Page 41 of A Game of Monsters (Realm of Fey #4)

SIX MONTHS LATER

My ears rang with the cheers of the fey procession. I imagined it would take days more for my eardrums to settle, and the thundering beat of footsteps to stop reverberating in my bones. Not that I cared. Because seeing Erix take the mantle of King of the Oakstorm Court, was one of the greatest days of my life.

It had been six months since I released Duwar into the world, and the lake it created glistened before me. Summer sun beat down onto the body of water which separated Wychwood from Durmain. A place that had become a meeting point for the humans and fey in the months past.

It represented peace: Duwar’s waters signifying life and hope.

The fields around it flourished with life, the forests and woods fed from the well of pure power. Villages and hamlets that the chaos had ruined had been reclaimed – and with the help of the fey, we’d begun to rebuild homes for those who’d been displaced.

Aptly named the Waking Shallows, in conjunction with the Sleeping Depths – the lake had become a symbol, for the fey and humans, as to what price was paid to secure the future.

And there hadn’t been a day in the past six months that had been wasted.

I peered over the edge of wooden slats, catching my reflection in the azure lake. Wide black eyes set in a fuller face, with skin glowing with vitality. Seeing the man in the water made it impossible to imagine the terror and pain that had come before. Sometimes it was easier to hide from reminders, but every time I laid eyes on the Waking Shallows, I felt a sense of clarity to the past.

Over the far side of the lake, the humans stood, flanked by the Faithful. Rafaela was at their helm, her wings grown back in place, speckled with a multitude of greys, whites and browns. In her arms she carried a rather plump looking child – the human heir to Durmain, Princess Eugena.

I tipped my head in Rafaela’s direction, our eyes locking, and silently promised to speak with her tonight during the celebrations. The slight tip she returned confirmed it.

The Waking Shallows’ water was so clear I could see the bottom, where fish of the most vibrant colours swam amongst reeds and breathtaking purple flowers. Swans with elegant necks and prowess jetted over calm waters, dancing for all to see.

I wasn’t the only one who sensed the magic oozing from the lake’s surface. In the past weeks we had heard of humans with aliments who bathed within the lake, climbing out revitalised. Crops once afflicted with diseases had been cured.

This was what power should have always been used for.

I looked out across the wooden jetty, gaze fixing to where Erix stood, his broad outline reflected on the water behind him. A crown of gold, inset with the cut-out emblem of the summer court, literally glowed on his head. It refracted the light across the planes of his face, making him glisten as though he too was made from the same luscious metal.

“He needs to stand up straighter,” Duncan commented from my side. His attention was fixed on Erix too, pride evident in every smile line, hands nervously wringing before him. “I told him that before we left, and yet he still slouches.”

“Keep your voice down,” I said out the corner of my smiling mouth. “You and I both know it is Erix’s impressive wingspan that affects his stance. No one can blame him for that.”

“You and the obsession with wingspan.” Duncan flashed me a mischievous grin, his white wings coming to fold around my shoulder. He lifted his left hand, flashing the band of silver wrapped around his ring finger. “Any more mentions of it and I might start to get a complex.”

I leaned into his side, delighting in the strength of his constant presence. “Remember what I said last time?”

Duncan’s tongue traced his lower lip, before replying. “It’s not the size, but what you do with it?”

I giggled into my fingers, a blush creeping over my cheeks. “I thought we were talking about wings, Duncan?”

He laughed too, the sound melodic and as beautiful as the lake of life stretched out before us. “Oh, were we?”

“No more nitpicking the Oakstorm king, Duncan. You might find yourself getting in trouble,” I said.

“Trouble is my middle name. Even if I wasn’t under the protection of two kings, I welcome it. Although, I hardly imagine my head is under any threat – unless you are talking about a different head than I’m thinking about, darling?”

“Does everything that comes out your mouth need to be so filthy?” I asked.

I scrunched my nose up, leaning on my tiptoes to lay a kiss on his cheek. His beard had grown out, the coarse hairs tickling the soft of my lips. Duncan knew how much I enjoyed that very tickle – especially in-between my thighs – so it became his personal mission to continue growing it out.

“No,” Duncan replied. “Sometimes the things going in my mouth are just as naughty.”

My cheeks flushed with heat, staining them a deeper scarlet. The crowd around us erupted in cheers once again, distracting me from the budding heat in my groin. “Best we save this conversation for later I think.”

“I bloody hope so,” Duncan replied out the corner of his mouth as he began to clap his hands, joining in with the crowd around us. “It will certainly get me through the next couple of hours.”

Across the distance between us, I locked eyes with Erix for a fleeting moment. Elation and pride swelled in my chest. Seeing him finally accept his own truth made me breathless, just as he had the first day I laid eyes on him. Garbed in silver-plated armour, he glowed beneath the sun, his skin dusted in gold leaf that Althea Cedarfall had supplied.

Erix ignored the Elmdew dignitary he was speaking with, focusing only on me.

“Hello, little bird,” he mouthed.

I fought the awkward urge to raise a hand and wave at him. Instead, I mouthed back. “My king.”

My eyes fell to the silver band on Erix’s ring finger, matching the one Duncan wore and the same I also had on mine. It was an engagement – a promise to one another. Although marriage was never something I imagined possible for me, nor coveted, seeing the band on his hand made me buzz from the inside out.

It had been close to two weeks since I’d last seen Erix, and my body was practically trembling from the need to touch him. He’d been kept busy in Oakstorm, gathering his support, solidifying a new council whilst I was doing the same on Icethorn lands.

Keeping myself distracted from our separation, I’d thrown myself into helping the many humans who took up residence in my court, alongside aiding the fey who had chosen to move into Durmain. There’d been so much paperwork I was surprised my fingers hadn’t fallen off. Bless Eroan, he’d done anything he could to make my life easier. Even learning to forge my signature, which was something Duncan wasn’t too pleased about.

I had to force myself to look away from Erix before a fire started in my groin. Two weeks without him – his touch, his kiss, his taste – had turned me into something feral. This must’ve been how Althea and Gyah felt the night before their wedding ceremony a month back. I had put down Althea’s constant downing of sparkling wine to nerves, but now I know it was because she was simply filling the void of the woman she loved with alcohol.

Altar, hand me a glass or four . I would drink the barrel dry just to stop myself from imagining how I would be celebrating our reunion tonight.

“Regardless of his hunched shoulders, Erix looks perfect, don’t you think?” I asked.

“He does indeed,” Duncan said as Erix continued the procession down the jetty toward us. He had to stop at every court member– the names of whom I’d still not memorised. “Erix was born for this, and it suits him well. Just perfect.”

That it did.

I was jealous of every moment he gave to another person. By the time he was halfway down the line, I was practically trembling with the need to stand inches before him.

“Ethereal,” I replied. “Perfect seems like not enough of a word to describe him.”

“Not long left, darling.” Duncan leaned in, lips brushing my ear. It was his turn to kiss my cheek, his tempered breath tickling over my skin. “We will be reunited soon enough. I don’t know about you, but I certainly have some interesting suggestions of what we can do when the sun sets, and we are all alone together.”

“Careful, Duncan.” I winked. “Keep those ideas you have as a surprise.”

“You always did like a surprise,” Duncan growled, his eyes burning with pent-up lust.

With so many eyes on me, it would’ve been improper to grab the – no doubt hardening – bulge in Duncan’s trousers, especially during the coronation of a king.

“I’m seconds from burning up.”

“Are you, darling?” Duncan’s eyes drank me in from head to toe. “I can practically see the thoughts swimming behind those eyes of yours. Say the right thing and I might just take you here and now.”

“As much as I would like that,” I replied, rubbing my now sweating palms down my silken trousers. “I can cope for another hour or so.”

“I’m rather enjoying the direction this conversation is going,” Duncan encouraged.

“I can tell. Perhaps we can talk about something else?” I pleaded, wiggling to get comfortable in my almost-too-tight trousers. “Something that’s going to calm me down?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Duncan settled his eyes back on Erix, copying me as we waited for him to make his way down the line. “How about the topic of the impending potato harvesting and how we are still going to be short to feed a court full of people. If anything can make me limp, it’s the discussion of vegetables.”

I choked on a laugh, catching myself with fingers placed over my lips. “And then I will remind you, for the umpteenth time, that trade routes have opened between Durmain and Wychwood. We no longer need to rely on our own supplies, or those of our neighbouring courts, to help us. And who are you kidding, Duncan? Remember what you wanted to do with the carrot–”

“Okay, okay,” Duncan hushed, turning his back to the crowd so he peered down at me, eyes alight with equal excitement. “Who would’ve thought a discussion of food supplies was going to go in that direction?”

“I mean, I’m all down for trying something new for once.”

Duncan knew I was joking, but only in part. So, to stop myself doing or saying anything else incriminating, he captured my jaw in his large hand and laid his lips on my mouth. I melted into him, tongues mixing, teeth grazing. I was starved, so much so that I almost longed for the world to fade away, so we could turn this kiss into the storm it wanted to be.

He came away breathless, all whilst my body still leaned into him, seeking more.

“How am I going to cope without you for the next few days?” Duncan asked, laying his forehead on mine, a taint of sadness lingering across his tone.

“You’ll be fine,” I said, although I thought the same. “We have managed it before; we can survive it again.”

“Speak for yourself,” Duncan replied, hardening in every sense of the word. “It is not the time apart, but the distance that will be between us. That will be the hardest part.”

I shook my head. “I think we will survive, even though the bed is going to feel rather empty. It is only a few days; you will be far too busy in Irobel to think of me–”

“Lies, darling. There isn’t a moment of the day that passes without you occupying my thoughts.”

“Say that again and I will refuse you permission to leave me.”

“Then tell me to stay,” Duncan whispered as the crowd rose in yet another cheer. “Please.”

I couldn’t see Erix; he was blocked from view behind Duncan’s frame. But I imagined he was close to reaching us, and that made my heart leap in my chest.

Reaching up, I laid a hand on the side of Duncan’s face. He leaned into it, releasing a low groan. “Duncan, you must go. The Faithful need you. Just be quick about it, bring back the books, any knowledge you have and…” I stopped myself before my tongue got me in trouble.

“And?” he echoed.

“Just make sure there’s not a single Fallen left, okay?”

I hated how easy it was to talk about the demise of the twisted Nephilim who, even after Cassial’s death, persisted in their desires to rule the realms. Six months, and hardly a percent of them had retracted their dark desires and changed their ways. Because of that we were left with only one choice to deal with them. A choice that would protect the peace that we had finally achieved across the realms.

A creeping sadness filled Duncan’s eyes but lasted but a moment. “Do you think I should give them more time?”

The ice-cold, ruthless side to me came out in full swing. It took effort to hold the majority of my bite back. “You’ve given the Fallen half the turn of a year to change their ways, to repent. And they haven’t. We all have had to make decisions and choices we aren’t happy about. This is one of them.”

I knew that the idea of putting the Fallen through the Binding ceremony displeased Duncan, but it was the only way. And it wasn’t to say that they wouldn’t get a chance to change their ways, in the future. Duncan would return after some time, free them, offer them a new life, and it was up to them to decide what they wanted.

Anyway, a little solitary confinement never hurt anyone.

“It’s a better option than death,” I reminded him. “They have some alone time, hopefully a good old think, and then they will be given a choice. You can’t do any more.”

Duncan dropped his chin to his chest. “You’re right. I know you are.”

“Of course I am,” I muttered, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m always right.”

“Even about the carrot conversation?” Duncan raised a single brow, the right side of his mouth turning upward, flexing the scar down the side of his face.

Before he could reply, another voice spoke. It was made of silk, a soft purr that sent a shiver straight into the centre of my core.

“I have been gone for two weeks, and you are discussing replacing me with a carrot?” King Erix Oakstorm scoffed, his intense gaze making my skin tingle with burning need for him. “It would have to be a rather impressive carrot if that was the case.”

“My king,” I breathed his title, just as Duncan stepped aside, revealing the summer court king before me.

“ My king?” he replied, soft lips curved into a smile, silver eyes glistening. “I could get used to that.”

Erix turned to Duncan, clasped his hand and brought him in for an embrace. It was not like the way Erix held me, but the intimacy between them had built to new levels. I enjoyed the soft moments they shared, even the light kiss Erix planted on either side of Duncan’s cheeks. It warmed my soul to witness – and other parts of me. As Erix withdrew, Duncan lifted Erix’s knuckles to his mouth and offered the same kiss in return.

“Your Majesty,” Duncan purred. “I can speak for us both when I say you have been sorely missed these past couple of weeks.”

“The feeling is mutual, Duncan Rackley,” Erix replied, sweeping his eyes between us, making my clothes feel tight and skin far too hot for normal. “But I’m back now. With no plans to leave you for the foreseeable.”

If I wasn’t so enamoured by his presence, perhaps I would’ve said something. Instead, I drank Erix in, leaving no inch of his body spared.

“Promise?” I asked.

Erix’s steel gaze narrowed, his crown refracting light across where I stood. “With my soul.”

“Erix, I admit you’ve done well today.” Duncan stepped back, and I swear my heart exploded like a dying star. Seeing them both, side by side, was an image I’d want immortalised. If I could stop time, and paint them together, I would have. “It is no easy feat to stand before two realms and accept yourself as a king.”

“You would know that, Duncan?” Erix nudged his side, nose scrunching up endearingly.

“Take the compliment,” Duncan said.

“Oh, I will,” Erix replied. “Although, when they tried dressing me in in reds and burgundies, I had to refuse. The Oakstorm court has been given a new lease of life, and I refuse to lead it in the colours of my… of Doran Oakstorm.”

Duncan mocked a gasp. “How dare they! You need an Eroan in your life.”

“Or a flock of gryvern at my back,” Erix replied, eyes constantly flickering to me. “It was high time the Oakstorm Court had a change anyway. I thought it was easier to start with the colours of my clothes, before moving onto more politic matters.”

“Such as?” I asked, worried that he had already faced resistance to his claim.

“Like taking away the land given to Doran’s favoured supporters. Turns out a lot of them aren’t too happy about a gryvern becoming king. The same group who didn’t want Elinor as queen either. It would seem it takes a lot to please them, and luckily, I have a lot in me to give.”

Erix lifted long fingers and placed them to the metal clasp holding his cloak over his shoulders. It was the brooch that Elinor had given him all those months ago. Seeing it over his heart made mine shiver, reminding me of the woman who had not made it to today.

“She would be so happy to see you today,” I said, offering the little comfort those words could conjure. “This was the future Elinor foresaw for the Oakstorm Court. You’d make her proud.”