Page 38

DRAKE

I returned from the battleground that evening unscathed but my muscles were weary from fighting.

My troops had returned to the garrison camp. I teleported to the palace, using what little reserve I had left of my power. My thoughts were a jumbled whirl of distress.

Ember…

I could hear her message as clearly as if she had spoken at my side.

I have been taken by summer fae…

Anger whipped inside my body. It raged and swelled like the building clouds of a thunderstorm. How in the hell had the summer fae gotten their hands on her? Where had Melodina teleported off to? Were my people safe inside the palace now that it had been breached?

Landing on the courtyard grounds, I hurried toward the palace doors. The doors slammed open wide as a small figure came barreling through .

Melodina!

I saw my mother run out of the palace behind her.

Mother? What is she doing here?

My mother and father had retired to a neighboring villa once I had taken the throne.

I hadn’t seen my parents in months. To have my mother here was startling.

My gaze flicked back to my daughter, heading for me.

Tears trailed down Melodina’s cheeks, and sobs bubbled up from her throat.

She raced across the courtyard and threw herself into my arms. I fell to my knees and hugged her tightly, relief swelling my heart to near bursting.

“Oh stars, Melodina! You’re safe.” I said.

“T-the bad fae…,” Melodina said, hiccuping on a sob. “They took Momma! They took her away!”

My mother stopped before me, her chest heaving with her pants.

“Melodina teleported into my living room,” she said.

“Your father is away on a business trip, so it was just me in the house. After Melodina told me who she was and what had happened, I teleported us here. We came out of hiding once the danger had passed.”

I grasped the sides of Melodina’s face. “You did good going to your grandmother.”

“How did she even find me?” My mother asked.

“I showed Melodina pictures of you and Dad. From the family album. I showed her weeks ago how to teleport by following someone’s blood as a guide. She must’ve felt you during teleport and changed course to your house.”

“I-I want my Momma!” Melodina cried, burying her head into my chest .

I ran my hand down her back, pushing aside my own pain over Ember being taken in order to comfort my daughter. “I know, I know,” I said. “We’ll get her back.”

But Melodina shook her head fiercely. She wiggled out of my embrace. Throwing her arms out, she cried, “But they took Momma when they really wanted me!” She fisted her tiny hands. “I-I heard them, along the bond Momma said that a mommy and daughter share. They were looking for me!”

My heart broke for my daughter to see the distraught tears, the guilt that was eating her up inside. I reached out a hand. “Melodina…,” I said, unable to think of what to say next. What words of comfort to give against the harsh reality that her mother was gone? Taken.

Melodina squared her tiny shoulders and lifted her chin in determination. “I will give myself up to save Momma!” Though her body shook with repressed fear, the child stood bravely before me, willing to serve as an exchange for the mother that she loved.

I shushed her. “No, Melodina. I won’t lose you, too.” I grabbed her upper arms and stared deep into her eyes. “Never give yourself up to the enemy. Understand?”

Her lower lip trembling, she gave a nod.

“Good,” I said. I wiped her tears from her ruddy cheeks.

She sniffled. “What are you going to do?”

I gave her a warm smile. “I’m going to fix things.”

I pushed to my feet and called for the guards, that escorted me to take Melodina to her bedroom and guard her. Once she was out of sight, my mother turned to face me.

“What are you going to do?” She asked me, her brows creased with worry .

I stared intently into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll look after Ember and Melodina for me.”

Her eyes widened as realization sank in.

My frown deepened. “Promise me.”

“My son,” she breathed. “You can’t turn yourself into the summer fae. You can’t!” I shook my head, not wanting to hear this. Her eyes grew moist with tears. “Please, don’t go…,” she begged.

My mother had been a proud queen. She had begged for nothing and bowed to no one. Hearing her become so broken because of me struck me in the heart. But my heart bled for the woman I loved more.

I threw out an arm, slicing the air. “I can’t leave my mate there to die!” I snarled. “I won’t!”

My mother’s lips thinned as she tried to stifle the wobbling.

She swallowed thickly, the tendons in her neck growing distended.

After a long moment, she gave a brief nod.

“I know you can’t,” she said. “No matter how much I want my baby boy to stay here with me, to be safe.” She cupped a palm to the side of my face. “I love you, my son. Always.”

I placed my hand over hers. “I love you, too, Mother.”

Then I stepped back a few steps. Her hand slipped from my face to fall at her side. I called upon my powers to teleport to the summer palace, and the world spun as I winked out of existence.

I teleported straight inside the Summer Fae palace.

The warriors that milled about stared slack-jawed for a brief moment before they immediately moved into action.

They formed a tight circle around me, unsheathing their swords and drawing on their power of light shards.

I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and dropped to my knees.

“I surrender myself in exchange for Ember’s freedom,” I announced, my voice booming with authority.

I could see the warriors exchanging confused glances, some suspicious glowers. I could wipe all of these bastards out if I wanted to. But then, Ember wouldn’t be free. That was the only thing that tempered the primal side of my power roiling within.

One of the warriors was brave enough to step forward. “Get up,” he said, keeping his distance still.

Fighting down a smirk, I pushed to my feet, my hands still raised.

The warrior reached out and grabbed one of my wrists, tugging it behind my back.

He snatched my other one and did the same.

Using his power, he materialized cuffs made of crackling energy that sent an electrical shock to my wrists every time I moved my hands too far apart.

“Walk!” The warrior snarled, shoving me in the back.

I stumbled forward. Then allowed myself to be led along by a group of surrounding warriors.

They took me through the palace and up pearly white stairs to the second floor.

We walked down another corridor heading toward the back of the palace, past pictures of the King in different poses.

I walked along the thin golden rug that spanned the center of the hallway.

Glancing around me, I caught the sneers of the warriors, though there was a flicker of unease that shadowed their eyes as they escorted me.

I knew wherever they took me, Ember was close. I could feel the tug of the mating bond as it thrummed with our close proximity. I was led up a flight of stairs within a stairwell when I realized it was the same stairwell my family and I had escaped from upon rescuing Melodina.

Cresting the stairwell, I entered the large room. My gaze fell upon Ember.

Rage ignited within my core.

She was chained to the wall, shackles around her wrists and ankles. Her face was bruised from repeated blows, not giving her body time to kick its regenerative powers in and heal. Her hair was a tussled, tangled mass as if she had been tossed around.

Her gaze lifted, and I saw her eyes widen in horror.

“Drake!” She cried.

Her voice caught the attention of the other fae warriors already present in the room. They parted as a male in opulent golden robes stepped forward. The king of the summer fae.

A wicked grin creased his lips. “Well…,” he said. “What do we have here?”

I shot the king a hard glare, my killing instincts ratcheting up.

“What are you doing here, Drake?” Ember cried.

With great difficulty, I tore my eyes from the king and looked at Ember. “I’m protecting you.”

“What?” She asked, her face twisting with confusion and anxiety.

I turned my focus back to the king. “I am here to exchange my life for Ember’s.”

Shock rippled through those present .

“No…,” Ember breathed. She shook her head. “No! Drake, get out of here. I’m not worth it!”

I held her gaze. I wasn’t going anywhere. The summer king seemed to be enjoying the show, for he stood back with a wicked grin across his face, his gaze flitting from Ember to me.

She gritted her teeth and snarled at me. “You idiot!” She snapped. “Why would you do this? Why would you sacrifice yourself for me? Your people need you. Melodina needs you!”

“My people and Melodina can live without me,” I said simply. “But I can’t live without you.”

Ember’s eyes widened with understanding. She stared at me, her mouth parted. I let all the love I felt for her show through in my eyes. Saw when she finally comprehended—understood that life without her in it wasn’t possible for me. She was the end and beginning of my every breath.

“I love you, Ember.”

A lone tear slipped down Ember’s cheek. Her face twisted with regret—I read in her eyes regret for what our life could’ve been.

What we could’ve said and done all those years ago.

If only I had done things differently. I also felt my own eyes burn from unshed tears. My throat grew thick with emotions.

A dark chuckle sounded from the king. “Ah,” he said.

“True love.” He asked. “They say nothing is stronger, more powerful. Such a shame it won’t save you,” he said, looking at me.

He walked toward me, his steps light and unhurried.

He stopped before me and cocked his head, his gaze taking on a calculating look.

“You would make a better trade than some lowly mutt. ”

I bit down hard on my tongue till I tasted the metallic tang of blood. I knew the king was trying to get a rise out of me, but I wouldn’t entertain him—not if it meant putting Ember’s freedom in jeopardy.

The summer king nodded. “Yes, you’ll do.” He turned toward his warriors guarding Ember. “Release her.”

The warriors stepped forward and undid her shackles. She collapsed to the ground, the chains falling around her to lay like snakes on the floor. She stepped out of the coils and bolted for me. The summer king threw up a wall of light, blocking her. Ember slid to a halt. “No, you don’t.” He said.

Two warriors apprehended her, grabbing her wrists. She struggled in their grip as she tried to reach me.

“Drake,” she cried.

I whirled on the summer king. “You said you’d let her go in exchange for me,” I growled.

He nodded. “And I will. Once I cast this spell on you.” He looked toward his warriors. Place him in the middle of the room.” The warriors did as told. Then they hurried away from me.

The summer king performed an intricate pattern with his hands before raising his arms skyward.

Shimmering light burst from the floor, encompassing me.

White-hot pain tore through my insides, ripping apart my tendons and shredding every cell in my body.

A scream tore from my throat as I collapsed onto the ground.

“Drake!” Ember screamed for me.

I could make out the summer king belting out a laugh, his cackles turning wild .

“Yes!” The summer fae king screamed. “Yes! Once I siphon the shadow king’s power for myself, I will have the power of both high fae. I will be unstoppable!”

I grit my teeth hard against the pain, my talons slicing out and digging deep gouges into the floor. I could feel my power fading as if some entity was sucking out my shadows. The core of my essence, the ball of shadow, dimmed, flickering.

I was dying.

As long as Ember was safe…

Then the summer king stepped to the edge of the power stream. He crouched down and cocked his head as he told me, “Once I have your power, I’m going to personally relish killing your female and stealing your daughter for the purification of my lands. Then she can die right along with you!”

My eyes snapped wide. No! I’d been played.

I slammed my eyelids shut underneath another wave of pain that shredded through my skull. I heard the sound of a struggle, then screaming. I cracked my eyelids open to find Ember charging toward me.

No! Don’t!

Ember raced into the blast and collapsed onto me. Her hands grabbed my shoulders as she threw her head back and screamed.

“What…are…you doing?” I rasped against the agonizing siphon. I tried to push Ember out of the blast, but even my strength had weakened.

I could feel the power draining Ember, the primal power seeping into the air .

“Use my power!” Ember cried to me. She grunted and dropped her head. Then her gaze landed on me. “Use the mating bond.”

“That…won’t work.”

“Just trust me!” Ember groaned, then added, “Our power conceived Melodina, one of the strongest hybrids. Together we can fight this!”

I looked into her eyes and saw her desperate determination.

Then calling upon my power, I felt down the mating bond and melded my power with hers.

In my mind’s eye, I saw our bond ripple and expand outward, the colors the most vibrant I’d ever seen them.

Then a burst of explosive power shot outward, coursing from both Ember and me.

I looked upward to see the ceiling shimmering with Amber and amethyst lights, like the northern lights of the pole.

The blast fanned outward. And I felt my strength return to my body.

The pain vanished. The power was stronger than anything I’d ever felt.

The summer king cried out, throwing up his arms and staggering backward.

I pushed to my feet, Ember standing alongside me.

The siphoning spell spanned away from us, under the weight of our combined power, pushing outward to encompass the summer king and those nearby him.

They wailed and screamed, collapsing to the ground under the siphoning spell.

The rest of the warriors ran from the siphon blast, many fleeing out the exit.

The summer king’s body began to swell and contort. He cried out, clawing at his skin as he writhed beneath the pain. With one final swell, the king and the warriors caught within the blast burst into light particles that rained down upon the ground like glitter.

The power Ember and I willed vanished, receding back into the cord of the mating bond.