Page 126 of Taken By the Lord of the Nocturne Court
Luke smiles back atme. “I love you. I was so scared.”
I’m stuck with my mouth open as the echo of fear comes over me, flashing our lucky escape through my head. “Me too. You fainted. I worried you might not wake up. When I said I’d never take your power for as long as I have my own, I was not just reciting a phrase. But you risked everything for me. Thank you,” I whisper, because as good as it would feel to ask that he never takes such risks again, I am eternally grateful for his aid.
“You did something even better. You gavemepower, so I could choose to protect you. I saw what… happened to Anatole. I would do anything to prevent you from meeting the same fate. You’re my beloved prince.” He strokes my cheeks with a smile, and the bond I was so desperate to feel yesterday throbs between us.
With him as my Dark Companion, I’m ready to face the world.
We kiss as I pull us out of the shadowild, and once again, there’s a breeze on my skin and black sand under us. It’s so quiet without Heartbreak’s reverberating roars I could wrap myself around him like a she-wolf around her pups and fall asleep right here, on the shore. But we are no longer alone, and as I look up to take in the guards, Tristan, Lady Guinevere, Carol, and many others who chose to stay and fight, in case I failed, a sense of contentment settles in my chest.
“Heartbreak will be gone for a while,” I say before settling my gaze on Sylvan, who stands meekly in the back. “I am sorry about your brother. He fought bravely,” I lie, because there is no point in describing his shameful actions.
Only now I realize that I ripped apart my top for easy access to the eels. I’ve burnt through them all over the course of the battle, and only the golden sun is left to mark my skin. I am no longer ashamed of it, and silently challenge the onlookers to accuse me of crimes against my brother now, after I saved them all.
No one dares.
Baroness Olivia Goldweed clenches her fist by her mouth and throws her remaining son a hateful glare, but she says nothing.
Sylvan is bone-pale and dirty as he steps forward in the silence interrupted only by the sound of waves hitting the shore. He goes down to one knee in the black sand. “All hail, Lord of the Nocturne Court, Kyran Nightweed. Ruler of the Shadowild, Protector of the Nightmare Realm, and Knight of Grief Ocean.”
There will be no more fighting for the title. The gathered knights kneel one by one, and Luke raises my hand to his lips, kissing the wedding ring he made for me.
They all know what I am, that I am a sunspawn, and they accept me as their Lord.
The nobles brave enough not to hide in the palace start clapping and cheering.
Not for my brother.
For me.
Epilogue
Luke
Over the years, I had so many dreams about moving out of Mom’s home. They always involved showing her that I could make something out of myself, that I’m proud of who I am, as an artist and gay man.
I just never thought I’d be doing it in style.
Kyran insisted we come prepared, so now there are two massive kelpie-drawn wagons parked behind our uber-goth carriage, and elven servants course between my old room and the vehicles, fetching my clothes, books, and everything else I’ve accumulated over the years. Neighbors watch on from their porches and windows, and if they have any comments about me or the tall, dark, and handsome gentleman holding me under his arm, they’re keeping them to themselves.
My mother will no doubt hear all about it tomorrow. But that won’t be my problem anymore. I can’t wait to be out of here. The plan is to spend months decorating our new apartments within the palace and fill them with all the lovely things I’ve squirreled away over the years. I even have a few gifts for Sabine’s baby boy, Nathan. She will surely be over the moon to get some human toys.
Mother’s standing by the door, watching every box. She warned me that I better make sure I’m only takingmypossessions. She seems smaller, and so much less imposing now that she holds no power over me. She’s just a lady in her forties in a canary-yellow cardigan, with short blonde hair, and a golden cross around her neck.
I try to ignore her altogether, because she yelled at me when I appeared. Both over being gone for over a month, and for arriving without warning with the intention to move.Though she later mumbled something about it being appropriate that I lurk at night, since I’m the spawn of Satan.
When one of the servants passes us with a box of books, I grabDraculafrom the top and show it to Kyran.
“Look! The book I told you about. I can’t wait for you to read it.”
He strokes the gold-embossed letters of the title and leans in to kiss my head. “We should give it a better cover,” he says, which likely means that he wants the paperback rebound in leather. He is the Lord of the Nocturne Court after all, so why not?
“Could you at least have the decency to refrain from lewd behavior in public?” Mom says in the loudest of whispers.
Kyran frowns at me. “She must be exceedingly bored to care about trivial things like other people’s romantic habits.”
“I can hear you!” Mom raises her voice. I think she’s frustrated that something is going right for me for once. She wants me to be as miserable as she has always been.
I spread my arms. “Good!”