Page 4 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #1)

Chapter Four

Vad

S trange sensations hummed through my body everywhere her body pressed against mine. Green eyes with flecks of black and gray were wide in terror, but there was a fire of determination behind them, and my heart faltered.

I needed to quit staring, but I couldn’t look away. I was at the mercy of whatever spell she’d weaved over me.

Freckles spattered her upturned nose and rosy cheeks, and her wild, light-copper hair was tangled and disheveled. She smelled like cinnamon and ginger—better than any sweet I ever had—and her slender form fit perfectly in my arms. My blood surged and thundered in my ears, causing a bulge in my trousers. Heat licked through my chilled blood.

In all my life, I'd never been so aware of another's body, and here I was, transfixed by a woman in such ridiculous attire. Who the feck was this female, and what was happening to me?

Below us, the white-blonde Sylvan Fae cleared her throat, forcing me into the present. Everyone had fallen silent and was watching the strange woman and me. The white-blonde fae’s nostrils flared, and her hands clenched as she glowered at me.

I steeled my expression to avoid showing even a hint of surprise. My leathery wings sliced through the air, slowing our descent until my feet brushed the marble floor.

My wings wanted to twitch in agitation, but I forced them to remain straight, despite my heart pounding against my ribs so hard I feared it might explode from my body.

What the feck had I done?

I’d stated seconds before that I wouldn’t intervene, yet when this strange woman was in peril, my body had reacted before I’d even realized it.

Now I stood in the center of the Ascension Hall with all the candidates circling us, the weight of their silence landing hard upon me.

In my haste, I had just painted a larger target on her back. I tensed even more, hating what I’d done. Falling to her death would have been more merciful than what the white-blonde fae would have in store for her.

The strange woman squirmed and pushed a palm against my chest, sending a shot of electricity through my body and into my heart. Her hair fluffed against my chin as she flopped back and wriggled. “Thanks for not letting me splatter like roadkill, but we’re on the ground now, so you don’t have to keep holding me.”

My head snapped back a little before I caught myself. Fate had to be messing with me, because I wasn’t invested in the ritual. Scowling, I released her legs and gently set her down.

As soon as she was standing, she backed away and tugged down her strange tunic with the bizarre blue creature sleeping on the front.

"You don't have wings,” I said darkly, unable to think of anything better to say but feeling like I should speak. “That doesn't bode well for you."

"Why would I have wings?" Her face scrunched up, and she lifted her head in defiance.

My heart clenched. Fae didn’t usually have health issues, but the Shadow Kingdom’s weakening magic had to be impacting me right now.

The white-blonde fae stepped forward. "Silence. Do not disrespect the Prince of the Shadow Fae."

"I am more than capable of speaking for myself." I glared at her. Inwardly I shook off the strange sensation aroused in me by the copper-haired girl. "As I said before, I don’t even care to know what any of you are called, let alone allow any of you to speak on my behalf."

Thalen leaned over the balcony railing, arms clasped behind his back. "I want to know one name. What's yours, little copper warrior ?" he called in that mocking singsong tone of his.

The copper-haired girl clearly understood his intent and balled her fists. "It's Briar, you sparkling Temu Legolas."

I shook my head and furrowed my brows. I had no clue what a Temu or a Legolas was. She must have been speaking some sort of Earth language.

Shocked murmurs spread among the other women, while the white-blonde fae pressed her hand to her throat.

Even more bewildering, Thalen just laughed and flashed his crooked smile. His voice echoed on the high ceiling. "I don't know what half those words meant, but Briar suits you, you scaffing little thornbush."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, then shot him a glare he would understand ordered him to be silent. He and this human couldn’t be teasing each other right now. It was so inappropriate—which shouldn’t be surprising from her.

Her nose wrinkled. "You're a—"

"This shouldn’t be tolerated!" The white-blonde fae cut between Briar and me. Her silver eyes blazed, and her muscles tensed, her wings bristling behind her.

I wanted to put my hands on her to move her out of the way. This entire situation was intolerable, and I needed to end it now.

I snapped my hand down and curled my fingers in, summoning my power. Cold tendrils of shadow magic pooled from the center of my chest, spread into my fingertips, and flowed into the room, silencing all of the bridal candidates.

The white-blonde fae blanched and fell back a step.

Briar's eyes widened, and her hand flew to her throat. Her mouth moved, but no sound escaped her lips.

My heart twisted at her discomfort, but I pushed the sensation aside. My stance was clear, and not even Briar would change it. "I do not want to know your names, or have any of you speak on my behalf. I am not sure how I can make my commands any clearer. I do not care about any of you. The only one who matters is the one who wins. And even then, do not expect passion or love. We’ll be fulfilling our duty to the realm."

Briar’s nose wrinkled…and I wanted to reach out and comfort her.

No . That would mitigate what I’d just said. I refused to have feelings for anyone except for my father, Elara, Thalen, and Silus.

Gritting my teeth, I turned my back on Briar to face the balcony and the rest of the room. Dozens of eyes focused on me, some eager, others timid, others masked, all awaiting my next words. A startling urge to look back at her sparked within me, but I resisted. She had to learn the rules were the same for her as everyone.

"I offer nothing except what the law requires. Do not look to me for affection or compassion. And do not behave like scaffing idiots. There should be no more bloodshed among you." I fixed a glare on the white-haired fae. She drew back, then straightened her shoulders.

Good. She needed to realize she would never be special, so I continued with my eyes locked on her. "These trials will test your value and your worth. My council will evaluate you. But in the end, Fate will decide. For myself, I want none of you."

I braced my hands on my belt, wanting everyone to know I was not to be questioned or challenged further. “Tomorrow at the noon hour, you will enter the Ascension Hall once more. And you will then enter the first challenge. There are three challenges total. Fate will dictate who survives. The council will make their recommendation. And I will take the strongest as my wife.”

Elara stepped forward on the black-floored balcony. Her long braid hung over her shoulder, catching the warm torchlight. “Your Highness, if you wish to join us for dinner, a place has been set for you.” Her voice was soft but clear.

She was good at diplomacy. It was a gentle reminder that, according to tradition, I was to eat with the candidates. The seats were assigned, and the dinner would progress with two of the candidates coming to sit at my right and left for a set time. Then they would return to their assigned seats, and another two would be brought forth. The feast would continue until each candidate had had a chance to sit with me for a short conversation.

But I had no patience for that. I inclined my head toward Elara, ignoring the hopeful glances of the candidates around me. “Your hospitality is always appreciated, but I leave the candidates in your capable hands.”

The urge to look back at Briar intensified. Was she disappointed with my decision? Why did I even care? She was a wingless being in awful clothing, not even from this world. She’d probably perish before the second trial.

My boot scuffed the rim of the shadow beast’s circle as I paced over the sigil. “Make no mistake. These trials will test everything about you. Your very essence will be on trial. If you are foolhardy, you will die. These trials are merciless. And let me be clear.” I turned slowly, scanning the assembled crowd. “I will not mourn anyone's death.” Then my scrutiny fell on Briar, and my body betrayed me.

Her arms were folded tight across her chest, and her chin was still lifted, her eyes locking with mine.

That strange hum jolted through me, and something tugged in my chest. My mouth went dry, and my wings itched and pulsed. Stop. Feck. Look away, I chastised myself . Straightening my shoulders, I flexed my wings. “None of you matter.”

With that, I leaped into the air. My wings stretched wide to catch the cold currents, and after two breaths I reached the balcony. I avoided eye contact with my friends, especially Thalen. I could practically feel him grinning with smug delight, coming up with every possibility for tormenting me. Silus probably had an eyebrow arched, a silent but deserved chastisement.

Elara stepped to the edge of the balcony and leaped over the railing with easy grace. She kept her wings tight, hidden, and used her shadow magic to descend to the floor. Her arms were spread wide, her palms upturned in a gentle greeting. “Ladies, I am Princess Elara. Follow me.” The heavy onyx doors on the lower level swung open, and the guards continued to stand at attention. They held their halberds with steady grips like shadowy statues. “I will show you to the guest hall. Your rooms have your names on the doors. Dinner will be served in the Guest Banquet Hall.”

She lifted a hand to the door and glanced back at Briar. That soft smile of hers inched a little higher as she looked up at me.

I sighed. Of course she liked that one. Maybe she saw a bit of her own fragility in Briar, despite Briar’s fiery responses. Elara would mostly avoid interfering, but she’d defend her favorites in private. Already she had crossed over to one of the smallest of the women, a trembling white-haired Sylvan Fae wearing rich-green clothing.

A flicker of guilt twinged inside me. Few of these women had asked for this. I certainly hadn’t, but my life wasn’t on the line. If Fate had simply chosen one woman and set her before me, I would have married her.

But this was the law.

I stole one more glance at Briar. How would she fare in the trials?

It didn’t matter, and I needed to remember that.

I strode out the doors at the back of the balcony, Thalen and Silus following behind. They at least had the good sense to remain silent as we progressed through the double doors and into the hall. The guards closed the doors behind us. I kept my shoulders squared and my pace steady until I reached the observatory at the end of the black and gold hall. My boots squeaked slightly on the polished marble floor, and I appreciated that the darkness of the walls mirrored my mood.

At least darkness was consistent. Sometimes I wished I could simply disappear into it. Scowling, I shoved the door to the observatory open. This was my retreat as much as the private library was my father’s. The glass dome ceiling gave an unparalleled view of the eastern night sky with the stars shining in all their glory. Not wanting to address my friends yet, I studied the wooden shelves lining the black marble walls, stocked with books, charts, parchment rolls, crystals, skulls, and everything else I might use while enjoying the cosmos.

Inhaling deeply to calm my nerves, I breathed in the scent of parchment and a hint of sandalwood. A faint whiff of peppermint clung to the books to keep pests that were immune to magic at bay. My hand grazed the gold frame of the telescope in the middle of the room, and I glanced at the crystals and lenses on the table surrounded by my notes and current projects.

Thalen chuckled, alerting me that my silence had already gone on too long.

I set my jaw and turned to face my friends, hoping like the scaffing void that I could tolerate their jests.

Making his way to the section of the room where two black couches were situated, Thalen smiled so widely I feared his face would freeze, making it clear he intended to stay. His feet ruffled the plush rug as he pivoted around the table suitable for serving food or propping up my feet while reading.

“You two don’t have to join me,” I said darkly. “I’d rather be alone.”

Silus shut the heavy observatory door as Thalen plopped onto the couch. He leaned back, making himself comfortable. “Oh, did you not want to discuss that little…intervention that happened out there? Did it embarrass you how fast you fell from your high horse of principles to keep the brambly little copper-haired girl from turning into a smear on the marble? Not that I blame you. She’s the most fascinating one of the bunch.”

My breath caught, and I bristled. He shouldn’t speak of Briar that way.

“She’s also the weakest. Her scent is off.” Silus tapped his nose as he headed over to Thalen and continued, “And she doesn’t have wings. Nor does she seem to have any magical abilities, aside from a mouth that moves faster than her sense.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s the weakest. Mark my words, she wouldn’t run her mouth like that if she didn’t have something. I wonder what it is, since she’s from…Earth.” Thalen placed his feet on the table. “But let’s look at the best part of all this. Our little wingless wonder was about to turn into a boneless blot, and then you, you big beautiful bastardly bellend, caught her in your arms and carried her to safety like a future queen. Are you really going to tell us that meant nothing?”

“That Sylvan Fae had already killed one candidate.” My wings twitched, wanting to come out, but that would make this entire thing worse. “I couldn’t let her think she could just assassinate all her competition. She was getting out of hand.”

“Hmmm.” Thalen gave a sage nod, stroking his chin. His eyes brightened, dancing with delight. “So you didn’t save her because you liked her?”

“What possible reason could there be for me to like her?” I demanded. Heat rose within me, and my spine tightened. My wings flexed against my back, threatening even more to emerge.

Both Silus and Thalen burst out laughing.

Silus stilled and schooled his expression back into its familiar stoic mask. “Do you really think there has to be a reason? Is attraction always logical?”

“I’ve never found it to be.” Thalen folded his arms behind his head with a lazy smile.

“I restored order to the proceedings, that’s all.” These idiots needed to drop this now, because I could feel my control slipping away like water through my fingers.

“You also let that white-haired ice-blood murder another helpless female without a word. When the purple and the blonde were fighting, you didn’t intervene either. You said that you don’t care who wins so long as she’s the strongest.” Thalen pursed his lips.

Having intelligent friends certainly came with downsides. I scowled. “I have my reasons, and I don’t recall needing to justify myself to either of you. Now go. There’s an excellent dinner you could be partaking in.”

Silus and Thalen exchanged looks. Thalen hopped up and marched to the door. “Black currant wine or dark spiced mead?”

“Black currant wine for me,” Silus said, tipping his head in Thalen’s direction.

Both looked at me. I glared in response.

“Black currant wine for you too then.” Thalen nodded. He opened the door and called out the order for dinner to be brought to the nearest servants.

Once the door was closed again, I pressed a hand to my temple. They weren’t wrong. I’d broken my own rules. The memory of Briar's face as she fell, the way my body simply acted without thought, jolted through me. “You two should have dinner elsewhere.” Still, I sat on the couch. The soft leather sighed beneath my weight. My insides twisted.

“I suppose we could have dinner in the banquet hall. Silus and I could sit in the vacant seat and rotate through your candidates.” Thalen winked.

Silus scoffed. “I’d rather die by a thousand cuts.”

“Very well. I’ll rotate. We’ll find you one nice cozy seat. I know exactly which one you’d prefer.” Thalen waggled his brows.

“I’ve never pretended to enjoy rotations or social events,” Silus said. “Unlike some, I never claimed to trust Fate.”

Thalen placed a hand on his chest with a flourish. “You’re so right. Always the honest one, Silus. Like you, I would never interfere with Fate…unless it was entertaining. Or involved getting even with one of my enemies. Or could spite someone who annoyed me.”

“By your definition, all of that would be entertaining.” Silus rolled his eyes.

“So it would! Really, spite can make anything entertaining. Don't you agree, Vad?”

"Go jump in the void," I growled.

"All right, but answer me this." Thalen placed a hand on my shoulder, his demeanor startlingly serious. "If I do, and I fall…will you catch me?"

“Don’t make me use the same spell I cast on the candidates.” I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in them. “There’ve been so many times that I wanted to, and if you don’t shut up, I’ll actually go through with it.”

"Please do." Silus steepled his hands. "Start with Thalen."

“Feck both of you.” Thalen glowered.

"We should give Vad some grace. He has a bridal competition to manage. Not that he cares about the outcome enough to intervene-—oh…wait…"

For what felt like the next hour, both tormented me ceaselessly. Mostly Thalen. But Silus encouraged him. Few things had delighted them this much since I’d face-planted on the ice when I’d failed to shadow port out of the sliding labyrinth.

At last, the servants brought dinner. Though it was not the full feast that had been prepared for the contestants, it was the best parts: crispy roasted duck with plum sauce, purple carrots glazed with butter and ginger, mashed turnips baked with brown sugar, black sesame tahini, candied orange slices, black cherry pistachio salad, roast trout wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with rosemary and lemons, and blackberry cloud trifle.

The black currant wine was an excellent vintage, tart, dry, and earthy. I savored each sip. And the food was good enough it occupied Thalen’s and Silus’s focus. Perhaps the rest of the evening could pass without—

A knock sounded on the observatory door, and it pressed open at once. Elara poked her head in. “Vad, I’m sorry. Some of the fae are threatening Briar—”

I jumped to my feet and marched out the door.