Page 15 of Veil of Shadows (Fae of Woodlands & Wild #2)

CHAPTER 15

We waited until nobody was in the nearby barn aisle before slipping through the door and relocking it. But once we were outside and back out in the open, we made a show of taking our time wandering through the many corrals to look at the animals.

The entire time, though, Trivan was subtly scoping out the surrounding Wood. A few minutes ticked by before he drifted closer to the prince.

“East of here, about a hundred paces. There’s a large pine with good coverage. I can climb it and stay aloft until someone can take my place. It should offer a clear view of all of the barn doors.”

Jax’s head barely dipped in reply.

Pretending as though we were admiring all of the venues, we drifted back to the Wood to wander along a wildling trail. Trivan fell behind us, and the next time I looked over my shoulder, he’d disappeared.

“He’s gone already?” I whispered, then leaned closer to Jax when another group of siltenites passed us on the path. Several nodded and murmured pleasantries.

“He’s likely already at the top of that tree,” he replied quietly.

My eyes bulged. “That fast?”

When he replied, his voice held a smile in it, “Yes, Little Lorafin, that fast.”

Sunlight poked through the Wood’s canopy, growing brighter as the sounds of the Match Finals carried on the wind. Cheers, boos, and roars erupted from a stadium north of us.

Alec hooked his thumb toward the noise. “Should we check out the stadium? Perhaps he’s working there.”

“Good idea. Keep your eyes peeled,” Jax said under his breath when we emerged from the Wood.

Ahead, the huge stadium waited as the distant roars and cheers continued. In the distance, the white stone palace glittered in the sunlight, and even farther away, Leafton, Faewood’s capital, waited.

The capital’s buildings and shops soared above the Wood. Similar to Lemos, Leafton had been constructed with nature instead of destroying it. Trees, vines, and shrubs intermixed with the sprawling acres of roads, buildings, and shops. And like Jaggedston, an entire area of the capital had been dedicated to the lush manors of the ten Houses.

Applause broke out from the crowd within the stadium as we marched toward it. The huge circular structure soared to four stories, and a bright sky shone down on the open design since it didn’t have a roof.

“What do you suppose is happening within there right now?” I asked as we approached the entrance. At the arched doorway leading in, a wildling was collecting entry fees.

“Most likely hand-to-hand combat or races,” Phillen replied. “At the previous Centennial Matches, those were the most popular activities in these kinds of stadiums.”

Jax dug several rulibs from his pocket and gave it to the wildling. It was more than needed. Admittance only required a quarter of a rulib per fairy, and when the light caught on the extravagant jewels studded in Jax’s cuff, the wildling’s head lifted.

He muttered a sound of surprise and then fell into a low bow, his hooves scraping across the grass. “Prince Adarian, such an honor.”

Jax inclined his head. “May I ask where the best view is in the stadium? I would be willing to pay extra for it.”

“No need, no need at all. The king has instructed us to give the best seats to all visiting royals. I have several areas reserved for fae such as you, and it would be my honor to show you, my prince.”

Jax’s expression stayed cool, his only reply a slight nod of his head. As I’d witnessed several times already, the crown prince of Stonewild Kingdom emerged, his freer counterpart, the Dark Raider, gone.

The wildling called another employee to take his place at the door, then he led us up several flights of stairs as the crowd continued their jubilant cries from their seats. I still hadn’t seen anything worthwhile since the stairwell was entirely encased within stone, but when the wildling finally stopped at the second landing and led us through a small maze of corridors, my eyes widened when the first glimpse of the arena floor hit me.

A vast open area, filled with sand and obstacles, spread out before us. Several competitors were fighting, each trying to win and guarantee their spot in the Centennial Matches.

Jax’s hand closed over mine, startling me from the scene. He pulled me closer to his side, and I remembered I was supposed to be his lover.

I slipped my arm around his waist as the wildling led us out onto a dais perched high above the arena floor. It projected slightly outward and sloped down at the perfect angle to allow us an unobstructed view. It also gave us clear glimpses of most of the crowd, even those seated higher above us.

“I hope this will do, my prince.” The wildling bowed.

“Indeed. Thank you.” Jax gave him several more rulibs. “Those are for you to keep. I insist.”

The wildling’s broad smile grew. He dipped into another bow and then scurried off.

Alone in the relatively private dais, Jax pulled me to the plush seating. Everywhere else in the arena, the seats were made of stone or wood, but here on the dais, the stone seating was covered in thick cushions and fluffy pillows. Elegant tables already filled with fruits and sparkling drinks waited, as though ready for whichever royal arrived, and it struck me how quickly such a structure and its amenities had been erected once the Mistvale spellcasters had arrived. It was truly marveling.

Jax lowered himself to the middle seat, his guards standing stoically behind him while Alec lounged on the chair near the railing. I began to lower myself to sit beside Jax, but before I could, he tsked and pulled me onto his lap.

I fell onto him, my breath huffing out of me and my stomach flipping.

Nearby, several siltenites leaned into each other, whispering and pointing toward us. They weren’t even trying to hide that they were talking about us.

“Are you comfortable, my love?” Jax leaned down and nipped at my neck.

My entire body flushed. “Um, yes, my prince.”

His hand drifted around my waist, and the bottom of his fingers skated upward and almost touched the lower portion of my breast.

I wasn’t sure if he even knew how close he’d come to touching me so intimately, but an answering pulse of longing throbbed in my core.

“Lean back. I won’t break.” He settled me against him, his firm chest strangely comfortable against my side.

Still, it took a few minutes to relax. I’d never sat this closely with any male before, not even when instructed to by Guardian Alleron when he’d asked me to charm males he was trying to seduce with my power.

I thought for certain I wouldn’t be able to relax with so many eyes on us, but Jax began making soft lulling motions with his hand. He ran his strong fingers up and down my back in circular strokes. The caresses were soothing and arousing simultaneously.

Stars and galaxy.

For the briefest moment, I closed my eyes. Tingles shot up my arms, and I allowed myself to enjoy his caressing touch, but just as fast, I whipped my eyes open and reminded myself we weren’t alone.

Tittering came from nearby. Several females were watching us and whispered behind cupped hands.

Snapping out of my reverie, I scanned the crowd, realizing the others were already subtly doing the same.

Everyone was covert about it, either angling in their seats or pretending to stretch when they turned, but I quickly joined in and searched the crowd as best I could.

I looked for antlers, a clearly defining feature that no siltenite would have. But everywhere I looked in the crowd, it was either pure siltenites or pure wildlings only. No half-breeds.

My hope dimmed, but I thought back to the group of half-breeds I’d seen traveling in the Wood when Jax had still held me as a captive. And I’d seen a second group of half-breeds too after Guardian Alleron had rescued me in Lemos.

Multiple groups of half-breeds had ventured here. I was sure of it, so there had to be other half-breeds somewhere. We just had to find them. Because where there was one half-breed, there were usually others. It was no secret they tended to stick together, their outcast status bonding them.

“No sign of anyone interesting,” Alec commented, his remark obscure enough that it wouldn’t draw any attention if anyone overheard.

“Could be too early to tell,” Jax replied just as evasively.

Minutes later, the competitors fighting on the arena floor finished their battle. Cheers rose from the crowd as they shuffled off the sandy arena, and for a brief moment, the floor was empty.

A group of wildlings ran out to change the props. They moved so quickly that it was only minutes before the entire arena looked like a new venue. What had previously been a sandy floor with several walled obstacles in its vicinity was now a maze of hoops, low-lying barbed spikes, and enchanted weapons that randomly shot out spells.

Spectators leaned forward eagerly in their seats as the next round of potential competitors walked onto the arena’s floor.

Jax stiffened beneath me just as my spine snapped upright.

The entire group of new competitors were half-breeds. All of them.

Murmurs erupted in the crowd as everyone took notice. Several siltenites near us began to boo, those behind us voicing their displeasure just as fast.

A low growl erupted from Jax, his friends having similar responses.

All of the half-breeds had animalistic features in one way or another. Three had hoofed feet, two had whiskers, one had wings, and half of them had exteriors that were fur or scales instead of bare skin, yet all of them wore clothes.

But no antlers.

I sagged against Jax, and for once, his wandering hands stopped. Disappointment swelled in his aura so potently it robbed my breath. Unconsciously, I shifted closer to him, wanting to give him comfort. The second I realized what I’d done, I stiffened, but Jax’s arm locked around me, and he kept me close.

Alec leaned over to the prince and whispered, “Now this is interesting. Do you think he traveled here because friends of his came to compete?”

Jax frowned. “Could be, but I hadn’t heard of any half-breeds he knew having an interest in the Matches.”

“Do you recognize any of them?” I asked the prince quietly.

He subtly shook his head. “No, none of them.”

Some of the booing crowd had quieted, and thankfully, a few cheered in encouragement. But the majority’s reaction was typical of our society. Most despised the half-breeds because of the threat they posed to siltenites, but there were groups of fae who championed for them. Nobody could deny that the half-breeds were shunned and treated as lesser, even more so than wildlings, and it took bravery to speak up against it since those who did were often shunned too.

I nibbled on my lip. That strange kinship I felt toward them resurfaced. Like me, half-breeds were other , but the belief that half-breeds should be eliminated ran deep in our culture, unlike the reverence a lorafin received. Our society despised them so much that it was a miracle King Paevin had allowed them to compete at all.

A siltenite walked out onto the arena floor, his gestures grand as he waved his arms in dramatic fashion. “Fine fae of our four kingdoms,” he boomed from a magical device, “our next competition shall require the competitors to remain in the fray as they battle unseen attacks. Those left standing, shall proceed to the next round. Let the battle begin!”

The spectators cheered just as the arena erupted in a display of magical traps and obstacles.

Where there had been sand only moments ago, pillars burst from the floor, knocking one of the competitors off his feet. The other devices activated as well. The hoops soared through the air, forcing the half-breeds to leap through them or be knocked over.

Demobilizing spells shot from the weapons, freezing anybody they touched. One of the half-breeds froze mid-step when a spell hit him, as though paralyzed. A flying hoop knocked him off his feet a second later, but he quickly recovered, shaking off the spell and leaping back into action. But he hadn’t even gone two feet before a boulder tumbled out of a trap door and rolled right over him.

My breath sucked in. Even from the distance, a sickening crunch reached my ears. The boulder rolled to a stop, and the half-breed lay unmoving. Two wildlings rushed out to drag him off the floor.

Just as fast, a shimmer of magic billowed in the air, and then new wildlings burst through small doors mid-way up the arena’s interior walls. They flew atop large redbeaked hawks, the giant birds soaring through the air while the wildling riders shot at the competitors with poisoned darts.

One half-breed took a dart in the shoulder. She was unconscious before she hit the floor.

The remaining half-breeds fought valiantly, some even using a combination of weapons and their own magic to fend off the attacks.

One of the competitors wove his own illusion, and my breath sucked in. A snapping beast of fangs and claws appeared out of nowhere. A redbeaked hawk shrieked and dove off course, knocking its wildling rider off as the illusion engulfed the wildling in a single gulp.

The illusion’s magic fizzled out of existence, and the crowd gasped, but the wildling landed harmlessly on the floor, falling right through the illusion. Everyone laughed. But a second later, when the same half-breed with illusion magic took a poisoned dart to the shoulder, the dart barely penetrated him. He pulled it out and threw it onto the floor before another illusion emerged from his magic.

The crowd’s easy laugh gave way to terrified gasps.

“And that is why they fear them.” The prince’s comment was said so quietly under his breath that I almost didn’t hear him. But he was right.

A half-breed powerful enough to wield illusions and also be immune to poisonous darts that could barely penetrate his tough exterior was indeed threatening to a siltenite.

My eyes stayed glued to that particular half-breed as the competition wore on. He was tall, powerfully built with broad shoulders like a siltenite, but he had a partial snout, and his entire body shimmered with stone-like scales. On top of that, compared to the others, he had superior magic. He moved quickly, ducking and fending off anything the arena threw at him. Magic perpetually clouded around him, creating a shimmering dome.

Lars whistled softly in surprise behind us, then said, “Is that a...Shield?”

“It is.” Phillen’s brow furrowed, and shock barreled through me.

Shields could only be wielded by powerful siltenites, and even then, it took a higher level of magic and training to accomplish such a task. But given this half-breed’s talent, he was just as skilled as any siltenite, if not more.

The competitors carried on, showing off their skills to the judges who sat on a similar dais to us across the arena’s floor.

When the fighting and sparring finally ended, an eruption of magical numbers appeared hovering above the arena floor.

Not surprisingly, the half-bred who’d woven illusions had received the highest marks.

Cheers rose from the crowd, but whisperings began just as fast. The words that I caught weren’t flattering...

“They should all be locked up,” one hissed.

“Disgraceful. They should be banned from the kingdoms,” another sniveled.

“Executed is what I say,” a third sneered. “They all should be killed at birth.”

Shock billowed through me at the blatant hatred swimming through the crowd. I sank back into Jax, but as sickened as I was at hearing such comments, I also wasn’t surprised. This was what siltenites feared most—a half-breed who could easily outwit them, outmagic them, outbreed them, and in the end...kill them.

We stayed in the arena for the rest of the afternoon, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bastian. And it soon became apparent, due to the number of half-breeds appearing in the Finals, that the Centennial Matches would indeed have siltenites and half-breeds competing this time around.

“This is the first time that’s ever happened in our history,” Alec said.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. “Why do you suppose King Paevin is allowing them to compete? No king has ever allowed that.”

Jax frowned. “I’ve been wondering that too. I’ve never heard of him championing half-breed rights. Have you?” he asked Alec.

The noble shook his head. “If anything, I thought he despised them from what my father’s told me.”

The prince’s frown grew. “I was under the same impression.”

I nibbled on my lip and mulled that over, but I was as baffled as Jax and the others were as to why admission requirements had abruptly changed in the Matches.

But from what we saw, it was evident the half-breeds were worthy competitors. More than a few were as magically strong as siltenites, and it could be argued that some were even stronger.

One half-breed with dressel ancestry, given her tusks and bony head, had even vanished during her competition, only to reappear at the other end of the stadium. An audible gasp had erupted through the crowd, moving like a tidal wave through the stadium, when she’d done that. She’d actually mistphased , a magical marvel that was usually only seen among Solis fae.

The sun was dipping toward the horizon when the Finals for the day at last came to an end. Disappointment clouded around the prince.

Bastian had never appeared.

Jax shifted subtly beneath me. “We should get going,” he said quietly into my ear. “He’s obviously not going to show here.”

The prince’s scent clouded around me, the pine and spicy fragrance going straight to my head.

Nodding, I stood, and the others did the same. Several muffled conversations reached my ears as the siltenites sitting near us spotted us leaving. From their curious stares and blatant questions that were loud enough to carry on the wind, it soon became apparent that more than one was wondering who I was.

But while the prince kept a firm grip on me the entire walk out of the arena, I could tell that his thoughts were scattered since he never even glanced toward them. A troubled frown had descended over his features.

I wasn’t surprised. Not only had we not found his brother here, but Bastian’s actions made no sense based off what I’d learned of him. Because if his brother had indeed come here to compete in the Matches or support his friends or find employment or simply watch the Matches for enjoyment, he would have told Jax that. He wouldn’t have disappeared so mysteriously and certainly not months prior. There was nothing logical about it, especially since Jax and Bastian were so close.

Once free of the stadium, Jax’s attention shifted back toward the barn, and then the tall pine in the Wood. None of us could see Trivan, but we all knew he was there.

“Alec?” Jax nodded toward the Wood. “Do you want to take Trivan’s spot and tell him to meet us at the inn?”

Alec dipped his head. “I was waiting for you to ask that.”

The noble jogged off while Lars and Phillen remained at the prince’s side.

Jax approached one of the wildling staff. “Are there any enchanted carpets available?”

The wildling bowed. “Of course, Prince Adarian. I’ll have one summoned immediately.”

We didn’t have to wait long. A moment later, a large enchanted carpet raced toward us, flying only feet above the ground.

When the carpet glided to a stop, the wildling bowed. “Your ride, my prince.”

Jax nodded in thanks. Lars and Phillen hopped onto the carpet first, one standing at the front, the other at the back. Jax stepped on next, then offered me his hand. The gesture seemed entirely automatic given the haunted expression and faraway look he wore.

I took his outstretched hand, nibbling on my lip, then seated myself beside the prince at the carpet’s center.

Jax muttered a command, and the carpet took off.

Wind whipped through my hair, and as though entirely unaware of what he was doing, Jax wove a cloud of his air elemental magic around us, and the wind halted. Once again, it was as though he did the gesture without even being aware of it.

My brow puckered in concern as I studied Jax’s profile. Ever since it’d become apparent that hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of half-breeds were present at the Matches, the aura around Jax had steadily pulsed.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he feared his brother had intentionally left him with no plans to ever return to Stonewild. That perhaps he’d packed up in the middle of the night with a group of half-breed friends, and he feared that his older brother wouldn’t support whatever decision had driven him to do that.

“We’ll find him.” I squeezed the prince’s hand.

Jax started, his expression momentarily clearing. His gaze dropped to where our fingers were entwined, and I realized I’d initiated our touch, not him.

Irises that were an endless blue met mine, and the swirling fear in them made my heart clench. “I hope so, Elowen. I really do.”

“We will.” But even to my ears, the words rang hollow because a part of me was starting to wonder if his brother even wanted to be found.

If Bastian had left in such a clandestine manner without any word to his family, perhaps he’d chosen to leave Jax behind.

And given the prince’s expression, once again morphing into one of hurt and betrayal, I was beginning to wonder if he was reaching the same conclusion.