Protectors and Kings (Mists of the Fae Book 4)

by Jaime Marks

  “Thanks.” She stood there staring at him, still holding his hand. He could sense as much as she did not want company, she was unsure if she wanted to be alone. In truth he was not yet ready to release her either.

  Leading her to the lounge by the fireplace he sat, guiding her to sit beside him. “Are you alright, Stephanie? That was quite a lot to take in.”

  With a sigh she rubbed her brow. “I think so. It’s just a little overwhelming.” When she looked up meeting his eyes he wanted nothing more than to pull her close but her words caught him off guard. “You’re a little overwhelming.”

  Frowning he tried to reason out how to comfort her. He was unsure what to make of that. “It was never my intention to make you feel uncomfortable.”

  “No, not in that way.” She shook her head and looked away. “I get the feeling that you’re much older than me and that you’re obviously some form of royalty, what with the bowing and all that.”

  “Yes, Stephanie, I am King of the Fae. I rule over the Kingdom of Light. Reyana, Staryana’s Mother, is my sister. She is the Queen of the Gray and rules here, in the Palace of Lunya.” He explained watching her closely.

  “So Star is your niece then?” She studied him seeming to try to figure him out.

  “Yes, though I was unable to be there for her most of her life.” He replied softly. “Where is your mind, Stephanie?”

  “Someplace it probably shouldn’t be,” she mused looking away from him.

  “Please tell me. I would ease you if I could.” His voice was barely a whisper, and the need in it shocked him. He needed to be there for her though, to make this right for her in some way. Meeting her eyes he could see the echo of all he felt in hers.

  “Why?” She breathed out the word and it shot desire coursing through him.

  Unable to stop himself he reached up caressing her cheek as their eyes locked. “There is something…” Mythos pulled back chastising himself, but could not bring himself to look away. He had no right to touch her in such a way.

  Her eyes searched his. There was some pleading in them, some need he could almost taste. She reached up caressing his cheek and he all be nuzzled into it. “What is this thing between us? I’ve never felt anything like it.”

  Her electric eyes pierced his and he could not speak. She moved closer to him, her body now pressed against him as she guided him within an inch of her mouth. He did not pull back, though perhaps he should have. Their lips met slowly, softly as his essence passed into her and he felt a pure Light pass from her into him though it was tentative and unguided. She did not know how to use it, it was something she had done instinctually. She was so young, so new.

  He should stop this, yet even as the thought crossed his mind his arm slid behind her back and up into her hair, pulling her to him as his tongue probed her mouth. He all but groaned as she opened for him, her tongue meeting his own, entwining together. He felt the hardened length kick in his pants and had to restrain himself, shock lacing through him. Mythos pulled back resting his forehead against hers a moment. He had never felt this way, never reacted to anyfae like this in the whole of his existence.

  Chapter 5

  Byryn remained seemingly helpless on the floor as he sensed out around him. He was actually almost fully healed and fine thanks to Reyana, but he needed Alayne to think he was weak and broken. He reached to a Kyndra that lie unconscious on the floor and slowly slid a blade from the sheath at his waist. He used it to deeply slice the Shade’s throat. One less they would need to fight to make it out of there.

  He watched Alayne standing smugly as he studied Reyana. He needed an opening. He couldn’t face the High Priest of the Shade head on. It was clear he didn’t possess the strength, but he would be damned if he didn’t take that bastard down.

  They were throwing orbs of essence back and forth, striking each other occasionally, but mostly the blows were dodged. When Alayne dodged, lunging towards him, Byryn struck. He sunk the blade deeply into the Priest’s back, holding him in place as Reyana flooded him with Light and Gray.

  He clutched him by the throat. “You will never, never lay a hand on, Staryana,” he hissed. “I’ll die before I ever allow it.”

  Byryn watched as five of the Kyndra around Reyana slowly rose to their feet, their fury pulsing off of them. They were running out of time. Where were the twins?

  “Your death can be well arranged, foolish boy,” Alayne spat. He twisted the knife in his back as he felt the Shade’s thick Dark essence began to wrap around him.

  “I may die, Alayne, but I swear that I’ll take you with me.”

  He let the pain take him to his knees dragging the blade down through the bastard’s insides. His thick black blood was like sludge as it spilled over them both. The bastard wasn’t dying but it didn’t matter. He was going to make sure that his brightness had a break from the torture that this scum bag put her through.

  Reyana held her essence to her, leaving Byryn to handle Alayne. The Kyndra were slowly closing in on her. There was nowhere to go, six of them had her surrounded now and others were stirring.

  “I am going to enjoy breaking you, you pathetic whore!” One of them spat at her.

  She felt weak and nauseous. Her body needing water and sustenance that she couldn’t provide it. She didn’t know how much longer she could fight them. In a last ditch effort she shot her essence out in a circle driving them back a few paces, but it drained her.

  She swayed, only for an instant but it was enough. They surged taking hold of her. The largest of them backhanded her cracking her lip open. “Take her to her knees,” he spat.

  The others sneered and her legs were roughly kick out from under her as they forced her down. He smacked her mouth, “Open bitch, you will sate my needs or I will gut you and sate myself as you scream.”

  He smacked her again but she held fast. They were here, they were fighting their way to her and she had to hang on, for them. When he drew his blade though, she couldn’t risk the damage they would cause to her young and she open her mouth slowly.

  “Wise choice,” he sneered grabbing her roughly by the hair as he thrust into her mouth driving into the back of her throat. She almost threw up over him.

  She could feel their rough hands on her. One of them wrapped her hand around his sex and worked himself with it. “Stroke me, now!” he demanded.

  She gagged as the one at her mouth forced himself into her throat, and tears streamed down her face. She refused to do anything they asked.

  Reyana felt one of them press against her from behind, grinding into her as a blade slid across her stomach. Putridly hot breath ran over her neck as he hissed into her ear, “You will do as we command. You will surrender your body, or I will shred your flesh as I cut deeper and deeper. We shall see what about your body enchanted Cymeryn so.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears as she gagged. Slowly she began to work the sex in her hand as one was thrust into her other hand.

  They were just down the hall. They had only to kill two Shade and they could get to her. He grimaced as he reached out to her and had to control his rage. He used it, fueling his strength as he swung his blade and slashed through the Shade’s flesh spilling black blood from his gut. He collapsed to his knees and Cymeryn swung without mercy decapitating him. He glanced to Marcus as his brother ripped his blade from the other leaving him dead on the floor.

  They reached the door and their rage rolled over them at the scene before them. Marcus rushed forth decapitating the one at her mouth and he pierced the one that grinded against her from behind in the side as he knocked another away from her. All who had dared touch her would lay in pieces before them.

  He met the blade of Kyndra Rykus. “You are weak, Cymeryn, to have betrayed the Shade. You will fall at our feet.”

  Knocking him back he set him off balance and elbowed him sending him back on his ass. He swung severing the Shade’s arm before sinking his blade into his chest as he dodged the strike from another. He l
ooked over to see three dead at Byryn’s feet and Alayne crumbled against the wall with a sneer. He was badly injured but he was smugly confident. It was a distraction, he was biding his time, feigning weakness.

  “We need to get her out of here, Marcus. It is a diversion. Lazurys will be here soon.”

  Marcus grunted as he made short work of another of the Kyndra. The strength that had been gifted them was impressive. They certainly would not have been able to survive this battle without it.

  He pulled her to her feet as she caught her breath, gasping against him. “Are you alright, Reyana? Can you focus?”

  She nodded not meeting his eyes. Guilt and pain laced through her and his hand went to her stomach, horrified by the blood he felt. It was only superficial. He sent his essence through her feeling them both strongly within her and released a breath he had not known he held. He shed his robe and wrapped her in it to grant her some modesty.

  Byryn rushed to them a blade dripping with black blood in his hand, panic emanating from him. “Are you alright, Reyana? I tried to reach you but there were too many.”

  She did not respond as he held her and kissed her head sending his essence through her. “She will be fine, Byryn. You did well, son.”

  A Dark surge pulsed through the room as Marcus joined them and her fear surged through her. “Quickly Cymeryn.” He pushed Byryn in the middle of them as he took her hand.

  They joined hands the Light and Gray swirling around them blocking them from the Dark Lord’s effect. Cymeryn looked to his former mentor, his sire as they faded from the realm, shifting at the last moment to protect the others from his rage.

  Grifyn stood staring at the thrones. Where were they? Had they gone to the Darker Realms to get Reyana? Would they be able to save Byryn while they were there? He needed his son back. He had taken to the boy almost immediately, feeling some indescribable need to protect him. It had contradicted everything he had ever been taught, but for some reason he had known that the boy was meant to be saved; that he had been meant to guide him into this world.

  He wasn’t really mad at Marcus, he was just looking for somefae to blame. He was angry that so much had been hidden and hurt that neither of them had felt they could trust him enough to come to him with it. Some of it he now understood. He looked back to the thrones. Reyana was with young. The Divine Being had crowned both Marcus and Cymeryn King; not one but both. He had no way to confirm his suspicions but in a way Kato’s reluctance to elaborate had been more than enough.

  What did it mean? Could he accept Cymeryn as a King of this realm? Could he welcome him back? The Shade had done his line so many wrongs. He had taken his Mother and used her to draw out his Father. It had not been Cymeryn that had struck the fatal blows but their deaths were a direct result of his actions. He had taken his sister and turned her into a vicious, vile warrior that he flaunted every chance he had. He had killed Reyana in her first incarnation as Fae and that was only the beginning of a long line of atrocities he had committed. Could he forgive him his indiscretions?

  He had forgiven Byryn without hesitation, even knowing the secrets the boy had hidden. He forgave his sister, even though he had witnessed the depths of evil she had been willing to go with his own eyes. He truly believed that everyfae had the potential for Redemption and that only the Divine Being could decide, but he was having a difficult time reconciling the transformations he had seen in Cymeryn with the hatred that plagued his heart.

  Yet, when Byryn had been taken? When he had been beyond his reach it had been Cymeryn who had gone to the Darker Realms to retrieve him. It had been clear by the Shade’s face and the resignation in his form that he hadn’t expected to make it back himself. He had not been Shade in that moment had he?

  He sensed Demytria’s approach. “How are you handling all this, brother mine?”

  He shrugged. “I feel helpless, Demytria. I would go to retrieve him myself if I had the ability.”

  She came over and embraced him. “They will bring him back. They will bring them both back, but that’s not all that I was referring to.”

  He nodded looking again to the thrones. “How will you handle it is more of my concern? I don’t want for you to have to live in fear.”

  She pulled back and sat on the stairs before her former sire’s throne. “I don’t fear him, Grifyn. I haven’t feared Cymeryn in years.”

  “Really?” Grifyn studied her in disbelief before sitting beside her. “Not even now that you’re Redeemed?”

  “Nope.” Demytria shrugged, “You forget, I was closest to Reyana in age, though I was still the youngest. She would let me tag along with them sometimes. I’ve always known Cymeryn loved her. Honestly I wasn’t surprised when he turned.”

  Grifyn studied her. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  She sighed, “Maybe I should have. I knew she loved him, but she wasn’t ready and he didn’t push her. I also knew he broke her heart when he left. I didn’t know what had happened between them and it wasn’t any of my business. It broke her in a way. She was miserable for years. When she and Marcus began courting I was more shocked than anything, but when I saw them together they were every bit as in love as she and Cymeryn had been. She was finally happy again. Who was I to question it?”

  “I never knew,” he sighed. “I never saw the connection between her and Cymeryn. He was always disappearing, slacking off. Hell, he wouldn’t even apply to the Academy with the rest of us.”

  She smiled shaking her head. “Cymeryn rarely slacked off. He was by her side every minute, guarding and protecting her, seeing to her every whim. You think she ran Marcus around when they courted? Ha. She took a lot of pleasure in the fact that Cymeryn would do anything she asked. He chose to remain in Basic Studies to be by her side. Think about it, they were the same year at the Academy throughout his tenure despite the fact that he had excelled in every course just as well as Marcus had, even better in certain cases. They tried to get him to advance. I was in applying for admission when I heard him decline. When I asked him why he only smiled and stared at her.”

  “None of us ever knew.”

  “They didn’t want you to know. I honestly believe if Reyana’s Mother hadn’t died, or if Cymeryn had never been appointed Sector Commander, they would have been bonded, not she and Marcus.” She sighed leaning back on her elbows, “When he turned me, I had challenged him with it. Told him that he was only Shade because he couldn’t overcome his own jealousy.”

  Grifyn raised a brow. His sister had never been so bold, though it was a characteristic he was becoming accustomed to now. “What did he do?”

  “Actually? Nothing,” she smiled. “It was how I knew he was in there somewhere. He froze and just walked away from me. Of course when he came back he was vicious and unrelenting but once I stood beside him I saw a side of the Supryn that no other Shade was privy to. He fawned over me much in the way he had her when they were young, only it was more twisted in our Darkness. In a way I believe he needed me to help him deal with the pain that haunted him when he lost her. Part of me knew when he took her from the Council Chambers that it was over. His hold on me lessened the more his desire for her consumed him.”

  “You are trying to get me to see him as more than Shade,” Grifyn sighed.

  “He is more than Shade, Grifyn. He wasn’t born to it. Somefae had to turn him to make him the monster he became, just as he turned me. In his case the Dark Lord himself turned him. Only he and Alayne were sired from Lazurys. Except, Alayne was turned out of his greed and lust for power, but Cymeryn was turned out of a pain that he held in his heart that Lazurys manipulated and turned against him.”

  He considered her words. He had faith in Lucerna, in the Divine Being. His faith had been so strong he himself had been the first Fae to voluntarily submit for Redemption. He had to try to trust that faith. If they thought Cymeryn was worthy of Redemption, perhaps Demytria was right and he was yet another victim of Lazurys’ reign.

  A flash of Light pulsed thr
ough the room and the four of them appeared. Cymeryn and Marcus sank to their knees as they caught Reyana and Byryn, both unconscious. Grifyn and Demytria rushed to their sides as they carefully lowered them to the ground.

  “Why are they unconscious, Cymeryn?” Marcus’s voice shook slightly.

  Cymeryn struggled to catch his breath, straining through his pain. “Lazurys…he hit us, but…blocked most…”

  “Are you both alright?” Grifyn demanded, shifting into the role of Second in Line.

  Marcus looked up to him. “We need to Redeem a Healer.”

  Cymeryn released Byryn to Grifyn, allowing him to lift his son. He had taken the brunt of the Dark Lord’s wrath to protect the boy. If he had taken the hit, he would not have survived.

  Marcus studied him. “Give me your hands, brother, you need to heal.”

  “No,” he waved him off. “See to her…I will manage. Get her out of here…before we attract…attention. None need know...what she has endured.”

  His brother nodded reluctantly and gently lifted Reyana in his arms as he rose. Cymeryn remained there, kneeling. He did not yet have the strength to rise. He felt someone lift him from behind and turned preparing himself for attack meeting Kato’s eyes.

  “Hold, Cymeryn. You are badly wounded, there are burns over your back.” The Fae spoke waiting for him to concede to his assistance.

  He nodded uncertain what to make of it but relaxed allowing him to help support his weight. “Th-thank you.”

  “I have had the Guardians restrict the unawakened to their corridors for now and all others have been asked to remain in quarters until the investigation into Reyana’s abduction is concluded. We should be able to move freely to the suites when you are ready, Marcus,” Kato offered.