Between Dawn and Dusk Page 8

  “Because you weren’t strong enough!” he yells. “You did nothing.”

  The gash over his eyebrow is bleeding so profusely, he’s having trouble seeing. When he wipes at his face, I swing my sword and manage to slice his forearm.

  “Stop, now,” Tehya pleads, her voice wavering. “Silas, please.”

  “It’s fine, darling,” he responds. “We’ll talk later.”

  I get the feeling she didn’t know about what Silas did. They met several years after the plague, and he might’ve hidden that part of his past from her.

  He switches his weapon to his left hand, and I do the same.

  The bloodlust between us grows thicker.

  On and on we go, circling the fountain.

  As our blades connect time and time again, we edge closer to the hedges surrounding the center of the maze. We’re in sync with each other, predicting the other’s move before it happens.

  When I get close enough, I kick out his knee. With a shout, he rolls to the ground but quickly recovers.

  I’m thrown off when he looks past my shoulder and his eyes widen. Afraid for Zella, I make the mistake of following his line of sight. I turn my head, only for a second, but it’s long enough to fall into his trap.

  His blade slashes over my shoulder.

  I come back at him with my fist. He isn’t expecting the blow, and I punch his other eye, hoping to cause a cut there, too.

  Temporarily disoriented from the force of it, he shakes his head.

  Swinging my sword as hard as I can, I hook it under the hilt of his, knocking it from his grip.

  As soon as he’s weaponless, I tackle him. I pin his arms under my knees, and I press my blade to his neck. “Yield.”

  He spits in my face. Thrashing with all his might, he won’t give in. His movement causes me to nick an artery, and blood pools onto the ground.

  I can hear Tehya quietly sobbing somewhere behind us, but I can’t let sympathy stop me.

  “Strike it all, Silas. Give up,” I demand. The profanity makes our hair stand on end, and an electric shock flows from my hand to his shoulder.

  He just grins. He goes still, and for a second I think I’ve won.

  My biggest mistake is letting his arm slip out from under me.

  Before I can see what he has in his hand, he stabs me in the chest.

  Zella screams.

  The agonizing burn of iron is unmistakable, and I look down to see a deadly spike lodged in my sternum, narrowly missing my heart by an inch. I can feel the organ spasm, attempting to shrink away from the toxic metal.

  “We said no powers.” I fall back, weakened from the blinding pain.

  “I didn’t use my powers.” Smirking, Silas holds a hand to his gushing neck wound. “That was hidden in my boot.”

  Sneaky bastard.

  “You missed.” Grunting, I pull the spike from my body.

  It still feels like I’m being burned from the inside out, but at least I have it in my possession. I can use it if I need to. Even though that’s not what I want.

  In all the times we’ve fought, Silas and I have never gravely injured each other. I’m extremely disheartened to realize he meant to end me tonight.

  That changes things between us. So does his confession about the plague. Our relationship will never be the same again.

  I’m about to get up and resume the fight when I smell smoke. Alarmed, I glance at Zella. Her hands are at her sides, and flames lick up her fingers. Her breathing is labored, and I can tell she’s trying to hold it in.

  The agreement not to use my powers didn’t apply to her. I should’ve thought about what would happen if she became too emotional.

  When I look at Silas, I see genuine fear on his face. Tehya is close to Zella. Too close.

  If my mate loses control, who knows what could happen.

  “My sweet.” I stand and hold out a hand in a placating gesture. “I’m all right.”

  She doesn’t seem to hear me. Her eyes stare blankly ahead, the violet irises completely taken over by the black of her pupils. The stones under her feet begin to glow with heat.

  “Tehya.” Silas gulps, his palm still pressed to his throat. “Come to me. Slowly.”

  “Both of you leave,” I order, not even looking their way.

  They don’t hesitate to obey my command, and their footsteps fade away as they sprint through the maze back to the palace.

  Zella’s entire body is trembling with the effort to hold her powers in.

  I know what it’s like to be young and lose control. The urge to unleash will keep building until it reaches a boiling point—no pun intended.

  “Let go,” I tell her.

  “Can’t,” she squeaks out. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. I know you won’t. I have confidence in you. I love you, Zella.”

  The hem of her dress begins to burn against the hot embers at her feet. It’s disturbing to see my mate on fire, but I know the flames won’t hurt her. Zella’s ability to manipulate heat is rare and special—not all faeries are immune to their own destruction, but she is.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers, a tear streaking down her cheek.

  Releasing a breath, she allows the fire to leave her body. It bursts out with a downward explosion.

  On instinct, I throw my arms up to protect myself, but somehow, she makes sure the blast avoids my body as if I’m covered by an invisible forcefield.

  The rest of the garden isn’t so lucky.

  Before I know it, flames blaze all around us. It spreads through the hedges, and the ivy burns like dry kindling.

  We need to get out.

  Apparently, Zella’s thinking the same because her wings unfold as she runs to me. Holding hands, we take flight, leaving the fiery maze. I look down, and it’s surreal to see the design alight with orange and yellow.

  It’s so bright, in fact, that Delaveria is lit up as if it’s the Day Realm.

  “Only you could bring day to night,” I attempt to joke as I glance at Zella.

  She lets out a half-sob, half-laugh. “Your gardens. I’m so, so sorry.”

  “They’ll grow back.”

  “When Silas stabbed you with the spike, I thought—I thought—”

  “I know. But he didn’t get my heart.”

  “Something has to be done about you two.” She shakes her head. “I won’t have a dysfunctional kingdom.”

  I’m about to tell her I agree when she flinches at the sight below. All our guests are outside the palace. They’re crammed onto the balcony, drawn to the light and commotion. Some are shocked, covering their mouths in horror. Some are afraid, screaming and holding onto their loved ones.

  And now they’ll be even more uncertain of my new bride.

  We land on the stones below them next to Silas and Tehya.

  “The party is over,” I announce loudly, though it’s hard to hear my own voice over the roar of the fire behind us. “Thank you for coming tonight, but now Queen Zella and I have matters to discuss.”

  The guards help with herding everyone back inside, urging them to leave. It takes several minutes for the great hall to clear out.

  Meanwhile, I call on the clouds to bring in a storm. Thunder rolls, and rain comes down on the maze, putting out the fire.

  Once our guests are gone and the garden is nothing but smoldering ash, Silas turns to me. His eyes cut toward Zella. “She’s dangerous.”

  I could be insulted, but I’m not. He didn’t say it with fear or disgust—it was more a statement of respect.

  “She is,” I confirm with pride.

  Although my chest still throbs from the close call we just had, being near Zella is helping to dull the pain. Silas has already wrapped his neck in white bandages, but red bleeds through.

  I sigh, because we’ve come to an impasse. “Silas, we can’t go on like this.”

  Nodding, he says, “You could let me be king. It’s my turn.”

  “It’s not about taking turns,” I b
ark, frustrated. “Besides, after what I learned tonight… I don’t trust you anymore.”

  “You’re just mad because I’m capable of making tough decisions.”

  “You’re ruthless,” I shoot back. “You know what you did was wrong, or else you would’ve told Tehya. Isn’t that right?”

  A flash of regret passes over his face, and for a second, I see the brother I used to love. “I didn’t mean for the plague to spread the way it did. I thought it would only affect the royals, not the entire Day Realm.” He glances at Zella. “I am sorry I caused you pain, but your family started it.”

  “You both need to stop!” Zella yells. The words are projected so loudly, a nearby window shatters.

  Her outburst has me surprised. I’ve seen her angry, confused, and sad before. But I’ve never heard her sound so commanding. It’s sexy.

  Flustered, she huffs. “Let’s forget about the past for a second—I’ll get to that in a minute. I didn’t come all this way to watch my mate die. I don’t want to see more families slaughter each other.” She jabs a finger at Silas. “You might not care about me, but think about your wife. Tehya and I had to stand there and watch you two try to kill each other. It’s completely senseless.”

  “I don’t know how you do things in your realm, but challenges between siblings are common,” Silas argues with a patronizing tone. “Encouraged, even. Nothing like some healthy competition to keep things entertaining.”

  “This was more than an innocent challenge. An iron spike, Silas?” Zella narrows her eyes. “Really?”

  “She’s right,” Tehya says sadly, looking at her husband with disappointment. “You and I have much to discuss, dear.”

  At least my brother has the decency to look ashamed.

  “Now who has issues to work through?” I mutter, earning a sharp glance from him.

  Ever the voice of reason, Zella waves her hands as if she can make our pettiness disappear. “Silas, I’m sure you’re just as capable as Keryth, but prosperity is more important. If you can’t get along, divide the territory. Then you’ll both be kings.”

  “What do you mean?” Silas asks hesitantly.

  “Quite frankly, now that I know you better, I don’t want you here. I understand why you did what you did, but it was too far.” Her eyes go to me. “Keryth, let Silas and Tehya have the Dream Realm. This is my first proposal as queen.”

  Well, it’s a decent solution. Silas has always enjoyed the northern part of the Night Realm much more than I do. I don’t go there often because it’s so far away. Plus, it’s Tehya’s original home.

  I look to my brother. “Are you amenable to this suggestion?”

  He shares a glance with Tehya before giving me a nod. “I am.”

  This is a big change for our kingdom. It will mean establishing new boundaries and working out trade deals. I briefly wonder what my parents would’ve thought about such a divide. Then I realize it doesn’t matter. Above all else, they would want both of their sons alive and well.

  Plus, I can’t say no to Zella. I won’t make her live with the man who destroyed her home with his careless actions.

  “Then it will be so,” I say, experiencing a mixture of sadness and relief.

  Silas offers me his hand, and I shake it, knowing this might be the last time I see him for a long time.

  Without hesitation, he tugs Tehya away, talking about all the planning they have to do. He mentions packing and being gone by morning.

  “Well, so much for having a sister,” Zella says, fussing with the remains of her charred dress. The skirt is all but gone, and I can see her ass cheeks hanging out. If I had my jacket, I’d cover her with it.

  I look out at the destroyed gardens and the window that will have to be replaced.

  What a colossal shitshow.

  “I wish tonight had gone differently,” I tell her honestly. “But you know what? I’m still happy.”

  “You are?” Her mouth presses into a skeptical thin line.

  I nod. “I know what it’s like to live without you, and it’s no life at all. Together, we can withstand anything. Whatever the future holds, we’ll be side by side. There’s nothing else I could ask for.”

  Taking advantage of the moment alone, I step close and lower my head for a kiss.

  A throat clears to my left. “Not true. There might be one more thing you could ask for.”

  We both turn to see the locksmith wizard.

  “Dermot.” I walk over to the old fae man. “You missed the excitement.”

  Seeming unsurprised, he shrugs. “I didn’t want to intervene. It’s all playing out like it’s supposed to.”

  “What’s playing out?” Zella asks, coming to my side to slip her hand into mine.

  “Destiny.” Dermot smiles, and his papery skin wrinkles around his laugh lines and crow’s feet.

  No one knows how old he is. Considering fae don’t start going gray until about twenty-thousand years of age, I’d say he’s well past that. His long hair is white, matching his bushy eyebrows.

  No one has a clue about where he lives either. Well, the sprites must know his location. After all, they’re the ones who can find him whenever we send a message.

  He’s not dressed for a formal party. In fact, he looks like he might’ve just rolled out of bed. His brown tunic and pants look like they were made from burlap sacks, and the shoes on his feet are more like house slippers.

  It doesn’t matter what he’s wearing. He’s here for one purpose.

  “The locks,” I say, getting down to business. “Zella needs the same access I have.”

  “Yes, of course.” He reaches out. “Queen Zella. May I see your hand, please?”

  “Will it hurt?” She shoots me a worried look, but Dermot just chuckles.

  “Of course not. It might tickle a little.” When her fingers touch his, light glows between them for a few seconds, then he drops his arm to his side. “All done.”

  “That’s it?” Zella stares at her hand. “You’re amazing.”

  Instead of saying ‘thank you’ the wizard intones, “I know.”

  My lips twitch with a smile. “We appreciate you coming by. Ask Hyla for your payment and she’ll reward you.”

  “Very good.” Dermot steps back. “I won’t see you for a while, but I’ll return when the babe is ten. I’ll have a present for him.”

  Zella lets out a choked sound.

  “Are you talking about a baby?” she asks at the same time I rasp, “Him?”

  “Oh, that’s right. You didn’t know yet.” Scratching his temple, Dermot hikes a shoulder. “The other thing you could ask for—I wasn’t talking about the locks.”

  “I’m pregnant?” Looking down, Zella flattens her hands on her lower belly. “Already? Are you sure?”

  “A seed has taken hold,” the wizard confirms. “It will be a boy.”

  Suddenly, this disaster of a night doesn’t seem so bad. Aside from the moment of realizing Zella’s my mate, this is the best news of my life.

  Laughing, I pick Zella up and swing her around. “A son. I’m going to be a father.”

  A smile breaks out on her face, and she brings her lips to mine. Her legs go around my waist and I walk forward until her back presses against the hard stone. We kiss frantically, as if it’s the first time our lips have ever touched.

  I’m so wrapped up in her, I forget we have an audience. I pull my mouth away from hers long enough to apologize to Dermot, but when I look over to where he was before, he’s gone.

  Good.

  “You know, I’m sort of glad the party ended early.” Holding onto Zella, I flap my wings and take us into the air, heading toward our room.

  “Is that so?” she asks, quirking an eyebrow.

  “Yes. Our honeymoon wasn’t long enough. I think we need another week, at least.”

  When we make it to our balcony doors, I let her do the honors of opening it. She sighs with delight when a simple touch makes the lock slide back. Hauling her into my arms, I wa
lk forward and gently place her on the bed.

  “What now?” She tugs on the neck of my shirt to check my chest wound, but it’s already closing up.

  “Well, I was planning to put a child in your belly, but it seems I’ve already done that.”

  “Yes, you did.” Zella grins. “That will make the people happy, right?”

  “Stop thinking about the people.” Crawling over her, I nip at her neck. “Their approval will come with time. But, yes, a baby prince will be the most excitement they’ve had since… well, since tonight.” I end my jest with a playful poke to her ribs, and Zella finally joins me in my amusement over the debacle.

  Giggling, she adds, “At least I’ll be remembered. I think I like the idea of being in the history books.”

  That’s the spirit.

  I kiss her, nudging her nose with mine as I lick her top lip. “I love you, my sweet.”

  “And I love you, my king of Night.”

  Since her dress is mostly disintegrated, I decide to make the most of it. I let my palm slide up the inside of her smooth thigh and nuzzle her neck. Her hair smells a little smokey, but I don’t care.

  Here we are, damp from the rain, covered in black soot and blood. We could be doused in slime for all I care.

  Every moment with my mate is a moment worth having.

  Zella

  “Mother.” Kirian’s voice reverberates down the hallway. “I’m waiting.”

  I smile. Even at almost eleven years old, my son can’t go to sleep without a goodnight kiss from me. I love that.

  “I can rock Gia.” Keryth gets up from the bed to take our infant daughter from my arms.

  I kiss him as I pass her over. My feet shuffle over the floors as I hurry to the room next to ours.

  Kirian’s in his four-poster bed, the dark blue covers tucked around his waist. When he sees me, he gives me a lopsided grin and holds up his ivory comb. “Help me get some tangles out?”

  Like most Night Realm fae males nearing puberty, he’s decided to start growing his hair. By the time he’s an adult, his locks should be long and lustrous.