“Because she deserves a better life than what she has here,” I say bluntly. “She deserves the beauty of the Earth realm and to be with her family. After all the horrors and abuses she’s endured here over the last twenty-eight years, you’ll agree with me on that if you care for her at all.”
It was the right move. Immediately, Amell’s eyes soften a bit, although his jaw stays locked tight. “I’ll bring you to Zora. It’s her choice whether she wants to see you or not.”
“Would you let her return to the Earth realm with me?” I ask tentatively.
“I’ll respect her wishes,” Amell clips out. But it’s what he doesn’t say that comes across in his tone—he feels he owes her something.
Or perhaps he needs redemption?
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m fascinated that this Dark Fae—clearly royal and second in command to Kymaris—takes our appearance in stride.
Of course, he could be leading us into a trap, but that’s where it comes in handy to have two demi-gods who can decimate someone by blinking their eyes.
We follow Amell into Otaxis. Boral said royals don’t bother to come here, and Dark Fae seem to melt away from the winged fae as he walks the streets. He has a tremendous bearing and commands a respectful sort of fear from those we pass. It makes me wonder exactly what he can do.
I want to know how he has those damn wings.
Sadly, I don’t have the guts to ask those questions.
As we move through the city, some of the Dark Fae look at me with curiosity. Most, though, stare with open hostility while others regard me as if I’m a tasty snack. I don’t bother to put my hood back on since Amell is our escort, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m safe. Carrick and Maddox stay close to me on either side, but I’ll occasionally catch a Dark Fae gaping at me in shock. I can only assume they know Zora, and they’re startled by our nearly identical features. Besides the color of our hair, of course.
Up ahead, I recognize the bar where Zora had stopped for an awful drink in my dreams. That’s when I was able to look in the mirror and realize we were twins, but she had snowy white hair in a riot of curls.
I lean into Carrick, nodding toward the bar. “That’s where I first saw Zora. They serve alcohol in there that tastes like antifreeze.”
He mutters back, “Might I suggest you not drink or eat anything offered to you on this trip?”
“Agreed.”
Two blocks down, Amell turns right. It’s then that something hits me.
“No transportation,” I say aloud to no one in particular.
Amell looks over his shoulder at me, eyebrows raised.
“Everyone walks,” I explain. “Obviously, I wouldn’t expect modern modes of transport, but there aren’t even animals being ridden or pulling carts.”
“Many Dark Fae in the Underworld can bend distance, so that’s how they can travel efficiently. Those who can’t tend to stay in a localized area.”
“And just how many Dark Fae can do that down here?” I ask curiously. Because we don’t know much other than some stone magic was brought into the Underworld, bestowed upon some, while evolution helped develop the rest.
Amell stops and turns to face us. “Unlike Faere, where Nimeyah limits her subjects’ powers so she remains the strongest, we don’t do that here. Kymaris has been generous with the stone magic that came below, and evolution strengthened those abilities. Bending distance and conjuring can almost be considered commonplace.”
“And your wings?” I ask since he’s talking openly.
His voice is somber. “Through magic, I was able to receive back that which was stripped from me when I fell from grace. Not all Dark Fae want them, but they were important to me.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why are you sharing stuff so freely with us? We’re intruding in your realm. We are opposing your queen from above.”
“Me sharing this information changes nothing,” Amell points out. “Kymaris has risen, and she will tear down the veil. Earth will be hers, and my loyalties are to her. Nothing I’ve told you has any bearing on that.”
Hmmm. I have to chew on that one. This guy is slick, and I can’t figure him out.
With the thought that we still might be headed into a trap, we continue our journey, following Amell deeper into the city until he finally comes to a street lined with small square huts made like all the other structures with mud and stone. He heads to the third house down, which has thatching on the sloped roof, a window framed with wood but no glass, and a wooden door that’s not well made as the wood is worn and cracked.
Amell taps on it slightly and takes a step back. I stand directly behind him with Carrick and Maddox still flanking me and Boral to my rear. Amell is so wide, even with the expanse of his wings folded back, I can’t see the door when it opens.
Regardless, I can envision my sister, which makes my heart start to gallop.
It’s her voice I hear first. “Amell,” she says in surprise. “What are you doing here? You hardly ever come slumming.”
Turning his body sideways, he steps back to reveal me standing there. “I’ve brought your sister to you, Zora.”
His voice is hard. If I didn’t know any better, promises of retribution ring within. I spare him a glance, and his expression is stormy with anger as he looks at my sister.
Her eyes are on me, though, wide with surprise. She doesn’t seem to fear Amell’s fury over my existence or presence here.
I take a hesitant step forward, holding my hand up. “Hi, Zora. I’m Finley.”
CHAPTER 8
Finley
Zora looks like she’s seen a ghost and, in a way, I suppose she has. I’ve been nothing but a voice in her head—an intangible that she couldn’t see or touch.
Amell crosses his arms over his chest again, his overall posture and expression one of disapproval. I’m sure he takes issue with not only the fact I am here in this realm he is ruling, but I’m here for Zora. I have to imagine he’s irked because Zora never told him about me, and I’m dying to know just what type of relationship they have.
But first things first.
I want to hug my sister.
Potential outcomes of this could include Zora running away from me, blasting me with magic, or potentially vomiting from the enormity of what’s facing her. I expect she’s not had much loving touch in her life, and this could freak her out.
Doesn’t matter.
I need it, and, for once, I’m taking something for myself.
I move past Amell, then step over the threshold into her house without an invitation. Zora takes a step backward, but I keep coming her way. It’s only because she backs into a table that she stops, and it’s only then that I’m able to wrap my arms around her. One over her shoulder and the other around her waist, and I pull her to me tight.
Her body is as stiff as plywood and she doesn’t return the embrace, but I don’t care. This is a gift—a miraculous, joyous gift I’ve been given. If I only have these few moments to hug her, I’m going to latch on as long as I can.
“I’ve missed you,” I murmur as I squeeze tighter.
“You don’t even know me to miss me,” she points out, but I note her tone is without the usual rancor when we’ve talked before.
“Hoping to change that,” I say. To give her some space and not scare her off, I reluctantly release her and step back.
Zora smooths down the tunic she’s wearing, which looks like brown burlap, cut fairly close to her actual body shape with crisscross leather straps that meet right at her sternum and give her figure even more definition. The tunic falls to her hips, and she has on pants that look almost like they could be denim but are also brown. There are holes at the knees, and they are faded at the thighs. I imagine it’s from repeated washings. Maybe it’s her only pair. The thought she has so little hurts my heart.
She’s wearing a pair of brown leather boots that look well cared for, and as I glance around her bare home, they might be her most expensive possession. I
wonder how she earns these things.
Her house is small and consists of only one room. There’s a stove, a small counter, a kitchen table with chairs, a bed in the corner with a trunk at the end, and a door at the back, which I assume leads outside. I don’t see a bathroom, but it would be rude to ask how she bathes. I know she smelled good when I hugged her, and her hair is clean and shiny. Her complexion is a bit pale, but it’s perfectly clear. It’s very weird here, and I can’t wait to learn more about it.
“Zora,” Amell says in a deep, commanding voice. Forgetting there are other people here, I jump, startled. I turn to see that the four men have crowded into her house, Amell somehow tucking his wings in even closer. “You’ve been keeping secrets from me.”
My gaze snaps back to Zora, wondering if she’ll cower from his anger because he is definitely pissed off at the knowledge she has a twin sister.
Instead, Zora lifts her chin, expression cool and detached. “Let’s not start playing the blame game when it comes to keeping secrets.”
Amell’s jaw tightens again, and I’m slightly fearful that she’s standing up to such a powerful Dark Fae. But he does no more than incline his head and take a step backward as if to say he’s removing himself from the conversation.
It’s with fascination that I see a flicker of remorse shadow Zora’s face, and she adds gently, “It wasn’t much of a secret, Amell. She contacted me a couple of times through some weird twin bond we have, but I pushed her away both times. I never thought she’d just show up here.”
That seems to appease Amell, who manages a curt nod of acceptance, but during the exchange, the important thing is that she kept our magical powers a secret. I mean, he may already know she has magic, but she didn’t rat me out—except about our ability to communicate telepathically—and that means something.
Zora turns to me, crossing her arms defensively. “Which begs the question… what are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want anything to do with you.”
“Technically,” I drawl with a sheepish look. “I asked if I could come to see you, but you never answered me.”
“That would have been a no,” she snaps.
“I took it as a maybe,” I reply.
“Who are they?” she asks, her gaze moving over to my crew near the door. All big, imposing men, but she’s not cowed in the slightest.
“My friends.” I decide on the simple explanation because I sense time is of the essence. I can explain my posse in more depth if she comes with me. “They journeyed here with me for protection.”
“Not much protection in a world filled with hundreds of thousands of Dark Fae and demons,” she sneers.
My instinct is to defend Carrick, Maddox, and Boral and their prowess, but I hold my tongue. “I was hoping this would be but a short visit, and we’d leave before we drew trouble upon ourselves.”
“Why exactly are you here?” Zora asks, cutting her gaze to Amell. He’s shifted his body to stare out her window.
“I want you to come to the Earth realm with me.” It’s a simple request, but it feels like my happiness is riding on it.
“There’s nothing for me there,” Zora replies, her eyes still focused on Amell as if she wants him to be part of this conversation.
“I’m there for you.” She jolts slightly before her attention shifts back to me. “I’m your twin. I love you.”
“You don’t know me,” she retorts.
I want to insist I do know her because she’s my identical twin and we’re bonded. But the truth is that she grew up in horrendous conditions. My life was charmed compared to hers. I don’t know her at all other than what I’ve learned—that she’s stubborn, mistrustful, and grumpy.
“I want to learn about you, Zora. I want to be your sister and your friend. I want to take you out of the Underworld and show you a much more beautiful way to live. I guess my question would be, why wouldn’t you want to give it a try?”
That seems to touch something as her expression saddens a bit, but then she nods toward Amell. “He’s going to bring me to the Earth realm when Kymaris lowers the veil.”
“I’m going to stop Kymaris from doing that,” I assert with confidence. But then I ask Amell my own question, taking a few steps his way so he has to acknowledge me. “But let’s say I fail—do you know what Kymaris is going to do to the humans in the Earth realm? Awful, horrible, evil things. You’d let Zora be subjected to that?”
“I’d protect her,” he insists.
“Will Kymaris let you protect her?” I counter, and I learn all I need to know when Amell’s gaze falls away and he doesn’t answer me.
He can’t.
Because he knows he has no sway with Kymaris if she gains control and subjugates humankind.
I turn back to Zora, walking resolutely to her until she backs into the table again to get away from me. My hands shoot out, taking hers, and I squeeze. “Look… we have eighteen days before the new moon when Kymaris will attempt to shred the veil. Give me that time. Come to my world and get to know me. Let me show you sunshine, autumn flowers, and the way the rain smells on spruce trees. Let me buy you the best cup of coffee you’ll ever have, and we’ll dine on fresh seafood. Come with me, Zora, and let me show you the life you could have.”
And then I stop talking—aloud anyway. I continue conversing with Zora in my head. Focusing on that dark space she had me in, I try to project my words to her mentally, which is how we communicated the last two times.
Zora… you might be able to help me stop Kymaris. If she succeeds, humans will be tortured and killed while the world turns extremely ugly. Our combined powers might be enough.
She stares at me blankly, and I’m not sure if she heard me, but then her voice rings inside my head. Amell says it’s impossible to stop her. She has everything she needs.
She has what she needs, I reply. But she doesn’t know I have powers. She doesn’t know my twin has powers. Does Amell know?
Her expression never deviates from bland disinterest in me. He knows I have powers, but not you.
I smile. Thank you for not telling him my secret.
That tells me that while Zora may have an attachment to Amell and she trusts him somewhat, she doesn’t trust him completely.
“If you’re done having a private conversation,” Amell says dryly, and Zora and I jerk apart. “I suggest Zora make her decision. Your group should not be in the Underworld.”
“Do you care if she comes with us?” I ask Amell.
He doesn’t answer me, but instead moves across the small room to Zora. I take a few steps back to give them space. I’m stunned by the show of affection when he puts his hands to her cheeks and bends to peer into her eyes. “I think you should go with them.”
Zora’s eyes flare wide. I’m so shocked by this that my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. “You do?” she asks incredulously.
“You should experience something beautiful while you can. The one thing your sister is right about is that when Kymaris takes over the Earth realm, it’s not going to be much different than your life here. Maybe even worse.”
Twisting slightly to study me, Zora considers her possibilities. Her gaze goes back to Amell, whose hands fall away from her face as if he doesn’t want to cause undue influence on her. She looks around her tiny drab house of mud.
When her attention goes back to Amell, she asks, “Will I see you again?”
“I’ll find you,” he promises. “Until then, you stay out of Kymaris’ way.”
Amell pivots and moves toward her door. Without looking back, he says, “Get packed.”
He’s silent as he leaves her home, and Carrick, Maddox, and Boral follow him out. She stares at the closed door for a moment before turning to me, looking equally scared and determined.
“Do you need help packing?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“I’ll wait outside with the others.” I get the feeling she might want some alone time in her house to say goodbye to this life. There’s
no way she’s coming back.
Outside, I find Amell with his back turned to Carrick, Maddox, and Boral, who quietly watch the foot traffic at the intersecting street.
I move to Amell, clearing my throat to get his attention. He turns to face me, his expression guarded.
“Will you tell Kymaris we were here?” I ask bluntly. “I know you warned Zora to stay away from her, but that doesn’t mean you won’t tell her about me being here. About us being sisters.”
Amell’s features harden, his voice goes low. “If you were returning without Zora, I’d tell Kymaris in a heartbeat. Actually, I probably would just kill you to save my queen the trouble.”
I swallow hard because there’s no levity in his tone.
He glances at Zora’s house, and then back to me. “As it stands, Zora is going with you and I won’t risk her life.”
I frown because he’s a conundrum that I bet I couldn’t figure out in a million years. “How can you serve Kymaris with such devotion and still care for Zora?”
Amell seems surprised by the question. “They are two very different things, and, so far, they have not conflicted.”
“And if they do conflict at some point,” I ask pointedly. “Where would your loyalty lie?”
He doesn’t even bother to consider the merits or ethics of my question. He merely inclines his head and rumbles, “Let’s hope it never comes to that.”
The door to Zora’s house opens and she steps onto the short stoop, a brown burlap bag that can’t hold more than one change of clothes slung over her shoulder. She pulls the door shut before walking toward Amell. I move toward Carrick to give them some space.
I can’t hear their conversation, and I refuse to use my super-hearing to eavesdrop. Amell bends his head near Zora’s, and they carry on in hushed murmurs. I have no clue what they’re saying, but Amell’s expression is concerned and there’s a hint of tenderness there. Zora nods and seems to offer him reassurances. They don’t touch each other in any way, and I’m almost disappointed when she turns away from him without a hug. For some reason, I have romantic notions about them in my head, and I have no clue why.
The Rise of Fortune and Fury Page 7