In a sudden movement of strength, I clasp her forearm, forcing her to look at me. “I, Tiana Grathlius, vow to hold your secret within me at all costs. To protect you from harm, suspicion, and discovery. That is our bond.”
Magic swirls around us, and I can see our bond hug her ice blue soul when I close my eyes. She gasps quietly and continues cleaning my cheek without comment. The room is silent except for the happy crackling noises coming from the fireplace. We stay that way for a long time, and I’m grateful when the pain medication kicks in, allowing my flinching body to relax. Ashe puts one final bandage across my check before moving onto Beth and Octavius, who have far less serious injuries.
One of her sisters places a pillow under my head while the other lies a thick wool blanket over my body. The weight of it, coupled with the warmth of the fire, lulls me into a deep sleep.
***
The next day everyone is gone from the living room when I wake. The morning sunrise filters through the windows as I sit up, wincing. My chest still aches, but my cheek feels much better. I know that if I’m able to eat a hearty meal, I’ll heal quickly thanks to whatever salve Ashe spread onto my wounds. As that thought pops into my mind, a delicious smell reaches my nose. I stand and make my way into the kitchen to see Ashe stirring a large pot on the stove. She glances back at me, her eyes now open and trusting after my promise to her.
She turns back to the stove. “You must be important to have the protection and trust of Octavius. He’s a good male.”
She ladles stew into a bowl and shoves a large piece of bread into it before setting it down in front of me. I eat in silence as I’m not sure what she wants me to say. Yes, I’m important? That sounds a little pretentious. Plus, I don’t owe this woman any type of explanation after she refused to give me one of her own. Ashe sits down next to me with her own serving and digs in. Her impossibly tall stature is even more pronounced when she sits next to me, and her power radiates out of her peacefully. It feels like a brisk winter morning and looks like soft summer skies.
“You are important as well, aren’t you?”
She looks down into her bowl. “I was once, but not anymore. It’s complicated.”
“That’s why you live in the middle of the woods?”
“Yes.”
We lapse in silence again, and it’s not uncomfortable. We seem to understand each other enough to know our secrets are private. Octavius comes into the room and grabs bowl out of the cabinet as if he’s at home. Ashe gives him a withering look as he ladles himself some soup. He grins in return and takes a seat next to me.
He bumps my shoulder. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah, this meal will help.” I pause and look at Ashe. “Thank you.”
She nods and rises from her seat to clear away our dishes. Octavius watches her, almost longingly, and it makes me wonder what type of history they have together. By her pure aura, it certainly wasn’t physical. Perhaps at one point they had an emotional relationship before she cut ties and pushed him away. Her first words make me almost flinch for him.
I told you not to come back here, Octavius.
Ashe seems to be extremely cautious. I’m not sure what caused that, but it must be valid if they live all the way out here. She and her sisters are hiding from something or someone out here. It’s none of my business, and their relationship isn’t either. All we need to do is get back to the academy before someone notices that we’re gone at the same time that the assailants of the vault aren’t caught.
“We gotta go, Octavius.”
“I know, go wake up Beth. She’s in the first room on the left.”
As I leave the room, Octavius rises and goes to stand next to Ashe, whispering in her ear. She goes rigid while whispering angrily back at him, and I slip around the corner to give them privacy. Beth’s room is simple and rustic looking. In fact, this entire cabin seems to be handmade with love. I wonder if a male was here at one time to build it, or if Ashe had done it all herself. Either way, it’s impressive. I shake Beth’s shoulder, and she rouses herself.
“We gotta go, Beth, I’m sorry.”
She groans. “Ugh, I feel like crap.”
“Come eat a bowl of stew, then we’ll go.”
We make the bed together before going out into the living room. I motion for her to wait and glance into the kitchen, but Ashe is nowhere to be found. Octavius is slumped against the sink, looking defeated. I wave Beth in, and she gives me a weird look before sitting in front of the readymade meal Ashe must have left behind for her. I step up to him and lay my palm against his back comfortingly.
He whispers lowly, “Please don’t ask.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
“Thank you. She said to show ourselves out and to tell you to be careful on the road ahead.”
Chapter Twelve
Our walk back focused on the last possible place that Rowan's soul could be. Fiora’s office and living quarters. They voted to go into her rooms and damn the consequences, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Having the element of surprise would be best, and storming in there would be the opposite.
“Alright, I agree that it’s in there as I felt his presence by the door. However, we will put that on the back burner for now. We’ve found him and will retrieve him on the night of the solstice ball before going onto phase two of the plan.”
Beth raises her eyebrows. “And the plan is. . . ?”
“I’ll escort Tiana to the ball after everyone has left, but we will make a detour here to grab Rowan first. Once I drop her off, I’ll slip out and let the Chimera out of its cage beneath the main quad. It’s escape will sound an alarm, forcing the masters to respond to the threat. Once the dark masters leave, the light masters will storm the room, threatening anyone willing to hold Tiana captive, extinguish them, and then flee. While the dark fae masters are busy chasing down the Chimera, we will make our way to the portals to make our escape.”
Beth nods, but asks, “Can’t they just follow us?”
“Yes, that’s why I’ll be the last one through, and I’ll destroy it with a magical grenade made for that purpose. We have tons of them in the armory.”
I turn to her and splay my hands. “Sound good to you?”
She taps her chin. “Yeah, but what am I supposed to do the whole time? Loiter around outside of the main quad until you guys are ready to make your escape?”
“Wait. You’re coming with us?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Of course, I am! You think I’m going to stay behind like some coward? I’m going to be the first supernatural to be by your side at your court. If you’re making a whole new world focused on equality, then I want to be a part of it. Did you really think it’s all about entertainment?”
“Of course not, but I am surprised. Thank you, Beth, I’d be honored to have you by my side.”
I hold out my arms, but she shakes her head. “Don’t get all sappy on me. I’m not a hugger.”
Octavius chuckles and says, “Alright ladies, we better get to bed. Tiana has training bright and early tomorrow.”
I scowl at him. “I’m so not waking up before nine.”
We walk out of the woods together and split up to go back to our various dorms. The night is silent around me as I make my way back to dark Lucian’s quarters. At times like this, I wish I had Rowan in my head. He was so in tune with my feelings and knew exactly what to say to ease my nerves. Not having that has been the biggest struggle of all. I had gotten used to it in the few short weeks we were together.
The dorm is silent when I enter, and Lucian is sleeping peacefully on the bed. Tonight, only tonight, when I’m lonely and sad, will I let myself act as if he’s the real Lucian. One who can comfort me, love me, and care for me in a way that I deserve. I strip off my clothes and slide into the tee shirt and boxers he had given me to sleep in when I first arrived. Once I get in bed and wrap myself around him, he responds and pulls me into his warm embrace.
He murmurs, “Out late again?”
>
“I was with Beth; she drags me to the fae club almost every night. But I think I’m going to tell her I need some sleep for the next few days.”
He nods and kisses my brow lightly, sending warmth through my chest. If I close my eyes, this is my Lucian physically, even down to his scent, but with a slightly different magic signature. I fall asleep to the rhythm of his breathing and rise from the bed as my soul. The real Lucian stands beside me, looking down at the two bodies on the bed.
“He’s becoming attached to you,” he says simply.
“He isn’t the man I have feelings for.”
“I know.”
We turn to one another and embrace so seamlessly that I don’t know where my body ends and his begins. It reminds me that we were made for each other. A connection so deep that we can meet in the multi-physical world. If I feel like this with him now, why am I so confused in the real world? One mate and one mate only. Then why is it so hard to pick one? Shouldn’t it be instantaneous? Am I horrible for not choosing Lucian right away? Those questions have been traveling through my mind since I met him.
But then there's Rowan.
He’s always here even when he’s not trapped in my head. I love him in the same ways I love all the others, and yet, if I admitted it to myself, I’d say he’s the one I’m closest to. Which is ridiculous because he’s not real! Well, at least he isn’t physically real. But you wish I was. I can almost hear him whisper to me, forever making me confused.
“What’s on your mind? You seem upset,” Lucian whispers.
“I’m at a crossroads. I feel confident and powerful in my role now, and yet my personal life feels like a hot pile of garbage.”
He chuckles. “ Wow, I never knew you considered your love interests garbage. Good to know.”
I shove his chest. “Stop it. You know what I mean.”
He catches my hands, holding them against his chest. “Your life is moving a thousand miles per minute and has been since you arrived in the fae realm. It might feel like you have to choose right now, but in reality, courtship can take years of bonding. Choosing a mate is a lengthy process because everyone wants to be sure of their choice.”
His words flood relief through me. “So, it’s okay to feel uncertain? To feel indecisive? Because I’m so confused right now.”
He smiles, and it lights up the room with spirit magic, healing my soul. “Yes, it’s perfectly normal. Especially for someone with so very many options.”
The final sentence was laced with humor. I scowl at him, and he tips his head back to laugh. He’s only trying to make me feel better, but he doesn’t realize how sore of a subject this is for me. What a mess. My eyes travel to dark Lucian, embracing me on the bed, and how he’s careful in his sleep not to touch my wounds. His spirit must realize that I’m hurt, and yet, he probably won’t question it. Why? He trusts you more than he should. Traitor. My mind spits at me, sending a spiral of guilt through my chest. He shouldn’t trust me, and I thought I was careful to give him no reason to. Perhaps our connection is strong enough for him to feel safe.
“I think I might have grown closer to my kidnappers than I wanted to.”
“It’s bound to happen. Our DNA is in theirs.”
I look at him. “Do you know how dark fae are made, Lucian?”
He grins, sauntering closer. “Yes, shall I tell you the tale of the birds and the bees?”
I turn away toward the bed again. “No. They do not have children. They are spawn from blood and destruction.”
“What do you mean?”
His face is ghostly white when I look back at him. Does he know?
“Dark fae are spawned from mass amounts of magic being used to kill. They are not born as humans are. Dark fae come out of the earth of the battlefield, yowling and crying newborns bathed in blood and sorrow. And their dark shadow like magic is a result of that. Whether you knew it or not, they are copies of light fae only because they spawn from your spilled blood.”
“I did not know. I swear to you I didn’t know,” he whispers, sounding pained.
“Everything the light fae are fighting for is a lie, Lucian. Don’t you see? It’s time to end this war, and I will do it. I am doing it. I’m not sure if Damon told you that he saw me in the earth kingdom, but I was. I now have a vow of servitude from his father. He is with me in ending this war.”
He whips me around, anger simmering in his gaze. “Why didn’t you come home with him? You could have been safe.”
I smile at him, shaking my head. “I am not safe anywhere without Rowan. I need him to live, he said it himself. Plus, I don’t need protection anymore. Hell, I never did. It’s time that you stop forcing your protection on me. All of you. While I appreciate the sentiment, it does no one any good to worry about things you cannot control.”
He steps back, shocked. “You’ve changed.”
“Yes, I suppose I have.”
We stand there for the rest of the night, looking at one another from afar. He doesn’t understand that while I hate not having Rowan in my head and being captive in the dark fae realm, it may have also been something I needed. A sense of rightness and belonging has swept over me since being here. Not with the dark fae in particular, but fae as a whole.
I am one of them, which makes it my job to save them.
***
Sunday morning comes too soon, and Octavius barges in practically knocking down the door. Thankfully I’m already awake and wearing a towel from being in the shower. His face turns red when he sees that he caught me almost naked.
“Ah! Geez, sorry. I’ll wait in the living room.”
My laughter follows him out, and I hurry to get dressed. He must have something important planned to come over so early. Are we going to visit another king? That would be both dangerous yet exciting. But I’m not sure my weary body is up for another long day of traveling. Plus, my wounds are still healing. There’s only so much a girl can take before calling uncle. Surely he understands that.
Five short minutes later, I walk out of the room, following the glorious smell of coffee. Octavius hands me a travel mug and a granola bar before ushering me toward the door. Good thing I wore a thick sweater because he didn’t even stop to allow me to put on my coat. I trail along behind him, nibbling my breakfast, and sipping the too-hot coffee. He’s unusually quiet this morning, he technically hasn’t even said hello. I wonder what’s bothering him, the curiosity makes me catch up to walk beside him.
“Hey! Where’s the fire today? You didn’t even let me grab my coat.”
He glances sidelong at me, his expression unreadable. “You won’t need it where we’re going.”
My mood brightens. “Ah! Are we going to the fire kingdom? I’ve heard rumors that the leaves are bright red and glow with the fire of a thousand suns.”
“Hate to burst your bubble, princess, but it’s not that spectacular. And no, we’re not leaving campus today. You need to heal.”
I squint up at him. “Then why won’t I need a coat? It’s like thirty degrees outside.”
“I’m taking you into the shadow realm with me today. There’s a reason that our king is called the shadow king. He rules this realm and the entirety of another that is simply a layer over this one. A place where all souls go to rest, per se.”
My stomach drops, and I swallow the mouthful of coffee before I spit it out everywhere in shock. “What? I can’t go there! I don’t have that type of power, and I’m not dead!”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re correct. However, you can go with the escort of a soul bearer. That is what we call the dark fae. People who are able to hold more than one soul, to help them rest, to guide them. We may take one person with us to the realm, but you cannot stay for too long.”
“Why do you want to show me?”
He opens the club door for me. “The light fae masters showed you their powers, I presume?” I nod, so he goes on. “Think of this as the same thing. I want you to understand what we do for mother earth. Right now, you
fear our power, I can tell. So, I want you to see how much it matters, and why all fae need it.”
My cheeks flame at his realization. It’s not my fault that I find their power otherworldly and strange. The first time I saw it in action, two dark fae were killing each other in the ring. The way their bodies looked afterward still makes me shudder. Like grey husks that could blow away into nothing with the slightest gust of wind.
“Alright, I’m willing to learn as long as it doesn’t kill me.”
He opens the hallway door that leads to the prison-like setting I’d seen before. A simple metal table with chains for someone's wrists dangling off the side, two metal chairs, and a lock on the door. Octavius locks it behind us, which makes me momentarily nervous. But I calm herself down by reminding herself that this is the man who saved my life and whose life I saved many times. He has earned my trust.
“Take a seat and place your hands palm up on the table.”
I do so, feeling slightly self-conscious about the action. He smiles at me to calm my nerves, and I take a deep breath. Why am I so damn nervous? Oh, I don’t know, Tiana, maybe it’s because you’re about to enter a place akin to the underworld! I almost screech inside my mind. But I keep my slightly calm outward appearance as Octavius places his hands on my forearms, gripping them hard.
“Close your eyes.” I do. And he goes on in a lilting voice, “Take several deep breaths to calm yourself. Think of things or people who bring you joy. It is best to be of sound mind when entering the shadow realm. You will feel a pulling sensation in your stomach, but don’t fight it. Stay relaxed.”
I do as I’m told and think of Lucian wrapping his arms around me. Of Rowan smiling down at me the first time he had shown me his true form. Of Damon teaching me how to create life, Rai and I laughing, Orin spinning me while dancing, and Adrian confessing his attraction. My chest fills with joy, and the tugging sensation doesn’t bother me as I’m pulled to wherever Octavius wants to take me. When the sensation stops I hear nothing, feel nothing besides Octavius’s hands still in mine.
“Open your eyes, Tiana.”
High Fae Academy - Year Two: Paranormal Fae Romance Page 11