Page 25

Lady Felicity Frensia

Northeastern Delfi, Maiden Manor

A fter tucking our young son in bed, my mates and I dined by candlelight in our walled garden while inhaling the scents of lavender and honeysuckle, mixed with the salty, damp air on this particularly cloudy night. The smell of rain in the air grew heavier as the night progressed, though I also scented something else—blood? That couldn’t be right. A storm was surely approaching, though the bloody tang in the air was probably just my emotions playing tricks on me after our ordeal in that tower.

Though our meager meal of salted cod and greens was peasant fare compared to the extravagant food at Malvolia’s castle, it was more than enough for me. My mates were alive, albeit Steffan’s wings were a mangled mess. At least we’d lived through our harrowing ordeal. For that, I was thankful. I’d never again take for granted our modest home, Maiden Manor, overlooking the nearby village of Maiden Rock. It was named after the lone, rocky island off the coast where maidens row boats through treacherous waters to offer sacrifices of food and flowers to the goddess, Kyan, in exchange for the hope of finding their fated mates.

A decade ago, I had snuck away from the estate and braved the treacherous waters (that I calmed using my magic) to offer a sacrifice of my most favorite honeysuckles in hopes of finding a mate. The goddess must’ve been pleased, for she sent me not one, but two fated mates the following year. Three years later, the goddess gifted us with a son, a rare occurrence in the Noble Fae world to conceive a child so soon after marriage. Instead of showering our child with attention, we left him alone on this desolate estate in hopes of inheriting Cousin Malvolia’s throne. How foolish we’d been. Now, my family and I were alone at Maiden Manor, cast out by Malvolia and seen as pariahs to all other Fae, hence the reason our guards had fled our service.

Without firemage guards, I worried for my family’s safety. We could find no guards among the neighboring village, since all able-bodied firemages answered Malvolia’s call to converge in Delfi, leaving the Eastern Coast defenseless, should demons attack. My mates assured me the demons would come from the Periculian Mountains, attacking Abyssus before heading for Sorel and Delfi. What would they want with our small estate with rocky soil and a mix of brutal northern and eastern winds? We had no golden fields of grain, like our neighbors to the south at Elisi. We had only choppy waves that battered our shores at the northeastern-most tip of Delfi. Our little barren estate was only rendered habitable because of our small fishing trade and harvests from Elisi.

Our old housemaid, Dotty, appeared to refill our wine goblets, the crook in her back rendering her permanently bent while she held the jug against her ample bosom. “I apologize for the meager meal,” she said while walking around Steffan to me.

I surreptitiously eyed Steffan, who rarely spoke these days, choosing instead to look to the sky, smiling softly as the sun’s rays added more flame to his auburn hair and the dusting of freckles on his face while his limp and twisted wings hung like broken sails behind him.

“Don’t,” I said, grasping the older woman’s arm. “It’s more than enough. And I appreciate you cooking it for us and...” My voice broke as I looked away. “And for staying.” Besides Teddy’s nursemaid, Dotty was the only other servant we had left.

Dotty bowed so low, I feared the old woman would tip over. “My family has served the Frensia family for centuries, and we will continue to do so.”

“Thank you.” I stood, taking the wine jug from her. “That will be all. You have the rest of the evening off.”

The woman flashed a crinkled, toothless smile. “Thank you, My Lady.” Not needing to be told twice to put up her feet, she made an awkward curtsy and promptly disappeared.

I set the wine on the table and sat back down, scooting my chair closer to Steffan’s. “How are you feeling, darling?” I grabbed his warm hand, threading my fingers through his. At least his fire magic still worked, though I worried he might never fly again.

He looked at me as if waking from a trance, a soft smile etched into his features. “Don’t fret about me. My family is safe, and I can feel the ocean breeze on my face. That’s all that matters.”

Geoffrey straightened in his seat. “We will find a green witch to heal you,” he said to his brother. “I will fly as far south as Sorel if I have to.”

Steffan leaned back in his chair, acting as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “No one will come now that Malvolia has put the word out that we’re pariahs.”

Geoffrey jumped to his feet, ruffling his wings as he paced the gravel. “Brother, I will not give up until I find you a healer.”

Steffan shrugged. “My wounds will heal over time.”

Why was he being so indifferent about this? Didn’t Steffan want to get better? What was a firemage without his wings? Emotion tightened my chest. “But what if you never fly again?”

He leaned toward me, squeezing my hand, his eyes misting. “What care I to fly when I have all I need right here with my family?”

“Damn that bitch!” Geoffrey punched the air, flames sparking off his fists. “If she’d honored her word and let us out of the tower before it came crashing down, Steffan would be whole!”

He was right. Malvolia had made me a bargain, that she’d let us out of the tower if I helped Shirina strengthen her magic. I’d kept my end of the bargain, and then the bitch left us to rot until the day the dragon’s roar shook the structure’s foundation. Steffan had thrown himself on top of me when the walls came crashing down, and it had taken hours for the guards to free us. Malvolia didn’t offer us a green witch. She simply sent us away with nothing but the shredded clothes on our backs.

It had taken a week for Geoffrey to fly us home. The trek normally took three days without the added weight. Then we were almost home when Steffan had come down with a fever, and we were forced to rely on a peasant healer to save him with homemade poultices. I would never forgive my cousin for the way she’d treated us, simply because I’d wanted to inherit the throne, not for myself, but for Teddy. I knew our son would’ve made a wise and fair ruler. Tears blurred my vision when I thought of all I’d been through and how close I’d come to losing Steffan.

My injured mate patted his knee and held out his arms to me. “Come here.”

I dug my nails into the sides of my chair, wanting nothing more than to curl up in his arms. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I withstood the weight of the tower.” He chuckled. “I can handle my wraith of a mate. If I die today, unchained and with my mate in my arms, I shall die a happy Fae.”

I stood, wiping the tears from my eyes before gently lowering myself onto his lap with a frown. “How morbid, Steffan.”

“Not morbid, my love.” He squeezed me to his side. “My eyes have been opened.” His eyes hazed over as he stroked the side of my face. “I will never waste another day wanting more, when I have all I need right here.”

My eyes fluttered at the feel of his fingers caressing my skin. How I’d missed his tender touch. “You’re very right.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, frowning at the limp wings hanging down his back. “I see that now too.” Though I didn’t think it too much to ask that my mate’s wings were healed.

“Your cheeks are flushed,” he said while cupping the side of my face. “Have you been gardening?”

“Teddy helped me plant the memorial stones for our parents in the garden today.” Those stones had been long overdue. I still felt ashamed for the many years I’d disrespected our parents’ memories, especially knowing that they suffered in the afterlife because of it. That was what the child spirit-talker, Ember, had told us. I prayed our parents had found peace now, and I would pray every night from hereafter for their forgiveness.

Geoffrey fell into his seat and took a long sip of wine. “He’s quite the helper.”

Steffan’s eyes lit up with pride. “And so precocious.”

“He’s grown so smart over the years,” I said, my chest warming at the thought of his sweet smile and inquisitive eyes.

Shadows eclipsed Geoffrey’s eyes as he flashed his fangs. “And we were too busy serving that bitch to notice.”

“Geoffrey read him a storybook before bed,” I said to Steffan while tightening my hold around his neck, “and he fell asleep in my arms. When I think of all the nights we missed putting him to bed...” I trailed off, trying my hardest not to let my hatred for Malvolia overshadow the love I felt for our son.

Steffan rubbed warmth into my arms, flashing a weak smile. “We can make up for lost time now that we serve Malvolia no more.”

I nodded, swiping more tears from my eyes.

Steffan loudly cleared his throat. “Teddy’s nursemaid told me something interesting today.”

Huh. I didn’t remember him visiting with the elderly nursemaid. Then again, Teddy and I had been so focused on planting those memorial stones. “What was it?” I asked.

Steffan fixed us each with a dark look. “He has the gift of sight.”

The gift of sight? After serving Malvolia’s coven alongside Lady Veronica for so long, I knew exactly what he meant. Our son could see the future. My heart ached at the thought. I wasn’t so sure the gift of sight was a gift, for Lady Veronica carried too heavy a burden. She masked her pain well enough with all that feather collecting, though I knew her conquests were only a distraction from the nightmares that plagued her.

I peered deeply into Steffan’s eyes, praying he’d been mistaken. “How can she be sure?”

The look Steffan gave me made my veins solidify in fear. “He knew when we were locked in the tower and when I was injured.” He visibly swallowed, his voice rattling. “He told her when we were coming home.”

“Elements,” I breathed, too shocked to say more.

“The visions come to him in dreams.”

I clutched my throat in horror. This was far worse than Veronica’s gift, for it was clearly more powerful. Veronica’s visions were usually more vague, and she had to coax the mists to reveal them to her. To have such a power without relying on mists was rare, indeed.

“Oh, our poor son.”

“Don’t pity him,” Geoffrey said. “It is a rare gift. His magic will be useful to the queen, and she will have no choice but to reinstate our standing in society.”

I gaped at my mate. He couldn’t be serious. “What care I for our standing?” I asked, my voice turning shrill. “This gift is a curse and too much for a child to bear.”

A child’s cry startled me, and I jumped from Steffan’s lap, gaping at our old, rail-thin nursemaid who carried Teddy in her arms. She grimaced while lowering him to the ground as if he was a sack of grains. Propelled by black feathered wings that weren’t fully formed, he ran toward me, slamming into my legs.

I picked him up, settling him on my hip while wiping tears from his cheeks.

“Mama!” he cried, burying his face in my bosom.

“Shh, darling,” I cooed, stroking his dark hair. “What happened?”

The old nursemaid nervously twisted her fingers in front of her. “He was calling for you. He had a nightmare.”

Teddy cried harder. “Shh, darling.” I kissed his forehead while rocking him in my arms. “It was just a dream.”

He pulled back, blinking at me with eyes that were far too wise for one so young. “It wasn’t a dream. They’re coming.”

I stopped rocking as my veins solidified in fear. “Who?”

His lower lip trembled as he spoke. “The ghost demons.”

“Ghost demons?” Geoffrey jumped to his feet, twin flames erupting from his hands. “Where?”

Teddy pointed to the tall brick wall shielding our garden from the ocean’s strong winds.

Geoffrey arched a brow. “The sea?”

Teddy vehemently nodded. “On ships.”

My stomach churned. “You saw their ships in your dream?”

Teddy hugged me tighter. “I saw their black sails.”

Steffan stumbled to his feet, the dark circles under his eyes and his concaved cheeks even more pronounced. With his twisted and bent wings, he appeared as if he could easily topple over under a strong wind. “How many?”

Teddy released my neck, throwing his arms wide. “As many trees in all the Sorel Forest.”

All moisture evaporated from my throat, and I could scarcely breathe, let alone speak. This couldn’t be happening.

Geoffrey gritted his teeth. “When?”

More tears welled in Teddy’s eyes. “Tonight.”

Geoffrey watched him curiously, then shook his head, snickering. “It was probably just a dream.”

“Send a search party to check,” Steffan said, his command coming out on a dark rumble.

“We have no more guards.” Geoffrey balled his hands into fists, motioning toward the starry night sky. “I will go.”

* * *

Felicity

S TEFFAN AND I SENT the nursemaid and Dotty to seek shelter in the cellar. Then I carried Teddy as we climbed to the top of the guard tower facing the sea. Our small estate only housed three towers, each in need of repair, with crumbling stairs and cracks in the stone walls. From the top of the tower, we saw nothing as a heavy fog rolled over the beach below, blanketing the landscape in darkness. How odd. I’d never seen a fog so thick.

My breath hitched and my knees wobbled as we stared out into the nothingness, the sounds of crashing waves muted beneath the gray curtain. The smell of blood was stronger in the stagnant air, and I knew this was no illusion. Bile burned my throat when a horn rang out again and again and again. Three blasts to indicate war was upon us, yet the air remained stagnant. I hoped that the town situated behind the opposite wall had heard the alarm, for even the echo of my heavy breathing sounded muted.

I gasped, stumbling back when a shadowy figure flew toward us. Steffan pushed us behind him, summoning his flame, nervous-sounding laughter erupting from his throat when Geoffrey landed in front of us.

“Well, what did you see?” Steffan demanded.

Geoffrey’s face paled while he strained for breath. “Hundreds, maybe thousands of ships.”

My knees threatened to buckle beneath me. “Thousands?”

Geoffrey scratched the back of his head, his brow drawn in confusion. “Heading toward our shore with no souls on any of the decks.”

“No souls?” Steffan blurted. “That can’t be right.”

“They hide in the shadows,” Teddy said, “and many of them fly.”

“They can fly?” I clutched Steffan’s arm as icy fear pumped through my veins. “Goddess, save us.”

“When will they get here?” Steffan asked.

“They’re almost upon our shores.” Geoffrey nodded in the direction of the beach. “We must evacuate.”

Tears filled my eyes, and dread rose in my chest as I rubbed my trembling son’s back, for I already knew what we’d have to do. If the demons could fly, Geoffrey wouldn’t be able to outpace him while carrying the weight of his entire family.

Steffan squared his shoulders, his limp wings twitching behind him. “Geoffrey, take our mate and son to safety. I’m staying.”

“Steffan, no!” Geoffrey bellowed, his face flushing crimson.

My legs felt like deadweights, my heart slowing to a dull thud as I stared at the fog that slowly changed color from pale mist to a dark gray.

My mates’ voices grew louder, their arguing only delaying the inevitable.

“You won’t get far carrying the three of us,” Steffan said to Geoffrey. “The demons will overtake us.”

He grabbed his brother’s shoulder, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“He won’t be alone,” I blurted while clinging to my son, relishing the feel of his warm body tucked against mine, committing to memory the sweet, pure smell of his skin and hair. I turned up my chin, looking defiantly at Geoffrey. “I’m staying with him.”

“No!” Geoffrey’s eyes flared with rage.

“Geoffrey, take Teddy to Thebes.” My cousin might have been a heartless bitch, but Shirina wouldn’t let her turn our boy away. I kissed Teddy one last time, my lips lingering on his forehead before shoving him into Geoffrey’s arms. Teddy didn’t want to let go. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from crying out while untangling his hands from my hair. “Be a good boy for Mommy,” I whispered, my heart shattering when he let go with a whimper.

“Nooo!” Geoffrey clung to Teddy, gaping at me as if I’d just carved out his heart. “I can’t leave you too.”

I motioned toward the shore behind us. Even the sound of the crashing waves had been muted. “If these demons can fly, they’ll overtake us before we reach safety. I’m the only one who can slow them down.” Stepping away from Geoffrey, I pressed into Steffan. “I’m staying here.”

Geoffrey looked at us as if we were already dead. “You can’t hold them back forever.”

“I know.” I gritted my teeth. “I just need to hold them back long enough to ensure that Teddy will live.”

“Felicity.” Geoffrey’s voice broke on a plea that shattered my heart again and again.

“Geoffrey, it’s the only way. Do this, my love,” I pleaded. “Do it for our son.”

Thunderclouds darkened Geoffrey’s eyes. “I can’t leave you!”

Steffan draped an injured wing over my shoulder, an act that I knew pained him. “She won’t be alone, brother.”

“Teddy, darling boy.” I reached toward him as if he was a flickering flame just out of reach, mourning the future we’d never have together while hoping he understood my sacrifice was the greatest act of love I could give him. “I wish I had more time to love you.” I bit down on my knuckles to stifle a sob. “Please be brave for Papa.”

“Mama!” Teddy cried, holding out his arms to me. “Mama!”

Steffan’s voice went cold as he pointed toward a legion of winged shadows flying toward us. “Felicity, they’re here.”

“Go, Geoffrey!” I screamed at my mate while summoning my wind. “Go!”

As Geoffrey jumped into the sky with a howl, I didn’t dare look back, lest I lose my nerve and beg him to return for me. I turned to Steffan, my expression pleading. “I need your love, darling. This storm will take every drop of my magic.”

He grasped my face, his lips crashing down on mine for one explosive, desperate kiss. He pulled back, whispering against my skin. “You have my love and my fire until we burn into embers on the wind.”

I peered into his eyes through a veil of tears. “Then let’s see how many demons we can burn with us.”

I turned toward the advancing shadows and unleashed the might of my magic, striking them with wind and waves, causing the shadows to bobble through the air like untethered sails and the ships to smash and splinter upon the shore. I only prayed it would be enough to keep our child safe.

* * *

Gordin

G ORDIN WASN’T LOOKING forward to this meeting with the nephilim known by his familiar name as Damas. But it had to be done. Damas would be the perfect distraction while his naval forces attacked from the northeast. The witches would be too busy fighting off the winged giant to notice Gordin’s shadow army approaching. And the army was his, not his mistress’s, for he’d turned and trained the human corpses, not her. They answered to him as their master. They were his creatures in every sense. So were the undead giants and demon Terrae. In fact, every battalion, except for the demonlings, had been created and controlled by him.

Gordin no longer trusted his mistress to keep his armies safe. This world war that she’d instigated had caught the attention of The Darkness. If it was true that the demon king had come to the Fae world, they were all doomed, surviving on borrowed time until they were forced to return to their hellish existence.

The demon known as Damas wasn’t hard to find. Gordin simply followed the sounds of his blubbery sobs while he hunched over the body of the wyvern known as Shamadi. It was obvious the wyvern’s body had finally decomposed past the point of repair and Shamadi was no more.

Disgusted by his display of hysterics, Gordin hovered over Damas with a sneer. “Get up.” He kicked the corpse king’s side. “We have brought you a body.”

Damas looked up at Gordin with wide, bloodshot eyes while rotting skin flaked off his forehead. No doubt his tears had dried up, along with his blood, which meant he had hours left in that body.

He hiccupped. “What is it?”

“A centaur.” Gordin whistled for the demonlings. “He’s strong.” He braced himself as the ground shook beneath his feet until the earth split open.

Damas shrieked like a little girl, running behind Gordin as the demonlings carried in the centaur, who was barely breathing, thanks to the poison the spiders had injected into his veins. Any moment, and the centaur would die, which was exactly what Gordin wanted, for the siren couldn’t control the living dead with her voice.

Damas rubbed his chin, frowning at the body with the torso, chest, face, and arms of a Fae and the four hooved legs of a horse. “He’s no king.”

Gordin let out a string of curses. How he loathed nephilim, creatures with far more brawn than brains. “He is king of the centaurs, and his body is far stronger than the one you’re in now.”

When Damas made a face, Gordin had had enough. He slipped his sword out of its scabbard, the ring of steel cutting through the air, and promptly sliced off Damas’s arm.

Ahhh! The corpse king fell with a howl as black blood oozed onto the ground.

“Next comes your head if you don’t cooperate.” Gordin made a face while scanning the wreckage for something to clean off his sword. “You will assume your new body, and then you will shift into a nephilim. Our mistress has a job for you.”