by Jaime Marks
He felt Haylia enter the suite. “Cover yourselves,” he warned and waited until they moved apart and were decently presentable to open the door.
Haylia entered and bowed. “Your majesties,” she smiled widely and began setting up their food on the small table they had moved into the room for meals. It wouldn’t be the first time she had found them lounging in bed. They were prone to pampering the girls. The first time she had seemed a bit confused but Byryn had wisely explained everything away and she hadn’t seemed to mind. Truth was they were fairly cautious of what she actually saw. More than likely what she witnessed in their parents’ suite was worse because they made no attempts to hide their relationship.
He began fixing a plate for each of them as Haylia finished setting out the spread. “Thank you, Haylia. Please let the kitchen know everything looks delicious as always and we appreciate the effort they put forth. And please know we appreciate you catering to our whims,” he added with a smile.
“It is always a pleasure, my lord.” She bowed with a smile and left happily.
He carried their plates to them. “As much as I wish I could join the two of you I need to go help Byryn.” Kyle paused with a frown thinking about how crazy their day had been, “I’m sorry this has kept us both from you so much today.”
Astryn leaned up and kissed him. “It’s just new. It’ll get better once you have Wytheryn and Narysia settled. The poor girl looked like she was going to freak out half the day. Your Dad and Uncle need to give her a break, not that they don’t need to back off of us too.”
“Go do what needs to be done. We understand the reasons,” Star added, knowing he was done discussing the issues in their family for the moment. Outside of the girls and their wards, he really didn’t feel like dealing with anyone else for the rest of the day.
“I promise we’ll both make time for you soon.” Crawling on the bed with a sigh he knelt between them, leaning down to passionately kiss his mea before placing a tender kiss on his soryia’s head. “We love both of you and not being able to tend to you the way we like after the gifts you’ve given us today is torture. Please behave so we don’t have to punish you any worse. As much as we enjoy it, all we really want right now is to hold and cherish you,” he murmured kissing Astryn on the lips and Star on the cheek as he allowed his essence to flow over them. He placed a gentle hand on each of their stomachs, sensing them with a pleased smile and misted from the room.
He was gonna be a Dad. His gemyn was gonna be a Dad. It was an amazing feeling. It was even more amazing to be able to share this together. He knew the others didn’t really understand the connections and bonds between the four of them, but there was nothing he would change. It didn’t matter where the future took them, they would always have each other and he loved Astryn, Byryn, and Star. They were everything and nothing else mattered. It would sort itself out.
Chapter 26
Steph waited until she knew the meeting had dispersed. She needed to talk to Marcus alone without Byryn or Kyle catching onto what she was doing. The others might be perceptive, but the two of them knew her almost as well as Star and they had a mental-link right to her head.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She knew she was confused but that confusion was enough that she knew she couldn’t give Mythos what he wanted. Seeing him all the time was going to kill her. As it was she’d had to sneak past his study in their suite to avoid him. Everywhere she looked in that suite, everywhere in the Palace really, was a memory they had made together and now it just served to torment her.
On some level she knew what she was doing was wrong, but it was what she needed right now. This wasn’t about right or wrong anymore, it was about self-preservation. Everything these last couple weeks had been overwhelming and intense. She was tired of trying to be something she wasn’t and pleasing everyone else. They all expected her to be the strong and perfect Queen but she was falling apart, and while it was probably stupid, she needed something familiar right now.
She entered the Study of the House of Light, as it had been termed, and Marcus looked up in surprise. “Steph? Is everything alright?”
She nodded. “I just realized I was supposed to meet with a few Fae regarding the Hall of Technology this afternoon. With everything going on it went wayside. I was hoping you could mist me over to the Realm of Light so I could manage it. I just need to get things set up so they can begin working on determining how to structure and set up the new Academy.” It was partially true at least. She was supposed to meet with them, and she did need to get things moving…but that had nothing to do with why she needed to leave the realm.
He tapped his pen on the desk as he measured her. “Actually, I think that will work in our favor. Mythos is announcing that there was a threat against you by Shade in the Realm and that for your protection you were relocated here temporarily. It wouldn’t make sense if you suddenly showed up, especially as the ritual has been postponed and you’re not wearing your necklace.”
She cringed and turned away, fingering her collar bone where the jewels usually rested. She’d probably never wear that necklace again. It hurt to think about when she considered how many Fae she was letting down.
“I need to get out of here for a while, Marcus,” she admitted, realizing there was nothing she could come up with that would fool him. Maybe if she told him the truth he’d give her a break? “It’s too much and I need some space. I just want to get away from everyone for a while and clear my head. I figured I’d go walk in the Cerulyion Gardens for a while and then go take care of my duties.” If the realm wasn’t sealed she’d already be gone. Unfortunately, only one of the Lunyan Sacred Borne could get her out of here.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Steph, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. You can’t go to the Realm of Light right now and you can’t go to Earth because it’s just not safe…Will you sit a moment?”
She swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted was to be under the scrutiny of one of the twins, or worse, Byryn and Kyle. They all saw right through her most of the time. It wasn’t something she could afford right now, especially considering what she’d done, but she really didn’t have a solid reason to say no.
She sat down, careful to duck her head. There were fresh marks on her throat from Rav’s hand. They were nothing compared to the marks he’d left on her this morn, but Marcus’ eyes didn’t miss much.
He scanned her carefully a moment without speaking and set his pen down. With a sigh he met her gaze, “I know it’s difficult for you to have anyfae else decide what you should do, but we need to consider your safety. We’re not sure whether or not you’re thinking clearly, Steph. Has John visited you since this morn? Through your mind?” He prompted.
“No,” she answered honestly. John was dead. Ravyshyn had been reborn and was another story. Besides, technically she’d visited him.
Marcus nodded to himself. “Why don’t you go down to the sparring rings, or to one of the gardens here, and get some air? It might help you relax. Did Mythos let you know about meal this eve?”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t spoken to him since I left before Wytheryn’s Claiming.”
“We’ll all be meeting in the lounge minus the Wyce and the boys. Devyn wants to deal with the issues among us and he tends to be…determined when handling such things.”
“Will he…will Mythos be there?” She requested.
If so she needed to prepare herself. Having him close was driving her crazy. If she couldn’t get out of here, she needed to find some way to stay away from her mate. Not to mention Rav would have a fit if she didn’t.
“Yes,” Marcus replied simply as he studied her. She felt like she was under a microscope. She had to get out of there.
“Can I go?” She asked hesitantly.
“Of course, you’re not a prisoner here, Steph,” he replied picking his pen back up and focusing in on the papers in front of him.
She breathed a sigh of relief and stood to go. For a moment she’d thought
he’d noticed one of the newer marks that Rav had given her, but he hadn’t said anything so maybe she was good.
“Steph,” Marcus called stopping her. His voice was suddenly hard and she turned immediately without thinking. He misted directly in front of her gently gripping her chin as he raised it to inspect her throat. “Care to tell me what’s on your neck if he hasn’t visited your mind again?”
She stumbled back but he didn’t bother to catch her. Instead he held her in an intense, unforgiving stare. It made her falter. Marcus had never talked to her like this. None of them did. Well, Cymeryn on very rare occasion talked to everyone like that, but it was never actually directed at her.
“I…uh…well…”
“Answer me,” he demanded firmly and it resonated through her.
Her eyes drifted closed at the feeling of comfort that washed over her from the combination of his essence flowing through her and someone else taking control. Everything was overwhelming. She didn’t want to think and she was so damned tired of fighting to stay on top of it all.
“John’s dead,” she responded truthfully. “Ravyshyn was born through him.”
Marcus grunted, taking her chin firmly in hand again. When her eyes snapped open Cymeryn was standing beside him. “Ravyshyn has visited your mind?”
“N-no,” she stuttered nervously, not really sure how to react as her instincts started to kick in. “I…don’t know.”
What was this? She felt like they were interrogating her. Her defenses were starting to trigger but it didn’t even seem to faze them. They obviously weren’t going to let her go until they were satisfied with her answers, but she was actually afraid of how they’d react to the truth.
“Have you visited his?” Marcus held her gaze not bothering to release her.
Shame coursed through her but anger was its partner and she could feel her essence surging forth now. No one held power over her this, not unless she allowed it. She was just as strong as they were and there was no way in hell she was going to just lie down and take this.
Marcus’ eyes narrowed as he studied her and began backing her against the wall. Physically he could easily match her, especially in this position. Even as her essence surged he forced her back and it sent a level of fear and anxiety through her that he could so easily keep her off balance.
“Answer me.”
“Y-yes. I needed to know…I couldn’t understand…” She tried to shake her head but he held her in place.
He released her carefully to prevent her from falling and crossed his arms over his chest. “You were right.”
“Hmmm,” Cymeryn replied watching her. “The question is how do we handle it?”
She looked between the two of them. They were watching her but leaving her space. She was close to the door, if she could just inch towards it she could get away. The problem was there was really nowhere to go. She couldn’t leave the realm and the twins would mist and be on her in a second. Why did this feel like an attack? They wouldn’t hurt her, would they?
She didn’t know what was going on here but they was scaring her. Part of her realized that they would do whatever they thought it would take to protect her, even from herself. It didn’t matter what she thought, or what she needed, they weren’t going to give it to her.
She shook her head. That was ridiculous. This was Marcus and Cymeryn, they were her family. They wouldn’t hurt her, they cared about her. Still, there was something about the way Cymeryn was watching her.
“What can we do?” Marcus requested. “We cannot simply leave her to her devices. She is clearly acting impulsively and not fully considering her actions.”
“Guys, I’m fine. Really. I’ll behave I promise. I’m just gonna go back to my room.”
Cymeryn rubbed his jaw keeping a close eye on her, as if he was worried she would bolt, and she would if she had the chance. The way they were ignoring her and talking about her as if she wasn’t even there was unsettling.
“If he hasn’t physically bound her then we should be able to counteract the level of control he has,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “She simply needs to be rebalanced.”
They each had an arm before she could blink. “Let. Me. Go,” she demanded, forming an aura with her essence as she attempted to push them off. It might’ve worked if it was just Marcus, but the twins had found a way to resist her battle arts when their essence joined. She fought against their hold but they overpowered her without even breaking a sweat. Since the day of Kyle and Astryn’s Bonding she couldn’t really match them, even countering them was extremely difficult.
“No,” Cymeryn replied, holding her fast as his and Marcus’ essence began to roll over her in waves.
Knowing it would draw attention and allow her the distraction she needed, she screamed, but Cymeryn only smirked at her. He shifted his hold, pinning her body with his legs and clamped his hand down on her mouth. She bit him but he barely flinched, and the sweetness of his blood flavored her lip.
His brow arched as she involuntarily laved at the blood. “You may drink,” he allowed, watching her as she latched onto the wound and drew on it, feeding from him. Her eyes drifted shut a moment at the pleasure of it.
“Do you even know why you fight us, Steph?” Cymeryn prompted. “Do you even know what you, yourself, are thinking in this moment?”
She paused as his words sunk in. Why was she fighting them? The Light that washed over her made her feel better than she had all day, and really it wasn’t affecting her bond with Ravyshyn. She was just accustomed to fighting when she was attacked. She relaxed and suddenly the restrictive hold, the inability to move, began to calm her and stilled the panic in her mind.
“Better,” Cymeryn grunted but kept his hand in place as his blood trickled into her mouth and she swallowed it. “Just relax. We will not harm you.”
Warmth and Light flowed over her and some of the pain she felt slipped away. It eased something deep in her soul and there was a comfortable familiarity in it. She didn’t want to fight. She almost wanted to sleep. In fact, it almost felt as if she were drifting. Someone lifted her in their arms and the next thing she knew she was lying in her bed. Then nothing. She simply drifted peacefully.
Mythos looked up as Cymeryn entered. “It is done. She should merely believe we are rebalancing her, but even if she questions our motivations, I do not believe she suspects.”
He nodded hesitantly but set his work aside. It was not as if he had made any headway on it. “What do we do now?”
“Go to her. She needs to feel you now. It will ease some of the turmoil of this for her. There will be questions when she wakes, but we will manage it.” He shrugged. “She inadvertently drank some of my essence during the process, but it only strengthened the affects and allowed me to calm her. When she fought us she bit into my hand, and while I could have stopped her, it will aid in combatting his hold for what needs to occur. My essence is far more pure than his. You should be aware, however, that the way she took of me it was as if she were sating a craving. It is something you will either need to entertain or monitor,” he relayed meeting his gaze. They both knew the act could be addictive. “She is resting in your bed. We healed some of her bruises.”
He nodded running a hand through his hair. “You are certain this is what needs to happen? That this the course we should take? If this backfires she may well never forgive us. I know how this affects her, Cymeryn. I am not entirely comfortable with what you intend.”
Cymeryn smirked. “When have you ever known me to speak if I was not?” He sighed as a seriousness settled between them. “Mythos, you know she is struggling. She has been hiding the strain of all this from us and John exploited that, using it as a means to reinforce his hold and Commands. At this point she is a danger to herself until we can reach her and are able to reason with her logically. If I thought there was another way, I would not even suggest this.”
Mythos nodded in dismay. He would always do what was necessary to protect her. “Then so be it.”<
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Cymeryn gave a satisfied nod and misted from the room.
He left the study and went into their chambers. He watched her lying there peacefully, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. The anguish and pain seemed to be gone from her features. It was a reprieve she deserved and a permanent one if he could help it.
She was unaware, but he had found her in her meditation and sensed the Shade in her mind. He’d summoned Cymeryn, unsure of how he should proceed. They could have entered her mind, but waging a battle for control like that was dangerous. It could cause damage that was not easily fixed and Cymeryn was fairly certain that the male’s ability in mental manipulation was extensive based on what he had sensed.
Instead they had allowed things to progress uninterrupted and waited to see how Stephynia behaved when she awoke. They had hoped she would come to one of them and repost what had occurred, but the twins had been ready to handle the situation if she did not. In truth they were the only Fae capable of subduing her.
He quietly disrobed and climbed into bed. Gently pulling her into his arms, Mythos breathed a sigh of relief as she curled into him. He held her tightly, knowing he could not force her to stay there, but in this moment he had her again. It eased some of the pain from the last few hours.
What came next might be even harder than they had faced even thus far. He did not know if he could do this, any of it really, but if it was what was necessary to protect her, it would be done. As much as he may not like the course they were on, he would do anything for her.
Chapter 27
Narysia sat curled in the chair and watched the essence flow over Wytheryn and Byryn. Part of her needed to go to him, to be in his arms, but the things she was feeling made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t them being there, or even how little clothing they wore, that had her unsettled. It was her own reactions to it. She shouldn’t react that way around another Fae. She shouldn’t even have these feelings for Wytheryn with anyone else in the room.
