Savage Beauty

by Casey L. Bond

  “We would have to keep it quiet. The fae aren’t supposed to get involved with the squabbles of other fae.”

  “Well, we aren’t technically fae.”

  He grinned. “You might as well be. You have all the powers of a full-blooded fae king split between you.”

  “All the powers?”

  “Mhmm.”

  “How do you know that?”

  He quirked an eyebrow.

  “Oh. Of course you would know that... But a king? Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive,” he asserted. “The sun’s almost up. You need to rest and mentally prepare.”

  I was as prepared as I was going to get, but didn’t argue with him. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  “When the solar eclipse begins, you’ll have to break through the two protective barriers surrounding the palace, and then I’ll enter and help by watching over Phillip.”

  “Malex?” I called out. He stopped just inside my front door and turned and looked at me, his dark hair spilling down his back. “Thank you.”

  He gave a half-smile and tapped the door frame twice. “Don’t thank me yet.”

  The battle hadn’t even begun, but he was right. I had to be ready. I needed to rest. I just hoped my sister wouldn’t claw at my wall all night.

  I watched him walk into the early morning light and with leaden legs, made it to my bedroom and collapsed in exhaustion. Ember curled up next to me and both of us quickly fell asleep.

  PHILLIP

  It was morning, which meant Luna was sleeping. Tomorrow there would be a solar eclipse, according to Aura. It was the one time when Luna could come out during the day, which is when she would strike out at her sister.

  “Malex has done nothing but stay in his cave all week. It’s so frustrating. Why wouldn’t a fae prince be in his palace? Why stay in a place so dark and damp and isolated?” Aura fumed. Pieces had watched him go into the cave, but he hadn’t emerged during the daylight hours. I wondered if it was because he was with Luna at night.

  “Are we sure he’s still a prince? What if his father stripped him of the title?”

  She pursed her lips as if thinking about it.

  “That’s possible. If he wanted her or me dead for some reason, he could simply use the potion and kill Luna, which would leave only me to contend with. Much better odds. However, he hasn’t tried to hurt her. I would have felt it.”

  The thought made my already roiling stomach lurch. “There has to be something we’re missing. He obviously wants you two separated, but why? You were sired by a dark fae. Could he be your brother or something? Perhaps he’s getting rid of his competition for the throne.”

  Her eyes flashed at me, so much hatred in such crystalline blue depths. “We don’t want his throne. We have our own.”

  “No, Aura. You have your own. Luna doesn’t.”

  “So he’s pretending to help her just so he can kill her?”

  “I think if he kills one of you, he’ll kill the other one, too.”

  “Why?”

  I looked out over her garden. “Because you’re both a threat as long as you’re alive. I’m not sure who he is or why he wants you dead, but I think he does.”

  “He could just want you dead and out of the way. Have you ever thought of that?” Aura argued. “You’ve concocted this wild conspiracy theory based on me and Luna, but maybe it’s as simple as the fact that you came between him and Luna, and he wanted you out of the picture.”

  “Maybe he wants Virosa, and wants you two princesses out of the picture. But if you really think he likes Luna...”

  “From what I’ve seen through you and Peace, I don’t think he does. Not truly. He’s marked her and pretends to be her friend, and when he’s with her he gives her an inkling that he might possibly be interested, but it’s fake. His emotions are cold. He doesn’t love her.” She looked at me and I knew that she saw the way I felt for her sister.

  “How did it happen so quickly?” she asked, leaning in to stare at me like I was a piece in a puzzle she could not solve.

  “With William it happened relatively fast, but there was pushing on his part, and no boy had dared to even glance at Luna before. With you, it was natural, like the two of you fit together from the beginning.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, but you’re right. It did happen fast, and we do fit together. Not that you helped in any way. She thinks your thrall is the only reason I have feelings for her.”

  “My sister’s a pessimist. Always has been. Sure, I gave you a nudge here and there, but most of it was you, Prince.”

  “No wonder she’s pessimistic,” I said pointedly, coughs racking my body.

  “On the off chance that you’re right, and that saving you will calm her anger, I’m going to heal you now. But if you try anything to hurt me or my familiar, you will meet a worse death than your brother did. I’m choosing to trust you not to make a stupid mistake and force my hand against you.”

  I took a deep breath, still holding my chest. “I’d appreciate… being able... to breathe.”

  She walked to me and grabbed my arm, whispering a spell over me.

  “Poison in your veins no more

  From his skin you will pour

  To former health return this man

  All the toxin from him ban.”

  Suddenly, it felt like slippery eels were writhing beneath my flesh, under her fingers. I pushed my sleeve up to see white, milky liquid pooling from my pores. With each drop of the toxin that dropped to the floor, my strength returned and I could feel the power in my muscles, bones, heart, and lungs.

  I looked at her in awe.

  She grinned. “You’re welcome.” Letting go of my arm, she pinched her lips together and then said, “Make sure Luna knows I did it.”

  “I’ll tell her.” But I wondered if it would make a difference at this point. Luna was coming to use her spell and potion to separate them, and Aura was going to fight tooth and nail to keep her from tearing their bond apart. Only one would emerge victorious. I just prayed it was Luna.

  Aura nodded and walked back inside, her enormous gown flowing behind her. She looked ridiculous and gaudy. “You plan on facing Luna in that?”

  She stopped and turned around. “Of course not,” she sniffed indignantly. “I have a much grander gown than this for the special occasion.”

  chapter twenty-four

  LUNA

  The full moon was my favorite phase. We were made of more blood than flesh, and since blood was mostly liquid, the moon pulled and tugged at us just as it did the oceans, as if we were puppets and it our puppeteer. That was even more the case for me, her daughter.

  I dressed in fighting leathers, the bottom hems of my tight breeches tucked into my tall boots. Straightening, I stretched and bent, making sure the outfit was flexible enough and allowed for every movement I anticipated, and even those I didn’t. My doublet fit like a second skin with long sleeves layered with thick patches made to look like dragon’s scales. I kept the small potion vial inside my clothes, near my heart. If she tried to cut it out, her blade would strike the glass, release the spell, and save me the trouble.

  It has to be one of us who severs this tie.

  I just hoped I wasn’t too late. Was Phillip still holding on?

  My plan was to find him first. Malex could stay with him and keep her from using him in the fight that was about to ensue. Malex promised to shield Phillip for me, and then he once again reminded me of the favor I owed him. If he protected Phillip, I would owe him two.

  I threaded sheaths onto my belt and inserted the daggers for which they were made. I couldn’t use fire or air once I threw the potion. I could only use my hands or a knife, if I was lucky enough to pull one before she did.

  “You look like a warrior,” Malex said, stepping into the bedroom, startling me. I hadn’t heard his footsteps on the porch or the creaking of the hinges. He looked as he always did. He wore a rich suit that consisted of matching breeches and a coat. Star
k white, embroidered with gold. Terrible and royal.

  “You look like you’re about to be crowned,” I teased.

  He tugged at his lapels. “I suppose I do.” We both laughed at that.

  “You have the potion?” he asked, his eyes searching me for it.

  I decided not to show him where it was. For some reason, I knew I needed to keep it hidden. “I do.”

  Ember appeared behind him, squalling and arching her back. He stared at my familiar, unaffected. “Why don’t you like me, kitty?”

  “She hates everyone. She and I are very much alike.”

  “Ah, but you don’t hate everyone. You like Phillip.” He glanced at Ember. “And so does your familiar.”

  “I hope we aren’t too late.”

  He gave me a long stare. “You don’t love him,” he said.

  “I’m not in love with him yet, no. But I do care about him.”

  “You fear love. That’s interesting. Most women are in love with the very thought of it.”

  “I’m not like most women,” I teased, tucking a blade into my boot.

  He inclined his head, agreeing. “We can stay hidden in the woods until the eclipse begins.”

  I grabbed my broom and turned to Ember. “Stay here. You’ll be safe.”

  We walked down the steps side by side, the fae Prince and half-fae Princess, and I wondered again why he saw fit to help me and what favor he would ask. I looked up at the full moon, noting the colors and scars she wore proudly, and hoped she would be with me tonight. I would gladly accept any scars she gave me if she would see me through this.

  Malex patted his jacket pockets and then jogged back up the steps. “I dropped something,” he muttered apologetically.

  As I waited for him, my mind whirled with the heaviness of what I was about to do. I hoped I could do this. I wanted to save Phillip, which meant I needed to end the bond with my sister so I could destroy her. I wanted to save him from her toxin, the way I couldn’t save his brother. Even knowing William didn’t really love me didn’t take away my guilt. At the end of the day, William was human and he shouldn’t have tried to play games with the fae, but he didn’t deserve to die for it. And I should have been able to see through it all and protect him, regardless.

  Ember squalled from inside, probably hating that she was in the cottage by herself with Malex.

  Refocusing and trying to center myself, I raised my face to the moonlight.

  I was more powerful than Aura.

  It just took Phillip to show me that.

  MALEX

  I didn’t forget anything; I just needed to tie up a loose end. A witch was stronger with her familiar, and I had no doubt Ember would follow us to Virosa to help her master, despite Luna’s order for her to stay in the cottage.

  Grabbing the cat by the scruff at the back of her neck, she clawed at me, but my coat’s sleeves were made of thick fabric. I forced the vial between her teeth and let the bitter liquid sting her tongue. She’d be dead in less than an hour, given her weight. She clawed at me again and I flung her across the room.

  Ember landed on her feet, but her claws stuck into the floor boards. I saw the exact moment she decided to attack me, but then her eyes became heavy, and she tottered to the side and fell to the floor. Giving a dismissive sniff, I straightened my lapels and headed to the door.

  Outside, Luna waited.

  So trusting.

  “Are you ready?” she asked expectantly.

  “It isn’t me you should be worried about. The question is, are you ready, Luna?”

  Her eyes snapped to mine. “Yes.”

  LUNA

  Malex sat behind me on the broom. His hands were larger than Phillip’s, his fingers longer. His grip encompassed my waist entirely, but his touch wasn’t that of a frightened man. Malex’s every move spoke of his sense of ownership for those who owed him debts.

  I was no more or less than one of his subjects. I wondered if the only reason he was coming along was to collect his debt in case I died before it could be repaid.

  We flew to the woods just beyond the palace yard in silence, and sat quietly as the sky lightened and the sun came closer to rising. When it did, I fell asleep next to him, but Malex woke me when the eclipse started, nudging my shoulder and calling my name.

  Through the fog of sleep, I came to. It was bright. The sun was still strong and I was weak, too weak to fight. I felt too weak to stand.

  “The eclipse has begun,” Malex said ominously.

  Nothing looked different, but how else could I be awake during daylight hours? “How long will it last?” I asked.

  Slowly, I felt her. The moon, lending me strength.

  “Six hours, at the most. You’ll be strongest during totality, when the moon completely blocks out the sun. The earth will become dark as night, and in those few moments, you will thrive.”

  I nodded in understanding. “In order to sever the bond, I need to release the potion before the moment of totality.”

  He nodded. “And kill her during it.”

  I blew out a tense breath. I’d been working toward this for what felt like an eternity. What if I failed? I didn’t want to consider what it would mean for Phillip if Aura killed me instead.

  “I’ll know if you’re in distress,” he said, brushing his thumb over the mark on my neck.

  A shiver crawled up my spine. Stepping away from his touch, I shook my hands out. I’d been waiting for this since the moment she tore William apart. “In case something happens, will you take care of Ember?” I asked quietly.

  “Consider it done,” he said solemnly.

  “And no matter what, protect Phillip. Even if you sense my distress, protect him.”

  “Of course. That’s what I’m here for. Well, that and moral support,” he added, clapping my shoulder.

  The memory of William’s death surfaced, taunting me, telling me that Phillip might suffer the same fate. But if he was still alive, and I felt that he was, I’d be damned if I let him face the same fate as his brother.

  If something happens to him...

  I squeezed my eyes closed.

  “How will you break through the barrier?” Malex asked.

  It might have been daylight, but every moment I was awake, I could feel the powerful moon in the sky. She was lending me her energy so I drew on that, closed my eyes, and concentrated. I smiled and held my palm out, calling on the power of air. A tiny twister formed in my hand, growing stronger and hungrier by the second.

  I crouched and placed it on the ground, where it grew taller and more violent. Taking in a breath, I blew it toward the wall, toward the rose garden and palace, watching as it tore through the stones, the earth, and the bushes. Petals were sucked from their stems and the twisting funnel turned red. It roared to the palace door before I willed it to dissipate.

  The twister did its job. It tore a savage path, scalping grass, dirt, and everything in its way, all the way to Aura’s doorstep. It took away the bone dust from the land it ruined. Now, Aura was free; free to use her powers of water and earth against me. The only reason the dust worked in the first place was because it blocked my sister’s power over the earth wherever it was sprinkled. I gritted my teeth and walked toward my home. In letting Malex in, I’d left the door of her cage wide open.

  “Luna,” my sister growled from her balcony. She stared at me as she gripped the railing so tight, I saw her white, strained knuckles even where I stood at the edge of the woods.

  Malex stared at the path of destruction that led straight to her, his eyes glittering in the surreal lighting. He gave me a confident nod as if to say, You can do this. And I could. I took a deep breath, leaving him behind and walking determinedly toward my sister.

  She called a storm that built in a fraction of a minute, and before I could cross the wall, torrents of icy, fat droplets rained down on me. I called my wind and turned it all to snow, just like in our dream. Flakes fell to the ground, melting as soon as they touched the still-warm earth.
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  “We need to talk!” she shouted. She sent the storm clouds away, revealing the partially eclipsed sun once more.

  I was done talking with her. She only understood one language: violence. Funny enough, it was the only conversation I was interested in having with her today.

  She gathered the earth and formed it into a great, protective wall, taller than the palace itself. I punched through it easily with wind, but when I stepped through, the earth beneath my feet turned to mud. Trudging through it slowed me down enough for her to call on her water power again, and I had to fight to keep my head afloat as a flash flood swept over my head. Silt and sand filled my mouth and nose. I coughed and fought to swim, clawing at the surface.

  Don’t panic!

  I called my wind and parted her water, the muddy walls soaking the palace’s exterior. In a flash, she drained it. Would she try something new, or was she just tired of stalling the inevitable?

  The face of the moon was slowly becoming soaked with blood. Inch by inch, a tiny sliver at a time. Running toward her, I caught movement from my periphery to the right, a flash of black and gold. Malex slipped inside the palace’s front doors, quiet as a mouse.

  I called the wind to carry me up to my sister. As I landed on the balcony, she looked me over.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” she spat. “No wonder you almost drowned. You’re so dramatic, Luna.”

  “And the dress you’re wearing isn’t?” I retorted.

  She looked like a peacock in teal, complete with feathers from the fowl. “I know how much you love animals,” she teased.

  “Nocturnal ones. Is Pieces offended you didn’t have a dress made from her feathers?”

  Aura’s smile faded away when I pulled a dagger from its sheath. “We need to talk,” she rushed out.

  With my free hand, I took the potion out of my tunic.