when Cami spoke next.

  “Party!” She clapped her little hands, then started digging in my pockets.

  “Camilla Mae, we don’t take bribes.” Jordan lifted the sweet baby girl from my lap, but not fast enough to avoid me giving her a piece of candy anyway.

  “Are you going to at least help me up?” I groaned from the ground while glancing at my protruding stomach.

  “Yeah, yeah, but bribe my daughter again and I will cut you once my nephew is out.”

  “Bring it, Satan.”

  She laughed while switching Cami to her hip and giving me her other hand. Moving was getting harder by the day, and if Lorelle hadn’t promised profusely that I wasn’t having twins, I would have been certain I was. Instead, I was convinced we were having a linebacker.