Everlasting Kingdom (The Winter Court Chronicles Book 3)

by Stephany Wallace

  Whirling around, I rushed out of the terrace while Aura’s gentle cries tore through me.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kah’s voice startled me, and I swiftly realized I was standing in my room. I looked around me, utterly disturbed that memory had taken reality away from me. “How long have I been here?”

  “About ten minutes, give or take,” she answered casually. “You were ‘unresponsive’, so I figured that whatever that brain of yours was calculating, it must be pretty important. I thought it best to leave you alone, but you seemed distressed just now.”

  I nodded, feeling the cold sweat that clung to my skin, the pulsing of my scales seemed rampant as they roamed my chest and arms, over and over. I walked towards the side of the bed, reaching for the water. “I’m sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I was just talking to Kyr about attacking the Winter Castle and the strategy he wanted to implement.” I took a swig of water, trying to calm myself.

  “I understand. That must be very difficult for you and your brothers. I’m truly sorry.”

  She sauntered towards me, my eyes following her every move. Her lips closed over mine and I pressed her to me while she kissed me. The second her lips left me, I hid my face in the curve of her neck, and inhaled her scent greedily—over and over again. My arms tightened around her back, the aroma filtering through me, and I prayed that it would be enough to erase the memory of her. It had to be.

  After a few minutes in my embrace, Kah leaned back and looked into my eyes. “Are you sure you are all right, Nyx?”

  Damn emotions. I hated them. I suddenly wished they were blocked again. Guilt and pain crashed into me. She didn’t deserve this… perhaps I didn’t deserve her. I kissed her lips briefly and gazed at her once more. “Is it okay if I take a bath before we go? I just need to clear my mind, settle myself again.”

  Kah nodded.

  Theo’s eyes filled with honest joy when we appeared in the middle of his great hall—sparkling as he looked from me to Kah. He seemed to have been hanging a painting on the wall, with John by his side—as usual.

  “My friend!” He opened his arms to greet me, engulfing me in a half hug. “You are just in time for the celebration.” He suddenly leaned back and observed me curiously. “You look different.”

  I grunted, while Kah chuckled beside me. “I accidently destroyed my glasses.”

  He frowned. “There is something else, though…” His words hung in the air while his gaze settled on Kah. “M’lady, or better yet, my badass lady,” he greeted, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. It was my turn to chuckle.

  “Much has changed, actually.” My fingers reached for Kah’s, intertwining together while I pulled her to my side. Theo’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at us, he took a step back. Kah smiled, but she seemed uncomfortable by the attention. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps I should have asked her if it was okay to tell them that we were together.

  She offered me a small smile and cleared he throat. “What celebration?”

  Theo looked at me again and blinked. “Oh, yes. It’s my birthday today,” he informed, returning to his task.

  I frowned, realizing then what they hung was a long sign that had his name on it. It read, Happy Birthday Dad-Theo in bold brush strokes of red. I smiled at the gesture, although it wasn’t particularly something that we deemed special in our realm. Theo nodded, knowingly.

  “John insists that the day of our birth is a day to rejoice. We’ve been celebrating them since he came to live with me.”

  John chuckled. “How do you tell a six-year-old that birthdays are not important? I made him that banner the first year we celebrated together, and we’ve used it every year since then.”

  I grinned. I truly respected the relationship they had formed. John was his son for all intents and purposes, and Theo’s life unapologetically revolved around him. John seemed to be the one thing that made him happy. My interest peaked as I realized something for the first time since knowing the Golden Prince.

  “Theo, didn’t you ever mate?” I realized too late it was an inappropriate question to ask. Theo’s steps faltered and he looked into my eyes, disconcerted. John seemed frozen in place, and even Kah tensed beside me. “I’m sorry, I’ve never been good at realizing when I’ve said something wrong. I apologize, I see now that I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “It’s all right, my friend,” Theo answered, straightening, but his demeanor slightly changed. “I was, actually, for about ten thousand years, until she died after being attacked by the Beisht Kione.” A wave of pain became visible through his eyes, but he turned around and continued to prepare the room for the party, as though nothing had happened.

  Everyone remained silent, not quite knowing what to say. The Beisht Kione—the monster with the black head—was the sea monster Kyr and I had killed at the beginning of this journey we were on together. The same monster that almost killed me, had taken Theo’s fated from him.

  John proceeded to inflate balloons as the tension spread over the room. “I am truly sorry, Theo. No one should ever have to go through that.”

  “No one,” he agreed, and walked towards the doorway, disappearing through it.

  I turned to face Kah and my breathing faltered, I found tears in her eyes at Theo’s confession. I reached for her cheek, wiping one away, but my nostrils flared as a scent suddenly took hold of my being. There was no other way to describe it. My head whirled to the hall behind us while the intensity of her perfume blasted through me, mercilessly. A breath later, Princess Aura, Jade, and Marigold stepped into the room, chuckling as they spoke, carrying trays filled with appetizers. Aura stammered when she noticed my presence, but she quickly regained her composure and placed the trays on the table set up in the corner of the room.

  It was more than I had been able to achieve, as the pulsing increased over my chest and arms, my scales becoming rampant once again. My gaze followed her every move, while she and the others approached us. My skin tightened under the rushing wave of scales and I suddenly felt as though I was about to take my dragon form. I seemed to have lost control. Taking a deep breath, I briefly closed my eyes, while the tingling rushed over my body. The feelings I had once confused with anxiety were now present; my dragon side was making itself known. What in the Goddess’ Hell?! I needed to stop this at once, or I might transform and destroy Theo’s castle. Breathing didn’t help, and now every emotion I could think of was slamming into me just as it had done this morning.

  “Hello.”

  My eyes snapped open to find Aura and Marigold standing across from us, while Jade and John spoke in soft tones near the corner. Kah’s gaze was on me, and she observed me worriedly, taken aback by my behavior. “Hello Princess Aura, Marigold.” I greeted them both, while Kah smiled and offered each a small hug.

  “We haven’t seen you in over a week. I thought you wouldn’t come back,” Aura told Kah, but I was well aware her words were for me.

  Images of the moments I had spent with Aura in the library after the night I almost kissed her flashed in front of my eyes. We had read together, in a surprisingly comfortable silence, and together we had discovered important facts about the Dragon Cataclysm, and the Rising Kingdom, in Theo’s books and scrolls. We had spent hours together… hours I wanted to relive. I pushed the memories aside, and forced myself to stay present. To control whatever it was her scent was doing to me.

  Coming here had been a terrible idea.

  “There were a few situations that required our attention,” Kah answered, her attention shifting to me. “Perhaps you should speak to her now.” Her words brought me back to the conversation I had with my brother. I had shared the details about the Summer Queen’s condition with Kah while I bathed and dressed.

  “Later,” I assured.

  “Where are your glasses?” Aura asked, looking intently into my eyes. My pulse accelerated.

  “I lost them, I’m afraid. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to make sure Theo is well.” I o
ffered them a small head bow and headed for the door.

  Clearing the hallway, I took massive gulps of air, and pressed my back to the wall while I forced my dragon form to calm. The wave of scales still moved over my body, appearing and disappearing in an agitated state. They had never responded that way to Kah. Nevertheless, now that I had seen Aura after my transformation, they were wild with her presence, and her scent. Her scent… it had never been this strong before. What was happening to me? I felt like I was losing control of myself, and that had never happened. I had to get out of here before I did something I would regret. Something I couldn’t undo. But not before I made sure Theo was well.

  I took one more settling breath and headed towards Theo’s chambers. When I opened the door to the large lavish room, I found him standing in front of the terrace. The sunset was in full form, painting the horizon with the loveliest colors, which created shadows over his kingdom.

  “I’m sorry. I never meant to bring up the pain.”

  He turned around, wiping a tear off his skin and offered me a smile. “The memory of Elleia is always welcomed, no matter what feelings it arises.” He idly played with the ruby ring on his index finger as he strode towards me in another one of his pristine suits. “So, is Kahina your fated?”

  I sighed. “Not exactly.”

  “What do you mean? I thought you were together.” Confusion and another emotion I wasn’t familiarized to grazed his eyes.

  “When you helped us rescue our mother from the Winter Castle, we confessed to you that we would be in the Dragon Lord’s temple—inside the mountain—so he could protect her and us.” Theo nodded. “What we were unable to tell you then, was that he isn’t only our protector. He is our father.”

  The sound of Theo’s shock reverberated through the space, and he had to cup his mouth to stop it. His eyes were as wide as the balloons that John had been inflating outside. “Shut the front door!” he finally bellowed and I frowned. “It’s a human expression, John says it all the time, and you know how habits can be contagious.” He explained in a rush and gasped again. “Wait! How the hell is that even possible? Did our lord do it with the queen as a dragon, or…” His face distorted as he tried to think. “Nope. I have no alternative.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You are disgusting.”

  He shrugged. “Hey, love is love. I am no one to judge the Dragon Lord for getting down with a woman. Although, I will be disturbed for life by the image that just came into my mind.” He shuddered.

  “The Dragon Lord is not just a dragon. He is a superior race created by our Goddess to protect not only men but also all realms. Avra is Drayvok. And as one, he is both man and dragon.”

  “Wow. I did not see that coming.” He shook his head. “I knew the Dragon Lord was a special race created by the Goddess to protect us, but nothing else. We have prayed for his return for so many years, so he could help us free this realm, but I wasn’t aware he could transform.”

  “No one was,” I assured him. “All the scriptures mention the Holy Dragons having priests that tended to them and the temple. Those men were their emissaries in a way, but the truth is, it was the Drayvok in their man form.”

  “Wow,” Theo whispered again. “I had no idea.”

  I nodded. “Mother and him are mates, but not fated.”

  His brows gathered. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, as Drayvok, we are not paired by the Goddess as the rest of men, we claim. We can choose the woman we want as our mate.”

  His eyes widened even more. “We?”

  “Yes. As his sons, Kyr, Ash and I are Drayvok too.”

  His deafening gasp once again echoed in the room. “Shut the front door!! You meant you too can—”

  “We have dragon forms too, yes.”

  “Can I ride on your back while you fly, sometime?”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh dear Goddess, this is the best birthday present ever!!”

  *

  I rushed after Theo, trying not to face plant the floor, while he dragged me by the hand back into the great hall.

  “Every one, I have an announcement to make!” He declared as we reached the others and I froze. “What?” He turned to look at me. “You can trust everyone in here.” Facing the room once more, he clapped excitedly. “It’s time for my birthday presents!” The air rushed back into my lungs when he didn’t reveal my secret. I stepped in with him, walking towards Kah. “Oh, and Nyx is Drayvok, which means he can turn into a huge dragon!”

  Gasps and chuckles filled the room, apparently most here thought it was one of his jokes. I sighed, stopping in front of Kah. “How is he doing?” She inquired, reminding me of my friend’s broken heart. Sadness rushed through me in response, almost overwhelming me. “Broken, but he seems to be able to mend himself from time to time.” When our gazes reached him, Jade was in his arms, hugging him while they spoke to John.

  “I’m terribly sorry, we had no idea it was your birthday.” Princess Aura told Theo, ashamed. “What do you get a man who has everything?”

  “Oh, no need to worry, dear.” It was Jade who answered. “All he requires every year is one single thing.” She stood on the tip of her toes and Theo gripped her waist, holding her to him as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

  He grinned. “Best birthday present, ever!”

  We chuckled as he looked at Marigold and tapped his cheek. She reached for his shoulders smiling, and kissed his cheek. His hands briefly held her waist just as he had done with Jade. Aura moved towards him next, and as his hand gripped her waist, a wave of rage coursed through me, causing my hands to fist. A second before her lips touched his skin, Theo’s head turned and their lips connected.

  Mine!

  The deep, thundering voice that bellowed in my mind should have startled me, but it only fueled me more. Every cell in my body agreed with it, and suddenly feelings of protectiveness, and possessiveness burst through me. The pulsing of my scales acquired a dangerous rhythm, and the tingling rushed over my body, concentrating in my throat. I could feel the crackling energy gathering there—begging me to release it. The others laughed, and Aura smacked his chest playfully, then she moved back to her spot.

  I blinked as realization dawned on me.

  My heart was slamming against my chest and I was about to become a dragon.

  Chapter 9. Allies

  NYX

  *

  I blinked a few more times, swallowing and forcing myself to calm. Kah stepped towards Theo next. What in the Goddess’ Hell was wrong with these emotions?! I cursed the day I got them back.

  I focused on Kah as she chuckled, stepping onto her toes to kiss him, Theo’s hands held her waist and as her mouth neared his cheek, he turned his head once more, causing her to kiss his lips instead. Everyone laughed, clapping excitedly as though it was the most hilarious joke in the world.

  “Don’t worry, you can kiss me too.” Theo threw my way and the others chuckled.

  He was just being his usual eccentric self. I knew that. I took a steady breath and forced myself to smile. Except once I did, Aura’s powerful scent traveled through me. “I think it’s better if we leave.” I told Kah curtly, as she stopped next to me.

  “What?” She frowned. “Wait, you are not mad because of the kiss, are you? It was a joke, an innocent kiss. Nothing more.” She looked into my eyes and I could see the nervousness in her.

  My chest constricted. I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me, my body filled with unease as though protesting. “No, of course not.” I answered, more confused than ever. “He’s my friend. I know he would never do anything to hurt me that way.” I looked into her eyes. “Or you.”

  She nodded, nervous and confused. I cursed myself for making her feel that way. I stared at her and briefly wondered if I could say the same thing. Could I control myself enough not to do something that hurt her? I wasn’t sure anymore. I needed to get out of here at once.

  “I think I’m going to talk to the
princess now, so we can leave. I want to see how Father is doing.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Avra had been in the back of my mind all day after Kah said he was forced to rest.

  Kah nodded and kissed my lips, my body protested once again. Damn it.

  “I’ll give Theo the message your brother sent in the meantime.”

  I smiled and turned towards Aura, my gaze focusing on her.

  Claim.

  I clenched, and pushed my dragon’s demands aside. “Princess Aura, I was wondering if we could talk for a moment.”

  She lightly jumped, startled by my voice, but quickly recovered. She nodded, placing the drink she held on the table next to her, and walked towards me. “Here? or…”

  “I’d prefer somewhere more private.”

  She nodded and guided the way.

  When the door to her room closed behind me, I was still working on controlling my breathing, the pulsing scales, and my dragon self. The hues of orange and red had almost disappeared from the sky, but they still sent beautiful shades of light into the rooms of the castle, illuminating them.

  “I miss you,” were the first words from her mouth and I froze.

  My eyes flew to hers. She looked so vulnerable and scared after her confession, as though she had no other choice but to accept it. Gone was the proud and pompous princess I had met in the Winter Castle, and in its place was a sweet, kind and beautiful woman who could feel me over her fated. We had barely spent a few days together, yet she missed me.

  Claim.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m not here to talk about that.”

  She visibly recoiled from the harsh tone in my words and took a step back, lowering her gaze from mine in a small nod. Reaching for a strand that fell over her shoulder, she began to play with it restlessly. “Of course. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Her voice trembled and she turned towards the window.