Dark, p.40
Dark, page 40
Cheers followed them offstage as the audience went wild for their act, and after a few whistles they returned to give a series of bows and accept the flowers offered to them. Once the excitement had died down, the announcer returned, introducing the next performance. “Those of you on the front row might want to lean back if you don’t want your eyebrows singed,” he warned. “Please welcome the Firebreathers!”
A troupe of Iron Fae and Félvér took to the stage, splitting into groups of three across. On one end, a series of flaming hoops were lit, and the performers took turns leaping through them, displaying their bravery. In the front, a group juggled flaming balls and batons with expert care, and I covered my smirk with my hand as the crowd gasped as time and time again the three held the flaming balls in their hands without getting burned. Little did they know, the three performers in the front were all half Dragon Shifter, so the fire did not burn them. On the other side, three performers were setting up for their finale, building what looked like a mountain out of crates and boxes and covering them with gray sheets. The other sets began working their way around, giving them the space they needed to continue their uphill build, until finally they rose high above the crowd. One raced to the top, flaming batons in hand, and paused, surveying the area beneath him. Then with a mighty roar, he tilted his head back, brought the baton close to his face, and exhaled, breathing fire into the air and spewing it over the heads of the crowd. Once the flames died down, the crowd erupted in applause, and the performers bowed to the audience and tore down their set in rapid succession.
We watched another dance after the Firebreathers, then listened to a male tell jokes for far too long. By the time the hounds and their masters walked onstage, Izidora and Liliana were drunk, giggling, and falling all over each other beside me. I squeeze my mate’s leg under the table to get her attention. “You’re going to like this one, sprite.”
“What are they going to do?” she asked with a slight hiccup.
“Watch and you’ll see.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I sighed contentedly, reaching across to stroke her hair and turning my head to plant a kiss on her forehead.
The trainers shouted commands at their dogs, and they pranced across the stage, never looking away from their masters as they remained glued to their sides. They sat obediently when they halted, spun on command, then returned to their place. One pair broke away, centering themselves on the stage. The trainer produced a length of rope, showing it to the dog, then used a ladder to place it on a newly-erected stone wall at the end of the stage. The dog remained stationary while his master placed the rope, his eyes never leaving his prize. On command, the dog sprinted toward the wall, launching himself into the air as he scaled it, and snatched the bit of rope before backflipping off of the wall and landing lightly on the ground.
Izidora gasped beside me, her head lifting off my shoulder as her hands covered her mouth in shock. “That was amazing!”
“I thought you might like it,” I smiled down at her.
Our attention returned to the stage, where the second dog jumped through the flaming hoops of the Firebreathers, fearless in his flight as he chased his master. After the fifth hoop, he turned sharply and raced to the second trainer, whose arm was thickly padded and extended to the hound. With an incredible display of force, he lunged for it and latched on to the padding, not letting go as the second trainer lifted him into the air. Only when his master shouted the command to release did he back away and begin barking at the second trainer.
“That is so fuckin’ cool,” Liliana slurred, clapping her hands.
“Agreed,” Izidora said, wholly captivated by the show.
After a few more displays of obedience, the two pairs ended their act to an absolutely enthralled audience, the unique performance winning everyone over.
The ballroom brightened after they exited the stage, and the announcer returned, relaying the intermission information. I blinked rapidly at the change in light, and as my eyes adjusted I glanced to my left. A smug Kazimir still sat there, looking pointedly at me and then at my mate. Ignoring him, I returned my attention to Izidora. “Do you want to move around during the intermission or stay here?”
She yawned, covering her open mouth with the back of her hand. “I think I'll move around. Otherwise, I might fall asleep. I had too much wine.”
“But I need more,” Liliana declared, shaking the empty bottles on the table in front of her.
“I can get you both more,” Kazimir offered behind me, and Liliana glowered over my shoulder, a threat of death flashing in her eyes.
“On second thought, I think I agree with Izidora. I’ve had too much wine.” The ice in her tone rivaled the glaciers in the Agrenak Mountains, and the wine must have emboldened her because words sharper than icicles speared out of her mouth. “Why are you sitting there, Kazimir? No one wants you here. You should just leave.”
Izidora’s eyes widened, and I snapped my head around just in time to see Kazimir shoot to his feet, eyes turning black. “I am your king, Liliana, and you will address me as such.”
“How about no?” she challenged, and I held my breath, calling on my magic to defend the females sitting beside me.
“I will not tolerate your disrespect,” Kazimir snapped, banging his fists on the table and causing the silverware to jump.
Seconds later, Vadim and Endre had their hands on Kazimir’s arms and shoulders. “Liliana has had too much to drink, Kazimir. She won’t remember what she said in the morning. Let’s go get some food from the halls before the theater performance starts.” Vadim tried to soothe his mad king, but the asshole shrugged him off.
Scraping back his chair, Kazimir leveled a disdain-filled look on Liliana. “Drunkenness is no excuse. Do better.”
Vadim and Endre shot apologetic grimaces in our direction as they followed Kazimir out of the ballroom, and I released the breath I had been holding before cracking my knuckles one by one.
“Fuck him. You definitely made the right choice, Izidora,” Liliana grumbled, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.
“I think so too,” she confirmed, looking up at me with so much love I couldn’t imagine her making any other choice.
“I love you, mate.”
“I love you too.”
I ushered the females into the hall, keeping them close to me and using my heightened Dragon senses to watch for Kazimir. We ended up wandering around, mingling with people here and there, but the three of us were on edge from our earlier encounter. As the crowd began returning to their seats, I made a split-second decision. “Why don’t we skip the theater performance?”
“What would we do instead?” Izidora asked.
“We can go to Roc and enjoy the hot springs on the ground floor. No other female has set foot there, and I don’t want to bring Liliana with us unless you say it's okay.”
Izidora’s aquamarine eyes softened, and she reached up to cup my cheek.
“You take such good care of me, Ruslan. No one has ever taken my thoughts and feelings into consideration like you have. You make me feel like the most special female in the world.”
“Are you two talking through your bond again?” Liliana huffed, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
Izidora snickered and turned to her friend. “Yes. Do you want to come with us to our real home?”
Liliana lifted an eyebrow. “Real home?”
I dropped my voice so no one could overhear our conversation. “Roc Palace. I built it for Izidora and myself to enjoy, away from the citadel.”
She swiped at her hair, then shrugged, as if she were trying to hide her jealousy. With how intoxicated she was, she couldn’t cover her pinched expression and the way her attention drifted down the table toward Endre. “Sure, let’s go.”
“Follow me,” I instructed, searching our surroundings for the stalker.
Slipping down a side hall, I navigated us to an empty room where we wouldn’t be disturbed. There was an entry on both sides, so if someone had followed us, when they barged in they would think we had exited through the other door. Taking a deep breath, I tapped into the well of black fire in my chest, then grasped both the females’ hands. The low chant of the spell to move us spilled from my lips, and Liliana jerked her hand as the magic settled over us. I tightened my grip, needing to concentrate on the words as I worked.
And then, we flew faster than light through the distance between Ryza and Roc as I bent space to return us to our home. When we halted in the entryway, I released them, and Liliana braced her hands on her knees, panting and swearing as she regained her bearings.
“The first time is always the worst,” Izidora soothed, rubbing circles on her friend’s back.
“What… the hell… was that,” Liliana managed to say.
“Mage magic,” I smirked. “Quite handy isn’t it?”
She lifted her seafoam green eyes from the polished stone floor. “It’s something.” Straightening, she swayed slightly, and Izidora caught her arm to steady her.
Inhaling deeply, my shoulders relaxed with the knowledge that Izidora would be safe for the evening, tucked away in Roc Palace. Down the bond, I felt her loosen, that frantic energy that had been consuming her disappearing like smoke in the wind.
“To the hot springs?” she asked.
“Let’s go.” I led the way down the stairs to the bottom floor, and as we pushed through the door, the humidity blasted us, clothes immediately sticking to our skin.
“Wow, this is incredible!” Liliana exclaimed as she surveyed the space.
The underground grotto was all-natural, the stones still rough, as hot water piped up from a hole dug into the side of the mountain. Using my earth magic, I had shaped a few seats into the pool after my first few uses, wanting a place to recline rather than having to stand or squat in the water. Low lights flickered to life as we moved further into the space, enchanted so they created the perfect ambiance for relaxing, depending on the bather’s mood.
Both females began tying their hair on the tops of their heads, and I turned my back to them as I stripped from my finery and laid it across a stone bench. The water soothed my soul as I entered it, the warmth seeping into my muscles and the healing minerals working their way into my skin. Ducking under the water, I wet my hair, slicking it back as I emerged. I waited to turn around until I heard splashing, Izidora and Liliana submerged in the water up to their collarbones.
“There are seats over there.” I gestured to my left, and they glided through the water until they reached them. I joined them there, and the opaque green water swirled around us as a small geyser exploded with fresh heat.
“Why haven’t we used this more?” Izidora groaned, sinking back into a comfortable position.
“We are always too busy. I had to ensure you were properly trained and strong.” I planted a kiss on her forehead and scooted onto the rocks next to her before lifting my arms from the water and bracing them on the rock ledge behind me. She snuggled closer, leaning her head against my chest as Liliana took the seat across from us.
“You are the first female to set foot here besides Izidora,” I told her.
“Really? Why?” she cocked her head to the side, studying me.
“Because I wanted this place to be special for her – for us. I never wanted her to feel like she was an afterthought.”
“Fuck me, why can’t I find a male like you?” she groaned, and Izidora giggled beneath my arm.
“Do you mean a villain, a king, or something else?” I smirked.
“For what it’s worth, you may have started as a villain, but I don’t think you are anymore – not really,” Izidora murmured, lifting her head from my chest to look at me.
“Then I am not doing my job in scaring you enough, sprite,” I whispered, my hand reaching from behind her to grasp her throat.
“The scent of your fear mixed with your arousal was and always will be my favorite combination.”
A rosy red crept up her chest to her cheeks, and I knew it wasn’t from the steam swirling around us.
Liliana interrupted our moment with a scoff. “How about a male who thinks about me first? I’d settle for that. You saw how Endre chose Kazimir over me earlier.”
“I’m sorry, Lil,” Izidora said, floating through the water to embrace her friend. I let her go, knowing that the two of them needed each other.
Wanting to change the subject away from the one that plagued my every waking thought, I asked, “So what does Izidora’s dress look like?”
Liliana’s mood shifted immediately. “Nope, I am not telling you a thing. You have to wait to be surprised.”
I protested, but she and Izidora held firm, insisting that it would be better if I waited. After that, conversation floated around our upcoming wedding, the decor the temple would have as we took our vows and our crowns before the Goddess, and our plans for after Béke.
We remained in the spring until we grew lightheaded and sweat poured from our temples. As we dried off and prepared to return to the citadel, a twinge of sadness speared my heart, for in a few days’ time, Béke would be over, and I did not know for certain if Liliana would stay or if she would return with her brother and the Night Fae to the Night Realm.
For Izidora’s sake, I wanted her to stay.
45
Béke Day Thirteen
“Liliana didn’t return to the apartment last night,” Endre told me as he sank onto my bed.
I adjusted the Night Crown in the mirror, glancing at my downcast friend as his messy black hair fell into his face. “Where do you think she went?”
He buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know. Somewhere with Izidora. Maybe she stayed with her.”
The tension between Endre and Liliana had been growing during our time here, and the purple circles under my best friend’s eyes showed his stress. They were on full display as he lifted his gaze to meet mine in the mirror. “Why did you threaten her last night? She would have come back if you hadn’t been a dick.”
Buttoning up my jacket, I replied, “Liliana needs to know her place. If she chooses to remain a citizen of the Night Realm, then she must obey her king. If she chooses to pledge her allegiance to the Iron Realm, then she’s not my problem. But she won’t choose a side, therefore, she belongs to me.”
A flicker of annoyance swept through me. The answer should have been obvious to him. Instead, his peridot eyes dimmed, and he pushed off from the bed with a heaviness that was, unfortunately, all too relatable. “Liliana will go where Izidora does. Do you really think you can convince Izidora to choose you at this point?”
Time was running out – the following day, Izidora and Ruslan would marry and be crowned as the monarchs of the Iron Realm. Which meant I had one last day to get her alone and tell her my theory of the prophecy, that this tug between us still existed because she could choose both. Not that I had told Endre or any of my other friends what I had seen during the masquerade. I needed their continued support in this, and so long as they believed Izidora hadn’t yet chosen a mate, I could continue to establish my rule.
I also hadn’t told them we were on our own with the war we planned to wage against the Iron Realm.
“I have a plan,” I replied coolly.
Endre heaved a sigh. “I wish you would tell me. Or Viktor. Or anyone, really. You spend too much time in your own head, Kazimir.”
“No one understands the pain I’m going through,” I ground out, jerking my jacket one last time before facing my friend.
“And no one will unless you tell them,” Endre retorted. “Did you forget that the rest of us lost our brothers too? We’re all still grieving over here. But we’re pushing that aside to help you, and you are being an asshole to everyone. Figure your shit out.” He stomped from the room without a backward glance.
I remained motionless, rooted in place by my friend’s harsh words. Endre rarely snapped, so his words were like a slap to the face. I returned to myself when I heard Vadim say, “The parade starts in half an hour. We need to get going.”
“Yeah, I know. He’s almost finished in there,” I heard Endre mumble through the walls.
Gathering myself and slipping into my kingly facade, I entered the living area where the Night Fae, minus Liliana, waited for me. Domi’s eyes were hard, and she quickly busied herself with her nails when I entered. “Shall we?”
Without waiting for a response, I swept through the room, out the doors, and into the hall where servants and guards all wound their way to the front doors and into the afternoon sun. The parade would take place on the main thoroughfare in Radence, and at the end of the course, the nobility had special seats and a private area to tie up our horses.
Fek stomped his foot when we arrived in the stables to collect our mounts, his glossy black mane shining in the sun. I rubbed his nose, offering him a lump of sugar before mounting and guiding him through the crowd trailing into the city. A light dusting of snow from the previous night’s storm coated the roofs and sides of the road, and the bright sun glinting off of the snow speared into my eyes. Fek’s hooves clopped against the slush-covered cobbled road, the snow there trampled by the hundreds of feet that had already crossed it as people fought for the best view of the upcoming parade.
The stone houses and buildings we passed were overflowing with people eating and drinking as they celebrated the last days of Béke. Ales overflowed and spilled along the ground, meat roasted over open fires, and people sang off-tune, grasping each other by the arm as they went round and round. Their carefree spirits almost made me feel normal, but the day’s mission was never far from the front of my mind.
I had to find Izidora. I had to get her alone. And I had to tell her that she could still accept our bond.
Making her jealous hadn’t worked, though I hadn’t regretted my time with Taya at all. She fucked like a goddess, and sinking into her tight pussy had been the relief I needed these past few days.
