Page 32

Eli

It wasn't my fault. I was only looking after her. After all , I've done for her, she dares to be angry at me? I might have withheld some things from her but it wasn't as if she had told me everything either.

What's more, that sister of mine dared to intrude and cast me out. I looked around the space I was transported to. It seems like this was my father's office. Or since I was now king it was mine. Sighing I suppose I should allow Everetta to have some time to cool off that temper of hers. I swear one of these days she's going to destroy herself with that rage she has.

"Spirits this room hasn't changed a bit has it?" A voice from behind me startled me before the sweet melodies hit my ear. I'd recognize that soothing voice anywhere, Akasuki. Relaxing the tension in my shoulders I turned smiling calmly at my mate.

"Akasuki, I see my sister decided to teleport us to the same room," I smiled, offering her my arm so I could lead us to the sofa by the corner of the office. The bright navy blue European coach and its glass table, so clear that you could see your feet below when you sat. A twin of the very same navy blue sofa sat straight across. Looking around I noted the same ivory-blue arches and old school bookshelves by the right side of the room.

On the left posed an adjoining bathroom coated in the same elegance and color as the office. The sapphire crystals that lined each edge of the room trailed off like veins clinging to the shelves. In front of the giant iced glass windows were the broad oak wood office desk, two adjoining armchairs sat away from the window, and one miniature throne chair behind the oak table.

I always loved that chair. It reminds me of sitting on the actual iced throne. The nearly frozen-over miniature diamond and sapphire blue throne. I can't wait to sit atop the actual one and make my presence known to the entire realm. Let everyone know that King Eli Scalivander Lusivous Gillian Avalar Vallian Lion Wolf is back.

"Yes, quite the favor she's done for me keeping us together. You know I've always wondered why she never fought harder to stay in the past. She has enough strength. Perhaps things might have turned out differently." Akasuki trailed off remembering the past, causing me to stiffen my shoulders. Her reminiscing only made me think of the mad events that had unfolded that night in the Griffin Court gardens.

The madness that ensued. The utter power that was unleashed. Although I cannot recall exactly what had transpired, perhaps because it had been so long ago. Or it must not have been significant enough for me to remember the exact details of the event that had transpired before Everetta's lapse into madness.

One minute we were fine. Everyone was enjoying themselves in the garden ball then Everetta barged in. Next thing I knew that bloody bastard of a half-brother of hers stormed down from the skies. We all thought he had been dead but apparently not. He came in and spouted some nonsense about leaving and something about the Griffin Court. Suddenly Everetta went utterly berserk. Screaming and shouting, firing her magic at everyone. I still haven't a clue why or what had triggered that episode of hers but all I know is I never want it to happen again. Which is why I decided to withdraw her memories. Let her start again.

From what I saw I thought she would have been happy to have a fresh new life here at the Wolf Courts. She could forget the title of being Griffin Queen. She's never wanted it in the first place. As for the Griffin Court lands. We'll figure out a way to save it without her being on the throne. Lords, I would have taken over for her.

Unaware of where my thoughts had strayed, Akasuki continued, "What happened back there? What did she mean by your abilities? Reading minds? Eli, surely she jests, if you could you would have told me."

Her words were like a? noose squeezing out the air in my lungs. Trying not to show my guilt in my expression I pressed a thin smile to my lips as I tried to suck in a ragged breath. "Well, she is wrong, I can't necessarily read minds. Per Say." I began because Akasuki was right. I should have told her. I should tell her. If there was anyone I should tell it was Akasuki she was my mate. She would understand, right? Plus, the secret was out now. If I try to hide it, it would just make me look like the villain. ?

Reading the anxiety written all over my aura, Akasuki turned to me her red gaze against my blue guilt-ridden ones. "Eli, what are your abilities? Don’t abilities have to complement one’s gift? Mind reading has nothing to do with ice magic. Eli?" Her glare said it all.

There are a lot of things I haven’t told Akasuki since the events of the garden. I hadn’t even known this was my gift until that day. I was going to make a whole announcement at the party but then Everetta just had to throw her little tantrum.

Clearing my throat I sighed grasping her hands in mine.

"Love, I do have my ice as my gift. I create anything I want with ice, but that is simply because my gift allows me to. Now everyone also has an ability like you said but not all fae necessarily have to have an ability that matches their gifts. You know my circumstances. You know how I came to be." I began as Akasuki started to stand only for me to plead for her to remain seated. I hated talking about my birth, I hated the reminder that I was meant to be weak.

Giving a slight pull against her lifting hands, I pleaded for her to understand. Begged for her to hear me out. To listen as to why I never told her of my true abilities months after my discovery and before the garden party.

"Get to the point Eli or I will leave." She threatened, hurt sprinkling over her eyes. I sighed, closing my eyes for bravery.

"My ability is to freeze the memories of others, and when I do, I could essentially take it away from that fae." Akasuki frowned, her brow wrinkling as her head shook against my words. Not quite believing the truth spilling from my lips. It was true, but it was also not the complete truth. I had left out the part where I could peer into those memories as well and twist those memories into something completely different, like puzzle pieces being cut and reshaped. All I had to do was freeze them then shave away some parts and fit them back together.

I might have also left out the part where I had performed that exact thing to her. It was only a small part, I just made her forget when she had caught me speaking with Alexander before Everetta’s spell had given us all a second chance. I had to, I-

It was necessary for my plan to work. I was doing all of this, working with that bastard Alexander, hurting Everetta, scheming with that witch, all so that my court- no. So that Akasuki’s and my court could prosper. I was not wrong. So I can’t tell her. I mustn’t.

"I've never told you this because when I do I can see their memories too. It's not intentional but-" Akasuki snatched her hands from mine as she placed one against her forehead now trying to message the wrinkles out of her furrowed brows. I still had to give her something, if only to lessen her suspicion of me. Sharing one bit of the secrets my abilities can do should be fine.

"No- let me get this straight you froze her memories. You stole her fucking memories?! Eli! That's, that's not alright!" She bellowed standing as she looked down on me like a looming shadow of ruin. Closing my eyes I sighed. I thought she would understand. No, she will , I’ll make sure of it.

"I know but what would you have done in my situation? You saw how she was before the reincarnation. She wasn't herself. She wasn't m-our Everetta! Our Everetta wouldn’t have been like that! She would have killed herself again if she ever found out she had been the one to end my little brother's life. I wasn't going to let that happen." I began standing up myself as I tried to get her to understand to see my side. Surely she would. She saw how broken and utterly destroyed Everetta was. She must understand my pain. Those vacant eyes, those damned empty sockets. I can't ever let Everetta go back to that .

Shaking her head Akasuki frowned her anger, blazing a glint in her eyes, "You had no right. You don't even know if she would have killed herself-" She began but the words spewed from my lips before I could stop them, "Alexander sure saw differently-" I froze, eyes wide and horrified by the red-hot rage coloring Akasuki's cheeks just like the glow of her ruby eyes.

"What?! I explicitly told you not to! After what had happened. After all he had done, you went to him ?! Wait- what do you mean he saw, Alexander isn't an oracle- Eli?" Her words halted as she fitted the pieces together to my doom. She was incredibly bright my mate, so even if I hadn’t confessed she would have figured it out on her own. But, to what extent?

"What did you do? Eli how the fuck did you get into this damn castle. I know your father wouldn't have just let you stroll in willy-milly. What did you do? What bargain did you make with him?!" Her voice was like the sound of thunder that clapped when the Spirit Gods of her realm raged. Like the lightning that stuck after a terrible monstrous storm. See Akasuki was fae but she was only half fae half spirit. Hence, she only had her gift of illusions and no abilities. It was why she lived in a different realm, the spirit realm. That didn't mean she wasn't strong. No mate of mine would be weak. Half or not.

I sighed, “Everetta was weak, I needed a way to ensure that she wouldn't just up and kill herself when we reincarnated. We didn't need another apocalypse... so I might have gone behind your back and asked Alexander for help."

I turned away, not able to meet the fiery depths of her ruby-red rage anymore. Too scared that if she kept looking into my eyes she would discover a truth far worse than a mere discussion between two kings. That she would discover how she had caught me and Alexander making that exact bargain. The issue was, I had chipped off that specific detail in her mind.

"Eli! I begged you not to! You know what he did! To his own people nonetheless!" She fought back as words tumbled from my mouth once more without my consent. Perhaps it was because I was tired of all this blame being cast my way when I wasn't the one at fault.

"Please as if that's any different from what your people do-" I had cut myself off a tad bit too late as I felt her energy rise.

"What?" She gritted in such a hushed tone I knew I had done it.

"Wait, I-I didn't mean to say that. I just meant that your people go to war with one another so much that killing half his own is practically the same thing. Shit, that’s worse. I mean-" I quickly hushed myself at the withering look I was receiving from those red-hot eyes, literally. They were like burning rubies under the chandelier light of the office.

I expected her to yell at me more. What I hadn’t anticipated was the sudden trickle of tears running down her cheeks. Oh lords, this was not what I meant to happen. "Aki- That's not what I meant, you know that. I-I'm just a bit tired today. With Everetta's meltdown and the workload." I gestured to the mountains of paperwork on the table and floor of the office. I bit down on my lower lip as I watched Akatsuki break down and I was going to go to her. To help wrap her in my comforting arms when she held out a hand distancing me. Halting me from taking any more steps closer.

"No- I specifically asked you not to. I begged you not to. I told you he had something up his sleeves. I warned you not to make a bargain with him.” She repeated looking back up at me, her eyes brimming with more unshed tears.

Silence .

I didn’t know what else to say. What would make her see that what I did was the best solution?

“What was the bargain?”? Her weet stained eyes meet mine. Confused, I didn't reply until she repeated herself and even then what was I supposed to tell her?

“What was the bargain?! What the fuck did he ask for?!”

Here it was. I had hoped she had forgotten about that one question.

Wincing I could still remember those words as if it was yesterday. I didn't regret it because there was no other way. Besides, it wasn't as if it was going to be held for long.

"What did you trade, Eli?" Akasuki asked, she wasn't yelling this time. She wasn't screaming anymore and maybe it was her quite broken tone that made me crack. The pleading knowing gleam in her glistening eyes as if she’d already given up. On what, I hadn’t a clue. Even without saying a thing she already knew the answer, my bright mate.

"You handed me over. You traded me in. Didn't you?" She asked, her broken fractured tone like a knife to my throat. Biting out a soft smile as if she'd already accepted it she turned her gaze away from mine. It was like she couldn’t even look at me.

But what was there to accept? I wasn't going to let that bargain come true, at least not for long.

"He was never going to have you for long. I was going to kill him as soon as the bargain was fulfilled. I was going to end him the moment our deal was done. A second, it was only going to be for a second. I promise. There was no way I would ever let him touch you, you know that." I tried to reason. Reaching out a hand to grab onto her to maybe hold on to whatever hope might be left for me to convince her that I would never just sell her off. But Akasuki was already shaking her head from side to side almost like she was there but not there at the same time.

She backed away.

"You traded me up. You're just like my father. I'm nothing but a bargaining tool for you. For my brothers, for my whole family... I thought you were different . We were mates, Eli! I'm your fucking mate. How could you do this to me?!" Akasuki began but before I could answer she was already breaking away. Shaking her head rapidly now as if she was in denial. Of what I haven't a clue. I didn't do anything wrong. I was carrying out what needed to be done. I was doing what was necessary!

"Do you love her?" She began confusing me. Dragging me out of my building rage. What the hell is she going on about? Love? Who? Her? But as I tried to ask exactly that she began anew.

"Do you love her, Everetta ?" She asked, her body shaking from the tears streaming down her face.

"What? As always, yes, I do, she's one of my best friends-" I started but Akasuki cut me off again shaking her head slowly as tears slowly trickled down her delicate percaline alabaster skin. Like wet stains on an Oyama doll.

"No, you know what I mean. Do you love her? Not as a friend but as a lover." Her eyes seemed to have made up their mind looking at my confused and hesitant gaze.

Silence.

What was I supposed to say? What did she mean? Not as a friend? What else was there? I opened my mouth but nothing seemed to come out.

I couldn’t speak.

I grasped onto my throat with one hand trying to fight the suffocating feeling there.

It was like a rock was logged in my airway, choking me as I tried to get the words out. It was no. It was no! Right?!

As if that was all the confirmation she needed Akasuki looked away clasping a hand over her mouth, a whisper of a statement floated in the air as she shook her head, “Fae can’t lie.”

She started trailing backward as if her legs were leading her on their own. Gripping the wall for support she slowly slithered down, her quivering body contracting curling up into a ball. I don't know what thoughts were streaming into her mind.

I-I. I loved Everetta sure but I-

"Akasuki, you know I love you. I would do anything for you, you know that-" I begged trying again to make her see reason only for her to shake her head as she stared up at me.

"No- you're not answering the question. Do you love her, Eli? Hell, you gave me up, I think the answers pretty clear." She began as she tried swiping away at her tears.

"No. No. No, baby please don't cry. Please don’t. Like I said he wasn't going to have you. Not really , I was going to end his life as soon as the bargain was done. He wasn't going to lay a hand on you-" I repeated but Akasuki was shaking off my attempt to soothe her like I was nothing but one of those nasty insects buzzing in her ear.

"You promised me- you promised me you wouldn't do this-" She began before a violent tremor shook the ground momentarily halting her tears as confusion broke through.

Suddenly the doors to my room exploded open.

"What the hell are you two doing?! There's been an attack! The castle is under siege!" Snow bellowed her hair a mess of webs hovering in a light blue halo around her as I frowned. What?!

Akaskui and I shared one last look of something, hurt on her part and pleading on mine before both our emotions were locked behind a steel bar. Biting my lower lip I vowed that after whatever foolish stunt this was I was going to make Akasuki see my side of things. That I would have never allowed for her to be taken by that bastard of all fae.

Quickly, striding over to the window I looked out to see nothing but black.

Smoke was everywhere, bodies upon bodies of guards and shadows were going about it. More blue uniformed guards were lying against the ground gasping for air than a shadow was. Wait, shadows? I thought Everetta had taken care of them before the ball. How were they able to regroup that quickly?

Suddenly Fletcher’s little warnings came back to me. But that couldn’t have been Akasuki said she went and checked it out but there was nothing. It didn’t make any sense how I was not able to sense them. Surely an army this big couldn’t possibly be untraceable.

In my confusion, I didn't notice that Akasuki was standing by my side. Her tears mopped up; to not show weakness in front of my little sister. No doubt a glamour to hide her red-soaked cheeks.

"Eli- Oh my demons what the fuck the fuck is that?!" Akasuki was pointing as I looked down at a fifteen-foot-tall werehound and that wasn't even the worst of it. There, fighting with Lucarious was a red… shadow? What the hell? What's worse was Lucarious truly taking a knee? It was like the monster had Lucarious pinned down. His claws clamped down against one of Lucarious' bleeding shoulders. The thing's claws dug into his soft skin, pressing Lucarious down against the mud. But that couldn't be true, Lucarious was a monster in his own right. So how? I watched as blood dripped down from Lucarious' right shoulder. The wince and strain to fight back, to get back up, was evident against the throbbing grit of Lucarious' fangs as he bellowed a mighty roar. His pearly whites had already turned into jagged rows upon rows of razor-sharp daggers in his mouth.

Lucarious had rarely liked being called the King of Blood and Shadow, he much preferred fire and flames to being called a shadow. But that was what he was, a shadow. No one knows why and the man never liked to acknowledge it despite the obvious signs in his magic. You could see it in his flames, in the shadows that loomed in the background of each spark. Lucarious had twisted himself into a shadow, or at least half of himself. Hypocritical of him to look down on his sister for using dark magic when he himself used it.

No. There was no time to assess the situation. I have to get down there. I need to help my people. Whatever the problem is, I'm sure I can handle it. Gripping onto Akasuki's shoulder I allowed for her to teleport us down there onto the battlefield. She must have sensed the dire situation because whatever emotions we might have had before we knew when to shelf it. As I threw myself into the battle.

We were rulers first above all else.

I was not losing my crown when I had just gotten it back. Thrusting my hands into a werehound's heart I yanked it out. Sure a nice fun way was to aim for the target at the tops of their head but another way, like for any living creature, was to go for their hearts. I wasn’t like Everetta or Lucarious. I took no enjoyment in dragging things out. In putting up a front of entertainment to appear weak. I will do it if I must but not now. Playtime was bloody over.

Spinning backwards I enhanced my leg muscles with my magic, swiftly cleaving the werehound in half. I made my way towards the right edge of the castle trying to get to Lucarious. I knew Akasuki could handle herself, if not I knew Snow was with her. Their energy signals were close to one another. If that ass hole still needed help I was going to give him hell for worrying me.

From the looks of his knee still on the ground, he was going to owe me a large favor after this.

The only reason I was helping that bastard is because I can't touch those lords forsaking shadows without my magic. Only Lucarious and Everetta could.

But as I lunged for the next werehound to slaughter something stabbed me from behind. What? I turned frowning as I faced- Everetta? No, this wasn't her. This was a man?

Had Everetta turned herself into a man?

No, surely not. But the energy level. It was similar to hers. So similar in fact, no wait. Was that my magic too? It couldn't be. Everetta and I never had a child. I would know. We never even once tangled under the sheets. So why is it that this boy-? Ugh!

A sharp pain coursed through my body as I was stabbed with something again and again. Then my magic. What the hell was going on with my magic it was like it was being sucked away. Like it was being drained from my body. Everetta. Where the hell are you?! Everetta!

I need to get a message over to her now! Please lords please let this work. I'd only seen her do it a couple of times but perhaps with my abilities I might be able to, "Everetta! Everetta! We need you. The castle is under attack! " That was the last thing I could get out to her before everything became an agony of pain and searing burns.