by Bailey Dark
Destined For The Fae King
Mated To The Fae King Book Two
Bailey Dark
Copyright © 2019 by Bailey Dark
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
BLURB
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
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BLURB
“She shivers as I drag my tongue across her jugular. It’s been too long since I kissed this woman. Too long since I felt her heat in my arms. She writhes against me, panting, and I grin ferally. “
Verity Chastain almost died saving her sadistic, charming kidnapper from the curse that threatened to take his life and destroy his kingdom. But something awoke inside her when she broke his curse, something dark.
Struggling to discover her past and her future, Verity pulls away from the one man who could save her. With their relationship fraying at the seams, Altair is desperate to find a way to save his kingdom from the Bloodbane witches. When news arrives that the Bloodbane are preparing to start a war, Altair’s desperation reaches new heights.
Dark forces are brewing on Alnembra’s borders, as they are in Verity’s heart.
Chapter 1
Verity
The healer bends over my belly, his lips pursed as they study what’s left of the stab wound. I wince as he prods the laceration delicately; even the smallest touches send the pain flaring. He murmurs to himself and then withdraws a salve from his robes. It smells pungent, like ginger or mustard. I wrinkle my nose as he swipes the yellow cream over the gash in my belly.
Almost every day the healers have a new cream to apply to aid in the healing process. They seem almost baffled that I haven’t healed completely yet after two weeks. But I’m human, not Fae. I clamber to my feet and lift my arms so the healer can wrap a bandage around my belly. His fingers are cool and nimble, like little kisses of snow against my skin.
When he’s finished, I tug my shirt back down over my belly. He passes me the cane with a smile. “Many blessings, Curse-Breaker,” he says bowing.
I force a smile. “Many blessings.”
Curse-Breaker. That’s what the servants and healers have been calling me in whispered breaths. No one saw what happened between Altair, Maaz, and I. No one knows that breaking the curse was as simple as pledging my life to his – whatever that means. I inhale sharply, staring into empty space. I know what it means. I know what it meant.
I swallow thickly. My engagement to Henry ended in such a mess I’m in no hurry to be engaged again. And yet here I am – sworn to a Fae King. The cane is a heavy weight in my hands as I force myself to lean on it and leave the healer’s chambers. I do my best to stand tall while supporting myself on the cane, but in the end, I look like a hunched old woman.
I pass halls filled with smiling servants and stoic guards. They bow or curtsy as I pass before returning to their duties. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the strange obeisance they show me. I’m not a Curse-Breaker or a hero, I’m just a girl. Altair hasn’t noticed any difference in the Fae’s behavior, but he’s kept busy running his country for the first time in a thousand years.
I bite my lip as I think of him; the man I swore myself to. He hasn’t pressed me for marriage yet, but I can only assume that’s because of my injury. I almost don’t want the gash to heal if it can put off my future. My uncertain future. With the wound, I know what happens day in and day out.
Breakfast. Reading. Lunch. Healers. Dinner. A short visit from Altair. Sleep.
The days are boring and drag on, but I know at the end of them I won’t be pressed for decisions. There’s too much for me to think about. Too many questions. And right now, the only question on my mind, the only one that constantly plagues me, is who I am. What I am. I slow as I approach the library. The halls are always emptier around the library, I don’t feel so rushed to make my way out of the eyes of the servants and guards.
Altair and others insist that the Bloodbane oath flows through my veins. I know it’s true. I felt it when the witches kidnapped me and held me so tightly. I felt it when I said the words that ended Altair’s curse. I feel it now. My Bloodbane ancestry is like lead in my veins. I feel it always, a constant pressure. It’s a reminder of what abilities and powers lie in store for me. Even that is a mystery. Altair refuses my questions about the Bloodbane, my requests to know my own history. I grimace, my past and future feels lost to me.
At the door of the library I pause and catch my breath. Walking long distances, even from one end of the palace to the other, often leaves me short of breath now. I come to the library almost every day searching for answers or clues as to who I am and what my covenant with Altair means.
This world of magic, Fae, and witches is new to me. New and unfamiliar. And wholly different from anything I expected when I imagined these fantastical realms before. There is only one thing about myself and my blood I’m certain of. The Bloodbane witches gain their power from their binding to Sadal Malik. They wed him figuratively and he gives them their power. He would have given me my power if I had said my oath to him and not Altair.
I don’t know what happens to me now that I’ll be binding myself to another man and not the Dark God. Another question no one has been able to answer. Perhaps I won’t have access to powerful magic anymore. Maybe nothing will change at all. After all, Altair isn’t an ancient god. But ever since I said the words, the oath in my veins has been singing constantly. Waiting for something. Or someone.
I shake my head, trying to clear my mind of the anxiety I feel almost constantly now. I head to the far corner of the library, where the tomes on magic and the Bloodbane witches are kept. With the cane in one hand, and two heavy texts in the other, I waddle back to the center of the room to a chair pushed up beside the window.
With a grunt, I heave the books onto an adjacent table and settle carefully into the chair. Sunshine pours through the windows, warming my chilled skin. I open the first book and flip to the first page. It’s a history of the Bloodbane witch clans. There are five in total, with many divisions within the major clans. They have a complex structure of leadership. But their Chieftess is always the strongest among them. Maaz.
I feel a tingle of fear trickle down my spine as I think of her. She’s ancient; several thousand years old. And she’s led the Bloodbane witches for most of them. I remember her cruel, blue eyes as she glowered at me during our last encounter. She was murderous and frightening. The memory of her blade burying itself in my belly after she threw it towards Altair sends my heart racing. I’m breathing too quickly, too shallowly. I clutch the arm rests beside me, digging my nails into the soft velvet.
Panic floods through me and it’s as if I’m back in
that moment when I thought my life was ending. The pain in my belly flares as my blood pumps faster. I know it’s slipping through the stitches now and beginning to soak the bandage. I clench my eyes shut, forcing myself to take deep breaths.
I lurch as I feel a strong hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Verity, you’re safe,” Altair murmurs.
My eyes open enough to see him crouch in front of me. He presses his hands on my legs, attempting to ground me. “Altair,” I whisper fearfully.
“Shh.” His brows are furrowed. “Breathe.”
After a few moments of struggling to catch my breath, I feel my heart settle. I inhale deeply and then release the breath slowly. My muscles relax, and I can finally open my eyes completely. “I’m sorry,” I say as I stare into his hazel eyes.
His black hair is swept back, revealing the tips of his pointed ears. His full lips are pulled into a concerned smile. My eyes rake over his frame. Even crouched before me, it’s obvious that he’s tall and lean. His tunic is unlaced near the collar, just enough to reveal a slip of hair.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he says. I nod. Altair takes the book from my lap and inspects it. “Just a bit of light reading?”
I blanch, knowing what he thinks of me learning about the Bloodbane. “I know it’s dangerous to involve myself with Bloodbane magic, but it’s part of who I am. And since the curse was broken, I’ve felt so lost,” I say softly.
“What do you mean?” He frowns.
I bite my lip. “Whether you or I like it, I am a Bloodbane. At least, almost. But now that I’ve made my vow to you and not to Sadal Melik, I don’t know what happens next. I don’t know what happens to me and my magic.”
“It’s a little early in your life to be having an existential crisis,” he says, cocking a brow.
“Altair.” I glower at him.
He laughs softly. “I know.” His eyes grow serious and his voice lowers. “You’re Verity Chastain, you’re the Curse-Breaker. And my future wife.”
My heart beats wildly at his words. Curse-Breaker. Wife. “That’s a lot to put on a librarian’s shoulders,” I whisper. My gut is twisted and heavy.
“You’ve been cooped up in this castle for too long,” Altair quips, rising. “Let me take you to see Desmarais, the City of Glass.”
I furrow my brows and sink back into the chair. “Is it safe?”
“You don’t have to worry, Verity,” Altair says gently. “Maaz and her witches are far from Desmarais.”
“I can hardly walk.” I tilt my chin towards the cane next to me. “I barely made it from the healer’s tower to the library.”
“Not to worry; I’ll take you on a grand tour in my carriage,” Altair says.
I purse my lips but rise shakily to my feet. I am eager to get out of the palace and the palace grounds. The palace is all I’ve seen of Altair’s kingdom, except the wilderness from my last abduction. I reach for my cane, grimacing in pain, but excitement tugs at my heart. I feel lighter already.
“Is it really that terrible?” He asks, cocking a brow.
“I feel like an old woman,” I sigh.
Suddenly, Altair’s strong arms sweep me off my feet. He lifts me into the air easily and holds me against his chest. My eyes widen and I gasp softly at the sudden move. My cane clatters to the floor, the sound echoing through the empty library. Altair’s eyes rove over me, a smile playing at his lips. An image of the two of us pressed together, lips trailing kisses over bare skin, flits through my mind. My cheeks heat at the thought, but I can’t tear my gaze away from his full lips.
“I can walk on my own,” I say, wiggling in his arms.
A soft purr rumbles from his chest. “I can’t let a woman as beautiful as you suffer.”
“Altair,” I say, my voice carrying a hint of a whine.
“Do you want me to drop you?” He cocks a brow.
I yelp as he relaxes his arms long enough to let me slip a few inches closer to the ground. “You are such a bastard,” I hiss, clinging to his chest.
Altair chuckles low, adjusting his grip. His hand grazes my ass and my breath hitches in my throat. “If that’s what I have to be for the pleasure of feeling you in my arms,” he purrs. I go stiff, a blush creeping to my cheeks. “Do you know it’s been weeks since I last held you close?”
“No,” I stammer. I’ve kept Altair at a distance since the night I broke his curse.
“Liar,” he murmurs. “Let me hold you like this.”
We fall silent as he strides out of the library. I relax into his arms as he sweeps out the main door and down the castle steps to the awaiting carriage. I bite my lip as he sets me down gently in front of the door. I climb onto the first step, hands on the door frame to hoist myself in. I can feel Altair’s eyes on me and it sends a thrill coursing through me.
There’s a loud clatter and I turn instinctively to find the source of the noise. My heart beats out of time in my chest as I make eye contact with a Fae gardener. His eyes are a deep brown, black from a distance, and his skin is pale like ivory. He’s tall, with a lithe figure. His lips are quirked into a wicked smile as I meet his gaze. He turns away to pick up his fallen tools and I can’t help but stare at his lean muscles. It feels as if time itself has frozen in that instant, everything falls away except the gardener’s eyes.
Behind me, Altair gently nudges one of my hands free, as if to assist me. I blink, drawing my gaze away from the beautiful Fae. With Altair’s help, I clamber into the carriage and settle in the corner. The cushions of the carriage seats are a plush, red velvet with gold trim. He slams the door as he sits. The carriage is large enough to fit Altair’s large frame and then some.
We trundle away from the palace as I quell the excitement in my chest. Altair smiles at me from across the carriage; a patient, hopeful smile. I meet his gaze, chewing on my bottom lip. I’m not used to the thoughtful and kind version of Altair that he’s projecting today. I turn away, pretending to stare at the palace grounds as we approach the gates. I imagine I see the gardener again, this time in the shade of a mulberry tree. I drag my gaze away from the tricky shadows and peek at Altair from behind a sheet of my brown hair.
He seems so at relaxed now that the curse is broken, and his country is his again. He’s fallen back into his duties without any trouble, and I know it makes him happy to be working again. Be stagnant for so long should have driven him mad. He lounges back in the chair, comfortable in the silence between us. I should be happy for him. But my own questions and doubts are always lingering in the back of my mind, like a cobweb in the corner.
Chapter 2
Altair
Verity is warm in my arms as I carry through the castle halls. Her petite frame has grown even lighter in the past weeks since she’s been injured. I hide a frown, wondering if she’s eating well enough. I should be eating with her and spending more time with her, but my duties as King keep me away for most hours of the day.
I hold her a little closer, wishing again that she hadn’t jumped in front of the blade for me. It shocked me then, and I still haven’t been able to fully understand why she did it. Verity and I keep each other at arm’s length despite what we’ve been through together. The only thing that brings me hope that she might feel as strongly for me as I do for her is that she sacrificed herself for me. She’s settled in my arms, but her lips are twisted into an expression of discomfort. I suppose after losing so much precious time to be with her, it’s only natural that we’ve lost the familiarity between us.
I don’t know that I would even kiss her the way I used to. My heart clenches in my chest. Verity is to be my wife. I can’t let this distance continue. It’s too much already, a small rift between us where we should only be knitted closer together. She peeks up at me with her pale blue eyes and I grin at her. I’ll pretend I’m not worried. I’ll pretend that we’re alright.
Outside, the sun is still high in the sky. It warms my skin and I smile more broadly. Only a few weeks ago, I hadn’t felt the sun on my bare skin
in a thousand years. I missed its warm glow. No one could possibly understand just how much I cherish being in my Fae form in broad daylight now. It’s a gift.
The carriage is waiting outside and I set Verity in front of it gently. She pauses and stares into the distance, her hands on the doorframe. I trail a finger down her back and follow her gaze. There’s a gardener collecting some fallen tools. He and Verity lock eyes before he glances sharply at me. I curl my lip at him on reflex, my more territorial Fae nature revealing itself. I nudge Verity forward, drawing her attention away from the handsome gardener. She moves sluggishly, as if waking from a dream.
I follow her into the carriage and draw the curtains on my side so the gardener is hidden from view. But Verity seems to have forgotten about him now; she stares out her own window at the familiar gardens.
I watch her carefully as she gazes out the window. The carriage rolls forward, following the long drive to the castle walls. She shrinks back into the cushions, covering her face with her long brown hair. I smile, pleased that Verity and I can finally enjoy time together. For the past two weeks, after the healers determined that she wasn’t going to die, I’ve only been able to find a few minutes to spend with her. I drop my gaze as guilt tugs at my heart. I should find more time to spend with her.
She clears her throat. “Don’t you have more to do as King?”
“I cancelled all of my appointments today,” I explain, sliding across the bench so I’m directly across from her.
