by Marian Tee
She was about to cross the brook leading to the cave when a familiar feminine-sounding voice called her name.
Misty turned around, rearing back in surprise when she saw who it was. “Ivory?”
“Hello, Misty.”
All at once she knew. Maybe it was the vicious gleam in Ivory’s eyes that gave her away. In the end, it didn’t matter. All Misty knew was that standing before her was the traitor that had led or at least helped in planning the vampires’ ambush.
“What do you want, Ivory?”
“Not going to cry?” she jeered.
Misty didn’t answer.
Ivory’s laughter was a sharp scraping sound. “Perhaps later then? You will need to hear what I want you to do first.” She gestured to the treetops.
Misty looked up, her heart slamming against her chest in terrified anticipation. And she was right to worry, Misty realized when she saw the numerous Faeries crouched on the branches, staring at her with murder in their eyes.
Traitors – all of them.
“In a few minutes Lysander will be coming here. Like you, he received a message asking him to meet you here. He’ll think you changed your mind about the betrothal. I want you to seduce him, Misty. I want you to give him what he wants. My warriors will be watching and both of you will die if you make one wrong move. Do you understand?”
“Why are you doing this?” she whispered.
“That’s none of your fucking business,” Ivory hissed. “Just concentrate on being a slut for dear Lysander.” She backed away with a crazy smile on her face. “Enjoy being taken.”
“Misty?”
She whirled around, her heart sinking to see that it was indeed Lysander.
Domenico, please help me.
It was stupid to pray for him. He was a god, maybe, but he was not God. Even so, it felt so incredibly good to pray for Domenico’s strength. He had been the strongest, the bravest person she had ever met and she wished it was possible to have even just a little of Domenico’s courage so that she could figure a way out of Ivory’s trap.
Lysander reached her side.
She couldn’t delay any longer.
Domenico, please save me. It was her last thought before lifting her arms to curl around his neck and bringing him closer for a kiss.
~~~
Ivory’s eyes were red-rimmed, with the Master’s power coursing through her. It was an exhilarating feeling and she couldn’t get enough of it. Even better, Ivory would get more of that power once she completed the Master’s plan.
But she had one last thing to do.
“Your Highness!” Ivory pretended to gasp with exhaustion, her head falling down. “You must go to the forest and stop Sir Lysander from forcing himself on Lady Misty!” It was the very best excuse because she knew Domenico would only become suspicious if she pretended Misty was doing anything marginally immoral or even wrong.
“Where?” Domenico’s body chilled at the thought of Misty being hurt. That fucking bastard better be gone or he would kill him with his bare hands.
“In the cave, near the---“
“I know it. Thank you,” he said brusquely, striding past her without a glance.
Again, she burned with hatred at how easily Domenico Moretti ignored her.
This would be the last straw, though.
The next time they met, he would be a fucking slave, not even fit to kiss her feet.
Domenico’s fear had him panting by the time he reached the edge of the brook. Ahead was the cave where he had once spirited Misty away from Lysander’s hold. Before he could take another step, he caught sight of one familiar dark head.
Could it be---
He moved forward faster, not bothering to keep his movements silent. But still the figures did not move and finally he saw who it was.
It was Misty in Lysander’s arms, her blouse unbuttoned and hanging loose at her side, Lysander sucking on her neck.
“Get the fuck away from her!” Domenico roared. He tried pulling Misty away as quickly as he could without hurting her, but she shocked him instead with the way she forcefully pushed him away. He fell back, unable to believe his worst fears were being confirmed.
No. This couldn’t be happening. Misty loved him. He had to believe in her. He had to trust her like she asked.
More footsteps were heard, and Ivory slowly emerged, her face the perfect picture of shock as she took it all in.
Liar, Misty wanted to scream even as she stayed at Lysander’s side, clutching her blouse together in an effort to keep herself covered.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry, I didn’t know---I got it wrong!” Ivory exclaimed with a little sob. “I’m so sorry.”
Domenico couldn’t take his gaze off Misty. She was half-naked, with only her shirt on, her legs completely bare. “Misty, it’s okay,” he said rawly. “You don’t have to explain anything. I won’t…just please come here. We can fix this.” His world shattered when even after those words she shook her head at him, tears in her eyes.
She was pleading him with her eyes, but what was she pleading for? For him to fucking leave her and Lysander to have their happily-ever-after?
“Didn’t you tell me he’s fucking gay, Misty?”
She shook her head again, her voice scratchy as she said, “I….lied.”
Domenico wanted to roar at the pain those two simple words caused. “Is this what you really want? Did vengeance mean so much to you that you had to do all this just to hurt me?”
Misty choked back a sob, her shoulders shaking at the effort to control her tears. She dared not let herself cry because it would distract her. She could feel the menacing pairs of eyes above her never straying from their targets, and if she closed her eyes she could easily imagine their swords pointed at them. One wrong move and they would all be dead.
Ivory tugged his hand. “Please, Your Highness, let us leave them. You do not deserve to be hurt like this.”
Domenico wrenched his hand away from Ivory, his eyes still clinging to Misty. “Sweetheart, please, stop this.” His voice was threadbare thin, his face completely devoid of color. “I’m so goddamn sorry for hurting you in the past but it won’t happen again. You had your revenge now. I get it. So let’s start anew.”
She shook her head.
Domenico fell to his knees.
Misty almost cried out. No, no, no. She didn’t want this. She couldn’t bear this.
“What do I have to do to get you back, Misty? Help me, please.”
Misty wanted to die. She looked at the woman who had caused all this and that was when she saw it.
Red eyes.
She abruptly turned to Lysander, throwing her arms around him, squeezing her eyes shut at the broken sound that came out from Domenico.
“Misty, I’m begging you, please…”
She forced herself to concentrate even though every cell of her being begged her to go to Domenico.
If there was one thing she learned about vampires, it was that they had no goodness left in them. If Ivory was a vampire, then it only meant one thing – nothing good would come out of following her. Misty was better off taking a risk with all their lives than leave their fates entirely in a soulless woman’s hands.
She pulled Lysander’s head down, knowing that what she was about to whisper would be easily picked up by Domenico’s heightened sense of hearing.
“We’re surrounded.”
And then she turned around and screamed, “Vampires!”
Chapter Fifteen
Domenico’s head jerked up at Misty’s whispered words, unable to believe he was indeed hearing her correctly. But when she turned around and screamed the word ‘vampires’, Domenico sprang into action.
As he moved towards Misty, he caught sight of Ivory quickly taking out a bow and arrow from behind her back, managing to hit Lysander on the shoulder before running away, her half-crawling, half-running gait telling Domenico that she was no longer a Faerie.
All her vampires followed her, but it stil
l left twenty Faeries armed with swords ready to chop them into pieces.
Misty gulped, muttering. “I’m flattered she thinks we’re worth 20 Faeries, but I really wish she didn’t think so highly of us.”
Domenico whirled her around to give her a short hard kiss. “Have faith in me, princess.” He shifted right after, leaping high into the air to knock down three Faeries with his claws.
The battle had begun.
As Domenico fought his battle in the air, Misty and Lysander did what they could on the ground.
Misty flung her throwing stars and when they didn’t come back fast enough, she grabbed what she could from the floor – rocks, branches, vines - using them as weapons. She twisted and jumped to avoid the hard strikes of Faeries’ swords, never stopping even though the blades grazed her skin time and time again.
Past the forest, the cries of slaughter grew louder, and Mother Nature wept with them, causing Lysander to falter, his eyes filled with pain. His attacker took advantage of it, sword raised high. Misty swung to his side using a Tarzan-like vine before twirling it around the attacker’s neck and strangling him with it.
Behind them, more bodies fell to the ground in heavy thuds, Domenico ruthlessly disposing their opponents with cold-blooded expertise.
Lysander was about to thank her when he saw another attacker coming their way. “Misty!” He scrambled to get in front of her, knowing she would not be able to evade the attack in time.
A flash of black fur sped in front them, and the Faerie fell to the ground, neck sliced open by claws. By the time Misty helped Lysander up, all twenty traitorous Faeries under Ivory’s command were dead.
Domenico howled.
Not a second later, a cacophony of howls followed.
She knew right away who it was that had come to help them. “Jayme!” she breathed.
Lysander suddenly sank to his haunches, frantically touchingthe ground. “Something’s wrong…” He sucked his breath in. “She’s burning the realm down.” Without another word, Lysander broke into a run.
Misty ran after him, praying there was something she could save.
“NO!” Lysander stumbled to a fall as he gazed at the bright orange light licking its way to every roof and structure, its roars intermingling with the cries of the injured.
The entire town was burning. At the edge of the realm, Misty could see wolves running after the vampires frantically trying to escape the allies that had unexpectedly come to the Faeries’ rescue.
Misty was weak-kneed at the sight of the burning town, and she knew the cries of grief coming from the gentle race that had taken her in would live with her forever. She slowly approached Lysander, bending down and hugging him from behind.
Domenico moved beside her, still in Lyccan form, pressing his side against her, lending his heat to warm her. She glanced at him, unable to say what she wanted to because it was not the right time. He nodded, nuzzling her face.
Misty turned back to Lysander, her heart aching at the ashen look on his face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”
~~~
The High Circle – what was left of it – met at the edge of the realm, where the shields once stood. But they were broken, had been so ever since Ivory chose to betray her race by inviting the vampires in. It was a loophole that she had accidentally discovered when she managed to take the vampires into the Midways.
Misty was doing her best not to cry as she listened to Magenta saying the names of those who were confirmed dead, but she couldn’t control the tears when she heard Sir Belfast’s name among the dead.
Magenta choked, too. “He was very…brave, sacrificing his life to save as many of our people as he could when the vampires attacked. He had been a hero during the Great War. And in this war he had become a legend.”
When Magenta finished the final count, 645 Faeries had lost their lives, a fatal blow to the race. The shields were also down, and would remain so until a month-long ritual using the blood of fallen heroes was completed.
Lysander spoke in the end. “I withdraw my offer of betrothal to Misty Wall.”
Cries of protest ensued, with Arabella strangely being the most vocal. “How can you be so selfish, Lysander?” she demanded hoarsely. “It is now that we need something to seal the alliance more than ever.”
Misty bit her lip, wanting to defend Lysander but knowing he wouldn’t appreciate it. This war had changed him, made him even colder and more aloof and she despaired of ever seeing his light-hearted side again.
“We will still seal it,” Lysander said quietly. “But I will choose another princess and not someone…who already belongs to someone else.”
Domenico’s arm tightened around her waist.
“There will be no delay. Tomorrow we will set for Lyccan Hall.”
~~~
Domenico and Misty went to visit Daryl and Milo after the meeting, with the latter bedridden and sporting a broken arm after having it nearly torn off by a vampire.
“They were incredibly smart,” Milo said with a faraway gaze, his lips tightening as he remembered those bloodstained hours that had nearly demolished their entire race. “They used fire to create chaos and when people started running, that was when they started biting and trying to turn us into one of them.”
Milo turned to Domenico. “They will never stop, won’t they?”
“No. They won’t.”
“What the fuck do they want?”
Domenico said grimly, “The whole fucking world.”
They left when Milo was starting to yawn, Daryl thanking them for their visit and inviting them to come again. Outside, the moon appeared serenely beautiful but for the first time it failed to comfort Misty.
The walk back to her home was filled with troubled silence. Misty was the first one to speak. “We have to talk.”
Domenico only nodded.
She turned to him, cupping his face, and when their gazes met, she started to cry. There was still doubt in Domenico’s wonderful green eyes, and it hurt to know that she had been the one to put it there.
“I love you, Domenico,” she said fiercely.
He smiled sadly. “Do you really?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “When they made me choose between marriage or becoming a Faerie, I could never choose the latter because by then I knew I’ve always been in love with you – I’ve never stopped. And I didn’t want to risk choosing to become a Faerie because that would have been irreversible.”
“But to belong to another man,” Domenico growled. “Did you think I would ever forget the pain---”
“Yes. You can. Because it wasn’t true. I never loved Lysander, never loved any man but you. I knew I could do something about the marriage. I wanted Lysander to be the one to back out instead and give me some time to find another way to help the Faeries without turning or marrying one of them.” She twisted her hands. “Also, by then I had a really bad feeling about Ivory. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t guess I was on to her. So that was why when we…”
“Fucked?”
“Domenico!”
“You didn’t want to risk her overhearing us say anything?”
Misty nodded. She closed her eyes because what she was about to say next was difficult. “When I approached Lysander, he made me promise to…to be his slave for the day and in return he would listen to me. That was when you saw me…on his lap.”
His jaw clenched.
Misty kissed him on the lips. “Please don’t be mad?” she whispered.
“Go on,” he gritted out.
“Then Jayme came and told me Lysander couldn’t be gay. I thought he was because of what Daryl said and then…” She sighed. “It turns out he was being sarcastic when he told me Lysander was gay.”
“I told you he was not fucking gay, didn’t I?” Domenico snapped.
“But I thought you were just…”
“Jealous?” he asked silkily.
“Y…yes.” She was too af
raid to meet his gaze but forced herself to.
His eyes were filled with quiet exasperation. “Believe in me next time. Trust needs to go both ways, Misty.”
“I promise,” she said fervently.
He sighed. “And then?”