Page 36 of Redemption (Deliverance Duet #2)
Chapter Thirty-Five
Iris
M y landing in the realm of the living is far softer than when I arrived at the Fates’ cave. I also have my mate wrapped around me, his shadows cradling and caressing me like I am the most precious cargo.
“You are,” he murmurs in my ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin of my neck. “You are the most important thing in my entire existence.”
I must have spoken aloud without realising it, too absorbed in Nyx to notice. His words thrill me, setting my heart alight. He’s holding me close, and his powers cover us, completely surrounding me with him. I love it. Taking a deep breath, I let my ribcage fully expand so I can take in as much of his scent as possible.
A humming in my chest brings my awareness to my bonds. Alaric and Ciaran are close and impatient, so I know we are back in the Unseelie palace, just shrouded in darkness. It must be a strange sight to see, a cocoon of darkness appearing from nowhere and knowing your mate is somewhere inside. I want to comfort them, yet I’m in no hurry to be released from Nyx’s seductive power. Some find the lack of light frightening, worrying about what might be hiding where they can’t see. There is a comfort to Nyx’s darkness though, cradling me like a blanket protecting me from the outside world. I could never be afraid of this.
It is the dark of a cloudless night, the type that allows the stars to shine their brightest, but instead of stars, it’s his love for me that shines. It holds us, offering a safe place for me to be myself. Alaric and Ciaran are waiting for us, yet I’m going to take these few stolen minutes to fully bask in this moment.
My soul is complete with him here. I’ve missed him so much. How did I survive without his steady, silent presence while the Fates had him?
As much as I want to continue this forever, Alaric and Ciaran are getting more impatient, their bonds calling to me.
“We should probably join the others,” I whisper, a hitch in my voice as Nyx kisses down the length of my neck.
He huffs a sigh against my skin, his hands tightening around my waist as he bites the fleshy part of my neck. The bite isn’t hard enough to hurt, yet the press of his teeth causes a shiver to run down my spine. “I am a god,” he murmurs, kissing the spot he just bit. “I don’t share.”
There’s no real conviction in his voice, so I know he’s not really protesting. He just wants me all to himself for a little longer. I wish I could give him that, but I have a feeling our time is rapidly running out. Whatever event the Fates spoke of, it’s almost here.
I turn in his arms and look up at him with a raised brow. “Don’t be grumpy.”
Grumbling, he makes a small gesture with his hand, and the shadows return to him, revealing us to the world. It’s bright, the sudden exposure to the light hurting my eyes, and I shield them instinctively. I forget about the discomfort, though, as I’m quickly surrounded by my mates. They touch me like they are checking if I’m real, all of them wanting the skin-to-skin contact we need to ground us.
Ciaran and Alaric talk over the top of each other, both checking me for injuries. Honestly, I can’t make out a word either of them speak, but happiness bubbles up inside me, making me laugh. We are together.
“Do you care to share what is so funny when we have a war on our doorstep?” Queen Sola’s voice cuts through my bliss, sharp and filled with barely concealed annoyance.
Lifting my head, I meet her gaze. She stands at the head of the room, her stunning dress making her stand out from all others. We look shabby in comparison, but the biggest difference is that I’m surrounded by my mates, and she’s alone.
“This world is full of darkness, Sola,” I begin, not bothering to move past my mates. “I am laughing because, despite the odds, we are all alive and together! We have to make the most of the good moments!” I spread my arms wide and gesture to everything around us. “We are going to face death and have no idea what is going to happen in our future. You have to look for the light in this time of fear and uncertainty. That’s a choice I choose to make. It’s not easy, but those bright moments are what keep me going. Otherwise, there is no joy, and without that, what are we even fighting for?”
My impassioned speech comes from my heart, my cheeks glowing as I speak. While I have always looked for the beauty in life when things are tough, this is truly something I have come to believe. We can choose happiness, and that is what I prefer, even when there is a war hovering over us.
Sola’s tight expression drops, and she massages her temples, trying to release some tension. “I apologise for snapping. I find all of this uncertainty draining.” She waves away her comment and glances at Nyx behind me before returning her gaze to me. “What happened with the Fates?”
“They captured me because I was meddling,” Nyx answers before I can speak, his voice deep and devoid of any warmth. It’s such a change from the way he speaks to me, his tone making it clear that he’s not here for chitchat. Sola’s expression indicates that she’s not used to being spoken to this way, and I know I need to jump in before an argument starts.
“It’s a long, complicated story,” I begin, nudging Nyx with my elbow in a silent dig to behave. “Our fates have changed, and they can no longer see what the outcome will be.”
Ciaran shifts beside me, his eyes glued to my face. “Fate can change?”
I’m loath to lose physical contact with my mates, but it’s difficult to move when all three of them are practically draped over me. I extract myself from them and take a step away, making sure I can see everyone in the room. I think over Ciaran’s question. There is so much I don’t understand about fate and the future, it’s difficult for me to give a straight answer.
“Apparently some fates are open, especially when there is a large event that will affect many lives,” I explain, hoping I make sense. “They said I have two paths, and they can’t see what’s coming next.”
Blaise takes a step forward so he’s in our little circle, his arms crossed over his chest. “So whatever is about to happen is uncharted.”
Nodding, I glance around the room to take in their expressions. “Yes. We make our own fates now.”
There’s a grim acceptance as they absorb what I just told them. I don’t know about the others, but there’s something freeing about knowing this. I hated the idea that a decision I made was already decided for me, and that the idea of free will was an illusion. Of course, we never really knew this was happening, the idea of the Fates a distant fairy tale, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening anyway.
“How did you convince them to let Nyx go if he’s meddling?” Ciaran asks with a slight quirk of his lips. “They don’t seem like the forgiving type.”
He doesn’t know the half of it.
“I accused them of trying to stop me from living out my destiny. Besides, the Fates have been meddling anyway.” I shake my head in frustration, still not believing the irony of the situation. I look at Nyx. “You heard it yourself. They said they have been ‘steering people in the right direction.’ They accused you of doing that, all while they were doing the same.”
Delayed anger builds up in my gut. I was so focused on getting Nyx out of the Fates’ control, I hadn’t really thought about what they said until now. Hypocrites.
“I must have been stepping on their plans and getting in the way of what they wanted,” Nyx muses, closing the distance between us as he senses my frustration. He places his finger under my chin to lift my gaze to his. “They cannot do anything about it now though. Whatever this event is, they can only record the outcome.”
He’s right, and his touch helps settle me. Being angry at the Fates is not going to help our current situation. I’m still unable to shift the tightness in my gut that has been slowly building over the last few days. The Fates only confirmed this for me today. No matter what we do, a lot of people will be affected.
“My queen!”
The sharp voice makes me jump, my mates reacting and circling me. I peek between their bodies and see that a guard is at the entrance of the hall. Sola stands tall and gestures for the guard to approach, her expression serious.
“The Seelie king has sent a message,” the guard replies as he hurries across the room, a scroll gripped tightly between his gloved fingers. “He is at the border, and he brought an army with him.”
Dread sinks like a rock in my stomach, all the blood draining from my face. I suspected it might come to this, but I prayed I was wrong, and that the king wouldn’t start a war. Unfortunately, I was right. This is what the Fates predicted. Whatever we do now will affect the outcome of this war for everyone.
Queen Sola reads the message as I spiral, my thoughts racing in about ten different directions. I need to slow down. I don’t even know what the message says yet. Biting my lip, I watch Sola as she reads, her brow furrowed in a severe frown. My mates are practically vibrating with tension, and I glance over to Alaric to see how he’s faring with this. It’s his father and his people who are banging at the Unseelie’s doorstep.
Before I can ask, Sola lowers the scroll and rubs her eyes, sighing loudly as she gathers herself. The tension is killing me, but thankfully she doesn’t leave us waiting long.
Lifting her head, she meets my gaze. “The Seelie king wants to speak with you, and he’s demanding his son back.” She glances to Alaric, and I see anger there—not anger at Alaric, but that his father dares demand him back after what he did to him. “If you don’t meet him, then he will launch an attack.”
There’s an unasked question here. Will I meet with the king, or will I allow the Seelie to attack them? For me, it’s not even a choice. Glancing at my mates and Blaise, I see they have all come to the same conclusion.
Nodding, I step forward, the guys falling into their usual places around me as I do so.
“Okay,” I announce, my voice sounding far more confident than I feel. “Let’s go see the king.”