Moon-Kissed

by Amelia Hutchins

  “You should drink, change into the dress, and enjoy the night. Your moon will call you soon, and then I’m sure it will limit your time at the party. The king expects you to attend with your team. Be a good girl and don’t cause a scene tonight. I’d hate to have to kill you for upsetting him.”

  I exhaled slowly, nodding even though I was sure I didn’t know why I was nodding. Torrin stood, then moved to kneel between my thighs. His hands lifted, gripping them while I shivered at his touch. His smile turned up at the corners, and before I could judge his intentions, he leaned forward, capturing my mouth in a soft, slow kiss that sent my emotions thundering through me.

  “It’s treason to kiss my kind, Little Bird. What is it your people do as punishment for treason?”

  “Exile or death,” I admitted through trembling lips. “For moon-touched warriors, it is death, as we are the keepers of the knowledge of their deeds. We carry out the Moon Clan’s missions and, therefore, would be sentenced to death to keep their secrets from our people.”

  “Pity,” he chuckled. “You’re so pretty. I’d hate to see you put down because you didn’t adhere to their laws. Before you met me, you were such a good soldier, Alexandria. You did everything they ordered of you, slaughtered thousands of our kind in the name of laws that your people created because they thought they were more evolved than us. Do you know I have people inside your temples, sleeping and living with them? How do you think I got to you, Little Bird?” I swallowed as he rose, cupping my cheek while I stared up at him. “I’m the monster, right? We built a wall to keep your kind out, yet you still found a way through it. Do you know how wraiths are created?”

  “They’re raised by the darkness.”

  “No, Alexandria. In the beginning, we were all one people until the plague of darkness came, dividing us into opposing clans. The Moon Clan believed they were at war with the Kingdom of Night based on their interpretation of the call of the moon. As the darkness descended, some people from the Kingdom of Night became the banshees and creepers you saw during our journey. Most people remained unchanged within the kingdom walls, but the darkness that descended transformed many of us into nightwalkers. Your people, the moon-touched, are also changing into nightwalkers when touched by the darkness. Because they shunned the people of the night in order to live in the light, their transformation is much more difficult, and many do not survive. Your people killed those who lived after being touched by the darkness to hide their lie about the nightwalkers’ origins. Those that escaped either went mad, becoming a creeper or banshee or they came to the Kingdom of Night seeking refuge, as did Hensley, your guard from last night. When a moon-touched kills a nightwalker, the moon brings them back as a wraith, seeking justice toward those that killed it. So, in essence, you’re killing your people, turning them into wraiths, and a wraith’s only purpose is to consume those that stole their lives—the Moon Clan. If you will recall, the wraiths were not attacking my people other than to get to you and your girls.”

  I stared at Torrin, unable to process what he’d said. It was too much. I needed to return to the temple to find answers, but I didn’t think I’d be allowed back within it. Torrin had probably already ensured we couldn’t return. I watched him reach for the glass, handing it to me.

  “Drink, it’s going to be a long night, and you’re going to need the alcohol to get through it.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Inside the bedroom, I sat hugging my knees in the large tub. I was numb, confused with everything that had been dropped on me in such a short time. I kept waiting to wake up and learn that I’d had a nightmare. I released my legs and stood, moving to where a cloth had been left to dry myself. Wrapping it around my body, I sank into the nearest chair, shivering as my mind replayed how Torrin had looked bathed in darkness.

  Everything he was, called to me, which meant I deserved to be removed from the clan. Hell, I’d kick myself out for the feelings he created within me. I couldn’t ignore it, which meant tonight was about to be a colossal mistake that would end up with my head on a chopping block, literally. Sleeping with a nightwalker wasn’t discussed as an executable offense because we’d thought them all mindless killing machines.

  Nightwalkers were nothing like the Moon Clan had taught us.

  I’d had some serious foreplay with one and held conversations with him.

  I still had to figure out how to explain the situation to my team without everyone freaking out. The girls would have a fit, knowing they’d inadvertently slept with a nightwalker, and I knew they had because if Torrin was one, then the chances were high that his men were too.

  Standing, I moved to the dress lying on the bed, staring at the sheer material. The entire bodice was a see-through lace halter top without sleeves. The dress’s skirt parted up the thighs, exposing them through the thin fabric that felt softer than the silk covering the bed. The waistline was cinched and tight to show off my slender hips.

  Dropping the cloth, I slipped into the dress and moved toward the large mirror that sat beside the pool. Frowning, I looked at the dress from several angles, deflating at my slight figure. Giving up on what it looked like, I returned to the bed to grab the sheer panties, pulled them on, and then slipped into the soft shoes.

  After digging through my bag, I found my hairbrush and ran it through my hair. I left it down to flow along my back, which the material failed to cover. Torrin had taken all tonics and elixirs from my things, which meant I had to maintain control tonight. I couldn’t chance losing it and become pregnant.

  I had nothing to offer a child or to give them, including a home in which to return to where I could raise them safely. I had no security or promise of tomorrow. Torrin had taken it all from me, whether by choice or design, I had no idea. I wasn’t naïve. The chances he’d done it on purpose were very high. I was no one to him, just an assassin who slaughtered those he had included in his race.

  To him, I was the monster.

  Murderer.

  Why would he care if his choices ruined my entire life?

  Realistically, it didn’t change my course. I had set out to find my brother and discover the clues to where the library was hidden. Once I read from the Book of Life, the plague of darkness would be eliminated, or so we hoped. Torrin messing up my entire life didn’t change that.

  I moved toward the door, opening it to find several guards waiting. Stepping out into the hallway, I closed the door and peered between them. Their eyes were filled with dark obsidian and absent of color, which identified them all as nightwalkers. Swallowing past my unease, I smiled tightly.

  “I am ready,” I stated, offering the guards a nod while they studied me like a bug they wished to squish beneath their heavy boots.

  One stepped forward, his nose in my personal space, his lips peeling back to reveal sharp canines. I didn’t blink. I didn’t cower or move because on any given day, I’d have taken his head without breaking a sweat. This guard was scrawny; his unworked muscle tone exposed his lack of training and age.

  I did the only thing I could do. I smirked, turning my head to brush my lips against his, which sent him tensing as the light within me jolted the darkness within him. Fuck around and play stupid games, and you get a stupid prize. His eyes slanted to angry slits the moment he realized I’d done the action on purpose.

  “I am ready,” I repeated, knowing they were all wary of me now.

  Housing as much light as I currently did had perks. I was holding enough to level the entire palace to rubble. I followed them to the door beside mine, knowing it was Amo’s room. The guard knocked on the door, and Amo stepped out, her green eyes sliding through the guards, widening with unease. Her shocked expression swung to me, and I watched her throat bobbing with worry before she stepped up beside me, holding my soft gaze.

  It was the same thing at every door in which we stopped to retrieve another moon-touched girl. Eventually, after the asshole guards made a show out of trying to scare each one, we start
ed toward the sound of laughter and music.

  We entered a large ballroom with stairs that led down onto the dance floor and into an actual room. At the stairs, the guards indicated for us to wait. My heart rocketed into overdrive as I took in the dark eyes of those below us.

  Every single person turned, staring up with eyes the color of freshly polished onyx. I felt the girls tensing behind me. I looked over my shoulder to Amo, who was staring out over the assembly with an expression of sheer horror.

  Darkness consumed light, and we were the only light present. The crowd gawked openly, hungrily, up at us while we waited. The guard stepped out from in front of me, and my gaze slid down the long red carpet and straight to the throne where a male sat with his leg kicked over the arm, lazily watching us. Torrin stood beside him, his eyes narrowing on me while I again turned, looking to Amo, who was behind me with the others, ensuring they were okay.

  “You remember the time we crashed the clan leader’s party? Let’s do that one again,” I stated, watching their eyes sparkle as a smile crept over my lips.

  “It’s perfect,” Amo chuckled.

  “I’m down,” Tabitha agreed, and the others laughed nervously, fully aware of what I intended them to do.

  Well, they’d be executing the plan while I kept the head of the guard busy in other ways. The moon was about to take me over, and then I’d be out of commission for at least twenty-four hours. I watched Amo peering up where the ceiling was opening for the moon to shine down into the room.

  “The moon is going to call me,” I admitted, shoving past the unease that came with what would happen tonight.

  “Those who aren’t called can stay and play,” Amo agreed, barely above a whisper.

  “Quiet, or you’ll regret it,” the youngest guard snarled.

  I smirked at him, tilting my head before facing forward. The moonlight bathed the path in iridescent light, forcing the others back from the carpet that led to the king. My heart was thundering painfully in my chest while I scanned the crowd. My hackles were up, and everything within me said to turn and run or fight.

  Torrin’s eyes slid down my body, and I exhaled the unease. I wouldn’t show fear in the face of impossible odds. I wouldn’t allow the girls to see me tremble before the mass of people who craved our fear. I’d show them all that, even in the face of death, we weren’t weak.

  “Move,” the guard stated, and I frowned, slowly descending the stairs with sure-footed steps until I was inches from the light.

  The moment I stepped into the moonlight, the crowd gasped as my skin changed, appearing as if there were thousands of tiny stars shining light within me. My hair turned a glowing white, with rainbow-colored tips starting at my ears and sliding down my back to brush against my ass. My arms pulsed, exposing the thin, shimmering lines of light that burned from inside me.

  I didn’t stop or slow until I reached the king’s throne, where I bowed low at my waist, letting my hair shield my face. My team followed my lead, bowing to a king that wasn’t ours. It was a show of respect because regardless of how we felt; he was the King of the Night Kingdom.

  He left us there for several minutes, which was fine with me. I could feel my body clenching from being bathed in the moonlight. I could feel the power summoning me to cave in to my baser needs, preparing me for mating with the man of my choosing. I closed my eyes while the room remained silent. The moon shone from the ceiling where it had separated, allowing it to reveal the moon’s healing light.

  King Aragon was bound to notice a few key things when I rose. One of these was the symbol that would shine upon my forehead, showing that I was from the Sun Clan’s royal line, mixed with the moon-touched symbols. He would also notice the delicate lines framing my face, painting the length of my nose with the fallen court’s royal emblem. Then there were the tiny sparks of light that shine from within me, which he may have already noted as if my bloodline carried the sun within it.

  “Rise,” Aragon said in an amused tone.

  When I did, his eyes widened, and he quickly dropped his leg, sitting up straighter. My eyes flicked to Torrin, finding him frowning as he took in the markings. No, I wasn’t a Sun Clan princess, but I was of the bloodline connecting me to the poor babe sent down the channel and out to sea by her father to escape being mated to the King of the Kingdom of the Night.

  King Aragon’s intended mate hadn’t died as presumed. Instead, she’d been discovered and raised within the temple. She’d died long ago, but before she had, she’d lived a happy life and bore her mate many children. I was one of the few female descendants born to our line, making it dangerous to be around this king who felt entitled to collect our line’s women as his own.

  “You didn’t notice this?” Aragon asked Torrin, standing to move closer to me.

  Torrin’s eyes held mine, and something swam in their icy pools. I flicked my eyes away from him, rolling them up to look at the moon, bathing me in its light. I felt my eyes illuminating, shining with the glow of the golden sun that forced them to mirror the color of freshly polished emeralds, no longer the color of the once cloudless skies. They combined with soft gold, changing them for the full moon to expose the truth within my blood.

  I turned back to the king, flinching from his hand that lifted to my cheek. Torrin had moved closer, his chest rising and falling while he searched my face, transfixed on the bloodline markings.

  “You’re from the Sun Clan,” Aragon stated breathlessly, his fingers trembling while he touched my face.

  “I am,” I admitted, uncomfortable with his hands on me.

  Suddenly, they were on me everywhere. In my hair, touching my face, exploring my arms, everywhere. All while Torrin stared at me without speaking or intervening. His eyes changed between black and ice blue as if he were looking at me through both his sights.

  “How is this possible?” Aragon demanded, moving closer to touch my exposed sides.

  “The Moon Clan found the basket carrying the sun princess. They raised her within the temple and wed her to their prince. They had many children, and I am but one of their children’s offspring.”

  “She died,” Torrin stated, finally speaking.

  “No, they made your kingdom believe she died. Ironically, the Moon Clan assumed that the Kingdom of Night would accept the darkness or be immune to it. At first, they protected her in order to bargain with you, but you never came. You never looked for the princess, so they presumed you had no interest in brokering a deal with the devils that created the plague of darkness. My grandmother lived a long, happy life with her husband.”

  “There are more of you,” Aragon stated, clapping his hands with excitement.

  “I am the last surviving female of our line,” I admitted.

  His mouth dropped open, no longer smiling. Torrin’s eyes slanted into an angry glare while he sized me up. He seemed unable to look away from me, and I wasn’t sure it was a good thing. My body was reacting to the moon, demanding I create life.

  “We’re being rude to our other guests,” Aragon announced, watching me with a heated look. “You’ll be in my room tonight, Alexandria.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked, turning to look at Torrin.

  “The moon is calling you, and I am King. You’re mine tonight. The court expects it, and so it shall be,” he stated with a sinful smile curving his mouth. “I suggest you enjoy the party while you can.”

  I flicked my stare to Torrin, who didn’t offer any help. I nodded, then exhaled. Stepping back, I glared at them both before I turned, walking to the other side of the hall, pretending to be unaffected by the king’s declaration.

  I wasn’t certain how to turn down a king. He’d left no room for argument, either. I was apparently sleeping with Aragon tonight, and it had nothing to do with slumbering. My attention shot to Torrin, who had Karina on his arm, whispering into his ear while he stared at me. Whatever she said, he didn’t react, unable to remove his eyes from me.

  Karina w
as still hanging on his arm, her lips moving by his ear as he started forward. My heart hammered, and a gasp slipped from my lips as he strode toward me with purpose. My body clenched tightly, growing heated while his icy stare held mine prisoner.

  “We’re dancing,” he announced, dragging me out on the dance floor while Karina glared at us from the side of the open area, forgotten and discarded.

  Torrin stopped in the middle of the floor, uncaring that no one else was dancing. The moment he wrapped his arms around me, he jerked my body against his, hard. His nose brushed against my ear, and I moaned, unable to ignore the contact while under the influence of the moon. A shudder of need shot through me, and my hands tightened onto him. His dark, husky laughter sent warmth pooling at my apex.

  “You kept secrets from me, Little Bird,” he growled.

  “You didn’t ask, and you seemed to have already researched me before deciding I was your target,” I replied, pushing my body against his. “I don’t want to be the king’s tonight,” I admitted, resting my head on Torrin’s solid chest.

  “It’s an honor to be chosen as a bedmate to the king,” he stated, dipping his eyes to my mouth.

  “For others, maybe. Not me.”

  “Who would you choose?” he asked softly.

  “My hand, as you’ve thrown away the tonics I had brought with me. I intended to accept the pain and lessen the need of my body by myself.” I inhaled sharply through my nose and blinked.

  “You think I’d allow that?” Torrin mused, turning me around the floor surprisingly smooth for a warrior.

  “I don’t think it would be your choice. You enjoy women, and you’ve fucked several since I met you. Seemingly more than one last night alone. Then there’s me if you include what you and I have already done together.”

  “I have fucked no one since meeting you, Little Bird. Did I offer relief to a woman in the woods so that her hunger didn’t take control when there was an entire tavern full of moon-touched women, wounded and within her reach? Yes. Did I wish she was you the entire time? Yes. The king held an orgy for my return, and yet I fucked no one. I didn’t even come because they pale compared to the intensity and desire I felt from your touch. I know it may be hard to wrap your sheltered little brain around, Lexia, but some people can be around others while allowing themselves freedom from the restraints this world placed on them. You should probably permit me to escort you to the king’s chambers. It’s about to get a little too wild in here for you.”