Winter of the shadow fae, p.12
Winter of the Shadow Fae, page 12
“How did it go?”
I stepped inside and there was a fire crackling in the fireplace, illuminating the tiny cabin. On one side of the cabin was a small kitchen with food on the small wooden table, and on the opposite was a large bed that looked exactly like mine in my cottage back home.
“Before I answer that question,” I said, pointing at the food, “where did all of that come from?”
Sighing, Kai glanced over at the table. “You were gone a while, so I made a portal back to my cabin and grabbed some things. I even brought you some clothes.”
“What kind of clothes?” I asked curiously.
Kai shifted his gaze to the floor. “They were my sister’s. She left some at my place.”
“Draya told me about her,” I confessed.
Kai’s eyes shot to mine. “What did she say?”
I shrugged. “Only that she’s a good person and doesn’t deserve my wrath.”
Kai agreed with a nod. “She doesn’t. Piper’s not like my brothers or me. I’m glad she decided to go away, especially with everything going on.”
“Do you think you’ll ever see her again?” I wondered.
He shook his head. “She’s not going to want to see me. It’s best she stays far away.”
Whether he believed that or not, I couldn’t tell. But by the way he said it, I could hear the emotion in his voice. Kai took one of my hands and led me over to the bed. He laid down and pulled me in beside him. Out of everything that happened tonight, I didn’t realize how exhausted I was.
I laid on my back while he leaned on his elbow, gazing down at me. “Tell me what happened. Did you see your mother?”
I looked into his steely gray eyes. “I did. And I’m afraid you started a war.”
His gaze hardened. “There was already a war between us, Ella. I don’t belong in your world.”
“No, you don’t,” I replied, remembering my mother’s words.
Kai flinched as if I’d slapped him. My people would never accept him, but Kai knew that already. There was no future between us, only the here and now.
Kai gently soothed a hand down my cheek. “What happens now?”
I leaned into his touch. “I don’t know. My mother said she would tell everyone that I’d be back soon. Until then, I have a job to do, with or without your help. I have no doubt your brothers are going to kill people to find me.”
Kai closed his eyes and huffs out a breath in anger. “And I’ll be right by your side. If any of them try to hurt you, I’ll hurt them.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
Kai pressed his lips to mine. “No. All that matters is you.”
Chapter 21
Kai
Last night, while we were sleeping, Ella had woken up with a calling to help a fae cross over to the Hereafter. She didn’t want me to go with her, but I wanted to be there to take down my brothers if it was a trap. Luckily, it turned out to be a true calling.
Since our last confrontation, I hadn’t heard from Ridge or the others. Nevertheless, I knew they weren’t going to give up. Ridge had always wanted a war between the fae. Without me, I had no fucking clue why he’d even want to do that. He wasn’t powerful enough to take them on without my magic. Our numbers were dismal.
We couldn’t take on all the courts in the Land of the Fae.
I could sneak in undetected and kill my targets with my magic, but that wasn’t an option. My heart and soul didn’t want to hurt Ella or her family, but the darkness inside me wanted to see her blood. It wasn’t a constant need, but there were times when it became unbearable. It was as if that darkness pierced its claws inside me, ripping me from the inside out. I hid the pain from Ella, determined to spend as much time with her as I could before I was no longer myself.
Eventually, I wouldn’t see her as anything more than an enemy.
If a war came, I’d have no choice but to use my magic. And in return, I’d be fighting against Ella and her people. Either way, I’d lose her by hate or death.
Ella’s steps crunched in the snow as she came up behind me. “Hey. You’ve been out here for a while,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. She laid her head against my back.
“How do you know?” I said, placing my hands over hers. “You’ve been asleep.”
She was exhausted after everything that’s happened recently and being called out in the middle of the night didn’t help. After a few minutes, Ella let me go and came around to stand in front of me. She had her blonde hair pulled back and was wearing my sister’s jeans and one of her red hoodies. I tried not to think of Piper or how I’d handled things with her. My father had always told me love was a weakness. I had shut everyone out my entire life . . . until Ella. Losing her was going to be the end of me. And it was going to happen one day.
Ella took in a deep breath and glanced out at the snow-capped mountains. There was a trail around the lake that I’d already walked.
“Want to take a walk?” Ella asked, pointing at my footsteps in the snow. “It’ll give us time to talk. Out of all the times we’ve spent together, I don’t think we’ve done much of that.”
It was either yelling, fucking, or saying we were going to kill the other.
“Sure,” I said, taking her hand.
We started around the lake and ventured through the trees toward the mountains.
“Tell me something nobody knows about you?” Ella called out.
That made me laugh. That was everything about my life.
“That’s a long list, Ella. I don’t talk to people.”
Ella smirked. “I can see that about you. What are some things you like? Take, for instance, your favorite foods and your favorite color. What do you like to do on weekends?”
No one had ever asked me those questions. The only person who ever showed an interest in my life was my mother and I had shut her out.
I’ve ignored the guilt for so long that I thought I could forget about it, but there it was, weighing on my chest like a ton of bricks.
Ella squeezed my hand. “Kai? You okay?”
Stopping midstep, I looked behind us at our tiny cabin in the distance. “No,” I confessed, staring over at her. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her back stiffened and I could see the guarded look in her eyes. That was what I despised about our situation. She would always be skeptical of me because of who I am. I couldn’t blame her. I knew the day would come when I’d have to send her away; it wouldn’t be safe for her to be with me.
“There was a night not long ago when you helped a woman cross over to the Hereafter. I know you felt me in the shadows.”
She nodded. “I remember. I knew you were there. I was expecting you to attack, but you didn’t.”
There was a gnawing pain in my chest, and I fought the urge to rub it. “I wasn’t there for you,” I said.
Ella cocked her head to the side. “No? Then why were you?”
Unclasping my fingers from hers, I brought my hands up and cupped her cheeks. “I was there to see my mother.”
Ella gasped and grabbed my wrists, holding them tightly. “Linette was your mother?”
It seemed like ages ago since I heard anyone say her name.
“You remember her?”
Her eyes misted over. “Of course I do. All the people I help cross over are special to me. It’s like they stay imprinted on my mind.” Ella flung her arms around my neck. “Oh, Kai, I’m so sorry.”
I held her to me, breathing in her Winter scent. She smelled like fresh sparkling snow and frosted leaves, all mixed with the sweet scent of candied orange. I couldn’t get enough of her.
Turning my head into her neck, I kissed the tender flesh behind her ear. “It’s okay. I knew she was dying. I’m glad she saw you during her last breath instead of me.”
She stepped away, looking at me with such sadness. “Why would you say that?”
I shrugged. “Because it’s the truth. It changed me when I finally gave in and let my father’s words corrupt me. After that, I didn’t love anything or care for anything besides power. I don’t even remember what it was like to be a little boy, to enjoy the small things in life. My mom tried to help me, but I pushed her away. The last words she said to me were ‘I love you,’ but I couldn’t say them back. I didn’t know how.”
Ella grabbed my face in her firm grasp, her genuine brown gaze full of sorrow. “There is nothing wrong with loving people, Kai. Love makes people stronger, not weaker. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“Do you think you could ever love me?”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “Could you ever love me?”
I wiped her tears away. “I think I already do.”
Lifting on her toes, she kissed me, the sweet taste of her tongue on mine. “Then let me in, Kai,” she breathed across my lips. “Can you do that?”
“Only if you answer my question first. Do you think you could ever love me?”
Her lips closed over mine again. “Yes,” she murmured, and I could feel the truth in her words. “I know I can . . . and I do.”
“Then, you’re in. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. It might not be easy, but I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”
She looked into my eyes, and there was so much joy on her face that it made me smile. “You know you’re making this hard on me. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to leave and go back home.”
“Then don’t,” I said, holding her tight. “Stay with me here. No one ever has to find us.”
“But they will, Kai. One way or another, my family will find me. Until then, you’re mine.”
I swallowed hard. “And you’re mine.”
If there was a way to keep her forever, I had to find it. I couldn’t let her go.
Chapter 22
Ella
ONE WEEK LATER
After spending the week with Kai, I realized how much his father had screwed him up. My goal was to help him enjoy the simple pleasures in life instead of finding satisfaction in hurting people.
Every day we explored the hidden treasures around us and found a beautiful waterfall that was frozen over. We talked nonstop and it felt good just to be in his presence. However, there were times when he struggled. I could see it, but I pretended not to notice. He hadn’t used the magic within him, but the damage of the past had already been done. I kept hoping, with time, the urge to hurt me because of his father’s revenge would dissipate, but it was still there and there were no signs of it weakening. We both knew that if my family waged war on the Shadow fae, he’d have to fight against us. If anyone could help him face the darkness, it was me. I couldn’t leave when I felt with all my heart and soul that I could free him.
The snow started to fall, and it reminded me so much of home. Standing by the window, I watched the flakes come down, wishing Kai and I were in the Land of the Fae instead of the mortal world. My mother’s words kept replaying in my mind. This land and the people in it will never accept him. But would that still be true if I were to save him from the darkness?
Kai came up behind me, his hands gliding across my stomach and under my shirt to my breasts. The feel of his lips on my neck made me tremble with anticipation.
“Is it that time already?” I moaned, leaning into him.
He pushed his cock into my back. “I believe so.”
The second I turned around, he lifted me into his arms and carried me over to the bed. Before he could lay me down, I felt the tug on my soul, pulling me toward a dying fae.
“Kai, stop,” I said, placing a hand on his chest. “I have a calling.”
Eyes darkening, he set me down and grabbed my dagger off the bedside table. That weapon could kill him, but he didn’t seem afraid of it. He handed it to me, and I strapped it to my belt while he grabbed his gun, slipping it into the waistband of his jeans. Our methods of fighting in the Land of the Fae didn’t include guns; they were prohibited in our realm. I wasn’t afraid of the weapon, but guns could severely damage my kind. Even just a knick with an iron bullet could kill us.
Kai nodded at me, signaling he was ready.
“Remember, keep to the shadows,” I whispered as I summoned my magic. “If someone’s there, I’ll handle it.”
I haven’t been attacked yet, but I did wonder if he’d be able to kill any of his siblings if they were waiting on me. Guess you could say having him with me was a test. I’d be able to see firsthand what he’d do.
Before slipping through the portal to the dying fae, Kai’s body disappeared and all that was left was a shadow. It was strange seeing him as a form of darkness.
The pull grew stronger, which meant the fae didn’t have much longer on this world. I stepped through the portal, and I felt Kai’s presence follow right behind me. I never thought it’d be a comfort to have him so close.
When everything became clear, I found myself in the backyard of a stucco-style home in the Arizona desert. It was like a private oasis with palm trees and a pool. The sky was so clear I could see the stars as if they were close enough to touch.
The sound of gurgling caught my attention, and I jerked my head toward the pool house. I didn’t know what I would find, but I was ready.
When I got to the door, there was a young man inside—a Summer fae—his golden skin covered by the blood oozing out of the wound in his abdomen; he was stabbed by an iron blade.
His eyes widened when he saw me; that was when I felt them . . . dark fae. All I could sense was evil. Their powers weren’t as strong as the Shadow fae, but they were still capable of killing just as easily. There were three lurking in the dark, waiting for their chance to strike. I had hoped it’d be Kai’s brothers, but that didn’t matter; these guys were obviously working with them.
“I finally get my chance to meet the beautiful Ella,” a voice taunted behind me.
The dying fae didn’t have much time, and my heart ached for him. He was attacked because of me.
Clenching my teeth, I turned around to face the dark fae. I was right. There were three of them, all who were previously Summer fae before they decided to turn to the dark side. They still had their golden tanned skin, but that was it. Every other trace of the Summer Court was gone. It made me wonder what they did or what happened to where they wanted to turn on their court. Sadly, most dark fae I’d come across over the years were just power-hungry bastards.
The main guy had short, bright blond hair and a crooked smile as he raked his gaze up and down my body. The other two guys behind him slowly stepped to the side, flanking me; one had dark blond hair and the other’s was light brown. They were likely decades older than me, but they looked to be twenty-five.
“Who says that’s who I am?” I fired back, unsheathing my dagger.
With gloved hands, the blond reached behind his back and pulled out an iron blade that was just as large as mine, only his was covered in blood. He smirked and stepped closer.
“I just know. Boys, hold her down. I’m going to enjoy this.”
Before his men even moved toward me, Kai appeared behind the blond. “No, I am,” he growled, wrapping his arms around the guy’s neck. He snapped it so fast and dropped his body to the ground.
The man to my right with dark blond hair tried to make a run for it, but I threw my dagger at his back, piercing him through the heart. He dropped into a pile of ash right by the pool.
That left only one man standing.
The fae with the light brown hair held up his hands and glowered at us. “This isn’t over. The final battle is still to come.”
I moved over to Kai and stood beside him. Clearly, the dark fae wasn’t going to say anything else, and I wasn’t about to waste my time on him. He knew he was going to die. So, in one quick move, I reached for Kai’s gun in his waistband and pointed it at the man.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be ready. But there is one thing that’s over.” I rested my finger on the trigger. “You.”
There was no hesitation, remorse, or regret as I watched the bullet puncture his skull. His body landed with a thud on the concrete, and it wouldn’t be long before he was a pile of ash.
After handing Kai his gun, I hurried into the pool house and knelt beside the dying fae. A few seconds later, Kai came in and slid my dagger into the holster on my belt.
“What’s your name?” I said, taking the dying fae’s hand in mine. He coughed up blood.
“Darin. I don’t have much time.”
“I know,” I soothed. “I’m here to help you. The men who did this to you are dead.”
Darin had bright green eyes and a kind smile. “Thanks. I thought I could take them.” He was slipping away.
“Do you know why I’m here?”
A tear slid down his cheek and he nodded. “My father told me about Keepers. You’re here to help me cross over.”
“I am,” I murmured. I glanced back at Kai, who watched me with an unreadable expression on his face. “I have to go,” I said to him. “Meet me back at our place.”
He nodded once. “I’ll wait for you to go first.”
Holding onto Darin’s hand, I waited for the last remnant of his life to leave his body. The warmth of my magic spread through me, exploding into a blast of light. As soon as the light gave away, I was holding onto Darin’s hand in the Hereafter. His eyes lit with wonder as he gazed around at the lake and at the rolling green hills in the distance covered in an array of multicolored flowers. Usually, Merrick was by the lake, but he wasn’t today. It made me wonder if he was still at his private beach.
“Thank you,” Darin breathed.
“You’re welcome.”
His death lay heavy on my chest. “There’s something I need to ask of you before I leave.”
Darin’s brows furrowed. “Anything.”
Taking his other hand, I held them both tight. “I need you to forgive me. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. Those men killed you to lure me out.”
Darin shook his head. “There’s nothing to forgive.” He looked out into the distance and smiled. “I feel at peace here. I imagine this is what the Land of the Fae is like?”
