by CY Jones
Pushing forward, I tell him the truth. “Accidently, I’ve been able to dreamscape the last couple of nights.” I hear Chaos curse, but I continue on. “The first time I did it, I had no clue what was happening. I thought it was just some weird dream, but last night was different. I went to the same place, but the coffin I saw from before was empty. Then all of the sudden the prince surprised me from behind, and told me who he was, and how he got there. He was surprised to see me as well and was trying to figure out for sure if I was Fae since I was able to dreamscape and find him in the first place.”
“So, you didn’t confirm that you’re half winter Fae, did you?” He questions, still pissed.
“No, I thought it was best to deflect since I didn’t know the guy,” I answer.
“That is the smartest thing you’ve said since you started this little chat,” Chaos grumbles.
“Anyways,” I sing, ignoring his comment. “Since we both have the same common enemy, I decided to offer my services to help free him.”
“Hold up,” he says, raising his hand, interrupting me. “Let me get this straight. You’re the one who struck this crazy deal with Prince Argos, not him.”
“Yes,” I answer uneasy now.
“Are-you-insane,” he yells, spacing out each word.
“No,” I say hesitantly.
“Babe, there's a reason why Argos is still locked up there. Do you have any clue what you have done?” He says, shouting now.
“No,” I shout back annoyed.
Now I’m starting to get angry. How dare he chastise me like some child when he’s the one that’s been withholding information from me. Speaking of which. “If you haven’t been keeping things from me to begin with maybe I would have been more informed before I made the deal,” I shout at him.
“What are you talking about?” He asks, uneasy now.
“I’m talking about you,” I say, jabbing my finger into his perfect naked chest. I can tell he’s confused, so I decided to elaborate. “When were you going to tell me about how you found someone who could dreamscape, and located a Prince who Hera had locked away in the basement, like some psycho, you asshole, or better yet, you could have said ‘watch your back Winter, because that crazy bitch Hera is mental and likes to punish her enemies by locking them in a deep dark basement, just ask her last boyfriend’?” I spit out sarcastically.
“How do you even know about that?”
“Prince Argos told me. He said he sensed you there, even though you were unable to wake him,” I tell him, releasing some of my anger.
“Shit,” he curses. “Still Winter, what you did is dangerous. You made a deal with a full-blooded Fae. Do you have any idea what that means?”
“No, Chaos, why don’t you tell me?” I deadpanned.
“Don’t get smart, beautiful. This is serious. You have no choice now but to fulfill that promise and free Argos, or the magic from the debt will slowly drive you insane,” he explains.
“So, what’s so bad about that?” I shrug. “I’m planning to fulfill my side of the bargain. I have no worries about that.”
“You say that like it's going to be easy. There's so much you don’t know, and now you’ve bonded yourself to fix a problem that’s been going on for hundreds of years,” he tries to explain.
I can tell he’s still pissed, but his anger was starting to fade some, and now he’s gazing at me kind of sadly. I think I prefer his anger instead of his pity. For the first time, I’m actually unsure about what I’ve done.
“Then tell me, Chaos. I’m clueless right now, and the more information you keep from me the more you’re hurting me,” I whine.
“Fine,” he huffs. “Maybe if you know everything you’ll start taking what you’ve done seriously.”
Running a hand through his thick hair he says, “a long time ago before you and I were even thought of, Hera and Prince Argos fell in love. At the time, intermingling between the species wasn’t outlawed, although it was frowned upon, but they still pursued each other. Time after time, both their families tried to break them up, but they were in love and held strong until they didn’t.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, interrupting.
“I mean that something happened significantly enough to cause Argos to pull away from Hera, which from the little time you’ve known the woman, I’m sure you know she didn’t take it well.”
“No shit, if you call poisoning a man, and putting him in a deep slumber, hiding him away until the end of time is taking it well,” I tell him.
“She did more than that.”
“What do you mean? What else could that psycho have done?” I ask him confused.
“She started a war.”
“What?” I shriek, shocked.
“Did you think nothing would come out of stealing a prince of Summer? When Argos disappeared, his father was outraged and demanded the culprits head be put on a spike. Hera denied taking him, claiming Argos was cheating on her and ran off with said woman, leaving her behind. Of course, the Summer King knew she was lying, and demanded Queen Elana returned his son, and turn Hera over to them to be prosecuted justly or be prepared for war.
"So what happened?” I ask quietly, already knowing.
“War happened. It was terrible, one of the worst in history. We lost so many on both sides. Whole families wiped out, and for what? To this day Hera still denies ever taking Argos. Our side won, but with all the loss, it was as if we didn’t win anything at all. After that, the vampire Council proposed a treaty where it was illegal for vampires and Fae of any season to be together. The offense severe enough to be punishable by death, or worse, banishment.”
“How did you even know Hera had Argos if all this happened before we were born? What happened to make you look into all this?”
Looking into his sad eyes, I kind of wished I didn’t ask, but curiosity had always been my downfall, and I had to know. Plus, what Zephyrus said last night was true. There's so much I don’t know, and it’s not like I’m pushing for answers.
“I was looking because I needed to find something on Hera damaging enough, so that she would leave me alone.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, and then it hits me. What he needed to tell me last night about Hera blackmailing him.
“What does she have on you?” I growl pissed, but I wasn’t mad at him. It was Hera I wanted to kill.
“My mother was killed by a Council member for being involved with the King of Spring. As soon as I was strong enough to wield a sword, I killed the Council member. I didn’t care that she broke some stupid law. They could have just banished her, but instead they took her life after I was born. Somehow Hera found out what I did, and threatened to report me to the Council if I didn’t sleep with her whenever she called upon me.”
“That miserable twat,” A growl starts low in my throat, and my beast was pushing me to hunt Hera down.
“I didn’t have much choice, but to give her what she wanted. If the Council ever found out what I did, they would have tortured me so they could make an example out of me and then killed me. I could not let my family line die being the last Chaos. I hated being with Hera. Her touch always makes my skin crawl, and she liked to summon me almost every night. When Kaiden found out I was fucking his mother, it ended our friendship.”
“Why didn’t you just tell Kaiden the truth?” I question. In answer, he gives me a cold laugh that chills me deep in my bones.
“Don’t you think I tried? In Kaiden eyes, his mother is perfect and can do no wrong. He has no clue about how much of a cold hearted bitch she really is, and if he does, he chooses to ignore it. Kaiden will always choose his mother over everything and everyone.”
“So, that’s how you found Argos? You looked into the rumors about how the Great War started, and you what, stumbled across him?” I ask confused.
“Yes and no. It was actually pure accident . At the time, I was looking for anything on Hera. With my Fae heritage, it was no big deal for me to be seen in the Fae ter
ritories. I heard rumors about a Summer Fae who lived on the outskirts of the summer boundary that could dreamscape. My intention was to invade Hera’s dreams, in hopes of finding something to use against her. Instead, I found the answer to the greatest mystery of all.”
“Argos,” I whisper.
“Yes,” he agrees, nodding his head. “He was in the same field you described, knocked out in that weird glass coffin. We tried to wake him, but couldn’t. So I told him about Hera not really knowing if he could hear me or not and we left.”
“How did you know Hera put him there if you couldn’t wake him to ask?”
“Tara, the Summer Fae who brought me there told me the place reeked of her essence. It’s her mind holding him there. After that, I looked into everything I could about Hera and Argos.”
“How did you get out of Hera blackmailing you? I mean, you’ve been with me, so I’m assuming you did---well I hope you did, because I can’t be with you if she’s still sleeping with you,” I tell him rambling.
“Shhh love,” he says, placing his finger to my lips. “I’m not sleeping with her anymore. Before you got here, I called her bluff with the little information I found out, and threatened to expose her to Kaiden and then the Council.”
“And she believed you,” I say shocked.
“Yes she did, and she confirmed the details I didn’t have a full grasp on without even knowing I tricked her.”
“What are you talking about? What more could she have done?”
“I want to answer that question, I really do, but this is something you don’t want to know. It’s a burden I will never put on you.”
“Please Chaos, tell me. I hate being in the dark about everything. I have to know,” I say pleading with him.
“Are you sure Winter? Once I tell you this you won’t be able to repeat this to anyone ever. Not even the person it’s about.”
“Tell me. I swear I won’t tell a soul.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, magic fills the air, and I feel the familiar burn of another marking branding itself on my wrist right above the mark I received from last night bargain.
“We’re going to have to work on you not swearing to everything,” he groans, looking down at the bright flower buds on his own wrist.
“What caused Hera and Argos to split was Hera being pregnant,” he replies and I widen my eyes in shock. “Argos wanted to raise the baby in the Summer territories. He didn’t trust the vampire Council, especially since he knew they’re all about not soiling the bloodlines. It’s one thing to have a relationship with the opposite species, it’s another to actually produce a baby out of it.”
“Who's the kid? Where is he or she?” I question.
“Right here in this very castle with a suite right next to yours,” he answers.
My eyes grow huge, and I look back and forth between my door and Chaos like Kaiden is going to stroll through the door any minute now.
“How can that be?” I ask, trying to calm my racing heart. “The timeline is off. It just doesn’t add up.”
“Hera was able to get her hands on a potion to prolong her pregnancy as well as the poison she used to trap Argos. After she took the potion, she had sex with Ramsus since she wasn’t able to snag your father, and used the baby to break up Ramsus’ relationship with Morgana by saying the baby was his.”
Well, that explains why Morgana hates her so much. What better revenge than to have her daughter tied to the son of the man she loved, or so she thinks. I want to tell Chaos he’s wrong, but his words ring true. Argos’ eyes looked so familiar, at least one of them did, and there was the sense of familiarity that pulled me to him. Their features are exactly the same too. I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner.
“What am I going to do? If Kaiden ever learns the truth he will be heartbroken. I don’t even want to know what he’ll do if he knew I knew and didn’t tell him,” I say, panicking.
“You don’t need to worry about that, because you won’t be telling him for him to find out,” he says, looking pointedly at the swirls of lines and bright flower buds circling my wrist.
“Do you know where Argos’s body is?” I ask.
“In the dungeon somewhere, but in a whole other area no one knows about, and before you ask, I have no clue where that is. I’ve been searching for a very long time, and still have yet to find him.”
“Well, that doesn’t help me. I need to find him, so I can bring him to his father, and the bargain will be done with.”
“Is that all?” he ask, raising his brow. “Anything else? How about our first born child?”
“Don’t make me hurt you, smart ass,” I tell him, giving him the evil eye.
“What are you getting out of this anyways?” He inquires
“A favor called in anytime of my choosing.”
“Really, and he didn’t try to negotiate with you. He just gave in just like that?” He asks astonished.
“I guess he really wants to get out of there,” I say, shrugging.
“Or he doesn’t think you’ll be able to do it, and doesn’t care if you die trying. I’m sure his tune would change if he knew you were bonded to his son, and that your life ties with his.”
“Well, he doesn’t know, and I’m not going to fail.”
“I do love your enthusiasm, beautiful, but one problem at a time. Get up and get dressed. We have training,” he says, jumping up.
“Training for what?” I ask, not liking bossy Chaos one bit.
“When you were off making bargains, did you somehow forget you have a deathmatch with Raven coming up?”
“Actually, I did.”
“Well, I didn’t so get up. We leave in five.” With that parting thought, he gives me a wink and strolls out the room completely naked except for the sheet from my bed wrapped around his trim waist.
“Cheeky bastard,” I mumble to myself.
“I’m starting to think you don’t like me,” I tell the asshole smirking in front of me, as I rub my sore ass for the upteenth time. Fighting Chaos is not like fighting my other mates. Unlike them, he will not hesitate to knock me on my ass, IE, the reason why I’m rubbing it. “Can we take a break?” I whine.
“Do you think Raven will give you a break?” He questions as he circles me.
“I’m doubtful of that,” I snort as I watch his movements carefully. He may seem like he’s considering my question, but as soon as I lower my guard, he will pounce like an overgrown cat, and it will hurt.
Just as I thought, as soon as the words leave my mouth he runs at me. Before he reaches me, I flip up into the air, and sail over his body, but as soon as my feet hit the ground he’s already turned and has executed a perfect spin kick, sending me back into the air. This time when I land, I land hard on my front eating dirt. He’s on me in seconds, pulling me off the ground by my hair tightly, twisted in a firm grip.
“Fuck,” I scream in pain as tears form in my eyes and runs down my cheeks.
Throwing me back down onto the ground, he snarls, “you’re not trying.”
“I am trying,” I scream, kicking out at his legs in a failed effort to bring him down to the ground with me.
“Well, try harder,” he barks. His eyes are glowing an unearthly blue, and he looks scary as fuck right now.
Suddenly the vines around us rushes towards me, and wraps themselves tightly around my body pinning me to the ground. I scream out in pain as the vines crush my body, the whole time thinking, how far does he plan on taking this? When a vine finds its way to my neck and wraps itself around tightly around my throat, cutting off my air, I know my answer. Chaos has no plans of letting up. Panicking, I try to think of a way out of this while the vines pull tighter. Just when I start to see black spots in front of my eyes, and feel like I’m going to pass out, a cold sensation overcomes my body. The vines around me start to freeze and snap apart until I’m free and able to move again.
“Clever, but you’re not going to be able to do that in the arena unless you want
to out yourself,” he muses.
“What the hell, Chaos? You could have killed me,” I scream, stomping over to him, slapping him hard across the face.
Unfazed by my outburst, he trains his blazing blue eyes on me. “Raven will not hesitate to kill you. Do you really think she will listen to the Council when Hera has already stated that Kaiden will marry you regardless of the outcome of the fight? You are the only thing standing in the way of what she wants. I am not your other mates. I will not go easy on you, because I want you to fight to live. I know you’re not made from glass. In you, there's a heart of not only a killer, but a survivor. I don’t care about the frozen blood running through your veins, or have any lofty aspirations to be King. All I want is you, and you will live through this fight, so help the Gods, I will destroy the ones left myself, if anything happens to you.”
At his passion filled words I strike and attack his mouth with my own. The kiss is all hard edges and anguish. The feelings we both have rise to the surface. Passion like no other takes over, and I feel rejuvenated. A power like no other fills me awakening my beast, and he roars a mighty growl. In answer the skies above darken, and thunder booms in the air loud enough to make the trees shake rattling the birds from their birch, and sending them fleeting in the air. A bolt of lightning flashes across my eyes and matching bolts light the sky.
“Well now, all I have to do is kiss you to get your lightning powers to work,” he says cockily.
“Shut up,” I reply, pushing him off laughing.
“Come on. I think we had enough for today,” he says, taking my hand, and we walk just like that back to the castle.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Winter
We barely step foot into castle when a disheveled looking Lucifer runs up to us with two of his soldiers trailing him. His long dark hair has escaped the safe confines of his bun, and there's a rip on his dress shirt with a dark blood stain.
“Winter, you need to get down to the dungeons immediately. They took him,” he cries frantic.
“Who took whom?” I ask confused. Glancing over at Chaos. I can tell he’s just as confused as I am.
