Page 43

Chapter Twenty-Two

ARABELLA

A rabella jolted upright, a scream ripping from her throat. Sweat poured off her and tears streamed down her face.

“You’re awake,” Jessamine said. “Thank fuck.”

Blinking, Arabella glanced around, surprised to find herself back in the cave that served as their sleeping quarters. The animal hides had become twisted around her legs. She shuffled backward until her back was pressed against the cave wall.

Slowly, her mind registered her surroundings.

Jessamine sat beside where Arabella had been asleep on her pile of hides on the ground. Hadeon and Breckett stood near the mouth of the cave that led into the mountain, wearing similar looks of concern.

Shoulders dropping in obvious relief, Jessamine scanned Arabella from head to toe. “Your whole body has been seizing on and off for hours. Are you okay? What happened with Arden?”

Arabella frowned. “How did I get here?”

“Arden carried you back,” Jessamine said.

“And he didn’t tell you… what happened?” Arabella asked.

Jessamine shook her head.

Leaning forward, Arabella held her head between her hands, elbows propped on her knees.

I just saw the real Elias, she thought . I’ve been seeing him all along .

Somehow, she just knew this wasn’t a trick of the Everdark. Something in the bond had come alive the moment he’d appeared.

For a long moment, she could do nothing but sob. She cried so hard that her gut twisted and she leaned over, heaving up all the contents of her stomach onto the cave floor.

Jessamine extended a cloth and waterskin to Arabella, and she accepted both, wiping her mouth and taking a swig of water.

“You’re not going to like it,” Arabella managed. Then she looked up, her eyes connecting with Breckett’s. “I saw Elias.”

“How?” Breckett took a step forward so he was directly behind Jessamine.

Arabella explained about the Everdark and the hybrid children that were part shadow fae, part demon—and the power they could have. Then she shared about the dreamscape and Elias.

Breckett’s light brown skin grew pale as he said, “Fuck. And you couldn’t communicate with him?”

Arabella shook her head. “Neither of us could hear the other. But he disappeared before he could feed. I’m sure of it. He looked…” She faltered, a tightness forming around her throat. “Like he was close to breaking.”

Before Breckett could reply, Hadeon spoke up. “And these descendants… They can control the dead?”

“Apparently.”

“And you could do the same?”

“If I agree to let the Everdark unlock my gift, I suppose so.”

Hadeon ran a hand through his hair, which made it stick up in spikes.

But he didn’t bother fixing it. “Breeding with greater demons is forbidden, and for good reason. It’s dangerous.

No one should be able to control the dead.

I need to call in that deal of ours.” A panic grew in the prince’s tone as though he’d shirked any facade of having his shit together.

“I can’t let you unlock this power or let the shadow fae leave the Abyss.

Not when they could attack the Twilight Court, let demons into the fae realm, and control the dead?—”

There was a flash of movement, a flicker between the shadows, and Breckett stood behind the fae prince. Syphen in hand, he brought down the hilt on the back of Hadeon’s skull. Hadeon crumpled to the ground, unconscious instantly.

Arabella’s mouth hung open. “Breckett! What are you doing?—?”

But as she spoke the words, her mind registered what Hadeon had started to say.

He was going to use their bargain to keep her from unlocking her demon magic.

Slowly, Breckett lowered his arm before sheathing the blade.

“The fae like to pretend they’re so much better than the rest of us.

” He nodded to where Hadeon lay on the ground, wings splayed.

“He’ll just have to call in that bargain another time.

” Then he looked up at her, determination in his gaze.

“Do what you must to save Elias. And be quick about it.”

Her lips twitched, and she glanced down at the syphen. “I expect you to return that later.”

Bastard had probably taken it from her while she was passed out.

“Find Arden,” Jessamine said. “We’ll stall Hadeon as long as we can.”

Arabella was on her feet at once. “Thank you.”

Before she could leave, Jessamine caught her wrist. “Whether you’re human, fae, demon, or all three doesn’t matter. It’s never been about the type of power you have but how you use it.”

While the idea of feeding on anyone went against everything she’d been taught as an enchantress, she allowed those teachings to slip between her fingers.

Those beliefs had served her once. It had allowed her to find the strength to protect her people.

But she understood now that it was so much more complicated than that.

To protect those she loved, she needed to get more power.

Leaning down, Arabella pressed a kiss to Jessamine’s forehead. “I know that now.”

Then she turned toward the tunnels and ran.

Arabella followed the tunnels the guards previously led her down.

But the mountain was so large that she quickly got turned around.

Eventually, she came to the cavern where she'd done most of her training with Arden.

Only this time, Arden and his warriors were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, shadow fae civilians lingered near the water.

Skidding to a stop, she growled, and her shadows twisted in agitation.

The shadow fae didn’t look up from their work as she tried to steady her breathing. Some filled waterskins and others drew water for laundry. Nearby, there were fae weaving baskets and others preparing food in large pots.

A few of the fae were children—perhaps in their teens.

Outside the roundness of their faces and their generally youthful demeanor, the young ones appeared no different than the other shadow fae.

They had pointed ears and long limbs, and the shadows danced around their feet as though a bonfire whipped in the wind at their backs.

She wondered how many of them were part demon.

If they possessed the Everdark’s magic, were they born with the power to control the dead? Or was that something that had to be unlocked in them, too? Was only hers locked away because of the magic her mother had used before she’d died?

The idea of asking a greater demon for help—the very same one who’d killed her parents—repulsed her.

Warriors strode into the cavern, and she hurried over to them. “I need to see Prince Arden at once. It’s urgent.”

All the warriors wore masks over their faces and eyed her with disinterest.

The one at the front, a male, said, “He’s hunting with some of the warriors. He’ll be back in a few hours.”

She didn’t have time to wait. Hadeon might be awake by then.

If he found her before she found Arden, he’d use his bargain. Depending on what bargain he called in, she wouldn’t be able to acquire the power of the demons, or she might not be able to bring the shadow fae back through the gateway.

“Where did he leave from?” she asked. “Can you bring me to where he’ll be when he returns?”

Somehow, she knew if she asked the warriors to lead her down into the heart of the mountain where the Everdark dwelled, they’d refuse.

It seemed that it was akin to their holy place, and they wouldn’t bring an outsider there alone.

But maybe she could catch Arden as he returned, and he could bring her directly to the Everdark.

The guard who’d spoken frowned at her but made no objection as he led her down more tunnels to one that opened at the base of the mountain and the dark mist surrounding it.

To her dismay, no one was there.

“Wait here.” He turned toward the tunnels with the other warriors. “If you leave the mists, the demons will set upon you, and you’ll die.”

She nodded.

Little did they know, a greater demon lived in the heart of this very mountain.

A thought occurred to her. If the Everdark was breeding with some of the females, then the shadow fae most likely knew of his existence.

She didn’t intend to venture into the desert—not yet.

If she left the tunnels, there was a chance Hadeon could fly above the mountain and spot her.

No, she wouldn’t make it that easy for him.

Hopefully, Arden would return soon and bring her to the Everdark.

She wasn’t sure that she could find the altar room on her own.

And hopefully, Hadeon would be asleep for a good long while.

But in case Breckett hadn’t struck him nearly hard enough, she needed to exercise caution.

For a moment, she wondered whether Hadeon would do anything to Jessamine or Breckett when he awoke. He was going to be pissed. And perhaps he was like Arabella—willing to do anything for those he’d sworn to protect.

If he hurts them, I will make him regret the moment he laid eyes upon me .

The magic of the bargain might keep her from killing him until she’d fulfilled her favor, but she’d find a way to make his existence a living nightmare.

As the warriors disappeared, she pressed her back against the cave wall and tugged on her braid.

Did she dare to risk waiting for Arden to return? She had no idea if the hunters went into the mountains or desert, and it was possible it could take hours for them to come back.

Could she summon the Everdark on her own? The greater demon had claimed that he’d been watching her for years. What if his presence hovered around her now? It had helped her to get into the Abyss. Perhaps he was close by.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind slip into the awaiting shadows.

She stretched out her senses like she had in Elias’ castle when they’d been looking for the map and cast it like a net around her.

Instantly, she recoiled.

There was so much power in the mountain and around it. The existence of the mists alone was an assault on her senses. It was a constant flow of power from a rotation of shadow fae who filtered their magic into it.