I try not to show my fear. “These won’t work for a demon such as yourself.”
It laughs, and the sound is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Goose flesh rises across my skin, but I stand my ground as they lunge together. I’m a whirling flash of fire and heat as I parry and lunge between the two demons. Their swords are heavy and awkward compared to mine, giving me the upper hand. I fight one with each sword parrying with each breath. They double their efforts, and sweat breaks out across my brows. I can hear Octavius fighting behind me, and his sudden grunt makes me lose focus for a split second too long. I attempt to dodge, yet the rusted iron sword still slices deeply into my shoulder. My skin burns, making me cry out in anguish.
Octavius yells, “Are you alright?”
The flame sword in my right hand dematerializes as my strength in that arm dissipates. The demon's grin, moving forward slowly as if enjoying the thought of the eventual kill. I twirl the remaining sword and step forward, pushing my magic further into my limbs, willing it to sustain me and power me. It responds and strains to do as I ask. The wind answers my call and fills the clearing, forcing the demons to plant their feet to stay upright. When I glance quickly behind me, I see Octavius take the upper hand, spinning and slash faster than my eyes can comprehend.
I let the sword dematerialize in favor of fighting with my real magical ability. The monsters in front of me are struggling to move toward me as I gather water from the nearby lake, summoning it to our location. It swirls around my body before forcing itself down their throats, drowning them. They gurgle wetly once, twice, before I finish them off. Holding my injured arm, I run towards Octavius, moving the elements with me. A storm of water, wind, and fire encircles my hands. Three wendigos surround him, and in a desperate attempt to end this horrible battle, I fling out my hands in their direction with a strangled cry.
One of the most powerful magic explosions I’ve ever made rocks the clearing and I’m thrown backward as wood and bodies are flung in all directions. I hit the ground with a grunt as fiery pain lances through my injured shoulder. Ringing fills my ears, and I’m reminded of the old war movies my father used to watch. When I open my eyes, smoke is filling the air from nearby smoldering trees, and nothing sinister seems to be lurking in the shadows. Did I kill them all? Did I kill Octavius? Even though my body screams not to, I scramble to my hands and knees and crawl to the nearest body. I cringe as I flip it over and am relieved when the normal face of a human is staring back at me blankly. Without the demon soul, the humans seem to have gone back to normal. Trying to forget about it, I check body after body and can’t find him anywhere nearby. It’s a relief to know that he’s not one of the dead bodies littering the forest floor.
It takes several tries, but I’m finally able to stand with the help of a nearby willow tree. Wait. This tree is familiar! Did we somehow run all the way back around to the left side of the lake? I stagger forward and push the foliage out of my face, bursting down onto the bank of the water. And there Octavius lies, half in and half out of the water. I rush forward and fall to my knees at his side. He’s pretty banged up, but he’s breathing. He’s alive. My hands shake as I take water from the lake to wash the blood and grime from his face. He stirs when the cool water hits his skin but doesn’t wake.
He really is remarkably beautiful. A younger version of his father with jade green eyes that I’m sure he’d taken from his mother. When gazing at his sleeping face, an almost brotherly affection blossoms in my breast, and I’m relieved that I don’t feel yet another romantic connection. Perhaps it’s because he’s younger, or because he’s the only one that has tried to do nothing but help me stop this war. Not that the others haven’t, but everyone else has complicated our story. Octavius and I are the knights in this story. Destined for greatness, destined to finish what our ancestors shouldn’t have started. Ugh. I’m not in a fairytale. What am I even saying? I hit my head a little harder than I thought.
My hearing begins to return just as I hear movement come from my left. I rise and step in front of Octavius’ body, summoning a feeble display of power. My hands shine lightly with fire so subtle that I’m sure anyone with half a brain will be able to tell that I’m all out of juice. Instead of another hoard of wendigos coming to finish the job, several Earth fae step out of the trees around me. The largest and most formidable one holds up his hands in a surrendering gesture.
One of the men asks, “Did you do that?” He points behind him with his thumb to the smoldering forest.
I ignore him and look back at the leader. “What are you doing here?”
He replies calmly, “We’re here answering Octavius’ call for assistance. I am King Gabriel’s second son, Adonis. You may know of my brother Damon.”
Now that I look closer, he does resemble Damon. He has the same forest eyes and slick black hair, but this male is even taller if that’s possible. He looks like a seasoned warrior, someone who has lived their entire life on the battlefield. One long scar mars his otherwise perfect face. His eyes smolder against mine, holding the power of the very land beneath us. If we went against each other right now, he’d kill me. I’m not at my full strength, hell, this is only a light show. Any attempt to use my power more than this will result in utter failure. I lower my hands and allow my magical well the rest it needs.
“Alright, I’ll let you help me.”
He smirks. “We’re here to escort you to my father's court. By the looks of the battle you just won, I’d say you’ve earned it.”
He motions for his men to move forward toward Octavius. I almost step protectively in front of him again but stop myself. These people will not hurt us, and even if they plan to, I can’t do anything about it right now. I need to heal, to sleep it off, and maybe get some medical attention for my bleeding shoulder. Adonis motions for me to follow him, and I do so, moving away from the carnage behind me.
The adrenaline from the conflict begins to fade, and exhaustion hits me like a truck, as does the feeling of shame. While I don’t regret setting those humans free of their torment, I do regret having to take lives at all. I’m not afraid to protect me and mine, but it doesn’t feel right, and yet, I’m worried that it will eventually get easier and easier to do so. I’m changing in ways I never predicted, and I’m not certain it’s for the better. I had once vowed that this world wouldn’t change me, wouldn’t scar me. But I think I’ve already failed.
Adonis cuts through my dark thoughts. “We will be there soon, and you will go straight to the court healer.”
“Thank you,” I murmur.
He looks sidelong at me to find me watching the men carry Octavius’s limp body between them. “He will live.”
I look back at him. “How do you know?”
“I am an Earth fae. I know.”
We lapse into silence for some time before I speak again. “It would be best not to inform your brother of my presence here.”
His eyebrows rise. “You should have mentioned that earlier.”
My stomach drops out at the prospect of seeing Damon. In my distressed state, my body might not be able to resist the pull of his element. Damn these stupid primal emotional connections. It’s bad enough that I have more than one, but not being able to control myself like an animal? Not exactly how I thought I’d find the love of my life.
“If he’s in the Earth court, why isn’t he here?”
“My father forbade him. He is the prized crown prince, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m familiar with kings and princes,” I mutter under my breath.
He laughs. “Bitter, are you? I’m beginning to think that a lot more has happened in the past month than my brother has let on.”
I don’t respond while trying to keep my bratty attitude in check. Octavius’s comment earlier really got under my skin, but he’s also right. If I’m going to be respected by these centuries-old fae, I need to act the part of a potential queen. Childish behavior isn’t acceptable. I never used to be like this, at least I don’t t
hink so. It’s just that my life has felt like a series of impossible choices lately. Maybe I’m crying wolf, and this is only the beginning, but it’s hard not to react. Perhaps I will react in the privacy of my own rooms from now on. I glance at Octavius again. Well, maybe my rooms aren’t even safe. He did barge in this morning right as I screamed into Lucian’s pillow.
Out of nowhere, the trees begin to clear, and a pathway emerges. Over the next few minutes, the path becomes less and less dense. The trees thin out, and the plants become tamed, almost trimmed. Just as I’m about to ask whether or not we’re close gilded gates come into view, but instead of the dark metal at the academy, they are shining gold welded into weaving vines. The gates open as we emerge from the woods, and two soldiers in full golden armor step out, bowing to Adonis.
Adonis turns to me, grinning. “Welcome to the Earth court.”
Chapter Ten
I wake in the night, and I’m not sure how much time has passed since the healers forced me to sleep. Octavius lies in the bed next to mine, sleeping peacefully. We appear to be the only two people in the sick room, and it’s so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I lean up on my forearms to find a male sitting at the bottom of my bed. Forest green eyes greet me that I’d know anywhere.
“How long have you been here?” I croak.
He doesn’t answer, just stares at me with that unreadable look on his face. Just seeing him makes my soul sigh in relief. It’s been so hard staying away from my potential mates. I hadn’t really admitted it to myself until now. I’d blamed it all on Rowan’s disappearance. But it doesn’t seem like he’s as happy to see me as I am to see him.
I move to speak, but he cuts me off. “Annie told us where you were, it wasn’t Adonis. He told me to tell you that. He said he doesn’t want you using your power on him. He said that the scene you left behind was that of a true fae battle.” I’m not sure what to say in response to that. He surges on. “You know you can’t trust any of them, right? That male next to you is the enemy, Tiana. Him taking you here was a suicide mission. He was probably betting on you dying in that fight.”
Anger surges through me. “I might not know him that well, but I do know that all he wants is to save his people. If I can’t exactly trust him, I can trust that. He believes that I can bridge the gap to end the war.”
He scoffs. “Gods Tiana, do you even know who that is? That’s Octavius, the grand general of the dark fae legions. He’s not someone that has free time, so if he’s spending it with you galivanting in the earth fae realm, it’s for a reason.”
“I just told you the reason! He brought me here to make a deal with your father to bring back Earth magic to dark fae lands. He’s starving them, Damon! Did you know that?”
He scowls. “It’s the reality of war.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know half the things you think you do. If they refused to use their powers for the good of the realms, we’d all be thrown into chaos.”
He narrows his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I look at Octavius to make sure he’s still asleep. “Light fae only know half the story. They are not exact copies of light fae, nor do they possess the power of the elements as light fae do. They hold an entirely different even more important role in this world that you can’t even begin to understand.”
“How do you know that’s true?”
“I’ve seen it!”
Our harsh whispers had gotten loud enough to wake Octavius, and I swing my legs out of bed in order to go to him. Damon tries to stop me, but I shake his hand off of my arm. His eyes flutter open, and I lean over him anxiously. He startles when he sees my looming face, but then grins. He sits up quickly and winces at the pain in his body. The covers fall away to reveal that his naked chest has been wrapped in bandages already stained with red again. He must have been bleeding quite a bit. It makes the relief I feel at his presence even more palpable.
He grips my forearms. “You did it!” He pauses, laughing maniacally. “Gods, I can’t believe you saved us. Do you know how difficult it is to live through a Wendigo attack? Even having triple, the dark fae soldiers there wouldn’t have been enough. Light fae powers are truly amazing.”
He chuckles again but falters when his eyes look past me toward Damon. I feel Damon step up to my back and lay a hand on my shoulder protectively. The power radiating off of him seems dangerous all of a sudden, almost threatening. I knew that they possess a lot of power as heirs, but I had never considered that they were repressing it for my sake. Are they all much more powerful than I originally thought? And if so, would that change things for me? No. My mind seems to whisper.
“I would thank you for protecting her, but I’m still not clear that it was your original intention,” Damon says frostily, and the bite in his tone almost makes me flinch.
Octavius doesn’t seem scared or upset, only calm. “Yes, I can understand why you’d wonder. An enemy bringing your potential mate through the deadly earth province forest. However, I knew it was a task she was up to. She’s powerful, even without her bonded soul. And she's the only person I know that’s as committed to stopping this war with the fewest amount of casualties as possible as me. I don’t regret teaming up with her or talking her into coming here. And you want to know what? She was willing.”
I go to speak, but Damon talks first. “Fae lie Octavius, especially those in power. I know how this world works, but Tiana doesn’t. That means I must protect her from males who would use her only as a means to an end. So, I command you to leave, and to forget about taking her with you.”
Octavius picks me up and moves me out of the way before standing to his full height, matching Damon. “You may be a prince, but I don’t answer to you or owe you loyalty. Do you know who I'm loyal to? A people. Not a set of kings who slaughter for fun or refuse to give ordinary citizens food and water. I fight for my kinds survival, and you should be doing that as well.”
Damon seethes, and I cut in before they can start throwing punches. “Down, boys! Gods, you’re both stupid territorial fae males! No wonder this war has gone on for thousands of years.” I stop and point at Octavius. “You! If you’re so committed to saving your people, maybe start with diplomatic relations. As you told me, power and communication with other fae requires trust and respect. There’s not a lot of that going on in here.”
Damon smirks and says, “You tell him, Tiana.”
I round on him, “And you! Stop treating me like I’m a five-year-old who knows nothing about anything! Do you know how much I’ve learned? How much I’ve grown as a person since coming into this shit show? If I’m going to become some high and mighty fae queen like you’ve wanted me to, it’s time to make my own decisions. You don’t need to steal me back, protect me, or tell me what’s right or wrong. I’m a strong woman who can figure that all out myself.”
The room is silent for several long moments before I feel a physical ripple of power go through the room. Vines and leaves grow in through the windows, and a spectacular green sheen coats everything in the room, including my skin. My limbs are buzzing with renewed energy, and I marvel at my hands when I hear a voice come from the doorway.
“I’m very glad to hear you say that, Tiana.”
I whirl around to face none other than the king of Earth himself. He’s an older man, at least, old for a fae. He appears to be in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair and the same green eyes of his son. They sparkle with an inner light so bright that it fills the room like a beacon as if he holds so much magic that it pours out of him. If the moving vines and shining viable magic are any indications.
“King Gabriel, it is a pleasure to meet you,” I reply.
He smiles warmly, and the crow’s feet around his eyes remind me of my father. “Come, let us discuss things while my son and your companion exchange information that will be beneficial to both of our races. Perhaps you are right in that we only have half the story.”
My face flushes when I realize that he somehow he
ard what I had said to Damon minutes earlier. Was he here the entire time? Or does he possess a power similar to Lucian’s? Either way, I follow him out of the large double doors while throwing a worried glance over my shoulder. They might kill each other before I can get back.
“Don’t worry, child. Your companion will be safe within the walls of this court. He asked for an audience, and I granted it. My son is simply overzealous in protecting who he deems as his responsibility.”
“With all due respect, I’m no one's responsibility.”
He looks back at me and winks. “I know that, but the young males around, you must realize that for themselves.”
He leads me into a throne room that resembles a greenhouse. It’s full of the same lush, brightly colored foliage from the surrounding forest, and birds flutter from tree to tree singing brilliant songs. One long path leads to the dais and is covered in thick moss. When I look down, I notice that the king is not wearing shoes and that flowers bloom in his wake. The earth responds to him on a level I’ve never seen, and it’s truly beautiful.
Four vine woven thrones fill the dais, one of them is larger than the others and full of purple flowers. He takes a seat within that one and even more blooms open. He gestures to the throne next to him, and I cautiously take a seat. Octavius had never expressly stated what he wanted me to say to the king, and now that I’m here in front of him, I seem to be at a loss for words.
He smiles. “I know why you’re here, so you need not explain yourself. You wish to end the war and reunite all fae in equality. A noble mission if I’ve ever heard one.”
“Do you think it’s impossible?”
“Nothing is impossible, but this is the definition of the high road, of picking the harder of two paths. It will be long and tiring as my fellow rulers may not be as keen to follow your lead. Are you up for the task?”
I nod firmly. “Yes, I am ready for the task. Wait. Not as keen? Does that mean you’ll accept my proposition?”
High Fae Academy - Year Two: Paranormal Fae Romance Page 9
