Feral king, p.15
Feral King, page 15
It was the old woman’s voice, seemingly far away, like she was speaking to me through time or a world all of her own.
“Your fate does not rest here in this world, Sophia White. You are not meant for the Dark King. That is the destiny of someone else,” the seer whispered, her voice hoarse and scratchy. It came from everywhere all at once, yet there was no one there to utter the words.
Right in front of me, a small portal opened up. It was different from the one that Mais had opened for me, swirling with white magic instead of the deep violet of Helheim. Looking through the portal, I was able to catch sight of the seer for the first time. I had been right to assume that she was an elderly woman, with white hair flowing back and forth long past her shoulders. Her face was kind, but when I settled upon the disconcerting vision of the inky black voids of her eyes, I shivered with fear.
Although powerful and seemingly on my side, the seer was a being to be respected and feared.
She reached through with a single hand, taking hold of my arm. Slowly, I floated towards her, my body weightless with her magic. It flowed through me with a heavy jolt as she pulled me through the portal.
As my world turned upside down, she cradled me close and closed my eyes with her fingertips.
“Your fate lies with the feral king.”
CHAPTER 18
Roken
I lost three days to madness.
It was the longest spell I’d ever had to date. In my untamed fury, I laid waste to a respectable portion of Helheim’s army, but it hadn’t been enough. Eldoria wasn’t designed to withstand this kind of invasion, and the sheer number of monsters the Dark King had thrown in our direction had been overwhelming. Many of the Elven soldiers had been lost, and when the outlook started to look bleak, Queen Isolde called for a full retreat to the nearby fortress of Ironpeak. In more treacherous times, it had served as a battle fortress, but that had been more than two thousand years ago in the times of my ancestors.
It would be much more defensible than the forest city of Eldoria.
My people moved through an intricately designed underground tunnel system beneath the forest. Now in control of myself, I guarded their trek through the air, occasionally breaking off and tricking Helheim’s men into thinking the citizens of Eldoria had gone another way. The tactic worked several times until I left them lost in the forest to the west while I turned my way north. By the time I arrived in the fortress city of Ironpeak, Queen Isolde had already settled in and was preparing for the moment when Helheim realized we had changed locations.
In all that time, I had not seen Sophia anywhere. I hadn’t sensed her either, not her delicious scent nor even the soft, steady music of her voice. In her absence, I realized something.
I needed her.
Even though a part of me had wanted to bring her to the city of the elves so they could protect her, an even bigger side of me yearned to have her at my side forever. Around her, I had control of my curse. Without her, it was agony. Every second she was away from me risked those around me.
Maybe she was the key to my curse.
I shifted in midair and landed on Queen Isolde’s balcony overlooking the mountain valley. She had done something with Sophia, and now that I had a level head, I needed to know what. My people were safe for now.
I needed to know Sophia was too.
As if she expected me, Isolde was sitting by the window at a small table.
“Where have you taken Sophia?” I exclaimed.
“I fear Ironpeak may not be enough to hold back Helheim’s army. Even with your assistance, I fear for the fate of the realm,” she replied, ignoring my initial inquiry.
A deeply uneasy feeling brewed in the pit of my belly.
“Where?” I pressed, not letting up.
“She escaped.”
“You do not know?” I blurted, my fury tangible. I took a deep breath, pushing it aside and trying to focus on the memory of her to keep calm. I breathed a sigh of relief as my anger eased at once.
I needed to find her, not just to keep my curse at bay, but to finally admit what was in my heart. I loved her and I was never going to leave her side again.
She was mine, forever and for always.
“Her role in prophecy is unclear. She is the subject of a forked thread. Either she is the key to saving the realm or destroying it.”
Immediately, I gritted my teeth. There wasn’t time for me to canvas the realm and search for her. I could focus on picking up her scent and use the pull of the magical connection between us, but I didn’t know if that would be enough. Further still, my curse could ravage me again, and by the time I found her, it might be too late for Terraheim and its people.
The Dark King was hellbent on taking my realm as his. I needed Sophia by my side to defeat him.
“Gather your mages. We will go to the only one with answers,” I growled. Isolde didn’t know it, but she was lucky I was in control, or I would have torn her head from her shoulders in a fit of fury. No one touched my Sophia.
No one aside from me.
“You mean to speak with the seer?”
At that moment, a knife pierced through my heart, and I jolted forward, magic humming through my body with agonizing pain. Something was terribly wrong.
Sophia was no longer in this world.
I didn’t know if she was alive or dead.
In less than an hour, every mage had been gathered deep in the caves beneath Ironpeak. There was a long dormant sacred cavern, carved right out of the rock. The central vein of the magic world was strongest beneath the bedrock here. There was only one other cavern in the realm stronger in the abandoned wizard’s keep of Sorrenthiel to the north, but the power here would be enough for what I needed to do.
The swirling flashes of green mystical light swam through the steaming pool. The water was a hazy milky white.
Lady Seraphina was already waiting for me at the peak of the curved rock incline. A mage of elvish descent, she was graced with long life. When I was still king, she served me faithfully, and she dipped her head in reverence to me as I approached her. Her lavender irises sparkled with power. Her ethereal beauty masked a powerful being underneath. I knew that if the need should arise, she could lay waste to her enemy in the blink of an eye.
“It is good to see you, your grace,” she said softly. She flicked her wrists and a line of hooded mages filed through the entryway, walking in both directions until the cavern was surrounded.
“Lady Seraphina,” I greeted her.
“I understand you wish to visit with the seer,” she replied, her tone trembling and revealing just the slightest trepidation.
“Time is short, Lady Seraphina,” I implored, and she nodded quickly. She started to chant, and the mages all around us lowered their hoods, joining in along with her. As she called on her power, the veins in her arms started to glow a pale emerald. She pushed her palms out, and the mystical energy crackling all around her burst outward. With a fearful glance, she reached out for me and pressed her hand against my shoulder. A second, more powerful jolt of magic slammed into me, and I closed my eyes.
Please let Sophia be alright.
Magical power billowed through my veins, supercharging every cell in my body with enough energy to offset a surgical storm. I tensed every muscle in my body as I withstood such powerful magic, and all at once, it all went dark. The only thing still visible was the flash of green mystical energy in the pool beneath us.
The mages continued to chant more quietly now as a soft, billowy glow speared above me. I looked up to see a shimmering staircase of light, and with no hesitation, I climbed onto the first step. I practically raced to the top when a portal glimmered to life right in front of me.
I wasted no time. I immediately stepped through into the unknown.
In an instant, the air was forced out of my lungs. Everything turned pitch black, as if my body had hurtled into the heavens and was falling amongst the stars. Savage gusts of wind whipped all around me, and I gritted my teeth, unused to the feeling of portal magic. It had been a very long time since I’d stepped through one, and when my feet finally slammed into the ground, I sighed with relief.
I opened my eyes to see a rushing river to my right. It cut through a secluded meadow nestled amidst ancient woodland, its lush greenery painted with vibrant hues of emerald and jade. The air was ripe with the delicate fragrance of wildflowers. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting speckled patterns on the soft, mossy ground.
It was beautiful.
The seer’s realm was one of mystery. Legend said that her world was fluid in landscape, and that the magic took its own form depending on what creature was walking upon its hallowed ground.
The seer was a being to be respected and feared, an all-knowing goddess that ruled over all the realms, including my own. To call on her was to put myself in danger. There were stories of visitors disappearing after they stepped through her doors, the price of entry too high for them to ever be seen or heard from again.
As I ventured further into the mysterious realm, a solitary glowing light beckoned me, casting a soft glow that pierced through dappled sunlight. Intrigued, I cautiously treaded the path, drawn irresistibly towards the radiant beacon, instinctually knowing that it would take me straight to the seer. I strode along the path, descending down the slope of a hill. Hidden amongst the rolling planes and the wooded pines, the seer’s home came into view.
The walls of the little cottage were composed of interwoven branches, the roof was adorned with a tapestry of leaves. Poised upon sturdy stilts, the cottage stood elevated above the ground. With trepidation and curiosity intermingling within me, I climbed each rung of the rope ladder that brought me closer to the seer’s sanctuary. Finally, I reached for the beaded fabric door and entered.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but lying there on the bed was my Sophia. Her eyes were closed, and she was deathly pale. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing, and my panic swelled deep. I rushed over to her, lost in my fear that she was terribly hurt, or at worst, dead. Immediately, I pressed my fingers to her throat, finding her warm to the touch. Her veins pumped fiercely under my fingertips, letting me know that she was still blessedly alive.
Who had done this?
“Do not lose control in my home, mad king.”
The seer’s voice came from everywhere all around me, harsh and scratchy and full of wisdom. I gritted my teeth, reigning in my fury more easily now that Sophia was beside me.
“Can you help her?”
“The answer lies not with me, Dragonborne, but with yourself.”
I sat down on the bed beside her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to my chest. She didn’t move. She didn’t say a word. It was as if she was fast asleep. I studied her serene countenance, her features illuminated by a gentle glow that emanated from a mystical flickering torch. She appeared fragile, yet within her slumber, her inner strength still radiated clearly across her features.
My heart pained at the sight of her, yearning to free her from the grasp of whatever this waking sleep was. With a tender touch, I reached out, my fingers brushing against her skin. My heart reached out to hers, relieved to find her still alive, but aching to see her like this.
“Wake up, my love,” I whispered, shaking her gently in hopes to rouse her. Her eyes didn’t flicker open, and my heart cracked with emotion.
“Look deep into your heart, Dragon King. The answer will come to you.”
I lowered her back towards the bed, tracing my knuckles across her deathly pale flesh. Seeing her like this broke me, and I swore that I would never put her in danger like this again. I would keep her by my side for the rest of her days, keeping her safe and in my bed.
Determination surged within me, fueled by a love that knew no bounds. With trembling hands, I cradled her face, my gaze locked onto her beautiful face, and I knew what to do.
Leaning in, my lips met hers in a tender, lingering kiss—a union of souls like no other. Time seemed to hold its breath as my lips sought out her sweet kiss. In that moment, I felt a gentle tremor vibrate through her body, a sign that she was gradually emerging from the slumber that had ensnared her. My heart bloomed with hope, and I deepened the kiss, fully embracing that she was mine for the first time since I’d first laid my eyes on her.
Mine. Forever.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, her eyes fluttering open like delicate petals unfolding to greet the dawn. Recognition and warmth sparked within her gaze, a testament to the power of a true love’s kiss.
“Roken, I thought I was never going to see you again,” she breathed.
“My Sophia,” I whispered.
I’d fought my love for her for so long that the freedom that came with finally admitting it out loud felt glorious. Unable to get enough of her, I leaned down, meeting her lips with a second, more possessive kiss. Her lips rose to meet mine as my hand wrapped around the back of her head. Her fingers twitched, and she reached up, threading them through my hair. I groaned, blissful tingles of sensation racing across my scalp at her desperate touch. The beast inside me sprung to life as her nails dug into me, and I growled softly. It took everything in me to pull away and turn back to the inky black gaze of the seer.
“What is your price, seer?”
“Your curse has already been price enough, mad king. Instead, I might offer you a gift in your greatest time of need.”
Cautiously, I stared back at her, my brow furrowed with concern. I had not heard a single tale of the seer not naming a price.
“A gift,” I repeated, my voice questioning. Could the seer be an ally? Or was this a trick to extract her price? What did she want?
“Yes.” With a soft smile, she snapped her fingers and a portal opened up right beneath us.
In an instant, the seer’s realm became a hazy cloud, drifting into shadow. I wrapped my arms around Sophia and kept her close as we began to fall through the blackness together.
Whatever happened, at least we were together.
At least I had my mate.
CHAPTER 19
Sophia
No matter how many times I went through a portal, I would never get used to the endless falling and the torrential wind. I clutched at Roken’s chest, grateful to be in his arms once again. I focused on the steady sound of his heartbeat instead of what was happening around me, and that made traveling like this more manageable.
His feet jolted into the ground, and he gripped me even more tightly against him. I glanced around as he gently placed me down. The night sky glimmered with brilliant starlight from above, while the moon shone like a radiant pearl, casting its soft light on the world below.
I knew this place. The seer had taken Roken and me back to where we’d first laid eyes on one another, to the swimming hole where he’d taken my innocence weeks ago.
The moment where I’d first become his.
The riverbank was even more beautiful under the cover of nightfall, but that wasn’t the only thing that took my breath away.
The grassy bank was covered in radiantly glowing flowers.
Heartbloom.
Their slender stems rose gracefully from the ground, adorned with velvety leaves that shimmered in the moonlight. The blossoms themselves were a sight to behold—petals unfurling in shades of rose, magenta, and crimson, and arranged in a series of delicate layers. Each flower possessed a heart-shaped center, a vibrant core that pulsed with an ethereal luminescence, as if infused with the very essence of love and life. They clustered together, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of vibrant color and ethereal beauty in the same place where Roken and I had lain together that very first time.
This was the key to breaking Roken’s curse.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
I grabbed his hand and led him over to the clearing, where he yanked me back towards him and stared down into my eyes.
“I shouldn’t let myself fall for you, but I fear it’s too late,” he mused.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, reveling in the feel of his strong form against mine. “I love you, Roken.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered.
“You won’t. I trust you,” I answered. I slid my fingertips up the back of his neck and dug into the back of his scalp. The same wild look that had come over him in the seer’s cabin graced his face, and I pushed onward. The prophecy had guided me to this moment, and now I had to trust in destiny to break his curse.
After all, his kiss had broken mine.
I angled my face towards his and looked deep into his eyes. The emerald green of his irises sparkled with gold flecks, almost silver under the light of the full moon. His eyes searched mine, reluctant yet full of yearning at the same time.
“I need you,” I whispered.
My admission awoke the feral beast deep inside him. His eye glowed with the slightest tinge of otherworldly violet—magical evidence of the curse instilled upon him by the Dark King’s wizard.
Without warning, I rose up on my toes and pressed my lips against his. At first, my kiss was tentative, explorative, but it didn’t stay that way. He kissed me back with rising persistence, like all the emotion he’d kept hidden inside was finally rising to the surface to be set free. His hand wound around the back of my skull, holding me firmly as he deepened the kiss. His other arm circled my waist, pulling me in close and pressing my body firmly against his.
His cock was rock hard.
“You’re playing with fire, mate,” he rumbled, and my core danced alive with heat.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I snarled in return. His gaze glimmered with restrained savagery as he pulled back to study me, but that didn’t last long. His mouth swooped down, not just to kiss me, but to claim me as his. The brutal kiss hurt from the start, demanding my full attention as he took my lips as his own. His tongue broke through my meager defenses, dancing with mine roughly enough to leave me sore. As he pulled away, his teeth dragged against my lower lip, nipping me hard enough to make me yelp out loud.
