by Bea Paige
“There’s a portal back to Ever Vale in your friend’s forest. Accacia, it’s nearing daylight on the other side. I think he has gone home to die.”
A sudden fear unleashes in my chest and I push past Ezra, running through the house and back outside. Devin is approaching me. “Take me to the portal,” I say.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes,” I bite out.
Ezra jogs up beside us, a hissing Mr Tickle in his hands. He passes him to Devin, and the hissing stops immediately.
“I won’t be held responsible for Rhain’s death and I need to find my friend. So, take me to Ever Vale now.” Before I lose my courage.
Devin takes my hand. “As you wish.”
Chapter Eighteen
It only takes a few minutes to find the portal Devin and Ezra describe. It sits in the very centre of the forest in a small clearing. In the almost pitch black of the wood it is incredibly difficult to spot and I wouldn’t have seen it had Ezra not pointed it out to me. The portal is door-sized but in the shape of an oval, and just around the edges there is a line of shimmering gold.
“How do you know it’s almost dawn on the other side?” I ask. Apart from the golden edge, there is nothing but darkness and trees beyond the portal when I look at it.
“I poked my head through, dawn is on its way,” Devin says, stroking his hand through Mr Tickle’s fur. I can hear him purring in contentment.
“I see.”
“Are you ready?” Ezra asks.
What a stupid question. Of course I’m not ready, but I am willing to step into a strange new world to save Rhain and rescue my friend. I would walk into hell for that. “Yes,” I say.
“Then let’s go.” Ezra takes my hand and, giving me no time to think about it, pulls me through the portal.
The moment my body passes through, I feel as though I am walking in slow motion through thickened mud. I can hear the loud pounding of my own heart as a muffled silence descends. A second later I feel a sharp tug on my hand as Ezra pulls me through the other side.
“Holy crap,” I say, dropping Ezra’s hand and turning on the spot. Devin follows shortly after. We are standing on the edge of a forest, different to the one we just left. The trees are three times as tall as any I’ve seen on Earth before and an almost luminescent green, bright even in the dim light of the breaking dawn. I feel a strange sense of unease as I look at the trees looming over us.
“Is that the Forbidden forest?” I ask.
“Yes,” Devin confirms.
I swallow the fear spreading through my chest and take a deep breath. Clover is in there somewhere. As I suck in the air, I feel myself go a little lightheaded from the abundance of oxygen. The air smells different, cleaner. My eyes trail to the horizon where I see a huge castle perched atop a hill, towering over the land below. Behind it the first tendrils of dawn begin to rise.
“We have less than half an hour to find Rhain before the sun rises fully,” Ezra says, noticing the panic in my eyes.
“But how will we find him?”
“He will be at the Light fields, I am sure of it,” Ezra says, the pain in his eyes clear. I remember what happened to his wife and child and I reach out to him. He steps away from me, his face grim.
“Are the Light fields far from here?” I ask.
“On horseback, it will take us only ten minutes to get there.”
“But we don’t have any horses,” I say, just as four horses trot towards us. Sitting atop one is a man with blonde hair and startling lilac eyes.
“Greetings, I hear you are in need of transport?” He jumps down from his horse as it whinnies in protest.
“Nostra, how did you know we were back?” Devin grins.
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, brother.”
“We have no time for this. Rhain has gone to the Light fields and you, Nostra, should not be outside the hidden village. It is not safe,” Ezra chides.
“You are correct, Ezra.” Nostra turns to me. “It is a pleasure to meet you, daughter of Clan Lux.” He takes my hand and presses a gentle kiss against it. “There is much we need to talk about, but first you must find Rhain and bring him home. There is little time.”
He climbs back on his horse and Devin hands over Mr Tickle.
“Well, hello,” he says. Mr Tickle purrs then settles himself between Nostra’s legs atop the horse’s back. He looks strangely comfortable and utterly relaxed.
Ezra hauls himself up onto a beautiful black horse. “We won’t be long,” he says to Nostra.
Nostra catches my eye and winks, before flicking his wrist. The horse Ezra is sitting on turns away from us and begins trotting back along the path Nostra arrived on.
“Wait,” Ezra says, pulling on the horse’s reins trying to get it to turn back around.
Nostra looks between me and Devin. “This is not a job for Ezra, not when that place holds such terrible memories for him. I’ve spelled the horse, he won’t be able to get off until we reach the village.”
“Damn it, Nostra, get me off this horse!” Ezra shouts.
On another day, I might have found it funny, but the sun is steadily rising and time is running out for Rhain, for us all if we don’t get to him in time.
“You do realise Ezra is not going to forgive you for this,” Devin says, a look of mirth on his face.
“Well, we are immortal. I have many years to salvage our friendship. Now go, take Phantom and Israel. They are my fastest horses. If time becomes your enemy, the horses will take you to a safe place where you can hide from the sun until night falls once more. Make haste, my friends.” With that, Nostra gently presses his heels into the horse’s flank and trots after Ezra.
Devin puts his foot in the stirrup and flings his leg over Phantom’s back. Clearly he has ridden before. He pulls on the reins so he is facing me. “Up you get then,” he says.
I look at Israel, a beautiful chestnut female. She dips her head as if in greeting.
“I don’t know how to ride,” I say, nerves getting the better of me.
“Of course, your form of transport is entirely different to our own. You must ride with me then, Israel will follow.” Devin holds his hand out and I take it. A moment later I am settled behind his back.
“You might want to hold on,” Devin laughs as he presses his heels into Phantom’s sides. The horse jolts forward and I have no choice but to wrap my arms tightly around Devin’s waist as the horse thunders along the dirt path.
The thrill of going this fast with Israel running alongside is exhilarating. The feel of the wind in my hair and the strength of the horse beneath us is intoxicating. It’s as though we are flying. I watch the scenery rush by; to the left the Forbidden forest is vast and continues for as far as I can see, to the right there is nothing but miles and miles of undulating land, lit by a moon that’s three times as large as the one from home. In the distance, I can just make out the snowy peaks of three mountains reaching up into a dark sky filled with thousands upon thousands of stars that glitter like a cave full of diamonds. As the horse begins to slow, I pull back from Devin and gaze upwards. A shooting star flashes across the sky and for a brief moment I feel strangely at home.
Before long, the horse comes to a stop. Its chest is heaving from the effort of running, and there’s a light sheen of sweat over its body. Devin slides down to the ground, patting the horse gently. Phantom whinnies and shakes his head side to side.
“Do you need a hand?” Devin asks.
“I’m fine,” I say as I swing my leg over. Unfortunately for me, the ground is much further away than I think and I stumble backwards, expecting to hit the ground but instead finding myself in Devin’s arms.
“Careful, Accacia,” Devin whispers into my hair. I feel the pounding of his heart against my back and the sudden touch of his soul in my head. Rhain needs you to be all in one piece when he makes love to you.
I don’t respond. I can’t. Somehow, Devin saying those words makes me feel all kinds of confused. Not bec
ause of what I must do for Rhain, but because of how Devin is making me feel. I pull away from him, casting my eyes back the way we came. I can see the horizon changing into a light purple edged in pink as dawn begins to break.
“We don’t have much time. Can you see Rhain?” I say, worry creasing my brow. We are standing at the top of a slight hill. Below is a large field filled with tall, evenly spaced, cylindrical blocks. The blocks start just where the edge of the Forbidden forest ends. Towards the centre I can just make out the shape of a man.
“There,” I say, pointing. The desire, that until now has been dampened by Devin, explodes within my chest. Seeing him there alone like that does something to me and I run towards him, my body reacting before my mind can even process what it is doing.
It doesn’t take me long to reach Rhain, and I slow down as I near him.
“Rhain…” I whisper, uncertain now. I had pushed him away, and this is the result.
He whips around, the shock on his face quickly replaced with fear. “Cia, what are you doing here? Dawn is about to break.” He looks to the east, to the light that is brightening there. “You need to leave. NOW,” he shouts.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“The sun will rise shortly and you will perish. You must go. Please, Cia.”
“I’m not leaving without you,” I say, grabbing his arm. The simple touch of my hand against his bare skin sends shudders of desire through me. Devin does nothing to dampen them and this time I am glad.
“But the Claiming. I cannot go on like this,” Rhain says, looking at me desperately. “I am not strong enough to fight it anymore. I have to be free of this pain.” He drops his head, unable to look at me. He is shaking so much that he can barely stand.
“You will be free of this pain once we undergo the Claiming, once we make love,” I say, my own desire sending my words out in a heated rush.
His head snaps up. “You changed your mind?”
“Yes. You have risked your life to protect mine and now it’s my turn to save yours…” My words are cut off as he storms towards me, taking me in his arms. His kiss is fierce, urgent, and takes my breath away entirely. Before long, my hands are entangled in his hair as my tongue explores his mouth. I can feel the desperate need of his desire pressed up against me as my own body responds in kind.
“Sorry to break up the party, but we need to leave,” Devin says from behind us. We pull apart, panting. Devin glances at me, his expression closed. “Come now.” He points to the rising sun, fear etched on his face.
Chapter Nineteen
We reach the horses and climb on their backs. I am pressed up behind Rhain on top of Phantom and Devin is sitting astride Israel.
“What are we to do? We don’t have time to return to Nostra’s place,” Rhain says, panic in his voice. The horses whinny in unison.
“Nostra said the horses will take us somewhere safe if there is no time to return,” Devin explains, patting Israel on the side. Israel moves forward in a canter and Phantom follows. Behind us the sun begins to rise in earnest. I glance back to see it pushing against the shadow of night. The sun reaches the edge of the Light field and I have to shield my eyes from the glare as it passes over the first row of cylindrical shapes. Prisms of light erupt the moment it touches them. I watch in both fascination and horror as the light shatters through to the next row until the whole field is nothing but a bright, white light. It’s as though the sun has fallen from the sky. Instinctively, the horses run faster, reacting to our fear. I press my face into Rhain’s back, my arms squeezing him tighter. Just as the sun reaches within a few meters of us the horses turn a sharp right and gallop across an open field towards two small brick buildings in the distance. We are chasing the darkness whilst the sun chases us. Phantom stops at the nearest building, just as the sun catches our skin. I feel the burn on my hand as I jump down from his back. Rhain and I run into the house and slam the door as the sun streams through the window. I stand to the side and look outside to see Devin entering the other building. He is safe.
Are you okay? I ask, hoping that our connection hasn’t been severed.
I am fine, Devin replies. The sun caught my arm, but I will heal.
Thank goodness.
Accacia?
Yes, Devin?
The Claiming is a beautiful thing. Do not be afraid of it.
I nod my head, unable to answer.
“You are hurt.”
I turn to face Rhain, who is looking at my hand. He’s right, I am. The pain is only registering now he has pointed it out. “Ow.” I suck in a pained breath as Rhain inspects my skin.
“I am sorry, Cia. This is my fault.” His eyes meet mine and they are full of guilt.
“The fault is mine as much as it is yours,” I say, placing my uninjured hand against his cheek. He closes his eyes on the touch.
“I know you will heal eventually, but you should bathe the wounds, it will help with the pain. Through that door is a bedroom and bathing room.”
“You know this place?” I ask, surprised he has been here before.
“Yes, this was Ezra’s home before the curse…”
“But it is still so well kept.”
“Ezra returns here often. He misses his wife and child. Time has not diminished his love for them.”
“Of course,” I say softly, understanding Ezra a little more now. Rhain drops my hand and lets me leave the room. As I walk away, I feel the tension rise, and the desire within me becomes stronger. Yet Rhain remains restrained, waiting for me to be ready.
I pass through the bedroom. In the centre of the room is a large double bed covered with silken throws and soft bedding. A smaller, single bed is tucked away in the corner. Tears well in my eyes as I realise who must have slept there. The room is heated by an open fire, and before it lies a large sheepskin rug. This was Ezra’s home, the one he had shared with his loved ones. Somehow I feel closer to him being here.
I open the door on the other side of the bedroom and am surprised to find a huge sunken bath in the centre of the room. It is already filled with water and floating on the surface are beautiful-smelling rose petals. Peeling off my clothes, I step into the water, enjoying the perfect temperature. I hold my breath as I lower my hand into the water, expecting it to sting, but it doesn’t. The relief I feel is indescribable. The bath is deep, so deep that when I stand upright I am almost fully submerged. As I relax, candles dotted about the room light up. I do not question it; my brain is too full of other thoughts to try to work out how it is happening. Nostra is a witch, after all, this is probably his magic. I tip my body backwards, and as I relax on the surface of the water my thoughts turn to Rhain, to his indigo-blue eyes and kissable mouth. After everything that has happened I find that I can finally be honest with myself. Ever since Rhain’s arrival I’ve felt drawn to him. I may have denied it to him, to myself, but deep down that attraction has always been there. Perhaps if I had acknowledged that straight away then none of this suffering would have happened. My body has always known what I’ve been afraid to acknowledge, that I am attracted to Rhain as much as he is attracted to me. My lifestyle, my upbringing, my inability to allow a person in, has prevented me from understanding that. But now I understand. A clarity, as clear and as pure as the water surrounding me, settles in my mind. I want Rhain. I want him to touch me. I want him to take away the emptiness that has been present all my lonely life. Perhaps it is everything I’ve just gone through, perhaps it is the Claiming, perhaps it is because of a life lived in darkness, but whatever the reason, I need Rhain. I need him now.
Around me the water stirs and I tip upright. Rhain is standing on the steps of the bath, still fully clothed. He is breathing heavily, his eyes drinking me in. I can see the immense effort it takes for him not to move towards me.
“Cia…” he whispers.
Looking at him like that, so vulnerable, so desperate for my touch, breaks through the final barrier between us. The last of my reservations fade away as a rush of hea
t pools between my legs. My mouth parts as an undeniable need envelops me. I hold my hands out to him. Rhain surges forward and picks me up by the waist, his mouth crushing against my lips. The heat of his kiss sears through me as I tangle my hands in his hair. His tongue probes my mouth, twirling about my own as I drink him in. I can honestly say that in all my adult life I have never felt so desired. Nor have I desired someone so completely in return.
Rhain pulls away, breathing heavily. “Are you certain?” he asks, his hands gripping my hips. I know that if I say no, he will walk away, no matter how much it costs him to do so. But I don’t want him to walk away. I want him to stay. My hands cup his face. “I am certain that in this moment, right now, I want you,” I whisper.
Rhain smiles, and it is the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen, a smile that snatches the breath from my body. He kisses me thoroughly, one hand trailing fire down my spine, the other tangled in my wet hair.
“Cia,” he murmurs into my mouth. His hand reaches the curve of my bottom then slides over it, lifting me up. Moaning, I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling the length of his desire as it presses into me. I move against him, needing the friction, needing release. I pull at his shirt, hungering for the touch of his skin beneath my palms, and groan impatiently when I am unable to undo the buttons.
Rhain pulls his lips away from me. “Shall we get out of the bath?” he says.
I bite my lip then smile. “Yes.”
Still holding me firmly in his arms, he steps out of the bath and walks with me into the bedroom. The fire in the hearth is snapping and crackling just like the unquenched desire within me, casting a soft orange glow about the room. Rhain lays me gently down on the bed, his forearms a cage around my head as he kisses me deeply. A groan escapes him as he steps back to remove his clothes, his eyes absorbing me hungrily. My heart flutters wildly in my chest as he stands in his underwear, the dim light of the fire casting shadows over his beautifully defined body. Rhain isn’t as broad as Ezra or as tall as Devin, but he is exquisite nonetheless. He has a perfectly defined body with strong muscular limbs and a firm stomach. I find myself suddenly embarrassed by my own curves and I sit up, backing against the headboard, and start pulling the throw over myself. He frowns at me.