A realm of ash and shado.., p.30
A Realm of Ash and Shadow, page 30
Mason didn’t move.
“You will not disrespect our princess’s orders,” Malachi said sharply, lifting his chin toward me. His earlier anger had dissipated, and he was all business. He drew his sword and turned to Mason, placing the tip of the blade on the back of his neck. “Release him.”
Mason dug his fingers deeper into the earth, his lips curving into a sinister grin as Cayden shouted in agony. Red screamed.
“Mace.” His shoulders jerked. “Mason, please, I—” I retched, choking on the sentence I couldn’t finish. Heaving in Gideon’s arms, I coughed up a glob of black slime.
Panic flooded me. Not mine. Gideon’s grip around me tightened as his heart raced.
“We’re running out of time,” Cayden croaked with whatever breath he had left.
I knew he meant me. I was running out of time.
In a flash, Mason snapped out of his anger. The roots retracted. I tried my damndest to flash him a thankful smile, but my face wouldn’t cooperate.
“Summon the Witch of the Gray!” Gideon yelled.
It was the last thing I heard before the world around me went dark.
thirty-five
A single lamp flickered from across the room as I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the low amber light. Not a room. A large tent, made cozy with fur blankets atop carpets spread haphazardly along the grass. A soft inhale of breath drew my attention to the figure curled up on the ground next to my makeshift bed. I peeked over the edge, and my heart fluttered.
Gideon.
I slipped out from under the covers, stepping over him and through a flap that led into what I assumed was the bathroom. A bucket of clean water sat atop a wooden barrel, and behind it was a rickety oval mirror. I splashed my face and dried it with one of the towels propped atop another sealed barrel. My gaze drifted to the mirror. The deep cut Pyrtra inflicted was wholly healed, save for a light silver slash. Nothing adorned the scar. I wondered what price Margie had to pay—if any—to heal me.
Now that I was free from Vemdour’s temptations, tricks, and manipulation, the roots he nurtured within me should shrivel up. But even I knew the darkness would linger like a rotten perfume, masked by the sweet scent of relief. I kept staring at my reflection, wondering if I was as hideous a creature on the inside as the god. My skin prickled. The dirt and grime of my fight with Pyrtra were washed away, but Vemdour’s longing gaze and delicious touch remained. It was still there, invisible to the naked eye. I could still feel it—feel him—calling out to me.
“Come back to bed,” a voice murmured from behind me, and I spun around, half expecting to see the god’s smoldering eyes and towering frame. Half wanting it. My elbow bumped into the bucket, and water sloshed over the edge.
“Gideon.” His name was delicate in my mouth, and I winced at the slight pain in my cheek. Taking a few steps toward him, I clutched his face between my hands and kissed him once, twice, three times until I was on the verge of drowning in him. The stubble on his jaw tickled my skin. His hands found my hips and tightened, crushing me against him. Without breaking the kiss, he picked me up and carried me to bed, where he placed me down gently, as if he was afraid I’d break.
If only he knew he was the breakable one. And that I had almost lost him. Almost.
“Don’t frown, princess.” He grinned, and my stomach flipped. “You’re home.”
“This is a tent,” I teased, glancing around us. “This isn’t home.”
“Home to me is wherever you are.”
Gideon kissed me again, and happiness flooded through me. I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to be with him again. And now, he was alive, he was real, and we were alone. His lips on my body would chase away all memories of Vemdour. Slipping my hand under the frayed hem of his shirt, I ran my sharp nails down his back.
He groaned into my mouth. “By Bastile. You need your rest.”
“Will you at least stay with me? And not on the ground?”
A blush crept along his tanned cheeks. “I was being a gentleman.”
“Well, stop.” I swallowed a yawn. “And get under the covers.”
He kissed my newest scar and kicked off his boots before climbing into bed. He stretched, his wool socks finding my bare feet beneath the blankets. Another layer of warmth that I snuggled into. With my head in the crook of his arm, sleep beckoned for me, and I surrendered with a smile.
Sometime in the wee hours of morning, Margie visited me. As I blinked up at her through heavy-lidded eyes, she merely whispered, “You’re going to be all right, little one.” Then sleep pulled me into its loving embrace once more.
For a few hours, I lay in bed, resting and listening to the unfamiliar noises of camp.
To be honest, I wasn’t just resting. I was avoiding. There were so many fires to extinguish, I wasn’t sure where to start. Probably with Mason. But I was too chicken to face him, too scared he’d confirm my fears—that he hated me.
“She’s been asleep for hours,” someone complained outside the tent, drawing my attention from the silver narcissus I twirled between my fingers. Gideon left it for me on his pillow along with a note saying he’d be spending the day with Margie. “And worse than that, Prince Charming’s been in there like he’s her boyfriend or some shit.”
Okay, so that was Mason. His voice was unrecognizable, laced with such animosity. Yep. Definitely avoiding that fire for a bit longer.
“Their relationship is—”
“None of your business.” A voice interrupted the woman, who was trying to comfort him. “Now, go.”
Two sets of footsteps scurried away.
A moment passed before the tent flap opened. A short black bob bounced as she shook her head. “Glad to see you awake, Your Grace,” Bex said, curtsying. Fine leather pants and a tank top replaced her tweed gown. Fresh purple bruises littered her bare arms, along with several cuts and scrapes.
I gawked at her. “What happened to you?”
“I’ve been training in my spare time while you were…” Her sentence trailed off, and she averted her gaze, suddenly interested in folding blankets.
“Away,” I finished for her. She nodded. “Where’s Mae? Is she here, too?”
Sorrow passed over her features before she righted herself. “I’m relieved to see you awake. How are you feeling?”
Weird. “I’m, um, good. Feeling peachy keen.”
“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”
“I can get it myself,” I said, climbing out of bed.
I couldn’t hide from everyone forever, so I might as well put out the fires now before the tensions burned the camp down. I needed to round up Cayden and Malachi to make sure they weren’t at each other’s throats, Mason so I could smooth him over, and Sabel because I needed to know where the hell Brini was.
Bex placed her hands on my shoulders. “You need to rest.”
Just because I spent a year—er, a week—in the Realm of the Forsaken didn’t mean I was something that needed to be handled.
I was fine. Gods.
“What I need is for you to stop coddling me,” I snapped. She raised her eyebrows a fraction, and all I could hear was the memory of Vemdour’s laughter as he told me no one would accept who I really was. Pushing the horrid noise from my mind, I added, “I’m sorry. That came out harsher than I meant it to.”
“Maybe the fresh air will do you some good.”
Bex headed toward a crate overflowing with clothes and pulled out a simple pale blue dress, the color of a cloudless pastel sky. She slipped it over my head and pulled my hair out of the back, the locks a long, matted mess. After running a brush through it and tying it in a braid, she looped her arm through mine and led me outside to explore the camp.
The woodsy scent of low-burning logs permeated the air along with roasting meat. We wound our way through the cream-colored tents in silence, listening to the stream of chatter and grunts as people sparred, sharpened blades, and whittled stakes. Faces I hadn’t recognized smiled at me before kissing their fists and tapping their shoulders in respect.
“What are all these people doing here?” I whispered to Bex. I thought back to Pyrtra and Tam’s conversation about the rebellion… My grip tightened on her arm. “What in Bastile’s name happened while I was away?”
“Your father forced the rebellion to retreat, and the Witch of the Grey has been helping hide us until we can take back Empyrean.”
“I—” Any other questions I had faded to ash when my gaze fell on Mason.
He sulked at a wooden picnic table, tossing an apple from hand to hand, his mind seemingly elsewhere. It was unsettling to see him without a notebook and pen. He wore a loose tunic rolled up to his elbows and leather breeches. A beat later, his eyes snagged on me, and he bolted in my direction, shoving Bex out of the way to grip my face and press his lips against mine.
Out of habit, my mouth parted for him. This was wrong. He would never be kissing me like this if he knew the truth of how I fell hopelessly for Gideon when I never let myself open up to him. And he certainly wouldn’t be kissing me if he knew about the time I willingly spent by Vemdour’s side, believing his wicked lies. Kissing his wicked lips.
Murdering Ellody.
My eyes snapped open as I stumbled away from him, one hand pressed to the knot forming in my chest.
“Mortal,” Malachi called from behind us.
“Val.” Mason reached for me, but I took another step back. His brow furrowed. “What’s wrong? I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, Mace,” I whispered. “But there’s a lot we need to talk about.”
He dropped his hands to his side, eyes darkening. “Then talk.”
“Not here.”
“Where would you like to go, Val? You wanna take me back to the bed you let Prince Charming sleep in last night?” His words were acidic and they cut to the bone. “I would’ve been better off if you left me in Hell.”
Tears stung my eyes. How…how could he say that?
“I can send you back,” Cayden drawled from where he was leaning against a table. His hands rested on the hilts of Life’s Song and Death’s Promise.
“Stay out of it, Deathbringer,” Malachi warned. He tied his hair in a loose bun as if he were preparing for a fight.
Cayden’s lips curled into a grin as he gave a mock bow.
I pointed to the three of them. “Come with me.”
Both Cayden and Malachi nodded.
Mason folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t take orders from you.”
And that’s when the final string of my patience snapped.
“Yes, you fucking do!” I shouted. My heart pounded in my ears as my voice grew louder. “You are in this realm under my protection. Therefore, you will answer to me, and you will obey my orders whether you want to or not.”
Flames licked beneath my skin, dying to be let loose. A part of me wanted to force Mason to kneel to prove he understood our dynamic wasn’t the same as it was in the Realm of the Mortals, and it never would be again. But that was the part of me Vemdour unleashed.
Four words flittered into my mind. I’ll be there soon.
I ignored them. I didn’t need Gideon’s help. Not for this.
My gaze flickered over the three of them and then beyond to Sabel, who stared with her mouth agape.
“Sabel.” The darkness threatened to burst to the surface at the sight of her flawless face without Brini in tow. “Come along as well.”
She slid into place next to Mason like they’d become fast friends.
With a deep breath, I schooled my expression. “We’re all going to have a nice little chat instead of acting like uncivilized demons.”
“Not all demons are uncivilized,” Red sang from where she perched on a log in front of the camp’s fire. The flames danced in my direction, calling out to me with a siren’s song, sweet and hypnotizing.
“Right,” I said. She flashed a friendly smile. “Would you like to join us, too?”
She looked over the group and shook her head, springy curls bouncing. “Just make sure Cayden comes back to me in one piece.”
“No promises,” I muttered as I stomped in the direction of my tent.
I perched on the edge of my bed with my feet tucked under me. The guys took seats on the ground and gave Sabel the only chair in the room. No one said a word as they waited for me to speak. Bex had run off the moment she heard my stomach growl, and I sighed, thinking of how hungry I was.
“Any volunteers on who wants to go first in clearing the air?” I asked.
Cayden raised his hand. “I suppose I’m the obvious choice.”
“Fine.” I clenched my jaw. “You fucked up, Cayden. Big time. But you’ve been atoning for your sins for years.” I glanced at Malachi. “He’s been working as an ally—my ally—by protecting me from the Realm of the Forsaken for as long as he could.” My eyes met Cayden’s once more. “And…he’s my brother, and I want him here. You’ve all seen the lengths I’d go to for the people I care about” —I cast a stern glare at Mason— “so for the love of the gods, just let the Deathbringer work with us, so he can do what he does best—”
“Kill innocents?” Malachi said, interrupting me.
“And torture innocents?” Mason chimed in.
Cayden blew out a breath of air, his brown eyes darkening. “Bind yourself to a god and see how much free will you have afterward.”
“Enough. There are other things I need to fill everyone in on, but I want a chance to talk to Mistress Marjorie first,” I said. “So…can everyone play nice and chill the fuck out for a bit?”
Somewhat reluctantly, they all nodded.
Sabel picked idly at her gown. It was as blinding as the sun at high noon and as vibrant as her fiery hair. “Can we hurry this along? I don’t like leaving Brini unattended.”
My spirits perked up. “She’s here?”
“Of course she’s here.”
Relief flooded me knowing Brini was safe. Gideon stalked through the tent’s entrance, and the knot in my chest loosened.
He placed a quick kiss on my cheek. “What’d I miss?”
Malachi rolled his eyes. “I’m sure she can catch you up in about a millisecond through the dyad.”
Mason blinked. “The what?”
“Let’s go,” Cayden said to Malachi and Sabel. He stood, brushing dirt from his pants. “We don’t need to be here for the lovers’ quarrel.”
The three of them said their goodbyes and left, likely going separate ways.
An awkward silence grew between Mason and me as we sat there. Even Gideon waited for me to say something, anything. But I didn’t know where to begin.
“Mason, I’m sorry for…getting you into all of this.” I waved a hand around, trying my best to encapsulate everything that happened over the last whatever amount of time. “It was never my intention for you to be hurt. You know that, right?”
He nodded, finally looking at me. My heart threatened to crack open. We never fought during our entire friendship. We’d had disagreements, sure, but we had never spoken to each other the way we did today.
“There’s no easy way to tell you, but the dyad between us is more than just a bond.” My voice quivered. “We’re…soulmates.”
Mason snorted. “Soulmates? Really, Val? This is a cop-out, and you know it.”
“Perhaps,” Gideon said softly, and Mason’s dangerous eyes switched to him. “I should let you two talk alone. Besides, princess, you’re starving, and it’s making me hungry. I’ll get us something to eat.”
I opened my mouth to tell him Bex was already on food duty, but he slipped out of the tent before I had the chance.
Alone with Mason, I feared him in a way I never had before. The way his eyes raked over me with such…indignation. But somewhere underneath his anger was my best friend. And I knew him better than I knew myself.
“Such a gentleman,” Mason spat after a moment of silence. “You know, I never pegged you as a damsel in distress who needed Prince Charming to swoop in and save her.”
“I never pegged you for one, either.”
He let out a long breath of air. “I am grateful you saved me from the Realm of the Forsaken.”
“You sure about that? You said I should have left you there.”
“I was angry.” He clenched his jaw. “I am angry. Angry that I’ve lost everything, Val. Everything.” His voice cracked. I slid down to the ground and took his hands in mine, ignoring the searing heat that emanated from Tam’s. An ache rattled through me as I watched him shatter.
“Mace—”
“Do you even know why you were exiled to Oakwood of all the places in the world?” he asked, interrupting me.
“Margie chose it at random.”
“At random?” He laughed, but it was hollow. “They tortured me with more than just weapons and magic in the Realm of the Forsaken, Val. They also tortured me with the truth.”
My brow furrowed at his question. “What truth?”
“Your keeper knew of a Seer who had fled from Empyrean and made a life in Oakwood. He had a family. A wife who loved him, a son who adored him.” His words were coated in venom as he flung them at me. “Then you came along and brought attention to the one place he thought he’d be able to live out his life in peace.”
I blinked, stunned at this revelation. “Aulus? Aulus Damus was your father?”
“He was.” A tear slid down his cheek. “So, I hope you can understand that I am not exaggerating when I say that I have lost everything because of you.” He took a shaky breath. “I want to go home to my mom and my friends and never see you again.”
His words cut deep. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I whispered, “You can never go home, Mace.”
He snatched his hands away and buried them in his pockets.
Pressure from unshed tears built behind my eyes. “There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that I can say to make up for all that you’ve lost by being my friend. And I know you might hate me forever, but if I had to do it all again and tether you to my realm to keep you alive, I would.” The dam broke. Tears cascaded down my face, salt coated my lips. “Because I’m selfish and stupid, and going one single day without you is something I never want to experience again. I’m so sorry.”
