Ash placed the tip of his blade on Jenus’s jugular.
“Do… you…surrender?” he panted.
Jenus growled at him from the ground, causing Ash to put more pressure on his blade.
Jenus let his head fall back onto the stone.
“I surrender,” he whispered. “I surrender.”
I felt my whole body go weak with relief. Ash had done it.
Ash dropped the sword to the floor with a clatter, and I rushed forward, not caring how inappropriate it might have seemed to the watching sentries.
“You did it!” I breathed, as Ash picked me up in one swift movement and gathered me up into his arms.
“Thanks, Shortie,” he murmured against me. “Once again, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I didn’t want to let go.
I heard the sounds of polite clapping from some of the ministers, and Memenion shouted out a sincere congratulations, but other than that, the pavilion had fallen silent once again. This was a wildly different atmosphere from the original kingship trials.
“I should get off you, shouldn’t I?” I whispered in Ash’s ear.
His low laugh rumbled against me.
“Probably,” he replied, and I could feel him smiling.
I dropped down, and looked for Tejus and Hazel. They were standing a few feet apart, and Hazel was beaming broadly, mouthing a ‘congratulations’. Tejus was smiling, but it didn’t meet his eyes. It must have been painful for him to witness, to know that Ash had just become king of Hellswan. Tejus’s birthright—his home. Hazel followed my gaze, and as she looked at Tejus her face softened. She gave him a reassuring smile, but I noticed that she didn’t dare touch him…
Oh.
You idiot.
I’d spent all day worrying about Hazel and her future, and then the trials, that I’d completely failed to notice the massive, huge, horrifying pink elephant in the room.
Oh, my God.
If Hazel had become a sentry because she was intimate with Tejus…then where did that leave me and Ash?
My face must have gone white, because Hazel rushed up to me, her eyes full of concern. “Ruby, what’s up? Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah…I’m fine,” I replied slowly. “I just…realized something. But it’s nothing,” I amended. “I think I left something at the castle.”
“What?” asked Hazel, looking at me oddly.
“Um, my…lucky penny.”
“Your lucky penny?” Hazel repeated.
“Yep.”
“Okay. I didn’t realize you had a lucky penny. Clearly you didn’t need it?” she questioned, talking to me like I was a small child.
“No. Obviously not.”
“Right. Okay, you need some sleep,” she asserted, clearly thinking that I was starting to go mad. The annoying thing was I wanted to talk to her about it—desperately—but this just wasn’t the right place or time…and it would probably be more sensible to talk to Ash about it first.
I felt my body go cold with dread. Were we never going to be able to be…close to one another? The thought was horrible. I really wanted to be with Ash, in every way. But if I had to make the choice…
Stop.
There was no point making imaginary decisions about it until I knew for sure. There might well be a way to stop that from happening. Someone would have to know a way, surely?
“Congratulations, Ashbik!” One of the ministers stepped forward. His cry was booming, but I could tell by his dead, black, shark eyes that he didn’t mean it. No one here, other than Memenion or Tejus, wanted Ash to be king. Let alone emperor.
“The coronation will begin tomorrow morning,” the minister continued, “and then the trials will re-commence.”
King Ash of Hellswan.
I wasn’t actually sure if I liked the sound of that.
Jenus
Defeated by a kitchen boy.
I had never suffered such shame in all my life. And with my brother watching, his lips twitching into a smile as the boy degraded me. I should never have had to battle him—that crown belonged to me! It was mine by right. My father had wanted me to wear it; the kingdom had been promised to me—I had always been the favored son in his eyes.
Now I was ruler of nothing. A dank cave, if I wished it, but I had no other home to go to. I’d had one chance to regain power, and I had single-handedly destroyed it. But no wonder! I had been half-starved, unable to syphon off anything other than small rodents that made the mistake of scurrying into my path. All the other creatures had stayed well away.
I was still lying on the cold stone of the pavilion floor. Warm blood still seeped into my robes.
Dusk was here, the shadows of the surrounding forests creeping up over me. I had half expected guards to seize me and return me to my hell hole, but none had arrived yet – I could see them up ahead in the distance, no doubt discussing what should be done with me. Tejus and the kitchen king had already left…I supposed they no longer considered me to be a danger… too weak to pose a threat.
They would be proved wrong.
“Jenus, you look uncomfortable.”
A treacle-like voice oozed from the darkness. Queen Trina approached the steps up to the pavilion, her beautiful face half-cast in darkness.
“Mind your own business!” I hissed, spitting a globule of phlegm in her direction.
She merely smiled, side-stepping the spittle.
“Charming,” she retorted.
I sighed, resting my head back on the stone.
She-devil.
I loathed Queen Trina. I wasn’t alone in that, I was sure. As a young boy, I had loved her, fascinated with her dark, thick hair and her almond eyes, and the soft mocking of her smile. I had worshiped her from afar, waiting for my moment, waiting till I was man enough to woo her. I had been a fool. With the same reverence I held for her, she’d attached herself to Tejus, plotting and scheming her way into his life—on occasion using me as a pawn just to get close to him. To make him love her. My handsome, arrogant brother, the monster who had everything, and hated himself for it.
“Go away,” I sighed. “I don’t want or need your help.”
“It doesn’t look that way,” she remarked, as casually as if we were two people having a picnic in a park.
“What do you want?” I asked, changing tactics. I was too tired and humiliated to play games.
“To help you,” she replied simply.
“And what scheme would that play into? Is it another arrow to be aimed at Tejus’s heart? I have news for you—he has evidently moved on.” I smiled to myself. I knew that comment would enrage her.
She was silent for a few moments.
“I know how you feel,” she whispered eventually. “I know what humiliation is. I know what it’s like to be shut out in the cold by Tejus. I know what a desperate place that is. I’ve been there.”
“I do not care what Tejus thinks of me,” I snapped back.
“Perhaps not,” she conceded, “but where else are you going to go? You are an enemy of Hellswan now, Jenus. Perhaps you might join me instead. You and I are survivors—the ones who stand back and witness the rise of others, and then their eventual downfall, all the while maintaining our balance.”
“You don’t think this is a downfall?” I raged.
She shrugged. “You are alive. You are in a better position than you think, Jenus.”
“How so?”
“There is a dark power coming. An ancient one, once king of all, cut down by the very men who served him. Once he is risen, he will restore true balance. Come to my kingdom—help me. Share in my glory, Jenus.”
Queen Trina’s words sounded utterly implausible, and yet they sent a shiver of fear running down my spine. I had never heard her talk with such seriousness, such awe. Did she really believe that an ancient power was rising? What power? What glory?
“You’re making no sense,” I replied curtly.
“Oh, but I will if you come with me.”
&
nbsp; “Why, if you’re so eager for me to join you, did you not rescue me from that abysmal cave?”
At this, Queen Trina laughed. “Where would the fun have been in that?” she asked. “Jenus, all things happen in their own time. Events thus far have been just as they should be. Surprising, yes, but eventually satisfactory. Join me, Jenus,” she said again. “You will not regret it.”
I assessed my options—it didn’t take long.
It was either the cave or the Seraq kingdom, known for its lavish opulence and comfort. I would be a fool to turn her down…and even if it meant I was willingly becoming a pawn in whatever political game she was playing, at least I would be a well-fed and warm one.
“Agreed,” I sighed, sitting up.
Queen Trina smiled in the darkness, her eyes almost luminous as she fixed her gaze on me. Suddenly, I felt more like prey than political pawn.
Sherus
I was escorted through The Shade with two of my guards, led by yet another witch to the treehouse apartments where Ben and Derek lived with their families. They were curious places—modern, from what I understood of the human world, and beautifully constructed, but I had no real idea as to why they lived among the trees and were not content with the ground.
When we reached the door, the witch knocked, clearing her throat as if she was nervous about approaching the inhabitants. She was young—I imagined she was some kind of novice, a younger generation of a coven that hadn’t yet reached the height of her powers.
Derek opened the door, smiling politely when he saw me, but eyeing my guards with suspicion.
“Thank you, Arwen.” He nodded at the witch. “You can leave us.”
She nodded back, and without another word she turned and left, disappearing down beneath the wooden veranda.
“I see you have brought company,” he observed, regarding my armed companions with interest.
“Telis and Kelit. They are my most trusted guards—I hoped they could help us.”
Derek nodded, standing aside to let us inside.
“You’re all welcome.”
We followed Derek into the living room, where Benjamin stood waiting.
“Sherus.” He nodded in greeting. “Do you have news?”
“I have persuaded the fae to unite. All the kingdoms will now work together when the threat shows itself. It is the first time in many, many years that a treaty of this kind has been reached. Long may it continue.”
Benjamin listened to what I had to say, but I noticed his glance often returning to the guards behind me. His expression was curious, and I could see that the boy still had questions about the nature of the body he inhabited.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to unearth anything yet,” Derek replied.
I had expected this. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that whatever was rising would somehow be under the radar of all of us, potentially undetected before it was too late. It would explain why the omens presented to me were so strong; the stars always had a way of compensating for the frailty of the mortal.
“Which is why we have come to assist you,” I replied. “I believe that the threat is going to come from your world, not ours.”
“What makes you say that?” Benjamin asked.
“I feel it,” I replied. “And the stars do not lie.”
Benjamin nodded, but I could sense his skepticism. It didn’t bother me—he still had a lot to learn about our kind, and the connection that all fae had to nature, quite different to all other supernatural creatures.
“Then we welcome you here,” Derek announced. “There are mountain cabins where you can stay, which I hope you’ll find to your liking.”
“Thank you,” I replied, grateful that I wouldn’t be living in these strange tree contraptions, as elegant as they were.
A few moments later I bid Derek goodbye while Benjamin led us to the cabins where we would be staying. After a few more curious glances at my guards, he left us to make ourselves at home, asking us to reconvene in an hour to go over all the research they’d unearthed so far.
Telis and Kelit positioned themselves outside of my front door. They would not rest while I was here, untrusting of the strange land they found themselves in, and wary of its inhabitants.
I bathed to refresh myself, and when I’d finished, a knock came from the door. I hastened to answer it—the hour had not yet passed, and I hoped this meant that Derek might have some news. As soon as I saw his face, it was clear that he did not.
“What is it?” I asked, noting his bemused expression.
Before he could reply, my flame-haired sister stepped into view.
“Did you think you could leave me out of all this, Sherus?” she demanded.
“Lidera.” I sighed. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I’m here to stop you from making any ridiculous mistakes—and to keep you company.”
“So you might abandon me at the final hour?” I asked sarcastically, recalling the time she had left me in The Underworld.
“Sherus,” she warned, “stop bringing up ancient history and let me help you.”
There would be no use arguing with her. When Lidera made up her mind, that was usually the end of it.
“Can The Shade accommodate one more fae?” I asked King Derek politely.
“Of course,” he replied. “We will see to it.”
I let Lidera enter the cabin, and groaned inwardly.
Hazel
When we arrived back at the castle, I headed straight for Tejus’s living quarters. I wanted to join in the celebrations with Ash and Ruby, but as the servants and the kids gathered around to admire the soon-to-be-king Ash, I felt overwhelmed by my hunger – the constant repression of it was making me tired and irritable.
I tried to slip away unnoticed, but as soon as I entered the living room, Tejus appeared in the doorway – remaining at the entrance to give me some space.
“How are you?” he asked, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the frame.
“I’m… okay. I was getting a headache being around all those people…the hunger gets worse the more tired I get.”
He nodded in understanding. “You should get some rest. You won’t be able to fight it off if you’re sleep-deprived. Trust me.”
I raised my eyebrows at Tejus’s admission. When has he not been able to hold back?
He smiled. “It can get quite bad during sentry teenage years, let’s leave it at that.”
Hormones out of control … I guessed that would make an extra impact. Certainly, whenever Tejus was around I felt the hunger and all the crazy emotions that went with it peak and dive like a rollercoaster. Not that, when it came to him, I was much different when I was human…
“Can I come in?” he asked.
I frowned. “Uh, yes. It’s your home.”
“I’m trying to give you space. I don’t want to make this any harder for you.”
“You’re not,” I lied. I wanted him around – it wasn’t only the hunger that drew me to him, after spending the night together I couldn’t stop thinking about the way his skin had felt brushing against mine, his kisses that had run all over my body, the silent exhales that had escaped his lips and mine…Being near him, but not able to touch him, was driving me crazy. Like I didn’t have enough crazy to deal with.
“I’m going to take a bath anyway,” I announced. I desperately needed something comforting and warm – if it wasn’t going to be Tejus’s embrace, then a bath would have to do.
“I’ll meet you here when you’re done.”
“Okay,” I gulped. There was something about the way he’d worded that statement which made my legs feel weak and the pit of my stomach knot.
I made my way to the bathroom, and after running the faucet for a while, I stepped into the near-boiling water – fragrantly scented with oils and dried petals. I leaned my head against the edge of the tub, feeling the tension in my muscles finally relax…
I woke up to cold water and
Lucifer meowing outside the door. I must have drifted off. Hastily, I wrapped a towel around me and went back to the living room. Tejus had lit a fire, and was sitting on one of the velvet sofas idly flicking through one of the ministers’ volumes.
“You were gone a while,” he observed, his dark eyes lazily wandering up and down my body.
“I fell asleep, sorry.”
I felt hugely self-conscious standing in the living room with just a towel on, and without waiting for him to say another word, I slipped into the spare room to put on some clothes. I heard Tejus rise from the sofa.
“I would like it if you would sleep in my room tonight,” he spoke.
I paused briefly before quickly wrapping myself in a robe.
“But…we can’t…” I trailed off.
“I know,” he replied, appearing before me. “But it’s where you belong – still. Even if I can’t hold you.”
I thought about the request, heat rising in my cheeks when I thought of the bed – in my mind I would forever remember it covered with tangled sheets, and Tejus leaning up against the headboard.
“Okay,” I breathed.
He stepped back out of the spare room, clearing his throat.
“I’ll let you get comfortable,” he said, gesturing toward his bedroom.
Unable to look him in the eye, I hastened to the room. My stomach was fluttering wildly, and I noticed the complete absence of my hunger – replaced by surging emotions and feelings of a totally different kind.
The bed had been re-made. I walked over to the frame, sliding beneath the cool sheets with my head propped up against the pillows. I started to notice things I hadn’t before – the way the decoration in this room was slightly different to the rest of the living quarters. It was more sparse – the crushed red velvet replaced by dark wools and oak. It suited Tejus more than the other rooms.
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