Page 65

I didn’t need to move, I couldn’t move.

A shadow fae was in my way, the ringing of her blade blocking the swordmaster’s reverberated off the mountains. The sound was so loud that it toned out my father’s roars for his friend to cease his attack.

Shadows ricocheted off her parrying blade and darkness rose around her. Standing ready, if she needed them.

Bane’s eyes narrowed on my soulmate, and his muscles rippled while he pushed dangerously against the lock of their blades. “So this is how it is to be then, Dark?”

Remnant did not falter under his continued pressure and her voice was without strain. “To what are you referring, swordmaster? You attack without provocation, you are far too old for these kinds of games, Bane.”

Bane bared his blunt teeth and pushed harder, sparks flying over his arms… lightning sparks. Bane was a fire elemental.

“The boy lives, that's provocation enough. He is no king of mine.” He spat.

Remnant shoved his blade upwards and inched closer. “Nor is he mine and you don’t see me trying to kill him.”

Bane smirked lethally, more white hot electricity crawling up his arms. “Yet.”

I remained intelligently quiet. I wasn’t about to remind Remnant that she had threatened to kill me just this morning.

Instead, my eyes trailed over her powerful stance, pausing on the round globes of her flexing ass. A delicious sight that was worth the momentary delay.

“Stop staring at my ass, shifter.” She hissed, her eyes staying on Bane. To break eye contact now would be submitting to the bastard and I knew enough about my soulmate to recognize that she would never let that happen.

“You can’t blame me, little umbra.” I groaned. “You are the sexiest fae alive when you are defending me like this.”

Sparking steel eyes, bulging with disbelief, cut over her shoulder at me. “Show some damned respect boy.”

“Indeed. I’d say the same to you, Steelhead.” I snickered and waved my hand through the shadows that curled around her like poisonous smoke. Bane’s eyes narrowed, then widened when the shadows danced along my body in their usual playful manner.

Smugly, I hummed, twirling the shadows around my fingers. “Was that enough, little umbra?”

There was a hint of a smile in her tone. “More than enough, your majesty.”

Bane swore just before Remnant swept his blade aside and sent a violent kick into his chest. His solid frame flying backwards to land unceremoniously on his arrogant ass.

“At least when you tossed me, I landed on my feet.” I remarked dryly.

Remnant’s lip twitched and she twirled her ominous shadow blade with a flourish at the swordmaster.

“You’re losing your touch, old man. Allowing yourself to get distracted like a faeling and taking your eyes off your opponent. A novice knows better.”

My father prowled over to Bane and yanked the stunned swordmaster back to his feet.

Leaning forward, he snapped his teeth directly in his face.

“Like a goddess damned prick you mean.” Shaking Bane, he roared.

“Daemon is my son ! Mine! We live because of him. And I will kill you if you ever try that fucking shit again. Don’t fucking test me in this, Bane. ”

Bane shoved away from my father. “Fuck off Asher, you’re a right bastard too just like him.

Your asshole son brought with him the most dangerous shadow fae alive, two powerful shifters, and two elementals who were former captains in her army.

I wonder why they are here.” He pointed an accusing finger at Remnant and I growled lunging forward.

Only to be cut short by the blunt of a black blade slapping against my chest. Nostrils flaring, I slowly looked down at the her sword. “Little umbra…”

“Hush, shifter.” Remnant didn’t even bother to spare me a glance and cocked her head at Bane with a mocking smile. “My, my, my, Bane. You sound paranoid. Although, I do appreciate the fine compliments. Most powerful you say?”

Steel eyes narrowed on the blade restraining me, or rather the reason I had not shoved it away. “Not powerful enough if this is the filth you acquaint yourself with these days.”

“The only filth I see is the shit all over your pants from falling on your ass, Bane Steelhead.”

I laughed derisively only to be slapped in the chest again by her blade. Bringing my laughter to a whining halt.

“I said hush, shifter. I am still pissed at you too. You brought me here to meet your father under false pretenses, a fae who is supposedly dead, and my former enemy no less? Do you have any idea how messed up this is?”

I tapped her blade with an extended claw. “You wouldn’t have come then.”

Bane choked on his own laughter.

Remnant glared at him. “Shut up swordmaster. You have no room to talk. You sent this nuisance to track me down.”

“I thought you’d be skilled enough to avoid him.” Bane shot back and then gave me a look of disgust.

My eyes narrowed but I obeyed my soulmate. Pressing my lips together and gritting my teeth, I made not a sound.

The swordmaster’s brows arched mockingly. “So the pup does know how to obey.”

“Stop provoking him, Bane.” My father and Remnant snapped at the same time .

I grinned wildly at the two of them, silently laughing at the look of horror on Remnant's face and the one of approval on my father’s.

Bane shifted his focus from me. “You’ve gotten much faster, Dark.”

She inclined her head towards him in respect. “I once had a great mentor.”

Bane's smile was genuine this time but it did not last when he jutted his chin toward her feet. “I take it back. Your stance is all wrong.”

Remnant tilted her head, her black and blue hair trailing over her bare tattooed shoulder. “Your eyes are old, they do not see things correctly. Allow me to help you with that.”

Releasing her blade from my chest with a flourish she lunged for the swordmaster who grinned in the face of her assault. Raising his blade at the very last second to defend himself, he parried and thrusted back. The sound of their blades echoed in the dimming light.

“She is very good.” My father stepped next to me to watch their physical prowess.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” I said wryly. “But if he so much as nicks her, his head will be on a pike outside Finlandia gates.”

He snorted. “I do not doubt that, my son.” He nodded at my arms. “New pets?”

I followed his gaze to the now docile shadows curled in my arm. I hadn’t even realized I had been holding them to me like a slumbering cat.

I shook my head, smiling fondly at them. “They seem to have claimed me.”

“As much as their owner has it would seem.”

I grunted. I knew he had seen the truth the moment he laid eyes on Remnant.

“That series was sloppy Dark!” Bane chastised loudly as he shifted into an offensive attack.

“Don’t mistake originality with your stiff regimented forms, Steelhead.” She responded casually back.

Remnant wasn’t wrong, Bane’s movement, while graceful, was carefully placed footwork designed for power and positioning. Remnant’s was more fluid and she slid on the terrain, allowing her to use Bane’s advances against him. It was an ebb and flow that was simple and beautiful.

Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark danced as she fought.

“A blind person could see how loose that grip is. You’re out of shape Dark and you will tire eventually.”

She laughed and I savored the sound.

The dead dirt kicked up in a smoky cloud of dust around them as their paces quickened along with the constant clanging of their blades. Remnant’s shadows snapped to attention in my arms and then leapt forward, quickly slithering across the deadlands to hover closer to their mistress.

Devoted and ready, just like I was.

My father shook his shaggy head. “I am happy you are here, my son. When should we expect the others to arrive?”

“Before sun down I expect, if the deadlands have not grown since the last report.”

“Unfortunately they have but not enough to cause them to be much longer than that. I suppose Penina is one of them.”

I flashed a wide feral grin at him mischievously. “Of course.”

He grumbled. “That’s a dangerous game you play with Bane, my cub. But then again, the sour old goat needs a little unsettling in his life.” My father nodded at Bane and Remnant. “Those two look like they will be at this for a while.”

“Yes.” I said simply.

“You expected that…hoped for it even.”

“Yes.”

“This sounds like a conversation that requires a seat and a drink,” my father remarked before gripping my shoulder, turning me to face him.

His blonde brows rose high on his handsome face.

“Let’s go inside my cub and tell me what weighs so heavily on your heart when it should be light with your soulmate standing just mere feet away from you. ”

I barked out a short laugh. “I see you haven’t lost your power of truth.”

He grunted and guided me to the manor. “Sometimes I wish I had. To see beyond the falsehoods of the fae and the words they spin, to see the truth and need in others—it’s more like a curse at times.”

I couldn’t agree more.