by J. L. Weil
Devyn agreed, but that didn’t mean he trusted her. Trust wasn’t something he gave freely. It wasn’t in his genetic makeup, but I trusted him inexplicably. That was all that mattered—our trust in each other. It was what would keep us alive.
I hoped.
Belle paced on the dash of the car while Devyn drove, her wings glistening in the endless sun. “The guard doesn’t lie. I’ve seen the thread of Imogen Thorne’s life. She won’t see Katsura again and has risked her life to come here for you, knowing it would mean her death.” She blinked, the fogginess of her gift clearing from her eyes.
“What do you mean it will be her death?” The question from Devyn’s lips came out cold.
“Do you want a rundown of the infinite possibilities of the future?” Belle shot back, her pointy ears rising. “I’ve seen them, and so many more have yet to be seen.”
“Did you forewarn Imogen of her own death when you went to see the king?” Devyn guessed, and by the recoil in her expression, he’d hit it on the nose.
“She was insistent, claiming it was the only way she could protect King Ryo by seeing her future. I told her it would make no difference. The king’s death was imminent as was hers. Knowing won’t change what is to pass. King Ryo was sick before I was summoned. He had lived many, many long years and knew his end was coming.”
I was still having a hard time processing that Belle had known my grandfather. “Why did you never tell me that you knew him?”
She folded her arms. “What good would it have done? It won’t bring him back or change your path. You’ll still be the heir to Katsura and the Second Moon’s only hope.”
I slumped deeper into my seat, staring out the window. What Belle said was true. It would have made little difference knowing she had been in the king's service, but I considered Belle a friend, and as such, it hurt to learn something so personal from someone I didn’t know.
The pressure was on. I had four tails and five to go, but Katsura and the rest of the kingdoms in the Second Moon weren’t going to wait for me to figure out what I had to accomplish to gain the rest. The blight that was destroying the land would continue to spread until it had a king or queen with the power to commune with the land itself.
I had no idea how that worked, and the prospect was bleak, to say the least, having an entire world depend on you to keep it alive and thriving.
My thoughts drifted to Imogen and all that she had risked to seek me out. “Should we help her?” I proposed to Devyn, feeling compelled to save the woman who had been so loyal to my family. “If we can prevent her death, shouldn’t we try?”
Devyn’s fingers tightened for a second on the wheel before relaxing. He shook his head. “There is nothing we can do. Death has called her name.”
If it had been my name death had spoken, Devyn would have fought the damn reaper himself to save me.
It was hours like this, when the rain pounded on the tin roof of some shitty motel, that I missed Hannah and Jesse, my best friends. I missed how Hannah called me K. I missed Jesse sneaking into my room to watch movies and eat popcorn all night until I fell asleep; I always closed my eyes first.
Did they think about me?
Did they believe I had abandoned them? Run away?
My departure had been sudden and mysterious, filled with questions I couldn’t answer—not without putting them in danger, which I had refused to do. This was my problem, and I would protect them at all costs. But I missed Seaside Heights, my parents, and my old life. I missed my home, and the only way I’d ever be able to go back was if I fulfilled this stupid destiny and saved the Second Moon. Even then, if I managed to do the impossible, it would change my life forever.
A part of me didn’t want to believe it was true, wanted to hold on to the dream that my life could go back to how it had been before that fateful day I’d shifted into a fox and Devyn kidnapped me (or so I’d thought at the time).
These last few days I’d felt myself spiraling into a dark place. I couldn’t seem to shake it off, and pretending that everything was okay, that I was okay, was wearing on me. Never had I felt more useless in my life. I had this huge destiny looming over my head that had a ticking time bomb attached to it, and I was deathly afraid it was going to blow up in my face.
Sure, I’d made progress, but it didn’t feel like enough.
With a heavy sigh, I rolled onto my side and reached for my cell phone on the nightstand. Beside me, Devyn’s gentle breathing filled the room. I’d dreamed of sleeping in the same bed as the Shaman, but in my head, it had been quite different than reality. Another disappointment in my life.
We’d been too bone tired to do anything other than pass out in bed each night. Not to mention, having Belle in the room wasn’t exactly romantic.
I stared at the last string of texts from Hannah and Jesse, my fingers hovering over the keys. I wanted more than anything to hear their voices, to tell them everything that was going on, but . . .
I let loose another exhale.
If I told them, I would be involving them in my problems—problems that went beyond their mortal world. How could I do that?
I refused to endanger the people I loved most.
I couldn’t.
Setting aside my phone, I turned over, facing Devyn. I listened to the steady thrum of the rain, studying the handsome features of the guy who had become so important to me. It was more than that I needed him, which I definitely did if I wanted to survive, but he’d become a part of me—a piece of my soul.
A cool breeze from the slightly open window kissed my neck and sent the sheer curtains fluttering. Traces of rain and earth floated in with the breeze, the world silent outside our room. In the dark, I let my eyes run over the length of Devyn’s torso, marveling at his beauty. He had a warrior’s body, honed by brutality and discipline. A faint scar ran down the left side of his chest, and my eyes flashed, wanting to cause bodily harm to whoever had hurt him enough to leave a mark.
His hair had been damp when he came to bed a few hours ago freshly showered and shirtless. My fingers itched to brush aside the lock of hair that had fallen over the side of his face, but I bit my lip instead.
At this rate, I’d never get any sleep. My body was humming at just the sight of him, and I could imagine all too well what it would feel like to touch that glorious, golden skin. The beating of my heart thundered in time with the rain.
I fumbled with the charm that was a direct link to my Kitsune heritage and my powers. The soul star hung around my neck, pulsing with a comforting warmth that responded to the sudden heightened awareness of my body. My reaction to Devyn’s nearness.
Over the last week, I’d noticed this distinct connection I had between my Kitsune and my human body. Before my first shift, the magic of what I was had been dormant, and with each ability, the presence of my Kitsune strengthened to where I could now sense the power inside me as if it were its own living entity. It was a part of me that I could control and command, but it was also separate in that I could distinguish between my mortal soul and my Kitsune. Two souls sharing one body, one mind.
The difference became noticeable after I gained my last ability—my fourth Kitsune tail. Tails on a Kitsune showed power and strength. The more a Kitsune had, the harder they were to kill. Nine was the ultimate number.
I didn’t fully understand the power that prodded and poked inside of me, begging to come out and play at times, but I was beginning to comprehend it couldn’t be ignored—shouldn’t be shoved aside. It was as important to exercise my power as it was my body. Both would serve me well in this task.
It was time I stopped running and learned to fight. This spiral into self-pity had to end, for everyone’s sake.
A new sense of resolve burned in my blood as I stared at Devyn. I wanted to protect him with the same determination as he guarded me. My Kitsune purred and brushed against my mind like a content cat at the thought, wholeheartedly approving. She definitely had picked up on my feelings for the Shaman or perhaps
it was an extension of our connection.
He had called me his queen today. That was a first, and the word rolled around in my head, testing the weight of it. Such a hefty title, so many strings attached.
Could I become queen?
What the hell kind of queen would I even be? What did I know about ruling a kingdom?
Nothing. That’s what.
Queen of Katsura.
The words made me shudder with a mixture of fear and apprehension that left a dull ache throbbing at the back of my head. I continued to toy with the stone, my mind unsettled.
Would Devyn be able to stay by my side after I was crowned? Did I have a crown? A throne? A court? All things I should know.
My goal had always been to save Mom, whatever the costs, but I was realizing the price was much higher than I’d believed. I wasn’t ready to let go of my life, of all hope. If there was a way to save Katsura and return to my world, I was going to find it, and until then, I clung to the last shred of faith inside me.
The questions haunted me all through the night and followed me into my dreams, my body no longer able to reject the exhaustion clawing at me.
I was thrown awake with a violent jerk, just as Devyn was beside me. Darkness exploded around the room while my eyes adjusted from the abrupt shift into consciousness. The shared nightmare splintered through us. I blinked, willing my heart to settle back into my chest.
A warm touch squeezed my fingers.
Devyn.
Our hands were intertwined, and I couldn’t decipher if it was in comfort or fear that we often clung to one another during these dreams.
I guess it didn’t matter one way or the other.
The walls in the room creaked against the battering winds outside, but it took a backseat to the sound of my own breath matched with Devyn’s. I glanced over at the Shaman, not surprised to find him sitting up alongside me, his ragged breath synchronized with mine.
Cold sweat glistened over my skin, my body shaking, and terror clogged my throat. Devyn’s name was a silent cry on my lips.
This wasn’t the first time we’d experienced the odd phenomenon of a shared nightmare, nor would it be the last.
Things between Devyn and I were changing, or perhaps it was just that I was changing, catching up to him.
My heart stuttered in my chest. I wasn’t good at suppressing my feelings, and right now, I was bursting at the seams with so many emotions. I didn’t know whether to cry or kiss him as if my life depended on it, which it sort of did.
“I’m okay,” he murmured through the darkness as much to assure himself as me. “I’m okay.” His thumb brushed at the silent tears streaming down my cheek. That simple touch banished any lingering darkness of the dream.
I exhaled a shaky breath and nodded my head, wrapping my arms around myself. A spear of lightning lit up the room, illuminating his bright green eyes, and for a flash, he looked like anything but a mortal boy and every inch a born warrior.
With his eyes glowing in the dark, he looked ready to slay a dragon or any other nightmare made flesh. “Come here,” he whispered, lying back down and opening up his arms. “It was just a dream.”
It hadn’t been only a dream, but a memory neither of us could forget.
I didn’t hesitate and scooted down beside him, resting my head on his shoulder. His arms enveloped me, pulling me against him. I soaked in his warm, male scent, burying my face into his neck and willing my heart to calm down.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his breath stirring my hair.
“I’d rather just hold you,” I whispered.
In response, his arms tightened around me before letting the muscles of his body relax one by one. Our shared dreams shook him to his core, despite his attempts to pretend otherwise. His vestige of fear was as real as mine.
I listened to his heart return to its normal rate. He rubbed at the center of his chest with his palm, the spot where the dagger had pierced his heart, and I laid my hand over his, intertwining our fingers. I wished more than anything to be able to dispel the recurring nightmare from his sleep, that I could protect him from that as well.
Our dreams had collided after the night Devyn had been stabbed. Over and over again, we both relived those moments. His blood on my hands—warm and thick, coating my fingers. The helplessness as I watched him sink to the cave floor, groaning, a hole where a dragon’s talon had been in his chest. The fear inside me was vivid and very real, a sort of cruel torture I couldn’t break free from.
Sometimes the dream would shift, and it would be me lying on the cold ground bleeding out, Devyn screaming my name. I didn’t know which version was worse. Both caused a spear of ice to shoot through my chest and my heart to splinter. Then there was the emotional pain. It was so damn real.
From these recurring dreams Devyn and I shared, we learned how deep our bond tied us together. Perhaps it was due to our close sleeping quarters as well, sharing a bed each night, but no matter what triggered the link, neither of us had a peaceful rest.
Although our reactions to the dream had mellowed some over time, the nightmare itself never changed, nor did the link allowing us to share this horror night after night.
Chapter Five
I sprinted through the trees, Devyn keeping pace just slightly behind me. By human standards, the Shaman moved with impressive speed. In my fox form, I was fast, darting around overgrown bushes and towering oak trees with ease.
The morning air felt crisp and vibrant in my lungs. The thickness of my white fur kept me warm. Inside, my spirit was laughing, thrilled with the freedom of being uncaged and wild. If I was a wolf, I’d be howling at the moon as it gave way to day.
Rounding a large pine tree, the pads of my paws flew over a bed of needles before I skidded to a stop. My ears perked up, listening to the sounds of the forest, the scuttling of little critters, and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Had I heard something unnatural? Devyn’s breath clouded in front of him as he halted beside me.
I glanced up at the Shaman. His nose was tipped pink and color stained his cheeks from the exertion and the cold. He looked so damn adorable that I wanted to smother him with wet fox kisses. He probably tasted better in this form, like dark sin, and my more base senses purred at the thought.
I angled my head to the side, actually contemplating licking him.
His eyes sparkled down at me with the rush of the run. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already. We’re just getting started, Kitten.”
He was a damn machine. The man never grew weary no matter how hard or fast I ran. He definitely wasn’t human.
I gave a snort through my wet nose and shook my head. Communication as a fox was limited to grunts, growls, and snaps.
He let out a breathy chuckle and bent to pet my head. I nuzzled the side of my face against his touch. Whatever I had sensed before in the forest was gone, and if Devyn wasn’t alarmed, then it was more likely than not me being paranoid.
“You ready for phase two?” he challenged me.
Bring it, my eyes said, glinting at him with anticipation and acceptance.
His answer was a roguish grin as he straightened and reached behind his shoulders for the twin swords that suddenly appeared like magic. We had left Belle snuggled up in her little makeshift bed back in the motel, still sleeping. The pixie wasn’t a fan of mornings, or running, or any type of exercise. Such a lazy fae. It made me wonder if it was just her or all pixies.
Devyn sauntered to the center of a mossy clearing and flipped his daggers once before holding them up in a fighting stance. “Your powers need control. You need to shape it. To summon them at will with nothing more than a blink of the eye. Some of your abilities are instinctual. The hunt, survival, adapting to your environment—those are traits a fox is born with. Brute strength isn’t your strong suit, but your cunning is.”
I paced the ground in front of him, listening to his pep talk. The moss was soft under my pads.
His green eyes gleamed with a pr
edator instinct as he crooked a finger at me. “Let’s tangle, Kitten. Your magic against mine.”
Already the tingles of power trembled in my blood, responding to the allure of Wrath and Fury. The fae creatures braided around the hilt of his blades and his forearms, uniting Shaman and swords into one lethal weapon.
My sharp eyes narrowed, and I gave a nod of understanding. The powers of Kitsune could be wielded in both forms: human or fox. I chose to stay in my animal form, using the extra senses to hone my skills. In this body, I felt a stronger connection to my magic in a way that I hoped would be easier to command.
I let my first sphere of fire fly. Devyn deflected it with the length of his steel blade, sending it back toward me. I leapt out of the way for risk of being incinerated by my own flame.
A feral smile curled his lips. “And don’t you dare hold back on me.”
Training was the wrong word to describe what we were doing as it felt like I’d accomplished nothing in the weeks since Devyn had been injured. He dodged, deflected, and destroyed every spear of fire, every bolt of lightning, every swipe of claws I threw at him to the point of frustration.
Panting with exhaustion and my powers spent, I glared at Devyn, who looked as if he could do this all day. His skin glistened in the high noon sun, but it was the only sign of our rigorous sparring.
We’d been at it for hours. If he told me “again” one more time, I couldn’t be held accountable for my actions. Besides, all this close interaction of our magic playing together was having other side effects. God help me if he didn’t look better after hours of sweating in the sun.
With one smooth transition, I shifted into my human skin, preparing to hurl a ball of flames at Devyn’s feet, but he was already in front of me by the time I was standing on two legs. My hands were suspended in the air, embers of fire dancing over my fingertips. His strong fingers wrapped around my wrists. His sudden closeness caught me off guard, and I brought my knee up between his legs in an instinctive maneuver that would have ended badly if the Shaman hadn’t been fast.