Turning down a side street toward the road that led to the private seating area, I scanned for any sign of Izidora, or of Liliana, Drazen, or Zuriel, because wherever they were, she was likely close by. The string that tugged me to her was faint, and I maintained a bit of focus there, waiting for it to tell me which direction to go. As we stepped closer to the stands, it began thrumming. I picked my head up, searching for a hint of chestnut hair among the crowd.

  I spotted her just as we halted at the posts where a dozen horses were already hitched, and a handful of young males stepped forward to take our reins. Without looking away from Izidora, I handed mine off, not waiting for any of the other Night Fae to join me before I slipped into the crowd, headed in her direction.

  Unfortunately, she was surrounded by her friends, which made discreetly pulling her aside impossible.

  “There you are. Let’s go get seats beside the fire,” Vadim said, hand latching onto my arm. I tore my gaze from Izidora to find him, Viktor, and Endre waiting.

  “Yeah, sure. It’s cold as fuck,” I replied, falling in stride with them as we made our way toward a row of seats on the lowest level. The fire in front of them offered a surprising amount of warmth for how small the flames were.

  “Slavian told me these were created with a special type of magic that allows them to put out a lot of heat without taking up too much space. They’re portable too, so they can be moved around when necessary. They only need to use their magic to relight the fire,” Vadim said as if he was reading my mind.

  “The Iron Realm certainly has been busy with its inventions the last few decades,” Viktor grumbled, no doubt trying to think of something useful to create for the Night Realm. He hated not being the smartest or most strategic in a room, and he fell behind as Ruslan and Drazen flaunted one new creation after another.

  That tug in my belly caught my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder to discover Izidora and Ruslan arriving with their troop of followers. She didn’t even look at me as she walked by, heading up the stairs to the highest level. She and Liliana took the seats in the middle, and a pained noise slipped from Endre’s throat as Liliana ignored him too.

  Vadim rubbed him on the shoulder reassuringly. “I can’t believe I’m comforting you over my sister, but it will be okay, Endre. Give her time.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he mumbled, facing forward once more.

  King Airre and Queen Immonen arrived moments later, two of their three High Lords in tow, and behind them Queen Viktoria and King Consort Geza arrived with High Lord Domon.

  Where were High Lords Aake and Soma?

  I didn’t recall seeing them the previous night at the talent show or theater performance either. A horn blasted in the distance, cheers rippling through the crowd of onlookers, leaving me unable to dwell on those thoughts.

  The parade had started.

  The air filled with bright, happy music, and everyone craned their necks to the left, straining for the first glimpse. Every few minutes, an explosion sent streaming ribbons into the air, the colorful strings catching on the breeze and drifting away, some falling over the crowds while others mixed in with the snow.

  It wasn’t long before the first part of the parade finally rolled around the corner, and the spectators whooped in excitement. A group of Iron Fae used their earth magic to guide the giant contraption down the street, allowing it to stop some distance away. It was too far for those in the stands to watch comfortably, but the performance didn’t last long before moving on. This time, they rolled to a stop in front of us, and the Iron Fae disappeared to allow the entertainment to go unblocked.

  The performers appeared from nowhere, bursting out of the wooden ship on wheels and acting out a scene where the male and female Fae battled against one another for control of the wheel. When the females finally won, they stood at the bow and saluted, remaining in position as the ones below pulled the ship forward again.

  It disappeared around the corner only to be replaced by another platform, artfully decorated with an intricate metal cage with a bejeweled sphere on top that glittered in the sun. People climbed out from between the bars, singing a tune before disappearing back inside and moving on to the next section.

  Three more passed before an idea struck me. Glancing around, I noted that everyone was enraptured with the latest entertainment, no one paying the slightest bit of attention to what was happening around them. Carefully, I slid from my seat, calling shadows to me to blur my form as I slipped away from the seats and ducked beneath them.

  Thank the Goddess I had taken the end seat.

  Next, calling on the silvery part of my magic, I snaked it up through the stands and around the back to where Izidora sat with her friends. Her focus was on the performance, and holding my breath, I brushed my magic against the clasp around the heavy, bejeweled necklace that she wore. With great care, I broke the clasp, directing the necklace to fall to the side and down between the slats in the stands. It hit the ground with a thud beside me.

  I called on my binding magic, combining it with the moonlight, and rendered myself invisible. Hurriedly, I stepped back and leaned against one of the thick wooden poles holding the grandstand together, heart pounding.

  “Shit!” Izidora cursed above me.

  “What’s wrong?” Ruslan asked.

  “My necklace fell to the ground, scoot over so I can go find it. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “I’ll get it for you, sprite, you should enjoy the parade.”

  “No, it’s fine, I need a drink anyway.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Bring me something,” Liliana chimed in.

  Izidora laughed, and my stomach clenched at the bright, airy sound. “Will do.”

  Her footsteps were light beneath her petite frame, but when I heard her boots crunch into the snow, my heart leaped to my throat. I could scarcely breathe as she approached, then bent to search the snow for her necklace. It only took her a few moments to uncover it, and she dusted it gently with the sleeve of her jacket before straightening.

  A faraway look rested on her face, as if she were deep in thought about something. The expression held as she walked straight past me toward the private dining area just around the corner. I waited, holding my breath until she rounded it before following. My footsteps were muffled by my magic, and as I crept closer, her laughter hit my ears again. When I reached the corner, I peeked around it and saw Izidora hefting two mugs of hot wine, throwing a giggle and a thank you over her shoulder at the lone attendant.

  This was my chance.

  Izidora strolled back in my direction, headed for the stands where all the nobles attending Béke were preoccupied. She threw a glance over her shoulder, then looked straight ahead again, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Her bright, aquamarine eyes scanned the area in front of her as if she were searching for something.

  Me.

  The moment she rounded the corner, I snatched her to me, slapping a hand over her mouth and wrapping the other around her waist so she couldn’t escape.

  “Hello, Izidora. We need to talk.”

  46

  Béke Day Thirteen

  Ahand clamped over my mouth, and I smelled him – amber. My flailing limbs struggled against the male who trapped me to his chest, my heart pounding wildly out of control as adrenaline flooded my veins. I dropped the mugs of hot wine, and they fell into the snow without a sound. Cursing, I continued to fight Kazimir, but he dragged me backward and away from the stands where my mate waited for me.

  “Shh, stop fighting,” Kazimir purred in my ear, and my eyes jerked to the young male manning the drink stand. But he seemed oblivious to the fact that Kazimir had me in a chokehold. The male I had loved first dragged me against my will toward where I’d left Mistik.

  Fuck.

  Kazimir’s intentions became crystal clear at that moment, and I snapped out with my teeth, hoping to graze his skin in any way I could. The moment I did, a corrupted black rope circled my head, gagging me as it bit into my mouth. “All I want to do is talk, but you need to listen to what I have to say instead of screaming for help or screaming over me.”

  The muscles in my neck strained as I fought against the bitter binding, but despite my obvious attempts to get his attention, the young attendant still did not notice my peril as Kazimir dragged me toward the horses.

  Kazimir’s laugh sent an icy chill skittering down my spine. “He can’t see you. He can’t hear you. No one will find you until I am ready for them to.”

  I screamed as much as I could behind the gag in a last-ditch effort to call for help, my throat vibrating with the force of my cry. Kazimir did not even acknowledge the level of distress he brought me, and that might have been the most terrifying part of this encounter.

  Was this monster always lurking inside him? Had I not accepted him during those first few months outside the cave, would this have happened sooner?

  In one swift motion, Kazimir threw my legs over Fek’s back, then vaulted onto his stallion behind me, snatching the reins and kicking him into a gallop. Houses flashed by us as we raced down the street, which was devoid of life as the whole of Radence was preoccupied with the parade.

  But I was an insidious bloom, and I needed no one to save me byt myself. I had reclaimed my power, and I had trained for this, and I would not be afraid.

  Kazimir crushed me against him, and I struggled to free myself from his grip. Searching for the powerful white flames inside me, I called to them, stoking them higher in preparation to blow us off the street.

  But nothing happened.

  That’s when Immonen’s words drifted back to me. Binding magic blocks access to our Goddess-gifted power.

  My eyes widened as panic clawed her way up my throat, stealing my breath as we raced to Goddess knew where. I tried again, grasping for my precious magic, but it slipped through my fingers. Cursing Kazimir, I dug my nails into his arm, shoving down with all my might, trying to break his grip.

  The laugh he left in my ear was so sinister that my entire body went cold. Another malicious rope bound my hands together, and it was then that I felt truly helpless and utterly powerless for the first time since I’d left my cave.

  I couldn’t save myself.

  Tears pricked my eyes, and I fought with every spark of hope left within me to crush the overwhelming feelings threatening to render me immobile. I was a fighter, a survivor, and I would not give up on myself – not ever. This insidious bloom had one final thorn, willing and able to prick, and I knew, without a doubt, it was my only chance of survival.

  “Ruslan!”

  “Sprite? What’s wrong? Where are you?”

  “I don’t know. Kazimir took me, we’re riding through Radence. I don’t know these streets, they aren’t familiar.”

  The roar that burst from Ruslan shook even the homes around us, and Kazimir snapped the reins, urging Fek faster.

  “Please hurry.”

  “I will find you, sprite. No one will ever hurt you again.”

  “He bound me, I can’t access my magic. I’m scared.”

  “Me too. But we have survived so much already, and we will again.”

  I tried to look up toward the sky, searching for my Demon Dragon, but Kazimir’s hand threaded through my hair and shoved my head down, causing me to cry out against my gag. “No one can see us.” Another rope wrapped around my eyes, blinding me from our path forward, and tears overflowed as I surrendered to the mercy of another male again.

  But I was not giving up; no, I was doing what survivors did best – biding my time until I was certain I could strike. And then, I would offer Kazimir the same mercy I had offered the males who abused me in the cave.

  Death.

  Fek’s pace slowed, and Kazimir pressed his chest into me, forcing me to lean forward as we began an uphill ascent.

  “I think he is taking me into the mountains.”

  “I know, I’m almost there. Stay strong, Izidora.”

  Insidious bloom, insidious bloom, insidious bloom…

  “That’s right, mate. You have so many hidden thorns. Prick him with them all.”

  I hadn’t realized I’d spoken my mantra down the bond, but I was grateful for Ruslan’s reassurance.

  The ground leveled out beneath us, and Kazimir pulled Fek to a stop, the stallion’s sides heaving from the effort of racing away from Radence. The poor beast deserved better than the madness that was his rider. Kazimir jerked me off of him, throwing me to the ground with my limbs still bound and mouth still gagged. My head cracked on a rock, and I cried out around the rope in my mouth. He used the tight binds to jerk me upright, then removed the rope around my head so I was forced to look him in the eye. Blood trickled down the side of my face, wet, hot, and metallic.

  But he did not care. Why did I ever think he cared?

  “Izidora, listen. The prophecy states ‘there is a choice’ but it doesn’t say what that choice is. I’ll share you with Ruslan. I already know you accepted a bond with him. There is still this string between us, don’t you feel it? That means you can choose me too. You can have two mates.” Kazimir’s tone grew more desperate as the sentences spilled out of him, his emerald eyes begging me to hear his words and accept him too.

  But he had hurt me. Stalked me. Made me fear for my life. Left me so on edge that I couldn’t walk alone for fear of him doing exactly this to me. My eyes narrowed on him, and I willed my white fire to burn him on the spot. But, of course, his malicious magic prevented me from using the one fucking thing that leveled the playing field.

  Fuck him. Goddess damn him. He would die for this, by my hand or by Ruslan’s, and that time was fast approaching.

  I bit down on the gag and launched myself at him, aiming my shoulder for his gut to knock him off balance. With lightning-fast reflexes, he caught my shoulder inches from his torso, then gripped my upper arms and stood me on my feet. The gag disappeared as if it had never been there, and Kazimir snatched my hair in one hand and my waist in the other as he trapped me against him and forced his mouth over mine. My body revolted, and I bit down with all my strength on his tongue. Metallic liquid coated the inside of my mouth, and when he jerked away with a roar, I spit it in his face.

  “You will kiss me!” He slapped me, hard enough that my head whipped to the side and stars coated my vision, then crushed my jaw between his fingers and forced me to look at his disgusting face again.

  Instead of faltering, I laughed – a crazed, wretched sound that perfectly mirrored my internal experience. All the rage I had locked inside myself bubbled up, bringing out the hardened, ferocious, pissed-the-fuck-off side of me that I loved best. I let my voice drip with disdain, not bothering to suppress or hide my true emotions. “I’ve had worse done to me, Kazimir. You aren’t the first, though you will be the last.”

  I was so fucking tired of males thinking they could use me how they wanted.

  “You will give in to me,” Kazimir hissed, spitting blood. “You will choose me. You will mate me. You will forget him and come home with me. We will be king and queen of the Night Realm.”

  I sensed Ruslan’s approach, our bond like a beacon despite the magic binding me and cloaking both me and Kazimir.

  “It’s too late for that,” I purred, batting my lashes and baring my teeth. “I do not want to be mated to you, Kazimir. I am breaking off our bond and choosing only Ruslan as my mate.”

  And with those words, an invisible string snapped between us.

  Kazimir turned feral, a snarl unlike any beast I’d heard tearing from his throat. My bindings fell away, but an explosion of moonlight and oily darkness blasted all the snow around us, throwing me backward and cracking my spine against a large boulder. Pain shot through every nerve in my body, and my throat was scraped raw from the scream.

  It was drowned out by my mate’s roar as he dropped from the sky, his massive membranous wings casting us in shadow as he breathed black fire. Not a speck of white was left in Kazimir’s eyes as he rolled out of the way of the flame and faced Ruslan head-on.

  “I should have let you die in the avalanche,” Ruslan snarled.

  “You should have.” Kazimir took a step to the left, circling an enraged Ruslan, both males hunting for an opening. He threw his sinister black rope at my mate, whose talons slashed through them as if they were nothing more than air.

  “You’re going to have to do better than that,” Ruslan taunted.

  They traded magic blows back and forth while I tried to heal my spine. The pain roaring through me was more intense than any whip lashing I had experienced, and every small movement felt like it took ten times the normal effort.

  Immonen’s vision and subsequent warning flashed through my mind, intensified by the swimming in my head.

  “Zuriel! Can you hear me?”

  “I’m here, where are you? Ruslan went crazy and left the parade before we could get an answer out of him. Everyone dispersed thinking something horrible had happened.”

  “Kazimir kidnapped me. We’re somewhere in the mountains now. I don’t know where. Please hurry, I can barely feel my legs.”

  “I’m coming.”

  “Why don’t you sheathe those talons and fight me like a Fae? That’s what you wanted, right?” Kazimir challenged.

  “I don’t need talons to destroy you, Kazimir.” Ruslan shifted out of his Dragon form, cracked his neck, and drew his sword. Flames licked the blade as he held it high, ready to pounce.

  Kazimir sidestepped to his saddlebags, yanking out his own blade. The males circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. When Kazimir leaped into a flurry of strikes, I tuned in to my magic, the crystal flickering and filling with power as I opened myself to every intense emotion for the male I’d loved first. I needed every drop of my power to end this, so I gritted my teeth and allowed the barriers around my worst memories to fall away, drawing on every painful emotion that cascaded through me. Tears overflowed of their own accord, mixing with the blood trickling down my face.

  Then, I surrendered to them.

  With a cry that held years of anguish, I directed my magic at Kazimir, willing his feet to stick to the muddy ground and sink into it like quicksand. The clash of blades rang through the mountain pass as Ruslan stepped in, and as Kazimir lifted a foot to shift away, my magic yanked it down and stuck it to the ground.

 

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