Page 5

DAEMON

W hat the fuck is happening?

Alix slumps against the sofa, her head lolled to the side. I stare in abject horror and dazedly sink into one of the dining room chairs behind me. I look at the book in my hand and at Thorne’s smug smirk flashing at me.

What. The. Fuck.

It’s only been twelve hours since I crossed the barrier from Ellender and arrived in the mortal realm. I hadn’t wanted to make the journey at all, but Thorne didn’t leave me with many options.

Either I tried to find this Isabelle woman, or everyone I love would be tortured.

It was not a difficult choice.

I walked with my men, plus the old beggar, out of Dyaspora, thinking the entire time that Thorne might change his mind. He might turn around and murder all of us before I had a chance to react, or perhaps toss us into the frigid ocean to be drowned and eaten by the sirens.

But he didn’t.

Thorne led us out of the snow-covered stone prison and out onto a frozen tundra. The area was brightly lit from dozens of torches and lanterns, and legions of red-jacketed soldiers stood around waiting for their king to return. An enormous ship, its billowing sails emblazoned with Thorne’s coat of arms, bobbed in the water just beyond the shore.

This was really happening. We were going home.

Suddenly, Kastian gripped my forearm, and I turned to look at him. “What?”

His brown eyes widened. “Are you certain about this?”

“No,” I said honestly. “What do you think?”

Kastian looked at the ship. “I think my father will shit himself if he ever finds out I managed to escape the Dyaspora with the King of Vernallis.”

I laughed hollowly. I didn’t doubt he was right.

Kastian had been my first friend while in exile. We’d met once as children, when the court of Hydratta had visited Vernallis. I never expected that the next time we would see each other would be in the cold, barren wasteland of Dyaspora, but it turned out to be the only thing that kept me going in those early years. Kastian was banished from his own court only two years after I arrived, and quickly became my confidant. To this day, no one but me knew the reason he was banished or who he’d been back in Hydratta.

“I don’t think Thorne knows who you are,” I mumbled.

He shook his head. “Nor do I. Your brother has never been very observant.”

“Hard to observe anything with his nose so high in the air.”

Suddenly nervous he might have heard me, I looked sharply at my brother’s back several paces ahead of us. Thorne didn’t so much as twitch, just kept walking toward the ship, ignoring the questions and comments of his soldiers as he passed.

“Listen,” I muttered to Kastian, slowing my walk even more to give us an extra moment to speak alone. “I’m sure he’ll expect me to go to the human realm the moment we set foot back on the mainland. I don’t know what he’ll do with the rest of you while I’m gone.”

“I’m guessing he’ll do nothing,” Kas replied. “He really wants you to come back, so there’s no point in harming us while you’re gone. I assume we’ll all be safe for the time being.”

“But if I don’t come back or can’t find this woman…”

“I’ll make sure we get out of Vernallis,” he promised, without me even having to ask. “If you don’t come back within the month, I’ll take Jett and Fox to Hydratta. Your mother and sister too, if they agree.”

I nodded once. I knew it was a true vow he was making, as returning to Hydratta would almost guarantee his own death. Even if I never returned, at least my family and most of my friends would survive.

As so often happens, my prophecy soon proved correct.

We’d barely touched down on the soil of Ellender before Thorne demanded I find the nearest portal and begin my search for his bride.

Unfortunately, I had no idea where to look.

Isabelle came to Ellender sixty years ago. That would have been thirty years after I was sentenced to Dyaspora. I’d never met her, had no idea what she looked like, and didn’t have a single fucking clue how she found Ellender in the first place. I didn’t know why she left instead of marrying Thorne, and I didn’t even know if she was still wearing the necklace that would keep her from aging. Perhaps she never wore it and I was searching for a woman in her eighties. Or perhaps she used to wear it but eventually stopped. In that case, she could be any age.

The entire task seemed hopeless. Like searching for a needle in a stack of other fucking needles.

The only clue I had was that Isabelle crossed over to Ellender in a town called Ironhill.

I knew every single portal location from my previous life ferrying people and goods back and forth between the realms. Centuries ago, there were countless doors, and we could move back and forth between worlds easily. Once, the Fae were everywhere, and mortals viewed us as gods or angels. Now, most of our gates have been destroyed, and there are only a few places left where one can accidentally fall into one of the four Fae kingdoms, or come across a creature not of this earth.

The Appalachian Mountains are one of those places.

When Thorne mentioned his missing bride was from Ironhill, it immediately clicked for me that she must have lived near the Appalachian gate.

But even that turned out to be a dead end.

As the sun began to set, I mounted one of Thorne’s horses and set off, bracing myself for an uncomfortable journey.

The entrance to the gate was four hours away by horse, and I didn’t dare waste any time. Not when I knew I needed to cross over to the other realm before nightfall. Once darkness covered Vernallis, the curse would descend on every member of Thorne’s court, and by the time I was myself again, there was no way to know what might happen.

I rode as fast as I could toward the gate, barely taking notice of my surroundings. I didn’t have time to stop and marvel at the lack of snow or appreciate the leaves on the trees—not if I wanted to reach the portal before nightfall.

Finally, I reached the gate.

I jumped off my horse and stood at the mouth of the cave. The darkness within seemed to stretch on forever, a never-ending abyss that sent shivers down my spine.

There was no point in stalling.

With the satchel of clothing slung over my shoulder, I stepped into the mouth of the ancient cave, and the oppressive darkness swallowed me whole. I trailed my hand along the rough stone walls, my pulse thrumming in my ears as I stumbled through winding tunnels for what felt like hours. Finally, the air shifted. A cool breeze brushed against my skin, signaling my arrival at the hidden barrier that separated Ellender from the human world.

As my foot crossed the invisible line dividing the two countries, a chill ran down my spine. The air suddenly felt heavy and a sense of uneasiness settled in my stomach.

Something was wrong.

The air was thick with smoke, its intense heat and sharp smell filling my lungs and making it hard to breathe. I struggled for air and my legs weakened.

As panic clawed at my chest, I felt a familiar pressure between my shoulder blades. Without conscious thought, my wings unfurled, displaying their striking combination of red and black feathers. Like most Fae, I kept them hidden, but in moments of intense emotion, they couldn’t help but reveal themselves.

I gripped my worn satchel while shielding my eyes from the thick smoke swirling around me. Flapping my wings with all my strength, I lifted off the ground and soared toward the ceiling of the narrow cave passage. The intense heat and smoke made it difficult to see, but I managed to navigate over the flames and finally reached the exit, gasping for fresh air as I burst into the open sky.

A momentary sense of relief washed over me as I soared above the surrounding area, taking in the view. But as I surveyed the empty streets below, that feeling of relief quickly faded away.

It was a ghost town, deserted and in ruins. There wasn’t a single soul, human or otherwise, to be seen anywhere.

Landing lightly on a hill, I paused to catch my breath.

My pulse slowed, and finally my wings disappeared, retreating back into the enchanted tattoos that covered my back.

What the fuck is going on here?

The gate was nearly destroyed, and this town looked like no one had lived here in generations. Was it possible that Thorne had sent me on a fool’s errand, intending me to burn up in the passage?

It was possible, but why? He’d been torturing me for ninety years already.

No, Thorne couldn’t have known. That must mean the fire was some natural disaster or borne of human error. I’d have to use another gate to return to Ellender. Assuming I found Isabelle, that was.

For now, I needed a plan.

Perhaps someone around here would know of Isabelle and could point me in the right direction. First, though, I’d need to find some humans.

I dressed quickly in my human clothing, leaving my prison rags on the ground. Then I cast a small glamor over myself. Nothing so strong as to make myself invisible, but now, any human I came across would see me as human instead of Fae. Perhaps I’d still look more attractive than the average human, but that really couldn’t be helped.

I set off by foot in the direction of the town. Eventually, I found my way to the only business in the area that was open. A small rundown bar with dozens of motorcycles out front. At least not everything had changed, from what I remembered of the mortal world—the people still wore leather and denim, and I didn’t stand out much in my disguise.

I took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, before falling into contemplation.

There was only so long a human could hide the fact that they were immortal. Ten years? Maybe twenty, at most? After that, Isabelle would have had to take the necklace off, or else move on to avoid unwanted attention.

Should I look for her, anyway? Should I find some other mortal girl and hope that Thorne, with his impossibly short attention span and indifferent heart, might not notice the difference?

Over the next hour, I still hadn’t made any decision about what to do, and my drink was now nothing but melted ice at the bottom of the glass. Just then the door opened, and I caught a glimpse of long, curly dark hair.

My breath hitched.

Before I’d been sentenced to the prison island, I’d had many lovers, but that was a long time ago. Women were rarely sent to Dyaspora and the few who were never lasted long. Subsequently, I hadn’t been with anyone in over ninety years.

She was striking, with a pale, heart-shaped face and skin that was clear, almost incandescent. Her face was young, but her huge blue-gray eyes said she was no child. She’d seen enough of the world to be jaded by it. She wore tight, denim trousers and a short-sleeved pink shirt with some sort of painting on the front. As she grew closer, I realized it said: “Delicious like peaches and cream” across her chest. Was that a promise or merely a suggestion?

It was no coincidence that human myths frequently featured Fae males seducing fair maidens. We found humans just as beautiful and tempting as they found us. It was a match made in fairytale heaven. Or, hell, in this case.

Damn it.

“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered out loud, shaking my head vigorously. With a clenched jaw, I tore my gaze away from the woman in the suggestive T-shirt and downed the last dregs of my drink. I couldn’t afford to be distracted right now—not for anything.

I made to stand up, but before I could leave, she dropped into the seat beside me.

Unable to look away, I remained in my seat, fixated on the woman as she flagged down the bartender and ordered a beer and a cheeseburger. Then, she leaned her head on her hand and stared off into space for a long moment. She looked…sad? Angry, perhaps?

“Oh my God, I’m losing my mind,” she said.

“I doubt that, Peaches,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

Those words had been the biggest mistake of my life.

Now, I stare across the room at Alix’s unconscious body.

A moment ago, all I could see was her pretty face, flushed from her orgasm. Now, I wish I’d never walked into that bar; never met her. What are the odds that of all the women in the world, I’d find the one I was searching for immediately but not know it was her?

It seems incredible—un-fucking-believable, actually. But now that the pieces of the puzzle have started to fall into place, I can’t help but notice all the signs I missed:

The book with a portrait of my brother on the cover, authored by Isabelle Reading.

Alix’s gold and ruby necklace, which I ignored.

The fact that we’re standing in the last fucking house in Ironhill.

So many questions fill my mind as I look from Alix to the book in my hand.

Even though I’m already certain, part of me still wants to prove myself wrong. I flick open the front cover of the book, hiding Thorne’s self-satisfied smirk. Feverishly, I flip through the pages, reading a random sentence here and there. After a moment, the word “Ellender” jumps out, and a new wave of nausea hits me.

I shut the book with a loud snap, and it gives me a glimpse of the back cover. A monochromatic image of a woman looks at me. I quickly shift my gaze from the photo to the woman lying on the couch. There is no doubt in my mind that it is the same person. The resemblance is uncanny; from their hair to their eyes, and most notably, Alix is wearing the exact same necklace as in the photograph.

I try to remember what Thorne said about the necklace. It’s a gold locket with his emblem embossed on the back, and it holds an enchanted mirror inside. My heart quickens as I stand and cross the room in two steps. I reach out for Alix’s slender neck and softly tug on the chain hidden beneath the neckline of my borrowed T-shirt.

The gold pendant is warm to the touch when I flip it over. I knew what I would find, but I’m still disturbed at the sight of Thorne’s rose insignia. I don’t even have to open the locket to know for sure.

“I’m losing my fucking mind,” I mutter aloud, echoing Alix’s earlier words.

Wait. What the fuck am I thinking?

I’m echoing Isabelle’s earlier words. Alix is Isabelle. There’s no other explanation.

This is a fucking mess.

I came here to find Isabelle, and against all odds, I’ve managed to do it in under a day. I should be thrilled at my good fortune. Should be jumping at the opportunity to save my family and friends, restoring my old life all at the same time.

But I’m not.

My stomach still churns, and I am more conflicted than I should be. I just fucking met this woman. Yet, what kind of monster would sleep with a woman and then take her captive to force her into marriage with another man?

This isn’t about us. It’s about every citizen of Ellender. One mortal woman in exchange for the survival of an entire race can’t be such a bad trade. And anyway, it’s not as if we’re going to kill her. Many women would kill for the opportunity to be queen.

I don’t believe my own lies, but I push to my feet anyway, anger simmering just beneath the surface. I collect my clothing from the floor and dress quickly, leaving only the T-shirt that Isabelle is wearing.

I’m shoving a copy of Isabelle’s book into the waistband of my jeans when something brushes against my leg. I jump and look down.

An enormous gray cat with gigantic green eyes looks at me, meowing loudly.

“Get off,” I mumble, swatting at the cat to shoo it away. “For fuck’s sake. Are you hungry? Is that it?”

“ Me-ow-ow .”

I don’t have fucking time for this.

I grab the cat and look around for something to carry him in. I suddenly wish I had thought to take Thorne’s satchel with me instead of leaving it on the hill with my prison rags.

A cloth bag hangs from a hook by the door, and I shove the cat inside. He squirms, hissing angrily.

“Shut up,” I growl. “At least I’m not leaving you here to starve.”

Maybe Isabelle will be pleased to have her cat with her in Ellender. Pleased enough not to hate me for abducting her? Probably not, but it can’t hurt.

Hoisting the struggling cat over my shoulder, I bend to pick up Isabelle’s limp body. Her head lolls, falling against my shoulder.

Only then do I realize there’s no chance I can take both of them anywhere without attracting notice, and I certainly can’t perch them on the back of my stolen motorcycle.

Striding out into the yard, I take in a deep breath before unfurling my wings and launching into the sky.

I’m almost glad of the fact that I’ll have to find a different gate from where I arrived. The next nearest gate is hours away, but I’m almost glad of it if only to prolong the moment that Isabelle finally wakes up and sees me for the beast that I am.