Page 15

Chapter Fifteen

Asteria

We managed to get ourselves back on track with the meeting, discussing our plans for how to sway Sunrise and Sunset, as well as how to handle the upcoming meeting with my—with Queen Aurelia.

As much as I hated it, whatever insane Fae royal family drama I was about to step into would also impact the coming war.

“I’m waiting for word back from one of my contacts,” Eryx began, looking between Calix and me. “But I’m fairly sure that after your meeting with Day, everything will be set for you to take a trip to Sunrise Kingdom. They seem willing to meet, at least. They apparently aren’t overly thrilled about the way Cyrus is handling things.”

Calix nodded, satisfied. “Good. I’ll have Ilta and Delia make the necessary preparations for Asteria and I. Titan, if you could choose a guard to come with us?”

Titan nodded in confirmation, “I’d suggest no less than one hundred. It might be a political meeting, but we’re going through enemy territory and potentially staying in it as well.”

Calix opened his mouth, a look on his face that made it clear he was about to argue when Eryx spoke up. “It would also make a statement about the power at your command. And that should they step a toe out of line, you won’t mind removing it.”

I blinked rapidly, surprised at this more brutal side of Eryx I hadn’t seen before.

“And you’ll be better able to protect Asteria if you have more warriors with you,” Harpina added.

She’d been busy catching up with work since she’d gotten back to Night and hadn’t been able to come out with us. I’d missed her, but she sent me a wink now as she continued, “I’d suggest I join you. Lilith, as well. She needs to be surrounded by warriors, and I know that there are places in the North that are women only that she may be required to go to as part of her duties, schmoozing the royals.”

“Wait, what am I doing?” I questioned, looking between her, Eryx, and Calix, even as Calix argued with Harpina about the need for her elsewhere.

“Well…” Harpina drew the word out, teasing. Calix rolled his eyes at her before turning to address my question.

“You’ll be joining me on the trip North. As my mate, it will be expected,” he explained, looking at me almost apologetically.

“Oh.” That was the only response I could give. I didn’t know how to feel about that. “Are you sure it’s safe?” I couldn’t help but ask, looking at where my powers had blown everything all over the room.

“It will be. I have a plan.” Calix winked, and a flush spread through me. It made it hard to concentrate as we went through the remainder of the information. Calix finally convinced the others we couldn’t afford to bring that many warriors, but the final number remained undetermined. He quickly steered us into other matters before anyone could argue further.

Our forces were currently preparing for battle and were being drilled daily. Night Kingdom had become more self-sufficient since cutting off the rest of the kingdoms years ago, and their imports currently came from overseas, so there was not much to worry about there.

It all came down to magic and numbers. What Cyrus could accomplish with the blood magic was largely unknown at this point. We knew it increased his powers and allowed him to craft iron weapons, yes, but the scale and current status were still a mystery.

Kian was apparently working overtime trying to get us more answers. The balance was at stake every time Cyrus used this power. We had to stop him before it was too late for all of us.

The meeting wrapped up before I even realized, and Calix grabbed my hand before I could move to leave.

“Meet me outside at first dark?” he asked, a plea in his eyes as his head drifted down toward me.

I tilted my own head in question, and he smiled softly. “I have an idea to help you with your powers.”

A part of me melted, and I cursed that part of me that had softened since Placement Day. I knew I wasn’t ready yet, but Calix made it hard to remember anything practical. Keeping away from him was a more challenging task every time I saw him. These moments of softness he showed me, so different from how stern he could be as king, or even how playful he could be with his friends.

This was like a Calix just for me.

My dorchadas.

One that had no problem letting me in, in a way I couldn’t seem to reciprocate. A pang in my heart reminded me that he deserved the world, and a mate not so emotionally stunted and damaged.

“I’ll be there,” I promised, wanting every moment I could spend with him, selfish as it was.

When I made it back to my room, I was surprised to find Delia and Ilta removing some items and adding new ones to my closet.

“What’s all this?” I asked them curiously as I approached. They both lit up with wide smiles.

“This, is your new wardrobe!” Ilta exclaimed, bouncing slightly on her toes as she held up a gorgeous dress I couldn’t help drooling over.

“With your new status as a Fae royal, you’ll be expected to dress in certain ways at certain times,” Delia explained, watching Ilta and I in amusement as we both fawned over a silver and purple gown. “Most royals dress according to their house, but Calix thought it would make more sense for you to dress for your powers for now.”

I looked up, my brow raised in question. “My powers?”

“Of course!” Delia nodded smartly. “Your starlight is silvery in color, and your dragon is, of course, silver and purple. We did include a couple of gold and purple pieces if you ever want to dress to honor Day, and some black and purple to honor Night, should the need ever arise. But truly, silver and purple make the most sense for you.”

“It’s kind of beautiful.” Ilta sighed, looking over the dresses and then back at me. “You’re the heir of Day, but the mate of Night. A Queen of Stars to oversee both.”

“A Queen of Stars, where have I heard that before?” I mumbled as I looked up at Ilta. Her wide eyes shot to Delia, who looked back at her with an identical expression. I looked between them, suspicion rising.

“What? What aren’t you telling me?” I pressed, watching them warily.

“Nothing! Nothing, really. Just, just maybe something to ask Calix about sometime. That’s all!” Ilta babbled, setting me on edge.

Soft hands landed on my shoulders, and Delia’s warm doe eyes met mine. “It’s truly nothing bad. It’s just something I don’t think Calix has had an opportunity to discuss with you. But you two will have plenty of time together as you travel all over the damn continent.”

“Ugh,” Ilta groaned, “Don’t remind me! We’re going to have to somehow pack for Sunrise Kingdom! Do you know how many outfits we’re going to have to have rush made? Nothing here will be suitable for the style or the weather there!”

“We’ll manage.” Delia insisted, rolling her eyes. “We haven’t had to worry about diplomatic trips in years, but I didn’t think you’d be so rusty.” She teased, making Ilta immediately straighten as she set her glare on Delia.

She pointed a finger at her. “How dare you.”

Delia snickered, and I couldn’t help the giggle I let out. Ilta huffed, moving to put a dress away with a bit more force than necessary.

“Well, this might brighten your spirits. Calix asked me to meet him at first dark,” I announced, and both looked at me with glee in their eyes. My eyes widened and I held up my hands as I immediately began backtracking. “For magic training! I just need something to wear. I don’t need armor for this, after all.”

The two rolled their eyes at me, deflating slightly, but began searching through dresses to find something appropriate for tonight.

“Hopefully, anyway,” I added, grumbling.

“You definitely won’t!” Ilta added in a sing-song voice. “But what you do need is a dress that will entice and seduce without being obvious about it.”

I opened my mouth to shut that down, but she rushed to keep talking before I could.

“You aren’t ready yet for more, or at least, you don’t think you are.” Her tone made it more than clear that she disagreed. “But regardless, you want Calix’s eyes on you, don’t you?”

While Ilta’s teasing wasn’t appreciated at this very moment, I couldn’t deny her words. I loved having Calix’s attention on me. The thrill of it truly never got old.

Ilta pulled out a long silver dress that seemed more like several panels of fabric than a full dress, but in the best way. It was off-the-shoulder, with a shimmery purple rope cutting across the chest to hold up the fabric that covered my breasts in two panels. It covered them fully, aside from where a bit of cleavage would appear in the middle, leaving the skin there bare.

Two high slits up each leg met at the band around the waist, which had similar purple detailing from the neckline along it. The sleeves were long, sheer, and billowy, truly magical, and my favorite. All in all, it was the perfect dress for playing with starlight in the night with my mate.

* * *

Walking out of the palace, the panels of my skirts swishing around my legs, I reached up to touch my necklace, only to remember I wasn’t wearing it. I still had no idea how to explain it to Calix when I didn’t even know how in the Otherworld I ended up with it.

But it was a connection to the parents I’d known all my life that I desperately craved. And maybe the connection it represented to Calix wasn’t a bad thing, either.

Maybe.

Just a tiny bit… amazing, even?

Calix met me on the path, still in his court clothing but with a few layers removed, leaving him in a fancier version of his black button-up and leather pants. I barely stopped my laugh from escaping as I realized that he basically always wore armor or some version of this same outfit, just with a hundred small variations.

Such a man.

“Ready to shine, my réalta?” Calix nearly purred as I reached him, smirking down at me.

I raised a brow back at him, allowing myself to flirt back a little, despite myself. Unable to help it, really. “Only if you’re ready to let me shine against you, my dorchadas.”

His groan made me smirk in triumph, and his wide eyes, as they skimmed over the curves highlighted by my dress, only added to it. The warm glow that lit my blood in response was so alike when it lit up in rage, but this was a much more thrilling sensation.

“I’m ready when you are.” Calix leaned in and whispered in my ear, causing my breath to catch. I swallowed hard, knowing that statement was true on multiple levels. I looked up at him thankfully, hoping he understood how much I truly appreciated that he didn’t push me when it came to the state of our bond.

Cyrus had done nothing but push and push until I snapped from the pressure. But Calix seemed to only want to help me build myself into the best version of myself.

Starting with helping me with my powers. He led me out to the Dragon Cliffs, and I smiled with wonder as I stood at the peak of the cliff, looking out over the starry night sky reflecting off the ocean. The Aurora swirled around the stars, and I couldn’t help thinking that it was oddly fitting that the power in Calix’s eyes and the power in mine found themselves mated here.

I stepped back, turning to face Calix, who was waiting for me with an indulgent smile. “Ready to begin?”

I nodded in confirmation, and he launched into helping me through several techniques they used to help train the little ones. While embarrassing, I couldn’t deny my level of experience was honestly similar.

After trying and trying with no success however, I couldn’t help the aggravation that I was failing at something children managed to accomplish.

“It’s no use!” I groaned in dismay. “I can’t access it!”

Calix chuckled huskily, shaking his head at me.

“Of course you can.” He grabbed my hand, leading me further toward the edge of the cliff, until we stood right over it, looking out at the sea of stars and dancing lights. He turned me so I faced that sea and slid his hands around my stomach. His palms pressed me back against his chest, and I let myself lean into him.

Relaxing into his body, I felt the magic of Night wash over my skin like a balm, while Calix’s own strength bolstered me, through my very soul.

“Close your eyes,” Calix whispered into my ear. I followed his instruction, closing my eyes against the magnificence before me. “Now, breathe in deeply. Let yourself really feel the magic within you. Connect to it. Just like you can feel our bond within you, feel the connection to your magic the same way. Our magic is different from other Fae’s.”

My breath caught as he continued, giving me a deeper explanation of Fae powers that I never could have imagined before the truth was revealed. “Royals have a direct connection to the gods that grant us our power, but yours is to your namesake. Just like you feel our bond linking our souls together, you can locate the bond between you and Asteria. She may have given you access to her power, but it’s yours now. It lives within you, my réalta. You just need to let it out.”

I breathed in, and out, and let myself truly look deep inside myself. But my fear over this power was still heavy. I’d spent so much of my life hating the Fae, that I couldn’t help the resentment that lived within me.

“Let it go,” Calix murmured softly. “You are greater than fear, greater than anger—you are as brilliant as the stars and as strong as the magic you can wield. Meet it on equal footing.”

His voice had dropped into a sultry tone that sent a shiver through me as I realized that he was right. I was greater than this. Fear wouldn’t rule me. I had promised myself that after leaving Cyrus. I needed to fight through it and prove myself as strong as I knew I could be.

The idea of letting go and letting the magic take over, however, was one I would have to adjust to. For someone who spent their entire life fighting to control their fate, leaving it in the hands of magic and gods and everything that went with them was….

“You’re not out of control, my réalta.” My breath caught in my throat, realizing that in my haste to find the bond, I’d let it slip wide open. He could feel my struggle, but I didn’t let myself dwell on that. Not when I could actually feel Calix, as strong and resilient as the moon. I could feel his wonder, his awe, and a warm feeling I didn’t let myself examine too closely.

“What you are…” he continued in a whisper in my ear. “Is finally free . Let yourself embrace who you truly are, Asteria.”

My eyes snapped open as his words truly sank deep into my core. I allowed myself to let go of that tight control I always tried to keep over my emotions. In this moment, I allowed myself to let go of the hatred, pain and fear. To focus only on the pure awe as I let myself be free for the first time in my life, embracing the magic in my veins.

A wave of power greeted me the moment I felt every burden fall away, leaving me feeling weightless in the wake of it.

From deep within me, a blast of swirling starlight shot out, stretching into the depths of the night sky. It lit up everything around us, the stars twinkling as my light blanketed the entirety of the Tairngire skyline.

The usual din from the city quieted, like everyone had stopped speaking at once—until a loud cheer sprang up in unison, loud enough to reach me at this distance, as the people of the city saw for the first time what I was truly capable of.

What I had to admit they surely assumed…

What their future queen was capable of.

“My réalta,” Calix breathed, and I could feel his amazement, along with that same warm feeling tinged with lust, as if it was my own.

A heady feeling took over me as I watched my magic arc across the sky. I swore I could feel every star making up its light like it was my own. A giddy laugh tumbled from my lips until Calix spun me around and claimed my laugh for his own, his lips silencing me as I gave into the force of my dorchadas.

And a sweeter surrender I had never known.

* * *

I lost myself in Calix’s embrace. The euphoria of my starlight pulsing through me, mixed with the newly opened bond between us, led to a swirl of overwhelming emotions that, for once, I let drown me like a wave. I let myself experience them completely instead of trying to force them down and suffocate them.

I was so enthralled by Calix’s kiss in fact, that when he stepped back, I dragged him right back into me. He gave in, letting my lips overtake his and opening his mouth for my tongue when I licked at his bottom lip. We fought for dominance, but neither of us really managed to overpower the other.

Calix’s hands gripped my waist, the large breadth of them spanning my back easily. But those same hands also pushed me back once more. Leaving me wholly confused as I looked up at him.

He was panting, his eyes fully dilated and swimming with color, so I let myself reach for the bond. I could feel him warring with himself. Wanting to be lost in me as much as I wanted the same with him. But also knowing?—

Fuck .

Knowing I wasn’t there yet.

I let my eyes fall closed, realizing how unfair it was to let him in this way while not being ready for what he needed. He deserved a mate at their best, and I was still trying to figure out my place in all of this. But the strange thing was that I felt no resentment from him at all.

Only acceptance and patience, and that same warm feeling that had my heart pounding.

“I don’t know about you, but I could really do with a… release,” Calix purred as he sauntered back slowly, a smirk beginning to tilt up his lips. “What do you say? Time to play with fire?”

He winked, and then I watched as he shifted into his dragon form. Growing larger and larger while I stayed in my Fae form.

I shook my head, getting my breathing under control from the pleasurable loss of air he’d caused.

He flapped his wings, black and purple scales glittering with the reflected night sky as he hovered lowly over the cliffs.

I focused on my dragon side and felt the telltale tingle before my bones began to grow and shift, my dragon form emerging. Where Calix’s scales appeared to reflect the cosmos, deepening the black but glittering more vividly with color under the night sky, my own seemed to become more luminous, the silver scales shimmering as if they’d become starlight itself.

My wings flapped in the air, and the feeling was just as incredible as the power running through me. I’d spent years wanting nothing more than to be able to fly, and finally , I could do so whenever I wished. I wanted to laugh from sheer delight, but a roar erupted from my mouth in its place.

Calix’s roar sounded beside me, and I was sure had anyone seen it, my smile would have been a terrible thing to witness, giant dragon fangs bared. He flew sideways and dropped under me, the talons on his wings scraping along the more sensitive skin on my stomach, causing a delicious thrill to run through me.

I hadn’t fully closed the bond again, so I could feel the playful excitement surging through Calix at getting to fly with me.

Two mated dragons flying through the skies together.

It was almost easy, in moments such as these, to forget all the things that held me back. To forget what was coming. And as I let a burst of flame surge outwards, I tried not to let that old fear creep back in. The one that had kept me alone all my life.

To love was to risk loss.

And I couldn’t imagine a greater love than what I could potentially experience at this Fae’s side.

But a war unlike anything we’d ever seen was about to unleash itself across Celesterra.

And I realized with perfect clarity now, that nothing would ruin me faster… than the loss of him .