by K. Rea
“Evelyn, please answer the questions,” Ares prompted; I glared at him.
“Evelyn Wolfrik Kensley, daughter of Alpha Jackson and Georgia Wolfrik of the moon shadows. Widow of Aiden Kensley. I am a friend to the fae, moon shadows, and werewolves if they seek my friendship,” I said before taking a breath.
“You should know I will bow to no man or Court. Light, dark, shadows, sea or woods—none will ever be my master again in this life or the next. If that is what you require, you best kill me now,” I spat, my claws curled around the wooden frame of the chair. Wood splintered in my hands. Ares smiled; my fury stalled. He looked to Maye, as I did. She grinned.
“She speaks the truth, as she knows it—though we know she is wrong,” Maye said with a knowing smile.
“You were right, these papers are useless,” Ares muttered. Maye snorted like she wasn’t surprised.
“Scarlett’s information is outdated, clearly. You’re not the same woman that cased Seattle for months hunting her prey,” Ares snapped his fingers, and the fire flickered in his hand. The papers burned, the smell hit me, and I flinched as my sight narrowed on those flames. I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. Ares saw and frowned. His flames disappeared from his hand.
“Call Scarlett and Captain Campbell here, please,” Ares ordered. Maye left us. Ares didn’t move as I stared back at him. Familiar gray eyes. He smiled at me gently for a moment. The click of heels behind me sounded familiar, yet strange as if from another lifetime. The smell of almond paste and ink wafted in the air ahead of Scarlett. Royce followed not far behind her, the werewolf tense. He wore a uniform similar to Ruby’s, a handgun strapped to his waist. My friendly neighbor may not be who I thought he was either; a blazing sun was sewn into the collar of his uniform. It matched the sun tattoo Scarlett displayed with the way her hair was styled up.
“Prince Ares, Mistress Maye,” Scarlett bobbed a slight curtsy. Royce crossed his arms and nodded at them and me. The werewolf was with me, at least I hoped.
“Captain Royce, Miss Scarlett, is this the Evie Wosley you encountered in Seattle? Then again, later with Alpha Mason Faolmen’s Pack?” Ares asked. Scarlett looked at me and smiled a brilliant grin.
“She’s changed, but she is the moon shadow we told you about,” Scarlett said; Royce nodded. Ares sighed.
“From what you two know and what you have seen, do you vouch for her as a potential member of the Court of Shadows or Court of Light?” Maye asked. Scarlett blanched a little.
“My sight is lacking, but I trust Evelyn to do what is best for all,” Scarlett asserted.
“Thank you, Scarlett. Captain Royce, are you of the same mindset?” Ares asked.
“Yes, sir. She is a wolf first and foremost, loyal to her pack and people. She is to be trusted, though she needs to work on trusting others.” Royce said. It was weird seeing him so formal after he had so thoroughly thrashed me in the gym not even three weeks prior.
“Thank you both. You may go,” Maye said, gesturing back to the hall.
“We will talk about what went down in Seattle, and here—soon. We should rethink your training; I’ll discuss it with Ruby.” Royce said with a pointed look. “More defense, little less offense.”
Scarlett shushed him and nudged Royce along. “May the Goddess watch over you, Evie,” she whispered before nodding at Ares again.
“You know where to find me, my prince.” Royce said with another nod of his head. He took Scarlett’s hand and walked away.
“Thank you, Captain Campbell.” Ares responded.
“Well, it’s good enough for me. We’ve talked at length with anyone who’s met you here. Except for a bitter druid, they all support you. Maye let it be known the Court of Light accepts and supports Lady Evelyn’s position. Please ensure the proper protocols are put in place,” Ares said. “We would appreciate a breeze.”
“Of course, milord,” Maye purred as she walked up and casually knocked ash from Ares’ shoulder. Even though he was not mine, not Aiden, my wolf snarled. A breeze wound around the room, smelling of fresh bread and flowers. It didn’t disturb the purple cloud.
“I was told Ciara is missing,” I said; I observed their expressions. Neither seemed upset.
“Yes,” Ares responded as he leaned forward on the throne, resting his elbows on the arms and bringing his hands together. He seemed almost curious.
“I remember the purple smoke. Were you the one that stopped me from cutting out her heart?” I asked. Ares sat back in the chair and looked to Maye.
“No, that was not me. Ciara wanted to be queen. We’ve been told she promised her soul to a demon for a pathway to becoming queen and the strength to do it. If you killed her by cutting out her heart or cutting off her head—the soul debt would have become yours to pay. Another demon from the Court of Darkness was in those woods,” Maye answered. “Mason found you at the base of a tree alone, barely alive, and brought you to us. There were signs of Ciara, but she was gone. We have people looking into it.”
“Questions, Lady Evelyn?” Ares asked, the look he gave me a challenge. He encouraged it, welcomed it.
“Did you support her in killing my parents?” I asked quietly, though my voice still carried in our small space.
“No. We were working to ally with your father, Jackson, and Mason’s father to overthrow Gaius. Your alleged betrothal talks were a smokescreen. Whether or not you married Mason Faolmen was up to you, but it allowed the alphas to come together and talk without raising the alarm at the Court of Shadows. Most vampires aren’t interested in the marital affairs of moon shadows, especially ones they didn’t know about,” Ares explained.
“Mason seemed to think the talks were real,” I snapped.
“They were, to a point. Unfortunately, Ciara found out about them. She discovered you did not die at birth like most of the world believed. Your existence was kept a secret to a select few until recently. Ciara quickly realized she wasn’t our choice to lead the Court of Shadows once Gaius was removed,” Maye interjected.
“Without our knowledge, Ciara poisoned Mason’s father and killed your parents. With moon shadows and vampires at war with each other—the throne for Court of Shadows would go to the victor. She didn’t expect the Wolfrik children to survive another Shadow War. She didn’t expect you,” Ares answered with a smirk.
“We disavowed Ciara’s alliance as soon as we found out what she had done. My family mourned the deaths of your parents; they were good people. They would have ruled the Court of Shadows fairly, something this Court hasn’t seen in far too long,” Ares leaned back in the throne and ran his hands through his hair. It was shorter than Aiden’s was, but still a tad wavy.
“Who will rule now?” I asked. Ares’ stormy eyes looked at me with a playfulness I didn’t expect. Embers glowed at the edges of the blue as he smiled.
“Well, that depends on what you think about this throne, Shadow Queen, and what are you willing to do to keep it?”
THIRTY - SEVEN
Laughter felt strange as it echoed around me, like a betrayal. Did he really just call me Shadow Queen? This prince was insane.
“I’m no Queen,” I declared.
“You’re wrong. We recognized you as a princess twice over. Your brother refused the throne and alpha rights. He bowed to the Court of Light and, by proxy, the future ruler of the Court of Shadows for the freedom to take his family away from ‘court politics and pack pissing contests’ as he put it,” Ares explained.
“You are the rightful Queen of Shadows or the Shadow Queen as they are calling you,” Maye said softly from the side. “I believe Mason is to blame for that nickname. He’s trying to distance your identity from the vampires.”
“Which reminds me, your married name—is not Evelyn Kensley. It is Evelyn Brandr,” Ares said as he rose from what was apparently my throne. He leaned against it and stared out at the cloud surroundin
g us. I could almost imagine he was Aiden. The light casting shadows across his face, hiding his scar. For a moment, Aiden was whole and well in my mind. I startled when I realized Ares was still talking.
“Milord, best start at the beginning,” Maye interrupted him as she shuffled her papers to the side and sat against her desk.
“Right, my mother’s name is Afriel Charon. She was the princess of the Court of Light. When the Wolfriks ruled the Court of Shadows, she acted as an ambassador. She was also in love with Apollo Brandr, a general for the Court of Light. Her father didn’t approve of the relationship, and they kept their love secret. She continued to travel between Courts,” Ares explained.
“Gaius represented the vampire houses and attended the same functions as Afriel. Before anyone realized what was going on, Gaius turned her into a thrall and compelled her. Then claimed to marry her, though disappointed her father didn’t dispute it. Everyone viewed an alliance with the Court of Shadows as a natural step forward. Everyone except Apollo, he went into a blinding rage. He destroyed everything in his path until he was locked away—they didn’t believe he was her mate. Afriel and Apollo had hidden their relationship too well for too long,” Ares explained.
“Soon after the Courts accepted the supposed marriage, Gaius locked Afriel away. Your great-aunt Lilah was out for a run when she passed the Kensley Manor. She heard Afriel screaming for help. Gaius had left on business, so Lilah broke into the manor. She found Afriel locked in a bedroom extremely pregnant,” Ares said as he paced back and forth. Anger rippled across his features. “The effects of the thrall had worn off in his absence.”
“Why did he leave her?” I asked.
“Keeping a thrall isn’t easy, and he couldn’t force a bond with a pregnant mate. He wanted her power, wanted to own her. He locked her up, waiting for when she gave birth,” Ares said as he gripped the top of the throne. His fingers turned to claws, but the stone did not fracture beneath them.
“Why didn’t he cause her to lose the pregnancy?” I asked.
“He needed progeny. Vampires aren’t born; they’re made. Two vampires cannot produce children,” Maye explained. “Afriel would have forced herself to be reborn or shift and escape if she hadn’t been pregnant.”
“Reborn?” I questioned.
“A phoenix is perpetually healing, dying, and being born again until their true death unless they are pregnant. It is the only time they are vulnerable. Their body and powers are fully centered on growing new life. She didn’t know she was pregnant when she left the Court of Light the last time. The pregnancy rendered her human and powerless against Gaius’ thrall. He used it to his advantage,” Ares paused as Maye walked away and through the smoke wall. She returned with a pitcher of water and a set of glasses. Ares walked over and took the offered drink.
“Lilah was helping Afriel escape when Gaius returned home. Lilah led him and the rest of his vampire house away through the woods. She was almost of age; her blood was enough to distract them. Lilah sent Afriel off running toward Tessa Nightingale’s coven. A fae boy flitting between the trees found Afriel using an old oak tree for support as labor pains took hold and her water broke.”
“Though only a child, the boy did what most woodsmen cannot and bound his soul to the old oak tree. He used the woods to bring help to my mother’s side.”
“Jude Beecham and the Jezebel trees,” I said. Ares nodded.
“Aiden and I were born at the base of that tree as night fell. The fae brought the three of us back to the castle. Lilah hadn’t returned. They sent search parties into the woods and found her body. There was no sign of Gaius,” Ares said. “In mourning, the Queen of Shadows sent us home.”
“I was told the king burned you—mad with grief,” I said, confused.
“That’s not the whole truth. My mother walked into those flames with Aiden and I in her arms. To be reborn, to bring us home the fastest way she knew how,” Ares explained. “The Wolfrik King was trying to avoid a war with the Court of Light.”
“I don’t understand.” I admitted.
“She walked into the flames to live. Do you know how that black stone throne came to be?” Ares asked, pointing to the throne. “We formed it through dragon’s fire.”
“Dragons don’t exist,” I scoffed.
“Don’t they?” Ares smirked before flames started at his hands and black scales covered his skin. I stood from the chair and leaped back. His familiar stormy eyes glowed like embers.
My own claws emerged from my hands without a second thought. Then Ares willed the flames and scales away in a blink of an eye. Though his eyes still burned with a fierceness I refused to recognize.
“Before the Court of Light and Court of Shadows, there were only stars above and darkness below. In between ruled the Court of Flame. We provided order, kept the demons at bay, and protected the humans from the monsters. Power and times changed; we formed other Courts,” Ares explained as Maye offered me a glass of water. My claws retracted; I accepted the glass cautiously.
“Until five days ago, the pillar, like the throne, was made from dragon’s fire. The stone pillar was spelled with magic. Mixed with fire and the right blood magic, the pillar would become a portal to the Court of Light.” Maye explained.
“You’re a dragon,” I whispered. I felt faint. Dizzy. The room spun, the purple smoke suffocating. There was a roaring in my head. It felt like I was drowning. One thought howled through my mind.
Dragons don’t burn.
THIRTY - EIGHT
A monster stalked me. Its stormy gray eyes following me. Stars and shadows danced in between flames and rivers. I ran. Wind beat down from above, and fire burned around me until it destroyed everything in its wake. Everything around me was gone. I stood alone, surrounded by black walls and purple smoke. The monster purred my name; I opened my eyes.
“She’s waking up,” Mason said.
“About damn time,” Ruby grumbled. She sat in a chair next to the door leading into a familiar bathroom. The navy walls of Aiden’s quarters a false comfort. They had laid me out on the bed, still fully dressed.
“You can’t swoon every time a dragon flexes his flame; you’ll get a reputation,” Ruby chastised. The haziness of the dream cleared from my eyes. I scanned the room for Ares.
“You know?” I asked.
“That he’s a dragon, yes,” Mason admitted. He looked rougher, older, and sadder than I had seen him last.
“Where is he?” I asked, sitting up in bed.
“Out dealing with a problem. We’ve been tasked with keeping you here and fed until he returns,” Ruby said.
“I’m not hungry,” I said, my stomach rumbled. She rolled her eyes before grabbing a plate off the dresser.
“Eat anyway, my Queen,” she ordered.
“I haven’t accepted,” I retorted, taking the sandwich from her. A cold turkey and cheddar cheese from the smell of it.
“You haven’t refused either,” Mason responded. “I’ll let Ares know she’s awake.”
With that, Mason stood and stomped out of the room without another look back. The door in the hall slammed shut so hard it rattled. A whispered curse echoed from the hall; I looked to Ruby, questioning.
“He took it hard,” Ruby said as she sat back down in her chair.
“Took what?” I asked, struggling to speak around a large piece of tacky bread I had eaten.
“You rejecting his proposal, you running away, your capture, near-death and hard recovery,” Ruby said as she ticked the events off on her hand.
“Mason still very much carries a torch for you. Finding you almost dead was bad enough, but preferring Ares’ company this last week has set Mason over the edge,” she said, causing me to choke on my sandwich. I gasped, struggling to breathe. The turkey and cheese melted into a chunk and lodged in my throat. Ruby leaped from her chair when she realized I wasn’t rec
overing and pounded on my back. I coughed up the chunk of traitorous sandwich and pushed the plate away.
“I do not prefer Ares’ company. I just met him,” I said.
“Just met is relative; you were just introduced. You’ve been having nightmares,” Ruby said with a knowing look.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Ares helped watch over you. The first four days, you were catatonic or screaming, except for when he was in the room at your side. That first night you were screaming about fire and tearing your stitches. Like we had done previously, Ares grabbed you to pin you down until a healer could arrive. Instead of thrashing and partially shifting, you calmed down and clutched him back. You called him Aiden and slept.” Ruby explained.
“Ares removed your necklace in the hopes you would heal faster or the nightmares would stop. When Ares is gone, the nightmares return. The prince spent that night and most of every night since by your side so we could all have some peace,” Ruby said.
“Aiden said only he could remove the necklace,” I said.
“The collar was spelled through Aiden’s blood and love for you, the same blood that runs through Ares,” Ruby explained.
“Ares is a dragon; Aiden was a vampire. They’re not the same,” I argued. Yet, for being a vampire, Aiden did not fear fire; he welcomed it. The scalding showers, the disregard for picking up flaming logs, and fire dance at the festival. Aiden always came alive when fire was near. Except for that day at the pillar. The light scuff of a boot on the carpet caught my attention, and I looked up at the doorway. Warm, stormy blue eyes looked back at me.
“Ruby, you’re needed in the council room. Maye is waiting for you,” Ares said, dismissing Ruby. She nodded, looked back at me. She flashed the briefest of smiles. She mouthed the words, “don’t swoon,” then she was gone. I blushed and ducked my head, refusing to look at Ares. It hurt for more reasons than I cared to admit.
