Mark of Love (Love Mark Fantasy Book 3)

by Linda Kage

  “God. I can’t even believe you’re really here. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”

  I touched his hair and ran a couple of locks between my fingers, marveling over the very same fact. “I was sure I wouldn’t see you again. They told me you were dead.”

  His brow furrowed. “Who told you that?”

  “King Ignatius. He said he made sure you’d never be able to find me. I thought that meant—”

  “My mark.” Indigo touched his temple where the nasty black scab there had healed into a bright pink scar when we’d kissed. “He meant he took my mark so I literally couldn’t track you. But nothing was going to keep me from finding you. Not ever.”

  “When did you speak with my father?” The other man that Qualmer had called Olivander asked.

  I blinked up at him, not expecting to learn he was King Ignatius’s son. Paling, I wondered if this meant someone was going to try to imprison me yet again.

  But Indigo stroked the side of my head with a soothing hand. “This is Vander Bjorn, by the way,” he said. “Prince of High Cliff. But don’t worry. He knows everything, and he’s here to help.”

  I just gaped at him, not comprehending a statement where High Cliff royalty and help could be uttered in the same sentence to a Graykey. But Indigo seemed to trust him, so I nodded and gave the two men a quick summary of what had happened, glossing over most of the details.

  “So your cousin saved you from my uncle?” Indigo’s face went sheet white as he glanced toward the dead body. “Maybe I was too rash to kill him—”

  “No,” I assured him, taking his hand and squeezing. “His plans for me weren’t any better than your uncle’s.”

  I explained how Qualmer still had three children out there that needed to be found and protected from the curse and how he’d planned on begetting more Graykeys from me—because he never learned I couldn’t have children.

  The High Cliff prince scrubbed a weary hand over his face. “Well, if this whole mess isn’t a clusterfuck and a half. Not only do I have to explain the deaths of both Teller and Gill to the king, but now there’s a new generation of Graykeys out there to deal with as well. Plus, what the fuck am I supposed to do about all these guards that were loyal to the imposter?”

  “Begging you pardon, my lord,” one of the soldiers in custody spoke up, “but we had no idea he was a Graykey. We served Master Gill long before he became king.” Narrowing his eyes at Qualmer’s corpse, he spat at it and claimed, “It enrages us to learn we’ve been deceived along with everyone else. We would like to return home to Lowden with his body and tell our people what transpired here today and how he lied to everyone for years. We’d also like permission to search for the three Graykey youth.”

  “As long as you don’t execute the children when you find them,” Olivander allowed with a nod. “Because there is a way to keep them from falling victim to the curse without killing them.”

  The soldier nodded as he pressed a fist against his heart. “You have our word, my lord.”

  “Thank you.” Turning toward me and Indigo, Olivander exhaled heavily. “I guess that just leaves you two to take care of.”

  I drew in a sharp breath.

  Indigo narrowed his eyes and gathered me closer. “What do you mean by that?”

  Olivander glanced at the scene around us. “What do you think I mean, Indy? The king’s going to be livid enough when he learns Lowden kept a Graykey on the throne all this time, deceiving him, and that this very Graykey murdered his close friend, Everett. But when you add in another Graykey at the crux of it all—one who still breathes.” He nodded his head my way. “He’ll be more determined than ever to find and kill her. Because he’s going to need someone to punish for it all. So you’re going to have to run. And hide. And I can’t know where you flee to, in case they try to torture the information out of me.”

  “But why would the king turn on Indigo?” I demanded. “He should be hailed a hero for exposing the imposter king and killing him.”

  With an agreeing nod, Olivander said, “He really should. Your mate should be safe in that regard. But I can’t imagine he’d merely let you run off and disappear by yourself. I figured he’d want to share your fate with you.”

  “He’s right; I do.” Indigo turned to me, his eyes swirling with pain and determination. “Unless it was better for you to go somewhere without me.”

  I blinked, unable to believe what I was hearing. Did he just announce he didn’t plan on spending the rest of his life with me? I shook my head, confused, hurt, enraged. “What’re you saying?”

  He smiled sadly and brushed the backs of his knuckles across my cheek before holding up the necklace he’d taken off Qualmer’s body. I gasped at the amulet, realizing what he meant.

  “You can still go,” he murmured. “Melaina refused to leave without you, by the way.”

  I flashed him a startled glance, and he nodded.

  “She found me and was so upset about your disappearance she almost bled to death from crying so hard. We left her convalescing at an inn in Belle. She still has the other amulet. So we can take you there to her, and the two of you can go to Earth together. Like we originally planned. Because you can’t stay here. Not now when they’ll be more determined than ever to catch you.”

  I was already shaking my head, hating that idea. “But we don’t have an amulet for you yet. We can’t—”

  He pressed his forehead to mine, silencing me. “It doesn’t matter where you go; I’ll still love you. And I’ll be with you here.” He pressed his hand to my heart. “Always.”

  Tears filled my eyes. “But I claimed you,” I rasped, gripping the front of his tunic and holding on, not about to let him go, ever. “That first night, after you fell asleep, I said the words and made you mine. You could’ve always come with me, from the moment you told me you had another amulet.”

  “You did?” His eyes widened with wonder. And then a grin stole over his face. “You claimed me?”

  I nodded. “Of course, I claimed you. I love you.”

  He exhaled roughly. “God. I love you too. I love you so much.” Gripping my face, he kissed me hard. “Then I’ll come with you. And I’ll return to Earth again as soon as I can, once I’m sucked back to the Outer Realms. Thank you.” He nuzzled his nose against mine. “Thank you for trusting me enough with your soul to claim me.”

  I didn’t feel like arguing with him at the moment, because there was no way I was going to Earth with an amulet if he wasn’t. But we could discuss that later. For now, I merely touched his face and replied, “Thank you for being the kind of man I could feel confident in giving my soul to.”

  He kissed me hard, attacking my mouth with a fervency that had his prince friend clearing his throat discreetly.

  “Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Olivander said, his voice dry yet amused. “But we should probably clean this scene up and get back on the road now. If you have a place you can go, I suggest we get to Belle and fetch the violent redhead with the utmost haste so you can be on your way.”

  Indigo curled an arm around my shoulders and tugged me close. “Good idea. Let’s get moving.”

  As we all set about the task of preparing to leave the area, Olivander frowned our way and asked, “By the way, what is this Earth you mentioned?”

  Indigo and I exchanged a grin. Then he glanced toward his friend. “We’ll explain everything on the way.”

  Chapter 41

  Quilla

  A possessive arm curled around me, cupping my breast.

  “You’re mine now,” Everett breathed into my ear as he pressed his erection against my bottom. “No one’s ever going to take you from me.”

  I gasped awake, shoving at the heavy arm draped limply over my hip. Scuttling forward to escape the warm body that had been tucked behind me, I flew from the bedroll where we’d been camping and whirled around, ready to attack.

  On the bedding, Indigo jerked upright, and though his tired eyes widened in alarm, the nearby campf
ire reflecting onto his face showed how heavily ringed with sleep they still were.

  The man was exhausted.

  “What? What’s wrong?” he asked anyway, his voice urgent with concern. “Are you okay?”

  I gaped at him, blinking rapidly, then relaxed my tensed muscles and tried to catch my breath. “I—I’m sorry,” I gushed.

  “What’re you apologizing for?” Shoving his legs free of the blankets, he draped his feet over the side of the bedroll before lifting his arms and inviting me to return to him.

  I did immediately, crawling onto his lap and letting him wrap his arms around me. My head landed against his sturdy heartbeat, and I lifted my hand, shifting my palm over the comforting security of his presence.

  “Quilla,” he murmured, kissing the side of my bald head, his lips warm and tender against my skin. “I hope you know you can tell me anything. Absolutely one hundred percent anything. You don’t have to worry about my reaction. You don’t have to fear any consequences. You don’t have to protect me from an unpleasant truth. Whatever the case may be, conversations between us will always be a safe place—confidential and judgment-free. Even if it’s something you’re afraid I won’t like or would hurt me, I want to hear it anyway.”

  “I…” I shook my head, not even sure what I wanted to say. There were so many painful, horrifying memories locked in my head. It seemed like letting them out would destroy me. I just needed to stay strong. I needed to hold them in and ignore them until they went away. That was all. I just had to stay quiet and—

  “Keeping something bad inside you for too long will only make it fester and grow,” Indigo murmured, pressing his brow to my temple as if he could read my mind. “I don’t want that for you, empress.”

  “But…” I glanced at him, my eyes wide and frightened.

  There was just so much of it. So much darkness. So much horror. I didn’t want any of that on him. He was my pureness and light. Smiles and optimism. He couldn’t be ruined by this too.

  “What happened to you does not have to control you. And you don’t have to talk now or even anytime soon, but the best thing for you would be to get all this shit out of your head and for you to take control of it by giving it a voice and talking about it.”

  I blew out a long lungful of indecision. “Are you sure you want to hear it?” I asked.

  He shuddered and shook his head. “No. I’m pretty certain I don’t.” Then he took my hand. “But I think you need to tell it, anyway. For your own benefit.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. I could do this. The fear of it clogged my pores, making me want to stay silent, but that only ratcheted up my determination to do as he suggested. I didn’t want to be afraid anymore. I didn’t want it to control me. I had to conquer the fear, not give in to it.

  “I—I just need to collect my thoughts a second.”

  Indigo kissed my ear gently. “Take as long as you need.”

  But the longer I stalled, the more the fear crowded into my lungs and made me want to still my tongue, which caused my anxiety to mount even more and remember when I’d been unable to talk.

  Not wanting my words to be suffocated by anything a moment longer, I blurted, “I thought you were him. Just now. I’m sorry. I didn’t—I didn’t realize it was you. I didn’t mean to jerk away from you like that. I just—”

  “Shh,” he assured, stroking my arm. “It’s me. It’s okay. Take your time. You don’t have to rush or push—”

  Except now, it felt like I did. “I’m alright now,” I told him, gripping his wrist in gratitude. “I can talk.”

  I would talk.

  Releasing a breath, he nodded. “Okay, then. Who did you think I was?”

  “Him,” I answered, momentarily squeezing my eyes shut. “Your uncle.” And then, because saying his name felt scary, I had to add, “Everett. The last few days he had me, he started sleeping next to me, pressed against me from behind.”

  Bile rose in my throat, but I swallowed it back down.

  Indigo tensed. His rage and heartbreak were so palpable I could smell the steam scorching off his skin.

  “Did he—?” He couldn’t finish the question, so I did.

  “Rape me? No. But he did just about everything else. I think torturing me became a fetish of his, and he grew obsessed with the idea of owning and controlling me. I was too much of a filthy Graykey to actually tup, but he still looked, and fondled, and masturbated on me frequently.”

  “Christ,” Indigo hissed, repeatedly wiping his face with his hands. “If he started sleeping next to you, it sounded like he was starting to change his mind about the tupping part too.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. Probably. But Qualmer showed up before it got that far.”

  “And now I’m really beginning to regret killing that bastard. I should’ve thanked him instead of cutting his—”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You did the right thing with Qualmer. He didn’t plan to treat me any better than Everett had. Though I am glad he got me away from the extractor.”

  “The extractor?”

  With a nod, I explained everything, going into detail this time, since I’d merely glossed over my experience before when I’d told him what had happened. I gave terror and hopelessness a new face with my words, letting him know exactly what had transpired. And by the time I was done talking, I was exhausted and tired, ready to sleep for a week straight. But I felt lighter.

  Inside.

  Indigo had been right. Voicing the darkness and horror helped relieve the pressure. It got it out of my head and made me think I might just survive this after all.

  There was this raw vulnerability inside me, yes, as if I’d just shaved all the old, vile gunk off in the inner lining of my body with a sharp blade, leaving everything new and tender and exposed, but it also made me feel cleansed, as if I’d be stronger and healthier for it once I healed and adjusted to the newness of the change.

  Indigo looked wrecked and haunted after hearing it, though. A layer of sweat coated his skin, his eyes looked glazed with shock and torment, and I swear his muscles were going to be stuck permanently on tense. But all he did was lie down, taking me with him and kept his arms wrapped around me as he gathered me close.

  “Thank you for telling me,” he said. “I didn’t think I could love you any more than I did yesterday. But listening to your story of strength and endurance as you suffered through all that just made my awe and adoration for you double. You’re the bravest, most beautiful woman I know. Inside and out.”

  I kissed his jaw and stroked his cheek. “I only made it through because of you. I kept thinking about your smile and infernal optimism and how you asked me to live, so I kept forcing the air into my lungs, and I clung to life no matter what.”

  We reached the inn where the men had left Melaina by midmorning the next day. And even before we made it to the cottage she was staying in, I could hear her banshee screeching as she attacked the poor guard Indigo had left with her, trying to get past him and out the door.

  “If you don’t move out of my way, you sexy young buffoon, I’m going to be forced to remove one of my favorite members of your anatomy, and trust me, neither of us wants that.”

  Chuckling, I glanced over at Indigo. “I never thought I’d miss the sound of her threatening anyone. But I think I did.”

  “Yeah.” He reached across the two horses we rode and took my hand, squeezing warmly. “Life wouldn’t be the same without her.”

  “Melaina,” I called as soon as we reached the inn where my aunt had just bulldozed her way through the panicked and helpless guard who was trying to keep her inside. “Stop tormenting the poor soldier. He’s only trying to keep you safe.”

  My aunt paused in her tracks before turning slowly my way.

  I stopped my horse and dismounted, taking in her features. Her cheeks were hollowed, and deep purple bruises underlined her eyes. Indigo hadn’t been lying when he said she’d nearly killed herself worrying about me.

  Pressure filled my
chest and tears of gratitude rose. I knew she couldn’t show emotion, but I’d honestly thought she’d never really cared about me. Though I never would’ve wished her to be hurt because of it, I had to admit it was nice to finally know just how important I was to her.

  She blinked once, her lips parting with awe. Then her eyes narrowed as she stormed toward me, where she slapped me as hard as I think anyone had ever been slapped before.

  “Don’t you ever worry me like that again, you miserable little cow,” she fumed, unable to reveal her true emotions, or she just might die after all. “Do you know what kind of torment you put me through? I thought I’d lost you for good; I almost died from the—”

  Throwing my arms around her, I hugged her to me, glad to have her back in my world. “I missed you too,” I whispered in her ear. “I love you, Aunt Melaina.”

  She shuddered in my arms, a small sob working up her throat. Then she pushed me away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? We are not the hugging sort.” Glaring at Indigo, she pointed. “Way to go, you fucking High Clifter. You turned my perfectly tough little girl into a soft-hearted pansy.”

  He grinned at her and saluted. “And you’re welcome for that.”

  With a sniff, she turned back to me, looking me over severely, probably searching for wounds. But Indigo had healed them all. Finally, she settled for a sneer as she took in my shaved head. Reaching out, she barely touched the stubble. “And what motherfucker took all that gorgeous hair? I want to personally rip his throat out with—”

  “Your son already beat you to that honor,” Indigo cut in, causing Melaina to whirl toward him with an incredulous glance.

  “Say what now?”

  We explained everything to her: where I’d been kept and what had happened to me, then how Qualmer had shown up, impersonating the King of Lowden.

  And at the end of the tale, she merely nodded, saying nothing about the fact that Indigo had killed her son. Just, “So I have three grandchildren out there somewhere in the Outer Realms, huh?” She sighed sadly, gazing out at nothing. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”