Under Twilight: an Urban Fantasy Novel (Fearless Destiny Book 3)

by Debbie Cassidy

In a few hours Mum would be here. She’d always intended to join me, just wanted to put her affairs in order first. But with Lindrealm under threat I’d convinced her to come immediately. Sod getting affairs in order.

  Back in my usual slacks, teamed with a crimson leather corset-thingy, I was about to head out to find Davin when the air around me grew completely still. My hand went to my everlight sword.

  “Kenna?”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. I knew that voice—familiar and beloved. My eyes pricked, and I spun to face Sabriel.

  My guardian angel beamed and held out his arms, not that I needed an invitation. I was on him like a shot, hugging the crap out of him. He smelled of sunlight and summer days, and damn it was good to have him back.

  I gave him a punishing squeeze. “What the fuck took you so long?”

  He made a melodic sound, which I recognised as a chuckle, and stroked my hair soothingly. “Red tape. There was plenty to cut through, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.” He gently pulled back to look down into my upturned face. “I see you’ve achieved much in my absence.” His lips lifted in a half smile. “Power looks good on you.”

  I snorted. “Hardly. I think I prefer the Fearless existence over this. You should see the dress they want me to wear to the coronation.”

  His sapphire eyes twinkled. “I can imagine. But it is simply a dress, and it is simply one day.”

  “Yeah, Baal said the same thing.” He’d also promised to peel the damn thing off me afterwards, but Sabriel didn’t need to know that.

  “Baal is here?”

  “Yes.” I winced as his fingers tightened on my shoulders

  Sabriel eased his grip but the tension didn’t leave his body.

  “You have a problem with Baal?” A distant memory triggered, and I struggled to grasp it. Yes, he’d asked me to be wary of Baal. I smiled and pressed a hand to his chest. “It’s fine. Baal has been awesome. In fact, if it wasn’t for him I’d never have made it this far.”

  Why did he seem to be getting tenser with every word that fell out of my mouth? He took a step back and turned away, head bowed, hands on hips as if in contemplation.

  “Sabriel, what’s wrong?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. You and Baal have obviously become good friends?”

  Was he fishing to find out what kind of relationship I had with Baal? Was it even his business? But then, Sabriel was my friend. “It’s a little more that, well a lot more. Baal and I are together.” I smiled. “I’m in love with him.”

  Sabriel’s face blanched. He muttered something under his breath, something that sounded an awful lot like fucking red tape. But angels didn’t curse, did they?

  “Sabriel, what the heck is going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  He ran a hand over his mouth. “I feel like it. Listening to you is dredging up memories I’ve strived to bury.”

  “Memories? What kind of memories, and what have they got to do with Baal and me?”

  He exhaled through his nose and glanced heavenwards, as if hoping for some divine intervention or sign.

  My scalp crawled with foreboding. “Dammit Sabriel, just spill it already.”

  “I cannot. It would constitute as interference.”

  My belly quivered in warning. Drop it, it said. But I had to know. “Damn interference, Sabriel. If this concerns me then you need to tell me. Now.”

  “Kenna, I … I can’t …”

  Sod this. I didn’t have the time for persuasion and guessing games, and as much as I adored Sabriel, I had no room in my court for people who kept secrets from me, however noble their intentions.

  I straightened my spine. “I chose to surround myself with people who I can trust, people with my best interests at heart, and people who won’t keep secrets from me. If you’re not one of these people, then you have no place here.” It hurt to say it, but I bit out the words anyway and stood my ground.

  “Kenna …” His expression was conflicted, and then he exhaled and took a shuddering breath. “You had a sister called Dante.”

  I rolled my eyes. Was that it? “Yes. I know.”

  He blinked, looking taken aback. “Did you know that she was betrothed to Baal?”

  “Yep.” My shoulder muscles unknotted. This wasn’t so bad. He was probably worried that I’d find out Baal had loved my sister and be all upset about it. “Baal told me how much he’d loved Dante. But he loves me now.”

  Sabriel’s lips twisted as if in pain, and then he took a step toward me. “Baal may have loved Dante, but she didn’t love him. She loved Erebus, and when Baal found out he killed her.”

  Had he just said killed? Baal killed Dante? Blood rushed to my head and my pulse pounded in my ears. “No. Baal loved her. Erebus and Dante … they were just a thing for a while before she fell for Baal.”

  “Is that what Baal told you?”

  “No. I have no idea if Baal knew about Erebus and Dante, but Erebus confirmed he’d been intimate with her.”

  “Yes, Erebus was intimate with Dante, both before and after she was betrothed to Baal. Baal discovered the truth and killed Dante in a rage.”

  He was talking about the guy who’d risked his life to save me, who’d shown me kindness and lifted me up from the bowels of despair. He was chatting shit about the man I loved. I’d never seen Baal lose his temper or go into a rage. Baal was composed, cool, calm, and rational. Everything I desired.

  Anger ignited in my chest. “Why are you doing this?”

  He blinked at me, taken aback. “I speak the truth. Baal is responsible for Dante’s death. He killed her after he discovered she was in love with Erebus.”

  I shook my head. “No. No he wouldn’t do that. He’s not a murderer, especially not for such a petty reason. We don’t control who we love.”

  “But love can drive the sanest man crazy. It can make us act and think irrationally and make us do things that … shameful things that eat away at us for eternity.”

  “How the heck do you know anyway?”

  Sabriel’s lips tightened. “Because Dante was my friend. She died while I watched.”

  Dante’s death wasn’t Sabriel’s fault, and yes it was unfair, but there was a pot of lava simmering inside me, desperate to eat away the words he was uttering. “Well some fucking friend you are! Watching her die and doing nothing?”

  He flinched as if I’d slapped him. I fisted my hand to prevent myself acting on impulse and doing just that. How dare he spew such awful accusations? How dare he attempt to take away the one good thing in my life?

  The look of horror and sorrow on his face should have made me feel bad, but he was cutting at my soul with his accusations. I couldn’t—I wouldn’t—lose Baal.

  The dismay on Sabriel’s face melted into something twisted, and his next words showed me it was self-loathing I was seeing. “You think I wanted to stand by, invisible and silent, and witness her death? I am chained by what I am—an angel unable to interfere. She was my friend, and I was forced to remain hidden and watch her die.”

  His pain penetrated the haze of rage surrounding me and my throat grew tight. “How? How did she die?”

  “He pushed her. Baal pushed her off the edge of their world.”

  The edge of Baal’s retreat. His haven. The place that he’d built for Dante … or had he? Had anything he’d told me been the truth? My heart screamed at me to deny this knowledge. I loved him, dammit.

  I loved him.

  “I’m sorry, Kenna, but there is more.”

  “Fusksake, what more could there be?”

  His expression grew even darker. “After Dante’s death, I was forbidden by the powers that be to speak of what I had witnessed, but I kept a vigil on Baal. The weeks leading up to Ibris’s assassination, Baal made two trips to Twilight.”

  What was he trying to say? And then it clicked, and my heart squeezed painfully in my chest. “You think he conspired with Orin? You think he wanted Ibris dead?” I took a
step back. “No. He wouldn’t. They were friends.”

  The tremble in my knees and the racing of my heart screamed that this was too much. Sabriel had gone too far.

  Sabriel snorted. “Friends? Maybe to begin with, but over the years that friendship soured under Ibris’s neglect and ignorance of what was required to run the realm. Baal was the true force behind keeping the fifth dimension running smoothly. I even admired him for it. It was why Ibris offered Dante to him. He knew Baal was in love with his eldest daughter and recognised Baal’s growing dissatisfaction at the lack of recognition he received for everything he did for the kingdom. Dante was meant to sweeten the pot. But Dante’s heart rested elsewhere.”

  A flare of anger toward my long dead sibling had me gritting my teeth. “But she agreed to marry him anyway?”

  “She knew what was at stake. Baal was a formidable ally, but his army was vast and he would have made a terrifying enemy.”

  “So she lied to him. Pretended she was into him.”

  “She was a dutiful daughter. She agreed to the match and even attempted to break her connection to Erebus, but love is not so easily quelled.”

  As strong as my desire to dismiss his words was, it was impossible to deny the truth in them. Baal had told me himself that he’d run the kingdom for Ibris, but the man Sabriel was describing was a far cry from the one that I’d fallen in love with, and there was still stuff that didn’t make sense.

  “If Baal was responsible for Ibris’s death, then surely he would have made plans to take the throne. Why let Kai take the advantage?”

  “You think the people would have thought kindly of Baal if he’d taken the throne immediately? No. He had to win them over, make them fight alongside him against a tyrannical ruler. Kai is not well liked. With Erebus’s aid, Baal had hoped to claim back the city.”

  The night in the library at the fortress in Evernight came to mind. Baal had tried to convince Erebus to join him in claiming back the royal city.

  “But Erebus had already taken an oath to protect Lindrealm.”

  “Yes,” Sabriel nodded enthusiastically. “And so Baal’s carefully-laid plans unravelled, until you came along.”

  No. Was he suggesting I was a pawn in Baal’s bid for the throne? To accept that would be to accept our relationship was a lie. It was enough that my lover was a murderer, but to intimate that he’d also faked his feelings for me … the hope inside me withered.

  “You love him,” Sabriel said. You would marry him, and he would have what he always wanted. He would be king.”

  Why was I entertaining any of this? Oh yeah, because the words were falling from an angel’s lips. Could he even lie? I slumped onto the bed, head in hands. Probably not. Bile crawled up my throat and I clasped my trembling hands together. Shit. Fucking hell. Baal … My Baal had killed my sister and helped orchestrate the death of my father. Where was the rage? Why was there only a hollow pit of nothingness, a growing darkness, and icy chill?

  “You must beware, Kenna. Do not reveal you know the truth.”

  My head whipped up. “You have to be kidding me. You can’t spill all this shit on me and then expect me not to clean it up. I’m not playing games. If Baal is this … murderer you say he is, this duplicitous, ambitious, power-hungry monster who will do whatever it takes to get the crown, then I need to know for sure. I need to look him in the eyes and ask him.”

  Sabriel made a sound of exasperation. “And what makes you think he’ll tell you the truth?”

  I stood. “He won’t have to. I’ll just know.”

  Sabriel grabbed my arm. “And he will know too. He’ll know his ruse is up. If he doesn’t end you, then he’ll withdraw his aid in the fight to come. You need him Kenna. You need his army and his silver tongue.”

  I shrugged Sabriel off. “Then why tell me? Why not just wait till this was all over and then tell me?”

  “To protect your heart. To give you the chance to shield it. Do what you must for the good of the realm, but protect your heart. Erebus broke it once, and I cannot bear for it to be damaged again.”

  “Too late.”

  A knock on the door was followed by Heather’s tentative voice. “Your majesty, Lord Baal is requesting your presence in the library. Your mother has arrived.”

  “I’ll be right there.” My voice quivered. Everything I’d come to rely on, everything I’d known to be true and good, had just been ripped out from under me. Once again I’d been deceived in love, but this time the pain was deeper, soul-searing and breath-taking.

  I loved him. My eyes burned and I squeezed them closed, taking a deep shuddering breath.

  Queens didn’t cry. Queens did what needed to be done.

  It was time to face him.

  How would I face him?

  14

  Laughter greeted me as I entered the library—Baal and Mum sharing a joke. Mum turned to welcomed me with a smile. Her jeans and shirt looked out of place and alien in this environment.

  She took in my outfit. “Crimson suits you.”

  “Thanks.” Don’t look at him. Don’t meet his eyes just yet.

  “Kenna,” Baal said, smooth and relaxed, as if he’d never pushed a woman off a cliff. “I was just telling your mother about the wonderful meal we’ve prepared in her honour this evening.”

  I fixed a smile on my face. “Yes, Baal has been hard at work, leaving his lordly duties to make himself available to me. He has become indispensable.”

  Baal’s smile slipped.

  Damn, I needed to dial down the cutting edge to my tone. Taking a breath, I glided across the room and gave Mum a hug, dropping a Baal a wink over her shoulder to diffuse the awkward moment. I was stressed with queenly duties and stuff, he’d get it. He got me.

  His expression relaxed and he smiled. “I’ll leave you both to catch up. Davin could do with some help finalising the travel arrangements for tomorrow’s coronation.”

  Yes, the amphitheatre-type building on the other side of the realm. The streets would be packed with travellers; some guests, some merely hoping to catch a glimpse of the event of the century. We’d planned to ride together in the carriage pulled by Baal’s water-horse friends, but the thought of being in close confines with him now made my stomach hurt.

  “I was thinking maybe Mum and I could ride together, just the two of us.” I grinned. “Some mother daughter time.”

  Baal made an ‘O’ with his mouth, momentarily thrown. After all, I’d kicked up a fuss about having him with me on the journey, and now I was pretty much dismissing him.

  He recovered quickly. “Of course. I’ll prep the Ceffyl Dwr.”

  He moved in to press a kiss to my forehead and it took everything I had not to flinch, and then he was striding from the room.

  “Kenna?” Mum said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Is everything okay?”

  The truth was on the tip of my tongue, but Sabriel was right. If Baal somehow found out I knew the truth about his past, then it could be dangerous for me and my loved ones. If I told Mum that Baal was responsible for my father’s death, goodness knows what her reaction would be. It was best to keep this secret to myself.

  “Everything’s perfect. I’m just so happy you’re here.” I grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you kitted out for tomorrow. You are, after all, the queen’s mother. You need to look the part. The royal tailor is awesome.”

  He cheeks flushed. “Well, if you insist.”

  The rest of the afternoon was spent choosing fabric, gossiping, and reminiscing about Bella. She’d have loved playing dress up.

  I was here because of Bella’s sacrifice and nothing, not even my love for Baal, would stop me from being the best damn queen I could.

  ***

  The throne room was packed with dark djinn. The edge of the vast room was lined with noble djinn and general populace. These kinds of events were called Open Court, and anyone could turn up and petition the monarch. In this case we had an army of dark djinn—some of the most
powerful warriors in the realm, if I was to believe all that I’d been told. Even if I hadn’t seen them in action myself, Erebus’s skill would have been enough to convince me.

  Speaking of Erebus, he stood at the front of the group beside his father, looking cool and composed after a fight for his life and a lengthy journey. In fact, they all looked unruffled and rested.

  “Your majesty,” Erebus’s father inclined his head. “We have come to offer our allegiance. We will fight with you against the armies of Twilight.”

  “Thank you Baronus. Your allegiance means a great deal to the crown.”

  “Do not mistake me, your majesty. I do this not for the crown, but for the fierce woman who aided in our liberation and fought beside us when The Hunt attacked.”

  A murmur skimmed across the crowd.

  Yeah, that wasn’t something I’d planned on advertising, but it was out now. “I was glad to help. Erebus has been a mentor and a friend to me. His battles are mine.”

  “And now your battles are ours.” He inclined his head. “We are honoured to fight by your side.”

  My eyes grew hot. Shit. Do not tear up. Queens did not blub. “Thank you Baronus”

  Davin leaned in to whisper in my ear. “The dark djinn will need a home.”

  Of course. They were nomadic, but they’d been gone a long time, and if they were to fight for the crown then they needed to have a fixed place.

  “Baronus, I would like to invite you and your people to stay here with us in the palace. There is plenty of room. Davin will make sure the guest houses are prepared and there are plenty of quarters in the west wing. Please take your pick.”

  Erebus’s eyes flared in surprise. “We wouldn’t presume to impose on the crown.”

  “I would be offended if you didn’t.”

  “In that case,” Baronus said, “we accept your most gracious offer.”

  I had the dark djinn army at my disposal—another feather in my cap. Another advantage in the war to come, but I’d lost Baal, and the emptiness within wouldn’t be filled

  ***

  I leaned back in my seat, fingers brushing the smooth wood of my overly large desk, and looked Erebus straight in the eyes. “Do you have a problem with me inviting your people to stay?”