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Chapter four

His Shadow

Zayne

I set the water to cold and stepped into the shower before I could change my mind. It consumed all my self-control to step away from Ayla, and I didn’t think I could do it a second time.

The water streamed down my chest as I swallowed my longing to return to the bedroom, press her against the mattress, and show her everything that she meant to me.

She’d saved my life.

I owed her everything.

Except no matter how cold the water ran, I couldn’t escape my desire—a desire for more than her body. The ache in my chest grew heavier with each moment she refused to acknowledge what was between us. And still, beyond the tether, I craved her heart.

A heart she would be slow to give.

The last time she’d trusted a man, he’d tried to kill her. I couldn’t blame her for needing time—especially when I was the idiot who branded her soon after.

I had to be patient.

Sighing, I turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and dried off. When I stepped onto the tile floor, I found myself staring at an oversized mirror, too foggy to use. Not that it mattered. I barely recognized who I’d become.

Once, I had been a shadow to my sister. Her spare and protector, I served her because I had nothing to claim of my own. Raised in Karenia, I’d been a shadow prince living in a kingdom of light.

Now I was a necromancer, wielder of death and champion of the realm beyond. Most importantly, I was tethered to Ayla.

Maybe I didn’t understand the tether any better than her, but I didn’t fear it. No, I treasured it.

Ayla had saved me long before she’d lifted me from the depths of death. She’d given me a reason to live beyond my family, showing me life could have new meaning.

I’d been attracted to her since we met. I’d been attached to her since we dared to take the throne, and I’d bonded with her as we repaired the stronghold. And now that our tether was beyond Gloom, I’d grown attached, obsessive even.

She was always in my head, and still, I craved more.

The way her laughter filled a room or the way a smile flittered upon her lips when she teased me. I needed her nearby. Always. And even when she needed space, the evidence that she was so comfortable with me that she could admit her fears only stoked the flame of my devotion.

I coveted her beyond all else.

And as the foggy mirror cleared, I met my reflection and wondered who, exactly, that made me.

Ayla stilled as I entered the bedroom, her body sprawled across the bed, hair falling off its edge. Her hands were raised above her, fingers fluttering as she traced the beat of the music playing from her phonograph, already placed upon the dresser.

The song continued, lilting over the room.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

She rolled over onto her stomach and cupped her chin between her hands. Her gaze trailed over me, wandering from my still bare chest to the towel around my waist.

Smirking, she spun about, swinging her feet off the bed and facing the main door. There, hanging upon its back, was a gown, the fabric dark and rich, a perfect coal to her fire. “Iona sent this over. She seems to think it’ll be appropriate for tonight.”

I choked, realizing the high slit would nearly reach her hip. “You’ll look great.”

“I know.”

“Truthfully, I’ve never seen you dressed as a princess.”

She took a step closer. “And I’ve never seen you dressed like a prince.”

“Too bad I’ll be hiding in shadows, my knives at the ready.”

“I don’t think I mind that either.” She swung the dress over her back and vanished into the bathroom.

I wasn’t sure what game she was playing, but it was nice to see her smirking like that.

Her music played as I dressed in my worn leather armor. I strapped a few knives into place but decided against bulky weapons. My strength lay in the shadows. Satisfied, I swung my cloak around my shoulders, the black fabric attuned to darkness by my sister’s shadow-stitches.

I stepped into the living room of the suite where Rhett lounged upon a couch. The self-proclaimed merchant prince wore a jacket that glistened in jewel tones, contrasting Ayla’s darker dress.

He glanced at me and then looked to the ceiling. His disregard left me acutely aware that the last time we’d met it had been right after Ayla was branded.

“Thanks for your help,” I offered.

Still, he didn’t look at me. “You and Ayla, eh? She told me, but it’s still strange seeing you two together.”

My every instinct railed against me. He was a rival for Ayla’s attention—someone she had trusted for longer than me—and yet, he was not my competition. “Our time in Gloom changed us.”

Finally, he met my glare with one of his own. “I see that.”

“Ayla is lucky to have you as a friend.”

“She is. Nobody in Valterra looked out for her, nobody understood her fae instincts. Until I came along, all she had for company was those soldiers who trained her. Of course I’m protective. Especially with necromantic princes she just met.”

My lips curled.

He continued, “I suppose it’s not your fault you’re a necromancer, but I lost good friends to the shades. I’m sure you understand.”

Despite the barb, I nodded stiffly. “She trusts me.”

“Does she? If I’m honest, she seems skittish as a deer.”

“She’s recovering.” Though I couldn’t deny Rhett was right. Ayla’s confidence had been wrecked by everything.

He stood up, stepping closer to me, and I braced for whatever taunt he had prepared. Instead, he softened. “Her sister’s assassination attempt messed with her head, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, and I—”

“And you came into her life at the worst possible moment.”

I couldn’t deny it.

Rhett didn’t stop. “I’m glad the shades are gone, that your sister can revitalize the Isle of Shadow. It’s what the Isles need. But by Teyr, you’re followed by a force determined to change our world, and you’ve wrapped Ayla up in it.”

“What’s your point?” I growled.

“I don’t trust you.”

“I could say the same, but she trusts both of us. We need to work together.”

He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a bark at the front door. He shook his head, muttering as he went to the door, opening it.

Rimu stormed into the suite, Ninti at his heels. The firewolf wagged her tail, seemingly out of breath. I raised an eyebrow at her.

She quirked her head. “Don’t look so concerned, I’m just playing along with Rimu. As far as anyone can tell, I’m a normal dog and not a minor deity.”

The large black dog snuggled up to Rhett, streaking slobber over his jacket. Meanwhile, Ninti pawed the bedroom door open and went in search of Ayla.

I leveled with the merchant prince. “I don’t see you interrogating Ninti.”

Rhett scratched Rimu behind the ears. “That’s because you’re much more fun to infuriate.”

Somehow, that got a laugh out of me.

Rhett examined the slobber on his jacket and frowned. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to clean this up.” He vanished into his bedroom.

Alone, I glanced out the large balcony windows, finding that full darkness of night had finally come upon us. Securing myself in my shadows, I opened the doors and stepped outside.

The ocean roared, waves crashing against the cliff. Several stars now glistened over the cloudless expanse of sky. We faced west, but I could no longer see the distant mountains of Dusk Isle.

Sunset had long since passed, and there had been no word from Eleanor through the speaking stone.

Not that I expected anything—our plan was to communicate only when necessary— but it was hard to shake off the last month of caring for my sister in spite of her demanding relationship with the Shadow Throne.

Gloom would expand if not kept in check. Her mists were commanded to overtake the isles because some of the mysterious shard bearers commanded her to do so. They abused the shards, the remnants of the deity’s artifact.

Fortunately, Eleanor could slow the effect, helping Gloom to stay in one place, but it only worked with Eleanor on the throne, meditating upon it for endless hours each day. The process drained her, robbing her of what little strength she had regained after becoming the Shadow Queen.

Yes, I’d carved out a new path, and it was no longer my role to ensure her welfare. Ysandra had taken that responsibility. And perhaps, if I was honest, the guard was better at it than me since Eleanor actually listened to her.

But still, the old habits remained. Eleanor had needed me our entire life, and it was all I knew.

Now I was the one responsible for finding the remaining black diamond shards and ending this. We only had one lead: Calindra had a shard. There had to be a clever way to find it quickly.

Settling into a seated position, I allowed my breathing to slow and my consciousness to drift. I touched the surface of the Underworld, and my heart rate slowed.

I settled in the highest level of death, my vision of the undead superimposed upon the Living Realm. With my next steady inhale, I identified the familiar scent of funeral flowers, noting how it mixed with the essence of Mer, salty and citric.

The royal graveyard was quiet, the souls there having moved on. It was peaceful, the dead at rest.

Except. Not quite.

There was something I could almost detect, a faint purple light so dark it was almost black. I descended a little further, the current of death strengthening as I homed in on the sensation.

The purple light was coming from my cloak, brightening one of its many pockets. Uncertain, I raised myself back to the living and searched. The pocket itself was carefully stitched and sealed by several buttons. Within the pocket, I found a small pouch with a note.

You’ll need this more than me, but you’re too noble to take it for yourself.

I’m fine. Stop worrying.

Eleanor

I shook my head rereading her final line, torn between annoyance at how well my twin knew me and relief.

Eleanor would be safe. I had to trust her.

As for the pouch…

I poured the contents into my hand, already suspecting what it contained.

The shattered remains of a dark diamond shard pooled in my palm, the sharp edges threatening to cut my flesh. Eleanor was supposed to keep the fragments to ease her communication with Gloom, and she’d been smart to sneak them into my procession because I never would have agreed.

Inarus had used this shard to amplify his powers, and I hated any reminder that his necromancy wasn’t all that different than mine.

But perhaps Eleanor was right—I could use this. If I’d been able to sense these fragments in death, maybe I could sense the other shards the same way.

I returned the fragments to the pouch, smiling as a plan began to form. With this knowledge, our mission could be completed far faster than expected.

And the sooner we left this place, the better.