by Hannah West
Zephyr sees my smile and steps close to pluck silvery leaves from the tangle of my hair. I drop my hands from the tree as the wind picks up, making the trees sing their ethereal song. More leaves rain down around us, fluttering to the forest floor. The air is thick with magic, as I stare up into Zephyr’s mesmerising eyes.
‘Primrose,’ he murmurs, eyes glowing.
He cups my face and brushes his lips against mine. It’s the softest caress and I step into him, resting my hands on his chest, feeling his racing heart beneath my palms. He whispers his lips over mine again and I whimper at the sensation. I don’t want to like it, but it calls to that wild creature in my middle. My darkness undulates, soaking in Zephyr’s nearness. He licks my bottom lip and my darkness grows electric. It feels like I’m lighting up from the inside, and I close my eyes when I feel them bleed to black.
I crush my lips to Zephyr’s. He growls when I open for him, his flavour glorious on my tongue. He’s sweet and decadent, and I’ve never tasted anything like it. I curl my fingers through his midnight hair and grip tight, desperate to hold onto this moment.
‘Zephyr,’ a familiar voice drawls, smashing through the magic we’ve woven.
I jerk from Zephyr and back away, until my back meets Etnalla’s bark. Darkness scratches at the underside of my skin, pushing to be free and wrap inky ribbons around Zephyr. It wants him more than I think it’s wanted anything. Everything has faded in his presence, like Zephyr is all my darkness sees. It’s an eerie, sensory quiet I’ve never experience. I’ve never been around more than one being without knowing the emotions of everyone close by. Yet, Alissa’s here, flanked by her entourage of women and all my darkness wants in Zephyr.
I shutter my expression when Alissa glides in our direction. She’s dressed in another opaque gown, each movement graceful. Ebony hair hangs in waves to her hips, flowers woven into the midnight lengths. She looks like a forest nymph from a storybook and it reminds me where I am. Reality crashes in, chasing the pleasant tingles from my flesh.
‘Mother,’ Zephyr greets her.
‘The time for preparing your Chosen grows short,’ Alissa says.
‘We’re not finished,’ he answers irritation lacing his tone.
‘Primrose is to be fitted for her gown,’ Alissa argues. ‘You might insist on bonding with a Halfling, but she will look fae at the ceremony.’
Zephyr rolls his eyes, like his mother didn’t just insult me. ‘She’s correct, Primrose,’ he says and turns to me. ‘There are traditions to maintain and rituals we must adhere to.’ He lifts my wrist to his lips and kisses the glowing mark his claiming left on my skin.
‘She’ll be delivered to your chambers at moonrise,’ Alissa says, like I’m a gift basket or something.
My gaze shoots to her. ‘What?’
‘Zephyr will lead his Chosen from his dwelling to the ceremonial alter,’ Alissa answers. ‘Your light will be bound with his at the height of the equinox, before you return to his chambers to consummate the mating by joining in flesh.’
Bile snakes up my throat when Zephyr doesn’t correct her. He offers me a heated stare when I look at him and ice punches into my stomach. Lies. I fell for his lies. Alissa just said bonding needs consummating with sex and Zephyr didn’t deny it. My heart beats so fast I feel like I might crack a rib. I don’t know whether to be angry or scared. My darkness stops trying to reach for Zephyr and wraps me in a cocoon of numbness. It’s then I realise my eyes aren’t tingling the way they do when they’ve gone black. My darkness has blocked everything so I can think clearly.
‘You have a mirror in your chambers, for me to see my dress before the ceremony,’ I ask to make sure.
‘Of course,’ Zephyr answers then presses another kiss to my wrist. ‘Until moonrise,’ he murmurs and disappears in a flare of blinding amethyst.
‘You’re smart not to fight it,’ Alissa says once he’s gone.
Emotion flickers in her eyes and I recognise it because I’ve felt it before. Pain. It’s gone before I can claim it’s there and she holds her hand out for me to take.
‘We both know I have no choice,’ I answer and take her hand.
I look at our joined hands. I still can’t feel her emotion, even when I’m touching her. It’s like she feels nothing.
‘No,’ she agrees. ‘But it pleases me how quickly you’ve adapted. When you are queen that skill will serve you well.’ Alissa rakes me with an assessing gaze, like she’s seeing me for the first time. ‘My son has chosen well.’
Good grief, was that a compliment? If only she knew how much the hand she’s holding would shake if not for my darkness. The fear is still there, buried deep beneath a thick layer of midnight. And queen? That word is poisonous to my brain. My grey matter throbs at the mere notion.
Purple light delivers us back to my glorified cell. I’m getting used to the teleporting thing and the burn it leaves on my retinas, but I stumble when Alissa releases me. The change in destination is disorientating, especially when I’m not in control of where I’m going. I glance at the many females in the room. I call them females because one has lilac skin and indigo hair. I study the beautiful creature and she smiles back.
‘I’ve taken the discomfort of your body into consideration concerning the design of your mating gown,’ Alissa say, pulling my attention from the lilac woman.
Alissa gestures to a silvery gown on the bed. It’s floor-length and high-necked, with lace sleeves and jewelled detail. It’s the loveliest item of clothing I’ve seen.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I murmur, walking up to the bed.
I finger the fabric. It’s silky and feels delicate, like I might break it if I grip too hard. I’m grateful beyond words that the gown isn’t backless or opaque, as seems to be the fashion in fae realms. I don’t want my private parts on show, and I still need to hide my wing markings.
‘You approve?’ Alissa asks.
I nod and meet her gaze. ‘It’s perfect.’
Alissa clicks her fingers and two of the women in the room hurry over to me. I recognise them as two of the humans from the day I got here, the ones Alissa assigned to wait on me.
‘Wait!’ I squeak when they start tugging at my clothing.
Alissa sighs. ‘How are they to prepare you if you won’t undress? You cannot bathe in those clothes, Primrose. Nor can you wear your mating gown over them. Desist with this nonsense.’
‘I can bathe and dress myself,’ I say and snatch the gown from the bed.
Alissa appears in front of me when I reach the doors that lead to the bathroom. ‘You have no need for such modesty, child. Fae view our bodies as something to be worshipped, not hidden like a shameful secret.’
‘I’ve noticed,’ I answer then eye her opaque dress.
I knew the colour of the woman’s nipples before I knew her name, and she thinks I don’t understand fae views on nudity?
Alissa surprises me by laughing. Her face lights up with how amused she finds my comment, and I see how truly beautiful she is. It’s the first time I’ve seen a real smile on her face, and it’s more than unsettling.
‘You may dress alone this last time,’ she says, as her face grows serious. ‘I doubt Zephyr will allow such freedoms after you’re bonded.’
‘What do you mean?’
Her mask is back in place when she answers, all emotion hidden beneath the regal façade I’ve come to associate with Zephyr’s mother. She’d wipe the floor with anyone challenging her to a game of poker. Indifference paints her features and chills the air.
‘I doubt Zephyr will allow you to wear clothing for at least the first decade of your bonding.’
Everything inside grows tight at her words, and I edge around her to get to the bathroom. Alissa turns, following my progress with a curious gaze, until I slam the door in her face. I clutch the pretty gown to my chest, as my heart hammers against my ribcage. Fear threatens to break through the layer of numbness but I force it down. I shake my head and pull myself together. Fear has no pl
ace in this moment. I’ve never taken crap from anyone in my life and I’m not going to start now. I need to put my game face on and get the hell out of the Light Realm.
CHAPTER 11
The same silent guards deliver me to Zephyr’s home. When Alissa called it his chambers, I’d imagined a room like mine in the palace. Zephyr’s domicile is separate from the palace though, on a vast estate of manicured gardens. His home is made of gleaming, white stone, standing stark against the vivid backdrop of exotic plant life in this realm. There are shades of red, blue and purple, punctuated with splashes of yellow and pink. Everything is so vibrant, and I don’t think some of the shades even exist back home.
I feel the cold, stone path under the silk slippers on my feet, as the guards guide me to the entrance. Zephyr’s home is a mansion, the stone carved into beautiful, intricate swirls around arching windows and doorways. The building has an ancient, elegant feel, without looking old or worn, and it’s hard not to gape at my surroundings.
I stop to stare at a small tree in the garden. It’s only a sapling, tiny with white blossoms on its branches. One breaks free and floats to land by my toes when I stop. I pick it up and smell the soft fragrance. I remember the sentient trees in the Singing Woods and feel like the flower is a gift. I tuck it into the woven strands of my hair and smile. One guard grunts and gestures for me to keep walking.
‘You might want to be a little nicer,’ I snap at him. ‘This time tomorrow I’ll be your queen, and don’t think I won’t remember the crappy way you’ve treated me.’
His eyes widen and I stalk down the path ahead of him. I don’t think the guards will force me unless needed. They do a lot of gesturing and demanding, but they don’t seem to like touching me. I get the feeling there’s a rule about it. Nobody has outright said it, but the male fae I’ve been introduce to seem afraid to get close. And they give me a wide berth when passing like they’re afraid I might brush against them.
Large, double doors open as we reach the entrance to Zephyr’s mansion. He’s there in the pristine foyer – shirtless. His dark hair looks damp, like he just stepped from the shower, and he’s wearing black leggings that hug his muscular hips and legs, in the style favoured by male fae. I pull my gaze from his body to find his eyes raking my form. There’s hunger in those purple depths and I repress my gag reflex at what it could mean if I don’t escape.
‘Primrose,’ he breathes.
‘Zephyr,’ I answer, voice devoid of emotion.
His gaze snaps to mine then moves to the guards flanking me. ‘Dismissed,’ he growls.
The guards leave, closing the doors behind them, and a lump forms in my throat. I’m trapped with Zephyr in his home, with no mirror in sight. If I ask to see one will he grow suspicious? I need to play it cool, but the hungry look he’s giving me has darkness prickling the underside of my skin. It writhes in a confusing mix of want and defiance. Its defences are up ready to protect us, yet it wants Zephyr with a need I can’t voice.
‘You look beautiful,’ Zephyr says, moving closer.
I inch back and he stops advancing. ‘I don’t know why I have to wear my dress now, when the ceremony isn’t until tomorrow,’ I complain.
‘It’s tradition,’ he answers. ‘You’ll wear it until I remove it after the ceremony.’
I stiffen at his words but don’t correct him. Zephyr’s frown deepens but he doesn’t comment on my reaction. I’m not as good an actress as I’d hoped, and we’ve started a dance I can’t back out of.
I give myself a mental shake and offer some truth. ‘I’m nervous,’ I whisper.
His features soften and he smiles. ‘As is to be expected,’ he answers. He holds his hand out to me. ‘Come, let me show you our home.’
Our home.
I give him more truth to keep my emotions hidden, as I take his hand and let him lead me through the house. ‘Your mum called this place your chambers, so I expected a room, like the one they put me in.’ I look up at him. ‘This place is so big but you knew we were here.’
He nods. ‘Your light calls to me and I feel when you’re near.’
‘Oh,’ I murmur and look away.
So he senses me the same way I sense him.
‘But I was awaiting your arrival,’ he admits.
I meet his gaze again and raise an eyebrow. ‘You’re half dressed.’
His smile turns shy. ‘I was dressing for the ceremony when I felt you arrive. I didn’t expect you so soon after moonrise.’
I look away again. ‘Your mother insisted I came now.’
It takes a while for Zephyr to show me around his stupidly big house. There are more rooms than I can remember, and he lives here alone. Opulent is too feeble a word to describe his home. Yet, despite it’s grandness, there’s a homey feel to the place. It’s full of warm colours and soft furnishings, making me feel welcome in each space. I can’t hide my honest reaction, and Zephyr’s pleasure at that is apparent. I feel myself relaxing and the tension leaves my shoulders, until he takes me upstairs.
I lose count of the bedrooms he shows me, each with an adjoining bathroom. It seems strange to have so many rooms and nobody to fill them. He pulls me into the last room and my back goes rigid. The biggest bedroom yet faces me, with a massive bed sitting in the centre. The room is decorated in deep purples and has a masculine edge the previous bedrooms lacked. And it smells like Zephyr, each breath I take filling me with his fragrance. Then I see it – a full-length mirror standing upright opposite the bed. My fingernails bite into my palms as I curl my hands into fists. If I run now he’ll catch me. I still need the element of surprise.
Zephyr grips my arm and turns me to face him, breaking my train of thought. ‘What’s wrong?’ he demands. ‘Why ha-’
A bolt of purple light shoots from the mirror and hits Zephyr in the chest. He sucks in a breath and stares down at where the light hit him. I stumble back when he releases my arm and staggers towards the mirror. I watch him in morbid fascination, as he seems to fight every step he takes.
‘What’s happening?’
Zephyr meets my gaze but doesn’t stop moving to the mirror. ‘Caligo,’ he growls.
‘Your sister’s doing this?’
He stares at me, even as his hand slaps against the glass and an unfamiliar room appears on the other side. I stare at the room, wondering if it’s in my realm.
‘This mirror only opens to the places I tell it,’ Zephyr growls, drawing my gaze back to his.
A bead of sweat rolls down the side of his face, like it’s taking everything he has not to step through the doorway he just opened.
‘I can’t open doorways, remember?’ I hiss, using anger to disguise the lie. ‘Where the hell are you going, anyway? Have you changed your mind about our bonding? If you have, I could really use a ride home.’
‘Caligo is summoning me to the Realm of Man,’ he snarls. ‘I haven’t changed my mind, but I must go to her.’
He growls, like he’s in serious pain from denying her summons, but I’m stuck on where he said the doorway leads. The Realm of Man – home. I stare past him at the room through the mirror again.
‘The Realm of Man?’ I murmur.
Homesickness stabs through me. I’m so very close and yet so far.
‘You’re mine!’ Zephyr snarls, tone so vicious it snaps my gaze back to him and jams my heart in my throat. ‘You’ll find it impossible to leave my dwelling, so don’t try.’
My shock turns to rage and I glare at him. ‘Goodbye, Zephyr,’ I grit out.
He stares at me for a moment longer, like he’s trying to decipher the meaning lacing my words. Then he cringes, like a wave of pain just hit him, and ducks through the doorway. He turns to stare back at me, our gazes connected until the doorway fades to my reflection.
I haven’t seen my reflection in days, and what I see now is unfamiliar. I look elegant and polished. I was allowed to bathe and slip into the mating gown, but that’s where the independence ended. My hair has been teased into an intricate b
raid, woven with silver ribbon and twined around a jewelled tiara that bands around my forehead. My hair is thicker and longer, the braid reaching past my hips in a golden rope. It’s not an extension either. Alissa called one of her entourage forward and ordered the woman to ‘fix’ my hair. The woman simply combed her fingers through my tresses and they grew long and luscious in her hands. Then a fae female did something to my face that made it tingle. My skin looks flawless and my eyes, once framed with blonde lashes, are bordered with thick, dark eyelashes. I purse lips that are blush-pink, but I’m not wearing lipstick. The effect is natural and stunning, and freaking me out. No matter how gorgeous the effect, I get the feeling the changes are permanent. They’ve altered my appearance without my permission.
I press my hand to the glass, intending to open a doorway to my father but nothing happens. I remember Zephyr’s words about this mirror only going where he tells it, which means it will only open to the place he went to last. If I open a doorway to the room I saw, the chances are Zephyr will be on the other side.
I drop my hand and back away. At least the doorway Zephyr went through leads to the Realm of Man. I might not know where the room is, but once I get there I can use the mirror on the other side to go home. I blow out a breath and look around the bedroom, shoulders sagging. It’s been a long day and weariness is creeping in. I eye the enormous bed with distain. No way am I getting into that thing willingly.
I search through a few of the other bedrooms, settling on one with a view of a lake in the gardens. The moon is high, reflecting a near perfect disk on the surface of the water. I drag a plush chair over to the window and curl up in its softness. The scenery outside is stunning, but the trials of the day are weighing on my eyelids. I let them fall shut and submit to sleep.