Page 24 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Vad

H eat and passion exploded in the frenzy of finally having Briar beneath me, her hand around my hardness. It all splintered into a cacophony of confusion as a dull rap beat at the door and then the hinged creaked. Dazed and drunk on the most beautiful woman who had ever walked, I lifted my head, only to see my so-called friend barging in. I quickly removed my hand from her dress as she pulled hers from my pants.

“Silus, what the feck are you doing here?” I roared. Blood thundered in my ears and my groin.

Silus canted his head, his expression as grim as if he’d walked into an execution. Not a trace of apology creased his features. “King Merrick is weary. He needs to retire, and he requests that you return to resume your duties as the officiator of the ball.”

Feck. I dragged a hand through my hair and stood. The floor tilted, rolling beneath my feet as I tried to steady myself and return to reality. “I’ll go to him directly.”

“I will wait for you.” Silus folded his arms and remained in the doorway.

Then wait he would. I repressed a growl as I returned my focus to Briar. She stared up at me, her lips parted and her beautiful breasts rising and falling as she fought to calm her breaths. I couldn’t wait to explore those further and make her pant even harder. Leaning closer, I took her hand and kissed it. “You can stay here as long as you like or return to the ball, but, please, meet me in front of the Ascension Hall in two hours. The ball should be concluded by then, and there’s someplace special I want to take you.” And special things I wanted to do as well.

Her cheeks remained flushed and her eyes bright. The tip of her tongue flicked over her lips to moisten them, and my mouth went dry. Then her mouth curved into a crooked smile. “I’m going to go back to my room. These shoes are gorgeous, but I need to take them off. Even fae magic has its limits.”

“Perhaps we’ll find some better enchantments then.” I cupped my hand beneath her ankle and lifted it, eyeing the violet shoes that cradled her perfect feet. “You should not ever feel any pain at all, my sweet.”

Silus cleared his throat.

Glowering, I turned to face him.

One of his eyebrows ticked up.

I was not in the mood for Silus's skepticism, but I wasn’t going to fight with him in front of Briar. Standing, I straightened my surcoat and tunic and willed my blood to calm. Scaffing void, this was unpleasant. I offered Briar my hand and helped her to her feet. “Let me take you to your room.”

“I can find my own way.” She smoothed her skirt. It rustled as it fell back over her shapely legs.

The memory of how incredible they’d felt wrapped around me clashed with my imaginings of how much more perfect it would be when I sank between them with her heels on my back as she drew me in tighter.

Feck.

This wasn’t helping to cool my blood.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I looped her arm through mine and pressed her hand into the crook of my elbow. “It’s no trouble.”

She bit her lower lip and cut her eyes up at me. "How about a compromise? You walk me to the guards at the start of the guest hall."

"Very well." I kissed her fingertips again.

Silus looked incredibly annoyed, but I ignored him and walked Briar down the hall like the queen she would be, with my hand over hers even as it rested in the crook of my elbow. The way she glanced up at me and smiled set my blood ablaze. There were so many things for us to share. And when we reached the start of the guest hall and the guards, my heart ached at the thought of releasing her, but I had to. I could have one more kiss though.

Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers briefly. “The next two hours are going to be torture, but seeing you again will make it all worthwhile.”

The smile she gave me could have made a statue melt. Unless that statue was Silus. He cleared his throat. I shot him a glare. When I returned my focus to Briar, she arched a brow at me. “No dancing with anyone else, got it? Well, Elara has a pass.”

I chuckled and found myself smiling too. “Not even she will distract me from completing the duties required to get back to you.” Under other circumstances, I might have teased Silus about ensuring Elara got to dance, but at the moment, I wasn't in the mood.

Briar placed her hands on my shoulders and gave me a small kiss on the cheek that practically made me dissolve. Then off she went, past the guards and down the hall. Soon, very soon, we would be together, and she would be back in my arms.

Silus’s expression became crestfallen as if he’d let his own mask slip a little more. “Your family is as dear to me as my own, and I cannot in good conscience remain silent, Vad. I pray I am wrong. Just please…consider my warning.”

I shoved past him, not acknowledging his words. There wasn’t time to deal with this.

“Your father chose someone whom neither council approved of. Don’t you think that perhaps your mother’s death—”

I halted, every nerve in my body sharpening. A growl rose within me. “You need to stop before you say something we’ll both regret.”

“But if I’m right, and I don’t speak my concerns, then I’m doing a disservice to all of us.” He stomped his foot. “She’s not made for this realm, Vad. And if you go through with this, you’ll be putting your kingdom at risk. You need to tell her you were wrong–”

I pivoted toward him and gripped both of his shoulders. “I will marry Briar. She will be my queen. If the kingdom struggles with the decision, Briar and I will determine how best to address it together . I am not wrong , and if you speak against her again, the value I place in your words may be at risk. Do you understand ? ”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he set his jaw and glared.

Well, at least I’d warned him of the repercussions.

I kept going and soon spotted my father on the landing of the ballroom. Mercifully, no one was near him, and Silus disappeared into the crowd. My father had a contemplative smile on his face that I wasn't sure how to read. I approached him, the warmth of the ballroom and its myriad scents enveloping me. “Silus said you were ready to retire?”

He nodded, the shadows heavy over him. “Yes. I was going to retire for the night, but I think I’d like to walk in your mother’s garden for a while. It feels right.”

Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes, and a knot formed in my throat. Emotion pulled me into a gentler place, and my voice softened. “It is beautiful there.” It was an hour till midnight, so the moon lilies would still be open. Those had been her favorites.

“Yes, it always was.” His eyes became glassy. “Briar reminds me so much of her. So similar and yet distinct. I can see how she might fit within this family." He paused, his voice thickening. "It hurts so deeply to remember your mother that sometimes I still can't bear it. I never healed from the loss. I still can’t say I even fully know how to exist without her. Over the years, I've tried so hard not to think about her because of the pain, but...there is still a measure of joy in the bittersweetness of remembering her. Briar is a rare gem and one you should treasure and protect at all costs.”

He rubbed the spot over his heart. “Vad, I've tried so many times to tell you this, but I've never found the words until now. You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened that night. It wasn’t your fault, and your mother wouldn't blame you either. It was her choice, and had I been in her shoes, I would have done the same. It’s hard for me to see you sometimes, but not because you are a disappointment. It’s because you remind me so much of her and that I wasn't there for her. Your eyes—they are so like hers." He turned his face away as tears rolled down his cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away. "I wish your mother could have been here tonight. Perhaps she was in spirit."

Silus's words rang in my ears as my father started toward the garden. "Father, did you...I don't know how to ask this." My hands balled into fists once more as I tried to swallow the thickness in my throat. "Did you ever regret not following the wishes of the councils? Do you think that...that..." I couldn't finish the question. That was enough. His answer wouldn't change what I did, but I needed to know.

Part of me expected my father to react with anger. I would have understood if he had.

But he simply looked back at me and shook his head. "The only people I blame are the ones who killed her, and my only regret is that I could not stop them or make them suffer more. I'd have defied the will of the councils and of Fate herself if it meant being with your mother. I can never regret choosing her. Loving Valora was the best choice I ever made in my life, and I would endure all the pain again just for another night with her." He dipped his head forward then and left.

As my father walked away, a strange sensation twinged within me like a warning.

Briar

The memory of Vad’s smile stayed locked in my mind. My heart fluttered as I remembered how he’d made sure Silus saw that I was his and how Vad hadn’t let our bodies separate until we’d had to part ways. I’d wanted to tease him about his hair being a little messy, but I hadn’t wanted to risk him fixing it. It was a reminder of what we’d just promised each other, and I couldn’t wait to mess it up more.

The buzzing that ran through me everywhere we touched had intensified and vibrated straight into my heart. I didn’t understand how it was possible, but Vad being my fated mate made even more sense to me with every second.

Guards lined the hallways every ten feet, standing still as statues.

My heart pumped hard as I scurried toward my room. I couldn’t believe that Vad felt the same way about me that I did for him, and for the first time since my parents’ death, I feared I might combust with happiness. I couldn’t wait for Vad and me to visit my sister and tell her everything.

Just as I reached my bedroom door, a soft thump strangled cry drifted out of Rhielle’s room. My stomach dropped, and I spun around to view her door. She’d been feeling so ill; something worse must have happened. Maybe she had fallen.

I kicked off my heels and hurried to her door to find it unlocked. My skin crawled. It was dangerous to leave doors unlocked here. I threw the door open, thinking to run Rhielle to the healing chambers and physicians.

The room was set up like mine, but the décor was all shades of deep purple, indigo, and black. The wallpaper was embossed with a geometric pattern, and the curtains hung heavy as if weighted. I tugged at my wolf to see better in the darkness.

My blood froze. With a dark mist surrounding her, Rhielle lay pale and lifeless in her bed. I couldn't even see her chest rise.

Fate, no . I rushed inside, ready to lift her in my arms and run for the physicians while calling for help, when something dark moved in the corner of the room. I spun, preparing to scream and to fight, but a cloth with a sickly sweet scent covered my mouth and nose. I tried to hold my breath, but it was too late. My head spun, and my vision darkened; then my body went slack...and darkness consumed me.