“I don’t hate you, Taveon. Sorry, Prince Taveon.” She dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to look at him any longer. “I did. For a long time. Just not anymore.”
With a heavy sigh, Bree turned away but a strong hand fell onto her shoulder. She froze in place, breath held tight in her throat.
“You know you should hate me,” he said. “I have been terrible to you.”
“Well, I mean, I did try to kill you.”
“It does not escape my notice that you did not tell Lord Dagen that. Nor did you tell him the true color of my wings.” A pause, his hand tightening on her shoulder. “Why is that?”
Bree’s breath shuddered from her lungs as she twisted to face him once again. It almost hurt to look up into his grave yet handsome face. His dark eyes bored into hers, sparking something strange deep within her gut. Bree had always felt somewhat drawn to this fae, regardless of what he had done. She’d hated him, yes, but there had always been something simmering beneath the surface of her emotions.
“To be honest, I have no idea why I didn’t tell him the whole story,” she said. “Something inside me just...stopped me from saying too much. It felt like the wing color was enough anyway. And I don’t even know what the rest of it means. Obviously, there’s something else you don’t want him to know...”
“You will understand if I choose not to share it with you now.”
“Yeah.” She understood, but somehow, she almost felt disappointed that he didn’t want to tell her his deep dark secret he was so scared for anyone else to know. “Like I said, I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I really am.”
“It is fine.” He loosed a breath. “It is done.”
“I want to help you find another champion.” She spilled out the words before she could stop herself, heart beating madly in her chest. “I’ve screwed everything up for you. I can’t go back in time and change it, but I can try to help you from now on.”
“Bree.” Taveon’s voice went soft. “I truly appreciate what you are offering, but it is no use. My champion must be a shapeshifter, but any shapeshifter will not do. The fae needs to be strong and dangerous.”
“Like me,” Bree said. “Dangerous, scary Bree.”
“You are only dangerous if you choose to be.” A pause. “But yes, a fae like you.”
“There are more like me in Otherworld,” she said. “More Redcaps. I could go get one...”
“There is no one else in any realm who is like you.” The Prince shook his head. “Besides, there is no time. The battles will begin this day. You would never be able to get there and back in time.”
“Today?” Bree’s eyes went wide. “Can’t you delay it? Can’t you get just a couple of more days?”
“I am afraid not,” he said quietly. “It has already been weeks since the King’s death. His funeral is over, and it is time for the battles to begin. The Court will not wait any longer, especially not for a Prince who is not the King’s true son.”
“So, all those champions showing up now...they plan to start fighting at the end of the day?” Bree shuddered just thinking about it. It was such a waste, these battles, these fights. Taveon spoke so often about changing things. Well, this was one aspect of Underworld that sorely needed a massive overhaul.
“Do not think I do not appreciate your attempt to help.” His expression softened. “I am surprised, you know. What has changed in your feelings toward me?”
Nothing and everything all at once. But she didn’t know how to explain it. Her feelings toward Taveon had always been complicated, and they still were. It was impossible to pinpoint precisely when things began to shift in her heart. One moment, he’d seemed awful. The next, not so much. And then he’d seemed awful again.
But then he’d seemed anything but.
All she knew was that there was far more to Prince Taveon than met the eye, and she wished the rest of the realm could see it, true-born son of Midas or not.
“I think I was wrong to trust Lord Dagen,” she admitted. “Not that I actually trusted him. I just thought he was the better of the two of you.”
Taveon’s lips quirked. “The lesser of two evils.”
“Exactly,” she said. “But I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“And I was wrong to treat you as I did. I am sorry for that. I truly am.” He pulled a deep breath into his lungs, causing the tightly-coiled muscles of his chest to stiffen beneath his thin tunic. Bree couldn’t help but stare at him. He had always been beautiful in a deadly, dangerous sort of way. But now that she was seeing the truth beneath the mask, he was even more gorgeous than she’d ever thought.
Strong and powerful, and something so much more.
Her cheeks flamed, and she glanced away. “You don’t need to apologize again. You know that, right? I mean, that’s why I’m still here.”
Taveon’s expression grew thoughtful and grave. “You should go now, Bree, before the battles begin. I cannot say what will happen in the realm once they begin. The Court could be in turmoil. Fights may break out. It may be violent here for a good while to come. It can be when the future of the throne is so uncertain.”
“No,” she said firmly, a new kind of resolve strengthening in her gut. She hadn’t known what she would do, not until now, but she should have realized it the moment she’d decided not to run. She never would have been able to leave. There was too much left in Underworld for her to do. She had unfinished business, and she wouldn’t abandon ship until they were out of the stormy seas. “I am staying. I will see this thing through to the end.”
Taveon’s eyes widened. “You want to stay? But Bree, what about your freedom? What about everything you have wanted all this time?”
Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “Don’t I have my freedom now? To stay or to go, it’s my choice. You aren’t forcing me to stay here anymore. You aren’t holding me against my will. No more chains or prison cells or grungy dungeons. You have given me a choice. And I am staying.”
Taveon’s face lit up, and his hand reached out toward her body as if instinctively. Bree’s breath stilled in her lungs, and her heart lurched in her chest. His fingers grazed her waist. A thousand tiny sparks lit up along her skin. What in the name of the forest was he doing? And, more importantly, why did it make her feel so damn alive?
“Oh.” He stared at where his hand met her waist, and then he pulled it back, as if he had just realized what his body had done. “I am sorry. I should not have touched you like that.”
“It’s okay.” She smiled, stepped up to him, and placed a hand on his chest. “I don’t mind.”
Taveon shuddered underneath her touch and wrapped his fingers around hers, pressing her hand against his chest as tight as he could. “Do you feel this?”
Underneath her fingertips, she could feel the rapid beat of his heart. She nodded, eyes wide. Her heart was doing exactly the same.
“This is relief, and this is happiness all rolled into one. I am glad you are staying, Bree.”
“Good.” She smiled up at him. “Because I am not just going to stay. I am going to fight for you, too. I want to be your champion.”
Chapter 48
Taveon
“Rafe, wake up.” Taveon nudged his oldest friend, who was sprawled out on Taveon’s sofa beside the flickering fireplace. Ever since he’d learned of Bree’s betrayal, he’d been camping out here instead of in his own quarters, too overwhelmed by her ghostly presence she’d left behind. His friend had been hurt, but he’d never say it aloud. Taveon could see the truth in his eyes. Rafferty had fallen for the Redcap girl. And Taveon was beginning to feel as if he had, too.
Rafe groaned and threw an arm over his head to shield his eyes. “The world is a cruel place. Do not force me to face it right now.”
“Bree is staying, Rafe.”
With that, Rafe was on his feet in an instant. Taveon frowned at his friend. He was a mess. His silver hair stuck out in every direction, and there were purple spots underneath his eyes. He had definitely been into the ale.
“It appears that Bree regrets what she has done, though I do not blame her in the least.” The Prince pressed his lips tight together. He did not think his friend was going to like what he had to say next. “She wants to stay here. I tried to talk her out of it, but you know how she is. She is determined to do what she thinks she should do. And so she has volunteered to fight as my champion.”
“What?” Rafe stared at Taveon, dumbfounded. “This cannot be real. I am hallucinating. This is all some kind of dream, isn’t it? No, scratch that. It is a nightmare.”
“Is it truly a nightmare if she is staying?”
“No,” Rafe admitted. “It is not a nightmare she is staying, but it is certainly a nightmare to imagine her fighting all those battles. There are dozens of them coming now. And why in the name of the forest would she volunteer to do such a thing? After she was the one who told Lord Dagen the truth?”
Taveon’s face warmed as he thought back to the moment he’d shared with Bree. That smile on her face. That look in her eye. Perhaps Taveon was going delirious, but he could have sworn he’d seen something in her eyes. An emotion he didn’t dare imagine could be real.
Could Bree actually care for him? Surely she couldn’t. Not after everything he’d said and done. But her hand had pressed against his chest. Her fingers had wrapped around his. Taveon shook his head to get rid of the memories. He needed to focus on the conversation at hand. Bree’s life could depend on it.
“As much as I would like to stand here and speculate, there is no time for that,” Taveon said. “For whatever reason, she has decided to stay. And she has decided to fight. The battles begin later this day when the moon dips low in the western skies.”
Rafe stared at the Prince. “Today? But she has not completed her training. She is not ready. There is so much more she needs to learn—”
“We have approximately half a day before we must meet the others in the fighting pit for the first round of battles.” Taveon grasped his friend’s shoulder tight in his hands. “Go to her, Rafe. Work with her as much as you can. Get her ready enough so that we can link my power to hers. Make sure she cannot fail. For her sake, not mine.”
Chapter 49
Bree
Bree swallowed hard and stared at the door that led into the Academy. She’d been waiting inside the cavernous room for a good hour or more. Taveon had been certain that Rafe would forgive her and come to her aide, but time just kept on inching by without any sight of him. There were no clocks in Underworld, but Bree swore she could hear each second of an invisible clock tick by.
Rafe wasn’t going to forgive her for what she’d done. He would hold it against her, even now. Rafe felt far more betrayed than Taveon ever had. Truth be told, she couldn’t blame him. They had gotten so close these past few weeks. So close that...Bree squeezed her eyes tight. She couldn’t think the word in her mind. It was far too much for her to take, knowing that she felt such a strong emotion toward a fae who couldn’t care less if she lived or if she died in these battles.
The door creaked open, and Bree whirled toward it with her breath held tight in her throat. Rafe’s familiar silhouette filled the doorframe, blocking out the flickering light of the sconces behind him.
“Rafe,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I made a terrible mistake and—”
Rafe was across the room and in her arms before she could finish her sentence. His strong hands encircled her hips, lifting her from the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and she entwined her hands around his neck. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in, and the scent of him filled her head. She clung on tight, finally letting the tears eke out of her eyes. He was so strong, so sure, so very Rafe. How could she have ever thought she could leave him behind?
“Bree,” he said in a rough voice. “I thought I would never see you again.”
Slowly, he lowered her to the floor, but he didn’t let go. She stared up at him, smiling as the tears ran down her cheeks. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I tried, but I just couldn’t go. Looks like you’re stuck with me, at least for a little while longer.”
He let out a shuddering breath and cupped her cheek in his palm, lowering his silver eyes to hers. “Taveon told me what it is you plan to do. Are you certain of this, Bree? You will be putting your life at risk, all to help Taveon sit on that throne. And truth be told...I think the past few weeks in this Court have not been good for him.”
“I think he realizes that,” she said. “And I think he knows what he must do now to be a good King. We spoke about the Tithe. He still wants to put a stop to it, Rafe. He could do that if he’s King.”
Rafe’s eyes widened in understanding, and he gave a slow nod. “This is about the Tithe then. And the humans.”
She pressed a hand to his chest and smiled. “It is about them. It is about you. It is about everyone. The best thing for all our realms is to find some other way. And Taveon is the one who is willing to do it.”
“And I suppose I cannot talk you out of it?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
He took a deep breath in through his nose and nodded. “Very well then. I will get you ready. There are a few things we need to do to prepare. I just hate that we have not worked on your fighting skills these past few days...No matter. You are strong. Taveon is strong. You can win this.”
Bree stared up at him, her heart full. Even though she was about to face dangerous battle after dangerous battle, she was not afraid. She felt safe here with Rafe. He would ensure she was as ready as she could be.
“There is just one thing I need to do first,” he murmured just as his lips crushed hers. Sparks lit up in her gut as she pushed up onto her toes. He kissed her deeply, teasing her with his tongue as his hands gripped her hips. She gasped as he lifted her from the floor once again as if she weighed no more than a feather. Bree could scarcely think straight.
Rafe groaned against her mouth and strode across the room with Bree wrapped tight around his body. They reached the wall, and her back slammed into it. Delicious surprise shook through her veins at the impact. The intensity of Rafe’s kiss was growing deeper, and his hands were all over her body. First, her hips. Then, her thighs. And then, her breasts.
She dropped back her head and moaned at the delicious desire that caused her core to ache. She needed him. And she’d never needed anything more.
With trembling fingers, she found the soft material of his tunic and yanked it over his head. Rafe pulled back, his eyes full of fire and need. “Let’s get you out of those clothes.”
Somehow, Rafe managed to undress Bree while he still kept her pressed tight against the wall. The cold stone bit into her back, a sweet relief from the heat pouring through her body. Rafe’s pants hit the floor, and his hands found her hips once again. His eyes caught hers, and she couldn’t help but gasp. There were so many unspoken emotions churning through the silver. She parted her lips, as if to say the words she longed to say, but she couldn’t.
She felt so vulnerable, so scared. But happier than she’d ever felt in her life.
“Bree, I...” Rafe swallowed hard, dropping his forehead to hers. “You know how much you mean to me, yes?”
“You mean a lot to me, too,” she whispered.
With a smile, Rafe pressed his hardness right up against her opening. She gasped, clinging on to his tightly-coiled shoulders. He slid inside, gently at first. Their eyes were locked, and their breaths mingled as one. This felt different than the last time. Before, it had been all about their pleasure. This time, it seemed like so much more.
All the yearning she felt in her heart was reflected in the flecks of silver in his eyes. She was giving herself to him in more ways than one. Her body, her heart, her soul, and her mind.
He rocked against her slowly, and her back hit the wall. And then he pulsed in a rhythmi
c beat, taking his time as his gaze stayed locked with hers. It was as if he were relishing each and every inch where they touched, as if he were savoring every part of her, exploring how she felt, an exploring how perfectly he fit inside her.
“You are perfect, Bree,” he said between groans. “I have never before felt anything like this.”
Indeed, neither had she. His cock felt so good inside of her that it was almost impossible not to give into the frenzy that threatened to overtake her body. She wanted more. So much more. Faster and deeper and harder until she could no longer think straight.
And Rafe seemed to read her mind.
His pace began to quicken, and her back slammed harder against the wall. She cried out at the force of it but did not want him to stop. The fierceness of his thrusts electrified her, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her core. The need for him built to a burning crescendo, and soon she was screaming his name as her nails raked down his back.
He paused, caressing her shoulders and her breasts as the pleasure shook through her core. When her pulsing slowed, Rafe thrusted inside her once again until he finished only a moment later, emptying his seed into her body.
They stood there like that for long moments, just clinging onto one another, as if they were each other’s lifelines in a scary, cruel world. And then, slowly, he lowered her to the floor, kissing her neck as he murmured words too soft for Bree to hear.
“I never thought I would be able to touch you like that again,” he said. “And now that I know I can, I never want to stop. I could take you again and again. All day long until our bodies are so spent that we cannot even move.”
Bree’s heart soared, and her body yearned to do the same.
“But we cannot.” He pulled back with a sigh, smiling sadly as he cupped her cheek. “The battles will begin soon. We must get ready.”
“Are you sure we don’t have just a little more time...?” She had only just reached unspeakable pleasure but already she wanted more of him. She wanted everything he’d just said.
A Cage of Moonlight (Dark Fae Academy Book 1) Page 25
