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4

Reyla

A s expected, the cooks had left the kitchen for the evening, and I’d been here enough I more or less knew my way around. I found a relatively clean pouch in the enormous pantry, then stuffed it with dried meat and fruit, grabbing two loaves of bread from the counter, plus a packet of butter from the cold box, and a few water flasks I filled.

Another flit—thankfully, my magic was working for now—sent me to my sitting area. I packed a few more items in the bag I’d brought from the fortress, ignoring Lorant’s snarls and bangs on the outer door.

With Farris in my arms, I flitted again, this time to the road below the castle. Farris trotted beside me as I slunk into the woods on one side. I kept going, following a spindly trail that bled out before returning, only to disappear altogether. Only then did I feel I was far enough away from Evergorne Court and all its twisty secrets to think. How could I do that while Lorant, and then Merrick, worked as one to wear me down?

Standing in Lorant’s room, seeing the sadness and touch of fear in his eyes, let alone watching him smack onto the floor when he tried to tell me too much, would soon gut me. I’d drop to my knees and tell him that of course I’d stay. Give in just because my heart was breaking for them both.

If I’d stayed, I would’ve soon forgiven them whether they groveled or not. Placidly helped them solve the riddle of this curse and break it.

I still wanted to flit back and say I would do everything I could. Just please don’t die.

But pain kept stabbing through my heart. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open.

And if nothing else, I was anything but placid.

Finally, I came across a pretty meadow with moonlight spiking down, sparkling on the dew-kissed grass, a stream trickling along one side with a pool deep enough to bathe in if I chose, and even an ancient fire ring constructed beneath the broad, low-swaying branches of a woretar tree. Smoke from the fire would curl up through the needly mesh, dissipating and hiding my location.

Perfect.

Farris settled on the grass, staring up at me, his tail flopping around.

“You enjoy camping, don’t you?” I asked, feeling suddenly free. I wouldn’t stay away long, but I needed this time, and I was going to take it.

It didn’t take long to set up a place to sleep, collect a huge pile of downed wood, and start a fire. I snuggled beneath the blankets on my cozy, improvised bed, doing my best to forget that Lorant had crafted them for me. With Farris curled up along my belly, his intent gaze scanning the woods, my eyes closed, and I dropped off to sleep.

I only woke up a few times during the night, first when Lorant roared my name from far enough away, I suspected he must be stomping along the road. He didn’t enter the woods or magic his way to me, and his roar was not repeated. Or, if it was, he’d moved past where I could hear him. The only other times I woke, I fed the fire.

When dawn gouged open the sky, bruising it in dusty pink, gold, and brittle gray etched with thick clouds, I stretched and rose onto my elbow only enough to toss more wood onto the fire. Flopped back on my blankets, I stared up at the branches overhead, letting my mind swim from one thought to another.

I still couldn’t reconcile all I’d learned from Lorant in my mind. Threading it all together into a satisfying answer seemed beyond me, but after my decent night’s sleep, I should be able to put this into some kind of order.

Lounging in bed felt great, but after a while, I needed to get up. I tossed the blankets back and rose, slinking into the woods where I took care of business while Farris did the same not far away. I splashed my face at the stream and used a wet cloth to wash a few select areas, shivering as gooseflesh pricked my skin in the cool morning air. Settling on my improvised bed beside the fire again, I combed and re-braided my hair, making sure it was neat and smooth. I may be roughing it, but there was no need for me to look equally rough.

Soon, I was munching on bread slathered with creamy butter and nibbling on dried meat and fruit, feeding Farris as well. If I knew my now-tame nyxin, he’d catch mice or a rabbit or two or three, gobbling them down with a few bites, but I’d brought enough to share .

I’d set no time limit on how long I’d be away, but I was aware that the clock’s hands kept spinning.

After putting the food away, hanging my pack from a branch of a nearby tree to keep pesky creatures from stealing, I lay back on my bed, watching the thick clouds slide by. Rain might chase me out of the woods soon.

I kept thinking. Not coming to any conclusions, but how could I?

When my ass started to ache from lying on it for so long, I got up and started pacing, striding from one end of the meadow to the other. Back and forth while my mind whirred. I was beginning to piece things together. Making the patches, one of my fortress friends might say, the one who loved making quilts in her spare time. I had a few squares ready, but no clue how I’d stitch them together.

After lunch found me flinging my blades at a dead tree that hadn’t gone punky enough to fall apart from the blows.

Two men sharing one body.

Cursed, and if they knew, they couldn’t tell me why.

Time slipping away with their death looming.

Another throw of my blade. The second. Stomping over to retrieve them only to throw them again.

When Merrick’s voice echoed in the woods, I jumped.

“Reyla. Come back. Please? I promise I’ll grovel!” His honest sweetness was as equally appealing as Lorant’s sharply clever banter, and it was all I could do not to call out and tell him where to find me.

But I hadn’t even begun to lay out my squares for that quilt, which meant I needed more time.

At least my fire had gone out and was no longer smoking to give my location away.

Finally, his calls faded. Good. The tortured hoarseness of his voice had made tears spring up in my eyes. If he’d found me, I would’ve told him that my heart was still angry, that they should’ve found some way to tell me. That I wasn’t ready to face all that—and them—quite yet.

I laid on the blankets for part of the afternoon, still running what Lorant had told me through my mind. Answers still weren’t coming fast, but I kept collecting enough scraps to start pinning them together. My mind’s craft project wasn’t much, but I suspected I’d soon have something I could hold up to show I was ready.

As night swallowed the day, leaving only darkness behind, I ate dinner with Farris. My perky fire brought me comfort, and I sat beside it, staring into the flames. They flickered, mesmerizing me, and as the wood snapped and popped, I threaded an imaginary needle and started binding squares together, adding a section or two to my quilt made of peace. It was looking good, but it still wasn’t ready to hold up and show to the world.

I wasn’t either.

With Farris snorting and snoring beside me, I slept again, waking sometime in the stark cold night to Lorant’s snarls and bellows echoing through the woods. Hearing them reminded me again of how different the two men were. Merrick had tried to lure me out with his ever-present sweetness, while Lorant would scour the area with his usual relentless fury.

The oddest thing about the entire situation was how appealing I found both parts of this person who used to be one but had been sliced in two.

The only other time I woke outside of needing to feed the fire was when Farris growled. Rising onto my elbow, I shoved hair off my face and peered around, but I saw nothing other than my furry friend glaring toward the woods .

A mouse or a rabbit? When I saw no movement, I figured it must be.

“Good boy. Keep watch.” After smoothing down his bristled fur with lots of pats and waiting until he’d settled, I flopped back onto my bed and fell back asleep.

Nothing disturbed my sleep again that night.

Come morning, I woke to rain pattering nearby, brushed away from my warm location by the overhead branches. I ate while snuggling beneath the blankets, still thinking, yet delicately adding more squares to my imaginary quilt.

More pacing, this time accompanied by raindrops, was followed by more throwing blades at the now falling apart dead tree.

When the afternoon had settled in for a short nap, I knew it was time. I hadn’t come to any major decisions, but my quilt was done, and I was ready to lift it for the world—or Lorant and Merrick to see. I gathered my things and made sure my fire had burned away to only ashes.

But when I tried to flit to my suite, my damn power failed me.

It was a long walk home with rain drizzling down my spine.

I snuck in through the back kitchen door, gliding past the staff with my head high, as if it was normal for the queen to saunter through the cooking area wearing dingy leathers and with her hair hanging around her face in saturated strands. I only paused to wish the head chef, Dulvade, a pleasant evening before taking the back stairs to my floor.

There was no slinking past Surren and my guard.

“I’m back,” I said brightly as I strode among them and swept open my door. “I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Surren lifted his hand. “But?—”

I shut the door before he could finish. My bag thudded on the floor when I dropped it, making my ladies jump where they sat near the fire, Moira reading. Faelith sewing, and Calista… well, it looked like she was brooding, her new, favorite pastime.

“I won’t need you tonight,” I said as Farris left me, galloping over to scamper around Faelith. “I’ll see you all in the morning?”

Calista scrambled to her feet. “Oh, I think you?—”

“Goodnight!” With that, I walked into my bedroom and shut the door.

After bathing and dressing in clean leathers, and with my hair freshly braided, I gathered power and warned it to behave.

After ten fucking attempts, I finally flitted to the king’s suite just in time to catch Merrick shimmering into Lorant. He stood in the middle of the room, staring into the mirror.

I did my best not to admire his ass.

“Why the fuck are you always naked?” I huffed, wishing he’d…cover that big cock. Hide it away so it wasn’t such a distraction.

“Where have you been?” He spun away from the mirror and stormed toward me, but stopped a few paces from me, his face florid, his hands clenched at his sides. “I was… We were… Where were you?”

“Somewhere safe where I could think. I specifically told you not to look for me.”

“We did not agree.”

I shrugged. “Nonetheless, I took the time I needed.”

“And?”

“I made a quilt while I was gone, and when I felt it was good enough, I came back. I have more questions.”

“A quilt.”

“Of peace.”

“A wall you plan to hold up between us, you mean?” His scowl twisted his scar.

I scowled too. “Cover yourself, please, and we can proceed.”

“I sleep naked. ”

As did Merrick. Another detail I did not want to be reminded of.

“You’re not sleeping now.”

He glanced toward the bed, and while his smoldering eyes told me he was thinking about doing things on that bed that had nothing to do with rest, he wisely held back the words.

“I’ve come to a sort of decision,” I said.

His jaw twitched, but he still said nothing.

“If you want me to stay… If you want me to look into this and share all I learn with you both, then you need to respect the boundaries we’ve already set.”

“There are no boundaries with Merrick .”

“Are you actually fucking jealous of him?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry, though crying didn’t fix a damn thing. “You’re…” I sucked in a breath and shoved it out. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, let alone somewhat believing it. But it appears you two share a body, though it changes when each of you more or less possess it. You look different. Snarly, scarred Lorant at night, and smooth-skinned, pretty Merrick during the day. He’s truly a sweetie. Kind and thoughtful and gracious and noble and?—”

“That will be enough,” he barked.

I lifted my eyebrows.

His growl rang out, but the scar on his face smoothed, and he unclenched his hands at his sides.

“Merrick is all that and more,” I said. “Face it. When you split, it looks like the fates hands you shadow and ruin, while he gets the full sunlight. He’s complete. Mostly.”

“I’m full. I’m complete. Everything you, my wildfire, will ever need. You’ll tell me this one day.”

I rolled my eyes, though mostly in response to his huffy, arrogant tone that made my core melt and my pulse leap around.

“No wonder this entire court believes you’re two people,” I said. “You shift when you’re alone. Everyone inside the castle is bound by this curse, which must make them believe you’re two separate individuals.” I sucked in a shocked breath. “All the kings split.” I wasn’t sure how I knew this for a fact, but his blink confirmed it. “The curse has been passed down for generations, ultimately killing all the Evergorne kings and queens on their thirtieth birthday, plus each of you?—”

“All males.”

Huh. “Not one daughter?”

“Never.”

“Alright then, your father. His father. How far back does this go?”

“Since Evergorne Court was formed.” Gagging, he swallowed past the cursed mass building inside his throat.

“Use pretty statements, please. Don’t choke yourself.”

“As you’ve so kindly pointed out, Merrick is the pretty one.” He traced his fingers along his facial scar.

“You’re both devastating in your own way.”

“ I am devastating. He’s…kind and thoughtful and gracious and noble and?—”

“I get it.” I rolled my eyes. “One of you rules the night. The other, the day. Merrick, the wise and thoughtful, kind king, as you so rightly pointed out. And Lorant, the viper and assassin, which does make you sound badass, though you’ve yet to show me anything that proves you truly are.”

“I’m deadlier than you would believe,” he drawled.

“Yeah, sure.” I scrunched my mouth before smoothing it and continued to process this out loud. “But Merrick’s father, your father…” I paused, and he blinked. Simply amazing. Not Lorant, per se, but this situation. In a cruel, insidious, incredulous way. “Your father was split into the advisor at night and the king by da y.” The advisor who talked Erisandra into marrying the king, into becoming a “willing” bride.

I was drawing a blank now, so I started pacing to help myself think. No more patches needed for my quilt, though I supposed there would be no harm in adding to it.

Finally, I stopped in front of him, doing all I could to keep my eyes on his and not let them wander down his— still —naked form. His cock was big. Thick. Semi-aroused.

Do not look at his cock.

I dragged my gaze back to his face, ignoring his smirk, because he knew exactly where I’d been looking. “You only talk to each other at dawn and dusk. And both of you have been trying to seduce me.”

“You’re my wife.”

“I married Merrick.”

He just grinned.

“I didn’t marry you ,” I huffed.

“We stood on that ship, speaking our vows to each other.”

“Proxy, Lorant. By proxy. You signed his name.”

“Nothing is real and everything is.”

Yeah, try to figure that out. “I’d complain about how vague that statement is if we weren’t making a bit of progress here. Regardless, I married Merrick, not you.”

He lifted his arm, showing the mating mark, the match to mine I’d spent weeks trying to deny. “I believe you’ll find someone else has this mark as well.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t seen anything like that on Merrick’s wrist.”

“Magic works in wonderful ways. It’s in your best interest that it remains hidden.”

“How is it possible for someone to be the fated mate of two men?” The fates didn’t work that way as far as I knew .

“Cake, Wildfire.”

I thought about it for a second. “I’m the fated mate of two pieces of cake?”

“Not two individual pieces but the entire cake.”

“So, as far as the cake plate’s concerned, you’re the same person. You’re a weave of fabric that has unraveled, a part splitting in one direction?—”

“Taking all the dark green.”

Ah, yes. “And the other half taking the lighter green.”

“You’re amazing,” he breathed.

“Groveling. Haven’t seen nearly enough of that yet, Lorant.”

He bowed deeply. “I…” His voice lowered to a husky rasp. “You don’t know how hard the last nights have been. The days for…” He swallowed. “Please know that I look forward to groveling.”

Time would tell about that. “You hid the fact that I’m the fated mate to two men who are actually one.” It was all I could do to unscramble this in my mind. “Because someone has been trying to kill me. And kill you. You’d think knowing you’ll die in a few short weeks would be enough for whoever’s trying to fling me into a quick grave, assuming the same person is responsible for all this.”

“Power can be used for good or evil.”

“Evil in this case.” The fates would never do anything this convoluted to one family in particular. “Do you think one person is responsible?”

He blinked.

“But it’s been years and years.”

“I’ve warned you to stay away from one particular kind of magic-wielder.”

“A wizard,” I hissed.

“Some say they can live forever.”

“Everyone can die. ”

“Can they? They weave dark schemes with cunning minds and hearts steeped in malice.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “To sustain them, I suppose.”

“My assumption is that they’re trying to kill me to keep me from figuring this out.” My heart flipped over. “No, they’re terrified I’ll break the curse.”

He blinked at least five times.

This sounded like something straight out of the books I’d adored reading back at the fortress. I eased around him, trying not to gape at his ass that was as nice as Merrick’s. Tight. Muscular. With those cute little dimples at the top of each cheek. And his back…

Stop staring at his back!

Once I’d put distance between us, I turned to face him. “I came back to see this through.”

“How thoughtful of you,” he purred, prowling toward me, stopping close enough I could catch the heady scent of his warm skin. “Only a short wait left for time to inevitably claim what’s due.”

“That’s mean, Lorant.”

“Such is my weave.”

Night. Day. Yeah, I got it. I sent him a scowl. “I was angry. Justifiably furious, I’ll point out. It’s natural for someone feeling that way to say things they might regret.”

“You left me.”

If he didn’t sound so desolate about it, I’d snarl. Instead, I bit my lips together.

His head tilted, and he watched my face. “Do you regret telling me that you hate me, that you couldn’t wait for me to die?”

Yes. But I didn’t dare speak the word .

“Back to me staying here,” I said instead. “Do you know more about the curse than what we’ve spoken of so far?”

“Life is too often one tragedy after another with no way of knowing what might happen next.”

“No, then. But there must be more.” I’d read enough books to know there was always more. “Merrick mentioned doing research, and I’m going to assume he meant into this curse.”

Lorant blinked.

“I offered to help him, which I’ll do, naturally.” My tension was bleeding away. My eyeballs ached and spent energy had exhausted me. I felt like I’d slept, but how could I with one eye half open, and my ears tuned for sounds in the woods?

I stifled a yawn. A good night’s sleep in my bed would improve this situation. “I’m not sure what I should ask next.”

“Thinking things through can bring people to certain conclusions. Some might lead in the right direction, while others could send that person astray. I am, however, grateful that you’ve committed to staying. To not running away.”

“I didn’t run.” Not exactly. “I came back and quicker than many would’ve done in my place.”

He dipped his head forward, acknowledging my words. “I’m also grateful that you’ll give this a chance.”

Despite how upset I was with them both, my heart still kept tugging me in their direction. It wasn’t fair, but what in life ever was?

“ Were you two playing a game with me?” My devastation and hurt creaked through my words, exposing the ragged seams in my quilt.

“I told you I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you. Unequivocally. Desperately. That is unchanged.”

“What about Merrick? ”

“Doubt is a poisonous thing. Don’t allow it to cloud your thoughts.”

“You’re saying that Merrick wants me as well? Unequivocally. Desperately?”

He blinked hard.

I wasn’t sure why knowing that made my pulse sing. I’d gone from raging, from being determined to kill him— them —to sort-of-but-not-really running away, to… Well, I wasn’t sure what this new feeling was.

“This has never been a game for us,” he said.

“No, it’s a curse I’m now part of as well.”

“You’re my wife.”

“Saying it over and over again doesn’t make it true.”

“Your denial doesn’t negate the fact, either.” His probing gaze met mine.

“I’m thankful you were willing.”

Wait, willing? “I was a willing bride. That was part of the specific criteria. Are you saying that only a willing, high fae bride can break the curse?”

He blinked, and that crooked smile…

I wished he’d stop looking at me like that. The pride in his eyes made my knees melt, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. But his smile made me want to press myself against him. Tell him I wanted…

Fuck, I didn’t want to “consummate” my marriage with both of them, did I?

“I’m not fucking you or Merrick,” I said firmly.

“Perchance, you’ll change your mind.”

“And perchance , I won’t.”

He started pacing, a me thing, and I wasn’t sure what I thought about that either. I didn’t like having anything in common with either of them. “I’m asking you to work with me each night. Once you’ve mastered manipulating shadows, we’ll see if we can tease out some ability with nullification.”

I lifted and lit my finger. “Don’t forget about my spicy lightning.”

“How could I?” he drawled, stopping and watching me. Always watching. “During the day, you’ll be with…” His lips tightened.

“You can’t even say his name?”

“On occasion, but pain has a way of creeping up on a person at the most inconvenient times.”

“You’re good at this, Lorant. Very good. I’m surprised you haven’t been able to end this curse yourself.”

“Willing, Reyla. Remember that detail.”

“I’m the only one who can break the curse,” I said, still awed by that fact.

He dipped forward in a deep bow. “I’m sure your creative side will soon play a role in your position here inside the castle.”

As queen. I’d forgotten all about that. They must be wondering where I was.

“I’ll work with you at night and lounge around with Merrick during the day.”

His growl rumbled through his chest.

“You’re the same cake. That means you shouldn’t care if I’m with him, and it shouldn’t matter to him if I’m with you.”

“I will try to restrain my…irritation.”

“Snarly asshole demeanor, Lorant. That’s what it is. You missed out on all the good stuff. Let’s make that plain.”

His laugh burst out, and damn, he was even more appealing when he was happy. “Beg, Wildfire, and you’ll soon discover all the good stuff I have to offer.”

“No seduction, Lorant. Remember?”

“I didn’t agree to that. I told you I wouldn’t touch you until you begged.” His eyes gleamed with cunning. “You’ll be begging before the week is through.”

“Only when frost kisses the fire’s lips.” I eased around him, aiming for the door. “Tomorrow’s soon enough to see either of you again. I need more time to think, but I’ll remain in my suite. Please leave me alone at least for the rest of the night.”

His sigh rang out.

I understood why he would grumble. He wouldn’t be able to speak with me during daylight hours.

Time was ticking away, and my task felt insurmountable. But I was exhausted. Worn out from camping in the woods. Each sound at night… And my emotions kept lashing through me. “I’ll walk back to my room.” Better than being embarrassed if my flit didn’t work.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

He meant like running again, and that burned, though he was right to name it.

I stopped with my hand on the doorknob. “I’d say marrying was my first foolish mistake. Coming here and allowing myself to be crowned was my second. Let’s hope that me looking into this isn’t my last.”

Chills ripped through me, but I shook them off. The fates loved to manipulate us, but I doubted they were paying much attention to the situation here at Evergorne.

A wrenching sound snapped through the quiet of the room.

The floor seemed to jerk beneath me, rattling loose a tremor that vibrated up through my boots. My hand shot out, slapping against the wall to hold my balance as icy whispers sliced through the air.

Something was angry.

“Lorant?” I whirled around.

He still stood in the middle of the room, peering around with every muscle in his body coiled tight. The scar on his face seemed fiercer in the candlelight, a mask carved from gloom and warning. His eyes darted beyond me, scanning the corners of the room with a sharpness that made needles prick across my skin.

The lights guttered, quivering as if a great breath had swept through the room. But I felt no breeze. Things slid along the edges of the ceiling like living creatures, shivering and pooling together, darkening with every beat of my heart.

“Enough!” Lorant lashed out, rushing toward me.

The shadows surged faster, rippling across the tops of the walls like liquid ink. Frosty, cloying tendrils pressing down on my senses, trying to slither into my mind and seize control.

Something thick charged through the room, making my scalp burn. My breath caught, and I reached for power, summoning a single flicker of lightning on my fingertip. But instead of the satisfying crackle of energy snapping, waiting, my magic surged from the tip. It wavered, spiraling out of control. Whatever was inside the room with us latched onto it, twisting my magic into something wild before striking it back at me.

The bolt whipped through the air, searing toward my throat.

“Reyla,” Lorant barked, latching onto me and taking me to the floor. He rolled, coming up to stand over me, facing the threat. Power surged around him, and he snapped it out with one hand. The impact sent shockwaves through the room.

While the wind beat around us, I leaped to my feet, my blades hot in my hands.

Another torrent wrenched through the room, making my hair whip, smacking it against my face.

Then the wind extinguished. My hair whooshed down to land on my shoulders. Lorant lowered his hands to his sides.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked.

He turned and looked me over. “Were you hurt? ”

I looked down as if I’d find slashes all over my body, but nothing had touched me. He’d stood in front of me to take whatever blow might be coming. “I'm fine. What was that?”

He gave a little jerk of his head and made a slicing motion across his throat.

“The wizard?”

He blinked.

“Why are they doing this to us?” I snapped.

One eyebrow lifted. “ Us ?”

Leave it to him to pluck that out of my question. “You. Him. You know what I mean.”

“Yes. I do,” he said, his usual cockiness restored. “ We are facing this together.”

Self-preservation confirmed he was right, but there was more inside me than my need to survive.

“Are you alright?” I asked him.

“I’m unharmed.” His lips quirked up on one side. “Perhaps you’ve decided to stay here with me instead of leaving?”

“I’m out the door already.”

“A pity.”

I sighed. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do about you. Him.” There was no hiding the creak in my voice. “I’ll let you know when I figure that out.”

As I left, he didn’t speak, though I was sure we were thinking the same thing.

There wasn’t much time.