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D arkness swirled around me again for a new memory and my shoulders slumped with defeated relief when the tortured growls and the sadistic laughter disappeared.

I stood in the middle of a massive black marbled throne room, above me a glass dome separated the night sky above from the shadows that swirled below.

Instant home sickness gripped my chest.

I knew this place well—and thankfully, it wasn’t a place of pain.

It was one full of love, patience, and understanding.

A place that once heard the small pitter patter of my feet, the laughter of my mother while she chased me, and the undying loyalty of a court that I thought I had been lost forever.

I was in the Onyx Throne Room of the City of Night, homeland to the shadow fae.

And in the middle of the room next to me stood Emon. Proud, despite his deathlike appearance and being covered in iron burns and flaking dried blood, he still commanded a captivating presence.

The soft steps of booted feet had me turning to stare at the exact replica of me only in male form. Bright green eyes, dark blue wavy hair, and black swirled ink etched into the pale skin of his muscular athletic frame.

“Kade." I gasped.

Shadows curled from his lethal hands and weaved around the shifter king. It was a futile attempt to restrain Emon judging by the lack of worry he demonstrated at the shadows binding him.

Then the darkness around the room stirred, swirling and materializing into a majestical ancient fae.

“Mother.” I whispered.

The moons highlighted my mother’s beauty while the darkness poured off her in gentle waves.

Shorter than me but not in presence, her skin was like porcelain, her heart shaped face regal with an air of elegance, her slanted eyes a deep sapphire blue, ringed with green, and outlined by thick dark lashes.

Her hair fell in undulating deep ocean blue waves when she moved, mimicking the billowing fabric of her dress that blended into the shadows of the room, whispering across the floor like a dark promise.

How could my memory of her ever blurred?

Emon’s eyes remained trained only on my mother, absent of fear.

“Eve.” He said, bowing his head subtly.

“King Daemon.” She bowed her head and then turned to my brother. “Kade, please release the shifter king. He is not a prisoner here…albeit you do look like one.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why is that, your majesty?”

I opened my eyes and swallowed the building emotion within me.

“With all due respect mother. He stormed into our home knocking out a dozen of our guards demanding to see you and only you. I do not feel it would be wise to release him until we know exactly why he is here.”

My mother snorted, the action comical, with all of her regalness. “He is half dead and still took down our guards.” She chuckled and winked at Emon. “You are much like your father, Daemon Ash Strider.”

Emon smirked at her.

Waving a singular hand at Emon she continued. “I thank you for being polite and not killing guards, your majesty. If you would, please demonstrate to my son what a futile attempt it is to restrain you.”

Emon raised his brows before he broke the shadows binding his hands in front of him with a fierce pull.

The cold hiss of Kade’s steel blade laid across the shifter king’s sword. “How is that possible?”

My mother sighed. “I grow weary of this. Kade please lower your sword. The shifter king is not here to harm us. If he was, he already would have.”

Kade glared at Emon before flicking his blade back into the shadows. “I want to know how you did that.”

Emon's head slowly turned to my brother and purred. “My secrets are my own, shadow fae.”

My mother arched a dark brow. “But not all of them.” Then she smiled politely at the king, her eyes trailing down to his unbound hands. “Let us cut these pleasantries for now.”

My mother stepped into Emon’s personal space with sudden concern, her pale hand reaching outward to cup his swollen face that was healing very slowly for a fae of his power. Worried blue green eyes looked up into his stormy expression.

“Are you in need of medical attention, Emon? Your father’s healer was once a great friend of mine. He would be most displeased if I didn’t insist on you seeing a healer of our own.”

Emon shook his head and pulled my mother’s hand from his face with care. “I thank you Eve, but I fear there is no time for that. I am well enough for now.”

I narrowed my eyes on Emon, he was playing with words. He was not well. Not even close.

“So be it.” She sighed seeing the lie within the truth. She took a step towards my brother who placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort. “Bane sent word that you were searching for my daughter. Tell us. What has happened to my little chickadee, where is my Remnant?”

Emon flinched. “She is safe for now, I believe…” His eyes grew distant. “I hope.” Then he shook his head. “But you and your people are not. Right now, as we speak, the Faerie Queen has an army marching in this direction to annihilate the shadow fae race.”

My brother interjected. “Our people can more than handle the queen’s meager forces. The City of Night is more powerful than her. Answer my mother’s question shifter. Where is she, where is my sister?”

Emon growled at him. “Pride will get you nowhere. Your city will fall and everyone in it, if you do not heed my warning. I am here because your sister would want me here to help save you. All of you. You must understand, there will be no mercy from the queen.” He stared hard at my mother.

“You asked why I look like I was a prisoner? It’s because I have been, for three months, along with your daughter. ”

My mothers voice caught and my brother cursed violently while shadows exploded around him. “That fucking bitch of a queen! I don’t know why Remnant ever trusted her!”

“I had to leave her behind to save you.” His voice cracked and he bowed his head with shame.

I gasped when Kade’s fist connected solidly with the shifter king’s face, having not seen him move.

“You left her there!” Kade roared.

My mother’s shadows quickly encircled my brother and pulled him forcibly back, away from the furious shifter king. “Settle yourself Kade Stellan Shea Dark!”

Emon snarled through his reopened split lip.

“As much as I deserve that…know that I would never leave her defenseless, your sister is strong and I was able to at least break her bindings before almost being overpowered. I barely even made it here.” He looked at my mother beseechingly.

“She will need you all to recover from what has been done to her. The queen will purge you of Faerie if given the chance, she will wipe your very existence from this world. Her hatred runs that deep. You must leave here before that happens.”

Kade turned to my mother with fury. “You cannot believe this shifter scum mother! His own father has been Remnant’s enemy for years, slaughtering innocent fae! Allow me to leave here and bring her back to us, unlike this shifter I am not leaving her with that bitch one second longer.”

“There are no innocent fae!” Emon snarled. “And if there was, my mother was one of them! My father has paid the price for what he has done.”

“Enough!” My mother snapped and suddenly her beautiful face looked very tired. “That is quite enough Kade.” She whispered, then straightened. “We must leave. I have seen it, I just didn’t know the when.”

Kade stared at our mother in horror. “You want to leave her there and leave her behind?” He shook his head. “No. I’m not fucking leaving without my sister.”

Emon sighed. “You are not dispensable Kade Dark, none of you are and that is what will happen if you go after her. But if I go, I am. Your sister will still have her family and live a happy life beyond this. Goddess knows she will need it.”

Kade’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You speak as if you care about her…why?”

Emon licked at his bloodied lip watching my brother with indecision.

With a soft sigh, my mother released Kade from her shadows. “Because he loves her.”

Emon’s gaze turned on my mother. “Yes.”

“You’re soulmates.” My mother continued.

“Yes.” Emon said evenly.

My brother cursed again and started to pace uncontrollably.

“I’ve masked the bond, it is not complete. She does not know.” Emon watched my brother pace warily. “No harm will come to her as long as it stays that way. If I fall, then she will still have a chance—”

I knew what he wanted to say. A chance to live, a chance to love, a chance to grow without him.

Tears filled my eyes. Emon had been beaten, experimented on, and raped for three long painful months. He was standing only with sheer will, his body broken beyond the injuries one could see, and even still, he was ready to fight a war alone…for me.

“Then I know what must be done.” My mother said softly.

From the shadows, an onyx scroll materialized into her hand and Kade paused with shock when she extended it to the shifter king.

“Daemon Ash Strider, King of The West Isles, Soulmate to the Princess of Shadows, I task you with the guardianship of the shadow scroll, you will deliver this to my daughter so that she may one day join us again.”

“And where will you be going?” Emon said, the relief evident in his tone as he took the scroll.

My mother shook her head. “It is best you do not know but the scroll will help my daughter find us when the time comes.” She placed a hand on his arm soothingly. “Be careful, my son.”

Emon swallowed hard. “I understand,” he said gruffly. “I swear to you, that I will deliver this to her with my own hands even through death. Thank you, Eve.”

My brother watched with a stoney expression and his eyes flashed with rebellion.

“I will do what my mother asks of me but you will not find me as accepting as her, shifter brother.” Kade sneered.

“If my sister dies because you fucking left her…I will make it a personal mission of mine to end you. Whatever horrors you have suffered will pale in comparison to what I will do to you should you fail.”

Emon glared at him but nodded his head with understanding. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, shadow brother.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes.

My mothers blue green stare snapped over to me and I froze, my breath held watching her watch me…impossible!

She smiled then and I could read the silent words on her lips. “I love you, my chickadee.”

My tears spilled over. “I love you too, Mama.”

Then the memory draped in darkness and I was swimming through Emon’s consciousness waiting for the next one to come.