by L. P. Dover
“I think you know what I want,” he taunts darkly.
“You can’t have her!” I yell into his face.
He takes a step back and laughs while his appearance begins to blur and takes on the shape of another man. I stare transfixed as the transformation comes to a close. There’s a dark cloud surrounding him, and the stench of black magic permeates the room making it smell dank and rancid. This must be what the dark sorcerer looks like in his true form.
He smirks at me with his evil smile and brags, “Oh, I have already had her, Your Highness. Many times as a matter of fact. Her fiery temper in bed was something to behold, and I look forward to fucking her again.”
Without a moment’s thought, the anger boils over and I lunge straight for him, only to see him disappear before I make contact.
“You son of a bitch! I will kill you before you touch her again,” I roar. My lungs are on fire and not being able to hurt him angers me more. The rage surging through my veins demands action. I take all the anger and all the hate inside me and I put them into words.
“No matter what you do, Meliantha will always be smarter than you. You can play your twisted games, but in the end we will all see you as what you truly are...a fucking coward that hides in the shadows.”
The dark sorcerer’s smile fades and he clenches his jaw. I smile because I know that was a devastating blow and it struck a nerve. After a few seconds his frown changes to a mischievous grin.
“Yes, well, it’s just a shame you won’t be here for the ending. I would have preferred for you to see what I do to your precious princess.”
The warnings in my body instantly sound off, and I am about to make my move to escape when something hard and cold wraps around my arm. The room begins to fade and it feels like my inner soul is disappearing and being replaced by something malevolent and evil. The last things I hear as I fade out of my body are the sounds of Breena laughing and the taunting words of the dark sorcerer.
“Don’t worry, Prince Kalen. I will be sure to show Meliantha a good time when you’re gone.”
Meliantha…
I watch Kalen walk away and Ashur picks this time to elbow me in the ribs playfully.
“Come on, Princess. You can’t stare at him all night.” I look at him and smile. He looks extremely happy and I wonder where it’s coming from.
“Why are you so happy?” I ask, excited and curious.
He takes my hand and pulls me toward the cottage.
“I’ll show you.” We walk up the steps and onto the porch. Aki runs in as soon as Ashur opens the door and when I look inside I finally understand where his happiness is coming from. Sitting in the middle of the room talking to Finn is Elissa. I let go of Ashur’s hand to dash through the room toward her. She startles at the sound of me bursting through the door and stands up only to be crushed by my arms as I hold her tight. It feels so good to have my best friend back and out of harm’s way. Everything that has happened to her is all because of me and my ties to the dark sorcerer. I hope she can forgive me.
“I’m so sorry, Elissa,” I cry. I let the tears flow because not only am I torn, but I can feel the torment inside of her as well. The knowledge of what she has done is taking a toll on her emotional state. It weighs heavily on her heart and the guilt is eating away at her. She holds me tight and sobs against my shoulder. “Please forgive me. I should never have given you that necklace.”
“I don’t blame you, Mel,” she whispers. It feels good to hear those words, but I know I will always carry the blame no matter what she says. She lets me go and the pain I see in her eyes makes my heart ache for her even more. With tears streaming down her face, her eyes search mine frantically.
“How am I going to get through this? I killed someone, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. How can I bear it when it’s consuming me inside?”
Ashur comes over and pulls her into his arms. He looks me straight in the eyes when he speaks soothingly to her.
“We are all here to help you through it. I will help you through it.” Her crying stops and she sniffles while peering up at Ashur. He wipes her tears away and then he leans down to kiss her lips. She melts in his arms and returns the kiss passionately. I hate that it took something this drastic to make them realize how much they need each other.
Finn turns his head away from their display and looks at me. His smile is weak, but he tries his best to make it strong. He gets up from his seat and disappears down the hallway until I hear the door to his room shut lightly. I hope with all my heart that he finds someone to love who will love him back.
Ashur and Elissa are still kissing, and I know his love for her will help her through anything she has to face. They break apart, but are still in each other’s arms when Ashur pleads to me silently, “Please help her, Meliantha. I am begging you to help take some of this guilt away. As much as I hate to say this, she is not strong enough to handle it, even with our help.”
The moment I saw her I wanted to take the pain away, but messing with people’s emotions is not something I want to make a habit of. I know what happened to her is my fault, so I will do anything in my power to help her. I come up behind Elissa and I place my hand on her shoulder. I can feel the electric current of my magic leaving my hand and entering her body. The tingling sensation feels good as it comes alive in my body. I can sense it taking away the pain and guilt in Elissa and leaving only a dull ache in its place until there is no more.
Her body sags in Ashur’s arms, most likely from my magic and exhaustion, so he scoops her up and cradles her against his body. Knowing that Elissa will be fine and safe releases the heavy burden that’s been building on my chest.
“Thank you,” he whispers to me. “I’m going to lay her down to rest for a while, and I believe it is time for you to get ready for tonight.”
My insides scream with joy and I nod my head vivaciously at Ashur before going to my room. I open the door letting Aki follow me in and I lean against it to take a calming breath. So far things are going in the right direction, I think to myself. Let’s just hope it stays that way. I have Elissa back and now her heart will be healed so she can move forward. Also, in just a few short minutes I will be on my way to being bonded to the man I love.
I take off my bow and arrows and the cream-colored winter jacket and pants I wore throughout the day. I take the white, silky bathrobe I wore last night and I wrap it around my body. I need to find a suitable dress to wear for my special night with Kalen. I look through my things and I sigh in disappointment. None of the dresses I brought are catching my eye. I sink to the floor and I lean against the trunk filled with my clothes. I know it shouldn’t matter since the dress won’t be on long anyway, but I still want to look amazing for him.
Aki comes over and nuzzles my cheek. I know he can sense my angst and he’s trying to make me feel better. I nuzzle him back and sigh, “Oh, Aki, I just want this night to be perfect, and nothing I brought will be suitable.” He lies on the ground beside me and whines his understand-ing.
I wonder what will happen to the wolves when Kalen and I leave the Winter Court. Will they come with us or stay here?
“You have a visitor, Meliantha,” Ashur informs me through our connection. I’m not expecting anyone so I wonder who it could be. A knock sounds at the door, so I walk over to open it. On the other side of the door is a dark-haired Winter beauty with the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen. I remember meeting her years ago at Calista’s wedding and how unique her eyes looked. It is rare for a Winter fae to have green eyes just like it’s rare for a Summer fae to have purple eyes. We are unique and I know it’s most likely because we are part of the powerful Four, which means we are also the ones that are supposed to save the Land of the Fae.
“Come in,” I say while motioning her inside. She’s carrying a garment bag and I’m curious to know why.
“Thank you, Meliantha. I’m sure you remember meeting me at your sister’s wedding to my brother.”
I no
d my head, “Of course I remember you, Sorcha. I could never forget those green eyes of yours.”
She laughs and lays the garment bag down on the bed.
“Yeah, most people can’t forget, just like no one can forget yours.” She looks around the room and shakes her head. “It looks like someone else couldn’t forget them either by the looks of this room.”
“What do you mean?” I ask curiously.
I’ve had my speculations about who decorated the room, but I want to hear for sure if it was Kalen or not. I meant to comment about it earlier to him, but never got around to it. Sorcha grins while motioning her hand all throughout the interior of the room.
“This is all my brother’s doing. He did it for you, can’t you tell? Everything in here is almost the exact shade of your eyes.” She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess he thought you would like it.”
“I do,” I reply.
She breaks her eye contact and looks down at the floor.
“You know, I hated you for the past five years,” she admits. I snap to attention and stare at her wide-eyed even though she hasn’t taken her eyes from the floor yet. I am about to ask why when she lifts her hand and quickly continues, “I don’t anymore, Meliantha, not after hearing about the real reason you and Kalen never got together. He became a different person after you turned him down. He never joked anymore or had the spark of life that made him who he was. I hated you for being the cause of that.” She lifts her gaze to meet mine and she takes a deep breath, looking concerned. “I am the one who pushed Kalen to date Breena, and I’m sorry for that. I didn’t realize the trouble she would cause. Do you forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive, Sorcha. I wish things could have been different, but the dark sorcerer screwed us all over and led us down that wretched path. Not anymore, though. Tonight we turn the tables in our direction.”
Her face brightens up and then she grabs the garment bag off the bed.
“Hence, the reason I am here. I brought a dress that would look wonderful on you for the bonding tonight. I didn’t think you had come prepared, so I thought I would show this to you.”
“Thank you, Sorcha. I was just sitting here trying to decide what to wear when you showed up. Let’s see the dress,” I say, ecstatic.
She unzips the bag and in it lays the most exquisite dress I have ever seen. The color of the dress matches my amethyst eyes and it sparkles in the light from the crystals adorned in the fabric. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect dress. It’s a strapless gown that will hug at my waist and then flow down gracefully to the floor. The fabric feels silky to the touch as I run my hands over its shiny material.
“It’s beautiful, Sorcha. I don’t know how to thank you.”
She lays the dress on the bed and reaches for my hand when she approaches me. “Just make my brother happy. That is all the thanks I need.”
“I will take care of him for the rest of my life. You have nothing to worry about,” I assure her. She kisses my cheek and leaves the room shutting the door behind her. I take a deep breath while staring at the dress. It’s a shame it won’t be on long enough to enjoy it. Shivers take over my body in anticipation of the evening, and soon Kalen will take those chills away by warming me up with his own body in a long night filled with passionate love making for the first time. The making of our bond will also begin our court, and the Land of the Fae will be one step closer to defeating the evil. So many things are going to change tonight.
I am dressed and ready to go in my lovely bonding dress along with my bow and arrows and my cloak. Bonding or not, I will always carry around my bow. Ashur is waiting for me by the door and Aki is following behind me.
“Are you ready, Princess?” Ashur asks, smiling.
I take a deep breath.
“Yes, I’m ready.” Ashur opens the door and we step out into the cold, wintry night. We walk up the path to Kalen’s cabin and my teeth are chattering along the way. I can’t decipher if it’s from the coldness of the night or from being nervous. I stand frozen on the porch while trying to calm my rapidly beating heart by taking in some deep breaths.
“It’s OK to feel nervous, Princess.”
“I have had sex before, Ashur. I am not nervous about that.”
“I know, and that’s not what I am talking about.” I look over at him and furrow my brows. What is he talking about then? I do not want to be viewed as weak by being nervous.
“You are about to be the queen of your own court. There is a lot of responsibility involved in that, and it’s normal to feel nervous. You are not weak, Meliantha. You never were.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but in a playful way. He’s the only man that will ever know my deepest and darkest secrets. I kiss his cheek and bid him farewell.
“I will see you in the morning,” I say aloud.
He starts to walk away and hollers over his shoulder, “Have fun tonight!” I laugh at his candor and watch him walk away.
Aki is staring up at me so I take one last deep breath before opening the door. “Wish me luck,” I say to Aki.
As soon as I open the door, the hair on the back of my neck stands straight up. My mind is telling me to run quick and fast away from here. Aki is outside growling and scratching on the door to get in, but I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him so I leave him outside. I walk up the steps cautiously, and the evil is growing thicker the closer I get to the top. I can see a flicker of candlelight emanating from the room the evil is coming from. I approach it slowly and guarded.
“Kalen!” I call out.
There is no response other than the giggling sound of a female coming from the inside of the room. What the hell is this? Anger envelops my body and I rear back giving the door a powerful kick. It explodes off its hinges and flies across the room. The smell of black magic engulfs me, but I fight through it and storm into the room.
I look toward the bed and Breena is lying there naked with a smug smile on her face while Kalen is next to her running his hands all over her body. It only takes one good look at him to know he is not my Kalen. I still feel a twinge in my gut at watching him all over Breena, but I keep repeating to myself that it’s not really him. I can’t believe I was off taking my time getting ready while Kalen was here facing off with the dark sorcerer by himself. He needed me and I wasn’t here. My throat tightens up at the thought that Kalen might be gone from me forever. Whatever I do, I can’t show weakness. I hesitantly look around the room for ashes and thankfully I see none.
“I am so glad you came to join us,” the dark sorcerer says. The voice is the same as Kalen’s, but this one is full of evil and malice. I recognize the same tone from five years ago.
“Go to hell,” I spit. “Where is Kalen?”
I wonder how long it would take Ashur to get help if I called out to him. I have my bow and arrow but they are strapped underneath my cloak. There is no way I could get to them in time. Next time, I need to make sure they are out in the open and ready to fire, but for now I have to suck it up and deal with this myself. He gets off the bed and stalks towards me. He’s wearing the same warrior gear that Kalen was wearing earlier. He looks exactly like Kalen, but the eyes give him away.
He motions down his body and answers, “Your prince is right here, Princess, and I’ll kill him right where we stand if you even think about calling out to your guardian to come rescue you.”
“I don’t understand. How can you take over a royal’s body? You’ve never been able to do so before,” I state.
He steps closer and I take a step back. This bastard has touched me way too many times, and I am not going to let it happen again.
“Oh Meliantha, so many things have changed over the years. There are lots of things I can do now that I couldn’t do before.” I look over Kalen’s body and I notice a silver cuff wrapped around his forearm. It looks exactly like Finn’s did, except his was gold. The dark sorcerer looks at his borrowed arm and then back to me. “Smart girl,” he says. “Kalen spouted off ho
w smart you were right before I took him. I also let him know how much I enjoyed you during those nights I fucked you. He didn’t seem to like that at all.” I flinch at his candor and he laughs at my response.
“What do you want, sorcerer?” I demand.
He looks my body up and down and licks his lips. Seeing him in Kalen’s body looking at me like that is odd and wrong in so many ways.
“First, I want you to call me Alasdair. I think we are close enough now to be on a first name basis.”
“You make me sick, you twisted bastard,” I storm.
I know he wants my power, but I have to find a way to get him out of Kalen’s body. The only ways to do that is if the sorcerer leaves his body or if Kalen dies, but the latter is not an option. He moves forward and I continue to step back. The wall is closing in behind me and he smirks because he knows that I have nowhere else to go. He reaches out his hand and I smack it away.
“Feisty, just like I remember,” he laughs.
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” I hiss back. I look over at Breena and I can tell she’s getting angry at our interaction. She’s breathing hard and fuming while looking back and forth between the sorcerer and me. Her face still hasn’t healed and I find great enjoyment in that because she seems like a woman who values her vanity above all else. I regret not killing her when I had the chance. Breena secured her death the moment she sided with the dark sorcerer.
The dark sorcerer looks from me to her with Kalen’s eyes and dismisses her like a piece of trash, “Leave us, Breena. I want to be alone with the princess.”
Her temper spikes with jealousy making her scream, “No! I don’t want you alone with her.” His whole demeanor changes in that instant from menacing to outright violent. The look he gives her makes her cower in fear and she fumbles while trying to leave the room quickly. The air in the room has drastically changed and it begins to make fear crawl through my veins as well.