Destined For The Fae King (Mated to The Fae King Book 2)

by Bailey Dark

  Sadal’s black eyes glimmer. “I want the walls of the keep soaked in blood.”

  “Whose blood?” I ask before Maaz can make any promises. The Dark One’s requests are often laced with hidden punishment.

  His eyes dart towards the door leading into the keep. “An entire Bloodbane coven.”

  My mouth falls slack and my heart stops in my chest. The Bloodbane are loyal on only two accounts; to Sadal and to ourselves. To kill an entire coven, dozens of witches, in return for an army of creatures from the darkness is impossible. My stomach churns at the thought.

  “No,” I say softly. “It can’t be done. It won’t be done. Each of these witches has given herself to you already; you own us. How can you ask for our blood?”

  “Silence, Cleo,” Maaz hisses. She swats at me, raking her fingernails over my cheek.

  I snarl as my cheek stings and hot blood drips from the scratches. “These are our sisters.”

  Maaz glowers at me. “We all belong to our Master. He can do what he wishes with us. And we will follow his every command.”

  “Maaz,” I say warningly.

  “Dark One,” Maaz says, turning back to Sadal. “Which coven do you desire?”

  Sadal makes a show of deciding, stroking his clean-shaven chin with his hand. “The youngest. These dark creatures prefer young blood, it’s sweeter.”

  I pale as Maaz turns to me. “Find Hamala’s coven and bring them to the Holy Rite,” she demands.

  I stumble from the balcony as Maaz wraps herself in Sadal’s embrace. The youngest coven has a girl, only sixteen years of age. She joined us only a month ago after escaping her cruel father. We promised her an eternity of pleasure and power. Now, she’ll be dead; ripped apart by the foot-long claws of demons. Cold washes through me, turning my blood to ice in my veins.

  Every cell in my body screams at me to turn back as I stride through the halls. Bile rises in my throat but I swallow it, eyes hard. I have a duty. I spent years working in the shadows, doing Maaz’s bidding. Years of building my influence and power until it rivaled Maaz herself. I won’t risk it all now.

  I find Hamala and her coven in the great hall and I lead them to the Holy Rite wordlessly. As the youngest coven leader, Hamala knows not to question me. She’s always been obedient and loyal to Maaz’s leadership. As I close the great doors of the Holy Rite and lock them in, I sense her trepidation. The large, circular room is filled with blood-red cloaks. The witches cluster around the well, exchanging curious glances.

  I wait on the sidelines, knowing Sadal and Maaz will join us soon. Sadal appears on my left, smirking. The young witches gasp at his sudden presence. The air feels electrified, charged with excitement at the sight of our Master. I cross my arms and drop back a few feet until I’m lingering in the shadows.

  Sadal spreads his arms wide. “Die,” he says, his powerful voice shaking the room.

  I curl back into the wall as demons shatter through the balcony doors and fall upon the witches. They scream, shrieks of terror as the beasts tear through them. Bones crunch and the sound of squelching bodies fills the room. And over it all, the growling of the creatures. In seconds, blood pools around my feet, soaking my boots.

  Sadal turns to me, smiling pleasantly. Behind him, the demons turn their yellow gaze on me in unison. I curl my hands into fists at my side, resisting the urge to reach for the dagger at my waist. It wouldn’t do any good if Sadal made me their next meal.

  “Cleo,” Sadal croons. “I’ve always admired your stubborn and skeptical nature. I expected more of a fight from you.”

  “Is that what you wanted?” I ask softly, my eyes raking over what’s left of the bodies.

  “No.” He shakes his head. “I have big plans for you. You must be careful not to disappoint me.”

  I eye the demons at his back, knowing that Sadal is deadlier than all of them combined. Maaz shoves her way through the scaled creatures to stand at his side. She smirks at me, blood splattered on the silk dress she wears beneath her cloak. I see blood stains on her hands, and I know she joined the fray.

  I swallow my fury as the two of them tower over me. “I have someone I want you to meet,” Sadal says.

  A hulking demon stomps from the balcony towards us. He walks on two legs, his overly-long arms scraping the bloodied stones. His fangs are like tusks, extending over his lips. He turns his yellow eyes on me. “Zox,” the creature growls.

  “This is Zox,” Sadal says pleasantly. “He leads the horde.”

  “Zox,” the creature confirms.

  Maaz looks delighted, staring up at the mammoth demon with bright eyes. “Impressive.”

  “Zox will take the horde across the borders and into the villages and cities,” Sadal explains. “He and the horde will leave the land soaking in Fae blood.”

  Maaz shivers, a smile tugging at her lips. “I can’t wait.”

  “Altair will no doubt surrender,” I say, my voice empty of feeling.

  “He might, but that won’t stop the horde,” Sadal chuckles.

  My stomach twists. I had expected as much. Zox roars, sending his demons loping out of the Holy Rite and down the keep walls. Sadal and Maaz wander away, whispering back and forth. I stare at the Holy Rite. The sacred room is littered with the bodies of my sisters, blood congealing between the stones. I wonder if soon the whole world will look this way.

  Chapter 12

  Verity

  Candlelight flickers in Altair’s private dining chambers. It’s a familiar scenario; a quiet, unpleasant dinner with Altair. Just like the old days. He eyes me from across the table. His beard is growing back, just a soft shadow against his cheeks and strong jaw. I study him with empty eyes. Once, my heart would have fluttered seeing how handsome he is, but I have something else on my mind now.

  The book Dain gave me is hidden in my room. I stuffed it behind one of the bookcases so none of the Fae will find it. I’ve read almost half of it now, reading almost constantly for two days. Normally, with a book of that size, I would be finished with it. But, somehow, even when I read for hours, I find myself staring at the same page.

  “Is dinner to your liking?” Altair asks, clearing his throat.

  I poke my knife against the succulent steak. “Stooping to small talk, Altair? That isn’t like you.”

  He purses his lips, his eyes glinting with amusement. “There she is. I was wondering where Verity was hiding inside that beautiful body.”

  “What?” I narrow my eyes.

  Altair leans forward, pushing his dinner aside. “I don’t know what’s on your mind lately, Verity, but it’s becoming very clear that you are not yourself. I find tiny glimpses of you, as I did just now. But you’ve hidden yourself away. Why?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say. I feel a flush of heat creep to my cheeks and my stomach coils tightly. A few weeks ago, I might have been flattered that Altair is so keenly watching me, but now, it only makes me irate.

  “What are you doing, Verity? Why are you so intent on pulling away from me?” He continues. His eyes, usually serious while he works or filled with mirth when he teases me, are dark and gloomy.

  “Has it ever occurred to you that I am not pulling away? But that you are forcing this distance?” I snap. If he had simply let me be who I am, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this mess.

  “I haven’t pushed you away, I’m trying to draw you in.” He gestures, clenching his fists and tugging them to his chest.

  I grit my teeth. “You don’t understand.”

  “Help me understand,” he whispers.

  My thoughts flash back to the book hidden in my room. I feel a chill settle over my heart and I calm instantly. I drop my cutlery and push away from the table. I don’t want to be here. I want to study the Bloodbane book. Altair rises as I do and is around the table in a flash. His face hovers inches from mine, his eyes searching my face.

  “What?” I ask blandly.

  “Verity,” he murmurs. “Please, help me.”

&n
bsp; “I can’t,” I say simply. “I can’t help you anymore. I’ve done enough.”

  I pull away from him, hardly noticing that his fingers brush against my arm pleadingly. Navi is in front of the door, staring at me coldly. She blocks my path, and I loose a breath through my nose. “The King hasn’t dismissed you,” she says coolly.

  “He’s not my king.” I cock a brow. “I have no king.”

  “As long as you reside in this realm, he is your king,” Navi says. Her hand strays to her sword.

  “Let her go, Navi,” Altair says from behind me.

  “Altair,” Navi say, her brows furrowed with confusion.

  “Let her go.” Altair’s voice is laced with defeat.

  “Yes, little dog, let me go,” I quip, a smile tugging at my lips.

  Navi’s lips twist into a scowl and she moves aside swiftly. I toss her a cold smile before sweeping through the door. I hear her hiss in response, but the door is closing already. When the door has clicked shut, I walk swiftly towards my room. The book is calling my name, my blood singing in response.

  I close the door to my room and rush to the bookcase. Grunting, I manage to slip the book from its recess. Its warm in my hands, as if its been waiting for me. My heart is beating quickly as I flip it open. I run my fingertips over the soft page, trailing the harshly written words. I have a lot to learn still. But Altair could find me here any minute. And if he chooses, he could send Navi after me. She would gladly cut me down if she found me reading this.

  I wrap myself in a heavy cloak and hide the book in its folds. Quietly, I ease the door open and peek into the hall. It’s empty. I hurry down the halls to the doors leading into the gardens. There’s a candle in my pocket, along with a bundle of matches. The gardens are always empty at night. If I find a quiet corner to read, no one will find me until morning. Smiling softly, I walk purposefully through the hedge maze towards the overgrown trees near the back wall of the palace.

  The trees are thick, their branches long and gnarled. They’re bowed over with the weight of the leaves and fruit they bear, a clear marker that this part of the gardens will give me the solitude I seek. I duck beneath one of the overgrown branches and weave between the tall trunks until I find a bench covered in ivy and moss.

  I sit, and light the candle I brought with me. Its yellow light flickers merrily in the small clearing, lighting up the trunks and foliage the protect me from sight. It’s like a cave of green and living things. I perch the candle on the edge of the bench and open the cover of the Bloodbane book. A soft wind blows through my sanctuary, rustling the pages.

  “Hello, Verity,” Dain says.

  I gasp, glancing up sharply for the source of his voice. I see him then, melting out of the shadows. He smiles, his eyes glimmering in the candlelight. “Dain,” I sigh. “You scared me.”

  His smile broadens. “I’m sorry.”

  “What are you doing out here?” I ask suspiciously.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he says, draping himself over the bench beside me. “I wanted to see you.”

  “You followed me,” I say flatly.

  Dain drops his gaze, ashamed. “I’m sorry. I saw you leave the castle. Two days without seeing you feels like eternity.”

  My heart pounds loudly at his words. “For a Fae, that sounds like torture.”

  “It is,” he murmurs. “Forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive.” I shrug and turn back to the book. “Have you ever read this?” I ask, stroking the pages.

  “Many times,” he says. He loops an arm over the back of the bench, almost around my shoulders. “Shall we read it together?”

  I nod breathlessly and shift the book closer to him. But Dain stops me, instead closing the distance between us. My hip and thigh are pressed against his, his arm holding me close. I can hardly breathe as he drops his head to my shoulder and nuzzles me. My body feels as if its on fire, electrified by a hundred volts. It’s been too long since I felt this sort of attraction, the kind that instantly sets my blood pumping and my body aching. I sag into him unconsciously, sighing.

  Silently, our eyes rove the pages, drinking in the words as one. As the hours pass, I catch myself leaning over the books as if I’m going to dive into it. Dain always draws me back with a soft stroke of his hands on my back. He’s so gentle, so thoughtful. I lean into him, letting my eyes drift away from the text.

  His hand strokes my arm and I turn towards him, feeling light-headed. “How do you find the book?” Dain asks, his voice soft and melodic. “Is it answering your questions?”

  On the contrary, it’s giving me more. I keep reading different spells and rituals, different beliefs of the Bloodbane. But I don’t know how any of it relates to me. I don’t know how to find myself in it, except that it feels right. I shake my head. “The more I read it, the more different I feel; as if I’m not myself anymore,” I confess. “The more I learn, the more distant I grow from Altair.”

  “Why does that matter?” He asks in dulcet tones. His hand cups my cheek.

  Why does it matter? My mind is foggy, filled with sparks and urges and desires that all lead to Dain. “I don’t know,” I breathe, my eyes locked on his.

  Dain smiles softly, gently. And then his full lips are on mine. The kiss isn’t gentle, the way I imagined it would be. Dain kisses me hard, his lips commanding me to surrender to him. He bites me roughly, pain lancing through me. But the pain sends a thrill of excitement through me. I rake my fingers through his dark hair, tangling them in it in a desperate attempt to get closer to him. I want to give myself to him, every cell in my body craves it. But there’s a tickling reminder in the back of my mind that I belong to another man.

  So, I crawl into his lap, straddling his hips, but I don’t let him tear my silk dress away like I want him to. Dain’s hands grip my hips, moving me against him. I feel him stiffen, feel his body shudder when I roll my heat over him. Dain growls, a predatory, otherworldly sound that sends fear coursing through my veins with the pleasure. He trails his lips down my neck, sucking and licking and biting at me like a man possessed.

  I gasp, pleasure flooding through me as he laps at a bite mark he left on me. My hands clench around his shoulders, back arching. His lips move down the neckline of the dress and he nips at my collarbone. I open my eyes, lips parted as a silent keen escapes me. I wonder briefly if Dain will leave bitemarks over my entire body. He looks up at me and for an instant I coil away from him in fear. His eyes look completely black in the dim light; his lips twisted into a gruesome smile.

  I blink, and the frightening image falls away; it’s just Dain. But then his hands are roving my back, his hips moving against me. I gasp sharply as his nails prick my skin, but my eyes slip closed when his lips find mine again. No one has kissed me like this, with such ferocious need, in my entire life. I feel powerful, I feel strong. Even with Dain’s hands guiding me roughly, and his lips making demands, I feel power coursing through me.

  He pulls away just as I’m contemplating slipping out of this silk dress Altair bought me. Dain’s hands hold me still, and I pant, eyes wide as I stare into his gaze. He smirks, not a hair out of place despite my hands raking through it. Gently, He lifts me from his lap and sets me onto the bench beside him. He picks up the book, which fell into the grass when I lost myself. Reverently, Dain dusts it off and presses it into my hands.

  “Take good care of it, Verity,” he purrs.

  He rises, looming over me. My eyes dart over him, taking in his strong, lithe figure. I bite my lip, resisting the urge to beg him to stay a while longer. Stay forever. He smiles as if he can sense my thoughts. His hands cup my cheek in a silent farewell.

  “Wait,” I blurt, jumping to my feet. He stops, looking at me expectantly. “When can I see you again?”

  His smile broadens, his eyes black. “Soon, my love.”

  “My love?” I echo as he melts away into the trees.

  I sink back onto the bench, clutching the book to my chest. It thrum
s with power, but I don’t feel the overwhelming curiosity to read it now. I want Dain. I want him back with me in the dark, handling my body like he owned me. I shudder, biting my lip as I revel in my memories of the kiss.

  Slowly, I come back to myself. The candle has burned halfway, the wax melting over the metal frame of the bench. I turn to the last page I read and study the words. Dain is in the back of my mind, my body still pulsing with desire and pleasure. I need to see him again. I need to ask him more about the book. There’s something different about him, something more. He radiates quiet power, stronger than Altair. He’s addictive, I admit with a shudder.

  The book draws me back as my eyes settle over the jagged lettering. My thoughts stray from Dain and my body cools as I read. I feel a shiver along my spine, as if someone is watching me. But I can’t seem to care enough to glance up. I can’t seem to care about much anymore.

  Chapter 13

  Altair

  Navi turns to me, her eyes cold and fierce. “What is going on, Altair? Did you see the way her eyes changed?” Navi purses her lips and tightens her grip on the hilt of her sword, pacing.

  “I saw,” I murmur. I lean against the heavy oak table with the remnants of my dinner with Verity.

  “Something isn’t right with her,” Navi continues. She eyes me. “I take it there’s been no progress with wedding preparations?”

  “Not yet,” I say, tapping a finger against my folded arm. I stare into the flames in the fireplace, wishing they held answers. “But she will.”

  “Are you sure?” Navi moves closer. Her concern is clear in her emerald green eyes. “I’ve served you for many years, Altair. I was by your side throughout the curse. If she doesn’t fulfill her covenant to you, I’m afraid it will all be for nothing.”

  I purse my lips. “We don’t know what happens if it isn’t fulfilled. It could be nothing.”

  “And if it isn’t?” Navi asks. “We can’t afford to find out.”

  “I know,” I sigh. “The more I pressure her, the more she pulls away.”