by Bailey Dark
“You’re my soul, Kane. Or I’m yours...I don’t know.”
He pulls back. “What are you talking about?”
“I feel like I’m not me. Well, not all the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m you. Or like I’m part of you and you’re part of me.” I feel myself babbling, but Kane kisses me quiet.
Chapter 10
Kane
I awaken to the sensation of Briar’s arms holding me tightly. The warm puff of her breath against my neck causes me to shudder. Tiny hands trace patterns on my chest and I smile in the darkness of our room. Her nose scrunches in her sleep. I place a kiss on her forehead and wonder what dream has her looking so disgruntled. Her drunken confessions and slew of questions still rattle about my brain.
Briar’s confusion is potent and I feel like a traitor. She can feel the bond as strongly as I can if not more due to her untapped powers. The way she describes it, like our souls are melded together, is accurate. She feels like she’s part of me and like I’m part of her, two halves of one soul, and in many ways, I think I would feel this way if we weren’t bound by blood. But it’s still too early to tell where this path will lead us. Briar’s beauty and her intelligence intrigue me, but is it enough? I can no longer lie to myself about feeling something for her.
Just one look into those steel grey eyes causes a wild wind to stir in my chest.
I’m to the point where I can’t handle the look of disappointment from her any longer. The thought of seeing the same amount of hatred in her eyes as when she called me a demon makes me want to never leave this room. I deserve all of her hatred and more. Though the circumstances that led to her harsh feelings has little to do with me in general, I still feel responsible for her emotions. The small acts of kindness I’ve shown her over the past few days isn’t enough to erase the bad memories or the nightmares caused by my stupidity.
But I can’t tell her about the bond, not when she can barely wrap her mind around the fact that what Lilith and I have -or had- is purely platonic. Lilith loves with teeth and claws, harsh fucking that leaves her lovers feeling bereft of any emotions at all. With Briar, it’s different. We’ve been intimate, but I won’t claim her until we’re both certain it’s what we want. Though the the memory of her lips on mine causes my erection to swell with interest, I can’t allow us to take it that far. Even marking her with my fangs is something I only dare to do in dreams.
Briar’s insecurities are not unfounded, though. I see the way she stares at the exotically beautiful vampire women. Both Elluine and Lilith have a certain commanding presence that draws attention to them, but I can’t even think about the time of day whenever Briar is near. It’s bad. It’s like a virus coursing through my veins, hiding dormant until I least expect it.
I have to leave. I need air.
I untangle myself from Briar and climb out of bed with a soft groan. We spent the night kissing until she fell asleep. But she needs to sober up before we talk about the journey ahead. I dress carefully and leave the room, locking the door behind me. The sound of Willem’s laughter draws me downstairs. He slips out of the nymph’s room with a wicked smile on his face.
“Enjoy yourself?” I ask with a grin.
Willem jumps at the sound of my voice and I bite back a laugh. He glares at me. “I burned off some steam. It doesn’t mean anything. Just needed to clear my mind. That’s all.”
I shrug, amused at his defensiveness. “Didn’t say it meant anything.”
“You didn’t have to,” he snaps. “There’s always something.”
“Do you have something you want to get off your chest?” I observe my friend with a critical eye.
He deflates before me, shaking his head. I clap him on the shoulder as I pass and head into the council room. No one’s there so I step outside. Elluine stands with her guards. She smiles when she sees me and thoughts of Briar’s jealousy keeps me from smiling back.
Elluine notices the change in my behavior and places her hands on her hips. “So, where does this journey of yours take you?”
“Archech,” I say. Her fear is so strong it stings my nostrils. “What do you know about it?”
“It’s dangerous. No one who goes there every comes back.” Elluine shifts on her heels, the smile on her face no longer present. “I’ve seen it from afar. It’s dark and ominous.”
I smile devilishly. “I am dark and ominous.”
She puts a hand up to her guards and shakes her head, walking toward me. “Not like this. It’s like a physical thing more than a feeling, you know? Just...don’t go. Whatever you’re looking for, or hoping to find there, it isn’t worth it.”
Her assumptions strike a nerve. “I think I can make that decision on my own.”
I bump my shoulder against her as I walk past. She scuffs bitterly and disappears inside. I walk through the village, gathering supplies for our voyage. I head out toward the edge of Phaendar once more. There’s a path that circles around the outskirts of the village. I follow it through a thick patch of trees until I come upon rolling hills. It’s a long way up to the top, but I make it there despite my lack of sleep the previous night. I stand at the edge of the cliff, looking out at the sea in the distance. Glittering blue waters remind me of Briar’s eyes whenever her powers flare up.
I can’t see Archech. The island is much further out to sea than even my enhanced sight can see, but I feel so close. I am close. I’m much closer than I’ve ever been. For years, centuries even, Willem and I have put our all into figuring out the island’s location. It seems close enough to touch, but I know it’s not. I look out at the horizon and imagine Archech’s dark shores. Like Elluine suggests, not many people have had the pleasure of seeing the island and living to tell the tale. Those who are daring enough to step foot on its land are lost forever. Not in the way that souls get lost in the Blood Forest, or are captured in Yolnheim, or killed by undead Reapers in Zculth, but in a way that feeds the legends, keeping them alive.
I know I must tell Briar what lies ahead. I want her as my wife. I want us to marry as soon as possible so that I can finally allow myself to feel deeply for her. And when she loves me, I’ll tell her about the soul bond, about the link that tethers us together.
But only when she loves me.
I still can’t believe how close we are to finding the crown. It’s happening. Our destinies are coming full circle. With my mind perusing the cool surface of the ocean, imaging the journey to Archech, I missed the presence lingering in the shadows. A hand grips me firmly from behind. I spin and throw my attacker to the ground. They’re on their feet in seconds. I allow my claws and fangs to elongate, rolling my shoulders and preparing for battle. Arrows fly toward me. I dodge them as best as I can, throwing my body to the side and rolling across the ground. An arrow grazes my cheek and I feel the burn before a trickle of warmth flows from the non-lethal wound. The assailant drops the bow and quiver, reaching for a duel-ended dagger. They come at me with a fury.
The blade slashes and carves through the air, barely allowing enough time to dodge the attacks. I summon the shadow blade and bury into the underside of their arm, causing their dagger to fall. I catch it before it hits the ground and drive it into the belly of my attacker before sliding the blade up to their sternum. As I turn, his hands grip my back, but the blood on him causes them to falter. He falls forward into me and I catch him, looking down trying to see who has come to end my reign. A strange fog fills their eyes and the body in my arms begins to crack and fracture. It crumbles and turns to dust.
There’s a second assailant. This one is clearly a male. He comes at me in a way that is cold and calculated, a killer with skill and no remorse. Bloodthirsty mercenaries looking to assassinate Death before he can reach the island, no doubt. I grab the dagger from the first assassin and lunge for the second, but he escapes into the trees. The dry sea air burns my lungs as I give chase. There are no footprints in the dirt, no scent on the winds aside from the smells from Phaendar, and no sign of the assassin anywhere.
>
Briar. If there’s two, there could be more.
My blade evaporates and I run back to the village. I don’t care to stop and warn anyone. Briar’s beautiful face pushes its way to the front of my mind and nothing else matters. When I return, I see Willem sneaking through the halls again, clutching a towel to his hip. But it’s not his own room I see him leaving.
I push down my panic, a strange feel of distrust for Willem that I haven’t felt before. “Two females in less than four hours? That has to be a record. What? Are you and my brother competing for some secret championship?”
If Willem isn’t in a panic, then perhaps Briar is safe.
Willem gives me a droll look as Elluine walks out of the door behind him, looking rather rumpled. I lean against the wall and run a hand through my hair, shielding the wild beating of my heart. “I came to tell you to keep an eye on things. I was out scouting when I was attacked by two mercenaries. They weren’t wearing flags or anything like that. Their faces were covered for the most part. If you find one, capture it. Killing it will cause it to turn to dust. Learned that the hard way. I need to check something out. I’ll be back in a while.”
Elluine grasps my arm as I turn to leave. My eyes shift immediately to hers, my body rising in stature. She drops her hand when I flash my fangs.
“The Drogaem shouldn’t be awakened,” the village leader says. “Please. For all of our sakes.”
I walk away at a normal pace feeling Elluine and Willem’s eyes on my back as I return to my bride. Her dark hair fanning out over the pillows and the steady rise and fall of her chest is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all day. My hands shake as I climb into bed beside her, pulling her against my chest again and revel in the fact that she’s allowing me to be near her. Briar stretches a little and rolls over. I follow.
She sighs contently as I slot myself against her back and close my eyes. I focus on the thrum of her heartbeat, letting it lull me to sleep. My powers search for Briar in sleep, but I can’t find her. I stand in a dark room. There’s nothing here. I hear the echoes. This place, wherever it is, is like an endless well of darkness. I walk through abyss until I come upon a wall. My hand brushes the brick. Runes appear and I frown in confusion.
Briar doesn’t know these marks. She didn’t recognize them when we were in Zculth. But somehow, she put up a wall in her mind, blocking the soul bond. I retreat from the darkness and open my eyes for a moment. Briar appears peaceful, but now I know there is still something that keeps her from letting me into her heart. Her mother’s death and her suffering has nothing to do with me. Her father’s stupidity is not my concern either.
And yet I feel guilty. I know I have to open up to her if I expect her to do the same.
But I fear that once she learns the truth, there’s nothing I can do to earn her affection back. There are so many lies and secrets that it's hard to see what’s real and what isn’t anymore.
Briar is real. I am real.
I curl up beside her and allow myself these stolen moments of pure bliss. If Willem were to see me this weak, I’d never live it down.
Chapter 11
Briar
A searing pain lances through my head as I clutch the covers to my chest. The sound of screaming echoes in my ears as I shoot up from the pillows. Sweat dampens the sheets beneath me and Kane is gone. Of course he’s gone. I never should expect him to stay with me for more than a few hours through the night. I flop back onto the mattress and stare up at the vaulted ceiling. Wooden beams in a warm shade of brown form an intricate pattern above my head. It’s so different than some of the muraled ceilings at the castle.
My eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness of the room, but I crawl out from under the blanket. By the time I open the window I notice that the sun is rising in the distance. Perhaps the sky is not always in a perpetual sunrise. Perhaps the sun is just always blocked by the dark mountains to the West and filter through the Blood Forest, causing it to appear as though the sun is always stuck halfway between night and day. I press my fingers to my temples and try to push the pain away.
To my surprise, it works.
Though the fading prickles of the headache still tease the edges of my mind, the worst of the pain is gone. I wash up in the basin behind the privacy screen, not wanting to bother with hauling the water for a bath so early in the morning. When I leave my room, I hear the sound of muffled voices drifting through the corridor. Elluine stands less than a foot away from Kane and Willem as she begs them to reconsider our journey.
“No one in Phaendar will give you a boat,” the village leader claims. “I won’t take you there and neither will any of my people. With all due respect, I don’t want your blood on my hands. When the history books write about this day, I don’t want people to associate my name with the day that Death died.”
I approach quietly, not wanting to give away my presence just yet. Kane huffs in annoyance and I smile a little. I like when someone else is on the receiving end of that look and not just me. “While I see the good intentions behind your warnings, I’m no safer here anymore than I am at sea. Two assassins have already tried to kill me-”
“What?!” I look around for the booming voice, but come to the realization that the voice is mine. I ease out from behind the column and into Kane’s line of sight. He stares at me in shock as I make my way over to him. “When were you going to tell me that someone tried to kill you?”
“I wasn’t,” he huffs.
“Why not? I’m your bride, I have the right to know.” Even to my own ears I sound like I'm whining, but I’m genuinely concerned for Kane’s safety. “Why are we still here if someone tried to kill you? Shouldn’t we be leaving?”
“Because in order to get to the island we need a boat. Elluine and her merchant’s guild are the only people here who have access to them.” He points to Elluine who stands firm in her distaste for the plan.
“Well, the sea is not hers to command,” I snap. “There will be someone with a boat who will be kind enough to allow us safe passage to the island.”
Elluine shifts on her feet and stands between me and Kane. I reach for my dagger, but Willem grabs my arm. I wasn’t going to stab her...not unless she gave me a reason. Her eyes catch his movements and she straightens her spine. “My objection is not a matter of kindness, but a matter of safety. I’ve warned him countless times not to go. You won’t make it across the sea no matter who takes you there.”
Dread leaves a foul taste on my tongue as Elluine storms off and pushes her way through a set of large wooden doors. I turn back to Kane.
“So, you don’t think I deserve to know when your life is in danger?” I ask him. My headache returns full force.
He waves his arm angrily at me. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t you who was nearly killed.”
I find the courage -or stupidity- within me to shove against his chest. “Why must you be so selfish? What if you hadn’t come back?! Would you expect me to wait here forever or scour to the ends of the underworld for you? Would Willem be obligated to return me to the castle until my time here ran out and I was forced to return home?”
He frowns at me as though my anger is unjustified.
“I was nearly your widow before I had the chance to be your wife.” I hate the pitiful sob that punctuates my words. “You may not care whether you live or die, but I do!”
I rush toward the stairs. I need to get away, to clear my head of these insufferable emotions, but he grabs my arm and pushes my hair out of my eyes. Kane grips my chin, but I stare at an empty spot on the wall defiantly, refusing to meet his stare.
“Why are you being so dramatic?” His words cut sharper than any weapon I’ve ever encountered.
I fling myself out of his arms. “Forget I said anything. It’s your life. Do with it as you wish.”
“Briar…”
He reaches for me but I sling my arm back. “No, Kane. Forget it. Let’s get on with our journey.”
I spin on my heels and ready my
bags for the road ahead. We ride out of Phaendar before the sun reaches its highest peak. Kane attempts several times to speak to me, but I remain silent. There’s no use in talking to him when I’m angry and he has no intention of listening. I know Kane better than I know myself and he isn’t ready to hear what I have to say.
Kane spurs his horse on and rides hard ahead of Willem and me. The Reaper regards me with the usual amount of suspicion.
“I know what you plan to do,” he says. “I know you plan to kill Kane with that blade of yours.”
I pull my horse to a full stop, mouth gaping like a fish. “That is a serious accusation-”
“And one I’m certain is the truth,” Willem interrupts. “There’s no use in denying it, mortal. Clearly I underestimated you.”
I shut my mouth and narrowed my eyes, glancing ahead to make sure Kane hadn’t noticed. “What about you, Willem? I see the way you look at Kane when you think no one is watching. And, as you say, there’s no use in denying it. Are you working with Aiden?”
Willem laughs. An actual laugh that starts from his belly and bellows out of his mouth with honest amusement. “Aiden and I have been working together for quite some time. Much longer than you’ve been alive, I assure you. He and I share a common goal.”
“And what would that be?”
“Making sure that Kane never gets his hands on Drogaem’s crown.” The severity of his words is not lost on me. Neither is the truth I see in his eyes. Even so, I do not trust Willem. “You have to kill him, Briar. You must. The fate of the worlds rest in your hands.”
“Why?” I question. “Why do you wish to stop him?”
He reaches over to grab my arm but stops short, glancing in Kane’s direction. His voice lowers to a hiss. “He will bring nothing but ruin and you will be seen as guilty by omission.”
I shake my head surprising myself with shock even though I’ve known the truth all along. “Why did you choose to ally yourself with Aiden? I thought you and Kane were friends.”