by Angel Lawson
With that I took a huge gulp of my wine and moved closer to the food. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Is this for us? Can we eat it? I’m starving.”
“Of course, it’s been almost a day since we last ate. And to answer your general question, all of this is for us. It’s where we’ll stay tonight.”
Relieved, I dropped to the ground and piled a piece of bread with a variety of cheeses and meats. Liam sat across from me and did the same, although a little less like a wild animal. Maybe they ate less here?
“You know,” I said, swallowing an unladylike bite. “I don’t think we’ve ever eaten together before. I mean, Mrs. Graves brings me food at your house but we’ve never had a meal at the same time.”
“Who would have thought our first real date would take place here?”
“In the Valley or Otherworld?” I asked. “And wait, you think this is a date?”
He shrugged. “Isn’t it? We don’t get much time off from training and well, lately, fighting. This is the first time I’ve felt like I could relax with you.”
“You worry that much?”
“Constantly.”
I watched him as he ate a handful of berries. They were pink—not a kind I had seen at home. His lips stained red and I felt the familiar tug between us. The tug that started out as a reminder but quickly wound into a tight coil in the center of my belly.
“How did you find this place?”
“The Guardians of Otherworld have a link that connects us. My father used to bring me here. Merida and I have known one another since we were children.”
“She’s very beautiful.” He nodded but never took his eyes off mine. I picked up another piece of bread and plucked small bites off to eat. “I suppose this is the part of the date where we attempt to find out more about each other,” I said. “Or at least that’s what I’ve been told. I never had much of a dating life, but you know that.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ve never had much of one either.”
The intensity of his job and duty were etched into his face. I had no idea what Liam’s experience with women was—human or Sidhe, but dating didn’t seem like it would be high on his list of priorities.
When we’d eaten most of the food he pushed the tray aside and gathered me in his arms. A move, like the one we shared at his house the day before, that made me think he had some experience with the opposite sex. Together we snuggled into the soft mattress and pillows, and again I felt the hum of our bond. I took a peek at his face, the strong lines of his jaw and high, sharp cheekbones and realized I wanted more. I wanted all of it. With him.
I untangled myself from Liam’s arms and rose to my knees. From his spot leaning against a pillow he asked, “Going somewhere?”
I used his confusion to make my move, shifting to the spot between his legs. I approached him, still kneeling and lifted my dress over my head. Bare beneath, I waited for my typical embarrassment and modesty to take over. The look of awe and desire on Liam’s face wiped away any hesitation. He wanted me. All of me, as much as I wanted him. If our powers united, so be it. I didn’t care.
With no reason to hold back, no soldiers chasing us, training lessons to complete or wounds to heal, I felt free. More so than I had in months. With typical inhuman speed he removed his clothing and sat before me with the body of a god. I should have looked away—taken my eyes off the runes and markings. Off the etched lines of muscle. The dips perfect for my thumbs. I should have, like the inexperienced woman I was, but didn’t. Couldn’t.
We were bare. Vulnerable. Equals.
Gently, Liam moved me to my back, hands roaming over my body, exploring my lines and curves. I touched him in return, feeling the hard planes of his muscles, aware of how much he wanted me. He hovered above me, mouth close to my ear and murmured my name, “Nadya.”
“I’m ready,” I told him, brushing the hair off his forehead. I said it as much for myself as for him.
He locked his eyes to mine, positioning himself. The curtains around us rippled with a soft breeze, but inside this place—our place—it felt like we were in our own universe. That feeling of safety and security overwhelmed me as he pushed inside. I arched my back, accepting him with ease, as if joined by the gods.
I thought I knew what the bond between us meant. What it felt like. Until Liam entered me and joined our bodies, I had no idea. My fingers clamped against his back, nails tearing against his flesh. Sweat clung to our bodies and sweet, painful tension bundled in my nerves. He pressed his slick forehead against mine and pushed his tongue in my mouth. I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted it all, the sweat, the pain, the exhilaration. On fire, I pushed back against his hips, rolling mine against his weight. The friction burned gloriously and his hands clamped around my waist.
The word I’d stolen from his mind tumbled from his lips, a breathy chant against my mouth. “Mine,” he breathed, until he gasped, fulfilling the promise of his words. Warm and deep inside, he possessed me, and I him.
He rolled off but not away, and I pressed my nose in the dip of his neck to catch my breath. I’d wondered what it would be like but never had I expected… I stopped my thoughts abruptly. Something was wrong. Missing. I sat up. “Where is the light? The bond?”
He sat up took my hand and laid it on his chest. His heart thudded wildly inside. “Do you feel it?”
“Yes.”
He laid his own hand just over my breast. “Yours is the same. That is the bond.”
Now that I noticed it was missing, darkness lurked on the edge of what we’d just done. “But the light?”
“I told you, there’s no magic here—not even between us. The light is a manifestation of the magic that binds us together. The power that gives us the ability to heal. This,” he pressed his lips over my heart, “is the truth beneath the magic. The truth about us.”
“So the way I feel about you right now is real.”
He slid his hands down my back and covered my face in tiny kisses. “It is absolutely, undeniably, very real.”
Those words were all I’d needed to wipe away the lingering fear and question I’d had about Liam, he wanted me at my base, human level—not for the power I could give him. “You knew you couldn’t absorb my power?”
“I don’t want your power, Nadya. Only what the Gods choose.” The look of desire was back in his eyes. “I want you in any world, with or without magic. I love you, every part of you.”
My heart bubbled with an intensity that could only be accomplished by something unique. If it wasn’t magic, there was no other word for it but the one he just gave. “I love you too, Liam.”
Wrapped in one another we settled in the soft padding of the mattress, hidden under an ancient tree. I felt his lips on my neck, warm and reassuring.
“If we do this again, out there, what will happen?” I asked, the thought still with me as I dozed.
“I don’t know,” he replied, holding me tight. “But the Gods are on our side. I think it will be unearthly.”
CHapater 32
Liam
I woke early, well rested for the first time in weeks. In Nadya’s world I worried constantly when she was away from me. Here, we’d shared a bed two nights in a row. Last night she shared her body. Safe in the Valley I felt something I hadn’t in years: contentment.
She shifted next to me, pressing her body close to mine. She’d done this over and over through the night, each time her movements eliciting a rise of out me. I tried my hardest to not come off as some sort of degenerate, one of the sex-obsessed fae, but she did things to me. To my body, heart and soul.
It took every ounce of self-control to restrain myself.
Nadya’s eyes fluttered, blinking away the sleep. “Hey,” she said with a small smile.
“Good morning.”
“Comes early here,” she said, holding the sheet to her chest. “You know, with no walls or a ceiling to block the daylight.”
“We should get on the road quickly. We’ve got quite
a bit to go, but we must get there today. I think any further delay will end badly.”
Food and our mended clothing waited at the edge of the curtain. We ate and dressed quickly. Once we emerged from the curtain a Maiden waited near the path. We followed her back through the Valley. Merida stood near the bamboo wall. She handed us our bags and weapons.
“Thank you for the hospitality,” I said, strapping on my sword and knives. Nadya did the same, and I knelt to buckle the straps of her sheath tight around her thigh.
“You are always welcome, Liam.” She smiled warmly at Nadya. “You as well, Your Highness.”
“My what?” Nadya asked, looking between us. “How did you…”
“You resonate with this land, child. It embraces you and eventually you will embrace it back. You are part of us but not entirely, which may be more valuable than expected. Be careful. The Maidens are here if you ever need our service.”
I ducked through a break in the bamboo and led Nadya out of the Valley. Camelot waited for us by the stream, well rested and watered. It took a moment to strap on our bags. I had just finished fastening the last one when I felt a hand on my waist. I turned and came face to face with Nadya, black hair shining close to blue in the early morning light. She lifted her chin and pressed her lips to mine. Blue burst between us.
“Oh thank god,” she said, pulling apart.
“For?”
“The magic is still here. I was freaked for a minute.”
“I told you—“
“I know you did, but I needed to test it myself.” She stroked Camelot’s head. “I didn’t realize how much I’d come to depend on it.”
“It’s part of you. Part of both of us.”
She nodded. “Now that we got that out of the way, what’s the plan?”
“Directly to the Deadlands; we’re running out of time. Once we get there we’ll call Fiona and Eleanor to a meeting.”
“And what if we’re attacked by more rebels or whoever those people were?”
“We’ll fight them off, but keep the magic to a minimum. The last thing they need to see is how strong you are. Good thing the birds took care of all the men yesterday. There’s probably nothing left but bone and blood.”
A deep line creased between her eyes and she asked, “Won’t they wonder where they went? Why they’re missing?”
“Probably, but it’s not like they have cell phones or email to check. It will take some time to figure it out. We’ll be safe by then.”
I mounted Camelot and helped Nadya to the spot on her back behind me. The ride through the woods was quiet. I pointed out several animals, focusing on the differences in this world from hers. Many of the animals were the same, although some had different colorings or sizes. Our foxes were the size of a medium sized dog. Squirrels were closer to that of a cat. And black.
“I have a question,” she asked, as we approached the edge of the woods and neared the road.
“Ask away.”
“Why do you think Ravenwood didn’t allow me to enter the castle grounds Obviously Eleanor went to great trouble to get me here—why shut me out? I could feel the pull of dark magic. One minute it embraced me—the next? Slam.”
“That’s a very good question,” I replied. I’d thought a lot about this and I had no real answer either. In fact, the only answer I had brought more questions than anything else. I decided to be truthful. “I have a theory that possibly the gate closed on you as a measure of protection.”
“The gate protected me? That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does though—if you use Sidhe logic. The gate was made of stone and metals mined from the ground. The same ground that recognizes you as Claudia’s heir.”
“So inanimate objects can make decisions?”
“Ah, that’s your first mistake—thinking anything here is inanimate and without motive.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, I’ll never get used to that.”
“Look, you called the birds to protect you and they came. Other things could have had the same reaction. The properties making up Ravenwood did not want you to enter. Trust me, it’s a good thing. Only the Gods know where you’d be if that had happened.”
The trip was uneventful, our way passing through Ravenwood once more before we finally approached Celeste’s abandoned land. “There it is,” I said, stopping Camelot at the top of a ridge. The land was barren with nothing but sand and brush for miles. “After Claudia disappeared and Fiona and Eleanor created their own kingdoms, this area was called the Deadlands.”
“Um…wait, you’re trying to tell me this is the territory, appropriately titled the Deadlands because it looks like what would happen after a zombie apocalypse, is the one you think I’ve inherited? Is this like one of those jokes about selling ice water to an Eskimo?”
“I told you before, the land takes on the features and desires of the current ruler. This is what happens when there is no queen around to cultivate it.”
I watched Nadya take it all in. The seemingly endless miles of harsh, unfertile land. There was a spark though, something that flickered in her eyes beneath the surface. I felt it in our bond. The kingdom called to her, like the others. The question remained, did this one embrace her fully? Was this her land?
“So what now?” she asked, turning to face me.
“We travel to the center and then I’ll send out the call.”
“How do you do that? Some kind of Sidhe telegraph system? Carrier pigeon?”
A shadow crossed over us and her eyes flicked upward. I did the same and saw a familiar pair of dark wings soaring through the gray sky. I pushed Nadya behind me and drew my sword.
“Don’t,” Grace said, landing several feet away. Far enough that I’d have to abandon Nadya to make an attack. “I’m not here to hurt you. I need your help.”
“That’s a bold request,” I said, not dropping my guard or sword. Nadya attempted to get around me but I held her back with my free arm. “You’ve done enough damage.”
“She’s hurt,” Nadya pointed out. I heard the compassion in her voice and it made me uncomfortable. Grace seemed to be a soft spot for Nadya. I had no choice but to view this as a weakness until I knew more about the situation—or how to exploit it in our favor.
Upon further inspection I confirmed that, yes, feathers were missing from the wing on her right side and red, blistering welts made a ring around her wrists. “You’ve been held captive,” I said. They must have held her in iron chains. “For your failure to bring Nadya to Eleanor?”
“Yes, but not just for that. I’ve been a prisoner this whole time.” She turned to Nadya and fell to her knees. “I’m sorry for betraying you. Eleanor is not my queen. I am from the Solar kingdom and she used me to get to you. I’m so sorry.”
“Eleanor wouldn’t need to bring someone in to do her bidding.” I searched the sky and roads around us. The Queen and her army must be nearby. I sensed nothing other than a slight breeze.
“No? Her soldiers were defeated. You had her under constant supervision, tracked and monitored all the time. Eleanor couldn’t get close. So she snatched me off the streets of Solar, tortured me and sent me to the human world to bring Nadya back.”
“I had a vision,” Nadya declared, laying her hand on my arm. Her eyes glazed and she went somewhere deep inside herself. “You had welts and marks all down your back. You sat at the feet of the Queen.”
“As her slave, and yes,” she said, tugging down the collar of her shirt. Harsh scars blazed off her pale skin. The wind picked up and ruffled her feathers. “She did this to me. And worse.”
“Your use of glamours and the honey lip gloss,” Nadya said, her eyes sharp and refocused. “I knew something was off about you working for Eleanor. The more Liam told me about this world the more you didn’t fit the description of Ravenwood.”
“Part of what they do is trick you, like the glamours and spells. This could also be a trick. We need to continue to safety,” I hissed.
“What do y
ou want, Grace?” Nadya asked. I threw my hands in the air. We were this close from the center of Deadlands and she wanted to check on her friend. Her betrayer.
“I need your help.”
“Sorry,” I said, walking away from the girl. I needed to get Nayda to our destination. I grabbed her by the arm and got her moving. If I was right about her and her powers once we got to the center of the kingdom, she’d be safe and could worry about her friend then. “We have a meeting to set up. Grace’s welfare is the least of our worries right now.”
“Eleanor is going to kill me and she’ll kill you too. She knows about the birds and how you slaughtered those men,” she blurted. “Fiona does, too.”
“How?” I asked. The girl followed us, limping on one leg. She’d definitely incurred some wounds to get here. The problem was I didn’t know if they were real or not. That was the problem with liars. “There were no survivors.”
“One,” Nadya said, realization taking the coloring from her face. “Callum must have gotten away.”
“Callum? You took him down first. I saw you.”
“He had a busted knee. I figured the birds would catch him!”
“If they know…” I said.
“They know,” Grace interjected. “They want to eliminate you, Nadya. I can help you. I may be the only one that can.”
I shook my head. “We need to go. Now!”
Another gust of wind from the north blew sand across our backs while a dry heat rolled in from the south.
“The sky!” Nadya cried.
Above us the sky was a clash of contrasts, dark gray storm clouds rolled toward the seemingly benign puffy white ones. The storm was enough to finally get Nadya to move. I led her to Camelot and helped her on her back.
“They’re coming,” Grace said, flying next to us. “They’ll kill us both.”
“Why didn’t you return to Queen Fiona?”
“To her I’m a traitor and a failure. They both want me dead and now that they know the Lost Queen has returned they want her dead, too. Don’t fool yourself.” I glanced forward and finally saw our destination come in view. The wind blew the layers of sand away to reveal the stone foundation. As the storm closed in it became obvious the platform would be the place where light and dark would meet. Her words were drowned out by the sound of animals on our heels. I glanced to the side and saw a fury of creatures and Underworld fae storming our way.
